October 27, 2026 -- Second Edition

~~~ Marie: Well, let's see if this works. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Biggest Threat to U.S. Elections: POTUS*.  Richard Fausset, et al., of the New York Times: “State and local elections officials regularly plan for floods, fires and computer glitches. This year..., much of the preparations ... can be distilled into one overarching concern — that the Trump administration will somehow attempt to meddle with the voting process or the results. The tricky part, officials said, is predicting what shape that interference might take while also recognizing that it might not materialize at all. 'This is the first time ever that we have had to engage in scenario planning to safeguard against potential federal interference in elections,' said Shenna Bellows, the secretary of state in Maine. 'It seems like the federal government is now adversarial to the states.'... With one week until Election Day, officials around the country say that they are bracing for even more unwanted and potentially undemocratic federal intervention.... To prepare, secretaries of state and other state and local officials have met with lawyers and local law enforcement agencies, trained poll workers and held meetings to consider what could come next.” ~~~

      ~~~ Marie: Obviously, since January 6, 2021, we've known that anything is possible. But it is still stunning -- and you should be astounded -- that the biggest threat to our democracy -- the clear & present danger we face -- is the President* of the United States. I know Trump is a malevolent fraud who is ruining people's lives with his grifts and his graft, his help-the-rich agenda, his virulent racism and his war of whim, but I am still most chagrined by his willingness to steal the vote from the people. That is the most anti-American thing he does, IMO. 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Marie: I did not give this remark enough attention. Every American should hear it. This was Donald Trump speaking at a campaign rally in Georgia Saturday, October 24. It might be the most self-defeating expression of greed any political candidate has ever made: ~~~

The United States oil and gas business is making hundred of billions of dollars. My people said, 'Please don't mention that, sir, because people are paying a little higher.... I could just see the fake headlines. 'President Trump is talking about all the money they're making while people are suffering at the pump.' That'll be the headline. But I said, 'I don't give a damn. I'm gonna say it. We're making a freaking fortune.'... And those pump prices are going to come down. -- Donald Trump, in tone-deaf remarks to rally-goers in Georgia ~~~

~~~ Paul Krugman: “The obvious response is, what do you mean 'we,' white man? It’s true that oil and gas companies are making a lot of money thanks to the fallout from the Iran debacle, and oil-company stock prices have soared. But this does nothing for ordinary Americans who aren’t big investors in oil-company stocks, such as workers paying more for their daily commute and farmers who need diesel for their tractors. So when Trump says 'We’re making a freaking fortune,' what he really means is that his policies are taking more than half a trillion dollars at an annual rate out of the pockets of ordinary Americans, and giving that money to the oil industry (which gave 88 percent of its 2024 campaign contributions to Republicans.) Some people might consider this a bad thing, but by his own account he 'doesn’t give a damn.' Remind me again why people call Trump a 'populist'?”

And while oil prices are temporarily high and will be falling dramatically in a short period of time, as soon as that war's over, because there's so much oil. All in the Hormuz Strait, there are ships waiting to come, we're getting them out so fast. The United States oil and gas business is making hundreds of billions of dollars. … Our country is making hundreds of billions of dollars because of what's happened in the Middle East. -- Donald Trump, in tone-deaf remarks to rally-goers in Georgia ~~~

~~~ Kathryn Watson of CBS News: "As ... [Donald] Trump boasts about how much money the U.S. oil and gas industry is making from the war with Iran, the president's personal holdings in oil and gas are now worth between $22.5 million and $81.6 million, compared with $12.6 million to $46 million at the end of 2025, according to a new report by Democrats on the Congressional Joint Economic Committee. The stocks the president holds have increased in value by an average of 43% since the end of 2025, the Democratic minority said, based on data from LSEG Data Analytics.... As Americans are paying significantly higher gas prices due to downstream effects from the war, Mr. Trump on Saturday night in Georgia bragged that U.S. oil and gas companies are 'making hundreds of billions of dollars." (Also linked yesterday.) An Independent story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: To all that, I say "Rosebud." The millions that disgusting old fraud is amassing won't do him any good.

About Those Crypto Billions. Luke Fountain & Kevin Breuninger of CNBC (Oct. 22): “A lawsuit filed Thursday accuses ... Donald Trump and his family’s crypto company of 'corruptly profiting] off more than $2 billion in digital currency-related deals, violating constitutional restrictions on accepting foreign money. 'No president in American history has profited from his office so brazenly' alleges the federal civil complaint from a shareholder of Circle Internet Group, a publicly traded U.S. crypto company and competitor of the Trump family business, World Liberty Financial. The suit filed in U.S. District Court in Washington by shareholder and former Circle employee J. Benjamin Greenberg centers on two allegedly 'illegal foreign emoluments' involving World Liberty and Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the national security advisor to the United Arab Emirates. Days before Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, an entity backed by Tahnoon — widely known as the 'Spy Sheikh' because of his powerful intelligence role — agreed to buy a 49% stake in World Liberty for $500 million. The company told The Wall Street Journal ... that Trump had no involvement in the deal. But Trump would receive millions of dollars from that purchase after becoming president, according to his financial disclosures.” Via Heather Cox Richardson.

Trump Promises More Goodies! Tyler Pager of the New York Times: “'Anybody reporting Voter Fraud in the past Elections, or the upcoming 2026 Midterm Election, will be paid $1,000,000 upon the arrest and conviction of those that created the Fraud!' Mr. Trump wrote on social media. The White House did not immediately respond to questions about where the money would come from for the ostensible rewards or how Americans are supposed to report fraud accusations. The announcement reflected another step in Mr. Trump’s gathering campaign to use the powers of his office to influence the outcome of the midterms.” The link is a gift link. MB: I have found the fraudster, and he is Trump. I would send Donnie my bank routing info. so he can deposit the $1MM, but I think this is another trick: we all know he is the biggest fraudster, but Johnnie & the Dwarfs have granted him immunity, and his personal attorney Todd Blanche will never arrest him anyway. The joke's on us. (Also linked yesterday.)

Marie: A couple of days ago, I wrote, "Obama's mocking remarks about Trump's redecoration schemes probably cut Trump more than anything else." It appears I was right, not because I'm so clever but because Trump is so predictable: ~~~

~~~ Chris Cameron of the New York Times: “Former President Barack Obama has struck a nerve with ... [Donald] Trump. Mr. Trump took time from campaign issues to defend his fixation on remodeling the White House in his second term on Monday after Mr. Obama jabbed that 'he’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.' Mr. Trump spoke for several minutes about the remark on his way to a campaign swing in Mississippi, then delivered an extensive aside there on the White House ballroom, helipad and other projects. He was in the solidly Republican state, which has been shifting toward Democrats, as part of his swing through ruby red America to shore up candidates ahead of the midterms. Mr. Trump, whose approval ratings are at record lows, at times insisted he had spent “very little time” on redesigning the White House, parts of which he has demolished to make way for the new ballroom. But he also defended his focus on the renovations and eventually conceded that 'I have fun doing it.'...

“The former president’s remarks sparked Mr. Trump’s most devoted critics and supporters. Trump administration officials and other Republicans responded with indignation, and sought to turn the attack upon Mr. Obama. They asserted the former president was the elitist for taking a swing at the Cheesecake Factory. Scott Bessent, the treasury secretary, had lunch at a Cheesecake Factory in Washington on Monday, quipping 'I would tell the Martha’s Vineyard set to give it a try.'” The link is a gift link. MB: Bessent is a multi-millionaire -- net worth estimated at $600MM -- former hedge-fund operator, who owns about 20 residences. His wealth leaves the comparatively modest “Martha's Vineyard set” in the dust (or the sand, collecting seashells by the seashore or clamming for dinner). Here's a related CNBC story.

Marie: I guess I should mention the following, though it belongs on the Stupid News page. For more elaboration, see Akhilleus's extensive commentary in Monday's thread: ~~~

~~~ I Really Don't Care, Do U? Sean James of Mediaite: “... Donald Trump went on a searing and extremely long social media rant against Bill Maher on Sunday night, branding the veteran comic a 'loser,' 'major POTHEAD,' and 'dumb SLEAZEBAG' who does nothing but peddle lies to his HBO audience. Trump posted the 1,323 word diatribe on Truth Social just two days after Maher defended his latest White House dinner with the president — which was their second supper together since Trump returned to office in early 2025. 'Yeah, I did it again, b*tches! I know! I’m the bag guy because I go and say face-to-face to the man the things you write in articles he’ll never read, but okay. You know what? F*ck you. I like these dinners,' Maher said.” James includes the full stream-of-unconsciousness, superfluous rant. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~ 

~~~ Marie: I suppose I should enjoy it more when a couple of mangy old mongrels break up in public. But I remember when teevee entertainment/political commentators conducted interviews like Dick Cavett & presidents parried with the press like Jack Kennedy. Were those halcyon days? They were not. But we seemed to have a better class of people in the top jobs.

The person pictured on the right is Donald Trump. Is the person pictured on the left
Amy Acton's mother or Trump in drag? Inquiring minds want to know.

Some fairly innocuous content deleted to appease the Google gods.  

~~~ Andrew Egger of the Bulwark on the Ass Clown: "... watching [Donald Trump] stagger toward a humiliating midterm rebuke with his movement seemingly on the brink of collapse..., I ... mostly feel disgust and shame: This is the would-be Napoleon who managed to haul the United States of America to this ridiculous place? Trump ... has spent weeks dragging himself from stage to stage across the country. He is plainly exhausted; he is noticeably hoarser, looser, and less energetic than he was even a couple weeks ago. Most of what he dishes out is reheated sludge—microwaved leftovers from 2016 and 2024. Two things are new, though. One is this ass thing.... [Jon Husted, etc.] But the main new thing is the conditional promise. Trump’s no-foolin’ pledge that, if Republicans win the midterms, he’ll reward the public’s good behavior with $5,000 checks for every adult." Trump has made other "if-we-win" big promises to Kentucky, Kansas & North Carolina. "As is typical with Trump, none of these quid pro quo promises are [is!] actually true.... The voters are walking away from Trump. Fortunately for him, at least he likes the view." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I guess when you think about it, Napoleon was fortunate to have been exiled to St. Helena. No need to "drag himself ... across the country" in an obviously-weakened physical & mental condition.

New York Times Editors: Donald “Trump has encouraged voters to pretend he is on the ballot for the Nov. 3 midterm elections, and this time we can agree with his political advice.... Voters should keep in mind Mr. Trump’s failure to keep his campaign promises, his attempts to undermine American democracy and his flagrant corruption. They should be thinking of the Republican Party’s acquiescence to this abuse of power, and they should hold Republicans accountable. Today’s Democratic Party has plenty of flaws, including a disappointing failure to present a coherent agenda of its own. Nonetheless, Democrats offer the only alternative this year to the damage that Mr. Trump and his party have inflicted on the nation. A vote for a Democratic candidate is the best way for Americans to repudiate the Trump administration’s performance over the past two years.” The link is a gift link. 

The Arc de Trump Would Cast an Ominous Shadow over Fallen Heroes. Jarrett Ley, et al., of the Washington Post: “Over the course of a year, the shadow of the triumphal arch would touch burial sites in Arlington National Cemetery on 284 days, The Post found. It would briefly cover Kennedy’s eternal flame on 18 days, and it would shade the former president’s memorial on 50. It would darken the Military Women’s Memorial on 109 days. The shadow would move across the graves of veterans and their next of kin from the Vietnam War, Korean War, World War II, World War I, Spanish-American War and Civil War, the model shows. It would dim the headstones of formerly enslaved people. In total, The Post found that it would pass over more than 75,000 graves.... The arch’s immense size and its proposed location, about a quarter-mile from the cemetery, have troubled historians, preservationists and architects who say it would disrupt the careful composition that has shaped the nation’s capital city for generations. 'The original designers understood that the open space between significant structures was as important as the landmarks themselves,' said Neil Flanagan, an architect and historian who is writing a book about Washington’s design.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: ~~~ None of us, ordinary or heroic, should have to lie through eternity in the shadow of a Trump monstrosity. 

A Temporary Victory for the People v. Donald Trump. Rick Maese of the Washington Post: “A federal judge on Monday barred the Trump administration from cutting any more trees at East Potomac Park without first obtaining a court order, delivering a significant win to preservation advocates and local golfers challenging ... Donald Trump’s plan to remake the public golf course and sharply rebuking the administration’s account of why the trees were removed. In a blistering 70-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes found that recent tree-clearing was undertaken to advance Trump’s broader plan to replace the historic public course with a Tom Fazio-designed championship layout. Reyes called the administration’s stated rationale — that the cutting was a separate effort to carry out a 2019 preservation report — 'pretextual.' 

“Reyes opened her opinion by describing the extraordinary clash between Trump’s public statements about his plans for the course and the government’s contrary position in court, writing: 'Rarely, if ever, has the United States Department of Justice urged a federal court not to believe the sitting President.'... Reyes also ordered the administration to give the court and plaintiffs at least 10 business days’ notice before closing any part of the course or making irreversible changes to the park, including its landforms, vegetation, course design, pathways or structures.”

MEANWHILE, Back at the White House. Ireland Owens of Fox "News," republished by Yahoo! News: "Trump said Sunday he is thinking about relocating reporters to make room for other White House needs, a day after suggesting the press could be moved to a 'less obnoxious location.' 'I am not building a swimming pool in the White House Briefing Room, and never had any intention of doing so,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'I am thinking about moving the Press, and putting them in a different location, but I will use that location for very badly needed space.' The president’s comments come after The New York Times reported on Oct. 20 that Trump had discussed replacing the White House’s James S. Brady Press Briefing Room with an indoor swimming pool.... In a separate Truth Social post published Saturday, Trump shot down reports he planned to build a swimming pool, insisting he would never consider doing 'such a stupid thing.'" More on the White House press corps in Scott Nover's report linked below.

Hunting with the Enemy. Ulyana Krychkovska-Bogdanova & Stanislav Pohorilov of the Ukrainian News, republished by Yahoo! News: "The eldest son of US President Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr, went hunting in Mongolia at the end of August, where he may have spent several days in a camp with Kremlin-linked oligarch Umar Kremlev. The Financial Times established the circumstances of the trip on the basis of testimony from local guides and officials, flight data, social media posts and public documents.... The meeting took place at the end of August..... Travelling [to Junior's camp] alongside Kremlev was Russian businessman Arthur Martirosov, a partner in the US-sanctioned venture fund Voskhod. According to the FT, Trump Jr and Kremlev spent two days together, after which the Russian returned to Ulaanbaatar.

"One of the local participants in the trip said that Trump Jr and Kremlev were careful not to be photographed together during their stay at Trump Jr's camp.... Counterintelligence experts warn that contacts between members of the US president's family and individuals with ties to the Russian authorities could pose national security risks."

Zach Montague of the New York Times: “A federal appeals court on Monday rejected a request from the Trump administration that it intervene in a lawsuit against California and declined to immediately order the state to set aside as many as 20,000 mail-in ballots that the administration claimed had been provided to noncitizens. By a 2-1 vote, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit found that it was too early for the appeals court to take up the case because a lower court judge had not yet considered it, refusing the Trump administration’s effort to rush the case by leapfrogging a district court judge.... In the order on Monday, which did not address the underlying merits of the Trump administration’s claims, Judge Mark J. Bennett, who was appointed by ... [Donald] Trump, joined with Judge Gabriel P. Sanchez, who was appointed by Joseph R. Biden Jr. They wrote that the Justice Department 'failed to allow' a lower court the 'adequate opportunity' to consider the case, rushing an appeal before a district court judge could hold a hearing, which is scheduled for Tuesday.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) 

Jane Timm of NBC News: “The Trump administration Monday targeted another Democratic-led state in the midterms by asking Washington to sequester ballots in next week’s election that it says could be cast by noncitizens. The acting U.S. attorney in Washington, Neil Floyd, asked the Washington secretary of state to review a list of more than 400 registrants the Justice Department believes are noncitizens and sequester any ballots they cast. 'We have identified over 400 non-citizens who are registered to vote and have voted in multiple elections,' Floyd said in a news release Monday. 'This is only the tip of the iceberg. We will continue to investigate and identify those who are committing crimes by voting illegally.'... The Justice Department gave the state 24 hours to review the list for citizenship records.”

Devlin Barrett of the New York Times: “Federal prosecutors have brought new charges against James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, accusing him of mishandling national security information in October 2016 that they said ended up in a New York Times article, according to court papers unsealed on Monday. The case highlights the extraordinary effort President Trump’s Justice Department has expended in pursuing Mr. Comey, a vocal critic of Mr. Trump’s who has emerged as one of his most favored targets. It is the third time in 13 months that the Trump administration has sought to prosecute Mr. Comey, whom Mr. Trump fired as F.B.I. director in 2017.... Lawyers for Mr. Comey said in court papers that the case centers on an alleged leak of national security information to The Times in early October 2016 — an issue that had previously been investigated and not led to charges.” The link is a gift link. The NBC News story is here; thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.) 

Scott Nover of the Washington Post: “Press freedom groups on Monday sued the Trump administration, alleging in federal court that attempting to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House violates the First Amendment rights of ordinary citizens to access information about the U.S. government. The three outlets already won a preliminary injunction halting the government from enforcing the bans while litigation plays out. But the new lawsuit, brought by Columbia University’s Knight First Amendment Institute and Yale Law School’s Freedom & Information Access Clinic, alleges that the harms of the bans reach far beyond the three named outlets and deprive American citizens of their constitutional rights to access information.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Lisa Rubin of MS NOW: “House Judiciary Committee Democrats on Monday released an unsigned staff report laying out what they call 'the case against Donald Trump emerging in the Epstein Files and DOJ’s desperate efforts to cover it up,' with those Democrats now calling for an independent special counsel to investigate the president as well as what they describe as Attorney General Todd Blanche’s conflicts of interest and the Justice Department’s reluctance to share relevant evidence with state and foreign law enforcement.... The more than 50-page report alleges that Trump was 'an active participant in Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of young women in the mid-to-late 1990s.' Although it also contains at least one entirely new allegation against the president, it provides no direct evidence other than the woman’s own conversations with Judiciary Committee staff.” Politico's story is here. The report, via Politico, is here. (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times report is here. ~~~

~~~ Philip Wang of Time: “Beatrice Keul, a model and former Miss Switzerland, alleged to Judiciary Committee staff that she was raped by Trump in a Plaza Hotel suite in Manhattan [in 1993] when she was 24. Keul said that while attending the American Dream Pageant, which had a partnership with Trump, she met with Trump at a press luncheon at the event. Trump, according to Keul, promised to arrange her visa in the U.S. and ensure her acceptance into New York University through his friend Paolo Zampolli, a close Trump ally who was, until earlier this month, part of his Administration. At the same event, she also spent at least 10 minutes talking to Epstein who she said claimed to have organized 'many parties with Don.' Later that day, Keul alleges, Trump invited her to a hotel suite where Trump 'grabbed Keul from behind and forcibly raped her,” causing “bleeding and bruising on multiple parts of her body,' the report says. Following the incident, Keul alleges Trump made her promise she would keep quiet and repeated his promise for visa and college admission.... The report also alleges that Zampolli ,,, was 'an active participant' in the Epstein sex trafficking allegations. ”

Ron Dicker of the Huffington Post: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is 'angling' for Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) to appoint him to her Senate seat so he can avoid potential impeachment, Puck reported Sunday. Blackburn is likely to win her race for Tennessee governor, opening up the post for the rest of her term, which ends in January 2031. Hegseth and his family set up residence in Tennessee in 2022. Rep. Tim Burchett is also interested in the Senate seat, according to Puck. The House is expected to vote on an impeachment resolution filed by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky.) against Hegseth after the election ― and it is expected to be close. Democrats have been 'aligning to call for the defense secretary’s ouster or resignation,' Semafor reported earlier this month.” The Puck report is subscriber-firewalled. (Also linked yesterday.)

Santul Nerkar of the New York Times: “A Manhattan judge on Monday ruled that Maurene Comey, a former federal prosecutor and the daughter of one of Mr. Trump’s most well-known critics, was unlawfully fired last year. In a 55-page ruling, Judge Jesse M. Furman of Federal District Court in Manhattan wrote that the Justice Department had violated the separation of powers, federal administrative law and Ms. Comey’s due process when it fired her in July 2025. At the time of her firing, Ms. Comey was a highly regarded trial lawyer for the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, handling the prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Sean Combs. Ms. Comey had said there was no possible reason for her firing besides the fact that her father, James B. Comey, was the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or because of her 'perceived political affiliation and beliefs.' Judge Furman also ruled that Ms. Comey is entitled to back pay through December 2025.” At 1:00 pm ET, this was a developing story. The link is a gift link. Politico's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Caitlin Gilbert & Rachel Roubein of the Washington Post: “The Food and Drug Administration rarely inspects the foreign facilities exporting the vast majority of fresh produce to the United States, a Washington Post investigation has found, creating a major blind spot when it comes to U.S. food safety. Americans are eating more imported fruits and vegetables, with Mexico supplying most of this fresh produce, including the iceberg lettuce that U.S. regulators this summer linked to the nation’s largest known cyclosporiasis outbreak. Yet since 2009 the FDA has inspected only about 2 percent of the facilities in Mexico that ship produce to the United States.... Overall, only 7.6 percent of the [fresh-produce] facilities have been inspected by the agency since 2009, the earliest full year such data is available.... Because produce is often eaten raw, it is particularly vulnerable to bacterial and parasitic contamination from sources like machinery or the water supply.”

Woodward Tells All. Craig Whitlock of the Washington Post: “During his long career as a Washington Post journalist and blockbuster author, [Bob] Woodward zealously protected many confidential sources who helped him uncover the Watergate scandal and penetrate the enigmatic sides of every president since Richard M. Nixon. For three decades, Woodward famously safeguarded the identity of Deep Throat, the most guessed-about anonymous source ever, until former deputy FBI director Mark Felt outed himself at his family’s urging in a 2005 Vanity Fair article. Today, with many of Woodward’s other key sources deceased, the 83-year-old writer has decided to pull back the curtain and reveal who helped him score many of his monumental scoops [in his new book Secrets -- A Reporter's Memoir]. While most of the individuals he names are dead, Woodward says some gave him permission to name them and that others have since become identifiable in public records....” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Texas Senate Race. Beth Reinhard & Lauren McGaughy of the New York Times: “Since his 2015 swearing-in as the state’s top lawyer, [Ken] Paxton has taken about 350 trips outside of Texas with a taxpayer-funded security detail, including 25 to foreign countries such as South Africa, India and Aruba, according to a New York Times analysis of data from the Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas law does not limit Mr. Paxton’s use of state-sponsored protection to official business. Mr. Paxton also has benefited from the largess of wealthy friends, who donated $730,000 toward his legal bills in the securities-fraud case and have treated him to hunting and fishing trips, airplane flights and lodging, and tickets to various events, including the Grammy Awards.... Security costs for Mr. Paxton’s travel since 2015 have exceeded $3.1 million, according to state records, which do not specify whether a trip is related to his official duties. That tally does not include other travel-related expenses charged to taxpayers. He has visited nearly 225 cities, making multiple trips to destinations like Park City, Utah, and New Orleans. Security costs peaked in 2024 at more than $483,000....

“Mr. Paxton’s Democratic rival, James Talarico, has sought to turn the attorney general’s lifestyle into a liability.... 'He became a multimillionaire on a government salary,' Mr. Talarico said in a widely viewed social media post. 'He takes lavish vacations in Iceland while Texans can’t afford the basics. Ken Paxton doesn’t serve us — he serves himself.'” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Fintan O'Toole, for the New York Times, reviews Matthew Cole's Princes and Thieves: Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed’s Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East: “If Cole’s claims are accurate, Kushner’s political and financial relationship with the U.A.E.’s president, Mohammed bin Zayed (widely known as M.B.Z.), constitutes what must surely be the worst case of U.S. foreign policy being conducted outside the law and democratic oversight since the Iran-contra scandal during the Reagan administration in the 1980s.... What Cole alleges is, if anything, more consequential: that Kushner worked with the U.A.E. to shape U.S. policy across the Middle East and that, in the course of this work, he was given access to bank accounts containing roughly $2 billion.... The question that arises from the book is whether Cole has done enough to warrant a major congressional investigation into his allegations. The answer is an emphatic yes.” The link is a gift link. Do read on. O'Toole summarizes in a few paragraphs the thrust of what Cole alleges. 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Eve Washington, et al., of the New York Times: “We’ve ranked all 44 states with more than one district by the fairness of their congressional maps. Many of the most notorious gerrymanders are ranked near the top of the list.... We’ve based our ranking on the results of thousands of computer simulations that draw compact districts without any consideration of partisanship or race.” The link is a gift link. The worst: Texas, of course. 

Mississippi Senate Race. Kathianne Boniello of Mediaite: “Speaking Monday in the Magnolia State, Trump called Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) on stage — where she said just nine words: 'Is this not the best president in our lifetime?' Hyde-Smith is facing Democrat Scott Colom in an unexpectedly tight race in the typically deep-red state.... Trump appeared delighted with Hyde-Smith’s choice of words. 'That was a record,' he said. 'Thank you, Cindy. I love that. You know, sometimes they get up and they talk for 10 minutes… that was one of the best I’ve ever — Cindy, that was good.'” ~~~

     ~~~  MEANWHILE, MS NOW showed video of Democrat Scott Colom engaged in conversation with MAGA voters -- standing in line to attend the Trump rally. He had more than nine words to share with individual Trump fans than Hyde-Smith shared with a whole crowd of them. But then, Cindy's advice to her constituents isn't necessarily helpful:~~~

     ~~~ Let's Feed 'Em Beans. When a friendly newscaster asked Hyde-Smith how folks were supposed to manage with the price of beef being so high, she counseled trying something else: "You have so many proteins to choose from." Here was Colom's response:

North Carolina State Senate Election. Not the Best Campaign Strategy. WRAL (Raleigh): “A North Carolina political candidate was arrested Monday following a standoff with Cary police — the culmination of an incident that started with threats on social media and included calls to WRAL to tell his side of the story. Jonathan D. Miller, the Libertarian Party nominee for a state Senate seat covering much of Cary and other parts of western Wake County, was arrested about 3 p.m. after a long standoff with police.... Resurrection Lutheran School, a private school near the standoff location, was in a code yellow lockdown part of Monday. Police said Miller was charged with communicating threats, resisting officers and going armed to the terror of the people, and is at the Wake County Detention Center. He is set to appear in court in Wake County on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.

“Miller’s account on X ... had posted a number of messages on social media Sunday night and throughout the day Monday. The posts spoke of feeling suicidal and included apparent references to seeking gun battles with the police. 'The whole police department is chasing me with guns drawn. This should be fun,' a post on Miller’s account said Monday morning, followed by another post saying: 'I've got six shots and the high ground. I hope they don't find me, but if they do it's going to be a hell of a show.'”

~~~~~~~~~~

Brazll. Michael Birnbaum, et al., of the Washington Post: “Brazil’s leading right-wing politician, Flávio Bolsonaro, effectively conceded defeat to the incumbent left-wing president Monday, minutes after ... Donald Trump indicated he would not intervene on his behalf despite saying that Sunday’s vote 'looked like another rigged election.' Bolsonaro had initially declared he would challenge the outcome of the election, which he had been widely expected to win. He said that an extension of voting hours on Sunday, driven by poor weather, transportation problems and requests from both campaigns, was a 'dirty trick' used to rig the election. The decision to extend polling hours was made by a Supreme Court justice, Cristiano Zanin, who was once Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s personal lawyer.” The link is a gift link. A Politico report is here.

~~~ Ana Ionova, et al., of the New York Times: “Brazil’s Supreme Court on Monday ordered the police to seize the passport of Flávio Bolsonaro, the presidential candidate defeated in Sunday’s election, because he is under criminal investigation related to a money laundering scheme. The ruling, issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, stems from an inquiry into Mr. Bolsonaro’s links to a Brazilian lawyer who is accused of laundering more than $1 billion through a vast fraud scheme....” The link is a gift link.

Israel. The New York Times is liveblogging developments in Israeli elections, being held today. From the pinned item at 5:30 am ET: “Israelis headed to the polls in large numbers on Tuesday in a national election that many see as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one that is widely described as the most consequential in the country’s history. It is the first Israeli election since the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, upended the nation and ignited three years of war.... Voters have a choice between two blocs offering starkly different visions for their country’s future. Mr. Netanyahu is seeking re-election at the helm of the most far-right government in Israeli history. His coalition of nationalists and ultra-Orthodox Jews faces a fractious group of opposition parties loosely led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff whose son was killed in the Gaza war.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

~~~ David Halbfinger, et al., of the New York Times: “In advance of Israel’s pivotal election on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought for weeks to orchestrate a new airstrike on Iran but ran into resistance from the military’s chief of staff, according to three senior Israeli defense officials and three other people briefed on the matter. Then, over the past few days, the chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, became concerned that Mr. Netanyahu had begun pushing for a separate action against Iran, short of an overt strike, according to an Israeli official and a person briefed on the matter.... General Zamir believed that this would be a miscalculation that could provoke Iran into attacking Israel....

“The behind-the-scenes tensions over a possible Israeli attack or other action against Iran come as Mr. Netanyahu has been publicly portraying the stakes of the election in increasingly apocalyptic terms. Over the weekend, he posted an A.I.-generated image on social media of a mushroom cloud over Tel Aviv and warned in a television appearance that the vote would decide 'Israel’s existence.' The appeals to Israelis’ fears are meant to get voters to see the conflict with Iran as the most urgent issue and to entrust him with continuing to lead the struggle against Israel’s chief regional adversary.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

~~~ Nick Cumming-Bruce of the New York Times: “A commission of United Nations human rights experts said on Monday that Israel was committing genocidal acts against Palestinian civilians in Gaza despite a cease-fire agreement there and carrying out crimes against humanity in the West Bank. The report by the U.N. Independent Commission of Inquiry, which comes on the eve of Israel’s first general election since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack, is meant to look at the drivers of violence by Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the panel said. It said that Israel was deliberately targeting Palestinian children and was using torture, rape and sexual violence as part of a broader attack aimed at displacing and subjugating the Palestinian population. Israel immediately rejected the claims. The report, delivered to the U.N. General Assembly, noted that between the cease-fire announced on Oct. 10, 2025, and the end of September 2026, Israeli airstrikes, artillery and gunfire had killed 1,431 Palestinians in Gaza, including 300 children. The report rejected a claim in May by the Board of Peace set up by ... [Donald] Trump that the cease-fire had 'largely held.'” The link is a gift link.

Russia/Ukraine, Etc. Chris Powers of the Kyiv Independent: "The leaders of Norway and Finland held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Oct. 27, as part of a renewed push to bring Moscow's war in Ukraine to an end." An interesting read. MB: Denmark & others may not like the move by Norway & Finland, but at least somebody is doing something. I have never understood why European countries stood back & let the nefarious Trump, Jarhead & Witless define the terms of any peace agreement between Ukraine & Russia. Especially in light of recent events, European nations should be shunting aside the Americans -- who are pro-Russia & anti-Europe.

Ukraine/Russia. Carlotta Gall & Oleksandr Chubko of the New York Times: “A rare local cease-fire in Ukraine took effect early Tuesday morning to allow aid delivery and evacuation in a Russian-occupied frontline city where about 2,000 civilians are trapped, threatened by starvation and constant bombardment. The plight of the city, Oleshky, has drawn international attention. Melania Trump announced the local truce on Friday after negotiation with both the Russian and Ukrainian governments. A week earlier, Pope Leo XIV, just three days after surgery for lung cancer, spoke with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and called for a cease-fire to enable an evacuation there. Ukrainian officials, volunteers and relatives of people in Oleshky joined a frenzy of messages, calls and announcements to organize residents to register for transport out of the city.” The link is a gift link. MB: The headline to this story, BTW, is perhaps the most credulous in the paper's history: “A Rare Cease-Fire, Brokered by Melania Trump, Begins in a Besieged Ukrainian City.”