October 30, 2026

Marie: I've been as critical of Mary Peltola as any leftie on this Mary, Dan & Dan stunt, but of course Trumpolini & his consigliere Morte Bianco had to overplay their hand. I can't find a print story on this, but here's an NBC News report on the DOJ's announcing a criminal probe alongside a civil inquiry into what we know is a fairly common, if noisome, practice that also is legal. So screw 'em. ~~~

Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: “A federal judge on Friday grilled an administration lawyer on plans to begin construction of ... Donald Trump’s proposed triumphal arch as soon as next week, at times mocking his arguments and signaling that she could pause the project. 'What is the harm of waiting?' U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan asked Assistant Attorney General Robert Stander, musing about delaying the project for several months. 'What is the rush to put this arch up?'... Among [Stander's] claims was that the arch is needed on national security grounds, noting that senior officials told Chutkan in filings this week that the arch will help defend the region and that Trump has faced assassination attempts. 'The arch is somehow going to deter assassination attempts on the president?' Chutkan replied, one of several times that she appeared incredulous toward the administration’s arguments.”

Zach Montague of the New York Times: “A federal judge appointed a special master on Friday to investigate the possibility that the Trump administration concealed plans to overhaul East Potomac Park in Washington as the president called for construction of a professional golf course at the site. The appointment of an outside investigator represented an escalation in a confrontation between Judge Ana C. Reyes and the Trump administration over a municipal golf course and park in the nation’s capital. Judge Reyes, who was appointed by President Joseph R. Biden Jr., had repeatedly clashed with the Justice Department in the case. She has displayed frustration with what she described as misleading attempts by officials to downplay how firm the federal government’s plans were for the park. Her order followed a remarkable standoff with Stanley Woodward Jr., the third most senior official at the Justice Department, at a hearing Friday. At issue was whether he had personally lied in court when he told Judge Reyes that there was no immediate plan to close the course or start construction. Those comments came days after ... [Donald] Trump had announced on social media that work was scheduled to begin 'IMMEDIATELY!'” The link is a gift link.

Lena Sun of the Washington Post: “Federal health scientists are trying to alert doctors to the risks of measles during pregnancy as U.S. cases surge, but how quickly that information will reach clinicians — and where it will be published — remains uncertain amid internal conflict.... Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists sought to notify clinicians on the rising threat about a month ago through its Health Alert Network and provide guidance for care.... The CDC typically uses this network to rapidly convey urgent public health information to clinicians, laboratories and public health professionals. But the alert, which usually requires sign-off from the CDC director’s office, was not approved.... Scientists then turned to preparing this information for a report in the agency’s flagship weekly scientific journal, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), where reports go through an extensive internal review and take longer to publish. A spokesperson with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) did not address questions about why the earlier alert was not approved.” ~~~

~~~ Cecilia Nowell in the Atlantic: "In an October 19 advisory, the Pennsylvania Department of Health noted that congenital measles [-- measles acquired in utero --] had been identified in the state for the first time in decades.... Because congenital measles has historically been so rare, doctors know very little about its effects. Measles is known to wipe a person’s immune memory, making survivors highly susceptible to infections for years to follow.... And all people who contract measles are at risk of developing a rare but almost always fatal brain inflammation, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, that can occur a decade or more after they contract the disease.... The best way to prevent a congenital-measles infection is, of course, to prevent a mother from getting measles before she gives birth. The best way to do that is with the measles vaccine.... One of the few times an adult can’t get vaccinated is, crucially, during pregnancy—just when protection is most necessary." Thanks to akaWendy for this gift link. MB: Donald Trump & Bobby Junior did this.

They Really Don't Know What They're Doing. Soorin Kim, et al., of MS NOW: “A day after the RNC said Trump’s previously announced in-person campaign rallies in Kansas and Iowa were off and would be replaced by tele-rallies, a White House official now says the president is 'expected' to make stops in the two states Sunday. On Thursday, the RNC announced the scheduling cancellation. 'With Republicans in a strong position in Kansas and Iowa, previously planned in-person rallies in those states will no longer take place as scheduled,' the committee wrote in a statement. But Friday morning, an RNC official familiar with the campaign plans told MS NOW, 'In addition to nearly 20 tele-rallies, he will hold back-to-back rallies in Kansas and Iowa on Sunday. The rallies were rearranged for scheduling purposes to accommodate dozens of additional tele-rallies that were recently added to the President’s schedule.'” This is an update of a story linked earlier. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Okay, I am being harsh here. Candidates & their surrogates often change their schedules in the last week or two of a campaign as new problems or opportunities arise. But I never feel I'm being "unfair" when I diss somebody who acts like Trump; to wit: ~~~

~~~ Here's the Fat Fascist insulting a (male) Reuters reporter yesterday who asked him why he had cancelled the Kansas rally. (Related reports linked below.) What a crude, hostile, embarrassing bully Trump is: ~~~

Oh, P.S. Do see Akhilleus' commentary in Friday's thread about Trump's connection to the Muslim Brotherhood. Do you suppose some paid right-wing provocateur will repeatedly demand of Trump that he renounce the Muslim Brotherhood? Follow-up question: "And, Sir, does that mean you'll be giving the dangerous, non-secure Bling Force One back to the Qataris?"

What is it about Black & Brown Republicans that makes them think they fit into a party headed by somebody who spews racist remarks & broadcasts neo-Nazi messages on X? Anthony Fisher of MS NOW explores the question, but doesn't really come up with an answer. MB: I mean, just imagine you're Usha Vance and you have to invite Bernie Moreno to your "holiday" party after he said you shouldn't be anywhere near Washington, D.C. because you don't accept Jesus as your personal savior.

David Yaffe-Bellany & Ryan Mac of the New York Times: “Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, said on Thursday that it had halted withdrawals after it was attacked by hackers who made off with more than $6 billion in digital coins, in what appears to be the biggest crypto heist in history. The exact nature of the attack was not immediately clear. Binance’s founder, the crypto billionaire Changpeng Zhao, said it 'does look like a hack.' The company said it had temporarily suspended all deposits and withdrawals and that its customers would be made whole. Binance said that it would cover all losses, estimated at about $6.3 billion. The company said that it had coordinated with other crypto firms to freeze about $3 billion in assets that were swept up in the hack.

“The attack appeared to be the work of 'North Korea’s elite hacking unit,' according to TRM Labs, a crypto research firm. The firm had 'high confidence' in its assessment, it said, based on features of the hack that resembled previous thefts. TRM Labs estimated that the hackers had shifted about $2.4 billion in crypto coins 'beyond any issuer’s reach.'... The attack on Binance was a stunning illustration of the risks of trading crypto, a renegade branch of finance.... [After pleading guilty to U.S. money-laundering laws,] Mr. Zhao [paid a $4.3BB fine and] was sentenced to four months in federal prison. After his release, Mr. Zhao received a pardon from ... [Donald] Trump. Binance has also forged a business relationship with the Trump family crypto business, World Liberty Financial, a major source of the president’s wealth.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Here's what I don't get. Like most financial transactions, crypto exchanges, as far as I know, are electronic. When my bank account has been compromised in the past, the bank quickly cancels the transactions. Why can't the same thing happen here? Just cancel the hacked transactions. Obviously, the world of finance is a mystery to me. 

Alexandra Petri of the New York Times: “More than 50 years ago, two hunters found the body of a 17-year-old girl in the woods in northern Utah, but the investigation into the death went cold and remained open for decades. On Tuesday, officials said that a major development in a similar case and advancements in forensic science had linked the decades-old death of Melissa Ann Smith of Midvale, Utah, to Ted Bundy, one of America’s most notorious serial killers. It was the second time this year that officials in Utah have concluded that Mr. Bundy had murdered a Utah teenager whose killing had gone unsolved for decades.

“In April, Utah County investigators said they had confirmed that Mr. Bundy killed Laura Ann Aime, also 17, whose body was found by two hikers southeast of Salt Lake City on Nov. 27, 1974. In July, the Utah State Crime Lab confirmed that the DNA profile recovered from Ms. Aime’s body matched the DNA profile recovered from Ms. Smith’s body, according to Margaret Olson, the Summit County attorney, who spoke at a news conference on Tuesday.... Mr. Bundy confessed to killing 30 women, including Ms. Aime, before he was executed in Florida in 1989 for the 1978 murders of two Florida State University students.” The link is a gift link.

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Rachel Lerman of the Washington Post: “Two Trump rallies planned for this weekend in Republican states that have become surprise battlegrounds have been canceled. The president was scheduled to appear in Kansas and Iowa, but he will now instead hold 'telerallies,' which are essentially phone calls to groups of Republican activists, in nearly 20 states, Republican officials said.... Public polls show tight races in both states — significantly closer than the Senate race in Florida, where Trump plans to hold a rally on Friday, in Daytona Beach.” ~~~

     ~~~ Soorin Kim, et al., of MS NOW: “The president was originally set to campaign in Salina, Kansas, on Saturday and Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday, but the Republican National Committee, which has been organizing his final campaign blitz, suddenly announced on Thursday that those rallies will no longer take place.... Trump is now expected to spend the weekend leading up to the election participating in tele-rallies for at least 19 states, including Kansas and Iowa, according to Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc. States not on the list as of now include Maine and New Hampshire, where even allies of Trump have acknowledged that voters less enthusiastic about the president could decide the results of competitive Senate races. While returning from Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Thursday evening..., Trump lashed out at a reporter who asked whether he canceled Saturday’s rally in Kansas because he was 'sick of traveling.' 'You’re sick to ask that question. You are sick,' the president replied.... 'I’m not doing Kansas because he’s doing very well,' Trump said, referring to GOP incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall.... According to the latest polling average from MS NOW/Fifty Plus One, Democrat Adam Hamilton holds a two point edge over Marshall.” ~~~

     ~~~ According to Heather Cox Richardson (her letter is linked under "Brazil/U.S.") Trump also said to the reporter, “You look like hell.”

Scaring the Neighbors for Halloween. Liam Scott & Joe Heim of the Washington Post: “A U.S. military aircraft that’s known as Air Force One when the president is on board flew over Washington on Thursday evening to celebrate Halloween, the White House said. The unexpected display startled some D.C. residents. A video posted by the White House’s Rapid Response 47 account shows ... Donald Trump waving from outside the White House as the plane flew over the building. 'An epic Air Force One flyover at the White House for the trick-or-treaters!. the post said. The aircraft is typically only called Air Force One when the president is on board. The plane flew over the White House twice, according to flight tracking data.... In a post on X, the D.C. Council noted the flyover’s short notice. 'This flyover provided just fifteen minutes notice to anyone in downtown DC, at the Pentagon, or at National Airport. It startled many, including us,' read the post.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars on the frightening flyover, Trump could have frightened everybody by appearing on the White House balcony as himself without wig & makeup.

Oops! Donnie Did Not Get His Cut, After All. ~~~

~~~ So He's Demanding One Now. Tyler Pager of the New York Times: Donald “Trump erupted last week after he learned that one of his former lawyers, Alina Habba Mildon, secured a contract worth more than $50 million to work for a billionaire Venezuelan family. Angered at the size of Mrs. Mildon’s deal, Mr. Trump has told aides and allies that she should donate a portion of that money to his future presidential library or another Trump-related entity....& His fury came in response to reporting by The New York Times that Mrs. Mildon, while working as an adviser at the Justice Department, had signed on last year to serve as an extraordinarily well compensated general counsel for a company started by the daughter of Julio Herrera Velutini, who at the time was seeking a pardon from Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump told at least one ally that the Herrera family should not pay out the rest of the contract, a message that got back to them.... The contract calls for the Herrera family to pay Mrs. Mildon $10 million a year for four years along with a variety of bonuses. In total, including bonuses, she was guaranteed more than $50 million over four years....” The link is a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Yes, Donnie, most of your "loyal team" are using you, and their fawning compliment to you are pure trash talk. You're a checkbook, not a beloved boss.

Jake Spring & Rick Maese of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration has budgeted $1.2 million for removing trees at East Potomac Golf Links, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post, as the president seeks to redevelop the beloved D.C. course. The funding for the tree removal is coming from visitor fees collected at the biggest national parks, such as Yellowstone and Yosemite, the documents show.... 'This is an incredible misuse of these funds that should be going to improve national parks for Americans, not cut down hundreds of trees,' said Ed Stierli ... of ... the National Parks Conservation Association. 'This is not just maintenance. This is reshaping the landscape to essentially pave the way for this golf course expansion.'”

Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: “The leader of the Vietnam Veterans of America says he was misled before the group endorsed ... Donald Trump’s planned triumphal arch and criticized three Vietnam War veterans who have sued to stop it. Tom Burke, the president of the veterans group, told members on Thursday that he was given 'inaccurate information' and that a pro-arch legal brief filed by his and several other veterans groups “went further than I anticipated or intended,” according to an email shared with The Washington Post. The brief told a federal judge that Trump’s project should be built and said that veterans who have sued to stop it did not speak for the larger community of veterans. The White House encouraged the group to sign the brief, which was joined by several other veterans groups, according to three people familiar with their plans....

“'Let me be clear: National VVA has not adopted a position supporting or opposing construction of the proposed arch or its design,' Burke wrote in the email, acknowledging frustrations from members who oppose the project. 'This puts the organization squarely in the middle of a complex, sensitive situation, but our national commitment to neutrality remains firm.'... The lawyer for the Vietnam veterans group signed off on the brief late Tuesday afternoon, according to the documents — several hours after Burke told The Post that the group would remain neutral.” This is bull. An email to a WashPo reporter does not change the VVA's position one iota. Burke would have to file a document with the court renouncing the group's endorsement for his demurral to have any meaning whatsoever.

Marie: It's hardly surprising to find that at least some of Trump's superfans are (allegedly) real creeps: ~~~

~~~ Daily Beast, republished by Yahoo! News: "A Trump superfan who regularly sits in the front row at the president's events has been busted for possessing disturbing images of children. Adam Radogna, a 37-year-old Ohio restaurant owner, was indicted by a grand jury for possessing dozens of images containing child sexual abuse material, the Cuyahoga County[,Ohio,] Prosecutor's Office announced Tuesday."

Zach Montague of the New York Times: “A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to provide a list of states it targeted with demands that state and local officials change how they will administer the midterm election, including that they set aside specific ballots for extra scrutiny. The order from Chief Judge James E. Boasberg in Federal District Court in Washington could provide new transparency into the Trump administration’s efforts to pressure local officials ahead of next week’s election. It came in a lawsuit brought by a broad coalition of Democratic politicians and party organizations that is seeking a court order prohibiting the Trump administration from interfering in election administration.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Devlin Barrett & Shawn Hubler of the New York Times: “The Trump administration has widened a criminal investigation in its intensifying campaign to prove thousands of noncitizens are on California’s voter rolls, issuing federal grand jury subpoenas to local election officials.... The move escalates the Justice Department’s pressure on the most populous state as the administration seeks to tighten its grip on the midterm elections by making unsubstantiated claims that large numbers of illegal voters are on the rolls. A day earlier, a federal judge resoundingly rejected the Trump administration’s bid to block the state from counting the votes of some 20,000 people it says are likely noncitizens, even though studies have found such fraud is very rare. The new subpoenas are part of the administration’s broader effort to portray elections in Democratic states as rigged against Republicans.” The link is a gift link. An ABC News story is here.

Reid Epstein of the New York Times: “Sly maneuvering around third-party candidates is a time-honored, bipartisan tradition in politics.... In Ohio, Republicans have spent more than $2.2 million to promote a socialist candidate in the state’s vital Senate race, aiming to pull votes from the Democratic nominee, former Senator Sherrod Brown. In Virginia, a Republican group has sent mailers highlighting the Democratic-leaning positions of a self-described 'radical centrist' running as an independent in a competitive House race. And in Nebraska, both major parties are jockeying to help minor candidates peel votes away from Senator Pete Ricketts, the Republican incumbent, and his Democratic-backed independent challenger, Dan Osborn. With modern elections often decided by extremely thin margins and billions of dollars sloshing through campaigns, both parties have ample incentives and opportunities to gain an edge through mischief involving third parties. The jockeying around spoiler candidates is widely considered a legal yet shadowy part of political campaigning that has gone on for decades.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Secretary Pete Has His Own Waffle House Index. Thanks to RAS for the lead. (BTW, I don't think Trump will be sending Scott Bissent out to call Pete Buttigieg an elisist):

Jack Detsch, et al., of Politico: “Most Republican candidates don’t want to talk about the Iran war. Instead, the president and his allies are pitching a different security message to voters — the economic benefits of American military might. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has spent the closing stretch before the midterms crisscrossing swing states like Ohio and Wisconsin to promote a renewed defense industrial base. Vice President JD Vance declared a 'manufacturing renaissance' at a defense tech factory in Maine. And ... Donald Trump took a rare trip to Baltimore to announce a new shipyard for autonomous submarines.... The political nature of the effort reinforces the difference between Hegseth and previous Pentagon chiefs, who did not campaign for candidates — as the Defense secretary did this year — or focus their messages on swing states.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie BTW: Chances are that Drunk Pete is violating the law. Cabinet secretaries are precluded from using their offices for political purposes, so using his title (the official one or the fake one he prefers) or spending taxpayer funds for his travels and those of his entourage (including security details) would violate the law. But we're about the Trump administration, whose officials treat the law the same way Sicilians treat red lights: as suggestions.

Here's Why Drunk Pete Fired Another General This Week. Greg Jaffe of the New York Times: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired a top Army general this week after accusing him of leaking classified information [link fixed] related to Iran and Russia to the news media. Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, a highly regarded officer and combat veteran, was serving on the Joint Staff as the director of strategy when he was removed. His dismissal is part of a broad and extraordinary campaign to use polygraph tests to find and punish leakers. The scope of the investigation is without parallel. Mass polygraph tests have never been administered to the top ranks of the U.S. military in modern history. Senior Pentagon officials did not offer any details or proof in support of the leaking allegations leveled against General Sylvia beyond a statement that said he had failed three polygraph exams.... A Pentagon official said that the investigation into General Sylvia has been referred to the Justice Department for further action, though it is unclear whether investigators have uncovered any evidence of criminal wrongdoing.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

~~~ A Leak about a Leak. Marc Caputo & Thomas Novelly of Axios: "Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia ... admitted to leaking classified information about Ukraine and Iran to two reporters from separate outlets over a one-year period, according to an internal report of the investigation shared with Axios.... [He made the acknowledgment] on video after he failed four polygraph tests, a U.S. official said.... The report and U.S. officials said that Sylvia's leaking began as early as June 2025 — before mainstream media outlets were removed from the Pentagon — and continued afterward via secure Signal app and once at a Silver Diner in Arlington, Va.... The report ... also emphasized that the general 'did not coordinate these meetings with [the Pentagon's Public Affairs Office], or seek to have the information reviewed before providing it to the reporter.'" ~~~

     ~~~ When Trump was asked about Sylvia's ouster, he pretended to know about it, repeatedly saying that she would have big problems because of her leaking, according to Heather Cox Richardson, linked below.

Jan Ransom of the New York Times: “... in early August, [Nicholas McKelvey] ... leaped from the [U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln’s] edge and plunged 67 feet into the Arabian Sea, according to Navy records.... He was rescued by a helicopter crew and returned to the ship 50 minutes later. On Thursday, the Navy ... mov[ed] to discharge Mr. McKelvey after accusing him of 'malingering,' or faking a mental health crisis to end his deployment, according to Mr. McKelvey’s wife, Samantha Larry. Under the terms of his removal — a general discharge under honorable conditions — he will become ineligible for education assistance under the G.I. Bill, cutting off a pathway to college that his family was counting on, Ms. Larry said. The case offers a rare glimpse into how the Navy has handled mental health issues aboard ships under pressure from sustained deployments during the war with Iran.” The link is a gift link.

Anita Gates & William McDonald of the New York Times: “Patrick Stewart, who overcame a bleak childhood in England’s coal-mining country to find acclaim as a Shakespearean actor before making an unlikely career pivot in middle age that would bring him his greatest fame, playing a noble starship captain on the TV series 'Star Trek: The Next Generation,' died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 86.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

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Alaska Senate Race. Matthew Choi, et al., of the Washington Post: “Republicans are launching investigations into Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign amid allegations that she and other Democrats colluded to recruit spoiler candidates in her highly competitive race against Sen. Dan Sullivan. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) said late Wednesday he would order an investigation into whether Peltola should face criminal charges or civil action, and the House Oversight Committee sought testimony from two staffers reportedly involved in the alleged recruitment scheme. Meanwhile, the Justice Department issued a new wave of subpoenas as part of an ongoing grand jury investigation it has launched into the matter, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing probe.... Scott Kendall, an Alaska attorney who was chief of staff to then-Gov. Bill Walker and legal counsel to Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s 2010 campaign..., called the reported attempts to trick the electorate 'gross' and 'really distasteful' but said he couldn’t see any apparent criminal misconduct.... 'It seems a bit bizarre to say “I’m opening a criminal and civil investigation” without pointing at … the law or at least principle of law that I think was violated in this case,' Kendall said.” ~~~

      ~~~ Marie: While I consider the stunt stupid & insulting to voters, I am more disgusted by Peltola's repeated lies about her knowledge (and tacit approval) of the scheme. Her word is meaningless, & I would not trust her in any circumstance. Unfortunately, I would vote for her. Because Trump. (No, "everybody does it" is not an excuse for lying about conducting or at least condoning a dirty trick.) 

Madison Kircher of the New York Times: “Ballot stacking is hardly unheard of in American politics — up and down ballots, across party lines. Here are a few examples.... In 2020, Frank Artiles, a former Republican state senator in Florida, recruited a friend, Alexis Pedro Rodriguez, to run in the state senate race against the incumbent Democrat, State Senator José Javier Rodríguez. The idea was the two men’s shared surname would confuse voters and pull votes away from José Rodriguez. It worked: The incumbent lost by just 32 votes (the challenger Mr. Rodriguez received slightly more than 6,000), and senate Republicans flipped the seat.” And so forth. The link is a gift link. ~~~

~~~ The following is a bit cheeky inasmuch as a lawyer with the Elias Group may have been in on the Two-Dans scheme. ~~~

~~~ Jim Saksa of Democracy Docket: "The Trump administration and the GOP are stepping up their campaign to interfere with Alaska’s pivotal Senate race — with ... Donald Trump calling for the Democratic Senate candidate to be removed from the ballot and prosecuted. It’s the latest escalation in an ongoing Trump administration effort to use the power of the federal government to subvert the midterms in Alaska and elsewhere, with polls showing the GOP heading for major losses. Republicans and the administration are seizing on the presence on Alaska’s ballot of a spoiler candidate with a similar name to the Republican incumbent, Sen. Dan Sullivan, who is running for re-election. They have called it an effort to confuse voters. Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) called for an investigation Wednesday, hours after a New York Times report that the campaign of Democrat Mary Peltola was involved in recruiting the candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan, which the campaign has denied. And Fox News reported that an existing criminal investigation into the issue has been stepped up since the report appeared.... The Elias Law Group (ELG) represents Peltola campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in this case. ELG Firm Chair Marc Elias is the founder of Democracy Docket." ~~~

~~~ Rebecca Falconer of Axios: "Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) suggested Thursday the state could withhold certification of the U.S. Senate election results if Democrat Mary Peltola wins.... Asked during an interview with NewsNation whether he would certify the election if Peltola wins while the matter remains under investigation, Dunleavy stopped short of committing to do so.... 'Dunleavy's threat to overrule the will of Alaskan voters exemplifies what Alaskans hate about partisan politics and shows why he's the least popular governor in the country,' a spokesperson for the 'Alaskans for Mary' campaign said in an emailed statement Thursday night." ~~~<

~~~ MEANWHILE. Polling Places Optional. Eric Stone & Hannah Flor of Alaska Public Media: “Polling places in some rural Alaska communities have failed to fully open to voters, more than a week after early and in-person absentee voting across Alaska started on Oct. 19. Exactly how many sites failed to open on time is unclear. In a letter to the Division of Elections and Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom on Friday, Democratic Anchorage Sen. Bill Wielechowski said voters in 18 communities had reported trouble with their local voting stations. 'The information that I got was from some groups that have people on the ground in these villages who literally went to the polling place on (Oct.) 19th and the 20th, and they were not open,' Wielechowski said in an interview Monday. Elections officials disputed Wielechowski’s count but confirmed several sites had failed to open as scheduled. In a letter to Wielechowski on Monday, Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher said three sites had 'declined to open' and another three didn’t respond to state officials.” Via Heather Cox Richardson.

California House Race. Soumya Karlamangla of the New York Times: “Representative Jimmy Gomez, a Democrat who has represented a liberal district in Los Angeles for almost a decade, is at serious risk of losing his House seat after being accused of sexual misconduct this summer. Mr. Gomez is facing an intraparty challenge from Angela Gonzales-Torres, who has been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America and is running as an anti-establishment candidate. The House Ethics Committee announced in August that it was investigating whether Mr. Gomez had engaged in inappropriate sexual contact with a House aide. Mr. Gomez, 51, denied any wrongdoing, but conceded that he had made “personal mistakes” outside of his marriage. It was not fully clear how endangered Mr. Gomez was until the Democracy and Fair Elections Lab at the University of Southern California released an independent poll this month finding that Mr. Gomez and Ms. Gonzales-Torres were tied, with each receiving support from 34 percent of likely voters.When undecided voters were pressed to choose a candidate, Ms. Torres moved ahead to 51 percent, compared with Mr. Gomez’s 45 percent, the poll found.” The link is a gift link.

Georgia. When a Ponzi Schemer Preaches the Prosperity Gospel. Mark Walker of the New York Times: “A high-profile Georgia Republican who ran a massive Ponzi loan scheme that brought losses of more than $76 million to more than 300 investors was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison on Monday, according to federal prosecutors. The man, Edwin Brant Frost IV, 69, of Newnan, Ga., pleaded guilty in May to wire fraud following an investigation into his business, First Liberty Building and Loan.... Mr. Frost told investors their money would fund short-term, high-interest 'bridge loans' to small companies, and he promised monthly returns of between 8 and 18 percent, prosecutors said.... Many of those loans were never repaid, however, and First Liberty soon lacked the revenue to meet its obligations. Rather than disclose the shortfall, Mr. Frost used funds from new investors to pay earlier ones, prosecutors said.

“All the while, Mr. Frost was helping himself, federal prosecutors said. He personally took at least $5 million from investors for his own use, they said, buying a vacation rental home in Maine, spending more than $140,000 on jewelry and paying more than $335,000 to a rare coin dealer. Over the years, he also gave out more than $570,000 in political donations, prosecutors said.... A judge ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $76.5 million.... [Mr. Frost] has long been involved in politics, including his management of the state campaign for the televangelist Pat Robertson....” The link is a gift link.

<An Illinois Voter Will Vote by Mail. Tina Sfondeles of the Chicago Sun-Times: “... Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV is still a registered voter in Illinois and requested a mail ballot for the midterm elections.... 'Robert Francis Prevost is on the list of individuals who requested a vote by mail ballot for the upcoming election,' Kim Fladhammer, Will County clerk’s office chief of staff, told the Chicago Sun-Times. The pope, who is registered to a New Lenox address, made the request Oct. 3.... Records show Prevost voted in the 2012, 2014 and 2016 Republican primaries, as well as in the 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2024 general elections. He also voted in Democratic primaries in 2008 and 2010. He did not vote in Illinois’ March primary. In Illinois, voters do not have to register by party and can choose parties for their primary ballot.”

Iowa Senate Race. One Reason Trump Cancelled His Iowa Rally. Theodoric Meyer of the Washington Post: “When Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson announced last year that she would run for the Senate, she promised to be ... Donald Trump’s strongest ally in the chamber if she won. Now Hinson is in danger of losing to Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek in a state that Trump carried three times — and she is taking a more nuanced stance ahead of Election Day as some of the president’s supporters have grown disillusioned with him. Hinson spoke at Trump’s rally in Iowa last week, and she has featured Trump in her ads. But she has also gone further than any other Republican running for the Senate in a red state this year to make clear that she will stand up to Trump, pledging to be 'a thorn in his side if he’s wrong for our state.'... Hinson’s campaign has also spent millions of dollars in recent weeks running ads that emphasize her willingness to work with Democrats. It’s an unexpected strategy in Iowa, which Trump won by a 13-point margin in 2024....”

Michigan Senate Race. Reid Epstein of the New York Times: “Representative Haley Stevens will campaign on Sunday with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, who defeated her in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary in August. The joint appearance, which is set to take place at a Black church in Detroit, is a remarkable shift in a relationship that had become increasingly frosty. Ms. Stevens, who on Wednesday said she would not be campaigning with Dr. El-Sayed before Tuesday’s election, has criticized him in a series of interviews in recent days, though she had pledged to vote for him. Her fiancé endorsed Dr. El-Sayed’s Republican opponent, former Representative Mike Rogers, and appeared with Mr. Rogers at a campaign event on Wednesday night. Ms. Stevens said in a text message on Thursday that she had been asked to participate in a 'souls to the polls' event with Dr. El-Sayed and Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, who had backed Ms. Stevens in the primary race. It was not immediately clear who had invited her to the event. A spokeswoman for Dr. El-Sayed declined to elaborate on the event’s details.” The link is a gift link.

Ohio Gubernatorial Race. Karen Tumulty & Natalie Allison of the Washington Post: “Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has discontinued airing a widely denounced television ad featuring the estranged mother of his opponent, Democrat Amy Acton, who called her daughter 'a liar.'... Ramaswamy’s campaign spent about $1 million to air two versions of the ad, just a quarter of the amount it had initially said it would put behind it, according to AdImpact data as of Thursday.... The ad was defended and promoted by ... Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.” ~~~

~~~ Gee, Maybe This Is Why. Alex Isenstadt of Axios (October 28): "Republicans fear that Vivek Ramaswamy's explosive attack ad featuring his opponent's estranged mother could cost them the Ohio governor's race, based on new internal polling that shows him falling further behind.... The private poll, commissioned by a Republican group and obtained by Axios, found Acton leading Ramaswamy by eight points — up from a two-point lead in the same poll earlier this month, before the ad began circulating on Oct. 19."

~~~~~~~~~~

Brazil/U.S. A Very Special Undocumented Immigrant. Kim Young-a of SBS News (South Korea): "It has been revealed that close aides to ... Donald Trump were deeply involved in the process of Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro fleeing to the U.S. after being defeated in the Brazilian presidential runoff election. The U.S. daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 28th that Senator Flavio Bolsonaro's entry into the U.S. was the result of a "joint operation" between high-ranking U.S. officials, including close aides to President Trump, and the camp of Argentine President Javier Milei. According to the report, Senator Bolsonaro's "Brazil escape operation" began in earnest on the 26th, the day after the presidential election defeat.... It was learned that U.S. figures, including Jason Miller, an adviser to ... [Donald] Trump, directly arranged a charter flight to the U.S. to help Senator Bolsonaro, who was facing the threat of arrest." Thanks to RAS for the lead. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Edward Wong, et al., of the New York Times: “Flávio Bolsonaro, the Brazilian presidential candidate who faces multiple criminal investigations, is staying in Florida on a temporary status that was given following orders by ... [Donald] Trump, and will likely be granted permanent residency later, U.S. officials said. Mr. Bolsonaro fled Brazil after losing an election this week. U.S. border agents allowed him and his family to enter the United States on what is called parole, usually given for humanitarian reasons, after they landed in Miami on a private jet on Wednesday morning, a U.S. official said that day. The jet had been arranged by a White House official.... [Mr.] Trump said later that afternoon that Mr. Bolsonaro had been given 'a pass' to enter the country....

“The Department of Homeland Security ... said Mr. Bolsonaro and his family 'were met and inspected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in accordance with applicable immigration laws and procedures. At the conclusion of the inspection, Mr. Bolsonaro and his accompanying family members were released.' A public U.S. government record suggests that Mr. Bolsonaro presented a canceled Brazilian diplomatic passport on arrival, according to a review by The New York Times.... The State Department [and the White House] said ... on Tuesday that it planned to issue visas to Mr. Bolsonaro and his family allowing them to enter the country.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) MB: Ha Ha. Here I was, counting on Markwayne to kick that guy's ass to the curb, the way he does with all the other refugees.

Cuba/U.S. Michael Crowley of the New York Times: “The Trump administration expelled a Cuban diplomat from the United States on Wednesday, a day after a fiery shouting match between Cuba’s foreign minister and the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Michael Waltz, at the United Nations General Assembly. The State Department said that it told Cuba’s mission to the U.N. that its first secretary, Richard Tur de la Concepción, was 'not welcome' in the United States after the Cuban swatted at the phone of a U.S. official who was filming him at close range in the main U.N. hall. In a social media post on Wednesday, Mr. Waltz accused Mr. Tur de la Concepción of 'assaulting' the American.... The unusual rancor in the typically staid hall came at a moment of renewed tension between Cuba and the United States....

“The drama at the U.N. began on Tuesday, as Mr. Waltz spoke against a resolution calling for an end to the longtime U.S. economic embargo against the island. Speaking from the podium, Mr. Waltz accused Cuba’s leaders of repression, corruption and self-enrichment. [Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Cuba’s foreign minister.] and other members of the country’s delegation began pounding on their desks and demanding points of order. Eventually they approached the rostrum to within a few feet of Mr. Waltz, who interrupted his remarks to rebuke them. 'Back up! Back up!' Mr. Waltz barked. 'This isn’t Havana. You’re not going to intimidate me. Do you understand who you’re dealing with? This is America!'... Mr. Rodríguez was then granted time to respond to Mr. Waltz, whom he accused of being a liar.” ~~~

~~~ Heather Cox Richardson: "Wall Street Journal reporters ... write that Bolsonaro intends to set up a political system in exile, despite the fact that more than 50 countries, including Latin American leaders from a wide range of political persuasions, have recognized the victory of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Sunday’s election. Lula won by more than 4.4 million votes. International observers call that margin decisive. Trump has refused to recognize Lula’s victory, suggesting that the votes against the right-wing Bolsonaro were rigged. But, as the Wall Street Journal reporters add, it is unclear how much political capital he will be willing to expend on propping up Bolsonaro’s pretensions to power."

Israel. Leo Sands, et al., of the New York Times: “The final vote count in Israel’s election, released early Friday local time, confirmed that neither [link fixed] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-right coalition nor the main opposition alliance won enough votes to form a government. The result sets the stage for weeks of jockeying and political uncertainty. Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud party and its hard-right allies won 53 seats in Parliament, not enough to meet the 61-seat threshold for an outright majority. The final count, from Israel’s Central Elections Committee, showed Mr. Netanyahu’s alliance was down from the 64 seats it won in the last election, in 2022. The main opposition bloc, led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief who had led in opinion polls for months, won 48. Two Arab parties secured 19 seats, their highest-ever number of seats. The results are subject to potential 'minor corrections' in coming days before they are submitted to Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, on Nov. 4, the committee said just after midnight.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

~~~ Gerry Shih & Suheir Hashimeh of the Washington Post: “Israel’s election officials and its internal intelligence service, Shin Bet, are investigating Tuesday’s vote after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party set off a firestorm with allegations that the vote was 'stolen by Arab parties.' Likud officials have argued that Qatar funneled money into Israel to drive record high turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel, which led to the two predominantly Arab parties, the Joint List and Ra’am, winning a record 19 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, Israeli media outlets reported. As the furor over the allegations gained momentum Thursday, the election commission’s acting general manager, Dean Livneh, wrote in a letter to the Knesset: 'to the best of our knowledge, there is no basis for claims of systematic violation of the purity of the elections.' Livneh added that on election day and immediately afterward, election and security officials did not report any problems that compromised the vote’s integrity.”

     ~~~ An Axios report, by Barak Ravid, is here.

Ukraine/Russia. Veronika Melkozerova of Politico: “The local governor of Russia’s Samara region blamed Ukraine for an early morning drone attack [Friday] that struck an oil refinery in Novokuibyshevsk city.... Russian air defense forces shot down 1,043 Ukrainian drones over Samara, and 18 other Russian regions overnight, Moscow’s Ministry of Defense reported Friday.... The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Kyiv had agreed to pause strikes on Russian oil refineries under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump. The unofficial halt is expected, according to the report, to last until after the U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 3. Ukraine had paused drone strikes on Russian oil refineries for 72 hours when Trump announced an energy ceasefire earlier this month. But the Kremlin kept bombarding Ukrainian energy infrastructure.” ~~~

Ukraine/Russia/U.S. Is This What Pope Leo Had in Mind? Ostap Yarysh on X: "The person overseeing the U.S. side of the plan to evacuate Oleshky is Marc Beckman, a private adviser to Melania Trump (his official bio lists his title as 'Exclusive Senior Advisor.') He is also one of the producers of Melania, a documentary about the First Lady. Marc Beckman’s background is in marketing, media and cultural projects.... His portfolio does not include direct experience in diplomacy, politics, or humanitarian operations. He is neither a U.S. government official nor a staff member of the Office of the First Lady.... As for Oleshky, my understanding is that U.S. officials do not currently plan to take part directly in the evacuation on the ground. The American side is expected to be represented by a Newsmax crew." MB: The link is to a page by digby. The original report from Yarysh on X is written in Ukrainian. An English translation is available, but only to X users in good standing, which I am not. Thanks to Akhilleus for the link to digby's post. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The interpersonal shenanigans among the U.S. players is too perverse to imagine. Is Melania as stupid as this "plan" would suggest? Is Donald trolling his wife, anticipating a total failure? Or is he just not paying attention? Or does he think it's a great "plan," the way Team Jarhead & Witless is? Is Beckman suffering from Dunning-Kruger? Newsmax?? Newsmax??? Where's Little Marco in all this? There are some more promising links in today's Comments already, but the gross dunderheads who have foisted this farce upon suffering Ukrainians has exhausted me. ~~~

     ~~~ Update. It appears the situation is not as bad as Yarysh lays out: ~~~

     ~~~ Carlotta Gall & Oleksandr Chubko of the New York Times (Oct. 26, updated Oct. 30): “The Russian military spent two days demining the access roads. Then [Ukraine's parliamentary commissioner for human rights Dmytro] Lubinets and his Russian counterpart Yana Lantratova, Russia’s human rights commissioner, set off Thursday night with a fleet of 25 buses that could carry 750 people, ambulances and trucks of humanitarian aid. Preparations for the evacuation had been ongoing since May, Ms. Lantratova, wrote on Telegram on Thursday as she set out for Oleshky.” The link is a gift link. The story makes no mention of Beckman or Newsmax. MB: So, IMO, at this point anyway, it appears that Melanie, Beckman, Newsmax, et al., are just glory hounds looking to make a buck off of Melanie's supposed humanitarian efforts. The "U.S. side" is all puffery.