October 31, 2026

Here are Donald & Melanie greeting two children dressed in Russian costumes. The boy is supposedly wearing  "a russian tank forces patch and a Soviet army cap." The children have been identified on social media as the daughter and son of Stephen & Katie Miller. They are not. 

Like RAS, Rick Hasen is sure the DOJ will be investigating the Nevada "independent" candidate Danielle Ford, who has ties to GOP operatives. Funnily enough, Danielle has the same last name as the Democratic candidate, Aaron Ford. As the Nevada Independent reported way back on October 20, Danielle Ford's "backers" -- who seem to operate out commercial complex as Gov. Joe Lombardo's (R) campaign -- sent out a mailer picturing her alongside a cutout of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and calling Gabrielle "the AOC of Nevada." "... a spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez, said Danielle Ford has never contacted or spoken to the congresswoman, who is supporting Democratic candidate and Attorney General Aaron Ford in the race." See RAS' commentary below. MB: I too am confused as to why the DOJ hasn't called a press conference yet about this 11-day old horrifying campaign scandal & why Donald Trump has not demanded that Gabrielle be locked away. 

     ~~~ Too True. Thanks to RAS for the link.

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. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ 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?"

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.” (Also linked yesterday.) Politico's report is here.

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. (Also linked yesterday.) Politico's report is here.

Zach Montague of the New York Times: “A federal appeals court panel on Friday denied the Trump administration’s request that it order California officials to set aside about 20,000 mail-in ballots that the administration claimed had been sent to possible noncitizens. In a sharp rebuke, the panel wrote that entertaining the government’s requests would trample California’s authority over its election procedures, and that to rule otherwise would amount to 'undermining the Constitution’s plain text.' 'If the United States believes different procedures are necessary for vote-by-mail ballots, we believe it should take that suggestion to Congress, not the courts,' the order said.” The link is a gift link. Politico's report is here. ~~~

Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: “A federal judge in San Francisco dealt a major setback to the Justice Department late Friday, blocking the department from threatening to prosecute state and local election officials who do not comply with the department’s directives on handling ballots. The ruling by Judge Trina L. Thompson of the U.S. District Court for Northern California could deprive the department of some of its most important levers in extracting concessions from local officials — the specter of prosecution and threat of subpoenas. The temporary restraining order was just the latest in a succession of court losses for the department.... Judge Thompson ordered the department not to 'threaten, intimidate or coerce state or local elections officials or workers to demand that they halt processing the ballots' based on the government’s suspicion the voter might be a noncitizen. Her order is set to expire after Tuesday’s election. She scheduled a hearing for Monday.” The link is a gift link. Politico's report is here.

Michael Schmidt & Jim Rutenberg of the New York Times: “Few of the nine firms [that capitulated to Donald Trump in 2025] are publicly involved in the major legal efforts to check Mr. Trump and his administration’s attempts to meddle, a review of public documents and interviews with democracy advocates, election lawyers and voting rights litigators shows. The absence of the firms has raised serious worries about whether the legal profession is equipped to respond to the administration, which has already begun to file litigation intended to sow confusion about the outcome of the election.... Some of the firms have scrubbed their websites of their storied histories working on voting rights cases. At one firm that made a deal with Mr. Trump, several lawyers are quietly volunteering to help voting rights causes, hoping that their bosses do not find out.... The chilling effect, the interviews show, has extended to several of the top 100 firms in the United States that did not cut deals with Mr. Trump. Fearing being targeted, they have also avoided politically sensitive cases, according to interviews.” The link is a gift link.

Contrary to popular opinion, Trump does not make up tall tales about election fraud every single day: ~~

~~~ Karen Yourish & Arfa Momin of the New York Times: Donald “Trump has attacked the integrity of U.S. elections on more than 70 percent of the days since he returned to office.” The link is a gift link.

In Our Names: a Vicious Work-Around. Pranav Baskar, et al., of the New York Times: “The Trump administration has detained dozens of Afghan immigrants in Louisiana and plans to deport them to Afghanistan, according to three U.S. officials. The group includes people who could face discrimination or persecution under the Taliban, including relatives of people who helped the U.S. military and at least one gay man. More than 150 Afghan immigrants are expected to be deported, one official said, making this one of the largest single expulsions of Afghans. By sending them to Pakistan — which would then send them to Afghanistan — the Trump administration has found a way around the hurdles that have so far prevented vulnerable Afghans from being sent back to face repression or retaliation by the Taliban.

“Lacking diplomatic relations with the Taliban, the United States cannot arrange deportations to Afghanistan. And some Afghans living in America have been granted legal protections from U.S. judges, which prevent them from being sent back to Afghanistan because of the persecution they would likely face under the Taliban government. The officials say the deportation is, in effect, to Afghanistan, and that is what the detainees have been told by ICE. But Pakistan will oversee their expulsion over the border to Afghanistan. The first flight is expected to leave as soon as Nov. 2.” The link is a gift link.

Reed Abelson & Margot Sanger-Katz of the New York Times: “Millions of Americans who depend on Obamacare for their health insurance face another double-digit price increase next year, adding to the financial toll that has already driven millions of others to drop coverage since last year. The price increases largely reflect higher medical costs across the country. But they also are a signal of the latest blow to Obamacare under the Trump administration, which has overseen the expiration of tax credits that helped Americans pay for coverage and has erected new barriers to enrollment in an effort to root out what it describes as widespread fraud.

“The average price of health insurance in the Obamacare marketplaces will rise by 13 percent next year, according to an analysis on Friday by KFF, the health research group. The Trump administration on Friday published new prices for 2027 in 30 states with markets managed by the federal government. Using that data and state figures, KFF calculated the increase nationwide.The large premium increases for Obamacare plans are similar to changes expected in other health insurance markets, though slightly higher.” 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.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ 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. (Also linked yesterday.)

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. (Also linked yesterday.) 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.

Howard Koplowitz of AL.com (Oct. 28): “Former President Barack Obama’s political and communication skills are so good, he could have been in the White House for life were it not for the Constitution, according to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Cruz offered the shocking praise for his political nemesis in the latest episode of the Texas senator’s podcast, 'Verdict with Ted Cruz.' “Obama may be the most effective Democrat politician of our lifetime. It’s either Obama or Bill Clinton, and the two of them literally stand head and shoulders above every Democrat we’ve ever seen....'... Obama’s ability to communicate, it is really powerful, it’s really dangerous, to be honest, the senator continued. 'If we didn’t have the 22^nd Amendment, it wouldn’t surprise me if Obama spent the rest of his life in the White House.'”

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. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ 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. (Also linked yesterday.)

Stella! ~~

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Tim Balk & Sam Easter of the New York Times: “Facing a backlash over rising prices and working to overcome the president’s deep unpopularity, Republicans across the country have tarred their opponents with false, inflammatory and deeply personal attacks in the final stretch of the midterm election. In many cases, they are following the lead of a president who has repeatedly rewritten the rules of acceptable discourse in American politics. Many of the attacks have drawn little pushback from within the party, but some Republicans say they are concerned by the trend.” The link is a gift link.

Alaska Senate Race. 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 (as of Friday afternoon), 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. ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Anna Griffin & Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: “The Justice Department on Friday acknowledged that its investigation into Democrats who recruited a decoy candidate to run in the Alaska Senate race may never yield criminal charges, defending an inquiry that critics dismissed as a political stunt in the lead-up to Election Day. Michael J. Heyman, the U.S. attorney for Alaska, told reporters during a news conference in Anchorage that his office had spent the past few months quietly investigating whether Democratic operatives violated federal laws in recruiting a candidate with the same name to oppose the Republican incumbent, Senator Dan S. Sullivan. Mr. Heyman said the inquiry kicked into high gear after The New York Times reported that aides to Mary Peltola, Mr. Sullivan’s Democratic opponent, helped enlist the other candidate, Dan J. Sullivan. But he declined to say what crimes — if any — were being investigated. Democrats and former officials have accused the department of pursuing a political goal in the guise of a legal one: to publicize a scheme, sordid but not illegal under state law, to energize Republicans ahead of next week’s midterm elections.” The link is a gift link.

Kansas Senate Race. Sarah Kliff of the New York Times: “A former patient of Senator Roger Marshall, Republican of Kansas, on Thursday filed a class-action lawsuit against him and his former medical practice, contending that he charged illegally high interest rates in pursuing patients over outstanding bills. Mr. Marshall, who had a 25-year career as an obstetrician-gynecologist, sued more than 700 patients over unpaid bills, The New York Times found in an investigation last month. In at least 81 of those cases, patients were arrested after missing court dates. Mr. Marshall, a first-term senator, is facing an unexpectedly tight race to keep his seat, with recent polls showing him neck-and-neck with his Democratic challenger, Adam Hamilton, in a state that hasn’t elected a Democratic senator since 1932. The lawsuit, filed in Kansas state court, focuses on the 18 percent interest rate that Mr. Marshall and the medical practice he co-owned, Heartland OBGYN, often charged patients.” The link is a gift link.

Michigan Senate Race. Tim Balk of the New York Times: “Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the progressive who won the Democratic Senate nomination in Michigan, said in a statement late Friday that the moderate candidate he defeated in the primary, Representative Haley Stevens, was 'intent on relitigating' their race. The accusation came hours after Ms. Stevens, a supporter of Israel, issued a statement demanding an apology for comments he had made criticizing the country. It was a dizzying exchange that came a day after Ms. Stevens had said she would campaign with Dr. El-Sayed this weekend — a step that had briefly given Democrats hope that they were moving past a series of recent public criticisms she had made of him. And it all came just four days ahead of an election in Michigan that could be critical in the battle for Senate control.” The link is a gift link.~~~

     ~~~  Adam Wren, et al., of Politico: “El-Sayed’s campaign is asking Stevens to stay away from all future campaign events in the closing days of the race..., [so] “as not to distract from the central issues of the campaign,” one of the people said. The brushoff capped a day of the two lobbing increasingly pointed statements back and forth at each other, frustrating Democrats who say the infighting risks imperiling a state the party can hardly afford to lose as they try to flip control of the Senate.” ~~~

Tennessee. Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: “In her first comments since Tennessee botched her execution last month, Christa Pike said that she was in constant pain and that she had been kept largely in isolation.” The link is a gift link.

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Canada/E.U. Ian Austen of the New York Times: Canadian Prime Minister Mark “Carney appeared undeterred with his plans [to expand ties to Europe] on Friday after hosting what was billed as a summit meeting in Montreal with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and António Costa, president of the European Council. Mr. Carney announced that the parties would conclude talks on making Canada an “associate member” of the European Union by June 2027. More important, those negotiations will also define that affiliation, which does not currently exist within the group.... Negotiations will have to resolve ... dissent [within the E.U.] and a wide array of issues between now and June if the deadline is to be met.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

~~~ Alexander Burns, et al., of Politico: “Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday that if his government could not successfully negotiate a suitable trade pact with the Trump administration, he was prepared to wait for a new American president to close the deal. In an interview with Politico in Montreal, Carney also said Canadians were fed up with diplomatic provocations from the United States and described ... Donald Trump’s wavering policy toward the Russia-Ukraine war as 'unhelpful.' Carney’s remarks, made upon the conclusion of a summit with European Union officials, represent the most direct brushback to Washington in months from a leader who has calibrated his public comments on the United States amid sensitive trade talks.”

Ukraine/Russia/U.S. Gregorio Sorgi of Politico: “Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the U.S. for approving the sale of Patriot interceptors but urged Washington to fast-track the delivery of the defensive missiles. Zelenskyy praised the 'strong decision' by the U.S. to approve the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptors to counter Russian ballistic missiles — but said the years-long wait to deliver them was too long for Ukraine's urgent needs. 'It has been stipulated that deliveries may begin ONLY IN A FEW YEARS,' Zelenskyy wrote in a Facebook post on Friday night. 'We are asking our American partners to find a solution for the time when there is a real danger and a real need to use PAC-3 interceptors.'...”