AMERICANTHINKER (American Thinker Blog) - Yes, people did watch
By Silvio Canto, Jr. The GOP tried something different in 2026 and held something called a "midterm convention" in Dallas, TX.
YOUTUBE (CNN) - The novel of the century is NSFW | Engagement Party
With The Disappearers, Marlon James has written an explicit and violent epic that’s been called “the novel of the decade, if not the century." He joins the party to talk about queer Jamaican culture, ’80s music icons, and the gay sex scene that even his editor thought he should leave out. About the show: Welcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the hot takes are the smart takes. After years of working side by side, Audie and Ari have made it official with their pop culture video podcast. Party hopping between what you're watching, reading and scrolling, these longtime friends unpack what matters in our endless feeds.
YOUTUBE (MS NOW) - GOP Congresswoman CALLS OUT Trump over immigration in new campaign ad
Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar of Florida is calling out President Donald Trump over his immigration policies in a new campaign ad. Salazar represents a South Florida district that she won by 20 points in 2024 and was endorsed by Trump on social media earlier this year. Meanwhile, the fight for control of the Senate is putting some traditionally Republican states in play. There’s also new reporting that a Trump-aligned super PAC is spending more than $100 million in several House districts that Trump comfortably won in 2024. MS NOW White House reporter Laura Barrón-López joins Way Too Early to discuss whether the ad is a sign there could be more Republican breaks with Trump as the midterms approach.
NYTIMES (Paul Sonne) - Why Autocrats Care What People Think
Russia is staging an election that matters to almost no one — except President Vladimir V. Putin and his inner circle.
NYTIMES (Tracy Mumford, Will Jarvis, Margaret Kadifa, Jake Lucas, Ian Stewart, Ivan Nechepurenko and Ronda Kaysen) - How the Kremlin Gets the Election Results It Wants, and R.F.K. Jr. Rallies Vaccine Skeptics
Plus, the Friday news quiz.
| Keywords | russiaelectionrkjrfk-jrvaccineskremlinpoliticsus-politicsforeign-policymediany-timesnytimeshealthgeopoliticselection-2026 |
NYTIMES (Anna Griffin) - Abortion Rights Activists in Idaho Find Their Pitch: Bring Back the Doctors
Organizers of a referendum to repeal an abortion ban in deep-red Idaho are far more focused on how the ban has broadly affected health care in the state.
NYTIMES (Bayliss Wagner) - Ashley Hinson, a Republican ‘Minivan-Driving Mom,’ Steers Away From Trump in Midterm Elections
Representative Ashley Hinson is hoping to keep a crucial Senate seat red in Iowa, where the president has created major headwinds for her party.
| Keywords | ashley-hinsontrumpiowarepublicansenate-raceelection-2026midtermssenategopiowa-politicsus-politicspoliticsgovernmentvotingrepublican-partydonald-trump |
NYTIMES (Shane Goldmacher) - Ocasio-Cortez Donates to N.Y. Democrats, Will Barnstorm State Ahead of Midterms
The news has reignited speculation about whether the progressive representative from the Bronx is considering a run for senator or president.
NYTIMES (Aruni Soni) - Iran War Will Make Winter More Expensive for Some Americans
The cost of heating oil, which is similar to diesel and used extensively in Northeastern states, has climbed sharply because of the war in Iran.
NYTIMES (Eshe Nelson) - Why Europe Really, Really Needs a Mild Winter
The economy has been resilient despite higher prices stemming from the war in the Middle East, but that could change quickly if cold weather forces countries to tap depleted gas reserves.