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THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 3 1995 O.J. Simpson acquitted Former football star O.J. Simpson is found not guilty of the 1994 double murder of his estranged wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman following a sensational "Trial of the Century." read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1849 Edgar Allan Poe found delirious in Baltimore 1873 U.S. Army hangs four Modoc leaders for the murder of a Civil War general Arts & Entertainment 1955 “The Guinness Book of Records” debuts 1957 ACLU successfully defends Allen Ginsberg’s ‘Howl’ in obscenity trial 1961 “The Dick Van Dyke Show” premieres 1967 Writer, singer and folk icon Woody Guthrie dies 1992 Sinéad O’Connor tears up a photo of Pope John Paul II on “Saturday Night Live” 2014 “Serial” debuts, inaugurating the podcast boom Cold War 1990 East and West Germany reunite after 45 years Crime 2011 Amanda Knox murder conviction overturned in Italy European History 1981 Maze hunger strike called off Middle Eastern History 1932 Iraq wins independence Sports 1997 Gordie Howe, 69, becomes only pro hockey player to compete in six decades 1951 A miraculous home run wins the pennant for NY Giants U.S. Presidents 1863 President Lincoln proclaims official Thanksgiving holiday World War I 1917 War Revenue Act passed in U.S. World War II 1942 Germany conducts first successful V-2 rocket test

October 3, 2026 Good morning. Always-on digital communication gives the illusion of intimacy, but the constant flow of updates doesn’t allow enough breathing room for true connection. María Jesús Contreras Slow motion By Melissa Kirsch I received a postcard this week from my friend Sarah, who recently moved from Brooklyn to Queens, where, she reported, there’s less traffic and more raccoons. We’ve been sending each other cheeky updates on the weather or the price of milk in our respective necks of the woods since she moved. We’re only eight miles apart, but somehow also in different worlds. Postal correspondence has a trapped-in-amber quality that an electronic exchange never can. A postcard from Sarah is a snapshot, a moment in time captured and suspended until I receive it in my mailbox. I will respond with a postcard of my own, in a kind of parallel conversation to our daily tide of text messages, one that accumulates only as much momentum as the rate of the U.S. postal system allows. There’s a story in The Times today about a pen-pal resurgence among young adults. I read with interest of the renewed fascination with charming stationery and ornate envelopes, as well as the “collective craving for personal connections that build gradually over time.” As an adolescent, I built a gradual friendship with a girl in Singapore I was matched with via Stickers magazine, the official publication for “kids stuck on stickers.” We probably exchanged a total of five or six letters over a couple of years, but the distance and time gave our bond a sort of gravitas. In the eternity between letters, I’d daydream about what her room looked like, who her friends were, adding another dimension to the written intimacy. Technology offers the illusion of intimacy. The volume, the pace, the constant flow of updates — they mimic the closeness created by an actual conversation, but sometimes those very things can make a torrent of texts feel hollow. We don’t have that time between communiqués to wonder what the other person is up to, to fill in the blanks with our imaginations. An essay in The Atlantic this week suggested that one of the problems with dating apps is that the dates they facilitate are hardly conducive to real connection. Far more effective are group activities or hangouts where people get to know one another gradually. Romance, like friendship, blooms with attention that’s slow and undemanding. A rapport forged by mail is imbued with automatic breathing room. “It’s about moving away from a format of communication that is mediated by platforms and digital systems that optimize speed, convenience and infinite access,” a trend forecaster told The Times. Always-on communication can be too intense, the smartphone too blunt an instrument for the delicate choreography required to really grow close to someone. I love the idea of making new friends via pen pal matchmakers, but I think there’s infinite possibility in setting up sustained letter writing with someone you already know. Write a letter to your college roommate, send a card to your old next-door neighbor. If it’s been a long time since you’ve been in touch but the flame still burns, then you know the relationship can withstand the rhythms of the post. And when you’re accustomed to no contact at all, even the occasional note is a bonus. If you want to ensure a warm response, I don’t know anyone who can resist a few stickers slipped in the envelope. THE LATEST NEWS Politics An ad that was approved by President Trump and paid for by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. via YouTube President Trump personally instructed his budget director to use taxpayer money for TV ads praising him and his presidency. The top super PAC for Senate Republicans pulled millions of dollars from North Carolina, a move that signals they no longer see a path to G.O.P. victory there. The world’s wealthiest industrial nations agreed to release diesel from their reserves to ease record-high prices. Trump has threatened to impose a ban on U.S. diesel exports if prices don’t come down. Trump is giving Jay Clayton, the director of national intelligence, an additional position: A.I. czar. Around the World President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine had fired a domestically made ballistic missile in combat for the first time. “I couldn’t let all of them die”: The Indian pilot attacked during a FlyDubai flight to Israel this week said he opened the cockpit door despite grievous injuries. Cornell Rape Investigation Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York rebuked the handling of the Cornell rape accusations by both the university’s police department and the local district attorney. After the woman first reported she had been assaulted, the university offered the district attorney’s office additional evidence gathered by the Cornell police. But prosecutors declined to review it. One of the seven men accused of sexual assault sued the university in March, seeking to overturn his punishment and expunge references to the incident from his academic record. (Cornell had found him responsible for attempted sexual exploitation, barred him from contact with the woman and required him to take a class and write a paper.) Back story: Times editors discussed the complexity of reporting on this case. Other Big Stories The U.S. economy slowed in September, adding fewer jobs as unemployment ticked up. Inflation has also kept costs high. Christa Pike, whose execution Tennessee botched this week, was unconscious, intubated and on a ventilator as of Thursday evening, according to court filings. HARD FORK 2.0 Our technology podcast is back with a new host, Max Read. This week, Max talks to our A.I. beat reporters about the newest agents, which are somehow both weirdly cute and possibly catastrophic. Click below to watch. A.I.: Cute or Maybe Catastrophically Dangerous? Full Episode #215 THE WEEK IN CULTURE Film and TV A scene from “The Last First: Winter K2,” about one of the final feats of mountain climbing still to be conquered. Apple TV There’s a thriving subgenre of documentaries about extreme mountain climbers, and for the most part, they aim to be optimistic and inspirational. Not this new one. The people have spoken: These are the best TV shows of the 21st century, according to 100,000 Times readers. Music Bruno Kramm, above, performing with Das Ich in 2023. Yauhen Yerchak/SOPA Images — LightRocket, via Getty Images The German goth musician Bruno Kramm, known to sport bright red horns, pioneered a warehouse-filling electronic style in the 1990s before taking a break to fight for digital privacy. He died at 58. Yendry’s one-off singles won over fans (including former President Barack Obama) and made her a star. Her debut LP, “Como Agua,” is a new kind of statement. More Culture New York City Ballet hosted its annual fashion gala, featuring none other than Stevie Nicks. The results were ludicrous — and not in a good way, our critic writes. Ancient Romans weren’t shy about their wealth. A new exhibition explores the imperial origins of the dyes, fabrics and wigs that helped them show off. THE INTERVIEW The New York Times “An artist is an egomaniac with an inferiority complex. I would absolutely fall into that. ‘I am great. I hope they notice.’” — Chris Rock, who wrote, directed and stars in the upcoming film “Misty Green,” spoke to David Marchese about hypocrisy in Hollywood; racial segregation and discrimination a half-century after the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; cancel culture; and more. Click to watch or read the transcript. The Anniversary Sale ends soon: Morning readers, enjoy our best offer. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your interests with expert coverage of news, culture, business and more. Save now: $1/week for your first year. RECIPE OF THE WEEK David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. By Melissa Clark Whole-Grain Banana Yogurt Muffins For a weekend baking project that will give back during the week, bake up a batch of Genevieve Ko’s cinnamon-scented whole-grain banana yogurt muffins. Lightly sweet and filled with fruit and fiber, they’re just the thing for tucking into lunchboxes, toasting and buttering for breakfast, or nibbling as an afternoon snack with staying power to get you through until dinner. They freeze well, too. Love Melissa's recipe suggestions in The Morning? Get more of her smart kitchen tips and easy dinner ideas by signing up for her daily Cooking newsletter. Get it in your inbox. REAL ESTATE Annie Mulligan for The New York Times The Hunt: A teacher in Houston wanted a home for about $200,000. Which did she pick? What you get for $2.6 million: A 1787 stone house in Pine Bush, N.Y., an 1815 farmhouse on 17 acres in Sedgwick, Maine, or a 1950 bungalow in Los Angeles. A rooftop cottage: This unique property, with its wooden porch and flowering garden, sits atop a six-story brick co-op in Manhattan’s West Village. You really need to see the photos. LIVING Near Telluride. Joe Fletcher Blending in: A couple built a single-story, horizontal home in Telluride, Colo., that seems to grow out of its natural surroundings. Flip the switch: Turning lights on and off doesn’t have to be boring. Make your walls more interesting with these design finds. The big island: Kitchen islands have become both an all-day center of activity and a statement piece. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER How to find your perfect blush shade First, TikTok was awash with blushmaxxing — a.k.a wearing as much color as possible on your cheeks. Now, the pendulum is swinging the other way with anti-blush, which refers to muted, earthy hues. It’s a rare viral trend worth considering, especially if you’re historically a blush hater. To find the right neutral shade, look for dusty mauves, tans and rose-browns with gray or brown bases, rather than pure pinks or reds, which tend to produce that bright, saturated look. Consider skin tone, too: A rich burgundy-brown works well as a neutral on deeply melanated skin, whereas a soft beige or peachy tan gives a similarly subtle veil to lighter complexions. And remember, you don’t need much to achieve that effortless flush. For more inspiration, these are our four favorite blushes. — Hannah Frye GAME OF THE WEEK Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images New York Liberty vs. Atlanta Dream, W.N.B.A. semifinals: The Liberty had a bumpy regular season, raising questions about whether their Big 3 was still a dominant force. Then, when it mattered most, the team found its rhythm, defeating No. 1-seeded Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs. Next, they face a no-less-daunting opponent: the Atlanta Dream, powered by the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, Angel Reese. The series tips off tomorrow. Related: Is the Liberty star Breanna Stewart still somehow underappreciated? NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was implant. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week’s headlines. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Crossplay, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren Deputy Editorial Director: Lauren Jackson

Hawaii’s centuries-old sea arch collapses into Pacific after series of rough storms Hōlei sea arch, formed 550 years ago by erosion from ocean waves, no longer standing, National Park Service confirms https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/02/hawaii-holei-sea-arch-collapses?

Half of UK wants to rejoin EU and backing it could drive up Labour vote, megapoll finds Exclusive: Findings will bolster those in No 10 who want to negotiate on re-entry but some senior figures remain wary https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/03/half-want-to-rejoin-eu-and-backing-it-could-drive-up-labour-vote-megapoll-finds?

Bangkok at breaking point as floods turn streets into stagnant lakes Bangkok is used to absorbing the sudden afternoon downpours that inundate the city during the rainy season. Even streets in many central high-rise districts can briefly turn into rivers, with rats and cockroaches racing out of sewers and taking temporary refuge on trees and buildings as the subterranean world is flushed out. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/03/bangkok-thailand-floods-breaking-point-stagnant-lakes?

Brazil’s Lula says only he can stop rise of fascism under Bolsonaro’s son President leads huge rally in Rio before election on Sunday seen as most important for decades https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/02/brazil-lula-stop-fascism-bolsonaro-son?

When Nike first started, it was called Blue Ribbon Sports. The name was changed in 1971. James

New Trump child care plan would strip resources from low-income working families Reporting in The New York Times describes an upcoming proposal from the Trump administration to use funds from the Child Care and Development Fund to provide “parent-based child care” in which a married parent could receive financial assistance to stay home to care for their children, while the other parent works. Providing additional income to support economically struggling families, including support for family members who want to be full-time caregivers for children, is a great idea. Pulling the funds to do so from the Child Care and Development Fund is not. https://www.epi.org/blog/new-trump-child-care-plan-would-strip-resources-from-low-income-working-families-a-better-solution-is-to-fully-fund-the-child-care-and-development-fund-instead-of-redirecting-resources-away-from-work/? ps:Just incredible!!

Guinea-Bissau military government blocks former President Embaló’s return Guinea-Bissau ’s military government has barred former President Umaro Sissoco Embaló from returning to the country, citing security and public order concerns. Read More.

Díaz-Canel questions US measures over new restrictions on Cuban private firms Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel on Friday accused the United States of hypocrisy for promoting private enterprise on the island while imposing new restrictions against privately-owned Cuban businesses. Read More.

Debt-saddled Argentina pitches 'golden passport' scheme to woo wealthy foreigners Argentina on Friday announced plans to offer citizenship to wealthy foreigners in exchange for cash contributions or investments in government bonds, as libertarian President Javier Milei seeks new sources of dollars for the debt-burdened nation. Read More.

Former GOP Rep. David Rivera sentenced to 10 years for secret Venezuela lobbying A former Republican congressman and longtime friend of Secretary of State Marco Rubio received a 10-year prison sentence on Friday for concealing a $50 million lobbying campaign on Venezuela’s behalf during the first Trump administration. Read More.

How Jon Ossoff and Susan Collins are turning a mundane part of their jobs into a reelection pitch After Hurricane Helene barreled through Georgia in the fall of 2024, Sen. Jon Ossoff was the first high-ranking official on the ground in Valdosta, where he took in the damage and promised locals he'd help them get the federal recovery assistance they needed. Read More. Steve Hilton faces steep odds in bid for California governor after 20-year GOP drought To become California’s next governor, Republican Steve Hilton must conjure up a feat of political wizardry, the equivalent of pulling voters out of thin air in a state that hasn’t elected a Republican to any statewide office in two decades. Read More.

The “Brad” Brouhaha View in browser If you want a snapshot of how the right has changed over the past decade, here’s one data point: MAGA activists think Sarah Huckabee Sanders is too woke now. That’s the same Sarah Huckabee Sanders who is the daughter of the GOP fixture Mike Huckabee and a former White House press secretary for President Trump. Now governor of Arkansas, she’s facing criticism from right-wing influencers over an ad boosting the state’s imposition of work requirements for recipients of the state’s Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. These requirements are a long-standing Republican priority, but my colleague Annie Lowrey wrote last year that they are “a terrible idea”: The requirement creates new taxpayer costs and red tape without really solving any problem, because most Medicaid recipients who are physically able to work already do. That’s not why the activists are mad, though. They’re upset because the face of loafing in Sanders’s ad is a cheese-ball-snarfing couch potato named Brad who is a young white man. The “Pizzagate” influencer Jack Posobiec labels it “Antiwhite.” Sean Davis of The Federalist calls it part of decades-long, systematic discrimination against white men. The openly bigoted investor James Fishback, fresh off getting trounced in a GOP primary for governor of Florida, traveled to Little Rock this week to rail against the “false and disgraceful ad.” Assessing the accuracy of a fictional character in an ad feels a little absurd, but for the record: More than 60 percent of Medicaid-expansion enrollees in Arkansas are white, and 18 percent are Black, according to The New York Times. (The state overall is about 75 percent white and 15 percent Black.) A little more than half are women. Sanders rebuffed criticism, writing, “Next thing you know they’ll say I should have used cookies instead of cheese balls.” The immediate and obsessive focus on a throwaway character in a 30-second ad is a lurid reminder of how identitarianism has become influential in segments of the American right, particularly young voters. This is a matter of how members of the movement understand politics, as well as how they attempt to communicate to the American public. For decades, the right—as well as some centrist Democrats, such as Bill Clinton—criticized progressives for embracing identity politics. They argued that a focus on demographic segments was divisive and unhelpful. Ronald Reagan preached that “a rising tide lifts all boats” (though in practice this often meant support for trickle-down policies that helped mostly the already-thriving) and called for “color-blind” policies (which also tended to result in worse outcomes for people of color). This impulse persists in some segments of the Republican Party, most notably in the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court, led by the former Reagan aide John Roberts. This didn’t mean that people on the right hesitated to use race as a political wedge. They just did it elliptically. The avatar of this strategy was Lee Atwater, an adviser to Reagan and George H. W. Bush, whose 1981 explanation was as vulgar as the impulses he courted. “You start out in 1954 by saying, ‘Nigger, nigger, nigger,’” he explained. “By 1968 you can’t say ‘nigger’—that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, ‘forced busing,’ ‘states’ rights,’ and all that stuff, and you’re getting so abstract. Now you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a by-product of them is, Blacks get hurt worse than whites.” In 1980, for example, Reagan delivered a controversial speech at the Neshoba County Fair in Mississippi, not far from where the civil-rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner were murdered in 1964, and spoke about “states’ rights,” a phrase that segregationists had adopted. In 1988, a pro-Bush group aired a commercial that attacked his Democratic opponent, Michael Dukakis, for allowing a convicted criminal named Wlliam Horton furlough from prison, during which he nearly killed someone. The ad didn’t mention Horton’s race and didn’t need to; it included his mugshot and called him “Willie,” which Horton (among others) interpreted as a dog whistle. “It was created to play on racial stereotypes: big, ugly, dumb, violent, Black—‘Willie,’” he said later. And, perhaps most relevant to the “Brad” brouhaha, Reagan often spoke about someone who became known as the “welfare queen.” As the journalist Josh Levin has written, this referred to a real individual, a woman in Chicago named Linda Taylor. Reagan never talked about her race, yet “welfare queen” became entrenched as a trope of lazy Black women grifting off the welfare system. This may explain why people such as Posobiec and Fishback are so agitated about the Arkansas ad: They understand how powerful a political weapon racial associations can be in shaping policy. But they don’t have Atwater’s finesse or plausible deniability. The right has gone from insisting that its rhetoric about entitlements was color-blind to demanding that it include racial signifiers. And though the number of Americans willing to tolerate or embrace gutter racism in politics appears to be growing, it remains a marginal group. The hardest-core activists, hyping one another up in group chats and on Discord servers, may have lost sight of that, failing to recognize how bizarre they look freaking out over a forgettable advertisement. If these identitarians looked around, they could see cautionary tales about the wholesale embrace of identity politics, such as the impression among many voters that the Democratic Party is more interested in niche groups than in ordinary people. They could learn from the first wave of the MAGA movement, which was willing to accommodate racism and bigotry for electoral gain but apparently believed that they could be contained and channeled. The commentator Erick Erickson, for example, has spent years tolerating Trumpism but now reacts with horror at neo-Nazis in the movement. Or they could consider the plight of Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who defended Trump’s every move from the White House lectern and now finds herself accused of treachery by his zealous followers. Related: James Fishback is an unsettling glimpse into the GOP’s future. The cynical Republican plan to cut Medicaid

Extraterrestrial signal Astronomers say they have directly detected the first-ever radio emission from a planet outside our solar system. It gives scientists a “completely new view” on exoplanets and their atmospheres.

Blaming the messenger President Donald Trump has locked on to a new excuse for the GOP’s impending 2026 midterm losses. And he’s right — to an extent. CNN’s Aaron Blake breaks it down for us.

Hybrid frenzy All it took was $4 a gallon gas to make Americans embrace more fuel-efficient cars. But with limited offerings from US automakers, people are turning to their Asian rivals in droves.

🥅 1 sports thing: Goalie goal! Igor Shesterkin attempts a shot against the Tampa Bay Lightning last night. Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin last night became just the 18th netminder in NHL history to score a goal. His third period volley into an open net put the Rangers up 5-1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, sealing their home opener victory. 🏒 True "goalie goals" are so rare in hockey because they require a perfect setup — including an empty net after the opposing team pulls their goalie for an extra skater in a desperate bid for a late-game goal. Highlight reel.

🇫🇷 Student protests in France over school resources and spending have led to thousands of arrests and hundreds of injuries amid violent clashes between teens and police. What to know.

💵 Exclusive: Bessent compares Trump Accounts to GI Bill Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Mike Allen on "The Axios Show" that Trump Accounts will be the "most important benefit for young people since the GI Bill," Axios' Courtenay Brown reports. 🧒 Treasury this week automatically created Trump Accounts for more than 60 million children. Bessent said in the interview at the Treasury Building that about 8 million people already created accounts before automatic enrollment. 💸 Bessent said the accounts could bring millions of new families into the financial markets. He compared the lack of access to a "food desert," saying that families struggling to cover an unexpected expense are unlikely to open a brokerage account and start investing. "By creating these accounts, we are opening this up." 🪖 Bessent's GI Bill comparison sets a high bar. That program helped millions of World War II veterans pay for education and training and buy homes. Go deeper ...

Pope: Algorithms lack "spark of humanity" Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios Pope Leo XIV is calling for the Catholic Church to work with artists to protect human creativity amid a glut of AI-generated content, Axios' Herb Scribner reports. 🤳 Leo wrote on X: "In this era of artificial intelligence, it is becoming urgent to distinguish human art from what machines produce." "There is an ontological difference, even before an aesthetic one, between art and what a machine can generate through statistical calculation based on millions of images created by others." "Algorithms lack the spark of humanity." 🤖 Leo has spoken out about AI and its influence on humanity before. In the first encyclical of his papacy, he said there was a need to "disarm" the technology to prevent it "from dominating humanity." He approved the creation of an AI commission in May to coordinate the church's policies and work around the emerging technology. Recently, Leo warned of a "paradise of machines" invading and taking over our daily activities. He also said that warnings from AI researchers should be "taken seriously." He told reporters on Monday: "We have to keep working. We can't just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen." Go deeper.

👎 The House's unimpressive year Source: Ballotpedia, Congressional Record; Chart: Stef Kight/Axios The Senate is well on its way to claiming the congressional attendance trophy this year, spending 32 more weekdays in session than the House so far. Why it matters: Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson have both been torched by members for all the time off — not to mention by Democrats, who taunt them for their truancy. The Senate left town late Wednesday — two weeks after its House counterparts — putting both chambers out of town until after the Nov. 3 midterms. "I suppose I left the House two years too soon," Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) told us, joking about how many fewer days the House has worked compared to the Senate this Congress. Between the lines: Under the chambers' current calendars, the Senate is on pace to finish the year with about 126 weekdays in session, compared with 92 for the House. Zoom in: Some of the House's time off was unplanned. Johnson has repeatedly sent members home early when his razor-thin majority has run into trouble on the floor, or GOP rebels have blocked passage of a procedural "rule." "Canceling yet another day of votes is unacceptable," Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) wrote on X after Johnson canceled a session day. "The founders did not envision taking this much time off and still getting paid." The other side: Johnson repeatedly argues that his chamber has already done its job. "This House has been the second most productive in terms of legislation in the history of the institution since 1789," Johnson told reporters this month, saying the House had passed more than 900 pieces of legislation and roughly 700 were awaiting Senate action. Johnson's 900-plus figure includes resolutions that can't become law. The Washington Post found the House had passed 732 bills capable of becoming law through Aug. 31. — Stef Kight and Kate Santaliz

⚔️ Dems' double-edged sword House Democrats' dream election scenario risks becoming a real headache next year, trapping leaders between emboldened left-wing lawmakers and a potentially even larger group of newcomers from red districts. Why it matters: Democrats got an early taste of pain last month when Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) repeatedly broke with party leadership on key procedural votes. The defections from a pair of independent-minded frontliners unlocked a new fear for House Democrats: That safe-seat progressives aren't the only rebellious freshmen House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will have to worry about next year. It's a salient concern as Democrats put ever more Republican-leaning seats on their radar in anticipation of a "blue wave" on Election Day. Between the lines: This swing-district independent streak is bound to come into conflict with the rebellions that safe-seat insurgents are planning. Left-leaning Democratic lawmakers and candidates have told us they want votes on core policy issues such as Medicare for All, abolishing ICE and cutting aid to Israel. The kind of candidate that gets elected to a seat that President Trump carried by double digits in 2024 is not going to want to take those votes — in fact, they may be more likely to fund ICE and Israel. What they're saying: "I will stand up to Republicans; I will also stand up to Democrats. I talk a lot about this," said Michigan swing-district candidate Christina Hines. Minnesota Democratic nominee Jake Johnson said it's "no wonder people have historically low levels of confidence in Congress" because they "see a bunch of people put on red shirts and blue shirts ... and it's just not working." Montana candidate Sam Forstag pointed to housing as an issue on which he has broken with Democrats in his state, telling us: "When it comes to zoning reform, you know who I've seen be the biggest impediment to progress? Oftentimes, Democrats." "You bet your ass I'm going to work with Republicans," he said. The intrigue: Some of these red-seat candidates are quite openly progressive and partisan. The common denominator: They're all hearing voters' frustration with party leadership and, if elected, they would arrive on Capitol Hill with a mandate to shake up the system and remain independent. Missouri House candidate Fred Wellman, who told us he is "very Democrat" and "fairly progressive," said he was "disappointed" that Jeffries met with Jared Kushner in August. Wellman said he will "make a decision when I get there" about whether to vote for Jeffries as speaker and doesn't "intend to be a rubber stamp." Zoom in: Democratic operatives told us this leadership-skeptic attitude extends, in some cases, to candidates not wanting party leaders to campaign for them. "There's very little appetite for anyone in Democratic leadership," said one consultant of the battleground-district House campaigns they are working with. Matt Herdman, an adviser to Maine Democrat Matt Dunlap, offered us a curt response when asked if they would welcome Jeffries to their district: "They haven't offered and we haven't asked." The bottom line: None of this rebelliousness has so far turned off the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which Jeffries and his leadership allies control. The House Democratic campaign arm has been spending heavily to support Gluesenkamp Perez even after some of her colleagues called for her to be cut off. Fittingly, Gluesenkamp Perez declared in a coordinated ad with the DCCC released Tuesday: "I don't answer to any political party or any president." — Andrew Solender

In Lakeland visit, JD Vance says Angie Nixon ‘doesn’t belong in America’ LAKELAND — Vice President JD Vance said in Florida Thursday that it was almost “too easy” to attack the candidacies of the two top Democrats running on the statewide ballot next month, David Jolly for governor and Angie Nixon for U.S. Senate. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/01/in-lakeland-visit-j-d-vance-says-angie-nixon-doesnt-belong-in-america/? ps:What a piece of work he is!!!!! Uthmeier alleges Pfizer misled Florida about its COVID vaccine’s safety Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit Thursday against Pfizer Inc., alleging unfair and deceptive marketing of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/01/uthmeier-alleges-pfizer-misled-florida-about-its-covid-vaccines-safety/? ps:Wow are these guys pathetic!!!!! Mothers face barriers to accessing mental healthcare, survey shows Having theoretical access to healthcare doesn’t mean you can take advantage of it, as underscored by a report examining mothers’ experiences for themselves and their children. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/01/mothers-face-barriers-to-accessing-mental-healthcare-survey-shows/? Florida's dengue outbreak is now the largest in the continental US in decades Florida's current dengue outbreak appears to be the largest in several decades in the continental United States. Read More.