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ICE Raid on Ilhan Omar Shows How Dangerous Two Years of Flailing Trump Could Get In the mode of historic fascist regimes, President Donald Trump’s administration sent federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to raid the home of a political opponent, singled out for her race and religion, in a transparent effort to strip her of her citizenship. https://theintercept.com/2026/10/12/ilhan-omar-raid-ice-trump/? Trump Wanted Minnesota 15 Case to Be Another Prairieland. Instead, Twin Cities Rallied Behind Anti-ICE Activists. As the Trump administration unveiled an indictment earlier this year against 15 anti-ICE activists, many of whom identify as radicals, for purportedly tormenting federal agents last winter, a top U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official took the podium. https://theintercept.com/2026/10/12/minneapolis-15-ice-protesters-prairieland-unions/? Susan Collins-Aligned Super PAC Buys Attack Ads in Portland… Oregon A Republican-affiliated super PAC is having a little trouble finding Maine on a map. https://theintercept.com/2026/10/12/susan-collins-super-pac-portland-oregon-ads/? Don’t Stop at ICE, Says Progressive Dem: Abolish the Department of Homeland Security Rep. Delia Ramirez is expected to introduce a bill to abolish the Department of Homeland Security and eliminate all immigrant detention in the United States on Tuesday, the Illinois Democrat shared exclusively with The Intercept. https://theintercept.com/2026/10/13/abolish-ice-dhs-delia-ramirez-ilhan-omar/? ps:That doesn't make any sense! The US needs those departments!! It's the person running them that are the problem Pentagon Finally Counts an Iran War Death — Six Months Late The Pentagon quietly acknowledged additional Iran war deaths on Friday evening after The Intercept repeatedly demanded an explanation for inaccurate statistics on a War Department website tracking U.S. casualties from the conflict. https://theintercept.com/2026/10/12/iran-war-casualties-death-toll-accuracy/? An Arkansas Mom Obtained Public Records About a New Data Center. Then She Got Sued. Two wealthy lawfare warriors recently failed in their attempts to bury reporting on government-released documents. Both lawsuits — one in state court in California, the other in federal court in Arkansas — were frivolous strategic lawsuits against public participation, known as SLAPPs. Supreme Court precedent couldn’t be clearer that it’s not the journalists’ problem if the government accidentally shares information it’s not supposed to disclose. https://theintercept.com/2026/10/13/google-data-center-slapp-lawsuit/? Reflecting on the Trump Era U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes exploded at Trump administration attorneys on Monday after they admitted more than 400 trees had been cut down at a D.C. public golf course that President Donald Trump wants to turn into a championship-level course, like those of his personal properties. https://theintercept.com/2026/10/14/trump-dc-lincoln-memorial-pool/?

👋 Good morning! Let's have ourselves a day. In today's edition: Brewers take 3-0 lead, Gabby Williams has leveled up, NFL power rankings, Connor McDavid at 800 games, "Fill in the blank," and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 WNBA shatters records: The league set viewership and attendance records in 2026, drawing more than 91 million viewers (over twice last season's total) and 3.8 million attendees. 51 telecasts averaged at least 1 million viewers (up from 19 last season) and average attendance climbed to 11,474 fans, a 21% increase from the previous high. 🏈 MNF booth beef: There is reportedly some tension between Joe Buck and Troy Aikman over their ESPN contract situations, with Buck recently signing a new deal and Aikman yet to receive an offer. The two had an argument before Monday's game that ultimately de-escalated. ⚾️ MLB manager moves: Don Mattingly has been named the Phillies' full-time manager after turning their 2026 season around as interim skipper. Meanwhile, the Astros are parting ways with Joe Espada, who went 256-229 and made the playoffs twice in three seasons at the helm. ⚽️ Madrid's epic comeback: Wednesday's Champions League action was headlined by Real Madrid's late comeback win over Roma, scoring three goals in the final seven minutes for a 4-3 victory. Earlier in the game, Madrid's Kylian Mbappé scored his 72nd career Champions League goal, moving him into fifth on the all-time leaderboard. 🏎️ F1 returns to Africa: Formula 1 has entered a 10-year agreement to hold a Grand Prix in Rwanda beginning next decade, marking the sport's return to Africa for the first time since the 1993 South African Grand Prix. Here's a look at the new circuit they plan to build.   ⚾️ NLCS BREWERS TAKE COMMANDING 3-0 LEAD (Yahoo Sports) The Brewers are one win away from their first World Series appearance since 1982 following an emphatic 6-2 victory over the Dodgers on Wednesday behind homers from Jackson Chourio, Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell. Player of the game: After his 12-pitch walk changed Game 2, Bauers battled 10 pitches against former minor-league teammate Blake Snell before launching a two-run moonshot to take the lead in the 7th inning. Heck of a moment for a guy who nearly quit baseball in 2024. "The only thing that brought me back was that my wife got pregnant, and I was like, 'Well, we need health insurance,'" he said postgame. Game notes: So good, so young: Chourio went yard on the game's first pitch, giving him 18 career postseason RBIs (in 19 games). That passes Andruw Jones (17 RBIs in 45 games) for the most before age 23. Historically bad offense: 274 teams have played at least seven games in a single postseason since 1903. The Dodgers' .572 OPS in these playoffs ranks 268th. Another shocking stat? They're batting .094 (3-for-32) with runners in scoring position. Not great! Nice line, A-Rod: "It reminds me of the first time I saw Mike Tyson get knocked out: you can't believe what you're seeing," Alex Rodriguez said postgame. "The Brewers, they simply melt your soul away. And they did that again tonight." Can lightning strike twice? The Dodgers are the 43rd team in MLB history to face a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven postseason series. The only team that has ever crawled back was the 2004 Red Sox, who stunned the Yankees in the ALCS. That Dodgers manager Dave Roberts played on that legendary Boston team (and helped turn that legendary series around) is more coincidence of history than useful rallying cry, writes Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz: "We've got to give them something to cheer about," Roberts said about the understandably unenthused home fans in Game 3. "Kind of play downhill for a little bit, where I think it's just this whole series, they've outslugged us, outhit us." By the ninth inning, even the overexuberant in-stadium hosts were struggling to keep up the spirits of the rapidly diminishing crowd. "If you're still here, that means you're a true Dodger fan," one hollered. In these parts, surrender is signaled not with white flags but with empty seats. There will likely be many of those here on Thursday, with the Dodgers playing for nothing but survival and a slim chance. It's a stunning place for this sporting colossus to be, one loss away from a long winter of regret.   🏀 WNBA FINALS GABBY WILLIAMS HAS LEVELED UP Williams reacts after making a three-pointer during Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) While fans wait patiently for the WNBA Finals to begin this weekend, the Dream are likely strategizing ways to stop — or at least contain — Valkyries forward Gabby Williams, who has made the leap from excellent role player to bona fide superstar. Leveling up: The 2018 first-round pick out of UConn has long been a force on the court, especially on the defensive end. But in her first season with Golden State, she's transformed into a lethal all-around player. Williams, 30, finished sixth for DPOY as a rookie in Chicago and made two all-defensive teams with Seattle. But she didn't earn her first All-Star nod until last year and averaged just 8.3 points per game through her first seven seasons, topping out at 11.6 in 2025. This year with the Valkyries, she averaged a career-high 14.4 points, earned MVP votes and still played her usual lock-down defense, finishing second to Atlanta's own Angel Reese in the DPOY race. And then came the playoffs… Through six games this postseason, Williams is averaging 22.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists while continuing to anchor the WNBA's best defense. What changed? Williams' move to Golden State unlocked what always lay dormant. Head coach Natalie Nakase's heavy reliance on the pick-and-roll created more space for Williams to operate, and her usage rate skyrocketed to 29%, sixth-highest in the league. She was also given the green light to let it fly from long range, where she shot a career-best 34.2% on a career-high five attempts per game. In the postseason, just as we've seen in previous years (see above), that's all been turned up to 11. Heck, she has nearly as many 20-point efforts in six playoff games (4) as she had in 39 regular-season games (6). One possible explanation for the "Gabby Playoff Bump" being bigger than ever this year? Four of the Valkyries' six games have been played at "Ballhalla," their electric home venue that will host Game 1 of the Finals on Saturday night. What she's saying: "This is our sixth man, honestly, on the floor. We feel it," Williams said after going up 2-0 at home against the defending champion Aces last round. "I feel like I got superpowers when I'm in here."   🏈 RISERS AND FALLERS NFL POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 5 (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) The undefeated 49ers held onto the top spot in our NFL power rankings this week after beating the defending champion Seahawks, who fell four spots to No. 6. Biggest risers: The Lions (No. 13) jumped six spots after another offensive explosion, the Steelers (No. 17) jumped four spots after Aaron Rodgers delivered his best performance of the season, the Packers (No. 18) jumped six spots after blowing out the Bears and the Buccaneers (No. 26) jumped four spots after finally winning. Biggest fallers: The Eagles (No. 19) dropped four spots after losing a stunner in London, the Cowboys (No. 20) dropped eight spots after another defensive disaster, the Falcons (No. 21) dropped five spots after losing their QB and falling to the Ravens, and the Saints (No. 28) dropped five spots after an ugly loss to the Vikings. Around the NFL: Read: Which coaches are already on the hot seat? Watch: Should Chargers consider drafting a QB in 2027? Listen: What fatal flaws could derail top contenders?   💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS Maryland's Malik Washington stiff arms Rutgers' Dariel Djabome during last year's matchup. (Ed Mulholland/Getty Images) 🏈 0-75 Maryland (2-4) and Rutgers (1-4), who play each other this weekend in College Park, are a combined 0-75 (!!!) against ranked Big Ten opponents since joining the conference together in 2014. That decision looks pretty brutal from a competitive standpoint, but it's unlikely either university has realignment regrets for one very obvious reason… Follow the money: Big Ten member schools received an average of $80 million in the most recently reported fiscal year (2024-25), compared to $47 million in the ACC (where Maryland came from) and just ~$10 million in the American (Rutgers). (Luke Hales/Getty Images) 🏒 800 games Oilers superstar Connor McDavid had four points (1 goal, 3 assists) on Tuesday in his 800th NHL game, bringing his career total to a whopping 1,237 points. That's the third-most by any player through 800 games, trailing only Wayne Gretzky (1,892) and Mario Lemieux (1,580). He's getting better: McDavid, already a three-time Hart Trophy (MVP) winner, scored more points in games 700-799 (176) than in any other "century" of games preceding it, and his league-leading 17 points this season (4 goals, 13 assists) are his most ever through six games. Things are not going great for the Red Devils. (Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images) ⚽️ 6 points Manchester United (1-3-2) have just six points through six Premier League matches, marking their worst start to a season in 40 years. And it's not as if they've played a difficult schedule, settling for consecutive 1-1 draws against Fulham and Tottenham, both of whom sat in dead last at kickoff. Man up, goals down: To properly illustrate the Red Devils' current form, consider that they have a -2 goal differential while playing with a man advantage. Needless to say, Michael Carrick is on the hot seat just a few months into his managerial tenure.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, OCT. 15 Those are some good-looking jerseys. (Prime Video) 🏈 Seahawks at Broncos Denver hosts Seattle on "Thursday Night Football" (8:15pm ET, Prime) in a matchup of 3-2 teams that should perhaps feel lucky to be above .500 given their mostly underwhelming play on the field. Throwback Thursday: Level of play aside, both teams should look fantastic in their throwback uniforms, which harken back to their old AFC West battles when they shared a division (1977-2001). ⚾️ League Championship Series All four teams take the field today, starting with Rays (tied 1-1) at Guardians (1pm, TBS) in a game that was moved up to the afternoon due to potential inclement weather. Then it's off to Los Angeles (8pm, FS1), where the Brewers will try to sweep the two-time defending champs. Pitching matchups: In the ALCS, it's Tampa Bay's Griffin Jax vs. Cleveland's Gavin Williams, who's struck out 23 batters across his first two postseason games; in the NLCS, Los Angeles is going with Tyler Glasnow while Milwaukee is expected to deploy a bullpen game. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city.   🏀 LET'S PLAY FILL IN THE BLANK (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) The graphic above shows the NBA's 10 most valuable franchises, according to Sportico's annual rankings. Fill in the Blank: Which team is missing at No. 5? Answer at the bottom.   📸 THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images for IRONMAN) 🇺🇸 Kailua Kona, Hawaii — Rhiannon Northeast of the United Kingdom competes in the run portion of the 2026 Ironman World Championship, which saw professional men and women race together on the same day for the first time in seven years. Winners: France's Vincent Luis (7:47:27) won the men's race in his Kona debut, while Taylor Knibb won the women's race (8:36:28) to become the first American to pair an Olympic medal (two silvers in the triathlon) with a Kona title.   Trivia answer: Chicago Bulls

Appeals court lifts block on Florida law restricting social media access for teens A federal appeals court panel has ruled that Florida’s 2024 law restricting access to social media for teens is likely constitutional and can continued to be enforced while the legal challenge continues. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/14/appeals-court-lifts-block-on-florida-law-restricting-social-media-access-for-teens/? Byron Donalds says states must work with ICE, but a dozen of them aren’t Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds says that under the U.S. Constitution, states “have” to work with the federal government in enforcing immigration laws. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/14/byron-donalds-says-states-must-work-with-ice-but-a-dozen-of-them-arent/? New Florida stormwater rules don’t fix our pollution problem Do you have a favorite movie? Mine is “Singin’ in the Rain.” Maybe because I grew up in the rainiest city in Florida, Pensacola. I could identify with Gene Kelly splashing around in all those puddles. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/15/new-florida-stormwater-rules-dont-fix-our-pollution-problem/?

October 15, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. Let’s start today in the Lone Star State. James Talarico and Ken Paxton Brandon Bell/Getty Images; Joel Angel Juarez/Reuters Choosin’ Texas There are a number of tight races in the coming midterm elections, but there isn’t a more expensive one than the Senate showdown in Texas. It pits James Talarico, the Democratic nominee, against Ken Paxton, the state’s conservative attorney general. More than half a billion dollars has been spent on advertising already, and the race could become the most costly nonpresidential contest in U.S. history. Democrats are hopeful, because Talarico has a tiny lead in the polls. But “such optimism stands in defiance of the political axiom that Texas is where idealistic Democrats go to be mugged by reality,” writes Robert Draper, a three-decade veteran of Texas political reporting. The party has not won a statewide race there for 32 years. The race may turn on who each man says he — and his opponent — is. Talarico has introduced himself to the state’s 32 million residents as a good Christian member of the Texas House, with a record of bipartisanship. At a town hall meeting last night, Talarico spoke about his faith and appealed to undecided voters. “I’m a proud Texas Democrat, but I already have a religion and I already have a sports team,” he said. “So, I have no problem sharing hard truths with my party if it’s what’s best for Texas.” His appeal is meant to be broad, with proposals to cap credit card rates, cut middle-class taxes, lower prices and assist people with their first down payment on a home. Talarico campaigning in August. Brandon Bell/Getty Images In return, Paxton and his supporters paint Talarico as a “weird” radical who believes that “God is nonbinary” and that there are more than two biological sexes. (Talarico did say those things but later renounced them.) Vice President JD Vance, stumping in Texas on Tuesday, mocked Talarico — whose girlfriend is a former aide — with a gay joke. “I love you too sir,” Vance told a man in the crowd. “In a totally platonic way, to be clear. I’m the vice president, not James Talarico.” It gets uglier. Recently, Talarico disappeared from the campaign trail for nine days. He and his aides said it was a bad case of the flu. His conservative opponents pounced, spreading a rumor that he had been at a mental health facility in Ohio, a state Talarico said he had never visited. That story proved false — The Times obtained time-stamped security camera images showing that Talarico spent a week at home — but the episode offered a lesson for the age of misinformation, my colleague Bayliss Wagner reported: “It is politically risky for a candidate, even one too ill to campaign, to disappear for nine days.” There’s a reason Paxton and his allies have clawed at every possible advantage. He’s got baggage to spare. During a quarter-century in Texas politics, he has never lost an election. But as attorney general, he was charged with felony fraud. He cut a deal to drop the charges in exchange for paying restitution and performing community service. Then, a group of his aides accused him of bribery and abuse of office. The Texas House impeached him in 2023. (The State Senate acquitted him.) And last year, his wife, Angela Paxton, a state senator, filed for divorce on “biblical grounds,” after his impeachment trial revealed that he’d used burner phones, a shared Uber account and secret email address to conduct an affair. No wonder her appearance in a new ad doesn’t mention Paxton’s name, but simply urges people to vote for the Republican ticket. And Trump, for his part? His endorsement was strangely backhanded: “He may not dress right. He may not talk exactly perfectly, and he may not be the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen,” Trump said last month. “But you know what he is? He’s the greatest attorney general in America.” Jess Bidgood, who writes our On Politics newsletter, had a good line about that: It’s never great when the two people most crucial to your political survival struggle to simply say nice things about you. It’s worse when one of those people is the president, and the other is your estranged wife. More on politics The Democratic candidate in a tight race for U.S. Senate in Kansas is also the leader of a megachurch. It’s been a big part of his campaign. More has been spent on election ads in this cycle than on ads by the N.F.L. last season: At more than $10 billion, it will soon eclipse the spending in the 2024 presidential election. At a rally in Arizona, Trump said that government “leakers should be shot.” Get the On Politics newsletter. We'll keep you updated on Texas — and all the crucial races. Get it in your inbox. COST PLUS Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics The New York Times If you live in a warm place, consider yourself lucky: The price of fuel oil, used to heat many homes during the winter, is up 74 percent over the past year. Yikes. New inflation data shows that Americans pay more for gas, clothes, doctors and almost everything else. Fruits and vegetables are nearly 4 percent pricier. It adds up. (See the whole list.) Close to half of Americans now have trouble paying for basic needs, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. More on inflation Social Security says retirees can expect the largest annual cost-of-living adjustment since 2023 next year, driven mainly by high inflation. Read what Trump voters are saying about high grocery prices. FREE TO READ The New York Times Disappearing women: In Trump’s second term, those officials heading for the exits, voluntarily or involuntarily, are mostly female. Kelly Clarkson: See the security-camera footage from her visit to a Brooklyn store. She and the shop had an online feud over a bespoke toy bird. Is there a serial killer in Lansing, Mich.? On a popular trail for walkers and cyclists, five people have died in separate attacks. Literary scandal: An acclaimed Haitian Canadian writer admitted to plagiarizing opinion articles and a short story but denied using A.I. to help write his new novel. Your pick: The most clicked link in The Morning yesterday was about people living rent-free on boats near San Francisco. Ginormous gourd: A farmer in Rhode Island raised a 3,156-pound pumpkin this year, smashing previous records. See it here. THE LATEST NEWS Trump Administration Trump called his new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, an attorney. Is she? The Pentagon is sending hundreds of soldiers to train local forces in Latin America as it expands its fight against drug trafficking. Ukraine Ukraine’s access to the Pentagon’s version of Starlink, which transmits battlefield communications, appeared to be restricted without warning. At the same time, a Russian attack on Kyiv cut off power to 600,000 people. American officials have said that the United States has not cut back intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky told The Financial Times that Ukraine would resume striking Russian oil refineries, in defiance of U.S. demands. In the video below, David Sanger explains why Trump made an unusual diesel deal with Vladimir Putin. Click to watch. The New York Times More International News At least 20 children and one teacher died in Pakistan when the roof of a school collapsed during classes. The authorities in Turkey raided the last big TV news channel critical of the president and replaced its leadership. North Korea and China opened a new bridge connecting them. The countries are expanding trade despite international sanctions on North Korea. The New Yalu River Bridge between North Korea and China. Iori Sagisawa/Kyodo News, via Associated Press Science Treatments for lung cancer have improved significantly in recent years. It could be a good sign for Pope Leo. Some bleached corals rebounded just by touching healthy ones, scientists found. OPINIONS The New York Times Gerrymandering could shrink Black representation in Congress by one-third. Click the video to hear Black lawmakers warn about what America will lose. Hollywood has found a new villain: the tech oligarch. It feels almost like a vendetta, an entertainment writer argues. 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. TODAY’S NUMBER 14 — That is the number of artificial intelligence agents a group of tech founders and investors gathered for a virtual dinner party recently. We monitored their small talk. SPORTS M.L.B.: The Los Angeles Dodgers lost to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series. The team’s hopes of a third straight World Series win are on life support. Game 4 is tonight. High school football: A coach in Oregon was fired after his team ran up the score for a 63-0 win in a game that was called at halftime. RECIPE OF THE DAY David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Florence Fabricant, who has written about food for The Times for more than 50 years, has a memoir out, “Salty, Not Sweet.” The other night, during a Q&A at the New York City Wine & Food Festival, I asked her if she had any advice for throwing a dinner party in 2026. “Take your coats out of the closet and put them on your bed,” she said. “Then put your guests’ coats in the closet instead of on your bed.” I like that — the effort to appear effortless. And to eat? I had my own advice: Chicken Provençal, of course. THE FIREMAN Steve Buscemi Gus Van Sant for The New York Times You can’t typecast Steve Buscemi. For more than 40 years, he’s been uncompromisingly himself. Next month he stars in a new film, “Wild Horse Nine,” playing a C.I.A. station chief. Ahead of its release, he talked to The Times about his life and art. I liked his take on this new role: “The character’s not a gangster — well, he’s like a government-sanctioned gangster. I just felt that had complexity to it.” Read the interview. More on culture Hydrocal is a specialty plaster used by sculptors and in architectural restoration projects, dental molds and orthopedic molds. The mine and factory that supplies most of it in the United States will cease production this fall — it’s too expensive to make. “Artists are freaking out,” a professor told The Times. “The Assassin(s)” is a new movie about the 1974 attempt on the life of South Korea’s iron-fisted president Park Chung-hee. The shooting is the source of conspiracy theories, similar to the Kennedy assassination. Some people are protesting the movie. Others are rushing to see it. Sally Rooney, the best-selling Irish writer, withdrew her novels from stores in Britain. She could no longer receive royalties from British sales because she pledged to donate book revenues to Palestine Action, which is banned in Britain, she and her publisher said. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Watch “The Diplomat.” Season 4 gets underway on Netflix today. (Or watch something else. We’ve got suggestions!) Cut your risk of stroke, dementia and depression. We’ve found 17 ways to do that. Invest in a hand-held vacuum and you can be that person who both eats in the car and has a clean car. The tidy testers at Wirecutter looked at more than 180 of them to find the best one. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was boxlike. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. See you tomorrow. — Sam 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

Homeschool is increasingly a choice for kids with disabilities and autism America’s public education system offers some of the world’s best services and protections for students with disabilities, guaranteed by federal law. But more parents are abandoning their rights to those services. They say public schools are failing their kids and they’re better off trying to educate them at home. In many states, they’re receiving thousands of dollars from taxpayers to do it. Read more. Why this matters: Increasingly, politicians — most of them conservative — say parents of kids with disabilities should receive financial support if they choose private or homeschool options. Thirty states, plus the District of Columbia, have taxpayer-funded scholarships for private school or homeschooling, and many give priority or more money to students with special needs. The special education rate is 15%, boosted in part by the inclusion of autism-spectrum disorders. But disability screenings are also on the rise — both in schools and in medicine — with less stigma associated with diagnoses. It’s also possible that simply more Americans have disabilities: Advances in medicine mean more premature babies are surviving, and they often have developmental delays or medical conditions. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Americans with disabilities worry about proposed changes to major national health survey

Frustrated with Trump, voters overwhelmingly want change in Washington, AP-NORC poll finds A strong majority of voters believe that President Donald Trump is falling short at home and abroad, and they want major change in the upcoming midterm elections, according to a new AP-NORC poll that raises serious warning signs for the Republican Party at a critical moment. Read more. What to know: One thing is crystal clear on the eve of the 2026 midterms: Voters want change. About half of voters say they want “substantial change” and roughly 3 in 10 want “complete and total upheaval” in the way the country is run. Democrats and independents are much likelier than Republicans to want a full overhaul of the country’s direction. But even Republican voters are still looking for something different. Slightly fewer than half, 45%, want substantial change, while 13% want upheaval. About 8 in 10 voters overall say the economy or the cost of living is among their top issues for the upcoming election, while about two-thirds say this about health care and the war in Iran. Other issues that are stronger for Trump — like immigration or crime — are lower priorities. ps:Seems to many forgot his first term and all the chaos!!

Trump’s new press secretary faces scrutiny over claims she’s a lawyer The new White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia, is facing mounting questions about her background and resume as she transitions into her role as the public face of the Trump administration. Read more. What to know: She has long described herself as a lawyer as she has worked to establish herself as a commentator for conservative outlets like Fox News and Newsmax. But so far, neither she nor the White House has offered any evidence that she passed the bar exam in any state or in China, where she worked for a large law firm years ago. China’s notoriously difficult National Unified Legal Professional Qualification Examination can only be taken by Chinese citizens. The questions add to the confusion surrounding President Donald Trump’s decision to hire Zacharia, who had worked for his social media company for only a few months when he announced her appointment. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Rep. Ilhan Omar’s phone seized and relatives subpoenaed in criminal probe, AP source says Blockbuster-era law governing privacy of video rentals gets a fresh look from the Supreme Court ICE rejects suggestion that its officers wear body cameras that automatically activate Ex-fiance of US Rep. Nancy Mace and 2 others charged with sex crimes she detailed in a House speech

FBI investigates suspicious mail sent to election offices Election offices in multiple states received suspicious letters containing a powdery white substance this week, prompting an investigation by the FBI and the US Postal Inspection Service. Officials in Louisiana and Oklahoma confirmed receipt of such letters on Tuesday and said they evacuated their election offices. The incidents echo a similar scare in 2024, when election officials in at least six states received packages containing suspicious powder just weeks before the presidential election. + Read more: Suspicious letters with white powder sent to election offices in multiple states + Meanwhile: A new clash over voter rolls is escalating in California

Inflation stings — and gas prices aren’t helping Inflation has outpaced wage growth for six straight months, while average US gas prices have remained at or above $4 a gallon for 167 days this year. That marks a new annual record for elevated gas prices, surpassing even the longest streak recorded during the Biden administration. Before the war with Iran, gas averaged under $3 a gallon. And despite President Trump’s controversial deal last week to buy Russian diesel, prices still haven’t come down. + Read more: Inflation rose to 3.7% last month in last snapshot of consumer prices + Fact check: Breaking down Trump’s rosy comparison to gas prices under Biden + Plus: US-Russia diesel deal draws bipartisan criticism

‘Mother of all bombs’ among US options for Iran The US military has developed new plans that involve potentially using the so-called “Mother of All Bombs,” the largest non-nuclear weapon in its arsenal, to strike Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if President Donald Trump orders combat operations to resume, according to officials familiar with the matter. The move would mark a significant escalation, though questions remain about the bomb’s effectiveness in achieving US objectives. + Read more: US considering using ‘mother of all bombs’ against Iran, sources say + Also: Two cargo ships sunk in Strait of Hormuz as Iran ramps up attacks in run-up to midterms Iran-backed Houthis strike Saudi oil company Aramco’s headquarters, officials say CAIRO (AP) — Iran-backed Houthi rebels hit the headquarters of the Saudi state-owned oil company Aramco in an overnight strike, two regional officials said Wednesday, damaging the offices of the firm’s chief executive and other top officials. https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-yemen-strikes-mideast-conflict-riyadh-c81a91347c00b17097c8fafde7e4eeec?

Talarico tackles abortion, faith and ‘conspiracy theories’ James Talarico at a CNN and Jubilee Town Hall, in Fort Worth, Texas, on Wednesday. (CNN) Texas Democrat James Talarico made his case to undecided voters at a CNN Town Hall Wednesday night, asking them to do something they haven’t done in nearly 40 years: elect a Democrat to the US Senate. With his closely fought race against Republican Ken Paxton entering its final stretch, Talarico sought to appeal beyond party lines, pledging to put the needs of Texans above his own party. He criticized the Biden administration’s border policies, rejected calls to abolish ICE and cast himself as a champion of working-class voters, among other positions aimed at broadening his appeal. Paxton, meanwhile, has spent millions trying to portray Talarico as too liberal for Texas. With early voting beginning on Monday, Texans will decide what they make of those arguments — and potentially help determine who controls the Senate. + Read more: Takeaways from the CNN & Jubilee Town Hall + Video: ‘I’m a border security Democrat,’ Talarico says on immigration + Streaming now: Your most pressing midterms questions answered

🖼️ 1 for the road: Apple's new era Cover: TIME Apple CEO John Ternus — who took over for Tim Cook last month — is on the cover of TIME's annual "Best Inventions" issue with an iPhone Duo. The $1,999-and-up phone unfolds to the size of an open passport and will be released to the public a week from tomorrow. Data: Financial Modeling Prep. Chart: Noah Bressner/Axios 📈 Charted above: Apple's market cap closed above $5 trillion for the first time, making it the second company to reach the milestone after Nvidia.

🐴 NYC reins in carriages A horse-drawn carriage takes passengers for a loop through Central Park yesterday. Photo: Yuki Iwamura/AP New York City lawmakers plan to ban horse-drawn carriages from Central Park, ending their more than 150-year run as an iconic, old-timey tourist attraction. Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office said he had reached a deal with the City Council speaker on the legislation that would end the rides by 2028. The deal comes after decades of opposition from animal welfare activists and the death of a teenage tourist last spring. Go deeper.

America's not ready for space war Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Axios' Thomas Novelly writes in the inaugural SPACE edition of our Future of Defense newsletter, out this morning: The future of war is in outer space — and the U.S. is unprepared for the fallout. Why it matters: An outbreak of space warfare would cripple the global economy by disrupting satellites used for everything from worldwide financial transactions to maritime navigation. It would also hinder the U.S. military's ability to conduct some of its key missions on Earth. The dependence on satellites is precisely what makes them tempting targets for foes. China has made major advancements, including satellites with robotic arms that could disable U.S. equipment and lasers that can blind military space sensors. Russia lags behind, but U.S. officials fear Moscow may unleash an orbital nuclear weapon that "could pose a threat to all satellites and to the space-enabled services the world depends on." 💥 Threat level: Last month, U.S. officials revealed that the military had weapons in space — a bombshell admission they said was aimed at deterring adversaries. Aerospace analysts warn the nation isn't prepared if China or Russia destroys U.S. satellites. They say the defense industry lacks the critical supplies and personnel to fight back.

⚡ Scoop: "OG" Bill Gates returns for AI fight Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Getty Images Bill Gates is gearing up to dramatically expand his AI safety push, personally leaning on business leaders and considering a major deployment of his resources, sources tell Axios' Bradley Olson. Why it matters: The formidable, sharp-elbowed Bill Gates who built Microsoft is back. He's directing his competitive fire toward what he has come to see as one of the most important causes of his lifetime. "I can reach CEOs on this better than you can," Gates told one person he consulted on AI safety, showing an eagerness for combat that associates say is a return to "OG" form. 🔬 Zoom in: Once a voice for optimism on AI, Gates has grown dismayed by an escalation of model capabilities, alarming security incidents and what he sees as insufficient regulation, sources say. As he prepared to make the case for a far more robust regulatory framework on AI, he consulted extensively with leading AI executives, researchers, and safety advocates, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. Behind the scenes: People Gates has spoken to called his advocacy a "comeback tour," an attempt to rebuild a legacy that has been tarnished by his past association with Jeffrey Epstein. Gates has said he's aware that some people may dismiss his warnings due to the Epstein ties. But he sees the stakes as too high to stay on the sidelines and believes his Rolodex, foundational tech credibility and wealth can do an immense amount of good. 🔮 What's next: Gates' calls for robust regulation will put him on a collision course with the Trump administration, which has favored a lighter regulatory touch. Keep reading.

📉 Charted: CEO mood sours Data: The Conference Board and The Business Council. Chart: Axios/Emily Peck CEO confidence in the U.S. economy sank into negative territory earlier this month, Axios' Emily Peck writes from a Conference Board survey out this morning. The CEO Confidence Index — a survey of 131 Fortune 500 CEOs — fell to 46, down from 52 just three months ago. Any number below 50 signals negative sentiment. ⚠️ Threat level: 41% of CEOs expected economic conditions to worsen — up from 19% in the previous quarter. Executives' concerns over cybersecurity, AI and geopolitics rose significantly from three months ago. Keep reading.

🤖 Anthropic gives Wall Street an AI bull case Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images AI companies for years have promised that smarter models would be worth the staggering cost to build them. Anthropic made that case last night in cash, Axios' Madison Mills writes. The company presented eye-popping financials to investors, saying it was cash-flow positive in the third quarter, with revenue surging nearly 50% to $16.8 billion compared to the April-to-June period. Why it matters: As Wall Street broadly spent the day fearing an AI bubble, Anthropic offered what investors have been desperate to see: evidence that frontier AI can be a sustainable business. 🔬 Zoom in: Consider just one of the stats reported by Anthropic: the company is cash-flow positive even as some of the world's most profitable companies are struggling to keep their AI spending in check. For context, Google's parent, Alphabet, long a money-printing machine, turned free cash flow negative in its second quarter as AI infrastructure investment soared. The big picture: Anthropic's early bets on coding expertise, business customers and spending discipline have paid off. Claude Code, a viral hit that brought users to Anthropic in droves, reached an estimated annualized revenue of $6 billion to $7 billion by late summer, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. Customers have generally been reluctant to switch once they've adopted it, according to PitchBook data. 🥊 Reality check: Anthropic still faces enormous training costs and stock-based compensation expenses, which could weigh on its underlying profitability. And Anthropic faces more than $500 billion in planned infrastructure and computing spending over the next decade.

Musk's rescue mission Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Marc Piasecki/Getty Images Elon Musk, by far the biggest known midterm donor, is single-handedly keeping the Republican Party afloat in some of its most vital races. Musk's team reached out to Republicans in late August to discuss a train wreck they all saw coming: Unless the GOP poured more money into Texas immediately, the state's Senate race could be lost in a matter of weeks, Axios' Alex Isenstadt reports. Why it matters: That chat set in motion a massive rescue operation for Republican Ken Paxton funded substantially by Musk, the party's largest donor, who gave $158 million in September alone. Musk's rescue gave Paxton's sleepy campaign new life and showed why the world's richest person is the X factor in the push to prevent a midterm debacle for President Trump's party. It also helped Republicans avoid a death-spiral scenario: that propping up Paxton in Texas would force them to drain badly needed resources from other Senate battlegrounds. Instead, Musk's money allowed Republicans to flood Texas' expensive TV markets and free up cash to shore up unexpectedly competitive races in Kansas and South Carolina. 🧮 By the numbers: Musk, the world's richest person, accounted for nearly 60% of the $273 million raised in Q3 by the Senate Leadership Fund, the main super PAC backing Senate Republicans. Photo: CNN 📺 At the end of a 90-minute CNN/Jubilee town hall in Fort Worth last night, James Talarico, Texas Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, pointed out how civil and issue-oriented the conversation had been: "You may have noticed that I haven't talked about my opponent at all tonight ... I don't want people to vote just against Ken Paxton. I want them to vote for me. I want them to know my values and my vision." Talarico, 37, then hammered Paxton, 63, as "the most corrupt politician in Texas." Moderator Erin Burnett said Paxton, the state attorney general, hadn't responded to an invitation for his own town hall.

Chuck's final fight Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is on the cusp of leading his party to midterm victory and reclaiming his title as Senate majority leader. Winning the majority isn't a done deal. But this son of Brooklyn, who has been in public life for 52 years, is more than favored to win a secret ballot to remain Democratic leader, Axios' Hans Nichols writes. Why it matters: At age 75 (76 by the time the new Congress convenes in January), Charles Ellis Schumer, an old-school pol who visits all 62 of New York's counties every year, looks poised to do what very few people do in life — go out on top. 🏛️ Behind the scenes: For starters, Democratic senators aren't quietly maneuvering — or publicly positioning themselves — to take the top job, according to senior aides. You can't beat someone with no one. A handful of Democratic Senate candidates, including Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and Troy Jackson in Maine, haven't committed to supporting Schumer for leader. But they likely don't have the votes to stage a coup. And Schumer's super PAC is spending heavily to get them across the line. That calculus could change if Republicans overperform expectations with a massive win, potentially triggering a serious leadership challenge. Otherwise, the job is Schumer's for the asking — and he's asking. "I am running for re-election for leader. Period," he said two weeks ago. 🗽 The intrigue: The bigger question surrounding Schumer involves 2028 and whether he'd retire at the top of his game or risk an embarrassing primary loss to, perhaps, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was born in the Bronx and represents parts of the Bronx and Queens. If Schumer decided to retire, he could spend his final two years in leadership, freed from the political pressures that have defined his career. That would give Senate Republicans and President Trump an entirely new political animal to contend with: YOLO Chuck. Republican YOLO senators (with nothing left to lose, since You Only Live Once) have been playing hardball with President Trump. But it's unclear how a YOLO Chuck would act as majority leader. 💡 Between the lines: Schumer finds himself in a position remarkably similar to that of the man he'd replace: Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Both are distrusted by their parties' most vocal activists. The insults hurled at them — weak, coward, sellout — are almost interchangeable. But most of the criticism comes from outside the chamber. Behind closed doors, their caucuses are expected to close ranks. The bottom line: If Schumer announces early in the next Congress that he won't seek another term as leader in 2028, Washington could find itself in an unusual position — with a term-limited president negotiating with a Senate majority leader who has nothing left to lose.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 15 1917 Dancer and spy Mata Hari is executed Mata Hari, the dancer and spy, is executed for espionage by a French firing squad outside of Paris. She was accused of acting as a double agent for the French and Germans during World War II. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1990s 1990 Mikhail Gorbachev wins Nobel Peace Prize Arts & Entertainment 1951 ‘I Love Lucy’ premieres on CBS 1973 Dolly Parton releases hit single “Jolene” Black History 1966 Black Panther Party founded Civil War 1863 H.L. Hunley sinks during demonstration Crime 1970 RICO Act passed, heralding decline of the mob 1948 A murderous husband is executed Inventions & Science 2004 “Funeral coaches” exempted from car-seat law Native American History 1880 Chiricahua Apache leader Victorio is killed south of El Paso, Texas Sports 1989 Wayne Gretzky breaks NHL points record U.S. Government and Politics 1991 Clarence Thomas confirmed to the Supreme Court U.S. Presidents 1948 Gerald Ford marries Elizabeth Bloomer 1796 Editorial subtly accuses Thomas Jefferson of affair with enslaved woman Vietnam War 1965 Antiwar demonstrations staged in 40 U.S. cities World War II 1946 High-ranking Nazi leader Hermann Göring dies 1945 Vichy leader executed for treason

Ukraine abandons truce and attacks Russian oil refinery as Zelenskyy says he feels betrayed by Trump KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine attacked a Russian oil refinery Thursday, abandoning a brief truce involving energy-related targets that it said Moscow did not heed, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he felt betrayed by U.S. President Donald Trump. https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-oil-refinery-attacks-resume-0071b4f3792c9912b977b0ee73505b18? Ukrainian drones are forced to slow down by sudden restrictions on use of Starlink KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian drones lost some of their speed after restrictions were suddenly imposed on battlefield use of the country’s U.S.-made Starlink communication terminals, officials said Wednesday as the capital endured a second consecutive night of missile attacks. https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-zelenskyy-burnham-trump-putin-9fe44ec1bb361f19d46dfafb58da46f6? ps:How pathetic is that?

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