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🤖 $50M push to regulate AI Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Advocates for AI safety and regulation — including AI researchers themselves — are emerging as a force in U.S. elections, spending nearly $50 million this election cycle on candidates who favor regulation, a new analysis shared exclusively with Axios' Maria Curi shows. Why it matters: The people building AI are increasingly spending to push for its regulation — sometimes at odds with the companies they work for. Donors tell Axios they're not primarily motivated by party affiliation or specific policy positions, but by fears that industry money will scare candidates into staying quiet about an unpopular technology. 🔭 Zoom out: Forces favoring AI acceleration — who earlier this year seemed poised to target pro-regulation candidates — haven't spent as much as opponents expected, and safety advocates see an opportunity to fill the void. Keep reading ...

America's job jitters Data: Pew Research Center. Chart: Axios 48% of U.S. adults are very concerned that people who want to work won't be able to find jobs, according to a Pew survey — the highest reading since it started asking the question five years ago, Axios' Courtenay Brown and Neal Rothschild write. Half of Americans also say they're very concerned about AI's role in the economy, Pew found. Keep reading.

☎️ Bibi, Trump discuss attack Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photos: Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis and Win McNamee/Getty Images. Axios' Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo write: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump last week discussed the possibility of launching a major new operation against Iran before the Israeli and U.S. elections, according to two U.S. officials, one Israeli official and a fourth source with knowledge of the matter. Netanyahu said during the call that he was concerned about Israeli intelligence indicating Iran was taking troubling steps to reconstitute its nuclear program, according to the Israeli official. The Israeli leader's call with Trump about the possible attack took place before Trump said he would not strike Iran ahead of the midterms. Why it matters: Resuming major combat operations in Iran would inject a volatile new issue into the Oct. 27 Israeli elections and the U.S. midterms a week later. 👀 Behind the scenes: An Israeli official said Trump initially seemed to be leaning toward resuming attacks, but then grew more hesitant. A U.S. official said Trump has been going back and forth on the issue. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the leadership of U.S. Central Command are the strongest backers of resuming strikes in Iran, a source familiar with the discussions said. Most of Trump's advisers favor keeping up economic sanctions and other forms of pressure for now. Keep reading. ps:2 despicable people, at least one of them had a good reputation until he met trump and than it was downhill from there!!!!!

Trump's Russian roulette Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photos: Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg and Gavriil Grigorov/pool/AFP, via Getty Images President Trump is indulging his fondness for Vladimir Putin at a moment of acute political peril, forcing Republicans in the midterms to take cover as he showers Moscow with one-sided concessions, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. Why it matters: With just three weeks until the election, Trump is rekindling a decade-long, scandal-scarred relationship with a dictator reviled by most Americans — including his own supporters. 🔎 Zoom in: Since speaking with Putin on Friday, Trump has embarked on a remarkable five-day campaign of diplomatic concessions and cover for Russia — sparking bipartisan blowback just as voters prepare to cast their ballots. On Friday, Trump announced a deal to unleash millions of tons of Russian diesel onto global markets, easing sanctions designed to starve Moscow's war revenues. On Saturday, Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for striking Russian refineries and demanded that Kyiv replace its leader. On Sunday, Trump blindsided Zelensky by declaring an immediate "energy ceasefire." Russia has continued attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure, with no apparent consequences from Washington. On Monday, Trump dismissed months of intelligence-based reports that Russia was enabling Iran's war effort by supplying information about U.S. military assets. Yesterday, Trump doubled down on the diesel deal and brushed off concerns that the proceeds could finance Russia's war machine, even as GOP senators labeled it a "betrayal" and "a gift to our adversary." Between the lines: The benefits to Russia are clear. Far less apparent is what Trump's concessions accomplish for American security, European allies or his own political fortunes. For America: Energy analysts doubt the diesel deal will meaningfully ease fuel prices sent soaring by the Iran war. For Europe: Washington is breaking ranks with a NATO alliance confronting a historic threat environment, as Russia escalates its hybrid campaign of sabotage, cyberattacks and drone incursions. For Republicans: With control of Congress hanging in the balance, Trump is embracing a dictator viewed unfavorably by 81% of his own 2024 voters, according to a January YouGov poll. 🖼️ The big picture: Trump's warm relationship with Putin has haunted his political career since 2016, when Russia interfered in the presidential election to help him defeat Hillary Clinton. A decade of investigations, scandals and Washington outrage has done little to shake that affinity. If anything, the scrutiny appears to have hardened Trump's determination to defy the foreign-policy consensus. ps:PATHETIC

Ukrainian ex-army officer’s lawyers seek dismissal as Nord Stream pipeline blast trial opens HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — Defense lawyers for a former Ukrainian army officer charged with damaging the Nord Stream gas pipelines in blasts four years ago have called for the dismissal of charges in the first day of his trial. https://apnews.com/article/germany-nord-stream-pipelines-explosions-trial-ukraine-gas-fdbddfa8c362df5a9f81e617e546b287?

In Colorado, there is still an active volcano. It last erupted about the same time as the pyramids were being built in Egypt. James

China’s trade surplus nears record as pressure mounts from trading partners HONG KONG (AP) — China’s exports surged 36.3% in September from a year earlier, its customs agency said Wednesday, putting the country on track to surpass last year’s record trade surplus even as pressure mounts from trading partners, including the European Union, to rebalance trade. https://apnews.com/article/china-trade-exports-db43e08437b65f65c2ead64c82f9b990?

Hard to Believe View in browser Donald Trump is the quantum president: simultaneously all-powerful and also a wee, innocent figurehead, blithely unaware of what his aides are doing. The first Trump, the one who declares that he “alone can fix it,” was in the Oval Office last week, asserting his unfettered power to persecute his political opponents. “I could have done very bad things to Hillary Clinton. I could have done very, very bad things to Joe Biden. I could have done very bad things to Barack Hussein Obama,” he said. “I can do whatever I want, if I want.” But after federal law enforcement conducted a search at the Washington, D.C., home of Representative Ilhan Omar, the Minnesota Democrat, yesterday morning, Trump insisted he was completely uninvolved. Without more information, the search—conducted by agents from Homeland Security Investigations, a division of ICE that handles complicated probes—is deeply troubling. The Trump administration has deployed a series of probes, searches, and indictments, many of which are plainly pretextual or political, against outspoken critics. (This is a crucial distinction from an August 2022 search at Mar-a-Lago, which yielded many boxes of highly sensitive material, haphazardly stored.) Black women, including Representative LaMonica McIver of New Jersey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, have been particular but not exclusive targets. The search also breaks a norm against public action in highly political cases in the 60 days before an election. Attempts to intimidate or criminalize an opposition party are hallmarks of authoritarianism. There is much about the search that we do not know, including what evidence was used to obtain the warrant (though The New York Times reports it “was the subject of significant back and forth between prosecutors and the federal judge who eventually approved it”); what agents might have found; and what charges, if any, the government might be contemplating. Some reporting states that prosecutors are exploring whether Omar’s late father lied or made omissions on immigration applications. (The administration has focused on trying to strip citizenship from people who gave false responses on applications.) The congresswoman came to the United States as a child and became a naturalized citizen at 17. To hear Trump tell it, he also knows little about the probe. “I think she’s a terrible person, but that’s really up to the DOJ,” Trump said yesterday. “I have nothing to do with it.” (The Department of Justice told the Times that the search was part of an ongoing investigation but declined to comment further.) This is a pattern I previously identified: When faced with difficult questions or strong pushback, the president tends to insist that the lawyers are in charge and he’s not apprised of what’s going on. But his claim is hard to believe. Trump has repeatedly said that he has a “right” to direct federal prosecutors to investigate whomever he wishes, and although he generally insists that he has not done so, evidence suggests otherwise. Last September, Trump posted on Truth Social instructing then–Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against critics, including James, former FBI Director James Comey, and Senator Adam Schiff. “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!” he wrote. Several news outlets later reported that the missive was intended as a private message. Bondi was removed this spring, reportedly because of Trump’s frustration that his attempts at retribution were moving too slowly. In February, FBI agents searched an election center in Fulton County, Georgia, in pursuit of evidence for Trump’s assertion that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. (Their warrant was largely based on debunked claims.) The following day, Trump spoke directly to some of the agents involved, an extraordinary intervention. Comey was ultimately charged with threatening the president, after he posted a photograph of shells he found on a beach that read 86 47, a set of numbers that supporters have said connotes wanting to remove Trump from office. DOJ has insisted the post was a threat of violence (which Comey has denied). Documents released by Comey’s lawyers this summer show that Trump was closely involved in the case, demanding briefings and notes from interviews with Comey prior to his indictment. Adding to the impression that the Omar case is a White House effort, Katie Miller, the former Trump aide and the wife of Stephen Miller, posted about the story on X yesterday, saying, “Promise made, promise kept.” She later deleted the post. But even if Trump is not personally engaged, he has made clear through his statements that he wants Omar investigated and punished. In 2019, he suggested that members of the progressive “Squad,” which included Omar, should “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.” A few days later, after he criticized Omar at a rally, he watched as a crowd chanted, “Send her back!” In December, he called Omar “garbage” and said that Somalis should leave the U.S: “Their country stinks, and we don’t want them in our country.” The next month, when Omar was attacked at an event, Trump accused her of setting it up. This March, Vice President Vance told an interviewer, “We actually think that Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud.” The message from the White House is clear enough to make King Henry II blush. If Trump is as engaged in prosecutions of his political opponents as public evidence indicates, then his behavior is inappropriate and damaging to the rule of law. If, however, he truly knows nothing about what’s going on, then he’s not the heroic, powerful leader he claims to be. Which would he prefer the public conclude? Related: Trump is hiding behind his lawyers. Trump shrugs off the Ilhan Omar attack.

US hits Bank of America with $1.2 billion fine, saying it violated money laundering, sanctions laws WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury Department said Tuesday that it’s imposing $1.2 billion in fines on Bank of America for allegedly violating anti-money laundering and sanctions laws. https://apnews.com/article/treasury-bank-of-america-money-laundering-29013b2c8f08a3a8d579a96721ed1aa4?

Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis gets 40 years to life in prison for orchestrating the murder of Tupac Shakur LAS VEGAS (AP) — An aging ex-gang leader was sentenced Tuesday to 40 years to life in prison for orchestrating the 1996 drive-by shooting of rap icon Tupac Shakur near the Las Vegas Strip. https://apnews.com/article/duane-davis-sentencing-tupac-shakur-827803a315dedbf36d18b66417a74303?

🏎️ 1 for the road: F1 returns to Africa This new F1 track is planned near the new Kigali International Airport in Rwanda. Rendering: F1 Formula 1 is headed back to Africa for the first time since 1993, with Rwanda hosting a race in "the early 2030s." The African Grand Prix will have a 10-year contract and take place at a track southeast of Rwanda's capital, Kigali. 🏁 Rwandan President Paul Kagame said at a launch event that he hopes the F1 event will "pave the way for other races to be hosted on the continent." Go deeper ... Read the announcement.

🧑‍⚖️ The Supreme Court, siding with the Trump administration, agreed to hear arguments in a watchdog's lawsuit seeking public records about Elon Musk's DOGE. Go deeper.

Pope Leo XIV diagnosed with lung cancer after surgery to remove part of right lung ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery Tuesday that confirmed he has lung cancer and doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung, the Vatican said. https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-surgery-86268530ef22fd14d2712067e89946f1?

Cornell suspends fraternity parties, gives state police role in investigating campus assault reports Cornell University suspended parties at fraternity houses until next year and is giving state police a role in investigating reports of sexual assault on campus in the school’s latest response to outrage over its handling of a gang rape allegation. https://apnews.com/article/cornell-rape-investigation-frat-party-ban-686aaca2c81878f8cd771a0e3bdf7fa4?

👋 Good morning! Welcome back. How high will you score in today's GeoSports round? Notable quotable: "Cleveland is everything to me," said Guardians legend José Ramírez after winning Game 1 of the ALCS. "When nobody wanted to give me a chance, they gave me a chance. This is the place I love, and they love me back." In today's edition: Brewers and Guardians grab early leads, WNBA Finals conundrum, Bills win MNF shootout, Man City keeps rolling, MV-Purdy, Georgia is No. 1, USWNT seeks revenge against Spain, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 Atlanta's arena conundrum: After playing three home playoff games at State Farm Arena (17,000 capacity) during their run to the WNBA Finals, the Atlanta Dream may have to host Finals games at Gateway Center Arena (3,500 capacity) due to scheduling conflicts. Their opponent, the Golden State Valkyries, will host games at Chase Center (18,000 capacity). ⛳️ LIV's Ryder Cup dilemma: The European Tour (aka. the DP World Tour) will refuse membership to golfers who sign up for LIV in 2027. As a result, any European golfers who stick with LIV won't be eligible for the Ryder Cup team next fall. 🏈 Marv on the move: Just two years after drafting him No. 4 overall, the Cardinals are shipping WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (and a 2027 seventh-round pick) to the Texans in exchange for a 2027 second-round and sixth-round pick. The trade reunites Harrison with QB C.J. Stroud, with whom he thrived at Ohio State (77 catches, 1,263 yards, 14 TDs in 2022). ⚾️ Vlad's new vision: Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. underwent laser eye surgery following the worst season of his MLB career. Guerrero has previously dealt with vision issues, wearing contact lenses while playing and eyeglasses off the field, per The Athletic. 🎓 JMU to change conferences: James Madison has voted to leave the Sun Belt Conference (which it joined in 2022) and has been accepted into the American Conference, where it will become a full league member "no later than July 1, 2028."   ⚾️ CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES DODGERS DOWN 0-2, MIGHT BENCH OHTANI Shohei Ohtani continues to struggle, and the Dodgers find themselves down 0-2. (John Fisher/Getty Images) MLB's final four features three Davids and one Goliath, at least in terms of finances.* Two games into the NLCS, Goliath is already on the ropes. Milwaukee lands two punches: The Brewers took care of business at home against the Dodgers over the long weekend, besting the reigning AL Cy Young (Tarik Skubal) and reigning World Series MVP (Yoshinobu Yamamoto) to put the two-time reigning champions in an 0-2 hole. Game 1: Brewers 2, Dodgers 1 Game 2: Brewers 7, Dodgers 4 Between the lines: The top seed is supposed to win at home, so it's not like L.A. is in panic mode as the series shifts to the West Coast. But the mighty Dodgers do suddenly look mighty rickety and vulnerable — and their biggest superstar has become their biggest question mark. What to watch: The Dodgers are considering the unfathomable ahead of tomorrow's Game 3: benching Shohei Ohtani. The four-time MVP is clearly injured, though his exact diagnosis is unclear. He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts on Monday to lower his postseason batting average to .150, which is only slightly worse than his batting average since Aug. 18 (.160). "Yeah, I mean, obviously it hasn't been good," manager Dave Roberts told The Athletic. "He doesn't feel great. I think for me, it's having a conversation with him tomorrow, kind of try to figure out what's best for him, what's best for us. He certainly has earned that conversation." Meanwhile, in St. Pete: The Guardians beat the Rays, 7-3, on Monday night to win their fourth straight playoff game. Cleveland made some fun postseason history, too, becoming the first team to get shut out through five innings only to score in the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th. Game 2 is tonight. *Davids vs. Goliath: The Dodgers will spend $616.4 million (!!) on this year's roster between their tax payroll and estimated tax bill. That's $255.9 million more than the Brewers ($154.7M), Rays ($113.2M) and Guardians ($92.6M) combined.   🌎 SNAPSHOTS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS (Luke Hales/Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Los Angeles, California Speaking of struggling Southern California-based superteams, the Rams fell to 2-3 on Monday night with a 37-34 (OT) loss to the Bills, who rode Josh Allen's legs (121 rushing yards) and Tyler Bass' foot (game-winning 45-yard field goal) to victory. The view from first: The Bills (4-1) sit atop the AFC East following an eventful Week 5, while the Ravens (4-1), Jaguars (4-1), Chiefs (4-0), Giants (3-1-1), Vikings (5-0), Panthers (2-2) and 49ers (5-0) lead their respective divisions. (Alex Pantling/Getty Images) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Liverpool, England Manchester City faced a barrage of abuse from Liverpool supporters in their first match since being found guilty on 114 charges of breaching the Premier League's financial rules. But the jeers didn't seem to faze them: City won 3-0 to continue their perfect season. Where it stands: Man City (18 points) sits atop the Premier League table with six wins in six matches, followed by Arsenal (15), Brighton (13), Brentford (10), Everton (10) and Chelsea (10). Rounding out the top half of the league: Leeds (9), newly-promoted Hull City (9), Liverpool (9) and newly-promoted Ipswich Town (9). (Peter Fox/Getty Images) 🇸🇬 Marina Bay, Singapore Red Bull's Max Verstappen followed up his first win of the Formula 1 season with another victory in Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix. The resurgence has come too late to play a meaningful role in the title fight, but Verstappen now has a top-three finish in his sights. Meanwhile, in Charlotte: Even on a day that seemed on its face like a disappointment, Kyle Larson extended his points lead atop the NASCAR Cup Chase and is potentially four races away from a third Cup Series championship. (Luca Bettini/Pool/Getty Images) 🇮🇹 Como, Italy 20-year-old French prodigy Paul Seixas ended his breakout season in historic fashion on Saturday when he became the youngest winner of the Giro di Lombardia, one of the sport's five Monuments (prestigious one-day races). Notably absent: Five-time defending champion Tadej Pogačar wasn't able to race following a season-ending crash at the Vuelta a España in August. That opened the door for the rest of the field, and Seixas seized the opportunity.   🏈 AWARDS WATCH FROM MR. IRRELEVANT TO MVP? After leading his undefeated 49ers to victory over the defending champion Seahawks on Sunday afternoon, the MVP conversation is heating up for San Francisco QB Brock Purdy. By the numbers: According to an aggregation of prediction- and betting-market MVP odds, Purdy leads the field with a 26.7% chance, narrowly ahead of Josh Allen (26%) and comfortably ahead of Patrick Mahomes (12.5%), Trevor Lawrence (9.1%) and Joe Burrow (8.3%). And unlike those names, all of whom were top-10 draft picks, Purdy was famously "Mr. Irrelevant" in 2022, when he was the very last player taken (No. 262 pick). The historical context: If Purdy ends up winning, he would be the second-latest-drafted MVP in league history, trailing only Washington kicker — yes, kicker — Mark Moseley, who won AP MVP in 1982 after going 346th overall in 1970. (1966 MVP Bart Starr went 200th overall and 3x winner Tom Brady went 199th.) But "latest-drafted" is also doing some work there: Two-time MVP Kurt Warner wasn't even drafted, making him the most unlikely winner of all. This story was written by Neil Paine, the newest addition to our team. We'll formally introduce him later this week. In the meantime, here's a fun fact: Neil would have gotten a ring as a consultant for the 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks… if they'd won the NBA title, instead of what actually happened: getting swept by an average of 13.3 points per game in the East Finals. He still wears the hypothetical ring proudly.   🏈 CHAOS ON CAMPUS COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S WILDEST WEEK YET (Butch Dill/Getty Images) Georgia is the clear No. 1 team in this week's AP Top 25, earning all but three of the 69 first-place votes after beating Alabama, 20-17, on Saturday night in a thrilling (and controversial) matchup that has us dreaming of a rematch. Dan Wolken, Yahoo Sports: Georgia proved Saturday night it is good enough to win a championship. But it also saw the team — and particularly the quarterback — that might be good enough to prevent it. "There's no such thing as containing [Keelon] Russell," an exhausted Kirby Smart said after his defense survived and advanced to 6-0, knowing there will likely be a second meeting with far more significance somewhere down the line. Meanwhile, in Dallas: Former No. 1 Texas fell six spots to No. 7 after losing 27-24 to unranked Oklahoma on a walk-off field goal in the 122nd edition of the Red River Rivalry. Get ready for more talk about the woes of Texas' offense and QB Arch Manning, who threw two costly second-half interceptions. (Yahoo Sports) More AP Poll: Moving in: Kentucky jumped all the way to No. 15 following their 35-34 (OT) win over then-No. 12 LSU, which came a week after they beat South Carolina in overtime by the same exact score (walk-off two-point conversions in both games!). No. 21 Wake Forest and No. 25 Northwestern also joined the rankings. Moving out: Oregon (formerly No. 13) is unranked for the first time in four years following an ugly 17-15 loss to UCLA, which jumped nine spots to No. 12 with the win. Florida (No. 16) also plummeted out of the poll after losing big to South Carolina, and Pittsburgh (No. 25) dropped out after falling to UNC. Elsewhere: Mike Elko lashed out at Texas A&M fans after the team's third loss in four games … Nebraska gave Indiana a scare before losing their 31st straight game to a ranked opponent … Boise State held off Fresno State to keep their playoff hopes alive. Coming up: Saturday's slate features a whopping six games between ranked teams, including two blockbuster top-10 matchups: No. 4 Ohio State at No. 5 Indiana in Bloomington and No. 2 Notre Dame at No. 8 BYU in Provo.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, OCT. 13 (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) ⚾️ ALCS, Game 2 The Rays will look to draw even with the Guardians tonight (8pm ET, TBS) at "The Trop," where they are 57-27 (.679) this season despite Monday's series-opening loss. Pitching matchup: Freddy Peralta, who was nails down the stretch (0.93 ERA in his last 7 starts), takes the mound for Tampa Bay, while ROY contender Parker Messick (12-9, 2.56 ERA) gets the ball for Cleveland. ⚽️ USWNT vs. Spain The world's top two women's soccer teams meet tonight in Chester, Pennsylvania (7pm, TNT), where the Americans will be seeking revenge against the reigning World Cup champions following Spain's 2-0 victory on Saturday in Washington, D.C. Pregame reading: USWNT faces a new reality against Spain: The Americans are now the hunters, not the hunted (Steven Goff, Yahoo Sports) 🏒 Frozen Frenzy All 32 NHL teams take the ice tonight, which will only happen twice this season. Games start every 15 minutes beginning at 6pm, when ESPN's triple-header gets underway: Devils at Red Wings (6pm); Avalanche at Stars (8:30pm); Bruins at Sharks (11pm). See all the action: For those seeking "NFL RedZone"-style coverage, John Buccigross and Kevin Weekes will host a whip-around show from the studio (7pm, ESPN2). More to watch: ⚽️ Champions League: Atlético vs. Man United (3pm, Paramount+); Arsenal vs. Lille (3pm, Paramount+) … Two of nine games as Matchday 2 kicks off. 🏀 NBA Preseason: Cavaliers at Magic (7pm, Peacock/NBCSN); Warriors vs. Lakers (10pm, NBA) … The regular season tips off a week from today. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city.   🌎 LET'S PLAY GEOSPORTS On Tuesdays, we play GeoSports. All questions are written by me. How to play: You'll be asked five questions that combine sports and geography. Tap the spot on the globe where you think the answer is. The closer you are, the more points you get.

Trump appoints committee to revive quest to remove Lisa Cook from Fed board President Donald Trump has formed a White House committee to investigate Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, escalating even further a lengthy feud with the Federal Reserve Board member. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/12/repub/trump-appoints-committee-to-revive-quest-to-remove-lisa-cook-from-fed-board/? ps:How pathetic!! Trump may backtrack on livestreamed execution of Fort Hood shooter President Donald Trump on Friday appeared to leave open the possibility that the federal government won’t livestream a military execution planned for December that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had said would be public. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/12/repub/trump-may-backtrack-on-livestreamed-execution-of-fort-hood-shooter/? Trump heads West in latest swing to bolster GOP in rocky lead-up to midterms WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump this week will journey out West in an effort to galvanize support for Republican candidates three weeks before the midterm elections and convince voters to support his party amid low presidential approval ratings. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/12/repub/trump-heads-west-in-latest-swing-to-bolster-gop-in-rocky-lead-up-to-midterms/? US senators from both parties blast Trump order to import Russian diesel as illegal The Trump administration’s order to allow import of Russian diesel violates a 2022 law banning Russian energy imports while the country’s war with Ukraine is ongoing, according to a bipartisan group of U.S. senators. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/12/repub/us-senators-from-both-parties-blast-trump-order-to-import-russian-diesel-as-illegal/? US House Dem leaders condemn Homeland Security raid on home of Rep. Ilhan Omar WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders in the U.S. House condemned a “deeply disturbing” raid early Monday at the District of Columbia home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat who has long been a target of verbal attacks by President Donald Trump and Republicans. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/12/repub/us-house-dem-leaders-condemn-homeland-security-raid-on-home-of-rep-ilhan-omar/? Trump’s ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, resigns after allegations of improper conduct WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House publicly asked for U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle’s resignation on Tuesday as she faced mounting accusations of improper conduct, and she announced within two hours that she was quitting, ending days of talk and speculation about her professional fate. Guilfoyle insisted that she would “vigorously defend” herself. https://apnews.com/article/trump-ambassador-greece-guilfoyle-9da9d2e50e18bccc38946404c1ca756f? ps:Such a pathetic administration!!!!!

Utilities make progress on power restoration as Hurricane Isaias recovery continues Some 120,000 power customers were still waiting for power restoration in Florida as of Monday afternoon, three days after Hurricane Isaias hit the Florida Panhandle, as momentum gathered behind the state’s disaster recovery. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/12/utilities-make-progress-on-power-restoration-as-hurricane-isaias-recovery-continues/? David Jolly: Governor’s race likely comes down to undecided Black Floridians Undecided Black voters, David Jolly says, may decide who becomes Florida’s next governor. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/12/david-jolly-governors-race-likely-comes-down-to-undecided-black-floridians/? Florida’s 17th execution of this year is scheduled for Tuesday The state of Florida is set to execute 62-year-old James Robertson by lethal injection at noon Tuesday at Florida State Prison in Bradford County. It would be the 17th carried out in Florida this year. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/12/floridas-17th-execution-of-this-year-is-scheduled-for-tuesday/?

In today's Congress, three seats can decide everything. Unlike the large majorities of the past, today’s congressional control often hinges on only a few seats changing hands. https://usafacts.org/articles/the-viz-lab/in-todays-congress-three-seats-can-decide-everything/? Where does campaign money really come from? The episode dives into how much money candidates are raising and spending for political campaigns. As of August 2026, Senate and House candidates have raised around $2.67 billion toward federal races for the 2026 November midterm election. https://usafacts.org/crash-course/campaign-funding/? How many jobs were added in the US In September 2026, about 29,000 jobs were gained. That's below the monthly average of 187,900 new jobs of the previous five years. This data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly Employment Situation Report, aka the “jobs report,” a closely watched economic indicator. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in. https://usafacts.org/answers/how-many-jobs-were-added-in-the-us-last-month/country/united-states/? One last fact Feel like baking a pumpkin pie or carving a jack-o’-lantern? You've no excuse not to if you live in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or New York, aka the Great Lakes Pumpkin Belt. They have more fresh pumpkin farms than any other state. But which state produces the most pumpkins? Find out on our Instagram.

Taylor Swift’s Babylon Taylor Swift released a new song called “Babylon” on her album The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore. This puts what is arguably the most famous city from the ancient Near East in the spotlight, also providing a welcome, if unlikely, occasion to think about how symbols work. https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/taylor-swifts-babylon/? Love, War, and Diplomacy and the Bronze Age In an age of social media and 24/7 news coverage, politics has never felt more personal. Yet in his new book, Eric Cline argues that ancient rulers and diplomats were as invested as their modern counterparts in managing their own images, responding to perceived slights, and reading between the lines of official communication (even if dense cuneiform writing often made this difficult!). https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/reviews/love-war-and-diplomacy-and-the-bronze-age/? What Is the Bar-Kokhba Revolt? In the early second century CE, the southern Levant was home to a diverse population of Judeans, Nabataeans, Greeks, Samaritans, and others, whose languages, customs, and legal traditions intersected under Roman rule. That rule brought periods of relative stability as well as episodes of unrest, complicating the propagandistic imperial ideal of the Pax Romana (“Roman Peace”). Earlier revolts in the region had already challenged Roman authority, and resistance would continue in the centuries that followed. https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-rome/what-is-bar-kokhba-revolt/?

Do Stress Balls Work? Stress balls can be a helpful tool for managing temporary stress and tension by providing a tactile distraction and promoting relaxation. https://www.healthline.com/health/stress/do-stress-balls-work?

21 Ways to Improve Your Memory Our memories are an integral part of who we are, but as we age, our memory inevitably declines. For many older adults, the decline becomes so serious that it results in no longer being able to live independently, which is one of the biggest fears people have as they age. https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-improve-memory?

Can 5 Minutes of Exercise Really Reduce Blood Pressure? Physical activity is an important part of managing hypertension (high blood pressure), and some research suggests that even small increases in regular exercise can have positive effects. https://www.healthline.com/health/high-blood-pressure/can-5-minutes-of-exercise-really-reduce-blood-pressure?

How Much Fiber Should You Eat Per Day? In general, “dietary fiber” is an umbrella term for the parts of plants and other foods that your body can’t digest. Your body does not break down fiber. Instead, fiber passes through your system, easing symptoms like constipation. https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/how-much-fiber-per-day?

October 13, 2026 Morning! Good luck commuting if you’re in New Jersey. Starting today, people will face bus, ferry and train disruptions to and from Manhattan as workers upgrade a bridge. The chaos is expected for five weeks. Read the latest updates. We have more news below. But first, we’re taking your questions. Voting machines in South Carolina. Sean Rayford for The New York Times Your questions about politics By Adam B. Kushner I edit this newsletter. The midterm elections are only a few weeks away, and readers of The Morning have sent us a lot of questions. Many of you wanted to know about President Trump’s taxpayer-funded ads, the prospect of ICE agents at polling stations and who’s going to win. (We’re not clairvoyant, but we do have helpful data.) Times reporters have fanned out across the country, chronicling the highest-profile Senate contests that will decide who controls the chamber and the tiny municipal disputes about data centers. I dragooned five of them to answer your queries. Why are candidates allowed to air ads that lie about their opponents? | Dawn Seggelink | Medford, Oregon Courts give political speech the highest level of First Amendment protection. Candidates and PACs can be sued for defamation if they air damaging claims that they knew were false, or if they “acted with reckless disregard” of the truth. But the bar to win such a case is extremely high, and courts move slowly. More important, candidates don’t have to lie outright to fudge the truth. There is a well-established playbook for that, including by omitting context, airing unproven allegations and drawing misleading conclusions about unrelated facts. — Bayliss Wagner, who covers politics Have pollsters made changes to get more accurate results? | Howard Frysinger | Glenmoore, Pennsylvania Polling has transformed over the last decade or so. Pollsters now contact people over text message, on the phone, through the mail and online. For the Times/Siena poll, we have tried all of those different approaches to reach voters. In the end, we found the classic approach of calling voters on the phone still yields the best results. But we are constantly innovating and evaluating our approach to ensure we’re the most accurate. One change is in how we adjust our polls to make sure that they are representative. — Ruth Igielnik, a Times polling editor Will ICE agents be at polling places? | Robert Halper | West Orange, New Jersey Although some election officials and voting advocates worry that this prospect will drive away voters, they say the law is clear: Armed federal agents are not allowed in polling places. Administration officials have spread misinformation about the voter rolls, saying they bulge with noncitizens, but the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice have said there are no plans to deploy armed agents to patrol polling places. (Government lawyers, on the other hand, are often on site.) — Alexandra Berzon, an investigative reporter who writes about election systems How can my tax money be used for Trump’s political ads? | Judith Epstein | Overland Park, Kansas Federal law prohibits using taxpayer money for “publicity or propaganda.” The White House lawyers blessed these ads as acceptable, but even some of the president’s allies are not convinced of that. The short answer is that federal dollars can be spent on public service announcements, but those usually are about a program or policy. These ads glorify the president; even one that is specific to an action the administration took — the capture of Nicolás Maduro — still included praise for the president. — Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent Why is voter ID controversial? We need an ID for many other aspects of life, so why not this one? | Mary Pat Sutter | Pewaukee, Wisconsin Critics of voter ID laws have a few arguments. They go like this: The measures place an undue burden on eligible voters. Some laws restrict acceptable IDs to driver’s licenses, passports or state-issued IDs. Those cost money, require documents (copies of which you may need to pay for) and require time to obtain. Older, poorer and nonwhite voters are less likely to have those IDs. Many Democrats argue that one’s constitutional right to vote should not be limited by those factors, especially given how uncommon voter fraud is. — Michael Gold, who covers Congress Sign up for the On Politics newsletter. We'll answer more of your questions about the midterms there. Get it in your inbox. IN ONE GRAPHIC The New York Times Trump has attacked the integrity of U.S. elections on more than 70 percent of the days since he returned to office. On social media and in speeches, the president repeats a litany of false claims: that he actually won the 2020 election, that Democrats use undocumented immigrants to “cheat” in elections, that mail-in ballots produce fraudulent results. Karen Yourish and Arfa Momin looked back at every day of Trump’s second term and documented all of the instances where he cast doubt on elections. By their count, it has happened on 440 days. THE LATEST NEWS Politics Federal agents searched the home of Representative Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat. (The Justice Department has long avoided such investigative steps so close to an election.) Trump said he was considering firing Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. ambassador to Greece, after accusations that she had asked a donor to pay off her American Express bill. A judge berated the Trump administration for cutting down hundreds of trees at a Washington golf course. In Washington. Andrew Leyden for The New York Times Midterm elections A Republican super PAC trying to influence a Senate race in Maine ran an attack ad in the wrong Portland, targeting voters in Oregon. James Talarico, a Democratic candidate for Senate in Texas, spent more than a week off the campaign trail. He said he had the flu, but Republicans spread a false rumor that he was at a mental health facility in Ohio. (The facility said he was not, and he said he had never been to Ohio.) Africa Warplanes bombed a gold mine along the border between Egypt and Sudan, killing dozens. Videos showed what appeared to be Egyptian munitions. Read more about the dispute along the border. A former Green Beret was shot in Congo. His injury revealed how an American military contractor — the founder of Blackwater, Erik Prince — has been fighting a shadow war in the resource-rich country. More International News Eugène Atget and Frédéric Houbron, via Musée Carnavalet A fire devastated the Marché des Enfants Rouges, the oldest covered food market in Paris. See video of the fire. Israel’s destruction of southern Lebanon intensified after an April cease-fire, a Times analysis found. See the maps. A copper mine that set off a bloody civil war in Papua New Guinea is preparing to reopen. Will it help fund a new country, or lead to more violence? In Papua New Guinea. Matthew Abbott for The New York Times Other Big Stories Meta introduced a series of A.I. models as it tries to compete with Anthropic and OpenAI. One person died and several others were injured on a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. The company said it was temporarily closing nine rides across the United States and Canada as a precaution. The emergency response to Christa Pike’s botched execution was delayed by about a half-hour because the authorities questioned if the 911 call was authentic. FREE TO READ Thomas Barlow Hide and seek: Cuttlefish are masters of camouflage. How do they do it? Selma Blair: The actor was arrested after a call about a “physically abusive passenger” on a flight that landed at Kennedy Airport. “Big mistake. Big. Huge!”: Kelly Clarkson wanted to buy a toy bird at a novelty shop in Brooklyn. The store said it wasn’t for sale. The internet took sides. Your pick: The most clicked link in The Morning yesterday was about flamingos waiting out Hurricane Isaias in a bathroom. Lives lived: RJ Mitte, the actor best known for playing Bryan Cranston’s son on “Breaking Bad,” has died at 34. OPINIONS Sophi Miyoko Gullbrants A.D.H.D. might not be about attention at all. Evidence suggests it’s about “sustained engagement,” or the ability to focus on what is relevant in a situation, a psychiatrist writes. The Trump administration could use a primer on what the values of Western civilization actually are, Bret Stephens 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 On Mars. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS 28.1 — That’s how many miles NASA’s Perseverance rover has driven on Mars, a record. See these amazing videos. SPORTS M.L.B. playoffs: The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-4, and took a 2-0 lead in the series. And the Cleveland Guardians won Game 1 of their series against the Tampa Bay Rays, 7-3. College basketball: Penny Hardaway, the Memphis men’s coach, said he was contributing $2.6 million of his own money to the team’s roster budget. Soccer: FIFA signed a $4 million lease for offices in Trump Tower in New York more than a year before the World Cup — as FIFA’s president sought closer ties with the president. The offices are now mostly empty. RECIPE OF THE DAY Armando Rafael for The New York Times This one-pot sausage and peppers pasta calls for a quick, hot sauté to brown the vegetables before adding the sausages. (Either sweet or hot Italian sausage will work.) Pickled peppers give a nice pop of tangy heat at the end. But if you don’t have any, just juice half a lemon. GREAT PERFORMANCES Marina Abramović Danko Steiner Marina Abramović, 79, is the most influential performance artist of our time. She once offered an audience 72 objects — a feather, a perfume bottle, a carving knife, a gun — and allowed them to do anything to her. In another show, she sat quietly for 736 hours and 30 minutes. She discussed her legacy, and her biggest regret, with T magazine. More on culture Adrian Danchig-Waring, a principal dancer at New York City Ballet, thought he might never walk again after a devastating illness. Now, he’s back onstage, but just to say goodbye. Late-night hosts teased Trump about not getting a Nobel Peace Prize. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Connie Park/NYT Wirecutter Power up with these portable chargers recommended by Wirecutter. Visit one of these horror film locations to get in the spirit of spooky season. Eat seaweed. It’s uniquely nutritious. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was empathy. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. Sam is back tomorrow. 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