🎧 LISTEN TO THE HEADLINES ON THE SUBSTACK APP
Experts Question Democrat Polling Leads Ahead of 2026 Midterms
Pollsters and political insiders question Democrat polling leads that show the party ahead by more than 8 points on generic House ballots and competitive in several Senate races. Republican pollster Patrick Ruffini noted that pre-election polls from 2018 to 2024 overstated Democrat performance by more than six points in Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio. He said Democrat-commissioned polls currently give the party a 6.2-point edge while nonpartisan surveys show only 2.6 points. Sean Trende of RealClearPolitics observed that undecided voters in traditionally Republican states are likely triple Trump voters who will revert to the GOP. One veteran aide said the challenge is turning out MAGA voters and that President Trump will campaign hard until Election Day to remind them, juice the batteries, and trust the process.
🏛️ News & Politics
Anti-ICE Agitators Attack Federal Agents with Bat and Vehicles in Oregon
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were surrounded and attacked Saturday morning near a Walgreens on Lancaster Drive NE in Salem, Oregon, while conducting targeted enforcement operations. Anti-ICE rapid response networks mobilized, using vehicles to box in federal vehicles and prompting officers to ram their way free. At least one agitator holding a metal bat threatened officers and struck a vehicle as agents attempted to leave. Agents deployed tear gas and pepper balls after demonstrators refused multiple orders to disperse. Some individuals appeared affiliated with Antifa. The roughly 30-minute incident followed a similar attack Friday in the same area in which an agitator jumped on a vehicle, grabbed an agent’s neck and threw a punch. ICE has increased operations in the sanctuary city beginning earlier Monday.
ATF Ends Nationwide Enforcement of Suppressor and Short-Barreled Firearm Registration Rules
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives announced Friday that it will no longer enforce National Firearms Act registration and approval requirements nationwide for suppressors, short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns. Congress eliminated the taxes on those items last year. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, appointed by President Trump, ruled in August that the remaining provisions could not rest on the taxing power. Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to appeal. ATF Director Rob Cekada said, “The direction from the President, Congress, and the courts is clear. ATF is now following suit with our enforcement posture while continuing to ensure we remain focused where we are needed the most: combating violent crime in American communities.” Background checks and state laws remain in full effect.
New Jersey Pulls Additional Improper Voter Registrations and Orders Daily Audits
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) ordered daily audits of voter registrations at the Motor Vehicle Commission after a review found about 1,090 additional improperly handled records. The review followed the July disclosure of a software error that registered about 6,600 people who said they were not U.S. citizens between June 2023 and June 2024, with fewer than 400 voting. The new findings include roughly 750 records where individuals selected no on an age-eligibility prompt but were registered anyway, though no underage person voted, and about 340 potentially improper records from prison re-entry events dating to 2016. Sherrill said, “This review surfaced two issues. Neither issue involved noncitizens.” The agency is also implementing automated daily checks before transmitting records to election officials and a new vendor.
SpaceX Acquires Low-Band Spectrum to Challenge Major U.S. Carriers
SpaceX agreed Thursday to purchase Grain Management’s full nationwide 800 MHz spectrum portfolio. The low-band airwaves of up to 14 megahertz of paired spectrum will complement the company’s existing global 2 GHz mid-band holdings. Low-band frequencies travel longer distances and penetrate walls and tree cover, solving a major technical hurdle for satellite-based mobile networks. The transaction remains subject to Federal Communications Commission approval. The FCC also approved Starlink Mobile’s Gen2 constellation application for 15,000 satellites optimized for the 2 GHz band. Shares of T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T fell more than 5 percent in extended trading amid fears of an aggressive price war. The acquisition advances Elon Musk’s push to bypass traditional towers and deliver connectivity straight from orbit to ordinary smartphones.
Hurricane Isaias Leaves More Than 900,000 Without Power After Florida Panhandle Landfall
More than 436,000 Florida households remained without electricity Saturday after Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin on Friday night as a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of about 105 mph. The hurricane weakened after moving inland but left more than 900,000 utility customers across Florida, Alabama and Georgia without power. Hurricane-force winds, heavy rainfall, and flooding hit Escambia, Santa Rosa, Walton, and Okaloosa counties in Florida’s western Panhandle hardest. Utility crews faced widespread outages as high winds downed trees and power lines across the region. Category 2 hurricanes carry sustained winds of 96 to 110 mph and can cause extensive damage to trees, roofs and electrical systems. Flooding, blocked roads, and damaged infrastructure continued to complicate recovery efforts after the storm passed.
FEATURED ARTICLE:
⭐⭐⭐ Those Polls Are Turnout Weapons, Not News
BE SURE TO CLICK ON THE ARTICLE, LIKE IT & SHARE IT WIDELY
📢 The Fifth Column Watch
Democrat Congressional Nominee Shoved by NYPD During Anti-ICE Protest in Bronx
DSAer Darializa Avila Chevalier, the Democrat nominee for New York’s 13th congressional district, was shoved to the ground by New York Police Department officers during an anti-ICE protest in the Bronx on Thursday after federal agents shot a man. Chevalier, a Democratic socialist, said she was trying to de-escalate as officers put up barricades and pushed protesters. She said, “I have been arrested 3 times in protest, and not once have I been slammed to the ground by a police officer.” Video showed her confronting officers and getting in their faces amid chaotic pushing. The man shot, Oscar Belgal, has been identified as a criminal illegal alien linked to the Trinitarios gang. Chevalier has attended multiple anti-ICE protests and called for the police commissioner to resign immediately.
Editor’s Note: It is not Avila Chevalier’s place— or anyone other than law enforcement — to initiate “de-escalation” tactics. She got what she deserved, and prosecutors should charge her with obstruction.
Trump Asks Supreme Court to Revive Dismissed Lawsuit Against Clinton Over Russia Claims
President Trump on Oct. 9 asked the Supreme Court to revive his dismissed 2022 civil racketeering lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, the Democrat National Committee and others. The suit alleged they conspired to spread a false narrative that his 2016 campaign colluded with Russia. U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks, appointed by President Bill Clinton, dismissed the case and ordered Trump and attorney Alina Habba to pay nearly 1 million dollars in sanctions. The 11th Circuit affirmed the ruling and called many arguments frivolous. Trump’s attorneys wrote that lower courts reflect “a deeply troubling trend of federal courts using sanctions and disciplinary threats to punish the President and his lawyers for legitimate legal positions.” They argue the deadline should have been paused during his first term.
Seattle Approves First Ban on Personalized Grocery Pricing
The Seattle City Council passed Mayor Katie Wilson’s Fair Pricing and Transparency ordinance in a 7-2 vote this week, a first-in-the-nation ban on so-called surveillance pricing that takes effect in 2027. The Washington Retail Association warned the bill was rushed and would significantly raise prices after nearly all suggested fixes were ignored. As approved, retailers must decide whether to keep offering the tailored discounts and loyalty programs that Seattle families actually use or cancel them and charge more for groceries. Jan Himebaugh of the association said her family saved nearly $ 1,000 this year in loyalty discounts, enough for more than 185 gallons of gas. Critics argue the ordinance risks higher grocery bills and more store closures in Seattle.
Trump Threatens Federal Funding Cut Over Little Italy Map Omission
President Trump on Friday threatened to withhold billions in federal funding from New York City unless officials update a map of immigrant communities to include Little Italy. The 2023 city map lists neighborhoods such as Chinatown, Little India, Little Manila and Little Palestine but omits Little Italy along with Irish and Jewish areas. Speaking at a White House Columbus Day celebration, Trump said, “So you have Yemen covered, Haiti covered, Guyana covered, Senegal covered. I think it’s a disgrace. We are going to work on that immediately.” The city budget depends on as much as 8 billion dollars in federal funds annually for city services. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the map predates his term and will be updated to add Little Italy and others.
Maricopa County Election Staff Seen Using Flash Drives Late at Night on Certified Equipment
Surveillance video obtained by the We the People Alliance shows Maricopa County election employees inside the tabulation center late on October 7 inserting flash drives into computers on equipment certified after logic and accuracy testing. The employees left around 6:20 p.m. and returned from about 9:08 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. One was identified as Brian Ramirez, previously accused of deleting election files. The county said the workers were completing a legitimate election task late at night. Supervisor Mark Stewart said the employees were trying to finish work before the weekend, and one brought a toddler because child care was unavailable. The group noted the video does not appear on the county’s public livestream feeds and that the specific task was not fully disclosed.
ON THIS DAY IN 1845:
Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft established the Naval School in Annapolis, Maryland, which later became known as the United States Naval Academy.
🌐 International
Houthi Missile Barrage Forces Suspension of Operations at Riyadh Airport
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a missile barrage on Saturday. Terminal 3 suffered a direct hit, prompting full evacuation and a major emergency response that sent dozens of ambulances and helicopters to the scene. Flight trackers showed all arrivals were canceled for much of the day, and airborne passengers were diverted to other cities. Eyewitnesses reported loud explosions and blood smeared on the terminal floor. Saudi officials confirmed injuries and suspended all operations pending damage assessments. The strikes continue, with repeated attacks on the kingdom’s aviation hubs over the past week. Thursday’s attack destroyed parked planes and killed three people, including a Saudia pilot. Air defenses failed to intercept all missiles. Several countries warned citizens not to fly to Riyadh.
Putin Relays Iran Conflict Views to Trump During Diesel Supply Call
The Kremlin reported Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin conveyed Iranian views on resolving the war to President Donald Trump during a Friday phone call. The Kremlin said it relayed the message in coordination with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian after their meeting on the sidelines of the Commonwealth of Independent States summit in Turkmenistan. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov provided the details, though specific terms and Trump’s response were not disclosed. The same call produced an agreement for Russia to supply diesel to global markets, prompting a temporary U.S. sanctions waiver to ease high fuel prices before midterm elections. The conflict that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in February remains stalled. Iranian operations in the Strait of Hormuz continue to affect energy markets, and Houthi attacks led Saudi Arabia to close Riyadh airport.
Sudan Paramilitary Drone Strike Kills 40 as Lebanon Welcomes US Flight Ban Lift
A drone strike Friday in Sudan’s Blue Nile province near Ethiopia killed at least 40 people, including children, Emergency Lawyers said. The group blamed the Rapid Support Forces, which have been fighting Sudan’s military since 2023. The U.N. called the strike appalling. The conflict has killed at least 150,000 people, according to ACLED. Houthi attacks Thursday damaged three planes at Riyadh airport and killed three Saudi citizens. Lebanon’s presidency announced Saturday the lift of U.S. flight restrictions imposed in 1985 after the TWA Flight 847 hijacking. President Joseph Aoun welcomed the decision by President Trump as a sign of confidence in Lebanese aviation safety following Hezbollah’s losses in recent wars with Israel. Israeli strikes in Gaza City killed five Palestinians, officials said, one year after a ceasefire deal.
Taiwan President Declares Island’s Defense a Test of Global Rules Against Chinese Pressure
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said on National Day that China’s pressure on the island tests whether the international community believes force cannot override rules. “China continues to apply pressure through military and gray-zone activities in an attempt to alter the status quo across the Taiwan Strait,” Lai said. He added that Taiwan’s resolve concerns whether powerful nations can strip a people of their right to determine their own future. “Taiwan cherishes peace, but we will not give up our freedom. We are open to exchanges, but will not accept subordination,” he stated. Lai aims to raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2030 with a proposed record budget for next year. Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out force.
Jewish Leaders and Israeli Officials Condemn Nobel Peace Prize Award to Navi Pillay
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Navi Pillay, the former United Nations human rights chief who chaired a commission that accused Israel of genocide in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the committee “has lost its moral compass” and awarded its highest honor to “a bigot who built her career around inventing and propagating blood libels against the one and only Jewish state.” UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer called the decision shocking, citing Pillay’s record on antisemitism and her defense of a colleague who invoked the Jewish lobby. Pillay joked that she might share the prize with President Trump. Major Jewish organizations, including the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, condemned the award as rewarding prejudice against the Jewish state.
