https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/10/trump-meme-coin-dinner-schiff/
Friday, October 23, 2026
Democrats Demand “Unredacted Log” of Attendees at $TRUMP Meme Coin Dinner – Mother Jones
Senators seem to be signaling a probe of the president’s crypto empire…
‘Man, I loved that’: Trump cheers South Carolina rally attender who hit protester
President was reportedly heckled at least nine times during campaign event for Darline Graham…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/21/trump-south-carolina-rally-darline-graham
Judge orders Trump to sit for a deposition in his defamation lawsuit against the BBC by Dec. 11 | PBS News
"No one forced Plaintiff to file this lawsuit and to dispute that his speech on January 6 incited the violence that followed at the Capitol. But as long as he chooses to maintain the case, he cannot commit the fundamental injustice of preventing the BBC from obtaining the evidence it needs to robustly defend itself on every element of his claim."…
Farm country has beef with Trump as midterms approach : NPR
Ground beef currently costs around $6.80 a pound – a fact of which the Trump administration is keenly aware. But the administration's attempts to bring those prices down have backfired politically and possibly economically…
https://www.npr.org/2026/10/22/nx-s1-6011214/farm-country-has-beef-with-trump-as-midterms-approach
Crypto shareholder sues Trump, family-backed crypto venture - POLITICO
A shareholder of a crypto company on Thursday sued President Donald Trump and the crypto venture co-founded by his family in federal court, alleging Trump violated the Constitution by profiting off his office through a pair of deals linked to the United Arab Emirates…
USPS Delays Are Driving Up Ballot Rejections — ProPublica
Rural Cuts: Delays resulting from the U.S. Postal Service’s cost-cutting measures have endangered the validity of ballots cast in rural areas, a ProPublica analysis found.
Rejected Ballots: The rates of ballots rejected for arriving late this year doubled or tripled in areas affected by the cuts compared to the 2022 primary. That wasn’t the case elsewhere.
Extraordinary Measures: Postal Service leaders say special procedures in place for the Nov. 3 election should prevent similar delays, but experts warn that mistakes are likely...
https://www.propublica.org/article/mail-ballot-delays-postal-service-midterms
Trump signs housing affordability executive order - POLITICO
The executive order directs the Federal Housing Finance Agency to create a pilot program proactively canceling mortgage insurance for eligible borrowers with government-backed home loans. The order also directs FHFA to expand an existing program allowing borrowers to qualify for government-sponsored mortgages by using less expensive alternatives to title insurance…
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/22/trump-housing-affordability-executive-order-01132637
Tied up and tortured: Israel using US-made electroshock weapons on Palestinian detainees
Investigation suggests American company Axon still supplies Israel with Taser weapons despite evidence they have been used to torture prisoners…
Experts Say Land Venture Linked to David Flippo is “Batshit” and a “Huge Red Flag” – Mother Jones
The Nevada Republican benefited from hundreds of thousands of dollars of political donations tied to a dubious Arizona company in which he claims to have a seven-figure stake…
Student Essay Award Winners (video from the 2026 National Convention of the Freedom From Religion Foundation)
This video captures the voices of three outstanding students who have won essay and activism competitions hosted by FFRF. 
- Isaiah Lopez Ruiz, a first-generation student from Paradise Valley Community College, discusses how white supremacy and Christian nationalism intersect and threaten the principles of a secular democracy.
- Nyla Woods, a visual communications student from the University of Kansas, explores the historical use of Christianity to uphold white supremacy and the ongoing impact on American democracy.
- Ash Bu, a Harvard sophomore, shares her efforts to promote atheist visibility on campus and the importance of creating affinity groups for non-religious students to explore their beliefs and values openly.
Interview:
Iran threatens to strike oil and AI facilities across Gulf if US and Israel renew attacks
Iran’s security chiefs say there will be ‘zero red lines’ if Trump and Netanyahu attack again…
GOP senator questions Elon Musk’s influence over military assets - Live Updates - POLITICO
“I’m uncomfortable with the potential vendor lock in space, and I think the events of the last couple of weeks have demonstrated greater concern, even than just simply cost,” Cramer said…
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/10/22/congress/kevin-cramer-elon-musk-01131989
The Secret Terms of Trump’s Venezuelan Oil Deal — ProPublica
Corporate Firewall: The oil deal is designed to prevent future U.S. presidents and Venezuelan leaders from changing or dismantling the enterprise.
Hidden Investors: Some of the Trump administration’s partners could remain anonymous, hidden behind a parent company based in Barbados.
The Long Run: It could be many years before the company produces enough oil to be a statistically significant share for the United States...
https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-venezuela-oil-agreement-terms
Search the Education Department’s Civil Rights Investigations With ProPublica’s Database — ProPublica
ProPublica sued the federal government for records that show which schools are facing civil rights investigations — data that was public before Trump’s second term. Now you can use our database to find cases…
https://www.propublica.org/article/civil-rights-office-education-department-investigations
U.S. and Israel are planning for a possible post-midterms attack on Iran : NPR
According to the person briefed, the U.S. is now amassing forces in the region to be ready to attack by early November, after the U.S. midterm elections, but that these preparations could also be part of a campaign to pressure Iran to reach a diplomatic deal…
https://www.npr.org/2026/10/22/nx-s1-6011514/us-israel-iran-war
Meta strikes deal with Zuckerberg to protect him from California wealth tax
“Every society is taxed. The only question is who will pay. In Trump’s America, working people pay more than they should, while billionaires are so unburdened that they are becoming trillionaires. In the America we seek, billionaires and trillionaires will pay their fair share, while working people will be unburdened,” Khanna wrote in the Guardian last week…
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/oct/22/meta-mark-zuckerberg-california-wealth-tax
The DOE Keeps Appealing Claims by Sick Hanford Nuclear Site Workers — ProPublica
Toxic Legacy: Workers got sick cleaning up radioactive waste at a former federal nuclear weapons site in Washington, and the state passed a law to make it easier to claim benefits.
Litigating Workers’ Claims: The Department of Energy denies responsibility and has filed more than 500 legal appeals seeking to block state benefits being given to workers and their survivors.
Millions Go to Lawyers: DOE has spent nearly $12 million on outside lawyers and expert testimony to fight state compensation claims...
https://www.propublica.org/article/hanford-nuclear-workers-compensation-washington-doe
‘Pure arrogance’: anger in Finland as Google illegally fells 250,000 trees for datacenter
Company ordered to stop work at two sites in country, which has found itself at forefront of tech firms’ latest push…
Trump attacks Ohio governor over call for Ramaswamy to drop ‘deeply troubling’ ad
Donald Trump issued a swift rebuke against Mike DeWine, Ohio’s Republican governor, who on Thursday said gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was “wrong” to release an ad critical of his Democratic rival Amy Acton that featured her estranged mother…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/22/ramaswamy-attack-ad-ohio-dewine
Ways and Means Democrats ask Treasury about delayed IRS data - Live Updates - POLITICO
“Congressional Republicans have spent months bragging about their tax law, but now that it’s time to show Americans who is actually benefiting, the Administration is keeping the numbers hidden,” Thompson wrote. “Congress and the public deserve the data, whether or not they make for a flattering press release.”…
Judge restricts DHS field operations for noncitizen voters : NPR
In a 19-page order late Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Araceli MartÃnez-OlguÃn, an appointee of President Joe Biden, wrote that the federal government was using "flawed" data in the initiative and that its efforts likely violated the Voting Rights Act, which bars voter intimidation…
https://www.npr.org/2026/10/22/nx-s1-6012682/judge-dhs-noncitizen-voting-operations
Michigan US Senate debate: Live fact-checks of Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers’ second showdown – PolitiFact
PolitiFact fact-checked the debate, which was hosted by Detroit-area TV station WXYZ-TV. Read our full fact-check story…
https://politifact.com/article/2026/oct/21/michigan-debate-fact-check-live-el-sayed-rogers/
US president says he asked Google CEO to rename Atlantic Ocean on Maps
Tech company previously complied with president’s demand to rename Gulf of Mexico as Gulf of America…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/22/trump-atlantic-ocean-rename-google
Thursday, October 22, 2026
Democracy Now! Video: Democracy Now! 2026-10-22 Thursday
Headlines for October 22, 2026
Mehdi Hasan on AIPAC's Role in El-Sayed vs. Rogers Race in Michigan & Trump's Targeting of Ilhan Omar
Should AIPAC Register as a Foreign Agent? Zeteo Examines Pro-Israel Lobby's Influence on Elections
"A Spark from the Cockroaches": Arundhati Roy on India's Youth Protests & Modi's Crackdown
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/democracy-now-2026-10-22-thursday/id75648468
Russia ready for 3-way talks on Ukraine war, Kremlin says – POLITICO
Russian leader Vladimir Putin is “in principle” ready for Moscow to resume talks with Washington and Kyiv, the Kremlin said Wednesday…
https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-ready-talks-end-ukraine-war/
Supreme Court blocks Trump admin’s limits on transgender care for prisoners - POLITICO
The justices turned down an emergency request to lift an order restoring Biden-era medical and housing policies for transgender inmates…
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/21/transgender-care-prisons-policy-supreme-court
This Is Not a Cycle of Retribution (Atlantic)
The Republican response to Senator Elissa Slotkin is revealing…
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/10/slotkin-trump-investigations-corruption/689092/
The Bill for Trumpism Comes Due (Atlantic)
Budget promises made, budget promises broken
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/10/trump-budget-deficit-debt/689085/
Trump releases heating oil to the Northeast to reduce surging prices - POLITICO
The release from the reserve comes amid a tight Maine Senate race…
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/21/trump-heating-oil-maine-senate-01129053
Michigan residents fight potential $6.4bn datacenter bill: ‘That is insanity’
Michigan utility customers may pay $6.4bn for two new gas plants to meet datacenter demand, drawing outrage from residents…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/21/michigan-datacenter-bill-utility-prices
Why Republicans’ massive cash advantage is evaporating on the airwaves - POLITICO
A large part of this discrepancy comes down to the mechanics of broadcast advertising. Candidates, and now political parties thanks to a recent Supreme Court ruling, are entitled to significantly lower rates. That has allowed Democratic candidates — who have posted bonkers fundraising hauls — to offset much of the GOP advantage in super PACs. Republican Senate candidates, on the other hand, struggled overall with their fundraising. And some GOP outside groups bought their ad time later, when it was even more expensive…
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/21/senate-republicans-cash-advantage-television-01128724
Battle over Meta’s alleged Bolsonaro bias intensifies days before Brazil presidential runoff
Reports from Lula supporters saying their content had been removed or its reach restricted flooded social media in Brazil, while about a dozen watchdogs and research groups published reports describing what they called “indications” that Meta may have favoured the senator’s campaign.
Meta called Lula’s allegations “false and unfounded”, saying there had been “technical incidents” that affected campaigns from “different parts of the political spectrum”…
U.S. greenhouse gas emissions grew the most of any G20 country last year : NPR
U.S. emissions grew because of increased electricity demand, as well as Trump administration policies that support the burning of fossil fuels. The Trump administration has ordered coal-fired power plants in the U.S. to stay open longer than planned, rolled back fuel-efficiency standards for vehicles and ended tax credits for solar and wind projects…
The El-Sayed Heckler’s Dad Got $250,000 to Campaign Against El-Sayed – Mother Jones
The guy who tried and failed to catch Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed with a gotcha question about his supposed loyalty to the Muslim Brotherhood is reportedly the son of a Republican strategist who received $250,000 last month to campaign against El-Sayed…
Anna Paulina Luna’s Husband Owns 10 Percent of Drone Startup That Got $37 Million in Pentagon Deals – Mother Jones
“Americans deserve a Congress that works for them, not for special interests or personal portfolios,” the Florida Republican said in 2025. Then the federal contracts started rolling in…
‘Stop whining’: Vance dismisses Republican criticism of Ramaswamy ad - POLITICO
“I have to admit that I’m a little bit disgusted when I see Republicans across the country who are whining more about that advertisement than they are about what the congressional Democrats and other Democrats want to do to the United States of America,” Vance said at a press conference ahead of a campaign event with Ramaswamy and Ohio Sen. John Husted…
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/21/jd-vance-ramaswamy-ohio-ad-republicans-01129287
Millions of Amazon settlement checks credit Trump ahead of the midterms - POLITICO
“I am not aware of any pre-Trump instance of the communication to the consumer receiving payment mentioning the name of a president,” Stephen Calkins, a law professor at Wayne State University and a former general counsel at the FTC from 1995 to 1997, told POLITICO. “Making such a claim is unseemly and unfortunate. I regret very much that this once-proud independent agency is now being used to promote the Trump brand.”…
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/21/amazon-trump-midterms-settlement-01130666
Lindsey Graham, James Clyburn Were Under Scrutiny in FBI Bribery Probe — ProPublica
Pay for Play: A Hawaiian naval firm filled South Carolina politicians’ campaign coffers with cash and won federal contracts in the state.
Big Players: Lindsey Graham and James Clyburn, two major forces in South Carolina, helped steer federal money to Navatek.
Questionable Merit: The contracts’ effectiveness was dubious. “The whole thing is a grand lie,” said the former CEO…
https://www.propublica.org/article/navatek-lindsey-graham-jim-clyburn-fbi-anti-corruption-bribery
Meta must pay New Mexico $25 billion, its biggest fine ever, for deceiving users about Facebook privacy | PBS News
Jurors in September found Meta liable for over 43 million violations of New Mexico consumer protection laws when a political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, harvested Facebook user data to generate targeted political ads for the 2016 election.
"Facebook promised users that they (the users) controlled their data. This was false," Judge Francis J. Matthew wrote in his judgement…
Israel held then released Brad Lander and dozens of Americans, Israelis in West Bank : NPR
"We were on private Palestinian land. We were with the farmers whose land it is. There's no obligation to coordinate with the Israeli military," Lander told NPR and WBUR's Here & Now. "This was the IDF making it impossible for these poor Palestinian farmers to harvest their olive trees," he added, using the initials for the Israeli military…
"Let us be clear about what happened here: Rather than protecting Palestinian farmers and ensuring their right to work their own land, the Israeli military forcibly removed those who came to provide a protective presence," T'ruah CEO Rabbi Jill Jacobs said in a statement. "This is an outrageous abuse of power, and part of a systematic, state-backed campaign of ethnic cleansing aimed at driving Palestinians from their land," she said.
https://www.npr.org/2026/10/21/nx-s1-6010460/brad-lander-detained-west-bank-israel-palestinians
'This is how you blow up a permitting deal': Sen. Whitehouse slams Trump over offshore wind - POLITICO
The Justice Department on Tuesday night asked a federal court to reopen a fourth permit for an offshore wind project…
How to Save Democracy - VOTE - Inflation - LT Gains (The Phil Ferguson Show podcast, #562)
Interview with Melissa Dalton-Bradford. Her new book is How to Save Democracy: The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook. (This interview starts at 32:00 into the show, after Phil talks about investments and taxes. Skip to 32:00 if you only want to hear the interview with Melissa on her book.)
Also...
Also...
- Inflation is going up in the US
- Why are my Long Term Gains so big
- GO VOTE
Interview:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/562-how-to-save-democracy-vote-inflation-lt-gains/id959436323?i=1000797293753
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Democracy Now! Video: Democracy Now! 2026-10-21 Wednesday
Headlines for October 21, 2026
Flamingo Revolution: Albania Protests Escalate over Corruption & Kushner/Trump Luxury Resort
"When the Bubble Bursts": Naomi Klein & Astra Taylor on Reclaiming Democracy from AI Oligarchs
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/democracy-now-2026-10-21-wednesday/id75648468
No Prophets: A Chat with Reps. Jared Huffman and Mark Pocan (video from the 2026 National Convention of the Freedom From Religion Foundation)
In this discussion, Jared Huffman shares his insights on Christian nationalism, its implications on American politics, and the role of secularism in countering these movements. The conversation delves into the theological underpinnings of Christian nationalism, its factions, and how it influenced events like January 6th.
Interview:
But Wait, There's More! (Senator Sheldon Whitehouse on YouTube)
The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision de facto killed climate legislation. Then, they blew up the Clean Power Plan, killing climate regulation. And now, through a new case before the Court, they’re targeting climate litigation.
In this episode, former Governor Jay Inslee joins Senator Whitehouse to discuss the role our nation’s highest court has played in stopping climate action.
In this episode, former Governor Jay Inslee joins Senator Whitehouse to discuss the role our nation’s highest court has played in stopping climate action.
Interview:
Discovery of North Carolina police officers’ alleged racist texts prompts review of arrest records
Five officers resigned recently from a North Carolina police agency – and a sixth remained suspended – after they allegedly exchanged racist texts…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/20/north-carolina-police-officers-alleged-racist-texts
Nato increases Black Sea deployment amid escalating deadly Russian attacks
Mounting anxiety as Russia’s war on Ukraine reaches Nato’s borders with targeting of vessels transporting agricultural cargo…
JD Vance falsely blames Biden policy for high gas prices. Iran war is mainly to blame. – PolitiFact
Market forces and global events like pandemics and wars tend to influence refinery production more than presidential policy, and the most obvious cause of today’s high gasoline prices is the Iran war, which was launched by President Donald Trump.
California, not the U.S., has lost 20% of its oil refining capacity; the nation’s refining capacity has been largely stable.
Climate change and energy policies introduced by former President Joe Biden could play a long-term role in nudging refinery operators to cut back or shut down facilities, experts say…
United Airlines CEO faces rightwing backlash after calling for US wealth tax
Scott Kirby says wealth inequality is a ‘danger to society’ and calls for inheritance tax in recent interview…
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/20/scott-kirby-united-wealth-tax-backlash
Poll: Voters see Republicans as the party of Big Tech tax breaks - POLITICO
Stripping tax incentives from tech companies rated as one of the top tax priorities in the midterms, according to the POLITICO Poll…
Thousands of foster kids under state guardianship not being monitored, audit finds
The report also raised concerns that the agency didn’t consistently review homes after children were placed. Regarding medical care, at times, children underwent nonemergency procedures without MCI consent…
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