America’s Most Useless Congress Faces the Midterms | The David Frum Show

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wr0hnOAUIo

 

The Ilhan Omar Raid, Russ Vought, and the Plan to Refuse to Seat Democrats (w/ Max from UNFTR) (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

In this episode of Straight White American Jesus, Brad Onishi is joined by Matthew D. Taylor, author of Defying Tyrants, to discuss the raid on Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home 22 days before the midterms, which came inside the Justice Department’s usual 60-day window for avoiding overt investigative steps. 

They weigh the evidence that the raid is politically motivated, including years of debunked conspiracy theories about her immigration story, pressure from right-wing influencers, and Trump’s rhetoric about the Somali community, while also acknowledging that a warrant was issued and that questions about her immigration paperwork remain open. 

They also consider Andy Craig’s argument that the case threatens Congress’s constitutional power to judge its own members, and what it could signal as a trial balloon for 2028. Max from UNFTR then joins to discuss Russ Vought, the head of the Office of Management and Budget: his Christian nationalism, his role in Project 2025 and impoundment, and a Center for Renewing America piece outlining how members-elect might be refused the oath of office in the next Congress. 

The conversation closes with thoughts on how citizens and institutions can prepare, including mass action and what Democrats need to do after the midterms.

Interview: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ilhan-omar-raid-russ-vought-and-the-plan-to/id1441649707?i=1000796236915

The US midterm races that will decide control of Congress – mapped

These graphics explain what the Democrats would need to do to flip the Senate and House of Representatives…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/oct/02/midterm-races-control-congress-charts-visuals

 

Some Republicans want this watchdog agency to sue Trump - POLITICO

There has been little movement toward installing a permanent comptroller general who could challenge Trump's funding moves before the Supreme Court…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/09/gao-trump-comptroller-general-funding-01113223

 

Congress punts data centers to Michigan voters

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/R3Awk5aImAE 

 

The US midterm races that will decide control of Congress – mapped

These graphics explain what the Democrats would need to do to flip the Senate and House of Representatives…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/oct/02/midterm-races-control-congress-charts-visuals

 

Michigan 10th Congressional race could determine which party controls Congress

The district that represents parts of Macomb and Oakland Counties has leaned Republican in recent years. President Donald Trump won the Tenth district by six points in 2024. 

 But Republican strength has ebbed in the Tenth district and now the open congressional seat, being vacated by John James as he runs for Michigan governor, is considered a toss-up heading into November…

 https://www.michiganpublic.org/politics-government/2026-09-28/10th-congressional-race-michigan-michael-bouchard-christina-hines

 

White House orders over $800M in funds rescinded; Collins calls it 'clear violation' of law - ABC News

Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins -- who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee -- blasted the move in a statement on social media on Friday, calling it an attempt to "undermine Congress's Constitutional power of the purse" and a violation of the law. 

"The independent Government Accountability Office has concluded that pocket rescissions are unlawful and not permitted by the Impoundment Control Act," Collins wrote. "Any effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval is a clear violation of the law."…

 https://abcnews.com/Politics/white-house-orders-800m-funds-rescinded-collins-calls/story

 

Democrats warn Trump plans to kill $3.2B in Hill-approved foreign aid - Live Updates - POLITICO

Congress “did not hand Trump a checkbook to spend on whatever he pleases while blocking funding for everything else,” Murray and Schatz said in a joint statement, urging Republican lawmakers to join them in demanding that the administration use those dollars “as Congress intended” before they expire next week…

 https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/09/22/congress/usaid-shutdown-efforts-continue-01087928

Mike Johnson boasts about Congress' productivity despite its lack of productivity

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FoAbIWTPM_w

 

Senior GOP appropriator pours cold water on funding Trump’s arch - Live Updates - POLITICO

“If it was my choice, I wouldn’t put any of that money into the arch,” Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson said…

 https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/09/21/congress/trump-arch-pushback-01086147

Massie Signals Low Hanging Fruit

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/a3eAMYYm9VI

Industry titans’ warning to Congress: Do what we say or health insurance premiums are going up - POLITICO

Insurers complained that doctors file claims related to nonemergency services at in-network facilities and failed to provide good-faith estimates for the cost of services. 

Doctors charged that insurers failed to comply with pricing requirements and don’t pay on time…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/17/health-insurance-premiums-doctors-surprises-01081155

 

They’re terrified of accountability. #isaiahmartin #debate #democrats

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CNigQxkMQBI

 

Lawmakers urge Congress to act after AI researcher’s dire warning - Live Updates - POLITICO

“I resigned from Anthropic today. I spent the last three years doing pretraining research at both OpenAI and Anthropic,” said Coxon, who specialized in training models. “Neither company is acting responsibly. They are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives.” 

 He added: “The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade. This is not a marketing stunt.”…

 https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/09/09/congress/congress-reacts-to-ai-warning-01068556

Own a gun? Go to church? Do yoga? AI can find out in seconds. - POLITICO

“Today, anyone with access to a frontier AI model can buy your data from a broker and reconstruct an intimate picture of your life, including your location, your purchases, your browsing history, and even who you love or where you worship,” Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) said in a statement. “CivAI’s work showing members and staff exactly how easy this is should be a wake-up call for Congress, which has spent years failing to act.”…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/01/wake-up-call-for-congress-lawmakers-get-a-big-brother-warning-on-ai-01054087

 

Congress clears funding patch to avert pre-election shutdown - POLITICO

Trump is expected to sign the funding patch, which the White House endorsed last month ahead of Senate passage — even though it blocks the Office of Management and Budget from finalizing its controversial rule to overhaul the federal grantmaking approval process. 

That Senate-added language, as well as a prohibition on new funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, drove significant support from House Democrats...

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/01/congress-funding-patch-shutdown-midterms-01060046

Lawmakers Push DHS to Cancel Its Shock Gloves Contract – Mother Jones

“This administration continues to outfit ICE and CBP with the tools of an occupying paramilitary force.”…

 https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/09/lawmakers-push-ice-cancel-shock-gloves-contract-compliant-technologies-delia-ramirez/

 

John Roberts blisters colleagues in scathing dissent as Trump's ballroom gets green light - Raw Story

Roberts cited 40 U.S.C. § 8106, which states that it is illegal to construct any "building or structure ... on any reservation, park, or public grounds of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia without express authority of Congress." 

 "The ballroom is a building or structure being erected on federal park grounds — President's Park — in the District of Columbia," Roberts continued. "Yet Congress has not passed any law resembling 'express authority' for the Executive's construction of it."…

 https://www.rawstory.com/john-roberts-2677800267/

Republicans bristle at Trump’s latest tactics to undermine Congress’ funding power - POLITICO

“At what point did we stop legislating?” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), another senior appropriator, said last month after Voughtprivately pitched Senate Republicans on the latest party-line plan, which would inherently take funding power away from the appropriations committees...

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/21/in-year-2-of-trumps-funding-grab-congress-fights-back-01045146