Extra, Extra
Strait Fire: “The U.S. military said it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday in response to the latest attacks on its warships and Tehran hit back at American targets in Jordan.” It doesn’t seem like this war is over. The oil market sure doesn’t seem to think it is.
+ Warning Shot: Josh Marshall provides a good overview of a new story suggesting Netanyahu was warned about Oct 7, and what it might mean (if anything) when it comes to the upcoming Israeli election. And here’s Thomas Friedman in the NYT (Gift Article): “Oct. 27 and Nov. 3, 2026, are shaping up to be two of the most important dates in the history of two of the most important democracies — Israel and America. Those countries will be holding hugely consequential elections on those dates, just a week apart. Why so consequential? Because what is on the ballot in both places is not just the political futures of President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It is the future of democracy in both places.”
+ The First Rule of Fight Club Is … Fight! Sarah Longwell has done more than 400 focus groups. Here’s what she’s learned. Voters Have a Message for Democrats. “I don’t think that most Democratic elites understand this reality. In those circles, the dominant debate seems to be about whether the party should be more progressive or more moderate. The future of the party is seen as a policy question. But when I listen to Democratic voters, they’re not asking for ideological recalibration or even policy specifics. They trust that if the right person makes it into office, the policy questions will take care of themselves. Instead, the Democratic voters I’m listening to are almost universally asking a different question: Why aren’t you fighting harder?” (I’ve done hundreds of focus groups. All of them were just of myself, alone, in front of my laptop, and I came to a similar conclusion.)
+ Trans Configuration: Elon Musk has started to spend his $100 million of PAC dollars on the midterms. On what? Anti-trans ads.
+ On Guard: This seems like it’s going well. National Guard member arrested in DC, accused of drawing gun on fellow Guard member. (Don’t worry, the dispute was about regulation haircuts, not the Reflecting Pool.)
+ Du-over: After years of build-up, Apple’s new foldable phone, the Duo, has debuted. (I always figured humans would fold before the iPhone.)
