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October 22, 2026

97 posts · Thursday

Just dropped · Trial Balloon · Ep. 193

The Magnificent Seven

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Trial Balloon · Ep. 193: The Magnificent Seven

Redwood

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Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War's Most Extraordinary Spy by Ben Macintyre.

“In 1981, KGB Major Vladimir Kuzichkin, codenamed ‘Redwood,’ was the best Soviet officer in Iran, running spies in the wake of the Islamic revolution and working with a hidden network of Iranian communists to undermine the new regime. But Kuzichkin had a problem, a sexual secret that, if revealed, would humiliate him with his colleagues, cost him his job, and send him into exile. Desperate for a solution, he reached out to the only place he believed could help: Britain’s MI6.”

Redwood
The Untold Story of the Cold War's Most Extraordinary Spy
by Ben Macintyre · Crown · 2026
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Netanyahu Says U.S. and Israel Must Overthrow Iran

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“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday night that the Iranian regime must be overthrown once and for all,” the Washington Post reports.

Netanyahu said that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei “decided to follow in his father’s footsteps” and attempt “once again to develop the bombs of death.”

Said Netanyahu: “Therefore, there is only one way to remove this threat once and for all: overthrow the regime in Iran. And that is my directive to the IDF, the Mossad, and the security branches.”

Young Voters Say Country Is On Wrong Track

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Harvard Youth Poll: “Among 18-to-29-year-olds, 9% say the nation is generally headed in the right direction, 62% say it is off on the wrong track, and 26% are unsure. Asked how they feel about America’s future, 69% say they are more fearful, compared with 26% who are more hopeful.”

“These concerns extend across party lines, though their intensity varies. Just 5% of young Democrats, 5% of independents, and 24% of Republicans say the country is headed in the right direction.”

Hakeem Jeffries Is Poised to Make History

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“If Democrats retake the House in November, Hakeem Jeffries is all but certain to become speaker in January — the first Black American to hold the post,” the Washington Post reports.

“Yet the question facing the 56-year-old New York lawmaker is not whether he can make history, but how he would lead — specifically, whether the consensus-building style that helped him rise through the ranks to minority leader can hold together what is expected to be an increasingly restive and ideologically diverse Democratic caucus.”

“Jeffries is a highly focused strategist and approachable leader who seeks to persuade through discussion… Colleagues also say he can be cautious and deliberative — to a fault, at times.”

Democrats Are Gaming Out a January 3 Nightmare

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Democrats panicked over President Donald Trump’s preelection attacks on California are preparing for a GOP-led effort to maintain control of Congress by mutiny,” the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

“Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) said Democrats are closely monitoring Trump allies’ claims of voter fraud in California, including a lawsuit last week over alleged noncitizen voting, as a pretense to invalidate midterm election results in the new Congress.”

Putin Restores Ties with the U.S. While Giving Up Nothing

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“Last October, President Trump imposed significant sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, complaining that negotiations with President Vladimir V. Putin over ending the war in Ukraine ‘just don’t go anywhere,'” the New York Times reports.

“A red-carpet welcome for the Russian leader in Alaska had done nothing to bring peace. A planned summit in Budapest had fallen apart. Mr. Trump had started to acknowledge that Mr. Putin might just be playing him, with no intention of making peace. Faint Ukrainian hopes glimmered of a Trump-Putin break.”

“But the Russian president was playing a longer game.”

“Now, exactly a year after the oil sanctions, Mr. Putin has never been so close to his goal of normalizing relations with Washington without having to make any compromises on Ukraine.”

Trump Can’t Stop Talking About Men’s Bodies

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Jack Crosbie: “What’s clear now is that in what may be the beginning of the end for Trump’s political reign, the king is focused on the things that matter to him most: ambition, aesthetics, and of course, asses. It’s a curious fixation for a president who should be desperate to resonate with voters who appear enormously dissatisfied with his performance in office.”

“But squint your eyes a little and see the man for who he is. Trump’s homoerotic, horn-dog vibe is both a genuine expression of self and a strategy to drum up support from the only fans he has left — the ones who hang on to his every word and think he is the greatest entertainer on earth.”

Early Vote Shows Democratic Enthusiasm High

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“With less than two weeks until the 2026 midterm elections, early votes cast so far serve as one more piece of evidence that Democratic enthusiasm is high in some key states,” ABC News reports.

“Registered Democrats and those modeled as likely to vote for Democrats have cast an even higher share of early votes in all states except for Alaska and Michigan, where the share is similar to 2024.”

The New Republic: Florida’s early voting shows just how pissed people are at Republicans.

Ohio’s Governor Says Ramaswamy Should Take Down Ad

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“Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has denounced a controversial ad featuring the estranged mother of Dr. Amy Acton, taking sides with the Democratic candidate for governor and former member of his Cabinet over her Republican rival, Vivek Ramaswamy,” the Washington Sun reports.

DeWine called the ad “deeply, deeply troubling.”

He added: “It’s wrong to run this ad. I would urge Ramaswamy’s campaign to take this down.”

NPR: Backlash from attack ad upends Ohio gubernatorial race.

Trump Moves to Try to Save GOP Seats

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President Trump’s political organization is readying a late-stage infusion of more than $25 million into the battle for control of the House, Punchbowl News report.

Trump’s super PACs are spreading the cash on television across the map, including into districts that the Congressional Leadership Fund abandoned.

Foreign Service Officers Asked If They Voted for Trump

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“The State Department has asked some foreign service officials up for promotion who they voted for in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, raising concerns the agency is violating a federal law that bars politicized personnel decisions within the nonpartisan ranks,” the Washington Sun reports.

“Top officials in the State Department made clear that only candidates who voted for President Donald Trump would be eligible for the mid-to-upper level foreign service roles. They also told candidates that their campaign donation history would be examined and any donation to Democrats would be disqualifying.”

DraftKings to Sponsor CBS Election Coverage

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“Late last week, as local stations around the country continued to prepare for Election Day, executives at CBS’ owned and operated television stations learned of an unexpected curveball from corporate management. Their election coverage, they learned, would now be sponsored by the sports gambling site DraftKings,” Status reports.

“The sponsorship raised immediate eyebrows among some of the executives.”

Capitol Rioters Pardoned by Trump Want U.S. Payouts

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“Police guarding the U.S. Capitol against riots on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress certified the 2020 election results, were punched, shoved, dragged down steps and pulled into the crowd. Some officers were hit in the face with bear spray, struck with flagpoles or had their shields and batons used against them,” Bloomberg reports.

“Now, dozens of people pardoned by President Donald Trump after convictions for assaulting or interfering with law enforcement that day are suing the U.S. government for millions of dollars, alleging mistreatment by prosecutors, federal agents and prison officials.”

Virginia Democrat Charged in Marijuana Racketeering Case

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“Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas (D) has been charged in a federal indictment with leading an alleged marijuana racketeering conspiracy that included members of her family,” CNBC reports.

“Lucas, an 82-year-old and one of the top elected Democrats in Virginia, is a critic of President Donald Trump. She was an architect of efforts in Virginia to redraw the state’s congressional districts in a way that would have boosted chances for Democrats to gain a majority of House seats from the state.”

CBS News: Feds charge Virginia lawmaker who was key to redistricting push.

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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