“Justice Department lawyers on Monday defended Lindsey Halligan’s role as eastern Virgnia’s top federal prosecutor, saying in court filings that even if her appointment as U.S. attorney is ruled invalid, she now has an additional title that will allow her to continue overseeing cases against two of President Donald Trump’s perceived foes,” the Washington Post reports.

“The unusual maneuvering signaled at least some concern among Justice Department officials that questions over Halligan’s status could put the cases against Comey and James in jeopardy.”

Paul Krugman: “There’s been plenty of scathing commentary about the lavish, Great Gatsby-themed Halloween party Donald Trump threw at Mar a Lago — a party complete with sequined, feathered dancers and, yes, a scantily-clad woman in a giant martini glass. The party, held just hours before 42 million Americans were about to lose federal food assistance, as 1.4 million federal workers are going without pay, was grotesque. It was also, like everything Trump, unspeakably vulgar.”

“But many commenters described the festivities as ‘tone deaf,’ as if Trump didn’t realize how it would look to be holding such a party as tens of millions of Americans are facing severe hardship. C’mon. Of course he realized how it would look. He understood perfectly well that he was partying while ordinary Americans were suffering. And that understanding — combined with the belief that he can get away with it — was a big reason he enjoyed the event.”

“Federal and state criminal investigations into a Virginia woman who distributed leaflets disclosing the home address of a White House official, Stephen Miller, have prompted a secret court fight over the balance between personal safety and free speech at a time of rising political violence,” the New York Times reports.

“President Trump is facing major tests of his power and influence this week, with elections that will offer a sense of voters’ moods, a battle over his tariffs at the Supreme Court and a government shutdown that keeps grinding on,” the New York Times reports.