“Some U.S. companies with close ties to President Trump are taking steps to gain favor with Democrats, worried they will become targets if Republicans lose control of the House,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Big tech companies, in particular those that made major donations to Trump’s legacy projects, are preparing for congressional and even potential criminal investigations, according to advisers, lobbyists and board members. Washington-based lawyers and lobbyists say that their clients are asking: What are our vulnerabilities?”

“Meta Platforms and others are writing big checks for Democrats ahead of the midterms, according to people familiar with the matter, a counterbalance to the tens of millions they gave to the White House ballroom and Republican initiatives.”

“Democratic candidates’ call to get money out of politics is a central theme in the 2026 midterms, with dozens of Democratic incumbents and candidates pledging to reject donations from corporate political action committees,” NOTUS reports.

“But there’s a workaround that is enabling the flow of money from business interests into the campaign accounts of many Democrats who otherwise reject cash from corporate PACs.”

“In the obscure yet consequential world of the cost of television ads for political candidates and parties, Democrats scored a legal victory on Tuesday ahead of the midterm elections,” the New York Times reports.

“A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled that low-cost ad rates that candidates qualify for do not have to be made available to political parties.”

“The ruling is a win for Democrats, whose candidates tend to raise more money than its committees. The opposite is true for Republicans, whose party committees are more flush with cash than many of its individual candidates.”

“The top donors in American politics have poured more than $1.6 billion so far this cycle into influencing the country’s politics,” the Washington Post reports.

“The donors lean Republican, and cash could prove critical for the GOP to maintain control of Congress in November. Republican-leaning donors gave $1.05 billion, compared with $410 million from Democratic-leaning givers and $230 million from bipartisan and special-interest groups for the midterm elections.”

“Vice President Vance hosted a Wednesday evening fundraiser in Southampton, N.Y. for young Republican donors that raised more than $5 million,” Axios reports.

“Why it matters: The event drew several up-and-coming donors in their 20s and 30s — providing a glimpse into the finance network Vance is assembling ahead of a possible run for president in 2028.”

NOTUS: “James Talarico keeps raising too much money.”

“The Texas Democrat has already raised more than $70 million in his bid to defeat state Attorney General Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate — more than any other non-incumbent candidate has raised this cycle nationwide and millions more than his Republican rival has amassed.”

“But scores of Talarico donors are exceeding federal donation limits, with regulators at the Federal Election Commission identifying 143 such donors who exceeded the legal limit, according to a 24-page letter they sent to the Talarico campaign this month.”

“President Donald Trump has finally given the green light to pour millions of dollars from his personal PAC toward boosting vulnerable Republicans in November, as some top campaign advisers privately acknowledge that Republicans’ chances of keeping control of both the House and Senate are dwindling,” CNN reports.

“Trump’s political team is still debating what the final dollar figure will be, though one person familiar with the discussions floated $30 million in the first tranche.”

“A clean energy group made waves by spending big to help oust Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) in last week’s primary. Now they’ve settled on their next line of attack,” Politico reports.

“The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition PAC, backed by solar executives and investors, will plow at least $1 million into defeating Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) in the South Carolina GOP Senate runoff, the group told Playbook. It’s a significant sum — which could grow — for the compressed two-week sprint to Norman’s one-on-one contest against Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) for a full term in the seat once held by her late brother Lindsey Graham.”

“For the renewable energy world, taking down Norman is personal.”

“President Donald Trump said he would open the purse strings on the massive amount of campaign cash he controls to support Republican candidates in November’s midterm elections,” Bloomberg reports.

“As of last week, however, Trump had not signed off on a plan to spend any of the $401 million he’s amassed from political donors, sparking concern from allies that the money will be left on the table with fewer than 100 days to go before the November 3 vote.”

“In less than five years, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has become one of the biggest spenders in American elections, flooding the airwaves in congressional races across the country,” the New York Times reports.

“Since its first involvement in elections, the amount of money AIPAC-affiliated political action committees have spent on campaign advertising and outreach to voters has more than doubled, from $29.3 million to $67.2 million, with much of it spent in Democratic primaries.”

“The spending — in Michigan and across the country — marks a significant shift for the group, which for decades was a bipartisan lobbying organization focused on influencing federal legislation and sending members of Congress to Israel. But, alarmed by what it saw as a rising tide of anti-Israel sentiment from Democrats, the group quickly became a major player in federal elections.”