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Afternoon Sun Newsletter

Afternoon Sun: Stumped

A golfer walks past the stump of a large tree at the East Potomac Golf Links.

A golfer walks past the stump of a large tree at the East Potomac Golf Links. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

By Brett Bachman

October 12, 2026 04:07 p.m.

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Good afternoon. Here’s what you need to know.

THE LATEST

Federal agents searched the D.C. home of Rep. Ilhan Omar this morning as part of an unspecified criminal investigation, a highly unusual move this close to an election.

  • Omar and other Democrats accused the Trump administration of abusing its power.
  • “Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement,” Omar said. “I will not be silenced.”

THE ADMINISTRATION

Trending

  • Golfers pass trees recently cut down at East Potomac golf course.

    Judge Says the Government Lost ‘Its Credibility’ by Cutting Down East Potomac Trees

  • Jayden Daniels AP - 26284666852016

    What, Exactly, Happened at the End of the Commanders’ Disastrous Tie?

  • Ilhan Omar AP-26285444534618

    Democrats Say the Search of Ilhan Omar’s Home Is a ‘Disturbing’ Abuse of Power

  • eric ueland

    White House Floats Russ Vought’s Deputy to Lead Congress’ Watchdog Arm

Donald Trump is headed to Youngstown, Ohio, tonight to rally for GOP candidates. And he’s not the only one pitching in for Republicans in the crucial swing state: Crypto-affiliated super PAC Fairshake has dropped more than $2.5 million already this week in an attempt to take down Democratic Senate hopeful Sherrod Brown.

Happy Columbus Day: The White House celebrated the holiday by creating a new AI-filled website: “Sail On. Columbus Day is back.”

THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Elon Musk is now the largest known donor in this year’s midterm elections, doling out more than $276 million over the past several months in an attempt to save Republicans from losing their majorities in Congress.

THE HILL

If that effort fails, Speaker Mike Johnson said over the weekend that he plans to remain his party’s House leader.

  • “If, heaven forbid, we lost the majority, I would expect my colleagues would call upon me to continue to lead the conference in divided government,” he told CBS’s Robert Costa.

THE COURTS

The Trump administration cut down hundreds of trees at the East Potomac Golf Course in D.C. over the weekend, enraging a federal judge on Monday and leading her to order the Interior Department to put down its saws. The judge had previously ordered officials to notify the court before performing any construction on the site.

  • “I do not know how I could have made it any plainer I did not want what happened to happen,” District Judge Judge Ana C. Reyes said, adding that the incident had “cost the government all of its credibility” in the case.

Another judge ordered the Trump administration to stop airing its controversial taxpayer-funded ad campaign, which critics have called “propaganda.”

  • But at least two of the ads aired after the court’s Sunday evening deadline, according to AdImpact data cited by The Washington Post.

SPELL CHECK IS FREE

Typo in this ad https://t.co/OioiY41nR5 pic.twitter.com/AcYkqnMHTQ

— David Weigel (@daveweigel) October 11, 2026

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Elise Foley and Nikie Johnson. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at newsletters@washsun.com.

Author

Brett Bachman, NOTUS Senior Editor for Breaking News Brett Bachman is an editor at The Washington Sun.

The Latest

  • Susan Collins

    Republican-Aligned Super PAC Confirms Its Vendor Bought Ads in the Wrong Portland

  • Trump speaks to reporters after signing a spending bill that ends a partial shutdown.

    Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded Ads Kept Running After a Court Ordered Him to Stop

  • Timothy Broglio

    U.S. Archbishop Says Catholic Soldiers Should Not Serve on Hegseth’s Firing Squad

  • President Donald Trump presents the National Medal of Science to Elon Musk.

    Elon Musk Is the Biggest Known Donor in the Midterms

  • Ilhan Omar AP-26285444534618

    Democrats Say the Search of Ilhan Omar’s Home Is a ‘Disturbing’ Abuse of Power

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