All The Washington Sun Stories

Trump-Aligned Super PAC Ran an Ad Attacking a Native American Candidate — Featuring the Wrong Person

Adora Brown — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 21:49:44 GMT

In an attack ad that began airing on Friday and is set to run through Tuesday, the super PAC twice featured photos of Lizer, who was Nez’s Republican vice president during his time as president of the Navajo Nation. (Matt York/AP)

No Going Back PAC, a Trump-aligned super PAC, ran an ad attacking Jonathan Nez, a Native American candidate in a competitive Arizona House district. But it twice showed images of another Native American politician instead.

The 30-second spot erroneously showed photos of Myron Lizer, who held tribal office alongside Nez. Nez is the former president of the Navajo Nation and is now the Democratic nominee for Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District, which is represented by his Republican opponent, Rep. Eli Crane.

The ad, which began airing on Friday and is set to run through Tuesday, twice featured photos of Lizer, who was Nez’s Republican vice president during his time as president of the Navajo Nation.

“Eli Crane and his billionaire backers are so scared of an Indigenous sheepherder from Shonto, Arizona, they rushed a $700k ad against me. But they care so little about the voters of AZ-02 they couldn’t get it right,” Nez told The Washington Sun in a statement. “The voters of AZ-02 are tired of their broken promises and disregard for the real challenges they are facing. I guess they don’t care to know my face, but on November 3rd they’ll hear my voice.”

The No Going Back PAC is planning to spend more than $650,000 on the advertisement, according to AdImpact.

“The ad was corrected shortly after it aired,” a spokesperson for the super PAC told The Sun in a statement.

AdImpact now shows an updated version of the advertisement with the correct photos showing Nez.

The ad goes after Nez on affordability and accusations of fraud.

Lizer did not respond to a request for comment.

Democrats Hope They Can Ride a ‘Perfect Storm’ in Texas

Daniella Diaz — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 21:28:12 GMT

Despite the absence from the trail, Talarico appears to be giving Democrats their best shot in a generation to win a statewide race in Texas — something they haven't done since 1994. (Eric Gay/AP)

In one of the most high-profile Senate races in the country, the leading candidate has been noticeably absent.

Texas Republicans for days attacked state Rep. James Talarico for leaving the campaign trail for nine days, which Talarico’s team said was because he was recovering from the flu.

On Friday, videos of Talarico walking and shaking hands with people appeared on social media. His campaign spokesperson JT Ennis told The Washington Sun in a statement that “James Talarico is back on the campaign trail talking to voters at Austin City Limits.”

Talarico is expected to do additional campaigning this weekend, as well as appear on a CNN town hall Oct. 14.

Despite the absence from the trail, Talarico appears to be giving Democrats their best shot in a generation to win a statewide race in Texas — something they haven't done since 1994. Less than four weeks out from Election Day, Democrats are bullish about flipping the seat, buoyed by national attention, polling that shows Talarico leading state Attorney General Ken Paxton by roughly 5 percentage points, and Talarico's staggering most-recent fundraising numbers: $31.6 million to Paxton's $18 million.

If Texas were to elect a Democratic senator, it would help Democrats win back the majority in the Senate and change the fabric of the 2028 presidential election.

“We've got a cartoonishly corrupt Republican nominee in Ken Paxton, we've got a historically unpopular president in Donald Trump, and we've got a great communicator and fundraiser in James Talarico,” said Luke Warford, founding partner of the Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund, a group in Texas aimed at building Democratic infrastructure. “Those three things add up to mean that Democrats might actually win Texas for the first time in a generation this year.”

One Democratic operative working on Senate races called the situation for the Senate election in Texas unique for this cycle, saying the stars might align for Democrats to flip the seat.

“It's truly a perfect storm of conditions. You have one of the worst Republican candidates in the country, the most unpopular Republican Senate candidate in Texas history,” the operative said. “James Talarico is an extraordinary candidate. He is very compelling on the stump. He's a great fundraiser. He speaks to people in a language that sounds familiar to them, on a religious level and because he’s a very bipartisan guy.”

Paxton’s being hit with a drip-drip-drip of leaked audio published in different publications revealing his criticism of Trump’s administration, as well as blaming the Republican D.C. establishment for issues in his Senate campaign.

His issues run back before the leaked meeting. In 2023, he was impeached on more than a dozen articles, including bribery, unfitness for office and obstruction of justice, and was acquitted by the state Senate in a high-profile trial. Since then, he’s faced a messy public divorce from state Sen. Angela Paxton, though she has urged voters to cast their ballots for the Republican ticket.

“[What is happening with Paxton] is a fucking total disaster,” a Republican strategist told The Washington Sun. “Talarico will likely be there for six years. He'll be a national star. He's going to help build the Democratic Party. He's going to recruit candidates. He's going to build the most massive donor file a Democrat in Texas has ever had. It is a disaster from 19 different angles.”

Paxton’s had immense help from outside fundraising groups, but there’s still concern from Republicans it won’t be enough to help him win. One sign of how much trouble he could be in may be the repeated trips to the state from his most prominent surrogate, President Donald Trump. Earlier this week the president took his third trip to Texas this cycle, and Vice President JD Vance is expected to go on Tuesday.

“I wouldn't say we're concerned [about winning],” said a Republican aide close to the Paxton campaign. “In the last two and a half weeks or so, where the cavalry has kind of arrived for him, I think you're starting to see that movement, and we feel that [Paxton is] in a pretty good spot to kind of bring those undecideds that are, you know, leaning Republicans back home to him and push him over the top.”

The last time the state had such a tight race was October 2018. Texas' U.S. Senate race had the nation's attention for a midterm year in President Donald Trump’s first term. Polls showed Sen. Ted Cruz leading then-Rep. Beto O'Rourke by mid-to-high single digits, but on Election Day the Republican incumbent won by just 2.6 percentage points, the closest Texas Senate race in decades. (Cruz beat Rep. Colin Allred in a presidential election year by 9 percentage points.)

For years, Democrats have pointed to those results as proof the state was within reach.

The race is on track to become the most expensive Senate contest in history, a sign of how competitive both parties expect it to be in the final stretch. According to the media tracking firm AdImpact, ad spending in the general election has reached $255 million as of Friday, making it one of the most expensive Senate races in history.

Afternoon Sun: Firing Squad

Marissa Martinez — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 21:08:26 GMT

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 21:08:26 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/afternoon-sun-newsletter/firing-squad

Flowers sat outside the entrance of Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, in 2009. Nidal Malik Hasan, an ex-U.S. Army psychiatrist, killed 13 people and wounded 32 others at Fort Hood earlier that year. The Defense Department said Monday he would face a firing squad for the massacre. (Paul Sakuma/AP Photo)

THE LATEST

JD Vance told reporters he’s “not going to be watching” any livestreamed execution of the Fort Hood shooter — and cast doubt on whether the government will actually broadcast it.

“I don’t know that that’s actually going to happen,” he said. “Let’s sort of, see — I think it’s going to happen in December, when he’s executed.”

Scoop: Religious freedom groups say soldiers are preemptively attempting to opt out of participating in the firing squad, with one telling an advocate: “I do not want my children or my family watching me pull a trigger.”

Conservative commentator Katie Zacharia has been offered the position of White House press secretary, Donald Trump announced today.

THE ADMINISTRATION

Federal immigration agents who shot a man with his 5-year-old son in the car were wearing body cameras that were turned on, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said today.

A federal judge blocked the administration from deporting the man, who is from the Dominican Republic.

Trump announced he has reached a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to boost global diesel supplies, seeking to bring down soaring fuel prices.

Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the agency used subterfuge and decoy planes to conceal Trump’s whereabouts before the secret operation that allowed him to leave Turkey this summer amid reported Iranian threats.

Trump’s latest effort to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook includes establishing a “committee of inquiry” to investigate allegations that she made false statements on mortgage applications.

As the war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen escalates, the Trump administration is resisting requests to enter the fighting directly, even as Washington provides military assistance to the Saudis.

The FBI wants to hire the UFC to train its special agents under a one-year deal that would bypass the competitive bidding process typically used for federal contracts.

THE HILL

Exclusive: Moderate Democrats are introducing a bill to end pocket rescissions and wrest back congressional control over government spending from the president.

The House published Maine Republican Paul LePage’s financial disclosure, dated Tuesday, three days after The Sun reported he had missed the deadline. The disclosure document is consistent with LePage’s filing from last year.

THE COURTS

Wisconsin Democrats are suing the Trump administration over the president’s campaign-style broadcast ads.

LOVING HIM WAS RED

https://x.com/GaryGrumbach/status/2108553002235683003

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Forecasted Hurricane Forces Trump to Change His Football Plans

Ben T.N. Mause — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 21:00:32 GMT

“If there’s a hurricane, I don’t want to do anything to take the focus of all of the great people that work on those things,” President Donald Trump said previously of attending a football game in Tuscaloosa. Matthew Kaminsky/Sipa USA via AP

With a hurricane bearing down on the Gulf Coast, President Donald Trump will not attend the Alabama-Georgia game in Tuscaloosa this weekend as previously planned.

Trump said in a Truth Social post on Friday afternoon that “it is important to have our wonderful First Responders, Law Enforcement, and others, focused on that Storm, and in no way be thinking about the safety, or presence, of the President of the United States, ME!”

He added he hoped the “potentially unbelievable” game would go on, despite the weather, and he planned to visit both teams at a later date. Trump said he will instead travel to Tennessee for a campaign rally in an unnamed location.

Trump had been scheduled to travel to Bryant-Denny Stadium to watch Saturday night’s game, but Hurricane Isaias is expected to make landfall along Alabama’s coast and bring severe storms deeper into the state.

When asked Wednesday whether he still planned to travel to the game, Trump told reporters that he was unaware of the hurricane but indicated it could change his plans.

“If there’s a hurricane, I don’t want to do anything to take the focus of all of the great people that work on those things,” Trump said. “So we’ll have to see.”

The game would’ve been the second high-profile SEC game Trump had attended in the span of a few weeks. He took in the first half of the Tennessee-Texas game in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Sept. 26. And it would have been his second visit to Tuscaloosa to see Alabama play Georgia within the past two years. He attended in 2024 and remained for the entire game, which saw Alabama narrowly defeat the Bulldogs.

Soldiers Are Already Looking for a Way Out of Hegseth’s Livestreamed Firing Squad

Michelle Del Rey — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 20:34:00 GMT

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have spoken out against Hegseth’s decision to livestream the execution — one of the rare issues where Republicans have spoken out against the Trump administration and publicly called for a reversal. (Tyler Tate/AP)

Some soldiers are already panicking about the possibility of being asked or even forced to participate in the firing squad execution of Nidal Mikal Hasan, according to a religious freedom organization that advises U.S. military members.

Hasan, who killed 13 people during a mass shooting at Fort Hood in Texas in 2009, is scheduled to be executed on Dec. 3 at Fort Hood, in a spectacle that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said this week would be livestreamed publicly by the Trump administration.

“We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it,” Hegseth told the conservative television network Real America’s Voice News on Thursday. “People need to understand there are serious consequences for these types of things.”

Just a day later, Michael L. Weinstein, the founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, told The Washington Sun that he had spoken to six soldiers who are already looking to file for preliminary religious exemptions that would prevent them from being selected for the firing squad. He said that he anticipates between 120 and 180 service members to file accommodation requests in the coming weeks.

The MRFF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the religious freedom of service members and advocates for them when military policies or practices may infringe on their beliefs.

The service members expressed concerns about being part of what Weinstein called a “grotesque public spectacle” and fear that participating in the execution would violate the biblical commandment against murder. Two of the six service members are Catholic and four are Protestant.

“They feel they’re being used and manipulated,” Weinstein said. “Like chess pieces on a board.”

“Four have had preliminary indication that they are potentially vulnerable to be qualified to be on the firing squad,” Weinstein added, though he did not elaborate on what that indication was.

An execution order signed Monday by Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle directed Hasan be put to death by firing squad on Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. Central Time. The order, issued after President Donald Trump approved Hasan’s death sentence on Oct. 2, designated the commandant of the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth as the execution officer.

The order cites Army Regulation 190-55, which governs military executions but does not specify how soldiers will be selected for the firing squad, whether their participation will be voluntary or how their identities will be protected. It also makes no mention of livestreaming the execution.

Soldiers ordered to participate in the execution would have little legal recourse to refuse, according to Steven Lepper, a retired Air Force major general and former deputy judge advocate general of the Air Force.

Although military regulations recognize conscientious objectors who oppose war in all its forms, they do not provide a comparable exemption for service members who object to a particular assignment, he said.

“This is one of those situations … that could be classified as lawful but awful,” Lepper said. “If a soldier is ordered to participate in a firing squad, there being no specific legal prohibitions against it, it would probably be considered a lawful order and one which the soldier has a duty to follow.”

Cynthia Smith, an Army spokesperson, could not provide further details about the selection of soldiers, the logistics of the broadcast or whether any legal objections had been filed.

None of the soldiers who spoke with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation claimed they’d actively been tapped to serve on the execution team.

As a precaution, however, Weinstein advised each of the soldiers to file the exemption requests, which would need to be reviewed by a chaplain and approved by a commanding general.

If their requests are denied, he’s advised them to file formal complaints against their commanders. Weinstein emphasized that being ordered to serve as part of a firing squad is consistent with laws governing military executions, but the public nature of a livestreamed event changes the stakes for participants.

He said one soldier told him: “I do not want my children or my family watching me pull a trigger.”

Several soldiers argued the public nature of the killing would violate a basic tenet of Christianity that prohibits sinning in pride.

It’s unclear how many soldiers would be a part of the execution team. South Carolina, which legalized firing squad executions in 2021, has used a crew of three shooters, all with live rounds, to kill death row inmates.

The Pentagon has not released details of the logistics and did not respond to a detailed series of questions or a request for comment from The Sun.

While lawful, Lepper warned that livestreaming Hasan’s execution could inflame extremists and turn him into a martyr. Lepper noted that the United States has long condemned public executions in other countries, raising questions about the precedent the Pentagon would set.

“Why would anyone want to inflame the passions of an enemy that we’re currently fighting?” he asked. “Why would we want to inflame the passions of the Muslim world by making Hassan a martyr?”

Weinstein agreed, saying, “This is his dream.”

”This will be viewed as an execution of Islam,” he said. “How could he possibly be martyred any better?”

Moreover, Weinstein said troops have questioned whether Hegseth is using the execution as a political ploy ahead of the midterms.

Weinstein said hundreds of soldiers have reached out to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation to share their concerns about the defense secretary’s acerbic leadership style and relentless focus on culture war issues.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have spoken out against Hegseth’s decision to livestream the execution — one of the rare issues where Republicans have spoken out against the Trump administration and publicly called for a reversal.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) excoriated the decision in an X post: “Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America.”

While speaking to reporters on Friday, Vice President JD Vance said he didn’t expect the livestream to actually take place — adding that even if it does, he plans not to watch.

“I see these announcements. I don't know that that's actually going to happen,” Vance told reporters Friday. “If it’s ultimately livestreamed, I’m not gonna be watching it.”

Calling for Satan? Wrong Number.

Ellie Silverman — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 20:25:25 GMT

Capitol Hill Books is an independent used bookstore in the Eastern Market neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Torrie Herrington/The Washington Sun

About once a day, someone calls Capitol Hill Books enraged. It's hard to make out exactly what they're mad about, but lately it's been about the U.S. Capitol being "the great den of Satan." They don't realize they're yelling at the wrong place.

"You've called a bookstore called Capitol Hill Books and not the actual Capitol," co-owner Kyle Burk responds. "I suggest you look for your particular congressperson that you're trying to reach."

The caller is usually still angry, especially now that they aren't getting what they want, which is to speak to someone with a big title about how they're ruining the country. They usually assert that they are exercising their First Amendment rights. One person specifically asked to speak with Satan.

"We assure them that we have no power other than to sell them used books,” said Burk, 50. “Once it goes to Satan, it’s an immediate hang up.”

The misdirected rage calls surge with the news, such as when Congress was debating the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. During discussions of the pandemic stimulus package, a caller demanded: "Put me through to AOC."

"It's kind of a classic, ‘Sir, this is a Wendy's’ meme scenario," Burk said. "We like our name. If this is the burden we have to live with, so be it."

With midterm elections less than a month away, Burk said the calls boil down to: “Is this Capitol Hill? Let me tell you why I’m angry. I don't like what you guys are doing up there. You're a bunch of crooks.”

None of the owners take it personally. They know the callers aren’t actually mad at a bookstore.

Earlier this week, the store posted on Instagram: “Friendly reminder that we are Capitol Hill Books, a bookstore, not 'the' Capitol Hill, the seat of satanic power you keep calling to yell at us about. We wish, obviously, but sadly no.”

The store doesn’t avoid political discussions, which often reflect just how liberal residents are in this city. Customers have tacked fliers on the wall: an immigration film festival, an Amnesty International report on Sudan, a petition to oppose plans for a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters in D.C.

Capitol Hill Books is packed into a row house across from Eastern Market. There are 20,000 books, jammed anywhere the owners could find space. On the second floor, there's a section on dirigibles, right next to erotica, but you need a ladder to reach it. A couple years ago, Burk said, they moved the law books into the bathroom.

The store doesn't have voicemail set up, Burk said, because "That would be chaos."

Trump Says He Struck a Diesel Deal With Putin to Lower Fuel Prices

Hamed Ahmadi — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 20:18:49 GMT

President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to "immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace." Sergei Bulkin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

President Donald Trump said Friday that he reached a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to boost global diesel supplies, seeking to bring down soaring fuel prices just weeks before the midterm elections.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel “to the American and Global Marketplace,” followed by another 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons shortly afterward.

Russia would then deliver an additional 3 million tons within a short period, depending on the condition of its refineries, Trump said.

Trump predicted that the Russian supplies, along with U.S. control of the Strait of Hormuz, would send diesel prices "COMING DOWN, IN RECORD NUMBERS, AND FAST!"

He did not say whether he offered Putin anything in return.

Shortly after the announcement, the Treasury Department said it was issuing a temporary license allowing Russian diesel to reach global markets, including into the U.S. through April.

The White House referred to the Treasury Department’s announcement of the temporary license. The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The agreement comes as Trump faces pressure to bring down fuel prices ahead of the November midterm elections. Diesel prices have risen roughly 70% since the U.S. war with Iran began in February, reaching a national average of about $6.28 per gallon Friday, according to AAA.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sharply criticized the agreement, warning that easing sanctions would help Russia prolong its war against Ukraine.

"Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilized world," Zelenskyy wrote on X. "Russia will 'repay' the diesel with further terror and perfidy."

Trump signed legislation last month expanding sanctions on Russia, including its energy industry and financial institutions, over the war in Ukraine.

The U.S. has prohibited imports of Russian oil and petroleum products, including diesel, since 2022.

Russia has also restricted diesel exports through the end of October to protect its domestic market after Ukrainian attacks damaged refineries.

Putin said earlier this month that Russia would not resume diesel exports to global markets until sanctions were lifted, Reuters reported.

Hegseth Says an Execution Will Be Streamed. Vance Isn’t So Sure.

Ben T.N. Mause — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 19:42:04 GMT

“I see these announcements. I don't know that that's actually going to happen,” Vice President JD Vance said. (Samuel Corum/AP)

Despite Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s announcement that the execution of a convicted terrorist would be livestreamed, Vice President JD Vance cast doubt on whether the public display will happen. If it does, he says he won’t be among those watching.

“I see these announcements. I don't know that that's actually going to happen,” Vance told reporters traveling with him in Ohio. “Whatever the controversy is about the method of the execution, I hope that people don't forget that this is a guy who brutally murdered a lot of innocent people. Now that said, I mean, look, if it's all through livestream, I'm not going to be watching it."

Nidal Malik Hasan, an ex-U.S. Army psychiatrist, killed 13 people and wounded 32 others at Fort Hood in 2009. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 2013. Vance called the shooting the worst terrorist attack on American soil outside of 9/11.

The Defense Department announced Monday that Hasan would face a firing squad. But Hegseth’s plan to stream the execution online faces a growing list of Republicans publicly opposing the idea, including a member of the House Armed Services Committee that oversees the Pentagon.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) said on Thursday that the decision was “beyond disgusting.”

“Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do,” Tillis posted on X. “It should not be happening in America.”

That sentiment was echoed on Friday by Rep. Austin Scott (R-Georgia), a member of the House Armed Services committee, who posted that “livestreaming executions is what jihadists do. America is better than that.”

President Donald Trump approved an execution by firing squad. Trump talked about the execution during a Columbus Day event on Friday but didn’t mention it being livestreamed.

The White House referred questions about how and where the execution would be streamed to the Pentagon. The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment on the plan or on Vance’s comments.

Trump’s seal of approval hasn’t kept opposition to the online execution from growing within his party.

Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) urged Hegseth to reconsider broadcasting it, citing the Roman philosopher Seneca’s belief that “Rome’s bloody spectacles corrupted the people who watched them.”

Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pennsylvania), who’s in danger of losing his seat in November, said that Hegseth shouldn’t use an execution as entertainment.

“The focus should be on justice for the victims and their families, not turning an execution into entertainment,” Bresnahan posted on X. “Their pain deserves respect, not a public show.”

Judge Bars the Deportation of a Man Shot By an ICE Agent in NYC

Jackie Llanos — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 19:17:58 GMT

Two New York City Police Department officers took Oscar Bergal to the hospital in a police car, according to police-worn body camera video released by the NYPD, from which this image was taken. (NYPD via AP)

A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from deporting a Dominican man shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Thursday in New York City.

U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken also ordered ICE not to move Oscar Bergal, 28, whom law enforcement initially identified as Belgal, out of New York and New Jersey. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said during a press conference Friday morning that Bergal had been taken out of New York.

In the same petition for Bergal in federal court seeking a temporary restraining order, U.S. District Judge John Cronan ordered an in-person hearing Friday afternoon. He told the government to be prepared to discuss Bergal’s current location, his location when the petition was filed and other circumstances.

An ICE agent shot seven times at a car with Bergal and his 5-year-old child inside, striking the man in the neck, Jessica Tisch, New York Police Department’s commissioner, said during a press conference Thursday night.

The shooting took place around 4 p.m. in Marble Hill, a northern Manhattan neighborhood. Two NYPD officers took Bergal to the hospital in a police car, according to body camera footage the department released Friday morning.

Attorneys from immigrant rights’ advocacy group Make the Road New York filed a petition in court seeking Bergal’s release.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Thursday he had spent two hours trying to negotiate Bergal’s release.

“Those negotiations were unsuccessful,” Mamdani said. “Just moments ago, ICE put the man in an unmarked vehicle and whisked him away."

Trump’s Catering-Truck Escape From AF1 Wasn’t the First: Secret Service Chief

Hamed Ahmadi — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 19:07:56 GMT

Trump initially boarded Air Force One in view of cameras before secretly leaving the aircraft through an airport catering truck and transferring to a smaller military plane. (Alex Brandon/AP)

Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in an interview that the agency had used subterfuge and decoy planes to conceal President Donald Trump’s whereabouts before the secret operation that allowed him to leave Turkey this summer amid reported Iranian threats.

“Look, that’s not the first time we’ve done that,” Curran told CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell in a preview for a “60 Minutes” segment scheduled to air Sunday.

Curran also said he wished the operation had never been made public.

“We wish that wasn't reported because that takes some of our tactics away from being able to do something similar again,” he told O'Donnell.

The maneuver took place July 8, when Trump was leaving a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, amid intelligence about a possible Iranian missile attack targeting his plane.

Trump initially boarded Air Force One in view of cameras before secretly leaving the aircraft through an airport catering truck and transferring to a smaller military plane.

Air Force One then flew to Britain with journalists, White House staff and senior administration officials aboard, while Trump traveled separately. Many passengers were unaware the president was no longer on the plane.

Trump later confirmed the switch, saying the Secret Service and military wanted him aboard a different aircraft because of the threat.

The tactic has been used by previous presidents. In March 2000, President Bill Clinton traveled to Pakistan aboard an unmarked aircraft while another plane resembling Air Force One served as a decoy.

Unlike Trump’s flight, however, the Clinton White House briefed a representative of the traveling press corps about the security arrangements.

Trump Names an Adviser to Trump Media as White House Press Secretary

Ayah Ali-Ahmad — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 18:48:47 GMT

The role of press secretary has sat vacant for more than a month following Karoline Leavitt's departure from the White House. (Francis Chung/Politico via AP Images)

President Donald Trump named conservative commentator Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary on Friday, filling a role that has sat vacant for more than a month since Karoline Leavitt’s departure.

In a Truth Social post announcing his pick, Trump credited Zacharia’s appearances on Fox News and Newsmax and her work in swing states during his 2024 campaign for landing her the gig. He called her “a devoted fan and member of MAGA” with “an unblemished record of support.” He also again praised Leavitt, whom he called “fabulous.”

Zacharia said on Truth Social that the role is “the honor of a lifetime.” She said she looks forward to working with the White House press corps and reporters nationally, and that Leavitt set “a high standard, and one worth meeting.”

Zacharia briefly served as a spokesperson and deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security for about six weeks in early 2026. Most recently, she works as a communications adviser at Trump Media and Technology Group, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Zacharia wrote in a February social media post that she was “proud to serve” Trump and then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in her new DHS role.

During a recent segment on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Zacharia said she had signed all four of her children up for Trump Accounts, the federal investment accounts for minors Trump again touted this week.

Trump has posted clips of an August Fox News segment featuring Zacharia on Truth Social several times. In one, she says Trump is “not getting enough praise” for a decline in fentanyl deaths and calls him the most effective president “for the border and interior enforcement.”

After her stint at DHS, Zacharia served as general counsel for Fix California, a conservative advocacy group founded by Richard Grenell, Trump’s presidential envoy for special missions.

The White House chose not to replace Leavitt as she took maternity leave for a few months earlier this year, and it also never named anyone as an interim press secretary after Leavitt departed permanently at the end of August. Instead, a rotating band of Cabinet secretaries, Trump officials — and even Vice President JD Vance — took turns briefing reporters in recent months.

This article has been updated with a comment from Katie Zacharia.

D.C. Elections Board Asks National Guard to Stay Away From Ballot Drop Boxes

Martin Austermuhle — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 18:39:30 GMT

It is against federal law for troops to be deployed around polling places. (Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images)

Reports of National Guard troops standing next to a D.C. ballot drop box in Foggy Bottom on Thursday have prompted complaints from some residents and an official request from the D.C. Board of Elections that it not happen again.

“We are addressing the concerns with the National Guard directly and have requested that they impose limitations on the placement of National Guard service members near drop boxes and other voting locations in the District,” said board spokesperson Sarah Graham.

The ballot drop box wasn’t in use when the National Guard troops were filmed standing next to it.

“We are aware of imagery circulating online of service members standing near a ballot drop box. Maintaining public trust is a top priority, and JTF-DC service members are directed not to monitor or secure polling locations,” said a spokesperson for the Joint Task Force, which is in charge of the D.C. deployment, in response to questions from The Washington Sun.

“JTF-DC is actively addressing this specific instance and remains fully committed to conducting its missions professionally, lawfully, and with respect for the public's constitutional rights,” the spokesperson said.

The city’s 55 drop boxes opened Friday morning and will be available for voters to drop off their ballots through the end of Election Day, which is Nov. 3.

Ballot drop boxes are popular with voters; for the June primary, more than 63,000 voters used them to return their ballots, representing roughly 40% of all votes cast. The boxes tend to be in high-traffic areas — including by Metro stations like in Foggy Bottom.

It is against federal law for troops to be deployed around polling places.

Reactions to the video that circulated on social media at least partly reflect the ongoing discomfort that some D.C. residents still feel with having the National Guard deployed in D.C. on President Donald Trump’s orders. While he has credited their presence with helping drive down crime, critics say their deployment is unnecessary and sets a troubling precedent around the use of the military for law enforcement.

As of Thursday, 2,864 National Guard troops were deployed in D.C., down from a high of more than 5,000 during the summer months. Roughly 2,300 of them are from 18 states outside of D.C., with Georgia, Mississippi and Florida having the biggest contingents.

There have been recent complaints about Guard members operating around D.C. schools, and city officials have asked that they refrain from doing so. Ward 2 D.C. Council member Brooke Pinto will hold a public hearing on Nov. 5 to hear from residents on their experiences with the National Guard in D.C.

Some of the concerns with the Guard members at the D.C. ballot box could also stem from broader worries about the Trump administration’s reported plans to deploy federal agents around polling places for the November election. This month, the Department of Homeland Security said it has no plans to station ICE agents at the polls.

The Trump administration also attempted to rein in mail voting generally this year; D.C. joins a handful of states that automatically send all registered voters a mail ballot, and most voters now prefer that to voting in person. Those efforts were stymied by litigation.

Still, changes to how the U.S. Postal Service postmarks ballots have prompted election officials to warn voters that if they’re going to use USPS to mail in their ballot, they should ensure that the postmark is not dated after Election Day, which would lead to the ballot being rejected.

A weeklong period of in-person early voting in D.C. kicks off Oct. 26.

This article has been updated to correct the date of Council member Brooke Pinto's upcoming public hearing.

The U.S. Has Kept Its Distance From the Saudi-Houthi Fight, But Can That Last?

Akbar Shahid Ahmed, Joe Gould — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 18:26:56 GMT

President Donald Trump has reportedly dodged requests from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for increased support in the conflict. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

As the war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen escalates, the Trump administration is resisting requests to enter the fighting directly, even as Washington provides military assistance to the Saudis. But mounting Houthi attacks, doubts about the Saudi strategy and the conflict’s ties to the Iran war are driving questions from officials and experts about how long the U.S. can keep its distance.

The Trump administration is already providing the Saudis with intelligence and aerial refueling, a U.S. official told The Washington Sun, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. The official said American involvement includes “advising the Saudis to remove questionable targets from their strike lists” because of concerns about civilian casualties.

More than 100 American military personnel are advising Saudi Arabia on its bombing runs in Yemen. President Donald Trump also wants to sell the Saudis thousands of American-made precision-guided bombs and 48 F-35 fighter jets — plans opposed by congressional Democrats. With weapons and training from Iran, the Houthis have struck Saudi airports and oil infrastructure that is crucial to global energy flows, which are already strained by the Iran war.

Trump has reportedly dodged requests from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for direct military support. People familiar with administration thinking told The Sun the White House is resistant to deeper entanglement for now.

“We can avoid it for the time being,” said one person familiar with Trump administration officials’ thinking who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. The person emphasized Trump’s dissatisfaction with Operation Rough Rider, the 2025 American campaign against the Houthis that failed to significantly weaken the group despite its $1 billion price tag.

Some U.S. officials doubt the Saudi approach, noting that the country pushed the United Arab Emirates — another U.S. partner in the region — out of Yemen earlier this year. The UAE was, like the Saudis, supporting anti-Houthi fighters on the ground.

“I have discerned no appetite whatsoever to expand [U.S. involvement] to bail out the Saudis,” the person familiar said.

Annelle Sheline, a researcher at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, told The Sun she was unsurprised by U.S. frustration with Saudi choices. Still, Sheline said that the Saudis viewed UAE-linked Yemeni separatists as an emerging security concern in a similar way to the Houthis.

The conflict’s recent escalation may have presented an opportunity for Saudi Arabia to rally more international support as it takes on the Houthis because of global concern about the Yemeni group’s role in helping Iran disrupt oil and gas shipments. France is shielding Saudi energy infrastructure, and Britain is also refueling Saudi jets, while Pakistan and Turkey have deployed troops to Saudi Arabia.

Trump may prove unwilling to join the coalition until after America’s midterm elections, as the unpopular Iran war continues to be a problem politically for Republicans.

“My expectation would be that at some point, maybe he does announce post-midterms he’s fine with doing a couple of very specific, very targeted bombing campaigns alongside the Saudis,” said Elizabeth Dent, a former Pentagon official who worked on Gulf security during the Biden administration. “The inclination is to be as supportive as possible without taking the lead.”

The Saudis’ contributions to Trump’s family businesses, including a $2 billion investment in a fund run by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, could also bolster their expectation that they are owed U.S. support.

“I imagine all MBS has to do is say, ‘Trump, I personally enriched you!’” Sheline said.

The person close to the administration told The Sun they expect the Saudis to keep emphasizing their ties to Trump as they seek help, but they’ve had “no luck thus far.”

A resumed U.S. offensive against Iran could also push the administration to target the Houthis, if the Yemeni group launches further strikes in solidarity with Tehran. The Pentagon has already prepared fresh Iran war plans, according to The New York Times, and American military forces remain concentrated in the region.

Still, some are urging caution about the prospect of another U.S. campaign in Yemen, after attacks under presidents Trump, Joe Biden, Barack Obama and George W. Bush failed to stem security threats out of the country and drove humanitarian crises.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut), who visited Riyadh this week, told reporters he believes the Saudis want to push the Houthis out of more Yemeni territory but would eventually settle on a truce with the group. Meanwhile, the senator argued the U.S. is already embroiled in the fighting, pointing to the military advisers and refueling operations.

“To me, that’s war,” Murphy said. He added Congress may try to stop Trump from continuing American involvement.

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) is already leading an effort to block 10,000 additional American bombs for Saudi Arabia. In an Oct. 5 letter to senators, more than 30 antiwar and human rights groups pushed senators to support Markey’s resolution, arguing that it is consistent for legislators who have voted to restrict Trump’s Iran war to oppose moves that could deepen the conflict in Yemen.

Observers note the potential heavy toll of the fighting and a feedback loop of violence if a deal is the endgame.

A regional diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the thinking among officials, told The Sun that Saudi anxiety about the Houthis is “understandable” but added: “Military pressure tends to harden positions rather than bring parties to the table.”

Oman, another U.S. regional partner, has maintained channels to Riyadh and the Houthis. The diplomat said the country is expected to soon begin mediation between the two.

FBI Is Angling to Hand the UFC a No-Bid Contract to Train Agents

Hamed Ahmadi — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 17:30:02 GMT

FBI Director Kash Patel first floated the idea of bringing UFC fighters into the bureau's training program shortly after taking office in February 2025. (Rod Lamkey/AP)

The FBI wants to hire the Ultimate Fighting Championship to train its special agents under a one-year deal that would bypass the competitive bidding process typically used for federal contracts, according to federal records.

The agency claimed that the UFC is the only organization qualified to provide the training within its required time frame. The estimated cost of the proposed deal was redacted from the publicly released documents.

The contract would expand an existing partnership between FBI Director Kash Patel and the UFC, which is led by Dana White, a longtime friend and ally of President Donald Trump.

In March, UFC fighters visited the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, for a two-day training seminar. Patel praised the collaboration at the time, calling it a "tremendous opportunity" for agents to learn from elite athletes.

In June, the UFC staged a major fighting event on the White House South Lawn, attended by Trump and White.

Rob D’Amico, a former member of the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team who also taught defensive tactics, accused Patel of “trying to give his friend Dana White a lucrative contract,” during a Friday interview with MS NOW.

He also called the idea that UFC was the only, or even the best, organization capable of training FBI agents ridiculous.

In a justification published Sept. 30, the FBI said it had researched other training providers but found none capable of delivering the full range of fighting techniques it wanted.

The agency also acknowledged that no other companies had expressed interest because the contract had not been advertised when the justification was prepared.

The proposed training would take place at the FBI Academy in Quantico and cover techniques including striking, grappling, takedowns, weapon defense and ground control.

The FBI said the one-year arrangement would give it time to research other providers before opening a longer-term contract to competition. The notice lists an Oct. 15 deadline for responses. It does not establish that a contract has been awarded.

Patel first floated the idea of bringing UFC fighters into the bureau's training program shortly after taking office in February 2025.

The March training included prominent UFC fighters Justin Gaethje, Jorge Masvidal and Chris Weidman.

The Commanders’ Tight Ends Haven’t Produced, but the Issue Is Not as It Seems

Martenzie Johnson — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 17:17:44 GMT

Commanders tight end Chig Okonkwo has had a few opportunities for chunk plays this season. (Adam Bettcher/AP)

Chig Okonkwo was standing by himself with the closest Eagle nearly 15 yards upfield.

Had the Commanders’ tight end been seen and targeted, he likely would have created one of the explosive plays that he’s most known for and that offensive coordinator David Blough has emphasized this season. Instead, Philadelphia’s pass rush got to Jayden Daniels, and the quarterback had to run for his life around the pocket before tossing the ball out of bounds in what would be a Week 1 loss.

Washington’s tight ends — John Bates, Ben Sinnott, Colson Yankoff and Okonkwo — have combined to produce just 10 receptions, 65 yards and zero touchdowns through the first four weeks of the season, the least-productive group in the NFL.

Multiple factors have contributed to the unit’s lack of success, but none as simple as “they don’t get open.” And for a passing offense that ranks 24th in the league, the 1-3 Commanders need this group to get going if they’re going to salvage a season that is quickly spiraling.

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“For our entire unit, it's consistency and execution,” Blough said recently. “Wanting to see the play style continue to improve, and as we build on this thing as we go throughout the entire season, just continue to see the consistent improvement in [the tight ends] room and the opportunities will certainly come, and we're working on that.”

But some opportunities have already passed. Okonkwo, who ranked sixth among tight ends in yards after catch last season, has been wide open on more than a handful of the 48 routes he’s run this season. (He missed two games due to a hamstring injury.) Pressure on the quarterback has prevented the ball from getting to him.

On the aforementioned Eagles play from Week 1, a flea-flicker play call was almost immediately blown up by defensive tackle Moro Ojomo.

Commanders tight ends 1 (1376x767, AR: 1.79)

Later in the game on a third-and-10, Okonkwo had space on a quick slant, but the Eagles were again barreling down on Daniels, forcing him to bomb it down the field to receiver Dyami Brown before getting popped.

In Week 4 against the Colts, Okonkwo had one play where he was running free on a deep corner route. But just as third-stringer Athan Kaliakmanis spotted him, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner put his helmet in the quarterback’s chest, forcing the ball to sail over Okonkwo’s head and nearly into the hands of safety A.J. Haulcy.

But that’s not to say the tight ends, and Blough, aren’t culpable. While Okonkwo and Yankoff have found openings in the defense, Bates and Sinnott have struggled to create separation.

“We're just doing what we're asked to do and owning that,” Sinnott said. “And when those opportunities come, we're just looking to take advantage of it.”

Blough has shown the ability to scheme open his tight ends, but the results haven’t yet played out on the field. Against the Colts, receiver Stefon Diggs ran a rub route, with the intention of throwing off Okonkwo’s defender. In theory, it would have freed Okonkwo up the left side of the field for a sizable gain.

The only problem was the defender, linebacker Jaylon Carlies, ran around Diggs without breaking his stride. Instead of Okonkwo finding daylight, Carlies was able to bring him down for just a 2-yard gain.

Commanders tight ends 2 (1376x708, AR: 1.94)

There have been times Blough has found a way to use the tight ends even if they’re not getting the ball, using them to drag linebackers and defensive backs away from other pass-catchers. Okonkwo ran a go route against the Colts that took Carlies and corner Sauce Gardner out of the flat, where running back Bill Croskey-Merritt was able to take a dump-off for a 35-yard gain.

“It’s a bunch of ‘if, ands,’” Yankoff said. “If you tie him down and he bites on you, that means this guy’s open. That’s a win in our book.”

Righting the ship in Week 5 may prove difficult, as the Giants defense hasn’t been forgiving to tight ends. New York uses safeties in man coverage to force tight ends to beat one-on-one matchups, which has led to just two tight ends (the Rams’ Terrance Ferguson and Cardinals’ Trey McBride) gaining 20 or more yards on them in a game. Ferguson is the lone tight end to score a touchdown against New York.

But the difference on Sunday will be the presence of Daniels, who missed the last two games with a dislocated left elbow. Right guard Sam Cosmi, out for a concussion, will also return from a two-game absence, helping to shore up some of the pressure problems Washington has faced. Okonkwo and Daniels spent a lot of time working together over the summer, but injuries to both have prevented them from gelling on the field.

While Daniels said his focus is “to get the ball to the open guy,” Okonkwo is more bullish on the results he and the other tight ends can produce going forward.

“I know how it goes. Some games you might not get the rock, and some games the ball keeps finding you,” Okonkwo said. “I don't panic … I know what I can do. I know what Jayden can do. When we get on the field and do it together, everybody will see it, and then everything will be put to bed at that point.”

Arlington County Sues to Block Construction of Trump’s Massive Arch

Kendall Staton — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 16:58:31 GMT

The arch is slated to be built at Memorial Circle on an island in the Potomac River adjacent to Arlington. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Arlington County is suing to stop the construction of President Donald Trump’s proposed Triumphal Arch, arguing the administration failed to complete a legally required environmental review process before barreling ahead with the development.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Virginia, alleges the Trump administration did not properly evaluate the project’s potential harm or offer meaningful alternatives as required by the National Environmental Policy Act. The complaint seeks to halt construction work until a proper environmental review is conducted.

Trump’s proposed 250-foot arch is slated to be built at Memorial Circle on an island in the Potomac River that sits within the borders of D.C. but is adjacent to Arlington.

The National Park Service, which oversees projects on federal parkland including the arch, “has claimed that a final decision to construct the Arch has not yet been made and purports to be engaged in a routine decisional process,” the lawsuit said. “That rushed process appears to be a pretext designed to shore up justifications for building the Arch in accordance with the President’s repeated marching orders.”

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A previous study from the Park Service found the monument will likely disturb dozens of historic sites, including Arlington National Cemetery and Arlington Memorial Bridge. Another said the arch will narrow the visual field of the area, cause temporary traffic interruptions and create noise near memorials and the cemetery. Still, the Park Service said the arch should proceed as planned because the location is “central to the undertaking” of the project.

Trump has championed the arch as a monument to honor the nation’s 250th birthday. Last month he said it would also serve as a “top grade military complex” housing drones, snipers and ammunition. Trump has used similar rationale to garner support for other beautification projects, such as the White House ballroom, which he touted as necessary for national security.

The lawsuit filed by Arlington County comes amid another ongoing legal battle surrounding the arch. A group of Vietnam veterans sued in February to stop the monument, arguing it would disrupt the view of Arlington National Cemetery.

The arch has also drawn criticism from aviation experts who worry the massive structure will make already congested airspace near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport more dangerous.

Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said in a statement Thursday the federal government disregarded protocol and wide-ranging negative impacts that the arch will bring to Arlington County.

“Our community has the most to lose from this egregious and unlawful proposed project,” he said. “Enough is enough. We will do all we can to hold this administration accountable and to protect and serve the best interests of our community.”

The arch received an early approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, a board packed with Trump appointees. Final approval could come as early as Nov. 5, when the project is expected to be presented to the National Capital Planning Commission.

Moderate Democrats Propose Banning Pocket Rescissions Once and For All

Jade Lozada — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Bill sponsor Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), who is not running for reelection, said lawmakers’ concerns about the budget process increases the likelihood that they prioritize accountability. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images)

Moderate Democrats want Congress to wrest back some control over government spending from the president.

Their proposal: a major overhaul of the budget process that would impose new limitations on the White House.

A new bill introduced on Friday by the Blue Dog Coalition would end pocket rescissions, the process through which President Donald Trump rescinded more than $800 million in already appropriated funds, according to bill text shared exclusively with The Washington Sun.

“It feels like once some weasel finds a new trick to outmaneuver congressional intent, that can become standard, and you know, [there is] the importance of saying we’re gonna hold the line here,” said Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Washington), a co-sponsor of the bill. “We will exert our status as a co-equal branch.”

The bill, called the Congressional Budget Reform Act, is one example of how Democrats are looking to hold the president accountable should they win back the majority in the midterms. Democrats and Republicans alike have expressed their frustration about the Trump administration undermining Congress’ power of the purse, but the Republican majority has largely rubber stamped the White House’s actions.

Bill sponsor Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), who is not running for reelection, said lawmakers’ concerns about the budget process increases the likelihood that they prioritize the issue as they plan next year’s agenda during the lame-duck period.

“Congress has been, in a bipartisan way, protective of the power of the purse,” Golden said in an interview with The Sun. “There will be an appetite for some of these things about impoundments, rescissions.”

The Blue Dog bill would prohibit the Office of Management and Budget from requesting rescissions or withholding funds within 90 days of a line item’s expiration.

The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 says the president can temporarily hold funds for up to 45 days while Congress reviews the rescission request. The Trump administration has attempted to subvert Congress’ role by submitting these rescissions for review so close to the funds’ expiration date that Congress doesn’t have the full 45 days to act. The Government Accountability Office has concluded that practice goes against the law.

“Congress is in no way helpless in any of this. … They have the spending power and they just have to have the votes in order to wield it,” said Devin O’Connor, a senior federal fiscal policy fellow at the liberal-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The GAO — Congress’s watchdog which deemed the pocket rescissions inconsistent with the law during Trump’s first term — concluded late last month the president lacked the legal authority to withhold the $800 million in funds beyond their expiration date.

The GAO is the only group that can sue the administration for violating the Impoundment Control Act under an August 2025 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, but the office has not brought a lawsuit against the Trump administration.

Appropriations Chair Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) floated that Congress could authorize the GAO to sue — something it is already authorized to do — or outside groups can pursue their own lawsuits. She said she is considering adding guardrails against pocket rescissions in the next appropriations bills in December.

A spokesperson for Collins declined to comment further on her strategy to curtail pocket rescissions.

Golden contended that GAO wouldn’t have to sue the Trump administration if Congress passed his legislation, which goes beyond pocket rescissions. The Congressional Budget Reform Act would trigger automatic 14-day continuing resolutions to prevent a government shutdown. In addition, it would package Congress’s 12 annual appropriations bills into four minibuses, and require lawmakers to stay in session until they are completed.

The bill would also require a 60-vote threshold in the Senate to approve the president’s rescissions requests. In 2025, Congress voted along party lines to cancel $9.4 billion in rescissions proposed by the White House.

Trump’s more than $800 million in rescission requests includes $567 million for refugee and asylum-holder assistance programs administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. Other targets of the cuts include high school and college success programs for students in the U.S. and the Office of Minority Health.

Blue Dog Democrats told The Sun that Democrats should not adopt pocket rescissions and other budgetary maneuvers Trump has implemented should they come back to power.

Gluesenkamp Perez said Democrats who want to adopt Trump’s tactics fail both their colleagues in vulnerable seats and their constituents.

“We're seeing in this shift in the House, you'll lose your election, so you'll lose the chicken game in the short run. In the long term, you're fucking driving the economy into a ditch here,” said Gluesenkamp Perez, whose race is rated a toss-up by The Cook Political Report. “I'm hopeful that our colleagues are cognizant of the consequences of this for folks who are going to lose their seats.”

U.S. Hits the International Criminal Court With Sweeping Sanctions

The Associated Press — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 15:29:20 GMT

“Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. Rebecca Blackwell/AP

By Matthew Lee

The Trump administration has imposed sweeping new sanctions on the International Criminal Court as part of its campaign to dismantle the tribunal that the U.S. believes has become politicized and attempted to unfairly and illegally prosecute Americans and Israelis on war crimes charges.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions Friday, after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to South African prosecutor Navi Pillay, a former judge at the ICC and other international courts. Trump has coveted that prize for himself. The move, however, long predated the Nobel Prize announcement.

“We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling its ability to operate against us,” Rubio said in a video address posted to social media. “The United States and the American people are not subject to the jurisdiction of this fake ICC.”

The sanctions block any assets the ICC as an institution might have in U.S. jurisdictions and set a six-month timeline for U.S. companies and individuals that have business with the court to wind that business down.

Rubio said both Republicans and Democrats have deep reservations about the court, which was established to prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity that might not otherwise be handled by the parties involved. But he said that only President Donald Trump was willing to move against the court.

“Both parties agree on this, but only President Trump has the resolve to take the action needed to end this threat once and for all," Rubio said. “Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC.”

The ICC denounced the step as an attack on the rule of law and the foundations of international order, themes that Rubio had appeared to embrace only two days ago in a speech in front of the Acropolis in Athens.

“It is an attempt to obstruct the course of justice and to prevent the court from doing what it was created to do," the court said in a statement. "It is an assault on the rule of law and on the very foundations of the international legal order which strikes at the simple principle that no one stands above the law.”

ICC President Tomoko Akane, a citizen of U.S. ally Japan, said the court would “continue to fully discharge its mandate, with independence and impartiality, acting only on the basis of the law and the evidence, for the sake of the countless victims of grave crimes.”

She also appealed to other ICC members for support. “This is not just about defending a single institution, but about safeguarding the international order grounded upon the rule of law.”

Rubio added that the U.S. expects its allies to join in the actions against the ICC. Those include many NATO members in Europe and Japan.

“If they do not, the United States will continue its campaign to dismantle the ICC, piece by piece, until Americans are threatened no longer," he said.

Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen, posting on X, called the sanctions announcement “a deeply regrettable step. We stand firm in defence of the court.”

He said the six-month window before the sanctions take effect “creates scope for dialogue.”

As host state of the court, the Netherlands is a strong defender of the ICC.

___

Associated Press writers Mike Corder and Molly Quell in The Hague, Netherlands, contributed.

Trump Is Renewing His Effort to Oust the Federal Reserve's Lisa Cook

The Associated Press — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 14:59:23 GMT

The president tried to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook last year. Mark Schiefelbein/AP

By Christopher Rugaber

President Donald Trump opened another chapter in his effort to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook Friday by establishing a “committee of inquiry” to investigate allegations that she made false statements in mortgage applications.

The inquiry will include a hearing at the White House Nov. 5, Trump said in a written memo, that Cook “shall” attend to answer questions from the committee. The hearing wouldn't be public but a transcript would be published, the memo said.

Trump’s extraordinary demand that Cook testify before the committee will likely renew concerns about threats to the Federal Reserve's independence. The president has called for the central bank to cut its key interest rate, but just last month, the Fed raised it instead, led by Chairman Kevin Warsh, whom Trump appointed earlier this year.

Trump's attempts to fire Cook from the Fed's seven-member board of governors represent the first time in the central bank's 113-year history that a president has sought to remove a Fed governor.

“As President, it is my job to ensure the laws are faithfully executed, including by firing subordinates who cannot be trusted to tell the truth and follow the law,” Trump wrote in the memorandum.

Cook's attorneys, Abbe Lowell and Norman Eisen, said they were considering having Cook appear at the Nov. 5 hearing and respond to the charges.

“We have engaged with the White House to evaluate whether the process proposed has a possibility of being a genuine one and not simply a box checking exercise,” Lowell and Eisen said in a statement. "Governor Cook welcomes the opportunity to present the facts so she can clear her name and demonstrate there is no legal basis to fire her.”

Trump initially tried to fire Cook in August 2025 after alleging she had committed mortgage fraud by declaring two different properties to be her “primary” residence in mortgage applications in 2021. Mortgages on primary homes can often receive a lower interest rate or other beneficial terms.

Lowell and Eisen have previously said Cook committed an “inadvertent error” and did refer to one of the properties as a vacation home in other documents.

“An inadvertent error is not fraud, as the President and a third of his cabinet should know because they reportedly did the same thing," Lowell and Eisen said in August.

Trump and some of his economic advisers have blamed the Fed's broader rate-setting committee, which includes 12 voting members and 19 officials in total, for forcing the rate hike. As a member of the board of governors, Cook is also one of the 12 voting members of the committee. The vote to lift rates Sept. 16 was unanimous.

The move follows a Supreme Court ruling in June that Cook could keep her job after Trump sought to fire her last year. That ruling included a footnote that said nothing prevented Trump from “trying again” as long as she was given proper notice and an opportunity to respond to the charges.

Cook has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime.

ICE Agents Were Wearing Body Cameras in Marble Hill Shooting, Mullin Says

Manuela Silva, Jackie Llanos — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 14:35:26 GMT

Agents tried to take Oscar Belgal into custody in September but did not pursue him after he fled, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Friday. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Federal immigration agents who shot a man Thursday with his 5-year-old son in the car in New York City were wearing body cameras that were turned on, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Friday.

Oscar Belgal, 28, is in federal immigration custody and has already been taken out of New York state into a highly secure facility, Mullin said during a press conference Friday morning. Mullin declined to say where Belgal, an undocumented immigrant from the Dominican Republic, is being held.

“Unfortunately, we are giving so much attention to this thug that was a true threat to society to the point that we had to put him into a more secure facility outside of New York,” Mullin said.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a press conference Thursday night that he had spoken with President Donald Trump and Mullin repeatedly, but that efforts to obtain Belgal’s release from ICE custody had been unsuccessful.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot Belgal in the neck in Marble Hill, a neighborhood in northern Manhattan.

The ICE agent shot seven rounds into the car while Belgal’s 5-year-old son was inside, New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Thursday night, and Belgal was hospitalized shortly after the shooting.

Mullin on Friday blamed Belgal for putting the child in danger and accused him of trying to weaponize his car, a claim Trump administration officials have used to justify previous incidents of immigration officers shooting at people.

“Our officers, using their training, and believing that their life, and the life of their partners and general public were in danger, used their training and fired weapons,” Mullin said.

Agents tried to take Belgal into custody in September but did not pursue him after he fled, Mullin said. The shooting is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Mullin confirmed.

Belgal was backing into a parking spot when a plainclothes ICE agent approached the driver’s side window with his gun drawn, Tisch said, describing NYPD surveillance camera footage. Other agents approached the car from the driver’s headlight and Belgal moved the car forward outside of the camera’s view, which did not capture the shooting, she said.

Mullin focused his comments on Belgal’s criminal history. Belgal has two prior arrests in New York City, received five years probation for a robbery in 2023 and has a pending case for criminal sale of a controlled substance, Tisch said.

Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-New York) said he met with the child and the child’s mother in the hospital Thursday. ICE agents blocked Espaillat and the family from visiting Belgal, the lawmaker said.

“The child is in good health but obviously traumatized by this whole ordeal,” Espaillat told The Washington Sun.

Espaillat said the ICE agents approached the enforcement operation in a dangerous manner, with an agent brandishing a gun.

“There's heavy foot traffic there,” the lawmaker said. “There are schools around there, and this was about 4 p.m, so it's a time where children and families are walking around the neighborhood.”

The New-Look Wizards Made a Good First Impression in Their Preseason Opener

Alex Schiffer — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 14:33:08 GMT

Trae Young and the Wizards opened the preseason with a win over the Knicks. (Adam Hunger/AP)

NEW YORK — AJ Dybantsa remains undefeated at Madison Square Garden.

A year after rallying BYU to a come-from-behind win against Clemson at the storied arena, Dybantsa and the new-look Wizards won their preseason opener 111–109 over the defending champion Knicks on Thursday night.

“I told everyone coming here I was 1-0,” Dybantsa said after the game. “I just wanted to come in and go 2-0, which I did.”

NBA preseason games aren’t much different from those in the NFL: The starters only play so much, and the players who log the most minutes may not be guaranteed a roster spot. But for a team that had yet to see Dybantsa against NBA competition or star duo Anthony Davis and Trae Young play together, Thursday’s preseason opener held some importance for the Wizards.

“It’s good to finally get a game under our belt,” Dybantsa said of playing with Davis and Young. “See what we can do out there.”

Here are some first impressions from Thursday night:

Davis showed no rust after a long layoff.

Thursday was Davis’ first game in nine months, after he injured his hand in January and didn’t see the court after being traded to the Wizards in February. Despite the long layoff, he didn’t show any rust. Davis hit his first three shots, including a pair of 3s, and finished with a game-high 16 points in just under 17 minutes.

“I thought he was terrific,” Wizards coach Brian Keefe said of Davis. “Anchoring our defense, his communication, his ability to zone up on the back side and then you saw just his efficiency on the offensive end. He’s going to settle us down when we play through the post because he’s so comfortable down there.”

Keefe started Davis alongside Deandre Ayton, which allowed him to play power forward, his preferred position. The Wizards also used lineups with Davis as the center, and it’s easy to see Alex Sarr joining the rotation once he’s healthy and allow Davis to play both positions during a game. Ayton grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds while Davis added seven.

“They controlled the game defensively,” Keefe said of his bigs. “You saw the rebounding by Deandre. We wanted to establish our size and physicality.”

Young played well both on and off the ball.

While the Knicks entered Thursday off their first championship season in 53 years, Young is coming off one in which he played just 15 games after requesting a trade out of Atlanta and battling injuries.

But his status as a Knicks villain remains unchanged. Young was promptly booed after being introduced Thursday, and on the court he reminded fans why they dislike him so. He scored 15 points in 17 minutes, dished out four assists and added a pair of steals. Young went 3 for 6 from behind the arc. He shot one triple on one foot, which Wizards assistant Patrick Ewing might have an opinion on.

https://x.com/washwizards/status/2108349495117295816?s=46&t=oKtVAS4CgKYhV-P9_DfngQ

Young started the game off the ball as Kyshawn George initiated the Wizards offense off the opening tip and had a game-high five assists. But Keefe played Young both on and off the ball and gave him extended run with the reserves as he led the second unit as a scorer and a playmaker.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who can make decisions,” Keefe said. “We think that’s going to be the best way forward for us to reach where we want to go to. He’s just so unselfish. Kicking the ball ahead. Looking for his teammates, that stuff just brings energy to your team.”

Dybantsa settled in and provided a few highlights.

The No. 1 pick had a rough start to the preseason, missing his first few shows from the field. But he got better as the game went on, stuffing the stat sheet and showing why teams spent the past year hoping for a shot at his services.

Dybantsa finished with 11 points on 5 for 11 shooting and added a pair of rebounds and assists. He missed all three attempts from 3. Defensively, he was a pest, using his 7-foot wingspan to deflect passes and disrupt the Knicks offense.

https://x.com/washwizards/status/2108354220118135059?s=46&t=oKtVAS4CgKYhV-P9_DfngQ

“The biggest thing I thought with him was that he had four steals,” Keefe said. “His effort on the defensive end, cutting people off, playing in the passing lanes, and then you saw him getting out in transition, getting easy baskets. Pretty good first showing.”

Dybantsa admitted he felt sped-up early on as he adjusted to the pace of the NBA. He said playing alongside Ayton and Davis allowed him to be more aggressive defensively because he knew he had two centers behind him if he got beat.

In addition to the defense and scoring, Dybantsa showed some playmaking ability, too. Knicks wing OG Anunoby started on Dybantsa, and the rookie held his own against one of the NBA’s best defenders. In the first quarter, Dybantsa drove on Anunoby and threw a pretty lob to George.

https://x.com/WashWizards/status/2108355859562533295“There’s going to be a lot of opportunities where I can get easy assists if I just slow down a little bit,” Dybantsa said of his performance. “And defensively, just play without fouling. There was a couple of dumb fouls I got.”

One more note: The Wizards were without four players Thursday, but Keefe expects that number to drop to two in the near future. Sarr sat out as he continues to recover from a fractured foot, which occurred in a June workout, and Khris Middleton didn’t play as he continues to ramp-up as well, but Keefe said both players are on pace to play in the preseason. Jamir Watkins (ACL recovery) and Tristan Vukčević (hip) were also out.

How a ‘Hornet’s Nest’ of Angry Texans Is Fighting Trump’s Big Bend Border Wall

The Associated Press — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 14:32:00 GMT

Lightning illuminates the sky behind a mockup of President Donald Trump’s border wall in the Big Bend region of Texas. (John Locher/AP)

By Rebecca Santana

RUIDOSA, Texas (AP) — The message from the Trump administration has been clear: It is moving ahead with a $46 billion border wall project stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.

But in Texas’ Big Bend region, the administration has run up against intense opposition from landowners, many of whom are unwilling to cede parts of their property for what they see as a waste of taxpayer dollars.

That resistance is complicating President Donald Trump’s signature infrastructure project in a fight that has become a test of just how far the administration will go to fulfill its vision of a fortified southern border.

The administration has committed billions of dollars and waived environmental and other protections to plow ahead with the project despite the region’s historically low illegal crossings, its formidable natural barriers and a surge of bipartisan opposition that has scrambled traditional border politics.

The federal government has sweeping authority to force the project through. But a judge has now paused construction across the region, giving a major boost to landowners who have sought to impede the wall by refusing to cooperate with government surveyors, protesting at county meetings and gearing up for court battles.

“Landowner resistance has slowed this project to a crawl,” said David Keller, a landowner suing to stop the Big Bend border plans. The administration, he added, was “woefully unprepared for the hornet’s nest they stirred up.”

Trump has long pledged to build the border wall

Building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border has long been a key campaign promise for Trump. And the administration pushed ahead with it after Republicans last year approved $46 billion for the border wall as part of a sweeping immigration enforcement package.

Although illegal crossings have plummeted under Trump, the administration says walls, vehicle barriers, surveillance technology and patrol roads are needed to keep them low.

Customs and Border Protection says it’s building an average of about 12 miles or 20 kilometers of barrier a week and had recently hit a milestone of more than 200 miles (320 km) of new walls built under the second Trump administration.

In Big Bend, where construction began in September, the administration plans to spend $7.5 billion to fortify the border along a region stretching more than 500 miles (800 km).

In August, the Border Patrol arrested 8,870 people along the southern border. In Big Bend, which makes up roughly one quarter of the entire U.S.-Mexico border, it arrested 161.

“The American people have already seen the consequences of an unprotected border," said CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott after a lawsuit filed by landowners against the Big Bend project. “We cannot allow any region — including Big Bend — to be exploited again.”

Landowners gird for court battles

Unlike in other border areas, much of the land in Texas is privately or state owned.

The government must acquire authorization from owners to survey and build and if they refuse, can take them to court. The process by which the government takes someone’s property for public use in exchange for compensation is known as eminent domain and courts generally defer to the government in these cases.

That hasn't stopped Dianna and Dan Burbach.

The Burbachs began receiving paperwork in July seeking permission to survey their property, along with a map showing where the project would run behind their house. An August letter said the government had an “immediate need” to enter and warned that it could go to court within 90 days.

Dianna, 63, and her husband, 79, arrived 25 years ago and raised four children in their orange adobe house on property stretching to the Rio Grande. Now retired, they worry construction could worsen flooding and leave 15 acres (6 hectares) of their land behind the wall.

“We’re going to let them take us to court, do eminent domain," Dianna said. "We’ll fight it that way.”

A Justice Department official said CBP has reached agreements with dozens of Big Bend landowners but that the administration has hired eminent domain attorneys in Texas in anticipation of the disputes. Across the southern border, about 70 such cases have been referred to the department during Trump’s second term, and 50 have already been resolved — none required going to trial, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the government.

The No Big Bend Wall Coalition, which says its network includes more than 200 landowners, recently sued to block construction. The plaintiffs argue that Homeland Security is misusing its authority in a region with little illegal cross-border activity.

Lawsuits aiming to stop or slow the border wall projects have largely been unsuccessful. But in a major win for opponents, a federal judge temporarily barred wall construction in the Big Bend area. Plaintiffs argued the administration had overstepped its congressional authority by issuing sweeping waivers to bypass environmental and other regulations.

Keller said the judge’s ruling was “unqualified good news” but uncertainty over its future meant the landowners would continue their fight.

It’s not immediately clear how long the judge’s order will slow the government, which late Thursday asked the judge to put aside her order while they appeal.

The administration also argued in the court filing that leaving segments along the border without adequate border security infrastructure could lead to a funnel effect where illegal immigration or smuggling would flow to the area that was least fortified — specifically the Big Bend region.

Protesting contractors and lobbying local officials

Other opponents are pressing local governments not to assist contractors. Charlie Angell, a tourism operator notified that the government wanted access to his land for the border project, and his partner, Bibiana Gutierrez, attend county meetings throughout the region.

They and other land and business owners have staged protests, patrolled areas where contractors are working to look for possible violations, and hung signs telling contractors they’re not welcome at local hotels or restaurants.

In Terrell County, residents unsuccessfully urged officials not to lease airport land to a barrier contractor. In Jeff Davis County, a proposed agreement allowing another contractor to use a county road has so far not been approved.

The financial incentives for some of these cash-starved counties are clear and some local officials have argued they have little leverage on a federal plan.

“We’re not in control of the border wall. We’re not,” Terrell County Judge Dale Lynn Carruthers told a room crowded with people who had come to speak out against the airport lease. She said if they didn't lease the land, the contractor would just buy it elsewhere. “We’re just a little old Terrell County.”

But Angell and Gutierrez argue that the local opposition has more strength than some might realize.

“If we had rolled over, the wall would be up,” Gutierrez said.

CBP said it continues seeking voluntary access agreements while completing the project’s design but will refer disputes to the Justice Department when necessary. Landowners will be compensated regardless of how access is obtained, the agency said.

The opposition has bipartisan support

After a yearslong surge in crossings at the southern frontier, border security and immigration were key reasons Republicans voted for Trump and his approval ratings on those issues are among his strongest.

But with illegal crossings plummeting, even some Republicans who voted for Trump on the issue of border security have questioned the need for the multi-billion dollar infrastructure through Big Bend.

Local sheriffs opposed the project early, and bulldozing in Big Bend National Park prompted Republican Sen. John Cornyn to press Homeland Security about Texans’ concerns.

Laura Allen, a Republican rancher who voted for Trump twice, is now receiving notices that a vehicle barrier will cross the property where her family raises sheep and goats. She credits Trump with shutting down the border but says spending billions on barriers in Big Bend is unnecessary.

“I didn’t vote for a wall,” she said. “I wanted our border secured. He accomplished that.”

Terrell County’s Republican sheriff, Thad Cleveland, who spent 26 years in the Border Patrol, is among those speaking out against the project in Big Bend. He said that in the rugged county he polices, drones and surveillance towers make more sense than a wall to find and stop illegal border crossers.

“We have the advantage of time and distance out here,” he said.

The land itself is a natural deterrent, critics say

In some areas, the river is flanked on both sides by steep limestone cliffs, and up and down the region, people have to trek through inhospitable desert terrain to get to the nearest paved road or pass through Border Patrol checkpoints.

Reaching Gary Grabowske’s land requires grinding along rocky mountain trails and through gullies carved by flash floods. From the top of a 450-foot cliff (137 meters), the Rio Grande is visible far below. There is no electricity, running water or internet and, Grabowske argues, no plausible route for a vehicle entering from Mexico.

“You can’t take a dirt bike to the bottom," said Grabowske, gesturing to the canyon below. “You can’t take a mule to the bottom. You’re scrambling down there, hand over fist.” He added: “There’s no vehicle in the world that could cross any of this.”

Opponents say the fight reaches beyond whether a wall makes sense in Big Bend. They see it as a test of how far the federal government can go when landowners stand in the way of one of its priorities.

“We’re a pretty tough bunch,” said Allen. “But if we’re going to be run over and have our land taken by our own government, what makes anybody else in this United States think that they’re exempt?”

Ranchers try to resist

The Zuberbueler ranch in Val Verde County was founded in 1898. Brothers Bill and Patrick own and lease thousands of acres of the craggy land stretching to the river. Their Angora goats and Rambouillet sheep roam over the land, stopping at a network of water troughs.

Bill remembers when, back in February, he first got the letter giving him five days to respond to a request to access his property for construction and raising the possibility of the government using eminent domain. He worries about how the construction will affect his livestock, especially their water supply. And while his animals could pass through the vehicle barriers, the cowboys herding them could not.

“There’s not a lot of grass out here, but every square foot is important to my bottom line,” said Bill.

They have so far refused to allow anyone onto their land to survey or build. They feel the weight of their family’s legacy and the sacrifices previous generations made to build the ranch up.

“Regardless of what happens, we have to say we tried,” said Patrick.

Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer contributed from Washington.

The Washington Sun Metro: Subtracting Students

Martin Austermuhle, Will Hofmann, Zara Norman — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 10:31:00 GMT

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 10:31:00 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/metro-newsletter/subtracting-students-10-9-2026

(Brittainy Newman / AP)

Good morning. This is The Washington Sun Metro newsletter for Oct. 9, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

In today’s newsletter: Declining student enrollment, Metro fare evasion and the Commanders’ rough start.

Capital Weather’s Daily Digit — 9/10. Bright skies despite some high clouds, light breezes, low humidity and highs in the mid-70s. October, you’re doing great. Full forecast from Capital Weather.

THE LATEST

Kids, what’s 99,555 minus 99,329?

The answer is 226, and that’s the number of students that D.C. schools lost over the last two school years.

That decline in school enrollment may not seem like much, but city officials and experts tell The Washington Sun’s Martin Austermuhle that it may be the start of a downward trend that could prompt some difficult questions and policy decisions in D.C.’s public and charter schools.

Some of the concerns over future school enrollment stem from births in D.C., which have been dropping steadily over the last decade. While in 2016 there were 9,854 D.C.-resident children born, last year that number stood at 7,318 — a 25% decrease.

“We watch that number particularly carefully, and birth rates become a very important part of our long-term projections because they go through the system,” says Paul Kihn, D.C.’s deputy mayor for education.

Other factors are also at play. The number of people moving into D.C. has slowed, especially among the international set — and federal immigration policies are partly to blame. Those same policies have also led to an even larger drop in school enrollment among Latino students.

There’s no crisis yet, but experts say D.C. officials need to start talking about options now. As enrollment drops, they may have to consider closing some schools. But which ones? And with two separate school systems in D.C. — traditional public schools and independent public charter schools — coordination and cooperation will be critical.

Advocates also say D.C. needs to redouble efforts to make the city more affordable, especially reducing the cost of child care. “If we have folks who are investing in enrolling their kids in early learning programs and seeing the District as family friendly,” says Joanna Blotner of D.C. Action, “they’re more likely to want to stay in the District long term.”

That’s just simple math, right?

DEEP DIVE

Metro Fare Gates (7008x4672, AR: 1.50)

Metro officials are considering a new solution to fare evasion: Expanding the power to issue citations to Metro Special Police Department officers, Metro employees, or, even, civilians. The Sun’s Will Hofmann reports that the idea was discussed during the agency’s Finance and Capital Committee meeting Thursday.

The concept is still a work in progress, Metro General Manager Randy Clarke told The Sun. But the system would love to grant “either civilians or special police” the ability to issue fare evasion citations.

Though the Metro Transit Police issued 11,000 citations during the first six months of the year, only 1,853 resulted in payments and court appearances, according to Metro data. Though fare evasion citations have increased in recent years, most evasion cases are thrown out, The Sun reported in June.

The proposal was just one in a slate of “fare concepts” that are going to be discussed during the 2028 budget cycle. Other ideas include expanding D.C.’s Kids Ride Free program to include Maryland and Virginia, introducing a utilization-based park and ride pricing structure and, notably, increasing fares.

Under the proposed concepts, Metrobus and Metrorail fares would increase by 11.1%. Beginning in July 2027, fares would range from $2.50 to $7.50. Tom Webster, Metro’s chief officer for strategy and planning, said the agency recognizes “that any fare increase is difficult for customers.” Fares last rose by 12.5% in 2024.

Since fares pay for service, the increase may be necessary to “offset the inflationary cost increases that Metro has seen,” Webster said. The energy, fuel and labor costs have increased as inflation has remained high, Clarke told reporters after the meeting: “We would love to not be in a position to raise fares, but that is part of our cost challenge.”

FROM THE DISTRICT

RFK is MIA. A bronze bust of Robert F. Kennedy has gone missing from the lawn outside his namesake stadium, The Sun’s Kendall Staton reports. It was “removed by an unknown manner” and reported stolen on Oct. 1.

There are still many unknowns about the Purple Line, the light-rail train that will connect Bethesda to New Carrollton, including its opening date. But we know how payment will work: SmartTrip cards, the CharmPass mobile app, cash or credit. The tickets will be a flat rate, not charged based on distance like Metrorail, Kendall reports.

FROM VIRGINIA

The military has investigated the tragic collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines jet at Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people last year, and determined that there were multiple systemic failures within the Army, The Washington Post reports. Leaders failed to adequately train pilots in navigating DCA’s crowded airspace, failed to collect data on near misses and did not fix flawed helicopter instruments, among other findings.

FROM MARYLAND

All dressed up and nowhere to go: Two Montgomery County high schools have scrapped their homecoming dances because not enough students wanted to go, FOX5 D.C. reports.

“Are you looking for me?” That’s what a 22-year-old University of Maryland student asked a search-and-rescue cruiser after emerging from a six-day disappearance into the woods, The Washington Post reports. He was found Wednesday, and remained in medical care as of yesterday.

METRO MOMENT

Alex Ovechkin AP - 26281016452357 (5725x3817, AR: 1.50)

Alex Ovechkin played his 22nd and final home opener this week, helping the Caps to a 5-3 win over Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. But the best moment of the night came before the puck dropped, when Ovechkin’s two sons, Sergei and Ilya, were given the job of reading off their dad’s name and jersey number. After the game, even Ovechkin — a man of few words and little sentimentality — admitted that he was moved. “It was a pretty cool moment,” he said.

We want to hear from you: Have an image from around D.C. you want to share? A question for our reporters? An “only in D.C.” moment? Tell us about it.

SPORTS

If the NFL season were a football game, the Commanders would have come out flat in the first quarter. Washington is 1-3 after four of its 17 regular season games, a stretch marked by injuries and disappointment. The Sun’s Martenzie Johnson and Dave Sheinin took stock of things ahead of Sunday’s Week 5 meeting with the Giants, breaking down the good and the bad from the early weeks of the season.

What to Watch Today

NHL: Capitals vs. Rangers, 7 p.m. (Monumental)

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The newsletter was produced by Jaden Amos, Michael Errigo and Gaby Morera Di Núbila.]]>

Morning Sun: Rumble in Grand Rapids

Evan McMorris-Santoro, Jasmine Wright, Manuela Silva — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 10:01:00 GMT

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 10:01:00 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/newsletters/rumble-in-grand-rapids

The nominees for U.S. Senate in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers, debating in Grand Rapids. (Paul Sancya/AP)

Today’s notice: A memorable night on the debate stage(s). The NRCC chair goes on TV in his own district. On the ground in Alaska and Nevada. And: Following the Freedom 250 money.

THE LATEST

Slugfest Thursday. All you really need to know about a truly astounding debate in Michigan last night: Coming back from the ad break, a frustrated but unflappable Rick Albin, the moderator from WOOD-TV, told viewers, “In 30 years of debates I’ve never seen one continue during the commercials, but it did.”

Supporters of each Senate candidate got plenty to enjoy. Both Republican nominee Mike Rogers and Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed landed hits. Each candidate struggled a bit: El-Sayed refused to answer when asked if Iran or Israel is the bigger threat to the U.S. (Both “have proven dangerous in their own way,” he said.)

Rogers’ toughest moments came thanks to Donald Trump. Rogers tried to create distance with the president on tariffs and the Iran war but ended up saying a lot of supportive things about both. After the debate, Rogers told reporters he would welcome a Trump campaign stop in Michigan.

What defined the debate: Name-calling. Rogers called El-Sayed a “con man,” while El-Sayed dubbed Rogers “weak, cowardly.” Rogers did not call his opponent a terrorist, but El-Sayed said he got close enough that he should just “go ahead and say it.” Rogers did not.

It was not the only feisty Senate debate of the night. In Georgia, Republican Rep. Mike Collins needed a big night, but Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff — the 2026 master of viral lines — was ready. Referring to Collins’ multiple staffing scandals, Ossoff said his opponent had “hired half the Third Reich” to staff his office.

Maine had another Senate debate, and Democratic nominee Troy Jackson again tried to chip away at incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins’ reputation as an independent voice. She pointed out that Jackson has changed his position evolved over the years on abortion. “Was I voting the wrong way? Yeah,” Jackson said. “But the fact of the matter is that I can admit when I was wrong. Sen. Collins can’t. She still won’t admit that she was wrong in putting Brett Kavanaugh on [the Supreme Court], which took away Roe v. Wade.”

What’s the takeaway from last night? Candidates were prepped and ready, and races like Michigan and Maine remain close after yesterday. But the candidates with the tougher job right now are the Republicans, and on debate stages across the country, they spent more time on defense.

More: Mamdani Tells ICE to Leave New York After an Agent Shot a Man • Pentagon Says Fort Hood Shooter’s Execution Will Be Livestreamed • NYT: Pentagon Draws Up New Iran Strike Plans as Trump Hesitates

FROM NORTH CAROLINA

Uh-oh: The NRCC chair, Rep. Richard Hudson (R-North Carolina), has reserved tens of thousands of dollars in TV ad buys in his own district, The Washington Sun’s Kadia Goba and Chase Pellegrini de Paur report. The district voted Trump +16 in 2024. “Congressman Hudson runs hard every cycle, and this one is no different. He was on air at home in 2022, he was on air in 2024, and he’s on air now,” Hudson’s campaign manager told The Sun. The campaign did not provide documentation suggesting past cycle spending was comparable to the spending his campaign is doing now.

FROM ALASKA

Mary Peltola is confronted over trans rights: The Sun’s Alex Roarty reports from Anchorage, where the Democratic nominee for Senate came face-to-face with backlash over the party’s shift away from trans issues. Peltola is currently running a TV ad pushing back on trans-focused ads run by Republicans. “No, I don’t want kids getting surgeries to change genders or men in girls’ bathrooms,” she says into the camera.

The rhetoric upset a 23 year-old trans man, who confronted Peltola at a campaign stop. He accused Peltola of buying into “a false slander” with the ad and asked the candidate if she planned to support trans rights in the Senate. She did not answer the question directly, Alex writes.

FROM NEVADA

2028 report: Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia) stumped for Democratic candidates in Nevada this week, which just so happens to be an early state on the party’s 2028 nominating map. The Sun’s Christa Dutton traveled with the pastor for a story about the role faith is playing in so many Democratic campaigns this year. “I think Democrats make a huge mistake when we cede all this ground, when we cede all the terrain around faith and values to Republicans,” he told Christa. “Why would we do that? Especially given the fact that on matters of morality, in my view, they’ve got so much of it wrong.”

FROM THE HILL

Stock buyback fight in defense bill: Major unions are backing a proposal to restrict stock buybacks and dividends by defense contractors in the Senate’s defense policy bill. Major business groups are strongly opposed to the idea. The Sun’s Joe Gould reports on how this argument is scrambling traditional political alliances ahead of the Senate’s return after the midterms.

NEW ON THE WASHINGTON SUN

Where’s the Freedom 250 money? Documents released by a watchdog group yesterday suggest that despite Trump’s promise to fund the nation’s semiquincentennial events through private donations, taxpayers largely footed the bill for the White House’s celebrations. (Reminder: these events were different from the America250 events organized by the commission established by Congress.) The budget estimates leave open questions about where tens of millions in private donations ended up, The Sun’s Jenna Monnin reports.

More: Army Finds Systemic Failures Behind D.C. Midair Collision

NOT US

Young men who carried Trump to victory are mad. Vance is trying to win them back. By Megan Messerly, Myah Ward and Alex Gangitano for Politico
Trump’s Nobel ambitions fade, but Norway still fears his wrath, by Michael Birnbaum for The Washington Post
Conservative Podcasters Can’t Stop Talking About Affordability, by Neil Mehta and Shradha Dinesh for The Wall Street Journal

Thank you for reading! If you liked this edition of The Washington Sun Newsletter, please forward it to a friend. If this newsletter was shared with you, please sign up — it’s free! Have a tip? Email us at tips@washsun.com. And as always, we’d love to hear your thoughts at newsletters@washsun.com.

The newsletter was produced by Thomas Burr and Andrew Burton.]]>

Trump Raised Big Bucks for Freedom 250 — But Most Events Appear to be Funded by Taxpayers

Jenna Monnin — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:30:00 GMT

The Great American State Fair was one of several events sponsored by Freedom 250. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

President Donald Trump touted a tranche of corporate funding for Freedom 250’s private-public partnership to celebrate the semiquincentennial of the nation’s founding. But records obtained and released Thursday by a watchdog group show that taxpayers apparently were who largely supported this summer’s celebrations — raising questions about where tens of millions in private donations ended up.

The Trump administration also has yet to disclose the private sector benefactors themselves, the donation amounts or how tens of millions in funds were spent, despite facing mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers who allege that some corporate sponsors engaged in a pay-to-play scheme with the federal government.

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a nonpartisan group that investigates claims from government employees about environmental misconduct, on Thursday released documents detailing contract agreements and budget calculations for the events.

The official National Park Service charity, the National Park Foundation, helped run the Freedom 250 events.

Its budget estimate, obtained by PEER, showed the events — including the Great American State Fair, the Patriot Games and the Independence Day Celebration at the National Mall — should have cost around $128 million, funded by an expected $100 million from Congress and $14 million in federal grant money specifically for the Mobile Museum, which sent “Freedom Trucks” carrying a curated story of American independence across the country.

The Wall Street Journal reported in August that Freedom 250 raised more than $50 million in private funds and invited donors to a wine reception at the White House in spring 2026. Companies like Chevron, United Airlines and defense conglomerate RTX gave up to several million dollars each to Freedom 250 LLC, based on lobbying disclosures reviewed in July by the nonprofit news organization Sludge, which covers money in politics.

With only $114 million total in expected federal dollars but $128 million in aggregate costs, NPF listed a funding gap of around $14 million at the bottom of the budget chart.

The estimate also did not appear to list any of the $50 million in private donations towards any of the events and celebrations.

Congress received a request from the Interior Department for an additional $10 million in July “to recoup costs associated with support of events celebrating America’s Semiquincentennial,” — though lawmakers did not approve or disburse those additional funds.

“Freedom 250 is proud to have united Americans through unforgettable signature events, nationwide initiatives and projects — from the Freedom Trucks and July 4 celebrations to the 2026 Patriot Games — that celebrate our country and inspire the next generation,” a Freedom 250 spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Sources familiar with planning Freedom 250’s events told The Washington Sun that organizers are still reconciling the event costs and PEER’s documents don’t “represent reality.”

America250, a separate organization established by Congress a decade ago as the official group responsible for planning for the semiquincentennial, reported that it received $25 million of the $100 million the group expected to get in federal funding.

The NPF formally asked NPS to allow it to bypass the traditional competitive bidding process for awarding federal contracts for 250th anniversary-related celebrations, PEER’s documents reveal.

“Due to the immovable national deadlines associated with the 250th anniversary and specific production schedules tied to federal venues and security coordination, time does not permit a full and open competition,” Ruth Hernandez Prescott, NPF’s executive vice president and chief governance officer, wrote in a November 2025 letter addressed to NPS’ acting director.

Prescott added that the “White House has requested engagement of specific qualified contractors with demonstrated capability and security clearances to deliver key components of the commemorative events.”

NPS granted its official charity arm’s request for a waiver to skip the competitive bidding process, citing a timeline concerns and a potential “delay that would be caused by competition.”

After Four Games, the Commanders’ Season Is Already on the Brink

Dave Sheinin, Martenzie Johnson — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:25:00 GMT

After a 1-3 start, the Commanders host the Giants on Sunday. (Daniel Kucin Jr./AP)

The Washington Commanders arrive at Week 5 with their 2026 season already teetering on the brink. At 1-3 (0-2 in their division) and with injuries having already decimated the roster (23 players were on Wednesday’s injury report), they would have a tough road back into contention even without a brutal upcoming schedule.

But with the resurgent New York Giants coming to Northwest Stadium on Sunday, followed by games against the 49ers, Eagles and Rams, it’s not hard to envision a scenario in which there are no meaningful NFL games in the nation’s capital in the deepest part of winter.

On the other hand, beat the Giants on Sunday, then steal a game or two against that gauntlet — not out of the question so long as quarterback Jayden Daniels can stay on the field — and this season is still salvageable. But that seems like a big ask for a team that is just 6-15 since the 2024 NFC Championship Game.

Here, then, is a big-picture look at where the Commanders stand:

Offense

What has gone right: The Commanders have looked like a legitimate threat with Daniels under center, nearly stealing their season-opener at Philadelphia, then driving up and down the field at Dallas until Daniels dislocated his elbow on the final play of the first half. While veteran Marcus Mariota was a more-than-serviceable fill-in, leading the team to a (temporarily) season-saving upset of the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3, he, too, was lost to an injury (strained MCL), forcing third-stringer Athan Kaliakmanis into action during Washington’s loss to Indianapolis in London last week. With Daniels expected to return Sunday, the crisis at quarterback appears to be over, at least for now.

Elsewhere, third-round rookie Antonio Williams has been a revelation at wideout, catching a touchdown against the Eagles and seeing an apparent 87-yard touchdown against the Colts called back due to a penalty, while veteran Stefon Diggs (18 catches, three touchdowns) has been a solid offseason pickup (though his unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in Week 1 cost the team dearly).

While the offensive line has been in flux (more below), left tackle Josh Conerly Jr. and center Lucas Patrick have been surprise standouts. The pair have combined to allow zero sacks and two hits on the quarterback, even with Patrick having not played regularly at center since 2021.

What has gone wrong: If you had been asked at the start of training camp to name the three most important figures on the Commanders’ offense, you likely would have said Daniels, wide receiver Terry McLaurin and left tackle Laremy Tunsil. All three have already missed games due to injury, with Tunsil (torn triceps) likely out for the season. And it’s never a good sign when three different quarterbacks have finished your first four games.

In some ways, the offensive line has never recovered from the loss of Tunsil or the decision to release former Pro Bowl center Tyler Biadasz (or sign a suitable replacement). The resulting shuffle of personnel — Washington has started two different players at center and three different players at right guard in four weeks — has highlighted the Commanders’ lack of depth, especially after the mysterious Week 4 benching of veteran Nick Allegretti, whose replacement, sixth-round rookie Matt Gulbin, was exposed at right guard by the Colts’ DeForest Buckner. Brandon Coleman, Tunsil’s replacement at left tackle, has also struggled, allowing a team-high 14 quarterback pressures so far.

In an undoubtedly related development, Commanders tight ends have been virtually invisible in the passing game, combining for just 10 catches for 65 yards through the first four games — despite the signing of veteran Chig Okonkwo this offseason. Okonkwo, who has three 50-catch seasons on his resume, has just four catches in two games, missing the Cowboys and Seahawks games with a hamstring injury. This lack of production has particularly harmed the offense on third downs, with the Commanders’ 31.6% success rate ranking 30th in the NFL.

Coming into the season, new offensive coordinator David Blough harped on generating explosive plays, defined as rushes of 10 or more yards and receptions of 20 or more yards. That just hasn’t happened through the first four games: Washington has created explosives on just 4.2% of their plays, according to Sharp Football Analysis. That’s the fourth-worst rate in the league.

What awaits: With Daniels back at quarterback and right guard Sam Cosmi (concussion) nearing his return, there is still hope the offense can regain the explosiveness it has shown at times in the first part of the season. But the defenses of the Giants, 49ers and Rams are all ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in both points and total yards allowed, and the Eagles (though they are underperforming this season) are perennially elite.

Amik Robertson AP - 26277655706742 (3443x2295, AR: 1.50)

Defense

What has gone right: There have been moments of brilliance from the defense from week to week and player to player. The Commanders didn’t allow a rushing touchdown until the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor found the end zone twice in Week 4, and many of the newcomers to this unit have lived up to their hype and then some. That includes: edge rusher Odafe Oweh, who has been a constant menace to opposing quarterbacks; rookie linebacker Sonny Styles, who already has one NFC Defensive Player of the Week honor; and defensive backs Amik Robertson, Nick Cross and Rasul Douglas, who have been bright spots within their otherwise embattled unit. After failing to generate a turnover in the first two games, the defense has forced five in the past two.

What has gone wrong: The inconsistency on defense from game to game, or even quarter to quarter, has been maddening at times, as epitomized in the Week 4 loss to the Colts: Indianapolis’ first five drives went fumble, punt, punt, punt, interception; their next seven went touchdown, field goal, touchdown, field goal, punt, touchdown, field goal. Through four games, the Commanders allowed the most second-half points (17.8) in the league and were outscored 43-29 in the fourth quarter. Injuries have begun compounding, particularly at linebacker, where veterans Frankie Luvu and Leo Chenal have both missed time, with the latter now on injured reserve following neck surgery.

The unit as a whole has been dangerously susceptible to big plays, which helps explain how the Commanders can rank 18th in the NFL in yards allowed per game but 30th in points allowed per game. The failure to keep opponents out of the end zone is perhaps best illustrated by the fact opposing offenses have scored touchdowns on 80% of their red zone possessions, which ranks 30th in the NFL. Cornerback Mikey Sainristil was a big part of the problem, losing his starting role after Week 2 and playing just five defensive snaps against the Colts.

What awaits: The run defense will face a particularly strong test in the coming weeks, with the Giants, 49ers, Eagles and Rams all ranking in the upper half in rushing yards per game through four games. But it will catch a break against the Giants, whose starting quarterback, Jaxson Dart, is out for the season, leaving their offense in the hands of veteran Jameis Winston. If cornerback Trey Amos (ankle) is activated from injured reserve this week, that could be a huge boost for the Commanders’ secondary.

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Warnock Leans on Faith to Boost Democrats — And Maybe His Own Presidential Ambitions

Christa Dutton — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:13:00 GMT

Warnock, who is pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, wants to be a “countervailing witness of what faith looks like in public” and said his party needs to do more to center faith. (Mariam Zuhaib/AP)

LAS VEGAS — On stage at a gathering of faith leaders here this week, Sen. Raphael Warnock told the crowd how he sees the midterms: “This is not just a political happening, but a spiritual undertaking.”

The senator and pastor campaigned across the city on Wednesday to boost his party in this year's election, making an argument hinged on faith that might shape his party for the next one.

Nevada has rapidly become a gathering spot for the growing congregation of Democrats considering a presidential run. In just the last few days, Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan) traveled to what will be one of Democrats’ first nominating states in 2028, making a point of campaigning for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate as well as linking up with local unions.

Warnock left his own options open in an interview with The Washington Sun on Wednesday. Asked how his role as a pastor is informing any decisions about 2028, he said the country is at “an inflection point.”

“But this is so much larger than the cycle,” he said. “This is really about the character of the country, and it's a big and important conversation. And I look forward to participating in that conversation."

Warnock, who is pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, wants to be a “countervailing witness of what faith looks like in public” and said his party needs to do more to center faith.

“I think Democrats make a huge mistake when we cede all this ground, when we cede all the terrain around faith and values to Republicans,” Warnock said. “Why would we do that? Especially given the fact that on matters of morality, in my view, they've got so much of it wrong.”

At the same time, his party is struggling with many faith groups. The country also faces questions of purpose as artificial intelligence poses an uncertain future and loneliness continues to rise.

“We are drowning in a sea of loneliness and hyperconnectivity. That's the irony of the moment,” Warnock told The Sun. While the decline of mainline Christianity preceded AI, a yearning for connection is not declining, he said.

“That creates a real opportunity for faith leaders and principled leaders in the political space to bring people together to address huge problems that confront us to deal with both the perils and the promises of AI, because it's not going anywhere,” he said.

Other politicians are also leaning into their faith this election year, like James Talarico, a seminary student running for Senate in Texas, and Adam Hamilton, a megachurch pastor running for Senate in Kansas. Both states, once long-shots for Democrats, are now in play.

Warnock also emphasized his faith in a crowded get-out-the-vote rally in Nevada’s 4th Congressional District — where Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford is running for reelection — by launching into a speech fusing religion and politics.

It came alongside a vivid denunciation of the current Republican Party. He shared a memory from his childhood in which his grandmother chopped the head off a snake in the garden. He said he was frightened because the snake started moving sporadically.

“I didn't understand that his animated movements, his exaggerated movements, were happening not because he was living, but because he was dying,” Warnock told the crowd.

“He preachin’,” Horsford interjected.

“As you witness them doing crazy, desperate things, as you witness them trying to pass the SAVE Act, as you witness the cruelty and brutality of ICE, as you witness what Donald Trump is trying to do, as you witness folks close rank and try to buy this election, it is because they know that that old order, that old racist, misogynistic, homophobic, xenophobic order, is on its way out,” Warnock said to applause.

Warnock has regularly derided Republicans who invoke faith as they make policy decisions that he considers out of line with the Scriptures. Calling that out is a “service to the country,” he told The Sun.

Last week, Warnock criticized Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for using the words of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah — “Here I am Lord, send me” — to commend and recruit military officers. He has also criticized Speaker of the House Mike Johnson for praying before passing the reconciliation bill last summer.

“They pray before they kick 15 million people off of their health care. They pray before they kick children off SNAP. They pray before they double people's health care premiums,” Warnock said at the faith leaders event.

Democrats are lagging Republicans in support from some of the biggest religious groups in the U.S. A majority of Protestants and Catholics align with the Republican Party, Pew Research has found, while Democrats overperform with people who claim no religion.

“A lot of the people I know that claim to be Christian seem to be getting less of Christianity and more of — I don't know what it is — it’s politics, really,” said retired artist Linda Overbey at the rally in Horsford’s office. She came to the rally because she is a Warnock fan. “He represents the good to me.”

Warnock is aware of how some voters have come to view religion as a way to exert power, and is careful not to prescribe anything approaching a theocracy.

“I love this grand experiment of a multifaceted, multiracial, multi-religious republic, where people of various faith traditions and those who claim no faith tradition at all are in covenant with one another,” he said in an interview at the Service Employees International Union Nevada Local 1107 headquarters after a roundtable with union members.

He commended Nevada for representing that grand experiment as he looked around the get-out-the-vote rally in the 4th District.

“This looks like the kingdom of God,” he said. “This is God's dream for the world.”

D.C. Schools May Soon Have a Big Problem: Fewer Kids

Martin Austermuhle — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:05:00 GMT

Relatively flat enrollment in D.C.’s public and charter schools last year is raising concerns that the city may soon face a downward trend. (Tom Williams/AP)

Earlier this week, each and every one of D.C.’s public and charter schools did something relatively unspectacular: They counted their kids.

Routine as it may be, the annual count is critical, helping D.C. officials determine exactly how many kids are enrolled citywide. And since funding is attached to enrollment, the count is how D.C. calculates how much money each school will get for the year.

This year, though, the count may count for more.

Relatively flat enrollment in D.C.’s public and charter schools last year is raising concerns that the city may soon face the same downward trend that other states, counties and cities have started experiencing, largely because of declining birth rates but also decreases in the number of families coming into the system or choosing to stay.

While officials and experts say there’s no immediate crisis, they add that a possible decline in enrollment — after almost 15 years of steady increases — would prompt difficult and uncomfortable questions and policy choices. That could include potentially closing schools, a route Maryland’s Montgomery County is considering.

“We are in a situation where we should be looking at these trends, because we don’t want to get to a point where we're at a low and don’t have policies to address it,” said Anoosha Imran, an education research analyst with the D.C. Policy Center, a local think tank.

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Minus a brief dip during the pandemic, enrollment in D.C. schools has steadily increased over the last two decades, jumping from some 71,280 students in DCPS and charter schools in the 2008-09 school year to 99,555 students in 2024-25.

That largely tracks with the years that D.C.’s economy and population boomed, as did births. Those peaked in 2016, when 9,854 D.C.-resident children were born. But it’s been a steady decline since then, and in 2025 only 7,318 such births were recorded in the city.

“We watch that number particularly carefully, and birth rates become a very important part of our long-term projections because they go through the system,” said Paul Kihn, D.C.’s deputy mayor for education.

The lower birth rates are playing out most clearly in the earlier grades in D.C. schools, notably in the number of families enrolling their kids in pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds, which has been free in D.C. since 2009. According to data from Kihn’s office, enrollment in pre-K dropped 3 percent from the 2024-25 school year to 2025-26. And there are hints it might continue: The number of applications for schools through D.C.’s universal lottery tool hit 20,987 this year, down from 23,312 two years ago.

In the past, people moving into D.C. could offset the decreases in local births, but that has recently changed — in large part because of federal immigration policies. And those same policies may have contributed to one of the biggest enrollment decreases D.C. schools saw in the 2025-26 school year: Latino students, whose enrollment fell 3.8%.

Kihn said it’s too early to panic; he hopes if any enrollment declines occur this school year, they are gentle. “But if it's something bigger than that, then that would be concerning,” he said.

If the enrollment decline picks up steam, city officials and experts agree it could prompt difficult decisions about whether to keep certain schools open — especially as the city’s budget is getting leaner. Those conversations would likely initially focus on schools that are already underenrolled. According to an annual assessment of school utilization across D.C., 18 DCPS schools and 15 charter schools are under 50% enrolled relative to their capacity.

“It’s hard to operate schools that are significantly underenrolled. It can be harmful for the rest of the District. It’s also bad for those students. How do you provide those students with robust services if you only have 200 to 300 students? It’s very expensive to have a nurse, it’s very expensive in high school to have a range of AP courses,” said Chad Aldeman, an educational analyst and consultant, speaking this week during a conference organized by the D.C. Policy Center.

But closing underenrolled schools would pose challenges. Many are in Wards 7 and 8, where incomes and educational indicators have lagged other parts of D.C. Additionally, past rounds of school closures — 23 in 2008 and 13 in 2013 — targeted a number of DCPS schools in those neighborhoods.

Responding to Aldeman, Kaya Henderson, who was DCPS chancellor from 2010 to 2016 and oversaw one round of school closures, argued that any future decisions on closing schools have to be based on more than just raw enrollment numbers.

“I want to resist the frame that let’s just look at places that are underenrolled and cut there, because over in Wards 7 and 8 those kids need a more robust educational infrastructure than potentially kids in Ward 3. That’s just our reality,” she said.

Kihn said that as decisions like these approach, DCPS and charters — which operate independently from each other — will have to cooperate and coordinate, something that historically hasn’t happened between two sectors that were set up to compete.

“What you don't want is if you lose thousands of kids, for example, and then you've got DCPS over here making some decisions about how they should respond and you've got the charter sector over here making some decisions,” he said. “What you want to have is a coherent citywide approach.”

Officials and experts say that D.C. shouldn’t just assume the inevitability of school enrollment dropping and the difficult responses that would require, but also find ways to encourage families to remain in the city. That includes continuing to invest in the city’s schools, which have seen gains in test scores and achievement, while also taking steps to make D.C. more affordable for families.

“When you look at things like how expensive it is to raise a child in the District when your average cost of early learning is $26,000 a year on top of some of the most expensive rent in the country, it is hard to have and grow a family in the District,” said Joanna Blotner, government affairs director for D.C. Action, which advocates for kid-friendly policies. “All of those things need to be taken into consideration.”

Blotner said D.C. should continue pushing to expand the supply of child care and bring down its cost, something that Ward 4 Council member Janeese Lewis George, who is likely to be the city’s next mayor, has said she will focus on.

“If we have folks who are investing in enrolling their kids in early-learning programs and seeing the District as family-friendly,” Blotner said, “they’re more likely to want to stay in the District long-term.”

Major Unions and Business Groups Clash Over Defense Contractor Stock Buybacks

Joe Gould — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:02:00 GMT

UAW is one of seven major unions backing the NDAA provision to restrict stock buybacks and dividends by defense contractors. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP)

The United Auto Workers, Teamsters, United Steelworkers and four other major unions are urging Congress to restrict stock buybacks and dividends by defense contractors, wading into a fight over how weapons makers spend billions of dollars in taxpayer revenue.

The unions are backing a provision in the Senate’s defense policy bill that is opposed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other major business groups, pitting organized labor against corporate America over efforts in Congress and the Trump administration to push weapons companies to invest more in arms production. Business groups warn the move would set a precedent for federal overreach into private industry

The fight has scrambled traditional political alliances. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) championed the Senate provision, while President Donald Trump has also targeted defense contractor stock buybacks, dividends and executive compensation. In a January executive order, Trump directed the Pentagon to restrict those payments at contractors deemed to be underperforming or making weapons too slowly.

The provision would bar the Pentagon from awarding contracts to companies that repurchase shares, pay dividends or make other capital distributions, unless the defense secretary grants a waiver tied to a qualifying defense investment plan.

In a letter sent this week to leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees, the unions urged lawmakers to preserve Section 815 of the Senate’s 2027 National Defense Authorization Act as the chambers negotiate a final version of the bill. The unions say they represent millions of workers, including those at major defense contractors and their suppliers.

The unions argue the industry is shortchanging workers on pay while rewarding shareholders with billions in stock buybacks and dividends.

“The working class makes the defense industry run, but instead of investing in our national and economic security, companies like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Woodward, and dozens more spend taxpayer dollars on Wall Street payoffs to enrich the billionaires,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement.

The unions pointed to Trump’s actions as evidence Congress should go further.

Warren, Hawley and Lee have said the five largest defense contractors have spent more than $100 billion on stock buybacks and dividends since 2020 — more than twice what they spent on capital expenditures. The unions said spending on buybacks and dividends by major defense contractors fell 36% after Trump’s executive order, which they say shows the restrictions are workable.

The unions said labor disputes and work stoppages over the past two years at Boeing, Lockheed, General Dynamics, Textron, GE Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney show that the industry’s spending priorities are leaving its workforce behind.

The U.S. Chamber and more than 40 other business and industry groups previously urged lawmakers to strip Section 815 from the Senate bill, warning that the restrictions would discourage companies from doing business with the Pentagon just as the government is trying to attract new suppliers and private investment into the defense industry.

In a July letter to Senate Armed Services Committee leaders, the groups argued that stock buybacks and dividends benefit millions of Americans who hold shares directly or through retirement accounts. They also warned that the restrictions could hurt employees whose stock ownership plans rely on dividend payments, and they disputed the idea that companies are sacrificing investment in production to reward shareholders.

The business groups also warned that the restrictions would give Washington unprecedented influence over corporate financial decisions, setting a precedent that could extend well beyond the defense industry.

“By prohibiting dividends, share repurchases, and other capital distributions absent a government waiver, Section 815 would shift responsibility for ordinary capital allocation decisions from corporate leadership to Washington,” the groups wrote.

Jon Ossoff Accuses Mike Collins of Having ‘Hired Half the Third Reich’

Hunter Riggall — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 02:03:59 GMT

Sen. Jon Ossoff called Rep. Mike Collins a “bigot” and at one point in the hour-long debate on Thursday said he had “hired half the Third Reich to staff [his] congressional office.”(Brynn Anderson/AP)

Sen. Jon Ossoff hammered Rep. Mike Collins, his opponent in the Georgia Senate race, over his connections to staff and family members who have propagated white supremacist views.

He called Collins a “bigot” and at one point in the hour-long debate on Thursday said he had “hired half the Third Reich to staff [his] congressional office.”

“Imagine running for the U.S. Senate while neo-Nazi propaganda is disseminated to an audience of millions from your home. That’s Mike Collins,” Ossoff said, referring to Collins’ son-in-law David Alan Scheer II, who reportedly lives on a property owned by Collins.

Collins, who has a history of posting inflammatory posts from his account on X, has been dogged by a string of scandals involving his staff and family members throughout the race, including several who have far-right connections.

Collins fired a chief of staff over the summer following reports that the staffer had been in a group chat with prominent white nationalists, in which the staffer said he was trying to free an imprisoned Holocaust denier. Another former staffer posted Nazi imagery on his personal X account. And a July CNN investigation into Scheer unearthed a history of promoting far-right conspiracy theories online.

Collins has previously issued statements condemning his staffers’ comments but has dodged questions about his son-in-law. When asked by moderators on Thursday to address the issue, Collins suggested that he had spoken with his son-in-law about it.

“I've condemned racism, antisemitism, hate. I don't care where the source is, and I tell him that too,” Collins said, without specifying who he was referring to. “It’s wrong.”

Collins also noted he has fired staffers over their online comments.

Ossoff, who has consistently led in polling and has a massive cash advantage to Collins, repeatedly steered the debate back to those controversies.

Collins blamed the “craziness that Jon Ossoff has been spewing” for an alleged death threat he received, which resulted in the arrest of a man in Buffalo, New York, last week. The suspect was accused of sending death threats to Collins and his son-in-law via Instagram.

In a copy of the arrest warrant obtained by The Washington Sun, deputies alleged the suspect sent a message saying, “Ill come to Jackson and smoke you cracka ass and ya father-in-law.”

National Republican groups in recent weeks have shifted resources away from swing states like North Carolina to defend turf in increasingly competitive red states, such as Kansas and South Carolina, The Sun previously reported.

Collins’ struggles against Ossoff may be precipitating a similar retreat in Georgia. Republicans’ Senate Leadership Fund has canceled nearly $2 million in Georgia ad buys, The Sun reported Thursday.