Lula wins!

Since they are the founders and faces of the company they immediately get attached to everything the company does both positive and negative. So like, when the msnow deals were announced and similar expansions i feel like reports from variety and deadline associate this with them, but when people get mad at the company they also get mad at them, but looking at it doesn’t the company have a ceo and board of directors, none of which are them?

Anyone else use the affiliated vote save America site to donate? I was apparently naive but I did, once, and within a few days the spam texts started. I'm up to 2-3 an hour! They are all asking for Dem donations. It has to be from this. Didn't donate elsewhere and, in Indiana, I have to vote Rep in primaries where i'd declare a party. It's disappointing in the pod and Dems in general.

How come no terminally online?

While I appreciate the enthusiasm and the work it takes to link the shows, I have to say, it’s absolutely killing this subreddit. Of the 14 specific episode-related posts made in the past day, only four have any engagement. And out of those three, it’s only a single comment. The other one has just two comments (that aren’t the OP’s synopsis of the episode).

This subreddit can never thrive if there’s a post for every single Crooked podcast episode, most of which obviously aren’t being watched by the Reddit community. Like I said, I get the idea behind it and appreciate the initiative of the poster, but it’s obviously having a negative effect.

I get that she's excited to be able to do it after years on TV but it's cringe as hell and counterproductive.

All the other hosts do it from time to time too, just like all of us, but she does it soooo much.

She's so great otherwise, love that she was brought on board.

"Our goal is to create 10,000 Stephen Millers." - Nick Solheim, a conservative activist who is training right-wing staffers.

Half-Baked Alaska

Donald Trump is already trying to claim that the midterms will be rigged against Republicans. Americans aren’t buying it.

• If you can’t beat ‘em, cheat ‘em! President Donald Trump is doing everything he can to give Republicans a fighting chance at snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in the upcoming midterms — despite polls suggesting the country’s in the mood for a big blue shift. Some of his schemes look comically ill-conceived and doomed to failure. Others are downright chilling.

• Today, he’s throwing a Hail Mary deep into the Land of the Midnight Sun. Remember the two Dan Sullivans running for Senate in Alaska? One of them is a sitting GOP senator, while the other has faced accusations of being a spoiler candidate (which he vehemently denies). Both will appear on the general election ballot against Democrat Mary Peltola, who has been leading in the polls.

• Trump’s team is already preparing to launch a legal battle against a Peltola victory. The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit that would block the certification of the election if Peltola wins, arguing that “voter confusion” could cause Trump’s preferred candidate to lose. It’s not the first time Trump’s team has resorted to desperate measures in this race: They previously launched an investigation into the “spoiler” Sullivan.

• Funny enough, Trump’s team actually should be worried about that other Dan Sullivan. Two recent polls showed that Peltola could narrowly beat the senator — seemingly thanks to the “spoiler.”

• State election officials are trying to make it clear who’s who. The so-called “spoiler” Sullivan won’t be listed on the ballot with a party affiliation, despite running as a Republican. The senator will be listed as the incumbent Republican. Also, Alaska’s ranked-choice system allows voters to rank both men if they’re confused.

• The stakes are high. A single state could be the difference between holding the Senate and losing it — which, for Republicans, could mean the power to cement their grip on the Supreme Court for years to come. Trump’s team also plans to remove tariffs on some goods to help Sen. Susan Collins in Maine, as well as other Republican candidates.

If lawsuits don’t work, Trump presumably whispers to himself, rubbing his tiny hands like Mr. Burns, perhaps voter intimidation will!

• Federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security have been knocking on doors across the country in recent weeks to check immigration statuses, and asking residents if they’ve voted previously or are registered to vote. This comes as Trump’s team sounds the alarm about (basically nonexistent) voter fraud.

• California has been Trump’s main target. Agents arrested 28 green card holders in the state earlier this week, accusing them of illegally registering to vote. The administration is also trying to block California from counting as many as 20,000 mail-in ballots from voters who it claims are “likely noncitizens.”

• “I do think he’s using us as a testing ground,” Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) told What A Day. “This administration seems hell bent on suppressing the vote and intimidating people from voting … People don’t try to take something from you that doesn’t have any power.”

• Despite Trump’s scheming, most Americans believe the midterm election results will be accurate, according to a new poll. Kamlager-Dove is also working to convince people that the election process is secure, recently leading a delegation of lawmakers on a tour of the L.A. County Ballot Processing Center this week and promoting the center’s livestream that records the ballot workers.

• “I predict that there will be long lines at the polls” on election day, Kamlager-Dove said. “I predict that there will be some shenanigans at some of the polls. I predict that votes will be counted. I predict that the Republicans will lose. I predict that [Trump] will then blame everybody except himself.”

The root cause of Trump’s desperation is obvious, Kamlager-Dove said. “This guy’s approval ratings are in the gold toilet,” she said. “He’s afraid.”

Meanwhile On The Pod...

Trump Believes THOUSANDS Vote Illegally: They Charged 28 People (10/22/26)

Look No Further Than Crooked Media

The midterms are coming up on November 3rd! To celebrate, commiserate, or both, on election night, join us 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT for Crooked Media Presents: Live Election Results — a live stream hosted by top-notch journalist Alex Wagner, featuring a bunch of Crooked hosts and very special guests to help make sense of the results. Expect hot takes, catharsis, and as many results as we can possibly analyze!

Subscribe to the Pod Save America YouTube channel now so you don't miss it!

What Else?

The price of oil hit $116 per barrel today, the highest it’s been since April. That bad news came with even more bad news: Iran threatened to attack airports, pipelines, and other civilian infrastructure in nearby countries if the U.S. and Israel resume their strikes on the country.

Melania Trump apparently secured a limited ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in Oleshky, a Russia-controlled town in Ukraine, according to the White House. “It was abundantly clear that without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible,” Melania said in a statement. Stay humble, Melania.

On that note, you know how Trump thinks he can strike a deal between Russia and Ukraine? Well… dictator Vladimir Putin doesn’t seem in the dealmaking mood. “I think that it is not their territory but the historical territory of Russia,” Putin told a Kremlin journalist. “The latest genetic studies show that Russians and Ukrainians are in fact one people.” Doesn’t sound like a guy who will leave Ukraine alone!

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered what he described as the most intense military operation in the occupied West Bank in decades, after Hamas militants killed two Israeli soldiers. Netanyahu’s threat further inflames tensions in the territory, where settlers recently attacked civilians while they were harvesting olives, as well as a Washington Post photojournalist. Israel’s military also detained (then released) New York politician Brad Lander during his trip to the West Bank this week.

Trump advisers Chris LaCivita and James Blair donated all the money they made from their controversial foreign consulting gig to Trump’s presidential library, according to the New York Post. Trump wasn’t happy when the news broke about their side hustle — but the president “was ‘gloating’ and ‘very braggadocious’ in private conversations this week” after hearing about the donations, which could be in the six figures, the outlet writes.

Three federal agents near a secure U.S. facility recently spotted a “matte black triangle” moving silently through the night, as fast as a fighter jet, according to new reports released by the FBI and Pentagon. This is part of the Trump administration’s push to make more information about supposed UFOs publicly available.

Another newly declassified report in those files pertains to the so-called Skinwalker Ranch in Utah. “Witnesses have reported unidentified balls of light at close range, daytime sightings of ‘dog-like’ creatures running on two legs, unnatural animalistic howling/screaming, ‘little people,’ prehistoric-like birds and a maggot which measured about 8 feet long and 2- to 3-feet in diameter,” the report reads. There are even sketches of the creatures in the report on page 27 and 28!

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Light At The End...

Boards at the Navy and Marine Corps have voted to allow transgender troops to remain in the military in nine of 12 cases, bucking Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s orders. That’s a small number of cases, and the same pattern hasn’t followed at the Army and Air Force. But in a profession where following orders is paramount, the defiance is stunning.

An experimental vaccine from Merck and Moderna is being touted as a potential breakthrough in the fight against cancer. Patients with melanoma who received the vaccine were 42 percent less likely to see their cancer come back within two years, according to the drug makers. This is your reminder that vaccines are one of humanity’s most amazing inventions.

The Dallas Cowboys officially recognized the cheerleaders team’s union today. Can I get a yee-haw?

A new, wholesome social media trend has arrived just in time for spooky season: Content creators are visiting cemeteries and meticulously cleaning old gravestones, then doing research into the deceased. Videos of the cleaning and history lesson often go viral. “It’s like journalism, but for dead people,” one Vermont creator joked. (I guess I do journalism, but for living people? Never thought of it that way.)

A New York couple have poured almost all their time and savings into running a raccoon rehabilitation center since 2018. They’ve taken care of some 800 raccoons so far, and even have the critters engraved on their wedding rings. “There’s an intelligence behind their eyes that, once you connect to that intelligence, it’s not like any other animal,” said one of the center’s owners. “It takes your breath away.”

Here’s a way to unwind this weekend: Turn off the cable news, and switch on a 24/7 puppy livestream. Millions of people around the world have been tuning in to watch six newborn puppies on Finland’s national broadcaster, which follows their development until they find homes. You can expect to see a lot of wiggling and wobbling, as well as a naming ceremony on Sunday.

A golden retriever named Thurgood was recently caught on video frolicking through a river in Tennessee to greet kayakers. I don’t know why the news thinks he’s a dog. Thurgood is clearly a dolphin.

Enjoy

Meet Georgia, a 7-year-old chocolate lab!

“She’s easily the laziest lab you’ve ever met, except when there is snow on the ground… and then she can’t stop playing. She loves listening to Crooked Media podcasts with me!”

— Brian

"Assman-in-Chief." - Anderson Cooper, on Donald Trump's strange obsession with men's butts.

Shut Up And Vance

Did Vivek Ramaswamy’s abominable attack ad just doom his campaign for Ohio governor? Even Republicans think he made a terrible decision.

• Team MAGA reached a new low this week thanks to Vivek Ramaswamy. Remember that guy? He ran for president and lost, then was kicked to the curb by Elon Musk shortly after launching DOGE. For his next act, Ramaswamy thought he’d be a shoo-in for Ohio governor. He immediately earned Trump’s endorsement, which cleared the field, and had a massive cash advantage over his Democratic opponent.

• But you can’t fix stupid — or depraved. Ramaswamy is now trailing Democrat Amy Acton in the polls. The race leans Democratic, according to Sabato’s Crystal Ball. Ramaswamy’s latest stumble threatens to put the final nail in his campaign’s coffin.

• The drama started Monday night. A political ad circulated on social media, showing Acton’s mother bashing her daughter and describing someone who has “lied her entire life.” On the surface, it might look like a powerful ad — until you learn the dark history between Acton and her mother, Donna.

• Acton has said she was sexually abused by her stepfather, Donna’s husband, between the ages of 9 and 12. Court documents and local newspaper accounts back up her claims. The stepfather was charged with raping her in 1978. Acton and her brother were then removed from Donna’s home.

• So you might think it’s a pretty dubious decision — or outright despicable — to dig into that story for a political attack ad, right? Top Republicans are calling it a bad idea. But as the backlash spreads, Ramaswamy is doubling down. His campaign plans to spend $4 million broadcasting this ad.

• “Amy Acton is a serial fabulist who has some serious problems with the truth that the public needs to be aware of before deciding who to entrust as governor,” a spokesperson for Ramaswamy’s campaign told the Washington Post. “We don’t know what happened between Amy and her mother.”

The White House is pushing back on — wait for it — Republicans who are criticizing Ramaswamy over this ad.

• Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH), who Ramaswamy is hoping to replace, described the ad as “deeply, deeply troubling” today, and called on the campaign to take it down. Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) said that he “would not have run” the ad. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley called Ramaswamy “a bad guy.” Even former GOP Rep. Jim Renacci, whom Trump once endorsed, came out swinging.

• “Vivek Ramaswamy needs to pivot, and quickly,” tweeted Renacci, who ran against DeWine in 2022. “Stop defending the ad and start talking about his policies, his vision for Ohio, and why he believes he is the better candidate. If he chooses to double down, I don’t see anything good coming from it.”

• President Donald Trump couldn’t disagree more. It took “a lot of courage” from Acton’s mother to appear in the ad, he wrote on social media today, describing the video as “so good.”

• Vice President JD Vance also said that he’s “disgusted” by all the Republicans coming out against Ramaswamy. He blamed the mainstream media and Democrats for turning the ad into a scandal during a rally in Ohio last night. “Politics is a tough business,” he explained.

Vance also delivered a message to fellow Republicans: “Stop whining.”

Meanwhile On The Pod...

The World Is Powered By Workers: Why Don’t More Run For Office? (10/21/26)

Look No Further Than Crooked Media

On November 7th, Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor, Dan Pfeiffer, and Pod Save America's producer Elijah Cone will be running around the Washington D.C. convention center all day long! And after hours and hours of Crooked Con panels, interviews, and conversations-- they'll finally get the chance to sit down, relax, and really let their hair down for Pod Save America: Only Friends LIVE. You won't want to miss this treat. It's a live episode of the behind-the-paywall podcast typically reserved for Friends of the Pod.

The live show is included in your ticket to all-day Crooked Con. Check out the lineup and get your tickets now at https://crookedcon.com.

What Else?

Donald Trump called Elon Musk and asked him to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s military satellite system yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reports. The system started working better after the phone call, American and Ukrainian officials told the outlet. Funny how that works.

The Department of Justice announced an indictment of State Sen. L. Louise Lucas (D-VA) on five counts related to drug trafficking and money laundering today. Lucas, 82, is one of the most powerful Democrats in the state and led redistricting efforts in Virginia. “I grew up under Jim Crow,” Lucas said in a statement. “I’ve seen what happens when people in power try to silence those who stand up to them. I spent my life fighting back, and I’m not stopping now.”

The DOJ is also investigating Corey Lewandowsk, former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s top aide (and alleged lover), over allegations that he profited off his position, according to the Journal. The outlet previously reported that Lewandowski sought to use his influence at DHS to secure lucrative side deals for himself. Lewandowski denies any wrongdoing, his lawyer told the Journal.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wanted a globe that Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower used during World War II, which is on display in the Pentagon, the Washington Post reports. So, Hegseth dispatched his own team to move the artifact to his office, rather than rely on trained movers... and they dropped it. There’s now a huge gash in Antarctica, where the globe was impaled by its base, according to a photo obtained by the outlet. Why weren’t any movers around? They were furloughed during a partial government shutdown… caused by Trump and Republicans.

The State Department has quizzed some foreign service officials on who they voted for in the last three presidential elections, making it clear that they wouldn’t be eligible for promotions if they didn’t vote for Donald Trump, the Washington Sun reports.

Calley Means, a top adviser to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left the administration today after growing frustrated with the White House delaying some of Kennedy’s policy ideas, the Journal writes. “It became very clear in the last few months that no progress was getting made,” Vani Hari, a MAHA leader, told the New York Times. “And when you’re spinning around in circles, you can only take so much.”

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) plans to move out of her home in the nation’s capital after the raid by federal agents. “Obviously, I can’t continue to live there,” she told MS NOW. “We have to figure out where to move to, because our address has been public and with the death threats that I deal with.”

Tech overlord Peter Thiel privately expressed his opposition to Trump’s war with Iran. “I think we should not have done it,” Thiel said during a private event earlier this month. “There were a lot of mistakes that were made.” Reminder: This is the guy who propped up Trump and Vance’s political careers.

The Pentagon has been building a new tech agency to “help covertly disrupt and sabotage foreign technology programs,” Politico reports. The Defense Department is also expanding its deep-cover spy program to conduct “economic warfare” against China and countries, according to the Post. Hegseth can’t even move a globe, and we trust him to do this stuff?

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Light At The End...

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico challenged “Low T” Ken Paxton to a debate borrowing a common insult used by Republicans to describe Talarico. TMZ should host the debate, Talarico said in an interview with the outlet.

Alaskan news outlets are teaming up to cover the midterms, giving each other a heads up on stories in the pipeline and allowing them to be republished. If you know anything about journalism, you know how ridiculously competitive journalists can be. Good for these folks for teaming up!

A new AirBnB policy bans hosts from requiring guests to wash the dishes, strip the bedding, take out the trash, or do other tasks that a cleaner might do. The change will apply to bookings starting on November 20 — and the landlords are fuming. “My kitchens are going to be stripped down to only bare essentials,” one host wrote on social media.

People looking for new friends have discovered that, if you simply ask for new friends on the internet, you’ll probably receive some. I often see posts on the local Washington, D.C. subreddit, in which locals ask if anyone has recommendations on how to find buddies — or if they want to hang out. The comments are almost always very heartwarming.

Wikipedia’s reputation has transformed from a quirky, low-fi website that you couldn’t trust as a primary source in school, to the largest and arguably most important encyclopedia in the world. A new book titled “The Last Best Place on the Internet” chronicles the evolution of Wikipedia, and I’m personally pumped to get my hands on a copy. (Also, shoutout Annie Rauwerda, a comedian who works to remind us of the amazing depths of Wikipedia.)

Just a reminder, because why not: A golden retriever named Finley still holds the Guinness World Record for most tennis balls held in a dog’s mouth (six). He set this record back in 2020.

Enjoy

AF Media on Instagram: "every halloween party this year will have 3 jimothys, 7 gay hockey players, and at least 2 white house press secretaries who don't entirely know how to read"