CNN, MS Now and Politico Update Lawsuit Against Trump Over White House Access

NYT - Top Stories

By: Erik Wemple

28 October 2026 at 20:47

The news outlets argued in an updated lawsuit that they should be granted access to the White House reporting pools.

Betsy Klein, a CNN reporter, in the White House in September.

What Does the Cheesecake Factory’s Designer Think of Obama and Trump’s Jabs at His Décor?

NYT - Top Stories

By: Kim Severson

28 October 2026 at 17:55

Long before its baroque décor and class identity became midterm talking points, this durable restaurant chain survived some withering critiques.

The Cheesecake Factory has defined the term “upscale casual dining,” and closely read the psyche and the appetite of the American diner.

Linda McMahon Spends $43,000 on Furniture as She Looks to Close Education Department

NYT - Top Stories

By: Michael C. Bender

28 October 2026 at 17:40

The education secretary says her old furniture “cannot be configurationally or aesthetically integrated” into new office space.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon in her old office in Washington last year.

Flávio Bolsonaro Lands in Miami After Fleeing Brazil

NYT - Top Stories

By: Ana Ionova · Edward Wong · Alice Maciel and Lucía Cholakian Herrera

28 October 2026 at 21:04

Mr. Bolsonaro, who lost Sunday’s presidential election, fled Brazil for the United States via Argentina after the police canceled his passport in relation to an investigation.

Flávio Bolsonaro arriving at Miami Opa-Locka Airport on Wednesday.

Inside Democrats’ Secret Effort to Stack Alaska’s Midterm Ballot With Another Dan Sullivan

NYT - Top Stories

By: Kellen Browning

28 October 2026 at 14:37

Operatives aligned with Mary Peltola, the Democratic nominee for Senate, spent months recruiting candidates to peel votes from Senator Dan Sullivan, the Republican.

A sample ballot showing candidates for next week’s U.S. Senate race in Alaska lists two Dan Sullivans (highlight added here to both), along with Mary Peltola, the Democrat, and a fourth candidate named Gerald Heikes.

The Federal Reserve Will Release Its Interest Rate Decision Today. Here’s What to Watch.

NYT - Top Stories

By: Colby Smith

28 October 2026 at 09:05

The central bank is widely expected to hold interest rates steady on Wednesday, just days before the midterm elections.

The Federal Reserve is expected to press pause on raising interest rates after delivering a rate increase last month for the first time since 2023.

The Senate Race in Heavily Republican South Carolina is a Tossup, Poll Finds

NYT - Top Stories

By: Patricia Mazzei and Ruth Igielnik

28 October 2026 at 12:56

Senator Darline Graham, the South Carolina Republican, is struggling to replicate her late brother’s success. Republicans lead in the Florida Senate race and Democrats are up in Minnesota.

Trump Administration Backs Down on an Opioid Ban After Kratom Industry Lobbying

NYT - Top Stories

By: Christina Jewett

28 October 2026 at 09:03

Health officials will now allow some levels of a powerful substance to remain in products marketed as natural. The change could help a G.O.P. donor facing wrongful death lawsuits.

Banners promoting the sale of kratom products outside a smoke shop in Tulsa, Okla., earlier this year.

Trump Cannot Be the End of the Story

NYT - Top Stories

By: Jamelle Bouie

28 October 2026 at 11:26

Trump has no use for pretense and he’s not interested in playing along.

The U.S. Attorneys Carrying Out Trump’s Election and Grievance Cases

NYT - Top Stories

By: Devlin Barrett

28 October 2026 at 09:02

Together, they have pursued cases against the president’s enemies and protesters and amplified false claims of widespread election fraud, often citing thin evidence.

Justice Dept. Declines to Unseal Warrant for Search of Ilhan Omar’s Home

NYT - Top Stories

By: Francesca Regalado

28 October 2026 at 08:58

More than a dozen news organizations have asked a federal judge to unseal documents related to a search warrant executed at Ms. Omar’s home this month.

Rep. Ilhan Omar at the Capitol in January.

Texas Senate Rivals Converge on Lubbock, With Trump in the Mix

NYT - Top Stories

By: J. David Goodman · Lucinda Holt and Sarah Self-Walbrick

28 October 2026 at 04:08

It was a showdown of sorts in western Texas as James Talarico and Ken Paxton appeared at dueling rallies on either side of a prairie-dog-filled city park.

President Trump with Ken Paxton during a campaign visit in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Tuesday.

Judge Questions Trump Administration’s Need to Target Noncitizen Voters

NYT - Top Stories

By: Shawn Hubler

28 October 2026 at 02:31

In the legal tangle between the Justice Department and California, a federal judge on Tuesday deferred a ruling but said the government already had a remedy it could use after the election.

The Trump administration has pressed an effort to disqualify people it says are noncitizens from voting on Nov. 3.

Iran War Cost Rises to $47.1 Billion, Pentagon Told Lawmakers

NYT - Top Stories

By: Eric Schmitt

28 October 2026 at 01:09

The estimate through Oct. 16 shows that bombs, missiles and other munitions accounted for more than 60 percent of expenses.

A sailor running across the flight deck of the U.S.S. George Washington in the Arabian Sea last month.

U.S. Defends Military Campaign Against Cartels as Leaders Gather in Caribbean

NYT - Top Stories

By: Eric Schmitt · Annie Correal and Hogla Enecia Pérez

27 October 2026 at 23:53

A regional coalition convened as part of a U.S. military effort to disrupt and combat drug traffickers that officials have compared to the campaign against the Islamic State and Al Qaeda.

A multinational military exercise near Panama City in August. Regional military leaders at a gathering on Tuesday reviewed a wide-ranging U.S. military plan to combat drug smugglers.

Justice Dept. Steps Up Moves on Comey and Others as Midterm Elections Near

NYT - Top Stories

By: Glenn Thrush · Alan Feuer and Devlin Barrett

27 October 2026 at 22:18

In some cases, court paperwork bears unmistakable signs of urgency — typos, unorthodox tactics and the signatures of the department’s senior political leadership.

Attorney General Todd Blanche announcing the indictment of L. Louise Lucas, a prominent Virginia Democrat, on drug-trafficking charges last week in Norfolk, Va.

Grand Jury Declines to Bring Charges Against Cassidy Hutchinson

NYT - Top Stories

By: Michael S. Schmidt · Alan Feuer and Glenn Thrush

28 October 2026 at 02:21

The rejection of the indictment was the latest extraordinary setback in President Trump’s wide-ranging campaign to go after his political opponents.

The investigation of Cassidy Hutchinson was directed to the Justice Department’s civil rights division, which normally focuses on issues like police violence and election integrity.

Flávio Bolsonaro Leaves Brazil for the U.S. After Election Defeat

NYT - Top Stories

By: Ana Ionova · Edward Wong and Thayz Guimarães

28 October 2026 at 10:43

Officials in Argentina said Mr. Bolsonaro entered the country by land then flew to Ecuador. Brazilian police had asked him to hand over his passports because of his links to an investigation.