Michael McAuliff

NEW: The DOGE operative who gutted USAID -- firing thousands of employees and canceling lifesaving programs -- never actually signed the paperwork that's legally required for him to be employed by the agency.

The world will add less clean energy capacity in 2026 for the first time in five years due to inadequate transmission networks and trade barriers, the chief of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) said.

Global measles cases in kids rose ⬆️40% from 2020 to 2023, study estimates Disruptions in vaccine coverage and spread of misinformation about vaccine safety have led to a sharp rise in pediatric illnesses and deaths. Read more: https://bit.ly/4BveXQD

For those of us who don't know, how does Minn. report early vote on election day? Dems may perhaps not want to get too excited if those come in first.

didn't know there was a bluesky account for this

I really think everyone needs to pay attention to this coordinated campaign to delegitimize Muslim Americans - not just as citizens but as humans. These increasingly hysterical attacks are a prelude to Republicans bringing us to a very, very dark place after the election.

93% of Latinos who voted for Trump in 2024 approved of Trump’s job as president at the start of his second term. Now, 57% say this.

It's not all bubbles and hope for Democrats in the Texas Senate race. A compelling joint from @kadiagoba.bsky.social, @daniellamicaela.bsky.social, Marissa Martinez finds some locals worried Talarico is falling short with Black voters — and an enthusiasm gap could sink him.

The same day a court threw out the Trump administration's firing of Comey's daughter, the Trump administration goes back, for the third time, to try to indict the head of the FBI who refused to swear loyalty to the President. www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...

A New Mexico analysis shows consistent patterns as seen elsewhere. Overall turnout is up. In-person early votes are more than offsetting fewer mail ballots, and turnout is lower for registered Republicans while up for Democrats and unaffiliated voters michaelmcdonald.substack.com/p/new-mexico...

HHS wants a new Medicare code that pays doctors extra only when they attribute a patient’s symptoms to a vaccine. Vaccine critics say doctors are paid to push vaccines. We aren’t. Under this code, we’d be paid to blame them. My new piece in @cidrap.bsky.social: www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-va...

Are you as big a fan of @kadiagoba.bsky.social, @pkcapitol.bsky.social, @reesegorman.bsky.social, @stephenneukam.bsky.social, Al Weaver, Avani Kalra as I am? Not to mention the legion of @washingtonsun.com beat reporters who also pull Hill news. You definitely want to subscribe to this.

Read Greg’s piece first, but then read the letter he links from 172 Dems pushing back on the persecution of Omar. Read it carefully RE what it demands and doesn’t demand. jayapal.house.gov/wp-content/u...

Virtually no grant officers remain at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The Trump administration abruptly canceled at least 150 grants from the office over the summer. Now political appointees won’t tell Congress where they’re redirecting millions. via @paigecunningham.bsky.social

Thomas Phillips, the former Republican chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, announces he's backing Democrat James Talarico for Senate. "Paxton’s longstanding reputation will embarrass Texas in ways our state simply cannot afford." www.beaumontenterprise.com/opinions/art...

Is there a reason Alaska has so many Dans Sullivan? We approached the data systematically to find out. https://www.washingtonsun.com/national/dan-sullivan-dan-sullivan-alaska-data

The incoming Congressional Black Caucus chair says Democrats could subpoena Pentagon officials to investigate allegations of discrimination in military promotions under Pete Hegseth if they regain control of the House. www.washingtonsun.com/congress/heg...

I have signed up. This will not only be useful if you care about the Hill, it'll be fun, too!

Is there a reason there are so many Dan Sullivans in Alaska? @andrewvandam.bsky.social found: "It just so happens the name Daniel peaked in popularity about 40 years ago, giving Alaska the most Dan-friendly population profile of any state."

White House attorneys are evaluating whether to issue mass pardons to junior staffers, as Trump allies press the administration to protect lower-ranked officials from prosecution and other legal challenges, according to two sources familiar with the conversations.

Gift version

Trump exempted 202 facilities in 39 states and Puerto Rico from clean-air regulations. Some were among the worst industrial polluters, including chemical, copper and coal-burning producers. About 3.3 million people live within 3 miles of at least one affected plant. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/24/c...

Good morning Bluesky! This feels like a good time to re-up my primer to getting the most out of midterm election polling, as well as my advice that the correct answer to "can we trust the polls" is "trust them to do what"? Understand the limitations, also the uses. www.cnn.com/2026/09/09/p...

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, whose mission is to fund bold, edgy biomedical research, is making a $41 million bet on repurposing drugs approved for other conditions and natural products such as supplements to stave off Alzheimer’s. https://scim.ag/4kaIZCP

Oil hits $115 a barrel for the first time since May, adding to the economic strain just 11 days before critical midterm elections that may turn in part on affordability. @iankmsmith.ft.com @urbandirt.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/8948...

There's a whole lotta shifting going on. The folks at @cookpolitical.com tell us today that 19 more House ratings move in the Dems' direction, including 6 from toss-up to lean-D. cookpolitical.com/analysis/hou...

Not only is the Jeffrey Epstein thing not gone, Dems are shifting their ads about the deceased sex trafficker from swing districts to red territory, hoping they can tip a few more GOP strongholds into the blue column in a wave year. @washingtonsun.com's Avani Kalra digs in.

Dems have a couple of old-timers running in Ohio when the public is yet again in the mood for change. But Sherrod Brown and Marcy Kaptur have been doing the new change thing — blue-collar populism — since Reagan had two more years in his term. @pkcapitol.bsky.social takes a look.

NEW: A bird flu outbreak has been raging uncontrolled on a Utah mink farm for two months. Flu experts fear it could spark a devastating human pandemic. But officials haven’t acted — instead prioritizing the financial interests of the fur trade.

All true, yet it’s the gas and grocery prices that seem top of mind, even with health costs rising by hundreds and thousands of dollars.

The voters who want Dems to control the Senate but are voting Collins….

A Republican district attorney in West Texas has opened a forgery investigation into pamphlets mailed to voters this month containing information for transgender students, claiming to be sent by a trans rights organization.

#earlyvote afternoon update 10/22: at least 20 million people have voted in the 2026 general election 🥳🎉 election.lab.ufl.edu/early-vote/2...

Dutch intelligence obtained a Russian hack of Kushner's phone and then hacked it themselves to find:

BREAKING NYT: The Trump Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into Corey Lewandowski over accusations that he personally profited from his role as a top adviser to the Department of Homeland Security, according to two officials with knowledge of the situation.

Iirc, @zeteo.com broke news of the Hegseth / Eisenhower’s globe saga / hilarious visual metaphor in this Oct 15 profile of Trump’s “war secretary” zeteo.com/p/secretary-... I want to be clear: WaPo has pics and it’s a good story. I’m not bitching about credit I’m just pointing out that people…

An update on Florida's early voting. It is still trailing 2022 due, in part, to a significant change in law regarding mail ballot requests. Democrats and Unaffiliated voters are making up ground in the in-person early vote, but Republicans not so much michaelmcdonald.substack.com/p/florida-ea...

Aaannd… Pelosi’s office gets a suspicious powder letter, too.

hmmm. First there were claims Janelle Stelson hired an illegal immigrant flasher, which appear to be false. Now there are claims by a Scott Perry-supporting neighbor that Stelson is some sort of flasher. Local press finds no evidence, however.

The real life impacts of curbing a weedy Medicaid funding mechanism that few understand, "state-directed payments" — less money to nursing homes and residents.

Abdul El-Sayed to a friendly ear on the GOP staffer who asked AES about the Muslim Brotherhood recently.

George W. Bush’s brother, Neil, votes for James Talarico in Texas. What a turn. George and Barbara Bush's son, voting for a Dem, angry at Paxton and Trump.

A woman went to jail because someone used her stolen SSN/personal details to open a Cash App account. That scammer then committed fraud using that account, so she's been blamed for it. The woman can't get details from Cash App bc they say the account isn't hers www.404media.co/amanda-smith...

Bomb-sniffing locusts get a sensory assist from nanomaterials (that gumdrop on its antenna). The gumdrop (collagen foam) can enhance an organism’s innate sensory system, collect samples and detect trace chemical signatures. #ScienceSky #BugSky 🧪🪳 source.washu.edu/2026/10/locu...

LOVE that Baltimore is listed as one of the 25 best places to travel to in the world in 2027 by National Geographic! 🧡🦀 www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/artic...