Ron DeSantis is refusing to take Harris' call on Hurricane Helene  —  An aide to the Florida governor said that Harris' call “seemed political” and that she “was trying to reach out, and we didn't answer.”  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is not taking calls from Vice President Kamala Harris …

Harris undergoes a ‘60 Minutes’ grilling as Trump sits it out  —  Harris refused to say whether the Biden administration's early border policy was a mistake.  Trump backed out of an interview with the program.  —  Vice President Kamala Harris for weeks was criticized for avoiding tough questions …

55/45 is a really close race  —  After a drought, we finally have enough interesting polling to do a Model Talk on where the race stands: perhaps we'll take another tour through the swing states, for instance.  But we've been leaning heavily on the paywalled side lately …

Ron DeSantis' Administration Is Threatening to Prosecute the Media for Airing Pro-Choice Ads  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration is threatening TV stations that air ads in support of an abortion rights ballot initiative with criminal penalties, including jail time.

What Kamala Harris' ‘Call Her Daddy’ media strategy is really about  —  Hint: it's not about mainstream media's egos.  —  On Sunday, a 40-minute interview with Vice President Kamala Harris aired on a platform with an audience of 5 million engaged and loyal listeners.  No, it wasn't “Meet the Press” or “Face the Nation.”

Trump Says He's Visited Gaza, but No Record of Such a Trip Exists  —  An aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity, pointed to the former president's trip to Israel.  But Gaza is not in Israel.  —  Donald J. Trump suggested in a radio interview on Monday that he had visited war-torn Gaza in the past …

FBI probe of Kavanaugh constrained by Trump White House, report finds  —  A Democratic senator's report finds new evidence of the White House controlling an FBI investigation into sexual assault claims against the Supreme Court nominee.  —  In September 2018, as allegations of sexual misconduct …

As Major Hurricane Approaches Florida, FEMA Faces Severe Staffing Shortage  —  Fewer than 10 percent of the agency's disaster workers are available to respond to Hurricane Milton and other calamities.  —  The Federal Emergency Management Agency is running out of staff to deal …

Every problem Trump wrongfully blames on undocumented immigrants  —  Hurricane Helene caused mass destruction across the southeastern United States, leaving thousands needing aid and at least 227 people dead.  Now, former President Donald Trump is using the disaster as a political cudgel …

Payments of $750 are only part of federal financial assistance after Helene |  Fact check  —  The claim: Americans affected by Hurricane Helene receive ‘only $750’ in aid  —  An Oct. 2 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) by conservative commentator Benny Johnson includes a clip …

Scoop: Woodward's “War” reveals new Biden backstory … Blinken made it clear that getting out was a decision only Biden could make — wanting the president to feel he was making it on his terms, rather than being forced.  — Biden stayed in the race three more weeks, then bowed out as party support collapsed.

“The Apprentice”: the film Trump doesn't want you to see … - The scenes are based on Ivana Trump's divorce deposition in 1990, in which she detailed a 1989 assault.  — She later walked back her claim that she was raped, and said instead that she “felt violated.”  — Trump has denied the allegations.

Montana GOP Senate candidate says women have been ‘indoctrinated’ on abortion  —  In newly unearthed audio from last year, Tim Sheehy said abortion is “all” young women “want to talk about.”  —  Montana Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, who is locked in a highly consequential race …

Harris to propose new Medicare home care benefit for seniors  —  The vice president is expected to announce the proposal on “The View.”  —  Kamala Harris during a Tuesday appearance on “The View” is expected to announce a new policy aimed at helping families care for aging seniors.

Trump's climate denial is appalling and getting worse  —  It's a perfect storm of ignorance and malevolence. … 🥂  —  In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Trump's blatant lies about FEMA using emergency funds for migrants have gotten a lot of attention, and deservedly so …