Thursday’s Daily Stack
Hour One: Electoral Authoritarianism: Should Elections Control the Government or Should Government Control Elections?
Article: ““Electoral Authoritarianism”: Should Elections Control the Government or Should Government Control Elections? “ by Thom Hartmann.
Article: “Raja Krishnamoorthi raises concerns over FBI agents at polls“ by Jayujyoti Mullick.
Article: “Sending ICE to polling places would be crime, suit says“ by Arelis R. Hernández.
Article: “Exclusive: National Guard Mobilizes for Election“ by Ken Klippenstein.
Article: “Says Joseph Stalin said, “It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.”“ by Ciara O’Rourke.
Book: The Hidden History of the War on Voting: Who Stole Your Vote and How to Get It Back by Thom Hartmann.
Article: “Trump ramps up involvement in this year’s elections in possible preview of midterms pressure“ by Nicholas Riccardi.
Article: “Preventing Voter Intimidation by Federal Agents at the Polls“ by Hayne Yoon.
Article: “Federal actions around voting system expand weeks ahead of midterms“ by Lesley Stahl, Andy Bast, Emily Cameron.
Article: “Why Common Cause Sued to Stop ICE Agents at The Polls“ by Kenny Colston.
Article: “Arlington, Virginia sues to keep armed federal agents away from the polls as voting gets underway“ by Yunior Rivas.
Article: “ Zimbabwe; Events of 2008“ by HRW.
Article: “Democrats are preparing for Trump to try disrupting voting on Election Day“ by David Rohde.
Article: “White House actions spur worry among FBI agents about being called to polling places, sources say“ by Ken Dilanian and Carol Leonnig.
Article: “Tulsi Gabbard’s office examined voting machines in Puerto Rico“ by Dan De Luce, Brennan Leach and Kevin Collier.
Article: “Trump Threatens ‘Jail’ In California Midterm Election Fight“ by Jordan King.
Article: “The New Worst-Case Scenario for Election Officials: Federal Interference“ by Richard Fausset, Zolan Kanno-Youngs and David W. Chen.
Article: “DOJ says California officials who process ballots from suspected noncitizens risk prosecution“ by Eric Tucker.
Article: “Trump says he’s not mulling a draft executive order to seize control over elections. Here’s what we know“ by Liz Landers.
Article: “White House turmoil as Stephen Miller pushed midterm voting machine seizures: report“ by David Edwards.
Article: “Kash Patel’s Personalized Bourbon Stash“ by Sarah Fitzpatrick.
Article: “Trump administration threatens states with criminal charges in elections fight“ by Rachel Leingang.
Article: “Trump wants Republicans to ‘nationalize’ the 2026 midterm elections. Can they really do that?“ by Andrew Romano.
Article: “Tulsi Gabbard went down to Georgia — and no one in the Trump administration wants to take credit“ by Aaron Blake.
Article: “Mississippi civil rights workers’ murders“ by Wikipedia.
Law: “Voting Rights Act of 1965“.
Article: “Art Fletcher, an Unsung Hero of the Civil Rights Movement, is More Relevant Than Ever This Black History Month“ by David Hamilton Golland.
Book: American Kompromat: How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump, and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power, and Treachery by Craig Unger.
Book: How Russia Won: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and the Fight for America by David Corn<.
Article: “Ambassador Kislyak’s Meeting with Jared Kushner and Michael Flynn in Trump Tower Following the Election“ by Reports that Matter.
Article: “‘Horrified’ Israeli intel officials ‘were shouting at US counterparts’ over Trump leak“ by ToI Staff.
Article: “The Hidden History of Trump’s First Trip to Moscow“ (1987) by Luke Harding.
Article: “Yes, Trump paid for full-page newspaper ad criticizing US foreign policy in 1987“ by Joey Esposito .
New Mexico Megachurch Sparks Showdown Over Federal Ban on Political Endorsements - what will happen?
Article: “New Mexico megachurch endorses Republican candidates, testing federal ban“ by Cecilia Nowell.
Article: “The Johnson Amendment In 5 Questions And Answers“ by Tom Gjelten.
Article: “James Madison And Church-State Separation“ by Rob Boston.
Republican Senator Drops Bombshell: Should Non-Christians Be Banned From Congress?
Article: “Republican Senator Says Non-Christians Are Unfit for Senate: ‘Should Be Nowhere Near Washington’“ (Bernie Moreno (R-OH)) by Michael Luciano.
Article: “2026 Ohio Senate Special Election - Husted vs. Brown“ by Real Clear Polling.
Article: “Religious affiliation in the United States Senate“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Vivek Ramaswamy“ by Wikipedia.
Law: “Article. VI.“. “The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.“
Article: “Ted Cruz says “Americans will die” if El-Sayed joins Senate Intel Committee“ by Joe Edwards.
Article: “Mike Rogers says Abdul El-Sayed is a national security risk who’s bought by Muslim Brotherhood in testy Michigan Senate debate“ by Victor Nava.
Article: “‘Campaigning for jihadist:’ Trump slams Obama over El-Sayed endorsement“ by Israel National News.
Article: “GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski endorses Democratic candidate in Alaska governor’s race“ by Kyla Guilfoil.
Article: “Epstein files“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Elon Musk wants to give every American child a share of SpaceX. Here’s what it would cost -- and what it means for everyone else holding the stock“ by James Brumley.
Article: “Elon Musk Says Merging SpaceX and Tesla Would Be a Good Idea. Here’s What Investors Should Know.“ by Lawrence Nga.
Article: “Electric car use by country“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Democrats Seek to Close the ‘Elon Musk Loophole’ in Campaign Spending“ by Igor Bobic.
Article: “COINTELPRO“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Voters in Serbia and Brazil add to the losing streak of authoritarian candidates“ by Steve Benen.
Article: “Inside Democrats’ Secret Effort to Stack Alaska’s Ballot“ by Kellen Browning.
Article: “Florida GOP operative admits role in ‘ghost’ candidate scheme that defeated utility-targeted Dem“ by Mario Alejandro Ariza.
Article: “They Conjured Up Ghost Candidates to Win. Now, They’re Terrified of Losing to One and Want Help.“ by PatRod.
Video: “Willie Horton ad“.
Article: “Who Is Eric Hafner? Democrat on Alaska Ballot Accused of Being GOP Ploy“ by Steve Mollman and Joshua Rhett.
Hour Two: Ukraine Update
- Phil Ittner, Veteran War Correspondent based in Kiev, Ukraine & host of the ‘On the Edge‘ podcast @PhilipIttner Youtube
Article: “Who’s In Control? The Trump-Musk Starlink Crisis Was the Real October Surprise“ by Alex Griffing.
Article: “Putin hails Elon Musk’s ‘genius’ amid plans for Russian version of Starlink“ by Dan Sabbagh.
Article: “In Ukraine’s Kherson, brief ceasefire brings rare respite“ by Yurii Kovalenko.
Article: “Russian drone attack on Ukrainian train station kills at least 14, officials say“ by Tom McArthur.
Article: “Route demining completed in Russian-occupied Oleshky as humanitarian convoy prepares to enter, Ukraine’s ombudsman says“ by Tania Myronyshena.
Article: “Ukraine peace talks: 5 things to know about the chances of a deal“ by Tim Ross and Veronika Melkozerova .
Article: “Ukraine war briefing: Trilateral peace talks with Russia to restart, says Zelenskyy“ by Guardian.
Article: “29 civilians abducted from Kherson oblast were tortured to death or died from lack of treatment in Russian captivity “ by Halya Coynash.
Article: “Putin hails Elon Musk’s ‘genius’ amid plans for Russian version of Starlink“ by Dan Sabbagh.
Article: “War complicates aluminium supply chain for Tesla“ by Castings SA.
Article: “Stephen Miller Says Might Makes Right In US Takeover: ‘They Cannot Defend Greenland’“ by Marco Margaritoff.
Article: “Peter Thiel’s Blueprint for Post-Democratic Governance“ by Diogenes Chakin.
Article: “Judiciary Democrats’ Report Details Mounting Evidence Linking Trump to Epstein’s Criminal Activities and DOJ’s Cover-Up; Specific Accounts Involving 11 Women Provide More Evidence of Potential Sex Crimes“.
Article: “Immigrant’s Death in Abusive Georgia ICE Facility Reignites Call for Its Closure“ by Sharon Zhang.
515 Superrich Donors Tighten Their Grip on Washington With $4.2 Billion Election Spending
Article: “Led by Elon Musk, 515 Superrich People Have Donated $4.2 Billion to Super PACs for 2026 Elections“ by Julia Conley.
Texas Prosecutor Launches Criminal Investigation Into Mysterious Transgender Mailers Sent to Kids. Were Republicans Behind This to Influence the Election?
Article: “Who sent transgender mailers to Texas kids? West Texas DA opens criminal investigation“ by Sierra Rains.
Article: “Republicans emphasize transgender ads, putting cultural issues over economy“ by Steve Peoples.
Site: “Vote.org“.
Article: “Ramaswamy’s Poll Numbers Drop 6 Points Following Ad Featuring Amy Acton’s Mother“ by Chris Walker.
Article: “Trump Ignores Amy Acton’s Claims of Childhood Sexual Abuse: ‘I Don’t Know Anything About A Stepfather’“ by Kathianne Boniello.
Article: “Vivek Ramaswamy’s explosive attack ad against Democratic rival Amy Acton in Ohio governor race backfires after horrifying claims from her long-lost stepsister that father also raped another daughter“ by Dana Kennedy.
Site: Ukraine Children’s Action Project.
Video: Dr. Irwin Redlener & Caring for Ukraine’s Future with the Children of Today (On the Edge Episode 39).
Article: “Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Seven Russian tankers shipping diesel to US identified, located“ by Lachlan Hyatt.
Article: “Why does Russia want the Crimea? The fight for power in the Black Sea“ by Niva Yadav.
Article: “North Korean involvement in the Russo-Ukrainian war (2022–present)“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Russian Teenagers Head to the Front Lines “ by Russian Life.
Article: “Russian penal military units during the Russian invasion of Ukraine“ by Wikipedia.
Hour Three: Can 6th generation farmer, Hallie Shoffner, beat Tom Cotton in Arkansas?
- Hallie Shoffner, 6th generation farmer & Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate @hallieshoffner.bsky.social
Article: “Tom Cotton“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “In Arkansas, Democrats see an opening at the edge of the competitive midterms map“ by Stephen Fowler.
Article: “Hallie Shoffner“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Debate in Arkansas’ US Senate race won’t take place, Cotton and Shoffner campaigns say“ by Tess Vrbin.
Article: “How Tom Cotton marched the U.S. toward war with Iran “ by Elizabeth L. Cline.
Article: “Tom Cotton comes home to praise Medicaid, which he helped imperil “ by Elizabeth L. Cline.
Article: “698 Rural Hospitals at Risk of Closing, By State“ by Becker’s Hospital Review.
Article: “Record of Congressional Members’ Vote on 2018 Farm Bill“ by National Cotton Council of America.
Article: “Cotton defends vote against farm bill in new ad(2014) by Cameron Joseph.
Article: “Arkansas remains the hungriest state, per federal report“ by Ainsley Platt.
Article: “Arkansas falls from 48th to 49th in national health rankings“ by Nathan Ansell.
Article: “Poverty Rate by State 2026 — Full 50-State Ranking (Census Data)“ by WealthVieu.
Article: “Maternal Mortality Rate by State 2026“ by World Population Review.
Article: “List of U.S. states and territories by educational attainment“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “1980s farm crisis“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Farm Aid“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Tracking the Farm Economy in Crisis“ by Farm Aid.
Article: “Farm Bill SNAP Cuts Threaten Rural Economies, Grocers and Local Governments“ by Produce Market Guide.
Article: “Climate change and agriculture in the United States“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “How a national farm leader is dealing with record diesel prices“ by Michel Martin, Majd Al-Waheidi.
Article: “Arkansas Senate Race 2026: All the Money“ by Vote Log.
Article: “Shell announces commencement of a share buyback programme“ by Shell plc.
Retired FBI Agent Issues Chilling Warning as Minnesota 15 Case Raises COINTELPRO Fears
Article: “‘Minnesota 15’ Case Reveals Largest US Government Spying on Left Since COINTELPRO “ by Brett Wilkins.
Article: “Enemies of the State: NSPM-7 and the Trump Plan to Crush Dissent“ by Shilpa Jindia and Nora Benavidez.
Article: “Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly“ by Wikipedia.
Law: “First Amendment to the United States Constitution“ “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.“.
Bolsonaro Flees to Miami as Explosive Report Raises Questions About JD Vance’s Political Network
Article: “BREAKING: Brazil’s Supreme Court Just Named JD Vance’s Shell Company in a Criminal Election Probe The Same Day Bolsonaro Fled To Miami.“ by Dean Blundell.
Article: “Flávio Bolsonaro calls himself the ‘leader of Brazil’ after fleeing to Miami“ by Tiago Rogero, Joseph Contreras.
Article: “Trump administration grants Flávio Bolsonaro visa after election loss“ by Eric Bazail-Eimil and Cheyanne M. Daniels.
Article: “Israel election results live: Arab parties hold the key to next govt; Knesset to be sworn in on November 10“ by Nidhi Giri.
Article: “2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “September 11 attacks“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Days before Oct. 7, UAE leader warned Netanyahu Hamas was planning war, but PM did nothing with info – report“ by ToI Staff, Jacob Magid, Stav Levaton.
Article: “Trump Says ‘No Money’ Going to Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Victims’ Claims if GOP Loses Midterm Elections“ by Nick Mordowanec.
Article: “Jim Jones“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “2026 New York Attorney General election“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Saritha Komatireddy“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Attorney General of New York“ by Wikipedia.
Documentary: Corruptionland.
Article: “The Largest Marine Corps Bases in the U.S. by Size and Population“ by Paul Mooney.
Post: “When first reported, 2025’s jobs reports added up to 1.2 million new jobs. After revisions, the economy added just 116,000 — 90% less.“ by Steve Rattner.
Article: “Trump firing of labor statistics chief ‘undermines credibility’, ex-leaders say“ by Michael Sainato.
Will Republicans arrest Democrats after voted into office on November 2026?