It’s Tuesday, October 20. I have to start with something personal. Today is the release day for WTF America?!: The Way Out of This Hell and Back to Democracy. Ben, Jordy, and I wrote this book about how we got into this mess, the millions of you who refused to back down, and how we get out. It’s dedicated to you, and we are so grateful for your support. And thank you for bearing with us while as we tell the world about the book. We don’t have the same corporate billions behind us that many authors in this space do, so it all comes down to us and this community to get the word out. Consider ordering it today, and if you’ve already received it, please feel free to share your thoughts and maybe even a photo.
Ok, today’s headlines:
Another fake Iran “deal” report tanked oil prices, then got walked back quickly
Reuters says Iran is stalling talks to deny Trump a pre-midterm win
Brent is near $111, a 5-month high, wihle Trump lies that oil is “much lower”
A third U.S. aircraft carrier heads to the Middle East
Rubio denies blocking Ukraine’s interceptors, The Telegraph reports otherwise
Trump’s approval hits all-time lows across NBC, ABC, Ipsos, and Pew polls
Bloomberg drops $80 million to help Democrats in the midterms
A new Vivek Ramaswamy ad uses Amy Acton’s estranged mother who supported and stayed with a man who sexually abused her, as the campaign hits new lows
Talarico’s brutal new ad against Paxton
Alberta votes overwhelmingly to stay in Canada
A few important notes before we dive in:
Again, our book, WTF America?!: The Way Out of This Hell and Back to Democracy, is OUT NOW!!! If you’ve been considering ordering, go ahead and grab your copy now! You can also call up your local bookstore or library and make sure they have it. Let’s shock the world and show them the power of independent media!
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The Iran “Deal” That Wasn’t
Here we go again…
Early this morning, a Twitter account and aggregator named Walter Bloomberg (no relation to Bloomberg the man or company), posted a report from Al-Araby Al-Jadeed claiming the U.S. and Iran had given preliminary approval to a compromise proposal from Qatar and Pakistan. It supposedly included confidential IAEA inspections and a partial concession on $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds sitting in Qatar. Al-Araby is a London-based outlet owned by Qatari company Fadaat Media, and has been described as a vehicle for Qatari state views. Qatar is one of 2 mediators named in the proposal. The timing also lined up right as Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir was landing in Tehran.
And just like that, oil dropped. WTI slid from about $100 to a low near around $95.30. Then when new reports noted that the deal was entirely fake, oil shot back up. Traders almost certainly made a killing off those wild swings.
Iran wasn’t playing along. At all. Per Tabnak, Supreme National Security Cuoncil Secretary Mohsen Rezaei refused to meet Munir at all. A senior source told the Iranian regime-affiliated Fars the visit was nearly scrapped Sunday evening, then suddenly finalized Monday at noon as oil pushed toward $110, and that it was meant to calm markets rather than signal any breakthrough. Iran is well aware these meetings get used to manipulate and talk down prices.
Then Reuters’ Parisa Hafezi reported that 3 senior Iranian officials say Tehran is deliberately dragging out talks to deny Trump a “win” before November and isn’t looking for a deal. One official said Iran is “preparing for renewed Israeli and US attacks, not for a deal with America.” They believe Trump is ready to restart major strikes.
Trump Says Oil Is “Much Lower” While It Hits a 5-Month High
Brent climbed around 1.8% to roughly $111 a barrel, its highest since May 19, while WTI rose to around $100.50. Brent is up roughly 80% over the past year, even the Trump regime eased sanctions on Russian energy. The drivers are Houthi strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities at Yanbu and the Shaybah oilfield, and the IRGC says 2 tankers caught fire after hitting mines in the Strait.
On the same day, Trump told a local news station in Kansas that “our oil is much lower,” groceries have “come way down,” and the world is “very thankful for what we’re doing. Frankly, we could leave today.” So why are we still there, Donald? Then at 1:30am, he was bragging about an $8 billion diesel bailout for farmers, after his tariffs and war sent their input costs through the roof. He lit the fire and now wants a thank you for the cup of water.
A Quick But Important Note on the Midterms
This midterm season, billionaires are funneling money into Florida, Arizona, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Maine, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Alaska and more, hoping to buy outcomes that serve their interests. In Wisconsin alone, they’ve poured in more than $24 million in just two months. But we can fight back, as long as our money goes where it actually makes a difference.
That’s where Oath comes in. Oath is a donor-first platform that tracks where political money is flowing in real time and uses financial and polling data to show you where your donation can do the most good. For every race, it looks at how competitive it is, what’s at stake if we win or lose the seat, and how much the campaign still needs compared with what it and its opponent have raised. Over 150K donors already use it to guide their giving, and because Oath never shares your data, you won’t get buried in political spam texts. You can see which candidates need your help most in these final weeks right now.
A Third Carrier Heads to the Gulf
Fox News is now reporting the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, roughly 10,000 sailors and Marines, will arrive by the end of November. The news came a day after Pete Hegseth secretly met Netanyahu at Israel’s Ovda Airbase. The Roosevelt joins the USS George H.W. Bush and USS George Washington, both already in the Arabian Sea. Netanyahu keeps saying they will “finish the job” with regime change in Iran, and the question now is whether escalation comes before or after the midterms.
Rubio vs. The Telegraph on Ukraine
In India, Marco Rubio called claims that the U.S. is denying Ukraine critical support “scandalous” and “outrageous,” insisting, “We’re not deliberately denying interceptors to Ukraine.” The Telegraph, citing U.S. officials, reports the White House has blocked the transfer of Patriot missiles to Ukraine, and that transfers from friendly countries require Hegseth’s sign-off. Meanwhile, Steve Witkoff met Zelensky in Norway and went in for a hug that Zelensky clearly did not want. Remember when Trump promised to end this war in 24 hours?
Worst Numbers Ever Recorded
CNN’s Harry Enten says Trump’s net approval in Reuters/Ipsos is −35, the worst ever, and he’s 54 points underwater with independents. NBC (−32), ABC (−33), Ipsos (−35) and Pew (−38) all show the worst October pre-midterm presidential numbers since 1938. Trump’s response was reposting a MAGA account claiming he’s “hitting his stride.”
The New York Times’ Theodore Schleifer and Benjamin Oreskes report Michael Bloomberg is giving Democrats $80 million, with at least $50 million for House Democrats. And the Wall Street Journal reports Trump staffers at every level are lawyering up in case Democrats win and start investigating.
Vivek Goes Somewhere Unforgivable
A new pro-Ramaswamy ad features Donna Arthur, the estranged mother of Democratic nominee Dr. Amy Acton, calling her daughter a liar and disputing that she ever lived in a tent. Here’s what the ad leaves out. A 2019 Youngstown Vindicator profile reported that Arthur’s husband sexually abused Acton when she was about 12, charges were filed, and the family had been living in a tent at a campground in winter. Business Journal Daily also listed the tent among the 18 places Acton lived as a child. Her brother, Philip Stearns, said their mother stayed married to Amy’s abuser until he died.
The backlash came from the right too. Meghan McCain said she hates the ad, Ryan James Girdusky called it “kinda gross,” and conservative activist Brady Penfield said he was disappointed in Vivek’s team for greenlighting it. MAGA accounts are pushing it hard. We covered it in full at MeidasNews.
Talarico Swings at Paxton
As Punchbowl’s Jake Sherman reported, James Talarico’s new statewide ad opens with Paxton’s claim that Talarico lacks his experience, then agrees: “I’ve never been indicted for fraud. I’ve never been reported to the FBI for bribery. I’ve never been impeached by my own party, and I’ve never given a sweetheart deal to a pedophile.” Superb.
Quick Hits
Alberta stays Canadian: Early results in the non-binding referendum show 76% voting to remain, with Calgary ridings hitting as high as 89.3%. The Trump-cheered separatist push got crushed. Shout out to the Maple Meidas.
Waltz goes conspiracy: U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz told Fox & Friends that Cuba is working with “antifa” and pro-Palestinian groups to sow chaos in U.S. cities. He offered no evidence.
Brazil AI fight: A viral post exposed that Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign and/or supporters used AI to turn male supporters into women in rally footage. Who made the videos remains unconfirmed.
Trump’s 2 AM posting spree: He called D.C.’s public East Potomac golf course “trash island,” proposed renaming New Mexico “New America,” and repeated his nonsense about 700% drug price cuts.
Vance defends the grift: JD Vance said he sees no evidence the Trump family is selling access and that the president is “allowed to earn a living.”
15 days to go. Roll up your sleeves, and if you haven’t yet, pick up WTF America?! today. Thank you for everything.
The Hegseth-Netanyahu meeting should be in Criminal Court at the Hague. A name change to “Hagueseth” would be most appropriate.
We voted for Tallerico today and went all the way blue. It felt so good.
I've seen the new ad and it's a good one. I saw several Tallerico signs, but not but two Ken Paxton signs.
I can't wait until Trump leaves office.