Noise Removed: America

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Everything you should know as a voter, with the spin removed, in fifteen minutes. Noise Removed: America is a daily news brief for voters who want the facts without the fight. Every morning it reads the day’s news from across the political spectrum, removes the partisan framing, and delivers the signal that remains: the top ten stories that matter most, the lead story and the two most spun, told in full, with each side’s framing laid beside the record, and the questions the record can’t yet answer. We show our work each episode: how many articles were read, from how many sources, how many facts were checked, how many biases unspun. Produced by AI. Directed by humans. From The Republic Desk at Signal Media. Hosted by James Calder, an AI host designed by Signal Media. Weekday mornings and Sundays. signalmedianews.substack.com

Episodes

  1. 11h ago

    Nov. 1 — Justice Department appeals order shielding election workers

    The Day in a Minute The week’s election fight moved from civil suits to criminal process, and by Friday the courts were answering. On Friday a federal judge in San Francisco barred the Justice Department from threatening election workers with prosecution over flagged voters; the department appealed Saturday. The same day a Ninth Circuit panel refused, 2-1, to make California set aside 20,000 ballots, and a department official said the Supreme Court is “probably” next. Alaska asked a judge Saturday to throw out the department’s Senate suit. Household costs pressed in too: stocks had their worst day since June, oil settled at its highest since April, and 2027 marketplace premiums rose 13 percent as enrollment opened. More than 51 million Americans have already voted. Three arcs stand further along than a week ago. Iran: after a limpet mine hit a tanker Thursday night, U.S. officials told Gulf governments to prepare for possible strikes after the vote, AP reported, while Tehran floated a two-day plan to reopen Hormuz on its terms. The charges before the vote: prosecutors charged James Comey a third time, by information rather than grand jury vote, and on Friday his judge put off ruling while they sought an indictment; a Washington grand jury declined to indict Cassidy Hutchinson, three outlets reported. Each denies wrongdoing or has not been charged. Executive machinery against the courts: judges ruled that Los Angeles’s top federal prosecutor serves unlawfully, a ruling stayed for now, and that the administration may not narrow Medicaid’s “medically frail” exemption. Two days remain. The people who count ballots will start Tuesday under a court order, a grand jury summons and a calendar of certification dates. The answers will come from judges and county clerks as much as from voters. Whatever Tuesday settles, the count after it is where this week’s filings will be tested. That is the week the country lived, and the one it votes on. In This Episode 0:27 The Day in a Minute · 1:58 The Top Ten · 5:36 The Next Five · 6:15 The Lead and the Loudest · 13:32 The Questions · 14:36 Worth Discussing Today · 15:11 Sign-off Told in full: The Justice Department Appealed a Judge’s Order Barring It From Threatening Election Workers With Prosecution Over Flagged Ballots · An Appeals Panel Denied, 2-1, the Bid to Set Aside 20,000 California Ballots. A Justice Department Official Said the Supreme Court Is “Probably” Next · Alaska Asked a Judge to Dismiss the Justice Department’s Senate Suit, Calling Its Bid to Segregate Ballots “Disturbing and Impossible.” Listen in your app: Spotify · Apple Podcasts Top Ten — Just the Gist 1. The Justice Department Appealed a Judge’s Order Barring It From Threatening Election Workers With Prosecution Over Flagged Ballots. Judge Trina Thompson in San Francisco on Friday barred the Justice Department and Homeland Security from threatening election workers with prosecution, or demanding they set aside ballots, when the only basis is a claim that a voter is ineligible. She found the agencies likely violated the Voting Rights Act. The department noticed an appeal Saturday and called the order “a two-track system of justice.” It runs to Nov. 16. 🟠 63 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 2. An Appeals Panel Denied, 2-1, the Bid to Set Aside 20,000 California Ballots. A Justice Department Official Said the Supreme Court Is “Probably” Next. A Ninth Circuit panel on Friday denied the Justice Department’s request to make California set aside ballots from about 20,000 people it says may be noncitizens, finding “no feasible way” to pick them out. Judge Patrick Bumatay dissented. Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter said the Supreme Court is “probably” next. Researchers reported Saturday that 42 percent of the list’s names match no California voter. 🟠 65 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 3. Alaska Asked a Judge to Dismiss the Justice Department’s Senate Suit, Calling Its Bid to Segregate Ballots “Disturbing and Impossible.” Alaska asked Judge Sharon Gleason on Saturday to dismiss the Justice Department’s suit over its Senate race with prejudice. On Friday the department had asked her to segregate every ballot ranking Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a second Sullivan it says may mislead voters; the state calls that “disturbing and impossible.” The U.S. attorney confirmed a months-long criminal inquiry, and FBI agents questioned the candidate’s donors. 🟠 73 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 4. Immigration Arrests Surged in California’s Central Valley Before the Vote. Reuters Reported the White House Directed the Push. Immigration arrests in Bakersfield rose from about one a day to nearly 10 in mid-October, Reuters reported Saturday, citing preliminary Homeland Security data and an internal email; a U.S. official said the White House directed the surge. The area sits in a toss-up House district that is 73 percent Latino. Homeland Security declined to comment and says its operations are targeted. 🟠 60 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 5. A Judge Ordered Three Taxpayer-Funded White House Ads Taken Down, Including One Saying “Every Democrat Voted Against No Tax on Tips.” Judge Jennifer Rochon in Manhattan ordered the administration Friday to pull three taxpayer-funded ads from government sites, YouTube and Instagram and to cancel third-party airings, including by MAGA Inc. “This court can neither postpone an election nor turn back the clock,” she wrote. A White House spokesperson called it a “lawless order.” A hearing on the wider challenge is Nov. 13. 🟠 53 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 6. Enrollment for 2027 Marketplace Health Coverage Opened Sunday as Benchmark Premiums Rose an Average of 13 Percent. Open enrollment for 2027 Affordable Care Act coverage began Sunday; sign up by Dec. 15 for coverage on Jan. 1. Benchmark premiums rose an average of 13 percent, KFF found, in the second season without the enhanced subsidies that expired last year. CMS says more than three in four enrollees can find a plan for $50 a month or less after tax credits. 🟡 36 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 7. Trump Said One or Two Iranian Sites Remain to Be Hit as Iran Floated a Two-Day Plan to Reopen the Strait of Hormuz. After a limpet mine hit the tanker LOUISE 1 in the Strait of Hormuz late Thursday, President Trump said Saturday the U.S. still has “one or two sites” to hit in Iran, a job of “10 minutes.” AP reported U.S. officials told Gulf governments to prepare for strikes after the elections. Iran’s foreign minister floated a two-day plan to reopen the strait on Iran’s terms. 🟠 65 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 8. Federal Prosecutors in Minnesota Charged Four More Providers With Medicaid Fraud at an Event Led by the Treasury Secretary. Federal prosecutors in Minnesota on Friday announced charges against four people accused of defrauding Medicaid-funded programs, two in autism therapy, at a St. Cloud event with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and FBI Director Kash Patel. The office counts 13 people charged, convicted or sentenced in a month, with $83 million in intended losses. Gov. Tim Walz’s office called it a “political spectacle.” 🟠 58 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 9. Stocks Had Their Worst Day Since June as Intel Fell 28.6 Percent. Oil Settled at Its Highest Level Since April. The S&P 500 fell 1.82 percent Friday, its worst day since June, and the Nasdaq fell 2.86 percent as Intel lost 28.6 percent on a weak forecast. Brent crude settled at $117.64, its highest since April, Reuters reported. Employer labor costs rose 3.4 percent over the year. Regular gasoline averaged $4.18 Saturday and diesel $6.31, AAA said. 🟢 19 · Clear Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. R… Get full access to Signal Media at signalmedianews.substack.com/subscribe

    Nov. 1 — Justice Department appeals order shielding election workers

  2. 2d ago

    Oct. 30 — Prosecutors subpoena California election officials

    The Day in a Minute The Justice Department took its election fight to grand juries this week. Prosecutors subpoenaed California election officials, including Los Angeles County staff told to appear the day after the vote. That came after Judge David O. Carter refused Wednesday to set aside 20,000 mail ballots; on Thursday he named a special master. In Alaska, the department amended its suit to call the recruitment of a second Dan Sullivan a “conspiracy,” after a New York Times report; Mary Peltola says she knew nothing of it. Prosecutors charged 18 more people with illegal voting in North Carolina. In Washington, D.C., a judge gave the department until noon Friday to name every state it pressed to set aside ballots. The economy grew at a 3.4 percent rate last quarter, but September inflation rose to 3.6 percent. Alphabet lost close to $500 billion in market value in a day. The Labor Department will make drug middlemen show employers their fees. A judge blocked a narrower test for who is too sick for Medicaid’s work rule. Agents searched Minnesota autism providers in a fraud probe, and the Pentagon referred its fired top planner to prosecutors over alleged leaks. Iran said four tankers hit mines on a route U.S. forces declared clear Oct. 25; diplomats say Washington told allies to brace for strikes after Tuesday. More than 41 million Americans have already voted. Four days out, the country has subpoenas in its clerks’ offices, prices in its paychecks and warships in the strait, and a ballot still in its hand. In This Episode 0:26 The Day in a Minute · 2:18 The Top Ten · 5:45 The Next Five · 6:20 The Lead and the Loudest · 13:13 The Questions · 14:13 Worth Discussing Today · 14:50 Sign-off Told in full: Federal Prosecutors Subpoenaed California Election Officials. The Judge in the Ballot Case Named a Special Master · The Justice Department Amended Its Alaska Suit to Allege a “Conspiracy” and Issued New Subpoenas · The Justice Department Charged 18 More People With Voting Illegally in North Carolina Listen in your app: Spotify · Apple Podcasts Top Ten — Just the Gist 1. Federal Prosecutors Subpoenaed California Election Officials. The Judge in the Ballot Case Named a Special Master. Federal prosecutors have served grand jury subpoenas on California election officials, including Los Angeles County staff told to appear Nov. 4, in a criminal inquiry into noncitizen voting. The step follows Judge David O. Carter’s Wednesday refusal to set aside about 20,000 mail ballots. On Thursday Carter named a special master and set a Nov. 13 hearing. Election officials call the subpoenas intimidation; the department calls them the next step. 🟠 61 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 2. The Justice Department Amended Its Alaska Suit to Allege a “Conspiracy” and Issued New Subpoenas. The Justice Department amended its suit over Alaska’s Senate race Thursday, calling the recruitment of a second Dan Sullivan a “conspiracy,” after a New York Times report tied the effort to allies of Democrat Mary Peltola. It also issued new grand jury subpoenas. Peltola says she knew nothing of it. No one has been charged, and experts quoted by NBC News say the tactic may be legal. 🔴 76 · Spin Storm Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 3. The Justice Department Charged 18 More People With Voting Illegally in North Carolina. The Justice Department charged 18 more people with voting illegally in North Carolina, mostly in 2024, bringing the state’s total this year to 30. Most are lawful permanent residents; one is in the country illegally. The cases came from the State Board’s check of its rolls against a federal database. Prosecutors say each illegal ballot cancels a lawful one; critics warn the database can flag citizens. 🟠 58 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 4. A Judge Ordered the Justice Department to Name Every State It Pressed to Set Aside Ballots. Chief Judge James Boasberg ordered the Justice Department to name, by noon Friday, every state it has asked since July to remove voters or set aside ballots. Democratic leaders sued Oct. 20, calling the letters coercive; the department says they are only notice. Boasberg questioned whether the plaintiffs have standing and said he could rule by Monday. 🟠 51 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 5. The Labor Department Finalized a Rule Requiring Drug Middlemen to Disclose What Employer Plans Pay Them. The Labor Department finalized a rule requiring pharmacy benefit managers to disclose rebates, fees and other pay from large employer health plans, with audits on request. The department estimates up to $22 billion in savings over 10 years. The rule applies to plan years starting July 1, 2027. The industry’s trade group calls it “a solution in search of a problem.” 🟡 28 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 6. State and Federal Agents Searched Minnesota Autism-Service Providers in a Medicaid Fraud Investigation. State and federal agents searched autism-service providers in the Minneapolis suburbs and Rochester Thursday in a Medicaid fraud investigation led by Minnesota’s attorney general. No arrests or charges were announced. One provider had received more than $16.7 million in Medicaid payments since 2018, Fox News reported. A planned Friday fraud event with Vice President JD Vance was called off. 🟡 25 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 7. Iran Said Four Tankers Hit Mines on a Route the U.S. Calls Cleared. Diplomats Say Washington Told Allies to Prepare for Strikes After Tuesday. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said four tankers hit mines in or near the Strait of Hormuz, on a route U.S. Central Command declared clear Oct. 25 and called the claims “FALSE.” No ship has been named. Two diplomats told AP that U.S. officials asked Middle East allies to prepare for possible new strikes after Tuesday’s election. President Trump has not decided. 🟠 55 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 8. The Economy Grew at a 3.4 Percent Rate Last Quarter as September Inflation Rose to 3.6 Percent. The economy grew at a 3.4 percent annual rate in the third quarter, led by business spending on computers, the government reported. The same morning it reported September inflation at 3.6 percent over the year, up from 3.4 percent, as fuel costs rose. The White House credits its policies; economists warn of rising prices and growth concentrated in artificial intelligence. 🟠 58 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 9. A Federal Judge Blocked the Administration’s Narrower “Medically Frail” Test for Medicaid Work Rules. A federal judge in Boston blocked the administration’s narrower definition of “medically frail,” which decides who is excused from Medicaid’s work requirement starting Jan. 1, 2027. Twenty-five states and Washington, D.C., sued. The judge upheld other limits and gave states six months before cutting coverage tied to frailty claims. The administration has not said whether it will appeal. 🟠 50 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 10. The Pentagon Referred Its Fired Top Planner to the Justice Department Over Alleged Leaks. The Pentagon referred a matter to the Justice Department after firing Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, the Joint Staff’s top planner, and an official said he failed three polygraph tests about leaks. Two other Pentagon sources told CBS News the accusations are false. The Joint Staff withdrew its statement thanking him for his service. Sylvia has not commented, and no charge has been filed. 🟡 48 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → Below the Fold — The Next Five 11. The CDC Reopened Nominations for Its Vaccine Advisory Panel, Idle Since a March Court Order. The CDC asked for nominations to its vaccine advisory committee, idle since a federal jud… Get full access to Signal Media at signalmedianews.substack.com/subscribe

    Oct. 30 — Prosecutors subpoena California election officials

  3. 3d ago

    Oct. 29 — A judge refuses to set aside California’s flagged ballots

    The Day in a Minute The Justice Department lost its bid Wednesday to hold back about 20,000 California mail ballots. Judge David O. Carter wrote that setting them aside “would wreak havoc” on an election under way. The department appealed within hours. Washington state refused a similar demand on 405 ballots. In Alaska, a New York Times report that Mary Peltola’s allies helped recruit a second “Dan Sullivan” drew a call from President Trump for prosecution and a state police review. Her campaign denies it. The department says about 1,000 federal monitors will watch the Nov. 3 vote, and a judge froze a $20 million federal border ad campaign. The Federal Reserve held rates at 3.75 to 4 percent, with two officials voting for a hike. Trump found imported robots and machine tools a security threat but put off tariffs for 180 days. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed the Joint Staff’s top planner. A jury is being chosen in Los Angeles to hear whether Instagram and Snapchat were built to hook teens. A lab fire at the Savannah River Site prompted a nuclear-site emergency, lifted that night. Iran called Qatar’s draft deal, delivered Sunday, “not an offer,” as Vice President JD Vance’s letter to Tehran came to light; Brent settled at $115. Israel counts soldiers’ ballots today, and growth figures arrive at 8:30 a.m. The country enters the final five days with its ballots before an appeals court, its borrowing costs on hold and its war talks in a letter no one has published, each waiting on someone else’s answer. In This Episode 0:30 The Day in a Minute · 2:15 The Top Ten · 5:47 The Next Five · 6:27 The Lead and the Loudest · 13:48 The Questions · 14:48 Worth Discussing Today · 15:20 Sign-off Told in full: A Judge Refused to Set Aside 20,000 California Ballots. The Justice Department Appealed · Alaska’s Governor Ordered a Criminal Probe After a Report That Peltola Allies Recruited a Second “Dan Sullivan.” · Vance Wrote to Iran’s Security Chief to Restart Talks. Iran Called Qatar’s Draft “Not an Offer.” Listen in your app: Spotify · Apple Podcasts Top Ten — Just the Gist 1. A Judge Refused to Set Aside 20,000 California Ballots. The Justice Department Appealed. Judge David O. Carter on Wednesday denied the Justice Department’s request to make California set aside about 20,000 mail ballots from people it calls likely noncitizens, writing that it “would wreak havoc” on an election under way. He did not appoint a special master. The department appealed within hours. In Washington state, the secretary of state declined to set aside 405 ballots. No court has found anyone on either list to be a noncitizen. 🟠 55 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 2. Alaska’s Governor Ordered a Criminal Probe After a Report That Peltola Allies Recruited a Second “Dan Sullivan.” The New York Times reported Wednesday that aides to Mary Peltola’s campaign, with Democratic Senate committee staff on their texts, helped recruit a second “Dan Sullivan” onto Alaska’s Senate ballot. Both deny it. President Trump said they “should be prosecuted,” and Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered state police to examine it. A federal judge let the campaign join the Justice Department’s suit over the race. No charges have been filed. 🟠 69 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 3. A Second Federal Judge Blocked a $20 Million Taxpayer-Funded Border Ad Campaign. Judge Loren AliKhan on Wednesday temporarily barred a $20 million federal ad campaign on border security and froze the White House budget office’s allocation, after ads kept airing past a New York court’s earlier order. The Democratic National Committee sued. A White House official called the ruling “moot,” saying outside groups now pay for the ads. A compliance report is due Oct. 30. 🟡 47 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 4. The Justice Department Says It Will Send About 1,000 Election Monitors Across the States. The Justice Department said Wednesday it will deploy about 1,000 monitors and observers for the Nov. 3 election, with visits confirmed in Indiana, Iowa and Virginia. A spokeswoman said monitors “will merely observe and report.” Virginia’s attorney general had advised officials to call police if federal agents approach polls; the department called that “a strawman.” Local Republicans welcomed the monitors; local Democrats questioned the need. 🟠 58 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 5. Trump Found Imported Robots and Machine Tools a Security Threat but Put Off Tariffs for 180 Days. President Trump on Wednesday found that imports of robotics and industrial machinery threaten national security, but imposed no tariffs. He gave his commerce secretary and trade representative 180 days to negotiate with trading partners. Machine tools, presses and industrial ovens are covered. Critics cited by Bloomberg warn that tariffs could raise factory costs. Any new levy now falls after the midterms. 🟡 25 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 6. The Fed Held Rates at 3.75 to 4 Percent. Two Officials Dissented in Favor of a Hike. The Federal Reserve held rates at 3.75 to 4 percent Wednesday on a 10-2 vote; Governor Lisa Cook and Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack wanted a quarter-point hike. Chair Kevin Warsh said “Politics played no role.” From 2027, one meeting a year will skip a rate vote. Third-quarter growth and September spending figures come at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, after this writing. 🟡 28 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 7. Vance Wrote to Iran’s Security Chief to Restart Talks. Iran Called Qatar’s Draft “Not an Offer.” Vice President JD Vance wrote to Iran’s security chief proposing a negotiating framework, The Wall Street Journal reported; President Trump gave two accounts of the letter. Iran called a Qatari draft deal, delivered Sunday, “unacceptable ideas and not an offer.” U.S. naval forces told ships to keep clear of Hormuz, and a ship was reported burning there Thursday. Brent settled at $115.32. 🟠 63 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 8. Hegseth Fired the Joint Staff’s Top Planner, Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, the Joint Staff’s director of strategy, plans and policy, late Wednesday. He is the second officer removed from that post under Hegseth. An unnamed official told CBS News that Sylvia was accused of leaking classified material; AP’s source said no reason was given. Sen. Mark Kelly called the wider removals a purge. 🟠 50 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 9. Jury Selection Began in a Los Angeles Trial Over Whether Meta and Snap Built Apps That Harm Teens. Jury selection began Wednesday in Los Angeles in a test trial over claims that Instagram and Snapchat were designed to hook young users. It leads more than 3,000 similar state cases. Meta says a teen’s mental health “is shaped by many factors”; Snap says the claims misrepresent its platform. The judge ruled before trial that Section 230 is no defense to design claims. 🟠 50 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 10. A Fire at a Savannah River Site Lab Triggered a Nuclear-Site Emergency, Lifted Hours Later. A fire in one room of the Savannah River National Laboratory in South Carolina led the site to declare a Site Area Emergency Wednesday evening; it was lifted at 9:45 p.m. The site reported no consequence beyond its boundaries. Site officials told a local station of an unfiltered ground-level release. The cause is unknown, and no injuries were reported. 🟡 27 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → Below the Fold — The Next Five 11. Israel’s Count Neared 90 Percent With Neither Bloc at 61 Seats. Soldiers’ Ballots Are Counted Today. With 89.8 percent counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud held 26 seats, a… Get full access to Signal Media at signalmedianews.substack.com/subscribe

    Oct. 29 — A judge refuses to set aside California’s flagged ballots

  4. 4d ago

    Oct. 28 — A judge signals he won’t freeze California’s flagged ballots

    The Day in a Minute A federal judge in Los Angeles signaled Tuesday he will not freeze about 20,000 California mail ballots the Justice Department wants held aside, and rules today; he plans a special master to test the department’s list. Prosecutors gave Washington state until noon to set aside 405 ballots. Nearly 33 million Americans have already voted, and a final national poll put Democrats ahead by 8 among likely voters. In Washington, a grand jury declined to indict former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, and a magistrate rejected an overnight filing that added a charge against two former FBI officials. A judge ruled Los Angeles’s top federal prosecutor is serving unlawfully. The Supreme Court declined to revive immigration judges’ power to pause deportation cases, a Boston judge paused a 10-day deadline for refugees, and 20 states and D.C. sued the Treasury over company-ownership reporting. The EPA proposed easing methane rules for oil and gas wells. The Houthis claimed a strike on a Saudi oil terminal that Riyadh has not confirmed, and Iran offered to reopen Hormuz if the U.S. blockade lifts, eight months into the war. The Fed announces its rate decision at 2 p.m. Israel’s count leaves neither bloc with a majority. The country enters its last week before the vote with ballots before judges, prosecutors before grand juries, and its fuel prices tied to a strait. In This Episode 0:31 The Day in a Minute · 2:18 The Top Ten · 5:53 The Next Five · 6:38 The Lead and the Loudest · 13:32 The Questions · 14:33 Worth Discussing Today · 15:11 Sign-off Told in full: A Judge Signaled He Will Not Freeze 20,000 California Ballots and Rules Today. Washington Faces a Noon Deadline on 405 · A Grand Jury in Washington Declined to Indict Former White House Aide Cassidy Hutchinson · Houthis Claimed a Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura Terminal. Iran Set Terms for Reopening Hormuz Listen in your app: Spotify · Apple Podcasts Top Ten — Just the Gist 1. A Judge Signaled He Will Not Freeze 20,000 California Ballots and Rules Today. Washington Faces a Noon Deadline on 405. Judge David O. Carter heard the Justice Department’s bid to set aside about 20,000 California mail ballots Tuesday, said he would rule Wednesday and plans to appoint a special master to examine the department’s list. He told the department, “Go out and indict.” Federal prosecutors gave Washington until noon Wednesday to set aside 405 ballots. No court has found anyone on either list to be a noncitizen. 🟠 54 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 2. The Supreme Court Declined to Revive Immigration Judges’ Power to Pause Deportation Cases. The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied, without noted dissent, a bid by Baltimore, Columbus, New Haven and a legal aid group to revive a 2024 rule letting immigration judges set deportation cases aside. The one-sentence order leaves in place a Texas consent judgment the administration agreed to. The challengers called the deal collusion; the department said they lacked standing. The merits were not decided. 🟠 58 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 3. A Grand Jury in Washington Declined to Indict Former White House Aide Cassidy Hutchinson. A federal grand jury in Washington declined Tuesday to indict Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Mark Meadows, ABC News and AP reported, citing unnamed sources. The Justice Department sought charges that she lied to the House Jan. 6 committee in 2022. Hutchinson stands by her testimony. It is unclear whether prosecutors will try again. The department has made no statement. 🟠 60 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 4. A Judge Blocked a Rule Giving Refugees 10 Days, Instead of 30, to Contest the End of Their Status. A federal judge in Boston on Tuesday temporarily blocked a rule cutting refugees’ time to contest the end of their status from 30 days to 10. The Homeland Security Department estimates up to 186,000 refugees could be affected. The block runs through Nov. 6. USCIS called the suit “frivolous”; the refugees’ lawyer called the ruling a win for due process. 🟢 24 · Clear Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 5. Twenty Democratic-Led States and D.C. Sued the Treasury to Restore Company-Ownership Reporting. Twenty states and D.C. sued the Treasury on Tuesday to restore reporting of who owns American companies, after a rule exempted more than 99.9 percent of domestic firms. The states say the rule exceeds Treasury’s authority and costs them tax-enforcement data. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called the rule “a victory for common sense.” Small-business groups cite costs near $8,000 per firm. 🟡 38 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 6. A Judge Ruled Los Angeles’s Top Federal Prosecutor, Bill Essayli, Is Serving Unlawfully and Barred Him From Two Cases. A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Bill Essayli is serving unlawfully as Los Angeles’s top federal prosecutor and barred him from two criminal cases. The judge said the appointment mirrors one the Ninth Circuit struck down in Nevada in August. He did not dismiss the indictments. Essayli said the Supreme Court will decide the question and that he will keep serving. 🟠 51 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 7. A Magistrate Judge Rejected an Overnight Charging Filing Against Two Former FBI Officials in the Hunter Biden Laptop Case. A magistrate judge in Washington on Tuesday rejected an overnight filing that added a felony obstruction charge against two former FBI officials accused of lying to Congress about Hunter Biden’s laptop. Judge Zia Faruqui said it made the government look “afraid” of his probable-cause review. The prosecutor said he had never filed new charges that way before. The case continues on the original charge. 🟠 56 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 8. Houthis Claimed a Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura Terminal. Iran Set Terms for Reopening Hormuz. A fire broke out near Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil terminal Tuesday; the Houthis claimed a missile strike, which Saudi Arabia has not confirmed. Iranian state media said Hormuz could reopen in four to five days if the United States lifts its blockade. President Trump said Sunday he is weighing a deal or more strikes. Brent settled at $113.88, then rose overnight. 🟠 59 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 9. The Fed Announces Its Rate Decision at 2 p.m. Today. Markets Expect a Hold After September’s Hike. The Federal Reserve announces its rate decision at 2 p.m. Eastern Wednesday. Markets put a hold at 3.75 to 4 percent near 90 percent likely, after September’s increase. September inflation ran 3.7 percent and employers added 29,000 jobs; those are the prior figures, and the decision is pending. Some officials favor another increase; others say there is no need to hurry. 🟡 28 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 10. The EPA Proposed Rolling Back Methane Rules for Oil and Gas Wells. Trump Announced It at a Texas Rally. The EPA on Tuesday proposed revising Biden-era methane rules for oil and gas, ending a program that flags large leaks and easing standards for small wells. President Trump announced it at a Lubbock rally. The EPA estimates $45 billion in savings; an environmental group called it a “free pass.” It is a proposal, open to public comment before any final rule. 🟡 48 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → Below the Fold — The Next Five 11. The Justice Department Sued a Maryland School District Over Withholding Students’ Gender-Identity Information From Parents. The Justice Department sued Maryland’s Anne Arundel County schools Tuesday, alleging the district asks students about names and pronouns without telling parents and keeps the answers from them, in violation of federal student-privacy laws… Get full access to Signal Media at signalmedianews.substack.com/subscribe

    Oct. 28 — A judge signals he won’t freeze California’s flagged ballots

  5. 5d ago

    Oct. 27 — An appeals court sends the California ballot fight back down

    The Day in a Minute A federal appeals panel on Monday dismissed, 2-1, the Justice Department’s bid to hold aside about 20,000 California mail ballots, saying the department moved before the trial judge could rule; that judge hears the case Tuesday. In Alaska, the judge in the department’s certification suit noted it was filed after voting began. The department announced charges against 48 noncitizens for election crimes in five states, and President Trump offered $1 million for fraud tips. Maine says federal monitors are coming to two of its cities, part of a plan for about 1,000 nationwide. Prosecutors charged James Comey a third time, over a 2016 disclosure to a reporter, with no grand jury vote; hours earlier a judge ruled the department unlawfully fired his daughter, Maurene Comey. House Judiciary Republicans said New York police honored none of 20,255 immigration detainers in eight years. A judge halted more tree-cutting at a Washington golf course slated for an overhaul. The FTC and 20 states sued Dollar General over register prices, and Meta priced a record raise of up to $97.5 billion for AI. Iran and three regional envoys agreed to keep talking in the eight-month war, with no date set, as Brent held near $116. Israelis vote today. Brazil’s losing party accepted Lula’s win while Trump called the vote rigged, and Washington laid out a path to a Venezuelan election. The country meets the last week before it votes with its ballots in court, its prosecutors under scrutiny and its war waiting on envoys. In This Episode 0:31 The Day in a Minute · 2:24 The Top Ten · 5:44 The Next Five · 6:29 The Lead and the Loudest · 13:22 The Questions · 14:21 Worth Discussing Today · 14:55 Sign-off Told in full: An Appeals Panel Dismissed the Justice Department’s Bid to Hold 20,000 California Ballots, 2-1. A Trial Judge Hears It Today · Prosecutors Charged James Comey a Third Time, Alleging a 2016 Leak of Defense Information, Without a Grand Jury Vote · The Judge in the Alaska Senate Suit Noted the Justice Department Sued After Voting Began. Responses Are Due Today Listen in your app: Spotify · Apple Podcasts Top Ten — Just the Gist 1. An Appeals Panel Dismissed the Justice Department’s Bid to Hold 20,000 California Ballots, 2-1. A Trial Judge Hears It Today. A Ninth Circuit panel on Monday dismissed, 2-1, the Justice Department’s emergency appeal seeking to hold aside mail ballots from about 20,000 California voters flagged by federal agencies as likely noncitizens. The court said it lacked jurisdiction because the department moved before the trial judge could rule. Judge David O. Carter holds a hearing Tuesday afternoon. No court has ruled that anyone on the list is ineligible. 🟠 63 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 2. Prosecutors Charged James Comey a Third Time, Alleging a 2016 Leak of Defense Information, Without a Grand Jury Vote. Prosecutors charged former FBI Director James Comey with communicating national defense information and conspiring to do so, in a criminal information filed under seal Oct. 5 and made public Monday. It ties to an October 2016 New York Times story. No grand jury voted; the filing aims to stop a 10-year limitations clock. Comey called it “an appalling abuse.” It is his third case. 🟠 63 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 3. The Judge in the Alaska Senate Suit Noted the Justice Department Sued After Voting Began. Responses Are Due Today. Judge Sharon Gleason noted Monday that the Justice Department sued over Alaska’s Senate race on Oct. 22, after voting had begun. The suit asks the court to block certification if Sen. Dan S. Sullivan loses by less than the vote total of a same-name candidate. Attorney General Todd Blanche says the department is not trying to stop certification. Responses to a Democratic motion to dismiss are due Tuesday. 🟠 64 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 4. The Justice Department Charged 48 Noncitizens With Election Crimes in Five States. Trump Offered $1 Million for Fraud Tips. The Justice Department announced charges Monday against 48 noncitizens in California, Pennsylvania, Florida, New York and Nevada for voting or claiming citizenship to vote, in cases running from 2002 to this year’s primaries. A department spokeswoman counted 133 such cases in eight weeks. President Trump offered $1 million for fraud tips that lead to convictions. ABC News said the money’s source is unclear. 🟡 49 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 5. House Judiciary Republicans Said New York Police Honored None of 20,255 Immigration Detainers in Eight Years. House Judiciary Committee Republicans said Monday that New York police received 20,255 federal immigration detainer requests from mid-2018 to mid-2026 and honored none. Their staff report, from Chairman Jim Jordan and Rep. Tom McClintock, says the city’s jails declined about 2,852 more. The counts are the committee’s and were not independently audited. City Hall had not responded Monday. 🟡 26 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 6. A Judge Ruled the Justice Department Unlawfully Fired Prosecutor Maurene Comey and Ordered Her Reinstated With Back Pay. Federal Judge Jesse Furman ruled Monday that the Justice Department unlawfully fired prosecutor Maurene Comey in 2025, violating the separation of powers and the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act. He ordered her reinstated with back pay and rejected the government’s view that the president may remove career staff at will. The government conceded the firing was not for cause. The department will appeal. 🟡 49 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 7. Iran Agreed With Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish Envoys to Keep Talking, Setting No Date. Brent Settled Near $116. Iran met Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish envoys in Tehran on Monday and agreed to keep talking, with no date for another round; an Iranian official said nuclear issues were not discussed. Egypt’s parliament authorized troops to help defend Saudi Arabia. Brent settled at $115.81 a barrel, Reuters reported. No U.S. decision on strikes was announced. 🟠 57 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 8. The FTC and 20 States Sued Dollar General, Alleging It Charged More at the Register Than on the Shelf for Years. The Federal Trade Commission and 20 states sued Dollar General on Monday, alleging the chain charged shoppers more at the register than on the shelf for years and failed to fix it despite tens of thousands of complaints. The commission voted 2-0. The suit, filed in Tennessee, covers a chain of more than 21,000 stores. Dollar General had not responded. 🟢 16 · Clear Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 9. A Judge Extended the Block on Cutting More Trees at Washington’s East Potomac Golf Course, Citing Environmental Law. Federal Judge Ana Reyes on Monday barred the administration from cutting more trees at East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, finding it likely skipped a required environmental review. About 430 trees have been felled for a planned overhaul of the 106-year-old public course. The government must give 10 days’ notice before any irreversible change. President Trump has said the course closes Nov. 15. 🟡 43 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 10. Meta Priced a Record Equity Raise of Up to $97.5 Billion to Pay for AI. Nvidia Is Putting In $3 Billion. Meta priced an equity raise of up to $97.5 billion overnight Monday, the largest on record, to pay for artificial intelligence data centers, Reuters reported. It sold $25 billion of stock at $625 a share and set up a program for $60 billion more. Nvidia is investing $3 billion. Meta’s free cash flow turned negative last quarter for the first time in more than a decade. 🟢 23 · Clear Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → Below the Fold … Get full access to Signal Media at signalmedianews.substack.com/subscribe

    Oct. 27 — An appeals court sends the California ballot fight back down

  6. 6d ago

    Oct. 26 — An appeals panel weighs 20,000 California ballots

    The Day in a Minute A federal appeals panel sounded skeptical Sunday of the Justice Department’s request that California set aside about 20,000 mail ballots from voters flagged as likely noncitizens, and promised a quick ruling. Attorney General Todd Blanche said on CBS that the department’s Alaska suit is “not saying don’t certify”; Republican Sen. Thom Tillis called it suspicious, and Mary Peltola’s campaign asked a judge to dismiss it. In Michigan, President Trump called Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed a “jihadist,” and the founder of Arab Americans for Trump called the remarks racist. Trump said there would be no strike on Iran Sunday and cast his choice as a deal or finishing the fight; Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish envoys reached Tehran Monday, and oil eased. Lula won a fourth term in Brazil, and his rival refused to concede. The Kremlin said talks with Ukraine could resume after Nov. 4, hours before Russia launched 140 drones. Two Catholic bishops apologized for an Oval Office prayer they say the White House used for politics. Nigeria evacuated its first Ebola patient as a U.S. travel attestation nears, and NIH leaders said a new vaccine-injury center will also study illness after infection. The White House calls a Canada trade deal very close; Ottawa expects none before the vote, and the Fed meets Wednesday. The country meets the last full week of the campaign with its ballots before judges, its war waiting on envoys and its allies counting votes of their own. In This Episode 0:31 The Day in a Minute · 2:24 The Top Ten · 5:59 The Next Five · 6:46 The Lead and the Loudest · 14:17 The Questions · 15:12 Worth Discussing Today · 15:56 Sign-off Told in full: An Appeals Panel Questioned the Justice Department’s Bid to Set Aside 20,000 California Ballots. It Has Not Ruled · Attorney General Blanche Defended the Suit Over Alaska’s Senate Result on Sunday Shows. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis Called It ‘Suspicious.’ · Trump Called Michigan Senate Nominee Abdul El-Sayed a ‘Jihadist’ at a Rally. The Founder of Arab Americans for Trump Called It Racist Listen in your app: Spotify · Apple Podcasts Top Ten — Just the Gist 1. An Appeals Panel Questioned the Justice Department’s Bid to Set Aside 20,000 California Ballots. It Has Not Ruled. A three-judge Ninth Circuit panel heard nearly two hours of argument Sunday on the Justice Department’s emergency request that California hold aside mail ballots from about 20,000 voters whom federal agencies flagged as likely noncitizens. Two of the three judges sounded skeptical, AP reported. The panel said it would rule quickly. No court has found any voter on the list to be a noncitizen. 🟠 63 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 2. Trump Said There Would Be No Strike on Iran Sunday and Framed His Choice as a Deal or ‘Finish Them Off.’ Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish Envoys Are in Tehran. President Trump told reporters Sunday that “there will not be a strike today” on Iran, after telling Fox News his choice is to make a deal or “finish them off.” Qatari mediators were in Tehran Sunday, and Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish officials arrived Monday, AP reported. Iran says no Iranian accepts “complete surrender.” Brent crude fell about 2 percent in early Monday trading, Reuters reported. 🟡 49 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 3. Attorney General Blanche Defended the Suit Over Alaska’s Senate Result on Sunday Shows. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis Called It ‘Suspicious.’ Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday on CBS that the Justice Department’s suit over Alaska’s Senate race is “not saying don’t certify.” Democrats point to a complaint that asks the court to bar certification of results “impacted by voter confusion.” Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, called the filing “suspicious.” Mary Peltola’s campaign and Senate Democrats asked a judge to dismiss the suit this week. 🟠 55 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 4. Trump Called Michigan Senate Nominee Abdul El-Sayed a ‘Jihadist’ at a Rally. The Founder of Arab Americans for Trump Called It Racist. At a rally in Port Huron, Mich., on Sunday for Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers, President Trump called Democrat Abdul El-Sayed “a jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member” who would need “a metal detector” to enter the Senate. AP reported no evidence of any Brotherhood tie. Bishara Bahbah, founder of Arab Americans for Trump, called the remarks racist. El-Sayed called them shameful. 🟠 68 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 5. Two Catholic Bishops Apologized for Praying With Trump, Saying the White House Used an Oval Office Visit for Politics. Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob issued “A Public Apology” for an Oct. 22 Oval Office prayer with President Trump, and Des Moines Bishop William Joensen said the White House “exploited” the meeting for “partisan political purposes,” AP reported Sunday. Twelve bishops attended the Heritage Foundation-organized visit. The White House said no president has been better for Catholic Americans. 🟡 39 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 6. Nigeria Evacuated Its First Ebola Patient to Switzerland as Traced Contacts Rose to 53. A U.S. Entry Attestation Starts Nov. 3. Nigeria’s first confirmed Ebola patient, the wife of a Swiss diplomat, was evacuated from Abuja to Switzerland on Monday, Health Minister Ali Pate said; traced contacts rose to 53. The World Health Organization counts 9,704 cases and 4,687 deaths in Congo’s outbreak. A CDC order requires international air travelers, from Nov. 3, to attest they have not been in Congo in the past 21 days. 🟢 20 · Clear Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 7. Lula Won a Fourth Term in Brazil. Flávio Bolsonaro Refused to Concede, and Trump Cited ‘Joe Biden’s Playbook.’ Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil’s runoff Sunday with 51.79 percent to Flávio Bolsonaro’s 48.21 percent, the electoral court’s count showed, after a justice extended voting by two hours. Bolsonaro, a Trump ally, said he “cannot recognise” the result and will seek annulment. Trump said Brazil applied “Joe Biden’s playbook,” Spanish agency EFE reported. Brazilian real futures fell about 9 percent. 🟠 54 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 8. The Kremlin Said Talks With Ukraine and the U.S. Could Resume After Nov. 4. Russia Launched 140 Drones Overnight. Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said Sunday that Moscow will be “ready to resume negotiations” with Ukraine and the United States after Nov. 4. President Volodymyr Zelensky said security guarantees “cannot be dictated by the Russian side.” Overnight, Russia launched 140 drones and four missiles; Ukraine’s air force said it downed 112 drones. Two people were killed in the past day, regional officials said. 🟠 52 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 9. Hassett Said a U.S.-Canada Trade Deal Is ‘Very Close.’ Ottawa Signaled No Deal Before the Midterms. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said Sunday on Fox that the United States is “very close to finally having a deal” with Canada. Canadian officials told industry they expect no deal before Nov. 3, CBC reported, and Dominic LeBlanc said Canada will not “rush.” An unnamed U.S. official said Canada has not offered enough. Changes to U.S. tariffs on some Canadian goods take effect Oct. 30. 🟡 30 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 10. NIH Leaders Said a New Vaccine-Injury Center Will Also Study Illness After Infection, STAT Reported. Two National Institutes of Health leaders said a vaccine-injury research center that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced this month will also study long-term symptoms after infection, such as long Covid, STAT reported Monday. An HHS release says the clinic opened Oct. 5 and lists a proposed rule to pay doctors for r… Get full access to Signal Media at signalmedianews.substack.com/subscribe

    Oct. 26 — An appeals panel weighs 20,000 California ballots

  7. Oct 25

    Oct. 25 — An appeals court hears the fight over 20,000 California ballots

    The Day in a Minute The week’s news ran through courtrooms. Appeals courts ruled or set hearings on ballots, the National Guard and immigrant detention, a Utah judge threw out a federal demand for a state voter file, and the Justice Department carried its election fight to Alaska’s Senate race. Washington’s other levers moved by proclamation and promise: a new list of tariffed Canadian goods, an emergency oil loan to a refinery, talk of pardons not yet written. Abroad, the president weighed a new strike on Iran as Houthi missiles flew at Riyadh. At home, diesel held above $6, measles cases passed 4,500, and more than 25 million Americans had already voted. Three arcs stand further along than a week ago. The rules of November: since Monday, a judge limited Homeland Security’s door-to-door voter checks in nine states, the Supreme Court let New Hampshire bar student IDs at the polls, and the department’s California ballot appeal, filed after a trial judge let its deadline pass, reached a panel that hears it Sunday afternoon. Iran: the White House said Thursday that no attack would come before the vote; after an intelligence warning Friday of Iranian plots against Americans, the president said Saturday a strike could come “maybe tomorrow.” The charges before the vote: in five days, prosecutors indicted Virginia Senate leader L. Louise Lucas, opened an inquiry into Corey Lewandowski and charged two former FBI officials. Lucas and the two officials deny wrongdoing, and Virginia’s senators questioned the timing. Nine days remain. Much of what voters feel before then will come from orders, not ballots: a panel’s word on 20,000 California votes, a judge’s first ruling in Alaska, the Federal Reserve’s rate decision Wednesday, the price on the pump. The calendar now belongs to judges and county clerks as much as to candidates. What follows the vote rests on how this week’s filings are answered, and on whether the people charged with counting can finish the count. That was the week the country lived. In This Episode 0:30 The Day in a Minute · 2:25 The Top Ten · 6:01 The Next Five · 6:46 The Lead and the Loudest · 13:52 The Questions · 14:49 Worth Discussing Today · 15:33 Sign-off Told in full: A Federal Appeals Court Set a Sunday Hearing on Holding 20,000 California Ballots After the Justice Department Gave Counties 48 Hours to Set Them Aside · Peltola and Senate Democrats Moved to Join and Dismiss the Justice Department’s Suit to Delay Alaska’s Senate Certification. Trump Said He Ordered It · Prosecutors Charged Two Former FBI Officials With Lying to Congress About Hunter Biden Investigations. A Hearing Is Set for Tuesday Listen in your app: Spotify · Apple Podcasts Top Ten — Just the Gist 1. A Federal Appeals Court Set a Sunday Hearing on Holding 20,000 California Ballots After the Justice Department Gave Counties 48 Hours to Set Them Aside. A Ninth Circuit panel set argument for Sunday afternoon on the Justice Department’s request to stop California and Los Angeles County from counting ballots from about 20,000 people federal agencies flagged as likely noncitizens. The department appealed after a trial judge let its deadline pass. On Friday it gave at least 18 counties 48 hours to set the ballots aside. California calls the request “as unprecedented as it is meritless.” 🟠 67 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 2. Peltola and Senate Democrats Moved to Join and Dismiss the Justice Department’s Suit to Delay Alaska’s Senate Certification. Trump Said He Ordered It. Mary Peltola’s campaign, Senate Democrats and voting groups moved Friday night to join and dismiss the Justice Department’s suit asking a judge to block certification of Alaska’s Senate race if Sen. Dan Sullivan loses. The department says a second candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., may confuse voters. President Trump said, “I’m one that said, ‘Do it.’” Sullivan’s campaign said it had no prior knowledge of the suit. 🟠 60 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 3. An Appeals Court Ruled 2-1 That Trump Exceeded His Authority in Federalizing California’s National Guard for Los Angeles in 2025. A Ninth Circuit panel ruled 2-1 on Friday that President Trump likely exceeded his authority when he federalized about 4,000 California National Guard troops for Los Angeles protests in June 2025. Judge Jennifer Sung found no evidence of organized violence amounting to rebellion. Judge Mark Bennett dissented. The deployment ended last December, so the ruling chiefly sets precedent for future call-ups. 🟠 58 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 4. The Full Fifth Circuit Ruled That Immigrants Who Entered Without Authorization Have No Right to a Bond Hearing. Seven Judges Did Not Join. The full Fifth Circuit ruled Friday that immigrants detained after entering the country without authorization have no right to a bond hearing, reversing lower courts in three cases. Judge Cory Wilson wrote that due process requires nothing beyond what Congress provided. Seven of 17 judges did not join the majority. The Supreme Court has agreed to decide the statutory question this term. 🟠 57 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 5. Trump Said a Strike on Iran Could Come ‘Maybe Tomorrow,’ or a Deal. Iran’s Army Said It Shot Down a U.S. Drone. President Trump said Saturday a new strike on Iran could come “maybe tomorrow,” or a deal could, after the intelligence director warned Friday that Iranian plotting against Americans had reached “advanced stages” and the State Department cut staff at four embassies. Iran’s army said Sunday it shot down a U.S. drone over Bandar Abbas, Reuters reported. The White House had said no attack would come before the midterms. 🟡 40 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 6. Prosecutors Charged Two Former FBI Officials With Lying to Congress About Hunter Biden Investigations. A Hearing Is Set for Tuesday. Federal prosecutors in Washington charged two former leaders of the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, Nikki Cole Floris and Bradley Benavides, with lying to Congress in 2023 testimony about Hunter Biden investigations. A magistrate judge set a preliminary hearing for Tuesday and refused to delay it. Floris’s lawyers called the case politically timed. The charge carries a maximum of five years. 🟠 61 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 7. Trump Said He Would Be ‘Allowed’ to Pardon Junior Staff Ahead of Any Investigation, as Allies Urge Broad Pardons. President Trump said Saturday he would be “allowed” to pardon junior administration staff before any investigation, after a report that White House lawyers are weighing mass pardons should Democrats win the House. “Certainly, I haven’t thought about it,” he said. An ally urged “very broad preemptive pardons.” Liz Oyer said such blanket pardons of an administration have never been issued. 🟡 46 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 8. Diesel Averaged $6.35 and Gas $4.29 Sunday After Brent Settled at $116.72. The Energy Department Lent a Louisiana Refinery 400,000 Barrels. AAA’s average diesel price was $6.35 a gallon Sunday and regular gas $4.29, both far above a year ago, after Brent crude settled Friday at $116.72 on Houthi claims of strikes on Saudi oil sites. The Energy Department lent 400,000 barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to a Louisiana refinery after a supply disruption. The Federal Reserve decides on rates Wednesday. 🟢 17 · Clear Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 9. Trump Changed Which Canadian Goods Face Added Tariffs, Dropping Plywood and Blueberry Boxes and Adding Cocoa Powder and Shampoo. President Trump signed a proclamation Friday that changes which Canadian goods face added tariffs starting Oct. 30. Plywood, some paper and blueberry harvest boxes come off; cocoa powder, vinyl flooring and sh… Get full access to Signal Media at signalmedianews.substack.com/subscribe

    Oct. 25 — An appeals court hears the fight over 20,000 California ballots

  8. Oct 23

    Oct. 23 — DOJ asks an appeals court to hold 20,000 California ballots

    The Day in a Minute The Justice Department on Thursday asked the Ninth Circuit to stop California from counting ballots cast by more than 20,000 voters whom federal agencies flagged as likely noncitizens. It appealed before the judge had ruled on the suit it filed Oct. 15. The Supreme Court let New Hampshire bar student IDs at the polls, pausing a lower court’s October orders over Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s dissent. The department also told Utah and at least five other states that it will send monitors on Nov. 3. Federal prosecutors indicted Virginia Senate leader L. Louise Lucas in an alleged marijuana racketeering scheme; she denies the charges, and the governor questioned the timing. The department opened an inquiry into Corey Lewandowski after an inspector general’s referral, and prosecutors charged 15 people in $2 billion of alleged health fraud in Los Angeles. The administration dropped appeals defending a loan-forgiveness rule that courts had found unlawful. After Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatened U.S. bases over Navy escorts in Hormuz, ABC News reported U.S.–Israeli plans to resume strikes after the midterms; the White House said no attack comes before the vote. The Pentagon agreed to a decade-long F-35 framework that Congress has yet to fund. Treasury proposed limits on American investment in Chinese technology. A Utah man was indicted after agents found six pipe bombs. Twelve days before Americans vote, much of the day’s news arrived as filings, and judges, not campaigns, will answer most of them. In This Episode 0:32 The Day in a Minute · 2:25 The Top Ten · 6:09 The Next Five · 6:51 The Lead and the Loudest · 14:17 The Questions · 15:12 Worth Discussing Today · 15:48 Sign-off Told in full: The Justice Department Asked an Appeals Court to Stop California From Counting 20,000 Flagged Ballots Before a Judge Had Ruled · The Supreme Court Let New Hampshire Bar Student IDs at the Polls for the Midterms. Justice Jackson Dissented · A Federal Grand Jury Indicted Virginia Senate Leader L. Louise Lucas in an Alleged Marijuana Racketeering Scheme Listen in your app: Spotify · Apple Podcasts Top Ten — Just the Gist 1. The Justice Department Asked an Appeals Court to Stop California From Counting 20,000 Flagged Ballots Before a Judge Had Ruled. The Justice Department on Thursday asked the Ninth Circuit to stop California from counting mail ballots cast by more than 20,000 people whom federal agencies flagged as likely noncitizens. It appealed after U.S. District Judge David O. Carter let the department’s noon deadline pass, calling his silence a denial. The department sued Oct. 15; California says it lacks standing. No court has found any of the voters to be noncitizens. 🟠 54 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 2. The Supreme Court Let New Hampshire Bar Student IDs at the Polls for the Midterms. Justice Jackson Dissented. The Supreme Court on Thursday let New Hampshire enforce its bar on student IDs as voter identification through the Nov. 3 election, pausing a district judge’s Oct. 2 and Oct. 5 orders. The unsigned order cited the court’s caution against changing election rules late. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, writing that the lower court sought to correct misinformation, not to change the law. 🟠 55 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 3. A Federal Grand Jury Indicted Virginia Senate Leader L. Louise Lucas in an Alleged Marijuana Racketeering Scheme. Federal prosecutors on Thursday unsealed an eight-count indictment accusing Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas, 82, of leading a family marijuana enterprise and using her office to shield it. Lucas, who led Democrats’ redistricting push, faces five counts, surrendered and denies the charges. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the inquiry predates this administration; Gov. Abigail Spanberger questioned the timing. 🟠 61 · Heavy Spin Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 4. The Administration Dropped Its Appeals Defending a Rule That Would Have Cut Some Employers Out of Public Service Loan Forgiveness. The administration moved Oct. 21 to drop two appeals defending an Education Department rule that would have cut employers with a “substantial illegal purpose” out of Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Courts blocked the rule in June, finding it unlawful and a First Amendment violation. California’s attorney general said Thursday that the appeal in a 22-state case was dropped too; earlier reports listed one appeal as pending. 🟡 48 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 5. Israeli Sources Said a Joint Plan Exists to Resume Strikes on Iran After the Midterms. The White House Said No Attack Comes Before Then. After Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatened U.S. bases if Navy escorts through Hormuz continue, ABC News reported Thursday that U.S. and Israeli militaries have plans to resume joint strikes on Iran, likely after the Nov. 3 midterms, citing Israeli sources. The White House said the U.S. will not attack Iran before the election. Trump said Iran is “making up fake hits.” Brent crude topped $112. 🟡 43 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 6. The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin Agreed on a 10-Year F-35 Framework for at Least 850 U.S. Jets. Congress Still Has to Fund It. The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin on Thursday announced a 10-year F-35 framework committing the U.S. military to at least 850 jets, with production of 156 a year for American and foreign buyers. Lockheed will invest at least $7 billion of its own money. No price was announced, and the deal needs congressional authorization and funding, since fiscal 2027 has no budget yet. 🟢 22 · Clear Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 7. A Utah Man Was Indicted on an Attempted Hate Crime Charge After Agents Found Six Pipe Bombs. Prosecutors Cited a Synagogue Threat. A federal grand jury indicted Skyler AJ Rose, 22, of Ogden, Utah, on charges including an attempted hate crime after agents found six pipe bombs, explosive precursors and two rifles at his home, prosecutors said Thursday. They cite December 2025 posts in which he allegedly wrote that he wanted to blow up a synagogue. He makes his first court appearance Friday afternoon. 🟢 17 · Clear Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 8. The Justice Department Opened a Criminal Inquiry Into Whether Corey Lewandowski Profited From His Homeland Security Role. The Justice Department is investigating whether Corey Lewandowski profited from his role as top adviser to former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, The Wall Street Journal first reported Thursday. The inquiry follows a referral from the department’s inspector general. Lewandowski has not been charged, and his lawyer says prosecutors have not contacted him. Trump said officials who are not honest “have to be prosecuted.” 🟡 32 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 9. Treasury Proposed Rules Restricting U.S. Investment in Chinese AI, Biotech and Other Military-Relevant Technology. Treasury on Thursday proposed rules that would require Americans to notify it of, or bar them from, investments above $50,000 in Chinese and other adversary companies working on chips, AI, quantum computing, supercomputing and hypersonics. Treasury added biotechnology on its own authority, a move trade reporting says would sharply limit deals for Chinese drug assets. A 45-day comment period follows. 🟡 27 · Hazy Spin Index of the coverage elsewhere. Read the Unspun Story → 10. Federal Prosecutors Charged 15 People in $2 Billion of Alleged Health Fraud in Los Angeles, Including a $1.6 Billion Rehab Case. Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles charged 15 people Thursday in alleged health-care fraud totaling about $2 billion, led by a father and son accused of billing insurers more than $1.6 billion through sham addiction-treatment centers.… Get full access to Signal Media at signalmedianews.substack.com/subscribe

    Oct. 23 — DOJ asks an appeals court to hold 20,000 California ballots

  9. Oct 22

    Oct. 22 — A judge bars DHS voter interviews of possible citizens in nine states

    A federal judge barred Homeland Security field interviews about noncitizen voting in nine states when the person could be a citizen. Putin agreed in principle to restart three-way talks after November tenth, and his adviser called the new proposals of little use. A House committee report faulted Berkeley and Philadelphia schools and the teachers union over antisemitism. Plus the Top Ten, the Next Five, four questions the record can’t answer yet, and three facts worth discussing. Today’s signal: 54 articles read from 22 sources across the spectrum · 155 facts checked · 97 biases unspun. The full brief, with every source, is free at noiseremoved.com. Chapters0:00 Open · 0:31 The Day in a Minute · 2:21 The Top Ten · 5:50 The Next Five · 6:34 The Lead and the Loudest · 14:18 The Questions · 15:13 Worth Discussing Today · 15:50 Sign-off Sources for the three stories told in fullA Federal Judge Barred DHS Agents From Questioning Possible Citizens About Noncitizen Voting in Nine States — CBS News, CNN, Democracy DocketPutin Agreed in Principle to Resume Talks With Ukraine and the U.S. After Nov. 10. His Aide Called the New Proposals of Little Use — AP, CBS News, Just the NewsA House Committee Report Faulted Berkeley and Philadelphia Schools and the National Education Association Over Antisemitism — CNN, Washington Free Beacon, House Committee on Education and WorkforceEvery source for all fifteen stories: noiseremoved.com Corrections: none today. Produced by AI. Directed by humans. Hosted by James Calder, an AI host designed by The Republic Desk at Signal Media. Corrections and questions: republicdesk@signalmedianews.com Get full access to Signal Media at signalmedianews.substack.com/subscribe

    Oct. 22 — A judge bars DHS voter interviews of possible citizens in nine states

  10. Oct 21

    Oct. 21 — Iran says no talks until its terms are met; uranium stays home

    Iran told Pakistan’s army chief it will not negotiate with Washington until its conditions are met and its enriched uranium stays home. Federal prosecutors subpoenaed Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office after a judge referred him for possible obstruction, reports say. CBS News reported that Elon Musk decided to restrict Ukraine’s Starshield satellite service; senators want an inspector general’s review. Plus the Top Ten, the Next Five, four questions the record can’t answer yet, and three facts worth discussing. Today’s signal: 74 articles read from 33 sources across the spectrum · 191 facts checked · 105 biases unspun. The full brief, with every source, is free at noiseremoved.com. Chapters0:00 Open · 0:30 The Day in a Minute · 2:20 The Top Ten · 5:52 The Next Five · 6:32 The Lead and the Loudest · 14:11 The Questions · 15:07 Worth Discussing Today · 15:43 Sign-off Sources for the three stories told in fullIran Told Pakistan’s Army Chief It Will Not Negotiate Until Its Conditions Are Met, and Its Enriched Uranium Stays Home — Reuters, Arab News, Pakistan TodayFederal Prosecutors Subpoenaed Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner’s Office After a Judge Referred Him for Possible Obstruction — Fox News, Spotlight PA, Washington ExaminerCBS Reported That Elon Musk Made the Call to Restrict Ukraine’s Starshield Satellite Service. Senators Want an Inquiry — CBS News, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Washington ExaminerEvery source for all fifteen stories: noiseremoved.com Corrections: none today. Produced by AI. Directed by humans. Hosted by James Calder, an AI host designed by The Republic Desk at Signal Media. Corrections and questions: republicdesk@signalmedianews.com Get full access to Signal Media at signalmedianews.substack.com/subscribe

    Oct. 21 — Iran says no talks until its terms are met; uranium stays home

  11. Oct 20

    Oct. 20 — DOJ charges 28 in California and asks a court to hold 20,000 ballots

    The Justice Department charged 28 green-card holders in California and asked a court to hold mail ballots from about 20,000 people. War Secretary Pete Hegseth met Netanyahu in Israel as the two governments discuss restarting strikes on Iran, Axios reported. Judge Ana Reyes questioned officials for six hours on the East Potomac golf plan and issued no final ruling. Plus the Top Ten, the Next Five, four questions the record can’t answer yet, and three facts worth discussing. Today’s signal: 123 articles read from 45 sources across the spectrum · 217 facts checked · 110 biases unspun. The full brief, with every source, is free at noiseremoved.com. Chapters 0:00 Open · 0:28 The Day in a Minute · 2:17 The Top Ten · 6:00 The Next Five · 6:42 The Lead and the Loudest · 14:30 The Questions · 15:24 Worth Discussing Today · 16:04 Sign-off Sources for the three stories told in full The Justice Department Charged 28 Green-Card Holders in California With Election Crimes and Asked a Court to Hold 20,000 Ballots — AP, NPR, ABC7 Los Angeles, Courthouse News, MyNewsLA, U.S. Department of Justice War Secretary Pete Hegseth Made an Unannounced Visit to Israel as the U.S. and Israel Weighed Renewed Strikes on Iran — Reuters, Axios, CBS News, Al Jazeera, Iran International, The Peninsula, Times of Israel, Roll Call Factba.se Judge Ana Reyes Questioned Officials for Six Hours on the East Potomac Golf Plan, Saying She Keeps “Getting Different Stories.” — Reuters, ABC News, CNN, The Hill, Washington Examiner Every source for all fifteen stories: noiseremoved.com Corrections: none today. Produced by AI. Directed by humans. Hosted by James Calder, an AI host designed by The Republic Desk at Signal Media. Corrections and questions: republicdesk@signalmedianews.com Get full access to Signal Media at signalmedianews.substack.com/subscribe

    Oct. 20 — DOJ charges 28 in California and asks a court to hold 20,000 ballots
  • 11 Episodes

About

Everything you should know as a voter, with the spin removed, in fifteen minutes. Noise Removed: America is a daily news brief for voters who want the facts without the fight. Every morning it reads the day’s news from across the political spectrum, removes the partisan framing, and delivers the signal that remains: the top ten stories that matter most, the lead story and the two most spun, told in full, with each side’s framing laid beside the record, and the questions the record can’t yet answer. We show our work each episode: how many articles were read, from how many sources, how many facts were checked, how many biases unspun. Produced by AI. Directed by humans. From The Republic Desk at Signal Media. Hosted by James Calder, an AI host designed by Signal Media. Weekday mornings and Sundays. signalmedianews.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Signal Media
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    11
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Signal Media News LLC
  • Show Website
    Noise Removed: America