| | | | |  | | By Eli Okun | | | |  Paul Pelosi was attacked when an intruder broke into his San Francisco home through a sliding glass door and reportedly beat him severely with a hammer. | Eric Risberg/AP Photo | Four years ago at this moment in the campaign, the specter of political violence hung heavy over the midterms after a domestic terrorist mailed more than a dozen pipe bombs to CNN and leading Democrats. Now, political violence may have once more reared its head. PAUL PELOSI, husband of NANCY PELOSI, was attacked early this morning when an intruder broke into their San Francisco home and beat him severely with a hammer, law enforcement said. "Our officers observed Mr. Pelosi and the suspect both holding a hammer" when they responded at roughly 2:27 a.m., San Francisco Police Chief BILL SCOTT told reporters. "The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it. Our officers immediately tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took him into custody, requested emergency backup and rendered medical aid." Scott said a motive is "still being determined." He identified the suspect as 42-year-old DAVID DEPAPE, who will be charged with attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary and several other felonies. While Scott didn't delve into a motive, several news outlets reported that Depape entered through a sliding glass door and shouted, "Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?" The question echoes mob chants inside the Capitol on Jan. 6. CNN's Jamie Gangel scooped that the attacker was attempting to tie up Paul Pelosi "until Nancy got home," and said he was "waiting for Nancy." (She was in D.C. at the time.) Paul Pelosi, 82, sustained blunt force injuries to his head and body and is being treated by doctors; the speaker's office said he's expected to make a full recovery. NBC Bay Area reports that he was undergoing brain surgery. The FBI and U.S. Capitol Police are assisting with the investigation. The news prompted an outpouring of outrage and well wishes across the political spectrum. President JOE BIDEN, Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER and House Minority Leader KEVIN McCARTHY reached out to the speaker this morning and condemned the attack. "Horrified and disgusted," tweeted Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL . "We can have our political differences, but violence is always wrong & unacceptable," said Sen. TED CRUZ (R-Texas) . The barrage of violent threats and attacks in recent years has torn at the fabric of American politics and public life, prompting plenty of warnings about an incident like this. "I wouldn't be surprised if a senator or House member were killed," Sen. SUSAN COLLINS (R-Maine) told the NYT just this month . INFLATION NATION — The Fed's preferred inflation metric remained stubbornly high in September, highlighting the ongoing challenge to the central bank's mission to rein in prices, per new data out today. Prices: The Personal Consumption Expenditures index rose 6.2% year over year, unchanged from the month before. The core index (omitting fuel and food) climbed 5.1% year over year — even faster than August's 4.9% increase. All those numbers, of course, are a far cry from the Fed's 2% target, and they reflect how thoroughly sticker shock is weighing on American life. Wages: Workers' wages and benefits jumped 1.2% from June to September and 5% year over year, in line with economists' expectations. Though wage boosts help people contend with inflation, they also worsen it. Consumer spending: New numbers showed consumer spending rising 0.6% last month, a bit higher than expected. That ongoing strength of demand constitutes another sign that the Fed's interest rate increases haven't yet had the desired effect. More details from the AP Happy Friday afternoon.
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See how Meta is helping build the metaverse. | | | BIG PICTURE THE PLOT TO SUBVERT THE ELECTION — WaPo's Emma Brown and Jon Swaine go long on the mishegoss in Coffee County, Ga., laying out "how unfounded suspicions … spiraled into an alleged breach that was organized in part by pro-Trump lawyer SIDNEY POWELL and paid for by her nonprofit." It was one of at least seven counties in the 2020 election in which an inside threat reared its head, with local officials allegedly giving unauthorized outsiders access to election machines and/or data. BUT WHO'S COUNTING — The future of election denialism looks like Nevada, where false claims of fraud prompted Nye County to try an unnecessary hand count, WaPo's Amy Gardner reports from Pahrump. Experts warn that "if hand counting is adopted on a broad scale, election results could be thrown into chaos by errors and delays. That could give bad actors more time to sow doubts and to slow or even block certification." But if Republican JIM MARCHANT wins election as secretary of state, he could champion hand counts across the state — and spread the gospel across the country as a national figure. CASH DASH — All it took was an allegation of paying for an abortion. For the first time in WinRed's history, as NYT's Shane Goldmacher notes , a DONALD TRUMP-aligned group didn't top the charts: Georgia GOP Senate nominee HERSCHEL WALKER led the country in fundraising on the platform from Oct. 1-19. BELLWETHER PERMITTING — In POLITICO Magazine, Kathy Gilsinan heads to Sauk County, Wis. , to take stock of a perennial swingy bellwether — and finds a politically polarized area where voters in the middle feel alienated from both parties. "[M]any people seem sick of politics, but the politics only seem to get worse, because tiny margins can have big results, and each party sees the stakes as existential." Her conversations with voters across the varied county are worth a read. HOLDING THEIR FIRE — "Democrats cautiously campaign on Jan. 6, democracy threats," by AP's Mary Clare Jalonick THE LAST FRONTIER — Alaska Natives are emphasizing their importance as a voting bloc in the state's elections, The New Republic's Grace Segers reports . After decades in the 20th century when they were largely barred from voting, the tribes are flexing their muscle with endorsements of Democratic Rep. MARY PELTOLA and GOP Sen. LISA MURKOWSKI. "But the Peltola campaign is not assuming automatic support from the Alaska Native community." HEDGE YOUR BETS — The CFTC is considering this week whether to open the door to legalized election betting, just ahead of the midterms, Declan Harty reports . The startup Kalshi has JASON FURMAN, the New York Stock Exchange's parent company and others on its side as it seeks to persuade regulators — and it's warning that it might sue if the decision doesn't go its way. BATTLE FOR THE SENATE WHERE THE SENATE COULD BE DECIDED — Washoe County, Nev., is crucial swing territory that both Democratic Sen. CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO and her Republican challenger ADAM LAXALT lost in their most recent elections. Now, the purple area — buckling under high prices — will be pivotal to the race, NBC's Natasha Korecki reports from Reno. BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE DEMOCRACY WATCH — Democrats are gearing up to fight an onslaught of election-related lawsuits in Pennsylvania, with the DCCC advising House candidates to find local lawyers now, The Daily Beast's Jake Lahut reports . They're worried about "stop the count" redux. "While having a lawyer ready to go for recount proceedings is entirely normal for a campaign, the DCCC effort involves coordinating with them around revived efforts to block mail-in voting, particularly around potential GOP efforts to throw out absentee ballots that aren't dated in handwriting on the outside of the envelope." THE I WORD — Republican leaders are soft-pedaling talk of impeaching Biden as the election draws nearer, trying to hush a polarizing prospect as they appeal to moderates, NYT's Annie Karni reports . Despite years of pressure from far-right members, which will only increase if the GOP flips the House, Minority Leader KEVIN McCARTHY is downplaying the idea — without outright rejecting it, notably. Clip and save: "Privately, many Republican lawmakers and staff members concede that there does not appear to be any clear-cut case of high crimes and misdemeanors by Mr. Biden or members of his cabinet that would meet the bar for impeachment." KARL ROVE: "Most Republican members are going to say: 'Really? We're going to waste our time and energy on this when there's no chance in hell of two-thirds of the Senate voting to convict?'" THE NEW GOP — House GOP Conference Chair ELISE STEFANIK (R-N.Y.) embodies the New York GOP's shift from socially moderate Rockefeller Republicanism to hard-right Trumpism. And she's feeling bullish about her party's chances in the Empire State, predicting to NYT's Jesse McKinley in Amsterdam that they'll win 15 of 26 House seats. Either way, the party's transformation is complete, bolstered by demographic and geographic changes in its base: "America First is here to stay," Stefanik says. Her national profile and fundraising prowess have turned her into "one of New York's few Republican kingmakers." UNDER-THE-RADAR TREND — "Republicans' Secret Swing-Seat Weapon? Dozens of Rich Nominees," by The American Prospect's Austin Ahlman: "Over half of the Republican nominees in competitive House races have dipped into personal fortunes to fund their campaigns."
| | | | NEW AND IMPROVED POLITICO APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. With a fresh look and improved features, the sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don't miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. Already a POLITICO app user? Upgrade today! DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID . | | | | | HOT POLLS — Pennsylvania: Post-debate siren: Wick Insights has Republican MEHMET OZ snatching the lead from JOHN FETTERMAN in the Senate race, 47% to 45%. For governor, Democrat JOSH SHAPIRO is up 49% to 43% over DOUG MASTRIANO. — New York: Democratic Gov. KATHY HOCHUL has a fight on her hands: She leads Rep. LEE ZELDIN just 48% to 42%, per Slingshot Strategies . — Michigan: Democratic Gov. GRETCHEN WHITMER's small lead over TUDOR DIXON is holding steady, per Cygnal : She's up 51% to 44%. Her fellow Democratic incumbents, Secretary of State JOCELYN BENSON and AG DANA NESSEL, lead by 8 and 4 points, respectively. — Massachusetts: Democrats are well-positioned to flip the governor's mansion: MAURA HEALEY leads GEOFF DIEHL 61% to 33%, per UMass Amherst/WCVB . HOT ADS
With help from Steve Shepard — New York: Syracuse Mayor BEN WALSH, an independent, endorses Democratic House candidate FRANCIS CONOLE, who's seeking to replace retiring GOP Rep. JOHN KATKO, in Conole's latest ad . — Georgia: A new DSCC spot goes hard at Walker's personal scandals, talking about allegations of domestic abuse and his son CHRISTIAN's claim about his father's "lies," NBC's Sahil Kapur scooped . It's running on broadcast TV. — Florida: In his latest Spanish-language ad , GOP Sen. MARCO RUBIO says what "radicals in Washington" are doing is "unacceptable, unaffordable and anti-American." — Pennsylvania: "At every turn," Senate Majority PAC's latest ad begins , Oz has "hurt people to help himself," accusing the Republican of "exploiting the sick, pushing scam drugs that didn't work" and "getting rich off opioid producers while Pennsylvanians got addicted."
| | | | A message from Meta:   | | | AMERICA AND THE WORLD TIKTOK ON THE CLOCK — WaPo's Drew Harwell and Elizabeth Dwoskin have a big-picture examination of Washington's regulatory approach to TikTok, the behemoth app that's inspired plenty of purported political angst over its Chinese government ties but little actual action. "[I]f TikTok truly is the ultimate propaganda weapon, Washington has rarely treated it like one," they write. Various federal reviews have moved slowly, and a GOP takeover of Congress could scuttle the Biden administration's plans. Yet "China remains the company's central hub for pretty much everything" — with so much power over its U.S. operations that American employees can't even decide to work remotely without approval from Beijing. LATEST SANCTIONS — "U.S. imposes sanctions on Iran-based foundation over Salman Rushdie bounty," Reuters JUDICIARY SQUARE SCOTUS WATCH — The Supreme Court looks likely to upend another long-standing precedent by doing away with race-based affirmative action in college admissions. But this time, the conservative majority might have public opinion on its side, FiveThirtyEight's Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux and Zoha Qamar report . "Many people are uncomfortable with the concept of singling out racial minorities for special treatment if it means other students will have to meet a higher standard, even though they also want universities to have racially diverse student bodies." — The case puts the court's ideological wings on a collision course with each other, Bloomberg's Greg Stohr previews . Affirmative action has long offended Chief Justice JOHN ROBERTS, Justice CLARENCE THOMAS and other conservatives, while liberals like Justices SONIA SOTOMAYOR and KETANJI BROWN JACKSON have sketched out a very different vision of race-based policies. "Each party says American history is on its side." BEYOND THE BELTWAY ROADS OF THE FUTURE — "Will Electric Vehicles Kill the Gas Station?" by POLITICO's E&E News' David Ferris in Wellington, Colo., for POLITICO Magazine: "There's a hidden battle between electric utilities and gas pump owners that is going to change everything about the way we fuel up." AMERICAN TRAGEDY — "St. Louis school shooter was flagged in FBI background check but was still able to legally purchase a gun, police say," CNN MORE POLITICS HISTORY LESSON — "When Nixon and Kennedy Battled for Jackie Robinson's Endorsement," by Fred Frommer in POLITICO Magazine: "The baseball legend was courted by both presidential candidates. His choice would torment him for years."
| | | | LISTEN TO POLITICO'S ENERGY PODCAST: Check out our daily five-minute brief on the latest energy and environmental politics and policy news. Don't miss out on the must-know stories, candid insights, and analysis from POLITICO's energy team. Listen today . | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS SPOTTED: Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) with Mera Rubell at the opening Thursday night of the Rubell Museum in Southwest D.C. Pic by Ben Droz OUT AND ABOUT — Shopify hosted a rooftop reception Friday night at the S3 townhouse, where local small businesses on Shopify visited with congressional staff. SPOTTED: Kevin Lefeber, Dean Rodan, Alex Zabit, Chapman Bryant, Hannah Thompson, Ryann Kinney, Adriana Rivera, Amanda Shoopman, Harper White, Warner Allison, Erin Pelton, Walt Kuhn, Leigh Claffey, Caroline Kitchens and Jaclyn Neuman. MEDIA MOVES — Amanda Terkel is joining NBC News as senior politics editor. She previously was editorial director and Washington bureau chief at HuffPost. … Halimah Abdullah is now deputy Washington editor at NPR. She most recently was executive editor of Newsela, and is an ABC, NBC and McClatchy alum. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Sean Savett , deputy spokesperson for the NSC, and Taylor Lustig, director of public policy and strategic partnerships at PepsiCo, on Oct. 11 welcomed Riley Judy Savett, who came in at 7 lbs, 3 oz. — Jason Tuber, chief of staff for Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Arian Herckis, administrative director for Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and an Obama EPA alum, welcomed Abigail Libby Tuber on Oct. 1. She joins big siblings Elijah and Ava. Pic … Another pic Tuber writes: "My wife first started having contractions at 5pm and we started rushing to the hospital right before 6 as they quickly intensified. I was going 60+mph down Constitution Ave. weaving in and out of lanes in the pouring rain. We get to the hospital, I run out to the lobby yelling for help, run back to the car. She's in the passenger seat of our Volvo and tells me she can feel the baby's head coming out. I then pulled down her pants, she pushed, I saw a head pop out, then shoulders. I grabbed the shoulders and pulled the rest of her out, unwrapped the umbilical cord and put her on mom skin to skin. About a dozen doctors and nurses came rushing out about 90 secs later."
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