The Morning Roundup – October 27, 2026

Good morning from The Monolith Media. With one week until the midterms, today’s biggest stories are the Justice Department’s third set of charges against James Comey and a court ruling over the firing of his daughter, the early-vote and Latino-vote battles shaping the final stretch, the fight over federal involvement in state elections, and Israel’s high-stakes election as Netanyahu fights for survival. The left is focused on executive-power overreach and attacks on candidates’ identities, the center is tracking the Comey charges, the Israeli vote and what early-voting data can tell us, and the right is watching AI in the classroom and saying goodbye to a Chicago media institution.

LEFT

Charles P. Pierce (Esquire) – “A Federal Judge Just Smacked Down Trump’s Hopes for a “Sweeping Theory” of Executive Power”

Pierce covers a federal court ruling against the administration over the firing of federal prosecutor Maurene Comey, daughter of former FBI Director James Comey. He frames the decision as a rebuke of the White House's broad theory of executive power over career prosecutors.

Charles P. Pierce (Esquire) – “What Lies Beneath the Noise”

Pierce takes stock of the 2026 midterms a week out and asks whether Democrats can really deliver the large swing many are predicting. The piece weighs the noise of the campaign against the underlying signals of the race.

Zeeshan Aleem (MS NOW) – “The right has zoomed past ‘birtherism’ to something far darker”

Aleem argues that attacks questioning the American identity and birth certificate of Democrat Abdul El-Sayed go beyond the old birtherism playbook. He contends parts of the right, including white nationalists, now treat the Constitution's guarantees as quaint.

Jake Tapper (CNN) – “ACLU lawyer on fight to block DOJ’s election lawsuit in Alaska”

On The Lead, Tapper talks with an ACLU lawyer about the group's effort to block a Justice Department election lawsuit in Alaska. The segment focuses on the legal fight over federal involvement in the state's elections ahead of Election Day.

Alex Thomas (The New Republic) – “Nithya Raman May Be L.A.’s Next Mayor. Don’t Expect a Revolution.”

Thomas looks at DSA-aligned Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman, who has drawn comparisons to New York's Zohran Mamdani. He argues that L.A.'s city structure is built to keep its mayor in check, limiting how much any one leader can change.

Charles P. Pierce (Esquire) – “The Cheesecake Factory Isn’t the Symbol of Flyover America That Right-Wing Pundits Think It Is”

After Barack Obama jokingly compared Trump's White House to the Cheesecake Factory, conservative commentators pushed back. Pierce mocks that reaction and disputes the idea that the chain stands for heartland America.

Charles P. Pierce (Esquire) – “Kids Can’t Even Enjoy the Woods Anymore”

Pierce writes about invasive insects destroying American forests. He warns about what the damage means for the country's future and for the next generation's relationship with the outdoors.

CENTER

NBC News – “DOJ Charges Former FBI Director James Comey for Third Time”

Former FBI Director James Comey faces new federal charges, with unsealed court documents showing prosecutors claim he directed the leak of classified national defense information while leading the bureau. Comey denies all of the allegations.

NBC News – “Voting Underway in Israel as Netanyahu Faces Battle for Survival”

Israelis began voting Tuesday in the country's first nationwide election since the October 7, 2023 attacks, a race widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. NBC's Richard Engel reports from Tel Aviv on how the outcome could affect the United States and gas prices.

NBC News – “Candidates Vie for Latino Vote in Battleground States”

Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker breaks down the push for Latino voters in battleground states as the midterm fight heats up. New data suggests Republicans are more worried about holding reliably red states like Texas than some Midwest battlegrounds.

Politico – “Reading the early-vote entrails”

Politico's New Jersey Playbook asks whether early-voting data actually tells us anything about how the election will turn out. The newsletter weighs what the early numbers can and can't reveal.

TIPP Insights – “UK Charges Man With Assisting Foreign Intelligence Service Over RAF Fairford Incident”

British authorities have charged a man with assisting a foreign intelligence service in connection with an incident at RAF Fairford. The charges follow the September 28 arrest of five people near the base on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offenses.

RIGHT

Bryan Hyde (American Greatness) – “‘No Point’: UC Berkeley Math Professor Quits Grading Homework Over Student AI Use”

Hyde reports that a UC Berkeley math professor has stopped grading homework because students are using AI to complete it. The piece notes that AI can now solve undergraduate math problems better than many students.

John Kass (John Kass News) – “The Chicago Way w/John Kass: The end of an era — From Michigan Avenue to Ep. 566”

Longtime Chicago columnist John Kass announced that John Kass News is winding down after he suffered five strokes over three years. On this episode of The Chicago Way, Kass and co-host Jeff Carlin look back on his career.

Tamantha Ryan (Page Six) – “Savannah Chrisley announces she is pregnant, engaged to much-older mystery man after almost 2 years of dating: 'Timing is nothing'”

Page Six reports that reality TV personality and conservative commentator Savannah Chrisley announced she is pregnant and engaged. According to the report, her fiancé is an older man she has dated for almost two years.