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Presented by Meta: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | |  | | By Garrett Ross | | | It’s three weeks until Election Day, and this morning, a deluge of new campaign ads thundered down on TV stations across the country. If you’re a campaign-ad obsessive, each Tuesday in October is like a miniature Christmas morning. Why? Our in-house elections guru Steve Shepard explains that candidates and political committees typically book ads that run in flights from Tuesdays-Mondays. So while there’s typically the option to change traffic as needed, the most popular day to cycle in new creative (or launch a new ad campaign altogether) is Tuesday. Here are today’s most noteworthy new ads, along with some insights from Steve that illuminate where the conversation is heading. THE SENATE RACES: — Pennsylvania: “We need balance, less extremism in Washington,” GOP Senate nominee MEHMET OZ says in his latest ad , a play for moderate voters that also hits Democrat JOHN FETTERMAN for “letting murderers out” of prison and for supporting “tax-and-spend” policies. And the latest spot from the McConnell-linked American Crossroads unfavorably contrasts Fetterman with Democrat JOSH SHAPIRO, who’s leading in the governor’s race: “Fetterman’s way more radical than Shapiro” on crime, says one woman. — New Hampshire: Senate Leadership Fund is still trying to prop up DON BOLDUC, launching a contrast ad that touts the underfunded GOP nominee’s “guts to stand up to” Biden, and warning that “things will get even worse” if Democratic Sen. MAGGIE HASSAN wins reelection. — Ohio: The GOP-aligned Senate Leadership Fund turns over Rep. TIM RYAN’s recent football-themed ad: As the Democrat throws passes, the SLF spot shows footballs hitting unsuspecting people to highlight Ryan’s support “for Biden’s reckless spending.” — Georgia: The DSCC’s latest ad highlights GOP Senate nominee HERSCHEL WALKER’s history of domestic violence allegations, interviewing Georgia voters. One woman describes Walker as “very crazy” and “not a well man.” THE HOUSE RACES: — Pennsylvania: GOP congressional candidate JEREMY SHAFFER’s latest spot features his wife, STACEY, a medical doctor. “Being married to a physician, Jeremy knows the importance of decisions between patients and their doctors,” she says. (Her husband’s website says he has “long supported a pro-life policy that allows for exceptions” for women who were raped or victims of incest, or if the woman’s life is threatened.) — Michigan: GOP House candidate JOHN GIBBS , struggling to raise money, is up with a new coordinated ad with the NRCC that touts his “servant’s heart” and missionary work in the devoutly Protestant Grand Rapids market. — North Carolina: Democratic House candidate WILEY NICKEL’s latest ad is narrated by a woman who had a pre-Roe abortion. “To keep the location hidden from police, I was blindfolded. And the procedure was done on a dining-room table, and it nearly killed me.” — Rhode Island: The Democratic-aligned House Majority PAC launched a Jan. 6-themed ad against ALLAN FUNG. “After Charlottesville, kids in cages and Jan. 6, Allan Fung said, ‘I’m not running away from [DONALD] TRUMP,’” the ad quotes the GOP House candidate. — Connecticut: The DCCC is up with a rare positive ad for Democratic Rep. JAHANA HAYES, whose northwestern Connecticut district Steve recently moved into our “Toss Up” category. THE GUBERNATORIAL RACES: — Pennsylvania: Democratic gubernatorial candidate JOSH SHAPIRO ties GOP opponent DOUG MASTRIANO to the QAnon conspiracy theory in his latest ad . “They believe the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center never really happened. ADOLF HITLER faked his own death. The Covid vaccine turns people gay,” a moderator says of QAnon backers, calling Mastriano “an important part of their movement” who’s “tweeted QAnon craziness 52 times.” — Maine: Sen. ANGUS KING (I-Maine), a former governor himself, endorses Democratic Gov. JANET MILLS for reelection , touting her bipartisan creds. Good Tuesday afternoon.
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| BIG PICTURE
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President Joe Biden speaks at a DNC event on Tuesday, Oct. 18. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo | THE VIEW FROM 1600 PENN — President JOE BIDEN firmly laid out the stakes of the midterms today at a DNC event, where he promised that the first bill he sends to Congress next year will codify Roe v. Wade — provided Democrats have the votes to get it passed. “It’s the first time Biden has prioritized abortion legislation in this way ahead of the November midterms,” AP’s Seung Min Kim writes . “The final say does not rest in the court now. It does not rest with the extremist Republicans in Congress,” Biden said, per Bloomberg’s Jennifer Jacobs . “If you do your part and vote, Democratic leaders in Congress and I promise you we’ll do our part.” CLICKER — “Gen Z on voting: ‘We’re the wrong generation to piss off,’” by WaPo’s Mahlia Posey and Breanna Muir HOT POLLS — New York: Democratic Gov. KATHY HOCHUL leads Republican Rep. LEE ZELDIN in the gubernatorial race, 50% to 46%, a closer-than-expected margin per the new Quinnipiac University poll. The case for skepticism, via Gotham Gazette’s Ben Max : “Couple big #s stand out here (& maybe provide room for skepticism of the poll): it has Zeldin leading among independents by very big margin of 57%-37% & has him getting 37% to Hochul's 59% in New York City, which would be quite a showing by a conservative Republican in the city.” And for good measure: A new Siena College Poll has Hochul leading Zeldin 52% to 41%. AMERICA AND THE WORLD AFTERNOON READ — WaPo’s Craig Whitlock and Nate Jones are up with a major multi-part investigation into the previously unknown work that former military officers have done on behalf of foreign governments. — Part I: “Retired U.S. generals, admirals take top jobs with Saudi crown prince” : “More than 500 retired U.S. military personnel — including scores of generals and admirals — have taken lucrative jobs since 2015 working for foreign governments, mostly in countries known for human rights abuses and political repression, according to a Washington Post investigation. In Saudi Arabia, for example, 15 retired U.S. generals and admirals have worked as paid consultants for the Defense Ministry since 2016. The ministry is led by Crown Prince MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN, the kingdom’s de facto ruler.” — Part II: “UAE relied on expertise of retired U.S. troops to beef up its military” : “Over the past seven years, 280 military retirees have sought federal authorization to work for the United Arab Emirates — far more than for any other country, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). … Among them: retired Marine Gen. JIM MATTIS, who was a military adviser to the UAE before he became defense secretary in the Trump administration, the documents show.” — Part III: “Retired U.S. admirals advise Australia on deal for nuclear submarines” : “Two retired U.S. admirals and three former U.S. Navy civilian leaders are playing critical but secretive roles as paid advisers to the government of Australia during its negotiations to acquire top-secret nuclear submarine technology from the United States and Britain.” — The synopsis: “Key findings from the Post’s series on veterans’ lucrative foreign jobs”
| | | | 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 . | | | | | ABORTION FALLOUT A DEFINING BATTLE — Abortion has supercharged the midterms — putting into question the conventional wisdom about which party has the edge among voters. But away from the campaign trail, NYT’s Kate Zernike writes that “the most contentious question newly at the forefront is a very basic one: What is abortion?” States are inconsistently defining what they will and won’t allow, doctors are airing on the side of caution for fear of legal recourse. And even the unclear definition of “life-threatening” conditions to save pregnant women has resulted in “chaos,” with medical professionals trying to arrive at a definitive answer. UNDER THE RADAR — WaPo’s Caroline Kitchener has a big report on the underground abortion network that is subverting state laws across the U.S. in order to help pregnant women receive abortion medication. “Distinct from services that sell pills to patients on the internet, a growing army of community-based distributors is reaching pregnant women through word of mouth or social media to supply pills for free — though typically without the safeguards of medical oversight,” Kitchener writes. “Those interviewed described a pipeline that typically begins in Mexico, where activist suppliers funded largely by private donors secure pills for free as in-kind donations or from international pharmacies for as little as $1.50 a dose. U.S. volunteers then receive the pills through the mail — often relying on legal experts to help minimize their risk — before distributing them to pregnant women in need.” TRUMP CARDS BOOK CLUB — “Bob Woodward releasing new audiobook ‘The Trump Tapes’ with eight hours of recorded interviews,” by CNN’s Jamie Gangel, Elizabeth Stuart and Jeremy Herb: “The interviews offer unvarnished insights into the former president’s worldview and are the most extensive recordings of Trump speaking about his presidency — including explaining his rationale for meeting [North Korean leader KIM JONG UN], his relationship with Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN , and Trump’s detailed views of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. The audio also shows how Trump decided to share with Woodward the letters Kim wrote to him — the letters that helped spark the DOJ investigation into classified documents Trump took to Mar-a-Lago.”
| | | | A message from Meta:   | | | THE PANDEMIC THE CURRENT PANDEMIC — The Biden administration is putting a stop to more pandemic-era services as officials continue to wind down the vast government-supported initiatives amid a lack of funding and increased pandemic fatigue. The admin has “stopped paying to mail out free Covid-19 tests and expects to end free vaccines for Americans,” WSJ’s Stephanie Armour reports . THE FUTURE PANDEMIC — Biden’s planning for the next deadly pandemic is already underway as officials use lessons learned from the coronavirus’ continued outbreak. One ambitious goal is to “produce a test for a new pathogen within 12 hours of its discovery and enough vaccine to protect the nation within 130 days,” Bloomberg’s Riley Griffin reports . “A senior administration official said the U.S. is preparing for an era of pandemics, in which the nation must detect, prevent, and respond to the increased risk of biological threats. Some objectives outlined in the new strategy may take years to accomplish.” POLICY CORNER SWAMP READ — WSJ’s James Grimaldi, James Benedict, Coulter Jones and Chad Day are up with their latest deep dive into the murky nexus between Washington and Wall Street, taking a look at tens of thousands of trades made by executive branch employees in recent years: “It’s the kind of rapid-fire trading you see on Wall Street: hundreds of stock-market wagers, sometimes peppered with options and other aggressive trades. But this wasn’t done by ordinary traders. The transactions came from about seven dozen senior federal-government officials who disclosed that they or their families each made more than 500 trades from 2016 through 2021. That totals more than 80,000 transactions while these officials worked in government.” BEYOND THE BELTWAY MEGATREND — “U.S. Prisons, Jails See Jump in Suicides,” by WSJ’s Kris Maher and Dan Frosch
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY . | | | | | WAR IN UKRAINE ON THE GROUND — “As Russia strikes power plants, Ukrainians brace for winter,” by AP’s Justin Spike THE SANCTIONS EFFECT — “As Europe Piles Sanctions on Russia, Some Sacred Cows Are Spared,” by NYT’s Matina Stevis-Gridneff THE NEW BATTLEFIELD — “The Battle for Control Over Ukraine's Internet,” by Time’s Vera Bergengruen AMERICA AND THE WORLD PAIN ABROAD — “‘Bad situation’: Soaring U.S. dollar spreads pain worldwide,” by AP’s Paul Wiseman, Kelvin Chan, Samy Magdy and Ayse Wieting PLAYBOOKERS COMING ATTRACTIONS — NYT announced the lineup for its Dealbook Summit on Wednesday, Nov. 30: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, TikTok’s Shou Chew, former VP Mike Pence, Amazon’s Andy Jassy, Netflix’s Reed Hastings, FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried, BlackRock’s Larry Fink, CNN’s Van Jones, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Scarlett Lewis of the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement, Amalgamated Bank’s Priscilla Sims Brown and NYC Mayor Eric Adams. The announcement OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at a Bipartisan Policy Center conversation on “The Congressional Journal of Barber B. Conable, Jr., 1968-1984”: Al Hunt and Judy Woodruff, Jim Jones, Henson Moore, Carl Hulse, Jonathan Martin, Mike McCurry, Robert and Sue Merry, Bill Kauffman, Jane Conable, Linda McLaughlin, Ron Elving, Mary Beth Franklin, Jo Ann Burton, Nancy Bishop, Helen Andrews, Eric Ueland, Paul Gordon, Benjamin Barber Vaughan, Steve Scully and John Harris. MEDIA MOVES — Benjamin Guggenheim is joining POLITICO as a tax reporter. He was previously a Congress reporter at Tax Notes. … Jordan Williams is joining POLITICO as a Legislative Compass reporter. She was previously a defense reporter for The Hill. TRANSITION — Catherine Gorman is now comms manager at the Climate Action Campaign. She was previously a senior associate for marketing at Waxman Strategies. WEEKEND WEDDINGS — Hunter Morgen, a senior adviser at Ballard Partners, and Cora Morgen (nee Mandy), a director at Plus Communications, got married this weekend at the Rosecliff Mansion in Newport, R.I., the site of the original “Great Gatsby” film. Champagne and chandeliers decked the halls, and attendees included their two wiener dogs, family, friends and other former Trump officials. The couple were both senior White House officials and Trump 2016 campaign aides who fell in love in NYC’s Trump Tower. Pic … Another pic — Kindred Motes, founder and managing director of KM Strategies Group, and Raúl Caso, a chief surgery resident at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and incoming cardiothoracic surgery fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, got married at the D.C. War Memorial on Saturday. Guests enjoyed Cuban-Southern fusion and bilingual dance playlists. The couple had their first date at Astoria. Pic … Another pic — Megan O’Donnell, program associate at the Aspen Institute’s Stevens Initiative and an EAB alum, and Dan O’Brien, head of comms at MindMed and a National Journal alum, got married Sunday in Pasadena, Md. They shared their first date over a glass and a half of wine at Grillfish in August 2018.
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