Hello, friends!
I know, I know. What fresh hell are we diving into today?
Stay for the good stuff: a little hope, a special birthday, and a song that perfectly sums up this week.
No foam. No filter. Let’s go.☕️
1. Signed, Sealed, Rejected
Imagine casting your ballot, mailing it in, and discovering it won’t count because you forgot to seal an envelope, or because the Postal Service didn’t process it in time.
Welcome to the 2026 midterms.
In North Carolina, new Republican-backed absentee voting rules require voters to seal their ballots inside an inner envelope before placing them in the mailing envelope.
According to Democracy Docket, roughly 3% of mail ballots are being rejected across 27 counties reviewed–twice the statewide rejection rate in 2022. In some counties, rejection rates have reached 7–8%. Thousands more ballots could be rejected if those trends continue.
Meanwhile, a separate investigation uncovered another problem: Postal Service cost-cutting measures have slowed mail processing in rural communities, delaying postmarks and leaving otherwise valid ballots arriving too late.
Across five states examined, late-ballot rejection rates doubled or tripled in counties affected by postal service cuts.
The irony? The hardest-hit areas disproportionately voted for Trump in 2024.
Postal Service officials say special procedures for handling election mail should help prevent similar problems in November, but many of us who work on election security and protecting democracy remain concerned.
Bottom line: Mail your ballot early. Follow every instruction. Check its status. And don’t assume mailing it means it will count. Follow up on it.
🗳️ The Envelope That Could Cost Your Vote (Democracy Docket)
2. Even Trump’s DOJ Is Looking at This One
Remember those luxury planes and the $220 million advertising campaign featuring former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem? I wrote about that taxpayer-funded spending spree earlier this month.
Well, a familiar name has resurfaced.
The Justice Department is investigating Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager and Noem’s top adviser, over allegations that he personally profited from his government role. The probe began with a referral from DHS’s own inspector general, whose investigation has been underway for months. Lewandowski was technically a temporary government employee, yet reportedly wielded enormous influence over DHS contracts. He apparently even signed some contracts despite questions about his legal authority. Meanwhile, disaster relief funding was reportedly held up, at his direction.
Lewandowski denies wrongdoing and hasn’t been charged.
Trump’s Justice Department investigating a Trump loyalist? Somebody check the thermostat in hell. Either the evidence was too big to bury, or Lewandowski just became the most expendable man in MAGA world. With congressional Democrats already investigating DHS spending and the midterms approaching, the question is how far this goes.
I spent years working inside DHS. Government contracts leave paper trails. Those trails don’t necessarily end with the person who signed the paperwork.
💸 Lewandowski’s DHS Role Under Criminal Investigation (The Guardian)
3. Hegseth Wanted the World, His Staff Broke It
You really can’t make this stuff up.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wanted a historic globe associated with Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower during World War II moved into his Pentagon office. One problem: The experts who normally handle priceless military artifacts were furloughed during the government shutdown.
So Hegseth’s staff reportedly decided to move it themselves.
They dropped it.
The 1930s-era globe crashed onto its base, leaving a several-inch gash near Antarctica. The Army confirmed the damage, while the Pentagon responded: "Accidents happen."
Yes, they do. That’s generally why you wait for the professionals instead of having your staff play furniture movers with a priceless piece of history.
I can’t say I’m shocked by the apparent disregard for expert advice. Given this administration’s approach to military decisions involving, oh, let’s say, Iran, the episode raises a familiar question: who gets listened to before consequential decisions are made?
On a personal note, I had the honor of seeing that globe while it was still intact. I’m grateful I did.
🌎 Hegseth’s Pentagon Globe Mishap (WaPo)
4. FEMA’s New Disaster Plan: States, You’re on Your Own
Hurricane? Wildfire? Catastrophic flooding? Better hope your state has a healthy savings account.
The Trump administration is preparing to shift more disaster recovery costs and responsibilities onto states, with changes potentially beginning in as little as six months. FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton told state officials they need bigger financial reserves and stronger capabilities to handle disasters without relying as heavily on Washington.
To be clear, states and local governments have always led initial disaster responses. FEMA steps in when disasters overwhelm their capabilities. What’s changing is how much financial responsibility Washington expects states to shoulder.
The catch? FEMA’s own report found state disaster agencies are often understaffed, underfunded, and heavily dependent on federal assistance.
I worked on federal disaster response, including Hurricane Katrina. I saw firsthand how quickly even prepared states can be overwhelmed. That’s exactly when Washington needs to show up.
Disasters don’t respect state lines. Neither should our willingness to help Americans recover.
🌪️ FEMA’s Plan to Shift Disaster Costs to States (Politico)
5. Bird Flu Is Spreading: Officials Aren’t Testing the Workers
Remember when we learned the hard way what happens when people ignore public health warnings? Well, this headline nearly made me spit out my coffee.
A ProPublica investigation uncovered a bird flu outbreak that has been spreading for more than two months at a Utah mink farm housing thousands of animals.
Why mink? Their respiratory systems share characteristics with humans, making them potential hosts for dangerous viral mutations. Scientists worry the virus could eventually adapt to spread more easily among people.
Now the alarming part. Officials reportedly chose not to actively monitor exposed workers despite CDC guidance. Utah officials also declined routine testing, even after a farmworker was observed with a red eye, a possible symptom of bird flu.
And the reasoning? State health officials said active monitoring frustrated farmers and made cooperation harder. Interesting…
Officials also declined to order the infected mink culled, citing concerns about the farm’s livelihood. Utah officials say they haven’t identified spread beyond the farm. But if you’re not monitoring workers or testing for infections, how would you know?
I worked on pandemic response inside the White House. I’ve seen what happens when public health warnings collide with political and economic considerations. The CDC still rates the public risk as low, and there’s no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission. But waiting until that changes to take precautions? That’s exactly the danger experts are warning about.
We don’t need another pandemic to learn the same lessons all over again.
🦠 Bird Flu, Mink Farms, and the Next Pandemic (ProPublica)
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🕊️ One Thing for Your Soul: Standing Together
Across nine states, more than 1,200 volunteers are preparing to stand outside polling places on Election Day. They’re called poll chaplains and peacekeepers, and their mission isn’t to campaign. It’s to offer reassurance, help defuse tensions, and make sure people don’t feel afraid.
Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Quakers, and people of no particular faith. Different beliefs, one shared commitment to treating their neighbors with dignity.
The story that stayed with me: In 2020, when a mob stormed a Detroit vote-counting center, the Rev. Steve Bland and other faith leaders put their bodies between the crowd and the building. Now he’s back as a poll chaplain. During a past election, he reassured an elderly woman who felt too intimidated to vote. She came back with her two grandsons. As Bland put it, "Without that intervention, three people wouldn’t have voted that day."
After intimidation flyers appeared in my own neighborhood, this story hit especially close to home.
🗳️ Faith Leaders Unite to Counter Voter Intimidation (AP)
Keep showing up at the polls. Keep standing by one another. Vote early! And to my readers around the world who are standing with us through all of this: Thank you. Your support means more than you know.❤️
🐾 A little birthday joy before you go! Our sweet Stevie turned 7 this week, with Ringo on hand to supervise the celebration (aka steak). Happy Birthday, Stevie! Seven years of love, laughter, and a whole lot of personality. We love you to the moon and back!
And for those days when the headlines are so wild you can’t decide whether to laugh, cry, or spike your coffee, here’s a new release for your playlist. Sometimes you need a song that gets it.
🎧 “We’re F*cked” by Chuck Lorre and Barenaked Ladies
Finally, I’m off to El Paso, the city that raised me!🌵 I’ll be at the Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose rally with James Talarico this Monday, October 26. If you’ll be there, come say hello. I’d love to meet my fellow El Pasoans. Rooting for you, Texas!
-Olivia
According to Democracy Docket, roughly 3% of mail ballots are being rejected across 27 counties reviewed–twice the statewide rejection rate in 2022. In some counties, rejection rates have reached 7–8%. Thousands more ballots could be rejected if those trends continue.
BE ADVISED THAT MANY OF THOSE REJECT WILL BE REPUBLICAN VOTERS. THEY ALSO FORGET TO SEAL THEIR ENVELOPES.
SAFE TRAVELS, OLIVIA AND THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO!
Olivia, everyone concerned about voter suppression should subscribe to Democracy Docket with Marc Elias.