Poliitco Playbook Audio Briefing, 10/05/26
Source: Politico
“Paxton’s campaign control.” (10/05/26)
Author: Thomas L. Knapp
How “Never Again” Lost Meaning in Gaza
Source: Antiwar.com
by M Reza Behnam
“Looking across the devastated landscape of the Gaza Strip, where surviving generations now carry the permanent physical and psychological scars of war, the ultimate indictment of our era is damning: The world watched the horror unfold in real-time, possessed all the legal, political and institutional mechanisms to stop it, and did nothing. For months, then years, the catastrophe in Gaza tested the fabric of international law, the integrity of global governance and the moral conscience of humanity. From the halls of the United Nations to the high courts of The Hague, what followed was not information failure, but a shameful surrender of political and moral will.” (10/05/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/reza_behnam/2026/10/04/how-never-again-lost-meaning-in-gaza
Dennis Hastert, 1942-2026
Source: USA Today
“Former U.S. House speaker Dennis Hastert is dead at 84. Hastert died at his home in Illinois over the weekend due to natural causes, Kendall County Coroner Jacquie Purcell told USA TODAY Oct. 5. As the 59th Speaker of the House, the former lawmaker from Illinois’ 14th congressional districtwas the longest serving Republican speaker in history. … Hastert served 13 of a 15 month prison sentence in connection to a bank fraud conviction linked to his effort to buy the silence of a former student he sexually abused during his days as a high school wrestling coach in Illinois, USA TODAY previously reported.” (10/05/26)
The Kyle Anzalone Show, 10/04/26
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Showdown at the UN as the US and Iran Escalate Tensions.” (10/04/26)
Increase in Hormuz oil traffic is papering over a darker reality Increase in Hormuz oil traffic is papering over a darker reality
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Kelley Beaucar Vlahos
“Reports that more oil is getting through the Strait of Hormuz have been heralded as a win for the Trump administration, but experts say this kind of happy talk hides the fact that the war remains in a quagmire. As shipping costs rise and Iran continues to attack vessels, world markets — including fuel — will remain in peril for the foreseeable future. In other words, no matter how much narrative-shaping is attempted to alter American perspectives before the midterms, prices for consumers will not come down to so-called pre-war levels in time for any change.” (10/05/26)
Yes, Government Seizes 80% Of Your Productivity
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Thomas Eddlem
“The title of Jim Ostrowski’s brief and latest book The Government Takes 80% reads at first like a libertarian’s exaggerated fever-dream of government rapacity over the economy. The government takes 80% of the average American’s productivity every year? It sounds ridiculous on its face. But he literally means it, that all levels of government take some 80% of the average person’s income between taxes and regulations in America today. And he demonstrates the estimate as generally true, despite all conventional wisdom to the contrary.” (10/05/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/yes-government-seizes-80-of-your-productivity
UK: Mountbatten-Windsor launches bid to “quash Epstein-affair search warrants
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“Britain’s disgraced former prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has launched a High Court challenge ‘to quash search warrants’ obtained by police ahead of his arrest earlier this year, the judiciary confirmed Monday. The London court is set to hold a private hearing on Thursday, the judiciary said in a statement, as King Charles III’s brother challenges Thames Valley Police over searches of his former and current homes on royal estates. The force arrested the 66-year-old on his birthday on February 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his links to late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He was released later that day while remaining under investigation. The ex-prince has denied all wrongdoing.” (10/05/26)
Free Talk Live, 10/04/26
Source: Free Talk Live
“Michael in TX calls about the clown presidency and the greatness of FTL :: NCI engineered reality scoring system :: Sarah in NM calls about local politics :: tax talk with Bear Arms :: lawfultaxavoidance.com :: realsecondamendment.com :: Seattle to fix grocery prices :: vets use less opioids where cannabis is legal :: DOJ wants Iran’s bitcoin from oil sales :: David in NM calls to ‘control the show’ :: 2026-10-04 :: Hosts: Stu, Riley O’Bill, Bear Arms, Nobody.” (10/04/26)
Hegseth’s Love of War Isn’t Conservative
Source: The American Conservative
by Jack Hunter
“War does not seem like a mere necessary evil to Hegseth. I’m not sure he sees even unjust war as evil at all. I think he likes it. Is this conservative? The late conservative sociologist Robert Nisbet didn’t think so.” (10/05/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/conservatives-dont-relish-war/
Is Political Polling Broken?
Source: Washington Monthly
by Anne Kim
“Political polling has had a black eye since at least the 2016 presidential election. That’s when national polls had Hillary Clinton leading Donald Trump by a significant margin all the way up to Election Day. Democrats started measuring the curtains. Unfortunately, the polls massively underestimated the strength of Trump’s support, and Trump went on to win the Electoral College and the White House. More recently, pollsters have suffered embarrassing failures in high-profile contested primaries. … In truth, polls have always been unreliable. Numbers create the illusion of infallibility, but polls are an imperfect gauge of unpredictable behavior.” (10/04/26)
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/10/04/is-political-polling-broken/