WASHINGTON EXAMINER MAGAZINE – SEPT. 30, 2026

September 30, 2026

WASHINGTON EXAMINER MAGAZINE: ‘SCRAMBLE FOR THE PARTY REINS’ – Midterm elections set the tone for the 2028 Democrats.

How the midterm elections will set Democrats up for 2028 success or failure

Campaign staff hiring and early decision-making for prospective presidential candidates has already started.

Failing public schools need higher standards, not more money

Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of the “1619 Project,” recently scored rare bipartisan plaudits.

As Trump’s popularity plummets, House Democratic target emerges in red Indiana

Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) should be coasting to reelection in the House district to which she was first elected in 2020, covering northern Indianapolis suburbs and part of central Indiana.

Instead, Spartz is facing what appears to be a surprisingly tough race against Democrat J.D. Ford, Indiana’s first openly gay state senator. It’s the kind of seat that can emerge on an out-party’s political target list in a wave election year with an unpopular president.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2026

In Trump’s White House, China’s Strongman Is Welcome. The U.S. Media, Less So.

President Trump’s partial media ban played out as he welcomed President Xi Jinping, whose government is ranked among the world’s most repressive.

Flyovers, Pandas and Pomp Masked Divides in U.S.-China Summit

President Trump pressed his personal brand of diplomacy as China’s leader made his first trip to the White House in more than a decade.

Stalled on the Battlefield, Russia Intensifies Its Focus on Ukraine’s Economy

Ukrainian officials are calling Russia’s campaign “total war” for its emphasis on economic impact, rather than on battlefield gains or infrastructure damage.

Powerful Fall Storm Strengthens as It Crawls Up the East Coast

Rain, flooding and gusty winds are in the forecast this weekend for the Northeast, including New York and Boston.

Leo XIV, Trying to Be Everyone’s Pope, Tours Secular France

After visiting Africa, Pope Leo’s four-day trip to France shows how he is seeking to appeal to Roman Catholicism’s original heartlands as well as to the church’s newest strongholds.