👋🏾 HI, HEY, HELLO! Welcome back to Congress Nerd Daily. I hope today was everything for you. The midterms are in 26 days.
Programming note: In observance of Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday, Once Upon a Hill won’t publish Congress Nerd Sunday. Publication will resume on Monday evening. In place of the usual free Sunday edition, Monday’s Daily newsletter will be free for all readers. Have a wonderful weekend!
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Isaias, the first Atlantic hurricane of the season, is expected to strengthen before making landfall along the northern Gulf Coast late tomorrow or early Saturday, with Alabama and the Florida Panhandle facing significant risks.
Isaias had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph earlier today, and forecasters warned of life-threatening storm surge up to seven feet, heavy rainfall, flash flooding and possible tornadoes. Coastal communities are preparing for the storm as offshore energy operators curtail production.
As of yesterday, about a quarter of Gulf oil production had already been shut down, a disruption that threatens further fuel-price pressure amid the Iran war. The National Hurricane Center will continue updating its forecasts as landfall approaches.
In other news, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly this afternoon extended his temporary restraining order against the White House’s ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico through next Tuesday, when he expects to rule on a preliminary injunction.
He appeared skeptical of the administration’s defense of its ban on CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO and questioned whether the administration’s explanations could be reconciled with Trump’s public statements and whether officials had established clear standards for revoking press credentials.
Justice Department attorneys maintained that national security and journalistic conduct justified the restrictions. Attorneys for the outlets argued Trump explicitly linked their exclusion to unfavorable coverage.
VIEW FROM THE TRAIL
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) returned to his Brooklyn roots this afternoon to make the case for a Democratic House majority, delivering a familiar economic message from a state office building named for Shirley Chisholm, the trailblazing congresswoman who once represented much of the same community.
Jeffries invoked Chisholm’s commitment to making life more affordable for working families before launching into a familiar critique of President Donald Trump’s economic record. He blamed Republican policies for higher prices, rising health care costs and economic fallout from the war in Iran, presenting House Democrats as the alternative for Americans struggling to afford groceries, gas, housing and medical care.
The setting gave a local dimension to the national argument Jeffries has been making for months. But the Brooklyn appearance was also a brief stop between campaign swings as the Democratic leader works to convert his party’s political momentum into a House majority on November 3.
Jeffries, who campaigned in California last weekend, is expected to travel to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas and the Midwest in the coming days, with another possible trip to California.
The itinerary is part of what Jeffries has repeatedly described as running through the tape, a commitment to taking nothing for granted even as Democrats approach Election Day with growing confidence about their prospects.
Asked what that means in practice with 26 days remaining, Jeffries pointed to two priorities: protecting Democratic incumbents in competitive districts and supporting candidates positioned to flip Republican-held seats.
“We’re going to continue to be there for all of our battle-tested frontline incumbent members who remain in challenging seats all across the country,” he said, emphasizing the need to ensure they have the resources to communicate their affordability message.
