These two articles prove the Ukraine is not and can never win the war, and it’s all about stealing the money for the oligarchs in Ukraine, and stealing the EU countries money

#1

Weapons stolen from Ukraine front line handed to notorious neo-Nazi unit

The cache was intercepted while reportedly being shipped to criminal groups in the country’s west

Published 28 Sep, 2026 12:37

Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) has announced the transfer of weapons worth about $100,000 confiscated from an alleged smuggling ring to the notorious Azov Corps.

The cache, including about 17,000 rounds of ammunition, grenades, single-shot anti-tank grenade launchers, land mines and other weapons, according to the Ukrainian agency, was handed over this week, having been seized in May.

A criminal group had used a humanitarian vehicle to transport the weapons stolen from the front line to Ivano-Frankivsk Region in Western Ukraine, the DBR has alleged.

The weapons were intended for sale on the black market, but will instead be used by Azov, the agency said, describing its members as “defenders of Ukraine.”

Azov originated as an ultranationalist Ukrainian volunteer militia amid the country’s bloody armed coup in 2014, before being incorporated into the country’s security forces. The unit has been widely accused of atrocities and war crimes by both Russia, which designated it a terrorist organization in 2022, and Western organizations, including the UN, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Prior to the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022, US lawmakers had sought to restrict military assistance to the unit, citing its members’ far-right ideology. Western governments have since expanded their cooperation with the formation.

Moscow has for years warned that the Ukraine conflict would become a major source of illicit weapons for criminal groups and has alleged that elements within the Ukrainian state could be protecting trafficking networks.

Law enforcement agencies in several European countries have also warned about the risk that weapons from Ukraine could enter criminal markets.

Ukrainian organized crime tends to become joined at the hip with corrupt officials, as showcased earlier this month by the exposure of a protection racket operating in the prosecutor general’s office, which collected fees from scam-call centers.

The accusations by Western-backed anti-graft investigators forced the resignation of Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko. The former key ally of Vladimir Zelensky has fled the country and reportedly resides in Vienna now.

https://www.rt.com/russia/646352-ukraine-arms-trafficking-azov/ continued

>>25085254

#2

Ukraine admits failure to plug $27 bn defense gap

Kiev has so far found just $7 billion through austerity measures and reallocations, Prime Minister Sergey Koretsky said

Published 28 Sep, 2026 13:45 |

Ukraine and its Western backers still have not found a way to cover the unexpected $27 billion hole in this year’s defense budget, Prime Minister Sergey Koretsky said. Despite the funding gap, Koretsky urged Ukrainians to “gain optimism” – while announcing plans to raise VAT next year.

The scope of the defense gap became clear in late August after Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s 40-day PR pressure campaign on Russia, which involved long-range strikes on energy and civilian infrastructure. The escalation triggered a response from Russia, including attacks on military-related logistics, most notably the key port of Odessa.

Zelensky’s request to Kiev’s European backers to plug the gapreportedly caught them off guard, with EU officials privately questioning whether Ukraine is spending efficiently or overstating its needs==.

Publicly, Brussels has still not endorsed the figure of $27 billion. EU Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said there are “open questions,” while insisting on a “detailed assessment.”

Speaking to TSN on Sunday, Koretskysaid the $27 billion gap is part of the $155 billion total military-related budget this year. He acknowledged that there has not been substantial progress in talks with European nations on the issue.

“The question is that through our joint efforts, we have not yet found coverage for these expenses.”

He noted, however, that Ukraine managed to find $7 billion for military needs by cutting current expenses and reallocating resources.

Though the $27 billion shortfall should formally be covered by the end of the year, Zelensky warned that much of the money is needed sooner, saying drone orders for early 2027 must be paid for in October and November.

The prime minister alsoacknowledged that the conflict with Russia has “shaken” everyone and called on Ukrainians to “stock up on patience” and “gain optimism.” He also confirmed that the draft 2027 budget includes a 1% VAT increase, and acknowledged that this is an unpopular decision.

“Unfortunately, there are no other sources,” he said.

Ukraine has already raised several taxes and excise duties this year, including doubling the profit-tax rate on banks to 50%.

As Kiev struggles to fill the defense gap this year, total military-related needs are expected to rise from $155 billion this year to $175 billion in 2027, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. On Monday, First Deputy Finance Minister Roman Yermolychev stated that around $70 billion would have to be met through partner funding.

The EU has tied much of the funding to Ukraine’s progress in adopting reforms, including governance and tackling corruption, as several measures remain stalled in the parliament.Brussels also signaled this week that around €20 billion in budget support is available for Kiev this year, but warned that “timely implementation [of the reforms] is key to enabling the [EU] Commissionto proceed with the corresponding disbursements as planned.”

https://www.rt.com/russia/646360-ukraine-admits-failure-plug-defense-hole/

The EU is broke already, they don't care about the other countries, and Ukraine gets a massive input of money, with no real success in the Russia war, it's a huge farce and stupid people doing things to start a war with Russia, to make money on war, but their economies are broke.

EU intensifies defense and military buildup push

The bloc has approved five industrial projects ranging from drones and missiles to military space capabilities, with Ukraine joining four of them

Published 28 Sep, 2026 15:

The EU has greenlit a slew of new joint defense-industrial initiatives, with Ukraine joining most of them, as Brussels presses ahead with its defense buildup despite Russia’s warnings against the bloc’s “rabid” militarization.

The initiatives are part of the European Defense Projects of Common Interest (EDPCIs), large-scale industrial programs pitched as a way for groups of countries to jointly develop, manufacture, and deploy military capabilities too big or complex to tackle alone. The projects fall under the €1.5 billion European Defense Industry Program (EDIP), one of the EU’s mechanisms for expanding weapons production.

The Council formallyendorsed the first five megaprojectswithin the framework on Monday, including:

• Drones and counter-drone systems (DECODER): scaling up and deploying military drones, along with systems to detect and neutralize UAVs;

• Maritime and seabed defense (IMSD): creating joint systems to detect and respond to threats at sea and on the seabed;AD MORE: Canada and UK could merge war chests to fight Russia – media

• SPACE: expanding military space capabilities, including missile-launch early warning, satellite communications, intelligence, and surveillance;

• Integrated air and missile defense (EU-FIAMD): linking participating countries’ air and missile defenses, early-warning capabilities, and command systems;

• Eastern Flank Watch (EFW): strengthening defenses along participating countries’ eastern territories.

On average, 18 member states will be involved in each project.

The European Commission has already earmarked €325 million to support the five initiatives. While the money has not yet been handed out, the decision on Monday makes the projects eligible to apply for this funding and opens the door to further EU financing later.

The initial sum is only a fraction of Brussels’ longer-term ambitions: EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius earlier put their combined funding at around €190 billion ($216 billion) by 2036. He hailed the decision as a “major breakthrough” aimed at closing critical gaps in the EU’s defenses.

Ukraine will take part in four of the five initiatives despite not being an EU member, only sitting out the space initiative.Brussels has been steadily drawing Kiev deeper into its defense-industrial system, arguing that European manufacturers should use Ukraine’s battlefield experience to develop new weapons and technologies.

The European Commission said it will help participating countries get the projects running and coordinate their work. Brussels has also left the door open to more initiatives under the framework in the future.

The EU believes its military buildup is needed to counter what it describes as a growing ‘Russian threat’. Moscow has dismissed the claims as “nonsense,” accusing European governments of using them to justify bloated military budgets and continued weapons supplies to Ukraine. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev slammed the EU’smilitarization as “rabid.”

At the UN General Assembly last week, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed speculation that Russia plans to attack NATO or EU states, accusing European governments of preparing for a conflict with Russia, pointing to their stated goal of boosting military readiness by 2030 and the vast sums being poured into weapons production.

https://www.rt.com/news/646363-eu-intensifies-military-buildup/

Chamath Palihapitiya Explains Barack Obama’s Latest Interest in AI and It Should Frighten Every Freedom-Loving American

by Jim Hoft Sep. 28, 2026 8:45 am

Charmath Palihapitaya weighs in on Barack Obama’s sudden interest in AI.

Earlier this month Barack Obama spoke at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraiser where he discussed Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Obama told the crowd of fellow socialists that AI would be a central agenda if he ran for president in 2028.

The most destructive president in US history urged House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats to develop a public framework for AI safety, economic impacts, and child protection.

But, as we all know, there is always an agenda with Obama and his destructive policies that weaken American dominance and lift up our adversaries.

Venture capitalist and entrepreneur, Chamath Palihapitiya, explained the political calculus behind Barack Obama’s sudden concern with Artificial Intelligence this week during the All-In podcast.

It’s about what we all expected. It’s all about politics with B.O.

Palihapitaya told the All-In audience:

“This is a very important moment for a very simple reason, which is that the world is about to endow 3-6 companies with about $10 trillion of wealth.”

“And what Obama knows very well is that most of those companies are overwhelmingly left leaning. And what he also knows is that there is a huge portion of that money that will then get put into philanthropic and charitable causes that then he and the people around him will be beneficiaries of.”

“That is the truth. We already know this because we know that some of these frontier corporations actually ask you to sign up DAFTs and have a portion of your stock that you’re willing to pledge. So this money is going to go to things other than consumption or savings. It’s going to go into PACs, it’s going to go into political movements, and they stand to disproportionately benefit.”

“So this has nothing to do with prosperity. This is a very simple political calculus. If you freeze frame the economy the way it is today, a handful of organizations that will disproportionately be able to affect the Democrats will win, they will capture the lion’s share of the economic gains. And then they will help the Democrats win power. That’s all this is.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/09/chamath-palihapitiya-explains-barack-obamas-latest-interest-ai/

Exclusive: Jack Smith’s Office Bent Its Own Rules to Rush Software Purchase Days Before Indicting Trump

Drew Angerer/Getty

BRADLEY JAYE 28 Sep 20261/2

Former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office bent its own purchasing rules to acquire forensic video software days before its indictment of President Donald Trump regarding the 2020 election, according to Justice Department records released by the Oversight Project.

The documents, obtained through the Oversight Project’s Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, land before Smith testifies Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee concerning his lawfare against Trump.They raise new questions about whether his office followed appropriate legal and ethical standards and what video Smith needed so urgently.

The records show that on June 26, 2023, Smith’s Litigation Support asked Axon Investigate, a component of Axon Enterprises, for its services “for converting all types of video and audio files including lots of proprietary types we receive.”

The “proprietary” video or videos and audio Smith sought have never been identified. But law enforcement officials showed little restraint in their lawfare of Trump.

Most notoriously, FBI agents raided Tump’s Mar-a-Lago home in August 2022, even ransacking Melania Trump’s wardrobe, acquiring surveillance footage.

The opaqueness of Smith’s lawfare is striking, even years later. Smith’s work with Axon is no exception.

When Smith’s office asked for its pricing to aid in its video and audio conversion, Axon replied, “[w]e do not publish the cost of licenses/software,” the document shows. And the Department of Justice still withholds every price as Axon’s confidential information, so taxpayers cannot see what they paid.

Smith’s partisan investigation of Trump “likely” cost taxpayers more than $50 million, Fox News estimated, based on DOJ reports.

At the time of his office’s request to Axon, Smith was clearly motivated to move fast. His office had indicted Trump for retention of classified documents days earlier on June 8, and it was heading towards its next indictment.

On July 12, weeks after that initial request to Axon, Smith’s office’s Records Officer, the official responsible for its records, told Axon to ship overnight, writing, “[w]e are in desperate need of this software.”

The next morning, on July 13, Axon’s federal inside sales representative, Christina Zeman, appeared willing to move forward, responding via email, “[p]leasure meeting you. I will be assisting with placing your order,” adding that she looked “forward to working with you.”

But minutes later, Smith’s executive officer Ariel McIntyre paused the order, citing the office’s approval process.

“As Jack [Smith] mentioned in our budget briefing, he supports more strict requirements than DOJ’s standard policies,” she wrote. Deviating from it, she added, was something “I’m not ok with.”

In another email that morning, she wrote that she needed “to crack down on our processes” and had “a lot less leeway in the audit now that I have staff.”

It is not clear what McIntyre referenced by “the audit.”

Yet later that morning, she authorized the purchase “prior to creating the UFMS obligation,” referring to DOJ’s Unified Financial Management System, because the card was not linked to the finance system “and the purchase is urgent.”

The following morning, on July 14, Zeman, the federal inside sales representative, wrote to Smith’s office, “[r]eceived and I have submitted your order.”

It is not clear from the documents what happened to facilitate the purchase or who approved the apparent exemption, but Axon shipped its license dongles, the devices Smith sought, five days later on July 15.

On August 1, 2023, just two weeks later, Smith indicted Trump again, this time alleging he sought to overturn the 2020 election.

Although Smith took steps to limit public viewing into his investigations of Trump, others outside of DOJ might hold answers.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/09/28/exclusive-jack-smiths-office-bent-its-own-rules-rush-software-purchase-days-before-indicting-trump/

>>25085376

2/2

Axon’s quote to Smith’s office incorporates a data-sharing agreement, its Customer Experience Improvement Program, covering “sharing of de-identified segments of Agency Content with Axon to develop new products.”

Yet even that raises questions, as the only signature page of the agreement DOJ released is unsigned, and other paperwork is missing.

The released purchase card form, justified only as “Investigation software,” has an empty funding section and blank signature blocks. Staff later wrote that the form “is signed,” but that version was not released.

It is not clear what happened to the software or license dongles his office purchased, or what happened to the project files. After Trump’s victory in November 2024, Smith dropped his election interference case against Trump – a federal judge had thrown out Smith’s business records case– and later resigned just nine days before Trump was sworn in (after which Smith almost assuredly would have been fired).

President Joe Biden reportedly expressed regret for having appointed Attorney General Merrick Garland, who appointed Smith, complaining that his office was not quick or aggressive enough in prosecuting Trump.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/09/28/exclusive-jack-smiths-office-bent-its-own-rules-rush-software-purchase-days-before-indicting-trump/

I’m sure the Trump Team has had plans for Jack Smith and many others since the beginning, I can’t wait until their plan is initiated.

Last Call – Imported Canadian Alcohol Ban Starts Tomorrow

September 28, 2026 | SundanceKekkity

Tomorrow, September 29th, the U.S. ban on most Canadian alcohol imports begins. [XO Link]

Last year most Canadian provinces banned U.S. alcohol imports as part of the “Elbow-up” program triggered by Prime Minister Mark Carney in response to U.S. baseline tariffs on steel, aluminum and autos. In early September of this year, the White House and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer responded with an import ban on Canadian alcohol that begins tomorrow.

The Crown Royal brand of Canadian Whiskey will not be impacted as it is shipped in bulk raw liquid to the U.S. where it is bottled, packaged and distributed. Diageo Inc proactively saw something coming in 2025 and shifted its supply chain to avoid the conflict. However, most Canadian brands of alcohol are not as fortunate. [SEE BAN SECTOR LIST]

The Supreme Court ruled last year that while tariffs against products can -under certain conditions- be subjected to congressional approval, but when it comes to trade friction – bans of products outright are legally within the power of the President.This ban on Canadian alcohol will impact approximately $854 million (usd) in imports. (SEE STORY).

It will be interesting to see if any last-minute intervention takes place.

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2026/09/28/last-call-imported-canadian-alcohol-ban-starts-tomorrow/#more-287444

’’test’’

Study: Google and Microsoft’s Politically Biased Spam Filtering Obstructed $117 Million in Fundraising for Trump & GOP

Lucas Nolan28 Sep 20261/2

A newly published study estimates that Republican fundraisers lost $117 million last year after email providers, chieflyGoogle, Microsoft, and Yahoo, inappropriately flagged GOP fundraising messages as spam while allowing Democrat fundraising emails through.

The New York Post reports that the study, authored by Dr. Cameron Ellis of the University of Iowa and Dr. Lars Powell of the University of Alabama, uses itemized Federal Election Commission (FEC) donation records to separate first-time donors from repeat donors across the Republican platform WinRed and its Democratic counterpart ActBlue, then tracked how donations moved during two stretches of spam filtering last year.

The first stretch ran from June 30, 2025, when theGOP consulting firm Targeted Victory told Google that WinRed fundraising emails were landing in spam, through September 15, 2025, when Google dropped a spamblacklist called SURBLthat the researchers say had been improperly flagging the messages. During that window,spam filtering cut first-time WinRed donations by 75 percentacross Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo. The second stretch, affecting only Outlook, ran from February through April of last year, and saw first-time WinRed donations drop 83 percent. Together, the two periods cost Republicans 142,126 expected first-time donations, which the researchers converted into $117 million using FEC data.

“It’s a pretty big number,” Powell told the Post. He said the loss doubled as a gift to the other side. “You can really think of that as an in-kind gift to ActBlue recipients.”

Ellis and Powell wrote that “a narrow, link-level placement decision by asmall number of mailbox providersproduced a measurable and economically meaningful drop in political fundraising, and that the mechanism was observable only because private paired-test evidence leaked into public reporting.” Powell was upfront about the limits of studying a system companies keep opaque. “We can’t read their minds,” he said, but pointed to other evidence pinning down the cause: “Inbox placement data and paired email tests showed when the filtering happened andsupported that WinRed links were the trigger.”

Email placement for the GOP, the researchers found,“normalized”once Google stopped using SURBL on September 15.

Googlepushed back hard. A spokesperson (liar) said the study“relies on deeply flawed methodologythat fundamentally misunderstands how Gmail works” and called the $117 million figure a theoretical estimate rather than a real-world number.

“Our spam protections apply equally to everyone, regardless of political affiliation and we encourage bulk senders to follow best practices to reach inboxes,” the spokesperson said, adding that “people are in full control of their inboxes, with the power to mark messages as spam, block senders, or unsubscribe at any time (Google are lying and don't care about being sued).”Microsoft declined to comment. Yahoo did not respond to a request for comment.

Breitbart News previously reported that GOP consulting firm Targeted Victory revealed in 2025 that Google was flagging conservative fundraising emails as “dangerous:”

The New York Post reports that a recent memo from consulting firm Targeted Victory hasrevealed that Google’s Gmail servicehas been flagging Republican fundraising emails as spam,often sending them directly to users’ spam folders. The memo, obtained exclusively by the Post, suggests that this issue has been ongoing throughout the summer months of June and July.

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2026/09/28/study-google-and-microsofts-politically-biased-spam-filtering-obstructed-117-million-in-fundraising-for-trump-gop/

>>25085526

2/2

Targeted Victory, whose clients include prominent Republican figures such as Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), as well as the National Republican Senatorial Committee, conducted tests to investigate the issue==. The tests involved sending identical emails through Gmail, with the only difference being the inclusion of either a WinRed donation link (a Republican fundraising platform) or an ActBlue link (a Democratic fundraising platform).

The results showed thatemails containing WinRed linkswere consistently flagged as suspicious or dangerous, while those with ActBlue links were delivered without issue.

Google changed Gmail’s settings that August. A new “verified sender program,” letting political campaigns and PACs bypass Gmail spam filters as long as they stay “policy-compliant,” takes effect Tuesday. Powell said he has had no contact with Google about the study’s findings, but he had a theory for why the company changed course anyway. “They make money by having people send more emails. If people start changing, that’s bad for their business model,” he said. “I think that’s when we find out whether they’re more blue or green.”

(Comments: It’s odd that the DMC are broke with their elections finances and they have a massive push and backing of Google, but they never make as much money are Republicans. And that Trump is holding on to $400 Billion for Republicans, that means Democrats are being backed by Google, etc. companies, because they are really losers, can’t raise the public’s donations as much as Republicans, they never win an election honestly, if Google has to block Republicans money the Dems must be in more danger financially and politically than is known.)

Bernadette Breslin, press secretary for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said, “Google’s biased algorithmssidelined Republican fundraising emails for years while boosting Democrats’ donor outreach.” She added, “The NRSC has helped lead the investigation into Google’s suppression of mail to conservative subscribers, and this long-overdue update is a chance to level the playing field for online fundraising.”

A GOP adviser who has followed the spam filter issue called the study a “massive proof point in what we already knew to be true,” and a “smoking gun that con[firms]” the pattern.

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2026/09/28/study-google-and-microsofts-politically-biased-spam-filtering-obstructed-117-million-in-fundraising-for-trump-gop/

If Google has been doing this for years, how many Republicans have lost due to the interference, there should be a class action lawsuit against Google, and Federal law would consider this a serious violation, and people can go to jail on this.

Vandalism of Flock Cameras Continues in Toledo, Ohio

LOWELL CAUFFIEL 28 Sep 2026

Flock cameras are an endangered technology in Toledo, Ohio, with a sixth camera now vandalized in the past two months in a city with a quarter million residents.

The latest Flock camera put out of service in an act of vandalism took place on the city’s west end, according to authorities and local news reports.

Toledo police areinvestigating after the pole holding up a camera and solar panel appears to have been cleanly cut near the ground, local station WTOL reported.

The half dozen cameras put out of service in the past 60 daysinclude one that was “pushed to the ground” over Labor Day weekend and three others that were knocked down in mid-August on the city’s east side, along with others in Oregon, a Toledo suburb, police said.

According to WTOL:

Toledo police operates over 100 standard license-plate readers (LPR’s). According to Toledo police, the system records information such as a vehicle’s license plate, characteristics, location, and the date and time the vehicle was captured. Police can then search the information during criminal investigations.Police said the system does not use facial recognition and is not designed to track people as they walk past a camera. (They have got to be lying about this!)

Flock cameras have become a hot topic and a bone of political contention in states and municipalities across the U.S.

Among the Flock issues Breitbart News has reported:

• Columbus, Ohio suspended its Flock camera program during an investigation after an officer was accused of using the license plate reader to search for the same plate 270 times without supplying any specific reason.

•Florida’s transportation department revoked local police departments’ authority to install license plate reader cameras on state highwaysearlier this month, part of a growing national backlash against surveillance camera makers.

• Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered all state agencies to stop funding local law enforcement Flock camera purchases and operations. Many Texas legislators expressed concern about the excessive use of electronic surveillance through the AI-driven Flock system.

Despite their success in solving many crimes, including the kidnapping of children,surveillance camera systems have come under massive scrutiny over concerns about civil liberty abuses.

Privacy advocates have launched the website DeFlock.org, an open source websitethat uses data provided by volunteers to track the number and locations of cameras and provides a map of camera locations in cities across the U.S.

That map shows about 350 cameras currently in use in Toledo and adjoining suburbs.

https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2026/09/28/vandalism-of-flock-cameras-continues-in-toledo-ohio/

COURT NEWS

Justice Alito will no longer participate in climate change dispute

Kelsey Dallas Sep 28, 2026

The Supreme Court on Monday announced that Justice Samuel Alito will not continue to participate in Suncor Energy Inc. v. County Commissioners of Boulder County, a significant dispute that will be argued in just one week, on Monday, Oct. 5, the first day of the 2026-27 term.

Scott Harris, the clerk of the Supreme Court, revealed Alito’s last-minute recusal in a short letter to advocates involved in the case.Harris’ note does not provide an explanation for the decision, saying simply that “Justice Alito has determined that he will not continue to participate.”

In Suncor Energy, the court is considering the use of state-level tort claims to hold oil and gas companies financially liable for their alleged role in exacerbating climate change.The case involves officials in the Boulder, Colorado, area, but it is likely to have nationwide ramifications, because similar lawsuits have been filed in states across the country.

In May, a coalition of left-leaning watchdog groups urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate Alito’s involvement in the dispute, contending that his “substantial holdings in individual oil and gas companies,” among other issues, would “undermin[e] public confidence in the impartiality of the Court.” They stated that Alito had “previously recused from considering a petition brought by” the same companies involved in Suncor Energy. “There is no apparent reason for this change in Justice Alito’s recusal practices, and Alito provided no statement justifying his failure to recuse,” the groups wrote.

At the time, a Supreme Court spokeswoman told NBC News that “Justice Alito does not have a financial interest in any party” and that he had been advised that “recusal is not required” by the Supreme Court’s legal counsel.

Under the Supreme Court’s code of conduct, which the justices issued in November 2023, justices are required to recuse themselves from “a proceeding in which the Justice’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned.” The code defines this as a situation in which “an unbiased and reasonable person who is aware of all relevant circumstances would doubt that the Justice could fairly discharge his or her duties.” The code of conduct notes that this includes cases in which a justice “has a financial interest in the subject matter in controversy or in a party to the proceeding.”

Justices are not required to explain why they are recusing themselves, although they sometimes do, especially when the recusal stems from “prior … judicial service” – that is, the justice worked on the case at an earlier point in the proceedings.

Nevertheless, the lack of explanation in Monday’s letter is still somewhat notablegiven the amount of detail provided when Harris announced in January – less than a week before oral argument – that Alito would not continue to participate in Chevron USA Inc. v. Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, a dispute over the circumstances in which a federal contractor can transfer a case from state to federal court that also involved oil and gas companies. Harris pointed to Alito’s “financial interest in ConocoPhillips, the parent corporation for Burlington Resources Oil and Gas Company.”

Harris explained that “Justice Alito initially decided not to recuse because on June 2, 2025 Burlington was dismissed as a petitioner in this Court under Rule 46.1 after Burlington advised the Court by letter that it was ‘withdrawing’ from the petition and that ‘neither Burlington Resources nor ConocoPhillips will be a party to (or have any other involvement in) the above-referenced case.’Later briefing, however, noted that Burlington remained a party in the district court.”

https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/09/justice-alito-will-no-longer-participate-in-climate-change-dispute/

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hires Wall Street economist David Zervos

Published Mon, Sep 28 20268:00 AM EDT

Key Points

• David Zervos will serve as counselor to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a previously unreported hire.

• Zervos joins after more than 15 years at Jefferies and years covering Fed policy and financial markets.

• The hire, which does not require Senate confirmation, comes as Treasury manages rising bond yields, AI-related capital spending and ongoing economic policy debates.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has hired veteran Wall Street economist David Zervos, the longtime chief market strategist at Jefferies, as a counselor in the Treasury Department. Zervos was a CNBC contributor.

Bessent announced the hire Monday in a statement obtained first by CNBC. Zervos will serve in a broad advisory capacity and is expected to begin immediately.

He has backed Bessent’s recent decision to increase buybacks of some long-term Treasury debt and has called for lower interest rates from the Federal Reserve.

Zervos in a brief interview called himself a “Wall Street geek” and said he was excited for his third stint in government. Bessent “has done an incredible job in this administration at guiding the economy through a lot of tumultuous periods,” Zervos said.

“Whether it’s trade, whether it’s war, he’s stepped up,” he said of Bessent.

Zervos will add intellectual firepower to the Treasuryafter a series of staff departures that have drawn some attention. Seven of the department’s 16 Senate-confirmed appointees had left the department as of mid-August, the Washington Sun reported. Bessent is on his third chief of staff since becoming Treasury secretary in January 2025.

Fellow Wall Street economist Joseph Lavorgna of SMBC Nikko served in a similar role as counselor to Bessent before leaving in March. The position doesn’t require Senate confirmation.

Bessent handles an especially broad portfolio for a Treasury secretary. He has been effectively President Donald Trump’s top negotiator on China and has been closely involved in policy debates about artificial intelligence, although Trump on Friday said Bessent would not add a role as the administration’s top AI advisor.

Zervos was considered by Trump to run the Federal Reserve, though the president ultimately chose Kevin Warsh for the job in January.

Zervos has worked at Jefferies, a New York-based investment bank, since 2010.

Zervos has a doctorate in economics and has worked twice for the Fed. The first time was at the start of his career, in the early 1990s, when he did technical economics and interest rate research. He left for the private sector and returned to the Fed in 2009 as a visiting advisor in the wake of the financial crisis. Warsh was a governor at the Fed then, though it isn’t clear if he and Zervos worked together directly at the time.

Zervos will serve as a special government employee, he said in an email to his clients. That status allows him to avoid some often-onerous divestiture requirements that come with other federal appointments, but it restricts how long he can hold the position. Zervos said he expects his term to end in April 2027.

Zervos said last year he believed interest rates should be “much lower.” Since Warsh took the job, Zervos has said he thinks Warsh can make room for lower interest rates by cutting the Fed’s balance sheet. Those reductions are one of Warsh’s top priorities.

The Fed raised interest rates earlier this month for the first time since 2023. That decision prompted frustration from some economists in the Trump administration, but Bessent has been more circumspect. He said Sunday in an appearance on Fox News that the Fed “should have an open mind” about how to manage the economy.

Bessent has intervened in Treasury markets as interest rates have continued to rise. The 10-year Treasury hit 5.2% on Friday, a level last seen in 2007, powered by a strong economy, competition for capital from the artificial intelligence build-out and concerns about inflation as the Iran war continues.

Zervos, in a CNBC appearance last month, backed Bessent’s decision to increase buybacks of some long-term Treasury debt, a move that may have eased pressure on some Treasury yields. Some on Wall Street had criticized the buybacks, but Zervos said he supported them.

“I don’t see how you could fight this when the firepower and the cards are all sitting in the Treasury Department,” Zervos said.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/28/david-zervos-treasury-department-scott-bessent.html

ELECTIONS

See which incumbents have the biggest cash advantage in the tightest U.S. House races

PUBLISHED FRI, SEP 25 2026

Luke Fountain@LUKE_FOUNTAIN25 Gabriel Cortés@GABECORTES

KEY POINTS

• In 11 of 19 incumbent-versus-challenger competitive U.S. House races analyzed by CNBC, one candidate had at least twice as much cash on hand — and every one was the incumbent.

• The districts with the biggest gaps include Michigan’s 7th, Colorado’s 8th and California’s 22nd, where Republican incumbents held several times the cash of their Democratic challengers.

• Six challengers did outraise incumbents in available cash, but none held a 2-to-1 advantage, underscoring how much stronger the largest incumbent cash cushions are.

The most competitive races for control of the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm election may be toss-ups on the political map. But in the most fiercely contested districts, one candidate often holds a massive financial edge.

In 11 of the 19 incumbent-versus-challenger matchups rated as “toss ups” by The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, a clear financial divide emerged: One campaign had at least twice as much money available as the other, according to Federal Election Commission data compiled by OpenSecrets, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that tracks money in politics. In every one of those races, the incumbent held that commanding lead.

The latest uniform quarterly reports covered activity through June 30, though some candidates have since filed additional reports tied to their states’ primary calendars. CNBC used figures from the most recent FEC reporting period available for each candidate as of Sept. 18.

The pattern cuts across party lines, but it matters especially for Republicans because the GOP is defending most of the seats at the center of the House battlefield. The Cook Report currently rates 21 House races as toss-ups, including 16 Republican-held seats and five Democratic-held seats.

In Michigan’s 7th District, Republican Rep. Tom Barrett had about $2.9 million on hand compared with roughly $383,000 for Democratic challenger William Lawrence — a more than 7-to-1 advantage.

MI-07Republican Rep. Gabe Evans had about $3.9 million available in Colorado’s 8th District compared with roughly $601,000 for Democratic challenger Manny Rutinel. And in California’s 22nd District, Republican Rep. David Valadao held about $3.4 million, nearly six times the roughly $572,000 held by Democratic challenger Randy Villegas.

CO-08

Democratic incumbents have built large cushions of their own. Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur had about $3.5 million on hand in Ohio’s 9th District, more than seven times the amount available to Republican challenger Derek Merrin. Democratic Reps. Jared Moskowitz of Florida and Texas’s Vicente Gonzalez also held more than three times as much cash as their Republican opponents.

FL-2

$5

But incumbency does not guarantee the advantage.

Democratic challengers had more cash than Republican incumbents in both Iowa toss-up races and two of Pennsylvania’s three.

Christina Bohannan had about $5.4 million on hand compared with roughly $4.7 million for Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Iowa’s 1st District.

IA-01In Pennsylvania’s 10th District, Democrat Janelle Stelson had nearly $4.5 million available compared with about $2.8 million for Republican Rep. Scott Perry.

Paige Cognetti also led Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan in Pennsylvania’s 8th District, while Democrat Elaine Luria held a narrow cash advantage over Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans, who defeated Luria in 2022, in Virginia’s 2nd District.

PA-08

Rep. Rob Bresnahan

Still, the challenger advantages were generally much smaller. Among the 21 races CNBC analyzed, six challengers led incumbents in cash, but none had twice as much money as the sitting member.By contrast, 11 incumbents held at least a 2-to-1 advantage.

Cash on hand offers a different view than top-line fundraising because it shows what campaigns still have available after spending as Election Day approaches. It also captures only part of the money flowing into these contests.

Super PACs and other groups can independently spend to support or oppose candidates without those dollars flowing through the candidates’ campaign accounts, under federal campaign finance rules.

The next quarterly reports, covering activity through Sept. 30, are due Oct. 15.

Fundraising and spending in 2026′s battleground House races

Click the battleground district below to see how much candidates have raised and spent.

• AZ-01

• AZ-06

• CA-22

• CO-08

• FL-14

• FL-25

• IA-01

• IA-03

• MI-07

• MI-10

• NJ-07

• NY-17

• OH-09

• OH-07

• PA-07

• PA-08

• PA-10

• TX-34

• VA-02

• WA-03

• WI-03

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/25/house-midterms-toss-ups-campaign-cash-incumbents.html

>>25085643

Oh yes, it was…. good memory you have