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A lot of you have been asking me some version of the same question: How worried should we be about election interference? And who’s protecting our votes?
Few people are better equipped to answer than . She spent 25 years at the CIA, served on the National Security Council under Presidents Trump and Biden, and is now a fellow at Lawfare, where she’s been investigating threats to our elections.
We discussed the possible threats between Election Day and certification, the politicization of our intelligence agencies, ongoing Russian disinformation campaigns, the dismantling of federal election security protections, and who’s stepping up to defend our votes.
Julia’s assessment is ultimately reassuring. She explains why our decentralized election system makes it very difficult to manipulate vote totals, and how state officials and lawyers are preparing to resist possible federal interference.
Her bottom line: “We’re not powerless.” She warns that the greatest danger may be losing faith and concluding “your vote doesn’t matter, nothing matters.”
Julia helped me understand what we should be watching for, why our elections are more resilient than the scare headlines suggest, and some very good reasons to keep the faith – and get everyone you can out to vote.
Find the interview at the top of this newsletter.
In today’s newsletter: Netanyahu down, not out. The Fed holds firm. Trump’s retribution hits resistance. Remembering Dolores Huerta. South Carolina’s blue hope. Dan Sullivan, meet Dan Sullivan. Ohio’s political reckoning. And in News That Doesn’t Suck, a tape escape.
Stalemate: Israel’s national election, which saw thehighest turnoutsince 1999, produced no clear winner. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lost support, but not enough to oust him from power. Whether Israel gets a new government and a new direction remains an open question. With 85% of thevote counted, Netanyahu’s bloc is projected to win 53 seats, 15 fewer than before the election and 8 short of a majority. The opposition bloc, led by Gadi Eisenkot, is projected to take 48 seats. Arab parties, buoyed by historic turnout among Arab voters opposed to Netanyahu andangryat his government’s policies toward Palestinians, are set to take a record-breaking 19 seats. It couldtake weeksfor Israel’s political parties to agree on who will govern the country. The left wing of the opposition bloc is pushing to join forces with Arab parties to form a government, but conservative opposition leadersoppose theidea. That means Arab voters may have won a record number of seats but could still be shut out of the next government. One or more opposition partiescould agree to governwith Netanyahu instead, though both sides have previously rejected this. If the parties can’t agree on a government, Israelis could be forced to vote again, something President Isaac Herzogurgedlawmakers to “do everything” to avoid. This wouldn’t be unusual; Israel heldfive electionsbetween 2019 and 2022, a chaotic period that ended with Netanyahu in power, backed by hard-right and ultra-Orthodox parties.Stay the Course: The Federal Reserve left interest ratesunchanged, saying itneeds more informationon rising inflation. The Fed traditionally holds rates steady this close to an election. Two officials dissented in favor of a hike, including governor Lisa Cook, whom Trump is trying to remove. Trump has consistently pressured the Fed to cut rates.
**Something to Hide?**Flávio Bolsonaro, the far-right senator who lost Brazil’s recent presidential election to incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva,fledto Miami𝕏via Argentinaand Ecuador. The Trump administration is expected to grant him and his familyvisas. He facesat least twocriminal investigations at home, including allegations of money laundering, and had been barred from leaving.Unlawfully Serving: A federal judgeruledthat Bill Essayli, the Trump administration’s top prosecutor in Southern California andthe faceof itsvoter fraudclaims there, wasillegallyappointed. It’s the latest blow to the administration’s efforts to appoint U.S. attorneys without Senate confirmation. Essayli said he expects his case to end up before the Supreme Court.Pesadilla, Nightmare: Ahigh-speed train collisionin Spain killed at least 68 people and injured dozens more. After a signalling failure, the control centerlet trainsmove again without speed restrictions, and oneslammed into a stopped train. This is Spain’s second deadlytrain collisionthis year. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchezpromiseda full investigation.This Is Still Happening: A U.S. strikekilled five peopleon what the Pentagon claimed, without evidence, was a drug boat in the eastern Pacific. More than 70 such attacks have now killed over 240 people, and experts increasingly question theirlegalityandeffectiveness.This Used to Be Unusual: In another setback for Trump’scampaignagainst his political enemies a grand juryrefused to indictCassidy Hutchinson, the former White House aide and onetime Trump loyalist whotestifiedabout his role in the Jan 6 attack on the Capitol.Gran Dolor: Dolores Huerta, the legendary labor activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers union in the 1960s andcoined“Sí, se puede” (“Yes, we can”),died of cancerat 96. In March, Huerta revealed UFW co-founderCesar Chavezhadraped her, and she boretwo secret children. But that never deterred her from fighting tirelessly for migrant workers and women. Sheremained activeinto her 90s and received numerous honors,includingthe Presidential Medal of Freedom. Read more about herhere.
**Could South Carolina Go Blue?**No Democrat hascome within nine pointsof winning a South Carolina Senate race in over 25 years. But polls show Democratic candidate Dr. Annie Andrewsalmost tiedwith Sen. Darline Graham.Ends Over Means: A New York Timesreportconfirms the Trump administration’s claim that Democratic operatives, including people in former Rep. Mary Peltola’s campaign, recruited a Daniel J. Sullivan onto Alaska’s Senate ballot to siphon votes from Sen. Dan Sullivan. Peltola’s campaigndeniesthe report. Ballot-stacking is legal; Republicansused itagainst Peltola in 2024. Turnabout is fair play?
Hunting for Buckeyes: Some of the most important — and ugliest — races of the midterms are in Ohio. Once a quintessential swing state, Ohio hasdrifted rightwardover the past decade, votingfor Trumpby 11 points in 2024. But Democrats hopewidespreadangerat inflation,corruption, and data centers will help them flip a Senate seat, House seats, and even the governorship. Find information on the most expensive Senate race this cycle, how data centers could influence votes, a controversial ad that might backfire, and a candidate who refuses to back down despite horrific allegations,here.
**Tape That, Floodwaters!**As super El Niño approaches, millions of Americansface higher flood risks. When you think of flood defenses, what comes to mind? If you thought of sandbags, you aren’t alone. For decades, sandbags have been used around the world as temporary protection against floodwaters. But they aren’t ideal, especially for homeowners looking for a last-minute defense. They’re heavy, bulky, and difficult to install — and remove, once saturated with dirty floodwaters. Besides, most people don’t have a bunch of sandbags lying around. What you are far more likely to have on hand, however, is a roll of duct tape. Andnew researchsuggests that your duct tape might bemoreeffective at preventing leakage through your front door than sandbags. Researchers tested several different front door defenses against floodwaters up to two feet deep. They found that traditional sandbags reduced leakage by up to 60-70%. Wide duct tape, applied to the outside of a clean, dry doorway, reduced leakage by 97-98%. Specialty tape and sandless sandbags were even more effective, but they can be costly. Thisdoesn’t meanyou should only rely on duct tape for your flood defense, especially for more intense flooding. It won’t be able to stop leakage through other parts of your home, like walls and drains. But it’s a cheap, easily accessible, widespread item that could help protect your home if and when floodwaters arrive.
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