The billionaires behind the record midterm ad blitz

About this episode

More than $10 billion is expected to be spent on advertising in this midterm cycle. New York Times reporter Teddy Schleifer joins to explain where the money comes from, how a recent Supreme Court ruling has shifted power back toward party committees, and what voters should watch for in the final two weeks. Russia freed a retired American schoolteacher, and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff called Putin a “humanitarian” — drawing swift bipartisan criticism. Francesca Ebel, Ukraine correspondent for the Washington Post, explains what the prisoner release and a fresh promise of peace talks actually signal about where negotiations stand, and why Ukraine is heading into a difficult winter. Nearly a decade after Apu quietly disappeared from ‘The Simpsons’ amid controversy, the character is back — this time voiced by an Indian American actor. The AP’s Terry Tang looks at what the recast means at a moment of growing South Asian political visibility. Plus, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration must continue providing gender-affirming care to transgender federal inmates, a New Mexico court made a substantial financial ruling against Meta, and America just got its first n