Alan He

CBS Newser

[Kathryn Watson @kathrynw5]

Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer: "All I can say is, if I'm ever captured by Vladimir Putin, I'd rather die in in a prison in Russia than have somebody on my behalf refer to Vladimir Putin as a humanitarian."

h/t CBS' Ibrahim Aksoy

[jake rosen @JakeMRosen]

Breaking @CBSNews: L. Louise Lucas, a longtime Virginia state senator and vocal Trump critic who played a central role in the state's redistricting effort last year, is in federal custody in connection with a bribery and racketeering scheme, per DOJ

[Wash Press Club Fndn @washpressclub]

Aspiring Journalists! Join us Oct 23, 1 pm for our free webinar "Cover Letters & Email Introductions" w/moderator @marykbruce and amazing panel @Mr_Berman @davecclarke @diruggiero @audreytaylor2 @aterkel with advice on best practices rsvp: [email protected]

[Brennan Leach @brennanleach]

Asked if Trump should reverse his decision to waive Russia sanctions, Susan Collins tells NBC: “Yes.”

“The law is very clear that we wanted additional sanctions to be imposed on Russia... He's not going to increase the supply to the US in any measurable way, but what he’s going to do is to give more funding for Russia to use to attack Ukraine.”

“I do not support his decision,” she says

[Brennan Leach @brennanleach]

Joe Manchin hitting the campaign trail with Susan Collins in Lewiston, Maine

Starting the day eating breakfast with Mainers at Simones’ Hot Dog Stand

[Jennifer Jacobs @JenniferJJacobs]

On the slowdown in satellite comms service Ukraine uses to hit Russian targets, @SecWar Hegseth said Starlink determines the terms of service. “We haven't pulled anything back. There are terms of service that ultimately need to be complied to," he said. "Starlink has the option to make those decisions, but nothing's changed from our view. We haven't made any directives or anything like that. We wish the Ukrainians, obviously, success."

[Jennifer Jacobs @JenniferJJacobs]

A technical matter may have led to airstrikes in Ukraine that were not detected, Rubio tells us. "Our understanding is that to the extent that happened on the 13th and on the 18th, it was a technical matter. It was not the result of any sort of U.S. directive not to provide advance warning of a strike," @SecRubio said in gaggle in India. "We are providing the same warnings to them now that we always have."
Rubio said perhaps there was an internal issue "in terms of them being able to take the information that was being provided and systemize it and react to it. That's possible. We're looking at it."

[Kevin R Kosar @kevinrkosar]

Good WaPo reporting on shady doings.

The mysterious group campaigning to block robotaxis in D.C.

https://t.co/dr2Ga0sL4i

[Margaret Brennan @margbrennan]

Just back from meeting President Zelenskyy in Ukraine, Senator Cramer describes the proposal that he and Chairman Wicker delivered. It involves extending Starshield access into Russia in exchange for Ukraine halting strikes on Russian oil installations

[Meg Kinnard @MegKinnardAP]

I asked Graham for her reaction to Trump‘s decision to waive sanctions on Russia, despite signing a sanctions bill last month that was named for her brother.

Graham said she disagreed with the president and planned to talk with him when he’s in SC campaigning for her next week.

[Margaret Brennan @margbrennan]

Late last night, President Trump waived the financial punishments on buyers of Russian oil that Congress had enacted to stop funding Putin's war machine.

Passing that bipartisan bill was meant to honor Lindsey Graham's legacy, as he had pushed for those sanctions.

Today President Zelenskyy said it is harder now without Senator Lindsey Graham in Ukraine's corner.

[Paul Kane @pkcapitol]

Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of the first anthrax letter being opened in Hart Senate Office Building.

[Camilo Montoya-Galvez @camiloreports]

CBS News: The shotgun used by a 16-year-old who killed three children and a teacher at an Oregon elementary school was purchased by his mother, law enforcement officials tell us.

Reporting with Pat Milton.

@CBSNews.

[Olivia Gazis @Olivia_Gazis]

"Kristi Noem's envoy status expired last month and she is no longer in the role," a State Department official told @CBSNews Thursday. "She is now a senior advisor to Deputy Secretary Landau and continues to work on the Shield of the Americas portfolio."

[Camilo Montoya-Galvez @camiloreports]

CBS News: Multiple victims are dead after a shooting at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, federal law enforcement officials tell us.

The shooter has been neutralized.

W/ @NicoleSganga @cbsnews

[CBS News @CBSNews]

Vice President JD Vance tells @TonyDokoupil he thinks if someone's selling access to the White House, "That's disgusting and despicable and they should suffer consequences."

Things That Matter: A Town Hall with Vice President JD Vance airs Saturday, October 17 at 8 P.M. ET/PT on CBS and stream on @paramountplus.

[Alan He @alanhe]

My colleague @becket reached out to every Senate office about the suspicious letter. The tally so far is 5. Blunt Rochester & Gillibrand’s teams say the letters were marked for their state offices

1) Murphy
2) Padilla
3) Schumer
4) Blunt Rochester
5) Gillibrand

[Stefan Becket @becket]

At least four Democratic senators' offices and election officials in three states have been targeted with suspicious letters.

Delaware Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester's office in Dover received a letter that contained white powder. The state's Department of Elections also got one. https://t.co/siIjd0hlge

[Stefan Becket @becket]

Make that five. Gillibrand aide tells me a letter sent to her office in NYC was intercepted and Postal Inspectors are investigating.

[Stefan Becket @becket]

At least four Democratic senators' offices and election officials in three states have been targeted with suspicious letters.

Delaware Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester's office in Dover received a letter that contained white powder. The state's Department of Elections also got one. https://t.co/siIjd0hlge

[Burgess Everett @burgessev]

Meanwhile, GOP Sens. Cramer and Wicker just met with Zelenskyy in Ukraine

Cramer: “Meeting with President Zelenskyy and hearing from young Ukrainians who escaped Russian-occupied territories was a powerful reminder of what is at stake. We must stand with Ukraine”