Ernest Lee Luning

Reporter covering politics in Colorado

[Olivia Gazis @Olivia_Gazis]

A State Department official confirmed that a statement posted by Kristi Noem to her official envoy account and personal X account was created using fabricated State Department letterhead and was not an official department press release; first reported by Politico

[Jennifer Griffin @JenGriffinFNC]

Russia would apparently get a stake in Alaska gas venture through this deal which @FT reports was discussed during recent meeting to discuss Ukraine at the Kremlin.

[Peter Baker @peterbakernyt]

Ex-CEO of $25 billion US gas export venture, launched with involvement of investor tied to the Trump family, has accused Russia's Novatek of secretly controlling the project, prompting mass exodus over fears of violating sanctions. @JamieSmythF @maxseddon https://t.co/TqCGHGEQ1U

[Juan Forero @WSJForero]

Stunning quote from the Turkish businessman who married into MAGA world and has benefited greatly from his Venezuela investments.

“In my grandfather’s time, know-how was very important,” Turhan Mildon told a magazine. “Now, know-who is important.”

https://t.co/eq3G65dA3R

[Seth Klamann (sethklamann.bsky.social) @SethKlamann]

Gov. Polis and Tina Peters both coming to “60 Minutes” this weekend.

[Bill Scher @billscher]

“Democrats on Capitol Hill are starting to privately caution some of their bolder colleagues that it seems very possible they don’t hit the 235-seat height of their majority following the 2018 elections”

https://t.co/HDtFyRl10G

[Punchbowl News @PunchbowlNews]

Speaker Mike Johnson called Secretary of State Marco Rubio to relay House Republicans’ frustration over the Trump administration’s decision to temporarily waive newly passed sanctions against Russia.
https://t.co/Ml44onlISd

[Jamie Dupree @jamiedupree]

Members of both parties saying the Pentagon must find other partners than SpaceX. The next Congress will be a different one for Musk.

[Christopher Hale @ChristopherHale]

NEW: A group of Catholic bishops prayed over President Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday, 12 days before the midterm elections, at a meeting organized by an official at the Heritage Foundation.

A senior Vatican official called it “a highly inappropriate meeting and an insult to Pope Leo XIV.”

In April, Trump called the pope “terrible for Foreign Policy,” and Vice President JD Vance warned that Leo should “be careful” when he talks about theology. https://t.co/VLBSOIOlBR

[Ernest Lee Luning @eluning]

Colorado Republican Victor Marx, a candidate for governor, cites the fact theTrump DIDN’T endorse him in yesterdays round of tweets endorsing other Republicans in CO as proof that he’s “truly an outsider.” #copolitics

[Victor Marx @victormarx]

If any Coloradans ever doubted that I’m truly an outsider, this should make it clear.

I’m not a career politician. I’m not part of the political establishment. And I’m not running to protect the status quo.

I’m running because Colorado needs real change, and the people of this state deserve a governor who answers to them, not the political machine.

Colorado’s future belongs to Coloradans.

If you’re tired of the same old politics and ready for a different kind of leadership, help us finish strong.

Tell your family, friends, and neighbors to vote for Victor Marx for Governor.

Let’s take Colorado back.

🇺🇸 https://t.co/ErnBEk1xqP

[Nathaniel Rakich @baseballot]

At this time of year, there's a lot of social-media chatter about voting machines flipping votes. They're not. Here's what's really happening: https://t.co/hgoGKFT4qB

[Tim Grieve @timgrieve]

We stand behind our story.

Prior to publishing, we asked the State Department, in writing, to respond to allegations that “employees are being directly asked who they voted for in 2016, 2020 and 2024 before they receive promotions, and are told directly that if they have any history of donating to Democrats that they will not be eligible for the role.” The State Department did not in any way deny that those incidents occurred. Instead, it said that the department values “fidelity,” that it “will not tolerate . . . people using their positions to actively undermine the duly elected President’s objectives,” and that it prioritizes “merit and reward[s] demonstrated performance on behalf of Administration priorities.”

After the story was published – and after members of Congress raised concerns based on the story – the State Department gave additional comment denying the “premise” of our reporting. We published this after-the-fact statement in full. And since publishing, we have heard from additional sources familiar with top State officials asking foreign service officers about their voting and political contribution histories.

[Alex Roarty @Alex_Roarty]

the fact that Daniel J Sullivan's registration isn't noted, and that Dan. S Sullivan is listed as the incumbent is a break for the senator and a source of controversy among some in Alaska. you can look at an old sample ballot from '22 -- Murkowski wasn't listed as an incumbent https://t.co/nVdOPfJHGM

[David Weigel @daveweigel]

This is how the candidates are listed on Alaska's ballots. It's clearly marked, which one is the GOP candidate and which one is just a guy

[Michael Gold @migold]

the Justice Department is preemptively suing to stop Alaska from certifying the Senate election if Dan Sullivan loses https://t.co/lwkdVe2joD

[Will Oremus @WillOremus]

Voters who Googled how to donate to Talarico got an AI answer that led them to give to someone else.

A network of fake news sites seeded messaging about state and local candidates that AI answers picked up on.

My story on how the AI midterms are going: https://t.co/tIRBpd7d70

[Yaroslav Trofimov @yarotrof]

Ukraine’s envoy to Washington says that Trump’s request to Musk was ignored.

[Caitlyn Kim @caitlynkim]

.@CookPolitical moves 2 CO House races in D's directions. #CO08 held by Republican Rep. Gabe Evans moves from toss-up to Lean D. #CO04 held by Republican Lauren Boebert moves from Solid R to Lean R. #copolitics

[Jake Sherman @JakeSherman]

JOHNSON'S MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR

I traveled to Chehalis, Wash., this week to spend some time with @SpeakerJohnson.

I dont think that Johnson has any idea what he will do if Republicans lose the majority.

He refuses to acknowledge that Republicans are in dire risk of a washout.

He said it's "hilarious" that Democrats think they can get 230 seats.

“I want you to record that I am laughing out loud about that,” he said. “That is nonsense.”

At this point, Johnson seems to be living in a world that few others are inhabiting. The speaker says he doesn’t believe any of the polls, even the mountain of data that the NRCC and the Congressional Leadership Fund give him.

https://t.co/L2e3H3i2m5

[Nick Riccardi @NickRiccardi]

The most useful info you can find on election twitter today