Axios

The Pentagon has appointed a public affairs executive as acting publisher of Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper that's long operated with editorial independence from the Defense Department, according to an Oct. 8 memo obtained by Axios.

Why it matters: The leadership shake-up at Stars and Stripes is yet another front in the Pentagon's public messaging fight.

Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) has told business and political leaders in Arizona that she chose to vote in the Republican primary — for House candidate Jay Feely, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Sinema was a Democrat less than four years ago. Now she's quietly promoting a Republican during a cycle when the GOP is on the defensive.

White evangelical Protestants and white Catholics favor Republican House candidates, while other Christian and nonreligious groups are more divided or favor Democrats, recent Pew Research Center polling finds.

The big picture: President Trump's approval has fallen sharply among white evangelical Protestants and white Catholics, even as both groups continue to favor Republican House candidates.

Police and protesters clashed near popular Paris tourist attractions Tuesday as tens of thousands of students and trade unionists marched across France to protest school funding and classroom conditions.

The big picture: The demonstrations, which began in France last month, are part of a broader wave of largely unconnected education protests across Europe over crowded classrooms, teacher shortages, university funding cuts and rising education costs.

Pope Leo has been diagnosed with lung cancer, the Vatican said Tuesday.

Why it matters: The Vatican disclosed the pontiff's health news just hours after he underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung.

TikTok and Newsmax say they wouldn't allow livestreams or clips of a possible public execution by firing squad that the Defense Department says it plans to livestream, when asked by Axios.

• No other major platform or TV network would comment on their plans.

Why it matters: It's still unclear whether the early December event will actually be livestreamed, but if it does, it will test whether America's biggest media and tech companies are willing to enforce their content moderation policies against the U.S. government.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump last week discussed the possibility of launching a major new operation against Iran before the Israeli and U.S. elections, according to two U.S. officials, one Israeli official and a fourth source with knowledge of the matter.

• Netanyahu said during the call that he was concerned about Israeli intelligence indicating Iran was taking troubling steps to reconstitute its nuclear program, according to the Israeli official.
• The Israeli leader's call with Trump about the possible attack took place before Trump said he would not strike Iran ahead of the midterms.

Why it matters: Resuming major combat operations in Iran would inject a volatile new issue into the Oct. 27 Israeli elections and the U.S. midterms a week later.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth plans to livestream the December execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan by using a firing squad, one of the rarest forms of capital punishment in the United States.

Why it matters: The planned livestream would mark the first public U.S. execution in roughly 90 years, but it has already drawn scrutiny, with President Trump expressing doubt it'll happen.

President Trump's deal to lift sanctions on Russia to increase diesel supplies "is a betrayal of the people of Ukraine" and "a gift to our adversary," a bipartisan coalition of senators wrote in a letter admonishing the agreement.

Why it matters: The decision to turn to Vladimir Putin in an attempt to ease the diesel crunch is piling onto Republican headaches ahead of the midterms and fueling fresh friction between the U.S. and Ukraine.

Legal experts and press freedom advocates believe the Justice Department's White House television press pool probe could be a pretext for seeking additional records from reporters.

Why it matters: Antitrust lawyers argue the DOJ's legal case against the networks is thin.