AI safety advocates want stronger commitments to reduce the money AI super PACs push into the midterms.
Page F124From§Eachthe morning edition — 22 October 2026
Midterms' largest donor, at $366 million, vows to find out who is really pulling the strings
Three hundred and sixty-six million dollars, and the man who spent it would like to know who is really pulling the strings. You will take that for a threat. It is better than a threat — it is a lawful notice of intent, and do note that nothing in it will have to be withdrawn. Independent expenditure: money spent for a candidate and never with one, which is the condition that makes the sum unlimited and the spender untouchable by the coordination rules. Two hundred and seventy-six million of it since July. Since July. On Wednesday the terms were published — "live by the sword, die by the sword," and those who pick a fight should understand he will come for them, "not just their puppets." In September Democrats were rebuked for declining to name him. In Memphis a state representative runs against the data centers xAI built ... and the statute sets no hour at which the money stops. The price of a congressional inquiry is now a matter of public record. You have read it.
Daylight, and the fox crosses the yard slow. The dog has not barked yet.
“The guy who put three hundred sixty-six million dollars into this election says he wants to find out who is really pulling the strings — he is not joking, and he is not hiding it either. What he is telling the next Congress is that oversight has a price and the price is you, personally, whoever signs the subpoena. And the law backs him: no cap, no deadline, no requirement to coordinate with anyone, which is exactly why he can say it out loud on a Wednesday.”
“Independent expenditure — it is speech, it is protected, there is no coordination, and no coordination is what makes it legal, and legal is legal. Did I say legal three times? That does not sound like me. Look, the man said he would find out who is pulling the strings; when your side does that you call it oversight, so spare me the fainting.”
Earlier in this story
- Houthis promise a 'painful' response if the US joins a war it already promised, in writing, to join. By Lou · the evening edition, 13 October 2026
- White House still weighing whether to join a war it already backed, in writing, on October 4th. By Lou · the morning edition, 13 October 2026
- Agency built to cut government waste fights to the Supreme Court to keep its own paperwork secret. By Mitch · the morning edition, 13 October 2026
- Altman said accept some "bad things." Sanders asked which ones. The IMF named one this week. By The Wrecking Crew · the evening edition, 13 October 2026
- Washington backed the Saudi offensive nine days ago; the White House is now weighing whether to join it. By Lou · the evening edition, 13 October 2026
- White House weighs joining a war Delta already decided was too dangerous to fly into. By Lou · the evening edition, 12 October 2026
The receipts
Musk’s midterm donations, mostly for rightwing candidates and causes, surpass his contributions to Trump in 2024 Send us your questions on how the US economy is shaping the midterm elections Elon Musk has become the biggest political donor of the 2026 US midterm elections cycle, funneling about $366m into political groups and campaigns…
The energy needs of the AI boom and the construction of massive data centers in states across the country have created a backlash from both Democratic and Republican voters. The battle against data centers is at the heart of a campaign in Tennessee: Democratic state Representative Justin J. Pearson is opposed to the Colossus data centers…
SpaceX founder Elon Musk warned Democrats over a possible congressional probe on Wednesday, writing, “live by the sword, die by the sword.” “Those who pick fights with me should understand that I will find out who is really pulling the strings and come for them, not just their puppets,” Musk wrote on the social platform...
After Saudi Arabia said Iran's Houthi allies carried out another strike at Riyadh's airport, Iran called the U.S. effort to negotiate toward ending the war "insufficient."
"Those who pick fights with me should understand that I will find out who is really pulling the strings and come for them, not just their puppets..." Musk warned.
· 'Take the Open Shot': Democrats Rebuked for Refusing to Target Elon Musk Over $100 Million Midterm Spending Spree from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· Saudi Arabia promises response to Houthi attacks from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026
· Is Yemen Heading Back to All-Out War? Saudis Launch Strikes as Houthis Take Control of Red Sea Coast from the morgue, 14 Sep 2026
· US Backs Major Saudi-Led Offensive as Yemen Slides Back Toward All-Out War from the morgue, 4 Oct 2026
· F Lead Iran must stop arming Yemen's Houthi forces, say the G7 from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· Blasts Rattle Riyadh as Saudi Arabia Hit by Deadliest Houthi Attacks So Far from the morgue, 8 Oct 2026
· Saudi Arabia sees disruptions at Riyadh airport amid ballistic missile attacks from Houthis from the morgue, 8 Oct 2026
· Houthis claim they struck Riyadh's main airport in Saudi Arabia from the morgue, 8 Oct 2026
· The Royal Saudi Air Defense intercepts a ballistic missile fired from Yemen over the Saudi capital Riyadh that caused panic among residents. Houthis say they fired several Burkan-2 missiles at targets from the morgue, 11 Apr 2018
· The Houthis say that they have struck Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah with drones. A Houthi spokesman said on Twitter that the attacks halt from the morgue, 15 Feb 2021
· Houthis tried to hit Saudi capital with ballistic missile, Riyadh confirms from the morgue, 20 Sep 2026
· Riyadh airport explosion prompts Saudi Arabia to issue air raid alerts as Houthi fighting escalates from the morgue, 19 Sep 2026
· Markey Urges Congress to Block Trump-Saudi Deal, a 'Starting Gun for a Middle East Nuclear Arms Race' from the morgue, 26 Aug 2026
· Trump admin's list of US-designated 'foreign terrorist' groups in Latin America expands to 21 from the morgue, 11 Sep 2026
· Top Trump official reveals how 30-minute military op unlocked Venezuela oil windfall for US buyers from the morgue, 11 Sep 2026
· Ex-Venezuelan first lady Cilia Flores seeks release from NYC jail, citing heart ailment from the morgue, 11 Sep 2026
· New York City protest once again demands release of Maduro and Flores from the morgue, 11 Sep 2026
· Trump Official Denies Stealing Venezuela's Oil One Hour After Boasting Country is 'Forced to Work' With US from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· 'Mobster Language': Trump Says Venezuelan Oil Will Replenish US Reserves from the morgue, 30 Aug 2026
· 'Yet Another Trump Grift': Congress Called to Stop US Takeover of Venezuelan Oil Fields from the morgue, 28 Aug 2026
· The Biggest Oil Deal or Theft at Gunpoint? U.S. Claims Majority Control of Venezuela's Oil Reserves from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Tehran threatens attacks after U.S. strikes Iranian tankers from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· US forces take out 3 Iranian oil tankers in retaliation from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· Oil prices up as Iran says it will expand control over Strait of Hormuz from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026
· Iran live updates: Trump speaks to MBS, says everything will 'work out fine' from the morgue, 13 Sep 2026
· Iran threatens retaliation against U.S. tanker strikes from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· U.S. gas prices hit record high for Labor Day from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· Ship tracking websites, including Kpler, MarineTraffic, and TankerTrackers, show that three Iranian oil tankers, including two from the National Iranian Tanker Company, have escaped the blockade that from the morgue, 17 Jun 2026
· Iranian state media reports that the United States Navy attempted to capture an Iranian oil tanker. The oil tanker was boarded, commandeered and then returned by Iranian NEDSA marines in a helicopter from the morgue, 3 Nov 2021
· US strikes Iranian rocket launchers in first attack since late July from the morgue, 30 Aug 2026
· An Iranian Navy commander claims on state television that the Iranian Navy forced a U.S. submarine to surface as it transited the Strait of Hormuz and that the submarine violated Iranian territorial w from the morgue, 20 Apr 2023
· Trump Threatens to Rename Strait of Hormuz for Himself as War Pushes Diesel Prices Toward Record High from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Trump floats renaming Strait of Hormuz after himself from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· U.S. strikes targets in Iran near Strait of Hormuz as Iran says it is retaliating from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Trump Hammered Over Iran War That Drove Gas Prices Above $4 Per Gallon Every Day in August for First Time Ever from the morgue, 31 Aug 2026
· 'Trump Did It!': At $5.85 a Gallon, Diesel Price Hits All-Time High in US Thanks to War on Iran from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Price of diesel in U.S. hits record as Vance downplays Iran war impact from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Diesel prices hit record high as wars disrupt supply from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Trump vows response to Iran's retaliatory strikes: 'We're going to hit them hard' from the morgue, 31 Aug 2026
· Trump threatens Iran against retaliation for latest U.S. strikes from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Live updates: US, Iran ramp up strikes; incumbents hold on in Massachusetts from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Trump calls Iran conflict "small potatoes" from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· Labor Day gas prices are highest ever for holiday from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· How ‘Hypermilers’ Are Trying to Beat High Gas Prices from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· Fuel prices at record Labor Day high in US thanks to Iran War and refinery issues from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· Oil Prices Rise Slightly After U.S. and Iran Trade Strikes from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· USS Lincoln heads home as war with Iran escalates from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· Lawler disagrees with Trump on Iran war: 'It is certainly not small potatoes' from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· OPEC Plus to Keep Oil Production Steady from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· Iran War Has Cost the Average American More Than $1,200 Over Six Months, Economist Estimates from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Trump says military conflict in Iran is 'small potatoes for us' from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Wright: US has 'a lot of leverage' in Venezuela after oil deal reached from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· White House unveils new details of Venezuela agreement from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Chris Wright explains how Venezuelan crude will ‘fill’ the Strategic Petroleum Reserve from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Energy Secretary Wright says Venezuela oil deal will bring down gas prices in a year or two from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Chevron to expand in Venezuela, days after the U.S. and Venezuela strike oil deal from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Venezuelan oil flows will lower gas prices in 12-24 months, Wright says in Caracas from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Trump says Venezuelan oil will replenish Strategic Petroleum Reserves from the morgue, 31 Aug 2026
· US, Russia explore gas sale to Europe amid Ukraine war: Report from the morgue, 8 Oct 2026
· Countries across Europe report reductions in gas supplies after Russia disconnected supplies to Ukraine yesterday. Russia accuses Ukraine of stealing cubic metres of gas yesterday from pipelines trans from the morgue, 2 Jan 2006
· AI safety group outlines demands for legislation, warns lawmakers from the morgue, 7 Oct 2026
· AI-generated child sexual abuse images cause real-life harm from the morgue, 7 Oct 2026
· OpenAI fires researchers for sharing data with AI safety advocacy group: Report from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· Courts just allowed AI child sex abuse material because it’s ‘virtual.’ Who do you think it’s trained on? from the morgue, 19 Sep 2026
· 'We Cannot Wait for Disaster to Strike': Beyer Leads Bipartisan Push in House to Urgently Regulate AI from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· MPs demand tech firms block nude images on children’s smartphones from the morgue, 30 Sep 2026
· AI safety advocacy group sues OpenAI over Hugging Face incident from the morgue, 29 Sep 2026
· OpenAI scraps release of new ‘Astra’ model over safety concerns from the morgue, 29 Sep 2026
· Alarming California map shows exactly where wildfires are tearing across the state — as sweltering heat wave hits from the morgue, 5 Oct 2026
· California Democrats kill bill to hold wildfire-starting utility companies accountable from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· LA sues State Farm over allegations of unfair claims process after 2025 wildfires from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front. The byline is a pen name for a column drafted by a machine and checked by the editor: how this is made.