Democrats in Alaska secretly worked for months to stack the state’s ballot in favor of Mary Peltola, the party’s Senate nominee. Operatives aligned with Peltola’s campaign recruited candidates who could siphon votes from Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan, including another Dan Sullivan. The strategy succeeded: next week, Peltola will be the only Democrat on the ballot alongside two Dan Sullivans and a fourth recruited long-shot candidate. Peltola’s campaign and the lesser-known Sullivan denied coordination, but politics reporter Kellen Browning found evidence that Peltola’s team recruited him. Ballot-stacking is common and generally legal, but President Trump called for Peltola’s removal after the story broke.
In other news, a high-speed passenger train in Spain rear-ended another, killing at least 68 people and injuring dozens. The crash followed an automated signaling failure, with operators making what Spain’s transportation minister called an “inexplicable” decision to continue one train while another was stopped on the same tracks.
In Israel, preliminary vote tallies suggest neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main challenger, Gadi Eisenkot, will secure a parliamentary majority, setting up weeks of negotiations or a potential new vote.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced he would allow widespread access to six unapproved peptide injections, bypassing FDA guidance despite previous scientific concerns.
Finally, horror bookstores are multiplying as sales in the genre rose 39% over the past year, reflecting a growing community of readers seeking thrills beyond spooky season.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing