Nostr notes by Zeteo (RSS/Atom feed)

‘Secretary of Cuck’: How Marco Rubio Learned to Love Waging ...

2026-10-15T00:01:57Z

‘Secretary of Cuck’: How Marco Rubio Learned to Love Waging Trump’s War on the World

***Note from our Editor-in-Chief:***

*This article is part of our series on the ‘Four Horsemen of the Trump-ocalypse.’ With several weeks left in the 2026 midterm elections, we believe this is the moment to capture the damage the Trump administration has inflicted throughout the U.S. and the world – and profile some of the people most responsible. Read [Part 1][1] here. The only way we can report original, long-form stories like these [is with your][2] [support][3]. Support independent media in this new age of American authoritarianism. – **Mehdi***

[Subscribe now][4]

*Marco Rubio during a cabinet meeting on July 31, 2026 in Camp David, Maryland. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.*

In the days before the 2020 election, a group of Donald Trump supporters [surrounded][5] a Biden-Harris campaign bus in Texas, seemingly trying to force it off the road.

“We love what they did, but here’s the thing they don’t know,” Marco Rubio [said][6] shortly after. “We do that in Florida every day.”

It was one of several moments that revealed how the Florida senator was changing.

“That was not who I thought I knew – who I always thought was really respectful of democracy, and worked well with Democrats,” a former Rubio Senate staffer tells **Zeteo**. “Being flippant about some of these things that either were, or were adjacent to, political violence… this crossed the line, for me anyway.”

Others saw something else.

“That’s typical Marco Rubio, trying to get something positive out of it, because he knows deep down that was wrong,” Mike Fasano, a former Florida state legislator who served alongside Rubio, says with a chuckle. “Marco Rubio has still a great future in his political life – and I can understand why he says some of the things he says, because I’ve seen firsthand how you get elected. You have to appease the primary voter.”

[Subscribe now][7]

One of the most successful Republicans in the modern era, Rubio has consistently meant different things to different people. He has climbed from a state legislature, to the U.S. Senate, to one of the most powerful offices in the world, leading the State Department in Trump’s second administration.

Rubio rose on the strength of his backstory, the son of Cuban exiles. He was seen as a conservative but reasonable Republican, a supporter of immigration reform, free speech, human rights, and foreign aid as soft power. That’s all changed.

It is a feature of the Trump era that most Republicans have put aside supposed morals and beliefs in order to maintain – or gain – power. Perhaps none have debased themselves as conspicuously, thoroughly, and successfully as Rubio.

[ Read more ][8]

[1]: https://zeteo.com/p/stephen-miller-trump-running-world
[2]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe
[3]: https://zeteo.com/p/donate-to-zeteo
[4]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[5]: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/01/trump-train-attack-biden-bus-january-6
[6]: https://floridapolitics.com/archives/379803-we-do-that-in-florida-every-day-marco-rubio-backs-texas-trump-train-despite-investigation/
[7]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[8]: https://zeteo.com/p/secretary-of-cuck-marco-rubio-trump

https://zeteo.com/p/secretary-of-cuck-marco-rubio-trump

Read the Details From the ‘Unhinged’ Tantrum of Bari ...

2026-10-14T20:33:06Z

Read the Details From the ‘Unhinged’ Tantrum of Bari Weiss’s Pro-Israel Foreign Chief

Good evening, and welcome to this week’s **‘Ragebait.**’

**Justin Baragona** here. In tonight’s edition, our lede story is so packed with news and juicy details that we decided to devote the entire newsletter to it. Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

[Subscribe now][1]

# **Inside the ‘Crazy Bonkers’ CBS London All-Hands**

*Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images*

I’ve [reported][2] [extensively][3] on Bari Weiss’s [year-long][4] [reign of terror][5] atop CBS News. I’ve heard about [newsroom clashes][6] with Weiss and her deputies, and concerns over the **David Ellison**-installed leadership [injecting][7] their [pro-Israel][8] and [other biases][9] into the network’s coverage.

But what I heard on audio I obtained from yesterday’s “crazy bonkers” editorial meeting at the CBS London bureau in the aftermath of press coverage of the network’s handling of an Oct. 7 story is unlike anything I’ve ever heard. You won’t believe what she said about **Benjamin Netanyahu**, or what she called the Palestinian death toll in Gaza. She also had a blunt warning for staffers who cross her.

[ Read more ][10]

[1]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[2]: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/cbs-news-bari-weiss-editorial-call-b2841070.html
[3]: https://zeteo.com/p/bari-weisss-cbs-60-minutes-pelley
[4]: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/bari-weiss-cbs-news-standards-and-practices-b2862631.html
[5]: https://zeteo.com/p/bari-weiss-mad-colbert-late-show-cbs
[6]: https://zeteo.com/p/anderson-cooper-bari-weiss-cbs-behind-the-scenes
[7]: https://zeteo.com/p/bari-weiss-cbs-iran-war-dukoupil
[8]: https://zeteo.com/p/bari-weiss-meddles-with-cbs-sunday
[9]: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/bari-weiss-60-minutes-cecot-email-b2890289.html
[10]: https://zeteo.com/p/read-the-details-from-the-unhinged

https://zeteo.com/p/read-the-details-from-the-unhinged

LIVE STREAM MO AND MEHDI There’s Still A Chance To Watch ...

2026-10-14T16:06:45Z

*LIVE STREAM MO AND MEHDI* There’s Still A Chance To Watch Zeteo’s *SOLD OUT* Show In Houston

We’re just two days away from a special LIVE taping of **Zeteo’s** flagship ‘We’re Not Kidding’ podcast with **Mehdi Hasan** and acclaimed Palestinian-American comedian and actor **Mo Amer.**

[Subscribe now][1]

The two are taking the stage this Friday at Houston’s **Cullen Performance Hall** for a night full of laughs and important political and social commentary. Thanks to your enthusiastic response, this event is now **sold out. BUT** there’s still a chance for you to stream the conversation LIVE, including an audience Q&A session with Mehdi and Mo.

PLUS, tune in for a special one-on-one conversation with Mehdi and Texas **Rep. Greg Casar,** who will also be taking audience questions.

Events like this are made possible by your support, so we’re thanking our **paid subscribers** with **exclusive** access to the livestream:

[Click Here To Watch][2]

If you’re a free subscriber, [now’s the perfect time to upgrade][3] to watch the livestream, get early access to future events, and never hit a paywall on any of Zeteo’s award-winning content ever again!

*Special thanks to the Risala Foundation for sponsoring this live event.*

[Share][4]

***Check out more from Zeteo: ***

[ Read more ][5]

[1]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[2]: https://open.substack.com/live-stream/409395
[3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe
[4]: https://zeteo.com/p/live-stream-mo-and-mehdi-theres-still?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
[5]: https://zeteo.com/p/live-stream-mo-and-mehdi-theres-still

https://zeteo.com/p/live-stream-mo-and-mehdi-theres-still

‘Excruciating’: Trump Allies React to White House Press ...

2026-10-14T11:17:53Z

‘Excruciating’: Trump Allies React to White House Press Secretary’s First Day – As Her Claim to Be an Attorney Collapses

*On this day in 1964, civil rights campaigner Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize. Just 35, he was then the youngest person ever given the honor. Donald Trump is now 80 and has still not been awarded the prize he so desperately and openly craves. *

Good morning. **Martin** and **Swin **here, writing up another utterly bizarre day in **Donald Trump’s** DC. Martin at least is old enough to have already been quite old 10 years ago, when **Sean Spicer** kicked off the world of weird that is Trump press secretaries, their press conferences, and their relationships with both reporters and the basic concept of truth. There have been some [doozies][1], but it seems that under new pick **Katie Zacharia**, things are about to get stranger still.

In today’s ‘**First Draft**,’ we take a look at Zacharia’s terrible, no good, absolutely horrible first press briefing and the gathering fallout from it. We also consider new steps in Trump’s shamelessly political investigation of **Ilhan Omar**, and take in developments in the illegal Iran War and on the midterms trail. In and on we go.

[Subscribe now][2]

# ‘She’s Flopping’

*White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia speaks during a news briefing on Oct. 13, 2026. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.*

Speaking to reporters before leaving the White House for Alaska, Donald Trump said he thought his new press secretary, ex-Fox talking head and [ardent hate, conspiracy, and extremism monger][3] Katie Zacharia, was **“very good”** in her first briefing, which concluded not long before.

Safe to say, few reporters or pundits shared the president’s confidence. In barely 15 minutes at the briefing room podium, Zacharia read extremely haltingly from notes, head down, then took very few questions, calling only on right-wing sources: Breitbart, Fox, and the *Daily Mail*.

[Subscribe now][4]

She failed to give an answer on whether the U.S. was still sharing intelligence with Ukraine.** “I’ll have to get back to you on that,”** she said. A softball about doing her job as a mother of four produced a flub, referring to** “My president, excuse me, my husband. That’s a good one.”** That at least raised a laugh. Another question produced hard news, Zacharia saying, **“We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign,”** meaning envoy to Greece (and former Donald Trump Jr. fiancée) Kimberly Guilfoyle, who has been caught up in corruption allegations. That made an impact, but Zacharia blurted on for a bit about learning about work-life balance from predecessor Karoline Leavitt, voice shaking all the while, and then was outta there pronto.

It wasn’t just pundits who piled onto the airwaves to voice their astonishment. **Swin** admits he had not realized Zacharia was taking her bow, what with having been buried in projects including [a lengthy profile of White House Wormtongue Stephen Miller][5].

Getting very annoyed at the sound of his phone constantly dinging, **Swin** finally took a swift look. Republican operatives, Trump advisers, and administration officials were blowing up the phone, panning Zacharia’s performance.

[ Read more ][6]

[1]: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/22/kayleigh-mcenany-book-trump-press-secretary
[2]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[3]: https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/12/politics/kfile-katie-zacharia-deleted-tweets
[4]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[5]: https://zeteo.com/p/stephen-miller-trump-running-world
[6]: https://zeteo.com/p/excruciating-trump-allies-react-to

https://zeteo.com/p/excruciating-trump-allies-react-to

American ‘Psycho,’ Fascist Dork: Inside Stephen Miller’s ...

2026-10-14T00:17:32Z

American ‘Psycho,’ Fascist Dork: Inside Stephen Miller’s War of Terror

***Note from our Editor-in-Chief:***

*This week, we are launching our series on the ‘Four Horsemen of the Trump-ocalypse.’ With several weeks left in the 2026 midterm elections, we believe this is the moment to capture the damage the Trump administration has inflicted throughout the U.S. and the world – and profile some of the people most responsible. The only way we can report original, long-form stories like these [is with your][1] [support][2]. This is why we all need to support independent media, in this new age of American authoritarianism. – **Mehdi***

[Subscribe now][3]

*Stephen Miller in the Oval Office on Sept. 15, 2025. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images.*

The United States is now run by someone whose critics and victims routinely dub an American “psycho,” a man who revels in the pain and suffering of his enemies and his prey. Indeed, many of his allies, and his past and present colleagues, would describe him using precisely the same word.

We are, of course, talking about Stephen Miller, not his boss, Donald Trump.

Miller, who serves as Trump’s top policy architect and one of the president’s most committed loyalists, doesn’t care about human life the way you or I do, former and current Trump administration officials who’ve worked with him tell **Zeteo**. Several of these sources actually quite like Miller. Still, the degree to which Miller does not care about – or at least tolerates – the loss of human lives in the pursuit of his and President Trump’s policy vision has unnerved, or disturbed, some of his Republican colleagues, multiple Trump advisers and U.S. government officials recount.

Some of his associates in and close to the administration even accuse him of intentionally trying to push major U.S. cities to riot, to create a pretext for Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act, an early 19th-century law, so that he could send thousands of active-duty and National Guard troops to fully occupy those urban areas. One source directly familiar with Miller’s private deliberations tells **Zeteo**: “Stephen wanted to provoke a very strong response, so that the president would deploy troops.”

It has been just under two years since Trump won the presidency for the second time, and the scale of democratic backsliding, rampant corruption, and sheer violence unleashed on this continent and others is remarkably difficult to tabulate. The administration has normalized putting troops in the streets; deploying masked, violent immigration agents to kidnap and intimidate and kill people; punishing immigrants, including many with a legal right to be here, by shipping them to dangerous countries, including places where they have no ties, simply to be cruel; murdering supposed drug smugglers with regularity in international waters; tearing apart the core constitutional right to due process at every opportunity, so that people can’t challenge the government’s claims against them before they are removed or killed; politicizing every lever of the government so that it targets their enemies, and only their enemies, as part of a swarming attack on Democrats and the left and liberal nonprofit
and political infrastructure; actively ignoring the First Amendment; spewing the most blatant kinds of racism from the White House, including at Somali Americans and Haitians; plotting in broad daylight to rig elections and subvert the American democratic order; and so, so much more.

[Subscribe now][4]

On Trump’s behalf, Miller has overseen, or orchestrated, all of it. He has led Trump’s deportation operations and the president’s efforts to target and selectively prosecute his enemies at an intensely granular level. That includes overseeing what a Trump adviser described to **Zeteo** as the administration’s “Must Deport list.” When Miller has discussed behind closed doors the administration’s deportations to third-countries (where the immigrants have no ties), he has explicitly said that it is better to strike those agreements with nations with lousy human rights records – in part because those regimes often do what they’re told by the United States, sources who’ve been in the room with him say.

It is impossible to come to any other conclusion: At almost every single meaningful turn of the second Trump era, the president’s lead policy author has sought to make the government’s crackdowns more painful, and less humane, for its countless dragnet victims and their families.

Let that be his, and his boss’s, legacy – and perhaps their undoing.

[ Read more ][5]

[1]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe
[2]: https://zeteo.com/p/donate-to-zeteo
[3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[4]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[5]: https://zeteo.com/p/stephen-miller-trump-running-world

https://zeteo.com/p/stephen-miller-trump-running-world

7 Things to Know About the New Insane White House Press Secretary ...

2026-10-13T21:13:13Z

7 Things to Know About the New Insane White House Press Secretary

Katie Zacharia [took to the podium today][1] for her first White House press briefing since being named Karoline Leavitt’s replacement, officially becoming Donald Trump’s sixth press secretary since he first took office in 2016.

And it was a disaster of a debut. Zacharia ended the briefing after about 15 minutes, only having answered three questions and accidentally [calling][2] her husband “my president.” Yikes.

But her abysmal performance isn’t the most concerning thing about her.

And as mainstream media is already normalizing her as the newest voice of the Trump administration, **Zeteo** is not.

So here are seven things you need to know about Katie Zacharia, the newest insane member of this insane administration:

#### **1. She promotes QAnon conspiracy theories about pedophilia rings**

[ Read more ][3]

[1]: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trumps-new-white-house-press-secretary-katie-zacharia-first-briefing-rcna602948
[2]: https://x.com/atrupar/status/2110007535608479995
[3]: https://zeteo.com/p/7-things-to-know-about-the-new-insane

https://zeteo.com/p/7-things-to-know-about-the-new-insane

Is This the ‘Defining Political Emotion of Our Time’? A ...

2026-10-13T15:04:45Z

Is This the ‘Defining Political Emotion of Our Time’? A Best-Selling Author Makes the Case

On May 1, 2023, a subway car in New York City suddenly became the center of American political discourse and division when former Marine Daniel Penny killed homeless Michael Jackson impersonator Jordan Neely.

New York City was thrust into the spotlight overnight, exposing the deep political rifts and widespread anxieties gripping the nation as a whole.

[Subscribe now][1]

In his latest book, *[Man in the Mirror: Hope, Struggle, and Belonging in an American City][2]*, journalist and *New York Times *bestselling author **Anand Giridharadas** takes a deep dive into what exactly happened in that subway car and what it reveals about the greater character of American politics as we know it today.

**“We have lived in a climate over the last 11 years in which there’s a tremendous amount of messaging we are all absorbing creating a permission structure for DIY violence. So I wanted to understand what we could see about ourselves if we looked more closely in that subway car,”** he tells Mehdi.

While people from all walks of life were present in that subway car, Giridharadas points to a shared feeling of **“abandonment,”** which he calls **“the defining political emotion of our time.”**

But how did we get here exactly? And why has this shared feeling of abandonment divided us more than united us?

[Share][3]

In this 38-minute conversation, Mehdi gets to the bottom of these pressing questions and what they mean for the midterms and the 2028 presidential election looming ahead.

**Paid subscribers** can watch the full interview above, while **free subscribers** can access a five-minute preview. Consider upgrading your subscription to never hit a **Zeteo** paywall again!

And be sure to check out Giridharadas’s latest book, *[Man in the Mirror: Hope, Struggle, and Belonging in an American City][4]*. If you’ve already read it, feel free to share your review of the book in the comments below!

Looking for more book recommendations? Visit the[ Zeteo book club here][5] for inspiration!

[Leave a comment][6]

***Check out more from Zeteo: ***

[ Read more ][7]

[1]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[2]: https://bookshop.org/p/books/man-in-the-mirror-a-death-in-the-undercity-and-a-country-on-the-edge-anand-giridharadas/f1fda0a28d426395?ean=9780593802014
[3]: https://zeteo.com/p/is-this-the-defining-political-emotion?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
[4]: https://bookshop.org/p/books/man-in-the-mirror-a-death-in-the-undercity-and-a-country-on-the-edge-anand-giridharadas/f1fda0a28d426395?ean=9780593802014
[5]: https://zeteo.com/t/book-club
[6]: https://zeteo.com/p/is-this-the-defining-political-emotion/comments
[7]: https://zeteo.com/p/is-this-the-defining-political-emotion

https://zeteo.com/p/is-this-the-defining-political-emotion

Why Was Ilhan Omar’s Home Raided Over ‘Illegal Immigration’ ...

2026-10-13T11:13:11Z

Why Was Ilhan Omar’s Home Raided Over ‘Illegal Immigration’ Claims, and Not Elon Musk’s? You Know the Answer

*On this day last year, Hamas returned hostages to Israel and Israel freed around 2,000 Palestinians under a ceasefire agreement. A year on, ignoring that deal, Israel has killed more than [1,400 Palestinians in Gaza][1], stoking [widespread condemnation][2].*

Good morning all, and welcome to Tuesday’s **‘First Draft.’** It’s our first newsletter of the week because Monday was the Indigenous Peoples’ Day holiday, but it wasn’t a quiet day for news.

Before dawn, agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided the DC home of **Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar**, as part of a criminal investigation into her immigration status. Transparently political, utterly hypocritical, and close to high-stakes elections, it was the act of an openly fascist regime.

Elsewhere, the man at the top of that regime, **Donald Trump**, did his best to help **Kansas Senator Roger Marshall**, whose actions as a doctor who had his own patients arrested are dragging him towards a surprise midterms defeat. Trump’s illegal Iran war, of course, dragged on. Let’s read in.

[Subscribe now][3]

# ‘Promise Made, Promise Kept’

*Homeland Security Investigations police search the home of Rep. Ilhan Omar on Oct. 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. Photo by Andrew Leyden/Getty Images.*

Rep. Ilhan Omar came to the U.S. from Somalia as a refugee in the mid-1990s. More than 25 years ago, when she was still a child, just shy of 18, her father filed for U.S. citizenship.

Elon Musk, the SpaceX billionaire, Twitter owner, champion of the global far-right, and GOP megadonor ($276 million and [counting][4] in these midterms alone), also came to the U.S. from Africa in the mid-1990s. In 2013, in an interview at the Milken Institute, his brother Kimbal Musk said that at the start of their careers in U.S. tech the two South Africans **“were illegal immigrants.”** Elon Musk protested, **“I’d say it was a gray area.”** Kimbal Musk repeated: **“Yes, we were.” **Reporting by outlets including the* Washington Post* – headline, **[“Elon Musk, enemy of ‘open borders,’ launched his career working illegally”][5]** – seems to have backed up Kimbal’s claim.

[Subscribe now][6]

On Monday, before dawn, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided a home in Washington, DC. Guess the owner.

Omar has long been the target of foul racist invective from Donald Trump and MAGA, who reserve particularly disgusting animus for Somali Americans, as demonstrated just last week by the president’s [clear call for racial violence][7] ahead of the midterm elections. For years, Trump has attacked Omar in terms notably stringent even compared to attacks on other prominent progressive women of color, stoking right-wing conspiracy theories about her immigration status and threatening to deport her.

But Trump has also mused about deporting Musk. In July last year, as the two men feuded following Musk’s time leading Trump’s DOGE attack on the federal government, and Musk’s consequent threat to expose Trump’s links to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Trump [told reporters][8] **“We’ll have to take a look”** at deporting Musk, thereby sending him **“home to South Africa.”**

So, who got raided? Hint: It’s not the guy who [was also pals][9] with Jeffrey Epstein.

[ Read more ][10]

[1]: https://zeteo.com/p/this-week-in-palestine-revealed-israel
[2]: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/10/gaza-ceasefire-exists-in-name-only-say-more-than-100-organizations/
[3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[4]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/12/us/politics/elon-musk-midterms.html
[5]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/10/26/elon-musk-immigration-status/
[6]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[7]: https://zeteo.com/p/donald-trump-is-trying-to-start-a
[8]: https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-hell-deporting-musk-feud-reignites/story?id=123372908
[9]: https://zeteo.com/p/elon-musk-jeffrey-epstein-files-island
[10]: https://zeteo.com/p/why-was-ilhan-omars-home-raided-over

https://zeteo.com/p/why-was-ilhan-omars-home-raided-over

‘Racism and Misogyny’: Photographer Misan Harriman Talks ...

2026-10-12T19:03:32Z

‘Racism and Misogyny’: Photographer Misan Harriman Talks About the Media Attacks on his Friend Meghan Markle

***Editor’s note:** We thought you might find **Zeteo UK contributor Sangita Myska’s** interview with the renowned photographer and activist Misan Harriman on the new podcast, **‘Sangita Meets…’** a worthwhile watch, so we’re sharing it with all **Zeteo** subscribers today.*

*Paid **Zeteo** subscribers can watch this episode in full, but to access all of **Zeteo UK’s** shows and essays, as well as **Zeteo** content, going forward, do consider[ upgrading to our much cheaper bundle option][1] today.*

[Subscribe now][2]

In just eight years since **Misan Harriman** took up photography, his photos have become some of the most iconic images of global protest movements from[ Black Lives Matter][3] to[ climate change][4],[ LGBTQ+][5] and[ pro-Palestine][6] rallies. In August 2020, he made history as the first Black male photographer to shoot a cover for[ British Vogue][7].

And in this episode of ‘**Sangita Meets…**’, Misan speaks to **Sangita Myska** about what drove him to pick up the camera. **“Watching somebody that looks like me, George Floyd, lying in his own piss, asking for his mama, while still calling the men who had [a knee] on his neck, sir, as he left his mortal coil … The choice was already made for me,”** he says.

In this personal and in-depth interview, Sangita also asks Misan – who has taken [intimate portraits][8] of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and [their children][9] – about how the British media has treated the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. **“There is a healthy dose of good old fashioned misogyny, misogynoir, racism,”** he says. **“It’s a combination of greed as well because…that hate sells. It feeds an algorithm that’s designed for that.”**

Misan also opens up on:

* The **“poison pen”** of the press and its culpability in the tragic suicide death of Cambridge Professor Jason Arday, following what critics call a relentless, and[ often racist][10], media frenzy over his academic record
* The vicious[ online campaign][11] against him over his support for Gaza and criticisms of Israel (**“The forensic scraping of any story posts, any collabs, any shares … It means that they would have seen my advocacy with multiple Jewish groups.”**)
* How he responds to criticisms that he’s part of the British elite
* What it feels like to have someone else tell his own story, in the documentary about his life, ‘Shoot the People’.

[Share][12]

***Free subscribers get a five-minute preview of the video above while Zeteo UK’s paid subscribers can watch it in full. Become a[ paid bundle subscriber][13] today to unlock ‘Sangita Meets…,’ all of Zeteo and Zeteo UK’s content, and to support independent journalism!***

***You can also find episodes of ‘Sangita Meets…’ wherever you get your podcasts.***

[Apple Podcasts][14]

[Spotify][15]

***Check out more from Zeteo: ***

[ Read more ][16]

[1]: http://zeteo.com/subscribe
[2]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[3]: https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/gallery/black-lives-matter-protest-6-june
[4]: https://www.instagram.com/p/DaBhrEojDWk/?img_index=1
[5]: https://www.instagram.com/p/DaX5S8yDNYw/
[6]: https://www.instagram.com/p/DdrFiooDBw_/
[7]: https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/misan-harriman-vogue-cover
[8]: https://substack.com/home/post/p-181368158
[9]: https://www.instagram.com/p/CeelNvSgZJB/?hl=en&img_index=1
[10]: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyxklg3xypo
[11]: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/record-complaints-filed-over-uk-press-smear-anti-genocide-pro-palestine-artist-misan-harriman
[12]: https://zeteo.com/p/racism-and-misogyny-photographer?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
[13]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe
[14]: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sangita-meets/id6811155012
[15]: https://open.spotify.com/show/7E49wiRaZsVMnXfngHYPj8?si=SJSZPYCfS-yxHRZDnzS32w&nd=1&dlsi=5fc29b95e6124e75
[16]: https://zeteo.com/p/racism-and-misogyny-photographer

https://zeteo.com/p/racism-and-misogyny-photographer

7 Reasons Not to Celebrate Christopher Columbus Today ...

2026-10-12T14:05:14Z

7 Reasons Not to Celebrate Christopher Columbus Today

*Christopher Columbus arriving in America in 1492. From “Our Country: a Household History for All Readers, from the Discovery of America to the Present Time”, Volume 1, by Benson J. Lossing. Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images*

“The original American hero, a giant of Western civilization, and one of the most gallant and visionary men to ever walk the face of the earth.”

That’s how the White House lauded none other than Christopher Columbus in Donald Trump’s [official proclamation][1] last year to rename the second Monday in October ‘Columbus Day.’

[Subscribe now][2]

The holiday has become one of Trump’s obsessions on his anti-woke warpath, as he [declared][3] last year that he would bring it “back from the ashes.” It’s a direct attack on efforts to rename it “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” in recognition of the natives who suffered at the hands of colonists’ violence.

But while Trump attempts to sanitize the person behind this day, there is no running away from the horrible record Columbus holds. Facts, after all, don’t care about your feelings,* right*?

So here’s a list of seven shocking things you may not know about Christopher Columbus:

### **1. Columbus didn’t actually discover anything new**

Surprise!

While history textbooks often credit Columbus as the first European to reach or ‘discover’ the Americas, the truth is that it was actually ‘discovered’ by Europeans about *500 years* before Columbus even set sail. And that’s even if we entertain the idea that nothing existed until a European ‘discovered’ it.

Around 1,000 CE, Viking explorer Leif Erikson was blown off course en route to Greenland, [instead arriving in North America][4]. There, he established a settlement called “Vinland,” which is now recognized as Newfoundland, Canada.

But what about the United States? Well, Columbus never actually set foot on North American soil, with Oct. 12 instead marking the day Columbus [landed on an island in the Bahamas][5].

So much fuss for a guy who didn’t actually ‘discover’ North America.

### **2. Columbus set the transatlantic slave trade into motion**

[ Read more ][6]

[1]: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/10/columbus-day-2025/
[2]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[3]: https://x.com/POTUS/status/1916553422351814796
[4]: https://www.history.com/articles/the-viking-explorer-who-beat-columbus-to-america
[5]: https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/columbus-reports-his-first-voyage-1493
[6]: https://zeteo.com/p/7-reasons-not-celebrate-christopher-columbus-indigenous-peoples-day

https://zeteo.com/p/7-reasons-not-celebrate-christopher-columbus-indigenous-peoples-day

Americans Are Rejecting the Trump Economy – For Good Reason ...

2026-10-11T18:01:58Z

Americans Are Rejecting the Trump Economy – For Good Reason

*Donald Trump dances at the end of a rally at Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas, on Oct. 7, 2026.*

From the numbers alone, intense public antipathy for Donald Trump’s economic record makes no sense. Our economy has not crashed.

Unemployment, which [measured][1] 4.2% in September, remains well below the 21st century average. Inflation, 3.4% year-over-year [in August][2], exceeds the 25-year average by less than one percentage point. Overall growth, currently projected at 2.3% this year by the Federal Reserve, tracks the economy’s long-term potential.

[Subscribe now][3]

That scoreboard cannot explain why only 26% of Americans [approved][4] of Trump’s economic performance in an Associated Press/NORC poll last week – a number that has Republicans fearing a midterm elections catastrophe.

What can explain it: Two years after campaigning on a promise of rapid improvements, Americans see that his policies have made things worse. And if that weren’t bad enough, the billionaire president openly [scorns][5] their struggles with affordability as “a hoax.”

[ Read more ][6]

[1]: https://www.reuters.com/business/us-job-growth-slows-sharply-september-unemployment-rate-rises-42-2026-10-02/
[2]: https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/us-inflation-rises-less-than-expected-august-consumer-spending-surges-2026-09-30/
[3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[4]: https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-approval-trump-midterms-8d5809758a31b29c73f4351a8008147c
[5]: https://www.npr.org/2025/12/11/nx-s1-5639957/trump-affordability-hoax-economy-midterms
[6]: https://zeteo.com/p/americans-reject-trump-economy

https://zeteo.com/p/americans-reject-trump-economy

Did You Watch the Film They Don’t Want You To See? ‘Gaza: ...

2026-10-11T14:06:15Z

Did You Watch the Film They Don’t Want You To See? ‘Gaza: Doctors Under Attack’ Is Still Available Globally Via Zeteo

Over a year ago, we published a documentary that mainstream media didn’t want you to see. A story about Gaza’s heroes that the BBC initially [refused to air][1]. ‘Gaza: Doctors Under Attack’ takes you inside [Gaza’s hospitals][2], many of which now lie in ruins, telling the stories of the [doctors][3] who put their lives on the line to save others, and highlights just how brutal Israel’s genocide in Gaza really is.

[Subscribe now][4]

As we mark three years since the genocide in occupied Gaza began, not a single [doctor][5] highlighted in this film has seen justice. No one has been held accountable for the harrowing testimony and evidence of [war crimes][6] revealed in this documentary, and much of the suffering you see persists to this day. In August, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) described healthcare in occupied Gaza as a “[system in crisis][7].” As a result of Israel’s restriction on aid going into Gaza, the organization reports that “the presence of a health facility no longer guarantees that services are operational.”

This film was produced by the award-winning Basement Films team that brought us the **Zeteo** exclusive ‘[Israel’s Reel Extremism][8].’ This comprehensive investigation examines the systematic targeting of [Gaza’s healthcare system][9], including all 36 of its main hospitals, multiple times, and the [killing][10] of its doctors, nurses, and paramedics.

We are sharing this documentary again because the stories in it are not over. Help us keep them alive by watching the documentary above and supporting the work we do in bringing stories like this and much more to our subscribers across the world.

[Share][11]

**Paid subscribers** can watch the full video above. **Free subscribers** can watch a 5-minute preview. Consider [becoming a paid subscriber][12] to unlock content like this and a lot more from **Zeteo**.

***If you were moved by the stories in this documentary, check out our other collaboration with Basement Films:***

[ Read more ][13]

[1]: https://zeteo.com/p/exclusive-zeteo-acquiring-film-about
[2]: https://zeteo.com/p/us-embassy-tells-us-doctor-in-gaza?r=3uiw9m
[3]: https://zeteo.com/p/bombs-go-off-as-mehdi-talks-to-two?r=3uiw9m
[4]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[5]: https://zeteo.com/p/kidnapped-gaza-doctor-hussam-abu-safiya-life-threatening-condition?r=3uiw9m
[6]: https://zeteo.com/p/doctors-gaza-humanitarian-foundation-target-practice?r=3uiw9m
[7]: https://www.unrwa.org/resources/reports/system-crisis-access-healthcare-gaza-strip
[8]: https://zeteo.com/s/reelisrael
[9]: https://zeteo.com/p/gaza-doctors-israel-arrests-torture?r=3uiw9m
[10]: https://zeteo.com/p/i-did-not-see-a-ceasefire-american?r=3uiw9m
[11]: https://zeteo.com/p/did-you-watch-the-film-they-dont?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
[12]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23234856710&gbraid=0AAAAA-F9BazexDKE8DZfrLzh4CXXMQ9fn&gclid=CjwKCAiA2PrMBhA4EiwAwpHyC2IegxZtZP36gmzZ73GExvPfwxqiDiV4yqd6ZxaWjUqalj4PBDbmRxoCbb0QAvD_BwE
[13]: https://zeteo.com/p/did-you-watch-the-film-they-dont

https://zeteo.com/p/did-you-watch-the-film-they-dont

This Week in Palestine – Revealed: Israel Killed Over 1,480 ...

2026-10-10T17:06:35Z

This Week in Palestine – Revealed: Israel Killed Over 1,480 Palestinians Since ‘Ceasefire’ One Year Ago

*A child holds a sign during a mass funeral in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood on Sept. 6, 2026. Photo by Mohammed Al Qumsan/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images*

The word “ceasefire” has lost all meaning.

One year ago, Israel and Hamas agreed to a supposed truce, only for Israel to almost instantly and repeatedly violate it with impunity.

It seems to Israel, “ceasefire” means[ killing][1] children, firing on[ breastfeeding mothers][2], and blocking the entrance of meaningful amounts of aid or any reconstruction materials. To Israel, “ceasefire” means[ killing journalists][3],[ denying][4] children the simple pleasure of flying kites, and[ striking funeral processions][5]. To Israel, “ceasefire” means[ killing more than 1,480 Palestinians][6] in one year.

Palestinians cannot mark one year since the so-called “ceasefire” took effect – because there has been no real ceasefire at all.

[Subscribe now][7]

Just this week in Gaza, Israel killed over a dozen Palestinians, including children, and issued new forced displacement orders across the Strip. In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces and settlers attacked Palestinians trying to harvest their olives, and Israel’s extremist national security minister posted another sick video.

Here’s more on those stories and others from another deadly and troubling week in Palestine:

#### **Saturday, Oct. 3 – Pope Mourns Israeli Attack on Christian Community in Gaza**

[ Read more ][8]

[1]: https://zeteo.com/p/this-week-in-palestine-israel-kills-dae
[2]: https://www.instagram.com/reels/Da4ABkdvo-3/
[3]: https://zeteo.com/p/this-week-in-palestine-israeli-settlers-e73
[4]: https://zeteo.com/p/this-week-in-palestine-israel-kills-children-kites
[5]: https://zeteo.com/p/this-week-in-palestine-israel-attacks-funeral-gaza
[6]: https://t.me/MOHMediaGaza/7659
[7]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[8]: https://zeteo.com/p/this-week-in-palestine-revealed-israel

https://zeteo.com/p/this-week-in-palestine-revealed-israel

Expert Pollster on the ‘Deeper’ Dynamic That Could Bring Down ...

2026-10-10T13:05:25Z

Expert Pollster on the ‘Deeper’ Dynamic That Could Bring Down Trump and MAGA

There’s less than a month to go before midterm Election Day, and things are [looking good][1] for Democrats. But can we trust the polls? Can Democrats turn their momentum into wins at the ballot box? And will Donald Trump’s government let elections [play out][2] [fairly][3], or is the U.S. becoming a “[shithole country][4]” when it comes to voting rights?

[Subscribe now][5]

Veteran Democratic pollster **Cornell Belcher** joins **Zeteo’s John Harwood **to answer those questions and more – unpacking what’s at stake these midterms, why he thinks Democrats *could* take back both the House and Senate, and why the forces driving voters go far beyond gas prices.

**“There’s something deeper about who we are as Americans that’s being violated,” **Belcher says of the dynamic this election cycle.

This was a **live conversation** on [Zeteo.com][6] and the Substack app, where subscribers could ask questions in real time. Be sure to [subscribe][7] to catch the next Substack Live.

[Subscribe now][8]

Watch the **full conversation **to hear Belcher compare 2006’s blue wave to today’s, evaluate the GOP’s culture-war strategy, explain the limits of public polling, and weigh in on what this election might reveal about the 2028 presidential field.

Free subscribers can watch a 1-minute preview, and **paid subscribers** can watch the full, 39-minute conversation. Consider [upgrading to a paid subscription][9] and never hit a paywall again!

[Share][10]

***Check out more from Zeteo: ***

[ Read more ][11]

[1]: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-elections/midterms
[2]: https://zeteo.com/p/trump-dems-midterms-interfere-ice-polls-ballots
[3]: https://zeteo.com/p/how-to-stop-trump-from-interfering
[4]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-attacks-protections-for-immigrants-from-shithole-countries-in-oval-office-meeting/2018/01/11/bfc0725c-f711-11e7-91af-31ac729add94_story.html
[5]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[6]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe
[7]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe
[8]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[9]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe
[10]: https://zeteo.com/p/expert-pollster-on-the-deeper-dynamic?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
[11]: https://zeteo.com/p/expert-pollster-on-the-deeper-dynamic

https://zeteo.com/p/expert-pollster-on-the-deeper-dynamic

This Week in Democracy – Week 90: ICE Agent Posing as ...

2026-10-10T00:04:08Z

This Week in Democracy – Week 90: ICE Agent Posing as Construction Worker Shoots Man in New York

People protest where a man was allegedly shot by an ICE officer on Oct. 8, 2026, in New York City. Photo by Ryan Murphy/Getty Images

The countdown is officially underway. We’re now just 25 days away from the U.S. midterm elections, which will be a test for a democracy that has been undermined, battered, and beaten since Donald Trump retook the White House less than two years ago.

[Subscribe now][1]

This week in democracy saw revelations of more possible corruption, another ICE shooting, and racism at its purest form. Here’s just a taste of how Trump and his cronies harmed democracy, undermined the Constitution, and hurt Americans and societies worldwide over the last seven days:

#### **Saturday, Oct. 3 – Talks to End War in Ukraine Include Oil Deal Tied to Trump Envoys**

The *New York Times* [reported][2] that a multibillion-dollar oil deal has been discussed as part of the Trump administration’s negotiations with Russia to end its war in Ukraine.

The deal, which would cover oil fields, refineries, and gas stations owned by one of Russia’s biggest energy companies, is being sought by an arm of the U.S. government, a U.S. investor who donated $2 million to Trump-related causes, and two Middle Eastern investor groups with ties to Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner – the two main U.S. negotiators to end the war in Ukraine.

#### **Sunday, Oct. 4 – On Her Last Day at DHS, Kristi Noem Secured Deal With Political Donor**

The *Times* also [reported][3] that on Kristi Noem’s last day as Homeland Security secretary, the agency signed a multi-million-dollar agreement to buy five airplanes from a company whose owner had been one of Noem’s political donors. In a statement, Noem said “the purchase of these planes was not completed” during her tenure, but didn’t answer specific questions about the agreement.

The agreement, which saw the planes purchased at a substantial markup, came after the company’s chairman, William Walters, donated $10,000 to Noem’s PAC in 2024. During her time as Homeland Security secretary, the agency gave more than $900 million in contracts to companies led by Walters.

[Share][4]

#### **Monday, Oct. 5 – Trump Says He’ll Pay for Ads Himself, But Won’t Commit To Reimbursing Taxpayers**

On Truth Social, Trump [said][5] he would pay for his campaign-style TV ads himself, “and with money I raised for MAGA, INC,” a pro-Trump super PAC.

Democrats, legal experts, and even some Trump officials have labeled the ads [illegal][6], with some saying they could be an [impeachable][7] offense.

A day after Trump’s post, the White House [said][8] the super PAC isn’t planning to reimburse taxpayers for over $10 million the government had already spent on the ads, and Trump himself refused to commit to pay back the funds himself.

#### **Tuesday, Oct. 6 – Whistleblower Reveals Trump Wanted Protesters Investigated By FBI**

NBC News [reported][9] that the Trump administration ordered the FBI to investigate protesters engaging in anti-ICE demonstrations in Los Angeles last year, according to a whistleblower report from a former agency employee.

The [complaint][10] alleged that the investigations violated protesters' First Amendment rights to free speech and peaceful assembly and also went against FBI policy. While the whistleblower said there wasn’t sufficient evidence to justify the probe, she was told by a [colleague][11] that “the president wants this investigation.”

[Subscribe now][12]

#### **Wednesday, Oct. 7 – ICE Reviewed Voter Records, Targeted Nonprofits**

Democracy Docket [reported][13] that ICE obtained the voting records of tens of millions of U.S. citizens. The agency also [investigated][14] hundreds of nonprofit organizations across the country last year that help people register to vote, and considered deploying undercover agents as part of its probe.

The effort targeted nonprofits in Ohio, New Jersey, D.C., Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, including the latter’s state branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations – the country’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization.

#### **Thursday, Oct. 8 – ICE Shoots Man in New York**

In New York City, an ICE agent posing as a construction worker [shot][15] 28-year-old Oscar Belgal in the neck after firing seven rounds into his vehicle, while a 5-year-old was in the backseat. *Wired* later [reported][16] that the agent who shot Belgal has repeatedly been accused of unlawful arrests and excessive force, including tackling a pregnant woman to the ground, during arrests in New York and Minneapolis.

Meanwhile, Trump went on his [latest racist tirade][17] on Truth Social, disgustingly claiming that Somali immigrants have “taken over” Minnesota and urging residents to “fight back.” (Read more about Trump’s efforts to start a race war to win the midterms in **Zeteo’s **‘[First Draft][18].’)

#### **Friday, Oct. 9 – Trump Renews Push to Fire Lisa Cook**

Trump [signed][19] a presidential memo establishing a panel to investigate Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook over unproven allegations of mortgage fraud she has steadfastly [denied][20]. The panel will ultimately report to Trump on whether there is “cause” for her removal.

The latest push to fire Cook follows a[ Supreme Court ruling][21] in June allowing her to continue in her position. The ruling, however, didn’t prevent Trump from attempting to remove Cook from her post again.

[Share][22]

***Did you miss previous weeks of ‘This Week in Democracy’? Catch up [here][23]. And check out more of Zeteo’s reporting from this week below:***

[1]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[2]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/03/us/politics/kushner-witkoff-russia-oil-deal.html
[3]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/04/us/politics/kristi-noem-planes-donor.html
[4]: https://zeteo.com/p/this-week-in-democracy-week-90-ice?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
[5]: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117390649505706640
[6]: https://zeteo.com/p/trumps-white-house-agrees-his-midterm
[7]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/27/us/politics/trump-ad-government-campaign.html?unlocked_article_code=1.EVE.LHAf.Hljy0_re-9iV&smid=tw-share
[8]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/06/us/politics/trump-taxpayer-funded-ads.html
[9]: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/fbi-whistleblower-says-white-house-pushed-unconstitutional-probe-prote-rcna601599
[10]: https://www.padilla.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/10.5.26-Senate-Whistleblower-DISCLOSURE-DOJ-FBI.pdf
[11]: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/06/trump-fbi-ice-la-protesters
[12]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[13]: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/ice-amassed-millions-of-voter-records-in-sweeping-fraud-hunt-documents-reveal/
[14]: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/ice-probed-hundreds-of-voter-registration-groups-across-the-u-s/
[15]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/08/nyregion/ice-shooting-nyc-bronx.html
[16]: https://www.wired.com/story/ice-agent-at-nyc-shooting-has-history-of-alleged-violence-and-illegal-arrests/
[17]: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117407181257047860
[18]: https://zeteo.com/p/donald-trump-is-trying-to-start-a
[19]: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/10/establishment-of-a-committee-of-inquiry-to-investigate-allegations-of-false-statements-by-lisa-denell-cook/
[20]: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/feds-cook-lawyers-say-hearing-will-show-no-mortgage-fraud-case-2026-10-09/
[21]: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/29/supreme-court-trump-lisa-cook-ruling
[22]: https://zeteo.com/p/this-week-in-democracy-week-90-ice?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
[23]: https://zeteo.com/s/this-week-in-democracy

https://zeteo.com/p/this-week-in-democracy-week-90-ice

Judge Who Accused Israel of Genocide Given Nobel Peace Prize ...

2026-10-09T20:02:53Z

Judge Who Accused Israel of Genocide Given Nobel Peace Prize (Sorry Trump)

***Editor’s Note:** We thought you might find this **Zeteo UK **essay a worthwhile read, so we are republishing it at **Zeteo**.*

*If you want to receive more essays like this from **Zeteo UK**, in addition to everything **Zeteo **offers, you can always take advantage of our**[ bundle option][1].** And if you’re not already a **paid subscriber**, consider **[upgrading][2]** today so you never see a paywall again. A free press isn’t free!*

[Subscribe now][3]

*South African lawyer Navanethem ‘Navi’ Pillay following the announcement that she will be awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. Photo by Daniel Karmann/picture alliance via Getty Images*

The South African jurist Navi Pillay, the Nobel Peace Prize recipient, is one of the most distinguished human rights lawyers and judges of the past few decades. Early in her extraordinary career, she embodied the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, where she defended anti-apartheid activists. As a judge in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and in the International Criminal Court (ICC), she embodied the development of international criminal law, helping to advance accountability for crimes and shape the human rights system. As UN high commissioner for human rights, and later as chair of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Palestine, she documented violations, supported mechanisms for protecting rights, and scrutinised states’ responsibility for violations – culminating in the commission’s 2025 finding that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza.

[Subscribe now][4]

By granting Pillay the prize, the Nobel committee has infuriated Israel, which had [called for the commission to be abolished][5] following its finding of genocide, and it has rebuffed President Donald Trump, who had made [no secret of his desire to win the prize][6].

[ Read more ][7]

[1]: http://zeteo.com/subscribe
[2]: http://zeteo.com/subscribe
[3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[4]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[5]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8641wv0n4go
[6]: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/trump-says-he-deserves-nobel-peace-prize-has-doubts-he-will-get-it-2026-10-07/
[7]: https://zeteo.com/p/judge-who-accused-israel-of-genocide

https://zeteo.com/p/judge-who-accused-israel-of-genocide

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Ranking Celebrity Responses to ...

2026-10-09T15:07:18Z

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Ranking Celebrity Responses to the Gaza Genocide

*Ms. Rachel. Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic via Getty Images; Ed Sheeran. Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for iHeartRadio; Jerry Seinfeld. Photo by Valerie Terranova/Getty Images for Bob Woodruff Foundation*

It’s been three years since Israel started a genocide that has [killed][1] more than 74,000 Palestinians, including 21,000 children.

And while more celebrities are finally using their platforms to call out the genocide, many still remain quiet – or worse, actively voice their support for the country committing the atrocities.

[Subscribe now][2]

So here’s **Zeteo’s** list of Hollywood’s biggest names on genocide, from the good, to the bad, to the ugly:

## **The Good**

[ Read more ][3]

[1]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/7/three-years-of-israels-genocide-in-gaza-in-numbers
[2]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[3]: https://zeteo.com/p/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-ranking-af9

https://zeteo.com/p/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-ranking-af9

Donald Trump Is Trying to Start a Race War to Win the Midterms *A ...

2026-10-09T11:14:28Z

Donald Trump Is Trying to Start a Race War to Win the Midterms

*A quick note to say there will be no **‘First Draft’** on Monday, as **Zeteo** observes the Indigenous Peoples’ Day holiday. Enjoy your long weekend – and normal service will resume first thing Tuesday morning.*

Good morning. **Martin** here again, delighted to be bringing you the news that matters for your Friday morning. Rejoice, for a long weekend is nearly here.

In today’s ‘**First Draft**,’ we look at an outburst from **Donald Trump** that was vile and dangerous even by his wretched standards, a broadside against Somali immigrants in Minnesota and a call for “the people of Minnesota” to “fight back.” When calls for violence are coming from inside the (White) House, America is really in trouble. Trump also spouted vile Islamophobic abuse at **Abdul El-Sayed**, the Democratic candidate for Senate in Michigan, who duly faced similar bile from **Mike Rogers**, his GOP opponent, on the debate stage in Grand Rapids.

Then we’ll look at a bombshell report from the *New York Times*, about how a close aide to Ambassador to Israel **Mike Huckabee** is co-opting embassy practice to his own, openly pro-Israel ends. There was also a Senate debate in Georgia, and the Nobel Peace Prize goes to someone who has called out Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Let’s read in.

[Subscribe now][1]

# ‘Fight Back, Minnesota’

*Donald Trump during his “Golden Age of American Innovation Summit” in Washington, DC, on Oct. 8, 2026. Photo: Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images.*

The president of the United States is trying to start a race war in Minnesota. This is not hyperbole. This is [what he posted][2] on Thursday:

> **“The once Great State of Minnesota is being taken over by Somali Immigrants. There is Violence, Murder, and Mayhem all over the State. The people of Minnesota must fight back. You have been robbed, and abandoned by your State Government. Your Governor is an incompetent thief who doesn’t want to get involved. He just wants to get out of town with as much as he can steal, and then, lead a quiet life. The Somalians should not be allowed to get away with what they are doing. They view you as weak and stupid people. Fight back Minnesota, fight back! If you need, the Federal Government will come to your rescue. Governor Tim Walz, and Mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, must immediately ask for Federal help — and leave the rest to us! President DONALD J. TRUMP”**

Doubtless, defenders and apologists for the fascist in the White House will claim that when he writes “fight” he really means “vote,” that he is merely using typical exaggeration to encourage Minnesota voters to kick Democrats out of congressional office and reject Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan for Senate and Amy Klobuchar for governor next month.

[Subscribe now][3]

If so, rubbish. Trump knows Republicans are losing and he is taking action accordingly. Remember Jan. 6, 2021? That dreadful day, speaking to his supporters outside the White House, Trump told the mob to **“fight like hell”** to block certification of his conclusive defeat by Joe Biden in the 2020 election. [Nine deaths][4] were linked to the riot that followed. Trump already has blood on his hands.

That concerned a presidential election. He has form when it comes to midterms too.

[ Read more ][5]

[1]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[2]: https://x.com/atrupar/status/2108294378792116548
[3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[4]: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/05/us/politics/jan-6-capitol-deaths.html
[5]: https://zeteo.com/p/donald-trump-is-trying-to-start-a

https://zeteo.com/p/donald-trump-is-trying-to-start-a

3 Years of Israel's Genocide in Gaza: By the Numbers Source: ...

2026-10-09T00:04:28Z

3 Years of Israel's Genocide in Gaza: By the Numbers

Source: [Gaza Health Ministry][1]
Source: [Brown University][2] / [U.S. Senate][3]

[Subscribe now][4]

Source: [Associated Press][5]
Source: [IRC][6]

[Subscribe now][7]

Source: [WHO][8]
Source: [UNICEF][9]
Source: [Israeli Military][10]
Source: [Gaza Media Office][11]

[Subscribe now][12]

Source: [Gaza Media Office][13]
Source: [UN FAO][14]
Source: [WFP][15]

[Subscribe now][16]

Source: [UN][17]
Source: [UN, Al Jazeera][18]

[Subscribe now][19]

Source: [Gaza Health Ministry][20]
Source: [The Lancet][21]

*If you believe in the work we do and want to see more of it, do consider [becoming a paid subscriber][22]. A [donation][23] to **Zeteo** also goes a long way.*

[Share][24]

***Check out more from Zeteo: ***

[1]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/11/how-many-times-has-israel-violated-the-gaza-ceasefire-here-are-the-numbers
[2]: https://costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/AidToIsrael
[3]: https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majority/congress-approves-fy-2026-defense-appropriations-bill
[4]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[5]: https://apnews.com/projects/israel-expansion-maps/
[6]: https://www.rescue.org/press-release/children-gaza-need-protection-hunger-and-injuries-surge-irc-data-shows
[7]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[8]: https://www.emro.who.int/opt/news/one-in-four-injuries-in-gaza-is-life-changing-while-rehabilitation-services-struggle-to-keep-pace-who-reports.html
[9]: https://www.unicef.org/sop/reports/unicef-state-palestine-escalation-humanitarian-situation-report-no45
[10]: https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/military-advocate-generals-corps/criminal-investigation-decisions-regarding-5-incidents-examined-by-the-general-staff-fact-finding-and-assessment-mechanism-ffam/
[11]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaxjIcY4tRrsqSEKON07
[12]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[13]: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1C3pC1h5iV/
[14]: https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/08/1168160
[15]: https://www.wfp.org/emergencies/palestine-emergency
[16]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[17]: https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/08/1168138
[18]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/2/gaza-wars-1000-days-90-of-strip-destroyed-80-seized-by-israel
[19]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[20]: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaxjIcY4tRrsqSEKON07
[21]: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01169-3/fulltext
[22]: https://substack.com/redirect/cf2d1b7a-7a41-491e-b40d-f7ee6ad909a0?j=eyJ1IjoiNG4xMWJiIn0.VdqxNfiAjWMuJ0INyIr1sjJ74hlF9jPSY_30l39faNc
[23]: https://substack.com/redirect/6b10f13e-c9b1-4905-8f26-80d1d05fdda4?j=eyJ1IjoiNG4xMWJiIn0.VdqxNfiAjWMuJ0INyIr1sjJ74hlF9jPSY_30l39faNc
[24]: https://zeteo.com/p/3-years-of-israels-genocide-in-gaza?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share

https://zeteo.com/p/3-years-of-israels-genocide-in-gaza

Is This Failed Actor Nepo Baby Now the Biggest Media Mogul Ever? ...

2026-10-08T21:07:30Z

Is This Failed Actor Nepo Baby Now the Biggest Media Mogul Ever?

Good evening, and welcome to this week’s **‘Ragebait.’**

**Justin Baragona** here. In tonight’s edition, I take a deep dive into how David Ellison went from a wannabe actor who starred in a box office bomb that his daddy financed to one of the biggest media tycoons in history – and what that means for the rest of us. Also, are CNN staffers being prematurely optimistic about the fate of the network under Ellison? And why won’t Fox air Trump’s rallies? Plus, I look at the horrific mainstream media coverage of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

[Subscribe now][1]

# **He Couldn’t Act. So He Became a Media Mogul Instead**

Did you know that a 20-year-old movie that pulled in less than a quarter of its $60 million budget at the box office and holds a[ Rotten Tomatoes score][2] of just 34% would become the catalyst for one of the largest mass-media consolidations in recent memory?

Of course, it would probably make a little more sense if I pointed out that one of the stars of that film was a 23-year-old nepo baby [trust fund kid][3] making his acting debut only after his obscenely wealthy father, who is now [the eighth-richest man in the world][4], put up[ a huge chunk of cash][5] to help him fund the project.

[ Read more ][6]

[1]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[2]: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/flyboys
[3]: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/david-ellisons-journey-trust-fund-100056217.html
[4]: https://www.forbes.com/real-time-billionaires/
[5]: https://www.wired.com/2008/04/larry-ellisons/
[6]: https://zeteo.com/p/is-this-failed-actor-nepo-baby-now

https://zeteo.com/p/is-this-failed-actor-nepo-baby-now

EXCLUSIVE: Hear a New Poem From Acclaimed Palestinian Poet Mosab ...

2026-10-08T15:05:33Z

EXCLUSIVE: Hear a New Poem From Acclaimed Palestinian Poet Mosab Abu Toha

***A note from our Editor-in-Chief: **We’re sharing **Zeteo **contributor **Mosab Abu Toha’s **powerful, original poem without a paywall so all can watch and read. But to get access to all of **Zeteo’s **special coverage marking three years since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and Israel’s genocide in Gaza that followed, consider becoming a **[paid subscriber][1]** today. And if you’re already a paid subscriber but want to support our work further, you can always send a [donation][2]. **-Mehdi***

[Donate to Zeteo][3]

### **A Letter of Sympathy to the President of the United States**

The other day, I watched a few posts online
mocking you as you winced at the deafening sound
of a military jet flying over your head.
I didn’t like the tone of many of those posts.
I don’t blame you for such a reaction.
I have reacted like this, and worse, hundreds of times.
My parents, wife, kids, and siblings have too.
So all of us now
know how
that sound feels.

In 2008, I was 16
on the roof of our house in Beit Lahia,
standing with my father, watching his pigeons in their coop,
when an Israeli, U.S.-made F-16
flew low, like a shaving machine,
before razing a neighborhood.

I panicked at its piercing shriek,

but also at the sight of the missiles

mounted beneath its wings.

But Mr. President, all of us, except you, know
the screech of a missile
or the blast of an explosion.
Do you know what’s louder than the screech and the blast?

The voice of a mother in Jabalia Camp,
begging me on October 31, 2023,
to search for the bodies of her husband and children
under the rubble
not just of her house,
but of the entire neighborhood.

The desperate pleas of 5-year-old Hind Rajab
from her uncle’s car in January 2024,
and the 335 bullets fired at her
before, during, and after the call.

The trickle of tears on the cheek of a father
who returned with no bread for his kids in a tent
in Khan Younis, and the screams of an infant
whose mother’s breast had dried up.

The heartbeat of 18-year-old Ahed
as her uncle, Dr. Hani Bseiso,
amputated her leg on a kitchen table,

without anesthesia.

It was dark!

The grinding footsteps of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiyya
as he walked toward the tank in his white apron.

I can hear the sound of his disappearance.

And I can still hear and hear more!

But do you know what will be much louder than all?

The sound of the gavel
in the court of justice.

[Subscribe now][4]

***Mosab Abu Toha** is a Palestinian poet and writer from Gaza. He won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for commentary and the 2024 OPC’s Flora Lewis Award and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2023.*

***The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Zeteo.***

***Check out an original poem Mosab wrote for Zeteo in 2024, and read more from Zeteo’s recent coverage of Israel’s genocide in Gaza:***

[1]: http://zeteo.com/subscribe
[2]: https://zeteo.com/p/donate-to-zeteo
[3]: https://zeteo.com/p/donate-to-zeteo
[4]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?

https://zeteo.com/p/exclusive-hear-a-new-poem-from-acclaimed

ICE Jailed a Rabbi For Protesting Israel. Now He Can’t Observe ...

2026-10-08T11:07:15Z

ICE Jailed a Rabbi For Protesting Israel. Now He Can’t Observe His Faith

*On this day in 2001, President George W. Bush announced the formation of what would become the Department of Homeland Security, now a key part of Donald Trump’s authoritarian state.*

Good morning friends! **Prem **here. Today, I bring you **new** details about how the Trump-Vance administration is commemorating Oct. 7: by holding an anti-Zionist rabbi in detention, using similar logic to that used to keep the student protester **Mahmoud Khalil** and the student op-ed writer **Rümeysa Öztürk** in detention last year.

And so, today’s **‘First Draft’** lays out how a rabbi is being stopped from celebrating the Jewish holidays, because he protested against Israel. We’ll also take a look at trouble in Trumpland over advisers working in a pro-Russia Balkan enclave even as midterms catastrophe looms, and catch up with all the news about Trump’s illegal war with Iran.

[Subscribe now][1]

# A ‘Flight Risk’ Rabbi?

*Ultra Orthodox Jewish protesters near the White House on July 28, 2026. Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images.*

Donald Trump’s administration, which is trying to deport the former Columbia student [Mahmoud Khalil][2] for protesting against Israel – by smearing him as an antisemitic threat – is trying to deport an anti-Zionist rabbi for the same reason.

As the Trump-Vance administration rolls out what it calls a [nationwide tour][3] to combat hate and antisemitism, it is simultaneously denying the rabbi religious accommodations and making him pray during Jewish Holy Days next to a toilet, as he languishes in ICE detention.

It’s another awful line on the villainous résumé of this White House of Horrors.

[Subscribe now][4]

Yehnotan Ovadia is a 35-year-old Orthodox Jewish religious teacher and rabbi who came to the U.S. in 2022 on a religious worker visa. As a member of the anti-Zionist Satmar Hasidic community, which opposes the state of Israel on religious grounds, he participated in pro-Palestine and anti-Israel demonstrations in New York.

Now in detention arising from such protests, Ovadia alleges in new filings seen by **Zeteo** that ICE is subjecting him to conditions that make it impossible to observe his faith. He notes that he has been detained through Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot; has resolved to use blankets to separate himself from the cell toilet and his new cellmate while he prays; and claims he has lost 25 pounds in about a month.

This week, Ovadia messaged his counsel about the limitations he faces when he tries to pray:

[ Read more ][5]

[1]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[2]: https://zeteo.com/p/the-moment-we-are-hopeless-they-win?utm_campaign=23234856710&utm_source=google_ads&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=189841814802-782839857508&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23234856710&gbraid=0AAAAA-F9BawGz1cHjj3Qr8SJQB7RsLzz4&gclid=CjwKCAjw25fWBhAVEiwAMopNjp6zZ3z6ZFQHDQd0o3EAt5DP4bReSU2Ujq9gIQ8QEoM3L8vtXDtzvRoCzkQQAvD_BwE
[3]: https://x.com/TheJusticeDept/status/2107854215200620755?s=20
[4]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[5]: https://zeteo.com/p/ice-jailed-a-rabbi-for-protesting

https://zeteo.com/p/ice-jailed-a-rabbi-for-protesting

How Did October 7 Happen? Mehdi Asks a Former Israeli ...

2026-10-07T21:03:46Z

How Did October 7 Happen? Mehdi Asks a Former Israeli Intelligence Official

Three years ago, the world was left stunned by Hamas’s brutal and horrific surprise attack on Israel, in which the militant group killed over 1,000 Israelis and kidnapped over 250 people.

Yet, as details emerged about [warnings that went ignored][1] and the military’s [slow response][2] to the October 7 attack, many began to ask – how much of a surprise attack was this?

[Subscribe now][3]

**“It’s quite clear that Mr. Netanyahu had been warned more than once,” **former Israeli intelligence official **Avi Melamed **says to **Mehdi.**

In this ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’ interview, Mehdi asks Avi Melamed** **– who has served in various intelligence and counterterrorism positions for the Israeli government – some of the most crucial questions that have come out about Israel’s apparent lack of preparation around the October 7 attack, including:

* Why Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu [dismissed][4] the UAE president’s warning about an impending Hamas attack just 10 days before Oct. 7
* Why Israeli military and intelligence officials [downplayed][5] Hamas’s battle plan, obtained a year before the attack
* His reaction to [Hillary Clinton][6] and the late [Charlie Kirk’s][7] questions and speculation around Israel’s lack of preparation
* Netanyahu’s [refusal][8] to do an internal investigation of his government’s handling of the attack
* If he concedes that Israel’s war on Gaza was an operational [failure][9]

[Share][10]

Mehdi also brings the receipts and presses Melamed on whether he believes Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza.

**Paid subscribers** can watch the full 52-minute video above. **Free subscribers** can watch a 2-minute preview. Consider[ becoming a paid subscriber][11] to unlock content like this and a lot more from **Zeteo**.

***Check out Zeteo’s other recent stories:***

[ Read more ][12]

[1]: https://www.timesofisrael.com/egypt-warned-netanyahu-of-attack-days-before-oct-7-after-two-previous-warnings-report/
[2]: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67056987
[3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[4]: https://apnews.com/article/israel-netanyahu-hamas-war-gaza-warning-935c2cd82d3204d6dc859d296fc866e3
[5]: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/30/world/middleeast/israel-had-a-blueprint-of-the-oct-7-attacks-a-year-ago-officials-dismissed-it.html
[6]: https://www.newsweek.com/hillary-clinton-says-netanyahu-may-have-wanted-hamas-to-do-october-7-12428872
[7]: https://x.com/PBDsPodcast/status/2098440628015165648
[8]: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/netanyahu-rejects-october-7-state-inquiry-claims-he-has-nothing-to-hide/
[9]: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260817-has-hamas-ended/
[10]: https://zeteo.com/p/october-7-avi-melamed-israel-mehdi?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
[11]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23234856710&gbraid=0AAAAA-F9BazexDKE8DZfrLzh4CXXMQ9fn&gclid=CjwKCAiA2PrMBhA4EiwAwpHyC2IegxZtZP36gmzZ73GExvPfwxqiDiV4yqd6ZxaWjUqalj4PBDbmRxoCbb0QAvD_BwE
[12]: https://zeteo.com/p/october-7-avi-melamed-israel-mehdi

https://zeteo.com/p/october-7-avi-melamed-israel-mehdi

October 7 Three Years On: For Israel, a Day of Questions Must ...

2026-10-07T15:54:29Z

October 7 Three Years On: For Israel, a Day of Questions Must Also Ask the Difficult Kind

***Note from our Editor-in-Chief: **This interview essay is part of our special week-long coverage marking three years since the horrific Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the U.S.-funded Israeli genocide in Gaza that followed. If you’re not already a **[paid subscriber,][1]**[ become one today][2] to get full access to all of **Zeteo’s** Oct. 7 coverage and more. **– Mehdi ***

[Subscribe now][3]

*A woman walks with an Israeli flag near a house in Kibbutz Nir Oz that was attacked on Oct. 7, 2023. Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images*

Another October 7 anniversary is being observed in jarringly discordant ways across the small strip of land formerly British Mandatory Palestine, and far further afield. At home in London on that weekend three years ago, seemingly irreconcilable emotional attachments demanded sustenance. The weekend passed speaking to friends in Israel as they awaited news of those potentially missing. Many spent the following days attending funerals of colleagues, pals, and loved ones killed during the assault; many then campaigned for the release of those Israelis held in Gaza.

As that Saturday bled into Sunday, the chilling rhetoric of Israel’s leadership was impossible to ignore – threatening to collectively punish the entire civilian population of Gaza. Knowing the source of those threats, and the history of the state’s actions, the sense of foreboding was gripping. Palestinian colleagues were also on the end of the phone that weekend: ‘What should we say?’ Even as the enormity of what was unfolding became clear, there was still hope the worst could be prevented. But there was to be no such respite.

[Subscribe now][4]

Within less than 100 days, I would sit sobbing quietly, listening to the testimonies of the remarkable legal team assembled by the government of South Africa presenting their case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague to prevent and punish crimes of genocide being committed by Israel in Gaza. As [Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh][5], [Adila Hassim][6], [Tembeka Ngcukaitobi][7] and [Max du Plessis][8], among others, detailed the ongoing actions being undertaken by a state claiming to carry the imprimatur of Jewish continuity, born out of the Holocaust, the impact was at times overwhelming.

Now, on this third anniversary of October 7, Israel is preparing for its first election since those events, to be held in three weeks’ time. New revelations are swirling about warnings Israel’s leadership may have received at the time regarding an impending attack. The timing of these new exposés – a call from the [UAE leader][9], a hurried visit from the [Egyptian intelligence chief][10] – is more than a little suspect in the context of the fevered election campaign. It seems that even for Israel’s most ardent regional collaborators, the penchant of the current coalition for bloodthirsty rhetoric and action has become inconvenient.

The problem with all of this reportage is that it continues to ask the wrong question.

[ Read more ][11]

[1]: http://zeteo.com/subscribe
[2]: http://zeteo.com/subscribe
[3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[4]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[5]: https://youtu.be/dqmcqCjkxaA?si=-UL-IG00kTtfDi27
[6]: https://youtu.be/wACdjHO29_E?si=E510YLLFsX_WGwyG
[7]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grGHum5vU74
[8]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umwX-yF74cg
[9]: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-security/2026-09-08/ty-article-magazine/.highlight/netanyahu-got-an-explicit-warning-before-oct-7-he-didnt-brief-security-chiefs/000001a0-7a3b-d7d5-a9fc-7eff3d0f0000
[10]: https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2026/09/egypt-israel-gaza-hamas-palestinian-october-7/688720/
[11]: https://zeteo.com/p/october-7-three-years-on-israel-response-questions-gaza

https://zeteo.com/p/october-7-three-years-on-israel-response-questions-gaza

😳 GOP Panics That Racism and Trump’s Election-Rigging ...

2026-10-07T11:21:06Z

😳 GOP Panics That Racism and Trump’s Election-Rigging Attempts Will Fuel Democratic Victories

*On this day in 2023, Hamas launched an air and ground offensive against Israel, the deadliest attack in the country’s history, killing around 1,200 and taking hundreds hostage. Three years later, Israel’s genocidal response has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and reduced Gaza to rubble.*

Happy Wednesday! It’s **Swin**. Election Day in the United States is less than a month away. If the public polls (as well as the private *Republican *polls) are right, it looks like we’re headed for an electoral slaughterhouse for the GOP and Team Trump.

Last week, ‘**First Draft**’ brought you news on how Republican consultants and pollsters are waking up to the idea that their party’s big, anti-**Hasan Piker** midterm strategy [is one giant, very expensive failure][1]. In today’s ‘**First Draft**,’ we’ll fill you in on yet another dose of pre-2026-elections panic emanating from the elite ranks of **Donald Trump**’s Republican Party – and boy, is this one a doozy.

[Subscribe now][2]

# Blowback

*President Donald Trump greets Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on stage at the Butler-Vandalia Student Activity Center. Photo: Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images.*

“**Fuck a duck**,” one close Trump adviser told me this month. “**It’s looking bad**.”

That’s how one source summed up the mood coming from so, so, so many national and state Republican Party officials, political operatives, GOP candidates, and Trumpland bigwigs.

[Subscribe now][3]

Standard caveat: Who knows what will happen in November, but for now, what you’re hearing isn’t liberal wishcasting. The pervasive and deepening freakout on the American right is extremely real, in part because their own internal [polling][4] is *telling them to be afraid* of losing the House and quite possibly the Senate too. And it’s largely due to the [gross unpopularity of their][5] infallible god-king, President Donald Trump.

But this adviser wasn’t just talking about the overall doom and gloom within their party. They were specifically bemoaning the distinct possibility that their side’s election-corrupting schemes are going to fail this time around.

All the Republican Party wanted to do this year was rig the midterm elections after Trump told them to launch a mid-decade gerrymandering war, then walk away scot-free with some extra wins under their belt. Turns out, life may have other plans for them. Several prominent GOP operatives and Trump advisers I’ve spoken to lately point to their side’s own private polling, as well as public data and sentiment, that indicate that Republicans in Texas may have (in common political parlance) **“dummymandered”** themselves into some Democratic congressional wins this cycle. The primary reason this could conceivably (maybe even *likely*) occur is because conservatives, acting under President Trump’s explicit call to action, redrew the Texas congressional map in ways meant to lock in Trump’s significant gains with Latino voters in 2024. But the weight of Trump’s malaise-filled economy – as well as his party’s dedication to [attacking and kidnapping][6] as many Hispanic Texan voters’ friends and
family as possible – has greatly eroded those gains, and leaves many of those voters in redrawn districts [swinging towards the Dems][7].

Who could have foreseen that intentionally making a crucial voting bloc poorer and less safe would cause those voters to get mad?

But it’s not just Texas.

[ Read more ][8]

[1]: https://zeteo.com/p/top-republicans-privately-admit-their
[2]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[4]: https://zeteo.com/p/top-republicans-privately-admit-their
[5]: https://zeteo.com/p/trump-advisers-worry-he-could-sink
[6]: https://zeteo.com/p/trumps-violent-crackdowns-on-us-cities
[7]: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republicans-may-have-gerrymandered-their-way-into-texas-sized-latino-problem-2026-09-23/
[8]: https://zeteo.com/p/gop-panics-that-racism-and-trumps

https://zeteo.com/p/gop-panics-that-racism-and-trumps

Israel Is More Isolated Than Ever. Is It Enough to End the Gaza ...

2026-10-07T01:04:16Z

Israel Is More Isolated Than Ever. Is It Enough to End the Gaza Genocide?

***Note from our Editor-in-Chief: **This interview essay is part of our special week-long coverage marking three years since the horrific Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the U.S.-funded Israeli genocide in Gaza that followed. If you’re not already a **[paid subscriber,][1]**[ become one today][2] to get full access to all of **Zeteo’s** Oct. 7 coverage and more. **– Mehdi ***

[Subscribe now][3]

*Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City on Sept. 24, 2026. Photo by Bing Guan/Reuters*

[Macklemore
][4][Zach Bryan
][5][Angelina Jolie
][6]Even [Megyn Kelly][7]

Today, Palestine can be seen and heard everywhere. For the first time, supporting Israel is costly and staying “neutral” is not an option – just ask Ed Sheeran, whose ticket sales have [plummeted][8] for his mealy-mouthed bothsidesism and “it’s complicated” stance. Palestine marches continue to [attract thousands][9], and even in the United States, [public opinion polls][10] are [showing][11] that Israel is not liked – so much so that Megyn Kelly, a woman who, just a year ago, [said][12] that we Palestinians were “fine” having our children starve just so that we “can put them on camera,” has begun to change her tune.

It’s not that I couldn’t have imagined criticizing Israel publicly – or at the very least calling for a “free Palestine” – in the West would no longer be taboo; I just never thought it would take so long and come at such an enormous cost to Palestinians. In just three years, over [200,000 Palestinians][13] have been killed or injured, or are missing; children are being starved, and [their limbs blown off][14]; [Israeli bombings][15] have not [stopped][16]; and Israel continues to use Palestinian bodies to [test][17] out the latest AI mass-killing invention.

[Subscribe now][18]

And while [global public opinion][19] has shifted, we still have not seen this translate into a shift in policy. Bombs are still being [sent to Israel][20]; trade is still [flowing][21] with Israel (despite proclamations that they will stop), and Benjamin Netanyahu (and his entire cabinet of war crimes supporters) is still [roaming freely][22], despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.

Israel continues to speak very openly about ethnic cleansing, not just in Gaza but in the [West Bank][23] and in [Lebanon][24], and the Israeli public continues to [deny][25] (or not care) that it has carried out genocide. In Gaza, Israel [steals more and more land][26], [kills more Palestinians][27], and has, one year into a so-called ceasefire, [not allowed][28] any reconstruction material to enter the Strip because it has made clear that it aims to [ethnically cleanse][29]. It’s no longer a secret – and the global public is catching on, but why haven’t the decision-makers? Why haven’t the bomb shipments stopped?

[ Read more ][30]

[1]: http://zeteo.com/subscribe
[2]: http://zeteo.com/subscribe
[3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[4]: https://www.instagram.com/p/DdRdsy0m2HK/?hl=en
[5]: https://variety.com/2026/music/news/zach-bryan-breaks-record-kraft-free-palestine-1236898609/
[6]: https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/see-what-was-done-gaza-angelina-jolie-shares-image-destruction
[7]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nOEDBE0RDc
[8]: https://www.newsweek.com/ed-sheeran-ticket-prices-plunge-after-macklemore-backlash-12461617
[9]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/28/palestine-action-protesters-arrested-outside-uk-labour-party-conference
[10]: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/07/09/americans-views-of-israelis-have-grown-increasingly-negative-but-views-of-palestinians-have-held-fairly-steady/
[11]: https://zeteo.com/p/poll-american-voters-israel-committing-genocide-gaza
[12]: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/04/gaza-cafes-starvation-social-media
[13]: https://t.me/MOHMediaGaza/7647
[14]: https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/8/20/amputee-children-learn-to-swim-after-losing-limbs-in-israels-war-on-gaza
[15]: https://zeteo.com/p/this-week-in-palestine-israeli-settlers-e73
[16]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/5/gaza-iran-lebanon-if-ceasefires-are-in-place-why-do-strikes-continue
[17]: https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2026-02-24/ty-article-opinion/.premium/when-israeli-arms-merchants-boast-of-gaza-serving-as-a-lab-for-human-testing/0000019c-90d4-dab1-adbe-bafebd4e0000
[18]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[19]: http://v
[20]: https://apnews.com/article/trump-israel-weapons-sales-gaza-eb48cb7ecf773ffc472fbafc995aef2a
[21]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/27/countries-denounce-israel-but-keep-trading-with-it
[22]: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/canada-france-italy-and-greece-allow-netanyahus-overflight-despite-icc-arrest-warrant
[23]: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/research/2026/06/israel-west-bank-ethnic-cleansing/
[24]: https://www.facebook.com/MiddleEastEye/videos/smotrich-says-israels-thorough-cleansing-in-southern-lebanon-unprecedented/4176795955956622/
[25]: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/genocide-domicide-and-israels-mechanism-of-denial-regarding-gaza
[26]: https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/israels-policy-of-irreversible-occupation/
[27]: https://imeu.org/resources/gaza/fact-sheet-three-years-of-israels-genocide-of-palestinians-in-gaza/506
[28]: https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/08/20/israel-says-no-gaza-reconstruction-before-hamas-fully-disarms
[29]: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/02/ethnic-cleansing-concerns-gaza-and-west-bank-amid-intensified-violence-and
[30]: https://zeteo.com/p/israel-is-more-isolated-than-ever

https://zeteo.com/p/israel-is-more-isolated-than-ever

What Is the Hannibal Directive and How Many Israelis Did It Kill ...

2026-10-06T15:02:54Z

What Is the Hannibal Directive and How Many Israelis Did It Kill on October 7?

Israeli media outlets have reported on the Israeli deaths caused by the controversial “Hannibal Directive.” But Western media outlets have ignored it. On the third anniversary of October 7, we at **Zeteo** are not afraid to ask: why the cover-up?

What exactly is the Hannibal Directive that allows Israeli soldiers to fire on their own troops – and civilians, …

[ Read more ][1]

[1]: https://zeteo.com/p/what-is-the-hannibal-directive-and

https://zeteo.com/p/what-is-the-hannibal-directive-and

Forget Hasan Piker, Donald Trump Is America’s Worst Campaign ...

2026-10-06T11:04:12Z

Forget Hasan Piker, Donald Trump Is America’s Worst Campaign Surrogate

*On this day in 2018, Donald Trump’s second Supreme Court pick, Brett Kavanaugh, was confirmed by a 50-48 vote, after a nominations process racked by accusations of historic sexual misconduct.*

Good morning. **Andrew** here, having watched another interminable **Donald Trump** rally, because you, dear reader, absolutely shouldn’t have to. The good news is I can safely tell you why** Abdul El-Sayed** is begging Trump to come to Michigan, to campaign for **Mike Rogers**.

In today’s **‘First Draft,’** the president bear-hugs the candidates he’s dragging down, **Susan Collins** has always loved donations from federal contractors, and Trump’s illegal war with Iran drags on. Let’s read in.

[Subscribe now][1]

# ‘Come to Michigan’

*Trump shows the crowd an executive order he just signed at Pinnacle Bank Expo Center in Grand Island, Nebraska, on Oct. 5, 2026. Photo by Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images.*

Contrary to what Republicans and pro-Israel Democrats would have you think, [leftist streamer Hasan Piker][2] isn’t the 2026 cycle’s most toxic campaign surrogate – not even close.

Nor is Bernie Sanders, despite Elon Musk and his super PAC’s [endless fearmongering][3] about the Vermont socialist. Senate candidate Troy Jackson, locked in a tight race against incumbent GOP Senator Susan Collins, will happily campaign with Sanders all over Maine this weekend. (A [new Marist poll][4] has Jackson four points up on the Republican incumbent.)

[Subscribe now][5]

The most toxic campaign surrogate in America this year, without question, is Donald J. Trump. The historically unpopular president is expected to cost his party control of the House and potentially the Senate in November – and he insists on bear-hugging and publicly campaigning with the GOP’s most vulnerable candidates regardless.

After Trump [told][6] reporters on Monday he’ll be heading to Michigan, Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed publicly pleaded for him to visit the state and campaign for his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers.

**“Donald, please, I’m asking you, come to Michigan,”** El-Sayed said, [speaking][7] on MS NOW. **“I dare you to come.”**

[ Read more ][8]

[1]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[2]: https://zeteo.com/p/top-republicans-privately-admit-their
[3]: https://zeteo.com/p/elon-musk-endorsed-socialist-healthcare
[4]: https://x.com/PollTracker2024/status/2107321069434478881
[5]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[6]: https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-press-gaggle-before-marine-one-departure-october-5-2026/
[7]: https://x.com/Acyn/status/2107273677557702883
[8]: https://zeteo.com/p/forget-hasan-piker-donald-trump-is

https://zeteo.com/p/forget-hasan-piker-donald-trump-is

Debunked: Mehdi Joins Piers Morgan To Destroy Israeli Military ...

2026-10-06T01:03:59Z

Debunked: Mehdi Joins Piers Morgan To Destroy Israeli Military Claims About Murdered Journalists

On October 1, the Israeli military [tweeted a video][1] attacking **Mehdi** and **Piers Morgan**, among others, for their reporting on journalists killed in Gaza since the genocide began; “fake news,” the video called it. Today, Mehdi joined Piers on his show, ‘Piers Uncensored,’ to debunk the Israeli report that followed that tweet, which included a long list of journalists it claims were Hamas operatives, with little to no evidence of their affiliation with the militant group.

[Subscribe now][2]

Palestinian-American political analyst **Omar Baddar** also joined Mehdi to debate Netanyahu ally, **Amit Segal**, and former Israeli military spokesperson **Jonathan Conricus **on the latest out of Israel. The debate covered:

* The death toll in Gaza
* The new documentary, “Naza,” which uncovered war crime testimonies from Israeli soldiers
* The Israeli military’s history of lies and deception
* The FlyDubai plane hijacking attempt and the conspiracies surrounding it

[Share][3]

Watch Mehdi’s interview with Piers and the debate that followed to hear why Mehdi “condemned” Piers for his ability to moderate the debate.

**Check out more from Zeteo:**

[1]: https://x.com/mehdirhasan/status/2105680971974758551?s=20
[2]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[3]: https://zeteo.com/p/debunked-mehdi-joins-piers-morgan?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share

https://zeteo.com/p/debunked-mehdi-joins-piers-morgan

‘De-Trumpification’: America’s Ruler Is ‘Consumed’ by ...

2026-10-05T21:23:36Z

‘De-Trumpification’: America’s Ruler Is ‘Consumed’ by Fear His Self-Tributes Will Be Erased

*Donald Trump speaks to the media on the South Lawn of the White House on Oct. 2, 2026. Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images.*

Donald Trump – who within mere months of his second term shoveled more than *$[1 billion][1]* of taxpayer money into initiatives specifically designed to [inflate his personality cult][2] and make him feel better about himself – lives in palpable fear of what several of his administration officials are calling the possible coming flood of “de-Trumpification.” The “de-Trumpification” that keeps the U.S. president up at night isn’t the kind geared toward reversing the democratic backsliding that he and his Republican Party have unleashed.

No, the “de-Trumpification” that the former reality-TV star is obsessed with is the kind that would involve bulldozing his pet structural projects, removing his likeness from money, and erasing the words “Donald J. Trump” from some big, beautiful buildings once he’s out of power, according to sources close to the president.

[Subscribe now][3]

Two Trump advisers and three U.S. government officials tell **Zeteo** that Trump devotes an inordinate amount of his time not just to decorating, making plays for his Washington, DC, arch and White House ballroom and other expensive tributes to himself, and getting his face, name, and personal touch plastered on as many buildings, pieces of currency, and monuments as he can possibly get away with; the American ruler also spends what one administration official describes as “a ton” of time worrying about – and using considerable government resources to preempt – future efforts by Democrats to tear down his presidential legacy of architecture and idolatry.

[ Read more ][4]

[1]: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3_h2uRk3bjI
[2]: https://zeteo.com/p/donald-trump-pyongyang
[3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[4]: https://zeteo.com/p/de-trumpification-trump-fears

https://zeteo.com/p/de-trumpification-trump-fears

Where Does Hamas Stand Three Years After Oct. 7 – and What ...

2026-10-05T17:25:08Z

Where Does Hamas Stand Three Years After Oct. 7 – and What Comes Next?

***Note from our Editor-in-Chief: **Wednesday marks three years since the horrific Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the U.S.-funded Israeli genocide in Gaza that followed. We’ve planned a full week of coverage, including this piece by **Muhammad Shehada** below, as well as essays by **Zeteo **contributors **Daniel Levy** and **Diana Buttu **and an exclusive poem by **Mosab Abu Toha. **Plus, I have an in-depth monologue you won’t want to miss. If you’re not already a **[paid subscriber,][1]**[ become one today][2] to get full access to all of **Zeteo’s** Oct. 7 coverage and more. **– Mehdi***

[Subscribe now][3]

*Hamas fighters on Feb. 8, 2025. Photo by Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images*

Three years after Hamas launched its deadliest attack on Israel, the group finds itself in perhaps its worst predicament since its inception. The movement that has built its identity and purpose around armed resistance has come to realize that its weapons in Gaza won’t move the needle, but it can’t find a viable alternative to coalesce around.

[Subscribe now][4]

Despite Israel killing [more than 1,450 Palestinians][5] since the Trump-brokered ceasefire of October 2025 went into effect, including many of Hamas’s top militant commanders, its militants [haven’t fired a single bullet or rocket][6] at Israel or its military in retaliation (Hamas has denied Israel’s accusations that the group has violated the ceasefire). In July, Hamas begrudgingly agreed to lay down its arms in Gaza in return for Israeli withdrawal. The group’s leaders even ceased their fiery speeches, rhetorical threats, and public spectacles of strength. Their latest statements focus more on survival than liberation. Hamas is now [divided between][7] those who call October 7 a “[disaster][8]” and a “strategic mistake,” and those who feel compelled to use Yahya Sinwar’s legacy to maintain popularity and legitimacy among the movement’s supporters.

How did Hamas get here? Where does the movement stand today? And what comes next?

### **Hamas’s Shocks and Miscalculations**

[ Read more ][9]

[1]: http://zeteo.com/subscribe
[2]: http://zeteo.com/subscribe
[3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[4]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[5]: https://t.me/s/MOHMediaGaza
[6]: https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/hamas-and-the-politics-of-decommissioning-in-gaza/
[7]: https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/bkpkz3ovfg
[8]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c90l_Y7tGW4
[9]: https://zeteo.com/p/where-does-hamas-stand-three-years

https://zeteo.com/p/where-does-hamas-stand-three-years

Free-Falling Trump Whines, Bitches, and Bribes – as New and ...

2026-10-05T11:21:02Z

Free-Falling Trump Whines, Bitches, and Bribes – as New and Stunning Polls Keep Piling on the Pain

*On this day in 2020, Donald Trump left the hospital and returned to the White House while still infectious with COVID-19. His own chief of staff would reveal that Trump initially tested positive before debating Joe Biden, but did not disclose the result. *

Good morning – **Martin** here, ready to take you through what you need to know. This Monday’s song about Mondays is [by the Bangles][1]. What can I say: I was a kid in the 80s. I too had big hair.

Today, we’re considering yet more appalling behavior and rhetoric from **Donald Trump**, in light of yet more appalling poll numbers for the president and his Republican Party. In particular, such numbers concern Latino voters and a run of states that were supposed to be safely red but are now very much in play; such is the mess the GOP has made of the country.

We’ll also look at efforts to pass **Proposition 40** in California, which would tax billionaires to pay for healthcare, and a fascinating broadside from **Rep. Ro Khanna** toward **Governor Gavin Newsom** that seems set to echo into the presidential primary in two years’ time. There’s news about Trump’s illegal Iran war too, of course. In we go.

[Subscribe now][2]

# ‘He’s a Pain in the Ass’

*Trump speaks at the Butler-Vandalia Student Activity Center on Oct. 3, 2026 in Vandalia, Ohio. Photo by Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images.*

When Donald Trump wasn’t raving like a madman this weekend, he veered instead from petulant complaint to naked bribery, [whining][3] ([inaccurately][4]) at Fox & Friends for not covering his Saturday rally in Ohio and repeating his ludicrous offer to pay every U.S. adult if Republicans win on Nov. 3.

**“Our country is doing so well under Republican leadership that only I can make you this promise,”** Trump said, this time in a message filmed in, and casually sullying, the Oval Office itself. **“If Republicans win the House of Representatives and the Senate, I’m going to give all adult citizens in the United States of America $5,000.”**

[Subscribe now][5]

He also spouted some nonsense about funding the bribe – sorry, “dividend” – with tariff revenues. But as [observers pointed out][6] when Trump first made his “promise,” at his absurd midterms convention in Dallas last month, giving $5,000 to every adult citizen (although on Friday he [promised][7] to pay every citizen, not just adults) simply could not work, even if it was somehow legal – and even if you didn’t take into account all the other times Trump has promised payouts for regular Americans which he has not delivered.

In the Oval Office, Trump threw in a grim warning: **“If the Democrats win, you will have an economic depression much like 1929.”** Around the country, reporters and editors sighed and reached again for expert opinion.

[ Read more ][8]

[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsmVgoXDq2w
[2]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[3]: https://www.facebook.com/meidastouch/posts/trump-is-furious-this-morning-that-fox-friends-did-not-cover-his-rally-at-an-ohi/1460270689627863/
[4]: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-loses-it-on-fox-news-in-shocking-sunday-morning-screed-maga-is-not-happy/
[5]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[6]: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8r6vj7r8rko
[7]: https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/trump-5-000-dividend-pledge-220500598.html
[8]: https://zeteo.com/p/free-falling-trump-whines-bitches

https://zeteo.com/p/free-falling-trump-whines-bitches

This Filmmaker Exposed Benjamin Netanyahu. Now, He’s Taking On ...

2026-10-04T13:34:10Z

This Filmmaker Exposed Benjamin Netanyahu. Now, He’s Taking On Elon Musk

If you’re a fan of **Mehdi**, you know he’s been [critical][1] of Elon Musk for years.

So when he heard that **Alex Gibney**, the award-winning documentarian who [took on Benjamin Netanyahu][2], was making a film exposing the world’s richest man, he was very intrigued.

[Subscribe now][3]

After spending three years putting together a nearly four-hour film, Gibney tells Mehdi that he sees Musk as **“power without purpose… We think of him as this futuristic tech titan, but he’s really the classic American trickster or confidence man.”**

If you want to get to the bottom of how exactly Elon Musk became so powerful, and why Gibney believes he may be the most dangerous man on Earth, this is a must-watch conversation.

In this 45-minute interview, the two discuss:

* The legal threats Musk’s lawyer made against Gibney and his team
* How Musk was able to build his “genius” persona
* The U.S. government’s complicity in the rise Elon Musk
* Musk’s obsession with repopulation and a looming “civil war”
* Why Musk became involved in right-wing politics
* Musk and Trump’s volatile relationship, which Gibney calls a **“marriage of convenience”**
* And whether Elon Musk rigged the 2024 presidential election.

**Paid subscribers** can watch the full interview above, while **free subscribers** can watch a four-minute preview. Consider [upgrading][4] your subscription to never hit a **Zeteo** paywall again!

[Share][5]

***Check out more from Zeteo: ***

[ Read more ][6]

[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwCOsg7O_w4
[2]: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/alex-gibney-benjamin-netanyahu-doc-tiff-1236002095/
[3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[4]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe
[5]: https://zeteo.com/p/this-filmmaker-exposed-benjamin-netanyahu?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
[6]: https://zeteo.com/p/this-filmmaker-exposed-benjamin-netanyahu

https://zeteo.com/p/this-filmmaker-exposed-benjamin-netanyahu

This Week in Palestine: Israeli Settlers Carry Out More Pogroms ...

2026-10-03T17:03:01Z

This Week in Palestine: Israeli Settlers Carry Out More Pogroms and Israel Kills Another Gaza Journalist

*Satellite imagery from Google Maps, updated in June 2026, shows the sheer destruction of Gaza after nearly three years of genocide. Photo via Google Maps*

Three years of genocide.

Those four words – and the reality they represent – are hard to comprehend.

Of course, we know Israel acts with impunity and the unconditional support of the U.S. and so many Western powers, but how can the world allow a livestreamed genocide to happen – much less enter its fourth year?

Just in Gaza this week, the official death toll reached another grim milestone, as Israeli strikes killed several, including another journalist. Israel’s genocidal actions are not limited to Gaza: Israel’s extremist national security minister threatened to execute a Palestinian prisoner, Israeli settlers carried out more pogroms in the occupied West Bank, and hundreds of Israelis stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

[Subscribe now][1]

For the next week, **Zeteo** will publish several essays and interviews as part of our coverage marking three years since the horror of Oct. 7 and the genocide that followed. If you’re not already, consider becoming a[ paid subscriber][2] to access it all without a paywall.

Now, here’s more on what happened just *this* week in Palestine:

#### **Saturday, Sept. 26 – Official Death Toll in Gaza Surpasses 74,000**

The official death toll in Gaza from Israel’s genocide topped 74,000, the Palestinian Ministry of Health[ said][3]. The death toll is likely much, much higher as thousands of bodies remain under the rubble.

The death toll includes more than 1,400 who have been killed since the so-called “ceasefire” last October.

#### **Sunday, Sept. 27 – Ben-Gvir Threatens Palestinian Prisoner With Death in Video**

[ Read more ][4]

[1]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[2]: http://zeteo.com/subscribe
[3]: https://t.me/MOHMediaGaza/7633
[4]: https://zeteo.com/p/this-week-in-palestine-israeli-settlers-e73

https://zeteo.com/p/this-week-in-palestine-israeli-settlers-e73

Zack Polanski Talks to Zeteo UK About Being Jewish and ...

2026-09-22T00:52:57Z

Zack Polanski Talks to Zeteo UK About Being Jewish and Anti-Zionist, Running for Starmer’s Seat, and Taking On the Media

***A note from our editor-in-chief: [Zeteo UK][1] **officially launched last week, with an [exciting lineup][2] of new contributors, shows, and journalism! We thought you might find this interview with UK’s Green Party leader Zack Polanski from **Zeteo UK’s **sold-out event at the Barbican Centre a fascinating watch, so we’re sharing it with all **Zeteo **subscribers today, too. If you’d like to get more** Zeteo UK **content alongside existing **Zeteo** pieces, take advantage of our discounted bundle option as a **[paid subscriber][3]. - Mehdi***

[Subscribe now][4]

Have you heard the news?

**Zeteo UK** officially [launched][5] last week with a sold-out show at the Barbican Centre featuring a a wide-ranging onstage interview with **Zack Polanski**.

**Mehdi** and **Zeteo UK’s **new** **political editor, **Shehab Khan**, sat down with the Green Party leader, who spoke out against Israel’s genocide in Gaza:

**“I feel, as a Jewish person, a responsibility to say, ‘When I grew up in my teenage years understanding about the Holocaust and the history of the Jewish race, never again means never again – not just for one group of people, but for every single group of people.’”**

[Share][6]

But Gaza isn’t the only topic Mehdi and Shehab press Polanski on. In this wide-ranging interview – and audience Q&A! – he also talks about:

* His Jewish identity and how his views on Israel have evolved
* Whether Andy Burnham’s leadership has killed the Green Party’s momentum
* The media hit pieces and right-wing propaganda unleashed against him
* If he’ll resign as party leader if he loses his upcoming parliamentary election
* Whether the Green Party will split the vote and lead to the rise of Reform UK
* His televised clash with Ed Balls on “Good Morning Britain”
* Whether the upcoming Israeli elections will bring change
* And his plan for addressing the rise of AI and data centers.

**Paid subscribers** can watch the near hour-long conversation above, while **free subscribers** can access a five-minute preview. Consider [upgrading][7] your subscription to never hit a **Zeteo** paywall again!

[Share][8]

***Check out more from Zeteo: ***

[ Read more ][9]

[1]: http://zeteo.uk/
[2]: https://zeteo.uk/p/todays-the-day-zeteo-uk-is-officially
[3]: https://zeteo.uk/publish/post/https://zeteo.uk/subscribe?
[4]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[5]: https://zeteo.uk/p/behind-the-scenes-at-zeteo-uks-launch
[6]: https://zeteo.com/p/zack-polanski-talks-to-zeteo-uk-about?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
[7]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe
[8]: https://zeteo.com/p/zack-polanski-talks-to-zeteo-uk-about?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share
[9]: https://zeteo.com/p/zack-polanski-talks-to-zeteo-uk-about

https://zeteo.com/p/zack-polanski-talks-to-zeteo-uk-about