How a fake pollster may have hurt real candidates

Plus: Trump's push to lower energy prices  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

T. Michelle Murphy | October 25, 2026     Hi there. Crisis erupted in my fourth-grade classroom when my peers accidentally chose Heather A. as class leader (a distinction allowing you to hold doors, help monitor recess, and get invited to all the best playdates—I presume). You see, they’d meant to vote for Heather J. Tears fell, hallways devolved into anarchy. Perhaps this is what President Donald Trump is envisioning in Alaska, where Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan sits on the ballot alongside Daniel J. Sullivan in the upcoming Senate race. The Department of Justice is asking a court to block certification of the state’s election results if the incumbent loses by a margin that suggests the outcome could have been affected by “voter confusion.” Elsewhere, we look at how fake polling by a now-defunct company may have helped derail a candidate’s campaign in Michigan. IN TODAY’S BRIEF Beware fake polling A tale of two Sullivans Trump pursues oil boost Clashes continue in Paris         READ THIS FIRST How a fake polling company may have hurt real midterm candidates Sarah Rice—Getty Images A pollster admitted last week to using fabricated data in its surveys, claiming the stunt was an “experimental project” intended to showcase the “vulnerabilities” of the polling industry. The announcement has shaken trust in polling infrastructure ahead of the midterms, especially as some candidates say their campaigns were directly harmed by the fake numbers. After election analysis website FiftyPlusOne submitted an inquiry to Wedgewood Polls regarding the authenticity of its data and methodologies, the pollster put out a statement on Tuesday, claiming it had been “far too easy” to distribute false data and insisting it "highlights a systemic breakdown in media vetting and data aggregation.” Wedgewood's polls had been used by multiple national outlets for their midterm reporting, including the New York Times, Newsweek, MS NOW, and Politico.  “This event does not help what is a decades-long trend of declining confidence in the polling industry,” says G. Elliott Morris, co-founder of FiftyPlusOne. —Connor Greene Read the full story here.         SPONSORED BY WISPR FLOW Stop typing AI prompts. Start talking. You think 4x faster than you type. So why are you typing prompts? Wispr Flow turns your voice into ready-to-paste text inside any AI tool. Speak naturally, tangents and all, and Flow cleans it up. Available on Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android. Try Wispr Flow Free         THE CONTEXT Can the U.S. Department of Justice block Alaska’s Senate results? Kent Nishimura—AFP/Getty Images The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday filed a lawsuit that seeks to block certification of the election results under certain conditions if the Republican incumbent loses.  The DOJ, in its filing, expressed concern that there might be “voter confusion” stemming from the fact that two candidates on the ballot are named Dan Sullivan. Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan is currently seeking re-election, and one of his challengers is Daniel J. Sullivan (who also registered as a Republican, but is no longer listed as such, to avoid additional confusion). The lawsuit claims that the “sole purpose” of Daniel J. Sullivan’s candidacy is to benefit Democrat Mary Peltola. It seeks to block certification if the incumbent loses but would have won had votes for the other Sullivan been counted for him instead, with the ranked-choice process applied accordingly. Experts question whether the DOJ has the legal basis to proceed—and if this intervention is a preview of how the Trump Administration might respond to unfavorable midterm results across the U.S. —Rebecca Schneid Read the full story here.         SPONSORED BY TLDR AI Why 1.1M+ readers open this AI newsletter every day From ML engineers to founders, 1.1M+ readers use TLDR AI to spot new tools and research before they go mainstream. One free email, every morning. Subscribe for free         IN THE NEWS Trump invokes Defense Production Act to boost oil production Patrick T. Fallon—AFP/Getty Images President Donald Trump last week invoked the Cold War-era Defense Production Act in an effort to boost oil production and lower energy prices. In a presidential memorandum issued Oct. 22, Trump determined that petroleum production, refining, and related activities are essential to national defense. The determination follows Trump’s declaration of a national energy emergency in January 2025. “Ensuring resilient domestic petroleum production, refining, and logistics capacity is central to United States defense readiness,” the memo reads. “Without immediate Federal action, United States defense capabilities will remain vulnerable to disruption.” The memo comes as the price of gas and diesel has soared across the country amid supply disruptions caused by the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran. Brent crude futures rose 1.2% to $114.47 a barrel Oct. 23, one day after hitting a five-month high. U.S. diesel pump prices averaged $6.32 a gallon, that same day according to AAA.  The high energy prices, and related inflation, have become a defining issue for voters in the coming midterm elections. —Miranda Jeyaretnam Read the full story here.         SPONSORED BY HUBSPOT Want to get the most out of ChatGPT? ChatGPT is a superpower if you know how to use it correctly. Discover how HubSpot's guide to AI can elevate both your productivity and creativity to get more things done. Learn to automate tasks, enhance decision-making, and foster innovation with the power of AI. Download the free guide.         A VIRAL MOMENT France marches against Macron About 410,000 people demonstrated across France on Saturday, according to its Interior Ministry, challenging President Emmanuel Macron’s government over school funding and rising living costs. As tensions escalated, protesters threw projectiles while police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds.       Linked In this addictive word-association game, find the steps that will unite two seemingly unrelated words in just four moves. PLAY NOW     More Newsletters from Click to sign up. FUTURE PROOF +HEALTH MATTERS +INSIDE TIME +IN THE LOOP +WORTH YOUR TIME + Subscribe to TIME Email us: thebrief@time.com Received this from a friend? Sign up here Connect with TIME   PRIVACY POLICY     © 2026 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved. TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508 Boone, IA 50037-0508, United States Unsubscribe