National

Via TPM: PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -The leaders of an armed group that took over a national wildlife refuge in rural Oregon have been found not guilty of conspiracy and possession…

Is there anyone left? We received this tip:

TNJ has laid off planning editor & columnist Jeff Gentry and watchdog editor Chris Coates. Part of a Gannett-wide slashing of 350 jobs, or 2% of the workforce.

Businessweek on how Trump will dominate GOP politics after the election: “Almost every public and private metric suggests Trump is headed for a loss, possibly an epic one. His frustrated demeanor on the campaign trail suggests he knows it. Yet even as he nears the end of his presidential run, his team is sowing the seeds of a new enterprise with a direct marketing effort that they insist could still shock the world on Election Day.” “Beginning last November, then ramping up in earnest when Trump became the Republican nominee, Kushner quietly built a sprawling digital fundraising database and social media campaign that’s become the locus of his father-in-law’s presidential bid. Trump’s top advisers won’t concede the possibility of defeat, but they’re candid about the value of what they’ve built even after the returns come in—and about Trump’s desire for influence regardless of outcome.”

The New York Times says Trump's biggest fear is losing status: “The intense ambitions and undisciplined behaviors of Mr. Trump have confounded even those close to him, especially as his presidential campaign comes to a tumultuous end, and he confronts the possibility of the most stinging defeat of his life. But in the more than five hours of conversations — the last extensive biographical interviews Mr. Trump granted before running for president — a powerful driving force emerges: his deep-seated fear of public embarrassment.” “The recordings reveal a man who is fixated on his own celebrity, anxious about losing his status and contemptuous of those who fall from grace. They capture the visceral pleasure he derives from fighting, his willful lack of interest in history, his reluctance to reflect on his life and his belief that most people do not deserve his respect.” “In the interviews, Mr. Trump makes clear just how difficult it is for him to imagine — let alone accept — defeat.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, a loyal soldier for Hillary Clinton since he conceded the Democratic nomination, told the Washington Post he “plans to push liberal legislation with like-minded senators with or without Clinton’s support if she is elected— and to aggressively oppose appointments that do not pass muster with the party’s left wing.” “Sanders said he and other senators have started plotting legislation that would achieve many of the proposals that fueled his insurgent run for president, including a $15 federal minimum wage, tuition-free public college, ending “mass incarceration” and aggressive steps to fight climate change.” As well he should. That was the deal. It will help that he will be the Senate Budget Chairman when we win back control of the Senate.

Taegan Goddard says a Democratic Wave may be forming:

[T]he biggest factor may be a demoralized Republican party. With no hope of defeating Hillary Clinton and growing disgust over their own nominee, many Republicans may not even bother to vote. The early evidence is striking. Last week’s ABC/Washington Post poll found a sharp 12-point decline in enthusiasm for Trump among his supporters. The latest poll shows intended participation of these voters has followed: The share of registered Republicans who are likely to vote is down 7 points since mid-October. Trump’s own defeatist rhetoric over a “rigged” election may also be backfiring. Why participate in an election if you believe the outcome is predetermined? At the same time, Clinton is shifting her attention to downballot races.