Trump in Japan for Meeting With New Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi

AP reports: Sanae Takaichi, who became the country’s first female prime minister only days ago, must solidify her relationship with Trump while defending her country’s economic interests. Trump is trying to nail down $550 billion in Japanese investment as part of a trade deal that would reduce U.S. tariffs. Takaichi is primed for a charm offensive, including a potential purchase of Ford F-150 trucks. Trump has often complained that Japan doesn’t buy American vehicles, which are often too wide to be practical on narrow Japanese streets (AP). ABC: She’s a hardline conservative and the first woman to serve as prime minister of Japan. Takaichi is a protégé of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and will likely lean into her ties with him to build rapport and chemistry with Trump. Abe, who was assassinated in 2022, had a famously close relationship with Trump. Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, notes that Takaichi is politically aligned with Trump on key issues, including immigration and defense. Bremmer even expects her meeting with Trump to go “exceptionally well” — even considering it likely that she will endorse Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. For Takaichi, trade will be front and center. Japan managed to strike a lower tariff rate than other countries at 15 percent. But in return it has pledged to invest $550 billion in the U.S. That’s a staggering amount, equal to more than one-tenth of Japan’s economy (ABC).

Largest Federal Employee Union Presses Democrats to End Government Shutdown

AFGE—the American Federation of Government Employees—boasts over 820,000 workers. Are Democrats going to start feeling the heat? New York Sun: In a blow to congressional Democrats, the nation’s largest union of federal employees says it is time for lawmakers to drop their demands for extending health insurance subsidies and instead get on board with Republicans’ clean funding proposal. The union says the country is nearing the point where air travel and food safety services will soon be significantly impacted by the shutdown (Sun). Ed Morrissey: The end may be nigh for Chuck Schumer’s dumb political stunt. One of their core constituencies just declared that they have had enough of lost paychecks… So what now? This demand will have some impact on Senate Democrats, but will it be enough to overcome Schumer’s appeasement of radical anarchists? Stay tuned, but it’s pretty clear now that Republicans won’t feel the need to budge at this point. And with the clean CR only extending operations to November 21, they need to pass something soon before Republicans have to produce another clean CR to allow any time for honest negotiations. And finally, AFGE makes it clear who owns the Schumer Shutdown. Now it’s time for the accountability that comes with it (Hot Air).

Democrat Decries His Party’s “Lying” on Shutdown Strategy

Maine Representative Jared Golden has been bold in pressing his party. The Hill: Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) says Democrats are “lying” about their shutdown strategy as the impasse over funding the government nears the one-month mark (The Hill). Wall Street Journal: In the interview, Golden said that his working-class constituents are suffering due to the shutdown, and that fellow Democrats aren’t being straight with voters by tying the expiration in ACA subsidies to Republicans’ “big, beautiful” tax law. Golden voted with his party in opposing that measure, which included tax cuts and reduced Medicaid spending, while not extending ACA credits. But he noted that the Democrats’ own legislation in 2022 had set this year for the subsidies to end. “I’m just uncomfortable lying about the strategy to win and shutting down the government. We’ve never been the party that does that,” he said (Wall Street Journal).

Hakeem Jeffries Endorses Mamdani; Speaker Johnson Responds

Stacey Williams for Red State: The 11th-hour endorsement, which came after insistence from the party’s far-left flank that Jeffries do so, prompted some political observers to point out the tepidness of the statement as Jeffries tries to have it both ways amid Democrat division over Mamdani’s candidacy. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson (LA-04), was not so forgiving, however, using Jeffries’ endorsement of Mamdani as an absolute wrecking ball against the Democrat Party in a Monday presser, saying it proves the point he’s been making throughout the shutdown that the Democrat Party has been hijacked by the far left and there is no room for compromise with them on issues like the Schumer Shutdown: “We saw our clearest sign yet that this radical insurgent movement in the Democrat Party is succeeding. And they are ending what has always been known as the Democrat Party in America. After a months-long pressure campaign from the far left, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries finally relented, he gave in, and gave his endorsement to the socialist running to be mayor of New York City. The House Democrats have chosen a side. They were forced to by that far left that they’re so terrified of, and they’ve shown the world what they really believe. There is no longer a place for centrists and moderates in their party” (Red State).

Mamdani Rally Helps Answer the Question: What Is the Future of the Democratic Party?

More than 10,000 people joined this weekend’s rally in Queens for the Islamist socialist, including fellow socialists Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. There was certainly no energy shortage—and the messaging would make Marx proud. Mamdani: We will make our city one where every person who calls it home can live a dignified life. No New Yorker should ever be priced out of anything they need to survive. And we believed then, we believe today, we will believe tomorrow that it is government’s job to deliver that. Dignity. Dignity, my friends, is another way of saying freedom (X). Newsweek: The night also showcased Mamdani’s ability to extend his charm to those in the Democrat party whose ideology may sit less to the left than his own. Despite framing Mamdani as a protector of New York — a man who’d defend immigrants and the working class and against Donald Trump — Hochul faced a less than enthusiastic crowd. Prior speakers mispronounced Mamdani’s name, but none faced the torrent of “mahm-DAH-nee” chants that Hochul did when she messed up (Newsweek). All signs point to a hard-left Democratic party—embracing anti-Semitism and Islamism.

Virginia Democrats Looking Panicky in Last-Minute Redistricting Push

Amy Curtis at Townhall: Democrats in Virginia are working to disenfranchise the state’s Republican voters by pushing for a redistricting scheme that would give them a permanent supermajority in the state…. [Virginia Gov. Glenn] Youngkin also called the proposal “nuts.” “I think it is unconstitutional,” Youngkin said. He added the Democrats are “trying to run some desperate ploy to redistrict Virginia.” …  “Five years ago, the commonwealth held a constitutional amendment referendum … it passed overwhelmingly, supported to have a bipartisan redistricting commission to take care of this thing. And now here they are trying to override the vote of Virginians and take votes away from Virginians in order to drive this crazy political aspiration to make Virginia look like California,” Youngkin said….  Ken Cuccinelli, former Virginia Attorney General, issued a statement to Townhall and said, “The requirement for an intervening election is rather obviously in place for accountability to the voters. Virginia’s election began a month ago, so the next intervening election that could fulfill the requirement necessary for amending the Virginia constitution is the 2027 election” (Townhall).

Argentine Stock Market Soars on Milei Party Win

Watch the people with “skin in the game.” The investor class is feeling good about the next chapter for their nation. Wall Street Journal:  Argentina’s stocks, bonds and currency surged Monday after the country’s midterm elections delivered a surprising mandate for President Javier Milei to press ahead with his free-market economic overhauls. The Argentine peso rose around 9% against the U.S. dollar in midmorning trading, the most in more than two decades. A U.S. dollar-denominated government bond maturing in 2046 rose by 11 cents to trade at 66 cents on the dollar, according to Tradeweb data. Argentina’s benchmark stock index, the Merval, was up 17% as bank stocks soared…. “It’s very near the best-case outcome for Milei,” said Chris Hays, a portfolio manager at TCW’s emerging-markets fixed-income team. “Clearly, investors had no idea which way this election was going to go” (Wall Street Journal). Financial Times: “Argentina’s reform momentum is back, and Milei can legislate from a position of strength, not survival . . .  When it comes to the peso, no devaluation is coming after this kind of result,” said Thierry Larose, portfolio manager at Vontobel (Financial Times).

Qatari Government Lobbies and Lavishes and Sweet Talks Conservative Media Outlets

For the obvious: Positive and charitable coverage of Islamist state that—for decades—aided and abetted Hamas terrorists. Qatar’s earlier media efforts focused on left-of-center outlets. YNET: However, after Donald Trump’s victory, this focus shifted dramatically: over half of their outreach was aimed at outlets like Fox News, the New York Post, and the Daily Mail. Qatar’s goal was clear—to promote favorable narratives about the emirate, known for its complex ties with Hamas and Iran, and position itself as a reliable partner in the eyes of Trump and his administration…. One of the most notable successes was an interview Tucker Carlson conducted with Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, which garnered over six million views within hours of its release. This interview was a significant achievement for Qatar’s public relations efforts, coordinated by the American consulting firm Lumen8 Advisors. According to a contract filed under FARA, the firm receives a fixed monthly payment of $180,000 from the Qatari Embassy in Washington for services including strategic communications consulting and media training…. Alongside its involvement in American academia and large-scale real estate projects with the Trump family, Qatar’s increasing ability to shape media narratives is now coming to light. Critics warn that the gap between Qatar’s interests and the values of American democracy is widening, but its media strategy is already proving effective—well-funded, highly coordinated, and deeply embedded in U.S. public discourse (YNET).

A Life Threat on AG Pam Bondi

New York Post reports: An anarchist with a lengthy rap sheet has been arrested for allegedly putting a $45,000 hit out on US Attorney General Pam Bondi on TikTok, according to the feds. Tyler Maxon Avalos, 29, was nabbed on Oct. 16 after a tipster alerted the FBI to the alleged murder-for-hire plot the suspect had blasted out on social media earlier this month. The chilling post included a photo of Bondi with a “sniper-scope red dot” on her forehead with the caption: “WANTED: Pam Bondi / REWARD: 45,000 ‘ DEAD OR ALIVE / (PREFERABLY DEAD),” court documents charge (New York Post). Ed Morrissey: How serious was this threat? Serious enough to warrant his arrest, of course. Avalos has previous convictions in Minnesota in 2022 for stalking, according to the New York Post, as well as another for domestic battery in Florida in 2016. He was apparently still living in Minnesota while he offered cash for murdering Bondi, which he may or may not have realized is something of which this DoJ takes a very dim view (Hot Air). Townhall: Avalos’ post displayed an image of Bondi with “a sniper-scope red dot on AG Bondi’s forehead” and the caption “WANTED Pam Bondi REWARD 45,000 DEAD OR ALIVE PREFERABLY DEAD.” The post also featured a comment from the same account saying, “cough cough when they don’t serve us then what?” (Townhall).

NFL Quarterbacks Bold in Christian Witness

It would be hard to draw a direct line of correlation between the death of Charlie Kirk and any single individual’s decision to speak more openly and directly of the Christian faith that motivates them. But, it’s pretty clear: There is a pattern of bolder public witness. Shawn Fleetwood at The Federalist: There were plenty of high-intensity matchups to go around during the NFL’s Week 8 slate of games this past weekend — and the players who helped make it happen made sure that Jesus Christ got all the glory. After leading his team to a 26-15 win over the San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud decided to “first … give all glory and praise to [his] Lord and savior, Jesus Christ” in a postgame interview with Fox Sports. The comments came in response to a question about the Texans’ sluggish offensive start to the 2025 season and what sparked the team’s ability to put up nearly 500 yards of offense against the 49ers. “Without Him, I’m nothing. I’m a broken, wretched, sinful man, and He saved me time and time again,” Stroud said. “I just put my confidence in Him. … Whenever I lack self-confidence, I have God-confidence. … It’s easy to have faith when it’s easy, but when it’s hard and it gets tested [and] you get punched in the mouth — and that happens in this league all the time — what are you gonna do?” (Federalist). Steele also looks at comments from New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields. Collegiate athletes are standing up as well. Alex McPherson is the place kicker at Auburn. He defended himself against earlier criticism from Dave Portnoy: “I praise the Lord whenever I miss & whenever I make. You praise Him in the highs as well as the lows. That’s what I’m going to continue to do. He’s the reason I’m on that field” (X).