Friday, October 02, 2026

A light, late newsletter today

Steve Benen was off today, as you have likely already noticed, so we're a little lighter on content. BUT! ...

...The reason the newsletter is late today is because we knew this special feature from Rachel was on the way, so we held out for it to be ready.

Rachel is launching a new series for MS NOW members called "Rachel Maddow: In conversation with..." and Rachel's first conversation is with American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was held in a Russian prison for 16 months and has written about the experience in his new book, "This Cursed Beautiful Land."

Everyone can watch the first half of the interview for free on YouTube.

MS NOW Members get access to the full video here.

STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Rachel flags that as part of the Montclair Film Festival, her documentary Kill. Bury. Print. will play in an actual theater on October 17.
(Montclair Film Festival)
"Lawyers for Marimar Martínez, the Chicago woman shot by a Border Patrol agent in October, said Wednesday newly released evidence in the case demonstrates how Trump administration officials “have created a culture of violence among their agents” where the shootings of U.S. citizens are “embraced, celebrated and promoted.”

Investigative materials made public Tuesday showed that after shooting Martínez five times on Oct. 4, Border Patrol Agent Charles Exum joked about it in a text chat with colleagues, was called a “legend” by one of his fellow agents, and even received praise directly from his boss, Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino, as Martínez lay badly wounded in a hospital."
(Chicago Tribune)
"Two people detained outside a Chicago-area immigration detention center last year are suing right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson for defamation, saying he falsely portrayed them as violent extremists who assaulted federal officers."
(Brandy Zadrozny's reporting on MS NOW)
Renee Good’s family sues US government and immigration officials over her killing in Minneapolis
(Associated Press)
“We obviously would not bring a game to a community that has concerns about the venue, and we will not continue to evaluate Grand Teton National Park as a potential site.”

MLB drops proposal to host a baseball game at Grand Teton National Park— After The Washington Post reported on the proposal, local leaders sent letters to the Trump administration and the MLB commissioner expressing strong opposition.
(Washington Post)
"Wiles suggested that an aggressive approach on abortion would generate unwanted attention, something the officials worried could alienate voters ahead of the November elections."

White House Officials Told the DOJ to Delay Action on Abortion Ahead of the Midterms — Attorney General Todd Blanche has moved slowly in abortion pill litigation and department officials have told advocates to wait until after the election.
(Washington Sun)
Michael Lewis on the Lone Security Guard Who Resisted DOGE— In an exclusive excerpt from ‘Blockers,’ the inside story of the high-stakes D.C. standoff where security chief Colin O’Brien fought off DOGE operatives.
(Wall Street Journal)
"The disease is highly preventable by the MMR vaccine, which was developed in 1967."

San Diego State mumps outbreak: What we know about 17 Aztecs football players out vs. Texas State
(The Sporting News on Yahoo Sports)

Follow Rachel Maddow on BlueSky here.

RACHEL MADDOW: IN CONVERSATION WITH...

Rachel Maddow in conversation: A rare inside look at Putin's machine

Rachel Maddow talks with American journalist Evan Gershkovich, author of the new book, "This Cursed Beautiful Land," about his incarceration in Russia as part of a ploy by Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate the release of a Russian assassin held in Germany, and how he treated his captivity as a reporting opportunity and a rare window on the inner workings of Russian autocracy.

Part 1 of this interview is free on YouTube. MS NOW Members can watch the full video here.

BOOK TOUR DATES

Dates for the Department of Fate book tour are beginning to sell out. Don't wait too long to get your tickets and then find otu you missed it.

It's a funny thing to call it a book tour. Obviously the book is the hook, but equally obvious is that Rachel has a lot of irons in a lot of fires, and the midterm elections will have just happened before the tour starts.

So this is a book-and-whatever-else-is-on-Rachel's-mind tour. Tickets are still through the book web page, though.