Dark money boost

Plus: Trump is subpoenaed and Bannon is sentenced [View this email online]( [NPR Politics]( October 22, 2022 This week, we looked at midterms spending, the Jan. 6 panel's Trump subpoena and Bannon's sentence for criminal contempt of Congress. --------------------------------------------------------------- The Big Picture: Dark money boost BergmanGroup/Getty Images More than $1.6 billion has been spent or booked on TV ads in a dozen Senate races, with $3 out of every $4 being spent in just six states -- Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin, Nevada and Ohio, according to an NPR analysis of data provided by the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. (The data reflects spending as of Oct. 17 and reservations made through Election Day so far.) Most of that money is coming from dark money outside groups with little to no donor transparency – and Republicans are getting a huge boost from them. Outside groups have poured in nearly $1 billion to buoy Republican Senate candidates. Just how important are they to the GOP? Almost 90% of the money going toward pro-GOP TV ads is coming from these outside groups, compared to 55% for Democrats. The biggest outside spender is the Senate Leadership Fund, the Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell-aligned group. It has spent $219 million in eight states, with $110 million going to just three races – Georgia, Pennsylvania and Ohio – each of which features struggling Trump-backed candidates. The top spender on the Democratic side is Senate Majority PAC, with ties to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. It has spent $145 million in six states. Here are the top 10 states seeing the most spending on TV ads: - Georgia: $258 million - Pennsylvania: $241 million - Arizona: $213 million - Wisconsin: $204 million - Nevada: $171 million - Ohio: $167 million - New Hampshire: $128 million - North Carolina: $113 million - Florida: $66 million - Colorado: $40 million — [Domenico Montanaro]( NPR’s senior political editor/correspondent [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- ICYMI: Top Stories Jacquelyn Martin/AP Jan. 6 committee’s Trump subpoena: The House Jan. 6 committee [formally issued its subpoena to former President Trump](. The subpoena requires Trump to produce documents by Nov. 4 and to appear for testimony on or about Nov. 14. Bannon sentenced: Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon [was sentenced to 4 months in prison]( after he refused to comply with a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection. The judge in the case says he's prepared to let Bannon remain free while he appeals his convictions. Biden releases oil reserves: President Biden authorized [the release of another 15 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve]( after OPEC+ announced that it plans to cut production in November. Biden said the 15 million barrels will be released sometime in December. SCOTUS on debt relief: The Supreme Court [refused to block the rollout of the Biden administration's student debt relief plan]( allowing the program to move forward — at least for now. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who is assigned to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, was the one who received — and denied — the emergency application, which was brought by the Brown County Taxpayers Association. Ukraine and the midterms: Plugged-in Ukrainians are [keeping a close eye on November's midterm elections in the U.S.]( worried if Republicans take control of Congress, U.S. support for Ukraine during Russia's invasion will come to a halt. Biden on the campaign trail: President Biden is facing low approval ratings heading into the 2022 midterm elections. That means [many Democratic candidates in tough races have avoided making campaign appearances with him.]( — [Brandon Carter]( NPR Politics social media producer --------------------------------------------------------------- Become a NPR Politics+ Subscriber Hey y'all. Want to show your support for our podcast and even listen to sponsor-free episodes? Try subscribing to The NPR Politics Podcast+ and get your political insights, news and analysis without the distraction. Learn more at [plus.npr.org/politics]( or at the link below. [Subscribe Today]( --------------------------------------------------------------- The Shot: A star nursery up close NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI). The James Webb telescope can peer through dust that can obscure stars and other objects seen in images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. The stunning photos above of the Pillars of Creation show those differences -- the left was taken by Hubble in 1995, the right by the James Webb telescope in 2022. [Read -- and see -- more from NPR's Ashley Ahn about the details in the new images of the star nursery](. — [Heidi Glenn]( NPR digital editor --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Listen Live]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( What do you think of today's email? 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