New Poll Shows Democrats Have Midterms Momentum, and Trump Calls A.I. Fears ‘a Hoax’
September 15, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readNew Poll Shows Democrats Have Midterms Momentum, and Trump Calls A.I. Fears ‘a Hoax’
The Supreme Court has blocked the Trump administration's attempt to restrict mail-in voting just weeks before the midterms, delivering what the episode calls "a major loss for the president" while Democratic-led states and voting rights groups scored a "resounding win." The court rejected the administration's plan to enlist the Postal Service to screen ballots, which critics had called unconstitutional. The proposed system wasn't even operational yet—the U.S.P.S. website where states would have been required to upload voter lists was still under construction as some states were already sending out ballots. Even chief election officials in multiple Republican-controlled states urged the justices not to allow major voting changes so close to election day, warning it would "almost certainly lead to mistakes, delays, and confusion."
Voting Rights and the Midterms Landscape
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:34) **Episode Open & Supreme Court Blocks Mail-In Voting Restrictions** - Tracy Mumford introduces the show; the Supreme Court rejects the Trump administration’s attempt to limit mail-in voting ahead of the midterms.
- 2 (03:23) **New Poll Shows Democrats Gaining Midterm Momentum** - A Times/Siena poll reveals Democrats have an edge, driven by voter frustration over Trump’s handling of cost of living issues.
- 3 (04:17) **Trump Calls A.I. Fears ‘a Hoax’ in Call with Nvidia CEO** - President Trump weighs in on A.I. safety debates, siding with executives who downplay risks and oppose regulation.
- 4 (05:37) **Trump Administration Accelerates A.I. in Healthcare** - The Department of Health and Human Services pushes A.I. projects for diagnosis and treatment, including A.I. talk therapy for Medicare recipients.
- 5 (06:44) **Unlikely Coalition Unites Against Unchecked A.I.** - Bernie Sanders and Steve Bannon join lawmakers for a “pro-human” A.I. event in Washington.
- 6 (07:31) **Half a Billion Birds Begin Fall Migration** - Radar detects massive bird movements as species head south; ornithologists urge steps to reduce deadly building collisions.
- 7 (09:04) **Emmy Awards: ‘Widows Bay’ and ‘The Pit’ Dominate** - The horror-comedy “Widows Bay” wins 14 Emmys, sweeping comedy awards, while medical drama “The Pit” wins best drama for the second year.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Plus, the biggest night in TV.
Here’s what we’re covering:
- Trump’s Effort to Assert Control Over Elections Continues, Despite Court Loss, by Zolan Kanno-Youngs
- Democrats Gain Edge as Trump Drags Down G.O.P., New Poll Finds, by Shane Goldmacher, Ruth Igielnik and Sophia June
- President Trump Is on the Line About an A.I. Slowdown, by Kalley Huang, Mike Isaac and Karen Weise
- U.S. Health Officials Move Quickly to Deploy Medical A.I. Despite Concerns, by Christina Jewett
- Political Figures From Bernie Sanders to Steve Bannon Sound Alarms on A.I., by Bayliss Wagner and Neil Vigdor
- As Millions of Birds Migrate, Residents Are Asked to Turn Off the Lights, by Ishani Desai
- ‘Widow’s Bay’ Dominates, and 7 Other Takeaways From the 2026 Emmys, by John Koblin
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