| | | The Insider | October 26, 2026 |
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| | | Dear Member, | Good afternoon, and happy Monday. | President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s dramatic reelection in Brazil would appear to be a setback for President Donald Trump and his ambitions in the Western Hemisphere. | But Trump may already have secured an important victory in Lula’s Brazil. | Despite tensions between the two leaders, the U.S. could have gained a foothold in Brazil’s critical rare-earth industry, potentially strengthening Washington’s position in its larger strategic competition with China. | Senior Editor Shane Croucher unpacks what Lula’s victory might mean for Washington — |
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| | | | | | | | To be sure, had Trump's right-wing ally Flávio Bolsonaro won, life would be easier in the White House as it looks to aggressively enforce America's hemispheric hegemony. | But the contest in Brazil that matters most to Washington, D.C., is the U.S. competition with China. | As Newsweek wrote previously, Trump could theoretically win Brazil with a Bolsonaro presidency, but still ultimately lose the country to Beijing. | | The Donroe Doctrine is down in Brazil, but it is not out. | Strategic access does not need perfect political alignment. The absence of a Brazilian Trump in Brasília has not stopped the U.S. from getting its hands on critical resources. Even under Lula.
Lula’s government has its own ambitions for those resources. | A law he signed on September 16 promotes processing and industrial development inside Brazil, with incentives designed to retain more of the economic benefits at home. | The transactions show that American access to strategic resources can advance under a government that resists Washington politically, and which Trump himself has openly attacked. | | | | | | Reader questions today: | | Let us know your thoughts here<—we’ll feature your comments in the next edition. | | | | | | | Now to reader mail. 📬
In the last edition we asked: | |
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| | | Here's what some of you had to say (edited for length and clarity): | John says: "Trump whined, 'It's cheating like hell.' This coming from the biggest cheater in political history. More than a bit ironic, don't you think? Rules apply to everyone else, but not to the crook in the White House." | Bev says: "Do Alaskans have no brains to figure out the difference? I think not. Good grief. Let's talk desperation. Are the Republicans and Trump in such a mind they'd lose fairly? Would they not win fairly that shenanigans are required?" | Janet says: "Trump is looking for anything to stop the Alaskan voters from going Democrat, and now he found it! But was the second person with a similar name added in the right process? Yes, I read about the two candidates with similar names way before they were targeted as a scam worthy of MAGA attention. Geeze, Trump probably wishes he had thought of doing that: maybe two Paxtons to make it his win. So now more money down, more money needed in defense of the democratic process." | Nicholas says: "Of course not.....just another smokescreen from Trump as he has already started subverting the midterm elections, knowing he's getting smoked." | George says: "No! Their argument is absolutely ridiculous. How stupid do they think their constituents are? Oh, wait....." | Cynthia says: "If this was considered such a difficult issue, DOJ should have filed their lawsuit long ago instead of waiting until two weeks before the election. This is just another last-ditch effort by Trump to meddle in the midterm election." | Nicki says: "Two Dan Sullivans on the ballot for the same office should have been disallowed by the Alaska Elections Commission, especially with the already confusing ranked-choice voting. The voters are only going to see 'Dan Sullivan,' not the middle initial or the Jr. stuck on the end of one's name, if those distinctions are even printed on the ballot. I have said all along that the unknown Dan Sullivan is a plant, since he has not been campaigning or fundraising." | Green says: "Many voters don't really pay close attention to who is running in an election, so sure, this could have an impact on the election." | Hank says: "In normal times, having two candidates with the same name on a ballot is just a twist of fate. All eligible people who are candidates should be able to run and not be excluded when told, 'Hey, you can't run. We already have a person with that name.' Also, it is incumbent, no pun intended, upon the voters to keep themselves informed and know who they are voting for. The thought, though, is that one or the other will feel that votes are lost due to the confusion. But that is politics." | Bruce says: "I believe this matter has already been litigated, with both Dan Sullivans remaining on the ballot. Voters may indeed be confused, but the actual Dan will have 'Incumbent' by his name, which should reduce the effects considerably. In any case, there can be no legal justification for transferring one candidate's votes to another." | Ruby says: "No, the ballot clearly notes the current description of each candidate. If voters are confused, it is due to their own lack of common sense. Not everything can be blamed on someone else. Personal responsibility and acceptance of consequences seem to have disappeared in today's society." | Lloyd says: "There is nothing in election law to prevent this. Most voters vote by Repub or Dem anyway, so there is no confusion. I presume they are not related? Still, an amazing coincidence." | Dale says: "It could, unless the ballot carries an 'I' after the incumbent's name like many states do. The 'I' would make the difference between the two perfectly clear." | Dolly says: "If you pay attention to the full name of each person, you would not confuse the two people." | Dee says: "Since one states 'incumbent' right on the ballot, it seems pretty self-evident who is whom." | Fred says: "No." | Thank you for writing in. | | | We also ran a poll: | Will Democrats win control of both the House and Senate in the midterms? | 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Yes
🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ No | The majority of you said yes. | | | We have a new poll today: | | | Josh Turek, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Iowa, said President Donald Trump has done a “better job” on the border than former President Joe Biden, while identifying several areas where he could work with the Republican president if elected next month. |
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| | | | | | Has Trump done a better job regarding the border in comparison to Biden? | | | |
In today's edition:
| Dissecting Matthew McConaughey. | | Read this – and more below. | |
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| | | | Israel’s Election Divides Immigrants Over Netanyahu and the Future |
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| | | | As Israel approaches an election in which neither major political bloc appears assured of a governing majority, immigrants who have made the country their home are expressing sharply different views about its political future. It reflects divisions over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, national security and the country's relationship with the United States. | Interviews with five Israelis who moved from the United States and Italy, some within the past few months and others more than a decade ago, reveal how people united by the decision to build their lives in Israel can disagree profoundly about how it should be governed. | Their experiences offer a personal view of a national divide that extends beyond support for Netanyahu. Even among immigrants who share a strong attachment to Israel, there is disagreement over what the country needs most: experienced leadership, political change, greater national unity or a different relationship with Washington. | Israel's Election Polls Reveal a Divided Country | Recent polling reflects the country's political divisions. | A Maariv poll published on October 23 projected 48 seats for Netanyahu's coalition parties and 54 for the main opposition bloc, leaving both short of the 61 seats required to control Israel's 120-member parliament, the Knesset. | The divisions extend beyond party preferences. A September Israel Democracy Institute survey found that foreign affairs and security were the leading electoral considerations among Jewish respondents identifying with the right, while economic concerns led among centrists and religion-and-state issues ranked first on the left. | Those competing priorities are also evident among immigrants preparing to cast their ballots. | Why One American Immigrant Is Backing Netanyahu | For Jen Aziz, 36, who moved to Israel from New York, this summer, voting for the first time as an Israeli citizen carries considerable emotional weight. | "It feels very just like you're finally like a real part of this nation because you're able to have a say in what the government looks like," she told Newsweek. | Aziz said she had spoken with Israelis who wanted Netanyahu replaced after his long tenure in power, but her own assessment is different. | She credits Netanyahu's relationship with the United States and the joint military operations against Iran's nuclear facilities with demonstrating his effectiveness as a leader. | "For me personally, he wins my vote just for having accomplished that," Aziz said. | | Aziz believes Israel needs an experienced politician capable of working closely with Washington, particularly given the country's security challenges. | Her support illustrates one argument for Netanyahu's reelection: that his experience and international relationships are assets during a period of extraordinary security pressures. | For other immigrants, however, the same turbulent years have produced a different conclusion. | Why Other Immigrants Want Political Change | Isaac Levy, 32, moved to Israel from Milan in 2012. Having voted in several previous elections, he believes this contest feels unusually consequential. | "People feel that their life in the country is at stake, from both parties," he said. | Levy wants a change of government, citing the human and economic costs of recent years and the unequal distribution of military responsibilities. | "These last four years were very harsh; many people lost their lives, homes, families, jobs," Levy said. | He is particularly critical of the burden placed on Israelis who serve in the military reserves. He said that parts of the population receive state support while contributing comparatively little to national service. | "This has to stop; it's becoming unbearable and the current government has an interest in keeping it as it is," Levy said. | The disagreement reflects a broader electoral fault line. The Israel Democracy Institute found that military conscription ranked among the two leading voting considerations for 34 percent of Jewish respondents identifying with the political center. | Levy also worries about Israel's long-term standing in the United States. | "Israel needs to act to change the public opinion in the USA," he said. He added that political change now could help protect the relationship beyond the Netanyahu and Trump administrations. | A Shared Desire for Unity, Different Visions of Leadership | For Nicolas Nemni, 37, who moved from Milan in 2019, the election raises questions about Israel's ability to overcome internal divisions. | "My hope is simple: unite the people of Israel. To be able to set aside differences and unite for the good of the country," he said. | | Nemni also wants the next government to address the cost of living by tackling monopolies, while maintaining Israel's security through diplomacy or military action when necessary. | Danielle Eisenberg, 34, who moved from New York City in June, similarly hopes the next government will focus on "uniting the country after years of divisiveness." | "I feel like this is the first time my vote actually matters," she said. | Neither Danielle nor Nemni specified which party they intend to support. | Jordan Karmily, 42, who moved from New York this summer, approaches his first Israeli election through the lens of Jewish identity. | "Voting is a major expression of identity, and to do so in our homeland, after centuries of being unwelcome guests all over the globe, will undoubtedly be a profound moment," he said. | Karmily wants decisive leadership and greater Israeli independence from Washington, even while maintaining a close alliance. | "An ideal relationship of any kind is one of genuine camaraderie and loyalty, without dependence," he said. | His preferred party also remains unspecified. | What Israel's Election Could Mean for Immigrant Voters | The interviews reveal how immigrants who see voting in Israel as an expression of belonging have reached different conclusions about how their adopted country should be governed. | The divide also reflects a wider question about Israel's relationship with the United States. Some, like Aziz, see Netanyahu's ties to Washington as a reason to retain him. Others, including Levy, believe a change of leadership could help Israel rebuild its international standing. | The immediate question is whether either political camp can assemble a governing majority. With recent polls showing both blocs short of 61 seats, coalition negotiations could prove as consequential as the vote itself. | For immigrants preparing to cast their first Israeli ballots and those who have participated in several elections, the outcome will help determine which priorities the next government pursues. Their votes may point in different directions, even as they share a commitment to the country they have chosen as home. | Anna Rahmanan is the Editor of subscriber content at Newsweek. | | Do you agree with this story? Send us a note here. | |
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| | | | | | | | The Future of American Power Runs Through India | How the U.S. manages its relationship with the rising titan will determine America’s influence and prosperity in tomorrow’s world. | Read more. |
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| | | | | | | | Has Russia Stopped Fearing NATO? | Opinion | “Moscow may conclude that the threshold is not really a line at all, but something that moves as Russia approaches it.” | Read more. |
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| | | | | | | | How Trump’s Hero Winston Churchill Would Handle Putin and Ukraine | Faith in personal diplomacy. Showing strength. But also extracting a price. Trump echoes Churchill—and could learn from him. | Read more. |
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| | | | | | | | Matthew McConaughey’s Declaration of Independence: Dissected | Dissected: A Hollywood actor’s six-minute soliloquy urging everyone to take independent candidates seriously. | Read more. |
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