Politics: 5 stories from this week

October 3, 2026

Here are some stories you might have missed this week, curated by Times editors and personalized for you.

Ryan David Brown for The New York Times

John Roberts and His Island

After decades of potlucks and paddle-boarding on Maine’s midcoast, rising anger and protests have left the Supreme Court’s chief justice more isolated than ever.

By Jodi Kantor

Kristi Noem, wearing a blue suit, sits at a table during a meeting.

Doug Mills/The New York Times

Kristi Noem Files for Divorce After 34 Years of Marriage

Ms. Noem, a former homeland security secretary and governor of South Dakota, filed court papers there seeking to end her marriage to Bryon Noem, an insurance salesman.

By Michael Levenson

via YouTube

Trump Directed Use of Taxpayer Money for Ads Praising His Presidency

The government-funded ads show just how much President Trump has been able to use federal money for his own aims.

By Maggie Haberman, Hamed Aleaziz, Shane Goldmacher and Jonathan Swan

Ken Paxton smiles as he stands in a crowd including other Republican politicians.

Shelby Tauber for The New York Times

G.O.P. Nominee in Texas Privately Said Trump’s Convention Hurt Him

Ken Paxton, one of the party’s top Senate candidates and a Trump loyalist, said that “everybody’s numbers dropped” after the event, according to audio obtained by The Times.

By Theodore Schleifer

Donald Trump speaking at a presidential podium inside the Oval Office, flanked by several officials and standing in front of military flags and framed portraits on the wall.

Tierney L. Cross for The New York Times

Most American Children Are Being Auto-Enrolled in Trump Accounts. What to Know.

The Trump administration may have just signed up your child — and more than 60 million others — for a 530A savings account (if you haven’t already done so).

By Tara Siegel Bernard and Claire Cain Miller

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