What the morning news shows covered today: one entry per story, every show's take.

A Times/Siena poll finds Democrats leading Republicans by nearly nine points in the generic congressional ballot, a margin comparable to 2018 and indicative of wave territory. The poll shows Trump at just 28% support on cost of living, the top issue for voters, with his actions dragging the party down on perceptions of elitism, extremism, and corruption. Democrats must flip four Senate seats and hold three vulnerable ones, with the main battleground in states Trump won by 10-13 points like Ohio, Alaska, Iowa, and Texas. The Texas Senate race between Democrat James Talerico and Republican Ken Paxton is now highly competitive, driven by the favorable national environment, Paxton's scandals, and Talerico's appeal to independents. Republicans hold a roughly half-billion-dollar financial advantage over Democrats, including a $130 million RNC edge and $400 million in Trump's super PAC, and are deploying it to shore up vulnerable incumbents with $50 million in TV ads booked in Texas in a single day. Republicans are running a national strategy to label Democratic candidates as socialists or radicals, while broad-scale Islamophobia is being coupled with the anti-socialist message, particularly in Michigan. Trump is explicitly making the midterms about himself, asking voters to pretend he is on the ballot, and is aware of the possibility of losing Congress but believes it won't directly impact him due to presidential immunity and his plan to pardon aides. Trump criticized the three Supreme Court justices he appointed for blocking his efforts to restrict voting by mail, calling them shells of their original selves, and threatened to block funding after a federal judge ruled the Kennedy Center cannot honor him with an exterior inscription.

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President Trump flatly rejects warnings from AI company CEOs about the technology's dangers, calling the threat to humanity a hoax and arguing that only a strong president is needed to control AI. He insists the U.S. must go full speed ahead to maintain its lead over China, framing AI development as a race against China and calling criticism of AI a conspiracy benefiting China. The Trump administration suspended some AI export controls and allowed Chinese companies to buy powerful semiconductor chips, taking a cut of sales, which contradicts the framing of AI as a race against China. Two conferences revealed conflicting views on AI control: Washington speakers like Bernie Sanders called for regulation, while San Francisco tech leaders like Jensen Huang and Sam Altman argued the market can self-regulate and urged trust in the industry. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei states that AI technology is already in desperate need of reform and that the industry has lied about its risks, while OpenAI executives acknowledge the need for action. A bipartisan bill proposing an AI kill switch is gaining traction, which would require companies like Anthropic and OpenAI to have systems to turn off rogue models. Fed Chair Kevin War stated that more than half of all corporate investment over the past year has been attributed to AI, which explains why the president is bullish on the technology despite warnings.

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The Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration's plan to change how Americans vote by mail, rejecting a request to pause a federal judge's ruling blocking new USPS mail-in ballot requirements. The ruling means the status quo continues for mail-in voting in the midterm elections, with ballots being delivered as usual. Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the majority to keep the USPS plan blocked but wrote that there is at least a fair prospect the USPS has legal authority to carry out the plan, noting the postal service lacks enough time to implement the changes for the midterms without violating federal law. President Trump criticized the three Supreme Court justices he appointed for blocking his efforts, calling them shells of their original selves.

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A Pentagon inspector general report confirms a strategic shortfall in precision weapons due to the Iran war and resupply bottlenecks, contradicting White House claims that the military has more than enough stockpiles. The report uses the word strategic shortfall, suggesting a serious and long-term structural problem exacerbated by resupply bottlenecks. If another big front opened, like a war in the Indo-Pacific, there will be serious problems for the Americans being able to defend themselves. The asymmetric nature of warfare means smaller states can make larger militaries like the U.S. spend a lot of money trying to contain any conflict.

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The Kennedy Center says it is on the brink of bankruptcy and an internal memo warns the building may be unsafe to occupy as soon as today. A portion of the ceiling collapsed due to rain damage, and the board is scheduled to discuss the necessary closure of the center. The Kennedy Center is facing a dire financial crisis as artists and audiences have fled, saying it is too politicized, and donations have dried up. Representative Joyce Beatty claims the construction consultants never said the building is dangerous and disputes the board's proposed resolutions. She is fighting in federal court to stop efforts to put President Trump's name on the building. A federal judge ruled the Kennedy Center cannot honor Trump with an exterior inscription, prompting the center's board to shut down for renovations while Trump threatened to block funding.

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Frontier Airlines, an ultra low-cost carrier with a history of poor operational reliability, is adapting its business model by offering bundle options, upcoming first class and Wi-Fi, and investing in its loyalty program to capture both bargain hunters and premium-seeking travelers. The airline faces economic turbulence from inflation and higher jet fuel costs that make low pricing difficult, while consumer appetite for budget travel has waned. Travelers increasingly prefer a better, more premium experience even if it means paying more. Legacy carriers like Delta, American, and United have successfully competed with budget airlines by introducing basic economy fares and investing heavily in premium amenities and loyalty programs. Southwest Airlines is also pivoting its business model to embrace premium demand. While the industry is reshaping to serve affluent customers, there is likely still room for at least one major budget airline like Frontier.

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