A private mercenary force led by Erik Prince, founder of the notorious Blackwater security company and a close ally of President Donald Trump, suffered heavy casualties in a September 17th ambush in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to investigations by the New York Times and Reuters, approximately 20 people were killed or wounded, including at least seven Congolese citizens and a former New Zealand special forces soldier who died. The attack was suspected to have been carried out by Rwandan military forces supporting the M23 rebel movement, although responsibility has not been independently confirmed.
(“A Deadly Firefight Exposes Erik Prince’s New Shadow War in Congo,” New York Times, Oct. 9, 2026; “Erik Prince’s Forces Suffer Battlefield Loses in Congo,” Reuters, Oct. 9, 2026)
An investigation by The Intercept reveals that executives and employees of weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin contributed $59,500 to Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine during May and June 2023, as the company’s troubled F-35 fighter jet program faced intense government scrutiny. At the time, the aircraft program was a decade behind schedule and nearly $200 billion over its original cost estimate, while a Government Accountability Office report warned of additional technical problems and inadequate congressional oversight. Collins, then the ranking Republican on the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, received more campaign money from Lockheed employees and executives during that period than any other member of Congress. Just weeks later, Collins voted to approve funding for the purchase of 83 additional F-35 fighter jets.
(“Lockheed Martin Showered Susan Collins with Cash As F-35 Project Hit Turbulence,” Intercept, Oct. 15, 2026)
Washington state voters will decide in November whether to repeal a new 9.9 percent income tax on annual earnings above $1 million, enacted by Democratic lawmakers earlier this year. The tax would affect approximately 20,000 wealthy households and is projected to generate $3.5 billion annually to fund public education, healthcare, tax credits and sales tax relief. Conservative hedge fund executive Brian Heywood, founder of the political action committee Let’s Go Washington, is leading the repeal campaign through ballot Initiative 645. Heywood and other opponents argue that the tax threatens economic growth, could drive wealthy residents and businesses out of the state, and might eventually be expanded to middle-income families.
(“Millionaire Tax No More: Right Wing Groups Lead Effort to Repeal Washington State’s Tax,” Guardian, Oct. 7, 2026; “Washington Taxes its Millionaires, Now the Rich Want it Repealed,” New York Times, Sept. 27, 2026)
