Weird NewsWEIRD NEWS

Worst of the 2026 midterm ads tracked; Portland's stained-glass…

Talking Points Memo is cataloging false, menacing and bizarre campaign advertisements ahead of the 2026 midterms, ranked by fact-checkers—meanwhile, a Portland woman's stained-glass raccoon somehow sparked unexpected chaos.

On air: Vera Bullock and Gloria Vance on The Tailgate
Published 8:18 AM ET, Saturday, October 10, 2026

Photo: U.S. Capitol — Photo: Architect of the Capitol · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

The real story

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Talking Points MemoThe Weird, the Menacing and the False: Tracking the Worst of the 2026 Midterms Ads
Your Oregon NewsA Portland woman made a stained-glass raccoon. Then things got weird.

What BBN said about it

Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorTalking Points Memo is tracking the weird, the menacing and the false in twenty twenty-six midterm ads. Fact-checkers are ranking them. I have a bracket.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorI have covered elections where the ads were worse. Those had tanks.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorTop seed is the false one. Number one seed, never lost a fact-check round.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorSeeded by volume, Vera. Not accuracy.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorAlso, Your Oregon News: a Portland woman crafted a stained-glass raccoon. The situation escalated quickly.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorWeirder than the ads?
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorThe story doesn't say how. But the raccoon is a clear favorite. Everyone can see right through it.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorFinally. A candidate with transparency.