Hello, passengers. Seth Richardson is grounded today, so Im in the cockpit. You can follow me, Sabrina Eaton, on Twitter for coverage of Washington news that affects the Buckeye State.

Contracting economies in the Midwest could be a campaign theme in upcoming months, as both political parties plan outreach to key contingencies including rural voters and white working class women.

Dont bank on it: The economies of several states that were key to President Donald Trumps 2016 victory Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin - will contract over the next six months, report Bloombergs Alexandre Tanzi and Gregory Korte. Presidents seeking re-election do well in a growing national economy but are endangered in downturns. The state-by-state data show a more complicated picture for Trump: The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia expects the national economy to grow by 1.48% -- but with slower growth in battleground states that Trump most needs to win.

Rural revival: Trumps re-election campaign hopes to secure an advantage by increasing his support among rural voters in states like Wisconsin, writes McClatchys Alex Roarty. He found its voters view Trumps blunt, outspoken style as an antidote to Washingtons pervasive corruption. Democrats are taking the threat seriously and arms of the party have launched their own counter-effort in states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Florida dead-set on running the kind of effective campaign in these places they say was missing during the last presidential election.

Womens work: Reporting from Iowa, McClatchys David Catanese describes buyers remorse from white, working-class women who voted for Trump in 2016. They liked Trumps populist stance in 2016, but now these key voters in eastern Iowa, central Minnesota, southwestern Wisconsin, northern Ohio and throughout Michigan see his rhetoric as divisive, impulsive and hostile. Additionally, they say their wages arent keeping up with the cost of living, leaving them open to other options. The profile of the eventual Democratic nominee will matter to these voters, as will the issues he or she chooses to prioritize.

What Iowans care about: Cedar Rapids Gazette columnist Lyz Lenz disputes the idea advanced by some of the states politicians that Iowans dont care about the behavior by President Trump that triggered an impeachment inquiry in the U.S. House of Representatives. The cynicism and amoral politicking on what Iowans care about is a game that no one wins. And misses a fundamental aspect of Midwestern nature, which is that Ive seen Iowans bleed from the head and aggressively insist they were fine and there is nothing to talk about, just to be polite. Why should it be any different for the open wound in the White House?

Gloves coming off in Iowa: Democratic candidates vying for their partys presidential nomination are escalating their attacks on one another as the Iowa caucuses approach in less than three months, writes Des Moines Registers Stephen Gruber-Miller. Youve seen some light sniping, some candidates trying sort of backhanded comments, but youre going to see open attacks, open criticism, good old-fashioned attack ads, said Grant Woodard, a Des Moines attorney and former Democratic campaign operative who is not aligned with a 2020 campaign.

The cost of debate: The University of Michigan agreed to pay at least $2.5 million to secure the Oct. 15, 2020 presidential debate at Crisler Center, according to a contract obtained by The Detroit News. The university is visiting schools that hosted past debates to figure out their full costs, so it can fundraise and budget appropriately, reports Beth LeBlanc.

Digging out coal: Last weeks bankruptcy filing by Ohios Murray Energy mining company has raised concerns that the states funds to clean up abandoned mines will be overwhelmed, writes cleveland.coms Jeremy Pelzer. An actuarial report released earlier this year indicated the state would have to pay $202 million to reclaim all 13 of Murrays Buckeye State locations, but the states Reclamation Forfeiture Fund only has about $23 million in it meaning the remaining money would have to come from the states general revenue fund.

Coal comfort: The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed relaxing two Obama-era regulations on waste products from coal-fired power plants, a move environmental groups say would prolong the risk of toxic spills or drinking water contamination, writes Reid Frazier of State Impact Pennsylvania. The agency wants to ease restrictions on coal ash the solid residue left over from burning coal and wastewater from coal plants. In the rule changes announced Monday, plants could have up to three more years to begin closing unlined coal ash ponds, which can leak contaminants into surrounding groundwater.

Carpe diem: Michigan says it remains willing to contribute $8 million toward initial stages of a project to prevent Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes, the Associated Press reports. Department of Natural Resources Director Dan Eichinger affirmed the commitment Tuesday in a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The funding would pay for preconstruction, engineering and design of a planned barrier system at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois. Congress has been asked to cover most of the projects $778 million cost.

Dayton drive-by: Determining that Dayton displays almost every trend affecting modern America, from the opioid disaster to mass shootings to the departure of large factories, The Atlantics James Fallows is planning a series of regular dispatches from the city. His inaugural installment discusses the August shooting with Mayor Nan Whaley, who told him I would like us to be known as a place that action came out of.

Gun policy under fire: An Ohio gun store owner is running a 30-second TV ad that criticizes Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewiczs woke policy of questioning the vendors from whom it buys guns about whether they make assault weapons and sell them to civilians, writes Sarah Elms of The Blade. Steve Thompson, who owns ADCO Firearms in Sylvania, says that if the commercial prompts at least one person to question the mayors policy, it will be worth the $1,000 he spent on the four-month slot on Channel 24.

Abortion case: Indiana backs Ohios efforts to ban women from getting abortions if the fetus has Downs syndrome, according to Dan Carden of nwi.com. The states GOP Attorney General, Curtis Hill Jr., submitted a legal filing Friday on behalf of Indiana supporting Ohios efforts to restrict a womans right to abortion based on the reason why the woman wants to terminate her pregnancy. His friend of the court brief filed at the federal appeals court in Cincinnati says states should have the right to limit abortion based on the womans reason for choosing the procedure to prevent eugenic targeting of certain characteristics.

Expedite expungement: Michigan lawmakers want to make it easier for people with felony convictions to expunge their criminal records, including a proposal that would allow for automatic expungement after 10 years without another crime, writes Riley Beggin of Bridge Magazine. Research shows that expungement which makes certain criminal offenses invisible to the public while remaining visible to police and prosecutors improves access to higher wages and better jobs without threatening public safety. But the process can seem labyrinthian for people who cant afford a lawyer, and criminal justice advocates argue far too few people qualify under existing law.

Pot arrests a plus: Having a pot-related arrest or conviction used to be a liability for job seekers, but a criminal record might lead to a job in Illinois legal marijuana industry, writes Tom Schuba of Chicago Sun Times. The states legalization law gives an edge to budding ganjapreneurs vying for licenses to sell and grow recreational weed if most of their employees have been arrested for or convicted of a cannabis offense thats eligible for expungement. In addition, companies can get a leg up in the process if their workers live in an area disproportionately impacted by past drug policies or have an affected family member.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar appeared at a coffee house in Philadelphia on Monday night, according to Allison Steele of The Philadelphia Inquirer. She spent most of the event making a case for her electability before a crowd of about 350.

https://www.inquirer.com/news/amy-klobuchar-fishtown-philadelphia-20191105.html

Former Vice President Joe Biden was holding a fundraiser in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night, writes Julian Routh of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Attendees were to include real estate executives, deep-pocketed Democratic donors and the youngest son of the late Steelers chairman, Dan Rooney.

Dignitaries who spoke at Mondays funeral of longtime Michigan Democratic Congress member John Conyers included former President Bill Clinton and Detroit music legend Stevie Wonder, report Kathleen Gray and Todd Spangler of Detroit Free Press. The most important thing to remember is how different the playing field was when he began and when he ended, how steep the mountain he climbed over and how many real lives were improved by his labors, said Clinton. Like all great jazz musicians, (John) Coltrane, Miles (Davis) and Charlie Parker, he wasnt perfect. But that makes his achievements all the more important.

Entrepreneur Tom Steyer will attend several campaign events in Milwaukee on Wednesday, his campaign says. They include a breakfast with Milwaukee Latinx leaders, a speech before an American Federation of Teachers Forum, and a town hall hosted by Milwaukee Democrats.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will make a series of Iowa appearances with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Nov. 8 and 9, according to the Des Moines Registers candidate tracker. The pair will hold a rally at Iowa Western Community College on the 8th, conduct a climate crisis summit at Drake University on the 9th, and a rally later that day at the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.

I worry about him the most because I think a lot of voters, particularly in the bubble, forget its more about a gut check than a policy list. Its a gut-check thing.

-Republican former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, referring to Bernie Sanders being a formidable opponent for Donald Trump in rural Wisconsin, according to Alex Roarty of McClatchy. Walker, however, emphasized that rural voters would be drawn to Trumps authenticity and anti-establishment moxie, Roarty writes.

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