This is the Oct. 31 edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered straight to your inbox every Monday through Friday.
Happy Friday and Happy Halloween! Besides taking the kids out to trick-or-treat, there’s a lot on the weekend calendar to keep you busy.
For sports fans, the World Series moves north of the border, and the Toronto Blue Jays try to do the unthinkable by blowing up baseball’s version of the Death Star–aka the Los Angeles Dodgers.
If you’re in New York tonight, you can find designated streets in most neighborhoods that are closed for trick-or-treaters. My kids always loved going up and down West 69th Street to take in the outlandish decorations and festive atmosphere. If you’re downtown, drop by the 52nd Annual Village Halloween Parade at 7 p.m. in Greenwich Village.
In Washington, D.C., Grammy-winning composer and recording artist Jon Batiste will be headlining at The Anthem tonight, kicking off the show at 8 p.m.
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will be presenting “Bugs Bunny at the Symphony” this weekend, starting at 7:30 p.m. tonight and tomorrow. Rock legend John Fogerty will be in Atlantic City tonight, the Breeders’ Cup will be run at the Del Mar Race Track in San Diego County, the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” 50th Anniversary Tour will roll into the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis tonight, and the Ozark Painters, Makers & Shakers Art Crawl will have local artists, crafters and musicians take over downtown Fayetteville, Ark. for Halloween-themed art, food and entertainment.
Unfortunately, the news tomorrow may be especially tough for over 40 million Americans whose food assistance stops because of the government shutdown in Washington. A federal judge has ordered the White House to tap into its emergency fund to keep payments going, but the administration will likely appeal that decision.
For now, let’s all hope Republicans and Democrats can see a way forward in opening the government again. There is something deeply troubling about members of Congress getting paid for not working while government employees are being forced to work without pay.
Americans deserve better.
Now let’s get to your emails.
MAILBAG
Thank you to our many readers who have written to The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe! Here, the “Morning Joe” family answers a few of your burning questions.
What is the best and worst part of doing Morning Joe for so many years? — Peter from Pennsylvania
Joe: The best part is that we have a family that watches every day. When I meet people in airports, at baseball games, in the grocery store, or wherever I am, so many people act like they know me. Because they do. They’ll hug me and ask, “How’s Barnicle?” or “I loved what Lemire wrote last week” or “You and Willie should listen to Mika and stop talking about sports so much!” They tell Mika and me how we are a part of their mornings and their lives. It’s like we’re all a family. This is the only TV I’ve ever done, but people in this business tell me the connection is unusually strong. We love that.
The worst part is waking up at 4 o’clock every day for two decades! When you’re 44, it’s easier. When you’re 62, it’s a bit tougher. The hardest part for me is not getting up in the morning. It’s when you start fading earlier in the evening. You want to be up and at it to answer your kids’ calls or watch your son’s baseball game. But 20 years of this just makes that a bit tougher. Still, Mika and I wake up every morning and thank God for blessing us with this job and these friends for 18 years.
Willie: For 18 years, we’ve all felt like we have perpetual jet lag. You’re a little bit tired, which is fine, but we immediately start joking with each other before the show starts, and that’s when the best part clicks in–which is being around a table, getting to be your pure, authentic self. We can range from sports–which frustrates some of our viewers!–to music and, of course, to our bread and butter, politics. But it’s this table for me.
Of everything written in Project 2025, how much has been accomplished so far by the Trump administration? — Beth from Pennsylvania
Jonathan Lemire: The ethos of Project 2025 is slashing the federal government, and more than anything, its guiding principle is to empower the executive to make everything come from the president of the United States — the unitary theory of government is what they call it, and we see that playing out each and every day. This president acts like Congress doesn’t exist. For the most part, the courts have gone along with this approach as well, so that to this point, Project 2025 has been deeply successful. There’s more to come.
Joe: When the President was on Air Force One the other night, he challenged the courts and basically said, “I can put the Marines, the Army, the Air Force, National Guard, anywhere I want. The courts can’t do anything to stop me.” He seemed to be sending a message to the Roberts Court: “You don’t matter. I can do whatever I want.”
Who’s the best drummer of all time, Keith Moon or John Bonham? — Kathy from Michigan
Joe: Few drum grooves move me more than the beginning of “When the Levee Breaks” with John Bonham wailing away on his kit. But for me, The Who is probably second in my mind only to The Beatles. I’m a Keith Moon man. “Who’s Next” would be my first exhibit proving that case.
Willie: I like it. I actually just consulted Rolling Stone. They have their 100 greatest drummers of all time. They go Bonham 1, Keith Moon 2, Ginger Baker, 3. That’s their top three.
I grew up in a Stones and Zeppelin house. When my son George started playing the drums when he was eight years old, they started him with Zeppelin. I’ve heard a lot of that in our house over the last few years. So I’m going to go Bonham.
Want to see what Mike had to say? Tune in.
SPILL IT!
Next week, we’ll have June Squibb, Jeff Hiller, and Mark L. Walberg on the show to discuss their new film, “Lost & Found in Cleveland.” Want to ask a question? Send it over, and we will pick our favorite to ask on the show!
CATCH UP ON MORNING JOE
This has been The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe. See you next time!
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Former Rep. Joe Scarborough, R-Fla., is co-host of MS NOW's "Morning Joe" alongside Mika Brzezinski — a show that Time magazine calls "revolutionary." In addition to his career in television, Joe is a two-time New York Times best-selling author. His most recent book is "The Right Path: From Ike to Reagan, How Republicans Once Mastered Politics — and Can Again."