It’s Friday (Taylor’s Version)! Taylor Swift just released her “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” album with five new vault tracks!! Here’s the album, so you can listen while you read — a lil’ 12:30 soundtrack of sorts. Anyway, here’s the news today before I get back to “New Romantics”:

• It’s day two of “Cate Judges Lawmakers’ Candy Preferences” — where I ask lawmakers about their favorite candies (then rate them via my expert opinion 😉)
• President Biden has a 2024 challenger. Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) announced his intentions today.
• Election denialism is back in the spotlight. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was the architect of the legal strategy to challenge President Biden’s 2020 win.
• The World Series begins tonight!

I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@digital-release.thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.  

I just thought you should know. Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) role as the architect of the GOP’s legal strategy in challenging President Biden’s win has put election denialism back in the spotlight, reports The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch.

How so: “Johnson took a leading role in spearheading an amicus brief backing a Texas lawsuit contesting the 2020 election results, which he said prompted former President Trump to call him to express his appreciation.”

Yep, this happened: Right after Johnson was elected as Speaker, an ABC News reporter asked him about his 2020 election challenge efforts. Republicans booed the reporter, including Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) telling her to “shut up.”

Some context on why this is so remarkable: “A number of Republicans in Congress have acknowledged that Biden won the election and warned that denying his legal victory could damage the country and the GOP.  Yet Johnson ultimately earned the backing of every GOP member present for the vote, including Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), who had voted to depose Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) over the issue of election denialism.”

It’s worth reading Beisch’s full piece on the significance of Johnson’s win. (The Hill)

“Reporters at The Hill have been backgrounding the new Speaker and examining what the House will look like under his leadership. Here’s what they’ve learned.” (The Hill)

Jumping right in: Johnson’s first test comes with the Nov. 17 government funding deadline.

“Johnson has said he wants to prioritize passing full-year spending bills, while proposing a stopgap measure that would run through at least January.” (The Hill)

House Republicans passed their first funding bill since ousting former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

The bill: It’s a partisan energy plan that cuts more than $5 billion in spending.

Keep in mind: This bill is very unlikely to become law. President Biden has threatened to veto it. But it’s meant as a game piece in funding negotiations. (The Hill)

Credit: TikTok/The Hill 

“Here’s a video of our Halloween candy journey. Follow The Hill on Instagram and TikTok for more content like this!

Capitol Hill has been wild this month with the Speakership debacle, and I thought we could all use a breather. So I channeled my ✨passion✨ (candy) and asked a bunch of lawmakers in Washington about their favorite Halloween candy. I even got a few least favorites and unpopular opinions.

So, I’m including a few responses in each edition of The Hill’s 12:30 Report until Halloween, along with my personal commentary, snark and sassy judgment as I see fit. 😉

Today’s picks:

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio): Snickers — Correct.

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.): Junior Mints — Also correct.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.): Caramels and apples dipped in caramel — 7/10, good. But dip that apple in some chocolate and you’ll get an instant upgrade to 10/10

Rep. Deborah Ross (D-N.C.): Malted milk balls, like Whoppers — Those make my teeth hurt. But if they don’t hurt yours, live your best life, congresswoman!

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.): Rolos — You know, those are highly underrated. Like a Milk Dud, but they don’t destroy your teeth.

Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.): Kit Kats or dark chocolate Hershey’s — solid pair 8/10

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.): “Every year the Senator gives out FULL SIZE Hershey chocolate bars. No minis.” — We love a house that gives out full-sized candy bars.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.): Salted Nut Rolls made in St. Paul, Minn. — Hm, I can’t judge properly until I sample these. Has anyone tried a nut roll?

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.): Smarties — That’s an unexpected favorite! Extra point for being the only lawmaker to mention Smarties. 8/10

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa): Peanut M&Ms — 9/10, the most superior M&M

Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.): Mounds — Tasty, but better in Almond Joy form, in my humblest of opinions. 6/10

Note to Hill staffers — If I haven’t talked to your office yet, shoot me an email me with your boss’s favorite Halloween candy. I’ll include it in the next round of ‘Cate Judges Lawmakers’ Candy Preferences.’ cmartel@digital-release.thehill.com 

And note to readers — Feel free to let me know if you agree with my correct opinions. 😉

For full disclosure, your author’s husband works for Sen. Markey.

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) is planning to challenge President Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2024. (The Hill)

Phillips told CBS News’ Robert Costa: “I will not sit still. I will not be quiet in the face of numbers that are so clearly saying that we’re going to be facing an emergency next November.”

Keep in mind: “In August, Phillips signaled he would not challenge Biden, but would encourage others to enter the primary. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ended his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination earlier this month, opting to run as an independent instead.”

Watch his formal announcement

If you’re not the ~most~ familiar with Phillips: Here are 55 things to know about him, via Politico

Tidbit — Phillips just filed in N.H.: “Rep. Dean Phillips just filed his candidacy for president in New Hampshire. He says he gave a courtesy call to President Biden to let him know he was running against him but his call was declined.” Photo from NBC’s Jake Traylor

NBC News’s Ginger Gibson posted some of the best content I’ve seen in a while.

“In 2018, I went to Minnesota to cover a swing district and the campaign told me I could tag along with the candidate on Halloween. This is how [Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.)] greeted me when I arrived at his campaign HQ. Wonder if he’ll pull it out for the campaign trail…”

Photo of Dean Phillips in a full ‘Winnie the Election’ costume

^ If you click on one thing today, do yourself a favor and make it this.

^^ Well, the closing animal video is pretty great today, so keep that in mind, too. 😉

Authorities are still searching for the suspected Lewiston, Maine, mass shooter Robert Card after 18 people were killed at a bowling alley and a restaurant Wednesday. The city of Lewiston remains on lockdown while the search continues. (The Hill)

If you saw coverage of a standoff outside a house: Police were outside his brother and sister-in-law’s home, but it’s unclear if Card was ever there.

These names are what matter in this story: News Center Maine published the victims’ names that have been shared by family and friends. The victims

I have a lot of family from Lewiston and spent a lot of time there — and this whole story breaks my heart. 💔

“President Biden has come out ahead of some of his own administration’s official lines when it comes to the Israel-Hamas war, saying early on that another occupation of Gaza would be a mistake and this week suggesting he was open to the idea that he could ask for a ceasefire only if Hamas releases remaining hostages.”

“Officials such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and national security spokesperson John Kirby have been carefully tiptoeing around questions regarding Israel’s expected ground invasion into Gaza, humanitarian aid to Palestinians caught in a war zone and threats of a wider conflict in the region. But when it comes to the president answering questions from reporters, he’s been decidedly more candid about the volatile matter.” Read Alex Gangitano’s full reporting on the dynamic

🥔🍫 Celebrate good times, come on!: Today is National Potato Day! And to plan your weekend accordingly, tomorrow is National Chocolate Day (!!) and Sunday is National Oatmeal Day.

🍟 Happy Fry-yay!: Pssst, McDonald’s is giving out free french fries every Friday for the rest of the year. There must be a catch: Customers must be a part of the rewards program and have to make a $1 purchase. (Yahoo)

👯‍♀️ 27 days until Thanksgiving!: The Rockettes posted a video of their preparations for the season. Watch

🌅 Wowowow: Check out this video of the sunrise at the U.S. Capitol this morning, posted by @JamesLangnesIII. Watch

The House and Senate are out. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in Washington, D.C. Harris has no public events schedule (all times Eastern)

• 6 p.m.: Biden participates in a campaign reception in Washington, D.C., then leaves for Delaware.
• 8:03 p.m.: The World Series begins between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers. ⚾ Preview and predictions, from ESPN

To get your weekend off to a festive start, here is a hippo absolutely demolishing an entire pumpkin.