Two Indian Sailors Missing After Drone Hits Tanker Off Oman; Iran Calls U.S. Reply to Its Seven Hormuz Conditions 'Insufficient'
A drone struck the tanker MT Petro Dolphin at Oman's Sohar anchorage on Oct. 11, the same day Iran's top security official said Washington had accepted only some of Tehran's terms, which include ending the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports. Hormuz transits hit a two-month low last week.
U.S.
Judge Orders Halt to DHS-Funded TV Ads Featuring Trump Hours Before the Government Said They Would End
U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon issued a 14-day temporary restraining order on Sunday, Oct. 11, in a suit led by Common Cause over about $20 million in Homeland Security money, after Justice Department lawyers argued the campaign was ending that night anyway.
Isaias Kills at Least Four in Florida and Alabama After Category 2 Landfall Near Destin
About 670,000 homes and businesses in four states were still without power at midday Saturday, and the National Weather Service confirmed several tornadoes in South Carolina as the storm's remnants moved inland.
Judge Strikes Down Justice Department's Voter-Roll Citizenship Checks, Ruling Congress Never Authorized Them
Judge Sparkle Sooknanan's 78-page ruling also covers voter files from 18 states that handed them over voluntarily. The Justice Department says it is reviewing the decision ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms.
Judge McConnell Ruled in April 2025 That FEMA's Grant Pause Violated His Order; States Filed a New FEMA Enforcement Motion in October 2026
The ruling is 18 months old. The live dispute now is a separate Rhode Island case over immigration conditions on FEMA's fiscal 2026 grants.
Trump Says U.S. 'May' Join Saudi-Led Strikes on Houthis After Riyadh Airport Attack Kills 12
Saudi aviation officials say Saturday's strike on King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people, including one American, and injured 309; the president said Washington will 'look at' moving from its current intelligence role to direct strikes in Yemen.
ICE Tells Agents to Raise Arrests From About 2,000 to 3,000 a Day; Bronx Shooting and California Operation Draw Scrutiny
ICE gave the order by word of mouth, according to sources cited by CNN, while DHS says there are no arrest quotas. Separately, an ICE officer shot a Bronx man who had his 5-year-old son in the car, and advocates report a wave of arrests in California.
N.C.
At Least Five Tornadoes Reported in Central North Carolina as Isaias Remnants Bring Mountain Flooding; Peak Outages Topped 22,000
Weather Service teams are surveying the tornado paths from Fayetteville to Louisburg. In the mountains, heavy rain caused landslides and several water rescues, including two people and a dog caught by the rising Catawba River in Burke County.
Stein Signs House Bill 3, Suspending North Carolina's 41-Cent Gas Tax From Oct. 10 Through Nov. 30
Lawmakers passed the bill 111-1 and 41-0 in a one-day special session. Fiscal staff say it is the first suspension of the state's motor fuels tax. It will cost an estimated $362.3 million, paid from a state reserve fund.
More Than 125 N.C. Faith Leaders Ask Stein and Legislators to Repeal Budget Rule That Makes Schools Excuse Students for Off-Campus Religious Classes
The rule became law with the state budget on July 7, 2026, and districts are already following it; an Oct. 6 letter from clergy calls it unconstitutional, while supporters say it protects parents' choices.
Duke Energy Files Data Center Cost Settlement With N.C. Public Staff; Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and Defense Department Sign On
New customers of 50 megawatts or more would pay upfront for grid hookups that serve only them and post deposits or guarantees for shared upgrades; the N.C. Utilities Commission must still rule.
Tillis Memoir 'How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents' Goes On Sale; He Calls His Hegseth Vote His 'Biggest Regret'
The retiring North Carolina Republican's book prints profane texts he says he sent Trump and criticizes several Trump officials. A senior White House official answered the leaked texts with an insult; on 'The View,' Tillis said he hopes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gets fired.
GOP Super PAC Drops Its Remaining North Carolina Senate Ads After Spending More Than $30 Million for Whatley, Starts a Kansas Buy
The Senate Leadership Fund pledged $71 million to the race earlier this year. It is stopping the unspent part and moving some money to help Sen. Roger Marshall in Kansas. Polls show Republican Michael Whatley trailing Democrat Roy Cooper for North Carolina's open Senate seat.
Finance
Brent Swings Between About $102 and $105 Monday After Trump Announces Russia-Ukraine 'Energy Ceasefire'; Energy Department Loaned Up to 4 Million Barrels of Reserve Crude to Exxon and BP on Saturday After Isaias
Brent was down $1.54 at $103.18 in early Asian trading, then reversed; Reuters had it at $105.41 by 0923 GMT. A drone strike on a tanker off Oman and a projectile strike near Hormuz kept Gulf risk in focus. The Kremlin has not confirmed the truce. U.S. stock futures were mixed and the bond market was closed for Columbus Day.
September CPI Due Wednesday, With Forecasts at 3.6% to 3.7%; JPMorgan, Goldman, Citi and Wells Fargo Report Tuesday as 10-Year Yield Ends Week at 5.24%
Most forecasts have gasoline pushing headline inflation up but core prices rising only 0.2% for the month. Markets put the odds of an October Fed hike at about one in five, and price a December hike as the most likely path.
S&P 500 Rises 0.6% to 7,811.54 Friday and 1.15% for the Week; Brent Settles at $104.72 as Hurricane Isaias Shuts 71.5% of U.S. Gulf Oil Output
Stocks rose Friday after Thursday's AI-led tech selloff, and oil ended slightly higher after giving up early losses tied to President Trump's Iran remarks. Ahead are a hurricane landfall, the Oct. 14 inflation report and the start of earnings season.
Treasury Sells $39 Billion of 10-Year Notes at 5.30%, Highest Auction Yield Since 2000; Market Yield Slips From 2002 High
After the Oct. 7 auction drew more bids than usual, the 10-year yield fell back to about 5.29% from an intraday 24-year high. By Thursday morning yields were climbing again after a Fed governor said more rate hikes are needed.
Initial Jobless Claims Dip 2,000 to 197,000; 10-Year Treasury Yield at 5.23% Ahead of Oct. 14 CPI Report
Layoffs stayed near their lowest level since the late 1960s in the week ending Oct. 3. Hiring stayed slow. Treasury yields sit near their highest since 2002 and Brent crude is above $100, and that is the backdrop for next week's September inflation data.
Nasdaq Falls 1.25% to 27,193.34, Its Worst Day Since Mid-August, After Report Puts OpenAI's Annualized Revenue Near $50 Billion; Futures Rise Friday
Chip and AI-infrastructure stocks led Thursday's drop. A widely reported $70 billion figure turned out to count partner sales that OpenAI's own figure leaves out. On Friday, a Bloomberg report that OpenAI expects $70 billion or more by December lifted futures.
World
North Korea Fires Multiple Ballistic Missiles, One Flying More Than 900 km, Four Days After South Korea's First Hypersonic Test
Seoul's military called Monday's launches a show of force answering its Oct. 8 hypersonic test. Japan counted at least two missiles, both landing outside its exclusive economic zone. South Korea's security office held an emergency meeting and called the launches a breach of U.N. resolutions.
Trump Says Russia and Ukraine Agreed to an 'Energy Ceasefire'; Zelensky Says Kyiv Learned of It From the Media as Ukraine Reports Strikes on Kyiv and Kharkiv Power Sites
Moscow has not confirmed any terms, and no written agreement has been released. The claim came two days after a U.S.-Russia diesel deal and a day after Trump said Ukrainians should replace Zelensky.
Missile Strike on Riyadh Airport Terminal Kills 12 and Wounds 309, Saudi Officials Say; Saudi-Led Coalition Vows Response
The U.S., Qatar, Egypt and Oman condemned Saturday's attack on King Khalid International Airport, which Washington and Riyadh blame on Yemen's Houthis; the group had not formally claimed it as of the latest reports.
Trump Says Ukraine Should 'Get a New Leader' After Zelensky Criticizes U.S.-Russia Diesel Deal
Trump spoke on Oct. 10. The day before, while U.S., Ukrainian and European officials were still meeting in Miami, he announced a deal with Putin on Russian diesel, and the Treasury issued a license easing sanctions until April 7, 2027.
Russian Guided Bombs Kill at Least 11, Including Three Children, in Zaporizhzhia a Day After U.S., Ukrainian and European Talks in Miami; Later Reports Give 12 to 15 Dead
Ukrainian officials say 12 people are still missing after the Saturday strikes, which followed Friday's Miami talks and Trump's announcement of a diesel deal with Putin that eases some Russia sanctions. Zelenskyy has tied the bombing to the sanctions easing.
Iran Says It Agreed Hormuz Route Coordinates With Oman on Oct. 7; IRGC Navy Official Says Nightly Operations Against 'Violating' Ships Continue
Iran's foreign ministry calls the agreed routes a step toward restoring navigation, while a Revolutionary Guards naval official says its forces act every night against ships that break Iran's rules; the U.S. military says the strait is open and Iran does not control it.
Analysis
Unbiased, evergreen deep-dives on the bigger questions — not breaking news.
What Fauci's Released Diary Documents About the U.S. COVID-19 Response — and What It Leaves Unresolved
A 1,141-page personal diary released by Sen. Rand Paul's committee is roughly one-third routine administrative logging; a minority of entries bear directly on contested questions, and a few conflict with contemporaneous public statements.
Eight Months of Mamdani: What New York's Record Actually Shows, and What It Cannot Yet Show
A claim-by-claim audit of what Zohran Mamdani has delivered, how New Yorkers judge it, and what the evidence does and does not license anyone to conclude about the rest of the country.