Justice Department Asks Court to Halt Alaska Senate Certification if Sen. Sullivan Loses but Would Have Won With His Namesake's Votes; Trump Says He Ordered the Suit
The federal suit was filed Oct. 22, less than two weeks before the Nov. 3 election. It says a second Dan Sullivan on the ballot could confuse voters. Democrat Mary Peltola calls it corruption, and Attorney General Todd Blanche says it does not seek to stop certification.
U.S.
Trump Tells Florida Rally U.S. 'May Do Another Little Epic Fury' Against Iran Unless It Agrees to a Deal, and Floats a Warship 'Stopover' Near Cuba
Cuba's foreign minister rejected the remarks. Iran's foreign minister said renewed war would not change Tehran's positions, and Iran's military chief said U.S. warships would not be allowed into the Persian Gulf.
Obama Rallies for Acton in Cleveland, Criticizes Ramaswamy Ad Featuring Her Estranged Mother
The Republican campaign's $4 million ad has Donna Arthur calling her daughter a liar about her childhood; 1978 court records show Acton's stepfather was indicted for sexual conduct with her as a child, and Ramaswamy says the ad is about lying, not abuse.
Trump Denies Report He Wants the Briefing Room Turned Into a Pool, Says He 'May Move' the Press Corps
Trump's Oct. 24 post came four days after a New York Times report, a day after his former press secretary said on TV that he had been "flirting" with the idea, and 11 days after a judge ruled that his ban on three outlets was likely unconstitutional.
Cook Political Report Moves 19 House Races Toward Democrats and Now Rates 220 Seats as Favoring the Party
In its Oct. 23 update, the forecaster projected a Democratic gain of 12 to 22 seats in the Nov. 3 midterms. Republicans say races are won district by district, and House Speaker Mike Johnson has asked President Trump for more campaign money.
Full 5th Circuit Rules 10-7 That the Constitution Does Not Require Bond Hearings for Immigrants Held Under Trump Detention Policy
The ruling covers Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, while the Supreme Court separately decides whether federal immigration law itself requires the hearings.
Trump Lifts 50% Tariff on Plywood, Seaweed and Other Canadian Goods Sought by Sen. Collins, Adds Carpets, Paints and Freezers, Effective Oct. 30
An Oct. 23 proclamation takes some packaging, equipment and seaweed imports off the 50% Canada tariff list after Maine Sen. Susan Collins asked for relief, and puts dozens of other Canadian products on it.
N.C.
UNC System Sent 19 Student Complaints About Excel College Near Black Mountain to N.C. Justice Department in July 20 Letter
The complaints, which Asheville Watchdog obtained through public records requests, allege sexual misconduct, pressure to sign non-disparagement agreements and threats of lawsuits. The college's lawyer says it "utterly and categorically denies the allegations."
North Carolina Early Voting Passes 1.1 Million Ballots as of Oct. 22, About 38% Above the Same Point in 2022
Ballots tallied as of Thursday morning, Oct. 22, came 43% from registered Democrats, 22.5% from Republicans and 34% from unaffiliated voters, though outlets give different totals depending on when they counted; in-person early voting runs through Oct. 31.
Carolina Journal Poll: Cooper 49.4%, Whatley 39.1% in N.C. Senate Race, a 10.3-Point Lead After 15.1 in September
The Oct. 18–20 survey of 600 likely voters shows Republican Michael Whatley gaining as undecided voters drop, while Democrat Roy Cooper's share holds near 49%.
US Conec Plans $149.7 Million Hickory Plant With 224 New Jobs; State Pledges $500,000 Performance-Based Grant
The Catawba County maker of fiber-optic connectors expects to finish hiring by the end of 2030, and Hickory and Catawba County will hold hearings on local incentives in mid-November.
Gov. Stein Asks N.C. Supreme Court to Review 2-1 Appeals Ruling That Let the State Auditor Appoint Elections Boards
Stein's petition challenges a 2024 law that moved elections board appointments from the Democratic governor to Republican Auditor Dave Boliek; Boliek's picks gave the state board and all 100 county boards 3-2 Republican majorities.
Stein Urges In-Person Voting, Says Mail Ballot Rejections Are 'Twice as High' as 2022; State Board Data Show 3.1% So Far vs. 2.6% at Same Point in 2022
North Carolina's governor blames new State Board of Elections rules on sealing absentee envelopes. The board's own early data show a smaller increase, and critics say his comparison overstates the problem.
Finance
Audi Plans Its First U.S. Factory, a $4 Billion Plant Near Macon, Georgia; Trump Announces It at Campaign Rally
Audi and Georgia say the plant will bring about 4,500 jobs and build up to 200,000 SUVs a year starting in the early 2030s. Trump credited his tariffs. Audi's CEO called it a long-term bet on the American market, while Volkswagen keeps talking with Washington about tariff relief.
Week Ahead: Fed Announces Rate Decision Oct. 28; Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon Report Earnings; Q3 GDP and September PCE Data Due Oct. 29
On Oct. 23, futures put the odds of a rate hike at about 10%, so most expect the Fed to hold. That turns attention to Big Tech's spending plans and to inflation data, where forecasters expect headline PCE prices to rise 0.5% in September and third-quarter growth to come in at roughly 3.0%–3.2%.
American Express Plans to Cut About 5% of Its Workforce and Records a $336 Million Pretax Restructuring Charge, Citing AI Preparation
Executives disclosed the cuts, about 3,500 jobs by the company's count, on the Oct. 23 third-quarter earnings call, alongside higher profits and a raised full-year forecast; the shares closed down between 3.34% and 3.7% that day, depending on the data source.
Reuters Poll: 94 of 100 Economists Expect Fed to Hold Rates on Oct. 28; All 100 Expect a December Hike
Fed funds futures put October hike odds at about 7% to 8% on Oct. 23, down from about 17% a week earlier, and December hike odds at roughly 71% to 83%, depending on the source and the day, as Brent crude settled at $116.72.
Dow Falls 652.82 Points as Brent Oil Settles at $116.72, Its Highest Close Since April 29
On Friday, Oct. 23, the Dow lost 1.23%, the S&P 500 lost 0.52% and the Nasdaq lost 0.21%. Brent crude rose 3.1% and WTI rose 3.8%, after new Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and a New York Times report that the U.S. and Israel have plans for new strikes on Iran.
Nasdaq Falls 2.6%, Its Worst Day Since June, as Meta Drops About 7% After Raising Its AI Spending Outlook
The S&P 500 fell 1.2% and the Dow was flat on Thursday, Oct. 22. Meta reported its first negative free cash flow in at least a decade and plans a new non-voting share class. Tesla also fell after beating forecasts, closing down about 3%.
World
Two Israeli Soldiers Killed at Hebron Checkpoint; Netanyahu Orders City Cordon and Announces Wider West Bank Operation
Israel's army says thousands of Hebron residents have been moved out of their homes and the West Bank will be closed on Tuesday's election day. Palestinian officials call the operation collective punishment, and a final Maariv poll puts Netanyahu's bloc at 48 seats to the opposition's 54.
Brazil Votes in Presidential Runoff Between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro After 47%-45% First Round
Final polls show a statistical tie that still leans narrowly toward Bolsonaro. The race also brings fights over U.S. pressure on Brazil and over how Meta's AI tool treated the two candidates.
Aramco Orders Dhahran Headquarters Evacuated After Houthis Claim Four Strikes on Saudi Arabia in 48 Hours
Separately, oil from a tanker hit near the UAE on Oct. 9 reached Umm Al Quwain beaches, and Brent crude posted its highest settlement since April.
Gunman Kills One and Wounds Five in Drive-By Shooting Near Paris; Antiterror Prosecutors Investigate a Racist Motive
A 39-year-old man is in custody after a 15-minute shooting in Trappes and La Verrière, which President Macron called a "racist terrorist attack"; the 70,000 police France is deploying this weekend were ordered for nationwide protests, not because of the shooting.
Gunmen Kill at Least Eight and Wound Dozens at a Funeral in a Greek Orthodox Church in Jordan's Karak
King Abdullah II called the Friday shooting a terrorist attack and vowed the "harshest retaliation." No group has formally claimed it. Officials say they know the suspects' names but have not released them.
Kim Jong Un Enters China at Dandong via New Yalu River Bridge, Seoul Says; South Korean Official Reports Meeting With Premier Li Qiang
South Korean officials and Yonhap say North Korea's leader crossed into China on Saturday, October 24, 2026. Neither Beijing nor Pyongyang had confirmed the trip in early reports. It comes ahead of China's Korean War anniversary on October 25 and the November APEC summit in Shenzhen.
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.