Reports: U.S. Told Gulf Allies to Prepare for Possible Iran Strikes as Soon as Nov. 4; Trump Says He Has Not Made a Final Decision
Gulf officials told MS NOW the strikes would be brief, and AP's sources said they could last several days; Qatari mediators held 12-plus hours of talks in Tehran, and Iran's army warned a new U.S. attack would widen the war.
U.S.
Ninth Circuit Panel Votes 2-1 to Deny Justice Department Bid to Set Aside California Mail Ballots of About 20,000 Flagged Voters
The Friday ruling was the administration's second appeals-court loss this week on the issue. It leaves in place a district judge's refusal to order the ballots set aside before the Nov. 3 midterms, and the Justice Department may now turn to the Supreme Court.
Judge Orders Three Taxpayer-Funded Trump Administration Ads Pulled, Including '$5,000 to Americans'; Plaintiffs Had Sought at Least 13
U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon found three online videos paid for by the Executive Office of the President likely broke a federal ban on partisan spending, and the White House called her order 'lawless.'
Federal Judge Orders DOJ and DHS Not to Threaten or Coerce Election Workers Over Noncitizen-Voting Claims Through Nov. 16
Judge Trina Thompson granted a temporary restraining order to unions and civil rights groups, finding they are likely to win their Voting Rights Act intimidation claim; the Justice Department says warning people about criminal exposure is not a threat.
Hegseth Fires Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, Joint Staff's Top Planner; Pentagon Says He Leaked Classified Iran and Ukraine Information and Refers Case to Justice Department
A Pentagon statement says Sylvia failed three polygraph tests. Outside attorneys say publicizing those results may itself break the Privacy Act. Colleagues say Sylvia has denied leaking, and he has not commented publicly.
Federal Judge Bars Immigration Stops Based Solely on Apparent Ethnicity or Class Across Seven Southern California Counties; Administration Appeals
Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong issued a preliminary injunction on Oct. 23, 2026, and partially certified a class. The order requires individualized reasonable suspicion and exempts ports of entry and border checkpoints. DHS says its agents follow the law, and the government filed a notice of appeal on Oct. 28.
Trump Cancels Kansas and Iowa Rallies, Shifts to Phone 'Tele-Rallies' in at Least 19 States Before Nov. 3 Midterms
The RNC says the weekend rallies were dropped because Republicans are in a strong position in both states. Recent polls in both states show close Senate races, and Democrats lead the RealClearPolling generic-ballot average 51.4% to 43.2%.
N.C.
North Carolina Early Voting Ends at 3 p.m. Saturday; State Data Show About 2.35 Million Ballots Cast Through Thursday
Data posted Friday, October 30, count about 2.27 million in-person and 82,000 mail ballots through October 29. Registered Democrats cast 39.3% of them, registered Republicans 25.7% and unaffiliated and third-party voters 35.0%. Party registration is not the same as a vote, so the shares do not show who is winning.
North Carolina Among 20 States Joining FTC Suit Alleging Dollar General Charged More at Register Than on Shelf
The federal complaint was filed Oct. 26 in Tennessee and cites tens of thousands of customer complaints. Dollar General says it will fight the case and that the FTC sued instead of continuing to discuss the company's counteroffer.
Stein Asks N.C. Supreme Court to Review Ruling That Let Auditor Boliek Appoint Elections Boards
Gov. Josh Stein's Oct. 21 petition challenges a 2-1 Court of Appeals decision from Sept. 16 that upheld a 2024 law moving elections-board appointments from the governor to the state auditor. Auditor Dave Boliek, a Republican, defends the ruling. No response to the petition or Supreme Court action has been reported.
Justice Department Charges 18 Noncitizens in North Carolina With Voting Illegally in 2024, Bringing the State's 2026 Total to 30
Seventeen of the 18 hold green cards. The charges, announced five days before the Nov. 3 election, are part of a national Justice Department push on noncitizen voting. Supporters call it overdue enforcement of the citizenship requirement. Critics say the confirmed cases are few and the timing risks intimidating lawful voters.
North Carolina's 1st District Race Hits $52.9 Million in Ads and Reservations as of Oct. 27, a Record for a U.S. House General Election, AdImpact Says
Ad tracker AdImpact says more money has been spent or booked on ads in the Don Davis–Laurie Buckhout rematch than in any House general election it has tracked. The race is in a district Republicans redrew in 2025.
Union-Backed Group Launches N.C. Medicaid Outreach Campaign; Gov. Stein's Office Estimates More Than 250,000 Could Lose Coverage Under Federal Rules Starting Jan. 1, 2027
The national nonprofit Keep Your Care, formed by the SEIU union and two health advocacy groups, held its North Carolina launch in Raleigh on Oct. 29. The 250,000 estimate comes from Democratic Gov. Josh Stein's office, not from a federal or independent count.
Finance
Nasdaq Falls 2.86% as Intel Drops 28.6% on Weak Outlook and Amazon Closes Down 1.41%; Index Ends October Down More Than 5%
On Friday, Oct. 30, the S&P 500 fell 1.82% and the Dow fell 1.09%. Investors weighed AI spending against cash flow after earnings from Intel and Amazon. Outlets disagree on whether the Nasdaq 100 closed in a 'correction.'
Expiring December Brent Settles at $117.64 and WTI at $104.12, Highest Since Late April, After a Tanker Is Hit in Hormuz; Brent Up 13.6% and WTI 15.2% in October
Iran's Revolutionary Guard says several tankers hit mines, a claim U.S. Central Command has rejected. The more active January Brent contract settled at $113.43, and seven core OPEC+ members meet on Sunday, Nov. 1.
OpenAI Cuts Funding Target to About $20 Billion at $1.25 Trillion Valuation, FT Reports; Nasdaq Falls 2.86% Friday
The FT says OpenAI lowered its ask from the $30 billion at $1.4 trillion reported in late September, and that its first close will come in under $20 billion. The news came on the Nasdaq's worst day since June 5, while rival Anthropic prepares a November stock listing.
U.S. GDP Grew at a 3.4% Annual Rate in the Third Quarter, Above Forecasts; September PCE Inflation Rose to 3.6% From a Year Earlier
The government reports came out Oct. 29, the day after the Federal Reserve held rates on a 10-2 vote. Both dissenters wanted a hike, and markets put the odds of a December hike at roughly 82% to 85%.
Fed Holds Rates at 3.75%-4.00% on 10-2 Vote; Cook and Hammack Dissent in Favor of a Quarter-Point Hike
The Fed's statement calls inflation 'elevated' and growth 'strong.' Futures traders raised their bets on a December hike. Chair Kevin Warsh said politics 'played no role' in a decision that came six days before the Nov. 3 midterms.
Alphabet Falls About 10% Premarket After Search Ad Revenue and Cash Flow Miss Estimates; Microsoft Rises on 48% Azure Growth
Alphabet and Microsoft both reported more AI demand and more AI spending on Wednesday. Alphabet's free cash flow turned negative and missed estimates, while Microsoft's stayed positive. Amazon and Intel report after Thursday's close.
World
Qatari Mediators Plan to Move Iran Talks to Doha After 12-Hour Tehran Session; Trump Says War Will 'Get Wrapped Up Soon'
Iran's reply to a Qatari draft delivered October 25 was expected by Saturday. Iranian officials have given mixed signals on it, and a reported 'breakthrough' has not been confirmed by any government.
Iran Says Four Tankers Hit Mines on Hormuz Routes It Calls Unauthorized; U.S. Says the Main Shipping Lanes Are Clear of Mines
Iran has not named the ships, and no independent source has confirmed the four mine strikes. A separate tanker, the Louise 1, was confirmed hit by explosives that a small boat attached to its hull off Oman.
Polish President Returns From Senegal Trip After Government-Backed Judge Suspends Constitutional Tribunal Chief and Police Deploy at Court
The tribunal's leadership, President Karol Nawrocki and the opposition Law and Justice party call the one-month suspension a coup. Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government calls it part of restoring the rule of law after years of court changes under Law and Justice.
Houthis Claim Six Attacks on Saudi Oil Sites and Airports; Saudi-Led Coalition Reports Intercepting Missiles
None of the six claimed hits has been independently confirmed; the claims came three days after Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish officials met Iranian leaders in Tehran, and Brent crude traded at $115.74 early Friday.
Final Israeli Count: Netanyahu Bloc 53 Seats, Eisenkot Bloc 48, Arab-Led Parties 19; No Side Reaches 61
Netanyahu's Likud says the vote was stolen through fraud in Arab communities, and police say they have found no evidence. Bennett and Liberman reject a government that relies on Arab parties, and President Herzog begins consultations next week.
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.