Saturday, October 31, 2026

The News Roundup – Domestic and International (The 1A) 2026-10-30

Domestic

President Donald Trump hit the campaign trail in the final stretch of midterm season. And he’s made a number of promises to Republican voters this cycle, looking to shore up support in the communities he’s visiting. This week, in Texas, he promised to undo Biden-era methane regulations and to produce 210 million barrels of oil.

The president is swinging big as seats in traditionally red states seem to be up for grabs. One high-quality poll this week, The New York Times/Siena poll. showed the race in South Carolina between appointed Republican Sen. Darline Graham, the late Lindsey Graham’s sister, tied with her Democratic opponent, Dr. Annie Andrews.

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at its October meeting. However, two members of the Federal Open Market Committee dissented, and were in favor of raising rates by a quarter of a percent to try to bring down inflation.
Interview: 

International 

On Sunday night, 81-year old incumbent Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defied the polls — and historical precedent — by convincing more than 51 percent of Brazil’s electorate to vote for him and deliver an unprecedented fourth term. His opponent, Flávio Bolsonaro, fled the country following his loss amid an ongoing corruption investigation.

All the ballots from Tuesday’s Israeli election have been counted, and there’s still no clear winning coalition. On Thursday, Israel’s Central Election Committee said Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc holds 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while opposition parties have 67.

And Vice President J.D. Vance reportedly sent a letter to a senior Iranian official in Tehran aimed at reviving peace talks to end the Iran war. But when Donald Trump was asked if he directed Vance to revive peace talks, he claimed the letter was about medical supplies.
Interview:


The Little-Known Weapon Behind Some of the Worst Protest Injuries in America – Mother Jones

Marketed as highly safe and very accurate, this .68 caliber pneumatic launcher has been used by law enforcement agencies all over the world— from Belgium and Turkey, to Georgia and even Libya under Muammar Gaddafi, whose ministry of defense purchased 2000 launchers in 2009. Though it closely resembles a pepperball or paintball gun, with a plastic body and air tank affixed to the front, it fires a denser and faster-moving projectile that can cause debilitating injuries in crowd control settings…

 https://www.motherjones.com/criminal-justice/2026/10/fn303-the-little-known-weapon-behind-some-of-the-worst-protest-injuries-in-america/


Trump tried not to roil the economy before midterms. He's about to be unleashed. - POLITICO

Trump still wants to bring tariffs close to where they stood before the Supreme Court struck down a broad swath of them in February, according to nine current and former officials, congressional aides and industry representatives. He has teed up trade measures that could lead to new duties in the weeks after the election. The Pentagon, meanwhile, has been sending more forces to the Middle East, and Trump has been hinting that more action is coming in Iran. 

Republican and industry officials don’t believe the president is going to slow his agenda because of a poor showing by his party in the midterms. If anything, he may speed it up…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/30/folks-are-nervous-congress-and-k-st-expect-trump-to-come-out-firing-after-midterms-01141293


 

JD Vance gets medical interpreters wrong. #healthcare #doctor

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WDoJjbJOpZ4

 

The Final Countdown: MAGA’s Racist Blitz and Trump’s Next Big Lie – Mother Jones

As this episode shows, the GOP—from Donald Trump to JD Vance to Cabinet secretaries to senators and representatives—has made hateful bigotry a central element of its final midterms push. 

Those assaults have primarily targeted Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, with Vance calling him a “cancer” with “zero attachment” to America’s land or history; Sen. Ted Cruz falsely labeling El-Sayed a “theocratic zealot” and lifelong Muslim Brotherhood supporter; and Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno declaring El-Sayed doesn’t belong in Washington, DC, because he doesn’t believe “Jesus came here for our salvation”. Pointing out that Moreno appeared to be establishing a religious test for service in Congress, David says, “That’s not what the Constitution says. That is what Christian nationalists say.” The race-baiting doesn’t stop there: Donald Trump warned that El-Sayed and Democrats will invite “hordes of jihadists” until Americans “cannot even have a Christmas.” …

 https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/10/maga-campaign-midterms-racism-stress-test-black-voters-podcast-video/

 

When asked about affordability, Vance cracked a joke about Jon Husted's a**

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5YIGcgpRRo

 

If this doesn’t motivate you to vote, I don’t know what else to say

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/P-hI6N7aZg8

 

Student Asks Bernie & Abdul 'Where Will Money Come From?'; Their Answer ...

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdRBz_2Ccos

 

Republicans Could Lose KANSAS. Yes, Kansas. | Chris Cillizza

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjYKb4ckhTM

 

Maya Wiley: the enduring influence of white ethno-Christian nationalism (video from the 2026 National Convention of the Freedom From Religion Foundation)

Maya Wiley, a prominent civil rights attorney and activist, recieves our Champion of Human Rights Award. 

In her acceptance speech, Wiley reflects on the enduring influence of white ethno-Christian nationalism in the United States, highlighting its historical roots in racial segregation, genocide, and slavery. 

She discusses how this ideology has resurfaced, manifesting in alarming ways, including recruitment and participation of extremists in the military post-January 6th. 

Wiley emphasizes the importance of unity and coalition-building among diverse groups to combat this resurgence and protect civil liberties, including the freedom of religion and non-religion.
Interview: 


Dearborn has the best food in Michigan

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qrvS35ysAFw

‘Elite North Korean group’ blamed for $6.3bn Binance hack in biggest ever crypto heist

Binance was founded in 2017 by Changpeng Zhao, who in 2023 pleaded guilty to a felony in the US related to his failure to prevent money laundering on the platform and stepped down as CEO. Donald Trump pardoned him in 2025… 

“It may further dampen risk appetite and prompt investors to reassess the safety of assets held on centralised exchanges, as well as counterparty, solvency and liquidity risks,” said Tim Sun, a senior researcher at HashKey Group, based in Hong Kong…

 https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/29/binance-crypto-exchange-hack


 

Look at This Chart Before You Vote

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KcVdZplmLFo

 

Lawmakers call to reform Louisiana’s ‘blatantly unconstitutional’ justice of the peace system

Louisiana’s justices of the peace courts, which oversee thousands of evictions annually, alongside other small claims and civil matters, are uniquely funded by the filing fees that each court generates. The Guardian revealed a system that brings in millions of dollars a year in filing fee revenue – leading to a handful of justices, who are compensated directly from this income, earning lucrative amounts…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/30/louisiana-justice-of-the-peace-courts-lawmaker-reaction


 

Government corruption a top issue for US midterm voters, exclusive poll finds

Harris poll for Guardian finds 76% believe officials care more about self-enrichment than helping everyday Americans…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/30/government-corruption-us-midterm-poll


 

An ICE officer is charged with assault for striking a man with a car in Houston | PBS News

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer accused of intentionally ramming his car into a Mexican construction worker in Houston was indicted by a grand jury Friday on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, prosecutors said. 

The officer, Mario Alberto Morales, was driving an unmarked SUV on Oct. 10 when he struck and ran over Miguel Parra Hernandez, 48, who was running away during a pursuit through a parking lot, the Harris County District Attorney's Office said. Parra Hernandez broke his leg and remains in federal custody at a rehabilitation facility, District Attorney Sean Teare said…

 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/an-ice-officer-has-been-charged-after-striking-a-man-with-a-car-in-houston


 

Electrocutions, disease and no pay: how workers risk exploitation in Europe’s datacenters

As thousands of datacentres are constructed across Europe, the Guardian and Investigate Europe have uncovered disturbing evidence that some workers building them are exposed to dangerous conditions and living in fear of speaking out…

 https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/oct/30/electrocutions-disease-and-no-pay-how-workers-risk-exploitation-in-europes-datacentres


 

Trump’s VA killed a home loan program. Veterans are paying for it : NPR

More than 700 veterans suffered payment increases of $1,000 or more…

 https://www.npr.org/2026/10/30/nx-s1-5995628/trump-va-home-loan-program-veterans-paying


On what anatomical feature was Trump fixated this week? The quiz knows — do you? : NPR

This week was packed with pre-midterm drama, of which only the silliest is in the quiz. The rest of the world had elections, too! If you've been paying attention, you'll get at least three questions correct. Good luck!

https://www.npr.org/2026/10/30/g-s1-150445/trump-midterms-ai-china-star-trek-dhs-news-quiz 


Woman reading Trump’s words verbatim from rally in Mississippi

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgcEiGaLEA0

 








Click Older Posts above to see more.