DHS asked Icelandic hosting company FlokiNET to remove or restrict access to data about more than 40,000 agency personnel, citing risks of harassment, stalking and physical harm. FlokiNET’s CEO said the company would not remove it because the data included work addresses and phone numbers, not personal contact details; DHS said it was addressing a potential breach.
Key Facts
DHS made the request on Thursday, according to a notice published by FlokiNET.
ZeroFox, which ICE authorized to pursue content removals, cited the figure of more than 40,000 people in an email to FlokiNET.
The data transparency group DDoSecrets published the personnel data on Wednesday.
A separate searchable database created by hacker and journalist maia arson crimew was briefly unavailable on Thursday and then appeared at another domain.
A group calling itself the Department of Peace claimed responsibility for obtaining the data.
DHS said it was aware of a potential breach and was working to address it and protect employees and officers.
FlokiNET CEO Kolja Weber said the information included government employees’ work addresses and work phone numbers, not personal addresses or phone numbers.
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King Charles arrived in Guyana for the second leg of his Caribbean tour after a two-day visit to the Bahamas. His Guyana schedule includes meetings with President Irfaan Ali and events focused on the environment, sustainability and ties with the UK; he will later travel to Antigua and Barbuda for a Commonwealth leaders summit.
Key Facts
Charles arrived in Guyana after leaving the Bahamas on Thursday.
He is due to meet Guyana’s President, Irfaan Ali, and attend a reception marking 60 years of bilateral relations.
The Guyana visit is expected to focus on the environment, sustainability and growing commercial ties with the UK.
More than four fifths of Guyana is covered by rainforest, and the country has one of the world’s lowest deforestation rates.
During his Bahamas visit, Charles referred to the suffering caused by Britain’s role in the slave trade.
Caribbean nations have renewed calls for Britain to apologize for its role in the slave trade and provide reparations.
The Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Antigua and Barbuda begins on 1 November and will discuss slavery’s legacy; Charles is due to give a speech as Head of the Commonwealth.
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At the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Vladimir Putin said Russia offers African countries an equal partnership and accused Western countries of focusing on resource extraction. The gathering addresses growing economic ties and security cooperation, as Russia promotes a “multipolar world” and seeks support from the Global South amid Western pressure over its war in Ukraine.
Key Facts
Putin spoke at the third Russia-Africa Summit, held in Moscow.
Putin said Russian companies operate in Africa on an equal footing with African partners.
Putin accused Western countries of continuing to exploit Africa’s resources.
Some African countries have sought security assistance from Russia in recent years.
Trade and economic ties between Russia and African countries are growing, according to the article.
Russia promotes what it calls a “multipolar world.”
The article says Russia seeks Global South support to counter Western pressure over its war in Ukraine.
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Actor Sir Patrick Stewart, known for “Star Trek” and “X-Men,” has died at 86, his representatives said. They said he had been battling Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
Key Facts
Patrick Stewart was 86.
His representatives announced his death.
Stewart was known for his roles in “Star Trek” and “X-Men.”
His representatives said he had Alzheimer’s disease.
His representatives said he had Lewy body dementia.
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The Justice Department reportedly issued subpoenas as part of a federal investigation into efforts to place a second candidate named Dan Sullivan on Alaska’s Senate ballot. The New York Times reported that Mary Peltola’s campaign led the effort, while Peltola’s campaign had previously denied involvement; Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy also announced a criminal inquiry.
Key Facts
ABC News reported the subpoenas, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The investigation concerns efforts to recruit a second candidate named Dan Sullivan for the Senate race.
The New York Times reported that Peltola’s campaign led the effort.
Peltola’s campaign had denied involvement for months, according to the article.
Dunleavy announced a criminal inquiry into the effort on Thursday.
The New York Times said the effort was intended to confuse voters who wanted to support Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan.
Trump said last week that he had directed the Justice Department to sue to block certification of the Senate election if Sullivan loses.
The lawsuit is pending.
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The FDA has proposed updating U.S. infant formula nutrient requirements, in what HHS describes as the first major revision in nearly 30 years. The proposal covers several existing nutrients and seeks public input on whether to require additional ingredients; the agency plans further review and one final rule covering the changes.
Key Facts
The proposal would update requirements for vitamins A and D, iodine, and manganese.
It would reaffirm existing requirements for chloride, potassium, selenium, and sodium.
The FDA is seeking public input on possible requirements for ARA, DHA, and L-carnitine, ingredients some manufacturers add but that are not currently required.
The agency plans additional phases to examine other required nutrients, possible new requirements, and carbohydrate sources.
The FDA said it will accept public comments during the review and later issue one final rule covering the proposed changes.
The FDA released contaminant-testing data and said most tested formula samples had low or undetectable levels of chemical contaminants.
The FDA currently specifies 30 nutrients that infant formulas must contain, with minimum levels for all and maximum levels for 10.
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Vice President JD Vance urged Texans to support Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton at a rally in Weatherford, Texas. He said voters should send a message on Election Day, November 3, and declared that Texas would not surrender “a damn thing.”
Key Facts
Vance spoke in Weatherford, Texas, on Thursday.
He made a closing pitch for Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton.
Paxton is Texas’s attorney general.
Vance urged supporters to send a message on November 3.
Vance said Texas would not surrender “a damn thing.”
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Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner swore at a New York Post reporter who approached him in a remote oceanside community. The reporter had asked Platner a question while he was pulling a kayak from the water; the article excerpt does not include the full question or further details.
Key Facts
A New York Post reporter tracked down Graham Platner in a remote oceanside community in Maine.
Platner was pulling a kayak from the water when the reporter approached him.
Platner asked the reporter, “Who the f–k are you weirdos?”
The excerpt ends before stating what the reporter had asked Platner.
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Finnish police opened a criminal investigation into Google’s work on a planned data center in northern Finland. The probe follows the clearing of hundreds of acres of forest before required environmental reviews were completed and adds scrutiny to Google’s planned $1.5 billion investment in Finnish AI infrastructure.
Key Facts
Finnish police opened the investigation on Thursday.
The investigation concerns Google’s work on a planned data center in northern Finland.
Hundreds of acres of forest were cleared for the project.
The forest was cleared before required environmental reviews were completed.
Google’s planned investment in AI infrastructure in Finland is $1.5 billion.
The investigation adds to scrutiny of Google’s expansion plans in Finland.
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Sir Patrick Stewart, who died at 86, built a seven-decade career across classical theatre, television and film. He trained at Bristol Old Vic, joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and later became widely known for roles in Star Trek and X-Men.
Key Facts
Stewart was born in Mirfield, Yorkshire, on 13 July 1940.
His mother encouraged him and his brothers to take part in amateur drama.
He left school at 15 and worked as a journalist and obituary writer before choosing acting.
He won a scholarship to Bristol Old Vic and later joined the Royal Shakespeare Company.
His Broadway debut came in 1970 as Snout in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
His television roles included parts in I, Claudius, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley’s People.
Queen Elizabeth II knighted Stewart in 2010.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin argued in court declarations that President Donald Trump’s proposed triumphal arch would create a “generational defense opportunity.” Critics say the administration’s national security rationale is a pretext for advancing a divisive construction project.
Key Facts
Trump has proposed building a triumphal arch.
Hegseth and Mullin made their arguments in court declarations.
They described the project as a “generational defense opportunity.”
Critics dispute the national security rationale for the arch.
The declarations were submitted in filings to a federal court.
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Preliminary results from Israel’s parliamentary election show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc with 53 seats and the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot with 48, leaving both short of a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Opposition leaders have begun coalition talks, but final results still require certification and no governing arrangement is clear.
Key Facts
Netanyahu’s bloc holds 53 seats, according to results reported after more than 99 percent of ballots were counted.
The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot holds 48 seats.
Arab list parties together hold 19 seats, including seven projected for Mansour Abbas’s Ra’am party.
A majority in the Knesset requires 61 of 120 seats.
Eisenkot met with Naftali Bennett and Yair Golan to discuss forming a government.
Golan met separately with Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas; the article says other political groups have rejected a coalition with Palestinian citizen-led parties.
Netanyahu’s Likud party has alleged that Arab-led parties stole the election, but the claims are unsubstantiated; Central Elections Committee head Noam Sohlberg asked the Shin Bet to investigate allegations of foreign interference that he could not verify.
The election results are provisional and are due to be certified and announced by Wednesday.
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Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot and Arab-led party leaders accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to undermine the election after his Likud party alleged foreign interference and voter bribery. Election results left neither bloc with a majority, while the Shin Bet investigates suspected foreign funding and election officials say there is no basis for claims of systematic violations.
Key Facts
The Joint List and Ra’am won a combined record 19 of the Knesset’s 120 seats.
Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats, while Eisenkot’s bloc won 48.
The two Arab-led lists could hold the balance of power in government formation.
The Central Elections Committee asked the Shin Bet to investigate suspicions of foreign interference.
Likud alleged that voters had been bribed to support Arab-led parties; both parties rejected the accusation.
Qatar denied claims that it funded efforts to increase voter turnout in Arab communities.
The Shin Bet said its investigation did not implicate an entire community that voted legally.
Acting Central Elections Committee Director General Dean Livne said there was no basis for allegations of systematic violations of election integrity.
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British actor Patrick Stewart has died at 86, according to a statement released Thursday. He was known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and Professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” films.
Key Facts
Stewart died at his home in Los Angeles, the statement said.
The statement said he died after a brief illness involving Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
His wife, Sunny, was with him, according to the statement.
Stewart was born in Yorkshire, in northern England.
He performed with Britain’s Royal Shakespeare Company before building a career on U.S. stages and screens.
He played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
He played Professor Charles Xavier in several “X-Men” and related Marvel films.
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Microsoft is gradually rolling out a Windows 11 preview update that lets users customize the right-click menu, including which commands and third-party extensions appear and where. The update also adds Cloud Rebuild, which reinstalls Windows from the cloud but does not retain users’ files or applications. Microsoft reported declining revenue from Windows-related PC sales, while Azure and Microsoft Cloud revenue grew.
Key Facts
Preview update KB5127936 applies to Windows 11 versions 26H2 and 25H2.
The new menu controls let users show or hide built-in commands, rearrange the main menu, and manage third-party extensions.
Cloud Rebuild can reinstall Windows using an image and system drivers from Windows Update, including when the PC will not boot.
Cloud Rebuild works like a fresh installation: existing applications and files are not included.
Microsoft said Windows OEM revenue fell 27%, or 28% in constant currency, compared with the prior year.
The broader Windows OEM and devices category, which includes Surface, fell 22%.
Microsoft CFO Amy Hood said the company expects the Windows OEM and devices trends to continue through the rest of the fiscal year.
Azure revenue rose 48% and Microsoft Cloud revenue rose 30% year over year; Microsoft reported total quarterly revenue of $92.3 billion.
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Mortgage rates fell for the second consecutive week, dropping below 7.25 percent. The decline offered some relief to people looking to buy homes in an expensive housing market.
Key Facts
Mortgage rates declined for the second straight week.
Rates fell to below 7.25 percent.
The lower rates may provide relief to prospective homebuyers.
The housing market remains pricey.
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Memorial Hermann Health Plan will stop offering Medicare Advantage coverage after 2026, leaving the market for the 2027 plan year. It joins other health system-affiliated insurers withdrawing from Medicare Advantage as health systems also end some contracts with outside insurers.
Key Facts
Houston-based Memorial Hermann offered Medicare Advantage plans in six Texas counties in 2026.
Irving-based CHRISTUS Health Plan will also exit Medicare Advantage in 2027.
CHRISTUS offered plans in 36 Texas counties and eight New Mexico counties in 2026.
CMS data cited in the article show 18 Medicare Advantage plans are set to exit for 2027, including 10 affiliated with health systems.
The article identifies Braven Health, Saint Alphonsus Health Plan, Aspirus Health Plan and Providence Health Plan among the exiting insurers.
Aspirus Health Plan offered coverage in 21 Wisconsin counties in 2026.
CMS suspended new enrollment in Aspirus Health Plan in February after Minnesota regulators took over its claims processor, UCare.
Becker's tracked 35 health system contract breaks with Medicare Advantage insurers that were announced or took effect in 2026.
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Actor Patrick Stewart died at 86 on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles, his spokesperson said. Stewart was known for playing Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films, as well as for his Shakespearean stage work.
Key Facts
Stewart's spokesperson said he had Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
Stewart played Captain Jean-Luc Picard for seven seasons on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
He reprised Picard in four Star Trek films and the series Star Trek: Picard, which ran from 2020 to 2023.
Stewart played Professor Charles Xavier in seven X-Men films.
He is set to reprise Xavier in December’s Avengers: Doomsday, according to the article.
Stewart joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966.
His awards included a Grammy and two Laurence Olivier awards; he was also nominated for a Tony and four Emmys.
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Many candidates in the 2026 midterm races are skipping debates, while debates that do happen can produce short viral clips used in campaign ads. Strategists quoted in the article say candidates risk damaging their campaigns with a single moment, even though a debate may not help them win.
Key Facts
Eighteen of 35 Senate races and 12 of 36 gubernatorial races did not feature debates between the major-party candidates.
More than half of the 2026 Senate races will not have major-party debates, including Ohio and Texas, both rated toss-ups by CBS News.
In Maine, Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson told incumbent Sen. Susan Collins to “shut up” during an Oct. 15 debate; the clip appeared in Republican attack ads.
Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico repeatedly called for a debate with Republican Ken Paxton and later held a solo CNN town hall.
A third of this cycle’s gubernatorial races will not have debates, compared with seven of the 36 races in 2022.
Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton said she would not debate Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs declined to debate Republican Rep. Andy Biggs, saying face-to-face interactions with voters were more effective.
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The Pentagon inspector general declined a bipartisan request to investigate reported restrictions on Ukraine’s use of SpaceX’s Starlink and Starshield satellite services. Inspector General Platte Moring said the questions should go to the Air Force and Space Force, while senators also asked about reported intelligence-sharing disruptions and whether they were connected to the satellite problems.
Key Facts
Ukraine said military drones lost satellite connectivity when traveling faster than 161 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour).
The reported speed restriction was removed after about 10 days.
Five Democratic and four Republican senators asked the Defense Department inspector general on October 15 to investigate the reported disruptions.
The senators asked whether SpaceX or government entities directed, authorized, or implemented restrictions, and whether the restrictions complied with government contracts.
Moring said the Air Force and Space Force were better suited to address the senators’ questions and coordinate responses.
The inspector general’s office said it might reconsider if new information comes to light.
The senators also asked whether reported interruptions to intelligence sharing were connected to the Starlink restrictions.
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