Men detained at the T Don Hutto ICE facility in Taylor, Texas, sent handwritten accounts, drawings and protest songs to people outside the jail. Their accounts describe long detention and allege abuse, poor food and inadequate medical care; CoreCivic said it is responsible for safely and humanely caring for people at its facilities, but does not decide who is detained or released.
Key Facts
The T Don Hutto facility is run for ICE by private prison company CoreCivic.
Detainees call the facility “la perrera,” Spanish for “the dog pound.”
The Guardian said it received testimonies from at least five detainees and withheld most identifying details for their safety.
The writings and drawings total nearly 200 pages and include accounts written between July and September.
The materials reached a detainee’s relative and were shared with the Center for Popular Democracy, which then shared them with the Guardian.
The detainees’ accounts allege mistreatment by guards and problems with food and medical care.
CoreCivic said it does not decide who is detained, for how long, or whether someone is released.
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Rail engineering work over Christmas will disrupt services on several major routes in Great Britain. Work includes closures at London Paddington and Birmingham New Street, plus a partial closure of the East Coast Main Line and other route restrictions.
Key Facts
Paddington station work will affect Great Western services from 27 December to 4 January, with many trains starting or ending at Reading.
Elizabeth line services west of Paddington and Heathrow Express services are expected to remain suspended until 31 January.
Birmingham New Street will close from Christmas Eve until 29 December for overhead power work; replacement buses will serve the city centre.
On Christmas Eve, work near Doncaster will replace some East Coast Main Line trains between Newark and York with buses, adding about two hours to journeys.
The Great Eastern Main Line will close for 10 days from Christmas Day, disrupting Greater Anglia and Elizabeth line services and cutting direct Norwich-to-London trains.
Huddersfield station will close for six weeks from Christmas Day, slowing TransPennine services between Leeds and Manchester.
Network Rail said it plans about £152m of work during the holiday period to improve reliability and capacity.
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California Proposition 40 would impose a one-time 5% tax on billionaire wealth. The article says Gov. Gavin Newsom and other prominent Democrats oppose or have not publicly backed it, despite polling that showed strong support among California Democrats and an endorsement from the state Democratic Party’s executive board.
Key Facts
A poll conducted midway through the summer found California Democrats supported Proposition 40 by more than four to one, according to the article.
Proposition 40 would impose a one-time 5% tax on billionaire wealth.
The article says nine-tenths of the proposed tax revenue would fund health care for Californians in need.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has opposed the measure, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Xavier Becerra are also described as opposing it.
U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, former Vice President Kamala Harris and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have not publicly stated a position, the article says.
The California Democratic Party executive board endorsed Proposition 40 in early August.
Supporters have been outspent nearly ten to one by opponents, who have raised more than $340 million, according to the article.
The article cites a projected loss of about $100 billion in federal Medicaid funding for California over five years.
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U.S. Census Bureau data show that homeowners were more likely than renters to report having an electric vehicle in 2025. The survey offers a national snapshot but does not measure access to charging or explain households’ choices.
Key Facts
About 7.3 million households, or 5.5% of U.S. households, reported having at least one electric vehicle.
Homeowners reported having an EV at a rate of 6.4%, compared with 3.6% of renters.
The figures include fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.
California had the highest statewide rate, at 13.8%; North Dakota had the lowest, at 1.3%.
Santa Clara County, California, led the nation, with 24.1% of households reporting an EV.
In California, 17.7% of homeowners and 8.9% of renters reported an EV.
The Census Bureau asked households for the first time whether they owned or leased an EV.
The data cover one year and do not show whether the homeowner-renter gap has grown.
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune is urging voters to keep Republicans in control of the Senate ahead of the midterm elections. He is trying to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda while allowing Republican candidates to campaign on their own terms.
Key Facts
John Thune is the Senate majority leader.
Thune is making the case for Republicans to retain control of the Senate.
The Republican Party faces headwinds ahead of the midterm elections.
Thune is working to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Thune says Republican candidates need room to chart their own paths.
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The article describes controversies surrounding candidates in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections and discusses how provocative conduct can attract political attention. The excerpt profiles Republican Texas congressional nominee Brandon Herrera and Democratic Indiana candidate Jaime West.
Key Facts
Brandon Herrera is the Republican nominee in Texas’s 23rd congressional district.
Herrera, known online as “The AK Guy,” has faced scrutiny over videos featuring Nazi imagery, including a reenactment of Hitler’s suicide, and remarks about women.
Herrera has rejected claims of Nazi sympathies and described his material as irreverent entertainment.
Jaime West is a Democratic candidate in Indiana.
West said she had consumed three beers before a candidate forum because she was nervous.
At the forum, West said she would fire Republicans, called MAGA supporters racist and unintelligent, and made a remark about Democrats having guns.
The article’s excerpt says the 2026 midterm election field includes seven controversial candidates, but it provides details about only Herrera and West before the text cuts off.
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Agriculture experts at a Newsweek forum said farming can adopt regenerative practices that protect soil and climate while maintaining crop yields and farmer incomes. Speakers described Brazil’s Eco Invest program, company support for farmers, and emerging technology as ways to encourage more sustainable agriculture.
Key Facts
Allison Lin of Mars said company data indicates regenerative agriculture can provide needed yields while supporting farmers’ incomes.
Lin said she expects regenerative agriculture to become standard farming practice within five to 10 years.
Brazil’s Eco Invest program directs public funds through private banks to help attract additional private investment for projects including restoring degraded land.
Natasha Santos of Bayer Crop Science said the program had about $3 billion in public funds, which could help mobilize 1.5 to two times that amount in private investment.
Michal Benmayor of DSM-Firmenich said the company works with farmers across fragmented supply chains for more than 500 ingredients.
Benmayor said DSM-Firmenich provides farmers with a minimum price and spreads income across the year to help stabilize earnings.
Lin said emerging tools can combine climate forecasts and water-risk information with supply-chain and sourcing data.
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Hundreds of residents from Russian-occupied Oleshky arrived in Gomel, Belarus, aboard four planes as part of an evacuation under a temporary regional truce. Ukrainian lawmaker David Arakhamia said they were expected to travel onward to Ukrainian-controlled territory within hours; the evacuation effort also offered residents the option of going to Russia or staying in Oleshky with supplies.
Key Facts
David Arakhamia said four planes carrying Oleshky residents arrived in Gomel on Saturday.
Belarusian state media reported that rescue workers, medical teams and Red Cross volunteers met the evacuees.
Arakhamia said the evacuees were due to continue to Ukrainian territory within hours.
Residents began travelling out of the region by bus on Friday under a truce expected to last through Sunday.
About 2,000 residents were offered the choice of travelling to Ukrainian- or Russian-held territory, or remaining in Oleshky with food and medical supplies.
Russia and Ukraine have not said how many residents chose to leave.
Melania Trump said the humanitarian convoy could evacuate more than 750 people, while Russia’s representative Yana Lantratova said buses also carried residents who wanted to live in Russia.
The White House said Melania Trump helped broker the truce; Pope Leo XIV also urged Russian and Ukrainian leaders to permit aid deliveries and civilian evacuations.
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Switzerland’s Independent Complaints Authority for Radio and Television ruled that French-language broadcaster RTS commentary about Israeli bobsledder Adam Edelman during the February Winter Olympics breached discrimination rules. The panel voted 5-4, finding that the commentary singled him out and suggested he should be excluded because of his political views.
Key Facts
The commentary aired on RTS during the Israeli team’s bobsleigh run on February 16.
Commentator Stefan Reina described Edelman as “a Zionist to the core” and discussed his social media statements about the war in Gaza.
The authority said the commentary focused on Edelman’s social media statements throughout the run.
Four members of the public filed complaints about the broadcast, and the nine-member panel upheld them by a 5-4 vote.
The authority said the commentary conveyed a stigmatizing and discriminatory message and treated Edelman differently from the other athletes competing that day.
RTS removed the segment from its website after it circulated on social media.
The authority said it would publish its full reasoning and requested measures at a later date; appeals may be filed with Switzerland’s Federal Supreme Court.
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UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said he began storing food and water weeks ago to prepare for a national emergency and urged households to keep basic supplies. He discussed rising threats to the UK, increased defence spending and the need to prepare the armed forces while ensuring public money is spent carefully.
Key Facts
Streeting said he keeps bottled water, a first aid kit and a battery-powered torch ready.
His food supplies include baked beans, sweetcorn, kidney beans, tuna, protein bars and nuts.
Streeting said he began stockpiling to lead by example and encouraged people to prepare household supplies.
Chancellor John Healey said defence spending should reach 3% of GDP by 2030 and 3.5% by 2035.
Healey said his government is fully funding the defence investment plan.
Healey left details of how the government will reach its spending target until next year’s spending review.
Streeting said the UK must be able to deter adversaries and be ready to defeat them if deterrence fails.
Streeting said lawmakers on the Intelligence and Security Committee could be trusted to scrutinize special forces and the UK’s nuclear weapons.
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Recent earnings from major cloud and technology companies showed both strong demand for AI services and risks to established businesses and profits. Tech stocks came under pressure, while companies continued to invest heavily in AI infrastructure.
Key Facts
The Nasdaq briefly fell 10% from its previous peak, entering correction territory, and lost $1.2 trillion in value during October.
Google reported rising search queries, but AI-powered search results have lower margins and may reduce revenue from its core search advertising business.
Google Cloud is narrowing the revenue gap with Microsoft Azure, with demand for Google’s TPU chips contributing to growth.
Microsoft and Amazon reported strong cloud growth, though investors wanted faster growth from Amazon.
Amazon’s net income fell partly because it did not repeat a prior-year pretax gain from its investment in Anthropic.
Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI slightly increased its net income.
Some technology companies have turned free cash flow negative as they spend on AI infrastructure.
Cisco executive Jeetu Patel identified a major cyber event that weakens demand for AI as a potential risk.
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Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa has made opposition to data center construction a central campaign issue against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. Polling and local lawsuits show concerns about the centers, while Abbott says he has imposed new limits and backed stronger rules for rural areas.
Key Facts
Hinojosa supports pausing new data center construction, tighter limits on water and power use, and ending tax breaks for the industry.
Abbott previously promoted Texas as a hub for data centers and signed tax breaks for the industry.
An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll found that 69% of Texans oppose new data centers in their communities.
Several rural Texas counties have sued to halt data center projects, citing pollution, water use, and loss of family farmland.
Abbott announced a pause on new data center construction in rural communities in September and said he supports stricter power and water requirements.
Republican Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller criticized Abbott’s promises and said the data center issue could cost him voter support.
ABC News rated the Texas governor’s race Lean Republican; Texas has not elected a Democratic governor since 1990.
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Jio Platforms raised $3.2 billion in what the article describes as India’s largest-ever IPO. Its shares rose 21 percent on the first day, valuing the company at $131.5 billion and making it India’s second-most valuable company, after parent Reliance Industries.
Key Facts
Jio Platforms provides telecom and digital services and has more than 530 million customers.
Meta and Google became major Jio shareholders after investing billions of dollars in the company in 2020.
Reliance launched Jio in 2016 with months of free mobile data, helping it attract customers rapidly.
Jio reached 100 million subscribers in its first 170 days, according to the article.
Reliance committed nearly $22.48 billion to Jio’s spectrum, network infrastructure and fibre backhaul in 2016.
Jio became India’s largest telecom operator by subscriber numbers within three years.
After Jio entered the market, competitors cut prices and mobile data use increased.
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Democrats need to gain at least four Senate seats in November’s midterm elections to take control from Republicans, who hold a 53–47 majority. The article says voter concerns about President Donald Trump, the war with Iran and rising prices have made several Republican-leaning states more competitive, and it describes races in Alaska, Iowa and Kansas.
Key Facts
Alaska Republican Senator Dan Sullivan is seeking re-election against Democrat Mary Peltola and an independent candidate who shares his name.
Alaska uses ranked-choice voting, which lets voters rank candidates in order of preference.
The article reports that Peltola raised $33 million in October, compared with nearly $14 million for Sullivan; Republicans spent $42 million on the race, compared with $38 million by Democrats.
In Iowa, Republican Ashley Hinson and Democrat Josh Turek are competing for the open seat left by Senator Joni Ernst, who is not seeking re-election.
Turek raised $20 million, compared with $14 million for Hinson, while recent polls cited in the article show Hinson narrowly ahead.
Iowa farmers face higher fuel and fertilizer costs amid strained oil supplies linked to the war with Iran, as well as the effects of trade tariffs.
In Kansas, Republican Senator Roger Marshall is running against Democrat Adam Hamilton; the article says rising farming costs, immigration policy and the war have made the race more competitive.
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Haworth in West Yorkshire has seen more visitors this autumn, with social media posts helping draw people to its scenic streets and shops. A popular shop says it has had queues on weekends and during school half-term, while residents and businesses point to problems including limited parking and increased litter.
Key Facts
The Cabinet of Curiosities, a shop with a Victorian-style apothecary theme, has drawn visitors who want to see or photograph its Halloween display.
Shop assistant Karen Roberts said queues began forming about six weeks before the report and appeared every weekend.
Roberts said the shop had visitors waiting outside daily during the school half-term week.
Visitors interviewed said social media images and videos helped inspire their trips to Haworth.
The village’s Brontë connections and the 2026 film adaptation of Wuthering Heights have also contributed to interest in the area.
Roberts cited limited parking and litter as downsides of the increase in visitors.
The Torres sisters travelled from Gran Canaria, while Ella and Brian Thomas came from Greater Manchester.
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Some Rio Grande Valley voters who supported Donald Trump in 2024 say economic pressures and immigration enforcement have left them disappointed. As Texas candidates compete for border-area votes, residents interviewed for the article describe feeling unrepresented by both parties.
Key Facts
Jesus Robles, who sells mechanical bulls, says tariffs and higher fuel and freight costs hurt his business after he voted for Trump in 2024.
Robles says some of his clients have been affected by immigration raids and that he regrets his vote.
Republicans are targeting at least two Democratic-held border-area congressional seats held by Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar, while seeking to retain Monica de la Cruz’s seat.
Democrats are seeking statewide wins in Texas, where the article says no Democrat has held statewide office since 1994.
Democrat James Talarico is running for the U.S. Senate against Republican Ken Paxton.
Democrat Gina Hinojosa is running for governor against Republican incumbent Greg Abbott.
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley professor Alvaro Corral says voters have moved away from both parties, citing economic concerns and immigration enforcement.
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As the 2026 U.S. midterm elections approach, disagreements over foreign policy, the economy and the meaning of “America First” are dividing Donald Trump’s MAGA coalition. The article says Trump remains the movement’s central figure and is working to rally supporters despite some longtime allies distancing themselves.
Key Facts
The article reports visible divisions within the MAGA movement ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The war in Iran and rising fuel prices are among the issues contributing to disagreements.
The handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files is also cited as a source of division.
MAGA factions disagree over foreign policy, the economy and what “America First” should mean.
The article describes Trump as the central figure holding the coalition together.
Trump is trying to mobilize his supporters ahead of the midterm elections.
Journalist Stella Elgersma examines the movement’s divisions and Trump’s efforts to rally supporters.
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President Donald Trump said 18 U.S. service members had died in the Iran war and compared that toll with the thousands of Americans killed in earlier conflicts, including Vietnam. At a Florida rally, he said Iran was finished and the war would end soon, but gave no timeline; the conflict’s end and U.S. personnel’s safety remained unresolved.
Key Facts
Trump spoke at a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, four days before the November 3 midterm elections.
He called the 18 U.S. service member deaths too many while contrasting them with losses in earlier wars.
The article cites Defense Department figures of 40,934 U.S. service members killed in action in Vietnam, 5,299 who later died of wounds, and 1,085 missing personnel declared dead.
Trump said Iran’s hostility toward the United States dated to 1979 and that any resolution must prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
The article reports that Qatari mediators had returned to Tehran as the United States and Iran considered a possible agreement.
More than 30 verified attacks occurred in October around the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf, according to the article.
The Cook Political Report changed Florida’s Senate race rating from “Solid Republican” to “Likely Republican”; Republicans remained favored.
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An October Harris poll for the Guardian found that voters rank government corruption as their second-biggest concern, behind the cost of living. The article reports that voters are more concerned about elected officials serving their own or donors’ financial interests than about fraud in public benefit programs, amid Trump administration efforts to highlight such fraud.
Key Facts
The Harris poll found that 87% of respondents considered government corruption a problem.
Sixty-five percent of respondents who plan to vote in the midterms called corruption a major problem.
The poll ranked corruption second among voter concerns, behind the rising cost of living.
The article says voters were less concerned about people fraudulently obtaining health insurance than about officials favoring their own or donors’ financial interests.
JD Vance said a task force had identified $40 million in fraud involving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Vance said the administration had ended health coverage for 760,000 people insured under the Affordable Care Act on grounds of fraud.
Donald Trump offered a 1% commission to people who report government fraud that leads to a recovery.
The article cites Josh Levin’s account that Linda Taylor was charged with stealing $9,000, despite Ronald Reagan’s claim that she collected $150,000 a year in benefits.
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The Trump administration is considering a program that would pay parents $9,000 a year to stay home with their children, using money redirected from federal programs that often help single mothers and low-income families, according to the New York Times. Parents and policy experts say the proposal may not address the varied needs of families, including childcare costs, waitlists, and the risks of relying on one income.
Key Facts
The proposed payment would be $9,000 annually for parents who stay home, according to the article’s account of New York Times reporting.
The White House is considering redirecting funds from federal programs that typically support single mothers and low-income families.
The article attributes the proposal to Vice-President JD Vance, who has criticized federal spending on daycare.
Pew Research Center data cited in the article say 52% of American families have two working parents, compared with 31% in 1975.
Erica Hall, who lives in Seattle, said childcare costs shaped her family’s decisions and that she drew on savings to fund maternity leave.
Natalia Goodnow said she stayed home temporarily while pursuing a second master’s degree and later faced a delay in job searching because of a daycare waitlist.
Goodnow is now building a consulting business and said she wants to keep working while caring for her children.
A policy analyst quoted in the article said families of different types need support and should not be pitted against one another.
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