Voters in 39 states will decide on 145 ballot measures during the midterm elections, covering topics such as voting rules, transgender rights, taxes and abortion. The article describes measures on noncitizen voting and voter identification, and says voters in five states will decide measures involving transgender athletes and gender-affirming surgery for minors.
Key Facts
California and Colorado each have 14 ballot measures, the most of any states.
Six states will consider language specifying that only U.S. citizens can vote in state elections: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, South Dakota and West Virginia.
The article says no state permits noncitizens to vote in statewide elections, and noncitizen voting in federal elections is already illegal.
Voters in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio will consider constitutional amendments requiring voter identification.
The voter identification proposals differ by state and may require government-issued identification or Social Security numbers.
Florida requires 60% voter approval for constitutional amendments.
Nevada requires citizen-initiated constitutional amendments to pass in two successive elections.
Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Washington will decide measures concerning transgender athletes in sports and gender-affirming surgery for minors.
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Macklemore began his Free Palestine tour in Dublin after being removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour following pro-Palestinian remarks. He says tour proceeds will support organizations helping Palestinians, and has upcoming shows in Paris and London.
Key Facts
Macklemore performed at Dublin’s 3Arena, which holds up to 13,000 people; tickets sold out.
Macklemore, whose legal name is Benjamin Haggerty, announced the tour after Sheeran’s promoter dropped him from the Loop Tour.
Macklemore said “Free Palestine” at two concerts and described deaths in Gaza from Israel’s military campaign as genocide; Israel rejects that claim.
Sheeran said the decision to remove Macklemore was made by the tour’s promoter, not by Sheeran himself.
Macklemore said proceeds from the Free Palestine tour will go to organizations supporting Palestinians.
The tour is scheduled to continue in Paris on Thursday and London on Friday.
The article reports that more than 70,000 people have been killed in Gaza, citing figures from the Hamas-run health ministry that the UN considers reliable.
The article says about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage in the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.
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Some technology companies are looking to religious traditions for guidance on teaching AI chatbots right from wrong. Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah said at the Vatican that these questions are beyond what a lab can answer, while experts caution that religion does not make the issue simple.
Key Facts
Tech companies are racing to build more powerful artificial intelligence.
Some companies are asking how to teach chatbots right from wrong.
Some technology companies are looking to religion for guidance on AI ethics.
Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah spoke earlier this year at the Vatican.
The event presented Pope Leo XIV's encyclical on AI.
Olah said traditions such as religious ones have considered these questions for millennia.
The article says some experts warn that using religion to guide AI is not simple.
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A bus collided with a car and plunged down an embankment near Barcelona. The crash injured 80 people, including four who were seriously hurt; no deaths were reported.
Key Facts
The crash happened near Barcelona.
A bus collided with a car.
The bus plunged down an embankment.
Eighty people were injured.
Four people were seriously injured.
No fatalities were reported.
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A student-led movement defeated Aleksandar Vucic’s party in Serbia’s snap election, prompting celebrations in Belgrade. Residents also cleaned a park after Vucic supporters who had camped there for more than a year left.
Key Facts
The election was a snap election in Serbia.
A student-led movement’s list defeated Vucic’s party.
The winning list appeared on the ballot as number three.
People celebrated in Belgrade by honking horns and displaying movement symbols.
Residents cleaned a park between parliament and the presidency.
Vucic loyalists had camped in the park for more than a year before leaving.
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A 15-year-old was arrested in connection with a shooting near Florida A&M University in Tallahassee that injured 12 people, including six children. Police said 11 victims had gunshot wounds, and the teen faces 11 counts of attempted second-degree murder; prosecutors plan to try him as an adult.
Key Facts
Police said the shooting happened Saturday night near Perry and Manatee streets, outside FAMU’s Bragg Memorial Stadium.
Authorities arrested Anthony Rivers III on Sunday, according to police.
Rivers faces 11 counts of attempted second-degree murder and one count of possessing a firearm as a delinquent.
State Attorney Jack Campbell said Rivers would be prosecuted as an adult.
Six victims remained hospitalized after the shooting, including one in critical condition, according to a Sunday police update.
Police said a physical altercation preceded the shooting and investigators believe it stemmed from a dispute among people who knew one another.
Police said none of the victims appear to have been the intended targets and that the investigation remains active.
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Pollster Nate Silver said polling would have to be very wrong for Republicans to keep control of the House. He cited strong turnout in Democratic primaries and early-voting data, speaking a little over a week before the midterm elections.
Key Facts
Silver made the comments on Sunday.
He said polling would have to be very wrong for Republicans to retain House control.
Silver pointed to high turnout in Democratic primaries throughout the year.
He also referred to early-voting data.
The comments came a little over a week before the midterm elections.
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Independent senator Jacqui Lambie said Pauline Hanson has not personally apologised to her over a One Nation cartoon mocking Lambie’s medical condition. In a separate incident in Victoria, police charged a 59-year-old man after the husband of a Liberal election candidate was allegedly assaulted while retrieving campaign signs.
Key Facts
Hanson publicly apologised for the cartoon, which was later removed from online platforms.
Lambie told ABC’s 7.30 that Hanson had not contacted her personally to apologise.
Mark Nicholson, the One Nation candidate who co-founded the cartoon studio, said he would not apologise at this time.
Lambie called on Nicholson to withdraw from the Victorian state election.
The husband of Amanda Dow, a Liberal candidate for Yan Yean, suffered facial injuries and was taken to hospital; he has since been discharged.
Police charged a 59-year-old Mernda man with recklessly causing injury, criminal damage and unlawful assault over the alleged incident.
The accused man was bailed to appear at Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on 1 February 2027.
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Vice President JD Vance joked at a rally in Belgrade, Montana, that President Donald Trump had been noticing people’s physiques. Vance was there to support Montana Republican candidates ahead of the November 3 midterm elections and also drew a reaction after mispronouncing Helena.
Key Facts
Representative Ryan Zinke complimented Vance’s blue eyes at the Belgrade event.
Vance said the president had been noticing “the physiques of everybody lately.”
Trump has repeatedly commented on Senator Jon Husted’s build, including calling him “a pile of muscle.”
At a Michigan rally, Trump commented on rapper Nicki Minaj’s appearance and asked her to stand.
Vance was in Montana to support House candidate Aaron Flint and Senate candidate Kurt Alme.
Vance first pronounced Helena as “Huh-LAYNE-a”; people in the crowd shouted the local pronunciation, “HELL-a-na.”
Vance laughed at the mistake and said he was humble enough to admit when he was wrong.
After Montana, Vance was scheduled to travel to Topeka, Kansas, to support Senator Roger Marshall in his race against Adam Hamilton.
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The Federal Trade Commission has asked Anthropic executives to testify in a consumer harm investigation, an FTC spokesperson confirmed to The Hill. The probe concerns Anthropic, which makes the Claude AI model; the article excerpt gives no further details about the potential harms under review.
Key Facts
The FTC asked executives from Anthropic to testify.
The request is part of an FTC consumer harm investigation.
Anthropic makes the Claude AI model.
An FTC spokesperson confirmed the request to The Hill on Monday.
The FTC is a consumer protection agency.
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Six journalists, scholars and advocates have sued the Trump administration, arguing that selective White House media bans violate the First Amendment. They ask a federal court in New York to block the bans, saying they restrict their work and limit the public’s access to reporting; the White House has been asked to comment.
Key Facts
The Knight First Amendment Institute and Yale Law School’s Media and Information Access Clinic filed the lawsuit for the six plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs seek a court ruling against the bans and an order stopping their enforcement; they do not seek financial damages.
CNN, Politico and MSNOW filed a separate lawsuit over restrictions on their White House press access.
A federal judge ordered the White House to restore credentials for journalists affected by the separate case while it proceeds.
The outlets later said their reporters were allowed back into the White House complex.
The White House has continued to bar some journalists selectively, including CNN reporters seeking to travel aboard Air Force One.
The White House barred an Independent correspondent from covering Trump’s trip to Iowa after Trump criticized the reporter at a press conference.
The White House took control of the press pool in February; the pool had previously been managed by the White House Correspondents’ Association.
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Six citizens filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump over his bans on some media outlets from White House premises. They argue that the bans violate not only news organizations’ rights but also the public’s right to independent reporting about the president and government.
Key Facts
The lawsuit was filed Monday.
Six citizens are suing President Donald Trump.
The citizens say they watch and read news and need it for their jobs.
The lawsuit challenges Trump’s bans on media outlets from White House premises.
The plaintiffs argue the bans violate news organizations’ rights.
The plaintiffs also argue the bans violate the public’s right to independent reporting about the president and government.
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A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration illegally fired former federal prosecutor Maurene Comey in July 2025. Judge Jesse Furman ordered her reinstated and awarded back pay through December 2025, when she took another job; the Justice Department said it will appeal.
Key Facts
Maurene Comey argued that she was fired because of her father, former FBI Director James Comey, or her perceived political views.
Judge Jesse Furman said her dismissal violated the Constitution and her right to a fair legal process.
Furman said federal prosecutors can be dismissed only in a particular way and for certain reasons.
The Justice Department said former Attorney General Pam Bondi made the decision to fire Comey.
Comey worked on cases involving Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The Justice Department said it disagrees with the ruling and will appeal.
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Jordanian authorities arrested three relatives in connection with an attack on a church in Karak. The attack killed eight people and wounded 40; officials say the suspects were injured in a three-hour shootout and investigators have found no links to outside groups.
Key Facts
Authorities arrested three suspects who are relatives.
The attack targeted a church in Karak, Jordan.
Eight people were killed.
Forty people were wounded.
Officials say the suspects were injured in a three-hour shootout.
Authorities say they have found no links between the suspects and external groups.
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The Federal Trade Commission and 20 states sued Dollar General, alleging the retailer charged customers more at checkout than the prices shown on shelves, tags, and advertisements. The suit says the alleged overcharges affected millions of purchases and seeks a permanent injunction and monetary relief.
Key Facts
The FTC and 20 states filed the lawsuit on Monday.
The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The FTC alleges that thousands of Dollar General stores overcharged shoppers.
The agency says the pricing problem persisted for years and involved millions of purchases.
The FTC says Dollar General received thousands of customer complaints about checkout prices.
Dollar General did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction and monetary and other relief.
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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the 2026 presidential runoff against far-right candidate Flavio Bolsonaro, reversing a 2.2 million-vote deficit from the first round into a 4.4 million-vote victory. The program examines Lula’s campaign turnaround, including its use of WhatsApp, and considers Brazil’s foreign-policy balancing act and the wider significance of the result.
Key Facts
Lula won the presidential runoff against Flavio Bolsonaro on October 25, 2026.
Lula went from trailing by 2.2 million votes in the first round to winning by 4.4 million votes in the runoff.
The article says Lula became the first candidate since Brazil returned to democracy in the 1980s to win a runoff after trailing in the first round.
The campaign was bitter, and Lula sometimes appeared to show his age, according to the article.
Congressman André Janones organized campaign activity on Meta-owned WhatsApp during the runoff campaign.
The program discusses Brazil’s relationship with the United States, China and other countries.
The article notes that conservative and far-right candidates had performed well in many federal and state races three weeks earlier.
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Reports say Benjamin Netanyahu pressured Israel’s military to consider action against Iran and urged Donald Trump to renew attacks, as Netanyahu’s coalition trails ahead of Israel’s close election. Netanyahu denied one report, and the Defense Ministry said it had no intention of launching operations against Iran; polls suggest neither bloc is set to win a parliamentary majority.
Key Facts
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu and military chief of staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir clashed over an unspecified military directive concerning Iran.
Channel 12 said Zamir asked for the directive to be presented to him in writing.
Netanyahu denied the report about the directive, and the Defense Ministry denied plans to carry out military operations against Iran.
CNN reported that Netanyahu had tried to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to launch renewed attacks on Iran; the report echoed an earlier Financial Times account.
CNN reported that Trump ruled out such action until after the U.S. congressional elections.
Netanyahu posted an AI-generated image showing a nuclear explosion over Tel Aviv and warned voters about the risk of Iran’s nuclear program.
Polls cited in the article show the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot ahead of Netanyahu’s coalition, but neither bloc is expected to reach the 61 seats needed for a majority.
Eisenkot said his bloc would not allow the military to become a pawn in Netanyahu’s effort to stay in power.
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Vincent Battiloro, 18, pleaded not guilty to two first-degree murder charges in the deaths of Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas, both 17. Prosecutors allege he intentionally struck the girls with an SUV while they rode an e-bike in Cranford, New Jersey, in September 2025; authorities have not commented on a motive.
Key Facts
Battiloro entered his plea at an arraignment in Union County on Oct. 26, 2026.
Niotis and Salas died on Sept. 29, 2025, after a Jeep Compass struck them on a residential street in Cranford.
The complaint says the SUV had major front-end damage and an e-bike embedded in its front.
The complaint says Battiloro fled on foot and later told police that a masked person with a knife had carjacked him.
Battiloro was 17 when he was arrested two days after the crash and was initially charged in juvenile court.
He was transferred to adult court in June and indicted earlier this month on two first-degree murder counts.
The next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 14.
The victims’ families asked the New Jersey attorney general to investigate law enforcement’s dealings with Battiloro and his family.
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Dictionary.com named “maxxing” its 2026 Word of the Year. The term, shortened from “maximizing,” describes doing something to the fullest or optimizing it as much as possible, and its use has grown across social media and digital media.
Key Facts
Dictionary.com said digital media used “maxxing” nearly 19 times more in August 2026 than the 2025 monthly average.
People use the word alone or attach it to another word to describe maximizing an activity or result.
Fitness and wellness influencers use terms such as “proteinmaxxing,” “fibermaxxing” and “sleepmaxxing.”
“Looksmaxxing” describes efforts to meet specific standards of attractiveness, including standards for jawlines, eyes and physique.
Dictionary.com also considered “affordability,” “data centre,” “odyssey” and “unc” for its 2026 choice.
The word appeared in the opening song of the 1990s television show “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
Dictionary.com previously selected “demure” and “67” as its Words of the Year.
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Owners of Apple’s first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, have reported cracks and display problems. Apple acknowledged an issue affecting a small number of units and advised customers with display problems to contact AppleCare for a replacement; analysts said there is not yet enough evidence to assess how widespread the issue is.
Key Facts
The iPhone Duo went on sale globally on Friday and starts at $1,999 (£1,499).
Apple said a small number of units have an issue affecting the inner display.
Some owners posted reports of cracking sounds and screen malfunctions on social media and Reddit.
One Australian owner said Apple replaced their phone, but the publication could not verify the account.
Bloomberg reported similar user complaints in the United States and India.
Apple said early-user response had been positive and demand for the device had been exceptionally strong.
The phone has sold out, and the next shipments are reportedly not expected until January.
Analysts said it is too early to determine whether the screen issue signals a wider problem.
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