Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa discussed her campaign, public school funding and health care in an interview on “Face the Nation” on Oct. 25, 2026. She said her campaign aims to attract voters across party lines and make public schools and children’s health care priorities.
Key Facts
Hinojosa said voters are dissatisfied with both political parties and that her campaign offers a way beyond traditional partisan politics.
She said six or seven polls in the preceding six weeks showed her winning, while all polls placed the race within the margin of error.
Hinojosa said 181 Texas school districts operate on a four-day school week.
She blamed school funding pressures in part on Gov. Greg Abbott withholding funding in 2023 during a dispute over school vouchers.
Hinojosa said a voucher law passed the previous year diverted $1 billion from public schools to private schools.
She said school closures and teacher departures reflect the challenges facing Texas school districts.
Hinojosa said Texas has the highest number of uninsured children of any state and is among the states that have not expanded Medicaid.
She said expanding Medicaid is one possible way to improve children’s access to health care.
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The Justice Department sent California county election officials letters demanding information about roughly 20,000 voters it suspects are noncitizens and asking counties to set aside related ballots. County officials said they were already counting ballots, while California’s attorney general said the federal lists contained errors; a federal appeals court was set to hear arguments over the dispute.
Key Facts
The letters, sent Friday, requested sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, and gave counties 48 hours to respond.
Federal officials warned that they could take legal action against officials who knowingly counted a noncitizen’s vote.
California officials said a list sent to Mendocino County included people who did not live there.
Napa County Registrar John Tuteur said his county would continue its election process; the federal letter named 42 people there.
Amador County’s letter named four people, and clerk-recorder Kim Grady was waiting for guidance from the state.
The Justice Department said it was not asking California to cancel registrations or conduct a voter purge.
The federal government sued California on Oct. 15 to stop the state from counting mail ballots from people it identified as likely noncitizens.
A panel of Ninth Circuit judges was scheduled to hear arguments Sunday on whether California must comply with the federal demands.
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The Oct. 25, 2026, episode of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” features discussion of the latest CBS News polling ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. Retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is also scheduled to appear.
Key Facts
The program is dated Oct. 25, 2026.
The U.S. midterm elections are described as less than 10 days away.
Anthony Salvanto, CBS News executive director of elections and surveys, discusses the latest polling.
Retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is scheduled to appear.
The article is a preview for an episode of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
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Early reports showed high turnout in Serbia’s parliamentary election, with 46% of voters having cast ballots by 14:00 local time. The student-led opposition hopes strong participation will help it unseat President Aleksandar Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party, which has governed since 2012; voting was still underway, so no results were available.
Key Facts
The reported 46% turnout by 14:00 was nearly one million voters higher than the comparable figure in the December 2023 election.
The snap election followed two years of student protests sparked by the 2024 collapse of a train station canopy that killed 16 people.
The opposition Student List campaign says it will target corruption, political influence in public enterprises, and political control of the public broadcaster.
Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party denies corruption and attempts to influence the media.
Vučić cannot seek a third presidential term and is leading his party with the aim of becoming prime minister again.
Student organizers assigned at least two election observers to each of Serbia’s 8,210 polling stations amid concerns about fraud.
Polling was scheduled to close at 20:00 local time, with initial indications of results expected two hours later.
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Hundreds of thousands of people protested rising living costs and economic inequality across France on Saturday. Most marches remained peaceful, but clashes near Paris’s Porte de Vincennes and in several other cities led police to use tear gas, water cannon and batons.
Key Facts
France’s Interior Ministry estimated that 410,000 people joined demonstrations nationwide; the CGT trade union estimated more than 800,000.
Police estimated that about 110,000 people attended the main Paris march.
Police made 1,314 arrests nationwide, and 53 law enforcement officers were injured, according to France 24.
Authorities deployed about 70,000 police officers and gendarmes across France, around 10,000 more than the previous weekend.
Police used tear gas and water cannon against a group of about 500 hooded youths near the Paris march’s endpoint.
Authorities reported responding to 75 fires and said 24 shops had been looted.
Clashes were also reported in Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux and Grenoble, though most demonstrations were peaceful.
The Yellow Vests movement called for further demonstrations on October 31.
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Marine Le Pen launched her presidential campaign in Orleans on October 25, as France faced renewed cost-of-living protests and street violence. The National Rally leader has criticized President Emmanuel Macron’s government over public order and is polling as a frontrunner ahead of elections expected in April and May 2027.
Key Facts
Le Pen was scheduled to address about 10,000 National Rally supporters in Orleans.
More than 400,000 people marched in major French cities on Saturday to protest rising living costs.
Clashes broke out after masked groups left the demonstrations, and police made more than 1,300 arrests.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez blamed much of the violence on what he called “ultra-left” extremists.
Police estimated that 13,000 people joined a Saturday protest against Le Pen in Orleans; organizers estimated twice that number.
Le Pen has proposed capped household energy bills, tax cuts and reducing France’s contribution to the European Union to address living costs.
Le Pen has criticized NATO and France’s support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.
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Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci compared Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to the pigs in George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.” Scaramucci also predicted that Ramaswamy would lose to Democratic candidate Amy Acton.
Key Facts
Scaramucci made the remarks on Sunday.
He posted on the social platform X.
Scaramucci said Ramaswamy had “disgraced himself.”
Ramaswamy is running for governor of Ohio as a Republican.
Acton is Ramaswamy’s Democratic opponent.
Scaramucci predicted Ramaswamy would lose the race.
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Hundreds of demonstrations took place across France on Saturday over the rising cost of living. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said many marches passed peacefully, but members of groups he described as “ultra-left” threw projectiles and fireworks at police.
Key Facts
Demonstrations took place in cities across France on Saturday.
The protests focused on the rising cost of living.
Security forces were deployed in large numbers after violence at protests the previous weekend.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said marches in several cities passed off well.
Nuñez said people he described as members of “ultra-left” groups threw projectiles and fireworks at police.
The article includes comments from French Communist Party spokesperson Fatima Khallouk.
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The newly introduced Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act would create a federal tax incentive for film and television production. The proposal aims to counter the movement of production overseas.
Key Facts
The Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act has been introduced.
The proposal seeks to establish a federal tax incentive.
The incentive would apply to film and television production.
The proposal aims to address production moving overseas.
The article does not state whether the measure has passed or describe the incentive’s details.
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Brazilian voters went to the polls on Oct. 25 for a closely contested presidential runoff between incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump. The result could shift Brazil’s political direction and affect U.S. influence in Latin America; polls had shown the candidates neck and neck.
Key Facts
The runoff required a candidate to win more than 50% of the vote.
Flávio Bolsonaro led Lula by more than 2.2 million votes in the first round earlier that month.
More than 33 million of nearly 160 million eligible voters did not vote in the first round, despite compulsory voting.
The candidates campaigned on different approaches to U.S.-Brazil relations, climate change, social welfare, security and living costs.
Bolsonaro pledged to reduce food costs and take a tough approach to crime; Lula promoted debt relief for small businesses and free weekend public transportation.
Bolsonaro is under investigation over money he accepted from former banker Daniel Vorcaro to produce a film about his father.
The next president will appoint at least three of Brazil’s 11 Supreme Court justices as vacancies arise.
Bolsonaro pledged to seek amnesty for his father, Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest for attempting a coup.
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An Al Jazeera True Crime Reports episode examines the 2006 murder of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu in Malaysia. It explores questions about who ordered her killing and whether officials covered it up.
Key Facts
The episode says Shaariibuu was abducted from an affluent Kuala Lumpur neighbourhood in 2006.
It says she was taken to a jungle, shot twice, and killed with explosives.
The episode describes the murder as part of a major political scandal in Malaysia.
Mary Ann Jolley, an Al Jazeera senior reporter, appears in the episode.
Halla Mohieddeen hosts the episode, which Ryan Gaffney wrote.
Artists used AI-powered software to help create the episode’s illustrations.
The episode is an Al Jazeera Originals production.
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European governments are warning against renewed US-Israeli attacks on Iran as the war disrupts oil supplies and raises energy costs. Their calls for restraint mark a shift from the response at the start of the conflict, though European countries remain divided and continue to oppose Iran’s nuclear program.
Key Facts
The United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, according to the article.
Britain, France and Germany initially condemned Iran’s retaliatory strikes but did not condemn the opening US-Israeli attacks in their joint statement.
On Friday, the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany and Italy met officials from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt in Istanbul to discuss the war and the Strait of Hormuz.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot warned that further escalation could have serious effects on hydrocarbon prices and urged both sides to show restraint.
The article says disrupted energy supplies and rising oil prices are increasing household costs as winter approaches in Europe.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has opposed the US-Israeli campaign and called it illegal, unjust and unjustified.
European warnings against renewed attacks do not mean governments have dropped their opposition to Iran’s nuclear program or regional activities.
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Sources told the article that Benjamin Netanyahu asked President Donald Trump for more public support before Israel’s Tuesday election. Final polls from three major Israeli television networks projected Netanyahu’s coalition well short of a majority, though Channel 14’s poll offered a more favorable result.
Key Facts
A U.S. source and an Israeli source said Netanyahu spoke with Trump twice in three days and sought stronger public endorsements.
An Israeli source said Netanyahu proposed that Trump speak with Israeli reporters; a U.S. source said Netanyahu suggested wording for further statements.
A spokesperson for Netanyahu’s Likud party denied that he asked Trump for campaign support in recent days or before Trump’s endorsement.
Trump endorsed Netanyahu the previous Sunday and suggested that Netanyahu’s defeat could affect U.S.-Israel relations.
Three major Israeli television networks’ final pre-election polls projected 50 seats for Netanyahu’s bloc in the 120-seat Knesset.
Those polls projected 52 to 56 seats for Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc and 14 to 16 seats for two Arab Israeli parties.
Channel 14, described as pro-Netanyahu, projected 60 seats for Netanyahu’s bloc and 30 for Likud in a poll earlier that week.
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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said several Southern statewide races could be competitive for Democrats in the November 2026 midterms. He said Democrats erred by failing to invest in the region earlier and predicted a strong election for the party.
Key Facts
Moore named Florida, Mississippi and South Carolina as states where he believes Democratic candidates could compete.
He said Democrats had underinvested in the South, not only during this election cycle but over a longer period.
Moore said he had personally invested in Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa’s campaign.
He described winning and improving health care, reducing child poverty and raising wages as candidates’ main goals.
Moore said he sees an energized and enlarged Democratic base while campaigning in Maryland and elsewhere.
The article said the 2026 midterm election was nine days away as of October 25.
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Gabon’s High Communication Authority announced on Saturday that it had restored access to social media, ending a ban imposed on 17 February. The regulator had said online content was fueling conflict and divisions; the ban drew criticism from the opposition and prompted many users to turn to virtual private networks (VPNs).
Key Facts
The social media ban lasted about eight months.
The High Communication Authority announced the restoration in a televised statement.
The ban covered popular platforms including Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.
Many Gabonese users relied on VPNs to access social media during the ban.
The suspension began amid social unrest, including strikes by teachers and civil servants over pay and working conditions.
The opposition described the suspension as an abuse of power.
President Brice Oligui Nguema won last year’s election with more than 90% of the vote, two years after his coup ended more than five decades of Bongo family rule.
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States may lose some federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) if they do not reduce their error rates. The article excerpt does not identify which states face cuts or how much funding is at risk.
Key Facts
The funding at risk is federal funding for SNAP.
States must reduce their SNAP error rates to avoid possible cuts.
The article describes the funding at risk as sizable.
The excerpt does not name any states facing cuts.
The excerpt does not give a funding amount or a deadline.
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Former President Barack Obama campaigned in Ohio and Michigan ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, criticizing President Donald Trump and Republican allies over campaign attacks. He defended Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed against personal attacks.
Key Facts
Obama spoke at campaign events in Cleveland and Detroit on Saturday.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said President Donald Trump believes Alaska’s Senate race is unfair because another candidate on the ballot has the same name as incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. Blanche said the shared name could confuse voters and potentially cost Republicans the seat.
Key Facts
Blanche made the remarks Sunday on CNN.
The race is for Alaska’s U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Dan Sullivan.
A candidate with the same name as Sullivan is also on the ballot.
Blanche said the name could confuse voters.
Blanche said the situation could potentially cost Republicans the seat.
Trump views the contest as unfair, according to Blanche.
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Moscow will host the 2030 World Weightlifting Championships, the first global event of an Olympic federation held in Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The International Weightlifting Federation announced the decision after restoring Russian athletes’ eligibility for its events; the championship will also serve as a qualifier for the 2032 Olympic Games.
Key Facts
The International Weightlifting Federation announced Moscow as the host city on Sunday.
The IWF said Russian athletes became eligible to compete in its events again four months before the announcement.
The IOC provisionally lifted its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee in July, but has not decided whether Russia may use its flag, colours or anthem at the Olympics.
The IOC said it would not hold its events in Russia or invite Russian government or state officials to its events.
The 2029 senior World Weightlifting Championships will take place in Ahmedabad, India.
No world championships in an Olympic sport have been held in Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine began.
Ukraine has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn the IOC decision to provisionally lift its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee.
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Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel should prepare to use cryptocurrency to bypass possible banking sanctions and reduce reliance on U.S. military funding. The Bank of Israel rejected the proposal, while the article notes that Israel’s banking system has not been sanctioned and that several countries have imposed measures linked to Israeli settlements.
Key Facts
Netanyahu proposed using blockchain-based cryptocurrency as an alternative to the international banking system.
The Bank of Israel rejected Netanyahu’s proposal.
Opposition parties criticized the plan, according to the article.
The article says Israel’s banking system has not been targeted by sanctions.
The United Kingdom and other major economies pledged coordinated measures against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The European Union has sanctioned people and groups linked to settlements.
Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands have introduced restrictions on settlement goods.
Netanyahu said Israel should prepare for less U.S. support after Donald Trump’s term ends.
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