Pope Leo XIV requested a mail ballot for Illinois’ November 3 midterm election, but officials have not confirmed whether he returned it. If he votes, he could become the first pope known to cast a ballot in a secular election while serving as pontiff.
Key Facts
The Will County Clerk’s Office said Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost, requested a mail ballot on October 3.
Leo remains registered to vote at an address in New Lenox, Illinois, despite living at the Vatican.
His ballot is expected to include the Illinois U.S. Senate race, the governor’s race and local contests in Will County.
Public records cited by the Chicago Sun-Times indicate that Leo voted in several Illinois primary and general elections, including the 2024 general election.
More than 20 million Americans and 1.16 million Illinois residents had voted early, according to the article.
Leo has criticized the war in Iran and clashed publicly with President Donald Trump over foreign affairs and immigration policy.
The Vatican said tests after surgery confirmed Leo had localized lung adenocarcinoma and needed no further cancer treatment.
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Republican Ohio gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy said Thursday that his campaign had finished airing an attack ad featuring Donna Arthur, the estranged mother of Democratic nominee Amy Acton. The ad drew criticism for using allegations about Acton’s childhood abuse; Ramaswamy said he wanted the campaign to focus on policy, while Acton accused him of exploiting her childhood.
Key Facts
Ramaswamy said the ad had run to completion and that his campaign had put up four other ads.
His campaign had announced the previous week that it planned to spend $4 million to broadcast the ad.
The ad featured Donna Arthur, who lost custody of Acton in 1978 after her husband was charged with raping Acton when she was between 10 and 12.
The campaign edited the ad from 60 seconds to 30 seconds, removing Arthur’s claim that Acton had lied about living in a tent with Arthur.
Court records indicated that Cledith Arthur lived in a tent when he was arrested on rape charges.
President Donald Trump defended the ad at a rally with Ramaswamy on Wednesday.
Acton said at an event Thursday that Ramaswamy was exploiting her childhood and described experiencing abuse and neglect.
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CBS News reports that actor Sir Patrick Stewart has died at 86. A segment on “The Daily Report” looks back at his career, including his work on stage and his role as a “Star Trek” icon.
Key Facts
The article reports that Patrick Stewart died at age 86.
Stewart was a British actor and was knighted.
The article says he spent more time on stage than on screen.
The segment discusses Stewart’s career as a celebrated stage actor and “Star Trek” icon.
Wall Street Journal reporter Chris Kornelis joined “The Daily Report” to discuss Stewart’s career.
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Fighting over disputed land and water in Ethiopia’s Moyale border region has driven people into Kenya. At least 30,000 displaced people need aid, shelter and medical care; the article title says families have been left hungry and homeless.
Key Facts
Clashes are taking place in Ethiopia’s Moyale border region.
The dispute involves land and water.
People have fled the fighting into Kenya.
At least 30,000 displaced people need assistance.
Those displaced need shelter and medical care.
The article title reports that families are hungry and homeless.
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CBS News reports that Flávio Bolsonaro, described as a defeated candidate in Brazil’s presidential election, reached Florida despite Brazilian authorities asking him to surrender his passports. The supplied article teaser does not explain how he left Brazil.
Key Facts
The article identifies Flávio Bolsonaro as a defeated candidate in Brazil’s presidential election.
It says Bolsonaro went to Florida.
Brazilian authorities had asked Bolsonaro to turn over his passports.
CBS News correspondent Lilia Luciano is named as the reporter covering the story.
The page describes the segment as a 2-minute, 49-second video.
The supplied text does not provide details about how Bolsonaro left Brazil.
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The Republican National Committee said President Donald Trump will take part in tele-rallies across 19 states before Election Day. The announcement came after two in-person events in Iowa and Kansas were canceled.
Key Facts
The RNC announced the tele-rallies on Thursday.
Trump is scheduled to appear in tele-rallies across 19 states.
The events are planned for the period before Election Day.
Trump had two in-person events canceled.
The canceled events were in Iowa and Kansas.
The RNC described the tele-rallies as a 72-hour sprint.
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The University of Kentucky approved a religious accommodation allowing research administrator David Durman to avoid personally using generative AI for his work. Durman, a humanist, said he sought the exemption because he believes using generative AI can weaken human reasoning and conflicts with his beliefs about human well-being.
Key Facts
The university approved Durman's request on September 25 after determining it would not create an undue burden for his department, according to the American Humanist Association.
Durman edits grant applications and handles compliance work at the University of Kentucky.
He sought the accommodation preemptively because he was concerned that AI use might eventually become mandatory.
The accommodation does not exempt him from meetings about AI, working with colleagues who use it, or submitting materials through websites that use it.
Durman said his objection focuses on generative AI and large language models, not every technology described as artificial intelligence.
The American Humanist Association said the case is the first known workplace AI accommodation granted to a humanist.
A North Carolina software engineer received an accommodation from using AI in May after raising religious, environmental, and ethical objections, according to Business Insider.
The university's CATS AI framework aims to expand access to AI tools and AI literacy across education, research, health care, and operations.
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A review of British newspaper front pages focuses on Chancellor John Healey’s Budget and reports about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s stay at Balmoral. Other coverage includes Israel’s election, Alphabet’s share-price fall, and oil company Shell’s profits.
Key Facts
The i Paper reports that Healey said there would be no welfare cuts before the election and cites a forecast that spending could reach £431 billion by 2032.
The Daily Telegraph reports that the Institute for Fiscal Studies warned of prolonged financial pressure and estimated a typical family’s disposable income would rise by an average of 2% over the 2020s under the Budget measures.
The Times reports that Healey is discussing an international bank with at least three NATO members to help finance higher defence spending.
The Daily Express reports that Police Scotland confirmed active enquiries into Jeffrey Epstein’s reported stay at Balmoral with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
The Guardian reports that Benjamin Netanyahu and allies called on Israel’s internal security service to investigate alleged vote buying and other irregularities in Palestinian communities after no major bloc won a majority.
The Financial Times reports that Alphabet shares fell 15% on Thursday and the Nasdaq fell 1.5%.
The Daily Star reports that actor Sir Patrick Stewart has died aged 86.
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The page raises the question of whether it is legal to recruit a candidate who shares an opponent’s name, but the supplied text does not provide an answer. It says Alaska’s governor ordered a new investigation into an alleged effort to draw votes away from Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, and the Justice Department issued new subpoenas.
Key Facts
The headline asks whether recruiting a same-name candidate to compete against an opponent is legal.
The supplied text does not explain the law or resolve the question.
Alaska’s governor ordered a new investigation into an alleged plot to siphon votes from Sen. Dan Sullivan.
The Justice Department issued new subpoenas in the case.
CBS News legal analyst Jessica Levinson was identified as discussing the controversy.
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Binance said it froze more than $2.5 billion in digital assets while investigating a security issue and temporarily suspended deposits and withdrawals. The company said it would cover losses and that user funds were safe; crypto prices fell after the alerts.
Key Facts
Binance said it froze more than $2.5 billion in assets to stop them from being stolen during its investigation.
The exchange temporarily suspended deposits and withdrawals while conducting security checks.
Binance said it would cover all losses and that users' funds were safe.
Former Binance chief Changpeng Zhao said the incident appeared to be a hack.
Circle said it froze more than $800 million in assets linked to the incident.
Zhao said Tether and Circle had together frozen about $1.7 billion in stolen assets.
Bitcoin fell about 5% after the alerts, and Ethereum and Solana also dropped sharply.
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Rachel Stone recalls how, when she was five, her parents and the family next door separated and exchanged partners and homes after a shared holiday in Wales. She describes the confusion and lasting strain of the arrangement, and says she has since come to forgive her parents.
Key Facts
Rachel and her brother Ian went on a two-week caravan holiday in Wales with their neighbours.
After the holiday, Rachel moved with her mother Kay into the neighbours’ home, while Ian stayed with their father Rex in their former home.
The neighbours’ daughter Alison moved in with Rachel and Kay; the neighbours’ mother Irene and daughter Dawn moved in with Rex and Ian.
The two couples later divorced and married their new partners.
Rachel says she missed Ian and found it difficult to visit her father’s home as she grew older.
Rachel says her mother rarely discussed the family arrangement, which Rachel found confusing.
Rachel became a teacher, later married and had two sons, and now works as a business coach.
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An Italian military CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed during routine training in Bosnia’s Brcko region on Thursday, killing four people and injuring 11. EUFOR said it is investigating the crash; Italian officials said everyone aboard was Italian.
Key Facts
EUFOR said the helicopter crashed during a training operation in the Brcko region, about 180km north of Sarajevo.
The four people killed were two soldiers and two Red Cross volunteers, according to Italy’s defence ministry.
EUFOR said 11 people were injured and were receiving treatment in stable condition.
A Brcko hospital spokesman said 15 people were aboard and 12 were taken to the hospital.
The Italian government said all people aboard the helicopter were Italian nationals.
EUFOR said it is conducting a full investigation and will share verified information when appropriate.
EUFOR has been deployed in Bosnia since 2004 and oversees implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement.
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President Donald Trump canceled his rally in Iowa and chose to hold a telerally instead. He also spoke at a rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where he campaigned for Republican Senate candidate Darline Graham.
Key Facts
Trump canceled his planned rally in Iowa.
Trump opted to hold a telerally instead.
Trump spoke at a rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Thursday afternoon.
Trump campaigned at the South Carolina event for Republican Senate candidate Darline Graham.
CBS News reported on the South Carolina Senate race with Nicholas Reynolds, a politics editor for The Post and Courier.
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Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said the state’s midterm election certification process could be “stopped or changed” because of an investigation into ballot-stacking allegations against Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola. He made the remarks Thursday after announcing the probe, in response to a question from NewsNation’s Blake Burman.
Key Facts
Dunleavy is Alaska’s Republican governor.
Dunleavy announced an investigation into ballot-stacking allegations against Peltola.
Peltola is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate.
Dunleavy said the investigation could affect the state’s midterm election certification process.
He said certification could be “stopped or changed.”
NewsNation’s Blake Burman asked Dunleavy about the investigation and its possible impact.
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President Donald Trump canceled planned campaign appearances in Iowa and Kansas days before the November 3, 2026, midterm elections. The Republican National Committee said tele-rallies will replace them and reach voters in nearly 20 states; Trump’s scheduled event in Daytona Beach, Florida, will go ahead.
Key Facts
The RNC announced the Iowa and Kansas cancellations on Thursday.
RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said the tele-rallies would reach more voters than in-person stops.
The tele-rallies are planned for nearly 20 states, including Michigan, Alaska, Texas and Iowa.
Trump’s Friday rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, remains on the schedule.
The November 3 elections will determine control of Congress and contests for state and local offices.
Republicans hold 53 of the Senate’s 100 seats and 218 seats in the House, where all 435 seats are being contested.
The article reports that Harvard University’s ElectIt model estimated Democrats had a 94 percent chance of winning control of the House.
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Final Israeli election results gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, leaving it short of a majority. His Likud party alleged without evidence that Arab-led parties had stolen the election, while election officials said claims of systematic violations were baseless and that an investigation into possible foreign interference would not change the results.
Key Facts
Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats, his main opposition won 48, and Arab-led parties won 19.
The Knesset has 120 seats, so Netanyahu’s bloc fell short of a majority.
The opposition said Likud’s claims demonized Arab voters and sought to undermine the election results.
Election committee head Noam Sohlberg asked the Shin Bet security agency to investigate reported suspicions of foreign interference, saying he could not verify them.
Likud accused unnamed foreign actors of helping Arab-led parties, but offered no evidence in its statement.
Qatar denied reports linking it to alleged election interference and called the allegations ridiculous and dangerous.
The election commission said the probe was based on classified intelligence and would not affect the final results submitted to the president.
The election results still required certification and were due to be submitted to Israel’s president the following Wednesday.
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Cuban Americans in Florida who supported Donald Trump are criticizing his administration’s immigration crackdown after relatives and other immigrants faced detention and deportation. Miami immigration lawyer Ismael Labrador, who voted for Trump, says he expected the policy to target people with criminal records, not undocumented immigrants broadly.
Key Facts
Labrador says his Miami law office is busy with relatives seeking help for detained immigrants.
He says relatives of his clients have been deported to Cuba, and his own cousin was deported despite his efforts.
The article says Cuban Americans have historically had favored immigration status under the Cuban Adjustment Act, a law dating to the 1960s.
The article describes ICE arrests at schools, bus stops, sporting events and courthouses.
Ecuadorean immigrant Grace Calero and her daughter Giulianna Carriel were arrested while receiving hospital care after a car crash and were deported to Ecuador within days, according to the article.
The White House says Trump was elected on a promise of mass deportations and claims more than 3 million undocumented immigrants have left the United States because of his policies.
Labrador was among the 68% of Cuban Americans in Florida who voted for Trump two years ago, but says he regrets his vote.
Trump repeatedly promised mass deportations during his 2024 campaign, including saying he would begin the largest deportation program in U.S. history on his first day.
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Researchers at King’s College London found that some fruit and vegetable parts people often discard contain substantial amounts of fibre. They say using edible scraps may help people increase fibre intake, but recommend washing produce and increasing fibre gradually; some parts, including green potatoes and rhubarb leaves, should not be eaten.
Key Facts
The researchers analysed 12 raw or uncooked fresh foods, including broccoli, kiwi, pineapple and watermelon.
Watermelon rind contained 2.10 grams of fibre per 100 grams, according to the study.
Butternut squash skin and seeds contained 9.25 grams of fibre per 100 grams.
Pineapple skin and core contained five times more fibre than the flesh.
In a nine-week university canteen trial, root-to-tip dishes accounted for a third of hot-menu sales, and diners choosing them were less likely to finish their meals.
A dietitian suggested washing produce thoroughly and chopping or cooking tough stalks; she advised people to increase fibre gradually, especially those with IBS.
The British Nutrition Foundation warns that green potatoes and rhubarb leaves contain toxic compounds; tough stalks and seeds may also be unsuitable for young children.
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Australia’s antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, proposed an independent ombudsman to review ABC and SBS coverage of Gaza and the Middle East. Her updated plan also recommends enforceable rules for arts groups and universities that could restrict some conduct or speech and end grants; Segal said the proposals are not intended to silence criticism of Israel.
Key Facts
Segal’s plan suggests a government-appointed panel review past reporting by ABC and SBS.
The plan proposes transferring some oversight responsibilities from the broadcasters’ own ombudsmen to an external independent ombudsman.
Segal said members of Australia’s Jewish community had raised concerns about coverage they viewed as disproportionate, misleading, or inaccurate.
ABC and SBS have rejected calls for external oversight, according to the article.
The plan recommends that arts organisations set enforceable conditions on artists’ political or ideological activity outside the advertised work and potentially terminate grants.
It proposes that grant authorities be able to end academic funding when recipients engage in antisemitic speech or conduct.
Segal told Senate estimates she was concerned about the tone and frequency of ABC reporting on Gaza.
The royal commission into antisemitism was established after the Bondi beach massacre, in which 15 people were killed during a Hanukkah celebration.
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A fight broke out in Armenia’s parliament after a ruling-party lawmaker mocked the opposition leader’s family. One opposition lawmaker reportedly had a bloody nose, and another had torn clothes; it was the third parliamentary brawl this month.
Key Facts
A fight broke out inside Armenia’s parliament.
The incident followed a ruling-party lawmaker mocking the opposition leader’s family.
One opposition lawmaker reportedly suffered a bloody nose.
Another opposition lawmaker reportedly had torn clothes.
The incident was the third brawl in Armenia’s parliament this month.
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