The Justice Department has issued subpoenas as it investigates allegations involving people associated with Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign in Alaska. The allegations say they recruited a spoiler candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan to confuse Republican voters.
Key Facts
The Justice Department issued subpoenas in connection with the Alaska Senate race.
The investigation concerns allegations involving people associated with Mary Peltola’s campaign.
The allegations say a candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan was recruited as a spoiler.
The alleged effort aimed to confuse Republican voters.
CBS News correspondent Jonah Kaplan reported from Petersburg, Alaska.
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Federal prosecutors charged five people in alleged schemes to steal federal student aid by using fake or stolen identities to enroll as online students. Authorities say the cases involve $2.9 million and are part of a wider investigation spanning more than 40 cases in 26 FBI field offices.
Key Facts
The five defendants are accused of conspiring with foreign nationals in schemes involving federal student grants and loans.
Prosecutors brought charges in Nebraska, Virginia and New Jersey.
The charges include theft of government property, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The Nebraska defendant pleaded not guilty and was detained pending trial.
The three New Jersey defendants had not entered pleas, and the Virginia indictment remained sealed as of Oct. 29, 2026.
The Justice Department named the wider investigation Operation Ghostbusters.
Officials said the investigation spans more than 40 cases across 26 FBI field offices.
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A Michigan State University survey of 2,155 U.S. adults found that 70% believe the country is in decline, up from 55% in 2025. The survey also found rising concern about inflation and healthcare costs ahead of the 2026 midterm election.
Key Facts
SSRS conducted the survey online and by phone over two weeks in September 2026.
The survey’s margin of error was plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.
Inflation was the top issue respondents identified in their communities, as it had been in the previous four years.
The share reporting serious financial problems because of rising prices rose to 47% in 2026, from 30% in 2025 and 27% in 2023.
Among respondents ages 18 to 29, 61% reported serious financial problems due to price increases.
The share naming healthcare as a top community issue increased from 20% in 2025 to 30% in 2026, making it the second-ranked issue.
Healthcare was a top concern for 36% of respondents with incomes of $75,000 to $99,999 and 35% of Black respondents.
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Farmers in Kansas are divided in the close U.S. Senate race between Republican Roger Marshall and Democrat Adam Hamilton. Rising farm costs, drought, low crop prices and reduced export sales have led some farmers to blame Republican leaders and consider voting for Hamilton, while others support Marshall because of his ties to farm country or their views on Hamilton.
Key Facts
The Preisser family said operating its farm cost $737,375 more in 2026 than in 2025.
The family reported increases of $514,625 for fertilizer, $187,000 for diesel and $10,000 for parts.
The Preisser family said drought reduced its crop yields by 20% and lower revenue left it $325,000 behind the previous year.
Kansas lost 700 farms from 2024 to 2025, while farm bankruptcies across the Midwest rose 70% over that period.
Congress has not passed a new Farm Bill since 2018, and the previous bill expired last month, according to the article.
Larry Preisser said he plans to vote for Hamilton, while his son Jeff is unsure whether he will vote and his sister Mandi Sieren said she does not trust either candidate.
Soybean farmer Mick Roush said he plans to support Marshall because he considers Hamilton too liberal.
Some farmers criticized Marshall over the Iran war, tariffs and immigration raids that they said left ranchers short-staffed during harvest.
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Sir Patrick Stewart, known for playing Captain Picard in “Star Trek” and Professor X in the “X-Men” films, has died at 86. A spokesperson said he died in Los Angeles after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia; CBS News looked back at his acting career and legacy.
Key Facts
Stewart was 86.
He was best known as Captain Picard in “Star Trek.”
He played Professor X in the “X-Men” films.
A spokesperson said he died in Los Angeles.
The spokesperson said he had battled Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Vladimir Duthiers presented the CBS News report about Stewart’s life and legacy.
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Experts writing in The Lancet argue that the UK government should treat the manosphere and online misogyny as public health issues. They call for coordinated action by governments, schools, health services and community groups, alongside credible sources of belonging and support for boys and young men.
Key Facts
The report describes the manosphere as a commercial ecosystem of online communities linked by beliefs about masculinity, misogyny and male victimisation.
The authors say the online industry makes money by promoting extreme misogyny and grievance.
Co-author Kent Buse said the system rewards extreme content because outrage and grievance are profitable.
The authors link boys’ vulnerability to isolation, loneliness, financial worries, social exclusion and disengagement from education.
Co-author Sarah Hawkes said responses should offer boys and young men alternatives that meet their needs for belonging and identity.
Mark Brooks of the Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys supported treating the issue as a public health concern and noted that men and boys do not engage with the content equally.
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Alphabet, Google's parent company, lost nearly 13% of its stock value in one day. The report linked the decline to investor concerns about artificial intelligence and described it as the company's worst day since it went public.
Key Facts
Alphabet is Google's parent company.
Alphabet's stock fell nearly 13% in one day.
The report described the drop as the company's worst day since it went public.
The report cited investor concerns related to artificial intelligence.
CBS News contributor Javier David discussed the decline.
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The Department of Homeland Security is investigating a possible breach of employee personal data after a hacker group claimed it created a database containing that information. The article does not provide details about the data, the number of employees affected, or whether the claim has been confirmed.
Key Facts
DHS is investigating a possible breach of employee personal data.
A hacker group claimed it created a database of employees’ personal information.
The article does not confirm that the group accessed or published the data.
The article does not state how many employees may be affected.
CBS News homeland security correspondent Nicole Sganga reported on the investigation.
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Polymarket paused trading on its international platform for about an hour on Thursday after a security incident involving a third-party provider. The company said trading resumed and that it would fully reimburse affected traders.
Key Facts
Polymarket said it halted trading as a precaution after identifying an issue on its international platform.
Trading resumed on Thursday afternoon after about an hour.
The company said it would fully reimburse traders affected by the incident.
Polymarket referred the incident to a law enforcement agency in the United Kingdom.
Reports linked the incident to DebugBear, a UK-based website performance-monitoring company.
DebugBear said it was affected by an ongoing security incident and advised clients using one of its products to remove its embed code.
The scope of the impact on Polymarket traders was not immediately clear.
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Ohio Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign has stopped airing an ad featuring the mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton. The campaign says the ad had run its course after receiving millions of dollars in backing and drawing criticism from members of both parties.
Key Facts
Vivek Ramaswamy is the Republican nominee for Ohio governor.
Amy Acton is Ramaswamy’s Democratic opponent.
The ad features Acton’s mother.
Ramaswamy’s campaign is no longer airing the ad.
The campaign had put millions of dollars behind the ad.
The ad drew backlash from members of both parties.
The campaign said the ad had run its course.
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Forecasters expect a chance of severe weather in some U.S. regions next week, including possible thunderstorms on Election Day. The weather could affect voter turnout in key races. Parts of the Northeast have had a stretch of dry, warm weather that may continue through the weekend, according to AccuWeather.
Key Facts
Severe weather is possible in some U.S. regions next week.
Thunderstorms may occur on Election Day.
The weather could affect voter turnout in key races.
Parts of the Northeast have recently had dry, warm weather.
The dry, warm conditions in parts of the Northeast could continue through the weekend.
AccuWeather reported on the Northeast forecast.
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The Pentagon fired General Brett Sylvia amid allegations that he leaked classified information to the press. The report provides no further details about the allegations or the circumstances of his dismissal.
Key Facts
Brett Sylvia is a top Pentagon general.
The Pentagon fired Sylvia.
The firing came amid allegations that Sylvia leaked classified information to the press.
CBS News correspondent Eleanor Watson reported on the case.
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Georgia recorded more than 2.29 million in-person early votes by Thursday, surpassing the 2,289,951 recorded by the same point in 2022, according to the secretary of state's office. The high turnout came as Donald Trump, Barack Obama and Kamala Harris campaigned in the state for candidates in the governor's and Senate races.
Key Facts
The secretary of state's office reported 2,294,275 in-person early votes by Thursday afternoon.
A later update to the state's election data hub showed 2,359,330 in-person early votes accepted by 4:35 p.m. ET.
The state had accepted 108,251 absentee ballots by 1:35 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Fulton County had the most accepted ballots, with 285,482; Cobb and DeKalb counties followed.
Barack Obama and Kamala Harris campaigned for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms and incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff.
Donald Trump rallied for Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson and U.S. Senate candidate Mike Collins.
Early voting continued Friday, and Election Day polling locations were scheduled to be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on November 3.
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Eric Hafner, a Democrat serving a 20-year federal prison sentence, advanced to Alaska’s 2026 U.S. House general-election ballot after receiving 6,175 votes in the primary. His candidacy has renewed scrutiny because he has never lived in Alaska and the state’s Republican Party previously went to court to keep him off the ballot.
Key Facts
Hafner pleaded guilty in 2022 to making threatening communications and conveying false information about explosive devices.
He received a 240-month prison sentence in December 2023, followed by three years of supervised release.
Hafner received 3.8 percent of the vote in Alaska’s 2026 U.S. House primary, up from 467 votes in 2024.
Democrat Matt Schultz received more primary votes, but he had withdrawn from the general election before the primary and did not advance.
Hafner is the only candidate listed as a registered Democrat in Alaska’s 2026 U.S. House general election.
The other listed candidates are Republican Nick Begich, nonpartisan Bill Hill and Libertarian James C. “Jim” McDermott.
Hafner’s candidate information listed a South Dakota mailing address and a New York telephone number, raising questions about the constitutional requirement that a House member live in the state they represent.
The article links renewed attention to Hafner with a separate dispute over Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., who shares a name with Alaska’s Republican senator.
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CBS News elections director Anthony Salvanto and VoteHub data science head Zachary Donnini discuss early voting numbers ahead of the midterm elections. The supplied article text does not include their findings or specific voting figures.
Key Facts
Anthony Salvanto is CBS News’ executive director of elections and surveys.
Zachary Donnini leads data science at VoteHub.
The discussion focuses on early voting numbers with the midterms days away.
The article text provides no specific early-voting totals or trends.
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A joke by French footballer Kylian Mbappé about an online meme depicting him as Mao Zedong triggered backlash on Chinese social media. Mbappé, Real Madrid and La Liga apologized, while Chinese state media suspended La Liga broadcasts; many Chinese users still struggled to find out what he had said because online references were censored or obscured.
Key Facts
The meme superimposed Mbappé’s face on an image resembling Mao Zedong.
Mbappé did not name Mao in the interview, and later called his comment ill-judged and said he was sincerely sorry.
Real Madrid and La Liga also issued apologies.
China Media Group, the parent of state broadcaster CCTV, suspended broadcasts of La Liga matches.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said words and actions that hurt the feelings of Chinese people would face opposition.
Chinese social media users shared blurred clips and used indirect references to Mao, while some said AI chatbots could not explain the controversy.
China Media Group had not said whether La Liga broadcasts would resume at the time of the article.
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A 2026 survey of 2,221 Victorian lawyers found that 55% used AI in their work, up from 37% the year before. Only 26% said AI had lowered client fees, while many reported spending extra time correcting inaccurate information and documents brought in by clients.
Key Facts
The Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner’s research centre conducted the 2026 survey.
AI use was highest in trade practices, at 85%, and lowest in criminal law, at 29%.
Among respondents who used AI, 79% reported using consumer chatbots; 22% used legal-specific tools.
Lawyers were more likely to report lower fees for business clients than for individual clients: 34% versus 23%.
Eighteen percent said AI let them take on work that had previously been uneconomical.
Forty-six percent of lawyers said clients arrived with inaccurate or misleading information, and 41% said clients brought AI-generated documents that needed correction.
Nearly half of lawyers said clients’ AI use increased the time and effort required; 19% said it reduced that work.
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A federal judge rejected the Trump administration’s request to stop California from processing ballots cast by as many as 20,000 people it suspects are noncitizens. The judge said separating the ballots could disrupt the ongoing election and violate voting-rights protections; the Justice Department said it would appeal.
Key Facts
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter issued the ruling on Wednesday.
The administration asked California to hold ballots until voters’ immigration status could be verified.
More than 3.7 million people had already voted in California, and the state had processed over 500,000 ballots by that week.
California mails ballots to all 23 million registered voters.
Carter said separating ballots could require new county procedures and risk disenfranchising voters.
Carter said the request could violate the National Voting Rights Act, which bars changes to voter rolls within 90 days of an election.
The Justice Department said it would immediately appeal the ruling.
The administration filed a similar request in Washington state involving hundreds of ballots.
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The Department of Justice has issued subpoenas in Alaska’s Senate race amid a controversy involving people with the same name, days before the midterm elections. The report’s introduction does not specify who received the subpoenas or what the investigation concerns.
Key Facts
The Department of Justice issued subpoenas connected to the Alaska Senate race.
The subpoenas come amid a shared-name controversy.
The investigation is taking place days before the midterm elections.
The report’s introduction does not identify the subpoena recipients.
The report’s introduction does not describe the subject of the investigation.
The CBS News segment is reported by Taurean Small and Nana-Sentuo Bonsu.
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The Associated Press is preparing to call winners in thousands of races during the 2026 U.S. midterm elections. For the first time in a major general election, AP is also partnering with broadcast news networks on a Voter Poll, which will examine voter demographics and motivations in every state with a statewide election.
Key Facts
AP has tracked voting in U.S. elections for 178 years.
AP plans to call winners in thousands of 2026 midterm races.
AP gathers ballot returns to determine election winners.
AP is partnering with broadcast news networks on its Voter Poll.
The Voter Poll is a new version of AP's questionnaire about voters.
The poll will examine voter demographics and motivations.
The poll will report results in every state holding a statewide election.
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