Microsoft will offer voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 eligible employees in the United States, India, Canada and the United Kingdom. The program comes as the company manages costs while investing in AI infrastructure and data centers, and follows other workforce-reduction efforts in 2026.
Key Facts
The offer covers roughly a quarter of Microsoft’s global workforce, according to CNBC.
Employees at internal level 70 or below in selected organizations may qualify.
Microsoft said it chose participating organizations based on business priorities, customer commitments and workforce needs.
Eligible employees will receive an email about the offer, according to Microsoft’s blog.
In April, Microsoft offered a voluntary retirement package to 8,750 U.S. employees.
Microsoft’s Xbox division laid off 3,200 workers in July, about 20 percent of its gaming division.
Chief People Officer Amy Coleman said about 30 percent of employees eligible for the April retirement offer accepted it.
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Serbia's longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic lost a historic election, bringing down his government. The article describes the result as an ouster by a student-led movement.
Key Facts
Aleksandar Vucic lost the election in Serbia.
The article describes the election result as historic.
Vucic's government fell after the election.
The article identifies the movement behind the result as student-led.
William Brangham discussed the results with Heather Conley.
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Rep. Jake Auchincloss, a Massachusetts Democrat, said Americans know who Democrats oppose but are less clear about what the party supports. He discussed the party’s plans beyond the midterms and ahead of the 2028 presidential race on CBS’s “The Takeout.”
Key Facts
Jake Auchincloss represents Massachusetts in the U.S. House.
Auchincloss chairs the moderate group Majority Democrats.
Majority Democrats plans to hold a summit called “What’s Next.”
Democrats are beginning to plan beyond the midterm elections.
The group’s summit comes as Democrats prepare for the 2028 presidential race.
Auchincloss discussed the plans on CBS’s “The Takeout.”
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The article says Chancellor John Healey will announce a tapered earnings rule for the UK’s carer’s allowance in Wednesday’s budget, replacing the rule that removed a full weekly payment when a carer earned even slightly above the limit. Under the proposed system, the benefit would fall by £1 for each £1 earned above the limit, so carers would not lose their allowance all at once.
Key Facts
The current weekly earnings limit is £204, and the weekly carer’s allowance payment is £86.45.
Under the current rule, earning even a penny above the limit can cost a carer the full weekly payment.
The article says some carers accumulated debts of £2,000 to £5,000, with some debts reaching £20,000.
A government-commissioned review found that about 180,000 carers built up overpayment debts totaling £300 million between the years covered by the review.
The review described hardship and distress linked to the allowance’s rules and the Department for Work and Pensions’ administration.
The budget is also expected to make higher tax-free mileage rates permanent, including 55p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles and 35p per mile above that.
The Treasury estimates that the mileage-rate change would benefit about three million employees and self-employed people who use their own vehicles for work.
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The UK government says it will remove import tariffs on more than 100 products, including marmalade and gherkins, as part of measures announced ahead of the Budget. It says the changes, alongside existing tariff suspensions, could save households up to £21 a year; the package also includes changes to carer’s allowance, mileage rates and parental pay.
Key Facts
The government plans to suspend import tariffs on more than 100 products described as family favourites.
Marmalade imports will no longer face a 20% tariff and an additional £19 charge per 100kg, under the announced change.
The government estimates the tariff changes, combined with existing suspensions on items such as pasta, fruit juice and tuna, could save households up to £21 per year.
The package would let carers earn above the current earnings limit without losing their full allowance, using a gradual reduction instead.
A tax-free mileage rate of 55p per mile for the first 10,000 work miles would become permanent, with the rate above that level rising from 25p to 35p per mile.
The government plans to provide two weeks of paternity pay to self-employed fathers.
The Conservatives criticized the package, saying it would not offset the effects of higher taxes and living costs.
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Campaigns and their allies are making their closing arguments to voters, spending more than the annual budgets of several states. Much of the spending focuses on voters’ finances, while attack ads have become more personal and use more artificial content, according to the report.
Key Facts
Campaigns and their allies are making closing arguments to voters.
The spending exceeds the annual budgets of a handful of states.
Much of the spending targets voters’ financial concerns.
The report says attack ads are becoming more personal.
The report says attack ads are becoming more artificial.
Lisa Desjardins explains the campaign spending and advertising.
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The CBS Evening News lineup for October 26 included coverage of a close Texas Senate race and President Donald Trump campaigning in Mississippi ahead of the midterm elections. Other listed reports covered flooding, Israel’s election, a court ruling on votes, and several legal and technology stories.
Key Facts
The program described the Texas Senate race as close.
President Donald Trump campaigned in rural Mississippi, a Republican stronghold.
Trump and Barack Obama held rallies ahead of the midterm elections.
The program reported that Texas voters were concerned about high costs.
A court rejected a Justice Department bid to block some votes.
The lineup included reports on flooding on both coasts and Israel preparing for an election.
Other segments covered a legal case involving James Comey and reports of cracks in some iPhone Duo devices.
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A federal court filing says former FBI Director James Comey faces two charges related to allegedly disclosing national defense information to The New York Times in October 2016. Comey denies wrongdoing, and his lawyer says two earlier investigations into the alleged disclosure ended without charges.
Key Facts
The filing marks the third time the Justice Department has brought criminal charges against Comey.
The court filing provides few details about the two counts.
Comey's lawyers say the case concerns an alleged disclosure of classified information to The New York Times in October 2016.
Comey said in a video posted on Substack that he is innocent.
Comey called the charges an abuse of the Justice Department.
Lawyer Patrick Fitzgerald said two teams of prosecutors previously investigated the alleged disclosure and decided not to bring charges.
Fitzgerald said the new charges concern crimes Comey did not commit.
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Johnny Garcia, a Democrat running in Texas’ 35th congressional district, said Republican voters are “fed up” with GOP policies. In an interview on CBS News’ “The Takeout,” he discussed disaffected Republicans and frustration among Hispanic voters ahead of the midterm elections.
Key Facts
Garcia is the Democratic candidate for Texas’ 35th congressional district.
Garcia said Republican voters are “fed up” with GOP policies.
He discussed disaffected Republican voters in an interview on “The Takeout.”
Garcia also discussed Hispanic voter frustration.
The interview took place ahead of the midterm elections.
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NPR’s Tamara Keith and Cook Political Report’s Amy Walter discuss the outlook for the U.S. House and Senate midterm races. They also examine whether Republican redistricting efforts could backfire, President Trump’s campaign comments, and the administration’s legal challenges to election results.
Key Facts
Tamara Keith and Amy Walter joined Amna Nawaz for the discussion.
The conversation covered the current outlook for House races.
The conversation covered the current outlook for Senate races.
Keith and Walter discussed the possibility that Republican redistricting efforts could backfire.
The discussion included President Trump’s comments on the campaign trail.
The discussion included the administration’s legal efforts to challenge election results.
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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the presidential runoff, despite prediction markets showing him as an underdog on Sunday. At noon Eastern time, Kalshi gave Lula a 20.2% chance of winning, while Polymarket put his odds at 20.5%.
Key Facts
Lula won Brazil’s presidential runoff election over the weekend.
Lula was rated an underdog in prediction markets on Sunday.
Kalshi gave Lula a 20.2% chance of winning at noon Eastern time.
Polymarket gave Lula a 20.5% chance of winning at noon Eastern time.
Flávio Bolsonaro was Lula’s opponent in the runoff.
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President Donald Trump offered a $1 million reward for reports of voter fraud in past elections or the 2026 midterms, payable if the report leads to an arrest and conviction. He did not say how the rewards would be funded; his announcement comes as election officials and state attorneys general raise concerns about possible federal interference and the administration’s voter-fraud claims.
Key Facts
Trump announced the reward in a Truth Social post on Monday.
He repeated the offer to reporters before boarding Air Force One for a campaign rally in Mississippi.
The reward would be paid only after the reported person is arrested and convicted.
Trump did not disclose how he would pay for the rewards.
The announcement comes ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections.
Democratic state attorneys general expanded coordination efforts this month to counter possible federal interference in the elections.
In 2020, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick offered $25,000 for election-fraud tips.
A 2021 Washington Post report said the first payout under Patrick’s offer went to a Pennsylvania poll worker whose tip led to a conviction for voting twice.
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President Donald Trump said he would pay $1 million for information about voter fraud in past elections or the 2026 midterms if it leads to an arrest and conviction. The White House and Justice Department have not explained how the reward would be funded or administered. The offer comes amid federal investigations and legal disputes over alleged election fraud and voter eligibility.
Key Facts
Trump announced the reward on Truth Social on Monday, eight days before the November 3 midterm elections.
The offer covers reports about alleged fraud in past elections and the 2026 midterms, and requires an arrest and conviction.
Trump did not specify how people could submit tips, who would decide whether a tip qualified, or where the money would come from.
The Justice Department said it deferred to the White House when asked whether it would administer or fund the reward.
The Justice Department said on October 20 that it had charged 113 people in 20 states with illegal voting or registration offenses over the previous seven weeks; the charges are allegations, not findings of guilt.
The Justice Department sued California over ballots linked to more than 20,000 people it described as likely noncitizens; state officials dispute the federal claims.
A federal judge rejected the Justice Department’s bid for Georgia’s unredacted statewide voter list, and the administration has appealed in several voter-record cases.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance had announced a separate $25 million reward program for reports of fraud involving federal programs.
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A coordinated effort is training clergy to help keep the peace at polling places on Election Day. The effort includes a minister, a rabbi and an imam, according to a report by Deema Zein.
Key Facts
The effort brings together a minister, a rabbi and an imam.
The group is coordinating an effort related to Election Day.
The effort trains clergy.
The training aims to help keep the peace.
The effort focuses on polling places.
Deema Zein reported on the effort.
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FRANCE 24 checked three viral videos shared as evidence of recent unrest in Europe. The footage came from a 2017 march in Poland, military event preparations in Portugal, and an August protest in Argentina—not recent demonstrations in Europe.
Key Facts
A video viewed more than a million times on X was falsely described as showing millions protesting in Poland; it depicts the country’s annual Independence Day march in 2017.
The Poland video has resurfaced with misleading captions over the years, including claims that it showed unrest in France.
Military vehicles shown in Porto were part of preparations for Army Day, held from October 20 to 25, not a deployment against protesters.
Portugal’s city website said thousands of soldiers arrived in Porto for events showcasing the military.
Police, not the army, handled recent demonstrations in Portugal; police dismantled housing protest camps in Porto and Lisbon on Sunday, arresting more than 30 people.
Footage said to show Italian protesters removing a US flag was filmed in Buenos Aires in August.
The Buenos Aires footage showed a flag being removed from a hotel during a protest linked to a law on private property introduced by President Javier Milei.
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The Justice Department charged James Comey with two counts related to alleged leaks of national defense information in 2016, marking the third time the Trump administration has brought criminal charges against him. Comey’s lawyers say the case concerns a previously investigated New York Times article and argue the filing came after the statute of limitations expired and should have required a grand jury indictment.
Key Facts
Federal prosecutors filed the charges in Washington, D.C., on Monday.
The government alleges Comey leaked information in 2016 and conspired with an unnamed person to provide it to a national news outlet.
Comey’s attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, said the case relates to a New York Times article published on October 5, 2016.
Prosecutors filed the charges as an “information,” a charging document that is not approved by a grand jury.
Comey’s lawyers asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that the statute of limitations expired and that the law required a grand jury indictment.
A judge previously dismissed a separate case accusing Comey of lying to Congress after finding the prosecutor had been unlawfully appointed.
Earlier this year, the Justice Department charged Comey in North Carolina over a social media post showing seashells arranged to spell “8647.”
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Israel is holding its first parliamentary elections since the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces opposition, and the vote is partly a referendum on his response to the attacks and the war that followed.
Key Facts
Israel is holding parliamentary elections on Tuesday.
The election is the first since the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.
Israel has been on a war footing since the attacks.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces an opposition challenge.
The vote is partly a referendum on Netanyahu’s tactics.
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Court records show the Justice Department is working to bring a third criminal case against James Comey, the former FBI director. Comey said he is innocent, is not afraid, and believes in the independent federal judiciary.
Key Facts
Court records show the Justice Department is working to bring another criminal case against Comey.
The proposed case would be the third criminal case against Comey.
Comey previously served as FBI director.
Comey said, “I'm still innocent.”
Comey said he is not afraid and believes in the independent federal judiciary.
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President Donald Trump announced a $1 million reward for tips about voter fraud. He said the payment would go to people whose tips lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for fraud in past elections or the 2026 midterms.
Key Facts
Trump announced the reward on a Monday afternoon.
The reward is $1 million.
The offer covers alleged voter fraud in past elections and the 2026 midterm election.
Trump said tips must lead to an arrest and conviction for the reward to be paid.
The announcement came about a week before the midterms.
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Jordan said its air force struck armed groups in Syria in retaliation for an attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak that killed nine people. Syrian state media reported that at least five civilians died in the strikes, while Jordan said it coordinated the operation with Damascus and Syria’s government said it was investigating the attacks.
Key Facts
The church attack took place during a funeral in Karak on Friday and wounded more than two dozen people.
Jordanian authorities arrested three men in Karak after a dawn shootout; all three were wounded.
Jordan identified the suspects as brothers Hazzah and Mishal Zaidan Mohammad and their brother-in-law, Ahmad Sami Hussein.
Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said the suspects were not linked to an organized group and that authorities found a large cache of munitions.
Jordan said its strikes killed or wounded members of armed groups and destroyed several vehicles but did not name the groups or specify the strike locations.
A Syrian health official said at least five civilians, including women and children, were killed in the strikes in Daraa province.
Jordan declared three days of mourning after the church attack; no group had claimed responsibility, and the motive remained unknown.
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