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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The 2026 Minnesota Senate race has tightened, with the Cook Political Report shifting it from Likely Democratic to Lean Democratic. Fraud allegations tied to a COVID-era child nutrition program have become a central campaign issue as Democrat Peggy Flanagan and Republican Michele Tafoya compete to succeed retiring Senator Tina Smith.
Key Facts
Recent polls show a close contest between Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan and retired broadcaster Michele Tafoya.
Tafoya raised $4.3 million in the third quarter of 2026, compared with Flanagan’s $3.8 million.
The Feeding Our Future case involves alleged fraudulent claims for child nutrition programs and has been described as a $250 million scheme.
The Justice Department investigation began under the Biden administration and has resulted in dozens of indictments.
Estimates of taxpayer losses connected to the case range from $250 million to $1 billion.
Republicans have criticized Governor Tim Walz’s response to the scandal; his office says he sought more authority to address fraud.
Flanagan has said she supports an independent Office of Inspector General and harsher penalties for fraud.
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Apple announced an eighth-generation iPad mini starting at $699, with an 8.5-inch OLED screen, an A20 Pro chip and an IP67 rating. Preorders open October 28, and the tablet is scheduled to go on sale November 6.
Key Facts
The new display measures 8.5 inches, up from 8.3 inches, and uses OLED technology instead of the previous model’s IPS display.
Apple says the screen reaches 1,200 nits of peak brightness and can dim to 1 nit.
The tablet is 5.4 millimeters thick, and its chassis has an IP67 rating for water and dust protection.
The 128GB and 256GB models have a single 16-core Neural Engine and a five-core CPU; the 512GB model has a dual 16-core Neural Engine and a six-core CPU.
The front and rear cameras are both 12 megapixels, and Apple moved the front camera to the tablet’s long edge.
The 128GB Wi-Fi model costs $699. The 256GB and 512GB versions cost $799 and $999, respectively.
A nano-texture display option costs an extra $100 and is available only with the 256GB and 512GB models. The 128GB cellular model starts at $849.
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Twelve Catholic bishops met with President Donald Trump at the White House on October 22 and prayed over him in the Oval Office. After images and a recording of the meeting circulated, Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob regretted taking part, and Des Moines Bishop William Joensen said he should have anticipated that the event could be used politically.
Key Facts
The bishops met with Trump to discuss immigration enforcement and the treatment of religious workers.
A photograph showed 12 bishops gathered around Trump at the Resolute Desk as they prayed.
Grob said the recording was made without the bishops' knowledge.
Grob said the meeting was not intended as an endorsement of Trump.
Joensen said he should have anticipated the political uses of the event.
Trump held a Bible outside St. John's Episcopal Church in June 2020.
A “God Bless the USA” Bible, which included U.S. founding documents, was offered for $59.99.
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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won reelection to an unprecedented fourth term, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro on Sunday. U.S. Democratic lawmakers and world leaders congratulated Lula, who is an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump.
Key Facts
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is commonly known as Lula.
Lula won reelection as Brazil’s president.
The win gives Lula an unprecedented fourth term.
Lula defeated Flávio Bolsonaro.
Flávio Bolsonaro is the son of former Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro.
Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year prison sentence.
U.S. Democratic lawmakers and world leaders congratulated Lula.
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Twelve Illinois counties and several townships are scheduled to hold non-binding referendums on November 3 about pursuing a split from Cook County and forming a new state. Supporters say rural communities have too little influence in state government, while Governor JB Pritzker has opposed the separation votes. The results would be advisory and would not themselves divide Illinois.
Key Facts
The November 3 votes will ask whether officials should pursue steps toward separating areas outside Cook County from the rest of Illinois.
The article says 33 counties had already voted in favor of pursuing separation.
Eleven counties are holding votes organized by the Illinois Separation Referendum group: Coles, Gallatin, Hamilton, Henderson, Macoupin, McDonough, Monroe, Piatt, Saline, Warren and Washington.
Ford County will hold a separate referendum asking state lawmakers to pursue legislation and constitutional measures to split Chicago and Cook County from Illinois.
Several Adams County townships will also hold referendums, but Adams County will not have a countywide vote.
The referendum results are non-binding and would indicate whether officials should take further steps.
Supporters argue Chicago has disproportionate influence over state decisions and that rural communities lack a sufficient voice.
Governor JB Pritzker has spoken against separation referendums.
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The article argues that natural hydrogen exploration and production could create work for oil and gas workers because the industries use similar skills. It calls for federal support for exploration and workforce training, and says producing hydrogen near fertilizer plants could support local fertilizer supplies.
Key Facts
The article reports that U.S. oil and gas extraction employment was 115,100 in June 2026, down from 187,300 in January 2016, citing Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
It says U.S. oil and gas production remained near record highs despite the employment decline.
The article says the World Bank reported urea fertilizer prices rose above $850 per metric ton in April 2026, an 80 percent increase since February.
Natural hydrogen forms underground, and the article says its exploration and production can use skills such as geology, land negotiation, and drilling.
The author says workers may need targeted retraining to move from oil and gas work to natural hydrogen jobs.
The article says hydrogen is difficult to transport over long distances and may be converted into products such as ammonia near where it is found.
The author urges the federal government to include natural hydrogen in its hydrogen plans and support exploration and workforce development.
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More than 300 Boston Dynamics employees signed a petition asking executives to stop a sale of modified Spot robot dogs to ICE. The company defended the deal, saying the robots can help keep people safe and would not be weaponized; the $1.3 million contract covers four robots intended for inspection and observation tasks.
Key Facts
Employees sent the petition to Boston Dynamics executives in early September, before the contract was awarded on September 25.
The petition’s more than 300 signatories represent about half of the company’s approximately 1,400 workers; roughly half of the signatures were anonymous.
The Department of Homeland Security contract awarded $1.3 million to Connecticut-based Radeco to provide ICE with four modified Boston Dynamics Spot robots.
Radeco’s modified robots are marketed as Cerberus and are equipped with radiation and gas sensors, cameras, and infrared thermal imaging.
The contract describes uses including detecting hazards, inspecting confined spaces, and supporting remote observation missions.
The robots can navigate complex industrial environments and perform repeatable autonomous missions with limited human intervention, according to the contract.
Boston Dynamics said ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit would primarily use the robots; the article notes that the unit has also conducted deportations and workplace raids.
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Brazilian voters reelected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who defeated Flávio Bolsonaro with 51.8% of the vote to 48.2%. The result blocks a conservative victory in Latin America’s largest country and complicates U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure Brazil’s cooperation on regional security and access to critical minerals, though both governments have reasons to pursue ties.
Key Facts
Lula won 51.8% of the vote, while Flávio Bolsonaro received 48.2%.
The result ended a run of seven consecutive conservative presidential victories in Latin America over 18 months.
Flávio Bolsonaro refused to concede and called for the result to be annulled.
As of Monday morning, Trump had not publicly acknowledged Lula’s reelection, according to the article.
The Trump administration has sought Brazil’s participation in a U.S.-led security coalition against cartels.
Washington wants access to Brazil’s rare earths, while Lula’s government seeks foreign investment and tariff relief for Brazilian exporters.
Lula has pursued ties with China and greater influence through BRICS while supporting Brazil’s tradition of nonalignment.
Trump imposed tariffs on some Brazilian goods in response to Brazil’s prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro over an alleged coup plot.
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The Vatican said Pope Leo will make his South American trip as planned from 6 to 17 November, visiting Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. He had surgery on 13 October to remove a localized tumour from his right lung and has been gradually resuming work while recovering.
Key Facts
The 71-year-old Pope underwent a 90-minute operation in Rome on 13 October.
Doctors discharged him from Gemelli hospital on 17 October.
The Pope's surgeon said his condition was satisfactory and there were no clinical reasons to cancel the trip.
The Vatican said Leo would visit 10 cities during the tour.
The itinerary includes stops in Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Lima, Chiclayo, Cuzco and Pucallpa.
Leo lived and worked in Peru for several years and holds Peruvian citizenship.
The Vatican said Leo would cancel a planned visit to Assisi on 27 October on his doctors' recommendation.
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