FHFA Director Bill Pulte said Monday that he would not allow what he called “abusive monopolies” to take advantage of consumers in the mortgage market. The article also notes that Pulte discussed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac last month, but the excerpt does not include details of those remarks.
Key Facts
Bill Pulte is the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
Pulte made the statement on Monday.
Pulte posted his statement on X.
He said abusive monopolies would not be allowed to take advantage of consumers.
His warning covered the mortgage market.
The article says Pulte spoke about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac last month, but gives no details in the excerpt.
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A United Nations commission said Russia’s repeated attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure amount to war crimes because the attacks deliberately target civilian objects. It reported that strikes during the winter of 2025–2026 left millions facing prolonged outages, and it also accused Moscow of human trafficking linked to recruiting foreign fighters.
Key Facts
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine submitted its report to the UN General Assembly on Monday.
The commission examined Russian attacks on heating plants, power lines, gas facilities, and other energy infrastructure since autumn 2022.
The report said the attacks grew in frequency, intensity, and geographic reach, involving waves of hundreds of drones and missiles.
During the winter of 2025–2026, temperatures fell to minus 21 degrees Celsius, and millions of people faced lengthy outages of heating, electricity, water, and gas.
The commission said Russian commanders knew the targeted heating facilities were essential to civilians and concluded that attacks on civilian objects constituted war crimes.
Commission chair Erik Mose said attacks had intensified again as the cold season approached, raising concerns about risks to civilian life and health.
The report also accused Moscow of human trafficking in connection with recruiting foreign fighters into Russia’s armed forces, and said many recruits were killed, went missing, injured, or captured.
A Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia injured four people overnight on Monday, according to the regional governor.
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Since June, thieves have stolen more than $100 million in cargo bound for data centers, using hacked freight accounts, fake driver credentials and GPS spoofing, according to NBC News. Investigators say some thefts involved staged crashes that separated escort vehicles from trucks carrying valuable equipment.
Key Facts
The stolen cargo has included servers, fiber-optic cables, computer memory chips, copper wire and bitcoin mining machines.
Thieves reportedly hack freight brokers’ accounts, post fake shipments and send malicious links to trucking companies that respond.
After gaining access to trucking accounts, thieves can bid on real shipments and arrange for cargo to be transferred to accomplices.
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office estimated that two stolen Illinois shipments contained about $300,000 in copper wire and roughly $1 million in data center power equipment.
A shipment carrying server equipment valued at $13 million was stolen after a car struck the vehicles of two off-duty police escorts.
In another theft, a truck carrying server rack components valued at about $10 million escaped after an SUV struck its escorts’ vehicle.
Investigators said location-tracking coordinates in the second case appeared to have been spoofed.
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Republicans redrew congressional districts in several states to improve their chances in the midterms, but many of the altered seats are now considered competitive. The article links the tougher outlook to a stronger polling environment for Democrats and says some Republican incumbents also face challenging races.
Key Facts
Redistricting made districts in Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas more conservative.
Many of the changed districts backed Donald Trump by double digits under their new boundaries.
The Cook Political Report rates several redrawn seats as competitive despite their conservative lean.
RealClearPolitics’ generic-ballot polling average showed Democrats ahead by 8.3 points as of Monday.
The Cook Political Report shifted several race ratings toward Democrats and described Democrats as favorites to retake the House.
The article says redrawn districts around Dallas, Memphis and parts of Louisiana are not considered competitive, with Republicans favored to gain seats.
Alabama lawmakers redrew Representative Shomari Figures’ district into a more conservative seat; Cook rates the race Lean Republican.
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Six-year-old Cole Adrian was remembered at his funeral in McPherson, Kansas, after he was killed when a pickup truck drove onto a soccer field in Wichita on 17 October. His father, Chris Adrian, spoke about Cole’s joyful nature and thanked the soccer community for its support. Police say the crash remains under investigation, and the driver has not been charged.
Key Facts
Cole Adrian, six, and soccer coach and middle school teacher Nicholas Schafer, 35, were killed at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita.
Ten other people were injured, including several children.
Police say a 34-year-old woman drove the pickup truck from a parking lot and across the field during a game.
The driver was arrested at the scene and released the next day without charges while the investigation continues.
Investigators are awaiting toxicology test results and examining the truck.
Wichita’s police chief said the release decision followed legal and constitutional requirements.
Youth soccer players wore shirts with the letters “LLCA” in tribute to Cole; his family interpreted them as “love like Cole,” among other messages.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz denied reports that Netanyahu sought an action against Iran before Israel’s Tuesday election. Opposition figures accused Netanyahu of putting political interests ahead of security, while Katz said Israel would respond forcefully if Iran attacked first.
Key Facts
Israel’s election is scheduled for Tuesday and is the first since the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu and the military chief of staff disagreed over a possible action involving Iran.
Netanyahu’s office called the report fake news, and Katz said Israel had no intention of initiating an attack on Iran before the election.
Katz described reports of a rift between political and military leaders as false and said Israel would respond forcefully if Iran attacked first.
Opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot warned Netanyahu not to put political interests above Israel’s security.
Avigdor Lieberman asked Israel’s attorney general to investigate Netanyahu over alleged efforts to draw Israel into a war before the election.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the election’s outcome would make no difference to Iran’s view of Israel.
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Anthropic filed paperwork for a planned U.S. stock-market listing, disclosing information about its finances, customers, operations and the risks of its AI systems. The filing describes fast-rising revenue and customer numbers, but also large reported losses, heavy infrastructure needs and reliance on a small group of major customers.
Key Facts
Anthropic said advanced AI systems could pose catastrophic or existential risks if developers do not use safeguards, oversight and security measures.
The filing said a hacking group Anthropic believed was backed by China used Claude to help break into institutions, including technology companies, financial firms, chemical manufacturers and government agencies.
Anthropic reported a loss of $80.7 billion in the first half of the year, compared with $16.2 billion in revenue for that period.
Anthropic reported $131.6 billion in cash on hand, which the filing said was mostly available for day-to-day operations.
The company said leasing data centres cost it $321.4 billion so far this year.
Anthropic said five enterprise customers account for a quarter of its business, while 250 large customers each paid at least $10 million in the past year.
Anthropic said its enterprise customer count grew from about 1,500 last year to nearly 12,000 this year.
The article says Anthropic is widely expected to debut at a valuation of $2 trillion or more, but the company had not disclosed a target share price.
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The Justice Department’s lawsuit over possible voter confusion in Alaska’s Senate race has stirred controversy days before the midterm elections. The report says Blanche responded combatively, but the provided article text does not describe the lawsuit’s claims or his remarks.
Key Facts
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit concerning possible confusion in Alaska’s Senate race.
The lawsuit has stirred controversy, according to the report.
The controversy comes days before the midterm elections.
The headline describes Blanche as combative over the lawsuit.
CBS News reporter Kaia Hubbard reports on the issue.
The provided article text does not give details of the lawsuit or Blanche’s response.
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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated Flávio Bolsonaro, while Serbia’s ruling party lost power in elections on Sunday, the article reports. The results challenge the influence of leaders aligned with U.S. President Donald Trump, whose endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a test in Israel’s Tuesday election.
Key Facts
Lula defeated Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
Flávio Bolsonaro refused to concede and called for the Brazilian election results to be annulled, according to the article.
Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence after being convicted of plotting a coup to overturn his 2022 election loss.
Serbia’s ruling party lost after a student-led opposition movement challenged the party of Aleksandar Vučić, who conceded defeat.
The article says Hungary’s Viktor Orbán lost power in April after 16 years in office.
Far-right parties are gaining support in France and Germany, even as populist leaders lost power in Serbia and Hungary.
Netanyahu is seeking another term in Israel’s Tuesday election and has highlighted Trump’s endorsement.
The article says Israel’s election could affect U.S. policy in the Middle East, including decisions about the war in Iran.
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Doctors cleared Pope Leo XIV to make a 12-day trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from Nov. 6 to 17, two weeks after surgery to remove a cancerous section of his right lung. The Vatican said his tests showed no medical reason to cancel the trip, which includes 10 cities, 14 flights and a stop in high-altitude Cuzco.
Key Facts
Leo underwent surgery on Oct. 13 to remove the lower lobe of his right lung after doctors found a malignant tumor.
Doctors identified the tumor as lung adenocarcinoma during a routine abdominal examination.
The Vatican said the surgery was successful and had no complications; Leo left hospital on Oct. 17.
Doctors said Leo’s clinical status and test results did not prevent him from traveling as planned.
The Nov. 6–17 trip will cover Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, with visits to 10 cities and 14 flights.
The itinerary includes Cuzco, which is more than 11,000 feet above sea level.
Leo canceled a helicopter trip to Assisi on doctors’ advice because the aircraft cabin was unpressurized.
Leo spent more than two decades as a missionary and bishop in Peru.
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Walter Koenig, the actor who played Pavel Chekov across the Star Trek franchise, has died at 90. His representative confirmed his death; a post by his appearance agency’s founder said he died at home in North Hollywood, with his death attributed to old age.
Key Facts
Koenig joined Star Trek at the start of its second season and appeared in 36 of the 50 episodes aired from 1967 to 1969.
He played Chekov in the first seven Star Trek movies, released from 1979 to 1991.
Koenig voiced Chekov in a 2023 episode of the animated series Star Trek: Picard.
He also wrote for television series including The Powers of Matthew Star, Family, Land of the Lost and The Incredible Hulk.
Koenig wrote, produced and starred in the 2010 science-fiction film InAlienable.
Star Trek co-star George Takei said he and Koenig had been friends for six decades.
Koenig is survived by his daughter, actor and screenwriter Danielle Koenig.
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Brazilian climate activists welcomed President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s re-election, saying it is good news for the Amazon rainforest. During his previous four years in power, deforestation in the world’s largest rainforest fell by a record amount, according to the article.
Key Facts
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won re-election as president of Brazil.
Climate activists in Brazil celebrated Lula’s election victory.
The article describes the Amazon as the world’s largest rainforest.
Deforestation in the Amazon fell by a record amount during Lula’s previous four years in power.
France 24 published the video on October 26, 2026.
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The article says Mike Rogers wants Donald Trump’s endorsement but is avoiding a clear position on Trump’s agenda. It describes Rogers as deflecting when Kristen Welker asked whether he is “MAGA.”
Key Facts
Kristen Welker pressed Mike Rogers on whether he is “MAGA.”
The article says Rogers wants Donald Trump’s endorsement.
The article says Rogers does not necessarily want to embrace Trump’s agenda.
The article characterizes Rogers’s response as deflection.
The article says this approach is his strategy through Election Day.
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House Judiciary Committee Democrats called for a special counsel to investigate President Donald Trump’s alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Their report, released Monday, says 11 women have linked Trump to Epstein’s sexual abuse and exploitation; the article excerpt ends before explaining further details.
Key Facts
House Judiciary Committee Democrats released a report on Monday.
The Democrats called for a special counsel to investigate Trump’s alleged ties to Epstein.
Epstein was a convicted sex offender who has died.
The report says 11 women have linked Trump to Epstein’s sexual abuse and exploitation.
The article excerpt does not provide the report’s further details.
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A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration illegally fired Maurene Comey from her job as a federal prosecutor in New York in July 2025. Judge Jesse M. Furman found that the dismissal violated the separation of powers, the Administrative Procedure Act, and Comey’s due process and statutory rights.
Key Facts
Comey worked as an assistant U.S. attorney for about a decade.
The judge said Comey received high praise from supervisors and peers.
Comey sued the Justice Department and others after her dismissal.
She argued that she was fired because she is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey or because of her perceived political views.
The government argued that federal prosecutors could be fired under the president’s executive powers.
Furman rejected the government’s argument, citing nearly two centuries of Supreme Court precedent.
The ruling found violations of the separation of powers, the Administrative Procedure Act, and Comey’s Fifth Amendment due process and statutory rights.
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Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party and a former Israeli military chief, is challenging Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Tuesday’s election. The article says pre-election polls put Eisenkot 8 to 10 points ahead and describes his campaign as center-right, including opposition to a Palestinian state under current conditions and support for strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Key Facts
Eisenkot grew up in Eilat and is the son of Moroccan Jewish immigrants.
He served in the IDF Golani infantry brigade and became chief of staff before retiring in 2019.
Eisenkot joined Netanyahu’s emergency cabinet after the October 7 attacks; he later lost his son and two nephews in the war.
The article says most pre-election polls showed Eisenkot leading Netanyahu by 8 to 10 points.
Eisenkot pledged to take strong measures against Jewish attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank.
He pledged to end Hamas’ control of Gaza within 18 months of taking office, through diplomacy or military force.
Eisenkot supported strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities but opposed using military force to pursue regime change.
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Israel’s defence minister denied reports of a rift between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the military over Iran, shortly before Israel’s election. Netanyahu has campaigned on his security record and the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, while rival Gadi Eisenkot accused him of emphasizing the threat for political gain and failing to meet his war goals.
Key Facts
Israel’s defence minister denied reports of disagreement between Netanyahu and the army over Iran on October 26.
Netanyahu has made his security credentials a central part of his election campaign.
Netanyahu said only he could “finish the job” in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu’s main rival and a former army chief, accused him of playing up the Iran threat for political reasons.
Eisenkot also said Netanyahu had failed to accomplish his war goals.
The article was published ahead of Israel’s election.
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Researchers at NYU Langone Health reported that a blood test tracking tumor DNA detected signs of lung cancer recurrence before standard scans in some patients. In a retrospective study of 42 patients, the test had 75 percent sensitivity and 83 percent specificity; researchers said larger prospective studies are needed before it guides routine care.
Key Facts
The study examined recurrence after surgery, not screening people who had never been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Researchers used blood samples to track circulating tumor DNA, genetic material released by cancer cells.
Among patients whose blood test turned positive before recurrence was detected, the median lead time was 16.7 months.
The study focused on patients with stage IA lung adenocarcinoma.
The test's sensitivity was 75 percent, meaning it detected 75 percent of observed recurrences in the study.
The test's specificity was 83 percent, meaning it correctly identified 83 percent of patients without the measured recurrence.
The researchers described the study as retrospective and said larger studies with regular blood-draw schedules are needed before the test can guide routine clinical decisions.
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Two new Israeli parties are calling for ultra-Orthodox Jewish citizens to be included in Israel’s mandatory military service. The draft debate has become a major issue ahead of the Israeli election.
Key Facts
Two new parties are demanding that ultra-Orthodox Jewish citizens be formally included in mandatory military service.
The debate over military service has become a top issue ahead of Israel’s election.
CBS News correspondent Dov Lieber reported on the issue.
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Senate Democrats introduced the Stability and Opportunity for Workers Act, a bill to set federal minimum standards for unemployment benefits and expand who can receive them. The proposal would extend support during economic downturns and create new assistance for gig workers and people retraining after technology-related job losses, including potential AI displacement.
Key Facts
Sen. Ron Wyden introduced the bill with co-sponsors Chuck Schumer, Michael Bennet and Elizabeth Warren.
The bill would establish federal minimum standards for unemployment insurance, which states largely administer.
The proposal would allow benefits to last up to 52 weeks when the unemployment rate reaches 8.5 percent; the article cites a current standard of up to 26 weeks.
The bill would create a jobseeker's allowance for people who do not qualify for traditional unemployment insurance, including gig workers.
A proposed Transition Wages program would provide up to 26 additional weeks of support to workers displaced by technological change while they retrain.
According to Roll Call, the bill would also provide income support for up to two years during retraining and create a pilot tuition-assistance program for job training.
The article says widespread AI-driven unemployment has not yet appeared in economic data.
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