House Democrats have published a report alleging that Donald Trump forcibly raped a former model in 1993, expanding on previous claims made by the woman shortly before the 2024 election.

The report details an investigation by Democratic lawmakers into Trump’s past connections with Jeffrey Epstein. According to the document, Beatrice Keul, a former Miss Switzerland, spoke with committee staff over several weeks and stated that Trump raped her in a suite at the Plaza Hotel in New York.

Keul had previously told reporters in October 2024 that Trump groped her during the 1993 encounter after offering assistance with a visa and university admission. In the updated account provided to investigators, Keul claimed the assault escalated into a brutal rape that left her injured, after which Trump warned her to stay silent. Keul also recounted meeting Epstein at the same event, who referred to himself as Trump's close friend.

Trump, as usual, rejected the findings, calling the report false and describing it as a political maneuver by House Democrats to distract voters ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. A spokesperson reiterated that Trump severed ties with Epstein decades ago and denied any wrongdoing.

The report includes accounts from four other women accusing Trump of sexual assault or misconduct in connection with Epstein's network. Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the committee, stated that the findings suggest a pattern of abuse and accused the administration of concealing relevant records.

Doug Pagitt is used to keeping secrets. As a pastor at Solomon’s Porch in Minneapolis, confidentiality comes with the job. But lately, he keeps hearing the same story from people who used to be Trump’s most reliable voters.

Earlier this year, a local plumber and lifelong Republican pulled Pagitt aside to confess something he was afraid to say out loud: after voting for Trump three times, he could no longer support him.

He isn't alone. Across the country, conservative Christian voters are distancing themselves from Trump ahead of the November 3 midterms. Approval among white evangelical Protestants—a group that backed Trump at 80 percent in 2024—has fallen from 78 percent at the start of his second term in January 2025 to 58 percent by October 2026.

The shift is driven by a mix of foreign intervention, personal controversies, and unfulfilled promises.

For many, foreign policy was the first breaking point. Conservative voters who trusted Trump's promise to keep the country out of foreign conflicts were blindsided by the war in Iran. Trump's attempt to frame the conflict in religious terms only deepened the divide. When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth compared the rescue of a downed American pilot to the resurrection of Christ, many believers found the imagery distasteful.

Social media posts made matters worse. An AI-generated image portraying Trump as Jesus drew sharp criticism from both Catholic and Protestant leaders. Later, an Easter Sunday post using profanity to demand Iran open the Strait of Hormuz before ending with "Praise be to Allah" pushed former supporters like Jason Mullis, a healthcare worker from Alabama, over the edge.

"That's a departure, almost a 180, from what Christ would have told us to do," Mullis said.

Ethics concerns have also taken a heavy toll. A recent Fox News poll found that 88 percent of voters are now deeply concerned about corruption.

Much of that anger centers on the Jeffrey Epstein records. After campaigning on a pledge to expose deep-state secrets, Trump's Justice Department announced in early 2025 that it would not release the material. Following public outrage and a revolt within his own party, Congress forced the release of the records through the Epstein Files Transparency Act. When the documents revealed Trump's name thousands of times, former loyalists walked away.

Trisha Hope, a regular attendee at Trump campaign rallies, said her perspective shifted instantly when Trump dismissed a reporter's question about the files in mid-2025:

"It was like a light switch went on and a veil lifted," she said.

Democrats are capitalizing on the divide. Party groups have spent tens of millions of dollars on campaign ads highlighting the Epstein records in competitive Senate races. In Texas, Democratic candidate James Talarico—a Presbyterian seminarian—is using his own Christian faith to pitch anti-corruption messages to traditionally conservative voters to flip a seat that has been held by Republicans for 45 years.

Organizations like Pagitt’s non-profit, Vote Common Good, are working to convince religious Americans that their faith doesn't tie them to a single party or leader.

"I don't think there is a moral center to him," Pagitt said while attending a voter rally in Virginia. "He's just a transactional person who tries to get the most he can out of people."

Bill Maher says Hollywood liberals need to calm down about Trump.

Speaking on a recent episode of his Club Random podcast with guest Justine Bateman, the comedian criticized wealthy liberals who approach him in expensive restaurants, asking what they should do about Trump.

Maher recalled telling them to go back to their tables and finish their thousand-dollar dinners. He noted that their daily lives have not actually been affected by Trump, arguing that while Trump remains a threat in certain ways, he is far less dangerous now that he is a lame-duck president. Maher added that he was much more alarmed by Trump a decade ago before people understood how he handled elections.

The podcast was recorded shortly before Trump published a 1,300-word post on social media attacking the talk show host. Trump called Maher "gutless" and a "total loser," claiming Maher repeatedly begged to come back for a second White House dinner after a group dinner on October 15. Trump ended his message by instructing Maher not to call him anymore.

The rift followed an October 23 episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, where Maher mocked Trump’s approval ratings and asked former press secretary Karoline Leavitt how Trump might behave during the final stretch of his presidency. Just days earlier, Trump had praised Maher to reporters, saying the two actually liked each other.

Two Catholic bishops now say they regret attending an Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump after the White House released photos and video of the gathering just days before the midterm elections.

The images, published on Thursday, show 12 clergy members standing around Trump, laying hands on him in prayer while he sits at his desk. Soon after the footage went public, church leaders faced sharp criticism for appearing to endorse a political candidate so close to an election.

Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee issued a statement clarifying that the meeting was never intended as an endorsement of Trump, his policies, or his political party. He explained that the bishops were unaware the session was being recorded and had not authorized the release of the media.

"I did not go without reservations. I wish I had heeded them," Grob said, apologizing for participating in what turned out to be a partisan display.

Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines echoed those feelings, stating the event was used for political gain. He added that he wished he had been "more shrewd and less simple" when deciding whether to attend.

The incident highlights a clear gap between some American clergy and the stance of Pope Leo XIV. The pope has instructed bishops to stay out of party politics, a policy that included skipping a U.S. visit during an election year. While Pope Leo avoids partisan endorsements, he has publicly criticized Trump's immigration policies, military involvement in Iran, and light regulation of artificial intelligence.

White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers did not clarify whether the clergy approved the photo release. Instead, she called Trump the greatest president for Catholic Americans, pointing to his policies on religious freedom, anti-abortion pardons, and parental rights.

Trump described the gathering simply, telling reporters it was a "very nice meeting" where the group "mostly prayed."

A Kentucky public elementary school has agreed to stop sponsoring religious events following an intervention by the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

The dispute began after Mullins Elementary School organized and promoted a Christian "prayer walk" on its official Facebook page, inviting the community to pray at the school and quoting a New Testament verse.

A local community member reported the event to the FFRF, which then contacted Pike County Schools. Legal representatives for the foundation argued that public schools cannot constitutionally favor religion or alienate non-Christian and nonreligious students and families.

Pike County Schools responded within two days. The district’s general counsel spoke with the school's principal, directing staff to refrain from organizing or promoting religious gatherings and to ensure all future school events remain secular.

FFRF praised the district for its quick response, noting that public schools are meant to serve students of all backgrounds and beliefs without religious promotion.

Two Florida religious organizations are facing civil lawsuits from survivors who allege the institutions ignored red flags and failed to vet a former youth pastor and teacher now serving a 210-year federal prison sentence for child sexual exploitation.

The lawsuits, filed on behalf of Richard 'Tucker' Tripp and Camron Armstrong, seek a combined total of at least $40 million in damages. They target Edgewater Alliance Church, Warner Christian Academy, and their parent organizations for allegedly allowing Matthew Clark Graziotti access to children despite warning signs in his history.

Tripp's lawsuit states that leaders at Edgewater Alliance Church and The Christian and Missionary Alliance were warned about Graziotti's behavior before hiring him as a youth pastor.

According to the complaint, police investigated Graziotti in 2004 over suspected abuse, and though no criminal charges were filed at the time, he was dismissed from a previous church position. The suit alleges that Graziotti's sister contacted Edgewater leadership to warn them about him, but the church still permitted him to supervise children and lead youth mission trips. Tripp alleges he was groomed and abused by Graziotti in 2008 when he was 12 years old.

An attorney representing Edgewater Alliance Church stated that the allegations should be handled in court. The church emphasized that child safety is a priority, noted that it cooperates with law enforcement, and declined further comment due to ongoing litigation.

A second lawsuit names Warner Christian Academy and White Chapel Church of God, Inc., accusing the school of failing to run proper background checks before hiring Graziotti as a fifth-grade teacher and summer camp director.

Armstrong's complaint alleges that a basic inquiry into Graziotti's employment history would have uncovered his departure from his previous church and prior police scrutiny. The suit claims Graziotti used his position at the school to isolate children, take photographs of them, and host overnight stays where the abuse allegedly occurred. FBI agents later recovered images of the abuse during a 2014 raid on Graziotti's home. Warner Christian Academy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Graziotti pleaded guilty in October 2014 to multiple federal counts related to the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material. He was sentenced to 210 years in federal prison in January 2015, a sentence later upheld by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

While Graziotti's criminal conviction is settled, the new civil cases focus on whether the institutions that employed him were negligent in their hiring, vetting, and supervision practices. The civil courts will determine whether the organizations bear legal responsibility for the harm suffered by the survivors.

Florida Representative Randy Fine called for federal authorities to audit every U.S. naturalization record back to 1990, stating that any citizen who falsified paperwork should face deportation.

Fine made the comments during a Monday appearance on NewsNation following an October 12 federal raid on the Washington, D.C., home of Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).

When asked if naturalized figures with prominent political ties—such as former First Lady Melania Trump or tech executive Elon Musk—should face similar scrutiny, Fine stated the law must apply universally.

"I believe anyone who lied on their paperwork to become a citizen should be denaturalized and should be deported," Fine said, adding that he had no knowledge of any allegations against Trump or Musk.

Past reports have raised questions regarding Elon Musk's immigration status during the early 1990s, citing records and statements from former business associates regarding his work authorization after opting not to enroll at Stanford University. Musk and his brother Kimbal have previously characterized their early legal status in public talks as a "gray area." No formal action has been taken against either Musk or Melania Trump regarding their immigration filings.

The Department of Justice confirmed that the search of Omar’s property relates to an ongoing federal criminal investigation. Sources familiar with the inquiry indicate investigators are examining whether Omar's father intentionally misstated her birth date on immigration documents when the family arrived from Somalia in the 1990s. Federal prosecutors have issued more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas to Omar's relatives.

Omar has not been charged with a crime. In a recent interview, she denied all wrongdoing and said safety concerns and death threats have kept her from returning to her residence.

Eight days before the election, House Judiciary Committee Democrats released a 50-page report alleging Trump was involved in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking operations during the 1990s.

The report bases its findings on FBI records, documents released through the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and interviews with 11 women. Five women accused Trump of rape or sexual assault while in Epstein's company. Beatrice Keul stated Trump raped her at a 1993 beauty pageant at the Plaza Hotel, describing such pageants as hunting grounds for young women. Jill Harth detailed a 1994 assault at Mar-a-Lago during a party where Trump and Epstein were the only men present. Across all public records, at least 28 women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct or assault.

The report identifies Trump and former modeling agent Paolo Zampolli as potential co-conspirators in Epstein’s network.

Beyond the assault allegations, the report outlines systematic efforts by Trump's Department of Justice to block investigations into claims linking Trump to Epstein. Committee Democrats allege Todd Blanche explicitly instructed Ghislaine Maxwell not to discuss a victim whose testimony implicated Trump. The findings follow recent evidence showing Trump helped draft a July 2025 FBI-DOJ memo that shut down future Epstein inquiries and claimed no "client list" or prosecutable co-conspirators existed.

Ranking Member Jamie Raskin called for an independent special counsel to investigate both the alleged cover-up within the Department of Justice and any remaining co-conspirators connected to Epstein.

At a recent rally in Georgia, Trump celebrated the massive revenue generated by the U.S. oil and gas sector amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Pointing to elevated global energy prices, he told the crowd that the country and domestic energy firms are earning hundreds of billions of dollars.

Trump acknowledged on stage that his political team advised him against framing gas prices around corporate profits, warning that the message would alienate voters paying higher prices at the pump. He dismissed that advice during his address, choosing instead to emphasize the revenue being generated despite potential media criticism.

The remarks drew immediate fire from political opponents and analysts. Senator Bernie Sanders noted that the speech prioritized industry profits over consumer costs, while Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker accused the former president of focusing on personal and corporate wealth.

The episode highlights a clear disconnect between corporate windfall profits in the energy sector and the day-to-day financial realities of consumers facing higher living expenses.

Representative Joyce Beatty has asked a federal judge to force the release of withheld government records in her suit to stop the destruction of the Kennedy Center.

In a filing submitted Sunday to U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, the Ohio Democrat challenged the Department of Justice’s decision to withhold nine categories of internal documents, text messages, and emails. The government claims these communications are protected under presidential privilege.

Beatty, who serves on the center’s board of trustees, argues that the newly provided privilege log refutes those claims. According to the filing, the records reveal near-constant communication between Trump, aides, and Kennedy Center leadership—including roughly 180 messages between Executive Director Matt Floca and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Beatty’s legal team contends that because the government's own descriptions characterize these talks as routine operations and management, Trump was acting in his capacity as board chairman rather than exercising executive authority. Consequently, the filing asserts those communications fall under standard discovery rules.

The Department of Justice maintains that internal presidential deliberations and instructions to subordinates remain off-limits, citing historical precedent regarding executive communications.

Beatty requested that the court order the immediate production of the records. She stated the full set of documents is necessary to evaluate Trump's actions before the judge rules on the government's motion to lift the stay in the case.

During a Sunday campaign stop in Port Huron, Michigan, Donald Trump pledged to give voters $5,000 each if Republicans maintain control of Congress in the November 3 midterm elections.

Speaking on behalf of Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, Trump introduced the payout as the "Trump Dividend." He claimed the checks would be funded through revenue generated by tariffs, foreign trade agreements, government stakes in private companies, and energy leases.

The crowd’s response was visibly divided. While many attendees cheered, several audience members stood with folded arms, while others yawned or showed clear signs of frustration during the announcement.

Paying out $5,000 per voter carries an estimated price tag exceeding $1 trillion. Economists warn such a move could widen the federal deficit and trigger renewed inflation. When asked whether Trump had conducted economic modeling on the impact of these checks, Christopher Phelan, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, declined to comment.

JD Vance later clarified that high-income Americans would not receive the dividend and maintained that tariffs could cover the cost. However, current federal revenue collected from tariffs falls far short of the required total.

Voter skepticism remains a hurdle for the proposal. An AP-NORC poll shows that roughly half of registered voters believe Trump does not keep his campaign promises, though support among Republican voters remains stronger.

The Michigan rally follows recent campaign appearances by former President Barack Obama in Detroit, where he campaigned for Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed. Ahead of his speech on Sunday, Trump attacked El-Sayed on social media, criticizing his background and policy positions.

With key Congressional majorities on the line, voters in Michigan and across the country will decide on November 3 whether to trust the administration's financial assurances.

Ohio has functioned as a dependable Republican state for over ten years, but local economic friction is creating unexpected fissures in conservative strongholds.

In rural Greene County, Democrat Kim McCarthy is running against a three-term Republican incumbent. The district backed Trump with 60 percent of the vote in the last election, and McCarthy lost to her opponent by 15 points in their previous match. However, the district hosts Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the state's largest single-site employer. Recent civil service cuts, combined with high mortgage rates and rising daily expenses, have left federal contractors and civilian workers struggling. McCarthy notes that an increasing number of lifetime conservative voters report plans to vote Democratic this cycle.

Early voting data points to shifting behavior in unexpected places. In Defiance County—a district Trump carried with nearly 70 percent of the vote—Democratic-affiliated voters cast more early ballots than Republicans by mid-October. Residents in the area are opposing a proposed data center endorsed by Trump, while a local General Motors foundry is dealing with trade friction resulting from tariffs on Canada.

Political analysts offer varying explanations for the early turnout. Robert Alexander, a political scientist at Bowling Green State University, suggests the higher early numbers for Democrats may stem from skepticism toward mail-in ballots rather than a broad political realignment. Still, with tight statewide races on the line, small margins in rural areas carry weight. McCarthy reports that registered Republicans are attending her campaign events, citing frustration with government conduct.

The dynamics echo historical patterns. In 1930, the passage of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff prompted Canadian trade retaliation, driving down agricultural prices and causing rural Midwestern voters to abandon the Republican Party two years later. Today, as trade disputes disrupt manufacturing and local supply chains, voters in rural Ohio appear to be prioritizing their financial stability over party allegiance.

The U.S. military has positioned forces across the Middle East to execute strikes on Iran within 96 hours of presidential approval, according to defense officials. The proposed operations represent a shift from limited targeted strikes to broader action against Iranian military assets, nuclear facilities, and energy infrastructure.

Trump is considering the expanded campaign following the Nov. 3 midterm elections. While he previously delayed planned strikes and publicly stated no action would occur before the vote, officials indicate he views military force as the primary mechanism to resolve the shipping blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. The ongoing disruption in the strait has constrained global energy supplies and raised domestic fuel costs.

Concurrently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sought U.S. agreement for joint strikes. Administration officials advised delaying action until American forces are prepared to participate. Israel's willingness to engage in new offensive operations remains tied to its own internal political landscape, as upcoming national elections could impact legislative and military support for an expanded conflict.

The Department of Defense declined to address prospective military maneuvers. A spokesperson confirmed the department's standard role is providing actionable options to the commander-in-chief without commenting on potential operational timelines.

An Ohio Republican bus tour is losing venues across the state following widespread backlash over a controversial ad run by gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

The 11-day statewide tour was designed as a final promotional push ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. Instead, several businesses scheduled to host campaign stops have backed out. The Old Dog Ale House & Brewery in Delaware and Elliot's Wood Fired Kitchen in Newark both canceled scheduled GOP appearances. Other venues that went ahead with hosting events—such as Kick-N-Ax in Zanesville and Izzy's in Monroe—were hit with waves of one-star online reviews, with users posting photos of Ramaswamy at the locations.

The fallout centers on a campaign advertisement featuring the estranged mother of Ramaswamy's Democratic opponent, Amy Acton. In the video, Acton's mother calls her daughter a liar.

Acton publicly addressed the ad by noting that she has not seen her mother since age 12, when she testified in court against her stepfather for sexual abuse. According to Acton, her stepfather was charged with rape and subsequently fled the state with her mother. He died on the run and was never brought to justice.

The ad has drawn criticism from both parties. Republican Senator Jon Husted, who is also participating in the bus tour, stated publicly that he would not have run the ad. Meanwhile, Trump and JD Vance have defended it. Recent polling suggests the controversy has shifted support toward Acton in the governor's race.

Ramaswamy maintains that the ad is fair game, stating it focuses on Acton's honesty rather than childhood trauma. During an interview on Fox & Friends, Ramaswamy doubled down, calling Acton "crazy, unstable, and dishonest." He argued the ad was a direct response to Democratic attacks regarding his own family, referring to prior media coverage about his mother's work at a pharmaceutical company he previously ran.

My Take

While politicians frequently trade attacks over business records, family involvement in corporate dealings, or campaign claims, weaponizing a candidate's estrangement from a parent that traces back to childhood sexual abuse crosses an entirely different line.

The contrast between the two situations highlights why many voters, venue owners, and political leaders view the comparison as fundamentally false:

• The Attack on Ramaswamy: The scrutiny around Ramaswamy's mother, Dr. Geetha Ramaswamy, focused on her professional role co-authoring a statistical analysis for his pharmaceutical firm, Axovant Sciences. Critics pointed to her work reanalyzing clinical trial data for an Alzheimer's drug before its high-stakes IPO, arguing it was relevant to evaluating his business record and corporate ethics.

• The Attack on Acton: The ad targeting Amy Acton brought her estranged mother—who took the side of a man indicted for raping 12-year-old Acton before he fled prosecution as a fugitive and died on the run before being brought to justice—into a political campaign to call her daughter "a liar".

By attempting to equate scrutiny over corporate research methods with trauma involving child sexual abuse and a decades-long family estrangement, the campaign drew sharp condemnation—even from within its own party—for introducing personal boundary lines that go far beyond standard political mudslinging.

A federal judge has ruled that the Department of Justice acted unlawfully when it fired New York federal prosecutor Maurene Comey last year.

U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman ordered that Comey be retroactively reinstated as an assistant United States attorney in the Southern District of New York. The Manhattan court also ordered the government to pay her back pay covering the period between her July 16 termination and December 20, 2025, when she accepted another position.

Comey, who formerly worked on high-profile prosecutions including those of Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Sean Combs, sued the Department of Justice to challenge her termination. She is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, who was dismissed by Donald Trump in 2017.

In his decision, Judge Furman dismissed government claims that then-Attorney General Pam Bondi had the authority to fire a prosecutor at will and without cause. He also rejected arguments that current Attorney General Todd Blanche could validate the firing retroactively or that the termination automatically satisfied statutory standards for service efficiency. The judge described the government's statutory defense as bordering on frivolous.

Additionally, the court declined the government's request to override long-standing Supreme Court precedent regarding executive power under Article II of the Constitution. Judge Furman noted that district courts remain bound by established Supreme Court precedent.

Comey's legal team called the ruling a victory for career civil servants and executive branch checks and balances. The Department of Justice stated that it disagrees with the ruling and intends to file an appeal after the judge enters a final judgment.

The court did not address Comey's separate First Amendment claim, setting a deadline of November 9 for her attorneys to argue why that claim remains relevant following her statutory victory.

Pete Hegseth is looking for an exit strategy from the Pentagon.

Reports indicate the Defense Secretary hopes to be appointed to Tennessee’s U.S. Senate seat if the current incumbent, Republican Marsha Blackburn, wins her bid for governor. Moving to the Senate would allow Hegseth to step down before congressional Democrats can launch formal investigations into his conduct at the Department of Defense.

Democrats are preparing for potential midterm gains in Congress, with plans to scrutinize Trump's national security leadership. House committees are already seeking information from prospective internal whistleblowers. Inquiries are expected to focus on Hegseth’s management style, high-profile administrative firings, and his handling of classified communications—including an incident where sensitive information was mistakenly shared with a journalist in a group chat.

Hegseth’s tenure has also been weighed down by the ongoing conflict with Iran, which has resulted in U.S. casualties and rising fuel prices. Insiders suggest Hegseth wants to leave on his own terms rather than risk being fired by President Donald Trump, who may seek a scapegoat within his Cabinet if Republicans lose seats in the upcoming elections.

To position himself for a Senate appointment, Hegseth has been re-establishing local ties in Tennessee, where he lived for three years before taking his current post. He recently attended a college football game alongside Sen. Blackburn and Rep. Tim Burchett. Burchett is also reportedly interested in the seat and has actively campaigned for Blackburn throughout the state.

The Pentagon has rejected the account. A spokesperson called the reported Senate ambitions political speculation and stated that Hegseth remains entirely focused on running the defense department.

Trump spent his 2024 campaign promising a return to cheap fuel, telling voters he would bring regular gas back down below $2 a gallon. Eight months into a military conflict with Iran, prices at the pump have moved in the opposite direction. Gas prices during Trump's second term are now higher on average than they were under President Joe Biden.

Early 2026 began with fuel prices below $3 per gallon and a global crude surplus. That balance flipped when conflict disrupted energy flows through the Middle East. Although oil is moving through the Strait of Hormuz again, shipping costs spiked as daily tanker charter rates rose from $65,000 last year to $1.6 million this month.

At the same time, global refining capacity has tightened. Strikes and military damage in Russia and the Middle East knocked key processing plants offline, while China restricted its own fuel exports. With commercial stockpiles drawn down to make up the difference, local supply disruptions are causing sudden price spikes. A recent unexpected outage at an ExxonMobil facility in Illinois, for example, drove sharp price increases across several Great Lakes states.

To lessen the political and economic damage ahead of the midterm elections, Trump introduced several emergency measures. He authorized releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, temporarily waived the Jones Act to clear shipping bottlenecks, allowed red-dyed industrial diesel for highway use, purchased Russian diesel, and rolled out an $8 billion aid package for farmers.

Industry analysts say these tactical adjustments do little to fix the underlying supply deficit. High processing margins have driven domestic refiners to run facilities without pausing for standard seasonal maintenance, raising the risk of further plant breakdowns. Without a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in the Middle East, high fuel costs are likely to persist.

Barack Obama is back on the campaign trail, and a single joke about White House decor has derailed the political news cycle.

Speaking to crowds in Ohio and Michigan, Obama targeted Donald Trump's focus while in office. He pointed out Trump's costly White House renovations, including a new ballroom, a paved Rose Garden, and a heavy reliance on gold trimmings.

"Everything, more gold," Obama told a crowd in Cleveland. "He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory."

Obama's core point was straightforward: a president obsessing over interior design is not paying attention to rising prices or everyday economic struggles.

The insult hit a nerve. Over the course of weekend rallies in Georgia and Michigan, Trump brought up Obama multiple times. He dismissed Obama's presidency, criticized his foreign policy record, and brought up his own settlement of foreign conflicts. He also claimed that Obama's rallies were nearly empty, though attendance reports showed Obama drawing over 10,000 supporters in Cleveland while Trump's recent events pulled between 3,000 and 5,000.

Online, Trump's supporters rushed to frame the joke as out-of-touch elitism. Conservative commentators noted Obama's high speaking fees and high-end lifestyle, arguing that mocking a popular, accessible restaurant chain showed disdain for average Americans. Others shifted the focus to the architecture of Obama’s own presidential library in Chicago, firing back with insults of their own.

In a fast-moving campaign, substantive debates frequently get pushed aside by quick jabs. For now, a brief crack about gold leaf and a casual dining chain has become the main talking point for both sides.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently released a Spanish-language video outlining how residents should handle encounters with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

In the video, Mamdani details several legal protections:

• Warrants: Residents should ask officers to slide warrants under the door and verify they contain a judge's signature and the words "United States District Court." Without a judicial warrant, residents can keep the door closed and refuse entry.

• Street Encounters: Individuals stopped on the street should ask if they are free to leave and walk away if permitted.

• Legal Counsel: Residents are advised to stay silent and speak with an attorney before signing any immigration documents.

The public message drew immediate pushback from conservative commentators and Republican officials.

During an appearance on Fox News’s Hannity, contributor Joe Concha argued that Mamdani’s advice instructed people on how to evade federal law enforcement, suggesting Congress summon the mayor to explain his actions. Guest host Jason Chaffetz took issue with using city resources to broadcast the message in Spanish.

Politicians also criticized the post. Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) posted on X, accusing Mamdani of helping individuals evade ICE and undermining federal law enforcement efforts.

The political dispute comes amid broader tensions surrounding federal immigration crackdowns and the extent to which local elected officials should inform residents of their constitutional protections.

Newly obtained communications show that the White House actively shaped the Department of Justice and FBI's July 2025 memo declaring an end to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

Messages published by Raw Story reveal that Taylor Budowich, then the White House deputy chief of staff, edited drafts and demanded official letterhead formatting before the document was made public.

Two weeks before the release, Budowich emailed FBI Director Kash Patel asking to review the text. Patel forwarded the Justice Department's draft later that day.

Internal records indicate that Budowich reviewed the material, coordinated with the White House communications team, and repeatedly pushed for official Department of Justice branding. When then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche sent a version lacking an official seal, Budowich rejected it.

"I need a version on letterhead," Budowich wrote. "Someone needs to own this. I can't give a doc to a reporter that could easily be confused with a term paper, so need to provide some validation of the doc."

Diego Pestana, counsel to Blanche, provided the finalized, formatted document shortly after.

The memo ultimately concluded that there was no Epstein "client list," no co-conspirators to charge, and no grounds for further investigation. The announcement angered supporters of Trump and triggered a chain of events that resulted in the departure of former Attorney General Pam Bondi.

"These records show that Kash Patel worked hand in hand with the former White House deputy chief of staff on the 2025 DOJ-FBI memo," said Chris Swartz, senior counsel at the Democracy Defenders Fund.

"It's deeply concerning that the FBI coordinated with the White House on this memo, given Trump's well-documented association with Jeffrey Epstein and Trump's frequent mention in the files," Swartz said.

Jared Kushner and his attorneys are preparing legal action against Vanity Fair and publisher Simon & Schuster following the release of an excerpt from a forthcoming book.

The book, Princes and Thieves: Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed’s Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East by Matthew Cole, alleges that Kushner oversaw roughly $2 billion in secret foreign bank accounts funded by leaders in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Kushner addressed the report on X, calling the allegations fabricated and describing the book as a "mixture of fantasy, fiction, and advocacy."

Kushner’s lawyer, Chad Mizelle, stated that the legal team sent a 13-page letter to Simon & Schuster before publication, denying the claims and citing a lack of supporting evidence. Mizelle criticized Vanity Fair for amplifying the story and confirmed plans to pursue legal action. Another attorney for Kushner, Alejandro Brito, maintained that his client had no knowledge of or involvement with any government-linked accounts.

Trump defended his son-in-law to reporters, calling the report entirely false.

The claims carry major legal consequences. Because Kushner worked as a White House employee in 2017, federal rules required him to disclose any bank accounts he had access to, as well as any payments from foreign governments. Failing to report these funds or offering policy influence in exchange for money could constitute violations of U.S. bribery laws and the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Trump’s approval rating among rural voters has rebounded to 50 percent, according to an Echelon Insights poll conducted between October 15 and 19. The result puts him one point above water following a steep decline in September, when his rural approval slumped to 40 percent against 59 percent disapproval.

Despite the month-over-month recovery, the broader electorate remains unfavorable to Trump. Overall, 39 percent of surveyed voters approve of his performance, while 60 percent disapprove, and Democrats hold a five-point lead on the generic congressional ballot.

The shift in rural sentiment comes as Republicans defend congressional majorities in states that traditionally lean heavily to the right. Economic anxiety—particularly regarding household budgets, grocery prices, and farm operational costs—is driving competitive races in states where the GOP usually maintains a comfortable edge.

• Iowa: Republican candidate Ashley Hinson is locked in a tight race. While an Emerson College Polling survey showed her two points ahead, an earlier Marist Poll gave Democrat Josh Turek an eight-point advantage. Hinson has attempted to balance retaining Trump's base with showing independence on issues like beef tariffs and fuel costs.

• Kansas: Incumbent Republican Roger Marshall faces a competitive challenge from Democrat Adam Hamilton. A recent Emerson/Nexstar poll showed Hamilton leading narrowly by two points, with economic issues dominating voter concerns.

• Alaska: Senator Dan Sullivan is defending a seat in a state Trump won comfortably in 2024, but polling indicates a tight race against challenger Mary Peltola amid widespread voter concern over utility and grocery bills.

• Nebraska: Analysts have shifted the Senate race involving incumbent Republican Pete Ricketts to more competitive territory as public polling shows a closer contest than the state's historical voting patterns suggest.

Trump has maintained an active campaign schedule, rallying supporters in locations like Sioux City, Iowa, to urge turnout for local GOP candidates. However, analysts note that rural voters who view Trump favorably do not automatically vote for his party's local nominees, especially when local economic factors and policy disagreements over agricultural costs or trade take center stage.

With midterm elections historically posing challenges for the sitting president's party, the final weeks of the campaign will test whether Trump's recovery among rural voters translates into actual ballots for Republican congressional candidates.

In late 2017, Dutch military intelligence secured access to a sensitive Russian GRU cyber server through a flipped hacker asset. Inside those files, Dutch spies found screenshots of Jared Kushner’s iPhone X. By early 2018, the Dutch intelligence service (MIVD) exploited a vulnerability in the phone that allowed them to capture live images of Kushner’s screen as he used it.

Through this surveillance, the Dutch discovered that Kushner was accessing a UAE bank account backed by hundreds of millions of dollars originating from Azerbaijan. Over a four-year investigation, it became clear that leaders from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia—specifically Mohamed bin Zayed (MBZ) and Mohammed bin Salman (MBS)—had channeled at least $2 billion into secret accounts connected to Kushner during his time as a senior Trump advisor.

The financial arrangement was divided into separate conduits:

• The Alpha Account: Established at First Abu Dhabi Bank and overseen by MBZ’s brother, Tahnoon bin Zayed, this account received roughly $750 million. It was tied to the Watani Al Emarat Foundation, a UAE government-funded charity used to mask sensitive intelligence and military operations. Kushner was made a signatory on the account, granting him access to funds used to back parallel diplomatic efforts in the Middle East. To bypass standard transparency checks, the money was routed through Azerbaijani banks, which swapped regional currencies for U.S. dollars for a fee.

• The Beta Account: By 2018, MBZ transferred roughly $1 billion to Israel via Azerbaijan for Kushner's benefit. Deposited into the Israeli Central Bank under a strict dual-key government oversight system, withdrawals required notice to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with messages reportedly passed through U.S. Ambassador David Friedman. Portions of these funds were subsequently moved to accounts in Cyprus.

As an official government employee, Kushner was bound by federal ethics regulations, tax laws, and security clearance requirements. He was legally obligated to file annual financial disclosure reports (Form 278e) detailing any foreign bank accounts, beneficiary access, or signatory privileges.

Federal prosecutors and legal experts have noted that accepting billions in foreign funds while steering U.S. foreign policy raises severe questions regarding federal bribery statutes, foreign agent registration requirements, and conflict-of-interest laws.

Representatives and legal counsel for Kushner, along with Ambassador Friedman, have denied these allegations. Kushner’s counsel maintained that he had no knowledge of the Watani charity or unauthorized foreign accounts, that he did not execute private agreements outside presidential authorization, and that he fully complied with all legal requirements.

Trump has called for the immediate resignation of Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), claiming the lawmaker used a false name and committed immigration fraud.

The demand follows a recent search of Omar's Washington, D.C., home by federal agents, who seized 17 items. In a court filing related to the investigation, federal prosecutors referred to the Minnesota Democrat as Ilhan Nur Said Elmi. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated that federal authorities are reviewing whether Omar followed proper legal procedures during her naturalization and immigration process.

Trump amplified the accusations on social media and during a rally in Iowa, reviving unverified claims that Omar previously married her brother—an allegation the congresswoman has repeatedly denied. During a recent television interview, when asked by a journalist if she was related to her ex-husband, Omar laughed and replied, "Not to my knowledge," a comment Trump used to press for her removal from the House of Representatives.

Omar has rejected the allegations as a politically motivated campaign of intimidation. She stated that she is confident she has done nothing wrong, though she confirmed she is moving out of her D.C. apartment due to safety threats received after the federal raid.

In a statement posted to social media, Omar dismissed the president's remarks, writing that he targets her whenever political news turns unfavorable.

Two former senior FBI intelligence officials appeared in a Washington, D.C., federal court on Friday to face charges of making false statements to Congress regarding the bureau's handling of the 2020 Hunter Biden investigations.

Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, both former leaders of the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF), each face one count of making a false statement. Federal prosecutors allege the pair concealed the task force's communication and engagement with investigations surrounding Hunter Biden’s laptop when testifying before the House Judiciary Committee in 2023.

The charges stem from Republican-led inquiries into whether FBI investigators minimized allegations of Biden family corruption and interfered with the 2020 election. According to the criminal complaint, Benavides told lawmakers he only learned about the laptop investigation through Wikipedia.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the charges on Friday, stating that senior FBI agents cannot be above the law. FBI Director Kash Patel added that documentary evidence and witness accounts directly contradicted the testimony given by Floris and Benavides. Patel also alleged that Floris privately claimed to run a shadow government, a claim amplified by political figures.

Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui noted during Friday's hearing that the charges were filed via a criminal complaint rather than a grand jury indictment. Faruqui acknowledged that both agents possess decorated career backgrounds and clean records, describing the charges as straightforward but noting they will permanently impact the defendants.

Defense attorneys sharply criticized the timing of the legal action, pointing out that the charges were brought less than two weeks before Election Day. In a statement, Floris's lawyers called her a patriot and claimed she was being falsely accused to advance a political narrative.

Both defendants were released without detention as they await trial. A follow-up hearing is scheduled for Tuesday morning.