Patrick Stewart, ‘Star Trek’ Captain and ‘X-Men’ Superhero, Dies at 86  —  He's forever known for playing Jean-Luc Picard and Charles Xavier, whom he “admired for their morality, for their kindness, for their sensitivity, for their compassion.” … He was 86.

Alaska's governor orders investigation into Peltola campaign over allegedly recruiting second Dan Sullivan  —  Alaska's Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday ordered an investigation into Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola's campaign after a New York Times report that people aligned …

Democrats in striking distance: New CNN polls in four states highlight party's path to Senate majority  —  Donald Trump Congressional news Election polls Senate election  —  CNN polling across four key Senate races in the final days of the midterm campaign finds Democrats well-positioned …

Hegseth reportedly fires U.S. top military planner as Trump downplays Iran peace talks … U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly fired the Pentagon's top military planner amid concerns that Washington may restart strikes on Iran after the midterm elections.

Nvidia Chief Seen as Target of Chinese Spy Plot … Jensen Huang, the chief executive of Nvidia, is influential at the White House on technology policy and has developed a close relationship with President Trump.Manuel Orbegozo for The New York Times  —  American spy agencies had gathered striking intelligence.

DOJ Orders Criminal Probes of California Officials on Voting  —  Justice Department leadership directed top federal prosecutors in California to pursue criminal subpoenas of state and local officials regarding their roles administering allegedly illegal voting, according to two people familiar with the situation.

Ilhan Omar Investigation Involves New Scrutiny of Long-Disputed Marriage  —  Several current and former law enforcement officials said an Obama-era investigation found some evidence that Ms. Omar had entered into a sham marriage with a man suspected of being her brother.

Trump and His Aides Helped Bolsonaro Flee Brazil for the U.S.  —  President Trump ensured Flávio Bolsonaro, who lost a presidential election in Brazil and faces multiple criminal investigations there, could enter the United States, U.S. officials said.

‘Contrary to law’: Judge strikes down Trump admin's definition of ‘medically frail’ in Medicaid work requirements  —  A federal judge in Boston sided on Thursday with a coalition of 25 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's requirement …

Nearly 1 in 5 federal workers left under Trump.  Black workers took the biggest hit.  —  A Washington Post analysis shows that President Donald Trump has succeeded in reshaping the federal bureaucracy, with the largest impact on Black workers.  —  SummaryLoading...

Alphabet shares tumble in $500bn rout  —  Google owner admits ‘AI mode’ has hurt traditional search as sales and profits undershoot expectations  —  Alphabet shares tumbled 13 per cent on Thursday, wiping a record $500bn from its market value, after the Google owner burnt through cash …

Video Shows ICE Agents Slashing Portland Couple's Car Tire Then Driving Off  —  Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents slashed the tires of a couple who were recording the agents in an incident near Portland, Oregon, earlier this month.  The agents then drove away without arresting …

Can Democracy Survive the Next Financial Crash?  —  If the AI bubble bursts, Donald Trump will control a bailout apparatus with essentially limitless authority.  —  The bailout clock is ticking.  In September, Oracle invoked “force majeure” to delay paying debt on a data center, which led to a drop in the corporation's stock price.

A Defense Contractor Gave Their Personal AI Agent Access to a Secure Pentagon System  —  Sources tell WIRED that an Accenture employee's personal Claude agent ran on a DOD network for two months before it was identified and the vulnerability could be patched.

Trump Aides Are Leaning on U.S. Firms to Accept Russian Diesel  —  Trump administration officials are privately encouraging U.S. firms to accept Russian diesel currently crossing the Atlantic, industry groups familiar with the conversations said, despite warnings that doing so could place …

DoorDash offers $17 billion for Instacart in what would be a big consolidation for grocery delivery  —  DoorDash is offering $17 billion to buy Instacart in a deal that could consolidate the grocery delivery business in the U.S. and abroad.  —  Instacart, founded in 2012 …

Bluesky Is Blocking Links to a Major Leak of DHS Employee Records  —  Bluesky tells WIRED it blocked links to a leaked archive of information on 41,000 ICE, CBP, and other DHS workers because it contains people's contact information, shared without their authorization.

The GOP's endless culture war slop is a sign of desperation  —  Public Notice is proudly celebrating 5 years of independent journalism.  Our coverage is possible thanks for paid subscribers.  Become one ⬇️  —  ✅ Subscribe to PN ✅

New Mexico megachurch endorses Republican candidates, testing federal ban  —  Legacy Church's endorsements violate law banning tax-exempt nonprofits from endorsing political candidates  —  A megachurch in New Mexico has endorsed two Republican candidates running in this year's midterms …

The Supreme Court's Gutting of the Voting Rights Act is Mobilizing Black Voters.  Look at Alabama.  —  Twelve days before the midterm elections, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and former Montana Senator Jon Tester traveled down to Alabama to campaign in one of the country's most unexpected battleground districts.

Trump Scraps a Weekend Trip to Kansas  —  President Donald Trump's Kansas campaign event with Sen. Roger Marshall has been canceled, Kasey Windhorst of the Salina Airport Authority confirmed to The Washington Sun.  —  The Saturday event would have included a noon speech from Trump, Windhorst said.

Trump Admin Pushes Gender-Swapping Harry Potter Fanfic  —  Truly weird stuff happening at the Department of Education.  —  WITH THE ELECTION just five days away, things are looking grim for Republicans.  The generic House ballot puts Democrats up 10 points among registered voters.

State Dept. to Shift Millions in Contraception Funding to Cover Energy Costs  —  In a memo, the department told lawmakers it was redirecting up to $125 million in foreign aid, including nearly $49 million that Congress appropriated for family planning programs in low-income countries.

As Midterm Ads Focus on Epstein, a Florida Senator Is the Latest Target  —  A new ad criticizes Senator Ashley Moody, a Republican, for voting against releasing files on Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of sex crimes in Palm Beach.  —  “I was 13 years old when I met Jeffrey Epstein,” …

Hungary, France Slam Idea of Orban-Led UN as Guterres Term Ends  —  Hungary's leader and a top French official rejected the idea of former strongman Viktor Orban leading the United Nations, as the race to find the next leader of the global organization heats up.

Abdul El-Sayed Is Running Through, Not Around, the Right's Racism  —  This article was featured in the Daily Prospect newsletter.  Sign up for it here.  —  WARREN, MICHIGAN - On an early-October afternoon, Macomb County's Carpenters Union Local 1234 hall is standing room only for Dr. Abdul El-Sayed's “It Shouldn't Be This Hard” tour.