Luke Vargas on WSJ What’s News
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to stop airing taxpayer-funded television commercials featuring President Trump, ruling the ads were likely illegal. The order bars the Department of Homeland Security from using government money for the broadcasts, while the Justice Department said the ad buy was scheduled to end Sunday.Luke Vargas on WSJ What’s News
India’s government locked down New Delhi and detained thousands as protests expanded against a revision of voter lists that activists say could strip about 130 million people of voting rights. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government says the revision is needed to remove fraudulent entries and denies discriminating against Muslims.Andrew Dowell on WSJ What’s News
Saudi Arabia’s counteroffensive against Yemen’s Houthis has put Riyadh on a war footing, with the airport shut for two consecutive days, evacuations ordered and schools moved home. President Trump said the United States might join Saudi strikes, after a previous U.S. campaign bombed the Houthis for about 53 days before a ceasefire.Luke Vargas on WSJ What’s News
Saudi Arabia’s main international airport in Riyadh was attacked for the second consecutive day, killing one person in a missile strike claimed by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The previous Saturday’s attack killed 12 people and injured hundreds, as Saudi Arabia’s counteroffensive in Yemen entered its second week.Marcus Walker on WSJ What’s News
President Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying he could have settled the war and calling for Ukraine to get a new president. Trump urged Ukraine not to attack Russian refineries, while Ukraine says those strikes are its main leverage against the money funding Russia’s war.Luke Vargas on WSJ What’s News
China’s domestic car sales fell by more than a quarter in September, extending the market’s decline to 12 straight months despite demand for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Volkswagen reported an almost 40% drop in third-quarter deliveries in China, the world’s largest auto market.Luke Vargas on WSJ What’s News
Amazon is in talks to acquire San Francisco-based AI startup Decart in a deal valued at around $7 billion. Decart makes software that lets developers switch among AI chips and was last valued at nearly $4 billion in May.Luke Vargas on WSJ What’s News
The Justice Department is investigating whether Fox News, ABC, CBS, CNN, and NBC formed an illegal group boycott when they briefly suspended White House press-pool coverage last month. The networks acted after the White House removed CNN from a travel assignment amid a broader ban on several news outlets.Marcus Walker on WSJ What’s News
President Trump allowed Russia to export 100,000 barrels of diesel a day to the United States as he seeks lower energy prices before the midterms. Bipartisan senators called the deal illegal under the 2022 sanctions law, while Dow Jones Energy’s Andy Critchlow said the volume is under 4% of the U.S. diesel market and would have little effect on prices.Luke Vargas on WSJ What’s News
The U.S. Treasury market was closed for Columbus Day as investors prepared for September inflation data on Wednesday, producer prices and retail sales on Thursday, and a Friday speech by Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh. JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, and Goldman Sachs were scheduled to report earnings the next day.Luke Vargas on WSJ What’s News
With just over three weeks before the midterms, newer and largely unknown donors are driving increased fundraising for Democratic socialists and other progressives. Some donors, motivated by AIPAC’s election spending, are contributing as much as $1 million to a super PAC intended as a counterweight, while established progressive George Soros supports both the Democratic establishment and left-wing candidates.Maggie Severns on WSJ What’s News
Newer leftist donors are joining established progressive donors such as George Soros in funding candidates and campaigns on the left this fall. The contributions are helping create a new era of leftist politics, though the amounts remain larger than what most people give to political causes.