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Senior Fellow, Center for Information Advantage and Effectiveness;
Assistant Professor of Practice, University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media;
Former VOA News White House bureau chief;
Author, Behind the White House Curtain;
Board of directors: @JURISTnews, NPC Journalism Institute board of governors; Overseas Press Club of America;
2022 Kiplinger Fellow, Ohio Univ.;
Nevada Broadcasters Assoc. Hall of Fame; W7DQ on ham radio.
President Trump cancels weekend rallies in Kansas and Iowa, where there are unexpectedly competitive US Senate races. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/10/29/trump-cancels-kansas-iowa-rallies/92504880007/
USA TODAY
Trump cancels 2 rallies days ahead of midterms
President Donald Trump canceled two rallies in states with Senate races that could control the chamber with just days to go before the midterms.
A glacial lake outburst flood has been reported at Shintaphu Lake in Bhutan, prompting flash-flood warnings in India’s West Bengal and Assam. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/shintaphu-lake-glacial-lake-outburst-in-bhutan-sends-flash-floods-warning-to-bengal-assam-12256637
Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, appears to have been hacked. https://apnews.com/article/binance-cryptocurrency-security-39cda8ceb8095e036334a18549d3d20d
AP News
Binance reports 'potential security issue' as stablecoin issuers freeze millions in funds
Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, is investigating a potential security issue that appears to be a hack.
NYT - The Trump administration has opened a criminal investigation in its intensifying campaign to prove thousands of noncitizens are on California’s voter rolls, issuing federal grand jury subpoenas to local election officials. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/29/us/trump-doj-california-voter-rolls-midterms.html?unlocked_article_code=1.MVE.jAlg._jg7W3vMMYYw&smid=url-share
US Embassy staff in Matamoros, Mexico, ordered to shelter in place due to “ongoing law enforcement activity in Matamoros affecting various roads and major intersections.“ https://mx.usembassy.gov/security-alert-active-law-enforcement-activity-in-the-city-of-matamoros/
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, the Pentagon’s top military planner, amid allegations that Sylvia leaked classified information to reporters. https://www.washingtonsun.com/defense/hegseth-fires-top-military-strategist-over-alleged-classified-leaks
The Washington Sun
Hegseth Fires a Top Military Strategist Over Alleged Classified Leaks
The Pentagon says Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia failed three polygraph exams and has been referred to the Justice Department, escalating a sweeping leak hunt.
Patrick Stewart, the bald-headed English actor who will be remembered most for his roles as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and as Professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” films, has died. He was 86. https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/patrick-stewart-dead-star-trek-picardx-men-xavier-1236934412/
The worst-ranked team in NCAA Division I basketball recruited a nearly 7-foot-tall forward from China, hoping he could turn around the program at the historically Black school. But then ICE arrested the MVSU player a day after newest Delta Devil arrived on campus in Mississippi. https://mississippitoday.org/2026/10/28/how-mvsu-lost-and-regained-a-star-basketball-recruit-from-ice-detention/
Our radio program, America at 250: Due Diligence, will be taping an episode before an audience a week from today at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0CxcPCI6j2sMACy
The parent company of Google is suddenly worth a half trillion dollars less. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/29/alphabet-google-microsoft-msft-shares-today-earnings.html
DoorDash acquiring Instacart for $17 billion. https://about.doordash.com/en-us/news/doordash-to-acquire-instacart
DoorDash to Acquire Instacart to Help Local Stores Win
Together, DoorDash and Instacart would help stores of every size reach more customers with the kinds of innovative technology that the biggest online retailers and grocers build for themselves.
USDA is sending more relocation notices to employees as part of its sweeping reorganization plans, despite a court order putting those actions on hold. https://www.govexec.com/management/2026/10/usda-sends-more-relocation-notices-seemingly-violation-court-order/416900/
Government Executive
USDA sends more relocation notices, seemingly in violation of court order
A court-ordered stay prohibits USDA from issuing or enforcing "any other notice or directive of reassignment or relocation in whole or in part."
Special counsel seeks the death penalty for former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during his appeal trial on insurrection charges stemming from his failed attempt to impose martial law. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261029005751315
US prices increased in September with the economy growing faster than expected in the third quarter. https://www.bea.gov/news/2026/gdp-advance-estimate-3rd-quarter-2026
New World screwworm detected in Arizona, with the potentially fatal infestation now affecting dogs and cats. https://www.tpr.org/public-health/2026-07-03/31-confirmed-new-world-screwworm-infestations-texas-tracker-and-what-you-need-to-know
euronews
ECB President Christine Lagarde to step down in February 2027
Christine Lagarde will step down on 7 February 2027, around nine months before the end of her eight-year term, the European Central Bank announced on Thursday as it is set to publish its latest monetary policy decision.
There's a declared emergency at the US Department of Energy Savannah River Site after a fire in a room led to "an unfiltered ground-level radiological release." https://www.wtoc.com/2026/10/28/radiological-release-triggers-emergency-response-srs/
Utah files felony criminal charges against Kalshi, alleging the wagering website illegally promoted gambling in the state. https://www.abc4.com/news/local-news/utah-criminal-charges-kalshi/
Vice President Vance has the go-ahead to restart peace negotiations with Iran, President Trump tells reporters.
Republican Senator Murkowski makes a surprise endorsement of the Democrat in Alaska's four-way gubernatorial race. https://www.ktoo.org/2026/10/27/murkowski-endorses-democrat-jkt-in-alaska-governors-race/
I sat down with Nina Jankowicz on her podcast, Disarmed, to discuss the history of the Voice of America and the ongoing legal battle surrounding its future. My Substack post details our conversation, the broader dismantling of American soft power, and the current state of U.S. public diplomacy.
https://newsguy.substack.com/p/a-disarming-conversation?r=1g77q&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
