Morning Premium Edition · Sat, Oct 24 · 7:09 a.m.

The Essential 10 · about 4 minutes

1. Trump directed the Justice Department to sue over Alaska’s Senate race and seek to block certification if Dan Sullivan loses

   President Donald Trump said Friday he directed the Justice Department to sue over Alaska’s November 3 Senate election. Filed Thursday, the suit asks a federal judge to block certification if Republican Sen. Daniel S. Sullivan loses and votes for candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. could have changed the result. Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. denies any Democratic Party connection.

   Reporting: Al Jazeera, NBC News, The Hill, The Wall Street Journal, ABC11 Raleigh-Durham, alaskapublic.org, Boston Herald

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2. The Justice Department demanded that California counties identify suspected noncitizen voters and set aside flagged ballots

   Justice Department letters demanded California counties set aside ballots from voters the Trump administration considers likely noncitizens, escalating a dispute in federal court. The Daily Mail reported a 48-hour deadline to identify suspected noncitizen voters. The Los Angeles Times said the letters threaten criminal penalties for officials who count those ballots; county officials called the demands intimidating and legally questionable.

   Reporting: Los Angeles Times, dailymail.com

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

3. The U.S. reduced staffing at four Middle East embassies over heightened Iranian threats

   In a Friday memo to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton said his teams had received intelligence that Iran had substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel. The State Department is reducing staffing at its embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates; all four will remain open.

   Reporting: Bozeman Daily Chronicle, mcalesternews.com (with Associated Press), banglanews24.com, The Times of Israel, theaustralian.com.au

4. Israel launched an operation and imposed closures in Hebron after an attack killed two soldiers

   Israeli forces imposed widespread closures across Hebron and displaced residents Saturday, following a shooting near the city that Israel said killed two soldiers. Egyptian Gazette reported that Israeli forces killed the two Palestinian gunmen. A statement by the military and Shin Bet said the operation, targeting the area from which the gunmen came, was expected to continue for several days.

   Reporting: U.S. News & World Report, egyptian-gazette.com, i24news.tv, The Times of Israel

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5. Gunmen opened fire at a funeral in a church in Jordan, killing and wounding dozens

   Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at the Hamoud Greek Orthodox church in Karak, Jordan, killing at least seven people. The Wall Street Journal reported that Jordan characterized the attack as terrorism; authorities had not identified those responsible, and no group had claimed responsibility.

   Reporting: PBS News (with Associated Press), ABC7 Los Angeles, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Al Jazeera, BBC News

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6. Typhoon Champi killed one person and injured hundreds in Taiwan as it moved onward

   Al Jazeera English said in an October 23 Instagram post that Typhoon Champi had killed one person and injured 163 in Taiwan. The post showed huge waves crashing into the island’s northeastern coast as the storm approached, with winds reaching 191 km/h. Thousands were forced to evacuate, and much of Taiwan shut down.

   Reporting: instagram.com

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7. A woman became the second person to die of Ebola in Kenya

   Kenya’s Health Ministry said a 65-year-old woman who was a close family member of the first case died after developing symptoms on Oct. 13 while in quarantine. She was the country’s second Ebola death. The ministry said all cases were in one cluster, with no evidence of community spread. Authorities had traced 135 contacts, all quarantined.

   Reporting: BBC News, South China Morning Post, Deutsche Welle, Bloomberg, Reuters, newsday.com, Al Jazeera

8. A multi-storey building under construction collapsed in Nairobi, leaving people missing

   A search-and-rescue effort was under way in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area for seven people feared trapped after a building under construction collapsed Friday. Interior ministry official Kipchumba Murkomen said 66 of the 67 construction workers inside got out unharmed; the other suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The missing were thought to have been in shops at the building’s base.

   Reporting: Al Jazeera, Facebook, BBC News, New York Post, Associated Press

9. A shooting near Paris was described by President Macron as a racist terrorist attack

   Atch Academy in Aubervilliers identified Pengo Bossio Wangi, a 26-year-old amateur mixed martial arts fighter, as Friday’s shooting victim; authorities had not publicly named him. The club said, “Nothing justifies taking a life this way.” At least five others were wounded, and President Emmanuel Macron said victims were targeted for their skin color or perceived religion.

   Reporting: wsls.com, The Times of India

10. Severe flooding prompted rescues, evacuations and road closures in the Four Corners region

    Flooding across the Four Corners prompted rooftop rescues, evacuations and road closures Friday, with more rain forecast for the weekend. In Colorado, National Guard rescuers used a helicopter to lift two people and three dogs from an RV swept into a river, Archuleta County sheriff’s officials said. Farmington city spokesperson Gina Intoppa said about 600 households were told to evacuate.

    Reporting: NBC News (with Associated Press), fox21news.com, ABC News, UA News, kanw.org, The Guardian, ksut.org

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More stories

11. Humana and UnitedHealthcare are ending Medicare Advantage plans affecting about one million seniors

    Humana and UnitedHealthcare are discontinuing some Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, affecting about 990,000 members combined, according to Newsweek. The figure includes roughly 600,000 Humana enrollees and 390,000 UnitedHealthcare members. Humana said most of its affected members will be offered an alternative plan.

    Reporting: CBS News, Demokratis, Newsweek

12. Two Philippine Air Force planes collided during a training flight, killing all four pilots

    Two Philippine Air Force aircraft collided midair Friday afternoon and crashed at Fernando Air Base in Batangas province, killing all four pilots aboard, officials said. Reports described the incident as a training flight; TRT World said it was a flyby rehearsal. Philippine Air Force spokesman Colonel Alvin Capinguian said an investigation was opened and the SF-260 fleet was temporarily grounded.

    Reporting: Associated Press, Firstpost, The Times of India, South China Morning Post, India Today, ndtv.com, TRT World, Ynetnews

13. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited China

    North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reportedly arrived in China’s border city of Dandong on Saturday, crossing the newly opened New Yalu River Bridge, according to South Korean news reports citing an unidentified government source. The New York Times described it as his first visit to China in more than a year and reported that Beijing and Pyongyang had not immediately confirmed the trip.

    Reporting: U.S. News & World Report, Associated Press, Reuters, thenewstribune.com, Bloomberg, Agence France-Presse, Al Jazeera, The New York Times

14. Two former FBI officials were charged with lying to Congress about the Hunter Biden laptop inquiry

    Federal prosecutors allege former FBI officials Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides misled the House Judiciary Committee in 2023 about the Hunter Biden probe and laptop. Reuters says the complaint alleges they took part in the FBI’s response to public reporting on the laptop. Courthouse News reports Benavides said he learned from Wikipedia that the FBI obtained Biden’s laptop.

    Reporting: Courthouse News Service, Politico, CBS News, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, NBC News, ABC News

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15. A federal appeals court upheld a ruling blocking the Trump administration from federalizing California National Guard troops

    A divided 2-1 Ninth Circuit panel on Oct. 23 upheld a preliminary injunction blocking President Donald Trump’s federalization and deployment of 4,000 California National Guard members to Los Angeles in June 2025. The court said the initial order exceeded Trump’s statutory authority and rejected the administration’s argument that the decision was beyond judicial review.

    Reporting: Bloomberg Law, ca.gov, NTD Television, krcrtv.com, Los Angeles Daily News, The Sacramento Bee

16. Trump exempted some Canadian products from tariffs, a move linked to supporting Senator Susan Collins

    President Donald Trump signed a proclamation easing 50% tariffs on Canadian goods from Oct. 30, The Business Standard reported. Exemptions include plywood, paper, machinery and refrigeration equipment; SBS News also reported packaging boxes exempt and new tariffs on some valves, carpets and waste-related products. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins said she secured exemptions for blueberry, potato, apple and seaweed producers.

    Reporting: The New York Times, SBS News (South Korea), fnnews.com, The Business Standard, bnnbloomberg.ca, Reuters, The Guardian

17. The Pentagon designated China-backed cultural centers on U.S. campuses as a national security threat

    US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that the Pentagon designated Chinese-funded Confucius Institutes on university campuses a national security threat. He called them “sleeper organisations,” saying they operated under new names after Congress restricted them. Hegseth said the Pentagon dismantled 80 groups operating at 30 universities and accused the programs of stealing research and spreading propaganda.

    Reporting: Al Jazeera, The Guardian, NTD Television, arabnews.jp, Firstpost, Washington Examiner

18. Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the America First seafood initiative

    On Oct. 23, President Donald J. Trump’s administration announced the America First Seafood Strategy and launched Seafood.gov. NOAA Fisheries described it as a coordinated federal plan to expand sustainable domestic seafood production, modernize infrastructure, and improve market opportunities and fair competition. The White House said the actions had unlocked billions of dollars in economic value.

    Reporting: noaa.gov, whitehouse.gov

19. The Supreme Court let New Hampshire bar student IDs as voter identification in the midterms

    The Supreme Court paused a federal judge’s ruling Thursday, allowing New Hampshire to enforce its student-ID voting ban in the midterms. SCOTUSblog said the unsigned order invoked election timing; Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented. New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan had directed local officials not to accept student IDs, including under the safety-valve process.

    Reporting: wjactv.com, SCOTUSblog, Democracy Docket, Soo Leader

20. A Mississippi police officer who shot and killed a one-year-old boy resigned; footage of the shooting was also released

    Mississippi police officer Hunter Foster resigned this week, Senatobia Mayor Greg Graves said, months after fatally shooting 1-year-old Kohen Wiley outside a Walmart. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation released body-camera and store surveillance footage Thursday. ABC News reported Foster fired as a car appeared to move toward officers. The state Attorney General’s Office had deemed the use of force justified.

    Reporting: CBS News, KTUL NewsChannel 8, ABC News, wapt.com, CNN, WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore, MS NOW, The Guardian

21. Melania Trump helped broker a localized ceasefire in Oleshky to allow aid and civilian evacuations

    Russia and Ukraine agreed to a localized ceasefire in Russian-controlled Oleshky to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and civilian evacuations, The Nation Thailand reported, adding that both militaries confirmed the deal. Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said the plan calls for a truce, aid deliveries and then civilian departures.

    Reporting: The Denver Post (with Associated Press), openthemagazine.com, The Moscow Times, thepavlovictoday.com, The Nation Thailand, The Korea Times, CBC News

    Updated since this edition · Read the latest

22. The first tanker carrying Russian diesel under a U.S.-Russia arrangement set sail for the United States

    Outlook India and News18 report that three tankers carrying Russian diesel have left Primorsk for North America under a new import agreement. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the first tanker’s departure and said regular supplies would continue. The Economic Times reported experts’ view that the imports are unlikely to ease high fuel prices significantly.

    Reporting: The Economic Times, The Times of India, news18.com, Outlook India

23. Authorities prepared for large protests across France, deploying police and closing Paris museums

    French authorities planned to deploy 70,000 police and gendarmes nationwide Saturday, Oct. 24, as protests over economic pressures were expected across France. The deployment aimed to prevent a repeat of the previous week’s violent unrest, which included attacks on police and looting, according to Ynetnews. The Louvre and other Paris museums closed, and Art Basel’s weekend program was canceled.

    Reporting: Associated Press, 2news.com, wgauradio.com, chosun.com, India Today, unn.ua, Ynetnews

    Updated since this edition · Read the latest

24. Ukraine and Russia signaled willingness to resume U.S.-brokered peace talks, despite major obstacles

    Ukraine and Russia have signaled willingness to resume U.S.-brokered peace talks and are backing a humanitarian mission led by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump. A surprise announcement Friday said Kyiv and Moscow agreed to a local ceasefire to allow aid next week. Disagreements over territory and security guarantees persist, while armies remain on the battlefield and exchange daily long-range strikes.

    Reporting: ABC News, breakingnews.ie, mcalesternews.com

25. U.S. stock indexes closed lower at the end of a volatile week

    U.S. stocks ended Friday lower, extending a volatile week as concerns about the sustainability of artificial-intelligence spending weighed on markets. The Dow fell 1.23% to 52,215.16, the S&P 500 lost 0.52%, and the Nasdaq slipped 0.21%. Sharecast reported Brent crude rose 3.14% to $116.72 a barrel amid reports of U.S.-Israeli plans for renewed attacks on Iran.

    Reporting: Anadolu Agency, Investor’s Business Daily, thestreet.com, sharecast.com, The Wall Street Journal

26. The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders unionized after years of seeking better pay

    The Dallas Cowboys have agreed to recognize the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association as the cheerleaders’ collective bargaining representative, the team and association said in a joint statement. The recognition follows years of pay disputes and gives the squad a formal route to negotiate compensation and benefits. No bargaining agreement has been reported.

    Reporting: The Times of India, Associated Press, The New York Times, newsday.com

27. Six Flags plans to add seat belts to rides after a fatal incident in Georgia

    Six Flags plans to add seat belts to Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia and similar coasters at other parks after an Oct. 12 accident that killed a 42-year-old guest. Chief Executive John Reilly said the company is hiring independent engineers and ride-inspection professionals; Goliath and eight other rides remain closed as the investigation continues.

    Reporting: The Wall Street Journal, attractionsmagazine.com, atlantanewsfirst.com

    Updated since this edition · Read the latest

28. Dengue cases continued to rise in Florida after an emergency response was declared

    Florida’s reported dengue cases have continued rising about a month after three counties declared states of emergency. Citing the latest CDC data, The Washington Post reported 721 statewide cases, up from 392 since September. Hillsborough County, including Tampa, has 352 cases. University of Florida biostatistician and infectious-disease modeler Ira Longini said further spread was “just a matter of time.”

    Reporting: The Washington Post, x.com

    Updated since this edition · Read the latest

29. Flu cases were rising earlier than usual on the U.S. West Coast, prompting vaccine advice

    Flu activity is rising early on the U.S. West Coast, prompting experts to urge vaccination. KPRC reports nearly all cases are H1N1, a strain with a mutation; the variant was not included in this season’s vaccine, though doctors say vaccination offers protection. California’s test positivity was 9.65% on Oct. 10; Los Angeles County reported its first two flu-related deaths.

    Reporting: AOL, Spectrum News, KPRC 2 Click2Houston, today.com