Afternoon Premium Edition · Fri, Oct 30 · 1:04 p.m.

The Essential 10 · about 3 minutes

1. A small boat disabled a tanker with limpet mines in the Strait of Hormuz

   Security sources told Reuters that a small boat attached two limpet mines to a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, starting an engine-room fire and temporarily disabling the vessel. Iran separately said four tankers struck mines in the strait: its Revolutionary Guard Corps reported three fires, while the army reported a fourth.

   Reporting: Reuters, CNBC

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

2. The Justice Department began issuing subpoenas over an effort regarding Alaska's Senate ballot

   The Justice Department has begun issuing grand jury subpoenas in an investigation into allegations that Democrats sought to recruit another candidate named Dan Sullivan for Alaska’s Senate ballot, as BBC and PBS reported. Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola denied knowing about the effort. No charges had been filed Friday morning, and Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a separate state investigation.

   Reporting: Alaska Public Media, PBS News, BBC News

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

3. Blockchain intelligence firms linked a record Binance cryptocurrency theft to North Korea hackers

   TRM Labs assessed with high confidence that the $6.36 billion Binance wallet theft was carried out by North Korea’s TraderTraitor unit; Chainalysis also said the group was likely responsible. TRM said funds moved across 10 blockchains, mostly in about 20 minutes. Binance said it froze roughly $3 billion, is beginning asset recovery and will cover losses; withdrawals remain suspended.

   Reporting: National Public Radio, Al Jazeera, YouTube, fox13now.com, nextgov.com

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

4. U.S. stock futures fell over tech spending concerns

   U.S. stock futures fell Friday as Amazon’s AI spending plans and Intel’s cash-burn warning heightened concerns about the cost of AI infrastructure and returns. Bloomberg reported Nasdaq 100 futures fell more than 2% and S&P 500 contracts dropped 1%. Amazon fell 7.4% in U.S. premarket trading, while Intel plunged 25%.

   Reporting: Bloomberg, Reuters

5. Hegseth removed Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia from a Joint Chiefs planning role

   Pete Hegseth, whom NBC News identified as defense secretary, removed Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia from his role overseeing strategy, plans and policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A senior defense official told NBC News that Hegseth accused Sylvia of leaking classified information about the wars in Iran and Ukraine amid a federal investigation.

   Reporting: Facebook, The Guardian, NBC News

6. More than 43 million Americans cast early ballots ahead of the midterm election

   More than 43 million Americans had voted early in person or returned mail ballots five days before Election Day, nearly 10 million more than in 2022, according to AP-compiled data reported by PBS News. Early voting has also jumped across Senate battlegrounds. The figures cover 47 states and Washington, D.C., compared with 48 states and the nation's capital in 2022.

   Reporting: PBS News

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7. Israel election results confirmed Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc lost its parliamentary majority

   Final results confirmed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc lost majority, winning 53 seats; the opposition bloc won 48. Arab-led parties secured 19, a historic showing. Parties must negotiate to reach at least 61 of 120 Knesset seats. Results must be certified and submitted to President Isaac Herzog next Wednesday; failed talks could lead to an election early next year.

   Reporting: wowktv.com (with Associated Press)

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

8. The Justice Department issued subpoenas to California election officials

   Justice Department issued grand jury subpoenas to California election officials, escalating scrutiny of election administration, the New York Times and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. The Times said subpoenas seek communications about the department’s demands and records on noncitizen-voting screening. They are part of an investigation into claims that thousands of noncitizens are on California’s voter rolls, which the Times called unsubstantiated.

   Reporting: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The New York Times

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

9. Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta said it would shut down

   Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia’s last independent news outlets, said Friday it will cease operations on Nov. 9, citing pressure from Russian authorities. Editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov said in a video statement that Russian security services had forced the editorial team to stop working. The paper said it would shut its servers and leave.

   Reporting: CNN, Al Jazeera, CBS News, Reuters, The Guardian

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

10. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reported two oil tankers ablaze in the Strait of Hormuz

    Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said two oil tankers caught fire and were stopped in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. Euronews reported that no details were provided about the vessels’ identities, flags, the precise cause of the incidents or the crews’ condition. Qatari mediators returned to Tehran for talks aimed at ending the war between Iran and the United States.

    Reporting: Euronews, Financial Times

    Updated since this edition · Read the latest

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11. A grand jury indicted an ICE agent for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon

    A Harris County grand jury indicted 33-year-old ICE agent Mario Alberto Morales on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, alleging he drove his vehicle into Miguel Parra Hernandez, a Mexican construction worker who was on foot, in Houston on Oct. 10.

    Reporting: WGXA News, NBC News, ABC7 Chicago, Davis Vanguard

12. Congressional Democrats are demanding answers about hunger strikers at a Texas detention facility

    Congressional Democrats are demanding answers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement about its treatment of immigrants on a hunger strike at a Texas detention facility. The detainees, protesting harsh conditions, say they face threats of force-feeding, The Guardian reported on October 30, 2026.

    Reporting: The Guardian

13. Judge Richard Stearns blocks Trump administration rule narrowing Medicaid work exemptions

    U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a rule that narrowed exemptions from Medicaid work requirements for people deemed medically frail. Stearns sided with 25 states and the District of Columbia.

    Reporting: NBC News (with Reuters), PBS News (with Associated Press), Reuters, The New York Times, statnews.com

14. U.S. officials scrapped the G20 group photo over objections to appearing with Sergey Lavrov

    The United States scrapped plans for a traditional G20 “family photo” at the Atlanta foreign ministers’ meeting after several European diplomats objected to posing with Russia’s top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov, and threatened to walk out, U.S. officials said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is chairing the two-day gathering, which will set the stage for December’s leaders’ summit.

    Reporting: CBS News, Bloomberg

15. The Trump administration awarded contracts for nearly 41 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve

    The Trump administration awarded contracts for nearly 41 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, marking the final portion of a 172 million-barrel emergency release, Bloomberg reported. Trafigura Trading LLC and ExxonMobil Holdings Corp. were among the winners. Reuters separately reported that companies agreed to borrow about 40 million barrels from the reserve.

    Reporting: Bloomberg, Reuters

16. Donald Trump restored his canceled campaign rallies in Iowa and Kansas

    Donald Trump has restored canceled rallies in Iowa and Kansas, a White House official said Friday. He is scheduled to hold back-to-back rallies Sunday, alongside nearly 20 tele-rallies, ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms. The Republican National Committee had announced Thursday that he would instead hold tele-rallies; Trump had said he did not feel he needed to visit Kansas.

    Reporting: U.S. News & World Report (with Reuters), Bloomberg

17. The U.S. health department approved removing black box warnings from three menopause patches

    The U.S. health department approved removing the strictest “black box” warnings from labels of three estradiol transdermal patches used to treat menopause symptoms. The department did not immediately provide Reuters with the patches’ brand names. The action follows FDA-approved labeling changes in February for six menopausal hormone therapy products, removing warnings about cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and probable dementia.

    Reporting: Reuters, journalrecord.com

18. Minnesota confirmed 80 measles cases this year

    Minnesota officials confirmed 80 measles cases so far this year, a 36-year high. Todd County, with 57 cases, accounts for most of the surge and all 37 newly identified cases in the past week. Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham urged unvaccinated people advised to get MMR vaccination to contact a provider.

    Reporting: Minnesota Star Tribune, bringmethenews.com

19. Snap Inc. faced a Los Angeles trial alone following Meta's settlement

    Meta settled with a second teenager who accused Instagram and Facebook of encouraging addictive use and contributing to mental health problems, leaving Snap as the only remaining defendant in the Los Angeles trial. The settlement with K.D.B. followed Meta’s earlier settlement with S.J.; jury selection had begun Wednesday in a case involving both teens.

    Reporting: journalrecord.com

20. Pentagon officials urged European NATO allies to moderate public statements about Russia

    Pentagon officials have privately asked Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to tone down public statements about the Russian threat, saying some rhetoric could undermine security efforts, Reuters reported, citing four people familiar with the matter. Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, involved in a review of U.S. troop levels in Europe, was among those delivering the message.

    Reporting: Türkiye Today, Syrian Arab News Agency

21. Russian and Ukrainian officials entered Oleshky to begin an evacuation mission

    A localized ceasefire enabled an evacuation and humanitarian aid mission to begin Friday in the devastated, Russian-occupied city of Oleshky. NBC News said an evacuation and humanitarian aid mission was underway Friday; Russia’s human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova said a convoy of 25 buses and nine ambulances had been prepared to help residents leave.

    Reporting: NBC News, KSL News

    Updated since this edition · Read the latest

22. The ECB announced Lagarde plans to leave her post early

    European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde will leave Feb. 7, nine months before her eight-year term ends, the ECB said Thursday. Her early departure gives European leaders time to choose a successor before France’s 2027 presidential election, potentially while French President Emmanuel Macron remains in office. European Council President António Costa said the selection process would begin immediately.

    Reporting: McAlester News-Capital, JournalArta, krqe.com, eagletribune.com (with Associated Press), fundssociety.com, indonesiabusinesspost.com

23. China’s Communist Party expelled 33 members during its fifth plenum

    China’s Communist Party expelled 33 members during its fifth plenum, an unprecedented number that highlights the scale of purges under Xi Jinping. The meeting’s attendance included 279 of the 376 primary and alternate Central Committee members selected in 2022; the report said more than a quarter were absent, mostly because of expulsions and purges.

    Reporting: Demokratis, The Guardian, waradana.com

24. ExxonMobil and Chevron beat third-quarter earnings estimates

    ExxonMobil and Chevron beat analysts’ third-quarter profit estimates Friday as refining earnings surged. ExxonMobil reported adjusted earnings of $4.23 a share, versus LSEG’s $4.08 estimate, while its Energy Products segment earned $7.2 billion, exceeding Upstream’s $7.1 billion. Chevron’s downstream earnings rose to $4.9 billion from $1.1 billion a year earlier.

    Reporting: Quartz, MarketScreener

25. New York state police will take over future sexual assault investigations at Cornell University

    New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said state police will investigate sexual assault complaints at Cornell University, with complaints normally handled by campus police referred for criminal investigation unless the individual requests otherwise. The agreement follows criticism of Cornell’s response to an anonymous former student’s allegation that seven Chi Phi fraternity members raped her in 2024.

    Reporting: Anadolu Agency, United Press International, Reuters, The Hill, journalrecord.com

26. Likud amplified unsubstantiated allegations that Arab-led parties stole Israel's parliamentary election

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party amplified unsubstantiated claims that Arab-led parties “stole” the election, as results showed the bloc losing its majority. Election committee head and Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg said suspicions of foreign interference had been brought before him; the Central Elections Committee directed the Shin Bet to investigate.

    Reporting: PBS News, KRCR News Channel 7, The Jerusalem Post

27. Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike spoke publicly after surviving a lethal-injection attempt

    Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike, 50, issued her first public statement Friday since surviving a failed lethal injection on September 30. In a statement released by her legal team, Pike said she remains in constant pain but is recovering. She said she was “deeply hurt by the incompetence” and continues to think about her victim Colleen Slemmer’s family.

    Reporting: France 24, BBC News

28. Pope Leo XIV cast a mail-in ballot in the U.S. midterm elections

    Pope Leo XIV voted by mail in the U.S. midterm elections, the Vatican confirmed Friday, becoming the first pontiff to vote in a U.S. election, The Washington Post reported. The Holy See Press Office said the American citizen submitted his ballot in Chicago and had voted whenever eligible while living in Peru, describing civic participation as a long-standing practice.

    Reporting: The Washington Post, Vatican News, 1011now.com

29. DoorDash agreed to acquire Instacart in a $17 billion deal

    DoorDash agreed Thursday to acquire Instacart in a deal valued at about $17 billion, offering shareholders $65 per share in cash, DoorDash stock or a combination. The companies say the merger would expand customer access and combine delivery and grocery technology; PBS reported it could reduce competition and potentially raise consumer prices.

    Reporting: PBS News, Law Commentary, progressivegrocer.com

30. Drones killed at least 15 people at a displaced persons camp in Ethiopia

    At least 15 people, many of them children, were killed in a series of drone strikes on a camp for displaced civilians in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, Reuters reported Friday, citing two sources involved in a rescue operation. The report did not identify who carried out the strikes.

    Reporting: Reuters, @ReutersAfrica on X