“New World screwworm was found in Arizona for the first time, detected in a dog, as cases of the deadly parasite accelerate. The US Department of Agriculture confirmed the infection late Wednesday in a dog in Cochise County, Arizona. The spread of the parasitic fly, whose larvae burrow into the wounds of animals, had remained relatively contained since the pest was first detected in the US in June. Most of the early cases were limited to Texas. However, the pace of infections has increased this month, particularly in New Mexico.” (10/29/26)
“The words ‘associate membership’ were removed from a joint statement expected to be released at this week’s Canada-EU summit, according to a draft seen by CBC News. But while the statement is now expected to use softer language promising closer ties between the 27-member bloc and Canada, the head of the European Union’s executive body continued to use the term in a social media post as she landed in Montreal on Wednesday. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen surprised many last month when she announced the EU would begin the process of making Canada its first associate member — a status that does not exist within the bloc — raising concerns among some members and Canadian politicians about what that would look like.” (10/28/26)
“Parts of a large volcanic rock formation crashed down in Turkey’s popular tourism destination of Cappadocia on Thursday, killing at least three people and injuring five others, officials said. A section of the rock formation — known as a fairy chimney — tumbled in Cappadocia’s Goreme region, prompting authorities to deploy medical and rescue teams. Gov. Huseyin Kok said recent heavy rains likely caused the collapse, which occurred near a parking lot at an entrance to the site. He said rescue teams were continuing to search for other people who may be trapped under the debris. ‘We hope that there are no other casualties,’ the governor said. ‘We are deeply saddened.’ Kok said two of the three dead were Turkish nationals. He did not provide information on the third victim.” (10/29/26)
“The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said Wednesday it is ordering Delta Air Lines, Walmart and other companies to provide detailed information on how they use consumers’ data when they’re setting prices. The commission said it is also studying how ride-sharing and delivery companies like Uber use their independent drivers’ personal data when setting compensation rates. … Orders were also issued to United, JetBlue, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart and Target, the FTC said. Each company must share information that will allow the commission to assess whether pricing for tickets, rides, food delivery or other products and services varies from one person to the next based on factors such as participation in loyalty programs or analysis of personal data, the agency said.” (10/28/26)
“Mexican naval forces killed cartel operator Jesús González Peñuelas, known as ‘El Chuy,’ during an air and ground operation that began Monday in Guasave, Sinaloa, authorities said Wednesday. The suspected drug trafficker was a high-priority target for the U.S. government, which had offered a reward of up to $5 million for his capture. Mexican Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch confirmed the death in a post on X, saying the confrontation began near the Alfredo V. Bonfil neighborhood in Guasave when naval personnel came under fire from members of a criminal organization and returned fire.” (10/28/26)
“The UN General Assembly condemned the US economic embargo of Cuba for the 34th year on Wednesday, even as Washington’s campaign to influence the outcome led to a number of countries voting against the resolution or sitting out the decision for the first time. The vote was 130-17, with 25 abstentions – a notable decrease in support from last year, when more than 160 nations supported the measure and only 12 abstained. While such resolutions at the UN General Assembly are not legally binding, they do reflect world opinion. For the first time in 34 years, Western countries like Germany, Italy and Latvia were among those that refrained from voting. Bosnia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Lithuania, Morocco, North Macedonia, Paraguay and Slovenia are among those member states that voted no – most for the first time.” (10/28/26)
“A Romanian court has extended the pre-trial detention of far-right politician Calin Georgescu by 30 days, in an investigation into an alleged 1.1 million euros ($1.2m) fraud case. The decision by the Bucharest Court of Appeal overturned an October 13 ruling by a lower court that ordered the pro-Russian former frontrunner in Romania’s cancelled 2024 presidential election to be moved from police custody to house arrest for 30 days pending the fraud probe. Prosecutors said Georgescu and two other suspects persuaded a Romanian businessman to give them 1.1 million euros by making him believe they could help him secure a credit line of up to 15 million euros ($16.7m) from a foreign financial institution. Georgescu denied any wrongdoing and claimed the investigations were ‘politically motivated’.” (10/28/26)
I can say that with reasonable certainty because, sadly, cute little puppies die every day whether you donate to our annual fundraiser or not.
Donating to our annual fundraiser won’t save any of those cute little puppies (at least not directly), but you should do it anyway because you value our work and want to support it.
Nobody donated yesterday, so our total remains (as of 5am today) at $1,058 … and lots of cute little puppies are no longer with us. Coincidence? I think not.
Once we’ve raised $2,751.50, we have a “matching funds” pledge from supporter GL for the second half of our $5,503 goal.
Won’t someone PLEASE think of the poor, cute little puppies?
Note: My wife, Tamara, has (thankfully minor) surgery scheduled for today. Between time at the hospital and waiting on her hand and foot while she rests/recovers, I’ll be more pressed for time than usual, so I expect tomorrow’s edition to be a “web-only” affair.
If the puppy trick didn’t work on you, how about “my wife needs an operation?”
PLEASE SUPPORT THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT’S DAILY NEWSPAPER!
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party on Wednesday said that voter fraud perpetrated by Arab citizens prevented him from winning a clear victory in the country’s election. In a statement from Likud reposted on social media by Netanyahu, the right-wing party railed against early results from Tuesday night’s elections, claiming ‘evidence of election theft in many Arab polling stations’ and urging law enforcement agencies to ‘act harshly and swiftly.’ Those accusations have not been verified, nor did Likud provide any evidence to support its claims. According to local media, Israeli police have said there is no evidence to suggest Arab parties meddled in the election. Results of Tuesday night’s election are not yet clear.” (10/28/26)
“The identities of over 41,000 officials from the Department of Homeland Security have allegedly been exposed in a massive data breach by a hacktivist group calling itself the Department of Peace. Late Wednesday stateside, the database was posted on Distributed Denial of Secrets, a nonprofit dedicated to news leaks, with claims that it was obtained from an Okta single sign-on service used by the DHS. It appears to reveal employee names, offices, contact information and assignments, and is searchable. … The searchable database appears to include employees from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Customs and Border Protection and the DHS headquarters.” (10/29/26)
