“The International Criminal Court has won this year’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, awarded by the European Parliament, according to two people with knowledge of the decision. The €50,000 prize honors defenders of human rights and freedom of thought, with past winners including Nelson Mandela, Alexei Navalny, Belarusian journalists, and the people of Ukraine. The Socialists and Democrats group nominated the ICC following U.S. President Donald Trump’s sanctions on the court, announced on Oct. 9.” (10/22/26)
“A 54-year-old teacher who survived a mass shooting at an Oregon elementary school said she pretended to be dead so the gunman would not shoot her again. Becky Drury, a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School, said in a statement shared with US media that as she tried to shut her classroom door, the gunman shot her and she fell to the floor. ‘I did the only thing I could do, which was to pretend to be dead in the hope he would not shoot me again,’ Drury said. The attacker – who has been identified as a 16-year-old former student at the school – killed three students and a teacher before a parent from the school fatally shot him. In her first remarks since the 15 October shooting in Bend, Oregon, Drury said that she went to see what was happening outside the special-education classroom, and after spotting the shooter, she tried to shut the door.” (10/22/26)
“Authorities have arrested the mayor of Kissimmee, Fla., on allegations that she abused her office and stole tens of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds intended to help local businesses recover from the pandemic. Eva Jacquelyn Espinosa was arrested Wednesday on one count each of grand theft and organized scheme to defraud, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced in a press conference. … The charges stem from the City of Kissimmee’s Business Boost 2.0 Grant Program, a federally funded program launched in September 2025 to aid small businesses in overcoming lingering economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.” (10/22/26)
“Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) is facing an ethics complaint filed to the United States Senate over comments she made earlier this month that many characterized as a ‘threat’ to conservatives who are thinking about working for the Trump administration. During an Oct. 13 University of Chicago event, Slotkin drew criticism after a clip went viral showing her saying she wants to pursue ‘signature cases’ against people who ‘enabled’ President Donald Trump and push a ‘deterrence message’ for young people. ‘I want young people coming out of school to say, ‘Should I go work for the Trump administration?’ … Slotkin is now facing an ethics complaint filed Thursday by Michael Bicksel, a University of Chicago student who first reported her remarks.” (10/22/26)
“Top Trump administration officials are starting to point fingers squarely at Elon Musk for the decision to slow down his company’s Starlink satellite internet services and its military counterpart Starshield for Ukraine. Looking to deflect the controversial move — which was swiftly admonished by powerful congressional Republicans and Democrats — Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday said Ukraine’s access to Starlink was up to Musk and not the White House. ‘The bottom line is that that is governed by a private commercial contract as to how their stuff can be used and what speeds they’ll allow it to be used at,’ Rubio told reporters while traveling to India. And Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, suggested Starlink’s slowdown was a commercial matter and not a result of any orders from the White House.” (10/22/260
“Irish lawmakers voted Wednesday in favour of controversial legislation to scrap a mechanism preventing the overseas deployment of Irish military peacekeepers without a green light from the United Nations. The Dail, Ireland’s lower house of parliament, approved the bill by 79 votes to 71, despite opposition warnings that the move threatens the country’s longstanding military neutrality. Ireland is not a NATO member, but its small defence force of just over 8,000 personnel has traditionally engaged in international peacekeeping operations. … The government argues that Ireland should be able to respond to crises without waiting for approval from the UN Security Council.” (10/22/260
“In a win for Republicans, the Supreme Court said Thursday that student IDs cannot be used in New Hampshire for the midterm elections. The justices granted an emergency request filed by the state, which had the backing of the Republican National Committee. The ballot in New Hampshire includes a closely watched Senate race that could play a key role in deciding control of the chamber. Republican former Sen. John E. Sununu is pitted against Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas for the seat held by retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. The brief court order said a federal judge should not have ordered a change in voting rules so close to the Nov. 3 election, citing existing precedent on that point.” (10/22/26)
“A foreign national has been beaten to death by a crowd of about 50 people in Durban, South Africa, police say. According to police, the unidentified man, believed to be in his late 30s or early 40s, was first approached by two men by the roadside before being assaulted by a larger group. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have launched an investigation into the murder, with the motive yet to be established. The killing follows a wave of protests against immigrants in South Africa this year, some of which have turned violent. Earlier this month, shops and cars were set on fire in Durban, as well as Soweto, near Johannesburg. Provincial police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda told the BBC they cannot speculate on the motive for the killing in Durban and that more information would be shared once verified.” (10/22/26)
“Millions of Americans are expected to receive a settlement check from Amazon credited to ‘President Trump’s Federal Trade Commission’ in an unprecedented move coming weeks before the midterm elections. The checks, part of a $2.5 billion settlement Amazon agreed to in 2025 for allegedly deceiving customers into signing up for Prime subscriptions, mark the first time an FTC refund has attributed the payments to a specific president, two former FTC officials told POLITICO. A notice with the checks in question uses the phrase ‘President Trump’s Federal Trade Commission’ three times. … A review of refund checks distributed by the FTC during the current Trump and previous Biden administrations shows the Amazon payouts are the only ones in which a president is credited. That includes settlements with companies including Epic Games, Grubhub, Credit Karma and Walmart.” (10/21/26)
“Virginia state Senator Lillie Louise Lucas was indicted Thursday on five charges that include drug trafficking, money laundering, fraud and firearms charges after being accused of running a marijuana distribution enterprise, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Lucas is among seven indicted in the sprawling racketeering scheme, a group that includes her two daughters, Lisa Lucas-Burke and Theresa Lucas-Lamb, and her grandson Ryan Eichelberger, Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a Thursday press conference. ‘Louise Lucas has served in a position of public trust in the Commonwealth of Virginia for over three decades,’ Blanche said in a DOJ statement. ‘The charges alleged in this indictment reveal the behavior of a public servant who put her own financial interests before the people she was elected to serve.'” (10/22/26)
