“A former Democratic Oregon county commissioner facing several felony charges may have fled the United States, according to authorities. Former Clackamas County Commissioner Melissa Fireside in March 2025 allegedly stole $30,000 from her mother’s boyfriend, who is currently living in an assisted living facility, according to KPTV. Prosecutors said that during one visit to the assisted living facility, Fireside got access to the bank account belonging to her mother’s boyfriend, then called the bank and guided him on resetting his online information. Fireside then allegedly used the account to take out $29,000, which went to repay a loan given to her by a state representative. Prosecutors also said Fireside withdrew $1,000 which was put into her account. Authorities began investigating after the man’s daughter reported suspicious activity to his credit union.” (11/04/25)
“The French government threatened to ban Chinese retailer Shein for selling a ‘childlike’ sex doll online. France’s consumer fraud agency got an anonymous tip about the dolls on the site. It said their ‘description and categorization on the site leave little doubt as to the child pornography nature of the content,’ said a press release issued Saturday by the French Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control.” (11/03/25)
“Bitcoin extended losses on Tuesday, tumbling below $105,000, as one of the largest liquidation waves in weeks swept through crypto markets and investors grew wary over the U.S. Federal Reserve’s rate outlook. The world’s largest cryptocurrency last traded 2.4% lower at $104,956.8 by 01:02 ET (06:02 GMT). Bitcoin declined nearly 4% in the previous session, reaching its lowest level since mid-October.” (11/04/25)
“A Ukrainian drone attack damaged the Sterlitamak petrochemical plant deep inside Russia, causing a partial collapse of a water-treatment facility but no injuries, regional authorities said on Tuesday.
The plant in the Bashkortostan region, some 1,500 km (932 miles) from the Ukrainian border in the Urals Mountains, was operating without interruption, the head of the Bashkortostan region, Radiy Khabirov, said on the Telegram messaging app. … Kyiv has stepped up long-range drone and missile strikes inside Russia, hitting oil refineries, depots and logistics hubs it says feed the Kremlin’s war machine.” (11/04/25)
“The federal food stamp program will pay out partial benefits to millions of Americans despite running out of regular funding at the start of this month due to the ongoing government shutdown, the Trump administration confirmed in court documents Monday. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will receive about 50% of its normal benefit level throughout November, using a contingency fund set aside for natural disasters and other emergencies. The announcement by the White House follows a pair of Friday rulings by federal judges in Boston and Providence, RI rejecting the US Department of Agriculture’s plan to stop paying out benefits Nov. 1.” (11/03/25)
“The former top lawyer in the Israeli military has been arrested, as a political showdown deepens over the leaking of a video that allegedly shows severe abuse of a Palestinian detainee by Israeli soldiers. Maj Gen Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned as the Military Advocate General of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) last week, saying that she took full responsibility for the leak. … Broadcast in August 2024 on an Israeli news channel, the footage shows reserve soldiers at the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel taking aside a detainee, then surrounding him with riot shields to block visibility while he was allegedly beaten and stabbed in the rectum with a sharp object. The detainee was subsequently treated for severe injuries. Five reservists were subsequently charged with aggravated abuse and causing serious bodily harm to the detainee. They have denied the charges and have not been named.” (11/03/25)
“A US judge extended a temporary block on President Donald Trump’s planned deployment of National Guard members to Portland, Oregon, while she weighs a final verdict in a court fight over the legality of sending troops into the city. US District Judge Karin Immergut, who oversaw a three-day trial in Portland last week, issued a preliminary injunction late Sunday barring deployment until at least Nov. 5. She’d originally planned to issue her verdict Sunday, but said she needed more time to decide the merits of a lawsuit filed by Portland and the state of Oregon. … Immergut said the evidence so far indicates the Trump administration likely violated federal law and the US Constitution by attempting to deploy National Guard troops without a valid cause.” (11/03/25)
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“Romania’s National Office for Gambling (ONJN) has officially blacklisted leading blockchain-based prediction market Polymarket, citing its operation as an unlicensed gambling platform outside state oversight. The regulator’s action follows a significant spike in cryptocurrency-based wagering during the local and presidential elections in Romania, when Polymarket’s trading volume topped $600 million (roughly Rs. 53,200 crore). Authorities stated that, despite the platform’s use of blockchain technology, its structure and activities fall under the country’s gambling laws.” (11/03/25)
“Justin Baldoni’s $400 million defamation countersuit against Blake Lively has been formally ended by a judge after he failed to file an amended complaint before the deadline. On Friday, Oct. 31, U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman signed a new order, stating that Baldoni, 41, and his Wayfarer Studios co-plaintiffs had let the deadline lapse after the court dismissed their case back in June. … According to a document reviewed by PEOPLE, Lively, 38, was the only one to respond, asking the judge to declare the final judgment, but for her request for legal fees to remain active, which the judge agreed to. … Baldoni’s setback is the latest twist in the It Ends with Us legal saga, which began in December when Lively sued him for misconduct on the set and a retaliatory smear campaign, claims which he has denied. Lively’s original lawsuit is ongoing.” (11/03/25)
