“New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced viral backlash on Friday after posting instructions in Spanish on how residents should handle interactions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). … Mamdani explained ‘what every New Yorker should know’ if they ‘encounter ICE’, adding that ICE ‘cannot enter private spaces like your home, school, hospitals or private areas of a workplace without a judicial warrant signed by a judge.’ Mamdani reminded New Yorkers they have the right to remain silent and gives tips on best practices for interacting with ICE, saying that ‘these are very frightening times for many people’. Mamdani’s post was quickly criticized by conservatives on social media, with many characterizing the video as the mayor encouraging obstruction of federal law enforcement and encouraging illegal immigration.” (10/26/26)
“A federal judge ruled Monday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) unlawfully fired and must provide back pay to Maurene Comey, former FBI Director James Comey’s daughter who was terminated as a prosecutor last year. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman rejected the Trump administration’s arguments that it had constitutional authority to fire her. ‘Defendants’ argument is contrary to an unbroken line of Supreme Court decisions dating back almost two centuries, and the Supreme Court itself has not formally overruled any of those decisions. That is sufficient, in itself, to reject the argument,’ Furman wrote in his 55-page opinion. Maurene Comey has since taken another job and won’t be returning to the DOJ. But the judge’s ruling retroactively reinstates her, provides her with back pay and restores pension benefits for the four-month period before she took that new role.” (10/26/26)
“Walter Koenig, who originated the role of Ensign Pavel Chekov in the 1960s Star Trek TV series and several subsequent movies about the adventures of the USS Enterprise, has died, according to his rep. He was 90. Zachery McGinnis of Galactic Productions posted Monday on Facebook that Koenig died of natural causes in North Hollywood but did not provide other details. George Takei, who played Sulu on the original Star Trek, also posted on Koenig’s death.” (10/26/26)
“A United Airlines flight heading to New Jersey returned to Las Vegas following an apparent hijacking threat Saturday. United Flight 1681 was carrying 150 passengers and six crew members from Harry Reid International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport on Oct. 24 when a flight attendant noticed a traveler sending messages with reference to taking control of the plane. The crew member did not engage with the passenger and quickly alerted the pilot. ‘The flight attendant saw him texting that he was going to hijack the aircraft. They called me. We went into lockdown, and we returned to Vegas,’ the flight’s pilot told an air traffic controller shortly after the plane took off, reported CBS News. When the controller inquired whether the passenger was cooperative or under restraint, the pilot said that the traveler showed ‘no restraint’ because ‘he’s unaware’.” (10/26/26)
“The Communist Party has started a key four-day conclave focused on party discipline and fighting corruption, as official media outlets say adherence to the party’s leadership under President Xi Jinping is key to the country’s success. The meeting – the fifth plenum of the Communist Party’s 20th Central Committee – began in Beijing on Monday, according to state news agency Xinhua. It said the main agenda for the plenum included a work report by the Politburo to the Central Committee and the adoption of a document aimed at ‘deepening party self-governance’.” (10/26/26)
“Mary Peltola, Alaska’s Democratic Senate candidate, has paused campaigning ahead of the US midterm elections after sustaining ‘minor injuries’ in a car crash. Peltola, 53, and her family were travelling to an event on Saturday when the vehicle they were in was hit by another driver, her campaign said in a statement. She is running in one of the most closely watched races in the elections, which take place on 3 November – one that could help decide the balance of power in government. Peltola has rescheduled campaign events ‘as she takes time to recover’ on the advice of medical professionals, her campaign manager, Cheryl Bruce, said in a statement. ‘Mary and her family sustained minor injuries but are in good spirits,’ Bruce said.” (10/26/26)
“The owners [sic] of Elvis Presley’s music have sued Anthropic, alleging it used his copyrighted lyrics without permission to train its AI models and generating infringing versions of his songs. In a lawsuit filed Friday, Authentic Brands Group, the licensing platform that controls Presley’s intellectual property [sic] — along with other companies, trusts and individuals who own rights [sic] to his music — accused Anthropic of infringing copyrights to 274 songs without any license or payment. … The lawsuit by Presley’s rights [sic] holders comes amid a larger wave of lawsuits against Anthropic and other AI companies accused of using copyrighted musical works without consent or compensation.” (10/25/26)
“Pope Leo XIV will proceed with his planned Nov. 6-17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, after doctors determined there are no medical reasons preventing him from traveling three weeks after lung cancer surgery, the Vatican confirmed Monday. The Vatican press office said the pope’s recovery continues to progress in line with favorable assessments from his medical team. It also confirmed the pope is keeping the already ambitious trip program with no announced changes. Surgeons on Oct. 13 removed a lobe where the nodule later diagnosed as malignant was located, in the first major health event of Leo’s 17-month pontificate. The surgery confirmed he had adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. Since returning to the Vatican, Leo has gradually resumed his activities while adjusting his schedule to prioritize recovery and periods of rest, the statement said.” (10/26/26)
“Rep. Ilhan Omar [sic] [D-MN] is set to share the stage with far-left streamer Hasan Piker on Monday night despite mounting opposition from fellow Minnesota Democrats, some of whom have publicly urged the congresswoman to cancel the appearance just eight days before the midterm elections. Rep. Angie Craig [D-MN] has called Piker’s rhetoric ‘polarizing and dangerous’ and said embracing him is ‘a mistake’, while Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s gubernatorial campaign called a number of his past statements ‘reckless and unacceptable’. Other Democratic officials and party groups have gone further, calling on Omar and state Sen. Omar Fateh, who is hosting the sold-out Minneapolis event, to cancel the appearance. The controversy is exposing a divide among Minnesota Democrats in the closing stretch of the midterms over whether Piker’s enormous following among younger progressives outweighs the political liability of his past rhetoric.” (10/26/26)
“Rahul Gandhi, the leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, was acquitted in a defamation case by a local court on Monday, TV channels said. The acquittal comes at a time when Gandhi is leading a united opposition campaign against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chief Election Commissioner over a controversial revision of voter lists. … Gandhi was accused of calling India’s powerful Home Minister Amit Shah, who was then head of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a ‘murder accused’, during a state election campaign speech in 2018.” (10/26/26)
