Sunday, November 1, 2026

Alaska's Republican-led state government asked a federal judge Saturday to dismiss a Justice Department lawsuit that seeks to stop certification of the U.S. Senate race if Democrat Mary Peltola beats Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. The suit was filed at President Trump's direction, and control of the Senate could turn on the race. The state's lawyers called the case "meritless" and said a DOJ request to separate every ballot that ranks a second candidate — retired Petersburg teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. — was "both disturbing and impossible," because ballots are mixed together in the box and pulling them out would break ballot secrecy. The state noted it already keeps ballots for 22 months.

DOJ says voters may be confused by two Dan Sullivans on the ballot, citing the National Voter Registration Act and a duty to protect election "integrity." On Friday it asked for an injunction to preserve and separate the ballots, plus fast-tracked evidence from the Peltola campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and wanted a ruling by Monday. Alaska answers that the ballot lists the senator as the Republican incumbent and the other man as "Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.," and that state courts ruled he met every requirement to run. AP and CBS report a published account that people tied to Peltola's campaign helped recruit the second Sullivan; Peltola denies involvement. Gov. Mike Dunleavy has ordered a state investigation, and DOJ has subpoenaed Democratic officials. U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman said Saturday that federal agents had surged into the state but did not say what crimes are under investigation. Peltola's campaign, voting-rights groups and the ACLU also asked the court to dismiss the case.

Where it stands: U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason set a Saturday deadline for dismissal arguments without a hearing. She has not ruled.

Also on Alaska's ballot Tuesday is Ballot Measure 2. A "yes" vote repeals the open top-four primary and ranked-choice general election voters approved in 2020; a "no" vote keeps it. A similar repeal failed in 2024 by 737 votes out of about 321,000. Trump and Dunleavy back repeal and blame the current system for letting the second Sullivan run. The repeal side had raised about $2.6 million, mostly from Elon Musk; the "no" side more than $10 million as of early October, mostly from outside Alaska.

Sources checked: PBS NewsHour/AP (Oct 31, 6:22 p.m. ET, link), WRAL/AP (Oct 31, 4:33 p.m. ET, link), CBS News (Oct 31, 5:56 p.m. ET, link), Alaska Public Media (Oct 29, 9:02 p.m. ET, link), Alaska Beacon (Jul 29, link)

President Trump holds rallies in Iowa and then Kansas today, two days before Tuesday's midterms, to drive Republican turnout in two Senate races that help decide whether the GOP keeps its majority. In Kansas, Sen. Roger Marshall faces Democrat Adam Hamilton, a Methodist pastor; in Iowa, Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson is running for Senate. Earlier in the week the RNC said both rallies were off in favor of phone "telerallies"; Trump then reinstated them. Asked whether fatigue or health was a factor, he said "I feel perfect."

Republicans hold narrow majorities in both chambers. Polling leans Democratic: Democrats led the RealClearPolling generic-ballot average 51.4% to 43.2% as of Friday, and CBS News rates Senate races in Alaska, Maine, Michigan, Ohio and Texas as toss-ups, with Iowa and Kansas leaning Republican. Speaker Mike Johnson says Republicans will defy history; House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries says Democrats will retake the House.

Early voting has passed the 2022 midterm total of 45.9 million. Scripps News, citing the University of Florida Election Lab, reported Saturday afternoon that more than 51.3 million ballots had been cast; in states reporting party registration, 43% of early voters are Democrats and 32% Republicans.

Cost of living is driving the race. By AAA data, regular gasoline has averaged about $3.47 a gallon in both Trump's second term and Biden's term, with Trump's now higher by a fraction of a cent. Diesel has averaged $4.34 under Trump versus $4.08 under Biden and hit a record $6.52 on Sept. 22. Analysts blame the war with Iran around the Strait of Hormuz and Russia's war in Ukraine; the White House says prices will drop sharply once the Iran conflict ends.

Sources checked: Fox News live (Nov 1, 6:09 a.m. ET, link), CBS News live (Nov 1, 12:07 a.m. ET, link), Scripps News (Oct 31, 3:23 p.m. ET, link), Al Jazeera (Oct 31, link), Spectrum News/AP (Oct 30, 11:17 a.m. ET, link), Reuters via KSL (Oct 26, link), Seeking Alpha (date not listed, link)

The District of Columbia and Virginia filed a joint federal lawsuit Saturday seeking a temporary restraining order against President Trump's proposed "Triumphal Arch," a roughly 250-foot structure planned for Memorial Circle at the Virginia end of Memorial Bridge. Timing drives the case: the National Capital Planning Commission takes a final vote Thursday, Nov. 5, and the administration has said construction could start that day if approved.

D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb and Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones argue Congress never authorized the project, that it breaks D.C. height limits, and that required reviews were skipped. They say roughly three years of construction would snarl traffic, send polluted runoff into the Potomac and slow emergency services. D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, a planning commission member, filed a declaration backing the skipped-review claim.

The White House did not immediately comment. Administration officials have said the arch serves a national-security function — Trump has described it as a drone port and ammunition store, and the defense and homeland security secretaries filed sworn declarations to that effect in an earlier case — but the Interior Department's latest filings did not include plans for a military complex. Who is paying for it: the sources do not say.

This is the third suit against the arch. Judge Tanya Chutkan heard a case brought by Vietnam veterans and an architectural historian Friday and promised a quick ruling; Arlington County has a separate case in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Sources checked: ABC News (Oct 31, 6:10 p.m. ET, link), ARLnow (Oct 31, 1:33 p.m. ET, link), FOX 5 DC (Oct 31, 10:51 a.m. ET, link)

Youth-led demonstrations over living costs and compulsory military service in more than 30 German cities turned violent Saturday night. The worst was in Frankfurt, where hooded rioters smashed windows, looted shops and threw petrol bombs at emergency crews. The campaign group "Gen Z regelt" ("Gen Z Takes Charge") organized the day; it is the most serious unrest the movement has produced.

Hesse Interior Minister Roman Poseck said 17 Frankfurt businesses were damaged and five looted, including a gun shop. Police arrested 54 people aged 13 to 29; about 100 officers were hurt, at least one seriously. Police used water cannon, and there were clashes in Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg. Turnout is disputed: organizers claim 100,000–120,000 nationwide; police counted up to 18,000 in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin.

Why it turned violent is contested. Poseck said about 100 identified left-wing extremists infiltrated the Frankfurt march. He and federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt also blamed young people from migrant backgrounds, though Reuters reported Poseck said most of those arrested were German nationals, and neither has offered evidence for the migrant claim. Organizers reject violence and want more money for schools and health care, lower living costs and an end to compulsory service.

Next: the national school-student group BSK has distanced itself and plans a separate protest Nov. 20.

Sources checked: Reuters via Arab News (Oct 31, 6:12 p.m. ET, link), AFP via Kuwait Times (Oct 31, 11:58 p.m. ET, link), dpa via Daily Sabah (Nov 1, 4:50 a.m. ET, link), dpa via Yahoo News (Nov 1, 8:03 a.m. ET, link), Reuters via Internazionale (Nov 1, 8:25 a.m. ET, link)

Israel's two Arab-led parties, the Joint List and Ra'am, are expected to recommend opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot for prime minister when President Isaac Herzog consults the parties. With their 19 seats, Eisenkot could out-poll Benjamin Netanyahu in recommendations and take the first shot at forming a government after the Oct. 27 election left neither bloc with a majority.

Results: Netanyahu's bloc won 53 of 120 seats (Likud 27). The Jewish opposition parties won 48 (Eisenkot's Yashar 21, B'Yachad 12, the Democrats 8, Yisrael Beytenu 7); the Joint List 11 and Ra'am 8. A government needs 61. Ynet projects about 60 recommendations for Eisenkot without Avigdor Liberman's party, 67 with it, and about 46 for Netanyahu. United Torah Judaism is withholding its recommendation pending a yeshiva-student draft exemption law.

The Joint List says it will support an anti-Netanyahu government from outside but not join it; Yashar, B'Yachad and Yisrael Beytenu have ruled out coalition with Arab parties. Netanyahu and Likud allege Qatar secretly funded Arab turnout efforts, which Joint List leaders call slander. Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister.

Next: consultations are expected to start Wednesday, Nov. 4, when certified results are due. The Knesset is sworn in Nov. 10, and Herzog must name a candidate by Nov. 11 — he is not bound by the count and has urged "creative solutions," including a unity government. The nominee gets 28 days, extendable by 14; failure means another election.

Sources checked: Times of Israel (Oct 31, ~6:51 p.m. ET, link), Ynet (Nov 1, 2:52 a.m. ET, link), Jerusalem Post (Nov 1, 4:37 a.m. ET, link), Hurriyet Daily News (Nov 1, 5:55 a.m. ET, link), Al Jazeera (Nov 1, 9:16 a.m. ET, link)

Congo's Ebola outbreak has killed more than 5,000 people, making it the second-deadliest on record after West Africa's 2014–16 epidemic (about 11,000 deaths). There is no approved vaccine or treatment for the strain driving it, and cases have reached other African countries.

Congo's Health Ministry figures released Saturday show 10,351 infections and 5,026 deaths, AP reported — nearly half of known cases fatal. The WHO's last formal update (as of Oct. 20) counted 9,704 confirmed cases and 4,687 deaths. Declared in mid-May and caused by the Bundibugyo virus, the outbreak covers 66–67 health zones in eight of Congo's 26 provinces, centered on Ituri and North Kivu. Kenya has reported eight or nine cases, Nigeria one imported case, and Uganda had cases in May and June.

Why it's spreading: Africa CDC says about 80% of new cases come from outside known contact chains, and many victims die at home untested. Fighting in eastern Congo blocks health workers, mistrust has led to attacks on responders (a nurse was killed last week), and unpaid workers have walked out, closing some treatment centers.

WHO declared the outbreak an international public health emergency on May 17.

Sources checked: WHO Disease Outbreak News (Oct 23, link), CIDRAP (~Oct 28, link), AP via PBS NewsHour (Oct 31, 11:25 a.m. ET, link), IBTimes Australia (Nov 1, 8:45 a.m. ET, link)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Russia and Ukraine on Saturday that attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea are unacceptable "under any circumstances," speaking in Istanbul alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Turkey controls the straits into the sea and has ties to both sides; repeated strikes on merchant ships threaten shipping and grain exports.

Erdogan said Ankara has sent both sides a proposal to halt strikes on civilian vessels and neither has acted on it yet. Zelensky blamed Russia for the danger at sea. The leaders also discussed Ukraine's grain corridors. No agreement was announced.

Zelensky said Ukraine is preparing for three-way talks with the U.S. and Russia "in the first half of November," with Turkey discussed as a host. The Kremlin says the round will be in the UAE, and aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow would be ready after its Nov. 4 holiday. The meeting followed an Oct. 28 call in which Erdogan offered President Trump help reviving talks.

Sources checked: AFP via Arab News (Oct 31, 12:34 p.m. ET, link), Turkish Minute (Oct 31, link), AFP via Malay Mail (Nov 1, 12:36 a.m. ET, link), Kyiv Post (Nov 1, ~1:37 a.m. ET, link)

King Charles III will speak about the transatlantic slave trade Tuesday, Nov. 3, when he opens the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda. Buckingham Palace says he will speak with "unflinching honesty" and "sincere sorrow." The speech follows Prime Minister Andy Burnham's statement that Britain is open to a formal state apology — a shift from past governments. Britain has never formally apologized or paid reparations.

Burnham offered a "structured dialogue" with affected communities but ruled out financial reparations, proposing instead easier debt terms for vulnerable countries. Antigua's Prime Minister Gaston Browne welcomed the move but said the Caribbean's reparations position is unchanged; regional leaders are expected to press the issue at the summit. LBC reported Sunday morning that Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch opposes any apology, calling it a lever for cash demands.

The Palace says an apology on the nation's behalf is the government's call, not the King's, and that his speech was not changed after Burnham spoke. The King arrived in Antigua Oct. 30, the last stop of a nine-day tour that included the Bahamas and Guyana.

Sources checked: Reuters via Jerusalem Post (Oct 31, ~10:53 a.m. ET, link), BBC via Yahoo News (Oct 31, 7:32 p.m. ET, link), Hello! via Yahoo News (Nov 1, 5:00 a.m. ET, link), LBC (Nov 1, 6:35 a.m. ET, link)

Thousands of opposition supporters rallied Sunday at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders, demanding that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign. They accuse him of using a nationwide voter-roll revision to strike eligible voters, hitting Muslims and other minorities less likely to back Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP hardest.

More than 130 million names have been removed since last year under the Special Intensive Revision. Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav also attended; on Saturday 21 opposition parties held a mock parliament that "impeached" Kumar. Human Rights Watch has called for the revision to be scrapped.

The Election Commission denies favoring any party and says the revision removes duplicate, dead and ineligible voters, who can re-register if wrongly removed. BJP president JP Nadda called the rally orchestrated drama. About 10,000 police and paramilitary were deployed. The opposition announced no next step; the next general election is due in 2029.

Sources checked: Gulf News (Nov 1, 4:53 a.m. ET, link), ThePrint (Nov 1, 5:59 a.m. ET, link), Al Jazeera (Nov 1, ~9:46 a.m. ET, link)

Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange, began restoring customer withdrawals in phases Sunday after freezing them when hackers took about $6.3 billion on or about Oct. 29 — the largest crypto theft on record. Bitcoin and Ether came first; as of 5 a.m. ET, CBS News also listed BNB, XRP, Doge and the Base and Optimism networks. Binance says more will reopen as security checks finish.

On Saturday the FBI attributed the theft to a North Korean state hacking group it calls TraderTraitor, the same group it blamed for the $1.5 billion Bybit theft in February 2025. The FBI says the hackers are converting assets to Ether for laundering and asked companies to block their addresses. Binance first pointed to a compromised employee laptop; a later review found additional breach points.

Binance says customers will not bear the loss. Reports differ on coverage so far: CBS News said Binance would cover 90% from company funds; Al Jazeera, reporting later Sunday, said about 95% of affected assets had been replaced. Binance plans a detailed report when its investigation ends.

Sources checked: CBS News/AFP via Yahoo Finance (Nov 1, 5:35 a.m. ET, link), Al Jazeera (Nov 1, ~7:50 a.m. ET, link), CBS News/AP (Oct 31, 7:20 p.m. ET, link)

Seven core OPEC+ producers — Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria, Kazakhstan and Oman — left December production targets unchanged at an online meeting Sunday, the third straight month with no change. Their combined target is about 31 million barrels a day.

The targets matter less than usual: the Iran war has cut Gulf exports for months, most Gulf members are pumping well below quota, and Strait of Hormuz flows have not recovered. Brent settled near $118 Friday, its highest since April. The UAE quit OPEC in May.

Next: on Nov. 29 all members are expected to set 2027 quotas, pending a capacity review due mid-November. The IEA and others warn of a 2027 glut if Gulf flows normalize. About 2 million barrels a day of older cuts stay in place through year-end.

Sources checked: Reuters via Daily Sabah (Nov 1, 9:27 a.m. ET, link), Reuters via Ada Derana (Nov 1, 8:54 a.m. ET, link), The National (Nov 1, 7:42 a.m. ET, link), Reuters via Gulf Insider (Nov 1, 5:16 a.m. ET, link)

The MV Odyssey, a U.S.-flagged ship whose passengers bought or rented cabins to live aboard on a multiyear world voyage, has suspended operations in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, and put its residents off. Florida-based operator Villa Vie Residences blamed fuel: monthly fuel cost per cabin rose from about $1,800 to $6,000–$8,000 in parts of Asia as the Iran war choked the Strait of Hormuz.

Cambodian officials counted 203 passengers, mostly Americans, and 156 crew. Residents said they got about seven hours' notice and had to find their own lodging. Cabins were marketed for lifetime residence; one resident told AP she paid $120,000, and NBC News reported one buyer paid $469,000.

Villa Vie says it will spend 60 days on restructuring and recapitalization with no guaranteed outcome. No bankruptcy filing or refund plan has been reported.

Sources checked: NPR/AP via KUOW (Oct 29, 2:12 a.m. ET, link), Al Jazeera (Oct 28, ~3:13 p.m. ET, link), NBC News via NBC New York (Oct 28, 2:24 p.m. ET, link)

A newly disclosed flaw, CVE-2026-58882, lets an attacker who knows your number crash an Android phone's cellular service with a single malformed "WAP Push" text that never appears in the inbox. It crashes the core phone process, cutting service and dropping calls — including emergency calls. Researcher Mark Blaszczyk reported it in May and published details Oct. 29.

Because carriers keep resending the undelivered message and Android retries it on every boot, about 20 such messages can leave a phone stuck in a reboot loop. Crashes were reproduced on Android 12 through 16, including Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones. Google's fix is in the October 2026 security patch for Android 14 and later only.

What to do: Settings > Security & privacy — if your security update is October 2026 or later, you're covered; if an update is waiting, install it. If your phone is on Android 13 or older and no longer gets updates, plan to replace it.

Sources checked: ShiftDelete.Net (Oct 30, 10:03 a.m. ET, link), GSMArena (Oct 30, link), Cybernews (time not listed, link)

Gabriel Ocana-Santero, CEO of Exin Therapeutics, says an AI agent running Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 5 planned and carried out a gene-therapy injection into the brain of a live epileptic mouse. Per his X thread, the agent was given 19 candidate therapies and one goal — reduce seizures — chose the therapy and target, calculated coordinates from published papers, and drove a motorized surgical rig via camera. He says the mouse recovered.

Humans stayed in the loop: a surgeon opened and closed the skull, and a veterinarian approved each irreversible step with a physical kill switch. He reports that two stronger Anthropic models, Claude Opus 5.5 and Opus 5, declined the live procedure.

Skeptics note every detail comes from the founder's own account: one mouse, no control animal, and no logs, ethics approval, peer-reviewed paper or seizure data released. Whether it was truly "autonomous" is disputed. No Anthropic statement has been reported; Exin says a technical report is coming.

Sources checked: The Decoder (Oct 30, 3:42 p.m. ET, link), XenoSpectrum (Nov 1, 3:00 a.m. ET, link), TokenPost (Oct 31, 6:19 a.m. ET, link), ExplainX (Oct 30, link)

NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a gamma-ray-burst telescope launched in 2004, is expected by the U.S. Space Force to reenter the atmosphere around Friday, Nov. 6. Exact time and place won't be known until the final hours; the possible zone covers parts of Africa, Australia, India, Southeast Asia and Central and South America.

Most of the roughly 1.5-ton craft should burn up; dense parts such as tungsten pieces could reach the surface, most likely in the ocean. No damage is expected.

Why: drag, worsened by strong solar activity, pulled Swift down, and it has no thrusters. Katalyst Space's robotic LINK craft, launched July 3 to boost it, developed propulsion problems, came within about 7.5 miles without capturing it, and fell back in September. NASA ended the mission in late October.

Sources checked: Newsweek (Oct 31, 6:37 p.m. ET, link), Aaj Tak (Nov 1, 3:39 a.m. ET, link), Space.com (Oct 26, 2:43 p.m. ET, link), Science News (Aug 27, link)

NASA's second year-long Mars simulation, CHAPEA, ended Saturday when four volunteers left a 1,700-square-foot 3D-printed habitat at Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they had lived since Oct. 19, 2025: Ross Elder (commander), Ellen Ellis (medical), Matthew Montgomery (science) and James Spicer (flight engineer).

They grew crops, rationed supplies, made suited "Marswalks" and lived with message delays up to 45 minutes each way. NASA will use the data to plan real Mars missions, from food and exercise systems to crew decision-making without quick answers from Earth. Two weeks of medical checks and debriefs come next.

Sources checked: NASA (Oct 19, link), Weather.com (Nov 1, 7:04 a.m. ET, link), Houston Chronicle via Yahoo (Oct 31, 4:02 p.m. ET, link), Engadget (Oct 31, 12:07 p.m. ET, link)

A rose-colored rock found in Mali's Sahara in 2022, Teghaza 001, formed on Mars at least 4.1 billion years ago, according to a study in Science led by Yang Liu of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. That makes it one of only three known Martian meteorites from the planet's earliest era. It weighs 798.5 grams in eight fragments; zircon crystals were dated by uranium-lead decay.

It is slowly cooled crust, likely from the southern highlands, and shows very early water alteration — evidence young Mars had a more active water cycle than thought.

Sources checked: CBS News (Oct 30, 11:09 a.m. ET, link), Sci.News (Oct 30, 8:16 p.m. ET, link), Science paper (Oct 29, link)

A Dutch trial at Maastricht University Medical Center gave 31 healthy adults aged 60–75 about 60 grams of unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts daily for 16 weeks, compared with 16 weeks without, in a randomized crossover design. After the peanut period, memory-related brain regions, including the hippocampus, responded more strongly to insulin on MRI. Poor brain insulin signaling is linked to cognitive decline. Published in Food & Function.

Limits: small, short, healthy participants, no new memory results — it does not show peanuts prevent dementia. The Peanut Institute Foundation funded it and says it had no role in the research.

Sources checked: EurekAlert!/Maastricht University (Oct 5, link), Euronews (Oct 30, 4:53 a.m. ET, link), ScienceDaily (Nov 1, link)

A study of 485,934 adults in China, followed about nine years, found regular tea drinkers had an 11% lower risk of vascular disease (heart disease, stroke-related conditions, peripheral artery disease and more). Led by Zichen Ye of Peking Union Medical College, it was published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Lowest risk appeared at six to eight cups a day of moderate-strength tea; black tea showed a more consistent link than green. The authors say that is not a recommendation. The catch: people who drank tea "burning hot" had higher risk.

Limits: observational — association, not cause; intake measured once; cup sizes not standardized; may not apply outside China.

Sources checked: RTÉ (Oct 21, 2:22 a.m. ET, link), Sci.News (Oct 21, link), ScienceDaily/Wiley (Nov 1, link)

Patrick Stewart, the Yorkshire-born Shakespearean actor best known as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" films, died Wednesday, Oct. 28, at his Los Angeles home. A family statement said he died after a brief illness with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia, cared for by his wife, Sunny Ozell.

He spent years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, played Picard for seven seasons and four films, and returned for "Star Trek: Picard" in 2020. He is survived by his wife and two children. Ian McKellen called him "the most respected and beloved actor of his generation." SNL closed Saturday's show with a clip from his only hosting turn, in 1994.

Sources checked: Fox News (Oct 29, 4:00 p.m. ET, link), RTÉ (Oct 29, 3:59 p.m. ET, link), RTÉ (Oct 30, link), LateNighter (Nov 1, 1:04 a.m. ET, link)

The Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7 Saturday night at Chase Center in San Francisco for their first WNBA championship — in the first Game 7 in Finals history.

Finals MVP Gabby Williams scored 30, 28 of them after halftime, a Finals record for one half, as Golden State came back from six down. Her deep three made it 60-57 with about 2:18 left, and Veronica Burton sealed it with two free throws at 5.1 seconds.

Sources checked: NBC Sports (Oct 31, 10:45 p.m. ET, link), ESPN (Oct 31, 10:48 p.m. ET, link), AP via Yahoo Sports (Oct 31, 10:25 p.m. ET, link)

Tom Nolan stopped Renato Moicano with ground strikes at 1:28 of the third round in the UFC Vegas 123 lightweight main event Saturday. Moicano had controlled much of the first two rounds from Nolan's back until referee Dan Miragliotta stood them up mid-second round, drawing boos; Nolan then hurt him with a knee and finished him in the third.

It's Nolan's sixth straight UFC win. Moicano blamed his own performance, not the referee.

Sources checked: Boxing News (Nov 1, 12:00 a.m. ET, link), Yahoo Sports (Nov 1, 1:08 a.m. ET, link), Heavy (Oct 31, 11:34 p.m. ET, link)

"Obsession" star Inde Navarrette hosted SNL's Halloween episode Saturday with musical guest Gracie Abrams. Tom Hanks revived David S. Pumpkins in the cold open, and Navarrette took a jab at former cast member Shane Gillis in her monologue.

In New York, Heidi Klum came to her 25th annual Halloween party dressed as a life-size severed hand modeled on her own, with her face showing through the wrist.

Sources checked: Soap Central (Nov 1, 2:18 a.m. ET, link), SNL Rankings (Nov 1, 1:16 a.m. ET, link), CBS News/AP via Yahoo (Nov 1, 2:28 a.m. ET, link), USA Today via Yahoo (Oct 31, 10:36 p.m. ET, link)

Daylight saving time ended at 2 a.m. Sunday. Phones updated themselves; check manual clocks (car, oven, wall).

The House passed the Sunshine Protection Act in July to make DST permanent; it has stalled in the Senate and dies if not passed before this Congress ends in early January. Next change: clocks spring forward Sunday, March 14, 2027.

Sources checked: IBTimes (Nov 1, 9:16 a.m. ET, link), Farmers' Almanac (updated Oct 12, link), FOX 5 DC (link)

Key dates: Moon, Mars and Jupiter line up low in the east around midnight Nov. 2–3. Northern Taurid meteors peak Nov. 11–12 (about five an hour, dark skies after the Nov. 9 new moon). Mars and Jupiter pass about 1 degree apart before sunrise Nov. 16. The Leonids peak overnight Nov. 17–18 (10–15 an hour). The full Beaver Moon on Nov. 24 is a supermoon — look the evenings of Nov. 23 and 24.

Sources checked: National Geographic (Oct 29, link), Royal Museums Greenwich (Oct 8, link), Popular Science (Oct 31, 9:00 a.m. ET, link)

Connecticut voters choose a governor, the other statewide officers, all five U.S. House members and the entire General Assembly on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls are open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; anyone in line at 8 can vote. Early voting ends today. Unregistered residents can register and vote the same day at their town's same-day registration site (not the regular polling place). Absentee ballots must arrive by 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Governor: Democrat Ned Lamont, seeking a third term, faces Republican state Sen. Ryan Fazio. Quinnipiac (likely voters, Oct. 8–12) had Lamont up 58% to 38%; Sacred Heart/WFSB/CT Insider (Oct. 20) had him up 53% to 31% with 15% undecided. Other statewide races:

• Lieutenant governor: Susan Bysiewicz (D) vs. Matthew Corey (R)
• Attorney general: William Tong (D) vs. John Bolton (R)
• Secretary of the State: Stephanie Thomas (D) vs. Peter Lumaj (R)
• Treasurer: Erick Russell (D) vs. Fred Wilms (R)
• Comptroller: Sean Scanlon (D) vs. Jennifer Tooker (R)

U.S. House: in the 1st District, Luke Bronin (D), who beat Rep. John Larson in the primary, faces Amy Chai (R). Incumbent Democrats Joe Courtney, Rosa DeLauro, Jim Himes and Jahana Hayes are also on the ballot.

Legislature: Democrats hold the House 102–49 and Senate 25–11, and their leaders expect to gain three or four House seats and two Senate seats on voter anger at President Trump. Republican leaders Vincent Candelora and Stephen Harding say Democrats are running on Washington, not state issues, and the GOP will press on cost of living — voters' top issue in the Quinnipiac poll.

Sources checked: CT Mirror voter guide (updated Oct 26, 4:36 p.m. ET, link), NBC Connecticut (Oct 22, 4:12 p.m. ET, link), Quinnipiac University (Oct 14, link), WSHU (Oct 20, 11:30 a.m. ET, link), CT Mirror (Oct 30, 4:26 p.m. ET, link)

State Rep. Anne Hughes, a Democrat from Easton seeking a fifth term in the 135th District (Easton, Weston, Redding), was charged Saturday with sixth-degree larceny, a misdemeanor. Police say she took campaign signs belonging to her Republican challenger in Tuesday's election, Darrell Harris.

Harris's campaign reported signs missing Friday near Route 59 and Judd Road. One carried an Apple AirTag, which Easton police say led them to a property Hughes owns. She returned several signs and was issued a summons. Police call the investigation active and have not said how many signs were taken.

Why: Hughes said on Facebook she removed signs she believed were improperly placed on public property and apologized for not calling police or Harris's campaign instead, writing that she takes "full responsibility." She remains on Tuesday's ballot; no court date has been publicly confirmed.

Sources checked: CT Mirror (Oct 31, 4:19 p.m. ET, link), WTNH via Yahoo (Oct 31, 5:44 p.m. ET, link), FOX61 via Yahoo (Oct 31, 10:39 p.m. ET, link), WFSB (Oct 31, 11:34 p.m. ET, link)

Video posted Saturday appears to show Gov. Ned Lamont swatting at the phone of a woman recording him as she asked about one of his campaign staffers, at a get-out-the-vote event at Scalzi Park in Stamford around 10 a.m. The woman, who says she reports for the Connecticut Centinal, called the contact assault; she has not been named.

Lamont's campaign said "political provocateurs" posing as journalists, tied to Republicans and his opponent Ryan Fazio, have disrupted his events for months. WFSB reported a Lamont supporter said the governor flicked his hand toward the camera after she came too close and never touched her. Fazio called Lamont's claim of his involvement "shameful" and said the governor should apologize. No separate statement from the governor's office has appeared.

Sources checked: WFSB (Oct 31, updated 11:29 p.m. ET, link), Patch (Oct 31, 10:37 p.m. ET, link)

One driver was killed and another hurt Saturday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash on Route 15 South near Exit 42B in Orange. NBC Connecticut reported Sunday morning that state police identified the dead driver as Dylan Barthell, 38, of East Hampton, and that the crash happened about 4:15 p.m.

State police say a car in the left lane moved right and struck the vehicle beside it; that driver died at the scene. The other driver went to Yale New Haven Hospital.

Why: police have not said why the car changed lanes. The state police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad is investigating.

Sources checked: WTNH via Yahoo (Oct 31, 7:51 p.m. ET, link), Patch (Nov 1, 9:10 a.m. ET, link), NBC Connecticut (Nov 1, 9:16 a.m. ET, link)

A motorcyclist riding alone was killed Saturday night on Shennecossett Road in Groton. Police are withholding the name pending family notification; City of Groton police and the Southeastern Connecticut Regional Traffic Unit are investigating. Tips: (860) 445-2451.

In Farmington, Tyler Baker, 32, of Windsor Locks, died after a single-motorcycle crash on Route 6 (Colt Highway) about 4:14 p.m. Friday; police announced his death Saturday. Tips: 860-675-2400.

Why: police have not said what caused either crash.

Sources checked: NBC Connecticut (Oct 31, 6:37 p.m. ET, link), FOX61 via Yahoo (Oct 31, link), NBC Connecticut (Oct 31, 10:22 p.m. ET, link), WFSB (Oct 31, 10:32 p.m. ET, link), Patch (Nov 1, 7:11 a.m. ET, link)

State police closed Route 15 North near Exit 46 in New Haven early Saturday after a driver was found unresponsive in a vehicle about 5:30 a.m. Responders gave CPR, and the driver was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

Why: police have not said what happened or whether a crash was involved. The driver has not been identified.

Sources checked: NBC Connecticut (Oct 31, 8:43 a.m. ET, link), WFSB (Oct 31, 10:28 a.m. ET, link)

Check your pantry for Wise Wife brand ground cinnamon. SLR Food Distribution of Hicksville, N.Y., is recalling it for elevated lead after the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station tested a sample, per the FDA notice posted Oct. 29. It was sold in Connecticut and 13 other states.

Recalled: 110-gram (3.88-oz) clear plastic container, black screw cap, UPC 0688474302754, "Best Before" 4/25/2027, sold Sept. 8, 2025–June 28, 2026. Don't eat it; throw it out or return it for a refund. No illnesses reported. Questions: 516-437-3782, weekdays 9–5 ET.

Sources checked: FDA (Oct 29, link), WDBJ7 (Oct 30, 12:00 p.m. ET, link), WKRC (Oct 30, 3:48 p.m. ET, link)

Don't burn leaves or brush today. CT Insider reports DEEP has kept fire danger "high" in all eight counties Sunday; at that level, leaf burning is banned and brush-burning permits near grass or woods are void. Check with your town fire marshal first.

Why: Bradley and Sikorsky airports have had no measurable rain since Oct. 16 — the Hartford area's longest dry stretch since spring 2015. Dry weather should hold through Wednesday, with showers possible late Thursday into Friday.

Sources checked: CT Insider via Yahoo (Oct 30, 9:23 a.m. ET, link), WFSB (updated Nov 1, ~10:18 a.m. ET, link), WFSB (Oct 31, 5:28 p.m. ET, link)

Inland Connecticut woke to frost, lows in the upper 20s to 30s. Expect full sun and light wind, highs 59–63 (54–60 in the Litchfield Hills), and a clear, cold night.

Monday through Wednesday turn mild, mid-60s to near 70. Clouds build Wednesday; showers possible late Thursday into Friday. No snow is in this week's forecasts.

Sources checked: CT Insider via Yahoo (Nov 1, 4:00 a.m. ET, link), WFSB (Oct 31, 5:28 p.m. ET, link), News12 Connecticut (Nov 1, link)

Adults who lost SNAP on or after Dec. 1, 2025, under the federal work rule for "able-bodied adults without dependents," and are no longer on SNAP, can get a one-time, state-funded $300 grocery card per person. The program closes Nov. 30. If you got a DSS notice about the three-month SNAP limit or a DSS text saying you qualify, contact your local community action agency (list at cafca.org/agencies).

About 25,000 residents are estimated eligible, but as of Oct. 2 only 1,425 had received it, per CT Project Action Fund, which cites long waits, an in-person ID check and a phone-only virtual card. DSS says it will extend the deadline "if necessary." Gov. Lamont funded the cards with $8.5 million starting Aug. 4.

Sources checked: CT Project Action Fund (Oct 6, link), CT Mirror (Aug 5, 2:15 p.m. ET, link), Office of Gov. Lamont (Aug 4, link)

Most Connecticut retirees pay no state tax on Social Security. Singles and married-filing-separately are fully exempt under $75,000 adjusted gross income; joint filers and heads of household under $100,000. Above that, the state taxes no more than 25% of benefits. Retirees near a threshold should watch AGI when timing IRA withdrawals or investment sales.

Connecticut is one of eight states still taxing Social Security in 2026, with Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah and Vermont. Pension and annuity income is fully exempt below the same levels, phasing out at $100,000 (single) and $150,000 (joint). Why the tax remains on higher earners: the reports don't say, and no repeal proposal is pending.

Sources checked: 24/7 Wall St. via Yahoo Finance (Oct 31, 4:27 a.m. ET, link), Kiplinger (updated Aug 12, link), AARP Connecticut (updated Mar 17, link)

Starting Nov. 18, Connecticut license and ID holders can carry a digital copy in the free Connecticut Mobile ID app (Apple App Store, Google Play). You need your physical card to set it up.

TSA will accept it at participating checkpoints, including Bradley and Tweed New Haven. Businesses may choose to accept it. It does not replace your card for police stops or at the polls — keep carrying the physical card.

Sources checked: NBC Connecticut (Oct 29, 4:25 p.m. ET, link), GovTech (Oct 30, 7:22 p.m. ET, link), ID Tech (link)

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status — a federal green-card path for children under 21 abused, abandoned or neglected by a parent — has narrowed in Connecticut. The process starts in state probate court, then goes to USCIS, and both steps have gotten harder.

In June 2025 USCIS stopped automatically considering recipients for deferred action, which had shielded them from deportation during a roughly four-year wait. A June 2, 2026, DHS letter told state courts the program is open to fraud and urged "rigorous individualized review." CT Mirror reports some probate judges, notably in Bridgeport and Naugatuck, now question children about English and grades, which federal law does not require.

Filings have fallen: more than 1,700 petitions in each of 2024 and 2025, but only 551 in the first half of 2026. Advocates blame fear of courthouses. Probate courts declined to make judges available; no state policy response has been reported.

Sources checked: CT Mirror (Nov 1, link), AILA (Jun 2, link), CT Public (Aug 22, 2025, link)

Reginald Rogers, 38, of Woodbridge, and Lester Arrington, 34, of Naugatuck, were each sentenced this week in federal court in Bridgeport to 10 years in prison plus five years' supervised release after pleading guilty to possessing five or more kilograms of cocaine with intent to distribute — a 10-year mandatory minimum.

On Feb. 23, 2026, troopers stopped their 2024 Subaru Crosstrek in Trumbull; a police dog alerted and about 21 kilograms were found in two hidden compartments under the front seats. The stop was part of a federal Homeland Security Task Force investigation. Both remain free on bond and must report to prison Jan. 13, 2027.

Sources checked: Hartford Courant via Yahoo (Nov 1, 5:15 a.m. ET, link), WTNH via Yahoo (Oct 30, 8:16 p.m. ET, link), U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Connecticut (May 27, link)