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Federal election intervention expands as courts restrict noncitizen-voter probes

A federal judge ordered the administration to suspend noncitizen-voter investigations in nine states, finding that error-prone data and intimidating contacts were interfering with lawful voter-assistance work. Separately, the Justice Department is deploying election monitors to counties in several states, intensifying the dispute over federal involvement in elections traditionally administered by state and local officials.

Oregon Public Broadcasting

Politics

Early voting exceeds 20 million as control of Congress remains unsettled

Early participation is substantially above comparable 2022 levels in several states expected to determine control of Congress, with more than 20 million ballots reportedly cast nationally. The figures demonstrate unusually high engagement but do not identify candidate preference or establish which party is benefiting.

Axios

Associated Press

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

CBS News

Supreme Court leaves transgender-prisoner medical protections in place

The Supreme Court declined to let the Trump administration immediately enforce restrictions on gender-affirming medical treatment and accommodations in federal prisons. The underlying case remains active, so the order preserves a lower-court injunction without finally resolving the policy's legality.

World

Cross-border Ebola outbreak expands from Congo into East and West Africa

The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak that began in the Democratic Republic of Congo has expanded into Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria, with a travel-linked case also reported in France. Investigators are examining possible airport exposure while African and European health authorities coordinate risk assessments and containment.

Ukraine satellite restrictions expose private control over allied military infrastructure

Ukrainian officials say restrictions on SpaceX-operated satellite service continue to impede some drone and communications operations. Conflicting statements from Elon Musk and U.S. officials leave unresolved whether the restrictions were a corporate decision, involved the administration or reflected both.

Business

AI spending concerns continue to pressure global technology markets

Global markets remained unsettled after Meta's expanding capital commitments revived questions about whether returns from artificial-intelligence investments will justify their cost. A sharp Nasdaq decline and weakness in major AI-related companies reflect a wider reassessment of debt-funded data-center construction rather than an isolated earnings reaction.

Federal rules leave room for cryptocurrency platforms to pay stablecoin rewards

Final federal rules prohibit stablecoin issuers from paying interest directly but leave exchanges and other platforms able to offer interest-like rewards in some circumstances. Banks warn that higher-yielding stablecoin products could draw deposits away from regulated institutions, while the products do not carry conventional deposit insurance.

Sports

Rays and Brewers open World Series with first championship at stake

The Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers open the World Series in Milwaukee, guaranteeing the winning franchise its first championship. The matchup pairs the teams with the American League's and National League's best regular-season records and begins the first World Series to use automated ball-strike challenges.

MLB salary-cap dispute raises prospect of December lockout

Major League Baseball owners and players remain divided over proposals to limit team and individual payrolls as the collective bargaining agreement approaches its December 1 expiration. The dispute could trigger a lockout beginning December 2 and disrupt the league's offseason unless the parties reach a new agreement.

Dream rout Valkyries in Game 3 to take WNBA Finals lead

The Atlanta Dream defeated the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Angel Reese had 21 points and 12 rebounds as Atlanta pulled away after halftime and set a franchise Finals scoring record.

Bears hold off Patriots 30-24 in Week 7

The Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots 30-24 on Thursday night to improve to 5-2 and end New England's three-game winning streak. Caleb Williams threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns, while Cairo Santos' career-long 58-yard field goal helped secure the result late in the fourth quarter.

2027 Tour de France routes feature British starts and decisive climbing

Organizers unveiled the 2027 men's and women's Tour de France routes, with both races beginning in Britain before moving to France. The men's course includes 71 kilometers of individual time trials and a late Pyrenean showdown, while the women's race concludes on the Puy de Dôme after a London team time trial.

Pop Culture

Researchers identify the possible real sky behind Van Gogh's The Starry Night

A multidisciplinary study concludes that the celestial arrangement in Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night may correspond to the predawn sky over Saint-Remy-de-Provence on July 22, 1889. Astronomical simulations, historical records and Van Gogh's correspondence may revise the chronology and interpretation of one of the world's best-known artworks.

Christina Applegate says doctors revised her MS diagnosis

Christina Applegate says physicians have concluded that her five-year multiple-sclerosis diagnosis was incorrect, although she continues to experience serious neurological symptoms and does not yet have a replacement diagnosis. Her account has drawn wider attention to the difficulty of diagnosing MS and the consequences of prolonged diagnostic error.

Elizabeth Holmes documentary posts rare theatrical breakout

The documentary You Can See Everything earned about $15 million from 855 North American theaters, more than doubling pre-release projections. Its per-theater performance made it the largest opening for a nonmusic documentary in roughly two decades.

Technology

Evidence shows PHP2Shell exploitation began before public disclosure

Amazon threat researchers detected attempts to exploit the PHP2Shell vulnerabilities four days before the flaws and patches became public. The vulnerabilities permit unauthenticated remote-code execution in software underlying a large share of the web, requiring organizations to patch immediately and investigate possible earlier compromise.

Meta faces $25 billion New Mexico privacy judgment

A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion after a jury found that the company misled Facebook users about data privacy in litigation stemming from the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Meta is expected to appeal, leaving the final financial obligation and the judgment's broader legal effect unresolved.