Morning briefing

STORIES
Here at home
1. Midterms are tomorrow (Fox News)
2. Gas prices easing; Fed context (AAA, Reuters, Fox Business)
Around the world
3. Iran talks continue (Reuters, Fox News, AP)
4. Kherson truce ends (AP, AFP)
5. Youth protests reach Germany, resume in France (AFP, France 24, Reuters)
6. Fact check: fake radiation alerts on Ukraine's air raid app (AP, France 24)
Back home
7. Virginia's three constitutional amendments (Virginia Department of Elections, Virginia Lawyers Weekly)
8. Supreme Court hears Colorado Catholic preschool case (Supreme Court calendar, K-12 Dive)
Something lighter
9. New York City Marathon (AP)

Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit.

STORIES
Here at home
1. Final weekend before the midterms (Fox News; University of Florida Election Lab; Associated Press analysis)
2. Gas prices easing slowly (AAA; Fox News)
Around the world
3. Iran tension builds again (Fox News; Associated Press; Times of Israel)
4. France: third weekend of protests (Associated Press; France 24)
5. Youth protests in Germany (France 24; Associated Press)
6. Ukraine: drones, power cuts, peace doubts (Kyiv Independent)
7. China patrols near Taiwan (Reuters)
Back home
8. Supreme Court: Colorado Catholic preschool case (Fox News; case filings)
9. Alaska Senate lawsuit (Fox News)
10. Virginia ballot questions (Fox 5 DC)
Something lighter
11. Clocks fell back (Fox 5 DC)

HERE AT HOME
- Inflation picks up; Fed holds rates (Commerce Department, Fox Business)
- Midterms Tuesday; California ballot and subpoena fight (Fox News)
- Binance crypto exchange breach (Fox Business)
AROUND THE WORLD
- Iran war: tanker mined in Strait of Hormuz; oil near $117 (UK maritime agency, Fox News, Fox citing Reuters)
- Israel election ends in stalemate (Fox News)
- Russian strikes hit Dnipro rail station twice (Kyiv Independent)
- France deploys 70,000 police for Halloween protests (Reuters)
BACK HOME
- Justice Department picks four cities for nearly $300M crime grants (Fox News)
- Treasury sanctions North Korean IT-worker network (Fox Business)
- Virginia Question 3 on felon voting rights (ballot measure; Fox News)
SOMETHING LIGHTER
- Cheaper Thanksgiving meal baskets (Fox Business)

STORIES
Here at home
1. Economy grows 3.4% in third quarter (Associated Press; inflation figure from Fox Business)
2. Gas prices ease slowly, about $4.23 (AAA)
Around the world
3. Iran tensions and military options ahead of the election (Fox News)
4. Israel's election ends in deadlock (France 24)
5. Deadly Russian drone strikes on Ukrainian cities (DW, Reuters)
6. France braces for Halloween protests (France 24, Reuters)
7. 53 Chinese ships near Taiwan (Reuters)
Back home
8. Courts weigh noncitizen-voting push (Associated Press, Fox News)
9. Judge blocks part of Medicaid work rules (Associated Press)
10. Richmond shooting outside Virginia GOP headquarters unrelated to politics (Fox News)
Something lighter
11. First pumpkin over 3,000 pounds (Guinness World Records)

The Plainspoken Briefing: Thursday, October 29. Every story names where it came from.

HERE AT HOME

Fed holds rates. The Federal Reserve kept its benchmark rate at 3.75 to 4 percent in a 10-2 vote (Fox Business). The two dissenters, Lisa Cook and Beth Hammack, wanted a quarter-point increase (Yahoo Finance). Why: the Fed says inflation remains elevated and it wants more data. Chair Kevin Warsh said politics played no role.

Gas prices easing, still high. The national average was $4.24 a gallon Wednesday, 23 cents lower than a month ago and about $1.20 higher than a year ago (AAA). Why: Reuters has tied higher fuel prices to the Iran war, which began in late February, and disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

AROUND THE WORLD

Iran war unresolved. Qatari mediators gave Iran a new draft deal Sunday (Reuters). A senior Iranian official denied a new proposal was offered and called the ideas unacceptable. The U.S. told Gulf allies to prepare for a short, intense round of strikes after the midterms (Wall Street Journal). Why: the sides remain far apart over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program. The White House says the U.S. will not attack before the midterms.

Israel election, no majority yet. With about 90 percent counted, Netanyahu's bloc had 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot's bloc 48; 61 are needed. Arab parties won about 19, a record (Times of Israel; France 24). Final results are due November 4. Why: the count reversed pre-election and exit polls, and most of Eisenkot's allies have ruled out governing with the Arab parties.

France protests and curfews. The Interior Ministry counted 410,000 protesters last Saturday; organizers claimed nearly 800,000 (France 24). Curfews are in place in Paris and other cities, and unions have called a national strike for November 5. Why: protests began in September over school conditions, then widened to the cost of living, fuel prices and wages (Connexion). A research group found pro-Russian accounts amplified the anger (France 24), though there is no conclusive evidence foreign powers started the unrest (Euronews).

Ukraine says it is retaking ground. Zelenskyy disclosed an operation near Kupiansk in which Ukrainian troops used underground gas pipelines to get around Russian positions (Reuters). Why: both sides make competing claims; Russia says it has captured 92 settlements since early September, which Ukraine's military rejects.

Brazil's losing candidate leaves. Flavio Bolsonaro, who lost Sunday's runoff to President Lula, has left for the United States, two sources said, after Brazil's Supreme Court canceled his passports in a money laundering probe (Reuters). Why: he denies wrongdoing and has not conceded, though his party accepted the result.

BACK HOME

Ballots in Washington state. The Justice Department asked Washington to set aside ballots of 405 voters it suspects are not citizens (Associated Press). Why: the department says federal officers now routinely check registration status. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs says the timing appears meant to cast unfounded suspicion on the results. Similar lists in Nevada and Arizona shrank sharply after investigation.

Methane rule ended. President Trump announced in Lubbock, Texas, that he is ending a 2024 rule requiring drillers to find and fix large methane leaks (Associated Press). Why: the administration says it was too costly; Trump said ending it saves $45 billion and unlocks 210 million barrels of oil. The Environmental Defense Fund called it a free pass for companies.

SOMETHING LIGHTER

Brewers win it all. Milwaukee beat Tampa Bay 4-1 in Game 5 for the first World Series title in franchise history (Associated Press). Jacob Misiorowski threw five and two-thirds scoreless innings.

Good morning. It's Wednesday, October 28th, and this is The Plainspoken Briefing. Every story today names where it came from.

We'll start here at home.

STORIES
Here at home
1. Fed opens two-day rate meeting; hike unlikely this time (AP)
2. Trump says Iran decision near: deal or renewed strikes (Bloomberg, Fox News; oil price via Reuters)
3. Ninth Circuit turns down DOJ emergency request on 20,000 California ballots (Fox News, Los Angeles Times)
Around the world
4. Israelis vote; Netanyahu vs. Eisenkot (Times of Israel)
5. Russian missile strike on Kyiv hits university campus and metro bridge; Romania links arson to Russian sabotage network (Kyiv Independent, Reuters)
6. Serbia's Vucic concedes defeat to student-led movement (France 24)
7. France protests continue; about 410,000 marched Saturday (France 24)
8. Lula wins fourth term in Brazil; Flavio Bolsonaro refuses to concede (Fox News)
Back home
9. Midterms one week away; 27.4 million early votes (Fox News)
10. Fiscal 2026 deficit: 1.99 trillion dollars (Reuters)
11. Clocks fall back Sunday, Nov. 1
Something lighter
12. Brewers rout Rays 10-1, lead World Series 3-0 (MLB)

The first auto-run episode.

A test episode to see if this morning briefing workflow will work