Courts

1. Judge bars DOJ from threatening election officials over 20,000 California ballots; DOJ appeals
   US District Judge Trina Thompson of the Northern District of California issued a temporary restraining order on Oct. 30 barring the Justice Department and DHS from threatening, intimidating or coercing state and local election officials to halt, set aside or not count ballots of registered voters the administration alleges are ineligible.
   1h ago · Politics · Brief
2. OPEC+ agrees in principle to keep December oil output targets steady
   OPEC+ has agreed in principle to keep its December oil output targets unchanged, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Oct. 31, ahead of a Sunday online meeting of seven core members: Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria, Kazakhstan and Oman.
   1h ago · Geopolitics · Brief
3. Ninth Circuit stays order forcing State Department to reopen 2027 diversity visa lottery
   The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Thursday, Oct. 29, stayed a district court order that would have forced the State Department to open registration for the FY2027 Diversity Visa lottery by Nov. 1.
   3h ago · Politics · Brief
4. Judge ends Trump's attempts to sue Wall Street Journal over Epstein reporting
   Reuters reported on Sat Oct 31, 5:58 PM CT, unconfirmed by other outlets so far: Judge ends Trump's attempts to sue Wall Street Journal over Epstein reporting.
   5h ago · Politics · Brief
5. SpaceX loses bid to toss NAACP lawsuit over Memphis data center air pollution
   CNBC reported on Sat Oct 31, 3:12 PM CT, unconfirmed by other outlets so far: SpaceX loses bid to toss NAACP lawsuit over Memphis data center air pollution.
   8h ago · Tech & SI · Brief
6. Judge dismisses Trump's $10B defamation suit against the WSJ with prejudice
   A federal judge dismissed Trump's $10B defamation suit against the Wall Street Journal with prejudice, so it can't be refiled.
   8h ago · Politics
7. A federal prosecutor said Friday DOJ seeks a grand jury indictment against James Comey
   A federal prosecutor said in court Friday the Justice Department is actively working to secure a grand jury indictment against James Comey for allegedly directing the sharing of secret national defense information, per Bloomberg.
   1d ago · Politics
8. Trump on Iran: "There are talks."
   Same afternoon, Iranian reports say a fourth tanker accused of breaking IRGC rules blew up in the Strait of Hormuz, and Brent settled at $117.64.
   1d ago · Geopolitics
9. Pakistan's military says it is "cautiously optimistic" about mediating between the US and Iran
   Pakistan's military says it is "cautiously optimistic" about mediating between the US and Iran, but warns of "powerful spoilers," after army chief Asim Munir's second trip to Tehran this month.
   1d ago · Geopolitics
10. Vessel struck by unknown projectile 40 nautical miles south of Iran's Lavan Island, UKMTO says
    A vessel was struck by an unknown projectile 40 nautical miles south of Iran's Lavan Island, the UK maritime agency UKMTO said.
    1d ago · Geopolitics
11. A US Treasury report says the American blockade and sanctions are crippling Iran's economy, Axios reports
    It fits what officials told Axios this morning: the push on Iran is economic pressure for now, with strikes floated for after the midterms.
    1d ago · Geopolitics
12. Brent crude settled at $117.64 a barrel, up $2.76 or 2.4%
    Brent crude settled at $117.64 a barrel, up $2.76 or 2.4%, while the Nasdaq 100 tracker QQQ sank 4.3% on the day.
    1d ago · Markets
13. Appeals court rejects DOJ bid to stop California from counting about 20,000 mail ballots
    A federal appeals court denied the DOJ's renewed request to temporarily block California from counting about 20,000 mail ballots it alleges were cast by noncitizens, the department's second loss on those ballots this week.
    1d ago · Politics