News From Around the Web
#1 Judge Denies Federal Request to Segregate California Ballots, Says It Would ‘Wreak Havoc’ on Voting - Safiyah Riddle for AP, CTV News, KTVU, ABC Eyewitness News, RedState, and CNN on X
A federal judge rejected on Wednesday a Trump administration request to stop California from processing the ballots of up to 20,000 people over allegations they are likely noncitizens, warning it would “wreak havoc” on the midterm elections. The ruling by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter comes as more than 3.7 million people have already voted in the state. “Eroded trust in our democracy is irreparable. Once a vote is segregated, lasting harm has occurred,” Carter wrote. “If the Executive can discount votes and threaten an ongoing election due to unproven allegations, then our democracy is in danger. This Court declines to be a party to such process.” Prosecutors for the Justice Department said they would immediately appeal the decision...
#2 DHS Investigates Massive Data Breach Exposing 40,000 Employees, Including ICE and Border Patrol Agents - Michael Sinkewicz and Bill Melugin for Fox News, The Washington Post, New York Post, WION, CNBC, and WIRED on X
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is investigating a potentially massive data breach that may have exposed the identities and contact information of tens of thousands of employees, sources told Fox News. The suspected breach, which sources described as a "catastrophic" security incident, may have exposed the names, titles, locations, and, in some cases, phone numbers and email addresses of approximately 40,000 DHS employees and contractors, including roughly 10,000 ICE personnel, according to sources familiar with the data...
#3 King Tides Inundate Streets and Flood Homes and Businesses Along Both US Coasts - John Ra for Associated Press, AccuWeather, William Rusk, Eric Burris, WilluChill News, Miami Herals, and ZTF Guide on X
King tides have inundated parts of both U.S. coasts, flooding streets and sending seawater into homes and businesses in beach communities in California, Florida, and the Carolinas. The tides began with the full moon earlier this week and could cause flooding in some areas into the weekend, forecasters said. King tides are caused by the gravitational pull and alignments of the Earth, moon, and sun. They can occur several times a year and last several days. This week's king tides have been exacerbated by additional factors, forecasters said Wednesday. In Florida, strong high pressure to the north and low pressure over the Caribbean were causing increased swells, Chris Fisher, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Miami, said...
#4 Top General Pushed Out at Pentagon’s Joint Staff - Martha Raddatz and Luis Martinez, Sprinter Press, Regional insight, Vasilisa Hamilton, Patrick Hacker, and John F. Kennedy Jr on X
A top general at the Pentagon was suddenly removed from his senior post earlier this week and has now retired, according to two sources familiar with the situation. Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia served in the Joint Staff as the Director for Strategy, Plans & Policy, an important office that handles long-term strategic planning and is known in military jargon as the J-5. Sylvia was removed from the position for a lack of confidence, according to one of the sources. With his removal, Sylvia retired from the U.S. Army after having served in the role for 11 months...
#5 Alaska Governor Orders Investigation Into Peltola Campaign After Bombshell Report - CNN, Old Skool MX’er/Senate Republicans, Michael Justus, NWRain-Judi, Elaine F. Miller, and Senator Adam Schiff/Linda on X
The Republican governor has ordered an investigation into whether criminal charges or civil penalties should be brought over alleged Democratic efforts to confuse voters by recruiting a Senate candidate with the same name as incumbent Dan Sullivan. Both Mary Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee denied involvement in the reported plan...#6 DoorDash to Acquire Instacart for $17 Billion, Creating Delivery Giant - Rob Wile for NBC News, The Dashboard | DoorDash, WSJ Business News, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and Bloomberg on X
Delivery giant DoorDash is buying to-your-door grocery service Instacart for $17 billion, the company announced Thursday. The deal means users will be able to order groceries and items from other retailers via DoorDash and its delivery network. The companies said Instacart customers can now shop at more than 50,000 additional stores on top of the nearly 100,000 stores on the Instacart platform today. DashPass and Instacart+ members will now also pay one membership fee instead of two...
#7 A U.S. Cruise Ship Suspends a Global Voyage Due to Fuel Costs, Stranding 200 Passengers - Associated Press/npr, Eyewitness News, New York Post, Blake Burman, CNN, and The Daily Beast on X
A U.S. cruise ship on an around-the-world voyage that touted its cabins as floating homes suspended its three-year journey in Cambodia due to fuel costs, forcing hundreds of passengers to disembark. The MV Odyssey set sail two years ago on a voyage to the seven continents, marketed as combining long-term living at sea with global travel. Its operator had offered to "make the Odyssey your permanent home," with the purchase price of a suite for the lifetime of the vessel starting around $230,000. For now, it is docked at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand, with no certain departure date...
#8 US Man Gets 30-Year Sentence for Minnesota Fraud That Drew Trump Backlash - AP/Al Jazeera, New York Post, AF Post, NewsForce, Matt Robinson, and FOX 9 on X
A 37-year-old man who played a key role in defrauding a United States food program in the state of Minnesota during the COVID-19 pandemic has been sentenced to 30 years in prison in a case that has drawn intense national scrutiny and political pressure from President Donald Trump. “You took more than taxpayers’ dollars to enrich yourself. You took the reputation of our state down with you,” US District Judge Nancy Brasel said, addressing Salim Said during the sentencing on Wednesday...
#9 RFK Jr. To Ease Access to Unapproved Peptides, Draft Policy States - Dr. Jon LaPook and Faris Tanyos for CBS News, Polymarket, CTV News, BBC (World), and CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil on X
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took steps this week that could open up access to certain unapproved peptide drugs that are being promoted for wellness. In a draft policy filed Wednesday, Kennedy said he had determined that compounding pharmacies could prepare six specific peptides — BPC-157, Epitalon, KPV, MOTS-c, Semax, TB-500 — even though they do not have approval from the Food and Drug Administration. "By allowing limited compounding of the substances addressed in this guidance under appropriate safeguards, the policy provides patients with a more controlled alternative," Kennedy wrote. Compounding pharmacies mix ingredients to prepare customized medications for individual patients...
