Trending News
Supreme Court lets Trump administration use revamped federal voter eligibility database for now
The Supreme Court on Friday lifted restrictions on a controversial federal voter database before November's elections, granting President Donald Trump a temporary win in his aggressive campaign against noncitizen voting. The court’s three liberal-leaning justices publicly dissented from the decision. The emergency order allows states, for now, to use the Department of Homeland Security program, called Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, in their efforts to verify the eligibility of voters on their rolls.States’ use of the SAVE program is voluntary. The immediate impact on the upcoming midterms is likely limited because existing law blocks most states from systematically purging voters from their rolls within 90 days of an election, said David Becker, an election law expert who leads the Center for Election Innovation and Research.He said since the program is voluntary and DHS itself has admitted the data is not perfect, "states may find this to be a useful tool used along with other tools to keep their lists up-to-date."The court's order puts on hold a federal judge's June ruling that had deemed the Republican administration's recently revamped version of SAVE illegal. U.S. District Court Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan had blocked the use of the tool, saying it violated Americans' privacy rights and could result in voters being wrongly removed from the rolls. A federal appeals court let her order stand. But the Supreme Court majority found that a 1996 law explicitly allows DHS to get information about citizenship and immigration from other federal agencies. The federal government also has "an obligation to respond" to states seeking to verify citizenship. "The order below prevents the Federal Government from using the program it believes is best suited to the task," the majority wrote in the unsigned order. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. The database has long been seen to fall under federal privacy laws, she wrote, and there are real risks that legitimate voter registrations could be mistakenly revoked. "The harm caused by burdening or disenfranchising even a few lawful voters outweighs the nonexistent harm that the Government experiences when it is prevented from taking an action that it likely lacks the authority to take," Jackson wrote. The plaintiffs and counsel team in the case called the ruling "profoundly disappointing" and said it puts "millions of Americans at risk of being unlawfully targeted by the administration's unreliable voter purge database" before the midterms."However, this case is not over," their statement read. "The D.C. district court ruled that the expanded SAVE program violated multiple laws. We will be doing everything in our power to protect Americans' voting and privacy rights by ensuring that the district court decision stands."The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. The SAVE program was created under an immigration law mandating that DHS help federal, state and local agencies prevent government benefits from going to noncitizens. The Trump administration last year moved to significantly expand its search abilities. Since then, at least 67 million registrations have been scanned through the program, but critics worry it could end up purging valid voters from the rolls. Some registrants have already been wrongly flagged. In Travis County, Texas, for example, officials said they investigated 97 voters flagged by SAVE as apparent noncitizens and found that at least 10% of them — and likely up to 21% — were U.S. citizens. The county urged the Supreme Court to reject the administration's appeal, while the state of Texas submitted its own brief defending the database.Even though the use of the SAVE program has been blocked for months, the administration said in court filings that DHS officials have continued using Social Security Administration data “in certain cases to verify information and help determine whether illegal voting may have occurred.”DHS in August launched its own investigation to find noncitizen voters on state rolls, according to a federal whistleblower statement that said the effort is rushed, filled with errors and potentially violates state laws. DHS has defended that investigation as being conducted "diligently and professionally."The effort to create a national voter list is among numerous steps Trump has taken during his second term to try to overhaul the way elections are run. Most of those steps have been blocked by various courts, in part because the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to set election rules, but provides no such power to the president. In mid-September, the Supreme Court rejected a bid from Trump to restrict mail ballot procedures before the midterms.Research shows that noncitizen voting, which is already illegal and punishable as a potential felony that could lead to deportation, is exceptionally rare. But Trump has remained fixated on the idea that massive numbers of noncitizens are voting in U.S. races. ___ Associated Press writers Lindsay Whitehurst in Washington and John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas contributed to this report.
Pope Leo warns of AI threat to humanity at start of three-day France visit
Pontiff says artificial intelligence must remain at service of people in first official papal visit to country in 18 yearsPope Leo has warned against losing humanity in a "paradise of machines" as he addressed global concerns over the dangers of artificial intelligence at the start of a three-day visit to France."If we are to avoid losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines invading and conditioning our daily lives, there is an urgent need for people to be educated in ethical discernment, capable of seeing what is morally right," he said in a speech at the Élysée. Continue reading...
When Trump's narrative meets voters' realities
By Donald Trump's telling, we're in a US 'golden age'. Americans may feel differently. Plus: Anger at the elite and a gunfluencer runs in TexasThis was originally published in The Stakes 2026, a newsletter about the midterm elections. Sign up to get it in your inboxReader Q&A: who's spending big on the US midterms? Our reporters take your questionsOne of Donald Trump's greatest talents – deployed during his time as a real estate tycoon, source and subject of tabloid gossip, reality TV protagonist, and president of the United States – is his ability to tell stories. With six weeks until the US midterm elections, he is likely to lean on this instinct more than ever.Rarely does the US president appear more comfortable than when behind a microphone, speaking without interruption, sometimes for multiple hours. Long before entering the White House, he wholeheartedly embraced social media as a means of crafting his narrative, going so far as to launch his own social network when booted off others. Continue reading...
Quebec man threatened to kill PM Mark Carney, promoted hatred: police
The RCMP said in a media release on Friday that Ousmane Bah, 45, from Quebec City, has been charged with uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm to a person. He has also been charged with promoting hatred against an identifiable group.
The Backstory: When 'Tau' Devi Lal won the PM race, and then gave it away with a twist
Emerging as a pivotal political leader during the 1989 governmental shift in India, Chaudhary Devi Lal first captured the deputy Prime Minister position via astute maneuvering within the Janata Dal party. His major influence was rooted in unwavering backing from Haryana's agricultural sector. Yet, infighting ultimately led to the VP Singh government's downfall.
Trump faces tough choices as Iran dangles deal to reopen Hormuz before US midterms
Iran's seven-day timetable would restart nuclear talks, but will the US be willing to deliver on terms that include reining in Israel in Lebanon?Iran's seven-day timetable to reopen the strait of Hormuz and start talks on its nuclear programme has been pitched as a deal that could rapidly extricate Donald Trump from a political crisis but requires the US president to make difficult concessions.In the five days left before the proposed reopening of the strait, which is expected to relieve pressure on global energy markets, Trump would need to lift Iranian asset freezes, permit Iran to export its oil and, probably most difficult of all, order Benjamin Netanyahu to end Israel's attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, thus achieving the "ceasefire on all fronts". Continue reading...
B.C. attorney general seeks Criminal Code change after Tumbler Ridge AI chat report
British Columbia's attorney general says she has asked the federal government to change the Criminal Code to ensure accountability for artificial intelligence companies after a "disturbing" report that OpenAI's chatbot coached the Tumbler Ridge shooter before the deadly attack.
Netanyahu lambasts Israel's critics at UN as New York protesters detained | First Thing
More than 100 people arrested while Israeli PM claims war on Gaza is 'the opposite of genocide'. Plus a Guardian investigation reveals the extent to which some convenience stores fail to honor their pricesGood morning. Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, delivered an inflammatory address to the UN in New York, decrying what he said was a global anti-Jewish conspiracy and taking aim at critics of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He branded Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a "tyrant", described Zohran Mamdani as the "antisemitic mayor of New York", and declared that Israel's war in Gaza was not a genocide, "it's the opposite of genocide".Netanyahu delivered his address just hours after the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, said his delegation was "unlawfully" denied visas by the Trump administration to attend the meeting. Dozens of delegates, inspired by a Palestinian call, walked out of the General Assembly Hall of the UN headquarters as Netanyahu took the stage.What was the reaction on the streets of New York? More than 100 people were arrested outside the UN headquarters as hundreds of Jewish, Palestinian, Iranian and Lebanese New Yorkers, among others, protested during Netanyahu's address. Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder were among those detained.What has rapper Macklemore announced? The US rapper, removed from Ed Sheeran's US tour after voicing his support of Palestine, has convened a Free Palestine tour to benefit humanitarian aid organisations. The charity show will visit Dublin, Paris and London, with a North American run to be announced.What happened in the Senate about the war? Senate Republicans have blocked a Democratic effort to end the US war against Iran, voting down a House-passed war powers resolution. The measure, which passed the House last week with bipartisan support, failed in the Senate by a 49-50 vote, attracting some Republican support, but not enough to pass.What other developments have there been in the Middle East? Saudi Arabia says it intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, with the latest attacks pushing oil prices ⁠to a one-week high over fears of spiralling supply disruptions. Continue reading...
'Here, you are all welcome:' Pope Leo comments on Trump's attempt to bar media from White House
Pope Leo XIV told reporters they were welcome to cover him, as he responded to the Trump administration's attempt to bar U.S. media from the White House and affirmed the importance of journalists covering public figures.Leo spoke to reporters Friday on his way to France for a four-day visit. Asked by a CNN reporter about the Trump administration's attempt to bar CNN and other reporters, Leo said the media was welcome on his plane."I am very happy that here, you are all welcome," he said. Good media coverage is important, he said, and equally important “that we have it all the way around, for everyone"CNN, MS NOW and Politico were back at the White House on Thursday after a judge handed them a reprieve from President Donald Trump’s ban, but the extraordinary showdown between him and outlets whose coverage he dislikes continued.On a high-profile day when Chinese leader Xi Jinping was visiting Washington and attending a state dinner, no major American network was airing live coverage, and both CNN and MS NOW said their journalists were denied access to Xi's state dinner arrival. Leo has long affirmed the need for free and independent press, a point he made in one of his first audiences as pope. Speaking to journalists who covered the 2025 conclave that elected him, the American pope called for the release of imprisoned journalists and affirmed the "precious gift of free speech and the press." That said, since the COVID-19 pandemic, independent media have been prevented from covering photo opportunities inside the pope’s private studio when visiting heads of state meet with the pontiff. Additionally, many of the pope’s private audiences with other groups and individuals are closed to non-Vatican press.On the flight Friday, Leo also apologized for missing an opportunity to speak with the press the last time he traveled internationally, when his Iberia charter broke down in Spain’s Canary Islands and he returned home solo on the king’s private jet, skipping his traditional airborne press conference with reporters.More than 70 reporters and the Vatican delegation waited for several hours at the airport for a replacement plane to arrive. Leo addressed the media’s disappointment when he came to the back of the plane to greet reporters."A special mention I would like to make for those of you who were traveling with me when we returned to Rome from Spain," he said. "I want to apologize personally for an incident, that I had nothing to do with, but which I know left a number of you unhappy with the fact that we couldn't have the flight back together back to Rome."In other comments to reporters, Leo said he believed his alma mater Villanova would be the fan favorite when the Augustinian university plays Notre Dame’s basketball team in Rome on Nov. 1."They tell me that the people coming to the match, 90% are Villanova and 10% Notre Dame, so the voice of the people of God will be very strong on the Villanova side," Leo said.
Air India bombing investigation hits dead end; victims’ families pressuring feds, RCMP to do more
More than 41 years after the Air India bombing, families of those victims have been told the investigation has hit a dead end.
On TV
Outlander: Blood of My Blood — 2x2: "The Veil of Time" (STARZ)
Brian and Ellen help their clans prepare for the coming rebellion, with varying levels of success. Julia and Henry learn more about the stones at Craigh na Dun from unexpected sources.
New Music

Leon Bridges — "Happiness Anytime" (Columbia)

M83 — "I Wrote You a Letter" (Other Suns)

Tom Morello — "Everyone Gets Everything They Want" (Mom+Pop)

Linkin Park — "Unshatter Film Soundtrack (Live in São Paulo)" (Warner Records)

Olivia Dean — "The Art of Loving" (Polydor)

deadmau5 — "Science - The Remixes" (mau5trap)

deadmau5 — "Science - The Remixes (extended)" (mau5trap)

Chelsea Cutler — "IS THIS THE END?" (Mercury Records)

In theaters
NAZA (80 minutes)
In secret conversations on the rooftops of Tel Aviv at night, the systems behind Israel's calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza are revealed by the people who designed and operated them.
Launching today

Nothing launching today. Every rocket is staying grounded and behaving.

Useless Fact

If one spells out numbers, they would have to count to One Thousand before coming across the letter "A".

The loonie
CAD → USD
0.7074
▼ 0.0020
CAD → EUR
0.6220
▼ 0.0007
Today In History
2016 — Arnold Palmer, Legendary Golfer, Dies at 87
American golfer Arnold Palmer, who used an unorthodox swing and an aggressive approach to become one of golf's most successful and well-liked stars, died at age 87
2011 — Kenyan Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai Dies at 71
Kenyan politician and environmental activist Wangari Maathai—who was the first Black African woman to win a Nobel Prize (the 2004 Nobel Prize for Peace)—died at age 71
1970 — End of Black September Conflict in Jordan
Hostilities came to an end during Black September, the brief but violent civil war between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Jordan
1962 — Sonny Liston Wins World Heavyweight Boxing Title
Sonny Liston became world heavyweight boxing champion with a first-round knockout of Floyd Patterson in Chicago. How much do you know about boxing? Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc
1929 — Barbara Walters, pioneering TV journalist, born
American journalist Barbara Walters, who was especially known for her highly effective technique in television interviews of world-renowned figures, was born
1799 — French General Masséna Defeats Russian Forces in Second Battle of Zürich
In 1799, French general André Masséna, a prominent commander under Napoleon, led French forces to victory over Russian troops in the Second Battle of Zürich. This decisive battle was an important event in the French Revolutionary Wars.
1777 — British Occupation of Philadelphia in 1777
Philadelphia, then the American capital, was occupied by British forces during the American Revolution
1711 — Birth of Emperor Qianlong
Emperor Qianlong, whose six-decade reign (1735–96) during the Qing (Manchu) dynasty was one of the longest in Chinese history, was born
1513 — Pacific Ocean sighted by Balboa
On this day (or two days later) in 1513, Spanish conquistador and explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa, standing "silent, upon a peak in Darién," on the Isthmus of Panama, became the first European to sight the Pacific Ocean
1066 — Battle of Stamford Bridge
Tostig, earl of Northumbria, and Harald III, king of Norway, were killed in an attempt to depose Tostig's brother, King Harold II of England. kings and emperors quiz

This is today, boiled down to the essentials. The full stash lives at logicalchaos.ca. Go get lost in it.