FOUR-MINUTE READ | UNBIASED COVERAGE OF TOP POLITICAL NEWS
Federal Level
Trump Calls for Prosecution of Alaska’s Peltola
President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the criminal prosecution of Mary Peltola, the Democratic Senate candidate in Alaska, after a New York Times report said her campaign appeared to be involved in recruiting a candidate sharing Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan’s name. “I think they should be prosecuted,” Trump said. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a longtime friend of Peltola, said the report revealed “a pattern of lies and coverups.” Peltola’s campaign said it “has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign,” and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also denied any role. The second Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher, has long denied running at the urging of Democrats.1
Fed Holds Rates as Trump Target Lisa Cook Dissents
The Federal Reserve voted 10-2 on Wednesday to keep its benchmark interest rate in a range of 3.75% to 4%, its final decision before next week’s midterm elections. Governor Lisa Cook, whom President Trump has tried to fire, cast her first dissent since joining the board in 2022 and favored a quarter-point increase. Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack joined her. Trump has repeatedly pressed the Fed to lower borrowing costs. Chair Kevin Warsh acknowledged that the Fed has not yet restored stable prices, saying, “we’re working on it.” The vote came one week before a White House hearing on Cook’s future.2, 3
Hackers Claim Personal Data on 40,000 DHS Workers
A hacktivist group said Wednesday that it obtained personal data on more than 40,000 Department of Homeland Security employees, including names, phone numbers and email addresses. The nonprofit Distributed Denial of Secrets published the data and said a group called “Department of Peace” gained access through the department’s use of Okta’s sign-on service. Okta said it had no evidence its systems were compromised. The files cover workers at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection and other agencies. DHS said it was “aware of a potential breach” and working to address it. It is the third major government data leak in a month.4, 5
HHS Ends AI Transparency Rule for Health Software
The Trump administration on Wednesday published a rule ending a Biden-era transparency requirement for artificial intelligence tools used in health care. Electronic health record vendors that sell AI products will no longer have to provide a “model card,” a short document explaining how a tool was built, tested and meant to be used. The American Hospital Association said it was concerned, noting the cards helped hospitals judge the accuracy of AI tools. The Department of Health and Human Services acknowledged that most public comments opposed the change. However, the agency said it found no evidence that model cards improved patient care.6
Trump Rallies for Husted and Ramaswamy in Ohio
President Donald Trump held a rally Wednesday night in Chillicothe, Ohio, his third visit to the state in October, to support Republican candidates in next week’s election. He spoke at Ohio University’s Chillicothe campus after Sen. Jon Husted and gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy addressed the crowd. Husted, who was appointed in January 2025 to the seat Vice President JD Vance vacated, faces former Sen. Sherrod Brown in a special election. Recent polling has mostly shown Brown ahead but within the margin of error. The governor’s race between Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton has turned increasingly bitter, and early voting is already underway.7
State Level
Minnesota Charges O’Keefe and Higby in Voting Stunt
A Minnesota prosecutor on Wednesday charged conservative activists James O’Keefe and Cam Higby with felony unlawful voting and identity theft over a hidden-camera video filmed at Minneapolis polling places during the Aug. 11 primary. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the men used the names of registered voters without permission while starting the state’s “vouching” process. That process lets a registered voter confirm the address of someone registering in the same precinct. The men stopped before signing the required oath. O’Keefe’s organization said the video was meant to expose flaws in the system, while Higby called the charges “lawfare.”8, 9
Final Marquette Poll Shows Crowley Leading Tiffany
The Marquette Law School Poll on Wednesday released its final Wisconsin survey before the Nov. 3 election, showing Democrat David Crowley leading Republican Tom Tiffany 51% to 44% among likely voters in the governor’s race. Among all registered voters, Crowley led 47% to 44%. Both leads fall within the margin of error for the difference between the candidates. Crowley’s support among independent likely voters rose from 44% in September to 56%. Voters saw Crowley as more likely to make health care affordable and improve education, while Tiffany was seen as doing more to reduce taxes. President Trump’s approval in Wisconsin fell to 37%.10
Vermont State Senator Pleads Not Guilty to Assault
Vermont state Sen. Terry Williams, a Republican seeking reelection in Rutland County, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to a charge of domestic assault, less than a week before Election Day. According to a police affidavit, his 47-year-old daughter told a trooper that Williams struck her in the face during an argument at his Poultney home on Monday night. Williams told police he raised his hand as she moved toward him and made contact by accident. A spokesperson for Gov. Phil Scott, who had endorsed Williams, said the governor was “completely surprised and troubled” by the arrest. Williams faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted.11
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Article Sources
1. PBS News (Associated Press), “Trump calls for prosecution of Alaska Senate candidate Peltola over Sullivan name controversy,” Oct. 28, 2026.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-calls-for-prosecution-of-alaska-senate-candidate-peltola-over-sullivan-name-controversy
2. Politico, “Trump-targeted Lisa Cook dissents as Fed puts rates on hold,” Oct. 28, 2026.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/28/fed-rates-01138637
3. Fortune, “For the first time since 1992, a Fed governor and president dissented together, as Kevin Warsh says the ‘monetary medicine’ is starting to work,” Oct. 28, 2026.
https://www.fortune.com/2026/10/28/fed-rates-steady-kevin-warsh-president-governor-laura-ullrich/
4. Politico, “Hacktivist group says it obtained personal data on thousands of DHS employees,” Oct. 28, 2026.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/28/dhs-data-leak-hacktivist-01140028
5. USA Today (Reuters), “Leak website says it has released personal data on 40,000 DHS employees,” Oct. 28, 2026.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/10/28/distributed-denial-secrets-website-releases-data-on-dhs-workers/92488775007/
6. Politico, “Trump admin rolls back health AI regulation,” Oct. 28, 2026.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-pulse/2026/10/28/trump-admin-rolls-back-health-ai-regulation-01137058
7. NBC4 WCMH, “Trump rallies in Chillicothe, touts Husted, Ramaswamy ahead of Tuesday election,” Oct. 28, 2026.
https://www.nbc4i.com/news/your-local-election-hq/trump-visits-ohio-live-updates-from-chillicothe-midterm-rally/
8. Associated Press, “Conservative activists O’Keefe, Higby charged with unlawful voting in Minnesota,” Oct. 28, 2026.
https://apnews.com/article/voucher-voting-election-sting-undercover-e32e80590b59ca50adbb6751092e7435
9. Politico, “Conservative activists O’Keefe, Higby charged over Minneapolis poll antics,” Oct. 28, 2026.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/28/james-okeefe-cam-higby-minnesota-election-charges-01139006
10. Marquette Today, “Marquette Law School Poll finds Crowley at 51%, Tiffany 44% among likely voters in final survey before Nov. 3 election,” Oct. 28, 2026.
https://today.marquette.edu/2026/10/marquette-law-school-poll-finds-crowley-at-51-tiffany-44-among-likely-voters-in-final-survey-before-nov-3-election/
11. Seven Days, “State Sen. Terry Williams Arrested for Domestic Assault,” Oct. 28, 2026.
https://www.sevendaysvt.com/news/state-sen-terry-williams-arrested-for-domestic-assault/