Good morning everyone, I hope you had a great Halloween. This morning, Vice President JD Vance is facing global ridicule for his Halloween costume mocking a “meme” version of himself and for comments suggesting he wanted his wife to convert to Christianity. His behavior is drawing backlash from politicians and ordinary Americans who say he has embarrassed the country.
At the same time, the Trump administration is moving to restrict press access inside the White House, and air traffic controllers are preparing mass walkouts as the shutdown continues.
While the White House works to limit access and control the narrative, I’m doing the opposite by digging deeper, building trusted sources, and delivering fact-based reporting that cuts through the noise. People inside the administration have made it clear they’re worried about this platform because we’re exposing stories they don’t want you to see.
Vice President JD Vance faced backlash after saying he hoped his Hindu-raised wife, Usha Vance, would convert to his Catholic faith—remarks critics, including many Indian Americans, viewed as disrespectful of her religion and reflective of broader anxieties over the Trump administration’s ties to conservative Christianity and anti-immigrant sentiment.
Vice President JD Vance faced widespread ridicule after posting a Halloween TikTok video in which he dressed up as the “babyface Vance” meme—a viral image that has mocked his appearance and persona since 2024. Vance, wearing a wig and referencing the meme with the caption “Happy Halloween kids and remember, say thank you,” appeared to be attempting to reclaim or laugh along with the joke. Instead, social media users and commentators across platforms panned the stunt as cringeworthy and desperate, accusing him of trying to “get in on” a joke that has always been made at his expense rather than with him
Vance’s criticism was not just limited to the United States. Commentators across the globe began to mock him on social media. Take a minute and imagine if Vice President Kamala Harris dressed up as a meme of herself for Halloween. What would the reaction be from conservative media personalities?
President Donald Trump hosted an opulent Great Gatsby–themed Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago, attended by political allies and celebrities, just hours before 40 million Americans were set to lose their SNAP food assistance benefits. Critics blasted the event as deeply tone-deaf, contrasting the extravagant celebration’s luxury and excess with the widespread economic hardship facing millions across the country.
The Trump administration has restricted journalists’ access to a key West Wing communications office, citing security concerns but prompting criticism that it’s part of a broader effort to curb press freedom. Reporters must now schedule appointments to speak with senior communications staff, a move condemned by the White House Correspondents’ Association as undermining transparency and accountability amid ongoing limits on media access across federal institutions.
Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina congresswoman and gubernatorial hopeful, reportedly launched an expletive-filled tirade at airport and TSA officers at Charleston Airport after issues locating her vehicle and delays during her arrival. According to an information report obtained by The Daily Beast, Mace’s outburst came as she was running late, further fueling criticism of her volatile behavior amid her campaign for governor.
As the U.S. government shutdown entered its second month, the Trump administration announced that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits—vital to 42 million Americans—would cease, prompting food banks nationwide to scramble for supplies amid surging demand. Despite court orders temporarily blocking the cutoff, hunger relief organizations warned they could not meet the vast gap left by the lapse, while critics accused the administration of using food aid as political leverage in the budget standoff.
The Federal Aviation Administration warned of severe nationwide flight delays as a surge in unpaid air traffic controllers called out of work amid the monthlong government shutdown. With nearly 80% of controllers absent in the New York area and widespread staffing shortages across major hubs, the FAA cited “immense stress and fatigue” among workers and urged Congress to end the shutdown to restore safe, efficient air operations.
With the expiration of federal pandemic-era childcare funding, centers across the U.S.—especially those serving low-income families—are facing closures, staff losses, and enrollment freezes as subsidies dry up. In Colorado and other states, childcare assistance programs are overwhelmed or frozen, leaving working families unable to afford care, while experts warn the entire system is nearing collapse and call for a shift toward publicly funded, equitable childcare modeled on K–12 education.
Trump’s campaign is pouring millions into late-stage voter turnout efforts in Virginia and New Jersey, targeting Republican and pro-Trump voters who typically skip off-year elections. The initiative includes a $1 million-plus microtargeting campaign in each state and a surprise tele-rally with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to boost turnout ahead of key statewide races.
The Trump administration has reportedly dropped plans to open federal waters off the Atlantic coast to oil and gas drilling after backlash from Republican lawmakers in coastal states, but it still intends to allow new leases off California and parts of the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has drawn intense criticism for overseeing a record-breaking 15 executions in 2025—with two more scheduled—amid a national decline in the use of the death penalty. Critics and rights groups accuse DeSantis of exploiting executions for political gain ahead of a likely 2028 presidential bid, while legal experts warn that Florida’s relaxed jury requirements and rapid pace risk wrongful deaths in a state already leading the nation in death row exonerations.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with China’s Xi Jinping in Gyeongju, urging Beijing’s support in restarting dialogue with North Korea and pursuing a phased denuclearization plan, while pledging to balance ties between the U.S. and China. The summit coincided with the APEC meeting, where Asia-Pacific leaders emphasized economic cooperation and easing U.S.–China trade tensions, culminating in a joint statement reaffirming commitment to open and fair trade.
Satellite imagery and eyewitness accounts reveal a mass slaughter in Sudan’s el-Fasher, where tens of thousands have been killed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during an 18-month siege. Experts and humanitarian groups warn the atrocities—visible from space and compared to the scale of Rwanda’s genocide—mark a catastrophic escalation in Sudan’s civil war, as the RSF continues executing civilians and decimating the city amid famine and displacement affecting millions.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney apologized to President Donald Trump after an Ontario government ad used edited clips of Ronald Reagan to criticize Trump’s tariff policies, prompting Trump to suspend U.S.–Canada trade talks. Carney clarified that the ad was not federally sponsored and said he told Ontario Premier Doug Ford to pull it, while Trump acknowledged the apology but called the commercial “very false” and “offensive.”
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan won reelection with more than 97% of the vote in a contest widely condemned as undemocratic, with major opposition candidates barred and violent protests erupting across the country. Critics and rights groups accused Hassan’s government of repression, enforced disappearances, and silencing dissent, while international leaders, including the U.N. and Western diplomats, expressed alarm over reports of killings and the government’s heavy-handed crackdown.
