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# October 29, 2026
- URL: https://dailybrief.net/october-29-2026/
- Published: 2026-10-29T13:35:31.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-29T13:35:31.000Z
- Description: MIDDLE EAST WAR | UKRAINE | ECONOMY | ELECTIONS | MILITARY | CYBERSECURITY | IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT | CONSUMER DATA | NEW YORK | U.S. AND CUBA | CANADA AND E.U. | SPAIN | ISRAEL | BRAZIL | SOUTH KOREA | EL SALVADOR AND HAITI | NICARAGUA | KOSOVO | TECH INDUSTRY | ENERGY INDUSTRY | BASEBALL | R.I.P.
- Author: Daily Brief
- Tags: issue

![Map of today's story locations: Iran, Washington, Russia, Ukraine, Alaska, New York, Cuba, Montreal, Europe, Spain, Israel, Brazil, Florida, South Korea, El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Kosovo, Mountain View, London, St. Petersburg, Fla..](https://dailybrief.net/content/images/2026/10/2026-10-29_story_map.png)

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**MIDDLE EAST WAR** | Day 244.

- Reports cite diplomatic sources as saying that U.S. officials have told several Middle East countries to prepare for potential renewed U.S. military action against Iran after the November 3 U.S. mid-term elections, as well as for possible Iranian retaliation. The sources say President Donald Trump has not yet made a final decision on new strikes. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=us+warns+mideast+allies+prepare+renewed+iran+strikes+after+midterms&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]
- According to a new Pentagon estimate provided to Congress, U.S. spending on the Iran war reached $47.1 billion as of October 16 – up from about $43.6 billion in early September. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=pentagon+iran+war+cost+47.1+billion&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**UKRAINE** | Today is day 1,706 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

- Russian state media cites Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov as saying that Russia and the U.S. have been discussing the possible lifting of U.S. sanctions on Russia's sovereign wealth fund, the [Russian Direct Investment Fund](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian%5FDirect%5FInvestment%5FFund?ref=dailybrief.net), "for some time." The discussions follow the Trump administration's suspension earlier this month of sanctions on Russian diesel exports. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=kremlin+ushakov+us+sanctions+relief+russian+direct+investment+fund&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**U.S. ECONOMY** | The Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at about 3.9% yesterday, despite saying that inflation "remains elevated." Two Fed officials dissented from the decision, voting instead for a quarter-point increase. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=fed+holds+rates+unchanged+warsh+cook+hammack+dissent&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**MORE U.S. ECONOMY** | According to [Commerce Department data](https://www.bea.gov/news/2026/personal-income-and-outlays-september-2026?ref=dailybrief.net) released today, the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure, rose 3.6% in the 12 months through September. Additionally, the Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis says in an [advance estimate](https://www.bea.gov/news/2026/gdp-advance-estimate-3rd-quarter-2026?ref=dailybrief.net) that U.S. gross domestic product rose at a 3.4% annualized rate in the July-to-September quarter – up from 2.2% in the previous quarter. \[[full PCE report](https://www.bea.gov/news/2026/personal-income-and-outlays-september-2026?ref=dailybrief.net)\] \[[full GDP report](https://www.bea.gov/news/2026/gdp-advance-estimate-3rd-quarter-2026?ref=dailybrief.net)\] \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=us+gdp+3.4%25+third+quarter+pce+inflation&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**U.S. ELECTIONS** | Following a [New York Times report](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/28/us/politics/alaska-dan-sullivan-conspiracy-peltola.html?ref=dailybrief.net) indicating that Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola's campaign was involved in recruiting a second candidate named Daniel Sullivan to run against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska, President Donald Trump called yesterday for Peltola to be prosecuted. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has since ordered a state investigation into whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted, while Peltola's campaign denies any involvement. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=trump+peltola+prosecuted+dunleavy+investigation+second+dan+sullivan&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**U.S. MILITARY** | Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the Pentagon's top military planner, Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, a defense official said yesterday, as President Donald Trump weighs renewed strikes on Iran. The firing is the latest of nearly two dozen dismissals or forced departures of senior military leaders under Hegseth. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=hegseth+fires+brett+sylvia+pentagon+top+planner&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**U.S. CYBERSECURITY** | The leak website Distributed Denial of Secrets yesterday released data on more than 40,000 Department of Homeland Security employees, including officials in surveillance and undercover roles, which it says was obtained by a hacking group calling itself the "Department of Peace." The DHS has acknowledged a "potential breach." \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=distributed+denial+of+secrets+dhs+employees+data+leak&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**U.S. IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT** | Legal services groups for immigrants filed a lawsuit in federal court yesterday seeking to block Immigration and Customs Enforcement's removal of detainees with final deportation orders from its online locator system. ICE has not publicly confirmed the change, which reportedly affected more than 16,000 detainees as of last month. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=lawsuit+ice+online+detainee+locator+final+removal+orders&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**U.S. CONSUMER DATA** | The Federal Trade Commission yesterday ordered Delta Air Lines, Walmart, and other companies to provide detailed information on how they use consumers' personal data to set prices, and ride-sharing and delivery companies on how they use drivers' data to set pay. Several of the companies, including Delta and JetBlue, maintain they do not use personal data to set individual prices. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=ftc+orders+delta+walmart+personal+data+pricing&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**NEW YORK** | Gov. Kathy Hochul yesterday signed [legislation](https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-signs-nation-leading-legislation-protect-kids-ai-chatbots-and-ensure-baby?ref=dailybrief.net) prohibiting several "unsafe AI companion features" in chatbots' interactions with children under 18, including suggesting that the chatbot is a real person with emotions. The law, which takes effect January 1, allows the state attorney general to sue AI developers for violations. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=hochul+signs+ai+companion+chatbot+law+children&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**U.S. AND CUBA** | The U.N. General Assembly voted, 130-17, with 25 abstentions, yesterday to adopt a [resolution](https://press.un.org/en/2026/ga12801.doc.htm?ref=dailybrief.net) calling for an end to the U.S. economic embargo of Cuba – the 34th consecutive year it has done so. Last year, 165 countries voted in favor; this year, several, including Germany and Italy, abstained for the first time. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=un+general+assembly+condemns+cuba+embargo+130-17+abstentions&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**CANADA AND E.U.** | Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is hosting European Union leaders in Montreal today for a two-day summit aimed at deepening trade, defense, and economic ties. Reports indicate that a proposed "associate member" designation for Canada faces opposition from some E.U. countries and may even have been dropped from consideration. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=carney+eu+summit+montreal+associate+member+declaration&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**SPAIN** | Regional officials say the death toll from yesterday's collision of two high-speed trains in Spain's central province of Toledo has risen to 68, with 53 people still hospitalized, 15 of them in critical condition. Spain's transport minister says a central command center told one of the trains to resume its journey despite an active stop signal on the line following a computer failure. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=spain+train+crash+toledo+68+dead+red+signal&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**ISRAEL** | With nearly 90% of the vote from Tuesday's election in Israel counted, reports say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc is on track to win 53 of the 120 seats in parliament, with 48 for the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot and a record 19 for Arab-led parties. The count of absentee ballots is expected to be completed today, though official results are not due until November 4\. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=israel+election+results+netanyahu+bloc+53+eisenkot+48+arab+parties+19&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**BRAZIL** | After arriving in Miami yesterday on U.S. visas, defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro declared himself Brazil's rightful "leader," alleging without evidence that Sunday's election, won by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was stolen. Bolsonaro, who left Brazil this week despite a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports, says he did not flee the country. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=flavio+bolsonaro+miami+declares+himself+brazil+rightful+leader&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**SOUTH KOREA** | Prosecutors in South Korea today asked an appeals court to sentence former President Yoon Suk Yeol to death, rather than the life sentence he received in February, for rebellion related to his brief declaration of martial law in December 2024\. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=yoon+death+penalty+special+prosecutor+appeal+rebellion&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**EL SALVADOR AND HAITI** | El Salvador's foreign ministry said yesterday that the country will send more than 2,000 soldiers to Haiti to support anti-gang operations and rescue four Salvadoran aircraft technicians reported missing after a gang ambush near Port-au-Prince last week. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=el+salvador+2000+soldiers+haiti+missing+technicians&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**HAITI** | Amidst ongoing gang violence and political uncertainty, election officials in Haiti yesterday postponed what would have been the Caribbean nation's first general elections since 2016 from December of this year to July 2027\. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=haiti+postpones+elections+july+18+2027&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**NICARAGUA** | An expert panel appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council yesterday accused Nicaragua's co-presidents, Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, of establishing a "full dictatorship" by eliminating opposition through arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, political persecution, and stripping opponents of their citizenship. The panel also said there are "reasonable grounds to believe" that Nicaragua's leaders have committed crimes against humanity. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=un+experts+nicaragua+full+dictatorship+crimes+against+humanity&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**KOSOVO** | Thousands of people rallied in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, yesterday to demand government action on violence against women after the killing on Sunday of a woman who had written to prosecutors days earlier warning that her life was in danger. Protest organizers say she was the eighth woman killed in domestic violence incidents in Kosovo this year. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=kosovo+protest+pristina+violence+against+women+zekaj&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**TECH INDUSTRY** | Google parent company Alphabet yesterday reported net income of $26.2 billion for the July-to-September quarter – down from nearly $35 billion in the year-ago period – on revenue of $127.6 billion, short of Wall Street's expectations. Shares in the company fell more than 10% in after-hours trading amidst concerns that artificial intelligence is cutting into Google's core search business. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=alphabet+third+quarter+earnings+shares+fall+search&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**ENERGY INDUSTRY** | Citing war-driven energy prices and record refining margins, energy giant Shell today reported a third-quarter profit of $10.8 billion, up from $5.4 billion in the same period last year and its highest quarterly profit since 2022\. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=shell+third+quarter+profit+highest+since+2022+buyback&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**BASEBALL** | The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-1, last night in Game 5 to win the 2026 World Series, the first title in the franchise's history. Brewers' catcher William Contreras was named the Series MVP. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=brewers+beat+rays+game+5+win+world+series+contreras+mvp&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**R.I.P.** | Labor leader and civil rights activist [Dolores Huerta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolores%5FHuerta?ref=dailybrief.net), who co-founded the [United Farm Workers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United%5FFarm%5FWorkers?ref=dailybrief.net) union with [Cesar Chavez](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesar%5FChavez?ref=dailybrief.net), died yesterday at the age of 96\. \[[more](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=dolores+huerta+dies+96&df=w&ia=web&ref=dailybrief.net)\]

**TODAY IN HISTORY** | On this date in 1929, some 16 million shares changed hands as prices collapsed on the [New York Stock Exchange](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New%5FYork%5FStock%5FExchange?ref=dailybrief.net) on what became known as "[Black Tuesday](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall%5FStreet%5FCrash%5Fof%5F1929?ref=dailybrief.net)," deepening the stock market crash that helped usher in the [Great Depression](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great%5FDepression?ref=dailybrief.net). \[[more history](https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/October-29?ref=dailybrief.net)\]