Sandra Peebles

The demand comes as Democrats push for an independent review of evidence they claim links Trump to the late financier and sex offender. Republicans have dismissed the push as politically motivated. The DOJ has not publicly responded to the request. Source

⚖️ House Democrats Demand Special Counsel in Epstein-Trump Probe House Democrats have called on the Justice Department to appoint an independent special counsel to investigate alleged criminal ties between President Trump and Jeffrey Epstein.

Non-military teams from both countries will visit residents and coordinate transport to either Russia or Ukraine, accompanied by an unnamed American media organization. The announcement comes as President Trump pressures both Kyiv and Moscow to negotiate a broader end to the war. Source

"The situation in Oleshky is dire — on the brink of disaster," Melania Trump said in the White House statement.

Oleshky's population has fallen from roughly 24,000 before the war to 1,700–2,000 people, primarily elderly residents and about 50 children. About 90% of the city was flooded after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam.

Neither Kyiv nor Moscow had immediately confirmed the agreement. The truce is intended to allow humanitarian aid and civilian evacuations from the frontline city in Ukraine's Kherson region.

Melania Trump Brokers Localized Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire in Oleshky The White House announced Friday that First Lady Melania Trump has secured a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the occupied city of Oleshky,set to begin October 29.

Markets struggled to assess how the announcement might ease a deepening global oil supply crisis, compounded by the ongoing Middle East conflict. Neither Russia nor Ukraine moved to implement the proposed ceasefire terms. Source

⚡ Oil Prices Rise as Trump's Energy Ceasefire Stalls Oil and gas prices climbed Monday after President Trump's declared "energy ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine failed to gain traction from either side.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most critical chokepoints for global oil flows, and sustained disruption could have significant consequences for energy markets and supply chains. Source

Last week saw the highest number of tanker attacks in the strait since the Iran war began, driving vessel traffic to its lowest level in more than two months, according to sources familiar with the situation.

🇮🇷 Iran Threatens to Block Hormuz Routes, Tanker Attacks Surge Iran has issued new warnings that it will block shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz that it has not authorized, raising attack risks for tankers carrying critical energy shipments through the vital waterway.

The warning underscores growing concern among institutional creditors that Washington's borrowing trajectory, if unchecked, could trigger abrupt shifts in how markets price U.S. sovereign debt. Source

The agency stated: "This trajectory points to an unsustainable medium-term fiscal path and leaves the sovereign increasingly exposed to shifts in market sentiment and financing conditions." Elections were cited as an added risk factor to debt ceiling negotiations, compounding the fiscal outlook.

💵 Ratings Agency Warns U.S. Debt on Unsustainable Path A major ratings agency has warned that surging U.S. interest costs and recurring debt ceiling battles are leaving the federal government increasingly exposed to market volatility.

The withdrawal marks a significant shift in U.S. military posture in the Middle East, closing a chapter that defined American foreign policy and defense strategy for over 20 years. Source

The drawdown concludes a mission that began with the 2003 invasion and continued through the global war on terror and the campaign against the Islamic State group.

🪖 U.S. Troop Withdrawal From Iraq Complete The Pentagon has confirmed that the U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq is complete, ending more than two decades of American military presence in the country.

Thanks to everyone that made my birthday special 💕 💓

The figure marks a new low in WSJ's historical tracking of pre-midterm presidential approval ratings. Presidential approval ratings ahead of midterms are closely watched as an indicator of a party's electoral prospects in congressional races. Source

📊 Trump Approval Hits Record Low at 37% — WSJ Poll President Trump's approval rating has dropped to 37%, the lowest recorded by the Wall Street Journal for any president shortly before a midterm election in the outlet's polling history.

The rejection signals no near-term diplomatic breakthrough on one of the world's most strategically important shipping lanes. Source

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi presented the offer at the United Nations this week. It demands the release of frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of oil sanctions, and an end to the U.S. naval blockade in exchange for reopening the waterway, which is critical to global energy supplies.

🇮🇷 U.S. Rejects Iran's Strait of Hormuz Deal as 'Cynical' A senior U.S. official dismissed Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as "cynical" on Sunday, calling it a non-starter for Washington.

The suit centers on loans legally canceled due to school scams, yet still appearing on borrowers' credit reports. One borrower cited in the case has $72,000 in discharged debt still listed on her credit file. Source

⚖️ Suit Claims U.S. Reports $4.6B in Canceled Student Debt A lawsuit alleges the federal government is still reporting $4.6 billion in student loan debt to credit bureaus — debt that should have been discharged for roughly 300,000 borrowers defrauded by their schools.

Video footage shows officers surrounding 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez in the moments after he was shot in the back. The shooting has prompted renewed demonstrations in the city. Source

🛂 ICE Agent Shoots Venezuelan Driver in Back — Austin Protests Resume Protests returned to Austin, Texas on Monday night following the shooting of a Venezuelan delivery driver by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.

If unconstitutional was a person.

Austin, Texas: Aftermath of the ICE Shooting-Demonstrators holding the line on West Anderson Lane-surged in numbers as Texas DPS falls back, later arresting humanitarians🇺🇸

Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst reported that Trump is in a "deciding mode" and said "very big things are going to be happening in the not so distant future." The remarks signal an escalating posture toward Tehran as diplomatic and military options remain under active consideration. Source

🇺🇸 Trump Asks 'When Do I Blow the Entire Nation Up' on Iran President Trump publicly speculated Sunday about the future of U.S. military action against Iran, saying his question is "if and when do I blow the entire nation up?"

The move follows earlier restrictions on reporters covering the Pentagon, and Trump has also pursued legal action against The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the BBC. The ban is expected to face legal challenges on First Amendment grounds. Source

Trump posted on Truth Social: "Media Outlets shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they're covering the President of the United States." He threatened that additional outlets could face similar bans.

🇺🇸 Trump Bans CNN, MSNBC and Politico From White House President Donald Trump announced Friday that CNN, MSNBC and Politico are banned from the White House, effective immediately, citing what he called their "constant 'reporting' FAKE NEWS."

The longer yields remain at this level, the more pressure builds on fiscal projections — adding urgency to congressional debates over spending and borrowing. Source

Higher yields mean the federal government must pay more in interest on newly issued and refinanced debt. With the U.S. carrying a multi-trillion-dollar debt load, sustained elevated rates translate directly into larger annual interest payments, squeezing the federal budget.

💵 5% Treasury Yields Push U.S. Debt Costs to Multi-Year Highs U.S. Treasury yields have reached 5%, a level not seen in years, significantly increasing the cost of servicing America's national debt.

President Trump dismissed AI fears as a “hoax” in a call with the CEO of the world’s top chipmaker. The industry’s leaders rallied over the weekend to call for a slowdown of the pace of development to give their companies more time to work on safety.

Ukraine has been targeting Russia's oil and gas infrastructure with long-range strikes for months, prompting fuel rationing inside Russia. The demand marks a rare public rebuke by Trump of Kyiv's military strategy. Source

"Mr. Zelensky has to do one thing: He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia," Trump told reporters. He cited U.S. diesel prices above $6 a gallon and said the strikes are "hurting the world."

🇺🇦 Trump Orders Zelensky to Stop Hitting Russian Refineries President Donald Trump on Sunday publicly urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to halt military strikes on Russian oil refineries, saying the attacks are driving up fuel prices and creating a global diesel shortage.

The Iran war has lasted far longer than many expected — and so has a functioning oil market. There are real questions about whether — and how long — those conditions can hold. https://cnn.it/4dc6cjQ

The two-day event featured keynote addresses from Trump and Vice President Vance,tributes to the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk,and broader warnings to the party faithful.The convention comes as the economy faces pressure from the ongoing Iran conflict and a trade dispute with Canada.

🗳 GOP Maps Midterm Strategy as Iran and Trade Weigh on Economy Republican leaders convened in Dallas for the party's midterm convention, centering their strategy on President Trump ahead of November elections where the GOP aims to hold both chambers of Congress.

Abdul El-Sayed on an RNC attendee yelling that he should be shot: "Look, I'm a dad with two daughters. And I hope those daughters get to grow up and live with their dad."

The reason why they think their voters are this dumb and gullible is because they are.

With federal interest costs running at a record pace, the dual headlines highlight the scale of fiscal pressure on Washington as midterm campaigns accelerate. Source