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October 2: U.S. Midterm Lawsuits and Starbucks in Xinjiang
Off Catalina Island
The final victim of Wednesday’s helicopter crash off California’s Catalina Island has been recovered and identified as a 48-year-old woman.
On Britain’s railways
The chief executives of three train-leasing companies received a combined £3.5 million last year, while the firms paid shareholders almost £400 million in dividends. Rail unions accused the companies of profiting at passengers’ expense.
In U.S. elections
Republicans, Democrats and their allies have filed scores of lawsuits ahead of the November 3 midterms, the New York Times reports. Disputes cover everything from ballot-envelope rules in North Carolina to federal involvement in state-run elections. The Trump administration is pursuing unfounded claims of widespread noncitizen voter registration. Democrats say they fear attempts to intimidate voters or seize ballots.
The Republican Senate Leadership Fund is shifting advertising money from North Carolina to Kansas, according to a source familiar with its plans, suggesting a more competitive Kansas race. In Texas, a Fox News poll puts Democrat James Talarico two points ahead of Republican Ken Paxton among likely voters, within the poll’s three-point margin of error.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also announced that all U.S. troops will receive one day off in October to vote in the 2026 midterms. He said the stand-down would be completed by October 15 and repeated in even-numbered election years.
On Venezuela
President Trump reportedly spent hours asking Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot about Venezuela in the weeks before U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro. Among his questions was how Venezuelans would respond to their president being seized. The chatbot reportedly told him they would celebrate.
In Xinjiang
Starbucks opened two stores in China’s Xinjiang region on Tuesday, prompting U.S. lawmakers to demand their closure. The lawmakers cited accusations of widespread human rights abuses and mass detention of Muslim minorities. Starbucks sold a controlling stake in its China retail business last year to Hong Kong-based investment firm Boyu Capital.
In Brazil
The United States suspended consular services at its embassy and consulates across Brazil on Friday, citing unspecified security concerns.
In aviation
UAE authorities are investigating an incident aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Passenger Tali Manes told Israel’s Channel 12 that she heard heavy blows against the cockpit door on Wednesday morning and alerted a flight attendant, who then opened it. The incident has raised questions about cockpit locks and pilot screening.
At CERN
CERN’s ATLAS collaboration reports evidence that protons and neutrons near the edge of an atomic nucleus have different internal quark and gluon distributions from those deeper inside. Researchers analyzed lead-ion experiments from 2018. According to a CERN press release, statistical tests found a significant difference, helping explain an effect first observed in 1982.
At Cornell University
More than 35 percent of undergraduate women surveyed by Cornell in 2025 reported experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact during their time at the university. The findings have drawn renewed attention amid fresh scrutiny of a 2024 sexual assault allegation on campus.
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