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October 11: Riyadh airport attack and Trump’s Russian diesel deal
In Washington
The Justice Department has told five major television news outlets it plans to investigate whether suspending pool coverage of President Trump violated antitrust rules, according to three people familiar with the matter. The networks’ decision followed Trump’s denial of White House access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
Democratic congressional candidates have asked the Supreme Court to preserve an order requiring the FCC to decide their challenge to discounted political advertising rates for parties and joint fundraising committees. Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily paused that order Thursday. The candidates argue the discounts are reserved for candidates; the FCC says court intervention could disrupt campaign rules before the midterms.
Separately, the FCC is considering loosening political robocall rules before the elections, including for calls using AI-generated voices.
In Pennsylvania
A suspect has been charged with murder after an ambush in Philadelphia early Saturday killed one police officer and seriously injured another.
In a separate shooting in Erie, authorities say a man killed eight people at his home before taking his own life. The victims included a pregnant woman, two children and other relatives. City officials say all nine people died before officers arrived.
The Chagos Islands agreement
Mauritius’s prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam, has threatened legal action against Britain over delays to the Chagos Islands agreement, The Telegraph reports. He told UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell that Mauritian sovereignty, including over Diego Garcia, was not negotiable. Britain’s Foreign Office says an agreement must protect UK interests and command US support. Talks continue.
In the Middle East
The Pentagon raised the reported US death toll in the Iran war to 21 on Friday, adding two noncombatant casualties.
Officials say at least 12 people were killed in an attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. Another report puts the injured at 309. The airport had already been targeted several times this week.
Yemen’s Saudi-backed government military says its forces are advancing against the Iran-aligned Houthis and claims its operations killed 1,150 Houthis in 24 hours.
AI and policing
Anthropic says an AI model it developed submitted a false tip to police about an unsolved Philadelphia homicide.
Storm flooding
At least four people have died after Hurricane Isaias struck the Florida Panhandle and moved into the Southeast, bringing a threat of flooding across the region.
Russia’s diesel deal
Trump says Russia will release 300,000 tonnes of diesel immediately and another 1.5 million by year-end to address soaring fuel prices. The deal reportedly includes easing US sanctions. Boris Johnson condemned it, warning it would fund Russia’s war in Ukraine. Trump also demanded that Ukraine stop attacking Russian fuel facilities and called for a new Ukrainian leader who could make a deal.
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