Top Stories for the Week of October 25th.

These are the top stories to start your day.

Elon Musk said Ukraine broke Starlink’s terms of service by using the satellite network for offensive drone strikes, and said that loophole has now been closed. Ukraine’s service is back to full speed after more than a week of slowdowns. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied the U.S. government was behind the slowdowns. Source

A fire broke out Wednesday at the Savannah River National Laboratory, on the federal site where nuclear bomb parts were once made, prompting an emergency declaration at 5:39 p.m. The fire was put out, and no contamination was reported outside the facility. Workers not involved in the response were told to shelter, and incoming traffic, air and rail service near the site were restricted. Source

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, was targeted in a $6.3 billion theft, the biggest heist in the industry’s history. North Korea is suspected in the attack, and stablecoin issuers moved to freeze assets tied to the stolen funds. See Details

The Justice Department charged former FBI Director James Comey for a third time on Monday. The new case centers on the alleged disclosure of national defense information, after two earlier prosecutions under the Trump administration. Source

Patrick Stewart, the British stage veteran who became Capt. Jean-Luc Picard on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and Professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” films, has died at 86. Tributes poured in Thursday from co-stars including Ian McKellen and Hugh Jackman. Source

The Justice Department has issued a new wave of subpoenas in its criminal investigation of Alaska’s Senate race, sources said. The probe centers on a second candidate named Dan Sullivan appearing on the ballot alongside Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, and Gov. Mike Dunleavy has ordered a separate state investigation into Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign, which denies any role. Find out More

President Trump accused Democrats of fraud and perjury in Alaska’s Senate race. He is pointing to allegations that Mary Peltola’s side backed a scheme to put a second “Dan Sullivan” on the ballot against GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan, and the dispute has become one of the most heated fights of the campaign’s final week. Source

Republicans fear a “red scream” of alarm within their own ranks could depress GOP voter turnout in the final week of the midterms. The worry centers on the Senate map, where the party is defending a 53-seat majority on Nov. 3. Source

The 2025-26 election cycle is now the most expensive in U.S. history, with ad spending and reservations reaching $11.21 billion, edging past the $11.20 billion spent in the entire 2023-24 cycle. Thirty-five Senate seats are on the ballot Nov. 3, with Michigan, Texas and Alaska among the most closely watched races. In Texas, more than 20% of registered voters have already cast early ballots in the neck-and-neck Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico. Source

Progressive House members, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Delia Ramirez, are distancing themselves from what they call “performative” efforts to impeach President Trump. When Rep. Al Green forced his third impeachment vote in September, 18 Democrats voted to block it and 46 voted “present.” See Details

DNA evidence has linked serial killer Ted Bundy to the 1974 murder of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith, whose body was found near the Summit County-Salt Lake County line in Utah. Summit County Sheriff Casey Bates announced the finding Tuesday, and investigators are still working to tie Bundy to the October 1974 disappearance of 16-year-old Nancy Wilcox. Source

The search for convicted murderer Jacob Allen Morley, 28, spread to Illinois after the pickup truck he stole was found abandoned in Marion. Morley escaped through a fence at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville late Sunday, and authorities are offering a combined $15,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. Source

A man serving a life sentence for murder slipped through a fence and escaped from a Tennessee prison. A manhunt is underway for the convicted killer. Read More

A grassroots backlash against data centers in Ohio is upending the state’s midterm races. Residents worried about electricity bills, water use and land have turned the AI building boom into a campaign issue. Source

The drug-resistant fungus Candida auris has infected more than 3,000 people in 27 states this year, and the CDC now lists it among four top-priority drug-resistant threats. Up to 60% of infected people die, and doctors are also tracking other dangerous fungi spreading worldwide, including a brain-attacking mold whose cases jumped fourfold in two years. Find out More

The Justice Department says a warrant matter tied to Rep. Ilhan Omar is still ongoing and is aimed at “other individuals.” The case is being fought in federal court in the final days before the midterms. Source

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said Amazon Web Services’ capacity is “largely sold out” through 2027, with “a good chunk of 2028” spoken for too. Amazon has guided to about $220 billion in capital spending this year, and it reports third-quarter results Oct. 29. Source

The Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates steady at its Oct. 27-28 meeting, the fourth under Chair Kevin Warsh. Investors now see almost no chance of a rate hike, a change from expectations of a quarter-point increase earlier this month. The 30-year mortgage rate averaged 7.32% last week, just off a three-year high. Source

The Federal Reserve, under Chair Kevin Warsh, opens its policy meeting this week with hotter inflation and surging energy prices at the center of the debate over interest rates. A decision is due Wednesday afternoon. See Details

Billionaire investor Nelson Peltz’s Trian has reportedly offered about $1.4 billion to take Wendy’s private, and the burger chain’s stock jumped about 15%. The bid comes after six straight quarters of falling same-store sales and 289 U.S. restaurant closures in the first half of the year. Read More

Alphabet shares tumbled more than 10% Thursday after the Google parent’s quarterly revenue missed expectations, reviving worries about heavy AI spending and dragging the Nasdaq lower. Microsoft rose about 3.6%, and traders now see better than an 80% chance of a Fed rate hike in December. Source

DoorDash has agreed to acquire Instacart in a deal valued at about $17 billion, combining two of the biggest names in app-based delivery. The move doubles down on fast, hyper-local delivery of groceries and household goods. Source

Oil prices climbed more than 1% Wednesday after Yemen’s Houthis said they hit Saudi Arabia’s largest refinery, a 550,000-barrel-per-day facility, with a missile. Brent crude rose to $115.47 a barrel and U.S. crude to $101.33; Saudi authorities had not confirmed the strike. Find out More

Anthropic’s IPO filing shows about $637 billion in computing commitments that cannot be canceled, alongside more than $130 billion in cash and short-term investments as of June 30. Analysts say reaching a $2 trillion valuation would require 50% growth. CEO Dario Amodei received nearly $18 million in total 2025 compensation. Source

More than 400,000 people protested across France, according to the Interior Ministry; the CGT union put turnout near 800,000. Clashes broke out in Paris, and police made nearly 1,000 arrests nationwide. The government deployed 70,000 officers, and Paris closed museums as protesters challenged President Emmanuel Macron. Find out More

President Trump approved Flávio Bolsonaro’s entry into the United States after his defeat in Brazil’s presidential election. Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, lost to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and is under investigation in a money-laundering probe at home. See Details

A high-speed train crash in central Spain killed at least 68 people after one train was stopped on the tracks. Investigators are examining an order given before the collision that one official called “inexplicable.” Source

French President Emmanuel Macron promised new measures in response to student demands after days of protests that turned violent across France. The pledges include university admissions steps aimed at calming the unrest. Find out More

Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, left Brazil and landed in the United States following his defeat in the presidential election. Questions about his U.S. visa status followed his arrival. Read More

Ian McKellen paid tribute to his close friend and “X-Men” co-star Patrick Stewart, calling him “a man to rely on.” The two knights shared a decades-long friendship that spanned Shakespeare, Beckett and the “X-Men” films. Source

Susan Saint James, the Emmy-winning star of “McMillan & Wife” and “Kate & Allie,” has died at 80. Saint James played opposite Rock Hudson on “McMillan & Wife” in the 1970s and later starred with Jane Curtin on the hit CBS sitcom “Kate & Allie” in the 1980s. Find out More

Walter Koenig, who played Ensign Pavel Chekov on the original “Star Trek,” has died at 90. He died of old age Sunday at his North Hollywood home with family at his side. Koenig played Chekov in 36 episodes and in films including “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.” Find out More

Early reactions to “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” are praising the new prequel ahead of its release. The film is the latest chapter in one of Hollywood’s biggest franchises. See Details

Jay-Z will headline the Super Bowl LXI halftime show in 2027, the NFL announced. The announcement sets the music headliner for the February 2027 championship game. Source

A new lawsuit accuses AI company Anthropic of using Elvis Presley’s music to train its AI models. The case is the latest fight over how AI developers use copyrighted songs. Source

The 2-5 Indianapolis Colts launched a rebuild Tuesday, trading guard Quenton Nelson to Seattle for a third-round pick and a future fifth and sending defensive tackle DeForest Buckner back to San Francisco for a 2027 fourth-rounder. Buckner was the 49ers’ No. 7 overall pick in 2016, and the moves came about a week after the Colts fired GM Chris Ballard. See Details

Brewers catcher William Contreras was named World Series MVP after hitting .381 (8-for-21) with four RBIs and throwing out four runners in the series. He finished the postseason with three home runs and nine RBIs. Source

The Tennessee Titans agreed Thursday to trade star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to the Chicago Bears for 2027 first- and fourth-round picks plus 2028 first- and fifth-round picks. The deal comes ahead of the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline and strengthens Chicago’s NFC contender case. Source

June Jones, the coach whose run-and-shoot offenses lit up scoreboards at Hawaii, SMU and with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, has died at 73. Jones led Hawaii to an unbeaten regular season and a Sugar Bowl berth in 2007. See Details

A new study estimates that about three in four former NFL players examined had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the brain disease tied to repeated head hits. The findings from Boston University researchers cover players who died between 2008 and 2023, and they renew pressure on the league over player safety. Find out More

Monday night’s loss to Dallas dropped the Philadelphia Eagles to 2-5 without quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is dealing with blood clots, raising questions about whether the team should sell before the Nov. 10 trade deadline. Star running back Saquon Barkley, under contract through 2029 and turning 30 in February, tops the list of possible moves. Read More

The Buffalo Bills (5-1) moved to No. 1 in Bleacher Report’s Week 8 NFL power rankings, ahead of the unbeaten Minnesota Vikings (6-0). The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs slipped after losses, and the winless Los Angeles Chargers (0-6) are last. Source

Salem, Massachusetts, is now home to the world’s heaviest jack-o’-lantern, a 3,156-pound pumpkin unveiled on Salem Common by Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves and certified by Guinness World Records. Ron Wallace grew the giant gourd in Rhode Island over 123 days, smashing the previous record of 2,749 pounds, and the mayor proclaimed Oct. 27 “Great Pumpkin Day.” See Details

A 3,156-pound pumpkin was carved into the world’s heaviest jack-o’-lantern in Salem, Massachusetts, earning a Guinness World Records title. The pumpkin was grown by Ron Wallace of Green, Rhode Island, and beat the old record of 2,749 pounds. See Details

A Wisconsin judge has cleared the way for Brewers fans to show their colors in the courtroom. Waukesha County Presiding Judge Michael P. Maxwell ordered that Brewers attire is allowed in county courtrooms through the end of Friday’s World Series victory parade. Source