🇺🇸⚡️- Admin note: The vibe is similar to right before Hurricane Sandy 14 years ago. If this storm causes any significant damage the response (or lack thereof) from the Trump Admin is bound to put the GOP in an even deeper hole for the midterms.

🇺🇸⚡️- There are academic studies showing that Hurricane Sandy boosted Obama's approvals in 2012 dramatically and likely cost Mitt Romney the win in Virginia directly. There was not a single storm response in Trump's first term that boosted his approvals despite any action he took.

🇺🇸⚡️- DHS will stop ICE worksite raids in Kansas and possibly other states in response to business leaders and local Republican politicians demanding an end to worksite operations targeting business's who use illegal labor.

🇺🇸⚡️- Legendary Star Wars actor Mark Hamill turned 75 today. Hamill continues to work to this day in live action shows and as a voice actor.

His voice acting career has spanned decades ranging from his time counter to Kevin Conroy's Batman playing the Joker in various Batman projects, playing Fire Lord Ozai in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Skips in Regular Show, and dozens of other roles.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡- President Trump has rejected Iran’s proposed seven-day ceasefire, with the United States expected to resume attacks on Iran after the midterm elections, The Wall Street Journal reports.

At the UN General Assembly, Iran proposed a seven-day ceasefire, offering to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and enter nuclear negotiations in exchange for the lifting of the US naval blockade and an easing of sanctions.

🇷🇺🇱🇹⚡️- RIA Novosti, a state-affiliated Russian media, published an article titled "Russia will soon face another SMO [Special Military Operation], it will be very short".

The article denounced the recent Lithuanian approval to host nuclear weapons on its soil. The article was quickly deleted.

🇻🇦🇫🇷⚡️- Pope Leo held a vigil in front of 80,000 catholics at the Stadium of France yesterday evening.

Here is the full inauguration event prior to the prayer, which retraces nearly all 1500 years of the Catholic history of France. Pope Leo was visibly moved to tears before he declared the French youth before him to be "the Saints of France".

Video provided by the Vatican's media department.

🇪🇹 - Ethiopian state media is denying the fall of Sekota to the TDF, and report clashes are ongoing with the Tigray separatists north of the city.

🇪🇹⚡- BREAKING: Ethiopian Armed Forces, ENDF, launched a large-scale counteroffensive from the south of the Tigray (Interim Administration) region, TIA, earlier this morning.

After fierce battles, the ENDF have successfully crossed the TIA borders and captured the towns of Waja and Timuga, Alamata direction. Fighting is ongoing for Limat, which is the only town remaining before the TDF-held city of Alamata, southern Tigray region.

🇩🇪🇷🇺⚡- German Foreign Minister Wadephul met his Russian counterpart Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

The meeting lasted just 20 minutes, and was the first direct contact between the two parties since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

🇱🇻🇧🇾⚡️- Latvian authorities report damaged cables and switchboards at the Latvia-Belarus border.

“The deliberate damage to video surveillance equipment and cables is not random vandalism — it is a targeted action to disrupt border surveillance and delay the introduction of technology. [...] The damage is being promptly repaired, but the strengthening of the eastern border continues. Every kilometer of the border built and equipped with technology increases our ability to detect threats in a timely manner and protect the external border of Latvia and the entire European Union." - General Guntis Pujāts, Chief of the State Border Guard.

🇻🇦🇫🇷⚡️- A rare sight in Paris as spontaneous street confessions are taking place in the sidelines of the Pope's mass in the Champs-Elysées. Dozens of ordained priests are conducting these confessions.

Images by CLPresse.

🇮🇷⚡️- Initial reports of explosions in the Strait of Hormuz.

🇮🇷⚡️- Iran's IRGC Navy has escalated its attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, attacking several vessels tonight.

🇮🇷🇴🇲⚡️- "Reports sent to PGSA indicate that some charterers are forcing vessels to transit through unauthorized routes.

In addition to creating the possibility of financial and human losses for the vessel, owner, captain, and crew, this action also causes that vessel's passage through the Strait of Hormuz to face serious restrictions.

It is necessary for ship owners to exercise the required caution regarding such unlawful actions by some charterers. Likewise, if violations by charterers are confirmed, these companies will be added to the Non-Compliance List (NCL), and the passage of all vessels associated with them through the Strait of Hormuz will face restrictions." - Persian Gulf Strait Authority.

🇮🇷🇴🇲⚡️- "The military activity along the southern coasts of Hormozgan, together with the number and intensity of tonight's explosions, is unprecedented compared to the past two months and could become more extensive." - Iranian journalist Ilia Hashemi.