Across the United States is dominated by midterm campaigning, courts and emergencies: President Trump campaigned or intervened in races in Florida, Iowa, Arkansas and Alaska, early voting and voter-ID fights moved forward in Michigan, New Hampshire and Texas, major legal actions included a Virginia state senator’s indictment, a North Carolina murder conviction, a $350 million BP settlement in Louisiana and a reported $25 billion Meta judgment in New Mexico, while Colorado declared a flooding disaster, California faced wildfire power shutoffs, Wisconsin’s measles count passed 300, and state governments announced jobs, heating aid, airport funding and enrollment gains from Georgia to Kansas to Illinois.
- Alabama: Alabama edged Auburn 87-85 in a Birmingham basketball exhibition marked by physical altercations, benches clearing and coaches Nate Oats and Steven Pearl going face-to-face
- Alaska: President Trump said October 23 he directed the Justice Department to sue to preemptively block Alaska from certifying its U.S. Senate race if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses narrowly
- Arizona: An Arizona judge sentenced Laura Owens to 30 days in jail and seven years’ probation for fraudulent pregnancy schemes, including against Bachelor alum Clayton Echard
- Arkansas: President Trump urged Arkansas Republicans on October 23 to vote early in person through November 2 in every race up and down the ballot
- California: PG&E warned it may cut power starting Friday night to about 644 customers across seven Northern California counties as 40-60 mph gusts raise wildfire risk
- Colorado: Gov. Polis verbally declared a disaster emergency October 23 for flooding in 11 southwest counties, activating the State Emergency Operations Center and deploying the Colorado National Guard
- Connecticut: A Connecticut investment adviser and broker-dealer admitted to causing $3.3 million in losses to three financial firms via fraudulent bank transfers to fund options trading
- Delaware: As early voting opened, Sen. Chris Coons and challenger Katz debated affordability and Israel aid, with Katz alleging his campaign communications were hacked
- Florida: President Trump rallied in Fort Myers on October 23 for GOP gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds, vowing to “deal with Cuba” once the Iran war is settled
- Georgia: Gov. Brian Kemp announced Mitsubishi Power Americas is investing $490 million to expand in Chatham County, creating more than 220 new jobs
- Hawaii: A Honolulu man arrested October 22 had a first court appearance scheduled October 23 on a federal indictment for illegally possessing ammunition after allegedly firing a shot in a road-rage incident that struck Aiea Elementary School
- Idaho: An Ada County judge on October 23 ordered Boise State to submit documents for court review in a public-records lawsuit over its abortion study
- Illinois: Illinois public university enrollment rose for a third straight year to 190,114, the highest since 2015, despite a 14% drop in international enrollment
- Indiana: The Indiana Fever parted ways with GM Amber Cox on October 23, hours after team president Kelly Krauskopf ended her tenure after nearly 30 years
- Iowa: President Trump campaigned in Sioux City to boost Rep. Ashley Hinson in a close Senate race, with a poll putting Democrat Josh Turek 2 points ahead within the margin of error
- Kansas: Gov. Kelly announced more than $4.5 million for airport infrastructure projects statewide on October 23, including Wichita, Atchison, Hill City, Liberal, Chanute and Colby
- Kentucky: A Union Circuit Court judge rejected a constitutional challenge to Kentucky’s 2024 ban on child sex dolls, ruling possession was conduct, not protected expression
- Louisiana: BP and Louisiana agreed Friday to resolve Deepwater Horizon disputes with a single early payment of about $350 million and settlement of remaining coastal zone lawsuits
- Maine: President Trump signed an order removing 50% tariffs on some Canadian agricultural and forestry products, a move Sen. Collins said will help Maine blueberry, potato, apple and seaweed producers
- Maryland: Gov. Wes Moore declined to pledge he would serve a full second term if re-elected, leaving succession questions if he leaves office
- Massachusetts: Boston open enrollment began Friday, October 23, through January 23, 2027, with Mayor Michelle Wu urging residents to apply via the Massachusetts Health Connector
- Michigan: Early voting starts Saturday, October 24, as Barack Obama campaigns in Detroit and President Trump rallies in Port Huron on October 25
- Minnesota: Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued L’Oréal on October 23, alleging it marketed chemical hair relaxers as safe while hiding cancer risks for Black women and girls
- Mississippi: Senatobia police Sgt. Hunter Foster, who fatally shot 1-year-old Kohen Wiley in a Walmart parking lot in June, resigned a day after body-camera footage was publicly released
- Missouri: Gov. Mike Kehoe on October 23 asked Attorney General Catherine Hanaway to investigate the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners for potential Sunshine Law violations
- Montana: Pete Buttigieg endorsed independent Montana U.S. Senate candidate Seth Bodnar over the Democratic nominee
- Nebraska: A federal grand jury for the District of Nebraska returned 9 unsealed indictments charging 10 defendants in October 2026
- Nevada: FuturEdge Academy, a North Las Vegas public charter school, announced October 23 it will close at the end of 2026-27 after its charter contract was terminated
- New Hampshire: The U.S. Supreme Court granted a Republican-backed emergency appeal October 22 allowing New Hampshire to bar student IDs as voter identification for the November 3 midterms
- New Jersey: The New Jersey Devils acquired three-time Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck from Winnipeg on October 23, ending his suspension holdout
- New Mexico: A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion after a jury found it deceived users about data privacy, following 43 million violations of state consumer protection laws
- New York: New York City lost about 30,000 private-sector jobs in two months, led by finance and tourism, according to a comptroller report released Thursday
- North Carolina: A jury convicted Miguel Salguero Olivares on Friday of first-degree murder, rape and other charges in the 2012 death of UNC-Chapel Hill student Faith Hedgepeth
- North Dakota: Debate intensified over Measure 1, a proposed 60% threshold for constitutional amendments that backers see as a roadblock to future abortion-rights initiatives
- Ohio: Toledo residents were allowed to return home October 23 after a toxic chemical tank leak that began October 20 forced evacuations, with the tank now empty
- Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board on October 23 voted to appeal a federal judge’s injunction against a taxpayer-funded virtual Jewish charter school to the Tenth Circuit
- Oregon: Federal prosecutors in Oregon announced charges against at least 40 people in organized SNAP/EBT skimming schemes involving more than $3 million in fraudulent purchases
- Pennsylvania: LeBron James made his Philadelphia 76ers home debut October 22 with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in a 114-106 comeback win over Cleveland
- Rhode Island: Attorney General Peter Neronha sued Meta on October 22, alleging it knowingly profits from fraudulent and scam ads on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp
- South Carolina: The South Carolina Court of Appeals ruled U.S. Bank owes nearly $5 million in bank taxes from its mortgage and credit-card services for in-state borrowers
- South Dakota: Eighteen states backed South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley’s appeal to enforce the state’s abortion-pill distribution ban, blocked by a federal court in July
- Tennessee: Reporting October 23 found Marsha Blackburn’s lead in the governor’s race has narrowed from 59 points in August 2025 to between 12 and 2 points
- Texas: A software error in Texas voter rolls affected Texans who updated names or addresses, with the Secretary of State sending 15,000 records back to counties and saying the problem was resolved
- Utah: A Utah judge was expected Friday, October 23 to set a trial date for Tyler Robinson, accused of killing Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University
- Vermont: Gov. Phil Scott and legislative leaders agreed Friday to set aside an additional $15.3 million for heating-oil and kerosene subsidies for low-income Vermonters
- Virginia: State Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas was indicted on racketeering, marijuana-distribution and money-laundering charges, unsealed October 22
- Washington: Washington’s citizen salary commission recommended freezing pay for the governor, attorney general and lieutenant governor for two years, while approving 2%-5% annual raises for other officials and judges
- West Virginia: The West Virginia Rivers Coalition and 350.org sued Attorney General John McCuskey, alleging his investigative subpoenas are baseless, retaliatory and unconstitutional
- Wisconsin: Wisconsin measles cases surpassed 300, with 308 cases in 8 counties, keeping it fourth-worst in the United States
- Wyoming: The Chickasaw Nation’s commercial arm completed its acquisition of Wyoming Horse Racing, including 13 Horse Palace sites and live racing at Sweetwater Downs
