Sunday, October 18, 2026 · Evening Edition

Today

By StaffNews Desk

Good morning. Days before they were to take effect, Trump waived new sanctions on Russia, reversing a bipartisan congressional push and casting fresh doubt on Washington's commitment to Ukraine. He said he cut a diesel export deal and delayed the sanctions rather than drive Putin from peace talks, while his energy secretary called the relief an "incentive" for Moscow to end its war with Ukraine. Even Zelenskyy called the move a "pity." On the right, too, the appeasement drew disgust: conservative columnist Charlie Sykes skewered Trump's "treachery."

While capital's president courts Moscow, his administration turns state power on its domestic enemies. Obama issued a rare public statement rebuking Trump over the investigation of Rep. Ilhan Omar, condemning the administration's persecution of its political opponents. Raphael Warnock said Democrats should investigate Trump if they retake power after the midterms, alongside a focus on affordability.

The opposition in the streets is retooling. The No Kings movement, which has drawn millions, is shifting its focus to the ballot box and debating its nonpartisan message; with Trump at a historic low in approval and over 5 million ballots already cast, the pivot is a bet on turnout. That turn met corporate interference when Meta suspended the group's Instagram account during the protests; organizers, fearing censorship, said "Meta owes us an explanation."

Elsewhere, GOP Rep. Mike Turner called for a congressional probe into Starlink disruptions in Ukraine, pointing at Musk's SpaceX. Indigenous representatives from Peru, Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador are pressing the UN at the Oct. 19-23 COP13 conference over criminal networks tearing at the Amazon, while Chicago's South Side battles a new wave of synthetic drugs. In Massachusetts, Republican Lt. Gov. candidate Shawn Oliver suspended his campaign after an arrest and an OUI charge, as the 2028 shadow primary crowds into the midterms.