Friday’s Mini-Report, 10.16.26

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Evidently, the American president is disgusted by Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, but only after having expressed indifference to Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, which sparked retaliatory measures. I wonder why that is: “U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that Ukraine’s announcement to end the truce on Russian energy facilities was ‘a disgrace,’ following reports that an oil refinery was hit in Russia’s Ryazan region.”

* The latest on the Silver Rail Elementary School shooting: “Three children and one adult were killed Thursday in a shooting at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon. The suspected shooter, a 16-year-old male, was shot dead by an armed bystander, police said.”

* A provocative and potentially important Reuters report: “The order to limit a satellite system used by Ukraine for battlefield communications and drone operations came from inside the White House, according to two US officials and a Western official briefed on the matter.”

* On a related note, Trump was asked who decided to pause Starlink access temporarily for the Ukrainian military. The president replied, “I don’t know if it was anybody, because it wasn’t me, and I don’t think it was [Elon Musk].”

* In related news, it’s tough to know whether to believe anyone on Putin’s team, but this bears close scrutiny: “Russia and the US are discussing a range of new joint projects including nuclear-powered data centers in the wake of last week’s agreement on ‌diesel, President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy said on Friday.”

* The questions aren’t going away: “Congressional Democrats on the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees are demanding President Donald Trump explain why Ukrainian forces’ access to SpaceX Starshield services was restricted earlier this week.”

* A crisis averted: “Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi was worshipping at a Hindu temple in suburban Chicago over the weekend when a 19-year-old man allegedly attempted to carry out a mass shooting, the Illinois Democrat said Thursday. Illinois State Police said they arrested Alexandros Paporakis of Palatine on Sunday, hours after authorities received a tip that he was planning to attack people of Indian descent at the Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple in Aurora.”

* The suspension shouldn’t be the only step: “An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent has been placed on leave after striking a man with his vehicle in Houston on Saturday, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed to MS NOW.”

* Do you ever get the impression that FIFA has just given up on its public reputation? “FIFA’s controversial Peace Prize could be scrapped at the end of the year — only 12 months after U.S. President Donald Trump received the inaugural award. At a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich on Thursday, it was decided that the governing body’s football social responsibility committee will now be tasked with assessing the merits of what was supposed to be an annual prize.”

* Remember when former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was tapped to serve as a special envoy to the Shield of the Americas? She’s now out of that role, serving instead as an adviser to a deputy secretary at the State Department. That’s quite a climb down from leading a federal Cabinet agency with hundreds of thousands of employees and a budget of more than $100 billion.

* On the eve of the latest No Kings events: “‘No Kings,’ the coalition known for blanketing the country in protests against President Trump, is setting its sights on a new target as midterm elections approach: voter turnout. On Oct. 17, organizers around the United States will hold ‘No Kings: Vote Early’ events to promote early voting and help people form voting plans like requesting absentee ballots, checking on their voter registrations or finding neighbors to help them drive to the polls.”

Have a safe weekend.

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