TODAY'S TOP NEWS - YESTERDAY'S BEST BLOG POSTS OCTOBER 19, 2026

 

 TODAY’S TOP NEWS - YESTERDAY’S BEST BLOG POSTS
 OCTOBER 19, 2026
REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER
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U.S. News

1. Bend, Oregon school shooting (Thursday): A 16-year-old killed three children and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary before a community member fatally shot him. AP counted it as the 28th mass killing in the U.S. this year. beinsurenbcchicago
2. Wichita youth soccer tragedy: A pickup drove into a youth game, killing a six-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man. Ten others were hospitalized and a 34-year-old woman is in custody. Police haven’t said whether it was intentional. timeslive
3. Southern California wildfires: The fires forced thousands to evacuate as homes burned. fox10phoenix
4. D.C. golf course: Trump plans to close and renovate a public D.C. course and turn it into a world-class golf course, despite a legal battle. NPR
5. Hurricane Trudy: It brought heavy rain and strong winds to Mexico’s Pacific coast, with flooding and mudslide warnings. That makes it more of a regional story for the U.S. militarynews

Politics

1. Press secretary out after five days: Katie Zacharia was reportedly fired Friday after less than a week on the job. Her credentials came under scrutiny over whether she had passed the bar, and she acknowledged she had not. The White House called it a “transition.” bostonkhaleejtimes
2. Russia sanctions waiver: Trump waived parts of the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act and faced bipartisan pushback. Rubio said Trump wants up to 60 days to assess the economic consequences. Al Jazeera
3. Midterms are 16 days out (Nov. 3): Trump is heading to Iowa while the GOP struggles in polls. An Oct. 2 live blog said Democrats were favored in most polls in several Senate races, including Maine. washingtonexaminerwashingtonexaminer
4. Vance town hall: He faced tough voter questions on data centers, high costs, immigration and his own rhetoric in a CBS town hall that aired Saturday. He also blamed immigration for the violence in France. union-bulletintimesofisrael
5. Texas Senate race: Democrat James Talarico criticized Republican Ken Paxton for refusing to debate. washingtonexaminer

World Affairs

1. Ukraine hits St. Petersburg: Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia, one of its largest strikes, igniting oil facilities. Trump responded by attacking Zelensky. Al JazeeraCNN
2. Canada’s base tragedy: A fast-moving fire overtook a live-ammunition training exercise at CFB Wainwright, Alberta, killing four service members and injuring 39, 19 of them critically. PBS
3. France unrest: More than 2,000 people were arrested after protests turned violent. Police put turnout at 550,000 and organizers at 800,000. Macron addressed the nation, and CNN reported one police officer and one protester dead. The marches were over rising costs and conditions in schools. French police arrest 2,000 as protests turn to violence, looting - UPI.com +2
4. Pope Leo XIV: In his first public appearance since lung cancer surgery, he said he will resume his duties gradually. timesofisrael
5. Israel: Israelis vote in national elections next week. NPR
6. Iran: EU leaders condemned Iran’s attacks on neighboring countries and threats to Hormuz shipping. That report comes from an Iranian opposition outlet, so treat it with some caution. ncr-iran

U.S. Education

1. Ohio vouchers: An appeals court declared Ohio’s EdChoice program unconstitutional, but the program stays in place pending appeal. It covers roughly 180,000 students, and the attorney general is expected to appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court. lanacionwcpo
2. LAUSD enforcement action: Earlier this month the administration announced an action alleging district policies keep students’ gender identities from parents, citing FERPA and PPRA. LAUSD denies wrongdoing. spectrumlocalnewsedsource
3. Bend school safety: The school had upgraded its classroom door hardware in 2022, and the attacker still forced entry by shooting at locked doors. beinsure
4. Federal civil-rights actions: The Education Department expanded its Swarthmore antisemitism investigation on Oct. 7. Secretary McMahon is also on a “Returning Education to the States” tour, with recent stops in Minnesota and New Hampshire. ed
5. Berkeley High: The California Department of Education found a 2026 yearbook photo discriminatory against Jewish students. edsource
6. Cornell civil case: A New York judge declined to sign a defendant’s requested gag order. cnycentral

Economy

1. AI stocks wobble: Chip and hardware shares fell. The S&P 500 is still about 1% below its record, with Meta, Tesla and others reporting this week. The S&P 500 closed Friday at 7,659 and the Dow at 52,002. brecorder
2. Fed and inflation: Hot inflation data lifted bets on another hike at the late-October meeting, though most investors expect it in December. The Fed already raised rates in September, and the 10-year yield hit 5.31% on Oct. 5, its highest since 2002. brecorderlivetradingnews
3. Energy and Russia: The U.S. eased limits on Russian fuel on Oct. 9 with a diesel deal of more than 300,000 metric tons, to ease soaring fuel prices. Brent settled at $104.72 on Oct. 9. Al Jazeeralivetradingnews
4. Earnings: S&P 500 companies are expected to report third-quarter earnings growth above 30%. brecorder
5. AI spending: Goldman expects the five AI hyperscalers to raise capital spending to about $1.2 trillion next year, and investors want proof of returns. brecorder

Technology

Disclosure: Anthropic made me, and it appears in two items below.

1. Anthropic IPO prep: Third-quarter revenue is reportedly $16.8 billion. Investors are weighing a roughly $1.5 trillion IPO valuation, down from $2 trillion. CNBCfourweekmba
2. CoreWeave sell-off: Shares fell 12.8% Friday on AI data center financing worries. Its credit default swaps hit distress levels. tradingviewCNBC
3. Meta and Apple: They teamed up so Meta’s Muse model can run on Mac computers. Meta released Muse Spark Open, a model aimed at coding and complex tasks. CNBCtradingview
4. Open-weight model wave: Microsoft, Nvidia and Meta all showed new open-weight models this week. Substack
5. Starshield limits on Ukraine: Kyiv reported speed restrictions on the military satellite service, and Rubio said Ukraine is currently blocked from it. Al Jazeera
6. Nvidia’s investments: It took stakes in several French startups as part of a wider push across the AI stack. CNBC

Health

1. Ebola in Congo: Confirmed cases reached 9,415 with 4,536 deaths. The outbreak has spread to an eighth province. newscordtempo
2. Kenya: Kenya confirmed an eighth case Sunday. Three health workers were among the earlier new cases, the first known infections passed on inside Kenya. upiAl Jazeera
3. U.S. Ebola risk: As of Oct. 13, the CDC reported no U.S. cases and said risk to the public is low. cdc
4. Measles: The U.S. has 4,410 cases this year, against 2,289 all of last year. The Hill
5. Pennsylvania measles: The state has 1,222 illnesses, and the CDC is sending a “disease detective.” Pennsylvania counts six measles-associated deaths versus two on the CDC’s count. spectrumlocalnewshealthandme
6. Vaccine policy: A federal judge disbanded the CDC vaccine advisory panel and blocked its votes, and HHS opened a vaccine-injury clinic. The Hill

Sports

1. Brewers sweep Dodgers: Milwaukee won the NLCS 4-0, ending LA’s three-peat bid. It is the Brewers’ first World Series since 1982. nbcboston
2. ALCS: Per scoreboard data, the Rays beat Cleveland 7-3 Saturday and 3-1 Sunday to lead 3-2. Game 6 is Monday in Tampa.
3. NFL upsets: The Panthers beat the Eagles 25-14, the Cardinals edged the Rams 18-16, and the Browns beat the Ravens 13-10.
4. Other Sunday NFL results: The Chiefs beat the Chargers 22-6, the Bills beat the Raiders 33-30, and the Texans beat the Jaguars 34-31. Green Bay won Sunday night, 23-13 over Dallas.
5. Monday Night Football: The Commanders visit the 49ers, who are favored at about 77%.
6. College football: Six ranked-vs-ranked games were set for Saturday, including Notre Dame at BYU and Ohio State at Indiana. I couldn’t confirm the results. legionreport
7. NBA: The regular-season slate starts Tuesday, with Knicks–76ers and Thunder–Spurs among the openers.

A Despatch from Morocco https://dianeravitch.net/2026/10/18/a-despatch-from-morocco/ via @dianeravitch 

Mary Trump: Sleepy Donald Lies the Way Other People Breathe https://dianeravitch.net/2026/10/18/mary-trump-sleepy-donald-lies-the-way-other-people-breathe/ via @dianeravitch 

Big Education Ape: P.S. POSTSCRIPT: THE ROBERTS COURT, MONEY MONSTERS, AND THE GREAT DEMOCRACY CLEARANCE SALE https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/10/ps-postscript-roberts-court-money.html 

Big Education Ape: SCHOOL VOUCHERS: BECAUSE NOTHING SAYS "CHOICE" LIKE A WAITLIST AND A TUITION GAP https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/10/school-vouchers-because-nothing-says.html 

Big Education Ape: LOOKING BACK: THE WEEK IN REVIEW 10-11-26 TO 10-17-26 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/10/looking-back-week-in-review-10-11-26-to.html 

Big Education Ape: TODAY'S TOP NEWS - YESTERDAY'S BEST BLOG POSTS OCTOBER 18, 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/10/todays-top-news-yesterdays-best-blog_0805760929.html 

Big Education Ape: MORNING NEWS UPDATE: OCTOBER 18 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/10/morning-news-update-october-18-2026.html 

Curmudgucation   ICYMI: Chilling Season Edition (10/18) PETER GREENE https://curmudgucation.substack.com/p/icymi-chilling-season-edition-1018 

Are Florida’s Proposed Science Standards Another Step Toward Classical Education for All? – Accountabaloney https://accountabaloney.com/are-floridas-proposed-science-standards-another-step-toward-classical-education-for-all/ 

Classroom Instruction Resources Of The Week    Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/ 

Cepicky Sets Sights on State Takeover of Nashville Schools – Tennessee Education Report https://tnedreport.com/2026/10/cepicky-sets-sights-on-state-takeover-of-nashville-schools/ 

glen brown: Nuremberg’s Warning: When Law Legitimates the Machinery of Authoritarianism by Henry Giroux https://teacherpoetmusicianglenbrown.blogspot.com/2026/10/nurembergs-warning-when-law-legitimates.html 

Misunderstanding John Dewey: On the Failure of Either/Or Thinking “Nothing can be developed from nothing; nothing but the crude can be developed out of the crude.” John Dewey, The Child and the Curriculum PAUL THOMAS https://paulthomas701128.substack.com/p/misunderstanding-john-dewey-on-the 

Abbott Elementary Is Entertaining. The Damage Is Real. – School Finance 101 https://schoolfinance101.com/2026/10/18/abbott-elementary-is-entertaining-the-damage-is-real/ 

Voting for a better life | American Federation of Teachers https://www.aft.org/column/voting-better-life 

Curmudgucation     Chaos, Compliance and the Infallible Conditional of Education PETER GREENE https://curmudgucation.substack.com/p/chaos-compliance-and-the-infallible 

Fall Break’s Over. The Questions Aren’t. – Dad Gone Wild https://norinrad10.com/2026/10/18/fall-breaks-over-the-questions-arent/ 

glen brown: A priest is crushed to death by a giant altar cross during livestreamed mass https://teacherpoetmusicianglenbrown.blogspot.com/2026/10/a-priest-is-crushed-to-death-by-giant.html 

Seattle Schools Community Forum: This and That, October 18, 2026 https://saveseattleschools.blogspot.com/2026/10/this-and-that-october-18-2026.html?spref=tw 

TRUMP IN THE NEWS TODAY

REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER

Here are several notable news stories and developments involving Donald Trump and the Trump administration:

• Administration Fraud Coalition & Crime Enforcement: The The White House News highlighted a nationwide coalition led by the Trump-Vance administration focusing on a "war on fraud", alongside major federal anti-transnational crime operations targeting criminal networks like Tren de Aragua.

• Golf Course Legal and Environmental Battles: The administration and local entities have faced intense legal friction, including a dispute over a judge's handling of a golf course renovation project that Trump seeks to develop, leading to administration efforts to have the judge removed.

• Internal Administration Shuffling: Reports have highlighted staffing adjustments and transitions within the executive branch, such as Kristi Noem moving into a new role within the administration, alongside ongoing scrutiny regarding high-profile roles and internal state department dynamics.

• Foreign Policy and Tech Pressures: Discussions continue regarding international dynamics, including tensions surrounding Ukraine, Starshield communications, and shifting foreign policy stances, alongside global regulatory friction involving American tech giants.

• Midterm Political Landscape: As the midterms approach, the administration and allied congressional figures are heavily active on the campaign trail, addressing economic data, border security narratives, and regional voter shifts in states like Arizona, Georgia, and Montana.

Explosion and fire at Canadian military base lead to multiple deaths - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/18/canada-alberta-fire-wainwright-01125543

Macron to address France after Trump describes country as ‘burning’ – POLITICO https://www.politico.eu/article/emmanuel-macron-to-address-france-as-trump-says-the-country-burning/ 

Unrest Mars Day of Protest in France, as Student Movement Turns National - The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/17/world/europe/france-protest-riots-marseille.html 

Abdul El-Sayed Flipped the Script on a Bigoted Gotcha Attempt – Mother Jones https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/10/abdul-el-sayed-tommy-town-hall-michigan-senate-bird-dog/

Democrats’ Tejano star sings to swing South Texas - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/18/pulido-concert-texas-latinos-01125609 

Republicans want a message. Trump keeps making news. - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/18/trump-is-giving-the-gop-headaches-when-they-can-least-afford-them-01123996 

Macron vows ‘full transparency’ in France after protests turn to widespread unrest – POLITICO https://www.politico.eu/article/emmanuel-macron-transparency-france-protest-unrest/ 

At Cornell, a Subdued Scene on First Weekend of Fraternity Party Ban - The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/18/nyregion/cornell-university-fraternity-party-ban.html