The written briefing — October 22, 2026
Good morning. A court fight over 20,000 California ballots leads today’s briefing, followed by a $277 million MAGA Inc. advertising blitz in the final midterm push, an alleged Hindu temple shooting plot in Illinois foiled by a jammed rifle, Serbia’s election under President-turned-candidate Aleksandar Vucic, a $5 million Instacart settlement over the hiring of U.S. workers, and a Lahore High Court summons over the continued detention of Imran Khan’s three sisters. Here are the six stories in full, with links to our reporting.
California Asks Court to Block DOJ Bid to Set Aside 20,000 Ballots
The Justice Department has asked a federal judge to order California to set aside mail ballots tied to about 20,000 registered voters whom federal agencies say are likely noncitizens, according to court filings reported by USA Today. The department says it is not asking to cancel registrations or discard ballots already cast, only to segregate them until citizenship can be verified. California argues the federal list is unreliable and that acting less than two weeks before the November 3 midterms could disenfranchise thousands of voters, while Los Angeles County says only 7,035 of the names had county addresses and a sample found many canceled or inactive registrations.
Trump’s MAGA Inc. Unleashes $277 Million Advertising Blitz in Final Midterm Push
President Donald Trump’s political operation has unleashed more than $277 million in television and direct-mail advertising over the final six weeks of the midterm campaign, part of a push Trump says will reach $400 million to $500 million by Election Day, according to Federal Election Commission data reported by Reuters. MAGA Inc. reported nearly $416 million in cash on hand at the end of August, and the money is concentrated in the Senate races that will decide control of the chamber, including more than $36 million in Texas, $30.1 million in Michigan and more than $28 million in Ohio. Democrats counter with about $80 million from former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, his team told the New York Times.
Illinois Man Held After Alleged Hindu Temple Shooting Plot Foiled by Jammed Rifle
A 19-year-old Illinois man is being held without bond after prosecutors said he drove to a Hindu temple in Aurora with an AR-style rifle and about 300 rounds of ammunition and tried to open fire, only to flee when the weapon jammed, according to police and prosecutors as reported by the Associated Press. Alexandros Paporakis was arrested on October 11 after a co-worker alerted police, and investigators recovered a modified rifle, loaded magazines, body armor and an extremist manifesto from his home. No one was injured; the charges are allegations, not a conviction, and Paporakis is presumed innocent unless proven guilty, with his next court appearance scheduled for October 30.
Beatings and Threats Darken Serbia’s Election as Vucic Seeks to Extend 12-Year Rule
Serbia goes to the polls on October 25 with Aleksandar Vucic seeking to extend a 12-year hold on power, as interviews with activists, student protesters and opposition politicians paint an increasingly authoritarian picture ahead of the vote, according to Reuters. The student-led protest movement that grew out of anger over the 2024 Novi Sad train station canopy collapse, which killed 16 people, is fielding 250 of its own candidates, and a poll this week put the students neck and neck with Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party. Vucic and the SNS have repeatedly denied accusations of repression and corruption, and his office and the Interior Ministry did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Instacart to Pay $5 Million in DOJ Settlement Over Hiring of U.S. Workers
Instacart’s parent company, Maplebear Inc., will pay $5 million to settle a federal investigation into claims that the grocery delivery company discriminated against American workers through its recruiting and hiring practices, the Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced, according to Reuters and the Associated Press. The agencies said Instacart burdened U.S. applicants by requiring them to physically mail applications for jobs listed under the PERM green-card program, while accepting electronic applications as standard. Instacart maintained that its practices complied with the law, and under the settlement it will pay $1 million in civil penalties and up to $4 million to affected applicants, post the openings publicly and accept electronic applications.
Lahore High Court Summons Punjab Home Secretary Over Detention of Imran Khan’s Sisters
The Lahore High Court on Thursday summoned the Punjab home secretary and the superintendent of Kot Lakhpat jail to appear in person on October 28 in a petition seeking the release of the three sisters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, according to The News. Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan have been in custody since last month under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, and counsel told the court their detention orders expired on October 19 and 20, yet the sisters remain at Kot Lakhpat jail. The petition was filed by Aleema Khan’s son, Shahrez Khan, and the PTI is pressing in parallel for the sisters’ release and the restoration of family meetings with Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi.
That is today’s briefing. Read every story in full at zarknews.com, and check back through the day for updates as these stories develop.
