The written briefing, November 7, 2026
Good morning. This is the Zark News Daily Briefing for Saturday, November 7, 2026. President Donald Trump has named Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff after the midterm losses, and he also confirmed new limited United States strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island. China says talks are under way on a first meeting of Presidents Xi Jinping, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin at the APEC summit in Shenzhen. In the United States, employers added far more jobs than expected in October, while measles cases passed 5,000 in a single year for the first time in 35 years. In Paraguay, the Senate removed the president over a bank collapse. Here are the six stories, with links to our full reporting.
Trump Names Stephen Miller as Chief of Staff After Midterm Losses
President Donald Trump has named Stephen Miller, 41, as White House chief of staff, and Miller takes over on Monday, November 9. He replaces Susie Wiles, 69, the first woman to hold the job, who resigned on Thursday evening and moves to lead the Trump Political Operation, according to CNN reporting cited in our story. Miller was deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser and is the architect of the administration’s hard line immigration agenda, and the change comes three days after Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate.
Trump Confirms New Limited U.S. Strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island
President Trump confirmed new limited United States strikes on Iran that hit an air defence system on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, saying the device was knocked out in about 15 minutes, maybe five. Iranian state media reported two explosions in the Suza area, and IRIB carried an army claim of destroying a U.S. MQ-9 drone, which has not been independently confirmed. CENTCOM said the situation was relatively calm and gave no comment, no casualties were reported, and talks with Tehran continue, with the United States also offering up to $20 million for information on Iran’s nuclear program.
China Confirms Talks on a First Meeting of Xi, Trump and Putin at APEC Summit
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning confirmed talks on a first meeting of Presidents Xi Jinping, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, which could take place at the APEC leaders summit on November 18 and 19 in Shenzhen. The Financial Times reported about two weeks of quiet talks, and Putin proposed the format in an October 9 call with Trump, with ending the Ukraine war at the centre of the discussion. Analysts caution the meeting, at a summit of the 21 member grouping hosted by China, may produce a photo more than an agreement, and Ukraine would not be at the table.
U.S. Employers Add 165,000 Jobs in October as Jobless Rate Falls to 4.1 Percent
United States employers added 165,000 jobs in October, far above the about 65,000 expected and above the full forecast range of 35,000 to 125,000, while the unemployment rate fell to 4.1 percent. Revisions added 84,000 jobs to earlier months, lifting September to 60,000 and August to 186,000, and the biggest gains came in professional and business services, health care, transport and warehousing, and manufacturing. Average hourly earnings rose to $38.00, up 3.1 percent from a year earlier, and traders put the chance of a December Federal Reserve rate rise at about 78 percent, Reuters reported.
U.S. Measles Cases Pass 5,000, the Most in 35 Years, CDC Says
The CDC counted 5,182 confirmed measles cases as of November 5, the most in a single year since 1991 and more than double all of 2025, with cases in 45 states plus Washington, DC and 330 new cases in the latest week. Almost all of the cases, 4,993, were linked to outbreaks, children and teenagers account for nearly 60 percent, and kindergarten vaccine coverage has fallen from 95.2 percent to 92.4 percent. The Pan American Health Organization reviews the measles free status the United States has held since 2000 on November 10.
Paraguay Senate Removes President Pena Over Bank Collapse, Successor Sworn In
Paraguay’s Senate voted 44 to 0 to remove President Santiago Pena, finding him guilty of poor performance of duties, a day after the Chamber of Deputies voted 78 to 0 to impeach him, and Vice President Pedro Alliana was sworn in within hours to serve until August 2028. Pena, 47, who denies wrongdoing, was placed under house arrest after Congress refused his offer to resign, and regulators had seized the Ueno bank on November 3 after its solvency fell below half the required level. The collapse froze the savings of nearly 3 million people in a country of under 7 million, and Pena is only the second president removed by impeachment since 1989.
That is the briefing for Saturday, November 7, 2026. Full stories and updates are at zarknews.com throughout the day.
