October 18 through 24. An American came home from a Russian prison, the White House kept leaning toward Moscow, and with early voting open, candidates showed how far they’ll go in the last stretch before Nov. 3. Here’s what mattered this week and where to find it.
What happened between Trump, Russia and Ukraine this week?
Russia freed Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired Michigan teacher, while envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. Trump said the U.S. gave nothing in return, though he credited his sanctions waiver. The same week, he said it may be time for Zelenskyy to “get somebody else to negotiate” and called Russia “fine.” On Meet the Press, Zelenskyy said the Starlink slowdown was a ‘message’ from Washington, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called that “very reckless.” Zelenskyy told senators Ukraine has almost no Patriot interceptors left.
How ugly did the midterm campaign get?
Pretty ugly. Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign put $4 million behind an ad starring Amy Acton’s estranged mother; Ohio’s Republican governor wants it down, while Trump and Vance said keep it up. Trump told a Kansas rally that America will burn like France if Democrats win, and in Kentucky said the Pentagon would fund a drug plant if Republicans win. A soldier’s widower asked JD Vance who’s accountable for his wife’s death, and Vance said it was the first he’d heard. CBS’s Jan Crawford apologized for cheering a heckler who asked Abdul El-Sayed to disavow the Muslim Brotherhood. And Meta took down the No Kings Instagram during its biggest day, blaming its bot filters.
The numbers explain the nerves. Trump’s approval hit a second-term low of 34% in the NBC poll, and 71% said the country is on the wrong track. In Miami, Rep. María Elvira Salazar told Trump he’s ‘gone too far’ on immigration.
What did this week mean for your wallet?
The federal deficit hit $1.99 trillion, with interest alone costing $1.1 trillion. Oil topped $100 again as ships were hit in the Strait of Hormuz. Tech stocks had their worst day since June after Meta’s AI spending spooked investors, and Netflix cut its ad revenue target. Trump and Vance launched a fraud tip program paying up to $30,000, with Trump saying he’ll decide who gets paid.
What happened in Florida and New York?
- Florida Amendment 3 would save homeowners about $2,000 a year on property taxes and cost local governments $45.8 billion over five years.
- Florida will send more state school money to vouchers than to public schools in Miami-Dade.
- Florida charged Raúl Castro over the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue shootdown, and executed its 18th prisoner this year.
- A Pinecrest bakery got dragged into the Salazar race for serving Hakeem Jeffries.
- Mayor Mamdani replaced four members of the NYPD’s watchdog board, and a man was shot dead on a Midtown subway platform.
Also this week
- A truck drove through a youth soccer game in Wichita, killing a 6-year-old boy and a man.
- Trump endorsed Netanyahu and warned the U.S. won’t fight Iran alone if he loses.
- Iran said it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz in 7 days if the U.S. takes its deal.
- The Knicks raised their banner, then lost to LeBron’s 76ers, and the Packers beat the Cowboys on Sunday night.
The BeezLoop Take
The week’s through-line is a White House making big moves with Russia, Iran and Israel that it hasn’t fully explained, while the campaign at home gets meaner. Bringing Hubbard home was a real win. But a president calling Russia “fine” while Ukraine runs out of air defense, and a vice president telling Republicans to “stop whining” about an ad built on a woman’s childhood abuse, show where this administration’s priorities are with 10 days to go.
Voters are telling pollsters they’re worse off and the country’s headed the wrong way. The question for the last stretch is whether either party talks to them about prices instead of France, fraud bounties and attack ads.
The open question: what will decide more votes on Nov. 3, gas and grocery prices or the fights over who’s tougher on immigration?
Sources: BeezLoop coverage, October 18-24 · ABC7 (video)
