Inflation hits 3.7%, Ukraine's Starlink limits, DOJ's California ballot deadline
September inflation came in hotter than expected and tech stocks fell, as Social Security announced a 3.6% raise for 2027; Ukraine says SpaceX limited its military Starlink service; the Justice Department gave California 48 hours to review a list of suspected noncitizen mail voters; records detail the federal takeover of Red Lake Nation's child welfare program; and the Dodgers face a 2-0 hole in the NLCS.
The consumer price index rose 3.7% from a year earlier in September, above the 3.6% economists expected and up from 3.4% in August. Core prices, excluding food and energy, rose 2.6%. Gasoline drove much of the increase. The Nasdaq fell about 1.9% and the S&P 500 about 1.1%, as traders raised bets on a Fed rate hike this month; the Dow ended nearly flat. Separately, the Social Security Administration announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027 for about 76 million people.
Ukrainian officials say SpaceX imposed a speed limit overnight on Starlink terminals used by the military while in motion, without notice, disrupting a number of drone missions. Presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov said the cap affects the Starshield military service above 100 mph; a Ukrainian army corps told Reuters connections dropped at lower speeds. Elon Musk wrote on X that limits on speed or usage are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately the president. SpaceX did not immediately comment, and the White House has not commented. Poland's foreign minister asked Musk publicly whether he was playing politics with his products. The Kyiv Independent reports service was partly restored by evening.
Ukraine saysPresidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov says the limit came overnight with no warning to Ukraine's defense forces and disrupted a number of missions, and that it is linked to the current political situation; he offered no evidence for that link.
Elon Musk saysMusk wrote on X that any limits on speed or usage are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately the president, that Starshield systems are government-owned, and that offensive military use would be inappropriate for a commercial company.
In a letter to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter gave the state 48 hours to determine whether any citizens are on a federal list of people it believes are likely noncitizens who were sent mail ballots for the Nov. 3 election. The department asks that those people's ballots be set aside until citizenship is confirmed and warns it would seek emergency relief if the state does not comply. Weber's office did not immediately comment. AP notes the Justice Department has charged about 90 people this year with election misconduct, 50 of them for allegedly voting as noncitizens, and that noncitizen voting is exceptionally rare.
The Justice Department saysThe people on its list are likely noncitizens; California should not send them ballots, should set aside ballots already returned until citizenship is confirmed, and faces emergency legal action if it does not act within 48 hours.
California election officials sayTricia Webber, president of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials, calls the 48-hour deadline "completely unreasonable." In July, responding to a separate federal claim, Secretary of State Weber said she had "serious doubts about the reliability" of the federal data.
A federal notice released through a public records request shows the Bureau of Indian Affairs took over Red Lake Nation's child welfare program in September, saying children were in "imminent and substantial jeopardy." The notice alleges a "pattern of inaction" and a refusal to cooperate with federal authorities, and links program inaction to child deaths since 2021. The tribe says it is cooperating fully with the BIA, has appealed the decision, and has agreed to mediation.
Federal officials sayThe Interior Department's notice alleges a pattern of inaction, a refusal to cooperate with federal authorities and failures to report crimes, and says children were in imminent and substantial jeopardy.
Red Lake Nation saysThe tribe says it is cooperating fully with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, has appealed the reassumption decision and agreed to mediation, and cannot comment further while the matter is ongoing.
The Milwaukee Brewers won the first two games of the National League Championship Series at home, 2-1 and 7-4, over the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 3 is tonight at Dodger Stadium at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT) on FS1, with Robert Gasser starting for Milwaukee and Blake Snell for Los Angeles. In the ALCS, Tampa Bay and Cleveland are tied 1-1.
