Oleshky ceasefire, Canada tariff changes, consumer mood near record low, Artemis timeline, World Series Game 1
Russia and Ukraine agree to a local ceasefire in Oleshky that the White House says Melania Trump helped secure, the White House lifts 50% tariffs on some Canadian goods, consumer sentiment posts its second-lowest reading on record, NASA keeps Artemis III on track for 2027, and the Brewers host the Rays in World Series Game 1.
The White House says first lady Melania Trump secured a localized ceasefire in Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in Ukraine's Kherson region across the Dnipro River from Kherson, so humanitarian aid can enter and civilians can leave. The Kremlin confirmed the ceasefire and said all civilians who wish to leave will be allowed to, with the evacuation expected to take at least several days. Ukraine's human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, also confirmed the truce and thanked Melania Trump. Start dates differ by source: the White House gave October 29, while Russian General Valery Gerasimov said Russian forces would hold fire from early Tuesday, October 27.
The White House saysMelania Trump's representatives worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to define the terms; she called Oleshky "a front-line war city on the brink of disaster."
Russia saysKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia welcomes the first lady's efforts and that Russian and Ukrainian militaries are working on the timing of the evacuation.
Ukraine saysHuman rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said the operation will take place in stages and that Ukraine "has done and is doing everything possible to save the people in Oleshky."
The White House is removing 50% tariffs on some Canadian products, including plywood, some paper products, certain machinery, refrigeration equipment and packing crates and boxes, while adding others such as valves, carpets and waste products, according to a White House fact sheet. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who faces a close race against Democrat Troy Jackson, said she secured exemptions for products crucial to Maine agriculture. The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that the move was meant to help Collins's reelection bid. Trump imposed the 50% tariffs on about $20 billion of Canadian goods in August.
The White House saysThe change will "further refine the scope of the tariffs on certain Canadian products."
Sen. Susan Collins saysShe secured the exemptions after repeated talks with Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, because Maine farmers rely on specialized equipment and packaging from Canada.
Her Democratic opponent, Troy Jackson, saysJackson, who also opposes the tariffs, criticized Collins for taking credit for an earlier exemption, saying in an October debate that Mainers "can't eat road salt."
Canada saysPrime Minister Mark Carney said Canada keeps engaging with the U.S. and "could sign it this afternoon if the U.S. were there" on a broader deal.
The University of Michigan's final October consumer sentiment index came in at 48.0, down from 48.1 in September and the second-lowest reading on record, after May's 44.8. Consumers expect 4.7% inflation over the next year, up from 4.6%, and 3.5% over five years. Survey director Joanne Hsu said, "Purchasing power continues to dominate consumer views of the economy."
At a briefing Friday, NASA said Artemis III remains on track for summer 2027: a roughly 14-day mission in which four astronauts aboard Orion test SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon landers in low Earth orbit, using three big rocket launches. Artemis IV, planned for 2028, would be the first crewed moon landing since 1972. Program manager Jeremy Parsons called it "likely the most complicated launch campaign ever undertaken." NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said, "We are very much in a new space race."
The Milwaukee Brewers host the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the World Series Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox, with Jacob Misiorowski facing Nick Martinez. Neither team has won a World Series. It is Milwaukee's first World Series since 1982 and second ever; the Brewers won a franchise-record 103 games and swept the Dodgers in the NLCS.
