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10 Important Biblical Archaeological Finds A king's enemies boasted about "the House of David." A pharaoh bragged about defeating Israel. Here are ten of the most compelling archaeological finds tied to the Bible. https://aish.com/10-important-biblical-archaeological-finds/?

He has broken his arm playing basketball. Makes you wonder.

Trump renews call for New Mexico name change President Donald Trump on Monday took to social media to renew his call for New Mexico to be renamed New America. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/20/repub/trump-renews-call-for-new-mexico-name-change/? Trump’s DOJ steps up pressure on California over noncitizen voters 2 weeks from election The U.S. Department of Justice is intensifying its campaign against voter fraud with a spree of arrests in the final weeks before Election Day, an effort that voting rights advocates warn risks instilling fear among voters. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/20/repub/trumps-doj-steps-up-pressure-on-california-over-noncitizen-voters-2-weeks-from-election/?

Pyung Duk “P. D.” Chun, first president of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) and longtime leader of the Church in Asia, passed away on October 3 at the age of 90. He devoted more than four decades of his life to the Seventh-day Adventist mission. Chun was born on October 10, 1936, in Hongseong, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea. He began denominational service in 1960 as a teacher at Gwangsi Sahmyook Middle School and later served as a pastor and departmental director. He was ordained to the gospel ministry on January 1, 1966. Chun continued his education in the Philippines at the Adventist Institute of Advanced Studies, where he earned a master's degree in religion. After returning to Korea, he served as Education and Health director for the Korean Union Conference. He later served in leadership at the Korean Publishing House, commonly known as Sijosa. In 1982, Chun was elected president of the West Central Korean Conference. He was elected president of the Korean Union Conference in December 1983. After being elected secretary of the Far Eastern Division in 1988, Chun was elected its president in November 1992. As president, Chun led the Church through a historic period of organizational transition in Asia, during which the Far Eastern Division became the Asia-Pacific Division, later divided into the NSD and the Southern Asia-Pacific Division. Chun was the last president of the Far Eastern Division, the first and only president of the Asia-Pacific Division, and the first president of the NSD. His years as a division leader coincided with the growth of the 1,000 Missionary Movement, which mobilized young Adventists for cross-cultural missionary service. He also helped nurture the Pioneer Mission Movement and served as the first chair of its Management Committee. [ A fantastic organization ] Chun retired from full-time denominational service on July 1, 2003. His service continued beyond retirement through contributions to the Adventist Review magazine, where he served as its international publishing manager. Chun is survived by his wife, Yoon Hee Kim; his son, Kyung Bae Chun; his daughters, Eun Sil Chun and Eun Kyung Chun; and their extended families. Photo: Northern Asia-Pacific Division https://adventist.news/news/first-president-of-northern-asia-pacific-division-dies-at-90 NSD representatives stated that they will remember Chun with gratitude as a leader devoted to advancing the gospel.

Judge: Teacher put on blast by state officials should be reprimanded, not suspended An Alachua County teacher should be issued a written letter of reprimand for allowing classmates to label a student the “most likely to become a dictator” during the 2022-2023 school year, an administrative judge ruled. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/20/judge-teacher-put-on-blast-by-state-officials-should-be-reprimanded-not-suspended/? In a redrawn congressional district, Kathy Castor faces her toughest battle When the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature approved Gov. Ron DeSantis’ congressional redistricting map earlier this year, members intended to remove some of Florida’s longest-standing Democrats from the 28-member delegation. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/20/in-a-redrawn-congressional-district-kathy-castor-faces-her-toughest-battle/? Proposed school, daycare vaccine changes challenged in administrative court Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration didn’t follow rulemaking procedures and overstepped its authority when it proposed eliminating four required vaccines for school and daycare entry, a rule challenge filed in state administrative court alleges. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/20/proposed-school-daycare-vaccine-changes-are-challenged-in-administrative-court/? ps:Gerrymandering is what this is really!!!!! Democratic Governors Association investing $1 million to support David Jolly Weeks after he virtually begged for national financial support for his campaign, the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) announced Tuesday that it is investing $1 million to David Jolly’s campaign for Florida governor. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/20/democratic-governors-association-investing-1-million-to-support-david-jolly/? DeSantis: Tough fentanyl laws have led to 60% dip in drug deaths in three years More than 600 pounds of fentanyl, 800 pounds of cocaine, and nearly 1,000 firearms have been seized and nearly 3,000 drug arrests made in Florida since 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday during an Orlando press conference. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/20/desantis-tough-fentanyl-laws-have-led-to-60-dip-in-drug-deaths-in-three-years/? Senate President Ben Albritton says he’ll vote ‘no’ on property tax cuts Less than five months after Florida Senate President Ben Albritton hailed his chamber for voting to put a measure on the Nov. 3 ballot seeking a major expansion of the homestead property tax exemption for non-school taxes, he now says he opposes the proposal. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/20/senate-president-ben-albritton-says-hell-vote-no-on-property-tax-cuts/?

https://adventist.news/news/adventist-churches-in-ukraine-damaged-during-weekend-shelling-and-airstrike Photo: Oleh Larionov During the weekend of October 17 to 19, at least three Seventh-day Adventist churches were damaged by bombing in Ukraine. The Irpin Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Kyiv region of Ukraine was damaged during a 6am airstrike on October 19. The Kyiv Regional Military Administration has reported 17 people were injured, and one woman was killed during the attacks. Damages to the church include broken windows and window frames and cracks in the walls. Members of the local Baptist and Pentecostal Church assisted the Irpin Adventist Church in cleaning and clearing debris. City authorities provided special equipment to remove building debris and broken glass. Photo: Ukrainian Union Conference The Izium Seventh-day Adventist Church building in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region was destroyed during shelling on the night of October 18. The Main Directorate of the National Police said three people were injured. Church leaders said a significant part of the walls and roof collapsed, though the front facade survived. The Adventist community in Izium was founded in 1947 and purchased the building in 2006. Church in Iziuma damages. Photo: Oleh Larionov A day earlier, the Khersonu Seventh-day Adventist Church building was damaged in an airstrike on the morning of October 17. The Khersonu Regional Military Administration said eight bombs were dropped over the course of an hour, injuring 22 people. An emergency medical driver was killed in the second strike, the administration said. Church leaders said many of the church’s windows were broken and its frames and doors were partially damaged. The building had remained in use until the strike. It previously housed the Adventist DieSlovo Secondary School, which moved online for student safety. DIeSlovo Secondary School damages. Photo: Yurii Bondarenko Content for this article was sourced from three articles published on the Ukrainian Union Conference news site. В Ірпені внаслідок російського удару пошкоджено будівлю Адвентистської церкви As a result of Russian shelling of Izyum, the building of the Adventist Church was destroyed - Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ukraine Russian airstrike damaged Adventist church building in Kherson - Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ukraine

Super Typhoon Champi is the strongest storm of the year Super Typhoon Champi in the western Pacific has become the strongest storm on the planet this year, with sustained winds reaching 185 mph — equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane. The powerful storm could bring heavy rain and damaging winds to parts of Taiwan and southern Japan as it moves northwest toward East Asia later this week. + Video: A weather simulation of Super Typhoon Champi

Homeland Security cleared to test heat ray weapon An Active Denial System before a demonstration in Wellton, Arizona, in April 2017. (Lance Cpl. Andrew M. Huff/US Marine Corps) The Pentagon has authorized the Department of Homeland Security to test a military-grade heat ray for potential use at the southern US border, according to a memo obtained by CNN. Known as the Active Denial System, the nonlethal weapon fires an invisible beam of electromagnetic waves that causes a burning sensation on the skin, which Pentagon officials have compared to opening a hot oven. + Read more: Pentagon grants DHS permission to test heat ray weapon for potential use at border + For subscribers: Tracking the numbers behind Trump’s immigration offensive

The world’s climate goals slip further out of reach A new UN climate report warns that the world will inevitably surpass the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree Celsius warming target in the next few years. Released ahead of next month’s global climate summit in Turkey, the report urges countries to limit how far temperatures rise beyond that threshold to help reduce the risk of irreversible damage to the planet. + Read more: The existing 1.5C warming limit is no longer achievable, UN says + Plus: Exactly how much of an environmental menace is AI?

Russia frees detained 74-year-old American Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American detained in Russia for more than four years, has been released following a visit by US special envoy Steve Witkoff. The retired Michigan teacher had been designated as wrongfully detained by the State Department, and President Trump said Tuesday that he had raised his case with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Witkoff’s visit also included talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Norway on Tuesday that made “meaningful progress,” according to a US official. + Read more: Who is Stephen Hubbard? And why was he detained? + Plus: US envoy Witkoff lands in Russia for talks with Putin

I was surprised at this, just saw him on tv selling food for people to survive a disaster of massive proportions

He was so exiting!!

Yes. the SDA denomlination whilch on some levels rejects women lin ministry has a co-folunder who is a female! [NOTE: On other levels of the SDA denomination women aare fully accepted in ministry. ] The public at large fails to understand this incostent reality. That is a valid point. Elen White was issued the credentials of an ordained minister, for a number of years. No, she did not pastor a SDA Church as she ministered to the denomlination as a whole. We have many men in administration who are considered clery and do not pastor SDA congregations.

Trump and Vance announce $25M whistleblower program to encourage public to report alleged fraud WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday announced a $25 million program to encourage the public to blow the whistle on suspected fraud in the U.S. government as they ramp up efforts to end the abuse of federal programs and dollars. https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-whistleblower-vance-cc7c155c06cbab74d423911c36f5ac78? ps:Seriously? After making a roar about whistle blowers?? He's now OK with whistleblowers??? Pathetic!!!!! White House tensions rise ahead of midterms As President Donald Trump fights to preserve Republican control of Congress, those closest to him are bracing for the possibility of a crushing defeat. Behind the scenes, administration officials and allies describe a White House increasingly consumed by infighting, finger-pointing and fears of a sweeping personnel shake-up if Republicans suffer major losses. Meanwhile, on the campaign trail, Trump is doubling down on familiar themes: suggesting that American civilization is under threat and casting the election as a battle to defend White, Christian culture. At a rally in Kansas this week, he warned that Americans must protect their heritage from those who seek to destroy it, while also invoking racially charged rhetoric and Islamophobic paranoia. It’s a return to the grievance politics that helped propel him to the presidency — even as many voters demand answers on the soaring cost of everyday life, from expensive groceries and gas to the rising cost of housing. Election Day on November 3 will offer some real insight into the staying power of Trump’s culture-focused message. + Read more: Trump officials brace for potential post-midterms presidential rampage + New CNN poll: Trump’s approval rating hits a new low + For subscribers: The president’s increasingly dark rhetoric is shocking — even for him

Democrats’ faith in election results is falling but still exceeds that of Republicans, AP-NORC poll finds Registered voters who identify as Democrats have lost faith in America’s election results since the midterm elections four years ago, according to a new AP-NORC poll. Their confidence that votes will be counted accurately has dropped from 75% in 2022 to 55% this year. Read more. Why this matters: The overwhelming majority of Democratic voters say the president attempting to influence U.S. elections is a “major problem,” a view that is shared by independents but not most Republicans. Meanwhile, Republican voters’ confidence in the results has risen slightly since 2022 — but they’re still less likely to say they have faith in the electoral process than Democrats. Republicans are more concerned about people voting who are not eligible. A majority of voters from both parties also say that foreign governments trying to influence election outcomes, AI-generated election misinformation and states redrawing legislative districts to intentionally favor one party are “major problems.”

October 21, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. President Trump’s approval rating has hit a new low just before the midterms, a new Times/Siena University poll found. And Russia released a 74-year-old American after he’d spent four years in jail, according to Russian state media. U.S. officials said the man had been wrongfully detained. The release buys Vladimir Putin good will with Trump, while costing Putin little. There’s more news below. But first, let’s go to Idaho. Ashlie Heywood traveled two hours to deliver her baby. Thea Traff for The New York Times Idaho falls In the four years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, prompting a near-total ban on Idaho abortions, more than a third of the state’s obstetrician-gynecologists have left, closed their offices, stopped practicing obstetrics or retired. Now half of Idaho’s counties don’t have an OB-GYN. There are just 170 obstetricians in the state today — less than two for every 10,000 women there. (Nationally, it’s about twice that.) Facts from the Gem State: Three rural hospitals have closed their labor and delivery wards because they don’t have enough doctors. The wait time for a hysterectomy, even in more populated areas like Boise, can be six months. For an annual exam, it’s more like nine months. And if women face life-threatening complications during childbirth or a miscarriage, they’re increasingly flown out of state for treatment that OB-GYNs in Idaho could be jailed for administering. The result? It’s now more dangerous to be pregnant in Idaho. My colleague Lisa Lerer spent a year interviewing doctors, public health officials, patients and reproductive rights activists across the state to learn how doctors are coping. “In a way, they are like pioneer doctors, working at the frontier of a new America where abortion laws limit the care they can offer,” Lisa writes. Near downtown Moscow, Idaho. Thea Traff for The New York Times That could change this year. A referendum on the ballot would restore abortion rights until what’s called “fetal viability,” which was the standard that Roe set. But the loss of all those doctors will be felt for years. In danger Lisa provides abundant examples of the peril. One new mother was hemorrhaging after she gave birth. It’s a common cause of severe complications. A patient can bleed to death in less than 10 minutes. Her family-practice doctors rushed to stanch the bleeding. If they failed to do so, the patient would need surgery to remove her uterus — a hysterectomy. It is the second most common surgery for women in the United States. (A cesarean section is first.) Hundreds of thousands of hysterectomies are performed each year. In Idaho today, though, a hysterectomy can be a problem. One of the bleeding patient’s doctors had a specialty in high-risk obstetrics. She could deliver babies, implant IUDs, conduct gynecological exams and even perform minor operations to remove fetal tissue after a miscarriage to prevent infection. But she wasn’t trained for hysterectomies. She wasn’t an OB-GYN. And on this day, there were no OB-GYNs available to help. A hospital in Meridian, Idaho. Thea Traff for The New York Times She thought through her options with her colleagues. If the bleeding didn’t stop, they decided, they’d ask the general surgeon on call for the hospital for assistance. This wasn’t a great safety net. General surgeons don’t perform hysterectomies as regularly as OB-GYNs. It’s not really in their wheelhouse, the family doctor told Lisa. But “your other option is the patient dies,” the doctor said. What happened to the patient? Read the story to find out. DARK NUTRITION Kyoko Hamada for The New York Times I once ate a full lobe of a cow’s brain at a diner in St. Louis. I’ve eaten pounds of strange-adjacent proteins: raccoon, squirrel, ptarmigan. But I’ve got nothing on the “dark nutrition” crowd experimenting with all sorts of unusual diets. The Times spoke with many of them: eaters of raw beef, chicken and roadkill; disavowers of seed oils and vegetables; consumers of colostrum, butter and egg yolks. Some swear by organ meats, others by cane sugar or raw milk. You can choose your own adventure. Because dark nutrition isn’t a specific diet. Instead, it’s a style of thinking about food and health. And its central tenet is: Most of what you think you know about food is wrong. Come meet the true believers. Among other things, you’ll learn about meat cereal. FREE TO READ Harry Houdini Bettmann/Getty Images One last illusion: Harry Houdini died on Halloween 100 years ago. But how did it happen? What happened in Vegas: A shirtless man who grabbed a flamingo by its neck and took it to his hotel room was found guilty of animal cruelty. “Mitch was drunk,” his lawyer said. “Mitch was stupid.” Read about the case. Your pick: The most clicked link in The Morning yesterday was about Barbara Palvin, a model who was back on the Victoria’s Secret runway six weeks after giving birth. 890-mile trek: The first person to swim the length of California endured a hurricane and encountered four great white sharks. See the photos. “One of the most annoying things”: Britain’s prime minister is on a campaign against listening to music on trains without headphones. THE LATEST NEWS Politics Alina Habba Kenny Holston/The New York Times Times exclusive: A Venezuelan billionaire wanted a pardon, and his family made a $50 million deal with one of Trump’s former lawyers. The Supreme Court justice Elena Kagan said that recent decisions on voting rights, gerrymandering and campaign finance had increased polarization in America. Trump proposed turning the White House press briefing room into a swimming pool. It’s the latest indication that he wants to evict reporters from the building. ICE said its agents didn’t hit a cyclist in California with a car before detaining him. Video tells a different story. Midterms Trump’s super PACs have spent a staggering amount on the midterms. Term-limited presidents don’t normally do that. Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor, made his own 11th-hour midterm push, giving Democrats about $80 million. In a new attack ad, the estranged mother of Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for Ohio governor, called her a liar. They were estranged after Acton’s stepfather was arrested and charged with raping her when she was a child. Acton’s brother called the ad “despicable.” Around the World Off the northeast coast of Scotland. Andy Buchanan/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Britain approved more gas drilling in the North Sea, potentially undercutting one of its government’s climate change pledges. The Houthis have cut off access to one of Yemen’s largest cities. People there are running out of food and water. The death of a mayor in Haiti who promised to stay in his town after it was overrun by gang violence is a symbol of how the state has effectively collapsed. Trump is downplaying Russian attacks on Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky is pushing back. Other Big Stories The woman who said she was raped at Cornell University wrote to faculty leaders that she felt “disbelieved” by the school’s president. Read her letter. Boeing won U.S. regulatory approval for the largest version of the 737 Max after a six-year delay for reasons that included two fatal crashes of a smaller model. Drug companies are developing new ketamine products as the Trump administration embraces psychedelic treatments. BUILT TO FAIL The New York Times Several public housing towers in Venezuela collapsed during an earthquake in June. A New York Times investigation found fundamental flaws in their design and construction. These graphics illustrate weaknesses that made the towers vulnerable. OPINIONS The affordability crisis is not just about expensive gas, a Yale law professor writes. It’s about long-term economic security. Trump is betraying Ukraine and appeasing Russia for his own benefit, the editorial board writes. Subscribe to New York Times Games. Get Super Duolingo for free. For a limited time, annual Games subscribers can enjoy 6 months of language learning with Super Duolingo. Subscribe now TODAY’S NUMBER At Madison Square Garden. Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images $1,894 — That was the average price of a ticket for last night’s Knicks season opener at Madison Square Garden, the highest ever for a regular-season N.B.A. game. Meet the entirely rational fans who are happy to pay. (The Knicks lost to LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers.) RECIPE OF THE DAY Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards. Here’s some comfort food of the first order: matar tofu, a cousin to matar paneer, the northern Indian masala of peas and cheese in a warmly spiced tomato gravy. The cheese is gone here, replaced by cubed baked tofu, and the result, as one of our readers commented, is “wow wow wow.” CRUZ CONTROL Paul Kooiker for The New York Times Penélope Cruz has spent 30 years masterminding one of the most versatile careers in Hollywood history. Marcela Valdes profiled the actress for The Times and learned a great deal about her craft. About interpreting a role, Cruz said: “It’s like making a soup. I have an empty bowl that needs to be filled with things.” She looks at art, listens to music, talks to people who remind her of the character. She might put on a wig. And one day it clicks, she continued. “That person to whom you’re going to give life is already in you.” Read the whole thing. More on culture In 2021, the actress Christina Applegate was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She now says she was misdiagnosed. Jeffrey Schmalz was a New York Times editor and reporter who began chronicling the AIDS epidemic for the paper in 1992, even as the disease ravaged his own health. Before he died the following year at 39, Jeff wrote poignantly — yet unsparingly — about why the political and medical cavalry would not arrive in time for him. Read Maureen Dowd’s reflection on his legacy. A late night host supported Trump’s man crush on Senator Jon Husted. Richard Cooke’s book “The Last Best Place on the Internet” retells the history of Wikipedia with an emphasis on the human. In the video below, Jennifer Szalai, a Times critic, gives her review. Click to watch. The New York Times THE MORNING RECOMMENDS “Stephen Tucker and Members of the Arthur Doyle Concert Band” (1981), by Peter Freeth. Peter Freeth Keep those blurry photographs children take with your phone. They might be art! Manage your bunion. You don’t need to walk in pain. Affix a Bluetooth tracker to your key ring, bicycle or luggage. The recovery experts at Wirecutter found the best ones for Apple and Android phones. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was munchkin. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. See you tomorrow. — Sam Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren Deputy Editorial Director: Lauren Jackson

THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 21 1959 Guggenheim Museum opens in New York City The contemporary art museum, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, drew thousands to its opening day. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT Civil War 1861 Battle of Ball’s Bluff Crime 2021 Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins killed on set for the Western movie ‘Rust’ Early U.S. 1797 USS Constitution launched European History 1805 Battle of Trafalgar Natural Disasters & Environment 1966 Aberfan disaster kills 144 people and levels a Welsh mining village Vietnam War 1967 Thousands protest the war in Vietnam World War II 1941 Germans massacre men, women and children in Yugoslavia

⚾ 1 for the road: Baseball's looming lockout Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Aaron Ashby and catcher William Contreras celebrate after advancing to the World Series on Thursday. Photo: Mark J. Terrill/AP Beginning Friday, the Tampa Bay Rays will face the Milwaukee Brewers in a World Series featuring two of baseball's smallest spenders, just weeks before a labor standoff threatens to halt the sport, Axios' David Adkins writes. Why it matters: MLB owners argue that baseball needs a salary cap to give smaller teams a fighting chance. But a championship matchup between two budget teams gives players fresh ammunition to argue that the current system works. 🏟️ State of play: Owners proposed a salary cap and salary floor in May — the league currently has neither — which the MLB players' union is expected to reject outright. A work stoppage threatens to derail baseball's momentum after a season marked by rising TV viewership and the successful introduction of a system for challenging umpires' ball-and-strike calls. Keep reading.

🎤 Trump targets briefing room The White House swimming pool, shown here in 1940, was later covered over to make room for the press briefing room. Photo: Bettmann Archive via Getty Images President Trump is pushing aides to evict the press from the White House and has talked about replacing the briefing room with an indoor swimming pool, The New York Times' Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan write. Trump pitched the idea to former Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in one of her final meetings with him in the Oval Office, telling her it'd be her "last legacy." Via Truth Social Trump has "told aides he would prefer to bring back the indoor pool President Franklin D. Roosevelt added in 1933 as therapy for his polio-afflicted legs; President Richard Nixon later covered it over to make room for the news media." Keep reading (gift link). ✈️ CNN is threatening further legal action against the Trump administration for denying its journalists access to Air Force One. The White House continues to bar the network from the pool that travels with the president. Keep reading.

🤖 Execs trust AI over themselves Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Executives are twice as likely as rank-and-file workers to trust AI over their own judgment, Axios' Emily Peck writes from a new survey by Charter, a workplace research company. 32.8% of execs said that they trust AI more. That number was just 16.3% for individual contributors.

✈️ Witkoff takes peace plan to Putin White House envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg today and present him with an updated proposal to end the war in Ukraine, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. President Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner will join the meeting virtually. Why it matters: The White House hopes Putin will show more willingness to compromise after Trump agreed to lift sanctions on Russian diesel sales and took other steps welcomed by Moscow. Zelensky said yesterday that the next step should be a trilateral meeting between him, Putin and Trump — something Russia has refused to do so far.

🗳️ Where early voting is surging Data: UF Election Lab tracker. Map: David Adkins/Axios More than 12.6 million Americans have already cast ballots in the midterm elections, according to the University of Florida Election Lab's tracker. Georgia and Virginia lead reporting states in early turnout as a share of all ballots cast in the 2022 midterms, Axios' David Adkins and Herb Scribner write. Signs of strong early turnout are also emerging in other states. In Texas, Dallas County reported a record 76,079 in-person votes on Monday, the first day of early voting. In North Carolina, early voting was running 37% ahead of the same point in the 2022 midterms as of Oct. 18, with registered Democrats casting more than twice as many ballots as Republicans.

💰 Anthropic's unavoidable IPO Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Jason Henry/Bloomberg via Getty Images Anthropic's impending IPO will test a jittery Wall Street, but investors say the timing isn't optional, Axios AI+ co-author Madison Mills writes. The reason is simple math: The AI giant has grown too big for private fundraising. Why it matters: Top AI companies like Anthropic and OpenAI are racking up 12-figure spending commitments, straining the financial system's ability to keep up with a buildout that rivals America's railroads or interstate highways. Anthropic's computing commitments could reach $750 billion in the coming years, according to a draft IPO prospectus seen by The Wall Street Journal. 🔭 Zoom in: Investors say only public markets can raise money at that scale. OpenAI's most recent round, the biggest in history, took months to secure more than $120 billion — a feat unlikely to be repeated in this market. 🔮 What's next: Anthropic is expected to go public before Thanksgiving. A strong debut could help reset investor angst about the AI boom.

📺 "To Catch a Predator" midterm ad wars Screenshot: People Over Politics Action Fund Republicans and Democrats are flooding the midterm airwaves with explosive TV ads accusing their opponents of protecting pedophiles and child sexual abusers, Axios' Alex Isenstadt writes. Why it matters: The advertising blitz underscores the lingering power of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, which has fueled distrust of powerful figures and pushed allegations of child sexual abuse to the forefront of national politics. The controversy over the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files — including allegations that officials sought to protect powerful figures by not releasing all of the files — has kept the issue in the headlines. The midterm ads that have followed have been bipartisan and are playing out in state and federal races. 🧮 By the numbers: Since Sept. 1, candidates and outside groups have aired at least $70 million in TV ads mentioning pedophilia, Epstein and allegations related to child sexual abuse, according to AdImpact. Of the 118 ads identified, 63 were sponsored by Democrats, 52 by Republicans and three by independents. Keep reading. Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at a campaign event in Greenville, Ohio, on Sunday. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign for Ohio governor is pouring $4 million into a bombshell ad in which his opponent's estranged mother attacks her daughter — doubling down on the message despite fierce bipartisan backlash. Amy Acton has said her mom sided with her stepfather after he sexually assaulted Acton when she was 12. After the ad began appearing yesterday on social media, many fellow Republicans urged Ramaswamy to distance his campaign from it. Go deeper.