America in Brief | The Epoch Times

US Economy Surges in 3rd Quarter to Year High

The U.S. economy grew in the 3rd quarter at an annual rate of 3.4 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, its best quarter in a year.

This is the largest increase in GDP since it slumped in last year’s 4th quarter, showing signs of recovery and resilience amid high oil prices due to the war in Iran, with increases in AI investment and consumer spending listed among the contributors.

Rising from 2.2 percent in the second quarter, it exceeds economists’ expectations of 3.2 percent growth.

President Donald Trump applauded the news in a Truth Social post on Oct. 30.

“INFLATION IS WAY DOWN UNDER ‘TRUMP.’ INCOME FOR PEOPLE & COMPANIES IS WAY UP! The Golden Age of America Is Upon Us,” he wrote.

DOJ Intervenes in Alaska Senate Race

With the Senate race heating up ahead of the midterms, tensions have risen in Alaska.

The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit requesting a judge to block the certification of the Alaskan Senate race in the event of incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan’s (R-Alaska) loss, following concerns that another candidate with the same name could alter the outcome in favor of Democrats.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has also ordered an investigation into whether candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign was involved alongside national Democrats in recruiting spoiler candidates to steal votes away from the incumbent senator.

Democrats allegedly recruited a retired teacher named Dan Sullivan from Petersburg, Alaska, to run for office.

In an act called ballot stacking, competitors recruit spoiler candidates, such as people carrying the same name as their opponent, to register as a candidate in an attempt to take votes away from the opponent by confusing voters to gain an advantage.

The DOJ initially filed the lawsuit on Oct. 22 at Trump’s request.

Campaign signs for Democratic Alaska Senate candidate Mary Peltola and incumbent Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan (R-Alaska) are displayed in front of a home in Anchorage, Alaska, on Oct. 30, 2026. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) — Campaign signs for Democratic Alaska Senate candidate Mary Peltola and incumbent Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan (R-Alaska) are displayed in front of a home in Anchorage, Alaska, on Oct. 30, 2026. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

US Signs Agreements With Finland and Hungary

The United States signed deals with Finland and Hungary on Oct. 29, paving the way for increased partnership and cooperation with the European countries.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen in Washington, where they signed a critical minerals framework to improve mineral supply chains and a technology deal to accelerate the development of new technologies.

Later, Rubio met with Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán to discuss the resurgence of far-left extremism. They signed a memorandum of understanding on law enforcement cooperation and information exchange, and another on energy infrastructure and regional energy security, which covers oil and natural gas infrastructure development.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen sign a memorandum of understanding at the State Department in Washington on Oct. 29, 2026. (Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen sign a memorandum of understanding at the State Department in Washington on Oct. 29, 2026. Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images

Brazil’s Flávio Bolsonaro Lands in Miami

Brazilian Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro landed in Miami on Oct. 30 after losing the country’s presidential election. He declared himself “leader of Brazil” and alleged fraud in the election.

Bolsonaro, who led the first round of elections at the start of the month, lost in the runoff on Oct. 25 to socialist incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Following his loss, Brazilian authorities ordered Bolsonaro to hand over his passport as part of a criminal investigation into corruption and money laundering.

Trump, who welcomed Bolsonaro into the United States, called the elections “very strange” and said they appeared to have been “rigged.”

Bolsonaro’s father, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence after being found guilty of plotting a coup following his loss in the 2022 presidential race.

Flavio Bolsonaro steps off a plane after arriving at Opa Locka Executive Airport in Miami, Fla., on Oct. 28, 2026. (Ricardo Arduengo / AFP via Getty Images) — Flavio Bolsonaro steps off a plane after arriving at Opa Locka Executive Airport in Miami, Fla., on Oct. 28, 2026. Ricardo Arduengo / AFP via Getty Images

Missile Defense System Added to Mar-a-Lago

A surface-to-air missile system has been installed at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort and around the area in Florida ahead of his return there this weekend.

The Secret Service ordered the U.S. Army Humvee-based Avenger Short-Range Air Defense (SHORAD) Systems, along with counter-drone technology, due to heightened security concerns, according to officials.

More than 60 aircraft have been intercepted in the area since Trump returned to office in January 2025, though most involve pilots making mistakes, according to local media who sat in a briefing with North American Aerospace Defense Command on Oct. 6.

President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., on Feb. 22, 2026. (Marco Bello/Reuters) — President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., on Feb. 22, 2026. Marco Bello/Reuters

Comey Charged for 3rd Time

Former FBI director James Comey is facing his third set of federal charges pertaining to allegations made public on Oct. 26 that he leaked sensitive information to the New York Times in 2016, while he was FBI director.

Comey also faces another pending case for allegedly threatening Trump over a photo he posted on Instagram in May 2025 showing seashells arranged to read the numbers “86 47,” with 86 generally understood to mean “get rid of” and 47 meaning the 47th president.

Comey has asked the courts to dismiss the case, saying that he was making a political statement and didn’t intend any violence.

Another case, which involves making a false statement to Congress during a 2020 testimony, was dismissed in November 2025.

Former FBI Director James Comey leaves the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in in Washington on Dec. 7, 2018. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) — Former FBI Director James Comey leaves the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in in Washington on Dec. 7, 2018. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

James O’Keefe Faces Felony Charges

Undercover reporters James O’Keefe and Cam Higby have been charged by a Minnesota county judge for illegal voting and identity theft.

In August, O’Keefe and Higby visited multiple polling places and posed as local voters, attempting to register to vote under the state’s vouching laws, which allow one registered voter to vouch for up to eight voters.

Hennepin County Attorney’s Office in a statement accused the two of trying to “sow doubt about Minnesota’s secure voting systems.”

O’Keefe denied the allegations.

“If that’s a crime, anyone who speaks with a polling official and asks questions is also committing a crime. Journalism is not a crime.” he wrote in an X post on Oct. 29.

James O'Keefe, founder of Project Veritas Action. (Courtesy of Project Veritas) — James O’Keefe, founder of Project Veritas Action. Courtesy of Project Veritas

Judge Blocks DOJ Request About California Ballots

A judge on Oct. 30 blocked an emergency request by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to put aside 20,000 mail ballots tied to voters it had flagged as likely non-citizens.

Judge David O. Carter of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ruled that temporarily holding the ballots could confuse and disenfranchise legitimate voters, saying it would “create chaos for their own political purposes to disrupt the election process.”

DOJ filed a lawsuit against California on Oct. 15 after saying it failed to meet a 48-hour deadline to review 20,000 suspected noncitizens in the state’s voter rolls.