Geopolitics
An analysis tracked about 193 U.S. Air Force C-17 and C-5M cargo flights into the Middle East from September 29 to October 29. Ramstein served as a hub for flights to Israel, Jordan, and Gulf bases, including nine on October 29, amid reports that President Trump is considering another strike on Iran.
Additionally, an unconfirmed report indicated more than 80 U.S. aerial refueling tankers are in Israel. What has been confirmed is that more than 10 U.S. transports landed at Israeli bases this week, with others to Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, as air defenses are reportedly reinforced. Some have described the surge as preparation for focused operations against Iran. Munitions are being restocked as bombers and fighters prepare, and an extra carrier group joins, according to reports.
Senator Chris Murphy, who has reportedly seen Trump’s strike plans, called the post-election plans “insane,” citing risks of devastating escalation, civilian targeting, and lack of authorization. Ambassador Tom Barrack said a timeout is “very close.”
Separately, approximately 50 reconnaissance and intelligence Marines from Camp Lejeune have joined NATO’s Baltic Sentry operation to monitor undersea cables and pipelines with Finnish forces using drones and sensors.
Iran’s supreme leader ordered an immediate and geographically unrestricted response to any renewed U.S. or Israeli attack.
Economy
Binance said hackers took $6.3 billion in what it called the biggest crypto heist ever and halted deposits and withdrawals while covering losses. Analysts attributed it to North Korea’s Lazarus Group after a 20-minute drain across 10 blockchains. $3 billion was frozen, with well over $1 billion of that by Tether and Circle. Health Ranger tweeted that this proves that issuers freeze assets without due process, so holders own a censorable company claim rather than a truly decentralized asset. Tether and Circle said the freezes were made in coordination with law enforcement to protect the industry (i.e., the ends justify the means).
Meanwhile, in the “real” economy, copper prices approached $15,000 a ton, which analysts attributed to deglobalization, mining underinvestment, AI demand, and tariff stockpiling. The China Yangshan premium hit a record over $200 a ton, with reports that the metal is sold out in many markets. A strategist said a near-term peak is possible but expected 10 percent gains next year. However, the International Copper Study Group forecast a global surplus, with inventories concentrated in U.S. warehouses amid tariff uncertainty.
New York City lost 30,000 private jobs in August and September, totaling 32,000 for the year, according to available data. Hospitality lost 7,700 in September and 17,000 over the year. Finance cut nearly 6,000 in September. Owners cited rising food and rent, electricity bills exceeding $14,000 monthly, 38 percent health insurance increases, and permit delays of 10-15 weeks. Prices rose 4.5 percent, with rents over 5 percent and energy over 21 percent.
In Portland, Oregon, the 221-room Royal Sonesta downtown hotel sold for $6.83 million, a 93.6 percent discount from $108.3 million in 2016, as part of an eight-hotel Laxmi purchase. It is near a former open-air drug market in a city with reported issues involving drugs, crime, and street conditions. A Minneapolis counterpart sold at a 93 percent discount.
Relatedly, Quoth the Raven of Fringe Finance said the commercial real estate crisis continues unnoticed. Trepp found 75 percent of Class A office loans in an $18.2 billion sample maturing by September 2027 require extra equity, with 80 percent interest-only. 18 percent net operating loss growth would be needed versus 0.6 percent actual. Commercial mortgage-backed securities delinquencies reached 8.02 percent or $48.7 billion, with heavy 2027 maturities and 10-year yields over 5 percent.
Wendy’s franchisee Meritage Hospitality filed Chapter 11 covering 314 restaurants in 15 states. 33 have closed since mid-September, with up to 60 more by mid-November after 60 previous closures. Large losses were reported from sales, discounts, and a 22 percent beef price rise despite more imports. Wendy’s claims $147 million is due, and the chain has recorded over 300 net closures since 2024.
Energy
Ukraine struck the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery in Samara with drones, ending a two-week pause after reported Trump pressure. Zelensky’s 72-hour halt drew no thanks, as Russian processing rose 25 percent according to reports. The Rosneft plant 500 miles away produces jet fuel. Zelensky said Russia had taken no steps toward energy de-escalation amid continued strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.
US Politics
The Army held Operation Dragon Covenant in North Carolina, practicing temporary mass graves for high-casualty wars. Engineers dug 20-body trenches in 75 minutes, projecting 2,400 per day per company. Chaplains will consecrate entire sites. No such U.S. battlefield burials have occurred since Korea, according to reports.
Separately, National Guard units from all 50 states are being mobilized for the midterms, primarily for election cyber defense, with some at polls and drop boxes, a journalist reported from military sources. It follows a Hegseth directive despite Pentagon denials of involvement. Senators questioned the legal basis and intimidation risks. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine wrote that the Joint Force has no plans to send federal military personnel or federalized National Guard members to polling places.
Additionally, the Justice Department will send a reported record 1,000 monitors, including prosecutors, to polls nationwide. They plan to observe without intervening or asking citizenship questions, joined by unarmed DEA, prison, and ATF staff. An NAACP complaint notes prosecutors and an FBI agent at Arizona primaries. Wyoming called monitors aggressive.
Speaking of the elections, Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said the state has no system to identify noncitizen voters. Federal officials found over 400 suspected noncitizens on rolls and requested ballots be held. Hobbs said some are unregistered or citizens and sought proof. Automatic voter registration uses a signed citizenship attestation. He said noncitizens on rolls is not unusual.
European Politics
In what many are calling a coup d’état, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk sent police to the Constitutional Tribunal at night after President Nawrocki left for Senegal. The president turned his plane around and returned. Video showed barriers limiting access, including for judges. The EU has not commented. Tusk called the action a duty to restore the rule of law after years of lawlessness, while the tribunal’s leadership and opposition described it as a coup d’état.
Sources
US Recon Marines Join NATO Baltic Watch Over Undersea Cables
A team of close to 50 reconnaissance and intelligence-focused Marines are being sent to join a NATO mission that oversees the network of undersea internet cables and pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
Copper ‘Sold Out Everywhere’ as China Premium Hits Record on AI Boom and Tariff Stockpiling
Sold out everywhere
NYC Loses 30,000 Jobs as Overregulation and Costs Crush Restaurants
It turns out that more suffocating regulation in one of the most aggressively regulated cities in the U.S. is not helpful to businesses…go figure…
Luxury Hotel in Woke Portland Sells at Shocking 94% Loss
The steep markdown comes as downtown Portland continues to grapple with the fallout from years of rampant drug use, crime and deteriorating street conditions.
Wendy’s Franchisee Bankruptcy Threatens 60 More Closures as Beef Prices Climb 22%
Wendy’s could see up to 60 more restaurants closed across the United States through mid-November as one of its largest franchise operators battles bankruptcy, according to USA Today.
The CRE Crisis Isn’t Over — We’ve Just Stopped Paying Attention
The commercial real estate crisis hasn’t necessarily ended. We’ve simply gotten bored of talking about it.
National Guard Quietly Mobilized in All 50 States for Midterms Despite Pentagon Denials
National Guard units across the country are being quietly mobilized for next week’s midterm elections, despite reassurances from the Pentagon brass that it has “no plans” to involve itself in the elections.
Tether and Circle Freeze $1B+ From Binance Hack Without Due Process, Exposing Stablecoins as Censorable Claims
Stablecoin holders do not own a bearer asset; they own a claim on a company that can censor it.
Source | Submitted by nickythec
Army Drills Mass Battlefield Graves for Wars Too Deadly to Bring Them Home
The U.S. Army has conducted military exercises involving the excavation of mass battlefield graves, preparing for a potential future war in which casualties could become so overwhelming that bringing fallen soldiers home promptly would no longer be possible.
Washington SOS Admits No System to Identify Noncitizen Voters
We don’t have a system that can identify whether someone is an actual noncitizen,
DOJ Deploys Record 1,000 Monitors, Including Prosecutors, to Polls Nationwide
The Justice Department plans to put about 1,000 of its own employees in polling places across the country on Election Day, Nov. 3, and has not yet said where.
Senator Calls Trump’s Iran Plan ‘Insane’ as Pentagon Planes Land in Israel
The plan that they have developed will lead, in my view, to a prolonged escalation of this war that will be devastating for our security interests
Ukraine Defies Trump, Ends Pause With Drone Strike on Russian Oil Refinery
Ukraine struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region early on Friday, ending a two-week pause in refinery attacks that came amid heavy pressure from the Trump administration to halt such operations.
Tusk’s Midnight Police Raid on Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal as President Aborts Senegal Trip
PM Donald Tusk has just sent police to storm Constitutional Tribunal building in Warsaw in the middle of the night.
Source | Submitted by Chris Martenson
US Military Airlifts Surge to Middle East as Trump Weighs Iran Strike
The U.S. military has been moving an enormous amount of equipment into the Middle East
Unconfirmed: 80+ US Tankers Reportedly in Israel as Airlift Grows
Eighty tankers would be a massive signal.
Binance Hit by Record $6.3B Heist as Analysts Blame North Korea
Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, says hackers have stolen about $6.3bn in what appears to have been the biggest crypto heist on record.
In addition to sources submitted by community members, the following were also used in the creation of this report: The Washington Post, LRT, The Jerusalem Post, Axios, Crux Investor, Office of the New York City Comptroller Mark Levine, Reuters, CNBC, CRE Digest, Paolo Ardoino, Jeremy Allaire, The New York Times, Politico, FOX 13 Seattle, Democracy Docket, LIGA.net, and Donald Tusk.
by aaronmckeon 
