Today's News with Larry Schweikart
TODAY'S NEWS, October 3-5, 2026
Episode Summary
The roundup argues that 2026 is becoming a major political and institutional turning point, with massive midterm spending, changing voting patterns, legal battles, investigations, and continued conflict over immigration, surveillance, education, and cultural policy. It highlights Trump administration initiatives in AI, energy, immigration, and foreign policy, while pointing to economic strength, declining confidence in higher education, international political shifts, and growing tensions over privacy and government power. Internationally, France, Britain, Brazil, Venezuela, Spain, and Saudi Arabia feature prominently, while entertainment and medical stories focus on Tom Cruise’s box-office struggles, hospital consolidation, and the continuing fallout from COVID-era policies. The roundup closes on a more uplifting note with examples of ordinary people risking themselves to rescue others.
Episode Notes
IN POLITICAL NEWS
- 1) 2026 is described as the most expensive midterm election ever, with record ad spending and both parties treating the election as potentially decisive. The source also highlights Democratic self-criticism in campaign ads.
- 2) Democrats are reportedly reconsidering their mail-in voting strategy, while Georgia vote-by-mail requests have fallen more sharply in counties won by Harris than Trump. The source also cites favorable Republican polling and turnout calculations in Oregon and Texas.
- 3) An Arizona grand jury reportedly targeted Sen. Ruben Gallego’s PAC in a slush-fund investigation.
- 4) New allegations concern fraud involving sponsors of undocumented migrant children brought into the country during the Biden administration.
- 5) Tennessee’s prison chief resigned after a botched lethal-injection execution left Christa Pike unconscious in hospital.
- 6) A federal judge in Oklahoma ruled that police searches of Flock camera data without a warrant violate the Fourth Amendment.
- 7) A Department of Energy employee was arrested over alleged involvement in a Houthi-linked drone and explosives plot.
- 8) The Colorado Supreme Court is hearing the Suncor Energy climate-lawfare case.
- 9) The Cornell rape case is resurfacing alongside criticism of New York officials and discussion of Trump appointing young conservative judges. Justice Alito also said he believes he knows who leaked the Dobbs draft but declined to identify the person.
- 10) Questions remain about Thomas Crooks’ communications before his attempted assassination of Trump, with the source criticizing the FBI for its slow release of information.
- 11) CNN analyst Harry Enten described Trump as the most influential president of this century and potentially much of the last century. The source ranks Trump highly among presidents.
- 12) Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert died at 84.
- 13) Further allegations are raised about Jack Smith’s team wiretapping Susie Wiles and Trump’s lawyers.
IN AI NEWS
- 14) Trump announced the formation of a “super intelligent AI task force.”
- 15) Regulators approved a 3,000-acre Amazon data center in Texas.
IN ILLEGAL CRIMINAL ALIEN NEWS
- 16) The Supreme Court is reportedly taking up a process concerning the removal of undocumented immigrants.
IN CULTURAL NEWS
- 17) A new generation of young Christian influencers is emerging.
- 18) The source argues that “The Great Feminization” is influencing universities, businesses, and law, particularly through a perceived shift away from enforcing difficult rules.
- 19) Jonathan Turley argues that public education has failed, particularly in blue states, while advocating homeschooling.
- 20) The source describes increasingly coercive laws in places such as California as “kill switch” or mimetic societies designed to enforce compliance.
- 21) Only about one-third of respondents now consider college “very important,” while more Gen Z Americans are leaving school and moving back home.
- 22) Wealthy people are reportedly paying around $20,000 for ibogaine treatments, described as an intense psychedelic experience intended to rewire the brain.
IN ECONOMIC NEWS
- 23) Seattle banned “surveillance pricing,” which charges consumers different prices based on collected personal data. The source frames privacy and personal identity as an emerging major economic and political battleground.
- 24) Washington state imposed a wealth tax on millionaires, prompting wealthy residents to push for its repeal.
- 25) Sen. Josh Hawley introduced the Anti-Flock Act to restrict the use of automated surveillance cameras.
- 26) Energy commentator David Blackmon says environmental groups are organizing against a new permitting bill that the source argues is needed.
- 27) Gas-powered vehicles fell below 50% of sales for the first time.
- 28) September’s final manufacturing PMI showed continued strong growth, while unemployment below 5% reached a level not seen since the 1960s.
IN INTERNATIONAL NEWS
- 29) France is experiencing major riots, with political blame falling on the far left and immigration. Marine Le Pen’s political prospects are reportedly improving amid the unrest.
- 30) Democrats are criticizing Trump’s Venezuela oil deal, while the source argues it could become part of a broader strategy to create a U.S. sovereign wealth fund and eventually reduce income taxes.
- 31) Britain and France abandoned a major migrant redistribution agreement as political pressure grows to reduce immigration.
- 32) The U.S. withdrew all B-1 bombers from Britain amid stated security concerns, with the source emphasizing the speed of the deployment and withdrawal.
- 33) Flavio Bolsonaro narrowly missed the 50% threshold needed to win Brazil’s presidency outright and will face a runoff. The source frames this as part of a broader rightward political shift in Latin America.
- 34) The source argues that dismantling USAID has significantly weakened left-wing political networks across Latin America.
- 35) British actor John Cleese was reportedly reported to police over anti-Islam and anti-immigration comments and responded that he would welcome contact from police.
- 36) Saudi Arabia cut crude oil prices as the Iran conflict winds down.
- 37) Spain’s left-wing government reportedly collapsed following its immigration policies.
IN ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
- 38) Tom Cruise’s new film Digger reportedly opened poorly, taking about $8 million domestically and $12 million worldwide against a budget exceeding $200 million. The source argues that Cruise’s political messaging and environmental storyline alienated audiences.
IN MEDICAL NEWS
- 39) Small hospitals are reportedly closing rapidly or being absorbed by larger hospital systems, with the FTC accusing some larger systems of using questionable tactics.
- 40) Justice Sam Alito described COVID-era lockdowns, vaccines, and masking debates as a constitutional “stress test.” The source also highlights continuing distrust of medical institutions and vaccines.
AND FINALLY . . .
- 41) Skydivers who witnessed a plane crash immediately jumped into rescue efforts, while five volunteer rescuers hiked eight miles overnight through a storm to reach a stranded backpacker, highlighting examples of courage and generosity.