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Booming Economy, Busted Budgets, and a Cheesecake Feud: Your Thursday News Rundown
Good morning. The economy is roaring, the Brewers are champions, hackers have rattled Homeland Security, Iran’s weapons pipeline is still humming, Alaska has two Dan Sullivans, and a joke about gold trim has taken over the White House. Here is what you need to know.
U.S. Economy Surges 3.4% as AI Boom Fuels Growth, but Workers Feel the Squeeze
The U.S. economy grew at a 3.4% annualized rate in the third quarter, its fastest pace in a year. AI infrastructure spending and resilient consumers beat expectations, with final sales to private domestic purchasers jumping 4.9%.
But inflation hit 3.7% in September, and inflation-adjusted hourly earnings have fallen for six straight months. The Fed held rates steady, Chairman Kevin Warsh is betting productivity will keep inflation in check, and employers added just 29,000 jobs. The result is a split economy where wealthy cruise-goers and data-center builders thrive while housing-linked businesses like Whirlpool struggle. Source: The Wall Street Journal
Milwaukee Brewers Win First World Series Title, Defeating Rays 4-1 in Game 5
The Milwaukee Brewers are World Series champions for the first time ever, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5. After a franchise-record 103 wins, Milwaukee won with contact hitting, aggressive baserunning, and dominant pitching rather than home runs. Jacob Misiorowski threw 51 pitches at 100 mph or faster, rookie Cooper Pratt drove in two runs and set a rookie record with hits in six straight at-bats, and William Contreras took World Series MVP honors. For Tampa Bay, the drought continues, leaving the Rays among four franchises that have never won a title. Source: United Press International
Hackers Expose 40,000 DHS and ICE Personnel in Massive Data Breach
A hacktivist group calling itself the Department of Peace claims it exposed the names, phone numbers, and addresses of more than 40,000 Homeland Security personnel. The records, distributed through Distributed Denial of Secrets and made searchable in a database called Icepick, include ICE and CBP employees and people tied to undercover operations. Supporters say the leak could help journalists and activists scrutinize masked immigration agents, while critics warn that publishing home addresses endangers employees and their families. DHS acknowledged a potential breach but has not confirmed its full extent. Source: NPR
Iran’s Secret Military Network Moves Billions in Weapons Supplies Past U.S. Blockade
A sweeping Reuters investigation found that more than 5,000 Iranian military-linked agencies have imported billions of dollars in weapons components and heavy equipment despite sanctions and a U.S. naval blockade. One agency alone imported about $2.3 billion in military-related goods, including rocket fuel ingredients, detonators, and trucks convertible into missile launchers. About 97% of the shipments Reuters examined were settled without direct international currency transfers, often using money from illicit oil sales. Monthly imports recovered from $54 million in March to $77 million by May, even as the Treasury Department insists sanctions are working. Source: Reuters
Alaska Governor Orders Investigation Into Peltola Campaign Over Alleged Election Trickery
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has ordered a state investigation into whether Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign helped recruit an independent named Dan J. Sullivan to confuse voters. The independent shares a name with Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, and the DSCC and Peltola’s campaign deny involvement. Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s Justice Department has sued to block certification if the incumbent loses, an argument one election law professor called “absurdly thin.” No wrongdoing has been established, and Peltola leads in the polls by an average of five points. Source: The Washington Post
Obama Roasts Trump’s White House Makeover, and Trump Takes the Bait
Barack Obama says Donald Trump has the White House “looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory,” and the administration has been fuming ever since.
Trump defended the restaurant chain at a Mississippi rally, and the White House published a mock Cheesecake Factory menu touting his accomplishments. Obama fired back in Georgia, mocking the “whole-of-government response to that joke, not to inflation.” With the midterms days away, the feud has turned a decorating gag into a multiday story about priorities and rising costs. Source: The Hill
That’s your Morning Sixpack: a hot economy, a cold paycheck, and a news cycle that keeps writing its own punchlines. Join us tomorrow for more.
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