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Trump puts fraudsters on notice with $25M whistleblower program offering cash for tips that deliver

2026-10-20 06:01 EDT / Fox News

The Justice Department will administer the new initiative, with tips submitted through fraud.gov

By Stepheny Price Fox News

Published October 20, 2026 6:01am EDT

Trump administration intensifies nationwide fraud crackdown

The Trump administration boosts efforts in its ‘war on fraud,’ including independent journalist Nick Shirley’s Senate testimony exposing rampant tax dollar misuse. Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald reveals over $1 billion recovered from trade fraud. Dr. Oz joins the fight, uncovering millions in Medicaid funding stolen through fraudulent NYC adult daycare centers, highlighting a nationwide problem.

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EXCLUSIVE – President Donald Trump is putting cash behind his crackdown on taxpayer fraud, preparing to offer Americans rewards for tips that help bring fraudsters to justice.

Trump and Vice President JD Vance will unveil a $25 million Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP) during a Tuesday afternoon announcement with the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud in the Oval Office, a White House official told Fox News Digital.

WHIP will offer eligible tipsters up to $30,000 if their information leads to a successful fraud conviction or a significant federal enforcement action, the official said.

TRUMP’S WAR ON FRAUD EXPANDS AS TREASURY LAUNCHES NEW SITE WITH WHISTLEBLOWER INCENTIVES

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance will unveil a $25 million fraud whistleblower program offering Americans up to $30,000 for tips that lead to convictions or major federal enforcement actions.(Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)

Trump also plans to present independent journalist Nick Shirley with a $10,000 check for his work exposing suspected fraud in Minnesota, according to the official.

“Every day, President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud is zeroing in on the rampant abuse of taxpayer dollars and giving Americans the accountability they deserve. This administration has zero tolerance for individuals who steal from Americans,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital.

EXCLUSIVE: NICK SHIRLEY FIRES BACK AT MINNESOTA CRITICS: ‘NUMBERS DON’T LIE, AND CONVICTIONS DON’T LIE’

Quality Learning Center in Minnesota was found at the center of an alleged childcare fraud scandal in the state.(Madelin Fuerste / Fox News)

The Justice Department will administer the new program, and Americans will be able to submit tips through fraud.gov, the official said. The initiative aims to encourage both independent journalists and everyday Americans to flag suspected fraud involving taxpayer money.

Shirley drew national attention in December 2025 after publishing a video questioning whether several Somali-run Minnesota daycare centers were operating as legitimate businesses. His video showed apparently empty facilities and included people who said they had not seen children at the locations.

AG BLANCHE UNVEILS FEDERAL CHARGES AGAINST 160 DEFENDANTS IN PANDEMIC RELIEF SWEEP

Independent journalist Nick Shirley sat down for an interview with Riley Gaines as part of the launch of Outkick’s “The Riley Gaines Show.”(OutKick)

The White House credited Shirley’s reporting with helping spur a surge of FBI and Department of Homeland Security resources into Minnesota, followed by investigations, arrests and new charges.

One facility featured in Shirley’s video was Future Leaders Early Learning Center, whose former CEO, Fahima Egeh Mahamud, pleaded guilty in July to wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

HOUSE GOP BILL MOVES TO CLOSE WHISTLEBLOWER GAPS EXPOSED BY MINNESOTA MEDICAID FRAUD SCANDAL

Federal agents enter an office building as a search warrant is executed at Ultimate Home Health Services over potential Medicaid fraud on December 18, 2025, in Bloomington, Minnesota.(Christopher Juhn/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Prosecutors said Mahamud stole more than $4.6 million through false child care assistance claims and $850,000 through a federal child nutrition program connected to the Feeding Our Future scandal.

Shirley previously pointed to Mahamud’s guilty plea as vindication of his reporting amid efforts to discredit his investigations.

WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES INTERACTIVE MAP TRACKING BILLIONS IN SUSPECTED FRAUD

“Well, numbers don’t lie, and convictions don’t lie either,” he previously told Fox News Digital.

The reward initiative adds a public tip incentive to the administration’s broader campaign against fraud in federal benefits programs.

TRUMP SAYS ANTI-FRAUD EFFORTS ARE UNCOVERING BILLIONS IN WASTE, CLAIMS SAVINGS COULD BALANCE BUDGET

Video

Trump established the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud in March, with Vance serving as chairman. The executive order directed the group to coordinate efforts across federal agencies to uncover fraud, strengthen eligibility checks and prevent improper payments.

Under the new program, submitting an allegation alone would not qualify someone for a reward. The tip must lead to a successful fraud conviction or a significant federal enforcement action, according to the White House official.

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Fox News Digital’s David Unsworth contributed to this report.

Stepheny Price is a Writer at Fox News with a focus on West Coast and Midwest news, missing persons, national and international crime stories, homicide cases, and border security.

Abdul El-Sayed pitches himself as a ‘man of faith’ as Trump labels him ‘a jihadist’

7:05 AM EDT, Tue October 20, 2026 / CNN

Abdul El-Sayed pitches himself as a ‘man of faith’ as Trump labels him ‘a jihadist’

CNN This Morning

CNN’s Elliot Williams and the Group Chat take a closer look at what is, and isn’t, in Abdul El-Sayed’s new ad about being “a man of faith”

https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/20/politics/video/abdul-el-sayed-man-of-faith-trump-jihadist-label

Ilhan Omar’s sister questioned by feds after dramatic DC home raid

2026-10-20T05:00:33-04:00 / Fox News

Sahra Noor voluntarily spoke with investigators last week after HSI agents raided her sister’s home

By Peter D’Abrosca Fox News

Published October 20, 2026 5:00am EDT

WATCH: Ilhan Omar’s husband jumps to her defense following federal raid of DC home

Rep. Ilhan Omar’s, D-Minn., husband, Tim Mynett, defends her immigration timeline outside their DC residence that Homeland Security Investigations raided on Monday amid a criminal fraud investigation. (Credit: Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital)

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EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Ilhan Omar’s older sister was questioned by federal investigators last week in relation to an immigration fraud probe into the congresswoman, Fox News Digital has learned.

Three sources familiar with the investigation said Sahra Noor voluntarily spoke with the investigators after the high-profile Monday morning raid on the residence Omar shares with her husband in Washington, D.C. It is not clear the scope of the conversation Noor had with investigators.

Like Omar, Noor came to the United States as a child fleeing the civil war in Somalia. She currently lives in Kenya, according to her LinkedIn page, but has been in the United States promoting her new book, “Salt in the Snow: A Somali Immigrant Story.”

The House lawmaker’s sister canceled a Minnesota stop on the book tour last week amid the fallout of the raid and the ensuing interview with authorities.

ILHAN OMAR’S SISTER SKIPS BOOK TOUR EVENT AMID WEEK OF CHAOS FOLLOWING RAID ON PROGRESSIVE’S DC HOME

Rep. Ilhan Omar, left, in patterned hijab and green scarf. Ilhan Omar’s sister, Sahra Noor, speaking at an event at the University of Minnesota in 2016.(Stephen Maturen/Getty Images; University of Minnesota)

The book event, which was scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, at the University of Minnesota Rochester, was promoted online by Garden Party Books, a local bookstore that listed itself as a “proud supporter” of the event alongside the university and the Rochester Public Library.

A representative from Garden Party Books told Fox News Digital last week that the event was canceled because Noor had a “family emergency.” It is now revealed that last week she was questioned by federal investigators.

Omar’s D.C. home was raided by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the chief investigatory body of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), at around 6 a.m. last Monday. Sources confirmed to Fox News Digital that the agency executed a search warrant in relation to an immigration fraud probe.

Specifically, they are probing whether the lawmaker or her father falsified information when filling out her citizenship paperwork.

ILHAN OMAR’S TURBULENT WEEK EXPLAINED: THE DUELING PROBES THAT THREW THE SOMALI-BORN PROGRESSIVE INTO CHAOS

Homeland Security Investigations police search the home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., on Oct. 12, 2026, in Washington, D.C. According to reports, the search is part of an ongoing criminal investigation.(Andrew Leyden/Getty Images)

Border czar Tom Homan revealed over the weekend that if the allegations are proven, they could lead to Omar’s denaturalization.

During the raid, Omar’s personal phone, passport and computer were seized, The Wall Street Journal reported last week. And Omar’s attorneys over the weekend demanded that the Justice Department return some of the property confiscated by HSI.

Additionally, The New York Times reported that about a dozen people, including Omar’s relatives, have been subpoenaed in the case.

Omar has not been seen publicly since before the raid, though her husband has been seen several times walking their dog, taking out the trash and speaking outside the home with one of the congresswoman’s aides. Omar has not responded to Fox News Digital’s repeated requests for comment, but she did react to the raid publicly on social media.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 20, 2026.(REUTERS)

“This raid by Trump’s DHS is an outrageous abuse of power and an unprecedented escalation in the weaponization of federal law enforcement to target political enemies,” she said in a statement posted to X hours after feds descended on her home.

FEDERAL AGENTS SEIZE PHONE OF REP ILHAN OMAR IN RAID TIED TO IMMIGRATION FRAUD PROBE

“For a decade, Donald Trump has relentlessly targeted Congresswoman Ilhan Omar with inflammatory rhetoric, repeatedly putting a target on her back,” the post continued. “Now, those attacks have escalated to a pointless federal raid. The Congresswoman has done nothing wrong. No president should be able to use the power of the federal government to intimidate his political enemies.”

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital last Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance said the investigation is not politically motivated.

“We don’t want to be like the Biden administration. We never want to be like that — where they would allow the law to go after their political opponents,” he said.

Video

DEMOCRATS’ FURY OVER ILHAN OMAR RAID DRAWS STINGING GOP REMINDER ABOUT RAID FROM THE PAST: ‘SET THE PRECEDENT’

“We really want to let the law, the facts drive this,” he continued. “And if justice requires something else be done, then, of course, we’ll take a step when we have to.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Noor, but did not hear back before publication.

Omar’s attorneys did not immediately return a comment request.

Peter D’Abrosca is a politics reporter at Fox News Digital.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6406925348112

JD Vance declines to endorse Netanyahu

2026-10-20 07:20 AM EDT / CNN Politics

https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/20/politics/video/jd-vance-declines-endorsement-netanyahu-election-israel-ldn-digvid

Vice President JD Vance on Monday refused to say whether he endorses Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection, after President Donald Trump recently indicated his support for the Israeli prime minister.

0:27 • Source: CNN

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下午察：税务机关追旧账，中国富豪补税忙

2026年10月20日 19:08 / 联合早报 察客

• 中国财政部与税务总局今年7月明确对税收居民离岸信托征收20%个人所得税，90天申报过渡期于本周四截止。 – 据路透社引述知情人士称，税务总局已指示人员根据富豪榜及公开资料整理名单，追查须缴离岸信托税款者。 – 部分富豪正出售股票筹资补税；嘉立信传承集团首席执行官估计单一个案税款或达数百万元至数十亿元不等。 – 有富豪尝试转换国籍避税，但新规规定只要主要经济利益源于中国境内，仍可能被判定为中国税收居民。

中国高净值人士、境外上市企业创始人群体一直用离岸信托基金来传承财富、保护资产，同时规避部分税务。图为许多中资企业的境外上市目的地香港交易所。 （中通社）

中国官方设定的90天离岸信托纳税申报过渡期，本周四（10月22日）截止，一些中国富豪已着手补税，但也有人等待观望、有人尝试终止离岸信托、抛售股票，甚至转换国籍，寻求避税。

今年7月24日，中国财政部、国家税务总局联合印发《关于离岸信托个人所得税有关事项的公告》，正式明确对中国税收居民的离岸信托征收个人所得税，适用税率20%。

本周一（10月19日），中国税务总局再次提醒相关纳税人，周四前完成历史未缴税款申报缴税的，不加收滞纳金。

此举是中国在全球加强收税的最新一步，终结了中国人在海外设立信托在税务上的长期模糊。

投入基本门槛在百万美元（128万新元）以上的离岸信托基金，一直以来是中国高净值人士、尤其境外上市企业创始人群体用以传承财富、保护资产，同时规避部分税务的机制。

波士顿咨询集团估计，中国的离岸财富规模约达1.7万亿美元。其中信托基金涉及的财富不容小觑。《财新周刊》引述卓佳集团中国区信托业务数据称，2018年1月至2022年10月赴港、赴美上市的454家中资企业中，49%设立了海外信托。

据彭博社数据，全球最富有的500人中，有八名中国人通过离岸信托持有上市企业股权，相关资产总值达到1402亿美元。

彭博社数据显示，全球最富有的500人中，有八名中国人通过离岸信托持有上市企业股权，其中包括网易的创始人丁磊和拼多多的创始人黄铮。图为黄铮。（互联网）

中国对税收居民的全球所得征税，但离岸信托征税一度处于灰色地带。它们通常设立在“避税天堂”，如英属维尔京群岛（BVI）、开曼群岛等，架构复杂，令税务机关难以掌握实情。

不过，随着中国推进在CRS（共同申报准则）下与各国交换跨金融账户信息，2024年就有海外信托设立人收到中国地方税务的补税提醒，今年7月的新规是全国标准化、规范化。

德同国际律师事务所（Dentons Rodyk）合伙人白璐（Linda Bai）对彭博社说，富豪们意识到，税务机关能够根据公开的上市文件、收购公告等资料，交叉核实他们的应缴税款，“你是逃不掉的。”

路透社引述三名知情人士称，中国国家税务总局已指示工作人员，根据胡润富豪榜、企业申报文件及其他公开资料整理的名单，追查须缴纳离岸信托相关税款的人士。在富裕企业家较为集中的部分省市，税务机关已成立专门工作组，负责收集离岸信托的相关信息。

全周期征税，规模有多大？

此次征税、追缴历史税款，覆盖了离岸信托从设立、存续运营到清算的全阶段：设立时，须按装入信托的资产市值扣除原值后的增值部分缴税；存续期间，利息、股息等收益须按年申报；信托终止时，则须就应税清算收益缴税。税率均为20%。

其中，设立环节的税款原则上只追溯三年，即2023年以前装入信托的资产，原则上不追缴设立环节税款，金额10万元（人民币，1万9100新元）以上案件例外。

至于信托存续期间的收益，官方并未明确追溯年限，仅规定将2025年底前尚未缴税的应税收益一次性汇总计算，按20%的税率补缴。

追缴税金规模有多大？假设一名企业家将价值10亿元人民币、原始成本为1亿元的股票装入离岸信托，在不考虑其他可扣除费用的情况下，若须按20%的税率缴税，仅设立环节就可能产生1亿8000万元的税款。

如果这名企业家早在10年前就将股票装入信托，原则上可免于补缴设立环节的税款，但过去10年信托产生的应税收益，仍可能需要按20%的税率补缴。

在香港和新加坡设有办事处的财富咨询公司嘉立信传承集团（JLT Legacy Group）首席执行官刘彦（Oscar Liu）对路透社说，最新措施对在香港和美国上市的中国企业创始人冲击最大，因为许多人曾在2014年至2020年公司估值处于高峰时，通过信托出售股票。这些收益都需要缴税。

“我们估计，单一个案须缴纳的税款，可能从数百万元人民币到数亿元，甚至数十亿元不等。”

全阶段追缴也让一些人进退两难。财新8月的报道称 ，不少人已在评估应对申报补税事宜，也有部分人士抱着观望心态，还有的考虑直接拆除信托。但问题在于，一旦终止信托，按照新规，清算环节也会有一笔税务成本。

一些富豪措手不及，转换身份有用吗？

有人已开始出售股票筹措现金。据《南华早报》报道，海底捞联合创办人舒萍9月通过家族信托持股实体，出售价值最高3.53亿美元的公司股票。海底捞本月又宣布，向创办人张勇提供最高1亿元人民币的短期贷款，用于个人财务安排。

海底捞创办人张勇（左）和联合创办人舒萍分别出售股票、申请短期贷款，引发外界猜测是为在过渡期结束前补税。（互联网）

报道指出，这些举措引起市场对海底捞创办人家族是否正为补缴离岸信托税款筹资的猜测。

2021年在美国上市的中国招聘企业BOSS直聘，创办人赵鹏9月出售约1.1亿美元股票。彭博社引述知情人士指出，这笔交易是为了缴税。

中国招聘企业BOSS直聘创办人赵鹏9月出售约1.1亿美元股票，据称是为了缴税。（互联网）

也有人措手不及。据路透社报道，一些房地产开发商虽然过去几年曾获得大笔股息，但随着中国房地产市场持续低迷，如今财务状况已十分脆弱，无力支付所欠税款。

一名科技业亿万富豪的家族办公室表示，如今花在计算税款上的时间比股票交易还多，并正在出售约一半的股票投资组合。一名工作人员形容，要求在三个月内以现金缴税，感到“仿佛脚下的地毯突然被抽走”。

还有部分中国富豪正在转换国籍，试图避税。一名已取得香港身份的大陆人士对路透社说，正放弃大陆居民身份，以避免丈夫的财富受到中国税务机关追查。

不过，中国官方对海外架构实施穿透性监管，实质大于形式。转换国籍或居住地，并不意味着就能摆脱中国税务机关的追缴。根据新规，即使已取得外国国籍或境外永久居留权，只要主要经济利益来源于中国境内，仍可能被判定为中国税收居民。

就这一点，为高净值人士及家族提供服务的思雅仕律师行合伙人康唯评论：“这张网撒得非常广。”

在中国地方政府扩大征税来源之际，对于中国富豪而言，海外资产不再是能轻易避开税务监管的避风港。从信托，到境外投资收益，中国对富豪境外财富的监管，正从过去的模糊被动，走向明确和主动的阶段。

若一小时PM2.5浓度达非常高水平 雇主须禁止易受烟霾影响员工户外工作

2026-10-20 19:22 / 联合早报

人力部星期二（10月20日）发布额外的烟霾期间工作指引，要求雇主除了参考24小时空气污染指数（PSI）预报，提前规划户外工作外，也须根据当天的一小时PM2.5变化，及时调整工作安排。 （陈渊庄摄）

当一小时PM2.5悬浮颗粒浓度达到每立方米251微克或以上的非常高水平时，雇主须禁止年长者、孕妇，以及患有慢性心肺疾病等较容易受烟霾影响的员工，从事户外工作；健康员工的户外工作也应减至最低。

人力部星期二（10月20日）发布额外的烟霾期间工作指导原则，要求雇主除了参考24小时空气污染指数（PSI）预报，提前规划户外工作外，也须根据当天的一小时PM2.5变化，及时调整工作安排。

根据最新指引，当一小时PM2.5浓度介于每立方米56微克至150微克的偏高水平时，雇主应避免安排上述较易受烟霾影响的员工，从事激烈的户外工作。

当一小时PM2.5浓度进一步升至每立方米151微克至250微克的高水平时，易受烟霾影响的员工，就应避免户外工作。

雇主还应采取适当的防护措施，例如使用机械辅助设备、实行工作轮换制、提供室内休息时间，并确保员工获取足够水分。

当一小时PM2.5浓度处于每立方米151微克至250微克的高水平，且无法避免户外重劳动力工作时，雇主应提供N95或同等级别的口罩给员工。当一小时PM2.5浓度处于非常高水平时，则应提供口罩或适当的呼吸防护装备，并安排员工每小时在室内休息一次。

中国国家数据集团成立 丁薛祥：有助把握AI发展先机

2026年10月20日 19:24 / 联合早报

中国国家数据集团星期二（10月20日）在河北雄安新区成立，中国副总理丁薛祥说，组建这一集团对于充分把握人工智能（AI）发展先机具有重要意义，并要求做好公司组建运营工作，努力将它打造为世界一流数据科技企业。

据新华社报道，中国国家数据集团是一家以数据资源开发利用为主责主业的中央企业，总部位于河北雄安新区。

报道称，集团的成立旨在推进数据资源开发利用、释放数据要素价值、服务AI发展、繁荣数据产业生态。成立后，集团将在有关部门指导下，加强央地联动，深化产业协同，推动能力共用、经验共享、业务共拓，共同做大数据价值、做强数据产业、做优数据生态。

丁薛祥同日出席集团成立大会并为公司成立揭牌。他说，组建中国国家数据集团对于充分把握人工智能发展先机、加快建设数字中国、构筑国家竞争新优势具有重要意义；要按照中共中央和国务院要求，切实做好公司组建运营工作，努力打造世界一流数据科技企业。

丁薛祥认为，集团要增强使命担当，统筹发展和安全，深化数据要素服务，加快数据基础设施建设，加强关键核心技术攻关，着力在数据领域发挥战略性、引领性、支撑性作用；要完善公司治理，聚焦主责主业，建立健全运营管理体制机制；要把党的领导贯穿企业组建发展全过程各方面，推动党建和业务深度融合。各有关部门要加大支持力度，有关地方要做好要素保障，相关企业要协同合作，形成促进数据产业发展的合力。

此外，丁薛祥也赴中国卫星网络集团、北京交通大学雄安校区、北京大学人民医院雄安院区、雄安新区中关村科技园调研。他说，要牢牢把握新区功能定位，更加有力有序推进北京非首都功能疏解和承接，加强政策保障和服务，推动雄安新区高质量建设和发展迈上新台阶。

Voters prepare to weigh-in on Trump’s economy as costs continue to surge

Rising costs for fuel, housing and everyday goods put Republicans’ affordability promises to the test

October 20, 2026 6:00am EDT / Fox News

By Amanda Macias

Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics at Cato’s Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies, discusses how tariffs and affordability could factor into the midterms.

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While Americans prepare to cast their ballots for who should control Congress and their local governments, the cost of filling a gas tank, paying rent and buying a home is becoming a defining test of the economy leading up to the 2026 midterms.

The latest inflation report underscores the challenge facing President Donald Trump and Republicans as they campaign on the economy and the vow to improve conditions for American consumers. Trump returned to the White House promising to lower costs and is now campaigning for GOP candidates in key races — but the reality is something quite different.

With Election Day two weeks away, rising prices are testing whether voters feel like Republicans have done enough to improve the economy and their financial well-being.

AMERICAN-MADE GOODS ALSO GOT MORE EXPENSIVE UNDER TRUMP TARIFFS, NEW RESEARCH FINDS

President Donald Trump has made affordability a central part of his agenda, pledging to bring down costs for American families.(Daniel Torok/Official White House Photo)

And that pressure showed up in the latest inflation report, which found consumer prices rose 3.7% over the past year and 0.6% in September alone. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) tracks the prices households pay for a broad range of goods and services, from food and gasoline to housing and medical care.

Gasoline was a major driver, with its index jumping 9.1% for the month. But the gas to fill up the tank is not the only fuel cost putting pressure on households.

The diesel used to power trucks, farm equipment and freight trains is also surging, which has raised the cost of moving groceries, packages and building materials — another charge that has trickled down to how much Americans pay for those goods.

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Additionally, the Iran war has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, further tightening global fuel supplies, while disruptions to Russian energy infrastructure have added pressure.

Utility costs are adding to the squeeze as colder weather approaches. Electricity prices were up 4.4% from a year earlier in September, while piped natural gas service rose 5%, according to the CPI.

Those figures track prices, not what any one household paid, so a local customer’s bill can show how the increase is landing in real life.

REPUBLICANS JUST GOT A POWERFUL NEW PLAYBOOK FOR THE BATTLE FOR CONGRESS. HERE’S WHAT’S INSIDE.

Utility bills are another growing pressure on household budgets, with electricity and natural gas prices both higher than a year ago.(Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle/Getty Images)

Housing costs also continued to climb. The shelter index, which tracks rents and a measure of what homeowners would pay to rent their homes, rose 3.2% over the past year. Grocery prices offered some relief, dipping 0.1% in September, though they remained 1.8% higher than a year earlier.

Additionally, Trump’s trade agenda is another part of the affordability debate.

A New York Fed study found that tariffs in place through February added 2.9 percentage points to consumer-goods inflation. Tariffs are taxes on imported goods, and U.S. companies that pay them can pass some of the added cost along to shoppers.

The study found that higher prices also reached some goods made in the United States, as domestic producers faced less competition from imports. The White House has argued that its trade policies will strengthen U.S. manufacturing and that foreign exporters bear the costs.

Housing presents a different affordability challenge. The median price of an existing home reached $417,500 in September, up 1.3% from a year earlier, while the average 30-year mortgage rate was 7.4%.

Rising home prices and mortgage rates are adding to the affordability challenges facing prospective buyers.(Joshua Lott/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

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The latest figures give voters a snapshot of what they are paying, but not a verdict on who is to blame.

With Election Day approaching, Trump and Republican candidates will have to convince voters that their policies can make everyday costs more manageable.

Amanda Macias covers the intersection of business, economics and politics, with a focus on how policy decisions shape markets, businesses and American workers.

法国多地实施宵禁恢复秩序 骚乱波及至少3000商家

2026年10月20日 16:00 / 联合早报

10月18日，法国巴黎市中心共和国广场一场未经批准的示威引发冲突，示威者在附近的伏尔泰大道上堆放垃圾桶、脚踏车等物品。 （法新社）

法国总理勒科尔尼说，政府将视情况在更多地区实施宵禁，以防暴力事件再度升级。

综合法新社和路透社报道，法国上星期六（10月17日）爆发近年来最严重的骚乱之一，示威者与警方激烈冲突，商店遭洗劫，多处建筑和车辆被纵火。

事件发生在法国即将于六个月后举行总统选举之际，政府因未能预防和控制暴力而承受压力。

巴黎、波尔多和尼斯等城市星期一（19日）开始实施局部宵禁。

勒科尔尼星期二（20日）在社交平台X发文说，针对性宵禁措施有助于维持夜间平静。

“今晚，将根据实际情况在必要地区决定实施新的宵禁。这些决定将由各省长在与市长协调后，根据当地实际情况作出。”

警方证实，法国各地星期一晚间没有发生重大事件。

巴黎的限制措施原定仅于星期一实施一晚，其他地区包括波尔多和尼斯的限制则将持续数天。

在里昂，尽管当局禁止示威，约500人星期一晚仍聚集在一处遭纵火的旅游办事处外，声援受抢劫影响的商家。民众以蜡烛在地上排出“里昂”字样，现场也出现要求里昂市长杜塞辞职的横幅。

法国政府星期二召开新一轮紧急会议，包括与主要社交媒体平台代表会谈。法国财长莱斯屈尔承诺向受影响商家和手工业者提供援助。

法国雇主协会主席马丁批评政府未能有效应对骚乱。初步估计，全国至少3000家企业受到影响。

与此同时，骚乱也造成大量共享电动脚踏车和滑板车损毁。

共享交通运营商Dott说，星期六的暴力事件导致巴黎约300辆电动脚踏车被毁、120辆严重损坏，波尔多另有80辆脚踏车和滑板车被毁，里昂则有30至40辆滑板车损毁，损失估计约40万欧元（约57万新元）。

另一运营商Lime说，巴黎约6%的共享车队在骚乱中损毁或受损。

巴黎公共脚踏车服务的运营商Smovengo则指出，在周末的骚乱中，约300辆脚踏车遭破坏或盗窃。

澳洲女议员遭蓄意开车撞击 伤重截肢

2026-10-20 16:24 / 联合早报

澳洲一名女议员海恩斯星期一（10月19日）遭男子蓄意开车撞击，导致一条腿遭到截肢。当地民众星期二（20日）在海恩斯的办公室外献上鲜花。 （路透社）

澳大利亚报道，澳洲一名女议员遭男子蓄意开车撞击，导致一条腿遭到截肢。

法新社报道，65岁的独立议员海恩斯（Helen Haines）星期一（10月19日）下午3时35分左右，在墨尔本东北约200公里的旺加拉塔（Wangaratta）选区办公室外，遭一辆丰田越野车撞击。

维多利亚州警方星期二（20日）宣布，嫌犯面对三项控状，包括危险驾驶造成严重伤害、蓄意造成严重伤害，以及触犯联邦法律的伤害公职人员罪。

澳洲总理阿尔巴尼斯谴责这起袭击，并指此次袭击是“对我们品格的考验”。

阿尔巴尼斯说，海恩斯当时正在汽车后车厢取东西，肇事司机驶过后掉头返回撞向她。“很显然，这是一起蓄意袭击。”

目击者称，他们听到巨响后，看见一名女子被夹在两辆汽车之间。嫌犯事后被当地理发师杰弗里斯（Ricky Jefferies）制伏，随后遭警方逮捕。警方在他的车内发现一把刀。

海恩斯随后被送往医院接受手术。澳洲广播公司及《悉尼先驱晨报》报道，她失去一条腿，目前伤势仍属危急。

嫌犯面对三项控状，包括危险驾驶造成严重伤害、蓄意造成严重伤害，以及触犯联邦法律的伤害公职人员罪。

澳洲媒体报道，嫌犯是纽金特（Brendan Nugent）。他目前仍被警方拘留，定于星期三（21日）出庭。

澳洲联邦警察、反恐部门及维多利亚州警方正联合调查，嫌犯的作案动机尚不清楚。

海恩斯2019年首次当选国会议员，长期推动政治透明及反贪改革。