Thursday's Virginia Times coverage was dominated by Virginia politics and a widening Middle East crisis. State Sen. Louise Lucas was indicted on marijuana racketeering charges and Gov. Abigail Spanberger faulted the timing of the case, while attacks and threats around the Strait of Hormuz and Saudi Arabia drove U.S. warnings, sanctions and strike planning. Congress pushed back on President Trump's Russia policy, Russia fired 21 ballistic missiles at Kyiv, Tesla's profit fell 43%, and Meta was ordered to pay $25 billion in New Mexico — 21 stories in all, recapped below.
In This Recap
- Spanberger Says Lucas Presumed Innocent, Faults Indictment Timing
- Trump Says Iran Faked Hormuz Attacks to Push Oil Prices Up
- Trump Faces Bipartisan Backlash in Congress Over Russia Policy
- Barclays Cutting 5,000 Jobs in AI-Driven Cost Push
- Va. Senator Louise Lucas Indicted, Accused of Running Marijuana Ring
- Google, Voltus to Build 1 Gigawatt Virtual Power Plant in PJM
- Early Voting Opens Thursday in Maryland's General Election
- EU Lawmakers Urge Bloc to Weigh Naval Operation in Black Sea
- Attack on Saudi Airport in Dammam Kills 2, Injures 8, Authority Says
- Iran's IRGC Says Seven Vessels Hit Near Hormuz
- Trump Administration Drops Fight to Overhaul Loan Forgiveness
- International Criminal Court and Its Officials Win Sakharov Prize
- Kallas, Romania's Top Diplomat Urge Quick Launch of Black Sea Hub
- Tesla Profit Falls 43% in Third Quarter; Cybercab Joins Robotaxi Fleet
- Zelenskyy Says Russia Fired 21 Ballistic Missiles at Kyiv, 2 Killed
- U.S. Sanctions Law Firm, Shipping Agents Over Alleged Iran Trade
- US Preparing Gulf Embassy Departures as Houthi Attacks Hit Saudi
- US, Israel Said to Plan Renewed Iran Strikes After Midterms
- Meta Ordered to Pay $25 Billion in New Mexico Facebook Case
- Arlington County Sues to Block Armed Federal Agents at Polls
- Brad Lander Freed After Israeli Detention at Olive Harvest
1 Spanberger Says Lucas Presumed Innocent, Faults Indictment Timing
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger said state Sen. Louise Lucas is presumed innocent and faulted the Justice Department for charging her so close to an election. Lucas, 82, is accused of running an illegal marijuana business with relatives.
2 Trump Says Iran Faked Hormuz Attacks to Push Oil Prices Up
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Iran is inventing attacks in the Strait of Hormuz to drive up oil prices before the midterm elections. He also claimed 75,000 protesters have been killed in Iran in less than seven months, a figure that has not been independently verified.
3 Trump Faces Bipartisan Backlash in Congress Over Russia Policy
President Donald Trump's easing of pressure on Russia has drawn bipartisan opposition in Congress. Lawmakers urged full sanctions under the Graham law, and the dispute could shape the post-election defense and spending bills.
4 Barclays Cutting 5,000 Jobs in AI-Driven Cost Push
Barclays said Thursday it will cut about 5,000 jobs this year, roughly 5% of its workforce, as the bank turns to artificial intelligence and other technology to lower fixed costs and improve returns.
5 Va. Senator Louise Lucas Indicted, Accused of Running Marijuana Ring
Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas was indicted Thursday on racketeering, marijuana and money laundering charges. Prosecutors say she led a family cannabis enterprise, and she surrendered Thursday morning.
6 Google, Voltus to Build 1 Gigawatt Virtual Power Plant in PJM
Voltus and Google announced an expanded agreement to build a 1 gigawatt virtual power plant in the PJM grid region, paying participating homes and businesses bill savings and direct payments to cut energy use when the grid is under strain.
7 Early Voting Opens Thursday in Maryland's General Election
Early voting in Maryland's general election begins Thursday and runs through Oct. 29, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Mail-in ballot requests sent by mail or fax must arrive by Oct. 27, and polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3.
8 EU Lawmakers Urge Bloc to Weigh Naval Operation in Black Sea
The European Parliament on Thursday urged the EU to consider a naval operation in the Black Sea after deadly strikes on civilian merchant ships off Bulgaria and Romania. Lawmakers blamed Russia, criticized Bulgaria's response and sought more help for both countries to track hostile drones.
9 Attack on Saudi Airport in Dammam Kills 2, Injures 8, Authority Says
An attack Wednesday evening on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam killed two people and injured eight, Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said, and flights have resumed. The United Arab Emirates blamed the Houthi group, a claim that could not be independently verified.
10 Iran's IRGC Says Seven Vessels Hit Near Hormuz
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Navy says four vessels caught fire in the northern Persian Gulf and three struck mines west of the Strait of Hormuz. It warned the United States of a wider response against its regional bases, and the claims have not been independently verified.
11 Trump Administration Drops Fight to Overhaul Loan Forgiveness
The Trump administration moved Wednesday to end its legal fight to overhaul Public Service Loan Forgiveness, dropping two appeals after federal judges vacated a rule that would have let the education secretary remove employers from the program.
12 International Criminal Court and Its Officials Win Sakharov Prize
The European Parliament awarded its 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the International Criminal Court and its officials. Lawmakers have raised concerns over sanctions imposed on the court since 2025, notably by the United States.
13 Kallas, Romania's Top Diplomat Urge Quick Launch of Black Sea Hub
Romania's new Foreign Minister Dan Neculaescu and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas called for the Black Sea Maritime Security Hub to become operational quickly. Kallas said Russia's intensifying attacks on Black Sea shipping threaten food security, while both officials pointed to support for Ukraine and Moldova.
14 Tesla Profit Falls 43% in Third Quarter; Cybercab Joins Robotaxi Fleet
Tesla's third-quarter net income fell 43% to $787 million as operating expenses climbed and revenue held at $28.05 billion. The company began giving Robotaxi rides in Cybercabs in Austin, started Optimus production in Fremont and reported record gross profit in its services business.
15 Zelenskyy Says Russia Fired 21 Ballistic Missiles at Kyiv, 2 Killed
Russia launched 21 ballistic missiles at Kyiv in three overnight waves, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, damaging homes, energy facilities and metro infrastructure. Twelve regions came under attack, with two people killed and 34 injured, including five children, and Zelenskyy called for stronger air defenses and sanctions.
16 U.S. Sanctions Law Firm, Shipping Agents Over Alleged Iran Trade
The Treasury Department sanctioned a law firm, two shipping agents and a cargo company over alleged Iranian trade. OFAC also listed vessels as blocked property and issued limited wind-down licenses.
17 US Preparing Gulf Embassy Departures as Houthi Attacks Hit Saudi
The State Department is preparing to order some embassy staff and families out of the Gulf, U.S. officials told Reuters, after Houthi attacks shut Riyadh's airport. The U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia warned the fighting could spread quickly and told Americans to take extreme caution at Saudi airports.
18 US, Israel Said to Plan Renewed Iran Strikes After Midterms
The New York Times reported that the U.S. and Israeli militaries have drawn up plans for renewed strikes on Iran after the Nov. 3 midterm elections. President Donald Trump has not approved the plan, and Tehran has promised to respond if attacked again.
19 Meta Ordered to Pay $25 Billion in New Mexico Facebook Case
A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion after a jury found nearly 44 million willful consumer protection violations involving Facebook. The judgment adds 15% annual interest and leaves injunctive relief pending.
20 Arlington County Sues to Block Armed Federal Agents at Polls
Arlington County's governing board sued the Trump administration, asking a federal judge to block policies it says permit armed federal agents to conduct enforcement operations at voting sites.
21 Brad Lander Freed After Israeli Detention at Olive Harvest
Israeli forces detained Brad Lander, the Democratic nominee in New York's 10th District, while he picked olives with Palestinian farmers near Nahalin in the West Bank. He was freed about three hours later; the Israeli military said the harvest was uncoordinated, while Lander and organizers disputed that account.
Editor’s Note: This recap was prepared with the assistance of AI tools. Virginia Times gathered the source material from multiple sources and thoroughly reviewed the information before publication.
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