October 24, 2026 - Dow Tumbles More Than 600

Europe is bracing for another day in the streets. In France, more than 600 protests are planned for today, and only marches organized by trade unions will be authorized. Soldiers and elite police units will reinforce a security force 20 percent larger than last Saturday's, when as many as 800,000 people marched, by organizers' count, and rioters looted stores and burned the 19th-century city hall in Limoges. Tomorrow, the NFL plays its first regular-season game in France; in Saint-Denis, just outside Paris.

What began last month with high school students protesting understaffed, crumbling schools has drawn in union members, teachers, farmers and retirees. Protests over housing, wages, inflation and corruption have spread to Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Albania.

The New York Times describes a continent "struggling to find a way forward," with aging populations, rising debt and governments straining to pay pensions for the old and schools for the young.

Here at home, the images have become a midterm talking point. President Trump told a Kansas rally, "When you see burning steeples and raging fires in France, just remember that is what the radical ‘Dumocrats’ want to do to America." He blames immigration. French President Emmanuel Macron calls claims that his country was "invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists" "completely false."

Jonah Goldberg of The Dispatch, my guest on CNN this morning, blames much of the violence on France's poor record of assimilating immigrants. But he sees a deeper problem: a government that spends 57 percent of the nation's economy, caught in what he calls a "dependency trap" it can no longer afford. He worries America is headed down the same road.

Strip away the campaign rhetoric, and a simpler question remains.

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U.S. stocks fell sharply Friday as the Dow dropped more than 600 points, with oil prices topping $100 a barrel amid renewed fears of escalating conflict between the U.S. and Iran.

CNBC

France braces for a fresh wave of nationwide demonstrations against rising living costs, with last-minute government restrictions adding to tensions ahead of the planned marches.

Euronews

Milwaukee edged the Rays 3-2 in Game 1 of the World Series after a replay review overturned an apparent game-ending double play, forcing Trevor Megill back to the mound to strike out Jonny DeLuca and seal the Brewers' first Fall Classic win in 44 years.

MLB.com

The Trump administration sued Alaska on Thursday seeking to delay certification of the Senate race if incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses, arguing that a second candidate with the same name on the ballot was intended to mislead voters and could tip the ranked-choice contest to Democrat Mary Peltola.

Axios

President Donald Trump will scrap tariffs on certain Canadian paper, plastic, refrigeration and agricultural products after lobbying by Maine Sen. Susan Collins, while slapping new 50 per cent duties on items like shampoos, cocoa powder and canoes as border-state Republicans brace for the November midterms.

CBC

Rahm Emanuel argues Democrats can turn their expected 2026 gains into a lasting political realignment by welcoming disaffected McCain-Romney Republicans, pursuing centrist reforms and resisting a shift toward the far left.

The Wall Street Journal

Fans of Apple TV's Emmy-winning spy series are flocking to a guided walking tour of grimy London backdrops, from the Aldersgate Street exterior of Slough House to Bunhill Fields graveyard and a launderette unchanged since 1973.

CNN

The Justice Department charged two former FBI officials with making false statements to Congress that allegedly hindered a Republican-led House committee's investigation of President Joe Biden's son Hunter in the lead-up to the 2024 election.

The Washington Post

The New York Post lays out marriage records, shared addresses, tax filings and claims from community sources that it says fuel long-running allegations that Rep. Ilhan Omar married Ahmed Elmi, an alleged relative, for immigration purposes—claims Omar has repeatedly denied.

New York Post

The Atlanta Falcons' new 'X' profile picture featuring the team's 1960s-70s logo on a black and red background drew comparisons to Nazi-era imagery, racking up more than 15 million views ahead of Sunday's throwback game against the undefeated 49ers.

USA Today