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On Tuesday, Slate writer Shirin Ali reported that nearly half the country will head to the polls to cast ballots on a range of major questions and offices. However, “President Donald Trump just made a not-so-subtle power grab” to complicate that vote in some blue states.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that federal monitors will be sent to California and New Jersey to ensure “ballot security,” Ali said, adding that the move has “sparked fear on social media.”
California, in particular, is set to vote on Proposition 50, which is Governor Gavin Newsom’s (D) effort to hand control of the state’s congressional maps to Democratic lawmakers. This is in response to Republican gerrymandering efforts in Texas and elsewhere.
If the measure is successful, the state would likely gain five additional congressional seats to counter Texas’s mid-decade gerrymander, an attempt to keep the U.S. House under Republican control.
Preeminent elections expert Rick Hasen assured Slate that Bondi’s observers “are more bark than bite, likely intended to ‘trigger’ Democrats during the lead-up to a critical vote.”
However, this initial attempt to use federal officials to push unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud could lead to federal troops at polling places in the future.
“A few days after Bondi’s initial announcement, California countered with its own message to the Trump administration,” said Ali. State Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that California would send its own state election watchers to watch Bondi’s watchers, while also calling out the Trump administration’s motives.
It’s a “nesting-doll” situation as watchers watch watchers, but Hasen said none of the election monitors will have much to do. “I think there’ll be a lot of people standing around doing nothing,” he said, noting that of California’s 58 counties, only five are being targeted.
Thankfully, the same states that Bondi is careful to target have built-in freedoms allowing voters to avoid her election monitors.
“This is not normal,” Hasen said. “I do think we have to take seriously the possibility that people are going to have to get around federal troops if they want to be able to vote, which would be a good reason to vote early and not have to deal with these things on Election Day.”
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-california-2674255758/
**Kamala Harris Proposes Lowering Voting Age to 16, Faces Opposition from Ron DeSantis**
Former Vice President Kamala Harris recently shared her thoughts on changing who can vote in America, suggesting that teenagers as young as 16 should be allowed to cast their ballots. She discussed this idea during an interview on *The Diary Of A CEO*, where she spoke about young people and how they perceive the world today.
Harris highlighted Generation Z, which includes people between the ages of 13 and 27, noting that they have spent their entire lives dealing with climate change issues. According to Fox News, she stated, “we should reduce voting age to 16.” She elaborated, “I’ll tell you why. So, Gen Z, they’re age about 13 through 27, they’ve only known the climate crisis. If they’re in high school or college, especially in college, it is very likely that whatever they’ve chosen as their major for study may not result in an affordable wage.”
### DeSantis Responds with Opposition
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis quickly responded to Harris’s proposal. He expressed his disagreement clearly in a message posted on X, simply saying “No” to the entire idea. DeSantis also argued that being worried about climate change is not a sufficient reason to allow younger people to vote. He suggested that feeling anxious about the environment should not serve as proof that 16-year-olds are ready to participate in elections.
### Harris’s Views on Age Limits Spark Debate
Some observers have noted an apparent contrast in Harris’s views on age regulations. While she supports lowering the voting age to 16, she also believes that people should be older before they can purchase guns.
Since the 2024 election, the former vice president has remained active in politics and vocal on various issues. In 2022, Harris wrote a post advocating for stronger gun laws. She called on the Senate to take action on gun violence by banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Additionally, she proposed raising the minimum age to buy guns from 18 to 21, and strengthening background checks.
Critics have pointed out that these two ideas—lowering the voting age while raising the gun-buying age—seem contradictory. However, supporters of Harris argue that voting and owning guns involve very different responsibilities and should be treated as such.
### The Ongoing Conversation About Voting Age in America
The discussion about lowering the voting age is not new in the United States. Over the years, many have advocated for this change, often emphasizing young people’s passion for issues like climate change and social justice.
As the debate continues, Harris’s proposal reignites important conversations about youth participation in democracy and the responsibilities that come with it.
https://attackofthefanboy.com/news/kamala-harris-just-called-for-lowering-the-voting-age-to-16-and-her-reasoning-has-ron-desantis-firing-back/
Tech entrepreneur and billionaire Elon Musk is set to launch a standalone messaging app called **“X Chat”** to compete with popular platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp. The rollout is expected within the next few months.
During an appearance on *The Joe Rogan Experience* podcast, which aired on Friday, Musk revealed, “On X, we just rebuilt the entire messaging stack into what’s called ‘X Chat.’ It’s using a peer-to-peer-based encryption system, kind of similar to Bitcoin. It’s very good encryption; we’re testing it thoroughly.”
Musk hopes the new messaging app will be released in a “few months.” He emphasized that X Chat won’t have any “hooks for advertising,” unlike competitors such as WhatsApp. “WhatsApp knows enough about what you’re texting to know what ads to show you,” he explained. “But then, that’s a massive security vulnerability because if it knows enough information to show you ads, that’s a lot of information.” Musk added that these same “hooks” could potentially be exploited by hackers to read private messages.
### Does WhatsApp Read Your Messages?
WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta, claims it does **not** have access to private messages. According to their FAQ, messages between users are end-to-end encrypted using the Signal Protocol. This encryption extends to voice messages, media, and documents.
However, certain “metadata” — such as who you chat with and how frequently — is not encrypted. Additionally, WhatsApp does **not** automatically encrypt backup copies of chat history.
When asked, “Does WhatsApp collect or sell your data?”, WhatsApp’s FAQ provides a careful response:
“We work with other Meta Companies to help provide, improve, and support each other’s services. If you choose to integrate your WhatsApp experience with other Meta products, we will share some information with Meta to make this possible.”
### X Chat Promises Enhanced Privacy Without Advertising Hooks
Elon Musk assures that X Chat will not include these advertising “hooks.” “I’m not saying it’s perfect, but our goal with X Chat is to replace what used to be the Twitter DM stack with a fully encrypted system where you can text, send files, do audio and video calls,” he said. “I think it will be the least insecure of any messaging system.”
X Chat will be available both as part of the X platform and as its own standalone app, offering users a privacy-focused alternative in the crowded messaging app market.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/elon-musk-launch-whatsapp-competitor-with-p2p-encryption-similar-bitcoin?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound
Mitch Marner’s move to Vegas has significantly impacted the Toronto Maple Leafs as they face a slow start this season.
The departure of such a key player has altered the team’s dynamics, leading to adjustments both on and off the ice.
Fans and analysts are closely watching how the Maple Leafs adapt to these changes and whether they can regain their momentum moving forward.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/us/nhl/news-nhl-analyst-drops-harsh-take-mitch-marner-less-maple-leafs-toronto-crumbles-early-season
Warframe’s Devstream 190 aired today, arriving just in time for the Halloween season.
Fans tuning in were treated to exciting updates and insights as the development team shared the latest news right on the cusp of the spooky holiday.
Stay tuned for more details and in-depth coverage of everything revealed during this special Devstream event.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/mmo/warframe-devstream-190-recap-inverse-ascension-game-mode-the-old-peace-details-protoframe-dates
After conceding five earned runs in Game 5, Blake Snell spoke to reporters about his performance. He expressed that he didn’t feel Toronto’s lineup truly beat him during the game. Instead, Snell claimed that he was simply “unlucky.”
https://www.sportskeeda.com/baseball/news-cooked-polite-canadian-way-blue-jays-fans-support-john-schneider-s-subtle-jab-blake-snell-s-postgame-excuse
Critics included some Indian Americans who expressed concern that the remarks did not respect the religious choices of Usha Vance.
Vance, who was raised in a Hindu household, received criticism for the perceived insensitivity toward her personal faith and cultural background.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/31/us/politics/usha-jd-vance-christianity-religion-hindu.html
**Attorneys Seek to Question Medical Examiner’s Past Conduct in Manslaughter Trial**
Attorneys for a Louisiana man accused of killing a toddler in Knox County want to question the medical examiner during trial about a past drunk driving offense and whether he had been drinking around the time he worked on the child’s autopsy report.
Aziayh Scott, 24, has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the May 2024 death of Quayshawn Wilson, the 22-month-old son of his girlfriend at the time. He is scheduled for a jury trial in Knox County starting Monday. Scott pleaded not guilty in November 2024 and has challenged Quayshawn’s cause of death.
Prosecutors have accused Scott of stomping on the boy several hours before the child was found unresponsive during a trip to Walmart in Thomaston the night of May 29, 2024. Scott’s attorneys argue the injuries documented in Quayshawn’s autopsy report might have resulted instead from people who tried rendering aid to the toddler before police arrived at the scene.
—
**Medical Examiner’s Background Under Scrutiny**
Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Liam Funte determined Quayshawn died from a severely lacerated liver. However, Funte was under monitoring by the Maine Professionals Health Program at the time after failing to immediately report that he had been charged with operating a vehicle under the influence in September 2023, while on call.
According to Cumberland County court records, Funte pleaded guilty on October 17, 2023, and agreed not to drink alcohol for two years in exchange for deferred sentencing. He also agreed to random drug and alcohol testing as part of the monitoring agreement.
Despite this agreement, Funte tested positive for alcohol twice in June 2024. He had told monitoring staff before the first test that he hadn’t been drinking.
Scott’s attorneys say these violations occurred after Funte handled Quayshawn’s autopsy on May 30, 2024, and before he signed the autopsy report later that summer.
—
**Defense Challenges Autopsy Findings**
The defense has challenged Funte’s report, alleging he did not “adequately document or measure” the extent of the toddler’s injuries, contrary to nationally recommended performance standards for forensic pathologists.
“These failures may suggest that Dr. Funte performed this autopsy while either under the influence of alcohol or while experiencing other mental health issues, and the credibility of his ultimate opinion is further cast in doubt,” Scott’s attorney Christopher MacLean wrote in court records.
The defense is seeking permission to question Funte about these concerns and others during the trial.
—
**Court Hearing and Debate Over Questioning Medical Examiner**
Superior Court Justice John O’Neil did not immediately decide the issue during a hearing Friday in Waldo County Superior Court. It was unclear from a live Zoom feed whether Funte was present. He was not called to testify or answer questions.
Neither Funte nor a spokesperson for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner responded to requests for comment on Friday.
Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin argued in court that the defense’s claims represent a “quantum leap” between the licensing board’s findings and Funte’s autopsy report in Scott’s case.
“We disagree that Dr. Funte was skirting any minimum recommendations,” Robbin said. “There is zero evidence that any of the issues in that consent agreement affected his ability to do the autopsy in this case.”
Robbin noted that autopsies are typically performed with two assistants and that Funte had two Maine State Police officers in the room during the procedure.
“If there was any indication that alcohol was involved, we would know that by now,” she added.
—
**Additional Defense Requests and Past Lawsuit**
Justice O’Neil is also considering another request from MacLean regarding whether attorneys can question Funte about a 2022 lawsuit in Mississippi. In that case, Funte was accused of signing off on an inaccurate autopsy report that blamed a Black woman for the death of her newborn daughter.
Hospital records later showed the baby had died from a medical condition, and injuries found on the child’s body were caused by medical staff trying to save her. The lawsuit was dismissed in May 2024, although court records do not state why.
MacLean argued that the Mississippi case raises “troubling questions about racial bias,” especially given that Scott is Black.
The attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Mississippi lawsuit.
O’Neil is also weighing whether MacLean can question Funte about sealed records referencing a human resources investigation and disciplinary action against him.
As MacLean began describing these records in court, Robbin objected, stating the records are confidential personnel files.
“Has the law court ever addressed whether or not these types of confidentiality orders are actually constitutionally appropriate when a defendant has a right to a fair and public trial?” O’Neil asked during the hearing.
—
**Disciplinary History and Lack of Evidence Against Scott**
Funte was disciplined by the medical examiner’s office in December 2020 and placed on a 30-day unpaid suspension, according to documents obtained previously by the Press Herald. The reason for this discipline is unclear, as the state has refused to release further documentation.
Scott’s attorneys maintain that the state has no other evidence tying their client to Quayshawn’s death. There are no confessions or witness accounts of any assault.
Prosecutors have said a neighbor watched Scott carry Quayshawn to the car on the day of his death, noting the child’s head was tilted back “in a very concerning manner.”
Scott’s attorneys have pointed out his lack of criminal history and dispute state allegations made in 2024 that he had a history of domestic violence involving another woman in Mississippi. Shaneka Washington, Scott’s girlfriend at the time and Quayshawn’s mother, has also disputed those allegations, according to reporting from the Midcoast Villager.
—
**Events Leading Up to Quayshawn’s Death**
On the day of Quayshawn’s death, Scott reportedly spent the entire afternoon caring for the toddler after Washington fed the boy lunch and left for work, according to an affidavit from Maine State Police.
It wasn’t until that evening, while outside the Walmart, that they noticed Quayshawn was unresponsive and began shouting for help. Two bystanders, including an off-duty nurse, attempted to administer CPR.
During Friday’s court session, prosecutors played a video of officers arriving at the scene that night. Scott, sitting between his attorneys, buried his head in his hands and wiped his eyes as the footage showing Quayshawn was displayed.
https://www.sunjournal.com/2025/10/31/attorneys-for-man-accused-of-killing-toddler-in-knox-county-cast-doubt-on-autopsy-report/
Leaders of a key New York City bodega and restaurant group are taking the rare step of speaking out about the mayoral election and throwing their support behind Andrew Cuomo, just days after a rival group faced backlash over a Zohran Mamdani endorsement, The Post has learned.
“We don’t endorse candidates,” said Francisco Marte, founder and president of the Bodega and Small Business Group, which represents some 3,000 bodegas, barber shops, beauty salons, mechanics, and restaurants in the Big Apple. “But we favor Andrew Cuomo,” Marte told The Post. “He’s the best of what we have now.”
At issue for many of these small businesses are Mamdani’s plans to open city-owned grocery stores that would offer customers wholesale prices. Small business owners, especially retailers, have also been rattled by Mamdani’s past comments about defunding the police.
Cuomo, the business owners believe, will be tougher on crime and shoplifting. He is “guaranteeing more public safety and is not coming with this crazy idea to compete with us with city-owned grocery stores,” Marte said.
Marte’s group is taking a stand after a rival organization, United Bodegas of America, blindsided its members this week—including its co-founder Fernando Mateo—by endorsing Mamdani. In response, Mateo angrily resigned from the trade group, which The Post exclusively reported on Wednesday.
Now, United Bodegas’ President Radhames Rodriguez, who made the surprise endorsement at a local eatery in the Bronx this week, is losing members, according to Marte and other grocers.
“I think a quarter of the United Bodega Association’s members will leave because they feel betrayed,” Marte told The Post, adding that several have already told him they are jumping ship to his group.
Rodriguez did not immediately respond for comment. His group has about 2,000 members in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, out of roughly 13,000 bodegas in New York City.
“We are planning to ask Mateo to sit with us and to bring members with him to the real association,” said Carlos Collado, who owns two Fine Fare supermarkets in the Bronx and is a vice president of the Bodega and Small Business Group.
Earlier this week, Mateo called Rodriguez’s Mamdani endorsement a “betrayal” and a violation of the trade group’s bylaws as a nonprofit, which is not supposed to publicly back a political candidate.
Mateo also told The Post on Wednesday, “Hundreds of bodega owners already reached out expressing their discontent. I had to explain to them that I had nothing to do with it.”
An outspoken conservative, Mateo unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination in the 2021 mayoral race. However, Mateo and Marte were not always on the same page.
They operated under the same umbrella, Bodega Association of the USA, until 2017, when they had a dispute over who would take the lead at a press conference on crime at bodegas, according to Marte. Subsequently, Mateo and Rodriguez split off to form the United Bodegas of America.
“If we see that we have common ground, we can find a way” to work together again, Marte said.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/31/business/nyc-bodega-leaders-voice-support-for-andrew-cuomo-days-after-rival-group-got-rocked-over-mamdani-endorsement/
