First thing: The wealth of the top 10 American billionaires increased by $698 billion in the past year US News
Good morning.
The collective wealth of America’s top 10 billionaires rose by $698 billion last year, according to a report by Oxfam America on the growing wealth gap.
The report warns that the Trump administration’s policies risk pushing inequality in the United States to new heights, but notes that Republican and Democratic administrations alike have exacerbated the growing wealth gap in the United States.
Using Federal Reserve data from 1989 to 2022, the researchers calculated that the richest 1% of households acquired 101 times more wealth than the median household during that time period and 987 times the wealth of a household in the bottom 20th income percentile. This translated into gains of $8.35 million per household for the richest 1% of households, compared to $83,000 for the average household over a 33-year period.
-
How did Trump’s policies affect the numbers? Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” passed by Congress in May, was one of the “largest upward wealth transfers in decades,” according to the report, by cutting taxes on the wealthy and corporations.
Ukrainian video game-style drone attack system is spreading rapidly
Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov told The Guardian that a video game-like drone attack system has spread widely among Ukrainian military units, extending to include reconnaissance, artillery and logistical operations.
Ukrainian officials said drone teams competing for points under the “drone army reward system” killed or wounded 18,000 Russian soldiers in September, with 400 drone units now participating in the competition, compared to 95 units in August.
-
How does it work? The system, which launched more than a year ago, rewards soldiers who score hits with points that can be redeemed to purchase more weapons at an online “Amazon for War” store called Brave1 that is stocked with more than 100 different drones, autonomous vehicles and other unmanned warfare items.
Trump says Maduro’s days are numbered, but there are doubts that the United States will go to war with Venezuela.
Donald Trump has sent mixed signals about possible US intervention in Venezuela, downplaying fears of an impending war but saying its leader Nicolas Maduro’s days are numbered.
The president’s comments, made during a CBS interview on Sunday, come as the United States mobilizes military units in the Caribbean and launched several strikes on alleged drug smuggling ships, killing dozens.
-
Is Trump planning to go to war with Venezuela? When Trump was asked about that on 60 Minutes, he said, “I doubt it. I don’t think so.” However, when asked if Maduro’s days as president were numbered, he replied: “I would say yes. I think so, yes.”
In other news…
-
Israel announced that the remains of the three hostages had been handed over from Gaza It will be examined by forensic experts, as the fragile month-long ceasefire continues.
-
One of the monkeys that escaped after a truck overturned on the Mississippi on October 28 has been shot and killed. Early yesterday by a homeowner who said she feared for the safety of her children.
-
The bureau reportedly fired a top FBI official of 27 years after its director, Kash Patel, became enraged by newspaper stories. It was revealed that Patel used a government plane to travel to see his girlfriend sing the national anthem at a wrestling match.
-
George Clooney said he felt it was a “mistake” for Kamala Harris to replace Joe Biden in the 2024 US presidential election.He added that he does not regret calling on Democrats to find a new presidential candidate.
Today’s statistic: Why is Zahran Mamdani leading by a large margin in the New York mayoral race?
For someone who rarely stops smiling, Zahran Mamdani, the front-runner for mayor of New York City, is certainly generating a lot of backlash with ads, headlines and social media posts all aimed at him. But the Democratic Socialist is currently leading by a large margin in the race and appears to be taking a significant lead ahead of Tuesday’s vote. Research by the Harvard Institute of Politics that listened to young people during the recent early voting period may explain why.
Don’t miss this: How the ghost of Ronald Reagan scared Trump over tariffs
Halloween has come early for Donald Trump, writes Sidney Blumenthal. Ronald Reagan scared him. Trump reacted with astonishment to a television ad that included excerpts of Reagan’s April 1987 radio talk in which he explained the danger of trade wars. Trump claimed that “Canada is trying to illegally influence the United States Supreme Court in one of the most important rulings in our country’s history.”
…Or this: The rise of British Thanksgiving driven by a growing appetite for American foods
Thanksgiving was once a holiday known to Britons only through American films, but a growing appetite for American cuisine and the growing number of American expats now living there are driving a surge in Thanksgiving celebrations in the UK, with retailers and restaurants reporting increased sales and bookings in the run-up to the occasion.
Climate Verification: Documents indicate Exxon-funded research centers to spread climate denial in Latin America
Exxon has funded right-wing think tanks to spread climate change denial across Latin America, according to hundreds of previously unpublished documents that reveal a coordinated campaign to make the Global South “less inclined” to support the UN-led climate treaty process.
LAST THING: ‘That’s the technical term’ – Salman Rushdie’s therapist says he’s PTSD-free because he’s a ‘badass’
Salman Rushdie says he has recovered from PTSD symptoms after nearly dying from being stabbed during an assassination attempt in 2022, leading his therapist to humorously conclude it is because the famous novelist is “naive,” adding: “That’s the technical term.”
subscription
Subscribe to America’s Morning Briefing
First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already registered, sign up now.
Contact us
If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters, please email newsletters@USADailyTrends.com