Alaska Says Trump Ballot Demand Meritless, Trump’s WSJ Suit Dismissed, More

0:01 News when you want it, with Bloomberg News Now, I'm Ed Kalangi. A potential legal victory for Democrats in Alaska, as Alaska's Attorney General's office Saturday urged a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed at President Trump's direction to stop the certification of a possible Democratic win in that state's pivotal U.S. Senate race, writing that there is no reason for this court to entertain this meritless lawsuit any longer.

0:28 The filing comes as U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason set a deadline of Saturday for arguments over whether she should dismiss the lawsuit without even a hearing. The complaint from the U.S. Department of Justice has been roundly criticized by election law experts and demands that the judge halt certification of a possible win by Democrat Mary Peltula until it is determined whether voters were confused by the presence of a second candidate on the ballot with the same name as her main rival, Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. The DOJ on Friday added a request that the judge separate all ballots showing votes for the second Dan Sullivan until it can be determined whether voters were fooled into wasting

1:08 their votes for a spoiler candidate. In its Saturday filing, Alaska said this was both disturbing and impossible. It added there would be no way to do that without violating voter privacy. A federal judge threw out President Trump's renewed $ 10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and ruled that it cannot be filed again, marking another setback for the president's legal fights with the press. Judge Darren Gales in Miami on Saturday granted the journal's request to dismiss the suit. The newspaper was accused in the complaint of defaming Trump in an article on his relationship with the late Jeffrey Epstein. Gales first tossed the suit in April for lacking evidence. but he gave Trump a chance

1:50 to file a new one with beefed-up claims. Trump in May filed the new version, which the Journal argued was not an improvement. The FBI says that North Korea was responsible for stealing more than $ 6 billion in cryptocurrencies in a brazen hacking attack on Binance. The FBI said Saturday in a statement referring to the U.S. Secret Service and the Criminal Division of the Internal Revenue Service, The FBI, together with partners at the USS and IRS-CI, has observed trader-trader actors converting stolen assets primarily into Ethereum. It is expected these assets will then be further laundered by converting them using DeFi and instant swap services as they prepare them for further laundering stages. Earlier, Binance said it had

2:35 covered about 90% of the $ 6. 3 billion and plans to restore withdrawals by Sunday. making progress on a pledge to fully reimburse customers. In a social media post Saturday, the world's biggest crypto exchange reiterated that it will absorb the full impact of the theft so that users will not suffer any losses. Both parties are making their final push to rally voters ahead of the midterms amid major affordability and inflation concerns. Bloomberg's Chris Kennedy reports it's splintering support for Republicans.

3:05 What we found is that voters really do link higher gas prices, higher grocery prices to Trump's policy decisions. And that includes the decision to go to war with Iran, of course, but also tariffs.

3:19 Bloomberg's Chris Kennedy says early voting in this midterm election has hit a record more than 48.5 million Americans have already cast ballots, beating early turnout numbers from the last midterm in 2022. Democrat Gregory Meeks represents New York's 5th Congressional District and ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. He talked to Bloomberg about how he is feeling about his party's prospects.

3:41 I look at it as though we are the New York Knicks, and we're down, but we are on the run. And we're going to make sure that we run through the tape. We're going to keep moving and running around the country, convincing and talking to the American people what we will do once we're in charge, and letting them know that we're The dysfunctioning of the White House now and the Congress with this as a rubber stamp for the White House will end once we win.

4:09 Meek says health care and holding President Trump and his party accountable will be priorities for Democrats if they win back control of Congress next week. Iran's supreme leader ordered his top military commanders to prepare for renewed confrontation with the U.S. and Israel and expand Tehran's option for retaliation.

4:26 even as his top diplomat signaled progress in diplomatic talks. Moshtaba Khomeini told the heads of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the army and the general staff of the armed forces, according to a statement Saturday on Telegram, every level and type of threat must be met with an immediate, effective response without geographical limitations. He ordered the military to update its lists of potential targets to bring all types of material and immaterial assets, of the U.S. and Israel within the armed forces' reach. The Supreme Leader also described intelligent combat readiness for a powerful confrontation with the enemies as one of the prerequisites of maximum deterrence and urged the military to strengthen its capabilities with new technologies. Bursa Istanbul

5:12 Chief Executive Officer Korkmaz Ergun was detained as part of an investigation into Turkey's investment fund crisis. Ergun is being investigated on allegations of accepting bribes and membership in a criminal organization. He is also the deputy chairman of Turkey's settlement and custody bank known as Takis Bank. The move marks a further expansion of a sweeping probe into alleged manipulation involving investment funds and stocks. Capital Markets Board's former chairman, Ibrahim Omer Gunal, is under investigation as a suspect as well.

5:44 Halloween is looking to bring in record sales of themed products like costumes, greeting cards, and pumpkins, but it's not looking that great for chocolate. Bloomberg's Charlie Pellett explains.

5:55 Bloomberg Intelligence says overall the amount of chocolate sold at Halloween is expected to fall as much as 11% this year. Halloween is one of the biggest chocolate occasions in America. Demand has struggled, though, ever since prices of cocoa started soaring in 2023. because of supply problems prompting big-name brands to hike prices, shrink products, and tweak recipes. For trick-or-treaters, that'll mean cheaper lollipops and hard candy. In New York, Charlie Pellett, Bloomberg Radio.

6:25 But Charlie did not tell us what he's handing out today at his house. Global news 24 hours a day and whenever you want it with Bloomberg News Now. I'm Ed Kalecki. This is Bloomberg.