Houthi terrorists strike Saudi airport
Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists struck Saudi Arabia over the weekend, hitting Riyadh’s international airport on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, U.S. reports indicate a Houthi cruise missile was responsible for killing 12 and wounding more than 300 in the deadliest strike on Saudi territory since the Iranian war began. On Sunday, an unidentified projectile killed one more and injured 11 others. The Saudi government promised to respond decisively, and Houthi-run media reports that it struck the international airport in Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital. Saudi warplanes are assisting the Yemeni government in a full campaign to defeat the Houthis and restore government control in Yemen. President Donald Trump has been cagey when asked if he would use U.S. military forces to aid in the fight against the Houthis, but many believe he will since the Houthis are so closely linked to the Iranian government.

A new White House press secretary
Former Homeland Security spokesperson Katie Zacharia will replace former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Zacharia has a long career in Republican politics, starting as an intern for the Republican National Committee and working for the White House during George W. Bush’s second term. Zacharia worked on Trump’s campaigns and regularly contributes to Fox News and other outlets. She currently works at Fix California, a Trump-founded organization focused on promoting the conservative platform in the blue state. Trump announced Leavitt’s replacement on Friday, citing Katie’s “unblemished record of support” and her loyalty from the beginning. The 42-year-old mother of four thanked the president and called the job “the honor of a lifetime.” Zacharia noted the high standard Leavitt set and said she looks forward to meeting it. Her first press briefing is set for Tuesday morning.

Senate debate in South Carolina
South Carolina Senator Darline Graham debated Democrat Annie Andrews yesterday in their only scheduled debate. When Graham’s brother Lindsey Graham passed away in July, she was appointed to his seat. Despite receiving President Trump’s endorsement, even Republicans questioned her credentials. During the heated debate, Andrews argued that Graham is “unserious and unqualified” after only three months of public office. She also denounced Graham for supporting artificial intelligence companies and called her “data center Darline.” Graham accused Andrews of supporting the Democratic Socialists of America and socialist policies: “She’s only going to join them.” She defended Trump’s policies concerning the war in Iran but sidestepped answering a question on Trump’s recent diesel deal with Russia. Though the Leftmedia presents the race as competitive, Trump won South Carolina by 18 percentage points in 2024.

Guilfoyle’s job in jeopardy amidst reports of misconduct
U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle is facing heat after a series of reports alleging that she engaged in improper or illegal conduct while at her post in Athens. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are reportedly “pissed off” by the reports and will soon decide whether to fire her. Rubio was especially angry, as this news comes right after his visit to Athens, and he had frequently visited with Guilfoyle. The reports claim Guilfoyle threatened a Greek official, accepted improper gifts, and offered to influence the administration in a specific way in return for paying a large credit card bill.

El-Sayed walks back Obama criticism
Over the years, Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has often criticized former President Barack Obama. In a Sunday interview, however, El-Sayed changed his mind, blaming his younger self. “I was younger, right, and I was angry about circumstances,” El-Sayed said, referring to his past scrutiny of Obama’s foreign, immigration, and healthcare policies. In hindsight, El-Sayed could see Obama’s leadership ability. To explain his change of mind, El-Sayed compared his father to Obama. “I wouldn’t have my life but for my dad’s efforts,” he said. “At the same time, there’s a lot of things about my dad I would do differently, right?” The two Democrats will campaign together at the end of the month, ahead of the midterm elections. Last week, Obama assured voters that El-Sayed’s policies align with older Democrats, despite his progressive positions — a lie or very bad news.

Taxpayer-funded Trump ads shot down by judge
Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon felt the need to step in and order the federal government to cease funding a controversial pro-Trump ad campaign even as it came to an end. Rochon ruled the campaign was likely unlawful and must stop before the end of the day on October 11th, the day the ruling came down. The Trump administration had already ceased disbursing more funds for the campaign, and Trump had agreed to fund any future ads through his super PAC MAGA Inc. The administration contended that Common Cause, a Democrat-run “nonpartisan” group, or the DNC, had no right to sue, especially given that they improperly filed in Rochon’s district in New York. The Department of Homeland Security reports that the vendor was told not to make further media buys but is expected to submit its final invoice.

DOJ investigates White House pool coverage
After President Trump prohibited several Leftmedia outlets from accessing the White House in September, the television press pool suspended coverage of Trump. The Department of Justice launched an investigation to determine whether that breaks antitrust laws. In a recent statement, the DOJ said the press pool — broadcasters including CNN, Fox, ABC, CBS, and NBC — potentially violated the Sherman Act. Rarely applied to media coverage, the Sherman Act prohibits agreements that unreasonably restrain trade. Trump also faces lawsuits from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, the three outlets he banned. Television pool coverage resumed after a federal judge ordered the restoration of their access.

Gender confusion falls among teens
Newly released CDC data analysis shows that high schoolers are much less likely to identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual than they were during the pandemic era. The decline is most evident among teenage girls, as the share of ninth graders who identified as such dropped from 30% in 2021 to 17% this past year. While the decline among older high schoolers has been slower, the surveys show these orientations have declined across the board. Jean Twenge, who conducted this survey, has not concluded why this is happening, but she does not point to the Trump administration as the sole cause of the general decline.

Army selects five companies to build on-base nuclear microreactors
The U.S. Army has chosen five companies to construct and maintain nuclear microreactors on five military installations across the country. This is part of the Army’s Janus Program, an initiative to make domestic defense capabilities energy-independent of local power grids, which have become concerningly vulnerable. The first bases that will receive these upgrades are Forts Bragg, Campbell, Hood, Benning, and Drum in North Carolina, Kentucky, Texas, Georgia, and New York, respectively. More bases will receive nuclear microreactors in the coming years. President Trump previously signed an executive order calling for these reactors to operate no later than September 2028, and since then, plans have been made for all domestic military bases to build one.

Bessent destroys Elizabeth Warren in hilarious letter
In an October 9 letter, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent responded to a letter he’d received two days earlier from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, in which she whined about the cost of the war in Iran and the trillions the OBBBA added to the national debt. Bessent noted the “mounting body of evidence” of her “complete paucity of knowledge about financial markets,” and scolded her for participating in “tabloid fodder” concerning the Treasury Department. He added that it was hard to believe the sincerity of her complaints, since she had no issues with the Biden administration’s “reckless spending” when inflation hit a 40-year high, and she voted for a “$5 trillion tax hike on everyday Americans.” Bessent saved the best for last, finishing the roast with a handwritten note wishing Warren a “Happy Indigenous People’s Day in advance to you and your family.”

Headlines

  • Audio appears to confirm Talarico’s stay at mental health facility; campaign denies it —PJ Media
  • Letitia James faces bar ethics complaint over Cornell 7 comments —Daily Wire
  • Minnesota gangbanger gets bailed after school shootings —Fox News
  • Islamic radical immigrants’ children, grandchildren are more dangerous —Hot Air

The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, Jacob Geoffrey, Hudson Baldwin, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.