Oil Tops $106 as Wars Threaten Energy Supplies

Trump Defends Russian Diesel Deal as Senators Demand Reversal

Zacharia’s Brief Debut Draws Criticism From Left and Right

White House Ousts Guilfoyle Amid Misconduct Allegations

Doctors Find Cancer During Pope Leo’s Lung Surgery

Oil Tops $106 as Wars Threaten Energy Supplies

Brent crude reached $106.58 a barrel in early trading Wednesday as fighting between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude oil exporter, raised supply fears and concerns about inflation. Tuesday’s Houthi attack on Aramco’s Dhahran headquarters followed Saudi-led strikes on Yemeni fuel sites and caused a limited fire with no casualties, though accounts differed over whether a missile or interception debris caused the damage.

Russia imposed a diesel export ban after Ukrainian attacks on its oil refineries, squeezing global supplies as U.S. diesel prices climbed and raised costs for truckers and farmers. President Donald Trump wants Kyiv to stop those strikes to help lower fuel prices. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told NPR that Washington had threatened to stop sharing intelligence unless Ukraine halted the refinery attacks, but both leaders said intelligence sharing was continuing. Russian missiles meanwhile hit a Kyiv power plant and an apartment building Tuesday night, with Zelenskyy reporting 600,000 people without electricity.

Reuters / The National / World Oil / NPR / Kyiv Independent

Trump Defends Russian Diesel Deal as Senators Demand Reversal

Six Republican and six Democratic senators urged President Donald Trump on Tuesday to reverse his agreement easing sanctions on Russian diesel exports, warning it would help finance Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Republican signers included Mitch McConnell and Susan Collins, while Democrats included Dick Durbin and Jeanne Shaheen. The senators argued the deal would do little to lower American fuel prices and urged Trump to enforce sanctions authorized by Congress last month. Trump defended the agreement as a way to increase diesel supplies for world markets and blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries for high prices. American envoys told Ukrainian officials the arrangement was intended to make Moscow more receptive to peace talks, Reuters reported. The bipartisan challenge comes three weeks before the Nov. 3 midterms and raises questions about congressional limits on presidential sanctions relief.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee / PBS / Reuters

Zacharia’s Brief Debut Draws Criticism From Left and Right

White House press secretary Katie Zacharia’s first briefing Tuesday lasted about 14 minutes and drew criticism from liberal and conservative commentators. She read prepared remarks and called on three reporters, limiting opportunities to question the administration about its policies. Former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki compared the appearance to a comedy sketch, while conservative media coach Beverly Hallberg criticized Zacharia’s nervous delivery and reliance on notes. President Donald Trump praised her performance after the briefing. On Fox News’ “The Five,” Jesse Watters argued that Zacharia had little time to prepare, saying she left California on Friday and held her first briefing Tuesday. He said she should improve with more time in the job.

AP / TheWrap / Mediaite / Fox News

White House Ousts Guilfoyle Amid Misconduct Allegations

Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned as U.S. ambassador to Greece on Tuesday after the White House asked her to step down amid allegations of improper conduct. A former Fox News host and Donald Trump Jr.’s former fiancée, Guilfoyle led fundraising for Trump’s 2020 campaign and remained a prominent figure in his political circle. News reports alleged that she sought $100,000 from a political donor to cover a personal credit card bill and offered access to administration officials in exchange for money. The Wall Street Journal reported that she promoted a Greek construction and energy company and admitted its lobbyist to private diplomatic meetings, while The Washington Post reported a State Department inspector general investigation into her conduct. Guilfoyle denied wrongdoing, her lawyer disputed the authenticity of messages cited by the Journal, and the embassy said she followed ethics and gift-reporting rules. Her departure came six days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly praised her, leaving an unresolved investigation involving the U.S. mission to a NATO ally.

CNBC / CBS News / Washington Post / AP

Doctors Find Cancer During Pope Leo’s Lung Surgery

Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery Tuesday to examine and remove a lump doctors had found in his right lung, and testing during the operation confirmed it was cancer, the Vatican said. The 71-year-old Chicago native, the first American pope, underwent a 90-minute minimally invasive operation that doctors said ended without complications. Surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung, with initial testing identifying lung adenocarcinoma and further tissue analysis pending. The Vatican said he awoke normally and was expected to remain hospitalized for about a week. All papal audiences are canceled through Oct. 20, with the effect on his planned November trip to South America still unclear. Vatican officials said doctors were not discussing chemotherapy or other treatments while awaiting additional test results.

Vatican News / NPR / Al Jazeera

OCTOBER 14, 1962: SOVIET MISSILES PHOTOGRAPHED IN CUBA

On October 14, 1962, a U.S. U-2 spy plane photographed Soviet medium-range missile sites being constructed in Cuba, just 90 miles off the American coast. The discovery triggered the Cuban Missile Crisis, a tense two-week standoff that brought the United States and the Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear war.

This article was written using our proprietary AI system, Cronkite. The final decision to publish this article was made by a human. For more info, read our AI policy.

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Sources

1. Reuters — Oil Prices / The National / World Oil / NPR / Reuters — Ukraine / Kyiv Independent / Reuters — Russian Diesel Exports
2. Senate Foreign Relations Committee / PBS / Reuters
3. AP / TheWrap / Mediaite — Reactions / Fox News — The Five, Oct. 13
4. CNBC / CBS News / Washington Post / AP — Campaign and Family Ties
5. Vatican News / NPR / Al Jazeera