Rising Health Costs Leave Workers With Bigger Bills

AIPAC Ends Endorsements as Israel Divides Midterm Voters

Trump Asks Supreme Court to Restart Big Bend Border Work

Meta Takes $9.89 Billion Settlement Hit as AI Spending Rises

Houthi Attacks Prompt U.S. Staff Departure From Saudi Arabia

Rising Health Costs Leave Workers With Bigger Bills

The average annual cost of employer-sponsored family health coverage exceeded $28,000 in 2026, up 5%, according to KFF’s annual survey. Workers’ premium contributions rose faster, climbing 9% from 2025 to $7,471 and shifting a greater share of the expense onto employees. Mid Oregon Credit Union faced a projected 38% increase in its health coverage costs for 2027, Chief Executive Kevin Cole told The Wall Street Journal. The credit union, which has roughly 170 employees, responded by raising workers’ premium payments and deductibles and offering a new high-deductible plan. Those changes are expected to trim its projected cost increase by only about 2 percentage points. Health benefits consultants and actuaries expect cost pressures to worsen in 2027.

WSJ

AIPAC Ends Endorsements as Israel Divides Midterm Voters

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee told members Oct. 21 that it would stop endorsing candidates and making direct campaign contributions through its political action committee, 13 days before the midterm elections. AIPAC said the change followed a strategic review and would emphasize individual giving, while its affiliated super PAC, United Democracy Project, would continue independent spending. Pew Research Center’s March survey found unfavorable views of Israel had risen since 2025 among Democrats, from 69% to 80%, and Republicans under 50, from 50% to 57%, although Republicans overall remained more favorable than unfavorable. A separate May Pew survey found just 12% of Democrats and 28% of Republicans ages 18 to 34 viewed Israel’s government favorably, compared with 20% and 68%, respectively, among those 50 and older. Israel policy fueled Democratic primary disputes and the Michigan Senate contest, where Republican Mike Rogers challenged Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s criticism of Israel. Ending formal endorsements allows AIPAC to keep backing candidates financially without giving them its public stamp of approval in an election cycle marked by these partisan and generational divisions.

NPR / JTA / Jewish Insider / JNS / Pew / Axios

Trump Asks Supreme Court to Restart Big Bend Border Work

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Oct. 21 to lift an injunction halting border-barrier construction in West Texas’ Big Bend region. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone’s Oct. 2 order stopped construction and related ground-disturbing work across the roughly 500-mile area and suspended Homeland Security waivers allowing projects to bypass environmental and conservation laws. Solicitor General D. John Sauer sought a pause and outright reversal of the injunction, arguing that a gap of more than 300 miles in barriers would attract cartels. Challengers, including the Center for Biological Diversity, a river guide and a historic-church preservation group, cited court filings showing the sector accounted for 0.3% to 2.2% of annual border-wide apprehensions. The administration says it will not build a large wall inside Big Bend National Park but is pursuing other construction there. The court had not acted as of the latest reports, leaving construction on hold in a dispute over federal authority to waive laws for barriers in areas of high illegal entry.

Houston Public Media / AP / CBS News / The Hill / TPR

Meta Takes $9.89 Billion Settlement Hit as AI Spending Rises

Meta reported Oct. 21 that third-quarter revenue rose 26% to $64.6 billion, exceeding analysts’ expectations, and forecast fourth-quarter revenue of $73 billion to $76 billion. A $9.89 billion charge tied to an August settlement with state attorneys general over teen mental health claims helped push operating income down 37% to $12.99 billion. The company said earnings would have been $7.40 a share without the charge, compared with the $3.83 it reported. Meta raised the lower end of its 2026 capital spending forecast to a range of $135 billion to $145 billion, largely for artificial intelligence infrastructure, after spending $34.91 billion in the quarter. It also announced nonvoting Class C shares, with the new class taking effect in January 2027 and a planned dividend of one Class C share for each existing Class A or Class B share. The structure would allow Meta to raise money, compensate employees and make acquisitions without diluting co-founder Mark Zuckerberg’s voting control as the company expands its AI investments.

CNBC / Meta / SEC / Deadline / TheWrap / Yahoo Finance

Houthi Attacks Prompt U.S. Staff Departure From Saudi Arabia

The State Department on Oct. 21 ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, citing Houthi attacks on civilian airports and critical infrastructure. The mandatory departure covers the embassy in Riyadh and U.S. consulates, requiring affected personnel and families to leave as attacks disrupt travel. Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the order applied only to Saudi Arabia and disputed a Reuters report that missions elsewhere in the Gulf would also send family members home. Saudi authorities said an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam late Wednesday killed at least one person and wounded eight, but did not identify the attacker. NBC News and CBS News separately reported reductions in U.S. troop numbers at bases in Jordan, Qatar and Kuwait, while Central Command said it does not discuss troop movements for operational security reasons. The departure order follows repeated attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis on Saudi airports and oil facilities and the department’s decision to raise its Saudi travel advisory to Level 3 on Oct. 12.

AP / Al Jazeera / CBS News / The Hill

October 22, 1962: JFK Addresses Nation on Cuban Missile Crisis

On October 22, 1962, President John F. Kennedy informed Americans that U.S. spy planes had discovered Soviet nuclear missile sites in Cuba, capable of striking major U.S. cities. He announced a naval “quarantine” of the island and warned that the United States was prepared to use military force to remove this “reckless and provocative” threat.

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Sources

1. WSJ
2. OPB / NWPB / JTA / Jewish Insider / JNS / Pew — March Poll / Pew — Generational Differences / Axios — Midterm Races
3. Houston Public Media / AP via ABC News / CBS News / The Hill / TPR
4. CNBC / Meta via PR Newswire / SEC / Deadline / TheWrap / Yahoo Finance
5. AP via U.S. News / Al Jazeera — Departure Order / CBS News / The Hill — Departures / Al Jazeera — Airport Attack / The Hill — Airport Attack