Feds Arrest 28 in California Voter-Fraud Sweep as Trump Signs Women's Health Order and Tech Stocks Lead an Afternoon Rally

Good afternoon — here is what moved after this morning's wrap. Federal agents made the largest voter-fraud takedown in California history, the White House signed a new women's health order, and the afternoon brought fresh injury news ahead of tonight's games.

1. Federal agents arrest 28 in California 'Operation Protect the Vote' sweep

Federal agents arrested 28 alleged noncitizens across California on Monday in 'Operation Protect the Vote,' according to the New York Post. Authorities called it the biggest voter-fraud takedown in state history, and most of those arrested are accused of registering fraudulently and then casting ballots in U.S. elections. The arrests were drawn from a federal list of more than 20,000 suspected noncitizens on the rolls ahead of next month's midterms, and they follow last week's Justice Department lawsuit ordering the state to review that list. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the arrests confirm noncitizens are voting in California, while Gov. Gavin Newsom blasted the operation as a 'sad, desperate attempt' to suppress voters three weeks before Election Day.

Source: New York Post

2. Trump signs executive order creating a federal women's health task force

President Trump signed an executive order on Monday creating a federal women's health task force. At a Rose Garden ceremony, First Lady Melania Trump said the order would set 'a new standard for women's health in America,' and the president signed alongside her. The order also creates a new National Institutes of Health division for women's health, and the task force — led by Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — was set to hold its first meeting Monday afternoon in the Roosevelt Room. The signing gives the administration a domestic-policy headline heading into the final stretch before the midterms.

Source: New York Post

3. One person killed in shooting near a Columbus mosque during a funeral

The Columbus Dispatch reported a fatal shooting Monday afternoon near a mosque on Columbus's Northeast Side. Police got the call at 2:11 p.m. for the 2200 block of Albert Avenue, a few hundred feet from the Alrahma Mosque, and one person was pronounced dead at the scene. Sgt. James Fuqua said the shooting involved two groups outside while a funeral was underway inside, stressing it was not an attack on the mosque and was not related to the funeral. Police had not said by mid-afternoon whether anyone else was hurt or whether any suspects were being sought.

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

4. Tech and AI stocks lead an afternoon rally in a heavy earnings week

Tech stocks led an afternoon rally on Wall Street on Monday. The Nasdaq Composite was the day's clear outperformer, up about 1.29% in afternoon trading, while the S&P 500 added roughly 0.54% and the Dow finished nearly flat as money rotated into growth and chip names — the semiconductor ETF SMH jumped about 1.72%. The fear gauge eased, with the VIX futures product VXX down about 2.54%, even as long-term Treasury yields ticked higher. The move sets the tone for a heavy third-quarter earnings week that will test whether the AI trade can keep carrying the market.

Source: StockMarketWatch

5. 49ers rule out Christian Kirk for tonight's game against Washington

The 49ers will not activate receiver Christian Kirk for Monday Night Football, Heavy reported. Kirk stays on injured reserve with the calf strain that has sidelined him since shortly after training camp began in July, so his San Francisco debut waits at least one more week. The undefeated 49ers instead elevated receiver Malik Turner and linebacker Jalen Graham from the practice squad for tonight's Week 6 finale against the Washington Commanders at Levi's Stadium. Kirk signed a one-year, $3 million deal with San Francisco in March.

Source: Heavy

6. GTA VI countdown hits exactly one month to launch

Grand Theft Auto VI launches November 19 — exactly one month from today, TheGamer reported. The date arrives after two delays and 13 years since the last entry in the series, and digital preloads for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S open a week early, on November 12. Pricing is set at $79.99 for the Standard Edition and $99.99 for the Ultimate Edition. The milestone lands days after Rockstar's launch trailer introduced 'Flower in a Hurricane,' the new track from score composers Justice featuring Tame Impala, SZA and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.

Source: TheGamer

7. Trump weighs in on Paris riots as he leaves the White House for a Kansas rally

President Trump predicted Monday that Paris would become 'a Muslim city very soon.' Speaking to reporters as he departed the White House for a campaign rally in Kansas, Trump pointed to the rioting and looting in France and urged President Emmanuel Macron to close France's borders and 'take those bad people out.' He said he had warned Macron for years that 'his borders are a problem' and argued Europe must follow the U.S. mass-deportation example. The remarks came after Macron blamed part of France's discontent on Trump's conflict with Iran and the resulting rise in global fuel costs.

Source: New York Post

8. Coastal flood advisories posted as the nor'easter crawls up the East Coast

Coastal flood advisories are now posted for parts of the East Coast as a nor'easter crawls offshore. As of 8 a.m. Monday the storm sat a few hundred miles off the Southeast coast with a 40% chance of picking up subtropical characteristics later this week, and the National Weather Service posted a coastal flood advisory for Kent County, inland Sussex County and the Delaware beaches from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday. Forecasters expect high winds, dangerous surf and flooding on the most vulnerable coastal and bayside roads from North Carolina to New Jersey into Wednesday or Thursday, though Delaware's highest crests should run about a foot and a half below September's storm. More advisories are expected as elevated high-tide cycles continue this week.

Source: Delaware News Journal

Still developing this afternoon

ALCS Game 6: Rays can clinch the pennant tonight

Tampa Bay, up 3-2 on Cleveland, hosts Game 6 at Tropicana Field at 8:08 p.m. ET on TBS. Freddy Peralta starts for the Rays against a Guardians bullpen game opened by Shawn Armstrong; a Tampa win sends the Rays to the World Series against Milwaukee, while a Cleveland win forces Game 7 on Tuesday.

Monday Night Football: 5-0 49ers host the Commanders

San Francisco puts its unbeaten record on the line at Levi's Stadium at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN and ABC. Washington receiver Stefon Diggs is expected to play after missing Week 5 with a hamstring injury, giving Jayden Daniels his top target back for his second game since returning from a dislocated elbow.

Earnings week will test the tech rally

A heavy third-quarter earnings calendar gets underway this week, with Tesla and Meta among the big names set to report. After Monday's tech-led afternoon gains, investors will be watching whether results can justify the AI trade's run.