The Justice Department has arrested Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas and three of her family members on charges of running a drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy based on illegal marijuana sales.
The charges against Lucas, an 82-year-old Democrat, were filed months after federal agents raided her Portsmouth office and a cannabis shop in which she holds an ownership stake.
The DOJ said Lucas surrendered to authorities Thursday. FBI Director Kash Patel alleged Lucas received nearly $5 million in illicit cash since 2021 as part of the scheme.
The Supreme Court is poised to help sway midterm election voters in the bitter fight for the Senate majority.
Democrats are warning if Republicans hold on to the Senate, they’ll be able to usher through more of President Trump’s picks for the Supreme Court.
Republicans say a Democratic-controlled Senate will lead to an increase in the number of justices on the court or to the imposition of term limits. Republicans warn a Democratic-controlled Senate could prevent Trump from winning confirmation of justices if he needs to fill a vacancy.
Democrats are increasingly skeptical that ballots delivered by the U.S. Postal Service will be tallied properly.
Just 15% of Democratic-leaning voters this year expect to vote by mail or absentee ballot, according to data from the Pew Research Center. That’s a drop from the 21% who said they used the mail in the 2024 presidential election. Republicans’ interest in voting by mail also fell slightly, to 9%.
Pew said interest in both in-person voting and using ballot drop boxes has grown as alternatives to using the mail. Overall, Pew found a high level of confidence that the election will be conducted properly and that the results will be tallied correctly.
Massachusetts will serve as a testing ground on Election Day for whether voters regret marijuana legalization.
The Bay State would be the first to reverse course on legalization if Question 8 passes this November.
The ballot measure would allow medical marijuana dispensaries to operate. Adults could still possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana without facing a civil penalty. A mid-October Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll found that more than 71% of respondents said they intended to vote “no” on the question.
Also in Massachusetts, Halloween is more than a holiday, especially in Salem, which is celebrating its 400th anniversary.
Places where wands and witch hats are sold stand beside memorials to those executed for witchcraft.
From February 1692 to May 1693, more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft in Salem. Fourteen women and five men were hanged, and one man was crushed to death under heavy stones.
And finally … Voters will decide Sunday whether Brazil will be the latest South American nation to embrace closer ties with the U.S.
Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, in the presidential runoff race against incumbent, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Bolsonaro received 47% of the vote in the first round on Oct. 4, while da Silva received 45%. A Bolsonaro victory Sunday would give Washington another influential partner on trade and security in a nation where the U.S. has already invested billions of dollars in critical minerals.
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