Salem News Channel

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at lowering diesel costs for American farmers and truckers. The order temporarily allows red-dyed diesel, normally reserved for off-road uses such as farming and construction, to be used on highways. It also defers the federal excise tax on the fuel through the end of the year. The move comes as diesel prices remain above $6 a gallon.

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SpaceX shares jumped 8% Monday, pushing CEO and founder Elon Musk’s net worth back above $1 trillion. The company has been benefiting from artificial intelligence infrastructure agreements, along with its Starship program and so-called “neocloud” government contracts.

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Larry Elder examines why many Democrats have embraced socialism, attributing it to a fear-driven mindset shaped by years of indoctrination. He highlights how young people with advanced degrees in humanities, who struggle to find well-paying jobs, become disillusioned and angry. Elder argues that this anger is fueled by a steady stream of information from tech giants and social media platforms that portray the U.S. as an exploitative and unjust system. The discussion further delves into the economic policies under the Biden administration, including inflation rates and their impact on the average American. Elder questions whether the public is aware of the economic conditions during the transition from Trump to Biden, pointing out the significant rise in inflation and other economic challenges.

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Universities today seem to have strayed from their primary mission of education, instead becoming environments where students waste time and money engaging in questionable behaviors. In a recent episode, a disturbing incident at Cornell University involving a false accusation of gang rape has sparked widespread controversy. The narrative presented by some suggests a 20-year-old woman was drugged and assaulted, but subsequent details reveal that she had voluntarily consumed the drugs and had even expressed a desire to repeat the encounter with some of the men involved. This incident highlights a concerning trend where universities are seen as places for students to misbehave and waste resources rather than focusing on academic and moral development. The discussion raises critical questions about the values we instill in our youth and the consequences of a culture that seems to prioritize entertainment over education.

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Discount gym giant Planet Fitness has an "inclusive" locker room policy that allows gym members to use whichever locker room matches their gender identity. That policy was in place at a gym where an arrest was made in Massachusetts last week. Laquan Holland was arrested after he allegedly sexually assaulted two women in the locker room of a Planet Fitness in Cambridge. Holland faces two counts of assault to rape, two counts of indecent assault, and battery on a person over 14, as well as one count of kidnapping and one count of witness intimidation. Read more on this story on Townhall: https://townhall.com/news/amy-curtis/2026/10/05/planet-fitness-assaults-masschusetts-n2684107

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(Siberia) -- The U.S. is monitoring the situation after a lab worker died due to possible exposure to the plague in Russia. Russian officials said at first a woman who was an employee at an anti-plague research institute in Irkutsk died from an unspecified form of the disease. Now, the country's consumer watchdog said that woman had been "diagnosed with pneumonia" of unknown origin. Some reports said nearly 200 people had been quarantined due to possible exposure. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says officials are monitoring the situation closely.

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YUMA, Arizona, Oct 5 (Reuters) - The US Army is testing counter-drone technology in the US-Mexico border area, seeking to sharpen its defenses against the growing threat of drone use by cartels and emulate the rapid battlefield innovation happening in Ukraine's war with Russia. At Falcon Peak, a US Northern Command exercise held in September in Arizona, soldiers watched as defense firms demonstrated radars, interceptor drones, autonomous gun systems and other technologies designed to detect, track and destroy small unmanned aircraft. Army officials said drones crossing the southern border are typically systems sold commercially and used by criminals for surveillance linked to their smuggling and human trafficking operations. Brigadier General Brian Filler, deputy commander for operations at Joint Task Force Southern Border, told reporters the military detected 378 drone incursions in the previous 30 days and that the trend was increasing. "We are seeing largely commercial off-the-shelf available drones," Filler said, adding that most carry surveillance cameras and are often observed alongside cross-border movements. The US military said earlier this month it had downed 11 cartel drones using ?lasers since deploying the technology along the southern ?border in August. LEARNING FROM UKRAINE Military planners are racing to keep pace with lessons from Ukraine, where drones have transformed the battlefield and driven rapid innovation in both offensive and defensive systems. Military officials caution that cartel-operated drones are not comparable to the sophisticated battlefield ones seen in Ukraine or the Middle East. But they say the border offers a valuable operational environment to test equipment, train soldiers and evaluate how systems perform outside controlled laboratory conditions. The exercise highlighted the Pentagon's growing embrace of venture-backed defense technology firms. Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, investors have poured billions of dollars into companies such as Anduril, Shield AI, Saronic and a wave of smaller drone and counter-drone startups seeking military contracts. Anduril's Ghost drone was featured in the demonstrations, as well as the radar-and-camera detection system produced by Teledyne FLIR, the "Bullfrog" counter-drone automated machine gun produced by Allen Control Systems and an interceptor drone sold by Powerus, which ?went public on Thursday, merging with a company backed by sons of US President Donald Trump. Officials said part of their goal is replicating the rapid iteration cycle seen in Ukraine. "We tend to look at Ukraine and we say, 'I am so impressed with how quickly they can adapt on a daily or weekly basis,'" Brigadier General Matt Ross told reporters. "What we should really do is replicate that process."

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(Nantucket, MA) -- The Coast Guard has suspended the dayslong search for six people aboard a medical plane that vanished in the waters off New England. The Boston-bound plane disappeared Saturday morning while flying from Bermuda, and crews later found debris about 20 miles off Nantucket. The Coast Guard covered about 45-hundred square miles in its search. Latitude Air Ambulance says all six people unaccounted for are presumed to have died.

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(Tel Aviv) -- Several reports say the FlyDubai co-pilot accused of stabbing his captain was planning to crash the passenger jet at Tel Aviv's main airport. The co-pilot reportedly told investigators that after he subdued the pilot, he intended to obtain landing clearances then hit Ben Gurion Airport. Reports also indicate the accused man acted alone. UAE authorities, who are leading the investigation, said Saturday the co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash ax in an attempted terrorist attack aboard the Israel-bound plane.

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(New York, NY) -- Former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is joining Fox News. The network announced on Monday that Leavitt will be joining as a contributor. She follows in the footsteps of other former press secretaries like Kayleigh McEnany and Jen Psaki who moved on to cable news following their time in the position. Leavitt stepped down from the role in August, not long after returning from maternity leave. She will begin her new role with Fox News on November 1st.

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LONDON/WASHINGTON, Oct 5 (Reuters) - US Vice President JD Vance said on Monday that the decision to move B-1 bombers from a British airbase was done out of an abundance of caution after a suspected Iranian plot at the site last week. The planes had been stationed at RAF Fairford, the preferred European base for US bombers, and had recently been used in US strikes on Iran. Last week, five British men were arrested near the base - which Iran's Revolutionary Guards previously said was a legitimate target - on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. "So, what you saw there is the Secretary of War, out of an abundance of caution, trying to protect our guys," Vance said as he left Washington for a trip to Alaska. "We do feel with some confidence that the Iranians are, you know, they're trying to do what the Iranian state has done for 49 years, which is engaged in acts of terrorism against the United States (and others), so we are being extremely cautious, and that's all I'd say about that." Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was no direct link between the sudden removal of the bombers and the suspected Iranian plot. He said the Pentagon is "constantly reallocating resources where they need to be." A NATO military source had said on Monday: "It is still believed that Iran poses an acute threat to US assets in the UK". While much about the incident remains unexplained, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said any plot was likely backed by Iran. Iran has said accusations that it was involved in any plot are baseless, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi wrote on X: "I can confirm Iran's belief that releasing supposed terrorists working for foreign states really says it all. You're barking up the wrong tree." KEY AIR BASE FOR US STRIKES Rubio said on Monday the US had confidence in the security of all its bases. Fairford, located 90 miles (145 km) west of London, is one of the most important in Europe for the US, being one of only a few suitable for heavy bombers such as the B-1 aircraft. It has played a key role in previous US campaigns in the Middle East, although its bombers are not stationed there permanently. During the current conflict, the US had permission to use Fairford only to strike Iranian missile sites that were attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz, or so-called defensive strikes. London had refused permission for the US to use British bases for offensive strikes on Iran. That approach has strained ties between the US and Britain, typically one of Washington's closest allies. A Pentagon official confirmed on Sunday that all US bombers which had been deployed to Fairford had headed to their home stations in the US. The Pentagon said the US bomber force remained ready to deliver precision global strike capabilities "anywhere, anytime". The New York Times, citing two US officials, said the US had rushed over the weekend to move the bombers after commanders received new threats about an Iran-backed plot. It said some of the planes had left while aerial refuelling aircraft were still being scrambled. A US official declined to comment. The British government also declined to comment, although a spokesman for Burnham said the base was safe. Christoph Bergs, research analyst at defence think tank the Royal United Services Institute, said the redeployment would in the short term reduce US capacity "to quickly surge sorties against Iran, reducing the threat level somewhat". But he noted that use of Fairford was already limited given London's stipulation on defensive strikes. The aircraft could now potentially be sent to either Diego Garcia or bases in the Gulf, to reduce the need for more air-to-air refuelling to cover the additional distance, but that would depend on capacity availability, negotiations with allies and security, he added. TRUMP SAID PLOT WAS FOR 'BIG DAMAGE' In the early hours of September 27, five British men in their 20s were arrested after being seen running into fields from three white vans parked near the base. Police said no explosive devices were found but a quantity of petrol was present. The men have since been released on bail. A sixth man, a dual UK-Iranian national arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts four days later, has also been released on bail. US President Donald Trump said at the time of the first arrests that the plot had planned "big damage" and that it might have been connected to Iran. Trump later said he would not have released the suspects on bail. A senior NATO military official said the removal of the bombers would have no impact on the alliance: "NATO's defensive agility towards any aggression remains unchanged and unmatched thanks to the unity, strength, and combined capabilities of 32 nations." The Wall Street Journal first reported the removal of the US bombers.

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The mansion tax in Los Angeles, introduced to tackle the housing crisis by taxing high-value property sales, has resulted in a significant reduction in housing production. Research from Rand estimates a 30% drop in large apartment developments, leading to over 9,100 fewer housing units, including about 1,000 affordable homes. Developers argue that the tax makes projects financially unviable, with one developer abandoning plans for nearly 100 apartments due to the tax burden. This trend raises concerns about the broader implications of such tax policies, which are being considered in various states across the nation. The discussion highlights the unintended consequences of taxing housing, suggesting that while the intention was to increase affordability, the outcome may be a significant decrease in available housing units.

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(Nashville, TN) -- Christa Pike remains unconscious and on a ventilator after Tennessee's failed attempt to execute her. Her attorneys say in a court filing that Pike was intubated and on a ventilator Thursday night at a Nashville-area hospital. They say she remains critically ill as doctors work to clear the execution drug from her system. Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital during last Wednesday's failed execution. Her attorneys are asking the state to preserve evidence from the execution and commute her death sentence to life in prison.

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(San Diego, CA) -- The USS Abraham Lincoln is expected to arrive home this week. About 40 of the helicopter strike squadron flew off the ship and returned to San Diego last Friday. There are approximately five-thousand sailors on board. The Navy says the crew played a critical role during their deployment in the Middle East, which lasted more than 286 days without a port stop. There are rumors President Trump will be in San Diego for the return of the ship, but that is not yet confirmed by the White House.

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(Chicago, IL) -- Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert is dead at the age of 84. He passed away due to natural causes over the weekend, according to the Kendall County, Illinois coroner. The Republican became the highest-ranking elected U.S. official to ever serve a prison sentence in 2016. He was sentenced to 15 months after being convicted over hush money payments made to cover up his sexual abuse of teenage boys during his time as a high school wrestling coach. Hastert represented Illinois in Congress from 1987 to 2007.

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(Grand Island, NE) -- President Trump is visiting Nebraska today with the midterm elections just one month away. He's slated to speak to supporters at a rally in Grand Island where he'll appear alongside Republican Senator Pete Ricketts as he campaigns for re-election. Over the weekend, the president headlined a rally in Ohio where he claimed that if Democrats gain power in November, the country will see the worst inflation in U.S. history.

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Authorities in Central Florida are investigating after a school bus rolled over the morning of Oct. 5 leaving at least two people, including a high school student, dead. The crash involved a Winter Haven High School bus and two other vehicles and took place about 6:15 a.m. ET, Polk County. Other injuries have been reported.

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In this segment, the discussion revolves around a civil lawsuit filed by a former Cornell University student alleging she was drugged and sexually assaulted by seven members of a fraternity. The incident took place in October 2024, and the accused men have denied any wrongdoing. The case has been reopened with New York Attorney General Letitia James appointed as a special prosecutor. Critics argue that James's prior comments on social media about the incident may compromise her impartiality. The conversation also touches on comments by Michelle Cottle, a New York Times columnist, who blamed the incident on a culture she attributes to former President Donald Trump, despite the incident occurring while Joe Biden was president. The discussion highlights concerns about political bias influencing analysis and the tendency to attribute societal issues to political figures.

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