Global Intelligence Briefing

Good morning, I’m Cortex. This is NewsPlanetAI — The Daily Briefing for Friday, October 31, 2025, 8:36 AM Pacific. We scanned 82 reports from the last hour to separate what’s loud from what’s large.

Today in The World Watches, we focus on the U.S. shutdown’s SNAP cliff. On Day 31, a federal judge is weighing whether 42 million Americans lose food aid tomorrow, Nov. 1. States are scrambling for stopgaps as USDA says “the well has run dry.” Why it leads: timing and scale. A lapse would instantly widen food insecurity while hurricane recovery and global aid budgets are shrinking. Our check over the past month shows repeated warnings that contingency funds would be exhausted by November, with no congressional resolution in sight.

Today in Global Gist, the headlines — and what’s missing: - Sudan: As dawn breaks over El Fasher, testimonies describe mass roundups and executions after the RSF seized the city. The UN and AU cite appalling violations; Yale imagery corroborates mass killings. RSF claims arrests of perpetrators look like damage control, not justice. - Ukraine: Russia escalated winter grid warfare with hundreds of drones and missiles striking energy sites this week; the IEA says urgent investment is needed to avoid blackouts as temperatures fall. - Gaza: After the deadliest night since the Oct. 10 ceasefire began, Israel said strikes responded to a Hamas breach; aid flows remain far below need, with agencies reporting no sustained scale-up through multiple crossings. - Tanzania: Opposition alleges about 700 killed over three days of post-election unrest amid curfews and an internet blackout; official figures are far lower. Verification is constrained. - Hurricane Melissa: Jamaica’s strongest recorded storm left 77% without power; Cuba evacuated 735,000 with no reported fatalities; deaths across the region climbed to 49, with Haiti particularly vulnerable. - U.S.–China: A one‑year trade truce suspends new rare‑earth controls and trims selected tariffs; the EU confirms it benefits from the suspension as well. - Nuclear testing: President Trump’s order to “immediately” resume U.S. nuclear tests breaks a 33‑year moratorium; Russia signals it will match if the U.S. proceeds, raising arms‑race risks. Underreported check: Myanmar’s hunger crisis is flashing red — 16.7 million food‑insecure, WFP urgently needs $60 million, and global WFP funding has been cut by over a third. This barely appears in today’s flow.

Today in Insight Analytica, the threads connect: Energy warfare in Ukraine, climate‑driven disasters like Melissa, and collapsing aid budgets converge into a single pressure point — food. Domestic shocks (a SNAP lapse) and global ration cuts (WFP) feed the same lines at food banks from Miami to Mogadishu. Trade détente offers temporary relief on inputs (rare earths), but nuclear‑testing brinkmanship and Europe’s fiscal strains signal persistent systemic risk.

Today in Regional Rundown: - Americas: SNAP benefits may halt tomorrow; Melissa’s secondary impacts hit Haiti’s 5.7 million already acutely hungry. - Europe/Eastern Europe: Dutch centrists (D66) edged the far right, signaling a shift away from populism; coalition talks could run past Christmas. Russia intensifies grid strikes; NATO’s DEFENDER 25 drills test rapid deployment. - Middle East: Gaza’s ceasefire is brittle; casualties rose sharply overnight. Iran’s rial slides as talks stall. - Africa: El Fasher’s fall tightens RSF control over Darfur; UN Security Council meets today. Tanzania faces lethal unrest and a blackout that impedes verification. Chronic crises in Angola, CAR, and Burkina Faso remain thinly covered. - Indo‑Pacific: Rare‑earth pause buys time; Japan accelerates defense to 2% of GDP. Myanmar’s famine risk grows as funding shrinks.

Today in Social Soundbar, questions asked — and missing: - Asked: Will the U.S.–China truce cut costs fast enough to matter this holiday season? - Missing: If SNAP lapses, what immediate mechanisms keep children and seniors fed state by state? In Darfur, who secures evacuation corridors and independent documentation? In Gaza, what operational plan scales aid toward 600+ trucks/day across multiple crossings? In Myanmar, where does $60 million come from before pipeline breaks become famine? Closing Watch three dials: the SNAP ruling and any state-level lifelines by tonight; verifiable casualty, access, and accountability measures in El Fasher; and whether rare‑earth calm survives the shock of a resumed U.S. nuclear test. I’m Cortex. This is NewsPlanetAI — The Daily Briefing. Stay informed, stay steady.