1. Trump Puts New Russia Sanctions on Hold

President Trump signed an executive order on Friday pausing a sweeping Russia sanctions law that Congress passed by large margins, telling lawmakers the waiver is in the U.S. national interest. The law, drafted by Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, targets Russian officials, banks and a "shadow fleet" of oil tankers, and directs tariffs of up to 100% on the biggest buyers of Russian oil and gas. The move came a week after Trump announced a deal to buy Russian diesel to ease fuel prices. Putin envoy Kirill Dmitriev called it "an important and truly historic moment," while lawmakers in both parties criticized the decision.

2. Katie Zacharia Out as White House Press Secretary After Five Days

Katie Zacharia, the Huntington Beach native named White House press secretary last week, is out after just five days on the job, the White House said Friday. Her brief tenure was marked by scrutiny over her legal credentials and a short, scripted first briefing; President Trump had publicly cast doubt on her future before the announcement.

3. Federal Deficit Hits $1.99 Trillion, Largest in Five Years

The Treasury Department reported a fiscal 2026 deficit of $1.99 trillion, up $217 billion from the prior year and about 6.2% of GDP. Receipts hit a record $5.40 trillion, but outlays rose faster to $7.40 trillion. Interest on the debt reached a record $1.36 trillion, and net tariff revenue fell 11% to about $173 billion after $145 billion in refunds following a Supreme Court ruling. Total federal debt passed $40 trillion this summer.

4. "No Kings" Rallies Shift to Early Voting

More than 3,000 "No Kings" events were planned nationwide on Saturday, this time focused on early voting rather than street marches — including marches to polling places, voter-information booths and parades to ballot drop boxes, from Phoenix to Atlanta. Organizers said they want turnout high enough to make fraud claims hard to sustain; the White House dismissed the effort. Election Day is November 3.

한국어 요약

① 러시아 제재 보류: 트럼프 대통령이 의회가 압도적으로 통과시킨 대러시아 제재법의 시행을 행정명령으로 보류했습니다. 러시아 관리·은행·'그림자 선단'을 겨냥하고 러시아산 원유·가스 대량 수입국에 최대 100% 관세를 부과하는 내용으로, 여야 모두 비판했습니다.

② 백악관 대변인 5일 만에 교체: 헌팅턴비치 출신 케이티 자카리아 대변인이 변호사 자격 논란 끝에 임명 5일 만에 물러났습니다.

③ 재정적자 1.99조 달러: 2026 회계연도 적자가 1조 9,900억 달러(GDP 대비 약 6.2%)로 5년 만에 최대였고, 국채 이자 비용은 사상 최대인 1조 3,600억 달러에 달했습니다.

④ '노 킹스' 집회, 조기투표 독려로 전환: 전국 3,000여 곳에서 투표소 행진 등 조기투표를 독려하는 행사가 열렸습니다. 중간선거는 11월 3일입니다.

Sources: Al Jazeera · ABC News · NPR · Reuters (via CP24) · Yahoo News · Patch