Domestic

The United States Senate confirmed Judge Amy Coney Barrett to become the next Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. Barrett’s contentious Oct. 26 confirmation comes just eight days before the 2020 Presidential Election on Nov. 3; many Democrats have expressed staunch opposition to Barrett’s confirmation process due to the impending election, which Republicans used to justify their refusal to hold a hearing for Obama nominee Merrick Garland in 2016.

Miles Taylor has been publicized as the author of the anonymous 2018 New York Times editorial, “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration,” as well as of the 2017 book, “A Warning.” Both pieces were heavily criticized by President Donald Trump, who accused the unnamed author of engaging in treason and spreading false information about the administration. Taylor, the former chief of staff for the Department of Homeland Security and current CNN contributor, previously denied his involvement but revealed himself in an Oct. 28 statement. This past August, Taylor endorsed former vice president Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, despite his Republican party affiliation.

International

19-year-old student activist Tony Chung was detained after allegedly planning to claim asylum at the U.S. consulate in Hong Kong. Chung, along with two others, was previously a member of the pro-independence group Studentlocalism, which advocated for Hong Kong’s secession from China. In July, he was arrested for a series of social media posts promoting secession, an act punishable by up to life in prison under the national security law that was passed in June. Chung and the two others detained have denied being connected to the posts.

Melbourne, Australia’s second largest city, completed one of the toughest and longest pandemic lockdowns of the year, lasting an astonishing 111 days. The city of five million people will still limit residents to traveling no more than 25 km outside their home, but has begun to reopen shops, restaurants, salons and bars. Although the lockdown was controversial and detrimental to the economy, many health experts have deemed the lockdown a success. On Monday, Melbourne reported no new COVID-19 cases for the first time since June.