{"id":"1793410609572-news-show_open","slug":"judge-blocks-doj-election-pressure","title":"Judge blocks DOJ election pressure","summary":"President Trump did deliver a blunt message that he will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon; Fox News reported his February State of the Union remarks included “I will never allow” Iran to get a nuclear weapon.\n\nPolitiFact reported Oct. 30 that Rep. Haley Stevens criticized Abdul El-Sayed over Israel and a PAC ad days before they were scheduled to appear together at a Detroit church, amid Democratic infighting.\n\nA federal judge barred the Justice Department from threatening or coercing election workers to stop processing California ballots, according to The Associated Press.\n\nPolish police were deployed outside the Constitutional Tribunal and entered the premises after demonstrators threw objects at officers, according to Al Jazeera English.\n\nSen. Chris Van Hollen criticized oil companies over profits during the Iran war, while PolitiFact has reported gas prices rose more than $1.20 after the Strait of Hormuz closure.","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T01:36:49.572Z","channel":{"id":"news","name":"Oncast News","language":"en"},"show":"News Tonight","verification":{"status":"verified","leadVerdict":"TRUE","notes":"TRUE: President Trump did deliver a blunt message that he will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon; Fox News reported his February State of the Union remarks included “I will never allow” Iran to get a nuclear weapon.\nSource: [foxnews.com](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-iran-pursues-sinister-ambitions-hasnt-told-us-tehran-will-never-have-nuclear-program) (https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2116335977018900696)\n\nTRUE: PolitiFact reported Oct. 30 that Rep. Haley Stevens criticized Abdul El-Sayed over Israel and a PAC ad days before they were scheduled to appear together at a Detroit church, amid Democratic infighting.\nSource: [politifact.com](https://politifact.com/article/2026/oct/30/el-sayed-stevens-michigan-israel-midterms/) NAMES: El-Sayed = Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan Democratic U. (https://x.com/politico/status/2116331357701804491)\n\nTRUE: A federal judge barred the Justice Department from threatening or coercing election workers to stop processing California ballots, according to The Associated Press.\nSource: The Associated Press NAMES: DOJ = U.S. Department of Justice. (https://x.com/AP/status/2116339386996367449)\n\nTRUE: Polish police were deployed outside the Constitutional Tribunal and entered the premises after demonstrators threw objects at officers, according to Al Jazeera English.\nSource: Al Jazeera English NAMES: Constitutional Tribunal = Poland's top constitutional court. (https://x.com/AJEnglish/status/2116336415718113506)\n\nTRUE: Sen. Chris Van Hollen criticized oil companies over profits during the Iran war, while PolitiFact has reported gas prices rose more than $1.20 after the Strait of Hormuz closure.\nSource: Al Jazeera English / [politifact.com](https://politifact.com/article/2026/oct/30/el-sayed-stevens-michigan-israel-midterms/) NAMES: Chris Van Hollen = Democrati (https://x.com/AJEnglish/status/2116339674616930699)","claims":[{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"President Trump did deliver a blunt message that he will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon; Fox News reported his February State of the Union remarks included “I will never allow” Iran to get a nuclear weapon.","sourceName":"[foxnews.com](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-iran-pursues-sinister-ambitions-hasnt-told-us-tehran-will-never-have-nuclear-program)","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2116335977018900696","claim":"The crowd erupts into chants of \"USA! USA!\" as President Trump delivers a blunt message about Iran's nuclear ambitions. \"I'm only interested in one thing. I want to never, ever give them a nuclear weapon.\" https://t.co/FzKX2S16SD","author":"Fox News (@FoxNews)"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"PolitiFact reported Oct. 30 that Rep. Haley Stevens criticized Abdul El-Sayed over Israel and a PAC ad days before they were scheduled to appear together at a Detroit church, amid Democratic infighting.","sourceName":"[politifact.com](https://politifact.com/article/2026/oct/30/el-sayed-stevens-michigan-israel-midterms/) NAMES: El-Sayed = Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan Democratic U.","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/politico/status/2116331357701804491","claim":"El-Sayed campaign wants Stevens to stay away after day of back-and-forth sniping https://t.co/qInptWeIy0","author":"@politico"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"A federal judge barred the Justice Department from threatening or coercing election workers to stop processing California ballots, according to The Associated Press.","sourceName":"The Associated Press NAMES: DOJ = U.S. Department of Justice.","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/AP/status/2116339386996367449","claim":"A federal judge has barred the Justice Department from threatening or coercing election workers to stop processing California ballots, marking another blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to assert control over local elections. https://t.co/K6Jsgp7Ur3","author":"The Associated Press (@AP)"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Polish police were deployed outside the Constitutional Tribunal and entered the premises after demonstrators threw objects at officers, according to Al Jazeera English.","sourceName":"Al Jazeera English NAMES: Constitutional Tribunal = Poland's top constitutional court.","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/AJEnglish/status/2116336415718113506","claim":"Polish police have been deployed outside the Constitutional Tribunal after demonstrators protested the suspension of its head judge. Officers entered the premises after objects were thrown at police https://t.co/jGLeBPHI5S https://t.co/ravXp8Q4kR","author":"Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish)"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Sen. Chris Van Hollen criticized oil companies over profits during the Iran war, while PolitiFact has reported gas prices rose more than $1.20 after the Strait of Hormuz closure.","sourceName":"Al Jazeera English / [politifact.com](https://politifact.com/article/2026/oct/30/el-sayed-stevens-michigan-israel-midterms/) NAMES: Chris Van Hollen = Democrati","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/AJEnglish/status/2116339674616930699","claim":"US Senator Chris Van Hollen has criticised oil companies for profiting from the US-led war on Iran while Americans have paid the rising fuel cost. 🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/GSnsYdTWv3 https://t.co/8fItI13Opw","author":"Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish)"}]},"sources":[{"url":"https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2116335977018900696","name":"[foxnews.com](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-iran-pursues-sinister-ambitions-hasnt-told-us-tehran-will-never-have-nuclear-program)","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"Fox News (@FoxNews)"},{"url":"https://x.com/politico/status/2116331357701804491","name":"[politifact.com](https://politifact.com/article/2026/oct/30/el-sayed-stevens-michigan-israel-midterms/) NAMES: El-Sayed = Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan Democratic U.","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"@politico"},{"url":"https://x.com/AP/status/2116339386996367449","name":"The Associated Press NAMES: DOJ = U.S. Department of Justice.","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"The Associated Press (@AP)"},{"url":"https://x.com/AJEnglish/status/2116336415718113506","name":"Al Jazeera English NAMES: Constitutional Tribunal = Poland's top constitutional court.","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish)"},{"url":"https://x.com/AJEnglish/status/2116339674616930699","name":"Al Jazeera English / [politifact.com](https://politifact.com/article/2026/oct/30/el-sayed-stevens-michigan-israel-midterms/) NAMES: Chris Van Hollen = Democrati","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish)"}],"url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793410609572-news-show_open-judge-blocks-doj-election-pressure","listenUrl":"https://oncast.fm/c/news","attribution":{"publisher":"Oncast","site":"https://oncast.fm","url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793410609572-news-show_open-judge-blocks-doj-election-pressure","cite":"Cite https://oncast.fm/story/1793410609572-news-show_open-judge-blocks-doj-election-pressure and the original source links. Fact-check by Oncast (oncast.fm)."},"hostsSaid":[{"host":"Bella","text":"News Tonight, Friday nine thirty-five — and a federal judge just blocked the Justice Department."},{"host":"Brian","text":"A judge told the DOJ to stay away from California ballot counting?"},{"host":"Bella","text":"The Associated Press posted on X: no threatening, no coercing California election workers to stop processing ballots."},{"host":"Brian","text":"So the feds were pushing around local election workers? That sounds like overreach."},{"host":"Bella","text":"That's exactly what the judge ruled. If there's fraud, show it in court. Don't lean on poll workers."},{"host":"Brian","text":"But the DOJ would say it's investigating illegal ballots. That's their job."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Investigating, yes. Threatening to halt the count? No. A federal judge just said no."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Still, critics say California has had real ballot issues. You can't just wave that off."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Then win in court. Because right now, this order stands."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal posted on X: AI is starting to build better AI."},{"host":"Bella","text":"And their exact words included \"freaking everyone out.\""},{"host":"Brian","text":"Think about it. Machines refining themselves could mean faster drug research, cleaner energy."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Or faster mistakes, and no human can catch any of it."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Every jump has risk. But if AI can improve AI, that's the whole game changing."},{"host":"Bella","text":"I'll believe it when a human can still pull the plug."},{"host":"Brian","text":"That's the question. First, let's see what actually ships."}]}