The Brief

The Vatican confirmed that Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer, after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung in an operation lasting roughly 90 minutes. Doctors say the pope is now walking, eating and recovering "as expected," and has begun respiratory physiotherapy, with his post-operative tests returning normal.

Doctors say the pope's prognosis will depend on factors including the cancer's stage and his overall health. CBS News also reported that the pope's older brother, Louis Prevost, who lives in Florida, is also being treated for cancer — multiple myeloma — according to his wife, and uncertainty now hangs over the pope's planned visit to South America next month.

A federal judge ruled that the Trump White House cannot bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists from covering the president because of his dissatisfaction with their reporting. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly said the administration's revocation of the outlets' hard passes likely violated their First and Fifth Amendment rights.

Judge Kelly has since extended that order, keeping the outlets' White House access in place while the underlying lawsuit continues toward trial.

Cornell University banned parties and social events at fraternities for the rest of the academic year, after facing an uproar over its handling of allegations that a student, known as Jane Doe, was raped by several fraternity members in 2024. President Michael Kotlikoff has not resigned despite mounting pressure, even after acknowledging he never followed up to learn what happened to the student or whether the accused men were disciplined.

CBS News has obtained text messages between Jane Doe and two of the accused men, exchanged in the days after the alleged assault — in one, a man later expelled wrote, "I genuinely hope ur not catching as much heat from this as we r" — as faculty move toward a no-confidence vote over Kotlikoff's handling of the case.

Consumer prices rose 3.7% in the year through September, the Labor Department said, as energy costs jumped. Gas prices climbed 9.1% from August, accounting for more than half of the month's overall price increase, while clothing and air fares also got more expensive.

The report lands just weeks before the midterm elections, which have focused heavily on affordability. President Trump pointed to other parts of the report as a silver lining even as gas prices drove the surge, while economists remain divided over how the Federal Reserve will respond.

The Justice Department ordered California to review a list of people it believes may have received mail-in ballots for next month's midterm elections despite not being U.S. citizens.

The department has threatened possible legal action against the state over the claim, adding a new flashpoint to the run-up to next month's midterms.

The Social Security Administration announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027, the largest increase since 2023, raising the typical monthly benefit by a little more than $900 for the year.

The increase is based on inflation data and comes the same week the September Consumer Price Index showed prices rising faster than expected, driven largely by higher energy costs.