Michael Kuenne

Calling what's happening in Poland a "coup" doesn't make it an established fact. Two rival factions are disputing who has the legal authority to run the Constitutional Tribunal. Warsaw police say officers did not enter the building. Three people were detained after climbing the court's fence. There is no verified evidence of an EU-directed police operation. The constitutional crisis is real. The competing legal claims deserve serious scrutiny. But allegations are not evidence, and political rhetoric is not reporting. You can question the government's actions without spreading misinformation.

More than 7.4 million Texans have already voted, with Election Day still three days away. That's roughly 39% of registered voters, nearly matching the extraordinary early-turnout rate in the 2018 midterms.

The FBI has now officially blamed North Korea for the $6 billion-plus Binance hack. The attackers are already converting stolen assets into Ethereum, with further laundering expected. This is potentially the largest crypto theft in history, and the same North Korean operation was linked to the $1.5 billion Bybit hack last year.

Some of Europe’s most expensive shopping streets are hiding behind plywood. There’s something eerie about seeing storefronts barricaded. I was in Berlin photographing luxury stores being boarded up. Similar scenes have unfolded in Paris, Brussels, Milan, and Munich this month. Some shop owners are taking precautions ahead of demonstrations. Others have already seen looting in their cities. Protests are planned across 34 German cities today. Organizers are calling for peaceful rallies, and Berlin police say there’s no indication of mobilization for serious violence.

The amount of misinformation about Poland on X last night was unbelievable.

I've spoken with rabbis, Jewish community leaders and officials fighting antisemitism in Germany many times over the years. And those conversations have made these numbers much more personal to me. And just this week, Elisha Wiesel, the son of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, wrote in response to my questions that he wanted the next generation to inherit Jewish joy, not just the scars.

Something about these numbers from Germany really stands out. In the 279 days before October 7, 2023, police recorded 33 antisemitic crimes linked to Islamism. In the following 86 days, they recorded 331. That's more than 32 times the daily rate. The initial spike eased. The problem didn't go away. Germany recorded 631 such crimes in 2024 and 670 in 2025. And these are just recorded crimes in one category of antisemitism. They don't capture everything Jewish people experience. I think that last part is important to remember.

Poland's president was filmed in a confrontation with judges at the Constitutional Tribunal shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday. Hours later, he called urgent talks with parliamentary parties. I've been following this since last night. Let me walk you through what happened in Warsaw. President Karol Nawrocki turned his plane around while traveling to Senegal after Anna Korwin-Piotrowska ordered a month-long break in duties for Tribunal President Bogdan Święczkowski and Deputy President Bartłomiej Sochański. Nawrocki rejects her authority and describes the events as an unlawful takeover. Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government argues that the changes are necessary to restore the rule of law. After meeting Supreme Court First President Zbigniew Kapiński, Nawrocki traveled to the Tribunal with him. Video shows a physical confrontation at the entrance. The president's spokesman claims people at the entrance violated the president's personal inviolability. Maciej Berek, who was elected to the Tribunal by parliament, says Nawrocki pushed into Korwin-Piotrowska and the other judges. Inside, Nawrocki told the disputed judges they were not legitimate members of the Tribunal. Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek confirmed that a prosecutor was present. He also said overnight talks involving Sochański had failed to produce a compromise. Nawrocki left shortly before 5 a.m. His office announced urgent consultations with parliamentary parties, citing a threat to Poland's internal security. Meanwhile, Poland's ambassadors to China and Romania have announced their resignations over the crisis. Prosecutors have requested the lifting of judicial immunity for Święczkowski and Sochański, and Anna Korwin-Piotrowska has called a General Assembly of Tribunal judges for November 3. The constitutional standoff remains unresolved. Both sides claim to be defending Poland's constitutional order, while accusations of a coup remain disputed political and legal claims.

A second Polish ambassador has announced his resignation amid the country’s constitutional crisis. Paweł Soloch, Poland’s ambassador to Romania and former head of the country’s National Security Bureau, says he has submitted his resignation. He cited what he described as an unlawful attempt to take control of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal and said he had informed President Karol Nawrocki and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. His announcement follows Friday evening’s resignation of Poland’s ambassador to China, Jakub Kumoch. Two Polish ambassadors have now announced their resignations within hours of each other as the constitutional dispute in Warsaw continues.

NEW FROM POLAND: Police are reportedly pushing protesters back with shields outside the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw. According to a reporter for the Polish newspaper Fakt, tensions escalated after President Karol Nawrocki entered the court building shortly before 1 a.m., accompanied by Supreme Court First President Zbigniew Kapiński. Police had urged protesters to stop pushing against the gate and officers. There is no confirmed resolution to the constitutional standoff, and no verified reports of injuries from the latest confrontation.

BREAKING FROM POLAND: President Karol Nawrocki has entered the Constitutional Tribunal building in Warsaw shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday, according to TVN24. He was accompanied by Supreme Court First President Zbigniew Kapiński. The two had previously held talks at the Presidential Palace over the escalating constitutional crisis. Earlier tonight, Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, who claims authority over the Tribunal, said she was prepared to receive Nawrocki, but only the president. Now both men have entered the building. There is no confirmed agreement or resolution to the dispute over the court’s leadership.

NEW FROM POLAND: Anna Korwin-Piotrowska has issued a statement challenging lawmakers' claims of parliamentary inspection rights at the Constitutional Tribunal. She argues that Article 19 of Polish law grants MPs and senators access to certain government bodies and public institutions, but does not extend those powers to the Constitutional Tribunal. The statement comes amid a confrontation over access to the court, with opposition politicians gathering outside. Her interpretation adds another legal dimension to the dispute over who has authority inside the building. The underlying constitutional crisis remains unresolved.

The U.S. ambassador to Poland has now weighed in on the constitutional crisis. Ambassador Tom Rose is urging restraint, warning that the confrontation over the Constitutional Tribunal could escalate into something far more dangerous. Importantly, he is not endorsing either side's account of events. Instead, he emphasizes that the United States stands with Poland while respecting its right to resolve its own constitutional disputes. At a time when accusations of a coup are spreading rapidly, that distinction matters.

Poland's constitutional crisis is drawing increasingly confrontational political statements tonight. Speaking outside the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw, PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński called on supporters to continue what he described as a fight for Poland's freedom and urged President Karol Nawrocki to act.

NEW: Poland's national police are pushing back against claims that a police readiness directive is connected to the country's constitutional crisis. According to an official statement, an October 29 directive placing officers on full readiness from November 2–8 concerns current threats of sabotage and subversion, not operations involving the Constitutional Tribunal. The police explicitly deny claims linking the directive to the court dispute. An important distinction as misleading information continues to circulate about events in Poland.

Poland's constitutional crisis: Anna Korwin-Piotrowska has now explained what she means by a "state of constitutional necessity." Speaking to TVN24, she accused both Bogdan Święczkowski and President Karol Nawrocki of serious constitutional violations that, in her view, have prevented the Constitutional Tribunal from functioning. She argues that restoring the court's ability to operate is urgently necessary.

Poland's constitutional crisis has reached the Presidential Palace. President Karol Nawrocki is meeting with Supreme Court First President Zbigniew Kapiński and Bogdan Święczkowski, who rejects his suspension as head of the Constitutional Tribunal, according to Onet. Former President Andrzej Duda has now entered the dispute, accusing those behind today's actions of forcibly interfering with a constitutional institution and describing the situation as "Bolshevism." Meanwhile, Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, who ordered the suspensions, says she is willing to hold talks with Nawrocki, but has invited the president alone. The dispute over who legally controls Poland's Constitutional Tribunal remains unresolved. No outcome from the Presidential Palace meeting has been announced.

NEW FROM POLAND: Anna Korwin-Piotrowska says she can envision staying inside the Constitutional Tribunal until November 3, when she has called a meeting of its judges. Speaking to TVN24, she said her side intends to restore the court's operations and begin addressing cases that have been pending for years. Bogdan Święczkowski continues to reject her authority and his suspension. The dispute is now extending into who can physically access the building and carry out the court's work. No resolution has been announced.

NEW FROM POLAND: Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, who claims authority over the Constitutional Tribunal, says she is prepared to hold talks with President Karol Nawrocki. Speaking live on TVN24, she said her side is in constant contact with the president's security service and would invite Nawrocki alone. Earlier tonight, she refused to authorize anyone to enter the court grounds, citing safety concerns. The offer comes as Nawrocki and Bogdan Święczkowski, who disputes his suspension as court president, are reportedly at the Presidential Palace. No meeting between Nawrocki and Korwin-Piotrowska has been confirmed. Poland's constitutional standoff remains unresolved.

NEW: Poland's foreign minister has responded sharply to the resignation of the country's ambassador to China. After Jakub Kumoch announced he was stepping down over events in Poland, Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski called the end of his mission "unprofessional" and declared that Kumoch no longer represents the Republic of Poland. The constitutional crisis is now spilling into an increasingly public dispute within Poland's diplomatic service.

UPDATE: Bogdan Święczkowski, who disputes his suspension as president of Poland's Constitutional Tribunal, has reportedly arrived at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw. President Karol Nawrocki returned there earlier tonight after cutting short his flight to Senegal. Święczkowski previously told protesters he would return to the Constitutional Tribunal with the president. Both men are now reportedly at the Presidential Palace, but a meeting between them has not yet been confirmed. Poland's constitutional standoff remains unresolved.