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US orders embassy staff out of Saudi Arabia; Meta hit with $25bn fine

Spokesman Tommy Pigott says the order covers Saudi Arabia only, and Riyadh's main airport has been closed since October tenth; the Gulf is watching.

On air: Hank Ledger and Dale Bearman on The Five O'Clock
Published 5:32 PM ET, Wednesday, October 21, 2026

At a glance

First reported by The Hill: “US orders departure of embassy staff, families from Saudi Arabia”, with reporting from Al Jazeera, Daily Sabah, National (Global News), Reuters (via Al-Monitor), Bloomberg Law and The Next Web.
Covered on BBN on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 5:32 PM ET on The Five O'Clock, by Hank Ledger and Dale Bearman.
Topics: Saudi Arabia, Meta, US.
BBN covered this story before: Applegate misdiagnosis, Meta's Muse, Indonesia ferry fire (October 20).

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

The HillUS orders departure of embassy staff, families from Saudi Arabia
Al JazeeraJudge orders Meta to pay $25bn in fines for Facebook privacy violations
Daily SabahUS orders embassy staff, families to leave Saudi Arabia October 21, 2026 · facts used on air
National (Global News)U.S. orders some diplomats out of Saudi Arabia amid Houthi attacks - National October 21, 2026 · facts used on air
Reuters (via Al-Monitor)US orders departure of diplomats from Saudi Arabia amid Houthi strikes - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012 October 21, 2026 · facts used on air
Bloomberg LawMeta to Pay Historic $25 Billion in New Mexico Deception Case (2) October 21, 2026 · facts used on air
The Next WebMeta to pay $25B in New Mexico case over misleading Facebook users October 21, 2026 · facts used on air

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe State Department has ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families out of Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks continue.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorA spokesman, Tommy Pigott, called reports of Gulf-wide departures inaccurate and said the order covers Saudi Arabia only.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorRiyadh's main airport has been closed since October tenth after a severe attack.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorIn other news, a judge ordered Meta to pay twenty-five billion dollars for lying to Facebook users in New Mexico about their data.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe maximum penalty would have been two hundred nineteen billion.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorThey got a discount. Fifteen percent interest a year until it's paid, so the discount has a meter running.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorAnd another judge blasted Meta for hiding thousands of documents behind attorney-client privilege, and refused its request to use AI to review them.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorEven the robots wouldn't take the case.