|
Oct 14, 2026
The unexplained death this month of a Russian lab technician at a Siberian facility for the study of dangerous pathogens raised global anxieties over the potential for an outbreak of pneumonic plague.
But while the cause of concern - bound up in a lack of transparency from Moscow - was new, Russia's frozen hinterlands have long been the source of a separate fear that they could harbor disease risks for which the world is not prepared.
Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.
Russian authorities imposed containment measures after the 28-year-old's death from what they said was pneumonia of "unknown origins," prompting the United States to ask for more information. A World Health Organization report released Saturday said that Russian authorities found no signs of an outbreak of plague or some other infectious disease, but did not provide sufficient details to identify the origin of the woman's illness or say whether exposure at work played a role in it.
Siberia's vast wilderness harbors natural reservoirs of pathogens, from fleas that spread plague found in marmots and squirrels to ticks bearing encephalitis to the ancient pathogens frozen in the layer of permafrost.
The Russian institute where the lab technician worked was set up in the 1930s as a plague prevention station to curb outbreaks of the deadly bacterial disease that periodically affected local populations as well as people in neighboring Mongolia and China's Manchuria region. The disease, for which early antibiotic treatments were pioneered that decade, could be spread through contact with marmots, which were hunted for meat and sometimes eaten undercooked or even raw, like in a 2019 case of a Mongolian couple.
The s
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
On Saturday, Donald Trump said Ukraine needed a new leader - AFP via Getty Images/BRENDAN SMIALOWSKIVolodymyr Zelensky said that he felt betrayed by Donald Trump, and warned the US president was not acting on the "right side of history".
"It is a pity that we are losing a strong partner," the Ukrainian leader said on Wednesday amid an escalating public clash with his American counterpart.
Relations between Kyiv and the White House have sharply deteriorated after Mr Trump agreed on Friday to waive sanctions on Russia to import diesel.
The US president has been pressuring Ukraine to halt its strikes on Russian oil refineries, blaming Kyiv - not the Iran war - for rising energy prices. On Saturday he said Ukraine needed "a new president".
In an interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored, scheduled to air on Wednesday, Mr Zelensky said he would not resign under US pressure.
Asked whether he felt "betrayed" by recent events, he said: "Really, yes, between us. But it's a little bit more complicated than just my emotions or my feelings.
"Our country has to survive, and we count on our real partners, strategic partners, the United States and President Trump. They wanted us not to attack. My opinion was, it is not fair."
‘People will die'The US has also threatened to suspend intelligence-sharing to force Ukraine to stop its refin
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, during a news conference at the US Capitol on Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C. —Daniel Heuer—Bloomberg via Getty ImagesIn a highly unusual step, federal agents this week aggressively intensified their investigations into Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, weeks before she stands for reelection in her home district.
The Department of Justice on Tuesday subpoenaed relatives of Omar's family members, including her sister Sahra Noor, according to The New York Times. The grand jury subpoenas were issued shortly after a raid of the lawmaker's residence in Washington, D.C. on Monday.
The judicial search warrant, which is under seal, was executed by Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative branch of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Although the Department of Justice did not provide any more details of the investigation, multiple outlets, citing anonymous sources, reported that the search stemmed from Omar's immigration paperwork, which was filled out by her late father when she was a child.
Prior to the investigation, multiple Trump Administration officials have accused Omar of immigration fraud
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
The Comptroller of the Currency says the nation's nine largest banks denied financial services to customers based on their political, religious, or social beliefs, according to a regulatory review released Wednesday.
The OCC reviewed nearly 100,000 complaints and received approximately 50,000 documents from JPMorgan Chase Bank, Bank of America, Citibank, Wells Fargo Bank, U.S. Bank, Capital One, PNC Bank, TD Bank, and BMO Bank regarding their policies, procedures, practices, and individual customer decisions.
The federal banking watchdog determined that the banks' sweeping internal guidelines lacked objective, risk-based criteria, effectively shutting out legitimate customers and businesses based on ideological leanings rather than financial risk.
The OCC said its findings reveal a systematic effort within the banking sector to restrict access for politically sensitive industries through both public and nonpublic policies.
Federal regulators found that lenders restricted certain sectors' access to financial services, including oil and gas exploration; coal mining; firearms or ammunition manufacturing or distribution; construction or operation of detention facilities; and the manufacturing, distribution or online retail of tobacco or e-cigarettes.
The Trump administration has voiced growing concerns over "de-banking" and the use of the financial system to achieve social and political objectives.
"Today's report provides irrefutable evidence that the nation's largest banks have denied, debanked, and discriminated against customers and lawful businesses," said Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould. "Americans should have access to financial services regardless of their beliefs, affiliations, or political views. "
All ni
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
Social Security and SSI benefits will increase by 3.6% in 2027 for more than 72 million people, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced today.
The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is the biggest since 2023 and means, on average, retirement benefits will rise by $75 a month, SSA said.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) says that works out to roughly $900 a year, and estimates the highest earners will see an increase of more than $2,200 a year.
SSA calculates the COLA based on the average year-over-year change in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (a form of measuring inflation) for July, August and September.
SSI recipients will see the first higher payment on Dec. 31, 2026. Some people receive both SSI and Social Security. Most Social Security recipients will be paid the higher amount starting Jan. 1, 2027.
The COLA will also affect Medicare Part B beneficiaries, whose premiums are deducted from their Social Security payments. The 2027 standard premium is projected to rise to $209.50 from $202.90, an increase of $6.60 a month, which would leave the average retired worker about $68 a month better off after COLA.
'Next year's COLA can't come soon enou
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
Six people are dead following a plane crash Tuesday night near Reedsburg, Wisconsin, Tuesday night, according to a statement from the Sauk County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office said in an initial statement that the Sauk County Dispatch Center received reports of a downed plane just after 9:30 on Tuesday night.
Deputies and emergency personnel located the aircraft with "multiple individuals involved."
2 found dead after Idaho-bound plane goes missingFive adults and one child were on board the plane, which was flying a return trip from Kenosha, Wisconsin, to Menomonie, Wisconsin, officials said in a follow-up statement.
"As a result of the search, all six occupants of the aircraft were located deceased on scene," according to the sheriff's office.
WKOW - PHOTO: A downed plane was discovered in Dellona, Wisconsin, Oct. 13, 2026.According to authorities, the plane was located "in a densely wooded area."
The sheriff's office said the plane was reportedly "in contact with a nearby air traffic control tower," and they are working to learn what the transmissions were "and if a weather event in the area may have played any role in the crash."
Authorities are not identifying the deceased at this time.
The sheriff's office also shared there have been no reports of damage to structures or injuries to people on the ground.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was a Piper PA-46.
According to preliminary information included in a statement from t
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
More than half of the top holders listed as competing for seats at President Trump's next meme coin dinner have used cryptocurrency exchanges that prohibit U.S. customers, indicating that many of the buyers are based overseas, according to a CBS News analysis.
The gala, set for Nov. 22 at the Trump National Golf Club outside Washington, D.C., will seat the 185 largest holders of the $TRUMP meme coin, according to the website for Fight Fight Fight LLC, the company behind the coin. A public leaderboard for the event only lists the top 100 holders.
Mr. Trump is billed as the featured speaker alongside three yet-to-be-named "legends." The top 29 holders will get upfront seating and a VIP reception with the president, the website says.
The upcoming dinner is the latest example of the unprecedented intermingling of business and politics during Mr. Trump's second term.
Mr. Trump earned at least $635 million in royalties last year from a licensing deal tied to the $TRUMP token, according to his financial disclosure. Mr. Trump stands to earn more money from the coin, since an affiliate of the Trump Organization earns revenue whenever the coin is traded, according to the meme coin's website.
"Foreign actors used to need a back door to try to influence a president," said Zach Everson, a researcher for the progressive consumer rights advocacy group Public Citizen. "Trump is holding the front door open and inviting them in for a steak dinner."
Out of the 100 top holders listed as competing for seats, at least 52 moved funds through crypto exchanges that bar U.S. customers, including Binance, Bybit and M
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
|
Most of the layoffs will affect workers in Netflix's product, technology, legal and HR teams, co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters wrote in an email to employees Wednesday morning about the layoffs.
More from VarietyHow AI Is Used by Netflix at Its VFX Eyeline Studios, Revealed by VP Mohsen Mousavi at View ConferenceNetflix Scores Exclusive 2030 FIFA World Cup Rights in Spain and Andorra in Landmark DealAppetite for Agatha Christie Shows No Signs of Slowing 50 Years After Her Death: 'She Has Such Enduring Appeal'
"Our mission — to entertain the world — is ambitious, and delivering on it requires us to be disciplined about where we prioritize our people and resources," the co-CEOs said in the memo, a copy of which was obtained by Variety (read it in full below).
A Netflix spokesperson said the company did not have any comment beyond the memo from Sarandos and Peters.
Netflix, the industry's biggest premium streaming provider with more than 325 million customers globally, has posted double-digit growth in both revenue and profits in recent years. In 2025, the company had $45.2 billion in revenue (up 16%) and net income of $11 billion (up 26%).
"Our business is strong and growing,
|
Oct 14, 2026
Attractions are seen at Six Flags Over Georgia near Atlanta on Tuesday. - Mike Stewart/AP
On a warm Columbus Day afternoon, with many area schools closed for Fall Break, the winding midways of Six Flags Over Georgia must have made a wooded stretch about 10 miles west of downtown Atlanta feel both electric and nostalgic.
Carousel music mixed with the thunderous roar of roller coaster carts exploding through dizzying loops and heart-stopping drops. The piercing screams and cheers of thrill seekers clashed with blaring music and barkers calling crowds to their games. The sweet, woody scent of Georgia pines blended with the wafting aroma of sizzling hot dogs and hamburgers.
Under a skyline of soaring steel structures, the Goliath roller coaster stands as one of the Southeast's most popular attractions. The 210-second ride reaches a top speed of 70 miles an hour and an elevation of 200 feet along 4,480 feet of track, featuring "razor-sharp turns" and "colossal hills," according to the park. The "hypercoaster," as Six Flags describes it, celebrated "20 years of airtime" last June and "challenges even the bravest of the brave."
On Monday, Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old Atlanta resident and "cherished member" of Wesley International Academy, an Atlanta public charter school,
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
Gas prices set a record on Wednesday for the most days in a year that the national average topped $4 a gallon.
The average regular gasoline price stood near $4.33 per gallon, about $0.02 less than a week ago but about $1.25 more than a year ago, according to AAA data.
Wednesday marked the 158th day on which prices remained above $4, according to a GasBuddy analysis, breaking the 2022 record of 157.
Wednesday marked a record for the number of days in a year that gasoline stayed above $4 per gallon.In California, where higher taxes and strict fuel regulations contribute to elevated prices, regular gasoline averages $6.28 per gallon, up from $4.65 a year ago.
The war in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have driven gas prices to seasonal record highs.
"I think gasoline prices will remain above $4 for the next several months unless there is some resolution b
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
New surveillance video is shedding light about the circumstances behind the viral feud between singer Kelly Clarkson and a novelty store in Brooklyn.
The video, which was obtained by the "Pablo Torre Finds Out" podcast and does not have any audio, appears to show the moments leading up to Clarkson's social media complaint about the customer service treatment she said she received at Art of Play, a magic and games store.
Charles Sykes/Invision/AP - PHOTO: Kelly Clarkson performs in Rockefeller Plaza, May 6, 2025, in New York. Clarkson appears in the grainy surveillance video wearing a yellow hoodie and baseball cap. She can be seen browsing items in the store, testing a kaleidoscope and examining a wooden songbird on display named "Molly."
PABLO TORRE FINDS OUT podcast - PHOTO: Kelly Clarkson is seen shopping at Art of Play in Brooklyn, NY, Oct. 10, 2026, in store surveillance footage obtained exclusively by "PABLO TORRE FINDS OUT" podcast.The singer is then seen setting the kaleidoscope down, moving toward the bird, talking to an employee, presumably about the bird, pointing at it and later, moving toward the exit, before backtracking to speak to a cashier.
Shortly after the store encounter, Clarkson posted on X, comparing her experience to that of the fictional Vivian's experience with staff at a clothing store in the 1990 movie, "Pretty Woman."
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
Inflation heated up in September as energy prices soared, according to the latest Consumer Price Index data.
Annual inflation jumped to 3.7%, accelerating from 3.4% in August and outpacing economists' expected 3.6% jump. On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.6% in September from 0.4% a month earlier.
Gas prices were a particularly large contributor to September's inflation figures, rising 9.1%. Average prices at the pump hit a record $4.33 last month, according to AAA data, nearly $0.50 above the previous monthly record set in 2023.
"Core" inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy prices and is watched more closely by Federal Reserve officials, was also hotter than expected, rising 2.6% annually, up from 2.4% in August. Monthly core inflation was unchanged from August's higher-than-expected 0.3% but also came in above the expected 0.2%.
Claire Boston is a Senior Reporter for Yahoo Finance covering housing, mortgages, and home insurance.
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
By Joshua McElwee
VATICAN CITY, Oct 14 (Reuters) - World leaders, Catholics across the globe and senior cardinals at the Vatican offered prayers for Pope Leo on Wednesday after doctors announced the 71-year-old pontiff had been diagnosed with lung cancer and had part of one ?lung removed.
The cancer diagnosis for a pope known to be relatively young and energetic and who was elected only in May 2025 ?caused shock.
A prayer was recited for Leo to have a good convalescence and complete healing during an open-air Mass in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday following the surgery.
The pope was diagnosed on ?Tuesday with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, after doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung during an operation.
Leo spent a peaceful night in hospital, the Vatican said, adding that further information about his condition would be released later on Wednesday.
The pontiff had been admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital after doctors discovered a growth during a recent routine health check.
The operation lasted about 90 minutes and was completed without complications, the pope's lead surgeon, Stefano Margaritora, ?and his personal physician, Luigi Carbone, said late on ?Tuesday.
The doctors said in a joint statement that the entire lower lobe of the right lung was removed in an effort to eliminate all cancerous tissue. Human lungs have five lobes — three in the right lung and two in the ?left.
The Vatican has not disclosed the size of the tumour or whether the disease had spread to nearby lymph nodes, key factors in determining prognosis.
Leo is relatively young for a Church leader. He enjoys sports, including tennis, and is not known to be a smoker or to have had recent health issues.
BEST WISHES AND PRAYERS
The Vatican said ?earlier ?this week that the pope was expected to remain in hospital for about a ?week and that al
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
The world's oldest shipwreck has been discovered off the coast of Turkey, archaeologists say.
They have dated it to between 4,400 and 4,700 years old, which is the Early Bronze Age, and is around the same time that the Great Pyramid was being built.
The ship's wooden structure has not survived, but the ceramic storage pots it was carrying were lying on the sea floor and, remarkably, some still contain traces of what they held inside.
The archaeologists who found the ship say it was about 10m in length and was a trade vessel carrying cargo across the Mediterranean Sea.
"The shipwreck is a time capsule at the bottom of the sea," said Prof Hakan Öniz, from Akdeniz University in Turkey, who led the Mediterranean Archaeology Association expedition.
The divers found three stone anchors, as ships carried spares on long voyages [Hakan Öniz]
The wreck is close to the shore of Kekova Island in Antalya, Turkey. The artefacts lie scattered across an underwater slope, just 30m beneath the waves.
Three large stone anchors were found, as well as more than 30 ceramic storage
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
The Trump administration is delaying the release of detailed data showing how Republicans' 2025 tax cuts affected millions of Americans' taxes, even as it tries to sell voters on the law ahead of the midterm elections.
The numbers document which tax breaks were claimed by people in different income brackets, as well as information like how much they paid in taxes.
The IRS typically releases the data in the wake of each filing season, and this year's rollout is more anticipated because it's expected to provide the first detailed look at how taxpayers are taking advantage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including its new deductions for overtime wages and tipped income.
The data was scheduled to be released in July, and then updated again in September, as the IRS processed more people's returns —but the agency hasn't published either. The IRS said it is awaiting approval from the Treasury Department to publish the figures.
But the delay has already irked some who complain it is part of a pattern of the administration withholding otherwise routine releases of tax data.
"I think they are hiding stuff that doesn't line up with all the crowing the CEO has been doing," Nina Olson, a former national taxpayer advocate, said of Frank Bisignano, the IRS's day-to-day leader who has joined Republican lawmakers in touting the breaks to voters.
The lack of detailed numbers on the 2026 filing season comes as the agency is also under fire for withholding a periodic report on the so-called tax gap, which is the share of taxes owed but not yet paid.
The administration declined to answer questions about the delay on the record. In an emailed statement, an official speaking on condition of anonymity said its "priority is to release accurate and reliable data" following "major changes" to the tax code. The official did
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
The Trump administration is delaying the release of detailed data showing how Republicans' 2025 tax cuts affected millions of Americans' taxes, even as it tries to sell voters on the law ahead of the midterm elections.
The numbers document which tax breaks were claimed by people in different income brackets, as well as information like how much they paid in taxes.
The IRS typically releases the data in the wake of each filing season, but this year's rollout is more anticipated because it's expected to provide the first detailed look at how taxpayers are taking advantage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including its new deductions for overtime wages and tipped income.
The data was scheduled to be released in July, and then updated again in September, as the IRS processed more people's returns —but the agency hasn't published either. The IRS said it is awaiting approval from the Treasury Department to publish the figures. But the delay has already irked some who complain it is part of a pattern of the administration withholding otherwise routine releases of tax data.
"I think they are hiding stuff that doesn't line up with all the crowing the CEO has been doing," Nina Olson, a former national taxpayer advocate, said of Frank Bisignano, the IRS's day-to-day leader who has joined Republican lawmakers in touting the breaks to voters.
The lack of detailed numbers on the 2026 filing season comes as the agency is also under fire for withholding a periodic report on the so-called tax gap, which is the share of taxes owed but not yet paid.
A Trump administration official told POLITICO in an emailed statement that its "priority is to release accurate and reliable data" following "major changes" to the tax code.
During the filing season, the IRS publishes weekly top-line statistics documenting how many retur
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
Some top congressional Republicans have privately concluded that it is likely impossible for them to keep control of the House of Representatives in the midterm elections, and they are now focused on limiting the scale of the defeat and salvaging the party's Senate majority.
Five senior Republican lawmakers, all granted anonymity to speak candidly about their party's dire position, told POLITICO the House had all but slipped away.
One senior House Republican said the GOP's goal at this point was to "save as many Republican seats as we can." The president, this person said, was not helping.
"President Trump has made this election all about himself," the lawmaker said. "Now we have to survive that political storm."
A second Republican member of Congress said the movement of campaign advertising made plain which side was in control of the midterms. This lawmaker predicted Democrats would pick up about 10 seats, more than enough to take control of the chamber.
Even in newly redistricted red states like Florida and Texas, this person said, Republican candidates were "hanging on with their fingernails."
Republicans have already fallen back from several contested House districts that they feel are no longer winnable, including those held by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa and Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey. Trump carried their districts just two years ago. The party last week gave up on an Omaha-based district held by retiring Rep. Don Bacon.
Trump officials and other top GOP operatives say more candidates may be cut off in the coming days, in order to shift advertising money to races where it can make more of a difference. Republican groups have already given up on multiple races where they once hoped to unseat Democratic lawmakers.
The Republican Party is under extreme pressure across the Midwest, where it is now spending heavily to defend Senate seats in once-reliably MAGA states like Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian air strike on a residential building in Kyiv [EPA/Shutterstock]
At least 600,000 people across Ukraine are now without electricity after deadly overnight Russian missile and drone strikes, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
He said "critical" energy infrastructure had been hit in Kyiv and the capital region and also in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv - despite a claim by US President Donald Trump on Sunday that an "energy ceasefire" was in place between Russia and Ukraine.
In Kyiv, at least three people were killed and 21 injured, Ukraine's state emergencies service DSNS said.
Russia's defence ministry said its "massive" strikes overnight had targeted communications and energy facilities in the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions used by Ukraine's military.
The defence ministry also said 902 Ukrainian drones had been shot down overnight over a number of Russian regions, including the capital Moscow and Crimea - Ukraine's southern peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
Ukraine's air force said that overnight, Russia had launched 39 ballistic and cruise missiles and 128 drones, and that four of those missiles and 115 drones had been shot down.
On Sunday, Trump wrote in a post on social media: "Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!"
President Zelensky has since repeatedly said Ukraine is ready to halt its strikes on Russian oil refineries and other energy facilities if Moscow did the same.
But Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said Ukraine d
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
Greenland has untapped rare earth deposits and could be a critical player as melting polar ice opens up new shipping routes (Ina FASSBENDER)US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that oil, gas and mineral exploration was preparing to begin in Greenland, and hailed the Arctic island's position for US and European security.
Washington signed a security deal with the leaders of Greenland and Denmark after Trump threatened to take Copenhagen's strategically important Arctic Circle territory by force.
Greenland, which lies on the shortest route for missiles between Russia and the United States, represents a highly strategic location for Trump's desired "Golden Dome" defense shield.
It also has untapped rare earth deposits and could be a critical player as melting polar ice opens up new shipping routes.
"Massive Oil, Gas, and Mineral Exploration is getting ready to begin in our new and beautiful Greenland!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Citing experts, Trump said "the amount of easily available Oil is far greater than that of almost... anywhere in the World."
He did not give details of prospective American involvement.
In August, media reports of a US oil company's preparatory operations in a remote region of eastern Greenland left locals and authorities on the island uneasy.
In the same message on Truth Social, Trump hailed Greenland's position as "second to none" for US and European security.
"Any future attack on the United States will have to come across Greenland, where our Defense will routinely knock down drones, missiles, or any other form of weapon not yet even conceived," Trump said.
"It gives us time, location, and sightline, like nowhere else in the World!" he added.
Trump signed a security deal with the leader
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
Several White House officials are questioning how long Katie Zacharia will keep the press secretary job after her first briefing Tuesday, saying her performance was unlikely to satisfy President Donald Trump.
Several advisers and officials offered negative reviews of the briefing to CNN, with one characterizing it as "brutal." Others described it as unusual, awkward, stilted and, at times, uncomfortable. Zacharia appeared at the podium for only about 15 minutes, and most of that time was dedicated to an opening statement touting Trump's accomplishments. She called on only three reporters for questions before ending the briefing.
Some White House officials and Trump advisers expressed confusion about why the White House rushed Zacharia to the podium. A source familiar with the matter said Trump had asked Zacharia to conduct the briefing, and while some in his orbit had misgivings, the source was unaware of anyone relaying them to Zacharia or Trump.
"She should have been doing murder boards for two weeks before going up there," one Trump adviser told CNN, before critiquing Zacharia's performance. "The best thing she did was
|
|
Oct 14, 2026
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats are preparing an ambitious 100-days agenda focused on delivering their campaign promises — making life more affordable and conducting vast oversight of the Trump administration — if the party seizes majority control in next month's elections.
Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is in line to become House speaker if the party wins power, said the Democrats will be united "right out of the gate" on reinstating Affordable Care Act tax breaks, reversing Republican Medicaid cuts, holding votes against the Iran war and undoing President Donald Trump's tariff regime.
They expect to launch the agenda in the first 100 hours, once the new Congress is seated in January.
"Fighting for an affordable America — that's what unites Democrats all across the country," Jeffries said recently at the party campaign headquarters in Washington.
"That's our commitment to the American people, because the cost of living is way too high and far too many people who are working hard, playing by the rules, can't thrive and can barely survive — and are drowning — in the Trump economy."
It's a hyper-focused agenda tapping into the voter sentiment that is driving much of the midterm election as Americans wrestle with
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
By Jacob Bogage and Andrew Goudsward
WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - The US Justice Department on Tuesday gave California officials 48 hours to review a list of alleged noncitizen voters or face legal action, according to a letter reviewed by Reuters - part of an unprecedented effort to find evidence ?of voter fraud ahead of next month's elections.
The letter, written by acting Deputy Attorney General R. Trent McCotter and addressed to California Secretary ?of State Shirley Weber, says the Justice Department provided officials in Los Angeles County with a "password-protected thumb drive" with the names of people the federal government "believes are likely noncitizens" and were sent mail-in ballots.
The ?letter demands that the state refuse to send ballots to those on the list until their citizenship status has been confirmed. Voters in question who have already received ballots should have their ballot "segregated" once it is mailed back; ballots already returned should not be tabulated "until citizenship has been determined," the letter stipulates.
The federal government "will have no choice but to seek emergency relief," according to the letter, if state officials do not follow its instructions.
"Allowing noncitizens to vote cancels citizen votes," McCotter wrote.
The letter marks an escalation of the ?Trump administration's attempts to pressure states over alleged voting ?by non-US citizens and signals the Justice Department may be prepared to challenge ballots in the weeks leading up to the November 3 election, when Republicans will be defending their narrow majorities in Congress.
Justice Department spokeswoman Kiersten Pels confirmed the existence of the ?letter in a statement to Reuters, adding: "The department will take all necessary legal action to protect election integrity and ensure compliance with federal law."
Representatives from the White House and the California secre
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
A federal judge on Tuesday extended an order blocking President Donald Trump's administration from banning reporters for three news outlets from the White House, a pivotal operational development for the organizations as the extraordinary case — pitting the president against the media that cover him — makes its way through the legal system.
In a victory for media organizations at a time when tension between the White House and journalists is high, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that CNN, MS NOW and Politico are likely to succeed in their constitutional free speech and due process claims.
"Still," he added in his late-night order, "no one should interpret the Court's decision to suggest that President Trump's concerns about accuracy and fairness in the media's reporting are unfounded, or that the government is powerless when its true aim is to protect national security when classified information is unlawfully disclosed."
But Kelly agreed with the plaintiffs that the national security arguments came after the fact and were unsupported by the administration.
The judge also wrote that without a preliminary injunction the outlets "are likely to suffer irreparable harm, and that the balance of the equities and the public interest tip in their favor."
An email to the Justice Department, which is arguing the case on behalf of the administration, was not immediately returned. The White House also did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.
Theodore Boutrous Jr., attorney for the three media organizations, hailed the judge's ruling.
"When the President issued his ‘ban on the free press,' he blatantly and explicitly violated due process and the First Amendment," Boutrous said in a statement. "The harm
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. ambassador to Greece, resigned on Tuesday amid allegations of improper conduct while denying the claims and vowing to "vigorously defend" herself.
In a lengthy post on her personal X account on Tuesday morning, Guilfoyle thanked President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for "entrusting me with the extraordinary privilege of representing the greatest country in the history of the world."
Guilfoyle also denied the "recent allegations" against her. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Guilfoyle asked a Trump donor to pay off a $100,000 American Express credit card bill ahead of her confirmation as ambassador in exchange for access to administration officials.
"These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity," Guilfoyle wrote. "I have dedicated my professional life to fighting for justice, standing up for what is right, and defending the values that make America exceptional. I will not allow false accusations to define my decades of public service."
Earlier Tuesday, Katie Zacharia, the new White House press secretary, announced during her first briefing that the administration had asked Guilfoyle to resign.
"We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign," Zacharia said when asked about the
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
The federal investigation that prompted the search of Rep. Ilhan Omar's D.C. residence on Monday centers on claims that she or her late father may have lied on decades-old immigration paperwork to secure legal status and eventually U.S. citizenship, three people familiar with the matter said.
Omar - a Minnesota Democrat who was born in Somalia and fled civil war there with her family before eventually immigrating to the United States in 1995 - has repeatedly rejected such allegations, which have circulated in conservative media for years. She dismissed them again in a statement Monday as "baseless lies and smear campaigns."
Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.
It is extremely unusual for federal agents to take public investigative actions related to a member of Congress just weeks before an election because doing so could cast a candidate who is not criminally charged in a negative light.
In Omar's case, the investigation is notable for other reasons as well: It involves long-ago paperwork from when she was a teenager, and Omar is a lawmaker who has frequently been singled out for criticism and vitriol by President Donald Trump and his allies.
The president condemned her again in a social media post Tuesday, after U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro told Fox News that her office had launched a separate inquiry into Omar's financial disclosure forms - a matter that has previously drawn the attention of House Republicans.
"America wants answers, and we want them, NOW!" wrote Trump, mirroring his previous calls for Justice Department investigations of his perceived political enemies.
The immigration-related inquiry, which could result in fraud charges and potentially
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer after having surgery to remove a nodule, or growth, on his right lung, according to a statement the Vatican shared with CBS News. The Vatican noted that his diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma was "as suspected from pre-operative tests."
During the 90-minute surgery, doctors at Rome's Gemelli Hospital ultimately removed the lower lobe of his lung. It's called a "radical resection," as the Vatican noted, and is designed to completely remove the cancer. It's not yet clear what stage the pope's cancer is or whether he may require further treatment. Determining that will require further testing of the tumor. But for the 71-year-old pontiff, the first step — and a critically important one, experts tell Yahoo — is to recover.
As extreme as the procedure sounds, life without part of a lung can be surprisingly normal, according to two experts.
The lobes of the lungs There are a total of five lobes, or sections, in a pair of lungs: three in the right lung and two in the left. Pope Leo XIV's surgery removed approximately 20% of his total lung tissue, estimates Dr. Sudish Murthy, section chair of thoracic surgery at Cleveland Clinic, who was not involved in the pope's care.
The lower lobes of the lungs receive slightly more blood flow than the upper ones because of gravity, Murthy explained. "But they all do essentially the same function, so if you have one lobe taken out, you would not lose so
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., speaking in September. (Elijah Nouvelage / Getty)Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., said Tuesday night during a debate that he will not run for president in 2028.
Ossoff made the statement in response to a question as he faced off with his Republican challenger, Rep. Mike Collins. Ossoff is seeking a second six-year term in Georgia and said he would serve the full term.
"I have zero interest in running for president," Ossoff said when he was asked directly by one of the moderators. "I'm not running for president. I'm running for re-election to the Senate."
Ossoff has been regularly discussed as a potential Democratic contender in 2028. If he were to win the presidency, he would have to give up his Senate seat, which he stressed Tuesday night that he would not do.
After the brief remark, Ossoff quickly transitioned to pressing Collins about why he has supported President Donald Trump's tariffs, a main focus of both his campaign and a debate the two held last week. Tuesday was the second debate in the nationally watched Georgia Senate race, this one organized by the Atlanta Press Club.
Collins quipped that Ossoff was actually trying to run for president and will be "your DSA candidate," a reference to the Democratic Socialists of America.
The exchange came at the beginning of the hourlong debate, which covered ground including data centers; the economy under Trump, whose approval rating is at record lows; the war in Iran; and the issue of Collins'
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
By Parisa Hafezi, Jonathan Saul and Phil Stewart
DUBAI/LONDON/WASHINGTON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Iran is deploying new tactics to target ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz as it seeks to keep oil prices high and influence the US midterm elections, two senior Iranian officials told Reuters.
Tehran has tried to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz since the US and Israel ?launched strikes against Iran on February 28. It has restricted passage through the waterway, which carried about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade before the war, in an effort ?to gain leverage over Washington.
Its threats and attacks have severely curtailed traffic through the strait, driving up oil prices, though some oil has continued to transit.
The two officials declined to provide details of the new strategy, but one said that Iran had started using ?different offensive tactics against vessels it considered in violation of its restrictions about 10 days ago, adding that this had led to an increase in attacks on such ships.
The strategy included a change in the type as well as the pace of attacks, with one goal being to influence the outcome of the US vote, they said.
"The aim is to frustrate efforts by the United States and its allies to bring down global oil prices," one of the two officials said.
The decision to adopt the new strategy had been taken at the highest levels of Iran's leadership and was fully coordinated across the country's ruling system, the officials said.
IRAN USING SPOTTERS
A US military official, speaking on condition ?of anonymity, confirmed that Iran had changed tactics in one significant way: ?after the US destroyed much of Iran's radar capabilities, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had started using unarmed spotters in small boats to identify potential targets, including US naval vessels, the official said.
Last week, in a pre
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
By Parisa Hafezi, Jonathan Saul and Phil Stewart
DUBAI/LONDON/WASHINGTON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Iran is deploying new tactics to target ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz as it seeks to keep oil prices high and influence the US midterm elections, two senior Iranian officials told Reuters.
Tehran has tried to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz since the US and Israel ?launched strikes against Iran on February 28. It has restricted passage through the waterway, which carried about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade before the war, in an effort ?to gain leverage over Washington.
Its threats and attacks have severely curtailed traffic through the strait, driving up oil prices, though some oil has continued to transit.
The two officials declined to provide details of the new strategy, but one said that Iran had started using ?different offensive tactics against vessels it considered in violation of its restrictions about 10 days ago, adding that this had led to an increase in attacks on such ships.
The strategy included a change in the type as well as the pace of attacks, with one goal being to influence the outcome of the US vote, they said.
"The aim is to frustrate efforts by the United States and its allies to bring down global oil prices," one of the two officials said.
The decision to adopt the new strategy had been taken at the highest levels of Iran's leadership and was fully coordinated across the country's ruling system, the officials said.
IRAN USING SPOTTERS
A US military official, speaking on condition ?of anonymity, confirmed that Iran had changed tactics in one significant way: ?after the US destroyed much of Iran's radar capabilities, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had started using unarmed spotters in small boats to identify potential targets, including US naval vessels, the official said.
Last week, in a pre
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
HOUSTON — Videos collected by local investigators make it "pretty obvious" that an ICE officer intentionally ran over Miguel Parra Hernandez during an immigration stop Saturday, which could lead to assault charges, the district attorney said Tuesday.
"This was an intentional striking and running over of the person by the vehicle, and in that case, that is an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Texas," Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare told NBC News.
Teare said the federal government is not cooperating with the investigation conducted by his office and the Harris County Sheriff's Office. He also said ICE may have allowed the erasure of critical data in the vehicle involved in striking Parra, who was on foot.
Teare said that in his seven years as a Harris County vehicular crimes division chief, he has reviewed video from a number of other auto-pedestrian collision cases. He said the video his investigators have gathered in Parra's case "goes above" the video that was posted online and obtained by NBC affiliate KPRC of Houston.
"My viewing of it, and many other investigators that have viewed it, as well, it's pretty obvious that this was an intentional striking and running over of the person by the vehicle, and in that case, that is an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Texas," he said.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare. (Raquel Natalicchio / Houston Chronicle via Getty)Parra, 48, was left with multiple breaks and fract
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. (AP)
The Justice Department, in an apparent escalation of a long-running investigation involving the immigration history of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., has issued subpoenas to members of her family, The New York Times reported Tuesday, as the congresswoman accuses the Trump administration of political retribution for her outspoken criticism of the president.
The subpoenas mark a new development in a probe that has drawn scrutiny after federal agents searched Omar's Washington-area home Monday, an action she condemned as an attempt to intimidate political opponents and weaponize federal law enforcement.
"For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns," Omar wrote on social media Monday. "This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation. I will not be silenced."
Federal authorities have not publicly laid out the full scope of the investigation or disclosed what evidence investigators are seeking through the subpoenas.
The search Monday was conducted by agents with Homeland Security Investigations under a court-authorized warrant, the Justice Department confirmed, but officials offered few details about the criminal investigation.
The inquiry follows months of public comments by Trump administration officials about allegations involving Omar's immigration history.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said last month that an ongoing investigation was examining, in part, whether Omar had lied on immigration forms, adding that "something's going to happen," according to The Associated Press.
Omar, who was born in Somalia and became a naturalized U.S. citizen, has repeatedly rejected allegations concerning her immigration
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Trump administration officials are leaning against livestreaming the execution of the ex-Army major convicted of the killing of 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, sources familiar with the discussions said. Last week, the Pentagon had said that the public would be able to view the execution live.
President Trump had not yet made a final decision on Tuesday, two of the sources told CBS News.
White House and Pentagon spokespeople didn't immediately comment.
There has been pressure from Congress and elsewhere not to livestream Nidal Hasan's execution by firing squad, which is scheduled to take place on Dec. 3.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last Thursday in an interview with Real America's Voice that the Pentagon planned to make the execution public.
"He's going to get a firing squad of soldiers, as it should be," Hegseth said. "We'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public — because people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things."
CNN reported earlier Tuesday that Mr. Trump and his advisers were debating whether to air the firing squad execution live, and that Mr. Trump had remarked privately that he didn't initially know Hasan was paralyzed from the waist down.
Several top Republicans in recent days expressed opposition to livestreaming Hasan's execution, and Vice President JD Vance said that if it were broadcast live, "I'm not going to be watching it."
As the president departed for a campaign rally in Alaska on Tuesday, a reporter asked him whether he's decided to allow
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Trump administration officials are leaning against livestreaming the execution of the ex-Army major convicted of the killing of 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, sources familiar with the discussions said. Last week, the Pentagon had said that the public would be able to view the execution live.
President Trump had not yet made a final decision on Tuesday, two of the sources told CBS News.
White House and Pentagon spokespeople didn't immediately comment.
There has been pressure from Congress and elsewhere not to livestream Nidal Hasan's execution by firing squad, which is scheduled to take place on Dec. 3.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last Thursday in an interview with Real America's Voice that the Pentagon planned to make the execution public.
"He's going to get a firing squad of soldiers, as it should be," Hegseth said. "We'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public — because people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things."
CNN reported earlier Tuesday that Mr. Trump and his advisers were debating whether to air the firing squad execution live, and that Mr. Trump had remarked privately that he didn't initially know Hasan was paralyzed from the waist down.
Several top Republicans in recent days expressed opposition to livestreaming Hasan's execution, and Vice President JD Vance said that if it were broadcast live, "I'm not going to be watching it."
As the president departed for a campaign rally in Alaska on Tuesday, a reporter asked him whether he's decided to allow
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
By Olena Harmash and Daniel Flynn
KYIV, Oct 13 (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Washington was still sharing intelligence with Ukraine, even as Kyiv reported new Russian missile attacks that came without usual warnings and accused Russia of violating an energy truce the US president announced at the weekend.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian forces attacked Kyiv ?on Tuesday with ballistic missiles, targeting a thermal power plant, and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a strike on a high-rise apartment building killed two people.
"Once again, no advance warning from ?our partners," Zelenskiy said on Telegram without explaining why no warning was given.
"According to our intelligence, the Russians are preparing further ballistic missile launches," he said, adding that the attacks showed Russia did not feel bound by Trump's energy ceasefire.
Trump on Sunday announced a ?ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, but the warring sides have not confirmed the truce.
Zelenskiy has come under pressure from Trump to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries after the US president eased sanctions on Russian diesel exports, arguing the move would help lower fuel prices ahead of next month's midterm elections.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump said Washington continued to share intelligence with Ukraine and was working with both Kyiv and Moscow to end the war. "We are helping them, and we are sharing intel," he said.
Kyiv relies heavily on US intelligence for early warnings of missile strikes and for its own targeting of Russian military sites, experts and officials say.
Trump was asked whether Russia had ?violated the ceasefire and answered: "I'll let you know about that later."
Asked if ?Russia could use proceeds from the diesel deal to purchase more bombs, Trump sidestepped the question. "That's a diesel deal, not for us. That's bei
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Louis Prevost, Pope Leo XIV's older brother who lives in Florida, has multiple myeloma, his wife told CBS News on Tuesday. The news comes amid the Vatican's earlier announcement that the pope has been diagnosed with lung cancer after undergoing surgery to remove a nodular lesion from his right lung.
Deborah Prevost did not share what stage Louis' cancer is in but said he's currently in a clinical trial at a local hospital where he's being treated.
Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that affects plasma cells, according to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.
Deborah Prevost said Louis was first diagnosed in 2017 but was able to maintain it at a "very low level" after undergoing treatment in 2019 that included stem cell treatment and a clinical trial. He "fell out of remission" three months ago, she said.
She could not comment on the specifics of Pope Leo's condition but said her husband and his brother spoke last week before Louis went in for his clinical trial.
"He called to let us know what would be happening," Deborah said. "We keep praying, keeping spirits up for both of them."
Pope Leo underwent surgery Tuesday that confirmed he has lung cancer, the Vatican said earlier in the day. The 71-year-old pontiff was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma.
The Vatican didn't disclose what stage the cancer was in or whether the cancer may have spread. It also did not detail what further procedures or treatment the pope may have to undergo.
Deborah Prevost told CBS News the family was "going through a lot," but she was hopefu
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Katie Zacharia made her debut as President Donald Trump's new White House press secretary Tuesday morning, breaking news (announcing that Kimberly Guilfoyle had been asked to resign as ambassador to Greece) and sparking commentary about her performance (Trump, for one, said he "thought she was very good").
But Zacharia has also made news, regarding how she has represented herself and her résumé in public appearances.
Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.
"What state did she pass the bar exam in?" a journalist shouted at Trump on Tuesday morning as he walked to Marine One. The president leaned in. Zacharia stood behind him. "She said she's an attorney," the journalist repeated. "Where did she pass the bar exam? Which state?"
Trump stepped aside to let Zacharia answer: "When I moved to China," she appeared to say through muffled audio.
Journalist Judd Legum, who writes the Popular Information newsletter, identified numerous occasions when Zacharia appeared on national media outlets citing her credentials as a lawyer. He counted 18 appearances on Fox News Channel when she made such mentions, and he found that she also called herself a lawyer on her social media accounts.
Zacharia graduated with a law degree from Pepperdine University, but Legum wrote that he could not find that she passed any state's bar exam, which is almost always a requirement for practicing law in the United States.
The Washington Post conducted its own review and also could not find any active or expire
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
WASHINGTON (AP) — An engineer at OpenAI has been charged with secretly installing a recording device inside a conference room in what officials said Tuesday was an effort to capture sensitive conversations about the company's technology.
The employee, identified as a 35-year-old Saudi national named Abdulrahman Alfozan, was arrested Friday, a week after the ChatGPT maker discovered an audio recording device hidden in the conference room, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in San Francisco.
The complaint did not identify the company, but the company confirmed in a separate statement that it had discovered a "sophisticated recording device that was hidden inside one of our offices," reported the finding to the FBI and fired the employee.
"We used our models to understand the device and where it had come from, identifying that a specific employee had planted it a few days earlier. We referred the matter to the FBI, and we're grateful to the agents and prosecutors who moved quickly to make an arrest. The FBI's investigation is ongoing and we will continue to support their work," an OpenAI spokesperson said.
"At this time, we have no indications of this individual inappropriately accessing or exfiltrating model weights, source code, or customer data. The employee was terminated," the statement said.
The complaint does not detail what Alfozan might have wanted to do with any captured communications.
Alfozan made his first court appearance Tuesday on a charge of using or endeavoring to use an electronic, mechanical, or other device to intercept ora
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Regulators fined Bank of America (BAC) more than $1.2 billion on Tuesday over widespread failures in the banking giant's safeguards against money laundering and other illicit financial activity.
The Treasury Department said the nation's second-largest bank failed to properly monitor trillions of dollars in transactions and to report more than $5 billion in suspicious activity, including transactions potentially tied to Chinese money-laundering networks, narcotics trafficking, and fraud.
The enforcement actions include a $1.2 billion penalty from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), the third-largest fine in the Treasury Department's history after it fined crypto exchange Binance $3.4 billion in 2023 and TD Bank for $1.3 billion in 2024. The fine also includes a $750 million penalty from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the largest ever imposed by that regulator.
The OCC penalty will be credited against FinCEN's assessment rather than added to it. Separately, a $11.6 million sanctions settlement brings the total penalties to more than $1.21 billion.
"Even the biggest financial institutions are not above the law," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
Bank of America's stock fell more than 2% after markets closed on Tuesday. It reports third quarter earnings Wednesday morning.
The bank said it
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Georgia police have identified the man who died Monday after falling from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia in an incident that also injured several others.
The Cobb County Police Department identified the 42-year-old Atlanta man as Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem. "Preliminary information gathered through witness and employee interview indicates Kariem was ejected from the ride and struck other patrons before falling beneath the attraction," according to a Tuesday statement from the Cobb County Police Department's Major Crimes Unit.
Eyewitnesses shared what they saw as Monday's accident unfolded. "He fell and hit the car three different times," a witness told WXIA Atlanta, adding that their souvenir photo from the ride captured Kariem falling.
Another witness told NBC News that he was on the ride with his partner when he saw Kariem ejected from his seat. "The man started levitating in the air sideways," he said. "We made direct eye contact with him."
A woman waiting in line to ride Goliath again told Fox
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
The Justice Department (DOJ) announced Tuesday that CVS Health has agreed to pay $315 million to settle lawsuits alleging the company illegally filled prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit first filed in 2019 by former CVS employee Hillary Estright in 2019 under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which allows private parties to sue on behalf of the U.S. It also settles the ensuing 2024 complaint that the federal government filed against CVS Health.
Allegations against the pharmacy chain included claims that it knowingly filled prescriptions for controlled substances that had no legitimate medical purpose, were not valid or were not issued through common professional practices. CVS Health's corporate performance metrics allegedly encouraged these actions to enhance profit.
The settlement agreement does not serve as an admission of guilt by CVS Health or a reversal of the federal government's argument that there were well-founded claims against the company.
"Today's settlement requires CVS to implement additional safeguards to ensure that prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances are dispensed only when medically appropriate," DOJ Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate said in a statement.
Shumate continued, "The remedial measures in this agreement — including proactive monitoring of opioid prescribing patterns — will provide critical protections for patients and federal healthcare programs. The Department of Justice will continue to take steps to prevent the unlawful dispensing of opioids."
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
By Jack Queen and Steve Gorman
LAS VEGAS, Oct 13 (Reuters) - A former gang leader was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison on Tuesday for orchestrating the 1996 drive-by shooting death of hip-hop star Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas, capping the prosecution of a long-unsolved ?murder that shaped the golden age of rap music.
Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, found guilty of first-degree murder in August, received the sentence during a hearing ?in a Las Vegas courtroom.
In tearful testimony before Judge Carli Kierny, Shakur's younger sister Sekyiwa Shakur said their mother had raised him to be a human rights activist and treated him as if he ?had the potential to change the world.
"He believed her," said Sekyiwa Shakur, wearing a black shirt. "He went out in the world to do that. And I believe he would have done it."
Until Davis' 2023 arrest, the killing of Shakur, shot dead in the passenger seat of an SUV driven by his record executive, Marion "Suge" Knight, had stood for nearly three decades as one of America's most notorious cold cases.
The murder, which silenced one of rap's most commercially successful and influential artists, heightened the image of violence permeating 1990s hip-hop culture ?while stoking the infamous East Coast-West Coast "gangsta" rap feud ?of the era.
Despite Davis' conviction, the question of who pulled the trigger in the fatal shooting of the 25-year-old rap legend has never been conclusively decided.
Davis was tried and convicted for masterminding the murder to avenge the beating of his nephew by Shakur and ?members of the rapper's entourage inside the MGM Grand casino on the Las Vegas Strip on September 7, 1996.
Davis has said he would appeal his conviction.
'THE WORLD NEVER FORGOT'
Authorities said they long believed Davis was involved in Shakur's killing but lacked sufficient evidence to charge him.
That changed when he went
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Katie Zacharia responded after criticism of her first White House press briefing on Tuesday, telling Newsweek via email that "I am grateful to serve President Trump as Press Secretary, and I will diligently and effectively amplify his successful agenda."
During her debut at the podium, Zacharia announced that the White House had asked U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign.
Yet much of the reaction to Zacharia's debut centered on its brevity. She spent just 14 minutes at the podium and took questions from only three outlets before ending the briefing as President Donald Trump prepared to depart the White House for a campaign trip to Alaska.
Zacharia, a conservative commentator who most recently worked for Trump's social media company, was named press secretary on Friday, succeeding Karoline Leavitt, who left the administration in August to spend more time with her family.
Her first appearance offered an early glimpse of how Zacharia intends to approach the job. She told reporters that her goal was to "amplify, multiply and expand upon President Trump's incredible agenda for the American people" while describing Trump as "his own best spokesperson."
Speaking to reporters before his trip to Alaska, Trump responded to a question about Zacharia's briefing, saying only, "I thought she was very good."
But the brevity of the appearance, along with Zacharia's delivery and handling of questions, quickly generated criticism from former White House communications officials, journalists and commentators.
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
President Trump has begun to downplay his new deal with Russia after a plan to allow imports of Russian diesel into the US came under withering criticism, even from members of his own party.
"It's a deal for the world ... It's not a deal with me," Trump told reporters on Tuesday morning, repeating that it was "not a USA deal."
"They're releasing it to the entire world," Trump added, after making similar comments on Monday that the deal would help US farmers, but said, "It's not really a deal with me, it's a deal for the rest of the world."
President Trump speaks to members of the media as he departs the White House on Oct. 13 to travel to Alaska for a rally. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Control of both chambers of Congress is up for grabs in November's election. But as important as the House of Representatives is, all signs point to the true drama of the midterms being in the battle for the Senate.
There are 35 Senate seats on the ballot this year. Most of those races won't be competitive. The balance of power in the Senate will be decided by the dozen or so states where the outcome truly is uncertain. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority, which means they can lose three seats and still maintain control of the chamber — thanks to Vice President JD Vance's constitutionally granted power to break ties in an evenly split Senate.
Forecasters widely expect Democrats to flip the House, but view the Senate as a "true toss-up."
The key Senate battlegrounds include traditional swing states, idiosyncratic areas of the Northeast and historically Republican states where Democrats have rarely been competitive in recent elections.
The outcome will have enormous implications for the final two years of President Trump's tenure in the White House. Democrats only need to gain control of one chamber to have the power to block or reshape Trump's legislative agenda. But a Senate majority would empower them to do
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Leo XIV is having a pulmonary nodule removed in his first hospitalisation since he became head of the Catholic Church last year. (Filippo MONTEFORTE)Pope Leo XIV's underwent an operation at a Rome hospital Tuesday to remove a nodule from his lung that was "successfully completed", the Vatican said.
Pope Leo XIV entered the hospital smiling and waving on Tuesday morning hours before the surgery to remove the growth that looks like a coin on the lung.
"The procedure was successfully completed, within the expected time and in the planned manner," the Vatican said in a brief statement.
"The Holy Father has returned to his room," it said, adding that more details would be given later.
The surgery marks the 71-year-old Leo's first hospitalisation since he became head of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025. Vatican officials who saw the pope on Monday said he appeared relaxed about the hospital stay.
In a surprise announcement following Angelus prayers on Sunday, Leo told crowds in St Peter's Square that doctors had discovered the nodule "at a very early stage" during medical checks.
"The doctors believe it would be right to intervene," he said.
The Vatican has historically been very secretive about the health of popes, but began to be more transparent during the illness of Leo's predecessor Francis, an Argentine who freely discussed his ailments.
People outside the hospital expressed concern over the pope's condition.
Giorgia Fei, a 57-year-old Italian, said she had been worried by the news.
"However, the Holy Father is in very good hands here at the hospital because we have some outstanding doctors," she said.
"I will pray a lot for him."
Giuseppe Purpura, 72, said he was also concerned.
"He's still quite young and
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin have reached a deal to abolish the city's horse carriage industry — a critical breakthrough in a decadeslong, politically fraught effort to ban the tourist attraction.
Since 2010, mayors and local legislative leaders have tried to outlaw horse-drawn carriages from operating in Central Park, citing concerns about the safety of the animals as several have died in accidents and from exhaustion. But despite broad popular support, the efforts have failed, in large part due to political pressure from New York's powerful transport union, which advocates for hundreds of carriage drivers who make a living shuttling tourists on buggies around the park.
Now, that stalemate appears closer than ever to being broken.
In an announcement shared exclusively with POLITICO on Tuesday, a Menin spokesperson said Mamdani's administration has agreed to back a bill that would make it illegal to operate a horse-drawn carriage in the city, starting in June 2028.
With Mamdani onboard, Menin — who first announced her support for the bill in July — said she's scheduling a full Council vote on the measure for Oct. 22. The legislation has already secured formal support from more than half of the Council's 51 members, meaning it's on a glidepath to becoming law now that Mamdani is committed to supporting it.
"Horse-drawn carriages have long been part of New York City's history, but in an increasingly busy Central Park, this tradition has become a growing public safety liability," Menin said in a statement. "Next week, the Council will take decisive action by voting on [this bill] to protect New Yorkers, visitors, and the horses themselves."
Mamdani spokesperson Sneha Choudhary confirmed the mayor and the speaker have reached a deal on the legislation. She also said Mamdani is committed to working on helping
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Cornell University is suspending parties and other social events at fraternity houses for the rest of the academic year and will give the New York State Police a role in investigating sex crimes on campus, university officials announced Tuesday, amid mounting outrage over its handling of allegations that a female student was sexually assaulted at a fraternity house in 2024.
The measures announced by Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff include a suspension of all parties and social events at Interfraternity Council houses through the end of the 2026-27 academic year and a new "zero tolerance" policy for violations that would result in the immediate emergency suspension of a chapter.
"These measures will provide time for a thorough review of fraternity life at Cornell to determine whether and how it can safely continue," Kotlikoff wrote in a letter to the campus community.
Cornell has more than 20 active fraternities affiliated with its Interfraternity Council. The council did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.
The university president said the school would begin conversations with students and faculty experts about "the development of safe social alternatives" to Greek life party culture and invest money to get those initiatives off the ground.
He also committed to adding a case manager to the school's Office of Civil Rights to help those who report sexual misconduct on the Cornell campus navigate the process, and to working with the New York State Police to allow its criminal investigators — who are independent of Cornell — to investigate allegations.
Crimes reported on Cornell's
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
For millions of families in the US, wealth has inched up modestly in the last few years, but for older Americans, it's surged.
People 75 and older are now the richest group in the US, according to the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances. The survey, published every three years, found that the median family net worth in the US, adjusted for inflation, rose 2% to $215,900 between 2022 and 2025.
But among the 75 and older cohort, their median net worth rose 37% to $505,000, compared with $367,000 in 2022.
Families younger than 35, meanwhile, saw their median net worth dive 23% to $33,000.
As Mark Zandi, Moody's chief economist, told Yahoo Finance: "The baby boomers have arrived!"
"The oldest of the large boomer generation has aged into the 75 and older age group, and the surging stock market has benefited older Americans more because they have more of their wealth in retirement accounts," he said.
Wealth inequality on displayThis isn't startling news given long-held patterns of wealth inequality in America.
"On balance, wealth inequality appears little changed since 2022," according to the Fed research. "These changes in wealth largely reinforced existing patterns of wealth inequality by family characteristics."
Groups that typically have less wealth — young people, renters, and those without a high school diploma — saw their wealth slip in the years following the pandemic.
Families that already had more wealth, whether thanks to age or higher income, saw some of the largest gains.
One reason: Higher-income families tend to save more, which in tu
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes on Tuesday ordered a halt to tree-cutting at the East Potomac Golf Course until Oct. 26, putting a further pause on work at the historic D.C. course that has been part of President Donald Trump's plans to remake the city.
Reyes issued the order one day after a tense three-hour hearing in which she harshly criticized the government for having deceived her with its actions over the holiday weekend.
At the Monday hearing, Reyes ordered a 24-hour pause that could be extended to 14 days if necessary. It was limited to one day while the government tried to find a key Trump administration official to discuss why a massive tree-cutting at the park needed to occur over the holiday weekend, with little notification to plaintiffs in a lawsuit trying to halt renovation plans or the judge.
The judge also ordered during that period the government "must provide the court and plaintiffs three business days' written advance notice prior to making any irreparable modification to any permanent form or feature of the East Potomac Golf Course."
The DC Preservation League and two individuals are the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
The Monday hearing and Tuesday order were prompted by the National Park Service ordering the cutting of hundreds of trees at the golf course after filing the court notification only minutes before the close of business on Oct. 9 on a holiday weekend, giving the plaintiffs little time to respond. At least 400 trees were cutdown over the weekend with plans for several hundred more.
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
The battle for control of Congress is getting the lion's share of the attention in the lead-up to the midterms, but there are a lot of other consequential measures that'll appear on ballots this November that could have a direct impact on voters' lives.
Ballot measures often don't receive much national attention, but every two years, voters across the country decide whether to adopt policies that have major implications for their states. This year is no different.
There are more than 140 total measures collectively across 40 states this year. Many touch on some of the biggest issues in U.S. politics, including abortion, transgender rights, voting and the democratic process itself.
Ballot measures can give the people a way to directly alter the laws in their states instead of relying solely on their elected representatives to create policy on their behalf. In some cases, they provide an opportunity for voters to endorse or reject something their state legislature wants to do. In other cases, regular citizens can get their preferred policy on the ballot directly through a signature-gathering campaign.
Here's a rundown of some of the major measures on statewide ballots this year.
AbortionThe Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn the nationwide abortion protections established by Roe v. Wade instantly turned abortion access into a state-by-state issue. It also led to a flurry of ballot measures across the country in which vote
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. ambassador to Greece, resigned on Tuesday amid allegations of improper conduct while denying the claims and vowing to "vigorously defend" herself.
In a lengthy post on her personal X account on Tuesday morning, Guilfoyle thanked President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for "entrusting me with the extraordinary privilege of representing the greatest country in the history of the world."
Guilfoyle also denied the "recent allegations" against her. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Guilfoyle asked a Trump donor to pay off a $100,000 American Express credit card bill ahead of her confirmation as ambassador in exchange for access to administration officials.
"These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity," Guilfoyle wrote. "I have dedicated my professional life to fighting for justice, standing up for what is right, and defending the values that make America exceptional. I will not allow false accusations to define my decades of public service."
Earlier Tuesday, Katie Zacharia, the new White House press secretary, announced during her first briefing that the administration had asked Guilfoyle to resign.
"We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign," Zacharia said when asked about the
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
London — Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have dramatically upped the stakes in the complex Middle East war, killing at least 20 people — including an American — and wounding hundreds more with strikes on Saudi Arabia's airports over the last week.
The question is whether President Trump will order U.S. military action in support of Saudi Arabia, which has been at war with the rebels in Yemen for more than a decade.
Mr. Trump campaigned on ending wars, and he is likely aware, less than a month before the U.S. midterm elections, that opening a new U.S. front in the wider conflict sparked by the Feb. 28 joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran could be politically perilous.
If he did, he could argue that it is both to protect the Saudis, as a key U.S. ally, and to stop the Iranian proxy group from threatening global shipping in the vital trade routes of the Red Sea.
Mr. Trump rejected a request last month by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to join in the kingdom's strikes on the Houthis, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News. He came close to ordering airstrikes against the group a week later, but again declined.
Asked Sunday if the U.S. would join Saudi strikes, however, the president replied: "We may. We're gonna look at it … We'll make a decision. We move very quickly."
So, what has changed, and will it be enough to force Mr. Trump's hand?
An American deathLittle information has come out about the U.S. citizen killed in th
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
A 42-year-old man died after being ejected from a roller coaster at a Six Flags amusement park in Georgia, police said.
The man -- Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, of Atlanta -- was found dead beneath the ride at Six Flags Over Georgia on Monday, according to the Cobb County Police Department.
"Preliminary information gathered through witness and employee interviews indicates Kariem was ejected from the ride and struck other patrons before falling beneath the attraction," the Cobb County Police Department said in a statement on Tuesday. "Investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident."
WSB - PHOTO: The Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia in Cobb County, Georgia, is seen on Oct. 12, 2026.The state's Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, which is responsible for the safety of amusement park rides in Georgia, also said it is "actively investigating" the incident.
"Our investigative team is conducting an in-depth and comprehensive review to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and to ensure full compliance with all applicable policies and procedures," Garrison Bennett, the agency's press secretary, said in a statement on Tuesday.
State officials investigating after woman injured on alpine coaster in ColoradoSeveral people were also injured in the incident, which occurred shortly before 4 p.m. Monday at the Atlanta-area amusement park, according to police.
Distraught witnesses described the horrific incident to a local station, saying
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
After House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) ascended to one of the most powerful offices in Washington three years ago, his wife, a faith-based counselor, turned her focus to the nation's capital.
Kelly Johnson reoriented a religious nonprofit she was running back home in the Shreveport area into a ministry focused on female congressional staffers. Its new purpose, according to an IRS filing, was to help "the hundreds of unreached young women" working around Capitol Hill "find purpose, belonging, and Christian community."
Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.
Through the organization, a part-time endeavor run solely by Johnson, she provides counseling, delivers speeches and conducts "spiritual heritage tours" of the U.S. Capitol that highlight the nation's Christian history. In 2024, financial disclosures show Johnson was paid $50,000 for 10 hours of work per week.
The nonprofit, Onward Christian Education Services, has become part of the rising presence in official Washington of evangelical Christianity as its devotees, a key bloc of support for President Donald Trump, seek to inject a biblical worldview into American politics and government.
The centerpiece of Johnson's organization is the faith-based counseling that she said she provides free to staff and the spouses of House members.
"I'm a missionary here," Johnson said in an interview.
"It's kind of a calling in this life for me," she added. "This is what I love to do. This is my heart."
The full extent of Kelly Johnson's work in Washington is unclear, however. Some mysteries remain about her organization, including who is funding it.
Onward Christian Education Service
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Police seized the 1.2m-tall android resembling the comic book hero Iron Man - Cologne policeA humanoid robot was used to assault a teenage girl in Germany, police said.
A man, 19, and a boy, 16, are being investigated after the robot groped a 16-year-old girl's backside and made "thrusting motions" towards her, according to Cologne police.
Officers are investigating whether the robot was being directed via remote control or had its actions pre-programmed.
The robot, resembling the comic book hero Iron Man, allegedly approached the 16-year-old outside a burger restaurant in Cologne just before midnight on Saturday.
The android, dressed in a white vest, tracksuit bottoms, a fake gold chain and a stick-on moustache, then allegedly assaulted her.
A 16-year-old male, the robot's alleged owner, and a 19-year-old man are suspected of livestreaming and providing commentary on social media as the alleged attack occurred.
The girl allegedly screamed and moved away before the 1.2m-tall robot left the scene.
Cologne police said they were alerted to the incident and found the men, who had put the android into the boot of a Volkswagen car.
Robot seized by policeThey seized the robot and two mobile phones belonging to the suspects while carrying out their investigation into suspected sexual harassment.
The
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Elon Musk elevated a false conspiracy theory about Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico over the weekend, lifting a fringe claim concerning the Texan's mental health to the forefront of users' X feeds, where it garnered hundreds of thousands of impressions.
"The Talarico campaign is hiding something big that voters ought to know about," Musk wrote Sunday afternoon, replying to a post alleging that Talarico had been checked into the Lindner Center of Hope, a mental health facility in suburban Cincinnati. Musk's reply amassed over 870,000 views, more than double the impression count of the post to which he was responding.
Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.
The theory had been circulating online for days, fueled by Talarico's absence from the campaign trail, which his team has consistently said was due to the flu. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton promoted a "Tala-Freak-Out Tip Line" on Friday, which was still active as of Monday night. President Donald Trump weighed in, arguing the Democrat's convalescence was too long to be the "flu bug."
Musk's engagement with the theory gave it a much wider audience - and the flurry of attention ultimately prompted the treatment center in Mason, Ohio, to publicly refute the allegations.
"Rep. James Talarico has never received treatment from Lindner Center of Hope," the facility wrote in a statement posted to X, five hours after Musk's initial posts on the subject. Talarico replied to the post Monday, saying he had "never even been to Ohio," with a laughing emoji.
A day earlier, he described the conspiracy theory as "the craziest thing I've ever heard" in an interview with MS NOW. Talarico's spokesperson, JT Ennis, said the claims w
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
After months of rumors, Apple is officially (and finally) making its biggest effort yet to grab a piece of the smart home pie. The iPhone maker announced the $299 HomeView on Tuesday, its first smart hub designed to put Siri front-and-center in people's homes. HomeView comes as a countertop device, or a slab you can mount to the wall, both with touchscreens, cameras and the ability to hear and execute Siri voice commands.
This is Apple's first dedicated smart home hub ever, and it supports the numerous reports suggesting the company wants to make inroads in the home space. HomeView is designed to be stationary, and it not only connects all of your compatible devices together — things like smart lights, door locks and sensors (including the new Apple Home Collection) — but also lets you control them using either the on-screen interface or Siri voice commands.
But Apple may have a hard time convincing people to add yet another iPad-like screen to their homes, particularly one that emphasizes Siri. The new Siri, known as
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
After months of rumors, Apple is officially (and finally) making its biggest effort yet to grab a piece of the smart home pie. The iPhone maker announced the $299 HomeView on Tuesday, its first smart hub designed to put Siri front-and-center in people's homes. HomeView comes as a countertop device, or a slab you can mount to the wall, both with touchscreens, cameras and the ability to hear and execute Siri voice commands.
This is Apple's first dedicated smart home hub ever, and it supports the numerous reports suggesting the company wants to make inroads in the home space. HomeView is designed to be stationary, and it not only connects all of your compatible devices together — things like smart lights, door locks and sensors (including the new Apple Home Collection) — but also lets you control them using either the on-screen interface or Siri voice commands.
But Apple may have a hard time convincing people to add yet another iPad-like screen to their homes, particularly one that emphasizes Siri. The new Siri, known as
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Apple (AAPL) is reinventing its smart home strategy with its new HomeView hub, the HomePod Mini 2, and Apple TV 4K.
Sporting a seven-inch Liquid Retina Display, the HomeView is designed to sit on a counter in its built-in speaker mount or be mounted to a wall. The $299 HomeView is designed to serve as the home base for your smart home and goes on sale Nov. 13.
According to Apple, HomeView can recognize up to six household users via facial recognition and serve up their specific apps, notifications, and more. It can also play music and podcasts, make FaceTime calls, or look up quick video recipes in the kitchen.
Users can control smart home devices ranging from lights and locks to thermostats and more, check their calendars, and interact with Siri AI to do things like find their keys via AirTags.
Apple has dipped its toes into the smart home space over the years, including with the original HomePod, HomePod mini, and Apple TV, as well as software like its Home app, but has never offered a full-fledged hub like the HomeView before.
Read more: 'I'm going to keep winning by innovating': Ring founder Jamie Siminoff isn't sweating Apple's smart home push
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine received no early warning from its partners about five Russian ballistic missiles that hit civilian infrastructure in the capital of Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday, as tensions rise between the Ukrainian leader and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Zelenskyy did not specify which partners he was talking about. He characterized the barrage as "particularly vile" and emphasized that receiving intelligence from partners about such attacks "helps save lives" and is "one of the most critical issues."
"This is precisely what helps prevent people from being killed — when there is an early warning about ballistic missiles," he wrote in a post on X.
Trump said the U.S. has not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine.
"We are helping them, and we are sharing intel," Trump told reporters at the White House. "We want the war to end, so we're working with them and with Russia on getting the war to end."
Zelenskyy's remarks come days after Trump unleashed biting criticism of him, including comments that it was time for a new president in Ukraine and that Zelenskyy has not done enough to end the war. The criticism marks perhaps the lowest point in their relationship since their disastrous Oval Office meeting in February 2025.
Kyiv continues to rely heavily on Washington for military assistanc
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Officials are reviewing the off-base code of conduct for U.S. troops in Japan following the killing of an Okinawan woman, allegedly by a U.S. Marine, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Tuesday.
Crimes including rapes, assaults, hit-and-runs and drunk driving by U.S. military personnel have long triggered protests on the southern Japanese island, which has for years urged other regions of the country to share the burden of hosting U.S. troops.
"We plan to hold discussions including whether the existing rules are effectively functioning," Motegi said, adding that "matters such as patrols and curfew management" would be under review in talks with the United States.
The high-level bilateral consultations will examine off-duty conduct and the "liberty" policy governing off-base private activities of U.S. military personnel, he said.
The existing policy, updated in 2024 following a string of sexual assaults by U.S. military personnel in Okinawa, includes a ban on them drinking in public off-base between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. or going to bars during those hours.
Japanese police arrested a U.S. Marine stationed on Okinawa early this month on suspicion of killing a 39-year-old woman at a hotel in Naha, the capital of Okinawa Orefecture. Word of the arrest drew outrage.
The U.S. military
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
After the third day of squirting an experimental drug up his nose, Dylan Meetze felt horrible.
"It was like I was underwater, like it took the most to do anything," he said.
Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.
Meetze stopped taking the drug, but he endured fatigue and anxiety for months afterward, and his eyes and muscles twitched, he said.
He had taken BPC-157, a peptide drug popularized by podcasts about wellness, longevity and what's called "body optimization." Peptide is a general term for substances that are smaller than proteins but composed of the same building blocks. Dozens of peptide drugs, including insulin and GLP-1 weight loss medicines, have garnered approval by the Food and Drug Administration. But BPC-157 and many others have not because they haven't undergone clinical trials.
This fact hasn't stopped online influencers from promoting them as remedies for muscle injuries, gut issues, covid and more. Use of BPC-157 is growing in the United States, particularly among White males, according to a new analysis of millions of de-identified electronic health records. Since 2020, the analysis, which hasn't yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, found that more than 1,000 people told doctors they had used the drug.
Meetze said he decided to take BPC-157 after listening to Andrew Huberman, a Stanford neuroscientist with more than 16 million followers on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, who talks up peptides frequently on his podcasts. Studies in mice suggest that BPC-157 helps muscles hea
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
WSB
Six Flags said it has temporarily closed nine rides across the country after a man died and several others were injured Monday in a roller coaster incident at an amusement park in Georgia.
Police did not say how the man died or how many people were injured, but witnesses say a man fell from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, around 10 miles west of downtown Atlanta.
"He fell and hit the car three different times" before falling onto the roof of a haunted house attraction below, a witness told CNN affiliate WXIA.
The 210-second ride reaches a top speed of 70 mph and an elevation of 200 feet, according to the Six Flags website.
The park, one of the largest in Georgia and a popular attraction for families and kids, operates on weekends in October but was open Monday for the Columbus Day holiday - a time when many schools in the Atlanta area celebrate fall break.
Nine roller coasters across six other Six Flags have been temporarily closed "out of an abundance of caution," a Six Flags spokesperson said Monday evening.
Detectives from the Cobb County Police's Major Crimes Unit are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, police said in a statement.
"We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today," Six Flags Over Georgia said in a statement. "Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest's family, friends, and loved ones."
Monday's incident comes nearly two weeks after S
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
Republicans have had to defer many of their legislative dreams, hoping the post-election release of political pressure could set up a productive "lame duck" session before a new Congress is seated.
Fat chance, many GOP lawmakers now say.
Beyond the uncertainties surrounding the midterms and a potential transition of power on Capitol Hill, members will return to Washington facing a considerable list of must-pass bipartisan bills but also potentially messy internal leadership fights, a foul national mood and a mere 24 legislative days to get anything done.
One thing on Republicans' minds is whether some of their members even come back to vote.
"The question becomes: Who shows up for work after the elections?" Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) said in an interview. "Attendance is an issue right now."
There are some items, Scott added, that "ultimately … have to get done." Those include an extension of government funding past Dec. 11 and the annual Pentagon policy bill. Major pieces of legislation to reauthorize farm, transportation and surveillance programs are also on deck. All are loaded with potential partisan flash points, however, and won't be legislative chip shots.
Then there are pending bipartisan bills overhauling energy permitting and the college sports industry that many members are itching to get done this year. But many lawmakers fear those could easily get left behind — especially if Democrats can win control of either chamber and seek greater influence on the final products.
"
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
[BBC]Americans head to the polls on 3 November to decide how the rest of Donald Trump's presidency will play out.
Thousands of races are taking place across the US, at different levels of government. But the main event for voters will be electing members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the two chambers that make up Congress.
Both of them are currently controlled by the Republicans, the president's party. The success or failure of Trump's final two years in office could rest on the outcome.
Here's our visual guide to where the battle for power will be won and lost - from approval ratings, to key races and issues and the huge amount of money being spent.
Midterms come at bad time for TrumpOne of the reasons the opposition Democrats have a chance to take back Congress is the president's low approval rating, which is a good indicator for how well his party could perform.
He began his second term as president with an approval rating of just over 50%, according to polling resource website Silver Bulletin, but it quickly fell into the 40s.
|
|
Oct 13, 2026
ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery Tuesday that confirmed that he has lung cancer, and doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung, the Vatican said.
Tests confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin after the surgery. It said the diagnosis had been suspected by preoperative tests and was confirmed during surgery.
The statement made no mention of treatment going forward, and the Vatican said doctors were not currently speaking of chemotherapy or other therapies pending the results of other tests. The Vatican press office noted the medical statement spoke of the "radical" removal of the lobe as an indication that doctors removed all suspect tissue in hopes of removing any lingering traces of the cancer.
Leo's lymph nodes also would have been removed and tested, to determine if the cancer had spread, and there was no word yet on those test results.
"Adenocarcinoma is the most common (type of lung cancer), also with the most favorable prognosis," said Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer expert at Georgetown's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. "While we know the diagnosis we now need to know the stage."
"We now need to know how big it is, how many spots in the lung are involved. Is it just one nodule, or more than one, and the lymph nodes, are they cancerous?" Liu said.
If the cancer has spread, more tests will be needed to determine what kind of therapy to pursue, he said. Options include chemotherapy, a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy or targeted therapy, which involves oral pills for specific cancers.
The Vatican says the surgery was successful
The 71-year-old was in the o
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
By Joyce Lee and Kyu-seok Shim
SEOUL, Oct 13 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a defence industry museum displaying an intercontinental ballistic missile capable ?of reaching the United States, state media KCNA showed on Tuesday.
The report came a ?day after US President Donald Trump said he might meet Kim during a planned trip to Asia. Trump is ?expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China in mid-November.
Kim, accompanied by his daughter known as Ju Ae and wife Ri Sol Ju, attended the opening of the newly opened Defence Revolution Museum on Sunday, KCNA said.
The museum displayed weaponry developed under Kim's leadership ranging from ?drones to the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ?ballistic missile (ICBM), KCNA photographs showed.
A display in front of the Hwasong-20 launcher appeared to show a multiple warhead design and a world map depicting ?ranges extending beyond the US mainland to the Middle East, Australia and South America, said Shin Jong-woo, Secretary General of the Korea Defence and Security Forum.
"The exhibition appears intended to highlight the achievements ?of Kim's ?defence science development programme," Shin said. "It gave the ?impression of propaganda aimed at gaining ?a strategic advantage ahead of potential a North Korea-US summit."
Analysts said the museum also reflected a broader effort by Kim to elevate North Korea's weapons displays into lasting symbols of the regime's military accomplishments.
"By turning what were once temporary weapons exhibitions into a permanent museum, Kim is institutionalising his military achievements and portraying North Korea's nuclear and missile buildup as a completed ?and enduring legacy," said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at ?Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies.
Separately, North Korea ?said it test-fired a tactical ballistic missile ?on Monday to confirm the
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
President Donald Trump went after Rep. Ilhan Omar hours after federal agents searched her home in Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura / AFP via Getty Images)Chants of "deport" rang out Monday night as President Donald Trump criticized Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, at a rally for Republican candidates in Youngstown, Ohio.
"I don't know what they're doing with it, but I can tell you this: She's a disaster," Trump said of Omar, whose home in Washington, D.C., was searched hours earlier by federal agents, two people familiar with the investigation told NBC News.
A Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement that Homeland Security Investigations "executed a judicially authorized search warrant" as "part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation." The statement did not specify that the investigation was related to Omar, nor did it provide more information about the search.
"She comes in from a country without laws, without police, without military, where all they do is shoot each other, and she comes into our country and she says, ‘I have a constitutional right,'" Trump said. "She's telling us about the Constitution, and she comes from one of the worst countries anywhe
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
President Donald Trump answered he's "looking at" firing Kimberly Guilfoyle when asked about the embattled U.S. ambassador to Greece on Monday.
Trump told reporters as he left the White House for a campaign rally that his administration is "looking at it" and added that it's "not happy" over reports alleging that she used her official position and links to the Trump family to get money from a donor.
A Trump donor told ABC News last week that Guilfoyle offered access to top Trump officials in exchange for cash.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: Kimberly Guilfoyle, President Trump's nominee to be the US ambassador to Greece, speaks alongside President Donald Trump, during a Greek Independence Day celebration in the East Room of the White House in Washington, March 24, 2025. Eric Deters, a former lawyer, conservative media personality and Trump donor, alleged that Guilfoyle asked him to pay her $100,000 credit card bill in July 2025 -- days before her Senate confirmation hearing.
Trump donor accuses Kimberly Guilfoyle of asking him to pay her $100K credit card bill: 'It was all quid pro quo'"It was all quid pro quo," Deters claimed about the request from Guilfoyle, who is the former wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and ex-fiance of Donald Trump Jr.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on Deters' accusations.
Deters provided messages to ABC News he says he exchanged with Guilfoyle on the subject. In one message from that period
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
Lawyers for one of the men named in a civil lawsuit brought by a former Cornell University student who alleged she was sexually assaulted at a school fraternity in 2024 is asking a New York judge to impose a gag order in the case, arguing the publicity surrounding the case risks tainting potential jurors.
Attorneys for Diego Sarabia on Monday asked for "narrowly tailored restrictions" that would prevent lawyers and parties in the civil case from commenting on the allegations outside of court.
"Since this action began, Plaintiff's counsel has repeatedly addressed the merits through widely disseminated media statements," the motion said. "These statements present disputed allegations and interpretations of evidence to the public before discovery and trial."
Attorney says Jane Doe facing threats, calls out alleged 'failures' of Cornell, law enforcementA then-undergraduate student identified only as Jane Doe made a complaint to campus police in November 2024, three weeks after the incident occurred, that she had been raped by a group of men at the Chi Phi fraternity house. She has filed a civil suit against the men and the university alleging that she had been drugged and raped.
No criminal charges have been filed, but an investigation by the New York attorney general is ongoing.
The case has rocked the university and started conversations about
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Monday defended a diesel oil deal he made with Russia as lawmakers from both parties complained the agreement appears to violate US law barring imports of Russian energy until Moscow ?ends its aggression against Ukraine.
Trump has said the deal to lift sanctions on Russian oil exports would help bring down high fuel ?prices. However some analysts doubted the amount of diesel Trump has said Russia would provide over the next three months would do much to bring down prices, since it ?is equal to about 12 hours of global consumption of the fuel.
On Friday, Trump said Russia had agreed to supply diesel to global markets, and his administration temporarily lifted US sanctions on Russian fuel designed to deprive Moscow of revenue for its war on Ukraine. On Monday, Trump said the deal would help American farmers and ranchers.
The price of diesel has surged more than 60% since Trump launched a war against Iran seven months ago, and high prices ?have jeopardized Republican chances to maintain thin majorities ?in the US Congress in the November 3 midterm elections.
On Sunday a group of Republican and Democratic US senators called on Trump to "reverse course" on the diesel supply deal with Russia. They said his deal may violate a ?2022 law designed to support Ukraine in its bid to repel Russian invaders.
"We should be tightening sanctions further, not undercutting them by allowing the import of Russian diesel and risking erasing our leverage, damaging our credibility with allies, and emboldening our adversaries," said Republican Senator Jerry Moran in a social media post.
Trump has ?blamed ?Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries as a leading factor for higher
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
Washington — President Trump said he and his administration are "looking at" firing Kimberly Guilfoyle from her position as U.S. ambassador to Greece, after an associate of Guilfoyle's alleged she asked him to wire $100,000 to pay her American Express bill in exchange for her help with the Trump administration ahead of her Senate confirmation hearing.
"Well, we're looking at it," the president told reporters on his way to Ohio when asked if he's considering firing Guilfoyle. "We're not happy."
Guilfoyle is aware that Mr. Trump is debating firing her, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News. She has been talking to her lawyer and asking Trump administration aides for advice, the sources said.
Businessman Eric Deters told CBS News last week he has "no doubt it was pay-to-play" when Guilfoyle asked for funds. Deters also provided CBS News with screenshots of his texts with Guilfoyle, including one message in which she appeared to ask him to wire money. Deters said he never gave her the money.
"Unfortunately for Kimberly Guilfoyle, at that time, at that moment in time, I didn't have $100,000 to spare to give to Kimberly Guilfoyle, or I actually would have been a dumbass enough to do it."
White House officials were told that the text messages between Guilfoyle and Deters were authentic, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News last week. Some Trump aides expressed displeasure about Guilfoyle's actions, they said.
Guilfoyle's lawyer disputed the authenticity of the texts to The Wall Street Journal, which was first to report on them.
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
The Cobb County Police Department said in an email that one person died and several were injured. The incident happened at about 3:58 p.m. local time, the department said.
Atlanta television stations WSB and 11 Alive reported that the man died after falling from the Goliath roller coaster at the park. WSB reported that four others were injured.
The man was ejected from his car, fell and hit the ride three times, 11 Alive reported, citing witnesses.
In a statement to USA TODAY, Six Flags said it was "deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today" and that it was cooperating with local authorities' investigation.
"Out of respect for the family's privacy, we will not be sharing additional details at this time," the statement said.
Goliath reaches speeds of up to 70-miles-per-hour and is 200 feet tall, according to the park's website.
Latest death at Six Flags Over Georgia
According to findings published by The Doan Law Firm injury attorneys, there have been at least eight deaths tied to Six Flags Over Georgia customers or employees.
The park opened in 1967, and the first death at the park came in 1989 when an 11-year-old boy became unresponsive after riding the park's Z-Force rollercoaster. The cause of death was undetermined.
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
This screen grab taken from CCTV footage released by the Saudi media ministry shows the moment King Khalid International Airport was hit by a strike (-)A Houthi official on Monday warned the US it would receive a "painful response" if it entered the war in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia has reportedly requested Washington's help in dealing with the group as it weathers repeated attacks.
Yemen's civil war -- in which a Saudi-led military coalition supports the government against the Iran-backed Houthis -- reignited in July, months into the wider regional conflict that has roiled energy markets and plunged the Middle East into risis.
The Houthis quickly began targeting Saudi oil facilities, tankers and transport hubs, including a string of lethal strikes on Riyadh's airport, rocking the world's top oil exporter.
Blasts resounded over the capital again on Monday night, with the Saudi coalition saying it had intercepted a Houthi missile and the group saying it had again targeted the airport.
Later, the coalition announced that it had intercepted two ballistic missiles in the south of the kingdom, near the border with Yemen.
In a statement posted on X, the coalition said it had "intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the terrorist Houthi militia towards Khamis Mushait", a city where a Saudi military base has previously come under attacks.
Following an attack at the Riyadh airport on Saturday that killed 13 people, US President Donald Trump said he was considering joining Saudi strikes against the group, after having reportedly rebuffed previous requests for help from the kingdom.
"The Houthis are misbehaving very badly. They're misbehaving very badly. No good," Trump said on Monday.
"If the US becomes involved in the aggression agai
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
This screen grab taken from CCTV footage released by the Saudi media ministry shows the moment King Khalid International Airport was hit by a strike (-)A Houthi official on Monday warned the US it would receive a "painful response" if it entered the war in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia has reportedly requested Washington's help in dealing with the group as it weathers repeated attacks.
Yemen's civil war -- in which a Saudi-led military coalition supports the government against the Iran-backed Houthis -- reignited in July, months into the wider regional conflict that has roiled energy markets and plunged the Middle East into risis.
The Houthis quickly began targeting Saudi oil facilities, tankers and transport hubs, including a string of lethal strikes on Riyadh's airport, rocking the world's top oil exporter.
Blasts resounded over the capital again on Monday night, with the Saudi coalition saying it had intercepted a Houthi missile and the group saying it had again targeted the airport.
Later, the coalition announced that it had intercepted two ballistic missiles in the south of the kingdom, near the border with Yemen.
In a statement posted on X, the coalition said it had "intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the terrorist Houthi militia towards Khamis Mushait", a city where a Saudi military base has previously come under attacks.
Following an attack at the Riyadh airport on Saturday that killed 13 people, US President Donald Trump said he was considering joining Saudi strikes against the group, after having reportedly rebuffed previous requests for help from the kingdom.
"The Houthis are misbehaving very badly. They're misbehaving very badly. No good," Trump said on Monday.
"If the US becomes involved in the aggression agai
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
Emergency services responded to a Russian drone strike on a residential building in Kharkiv, north-eastern Ukraine on Monday [EPA]
Russia struck six Ukrainian energy facilities hours after US President Donald Trump announced the two countries had agreed to an energy ceasefire, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
Despite Trump stating on Sunday the truce would be "effective immediately", the Ukrainian president said Russia had hit "our gas stations, energy infrastructure, and other facilities".
There were blackouts in the city of Izyum after a Russian strike destroyed power grids, Ukraine's state news agency Ukrinform said, while energy and railway infrastructure in western Ukraine was also targeted overnight.
On Monday, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine does not deserve the "respite" a ceasefire would bring.
What's behind Trump's energy ceasefire claim?Zelensky backs Trump's 'energy ceasefire' but says Russia continues to hit power plants
Zelensky said 33 people had been injured in the strikes on energy facilities across the country.
He told Fox News: "We did not attack, while Russia attacked our gas stations, energy infrastructure, and other facilities."
"I think it was Putin's answer to President Trump," he added.
Global conflicts have pushed fuel prices higher ahead
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
Rep. Ilhan Omar takes questions during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington on January 13, 2026. - J. Scott Applewhite/AP/File
Federal officers executed a search warrant early Monday at the Washington, DC-area home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, the Minnesota Democrat who has been the persistent target of ire from President Donald Trump's administration, according to a Justice Department spokesperson and a source familiar with the matter.
The congresswoman is running for reelection and the search warrant was executed only weeks before the midterms.
It is unusual for the Justice Department to take such an aggressive investigative step toward a candidate so close to an election. Voting is well underway in Minnesota, with more than 127,000 people having already voted, according to data from the secretary of state.
The Department of Justice said in a statement Monday that investigators from Homeland Security Investigations, a branch of the Department of Homeland Security that handles criminal investigations, "executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Department of Justice."
"This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation," a DOJ spokesperson said.
The statement did not indicate what the investigation entailed.
Omar called the search "the latest escalation" in Trump's "campaign of political intimidation."
"I'm ok. Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weapo
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Emergency help for Christa Pike was delayed by confusion among first responders and Tennessee prison officials following her failed execution last month, according to 911 dispatch recordings.
The recordings, obtained Monday by The Associated Press through a public records request, show that precious minutes elapsed as officials and responders tried to figure out whether a request for emergency help in the execution chamber was legitimate.
The initial 911 call came in at 8:40 p.m. on Sept. 30, just over an hour after the attempted lethal injection got underway. But the caller was unable to provide a code that would help verify the legitimacy of the request.
"Per supervisors here at the DEC (Department of Emergency Communications) we have been informed it is a false call," a dispatcher says at 9:03 p.m. "There is no medical assistance needed at Riverbend Prison."
It wasn't until about half an hour after the initial call — close to 9:11 p.m. — that prison officials affirmed it was real and began letting responders through the gates.
Neither the Tennessee Department of Correction nor Pike's legal team immediately responded to requests for comment.
The prisoner becomes a patient
Pike, 50, was hospitalized after surviving two doses of pentobarbital as the state tried to execute her for the 1995 stabbing death of classmate Colleen Slemmer. She was 18 when she t
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
President Trump has been appearing around the US in the run-up to the midterm elections, announcing economic development projects — from a possible pipeline in Alaska to a steel plant in Iowa to an aluminum smelter in Oklahoma — that he says will transform the country.
"In the real economy, we are blowing it away," he said at a weekend stop in Tennessee.
Trump's message of confidence comes as the ultimate shape of these projects remains far from certain and often directly echoes his pitch at this stage in the 2018 midterm elections, a Yahoo Finance review found.
That election eight years ago was the last time Trump faced midterm voters and also saw him tout projects — most notably a Foxconn electronics manufacturing plant planned for Wisconsin — that turned out to be less than advertised.
President Trump shakes hands with then-Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker at a groundbreaking for a Foxconn plant on June 28, 2018, in Mount Pleasant, Wisc. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)Chicago Tribune via Getty Ima
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
THE TAKEAWAY
A powerful storm will sweep through the Great Lakes Thursday before blasting the Northeast Friday.Strong winds and heavy rain will soak the morning and evening commutes along the Interstate 95 corridor.Parts of Pennsylvania, Upstate New York and Northern New England could see morning lows this weekend drop into the 30s and even the upper 20s.A powerful storm system will sweep through the Great Lakes Thursday before soaking the Northeast with a Friday washout, bringing a nasty combination of rain and strong wind gusts. Behind the storm, the coldest temperatures of the season so far will spread across parts of the Northeast this weekend, potentially dusting higher elevations with their first snow of the season.
Record Fall Heat Wave To Bake The Central And Eastern Us Before A Plunge To Cold Temperatures This Weekend
The storm was initially forecast to "bomb out" off the New England coast on Friday, but the system is no longer expected to be quite strong enough to meet the definition of bombogenesis, which occurs when a non-tropical storm system's pressure drops by at least 24 millibars within a 24-hour period.
Winter Makes An Early Appearance As Mount Washington Records First Measurable Snow
"The storm will come close, but won't officially ‘bomb out,'" the FOX Forecast Center said.
Regardless, the New England coast could still see wind gusts between 30 and 40 mph and potentially dangerous maritime conditions. The strongest wind gusts are expected farther north, near
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
Ads promoting Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) appeared to target the wrong city of Portland in a Republican super PAC mix-up, running the advertisements in Oregon instead of Maine.
"During a recent independent expenditure, our media vendor mistakenly placed approximately $25,000 in digital advertising in the Portland, Oregon media market instead of Portland, Maine," a spokesperson for Republican Main Street Partnership (RMSP), the nonprofit affiliated with GOP super PAC Defending Main Street, told The Hill.
"The error was identified, the ads were immediately stopped and corrected, and the vendor is refunding Defending Main Street the full amount of the misplaced spend," the spokesperson said. "No donor funds will be lost as a result of the vendor's error."
The mix-up was first reported by NBC News, which identified a Portland, Ore., resident writing on social media Sunday that she received "5 anti-Troy Jackson ads in the last 24 hours."
According to Google Ads Transparency Center, the advertisements ran for four days and targeted various zip codes around the Portland, Ore., area. Before the ad was taken down, it was shown more than 1 million times to people across all demographics in Oregon.
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, head of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, on Monday said he does not approve of the Trump administration's decision to livestream the military execution of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan, warning that it could "imitate the terrorists."
Broglio said in a statement released by the Archdiocese for the Military Services that he sends his sympathy to the families and friends of Fort Hood shooting victims, noting that he presided over the funeral of one of those killed, Michael Grant Cahill.
He added that he sides with the Catholic Church's opposition to capital punishment, "and Pope Francis made it even clearer."
"Thirdly, do we really want to imitate the terrorists of this world and make a public spectacle of barbarically killing our adversaries?" he continued. "The crime committed by Nidal Malik Hasan was heinous, but does exposing the public to his execution serve any purpose?"
"Has the potential moral injury, which the members of the firing squad might experience, been considered?" Broglio inquired. "Will the exposure of a livestream to the young and impressionable during the 250th anniversary year of our independence be able to be repaired?"
He asked if there was any "value" in having the U.S. military thrown "in the same boat with terrorists by broadcasting the image of the execution of a man in a whee
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
Multiple people were seen dropping into a Manhattan manhole early Sunday morning, according to police, marking yet another incident in recent weeks involving people entering or exiting manholes across New York City.
Police are searching for three men seen entering a manhole on West 141st Street, in New York City's Hamilton Heights neighborhood, shortly before 1 a.m. on Sunday, New York Police Department sources told ABC News.
By the time police arrived, the men were gone, the sources said.
New manhole mystery in Upper West Side of Manhattan The manhole incident follows a separate incident just days earlier on Oct. 9, when police say four men and a woman were spotted emerging from a manhole on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The group drove away in a black SUV and left behind shovels and other tools, according to police sources.
Joel Carillet/istockphoto/Getty Images - PHOTO: Manhole cover for the New York City sewer.Police believe these urban scavengers pose no threat and instead are looking for valuables dropped or swept away after it rains.
The events over the weekend follow similar recent instances of individuals seen entering or exiting the manholes found across New York City streets.
Last month, in a separate incident, police arrested two individuals in connection with a sighting of people climbing out of a manhole near a hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stayed briefly during the U.N. General Assembly in September.
The NYPD and federal agents conducted additional sweeps of the area out of an abundance of caution given the U.N. General Assembly an
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
NEW YORK (AP) — Actor Selma Blair was arrested after she was accused of injuring two flight attendants on a trip from Los Angeles to New York. She was also accused of kicking a police officer taking her to the hospital and kicking a nurse once she got there.
She pleaded not guilty Monday night to two counts of assault for state charges involving the officer and the nurse. And she faces separate federal charges based on what happened on the flight, which her representatives say was brought on by a severe medical emergency.
Blair, 54, was detained by police at around 11 p.m. Sunday after the Delta Air Lines jet parked at the gate at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement.
Blair and one of the flight attendants were taken to a hospital for evaluation, the Port Authority said.
A police officer taking her to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center said in charging documents that while she was securing Blair to a stretcher, Blair pulled a leg from the straps and kicked her repeatedly around the face, neck and chest, causing serious pain and substantial swelling. Later, a nurse moving Blair said the actor kicked her in the chest, causing substantial pain.
She was arraigned on two counts of second-degree assault late Monday at a court in Queens, where her lawyer entered a not guilty plea on her behalf. She appeared to cry as she stood in court in handcuffs, wearing jeans and a white hooded sweatshirt.
Her attorney Shawn Barnes told a judge her actions were not intentional. He said the actor, who has multiple sclerosis, missed several doses of "a powerful medication that controls severe neurological symptoms," according to the New York Daily News and New York Post.
He said she had gotten on the flight in Los Angeles af
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
Aaron Schwartz - CNP / MEGA
Elon Musk has given millions to the Republican Party ahead of the midterm elections.
Since July, the world's richest man, 55, has given more than $276 million to Republican groups and his own super PAC, making him the largest donor in the midterm elections, according to The New York Times.
Representatives for Musk shared the figure with the outlet ahead of a federal filing deadline on Thursday, October 15.
Musk's giving this summer included $158 million to the main super PAC for Senate Republicans, the Senate Leadership Fund, his team told the publication.
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
"In sum, that is one of the largest political donations in American history, and more than the group's Democratic rival raised from all of its donors that quarter," according to The New York Times.
Additionally,
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
It's crunch time. With less than a month to go until the 2026 midterm elections, Democratic and Republican candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives nationwide are making one last push to persuade voters in their districts — and help their party win or retain control of the chamber on Nov. 3.
The stakes are high. President Trump has enjoyed complete Republican control of Congress for the first half of his second term. Flipping the House would give Democrats the power to block parts of the president's agenda, investigate his administration and even impeach him (again).
Historically speaking, a president's party almost always loses seats when voters return to the polls to judge his first two years in office. (The average number lost since World War II? Twenty-six.) Sometimes, the backlash is so pervasive that the president's party loses seats across a wide range of competitive districts — a phenomenon known as a "wave" election.
But the past doesn't necessarily predict the future, and Republicans have certain advantages today that they didn't have before. Here's what needs to happen for each party to come out on top.
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
Sean "Diddy" Combs was transported from federal prison for medical treatment early Saturday after suffering a head injury, according to TMZ, while his representative told Newsweek that Combs' team was working to confirm the circumstances.
"We are aware of the reports concerning Sean Combs and are working to confirm the circumstances. Sean's health and well-being are our immediate concern, and we appreciate everyone who has reached out," the representative said Monday.
Sources at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey told TMZ that an ambulance carrying Combs left the prison grounds at around 1 a.m. The outlet reported that it was unclear how Combs sustained the injury and said it had not confirmed whether he was taken to a hospital. Combs was conscious and speaking when he was returned to the prison before sunrise, TMZ said.
When reached for comment by Newsweek, the Federal Bureau of Prisons declined to discuss Combs' medical status. "For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not comment on the conditions of confinement for any incarcerated individual, including quarters assignment or medical status," the agency said in an email.
Music mogul and entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs arrives at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, May 15, 2022.The reported medical incident comes shortly after NBC News published an investigation into Combs' life at Fort Dix, citing four men who had spent time in his unit and photos and videos reviewed by the outlet. NBC reported allegations that Combs had access to contraband cellphones and alcohol and paid other inmates to perform tasks for him. Combs' spokesperson downplayed the report, while the B
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
Sean "Diddy" Combs was transported from federal prison for medical treatment early Saturday after suffering a head injury, according to TMZ, while his representative told Newsweek that Combs' team was working to confirm the situation.
"We are aware of the reports concerning Sean Combs and are working to confirm the circumstances. Sean's health and well-being are our immediate concern, and we appreciate everyone who has reached out," the representative said Monday.
Sources at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey told TMZ that an ambulance carrying Combs left the prison grounds around 1 a.m. The outlet said it was unclear how Combs sustained the injury and that it had not confirmed whether he was taken to a hospital.
Combs was conscious and speaking when he was returned to the prison before sunrise, TMZ said.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons declined to discuss Combs' medical status with Newsweek. "For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not comment on the conditions of confinement for any incarcerated individual, including quarters assignment or medical status," the agency said in an email.
The reported medical incident follows shortly after an NBC News investigation into Combs' life at Fort Dix, citing four men who spent time in his unit, along with photos and videos the outlet reviewed. NBC reported allegations that Combs had access to contraband cellphones and alcohol and paid other inmates to perform tasks for him.
Sean "Diddy" Combs arrives at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, on May 15, 2022.Combs' spokesperson downplayed the report, while the Bureau of Prisons declined to comment on his conditions. NBC
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
ERIE, PA - Authorities identified the adult victims and the suspected gunman who were found dead after what police described as a "horrific" mass shooting at a home near Lake Erie.
Police say on Oct. 9, a gunman fatally shot eight people, most of them relatives, including two young children and a pregnant woman. Authorities say the suspected shooter took his own life before police arrived. The victims included the suspect's wife, children and grandchildren, according to officials.
Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook on Oct. 12 identified the adult victims as Twila Tanner, 51; Angelina Stone, 24, who was eight months pregnant; Jonathan Stone, 19; Matthew Stone Jr., 21; Michelle Stone, 44; and Lora Roberts, 37, reported the Erie Times-News, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Cook identified the suspect as Matthew Stone Sr., 45.
Cook told the Erie Times-News he is not permitted to release the names of the other two shooting victims, a 5-year-old boy and a girl who was 22 months old, because they are under 18. Erie police also did not release the names of the children.
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said the suspect shot and killed six people inside the house on the evening of Oct. 9. The gunman then allegedly met two other women, including a family friend, outside the home after they arrived in a "state of distress," Lorah said, citing surveillance video. The gunman allegedly shot the two women before he reentered the home and shot h
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
By Jan Wolfe
WASHINGTON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - A US judge said on Monday that she was "furious" with Justice Department lawyers for their conduct in a lawsuit seeking to halt the Trump administration's takeover of a historic golf ?course in Washington, saying it was "inexcusable" that hundreds of trees were removed from the course over the weekend.
"More ?than being upset and furious right now, I am just deeply disappointed in the government," US District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington told government lawyers during ?a court hearing. "On what universe did anyone in your office think this was acceptable?"
Reyes said the abrupt removal of about 500 trees at East Potomac Golf Links, which began on Friday afternoon, was unacceptable because in May she had demanded that the government provide advance notice of any substantive construction work at the golf course.
The Justice Department's failure to notify the preservationist group that filed the ?lawsuit of the tree removal work "has cost the ?government all of its credibility" in the case, the judge said.
Justice Department lawyer Marissa Piropato said during the hearing that government attorneys had done their best to gather details on tree removal so ?they could share them in a court filing.
"You did not do your best," Reyes replied. "You did your absolute worst."
Since taking office in January 2025, US President Donald Trump has targeted US cultural and historical institutions - from museums and monuments to national parks and arts centers - in ?an ?attempt to reshape them.
The president announced plans last year to overhaul East ?Potomac Golf Links, a century-old public golf course ?owned by the federal government and managed by the National Park Service, part of the Interior Department.
Trump, a frequent golfer who owns several courses, has said he hopes the renovation will allow the course to host major tournaments.
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
A person was sexually assaulted early Sunday morning at an off-campus party near the University of Chicago, officials said.
The victim reported the assault at 2:10 a.m., roughly 30 minutes after it occurred, and did not know the suspect, according to a university incident report. The party was held at 5625 S. University Ave. in Hyde Park, an address listed on social media as the home of the Lambda chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, a Jewish fraternity with chapters on hundreds of college campuses around the world.
On Monday morning, the street outside the fraternity was quiet apart from the chatter of passersby and the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot. A red flag bearing the organization's Greek letters fluttered in the wind outside the house, where curtains were drawn tightly across the windows.
The AEPi chapter at UChicago was told to halt all programming while university officials and local law enforcement investigate the reported assault, according to the fraternity's national organization. Jonathan Pierce, a spokesperson for the organization, said it learned of the assault on Sunday afternoon and has been working with the university's chapter leadership since then.
Pierce told the Tribune that all AEPi members are required to undergo sexual assault and harassment prevention training and could face expulsion for violating the fraternity's policies. Prohibited conduct includes repeated propositioning, coercive pressure, unwanted touching and physical violence, he said.
AEPi, like other Greek-letter organizations, is not officially recognized by the University of Chicago, though its students are still subject to the university's code of conduct and disciplinary procedures. Pierce said the fraternity's national headquarters provides the same oversight and support to all chapters, regardless of whether their universities officially recognize them.
"Most importantly, all of AEPi hurts for the person who was the victi
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) trading near a record high doesn't mean all is fine and dandy in the US economy. Quite the contrary for many households as they battle higher costs for gas, fuel, and medical insurance this year.
Consumer sentiment fell to 46.3 in October, down 1.8 points from September's reading of 48.1, according to the latest from the University of Michigan. The result represented a five-month low.
Pressured household finances have appeared in the crop of third quarter earnings reports from packaged food companies. Food and beverage giant PepsiCo (PEP) slashed its
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
Democrats may be discovering the political power of calling something rigged.
They're leaning hard into anti-corruption messaging in the final weeks of the campaign as new research suggests that linking corruption to Americans' economic struggles can boost Democrats into the home stretch.
Messaging from Democrats that tied corruption to housing, health care and the cost of living increased voter support for Democratic congressional candidates by about 3 percentage points, according to a national survey last month conducted by Blue Rose Research and Democratic-aligned Winning Jobs Narrative Action, which was obtained by POLITICO.
The findings align with a shift in how Democrats are talking about corruption — and help explain why that message has exploded on the campaign trail. From Sen. Jon Ossoff in Georgia to James Talarico in Texas and Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, Democrats have zeroed in on a common argument: Washington is rigged to benefit the wealthy at the expense of everyday Americans.
"We have a corruption crisis in this country, and it is leading to an affordability crisis," Iowa Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek said during his Senate debate against Rep. Ashley Hinson last week.
It's a message that is reverberating across campaigns. In a recent presentation delivered to Democratic groups on Capitol Hill, longtime Democratic strategist Jesse Ferguson offered a succinct playbook: "Corruption is why your costs are high," according to the presentation viewed by POLITICO.
His presentation also encouraged Democrats to lead with the acknowledgement that costs are high and then go into corruption, acknowledge that it happens across parties and avoid making President Donald Trump the sole focus of their attacks. "Trump works as an example of corruption that raises costs, not as the whole case," the presentation said.
Since Apr
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
ROME and NEW YORK -- Pope Leo XIV will be admitted to a hospital in Rome on Tuesday morning, the Vatican said on Monday, a day after the pontiff said he would undergo surgery for a nodule found on his lung.
The operation was to take place in the "next few days," Leo said on Sunday.
Pope Leo to undergo surgery after nodule discovered on his lung, he saysPope Leo addressed the planned surgery in a statement on social media Sunday morning.
"The doctors believe that it is best to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it," the pope said. "The operation is already scheduled to take place in the coming days. I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers."
Simone Risoluti/Vatican Media via Reuters - PHOTO: Pope Leo walks as he meets members and volunteers of the Circolo San Pietro at the Vatican, October 12, 2026. A lung nodule, also known as a pulmonary nodule, is a small mass of dense tissue on the lung, according to the American Lung Association (ALA).
Nodules can be caused by a variety of factors including scar tissue, lung irritants, inflammatory conditions, current or past infections, or cancer. Most nodules are benign, according to the ALA. They are diagnosed with imaging tests including an X-ray or a CT scan.
Depending on the size, appearance,
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
NANTERRE, France (AP) — DNA left on a protective painting cover helped investigators recover two stolen Renoirs and uncover what they suspected were preparations for another art heist, a French prosecutor said Monday.
Four men were given preliminary charges in the investigation into the Sept. 8 theft from the small Renoir Museum in the town of Cagnes-sur-Mer on the French Riviera. The charges include organized theft and criminal association, Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone said.
One painting, "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano," suffered a tear. The other, "Young Woman at the Well," had slight damage to its frame, Bessone said. He estimated their combined value at 4.2 million euros ($4.7 million).
The thieves used an electric saw to cut through a fence, entered the museum through the ground floor and cut clips securing the frames of four paintings. An alarm sounded and police officers arrived four minutes later, a swift response that "apparently caused the perpetrators to panic," Bessone said.
"As they fled, they were unable to take all four paintings and abandoned two of them, which were later found in a protective sleeve," he said.
Vehicle tracking led to the suspects
The DNA found on the abandoned cover matched that of a 29-year-old already under investigation in a drug trafficking case in which police were tracking his vehicle, Bessone said.
Vehicle-tracking data showed that the suspect, accompanied by a 41-year-old man, went to the home of a third man shortly after the theft, Bessone said.
Police surveillance also showed that the 29-year-old on Oct. 3 visited the Maeght Foundation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence — home to a large modern art collection.
The suspect then met wit
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal agents searched Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar's home on Monday morning as part of a criminal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter.
The search was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations agents, said the people, who were not authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke on the condition of anonymity. More details about the investigation were not immediately clear.
An email seeking comment was sent Monday to a representative for Omar.
The Justice Department said in a statement Monday that HSI agents executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the department in the Washington, D.C., area but provided no other details.
"This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation," the department said.
Omar, 44, represents Minnesota's 5th District, including Minneapolis. She was first elected to the House in 2018 and has been known as a member of what's called The Squad of female lawmakers known for their progressive views and pointed opposition to the Republican president.
___
Associated Press writers Kathy McCormack in Concord, N.H., and Mike Catalini in Morrisville, Pa., contributed.
This article originally appeared on Associated Press at https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/federal-agents-searched-minnesota-rep-121754172.html
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal agents on Monday searched the home of Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, a startling escalation in a criminal investigation that brings renewed focus to the frequent target of Trump administration derision in the final weeks of her reelection bid.
The search of the Minnesota congresswoman's home so close to next month's midterm contests that will determine control of the House and the Senate was swiftly condemned by top Democrats in Congress, who raised questions about the timing given longstanding Justice Department protocol to avoid overt investigative steps involving political candidates in the direct run-up to an election. Omar, an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, said separately that she was being targeted as one of the Republican's "political enemies."
The nature and scope of the investigation were unclear, though Trump and officials in his administration have repeatedly referred in recent months to the existence of an inquiry into Omar, a Somali-born Democrat whose status as an immigrant to the U.S. and left-wing views have drawn scrutiny from the White House and other Republicans.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin last month cited an "ongoing investigation" that he suggested was examining potential fraud on her family's immigration paperwork. "Something's going to happen," he said.
In a statement on X on Monday, Omar called the search an "attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement."
"For ten
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal agents on Monday searched the home of Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, a startling escalation in a criminal investigation that brings renewed scrutiny to the frequent target of Trump administration derision in the final weeks of her reelection bid.
The search of the Minnesota congresswoman's home so close to next month's midterm contests that will determine control of the House and the Senate was swiftly condemned by top Democrats in Congress, who raised questions about the timing given longstanding Justice Department protocol to avoid overt investigative steps involving political candidates in the direct run-up to an election.
The Justice Department confirmed in a statement that Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a judicially authorized search warrant in the Washington, D.C., area in connection with an ongoing federal criminal investigation but provided no other details.
The nature and scope of the investigation were unclear, though officials in President Donald Trump's administration have repeatedly hinted at the existence of an inquiry targeting Omar, a Somali-born Democrat whose status as an immigrant to the U.S. and left-wing views have repeatedly drawn criticism from Republicans and senior Trump officials.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said last month that there was an "ongoing investigation" related in part to whether Omar lied on her immigration forms and that "something's going to happen."
Omar responded to the s
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
Voters in Massachusetts, Idaho, and Houston are reconsidering marijuana legalization, who controls it, and how existing laws are enforced.
gettyTen years after Massachusetts voters legalized recreational marijuana, they're being asked to reverse course. Meanwhile, voters in Idaho and Houston will weigh in on who gets to decide marijuana policy and how existing laws should be enforced.
The November 3 election offers an interesting snapshot of how the marijuana debate is changing. And for employers, the results could have implications for everything from workplace accommodations to drug testing and criminal background checks.
Massachusetts: Could Legalization Go Into Reverse?Massachusetts voters approved recreational marijuana in 2016, and the industry has grown considerably since then. In September, the state's Cannabis Control Commission reported that recreational marijuana businesses had surpassed $10 billion in cumulative sales.
Now, voters are being asked whether to dismantle that market.
Question 8 would eliminate recreational marijuana sales, the associated tax and regulatory framework, and home cultivation. Adults 21 and older could still possess up to one ounce, subject to limits on concentrates, without penalties. Medical marijuana would remain legal.
If approved, the measure would take effect January 1, 2028. Massachusetts would become the first state to repeal a voter-app
|
|
Oct 12, 2026
US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle speaks during a dedication ceremony at the chancery of the US Embassy in Athens, on October 7. - Mark Schiefelbein/AFP/Pool/Getty Images
President Donald Trump is weighing whether to dismiss Kimberly Guilfoyle from her position as US ambassador to Greece after a string of reports about misconduct, a person familiar with the matter said Sunday.
Trump has been monitoring reports claiming Guilfoyle, who was engaged to Trump's eldest son Donald Trump Jr. for four years, accepted lavish gifts as ambassador and sought money in exchange for providing access to administration figures before she was confirmed.
Lawyers for Guilfoyle have denied the allegations about seeking money and said reports about her travel were misleading, adding that she complied with federal gift and reporting requirements.
The reports have irked senior administration officials, particularly since they emerged when Secretary of State Marco Rubio was visiting Athens for a high-profile speech on Western democracy delivered from the Acropolis.
Trump is expected to decide soon whether to fire Guilfoyle, the person said. The president offered no defense of Guilfoyle when questioned by CNN about the allegations Friday.
"I just heard about it. Too bad. I mean, I don't know," Trump said. "I just heard a little bit about it. I don't know too much, but she was always very nice."
CNN has reached out to the
|
|
