Trump Pushes Back as Ontario, ‘Caught Red-Handed,’ Suspends $54 Million Anti-Tariff Ad Campaign

Trump Pushes Back as Ontario, ‘Caught Red-Handed,’ Suspends $54 Million Anti-Tariff Ad Campaign: After Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he’d yank a taxpayer-funded, $75 million CAD anti-tariff spot—but only after it ran during the first two World Series games—President Trump scrapped trade talks with Canada and announced a 10% tariff increase. Trump blasted the ad as a “fraud,” citing the Reagan Foundation’s complaint that Ontario used selectively edited 1987 remarks without permission. Ford called the U.S. ad buy a success and vowed to let it air through Game 2 before pulling it. In other words: Ontario tried to lecture Washington on free trade during America’s pastime, and Washington responded by pitching tariffs high and inside.

Trump Imposes Tariff After Canada Airs Reagan Ad During World Series

Trump Imposes Tariff After Canada Airs Reagan Ad During World Series: President Donald Trump says he’ll slap a 10% tariff on Canadian goods after a World Series commercial featured Ronald Reagan—because nothing says free trade quite like punishing your neighbor for their TV programming. Trade policy by television spot; what could possibly go wrong?

Wardley stops Parker in major heavyweight upset

Wardley stops Parker in major heavyweight upset, as Fabio Wardley shocked London by halting Joseph Parker in the 11th round—flipping pre-fight expectations like a ringside program and rattling the heavyweight pecking order.

How Pizza Hut Fell Out of Favor Nationwide

How Pizza Hut Fell Out of Favor Nationwide: fewer diners are “hitting the Hut,” and the chain is shutting half its UK restaurants—a lukewarm slice of reality for a brand whose dine-in nostalgia is cooling faster than a forgotten personal pan.

Forget the eight-hour sleep rule: Health tips from the BBC twin doctors

Forget the eight-hour sleep rule: Health tips from the BBC twin doctors becomes less a bedtime sermon and more a sanity check, as Drs. Xand and Chris van Tulleken say you don’t need a stopwatch to be healthy. After 30 episodes, they’ve distilled four small, powerful habits—practical tweaks you can stick to, not another wellness cult of 5 a.m. martyrdom. Translation: ditch the perfectionism, keep what works, and save the guilt for people selling miracle cures.

When to Turn On the Heating, According to Readers

When to Turn On the Heating, According to Readers: turns out there are two tribes—calendar loyalists who won’t budge before a set date, and temperature realists who fire it up the instant the mercury dips below their personal threshold. Pick your ritual: circle a day, or watch the thermometer—and prepare for the annual indoor brinkmanship.

Supermarkets warn tax increases could raise food prices

Supermarkets warn tax increases could raise food prices, as bosses of the UK’s largest chains urge the chancellor to drop plans for higher levies—insisting any extra costs will be passed straight to shoppers, because nothing says “everyday low prices” like a fiscal hostage note to the Treasury.

Trump imposes 10% tariff on Canadian imports amid Reagan ad dispute

Trump imposes 10% tariff on Canadian imports amid Reagan ad dispute, slapping an extra levy on top of existing rates after a World Series ad lobbying against tariffs spliced Ronald Reagan’s 1987 “free and fair trade” lines—an homage that reportedly infuriated him. Because nothing says devotion to Reaganomics like penalizing Canada for quoting Reagan during America’s pastime.

Blue Jays blitz Dodgers in World Series Game 1

Dalton Varsho and Addison Barger powered Toronto to a lopsided opener, as the Blue Jays aggressive, swing-first approach turned Game 1 into a Toronto romp, leaving the Dodgers looking like they forgot to pack a Plan B.

Prince Andrew told to read the room as pressure mounts to leave Royal Lodge

With public patience and palace tolerance thinning, commentators are urging Andrew to downsize from the 30-room Royal Lodge he has occupied effectively rent free since 2003. Following his recent surrender of the use of his titles amid scrutiny over ties to Jeffrey Epstein and China, he is in talks with King Charles about a voluntary move, complicated by a long lease. Incentives reportedly include a possible Crown Estate refund if he leaves before June and potential financial support from the King. Translation, pick a new address, and this time read the room.

More than 2 million pounds of pork jerky recalled for possible metal contamination

Ready-to-eat Korean barbecue pork jerky has been pulled nationwide over fears of metal fragments. Nothing says snack time like surprise shrapnel, which is why this one is headed back to the factory, not your pantry.

Mass shooting at North Carolina party leaves 2 dead, 11 injured

Gunfire erupted at a rural gathering near Maxton attended by more than 150 people early Saturday, killing two and wounding 11. A community celebration became a scene of grief in minutes, a grim reminder of how quickly a night out can turn into a tragedy.

Kamala Harris signals possible 2028 presidential run

In a BBC interview airing Sunday, the former vice president said she might run again in 2028. Consider it a teaser trailer for a sequel America may or may not be asking for.

After jewel theft, Louvre moves treasures to Bank of France vault

A week after eight crown jewels were stolen, and after a public outcry over the museum’s security, part of the Louvre’s jewelry collection is being parked in the central bank’s underground vault. When your galleries start to feel like a grab-and-go boutique, you let the bankers babysit the bling.

GB News dustup calls for Rachel Reeves to resign as tax rise talk intensifies

TV personality Lizzie Cundy urged the Chancellor to quit over reported plans to raise income tax in next month’s Budget to plug a multibillion pound gap, citing surging debt, heavy borrowing, and a predicted exodus of wealthy residents. She accused Reeves of breaking promises on protecting working people, and even alleged she lied on her CV. Behind the theatrics, advisers reportedly view an income tax rise as the most reliable way to raise cash, with options including adding 1p to the basic rate, and the Treasury split on which rates to hit. Reeves is said to be wary of the political blowback, but the bill is coming due and the argument over who pays is getting louder.

Startups Revive 996, Now With Pickleball

Silicon Valley has rediscovered the Victorian mill, this time with kombucha and a swipe to Raya. In the AI stampede, founders and some VCs are selling 12-hour days, six days a week, as a hiring virtue, claiming whoever ships first in the next two to three years wins. Examples abound, from seven in-person days sweetened with a hacker house, food credits, gym time, and pickleball, to companies calling six-day weeks non-negotiable and demanding roughly 70 in-person hours. One VC is even posting grind scores, gamifying burnout with Glassdoor data, and Sergey Brin has suggested around 60 hours can be a productivity sweet spot. Minor hitch, the World Health Organization links 55-plus hours to sharply higher stroke and heart disease risk, and studies show output and cognition sag past 60 hours. Meanwhile, shorter weeks have boosted productivity, with Microsoft Japan seeing about a 40 percent jump and most firms in a UK four-day pilot keeping the policy. But sure, nothing says innovation like reinventing the 19th century, now with free snacks.

Sports Betting Boom Meets Old-School Temptations

As legal sports betting soars, the Terry Rozier controversy lands with all the subtlety of a parlay push notification. The NBA guard was arrested in an FBI probe and is accused of tipping bettors that he would leave a March 23, 2023 Hornets game early due to injury, allegedly for a $200,000 payday, a curious life hack for someone making $24 million this year with over $160 million earned. The industry is swelling, legal in 39 states with $13.7 billion in revenue, DraftKings and FanDuel holding 77 percent of the market, and eyes fixed on California and Texas. Where betting is restricted, workarounds flourish, from old-school bookies to prediction markets and daily fantasy apps that look like sports betting with better lighting. Leagues preach vigilance, regulators nod, broadcasters plaster odds on every screen, then everyone performs shock when the lines blur. History keeps whistling the same tune, from the Black Sox and point-shaving to Pete Rose and a certain interpreter headed to prison. If you build a casino into the sport, do not be surprised when the house rules start bending.

Your Hands, The Betrayal Artists

The parts you use to scroll skincare tips are snitching on your birth year. Hand skin is thinner, has fewer oil glands, gets constant UV, and takes a beating from soap, so lines and laxity show up early. Treat hands like your face, use a gentle hydrating wash, repair cream, and consider LED light therapy, red for collagen and calm, near-infrared for deeper firmness, about 10 minutes a few times a week. Look for humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, emollients like shea or cocoa butter, antioxidants like vitamin E or botanical extracts, and bakuchiol for stubborn pigmentation. Non-negotiable, broad-spectrum SPF 30 to 50 every morning and after washing. Wear gloves for cleaning and cold weather, apply hand cream after washing and before bed, and try consistency instead of annual panic. Your face should not get all the budget.

Met Police take over search after prison error as last known location of Epping hotel sexual assault suspect revealed

Met Police take over search after prison error as last known location of Epping hotel sexual assault suspect revealed: The Met has assumed control of the manhunt for Hadush Kebatu, with Commander James Conway calling his capture a top priority. Officers say Kebatu was last seen getting off a London-bound train at Stratford station after boarding at Chelmsford at 12:41 p.m. on Friday. An experienced Senior Investigating Officer is leading the operation with Specialist Crime Command resources, following initial support to Essex Police.

Trump's Departure Leaves Washington Unsettled

Trump’s Departure Leaves Washington Unsettled as he jets off on a six-day Asia tour, pausing the domestic demolition derby—military muscle-flexing, trade spats, shutdown cheerleading, and National Guard deployments—to test-drive his statesman persona in pursuit of a China trade deal. For the next week, the sledgehammer is swapped for a handshake—assuming he can tell the difference.

Aldi opens 11 new ‘secret’ shops with cheaper food—who is eligible to shop there?

Aldi opens 11 new ‘secret’ shops with cheaper food—who is eligible to shop there? Only Aldi employees. The discounter has set up staff-only stores inside all 11 of its UK regional distribution centres—expanded from a successful Darlington pilot—where Warehouse Operations and Office colleagues can buy perfectly safe items near their best-before dates or with banged-up packaging at rock-bottom prices. Locations range from Bathgate and Bolton to Cardiff, Chelmsford and Sheppey, and the scheme is expected to stop around 240 tonnes of food going to waste each year as part of Aldi’s goal to cut food waste 90% by 2030. For everyone without an Aldi badge, new in-store “reduction zones” will flag last-minute bargains—because while the secret aisle is behind a shutter, the markdowns are in plain sight.

Mike Johnson’s actions limit Congress’s role and weaken his own position

Mike Johnson’s actions limit Congress’s role and weaken his own position, as he parks the House on an open-ended hiatus—now nearing its second month—even while the government is shut down. It’s political expedience that further sidelines a Congress already surrendering power to President Trump. Lacking sway without Trump’s backing, Johnson is acting less like a coequal partner and more like the president’s floor intern. Meanwhile, lawmakers are “flirting with COVID-era work levels,” proving that when the stakes are highest, the House can still find time to log off.

Law School Pilots Trial With AI Jury of ChatGPT, Grok, and Claude

Law School Pilots Trial With AI Jury of ChatGPT, Grok, and Claude — at UNC’s School of Law, three towering screens stood in for jurors as ChatGPT, xAI’s Grok, and Anthropic’s Claude “deliberated” a fictional juvenile robbery case in real time, a Kennedy-led exercise meant to probe accuracy, efficiency, bias, and legitimacy in courtroom AI. Despite AI’s growing foothold in legal practice—popular with many attorneys even as fines pile up for hallucinated caselaw—the bots’ performance drew sharp criticism from a post-trial panel and audience, who noted they can’t read body language, lack lived experience, and remain vulnerable to typos, bias, and the occasional spectacular meltdown (Grok once styled itself “MechaHitler”). Observer Eric Muller cautioned against the industry’s reflex to “repair” its way into the jury box with video feeds and synthetic backstories. Unofficial verdict: trial-by-bot isn’t ready for voir dire—guilty of hype in the first degree.

Trump Proposes Meeting With Kim Jong Un

Trump Proposes Meeting With Kim Jong Un: Departing for his first Asia trip of his second term, President Trump floated an off-the-itinerary rendezvous with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, telling reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Malaysia to “put out the word.” The tour wraps in South Korea, putting him within roughly 250 miles of the DMZ—the site of their last face-to-face in 2019—because nothing says strategic planning like crowdsourcing diplomacy at 30,000 feet.

Plaid Cymru’s Environmental Blind Spot

Plaid Cymru’s Environmental Blind Spot: fresh off a by‑election surge in Caerphilly and eyeing government, the party spent its Swansea conference treating nature like an awkward cousin at a wedding—mostly ignored, occasionally patronized, and definitely not invited to the main table. Despite Wales being one of the most nature‑depleted countries, with rivers in miserable health and one in six species at risk, leader Rhun ap Iorwerth delivered a 45‑minute speech without a single substantive nod to protecting or restoring nature. His vow to clean up rivers promptly collided with lobbyists urging Llŷr Gruffydd to “review” farm pollution rules—read: declaw nitrate protections—echoing the watering‑down of the Sustainable Farming Scheme and looming risks to the Environmental Governance Bill. Delyth Jewell and candidate Nerys Evans were rare voices insisting public money buy environmental benefits; otherwise, the room belonged to deregulators. Plaid hasn’t even formally backed 30×30, and Gruffydd let a claim that Wales has “no space for large‑scale nature restoration” sail by unchallenged. Politically, that’s reckless: the public likes clean rivers, the Greens are resurgent under a more proportional system, and the Lib Dems have made sewage their brand. It is possible to back farmers and nature—indeed, it’s the only plan that pencils out. The question isn’t whether voters care; it’s whether Plaid finds the courage to act like it.

BBC ‘hidden away’ comedy-drama hailed as ‘as good as Ted Lasso’ now available to watch for free

BBC ‘hidden away’ comedy-drama hailed as ‘as good as Ted Lasso’ is now available to watch for free, finally emerging from whatever streaming cupboard it was shoved into. The British series is sitting on a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 4.8 average on Google—rare consensus that suggests it’s actually worth your time. Consider it a public service announcement: quality TV, no paywall, minimal scavenger hunt.

Manhunt launched for asylum seeker mistakenly released from prison, believed to be at large in London

Manhunt launched for asylum seeker mistakenly released from prison, believed to be at large in London: authorities are searching for 38-year-old Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, said to be at large in the capital after an erroneous release. A sterling performance in bureaucratic choreography—open the gate, let him walk, then organize a citywide chase to fix the paperwork.

Welsh historian urges urgent reform of the GCSE history curriculum

Welsh historian urges urgent reform of the GCSE history curriculum, warning that Welsh history is being sidelined while teenagers are marched through Nazi Germany and U.S. history “to draw students in.” Dr Huw Griffiths of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, who helped shape the qualification a decade ago, now wants a complete redesign for 2026 so 14–16-year-olds actually learn their own nation’s story. He proposes that the public help set 10–15 core Welsh dates, figures and events—Aneurin Bevan and the NHS, Lloyd George and pensions, the 1847 Blue Books, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd’s death in 1282, and the 1966 Aberfan disaster among them—arguing the current three-period structure steers schools toward generic or English-centered units, with four months on Lord Rhys “too much” and the Civil War “English” for a reason. He notes pupils can identify Rosa Parks but not key Welsh figures, and says politics has left the curriculum thin on national identity despite Wales’s outsized contributions, from Nobel winners to the equals sign and pi symbol. The Welsh Government insists Welsh history has been mandatory since 2022 and says a Made-for-Wales GCSE with mandatory Welsh content arrives in 2026; Plaid Cymru backs putting Welsh history at the curriculum’s core.

Blue Jays Blitz Dodgers in World Series Game 1

Varsho and Barger turned Toronto’s swing-early game plan into a rout, sending the Dodgers back to the dugout with little more than a Game 2 rethink and a reminder that first-pitch strikes are not decorative.

Amazon Cloud Hiccup Exposes Internet Monoculture

On Monday, October 20, an Amazon outage rippled across Snapchat, Roblox, Fortnite, Signal, and even United and Delta. When one vendor sneezes, half the web gets the flu, a master class in why single points of failure should stay in textbooks, not run the internet.

Trump Calls for Prosecution of Jack Smith and Others Over Jan. 6 Probe

Posting on Truth Social late Friday before departing for an Asia trip, Trump said Special Counsel Jack Smith, former Attorney General Merrick Garland, and other Biden officials should be prosecuted. The defendant demanding the referees be cuffed is a flourish popular in strongman fan fiction, less so in functioning democracies.

Americans Put Cost of Living First, Crime Higher Than Peers, Climate Lower

Statista’s survey of 60,000 Americans from Oct 2024 to Sep 2025 finds inflation at the top, with concerns also spread across crime, the economy, health and social security, poverty, and housing. Crime worry is higher in the U.S. than many European and Asian countries, climate ranks just tenth domestically, and immigration concern sits below several peers. Turns out you cannot eat GDP.

DOJ to Deploy Election Monitors in California and New Jersey

Following requests from Republican officials, the Trump administration plans federal monitors at polling sites ahead of Nov. 4. Monitoring is routine, but in razor thin races with a president who has leaned on the DOJ to target rivals, expect nerves to fray. When the referee keeps hearing from the coach, even clean play looks like a body check.

China Floats Brazil to Peru Rail Corridor, a Dry Canal Alternative

Beijing and Brasília are weighing a transcontinental line from Brazil’s Atlantic coast to Peru’s Chancay, tied to Chinese backed deep water ports. It could shave 10 to 12 days off Asia bound shipping and sidestep Panama, if it can survive the Amazon, the Andes, land rights, environmental blowback, ballooning costs, and politics. A Belt and Road brochure, with the fine print in rainforest and granite.

Five Wounded in Shooting Near Howard University

During homecoming week, a Friday shooting near campus left five people hospitalized, and authorities say two people are in custody, according to DC Fire and EMS. Our thoughts are with the victims and the community.

Shutdown brinkmanship puts SNAP at risk for 42 million

The USDA says it cannot use emergency funds to keep SNAP running during a shutdown, and warns states will not be reimbursed if they front the costs. Translation, if Congress does not fund and reopen the government, millions of low income Americans could lose grocery aid next month. Serious problem, simple fix. Pass a bill, feed people. It is not rocket science, it is breakfast.

USS Gerald R. Ford heads to Caribbean as Pentagon boosts presence near Venezuela

The Pentagon is sending the United States most advanced carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, toward the coast of Venezuela as its Mediterranean deployment winds down, framing the move as an escalation in the war on drug cartels. The carrier group brings stealth fighters, surveillance aircraft, and escorts with the capacity for strikes on land. Nothing says interdiction like parking a floating airport off the coast and daring everyone to misbehave.

Fetterman bucks Democrats on shutdown tactics, vows country over party

Sen. John Fetterman blasted his party’s shutdown posture in a Capitol video, calling the closure a failure and pledging to vote to keep the government open, pay troops and Capitol Police, maintain SNAP benefits, and preserve health insurance tax credits. He rejected extreme rhetoric, even praising Trump’s no tax on tips idea while scolding Democrats for reflexively spiting it. Party operatives are reportedly mulling a 2028 primary against him, with names like Reps. Brendan Boyle and Chris Deluzio floated, and at least one senior Democrat calling his stance baffling. Bold strategy, punishing the guy arguing to pay the troops and keep the lights on.

Bernie Sanders says Trump did better on the border than Biden

On the Tim Dillon Show, Sanders said Biden failed to establish a secure border and conceded Trump did a better job, while clarifying he still does not like Trump and that the country should have a secure border. He knocked both parties’ records, a rare moment of bipartisan humility that likely sent comms teams on both sides searching for their talking points and a paper bag.

Trump pauses Canada trade talks after Reagan themed anti tariff ad

Trade talks hit the brakes after Ontario’s government aired an ad stitching lines from Ronald Reagan’s 1987 warning that tariffs hurt consumers, a pointed jab at Trump’s duties on Canadian goods. Trump fired back on Truth Social, insisting Reagan loved tariffs. Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the ad will be pulled Monday after Trump’s move and a conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, according to Ford, though it will still run during the World Series. Ford pitched a Fortress Am Can future and cooperation. The Reagan Foundation is exploring legal options, but experts note presidential speeches are government works and not copyrightable, so any claim over recordings or posthumous publicity rights looks like a long shot. In short, talks paused over a Reagan remix that used his actual words, which feels extremely on brand.

Infostealer Attacks Surge

Infostealer Attacks Surge as malware operations vacuum up login data by the billions and dump it on the cybercrime bazaar, with researchers tracking 1.8 billion stolen credentials for sale across illicit marketplaces. Criminals are thriving while too many organizations still treat basic protections like multi-factor authentication as a boutique add-on—leaving the door open and acting shocked when someone strolls through.

Blind Items Revealed: No. 7

Blind Items Revealed: No. 7 dangles another coy, unsubstantiated claim about a foreign-born A-list model/producer—proof the gossip economy still prefers innuendo over evidence and winks over sources.

Hackers Leveraged Thousands of YouTube Videos to Distribute Malware

Hackers leveraged thousands of YouTube videos to distribute malware, turning “free” cracked software into a password-and-crypto grab, Check Point warned. The campaign, active since at least 2021 and tripling output in 2025, pushed bogus downloads for Adobe Photoshop, FL Studio, Microsoft Office, and Roblox cheats, complete with fake comments to sell the illusion. Viewers were funneled to Dropbox, Google Drive, or MediaFire archives and told to disable Windows Defender—always a great sign—before unleashing Lumma and Rhadamanthys infostealers. The operators hijacked existing channels and spun up new ones; one compromised account with 129,000 subscribers racked up 291,000 views on a cracked Photoshop “tutorial,” while an FL Studio bait video pulled over 147,000. Moral of the click: if the price is zero, the cost is probably your wallet.

What runners need to know before the Cooper Norcross Run the Bridge

What runners need to know before the Cooper Norcross Run the Bridge: it’s back Sunday, Nov. 2, presented by AmeriHealth New Jersey, giving runners and walkers a rare chance to cross the Ben Franklin Bridge on foot while supporting the Larc Norcross School’s free, specialized education for children with multiple disabilities. Registration is open through Nov. 1 at 5 p.m.—cardio with a conscience, and a skyline view to boot.

Florida Introduces Autonomous Police Cruisers Capable of Deploying Thermal-Imaging Drones

Florida Introduces Autonomous Police Cruisers Capable of Deploying Thermal-Imaging Drones, and Miami-Dade is first out of the gate with the PUG—Police Unmanned Ground vehicle Patrol Partner—an AI-laden SUV that supposedly drives itself, scans for crimes, and can pop a thermal-imaging drone into the sky “as needed.” It’s plugged into license plate readers, police databases, and public safety software, because why stop at eyeballs when you can have a panopticon on wheels? The first unit was donated by the Policing Lab for a yearlong trial, but future models will run taxpayers $150,000 to $200,000 each. Despite the “autonomous” branding, it’ll stick to predetermined routes, avoid highways, and keep a human officer in the front seat. Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz says it will “touch our community” and “set the standard.” Indeed—the future of policing, now with a chaperone and a price tag.

Wednesday, November 5: Oral Arguments Live Blog

Wednesday, November 5: Oral Arguments Live Blog — live, real-time coverage as the court hears oral arguments in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump. Tune in for rolling updates as the justices probe, counsel parry, and the legal theater does its best impression of high drama without the popcorn.

Poll says most Americans reject Trump's AI stunt videos

Only about a third of Americans had seen at least one of the recent AI clips, including the masterpiece where a fighter jet dumps sewage on protesters. After viewing, 70 percent disapprove. Turns out when your content is literal digital sludge, the audience reaches for the plunger. The broader takeaway is simpler than any algorithm. People still prefer reality to cartoonish strongman fan fiction.

Palisades Fire suspect pleads not guilty after courtroom outburst

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, pleaded not guilty in a Los Angeles federal hearing and was again ordered held without bond. He faces counts including arson affecting interstate commerce and timber set afire, with a potential 20-year maximum if convicted. The defense argues he is being charged over the Palisades Fire even though the earlier Lachman Fire allegedly started first, while prosecutors say the Palisades blaze was a holdover from that New Year’s Day ignition, citing witnesses, video, cellphone data, and fire-pattern analysis. Arrested in Orlando on October 7, he is headed toward a December 16 trial date. Serious stakes, serious evidence, and hopefully fewer theatrics than the last hearing.

Maduro touts 5,000 Igla-S missiles as U.S. flexes in the Caribbean and Moscow offers cover

Nicolás Maduro claims Venezuela has 5,000 Russian-made Igla-S anti-air systems blanketing every last hill and town, ready to swat drones and low flyers. CNN could not verify the figure, though Igla-S units are in the arsenal and are rated to roughly 6 kilometers in range and 3.5 kilometers in altitude. Meanwhile Washington has 4,500 Marines and sailors in the Caribbean and has carried out lethal strikes on alleged narcotics trafficking boats, prompting bipartisan questions about legality. Donald Trump says he is looking at land now, aiming to further weaken Maduro. Russia is playing patron, with its Federation Council approving a strategic partnership and Sergey Lavrov professing solidarity while the Foreign Ministry calls for restraint. At home, Maduro mobilizes troops and claims millions of militia. Lots of chest-thumping, less clarity, and a surplus of leaders auditioning for a role as the region’s toughest guy in a very combustible neighborhood.

Social Security COLA set at 2.8 percent for 2026, announced late after shutdown

About 73 million Americans on Social Security or SSI will see a 2.8 percent cost-of-living increase tied to the CPI-W, reflecting a 3 percent rise from September 2024 to September 2025. The average monthly Social Security check will rise by about 56 dollars to roughly 2,071 dollars starting in January, while SSI recipients get the bump in payments dated December 31, 2025, with notices arriving in December. Over the past decade, COLAs have averaged 3.1 percent. An AARP poll finds only 22 percent of Americans over 50 think a roughly 3 percent adjustment covers the hit to their budgets, three quarters say they would need 5 percent or more. So yes, a raise that almost keeps up with eggs, delivered after the government finished congratulating itself for reopening the lights.

Grooming Gangs Inquiry Delayed as Minister Apologizes for Slow Response

Following a tense exchange with journalist Charlie Peters, Baroness Rachel Maclean conceded the government was distracted, acted too slowly, and failed victims of grooming gangs, offering a regretful apology. Pressed on why she did not defend Suella Braverman's 2023 Grooming Gangs Taskforce, why lessons flagged by Andrew Norfolk over a decade ago were not heeded, and why ministers ducked discussing perpetrators' ethnicity, Maclean repeatedly said she did not know, noted she was not the minister at the time, and cited a lack of contact from key figures. The reckoning comes as the national inquiry is delayed for months after both proposed chairs withdrew amid survivors' objections, intensifying calls for a legally led process that commands trust.

AP-NORC: Trump's Hispanic Support Slides to 25 Percent

An AP-NORC poll finds just 25 percent of Hispanic adults view President Trump favorably, down from 44 percent just before he took office for the second time. For a man who worships big numbers, that is a contraction you cannot hide behind a rally playlist. The constituency that helped deliver 2024 is now sending a louder message than the DJ ever could.

Wales and Scotland Finally Move Postal Voting Online

After the Absent Voting Bill passed, voters in Wales and Scotland will soon be able to apply online for postal and proxy ballots in devolved and local elections, aligning with UK parliamentary practice. Officials have just over six months to switch it on before the May 7 contests, which in government time is roughly two eternities and a tea break. Baroness Taylor praised democratic access, Lord Murphy called it a small but important step, and then cheerfully confirmed he will still vote at Llantarnam Church Hall because tradition is undefeated.

England's Renters' Shake-up: No-Fault Evictions Out, Legal Backlogs In

England's reforms extend Awaab's law to the private sector to tackle serious damp and mold, create a landlord ombudsman, and set up a rental database, the sort of basic hygiene you would hope did not require legislation. Scrapping Section 21 no-fault evictions pushes disputes into a court system so slow you could watch the mold return between case updates, yet there is still no specialist housing court. A modest levy on the sector's roughly £55 billion take could fund one, but apparently that is too modern. Banning rental bidding may push up initial asking prices, though tighter rules on in-tenancy increases could help. Expect higher costs and lower flexibility to nudge some small landlords to sell, with bigger players eyeing market share while renters face the same deposit and credit barriers. Immediate changes look modest. Long-term affordability still depends on planning reform and cheaper construction, policies that build homes instead of headlines.