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US says it now plans to deport Abrego Garcia to Liberia as soon as Oct. 31
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US says it now plans to deport Abrego Garcia to Liberia as soon as Oct. 31

BALTIMORE (AP) — The U.S. government plans to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia, and could do so as early as Oct. 31, according to a Friday court filing. The Salvadoran national’s case has become a magnet for opposition to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies since he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, in violation of a settlement agreement. He was returned to the U.S. in June after the U.S. Supreme Court said the administration had to work to bring him back. Since he cannot be re-deported to El Salvador, ICE has been seeking to deport him to a series of African countries. Meanwhile, a federal judge in Maryland has previously barred his immediate deportation. Abrego Garcia’s lawsuit there claims the Trump administration is illegally using the deportation process to punish him for the embarrassment of his earlier mistaken deportation. A Friday court filing from the Department of Homeland Security notes that “Liberia is a thriving democracy and one of the United States’s closest partners on the African continent.” Its national language is English; its constitution “provides robust protections for human rights;” and Liberia is “committed to the humane treatment of refugees,” the filing reads. It concludes that Abrego Garcia could be deported as soon as Oct. 31. “After failed attempts with Uganda, Eswatini, and Ghana, ICE now seeks to deport our client, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, to Liberia, a country with which he has no connection, thousands of miles from his family and home in Maryland,” a statement from attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg reads. “Costa Rica stands ready to accept him as a refugee, a viable and lawful option. Yet the government has chosen a course calculated to inflict maximum hardship. These actions are punitive, cruel, and unconstitutional.” Abrego Garcia has an American wife and child and lived in Maryland for years, but he immigrated to the U.S. illegally as a teenager. In 2019, an immigration judge granted him protection from being deported back to El Salvador, where he faces a “well-founded fear” of violence from a gang that targeted his family, according to court filings. In a separate action in immigration court, Abrego Garcia has applied for asylum in the United States. Additionally, Abrego Garcia is facing criminal charges in federal court in Tennessee, where he has pleaded not guilty to human smuggling. He has filed a motion to dismiss the charges, claiming the prosecution is vindictive.

US imposes sanctions on Colombia’s president and family members over drug trade allegations
Technology

US imposes sanctions on Colombia’s president and family members over drug trade allegations

By MATTHEW LEE and FATIMA HUSSEIN, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration imposed sanctions Friday on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, his family and a member of his government over accusations of involvement in the global drug trade, sharply escalating tensions with the leftist leader of one of the closest U.S. allies in South America. The Treasury Department leveled the penalties against Petro; his wife, Veronica del Socorro Alcocer Garcia; his son, Nicolas Fernando Petro Burgos; and Colombian Interior Minister Armando Alberto Benedetti. Petro “has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. “President Trump is taking strong action to protect our nation and make clear that we will not tolerate the trafficking of drugs into our nation.” The move ramps up a growing clash between the Republican U.S. president and Colombia’s first leftist leader, notably over deadly American strikes on alleged drug-carrying boats off South America. This week, the Trump administration expanded its crackdown to the eastern Pacific Ocean, where much of the cocaine from the world’s largest producers, including Colombia, is smuggled. And in an escalation of military firepower in the region, the U.S. military is sending an aircraft carrier to the waters off South America, the Pentagon announced Friday. The U.S. last month added Colombia, the top recipient of American assistance in the region, to a list of nations failing to cooperate in the drug war for the first time in almost 30 years. The penalties were expected after Trump recently said he would slash assistance to Colombia and impose tariffs on its exports, referring to Petro on social media in recent days as “an illegal drug leader.” “He’s a guy that is making a lot of drugs,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday. “He better watch it, or we’ll take very serious action against him and his country.” After Trump accused him of having ties to drug trafficking, Petro on Wednesday said he would resort to the U.S. court system to defend himself. “Against the calumnies that high-ranking officials have hurled at me on U.S. soil, I will defend myself judicially with American lawyers in the U.S. courts,” Petro wrote on X without naming Trump but citing a news report about his comments. A day earlier, Petro’s anti-drug policy was the subject of a meeting between him and the U.S. chargé d’affaires in Colombia, John T. McNamara. McNamara also met with Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio Mapy on Thursday. Petro has repeatedly defended his policy, which moves away from a repressive approach and prioritizes reaching agreements with growers of coca leaf — the raw material for cocaine — to encourage them to switch to other crops, pursuing major drug lords and combating money laundering. He has said his government has achieved record cocaine seizures and questioned U.N. figures showing record coca leaf cultivation and cocaine production. The amount of land dedicated to cultivating coca, the base ingredient of cocaine, has almost tripled in the past decade to a record 253,000 hectares (625,000 acres) in 2023, according to the latest report available from the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. That is about triple the size of New York City. The Trump administration has surged military ships and planes to Latin America to target traffickers accused of funneling drugs to the U.S. Petro has pushed back against the strikes that have killed at least 37 people since they started last month, with the latest two targeting vessels in the eastern Pacific, where Colombia has a coastline. Petro has repeatedly feuded with Trump this year. Petro initially rejected U.S. military flights of deported migrants, leading Trump to threaten tariffs. The State Department said it would revoke Petro’s visa when he attended the U.N. General Assembly in New York because he told American soldiers to disobey Trump’s orders. Lee reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Will Weissert in Washington and Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report.

Iraq faces elections at a delicate moment in the Middle East
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Iraq faces elections at a delicate moment in the Middle East

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq is weeks away from parliamentary elections that will set the country’s course during one of the Middle East’s most delicate moments in years. While the ceasefire in Gaza may have tamped down regional tensions, fears remain of another round of conflict between Israel and Iraq’s neighbor, Iran. Iraq managed to stay on the sidelines during the brief Israel-Iran war in June. Meanwhile, Baghdad faces increasing pressure from Washington over the presence of Iran-linked armed groups in Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani came to power in 2022 with the backing of a group of pro-Iran parties but has since sought to balance Iraq’s relations with Tehran and Washington. The Nov. 11 vote will determine whether he gets a second term — rare for Iraqi premiers in the past. Who’s missing from the elections A total of 7,768 candidates — 2,248 women and 5,520 men — are competing for 329 parliament seats. The strongest political factions running include Shiite blocs led by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, cleric Ammar al-Hakim, and several linked to armed groups; competing Sunni factions led by former parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi and current speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadan i; and the two main Kurdish parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. The contest is just as notable for who is absent. The popular Sadrist Movement, led by influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, is boycotting. Al-Sadr’s bloc won the largest number of seats in the 2021 elections but later withdrew after failed negotiations over forming a government, and it continues to stay out of elections. In the suburb known as Sadr City on Baghdad’s outskirts, a banner posted on one street read, “We are all boycotting upon orders from leader al-Sadr. No to America, no to Israel, no to corruption.” The Victory Coalition, a smaller group led by former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, also announced a boycott, alleging corruption in the process. Meanwhile, some reformist groups emerging from mass anti-government protests that began in October 2019 are participating but have been bogged down by internal divisions and lack of funding and political support. Vote-buying and political violence There have been widespread allegations of corruption and vote-buying. Political analyst Bassem al-Qazwini described these elections as “the most exploited since 2003 in terms of political money and state resources.” A campaign official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was talking about alleged illegal conduct, asserted that almost all candidates, including major blocs, are distributing money and buying voter cards, with the price of a card going as high as 300,000 Iraqi dinars (around $200). The Independent High Electoral Commission asserted its commitment to conducting a fair and transparent process, saying in a statement to The Associated Press that “strict measures have been taken to monitor campaign spending and curb vote-buying.” It added that any candidate found guilty of violating laws or buying votes will be “immediately disqualified.” Campaigning has been marred by political violence. On Oct. 15, Baghdad Provincial Council member Safaa al-Mashhadani, a Sunni candidate in the al-Tarmiya district north of the capital, was killed by a car bomb. Two people were arrested on suspicion of the killing, the First Karkh Investigative Court said Thursday. It did not name the suspects but said the crime was believed to be “related to electoral competition.” Aisha Ghazal Al-Masari, a member of parliament from the Sovereignty Alliance to which al-Mashhadani belonged, described the killing as “a cowardly crime reminiscent of the dark days of assassinations,” referring to the years of security vacuum after Iraq’s former autocratic leader, Saddam Hussein, was ousted in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The role of militias Political parties linked to Iran-backed militias are leveraging their significant military and financial influence. They include the Kataib Hezbollah militia, with its Harakat Huqouq (Rights Movement) bloc, and the Sadiqoun Bloc led by the leader of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia, Qais al-Khazali. The Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of militias that formed to fight the Islamic State group, was formally placed under the control of the Iraqi military in 2016 but in practice still operates with significant autonomy. Al-Sudani told journalists recently that armed factions that have transformed into political entities have the constitutional right to participate in elections. “We cannot prevent any group from engaging in politics if they renounce arms. This is a step in the right direction,” he said. However, several militias with affiliated political parties participating in the elections are still active and armed. The U.S. State Department said in a statement that Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with al-Sudani on Monday and “highlighted the urgency in disarming Iran-backed militias that undermine Iraq’s sovereignty, threaten the lives and businesses of Americans and Iraqis, and pilfer Iraqi resources for Iran.” Al-Sudani seeks another term Al-Sudani has positioned himself as a pragmatist focused on improving public services. Polling shows that Iraqis are relatively positive about the country’s situation. Al-Mustakella Research Group, affiliated with Gallup International Association, found that over the past two years, for the first time since 2004, more than half of Iraqis polled believed the country is heading in the right direction. In the latest poll, in early 2025, 55% of Iraqis surveyed said they had confidence in the central government. However, only one Iraqi prime minister, Maliki, has served more than one term since 2003. Ihsan al-Shammari, professor of strategic and international studies at Baghdad University, said that the premiership “does not depend solely on election results but on political bloc agreements and regional and international understandings” to form a government. He added that disagreements over control of state institutions that have arisen between al-Sudani and some leaders in the Shiite Coordination Framework bloc that brought him to power “may hinder his chances of a second term.” Some Iraqis said they don’t have high hopes for the country, no matter what the election outcome. Baghdad resident Saif Ali said he does not plan to vote, pointing to lagging public services. “What happened with regards to electricity from 2003 until now? Nothing,” he said, referring to regular power cuts. ”What happened with water? Drought has reached Baghdad. These are the basic services, and they are not available, so what is the point of elections?”

Trump-Kim meeting speculation flares ahead of US president’s visit to South Korea
Technology

Trump-Kim meeting speculation flares ahead of US president’s visit to South Korea

By HYUNG-JIN KIM and KIM TONG-HYUNG SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The last time U.S. President Donald Trump visited South Korea in 2019, he made a surprise trip to the border with North Korea for an impromptu meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to revive faltering nuclear talks. Now, as Trump is set to make his first trip to Asia since his return to office, speculation is rife that he may seek to meet Kim again during his stop in South Korea. If realized, it would mark the two’s first summit since their last meeting at the Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019, and fourth overall. Many experts say prospects for another impromptu meeting aren’t bright this time but predict Trump and Kim could eventually sit down for talks again in coming months. Others dispute that, saying a quick resumption of diplomacy isn’t still likely given how much has changed since 2019 — both the size of North Korea’s nuclear program and its foreign policy leverage. Talks of fresh diplomacy Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to restore diplomacy with Kim as he boasted of his relationship with the North Korean leader and called him “a smart guy.” Ending his silence on Trump’s outreach, Kim last month said he held “good personal memories” of Trump and suggested he could return to talks if the U.S. drops “its delusional obsession with denuclearization” of North Korea. Both Washington and Pyongyang haven’t hinted at any high-profile meeting ahead of the Oct. 31-Nov. 1 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in South Korea. But South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young told lawmakers in mid-October that it was possible for Trump and Kim to meet at Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone again when the U.S. president comes to South Korea after visiting Malaysia and Japan. “We should see prospects for their meeting have increased,” said Ban Kil Joo, assistant professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul. He cited the recent suspension of civilian tours to the southern side of Panmunjom and Kim’s comments about a possible return to talks. If the meeting doesn’t occur, Ban said Kim will likely determine whether to resume diplomacy with Trump when he holds a major ruling party conference expected in January. No notable logistical preparations that imply an impending Kim-Trump meeting have been reported, but observers note that the 2019 get-together was arranged only a day after Trump issued an unorthodox meeting invitation by tweet. Kim’s greater leverage Since his earlier diplomacy with Trump fell apart due to disputes over U.S.-led sanctions on North Korea, Kim has accelerated the expansion of an arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles designed to strike the U.S. and its allies. He has also strengthened his diplomatic footprint by aligning with Russia over its war in Ukraine and tightening relations with China. Subsequently, Kim’s sense of urgency for talks with the United States could be much weaker now than it was six years ago, though some experts argue Kim would need to brace for the end of the Russia-Ukraine war. “Considering the current situation, it seems difficult to imagine Kim Jong Un coming over for talks,” said Kim Tae-hyung, a professor at Seoul’s Soongsil University. With an enlarged nuclear arsenal, stronger diplomatic backing from Russia and China and the weakening enforcement of sanctions, Kim has greater leverage and clearly wants the U.S. to acknowledge North Korea as a nuclear power, a status needed to call for the lifting of U.N. sanctions. But that would run counter to the U.S. and its allies’ long-held position that sanctions would stay in place unless North Korea fully abandons its nuclear program. “If a meeting with Kim Jong Un happens, Trump would brag of it and boast he’s the one who can resolve Korean Peninsula issues as well, so he has something to gain … But would the U.S. have something substantial to give Kim Jong Un in return?” said Chung Jin-young, a former dean of the Graduate School of Pan-Pacific International Studies at South Korea’s Kyung Hee University. Koh Yu-hwan, a former president of South Korea’s Institute of National Unification, said that any meeting between Trump and Kim around the APEC meeting is unlikely to produce meaningful results. To get Kim back to talks, Koh said Trump would have to bring something enticing him to the table this time around. North Korea’s evolving threats Even if they don’t meet this month, there are still chances for Trump and Kim to resume diplomacy later. Kim may see Trump as a rare U.S. leader willing to grant concessions like the nuclear state status, while Trump would think a meeting with Kim would give him a diplomatic achievement in the face of various domestic woes. There are both hopes and worries about potential dialogue between Trump and Kim. Some call for the role of diplomacy to ease the danger of North Korea’s enlarged nuclear arsenal. But others caution against Trump settling for rewarding North Korea with an extensive relaxing of sanctions in return for limited steps like freezing its unfinished long-range missile program targeting the U.S. Such deals would leave North Korea with already-built, short-range nuclear missiles targeting South Korea. Kim Taewoo, another former head of the Institute of National Unification, said “such a small deal” would still benefit South Korea’s security because decades-long efforts to achieve a complete denuclearization of North Korea have made little progress. “If North Korea possesses an ability to strike the U.S., can the U.S. freely exercise its extended deterrence pledge in the event that North Korea attacks South Korea?” Kim Taewoo said, referring to a U.S. promise to mobilize all military capabilities to protect South Korea. The country has no nuclear weapons of its own and is under the so-called U.S. “nuclear umbrella” protection. Chung, the former university dean, said there are virtually no chances for North Korea to give up its nuclear program. But he said that giving North Korea sanctions relief in return for partial denuclearization steps would trigger calls in South Korea and Japan for their countries to also be allowed to have nuclear weapons.

Cause of Tennessee explosives plant blast that killed 16 people could take months to determine
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Cause of Tennessee explosives plant blast that killed 16 people could take months to determine

By JONATHAN MATTISE and KRISTIN M. HALL, Associated Press McEWEN, Tenn. (AP) — A massive blast at a Tennessee explosives plant that killed 16 people, leveled the building and was felt more than 20 miles away began in an area where workers used kettles to produce a mixture of explosives and set off other explosives stored nearby, authorities said Friday. Investigators still haven’t been able to identify the remains of two of the people killed in the Oct. 10 explosion at the Accurate Energetic Systems factory in Bucksnort, an unincorporated community about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Nashville, officials said at a news conference. The delicate investigation at the site of the plant has concluded, but determining a cause could take months more, said Brice McCracken, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ special agent in charge at the National Center for Explosives Training and Research. In addition to locating victims’ remains, the on-site work involved removing and disposing of explosives that didn’t detonate in the blast. The next phase will involve work at ATF labs and testing facilities, where investigators will try to determine what triggered the explosion, said Jamey VanVliet, ATF special agent in charge in the Nashville division. “Those results don’t come quickly,” VanVliet said. “They come through time, care, and precision. And that’s what this community deserves: answers that are proven, not guessed.” From 24,000 to 28,000 pounds of explosives detonated that day, authorities said. The blast originated on the 15,000-square-foot plant’s first floor, near kettles used in the production of an explosive mixture for the commercial mining industry, McCracken said. The building was primarily used to make explosives known as cast boosters — typically a mixture of TNT and RDX, or cyclonite, that are poured by hand into a cardboard tube, he said. Explosives were mixed in kettles on the mezzanine level before being pumped into heating kettles on the main floor, McCracken said. The main floor also stored explosives near a loading dock, and cast boosters were cooled on that floor before being packaged, he said. After the initial explosion happened in those production kettles, investigators believe other explosive materials stored on the main floor also detonated, McCracken said. During the investigation, authorities searched an area of about 500 acres (200 hectares), much of it dense with woods, looking for evidence. The scene was turned back over to the company Thursday, McCracken said. What happened at the plant The blast, which was felt more than 20 miles (32 kilometers) away, left a smoldering wreck of twisted metal and burned-out vehicles at the factory. Authorities said there were no survivors from the site of the blast. Items of interest for the investigation were found more than a half-mile away, Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said. The company, which employs about 150 people, has a sprawling complex in rural central Tennessee with eight specialized production buildings and a lab. It straddles the Hickman and Humphreys county line in unincorporated Bucksnort, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Nashville. The company’s customers are in the aerospace, defense, demolition and mining industries. It has been awarded numerous military contracts, largely by the U.S. Army and Navy, to supply different types of munitions and explosives, according to public records. The products range from bulk explosives to landmines and small breaching charges, including C-4. The longtime company employs about 150 people, according to the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. Its headquarters are in nearby McEwen. Accurate Energetic Systems CEO Wendell Stinson said in a statement on the company’s website that it is “assisting investigators in every way possible” and that its officials “maintain high industry standards and have regular reviews by state and federal regulators.” The company started a fund with a local community foundation to help solicit donations for affected families. Lawsuit filed over the explosion The explosion killed people ages 21 to 60. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has positively identified 14 of the 16 victims using rapid DNA testing. Given the state of the scene, TBI Director David Rausch said the expectation had been they would be able to identify 40% to 50% of the victims. Still, he said it has fallen short so far of their hopes to identify every victim. Davis said he could “hear it in their voice” when he spoke with the families of the victims whose remains have not been identified. “There’s not enough words in the dictionary that we could use to describe those feelings or emotions,” Davis said. Last week, a lawsuit was filed in state court on behalf of the 9-year-old daughter of Jeremy Moore, who was killed in the blast. The lawsuit was filed against AAC Investments, LLC, which is a company closely tied to Accurate Energetic Systems. The lawsuit claims AAC was the owner, operator and manager of the factory and that the explosion happened because AAC did not maintain a “reasonably safe factory” for the explosives work. Moore, 37, cherished spending time with and supporting his daughter at cheerleading, softball or any adventure she wanted to do, according to his obituary. Lee Coleman, the attorney for Moore’s family, said the complaint could be amended once further details become available, and that defendants could be added. A company spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit. Mattise reported from Nashville, Tennessee. Associated Press staff writer Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee, contributed to this report.

Trump says a Canadian ad misstated Ronald Reagan’s views on tariffs. Here are the facts and context
Technology

Trump says a Canadian ad misstated Ronald Reagan’s views on tariffs. Here are the facts and context

By PAUL WISEMAN, AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump pulled out of trade talks with Canada Thursday night, furious over what he called a “fake’’ television ad from Ontario’s provincial government that quoted former U.S. President Ronald Reagan from 38 years ago criticizing tariffs — Trump’s favorite economic tool. The ad features audio excerpts from an April 25, 1987 radio address in which Reagan said: “Over the long run such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer.’’ Trump attacked the ad on Truth Social Friday posting: “CANADA CHEATED AND GOT CAUGHT!!! They fraudulently took a big buy ad saying that Ronald Reagan did not like Tariffs, when actually he LOVED TARIFFS FOR OUR COUNTRY, AND ITS NATIONAL SECURITY." The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute criticized the ad on X Thursday night posting that it “misrepresents the ‘Presidential Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade’ dated April 25, 1987.” While Trump called the ad fake, Reagan’s words were real. But context is missing. Here’s a look at the facts: Reagan, who held office during a period of growing fear over Japan’s rising economic might, made the address a week after he himself had imposed tariffs on Japanese semiconductors; he was attempting to explain the decision, which seemed at odds with his reputation as a free trader. Reagan did not, in fact, love tariffs. He often criticized government policies – including protectionist measures such as tariffs – that interfered with free commerce and he spent much of 1987 radio address spelling out the case against tariffs. “High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars,” he said. “The result is more and more tariffs, higher and higher trade barriers, and less and less competition. So, soon, because of the prices made artificially high by tariffs that subsidize inefficiency and poor management, people stop buying. Then the worst happens: Markets shrink and collapse; businesses and industries shut down; and millions of people lose their jobs.” But Reagan’s policies were more complicated than his rhetoric. In addition to taxing Japanese semiconductors, Reagan slapped levies on heavy motorcycles from Japan to protect Harley-Davidson. He also strong-armed Japanese automakers into accepting “voluntary’’ limitations on their exports to the United States, ultimately encouraging them to set up factories in the American Midwest and South. And he pressured other countries to push down the value of the currencies to help make American exports more competitive in world markets. Robert Lighthizer, a Reagan trade official who served as Trump’s top trade negotiator from 2017 through 2021, wrote in his 2023 memoir that “President Reagan distinguished between free trade in theory and free trade in practice.’’ In 1988, an analyst at the libertarian Cato Institute even declared Reagan “ the most protectionist president since Herbert Hoover, the heavyweight champion of protectionists.’’ Reagan, though, was no trade warrior. Discussing his semiconductor tariffs in the April 1987 radio address, he said that he was forced to impose them because the Japanese were not living up to a trade agreement and that “such tariffs or trade barriers and restrictions of any kind are steps that I am loath to take.’’ Trump, on the other hand, has no such reticence. He argues that tariffs can protect American industry, draw manufacturing back to the United States and raise money for the Treasury. Since returning to the White House in January, he has slapped double-digit tariffs on almost every country on earth and targeted specific products including autos, steel and pharmaceuticals. The average effective U.S. tariff rate has risen from around 2.5% at the start of the 2025 to 18%, highest since 1934, according to the Budget Lab at Yale University. Trump’s enthusiastic use of import taxes — he has proudly called himself “Tariff Man” — has drawn a challenge from businesses and states charging that he overstepped his authority. The Constitution gives Congress the power to levy taxes, including tariffs, though lawmakers have gradually ceded considerable authority over trade policy to the White House. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in the case early next month. Trump claimed Thursday that the Canadian ad was intended “to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts.’’

Government shutdown likely means no inflation data next month for 1st time in decades
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Government shutdown likely means no inflation data next month for 1st time in decades

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The government shutdown now in its fourth week likely means there won’t be an inflation report next month for the first time in more than seven decades, the White House said Friday, leaving Wall Street and the Federal Reserve without crucial information about consumer prices. “Because surveyors cannot deploy to the field, the White House has learned there will likely NOT be an inflation release next month for the first time in history,” the Trump administration said in an email. Some of the inflation data is collected electronically, but most is gathered in person by government employees who visit stores across the country. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which prepares the inflation report, has already reduced the data collected each month because the Trump administration’s hiring freeze left some cities without surveyors. The announcement follows Friday’s release of September inflation data, which showed prices ticked higher but remained lower than many economists had expected. That report, which was delayed by nine days from its originally-scheduled release, was based on data that was collected before the shutdown began Oct. 1. In past shutdowns the consumer price index — the government’s principal inflation measure — was compiled based on partial data. But it may be too late to gather even that level of information, the Labor Department said. The disruption comes at a particularly challenging time for the Federal Reserve, the government agency tasked with keeping prices in check. It sharply raised its key short-term interest rate in 2022 and 2023 to combat the worst inflation spike in four decades. Now Fed Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues on the Fed’s interest-rate setting committee are slowly reducing the rate, as inflation has fallen sharply from its peak three years ago. In addition, the central bank is increasingly concerned that a faltering job market could tip the economy into recession. Reducing borrowing costs could boost spending and hiring. Yet Powell and other Fed officials still want to keep a close eye on inflation. Powell has said that the tariffs could cause just a one-time increase in prices, rather than an ongoing inflationary trend. But they will want to closely monitor data to ensure that is the case. The government is also not collecting the figures it will need to issue the next jobs report, which is scheduled for release Nov. 7. But once the government does reopen, the Bureau of Labor Statistics can ask businesses for their payroll data from the middle of October, the time of month when they usually ask for such figures. But it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to retroactively gather pricing data for this month. When it comes to employment, the Fed can also look at alternative data such as a compilation of job postings by the employment website Indeed, or a measure of hiring prepared by payroll processor ADP. Yet there are few alternative sources for inflation data.

Bestselling author Jodi Picoult pushes back after her musical is canceled by Indiana high school
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Bestselling author Jodi Picoult pushes back after her musical is canceled by Indiana high school

By MARK KENNEDY NEW YORK (AP) — Author Jodi Picoult has the dubious honor of being banned in two mediums this fall — her books and now a musical based on her novel “Between the Lines.” “I’m pretty sure I’m the first author who has now had censorship occur in two different types of media,” Picoult says. “Honestly, I’m not out here to be salacious. I am writing the world as it is, and I am honestly just trying to write about difficult issues that people have a hard time talking about because that is what fiction and the arts do.” The superintendent of Mississinewa High School in Gas City, Indiana, canceled a production last week of “Between the Lines,” saying concerns were raised over “sexual innuendo” and alcohol references in the musical. Jeremy Fewell, the superintendent, did not respond to a request for comment. “It’s devastating for us to know that these kids who put in hundreds of hours of hard work had that torn away from them because of the objections of a single parent,” says Picoult. “What I know, perhaps better than most people, as someone whose books have been banned, is when one parent starts deciding what is appropriate and what is inappropriate for the children of other parents, we have a big problem.” Picoult noted that the same Indiana high school has previously produced “Grease,” where the sexual innuendo and alcohol abuse is much greater, including a pregnancy scare, sex-mad teens and the line “Did she put up a fight?” “Between the Lines” centers on Delilah, an outsider in a new high school, who finds solace in a book and realizes she has the power to write her own story and narrate her own life. “It is a very benign message. And it’s actually a really important one for adolescents today,” says Picoult. The original work, which features a nonbinary character, had already been edited with licensed changes to make it more palatable for a conservative audience, including removing any reference to the nonbinary character’s gender orientation. The production was scheduled for Halloween weekend at the Gas City Performing Arts Center. The show has music and lyrics by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson, and a story by Timothy Allen McDonald, based on the 2012 novel by Picoult and her daughter, Samantha van Leer. It played off-Broadway in 2022. Picoult, the bestselling author of “My Sister’s Keeper” and “Small Great Things,” has also written about the moments leading up to a school shooting in “Nineteen Minutes,” which was banned 16 times in the 2024-2025 school year, according to PEN America, making her the nation’s fourth most-banned author. “I had 20 books banned in one school district in Florida alone because of a single parent’s objection and she admitted she had not read any of the books,” said Picoult, a PEN America trustee. “She said that they were banned for ‘mature content and sexuality.’ There were books of mine that did not even have a single kiss in them.” The uptick in book banning has spread to stages as well. The Dramatists Legal Defense Fund has documented recently challenged plays and musicals from states including Pennsylvania, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio and New Jersey after parents or teachers complained that the works’ social themes weren’t appropriate for minors. The Northern Lebanon High School, in Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania, canceled a 2024 production of “The Addams Family,” citing concerns over scenes with violence, children smoking and subtle queer themes. Paula Vogel’s play “Indecent,” which explores a flashpoint in Jewish and queer theatrical history, was abruptly canceled in Florida’s Duval County in 2023 for “inappropriate” sexual dialogue. Last year, the Educational Theatre Association asked more than 1,800 theatre educators in public and private schools across the U.S. about censorship. More than 75% of respondents reported pressure to reconsider their play and musical choices during the 2023-24 school year. “We are not protecting kids,” said Picoult. “We are robbing them of materials that we use to deal with an increasingly complex world.”

Samara Joy reflects on her Grammy wins and the creative journey behind ‘Portrait’
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Samara Joy reflects on her Grammy wins and the creative journey behind ‘Portrait’

By LESLIE AMBRIZ LOS ANGELES (AP) — Samara Joy’s voice has the ability to transform listeners to the early jazz clubs, filling them with warm nostalgia for legends like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. At 25, Joy is a five-time Grammy winning recording artist, whose album, “Linger Awhile” won her best new artist and best jazz vocal album in 2023. She’s been praised by artists like Chaka Khan, Regina King and Quincy Jones and has amassed a large following of her Gen-Z peers on TikTok, introducing a new generation to jazz. Last year, Joy released “Portrait,” her third and most personal studio album allowing listeners into the tension between excitement and feeling overwhelmed that often follows a whirlwind of accolades and success. Her first original song “Peace of Mind” fully captures this moment. “I wrote it in a time where I was really questioning whether I could continue or not because I was so exhausted,” said Joy. “I reminded myself through that Sun Ra composition that I have experienced something wonderful, and it doesn’t have to be the end all be all. This is just the beginning … this is just a springboard for all of the other creative ideas that I have and what I feel like I have to offer.” For Joy, releasing “Portrait” was a creative challenge and a turning point toward trusting her creative instincts. “It’s taught me a lot about what I can do and to stand firm in the creative vision and the direction that I see for myself,” she said. Joy sat down with The Associated Press to talk about life post-Grammy wins, how diving into “Portrait” helped her grow as an artist and what it means to make her mark on the classic genre. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. AP: How does it feel to look back on “Portrait” and how have you grown from that moment into the new projects that you’re working on? JOY: This album was a turning point. Because I feel like it was the first time I really had to make a decision about what my path was going to be. With the first two albums, it was just songs that I loved and felt like I could interpret as my own. And this album, “Portrait,” was the first time I felt like I took the reins of creative direction and band mates and songs. And honestly kind of opened up even more to my band mates and said, arrange. I want you guys to orchestrate this next era. So, it was definitely a big leap, I think, from maybe what people thought I should do after the second album after the best new artist. And I think this album taught me the importance of patience and not rushing to stay relevant or spark up a moment or just stay in that moment. It taught me to just take my time and really wait until you have something you feel like you have to say. AP: I want to go back to that moment of winning best new artist. Talk to me about that moment and kind of having this surreal moment of “Oh wow, I’m being celebrated by my idols and by people that I’ve looked up to for years.” JOY: I never expected to be nominated. I never thought that that was a possibility, at least so early on in my career. Even thinking about it now, I can see everybody still and still feel the way that I felt that night. It’s a night that I will never ever forget. And I’m thankful. I’m really thankful to everybody who believed in me enough to allow me to have that moment, who voted, who listened to my music, who support me then and still support me now. Which is why I never want to lose sight of what I do this for. AP: You’ve been praised by Chaka Khan, by Regina King. Was there any one specific person that once you connected with them, they shared something about your music that influenced the way that you looked at yourself and your own approach? JOY: A couple years ago I did the Hollywood Bowl and it was a birthday celebration for Quincy Jones — Patti Austin, I got the chance to sing alongside of her. And backstage, you know, she was funny and sharp and quick, but she was just very supportive and very honest. And that meant a lot to me from somebody who has been in the industry for as long as she has and collaborated with Quincy Jones and George Benson and James Ingram and all these people to be so encouraging on this new journey as I kind of embark on it.” AP: Does it feel like an act of reclamation and resistance being a Black woman in jazz who is at the top who is making it in the mainstream and bringing the genre back to a new generation? JOY: I guess I never thought about it that way. There are so many wonderful artists that I draw inspiration from — Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington through the course of their lives contributed to the changing to the evolution of the music that we call jazz. I know that there’s always gonna be a certain sense of nostalgia and a certain artist or song that people can connect to or relate to easily because jazz is not mainstream, at least to me, I don’t think unless it is really, really, really, really watered down, I don’t think it will be. But it’s an opportunity for me to once again be authentic and show people like, “Have you ever heard of this Abby Lincoln song?” Or maybe this Thelonious Monk song doesn’t have lyrics, but I can put lyrics to them and share a different, you know, a different compositional style. And a different voice in jazz. And so I guess that’s my way of reclaiming it and educating in a way and just introducing people to the sound that they may not recognize at first, but good music is good music. AP: You get compared to Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. What does that mean to you? JOY: I feel very honored and sometimes undeserving because of how new my relationship to their music was initially. I hadn’t really listened to their music or their voices at all growing up and getting introduced to them in college, it just felt like another world had opened up and I felt like I wanna sing, I wanna be able to move people the way that they move me with their voices.

How do you know if you have a gambling problem?
Technology

How do you know if you have a gambling problem?

NEW YORK (AP) — The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people, including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures, on charges of illegal sports betting has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of professional sports gambling across the U.S. Since widespread legalization, the multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy to place wagers on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. It’s just about impossible to go to a basketball, football, baseball or other pro game today — or watch a matchup on TV — without seeing ads for sports betting. Fans can place wagers from their stadium seats, while “Bet” tickers scroll on TV sports broadcasts. Star athletes are frequently at the center of ads promoting it all. Regulating sports wagering has proven to be a challenge — and experts warn about the ramifications for gamblers who typically lose money. Professional leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has raised eyebrows. Sports betting also faces criticism for opening the door to addictive gambling. “The fact that it’s normalized, the advertising is aggressive, it’s available 24/7, the micro bets — all of this is adding up to tremendous increase in usage across individuals,” Wayne Taylor, a professor of marketing at Southern Methodist University, told the Associated Press, citing algorithms and other incentives betting platforms use to increase engagement. Isaac Rose-Berman, whose research focuses on sports betting as a fellow at the American Institute for Boys and Men, noted that platforms make the most off of returning “biggest losers.” Recent research suggests that young men in low-income communities are particularly affected by financial consequences tied to sports gambling. “Upwards of 90% of sports bettors are not really going to experience significant negative impacts — but it’s really concentrated among those big losers and it’s going to be devastating for them,” he said. So, how do you know if you have a gambling problem? If you’re hiding the fact that you gamble to your friends and family, do it when you’re stressed and experience mood changes, you may be showing warning signs of a gambling addiction. The Associated Press explains in the video below

Kim meeting speculation flares ahead of Trump’s visit to South Korea
Technology

Kim meeting speculation flares ahead of Trump’s visit to South Korea

Some call for the role of diplomacy to ease the danger of North Korea’s enlarged nuclear arsenal. But others caution against Trump settling for rewarding North Korea with an extensive relaxing of sanctions in return for limited steps like freezing its unfinished long-range missile program targeting the U.S. Such deals would leave North Korea with already-built, short-range nuclear missiles targeting South Korea. Kim Taewoo, another former head of the Institute of National Unification, said “such a small deal” would still benefit South Korea’s security because decades-long efforts to achieve a complete denuclearization of North Korea have made little progress. “If North Korea possesses an ability to strike the U.S., can the U.S. freely exercise its extended deterrence pledge in the event that North Korea attacks South Korea?” Kim Taewoo said, referring to a U.S. promise to mobilize all military capabilities to protect South Korea. The country has no nuclear weapons of its own and is under the so-called U.S. “nuclear umbrella” protection. Chung, the former university dean, said there are virtually no chances for North Korea to give up its nuclear program. But he said that giving North Korea sanctions relief in return for partial denuclearization steps would trigger calls in South Korea and Japan for their countries to also be allowed to have nuclear weapons.

EU leaders seek role in Gaza at summit focused on Ukraine, Russia
Technology

EU leaders seek role in Gaza at summit focused on Ukraine, Russia

At least two EU countries, Denmark and Germany, are participating in the new US-led stabilization effort overseeing and implementing the Gaza ceasefire. Flags of those two nations have been raised at the Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel. The European Border Assistance Mission in Rafah, on the Gaza-Egypt border, began in 2005. In January, it deployed 20 security border police experts from Italy, Spain and France. During the February-March ceasefire, the mission helped 4,176 individuals leave the Gaza Strip, including 1,683 medical patients. Those efforts were paused when fighting resumed. Outside of the EU, individual nations have acted to pressure Israel on their own as protests have rocked cities from Barcelona to Oslo. Many have recognized a Palestinian state. Spain has ratcheted up its opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the war a “genocide” when he announced in September plans to formalize an arms embargo and block Israel-bound fuel deliveries from passing through Spanish ports. In August, Slovenia issued an arms embargo in what it said was a first for a EU member country. Some national broadcasters have sought to exclude Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest. Member broadcasters will vote in November on whether Israel can participate in the musical extravaganza next year, as calls have mounted for the country to be excluded over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Jordan laughs at NASCAR’s claims as bitter antitrust feud barrels toward trial
Technology

Jordan laughs at NASCAR’s claims as bitter antitrust feud barrels toward trial

Article content CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR and two of its teams returned to court Thursday after two failed days of mediation and resumed their bitter antitrust fight with a hearing that included team owner Michael Jordan laughing in disbelief at some of the testimony as the two sides hurtle toward a trial. “Today’s hearing confirmed the facts of NASCAR’s monopolistic practices and showed NASCAR for who they are _ retaliatory bullies who would rather focus on personal attacks and distract from the facts,” Jeffrey Kessler, who represents the two teams, said afterward. “My clients have never been more united and committed to ensuring a fair and competitive sport for all teams, partners, drivers and fans. We’re going to trial to hold NASCAR accountable.” The lawsuit was filed a year ago by 23XI Racing, co-owned by Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Bob Jenkins-owned Front Row Racing. They are the only two organizations out of 15 to refuse to sign extensions for new charter agreements following more than two years of negotiations. Charters are at the heart of NASCAR’s business model, guaranteeing revenue and access to weekly races, and without them both teams say they will almost surely go out of business. Other teams have called for a settlement to clear the air and move the stock car series forward, but three mediation sessions have apparently gone nowhere and the hearing laid bare how far apart they are. The trial is scheduled for Dec. 1. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell and Jeffrey Mishkin, a former executive vice president and chief legal officer of the NBA, both participated in mediation Monday and Tuesday and Bell opened the session by thanking both sides for working in good faith during the sessions. NASCAR wants Bell to throw the lawsuit out and the hearing focused on the series’ bid to narrow the scope of damages the two teams say they are owed. NASCAR has accused 23XI and FRM of manipulating other teams and conducting themselves with “classic cartel behavior, ultimately because they received less than they would have” under charter extensions signed late last year. It struggled to make those arguments Thursday. NASCAR repeatedly insisted that teams are free to compete in both IndyCar and F1, failing to disclose that entry into F1 is nearly impossible and the financials of IndyCar are simply not even close to the value of competing in the stock car series. Kessler likened a NASCAR move to IndyCar to a Major League Baseball team moving to the minors. “Experts found that the (IndyCar) prize money and TV ratings were too low to make them a minor league team,” Kessler argued. “Michael Jordan, if you put a gun to his head and said you have to join IndyCar, it better be a pretty big gun.” NASCAR also mischaracterized Chip Ganassi Racing’s sale of its NASCAR team to Trackhouse Racing ahead of the 2021 season as an opportunity for Ganassi — whose name was repeatedly mispronounced by NASCAR attorney Christopher Yates — to reinvest in IndyCar and expand that program to four cars. Ganassi has long run three to four cars in IndyCar and for more than three decades has been considered one of the top two teams in IndyCar. Jordan multiple times laughed and smiled at NASCAR’s claims, and at one point Hamlin and Jenkins vehemently shook their heads at NASCAR’s assertion that it pays its teams a higher percentage of revenue than F1 does to its teams. Jordan did not speak with reporters afterward. The original charters lasted from 2016 through 2020 and were automatically renewed to continue through Dec. 31, 2024. NASCAR contends they have added more than $1 billion in equity for its teams but owners have pushed for changes. 23XI and FRM initially won a preliminary injunction to be recognized as chartered teams this season while the case played out, but that was overturned and the combined six cars have competed as “open” teams as the season nears its season finale Nov. 2. Kessler argued that damages in the case should date to the 2021 season because of 28 exclusionary items he says prevent NASCAR teams from competing in any motorsports series that closely resembles their version of stock car racing. NASCAR conceded that there was at least one exclusionary item in that charter agreement that began in 2021. Bell was supposed to hear testimony from expert witnesses but scheduled two November court dates, two weeks after Hamlin will race for the Cup Series title in suburban Phoenix. Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis. Care for a wager? Head to our sports betting section for news and odds. Share this Story : Jordan laughs at NASCAR’s claims as bitter antitrust feud barrels toward trial Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

Family members of Illinois governor candidate killed in helicopter crash: Campaign
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Family members of Illinois governor candidate killed in helicopter crash: Campaign

Zachary Bailey was piloting the helicopter when it went down, said Aaron Del Mar, who is Darren Bailey’s running mate and serving as a family spokesperson. They were in Montana on a business trip so that Zachary Bailey could expand their use of helicopters as part of the family’s farm business, Del Mar said. Bailey and his two brothers helped their father run their farm in south-central Illinois. Zachary Bailey first got his helicopter license years ago, Del Mar said, so that he could deliver medical supplies and aid to people in third-world countries. “That was a driving force for him to get his license,” he said. The cause of the crash was not known, Del Mar said. No one else was on board, he said. The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday it was investigating the crash near the town of Ekalaka. The sheriff’s office in Carter County said it responded to the site Wednesday evening southwest of the town in the hilly Chalk Butte area where the flat-topped buttes have few trees.

Putin deplores U.S. sanctions as ’unfriendly’ while EU hits Russia with its own
Technology

Putin deplores U.S. sanctions as ’unfriendly’ while EU hits Russia with its own

“You can be sure that every oil buyer in Asia today is trying to find anything that floats that they can buy Russian oil before that sanction kicks in,” Weafer told The Associated Press from London. “And therefore, Russia will sell a lot of oil in the next 30 days, which probably will help the budget for a few months.” He also noted that, unlike the European sanctions, the U.S. measures carry the threat of secondary penalties against anyone violating them. China and India are major importers of Russian oil. The effectiveness of economic sanctions in forcing Putin’s hand is questionable, analysts say. Russia’s economy has proved resilient so far, although it is showing signs of strain. The new EU measures also target Russian oil and gas. They ban imports of Russian liquefied natural gas into the bloc, and add port bans on more than 100 new ships in the Russian shadow fleet of hundreds of aging tankers that are dodging sanctions. The latest sanctions bring the total number of such ships to be banned to 557.

Vance calls Israel’s parliament vote on West Bank annexation ’insult’
Technology

Vance calls Israel’s parliament vote on West Bank annexation ’insult’

Share this Story : Vance calls Israel’s parliament vote on West Bank annexation ’insult’ Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Advertisement 2Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Don't have an account? Create Accountor View more offers Advertisement 3Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Your Midday SunYour noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againInterested in more newsletters? Browse here. Advertisement 4Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Advertisement 5Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Advertisement 6Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Advertisement 7Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Advertisement 8Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Advertisement 9Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Trending SPRINGER, GUERRERO AND BIEBER, OH, MY! Blue Jays wives’ hottest game-day fits Toronto Blue Jays George Springer's wife relives Blue Jays star's Game 7 heroics: 'My guy is built for the postseason' Toronto Blue Jays Will Bo Bichette play in the World Series? Blue Jays offer update ahead of critical decision Toronto Blue Jays Pharrell Williams, Jonas Brothers to perform in Toronto at World Series Toronto & GTA Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube recalls hilarious mix-up with John Tavares’ groceries Toronto Maple Leafs Featured Local Savings

Lithuanian president says Russian military planes violated country’s airspace
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Lithuanian president says Russian military planes violated country’s airspace

Some leaders have accused Putin of waging a hybrid war in Europe. Moscow denies probing NATO’s defenses. The Lithuanian armed forces said in a statement that about 6 p.m. local time on Thursday, two Russian military aircraft flew into Lithuanian airspace for about 700 meters (765 yards), The SU-30 aircraft and IL-78 refueling aircraft flew away after roughly 18 seconds. The Lithuanian armed forces believe the military planes might have been conducting refueling exercises in the neighboring Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Two Spanish fighter jets, which had been doing NATO air policing missions, were scrambled and flew out to the area. Earlier on Thursday, Nausėda attended a summit at the European Council building in Brussels where EU leaders endorsed a plan to ensure that Europe can defend itself against an outside attack by the end of the decade. The plan is dubbed Readiness 2030.

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