All Activity

Ancient Toilets, Timeless Troubles Gastrointestinal issues are a common part of the human experience, the most extreme of which can turn fatal if left untreated, an awareness that receives expression in the Bible. What kinds of illnesses affected people in ancient Israel? Remarkably, scholars have found a way to answer that question—by analyzing the contents of ancient toilets. https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/ancient-toilets-timeless-troubles/?

One Voice 27 is in full swing in Asia. We have meetings going on now in our district. Over 100 attending nightly. Every church (9) in the district involved.

The LDS (Mormon Church), The Jehovah's Witnesses, the Christadelphians, WWCOG all teach that Jesus had the potential to sin and lose His salvation. The reason those groups all affirm that is because they all reject the Trinity Doctrine. You can't be a Trinitarian and affirm Jesus (God the Son) had the potential to sin and eternally cease to exist.

🛫 1 for the road: The anti-LAX gets a glow-up Travelers at Hollywood Burbank Airport's new terminal yesterday. Photo: Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Hollywood Burbank Airport's new $1.3 billion terminal is open after nearly three years of work. The upgrades could solidify Burbank — BUR, in airport code-speak — as a viable, chiller alternative to the chaos that is nearby LAX. (Still, it only has 14 gates to LAX's 161.) Inside Hollywood Burbank Airport's new terminal. Photo: Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images The L.A. Times reports from yesterday's opening morning: "Instead of the snug, historic facility whose Spanish Colonial Revival style dated to 1930, travelers found themselves in a sleek terminal at Winona Avenue and Hollywood Way, distinguished by high ceilings, contemporary art, twinkling terrazzo floors, abundant charging stations and landscaping full of cactus and succulents, along with a few 'wet paint' signs." Go deeper.

📊 Poll: Texas is choosin' Dems Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios Texas Democrats are for the first time polling slightly ahead of Republicans in several big statewide races, Axios Austin's Nicole Cobler writes from a new University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll. By the numbers: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico maintains a slim lead (50%-47%) over Republican Ken Paxton. In the governor's race, Democrat Gina Hinojosa leads Republican incumbent Greg Abbott 49% to 48%. For lieutenant governor, Democrat Vikki Goodwin leads Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick 49% to 46%. Democrat Nathan Johnson leads Republican Mayes Middleton 48% to 47% in the attorney general's race. ✅ Reality check: All of these results are within the margin of error. Go deeper ...

Exclusive: White House probes claims of missing Kennedy Center money Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Charly Triballeau and Odd Andersen/AFP, and Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images President Trump has directed his White House counsel to examine explosive allegations dropped on him Friday in the Oval Office, Axios' Marc Caputo reports exclusively. Former Trump attorney Alina Habba told the president that another one of his top advisers — former Kennedy Center leader Ric Grenell — failed to deposit a multimillion-dollar donation that her billionaire husband made to the center a year ago, according to four senior administration officials and three insiders briefed on the controversy. The total value of the contribution was nearly $6 million, White House sources said Habba told them. Grenell denied the accusations as "absurd" and a "lie." Grenell told Axios: "I've never asked for 1 cent to be sent somewhere else pretending it was for the Kennedy Center, and I've never received any payment from him at all. Make him give proof to what he is saying, not make these absurd allegations." Habba and her husband, Turhan Mildon, declined to comment through a spokesperson. Habba's attorneys plan to give the White House documentation — reviewed by Axios — to support her allegations. A White House official said: "The White House counsel has asked for documents and proof. None has come so far." A senior administration official cautioned that "these are only allegations. We don't know if they're true. This could be a misunderstanding." Said another: "POTUS doesn't want to deal with this. Of course, he's concerned. But if there is missing money, this is a big, big problem." The intrigue: Just a few months ago, Grenell was friends with Mildon and Habba. But he was notably absent from their $10 million wedding that was attended by Trump world officials, power brokers and luminaries last month. One Trump world insider with knowledge of the conflict said: "This is the ultimate MAGA blood feud." Keep reading.

Social Security recipients to get 3.6% cost of living boost, an average of $75 per month WASHINGTON (AP) — The Social Security Administration projected Wednesday that the annual cost-of-living adjustment for older adults and people with disabilities will go up by 3.6% beginning in 2027, with some recipients complaining that is not enough to offset soaring prices. https://apnews.com/article/social-security-cost-of-living-inflation-cpi-c7c73bbb304205696e7dd1afa27fc850? Data: Social Security Administration; Chart: Neil Irwin/Axios 💵 Social Security recipients will see the largest rise in their monthly payments in four years in January, with a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment. More from Neil Irwin.

Inflation worsened last month to 3.7% in sign that prices remain elevated as midterm elections near WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. inflation accelerated last month as gasoline and many other goods and services became more expensive, evidence that rising prices remain an economic challenge just a few weeks before midterm elections that have focused heavily on affordability. https://apnews.com/article/cpi-inflation-consumer-prices-affordability-3985019a54c82421e6112fb57baba048?

👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day. In today's edition: Tampa ties things up, Gibbs passes Sanders, MJ jersey sale sets record (again), Philly's saving grace, Christian Horner interview, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   📸 SNAPSHOTS PICS DU JOUR (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) ⚾️ St. Petersburg, Florida The Rays beat the Guardians, 3-1, on Tuesday to draw even in the ALCS behind another gem from Freddy Peralta (6 IP, 6 K, 0 R) and an uncharacteristic blunder from José Ramírez, who booted a two-out grounder in the fourth inning that ultimately led to all three of Tampa Bay's runs. A tale of two seasons: Peralta, a Cy Young contender last year in Milwaukee, was terrible in his first (and surely only) season with the Mets, pitching to a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts before being traded to Tampa at the deadline. He went 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA for the Rays in the regular season and has now allowed just 1 ER through 10.2 excellent postseason innings. (Georgia Soares/USSF/Getty Images) ⚽️ Chester, Pennsylvania The USWNT fought back for a 2-2 draw against top-ranked Spain, erasing an 0-2 halftime deficit behind a 49th-minute goal from Ashley Sanchez and an 86th-minute equalizer from Mallory Swanson — her first national team goal as a new mom. Down, but not out: This was the first time ever that the USWNT avoided defeat despite trailing by multiple goals at half. Should they find themselves in a rematch with La Roja during next summer's World Cup in Brazil, they'll surely draw from the resilience they displayed in this one. (Kirk Irwin/NHLI via Getty Images) 🏒 Columbus, Ohio Brady Tkachuk scored his first three goals as a Panther in epic fashion, recording a natural hat trick in a span of eight minutes during a 7-3 rout of the Blue Jackets. And here's the kicker: Brady's brother, Matthew, assisted on all three goals! All in, the Tkachuks combined for nine points, tied for the most in game by brothers playing on the same team since 1985. Goal-scoring frenzy: The fourth annual Frozen Frenzy featured 112 goals, just two shy of the most on a single day in NHL history. The 222 players with at least one point set a new NHL single-day record.   💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS ⚾️ 2-0 The Brewers are the 17th pre-series betting underdog to take a 2-0 lead in a League Championship Series since the round expanded to seven games in 1985. And if history is any indication, the Dodgers could be in trouble, as 13 of the previous 16 such teams (81%) went on to win the series. Zoom out: That data tracks almost exactly even with a much broader scope, as teams with a 2-0 lead in any best-of-seven MLB playoff series have gone on to win 79 of 95 times (83%). Just four of those 16 successful comebacks came this century: 2025 ALCS (Blue Jays over Mariners), 2023 NLCS (Diamondbacks over Phillies), 2020 NLCS (Dodgers over Braves) and 2004 ALCS (Red Sox over Yankees). (Christian Petersen/Getty Images) 🏈 58 touchdowns Jahmyr Gibbs' latest monster game (207 total yards, 2 TD) gave him 58 career touchdowns from scrimmage, breaking Barry Sanders' record for the most by a player before turning 25. And with Gibbs' 25th birthday still five months away (March 20), he has plenty of time to put that record well out of reach. Something about those Detroit running backs, man… Dynamic duo: Gibbs isn't the only Lion off to an excellent start. Jared Goff's 1,485 passing yards rank second in the league, and he's the first QB in NFL history with 12+ passing TDs and zero giveaways through the first five games of a season. (Carina Johansen/NTB/AFP via Getty Images) ⚽️ 19x Viking pulled off a stunner against Bayern Munich in Tuesday's Champions League action, battling the German giants to a 3-3 draw thanks to a last-minute equalizer. How's this for David vs. Goliath: Bayern's squad has a market value ($1.17B) roughly 19 times that of Viking ($62.7M). Going streaking: Bayern's Harry Kane netted two goals in the second half to extend his Champions League scoring streak to nine games, tied for the second-longest in the competition's history, trailing only Cristiano Ronaldo (11 straight).   🏀 PRICE TAGS NO DÉJÀ VU: MJ JERSEY SETS RECORD (AGAIN) (Mike Nelson/AFP via Getty Images) For the second time in two weeks, a Michael Jordan jersey from the 1998 "Last Dance" NBA Finals has sold for a record-setting eight-figure price. Going once, going twice: Jordan's away jersey from Game 2 of that series sold for $14 million in a private deal announced by Hunt Auctions. The price is a record for any game-worn basketball jersey. Another song for the Last Dance: Three Jordan jerseys from the 1998 Finals have now cleared the $10 million barrier. Game 1: Sold for $10.1 million in a Sotheby's auction in 2022. Game 2: Sold for $14 million in a private sale announced Monday. Game 3: Sold for $12.3 million in a JOOPITER auction on Sept. 29. Seeing red: Both the Game 1 and Game 2 jerseys were in the Bulls' away red. That color has proven more desirable than the home white, perhaps because of the iconic imagery associated with Jordan's "Last Shot" and "Flu Game," both of which were Finals games played in Utah. The Game 2 jersey's value was also enhanced by: Strong provenance: Ownership could be traced back to the jersey's purchase directly from the Bulls. Robust authentication: MeiGray and SIA authentication conclusively photomatched* the jersey to Game 2. Authenticated autograph: The Game 2 jersey is the only one featuring a Jordan autograph, which Upper Deck authenticated. Keeping score: Jordan — and that specific series — now account for the second, third, and fourth-most expensive sports jerseys of all time. But they're not even in the same ballpark as Babe Ruth's "Called Shot" jersey from the 1932 World Series, which sold for $24.1 million in 2024. *Photomatching is an authentication process in which unique attributes of a jersey — like the placement of mesh holes, numbers, letters and threads — are identified in high resolution photography of the item in game action.   ⚽️ DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH PHILADELPHIA'S SAVING GRACE Cavan Sullivan and the Union have been flying high. (Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) Philadelphia's major sports teams have endured a miserable stretch lately, and the internet is letting them hear about it. But amid all the misery on the diamond, gridiron and ice, Philly has quietly found a saving grace: the scorching-hot Union. How bad has it been? Well, as the Carolina Hurricanes tweeted on Sunday, "We've won more games in Philly in the last nine days than the Flyers, Eagles, and Phillies combined." So… not great. Indeed, the Phillies fell to the Braves in the Wild Card Round, the Eagles have lost three straight games (and pretty much all of their running backs), and the Flyers (0-5-3) are winless through eight games, tied for the second-worst start to a season in NHL history. Their games haven't been close, either, with an abysmal -20 scoring differential. And if you include Penn State, as some Philadelphia sports fans do, that's another football team that has lost three straight games after opening the season as a ranked CFP hopeful. Enter, the Union: In the midst of all this losing, Philly's MLS team has rattled off the single best 13-game stretch in league history, going 11-0-2 since returning from the World Cup break. Not bad for a club that sat in dead last before this run began. The Union entered the season with high expectations after winning the Supporters' Shield (best record) a year ago, but won just one of their first 15 games, prompting them to fire head coach Bradley Carnell and replace him with developmental team coach Ryan Richter on an interim basis. Richter's tactical and philosophical changes sparked a much-needed reboot, vaulting Philly (12-10-6) to sixth in the East. His decision to deploy Cavan Sullivan as a full-time starter didn't hurt either, as the 17-year-old has tied the MLS single-season record for goal contributions by a teenager (20). Speaking of MLS streaks… The Union aren't the only club to turn their season around with a historic run. St. Louis City (14-6-8) are unbeaten in 20 consecutive games across all competitions, matching the longest such streak in league history. That includes 13 wins and five draws in league play after opening the season with just one win in their first 10 matches. What to watch: Philadelphia (at third-place Chicago) and St. Louis (vs. first-place Vancouver) will both look to extend their streaks tonight as all 30 MLS teams take the field with the regular season winding down.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, OCT. 14 William Contreras celebrates after hitting a home run in Game 2. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) ⚾️ NLCS, Game 3 The series shifts to Los Angeles (8pm ET, FS1), where the Dodgers are on the ropes after dropping both games in Milwaukee. Shohei Ohtani will remain in the lineup despite his prolonged slump (3-for-20 in the postseason). The Brewers' not-so secret weapon: Milwaukee's relievers have been nearly unhittable in these playoffs. They threw five perfect innings on Monday, the most by any team's bullpen in a game in postseason history; and across the postseason they've allowed just 1 ER in 28.2 innings (0.31 ERA) while striking out 26 batters. More to watch: ⚽️ Champions League: Man City vs. PSG (3pm, Paramount+); Roma vs. Real Madrid (3pm, Paramount+) … Two of nine games to close out Matchday 2. 🏒 NHL: Canadiens at Capitals (7:30pm, ESPN+); Stars at Avalanche (8:30pm, TNT) … The only games on tap following Tuesday's 16-game frenzy. ⚽️ MLS: Chicago vs. Philadelphia (8:30pm, Apple); St. Louis vs. Vancouver (8:30pm, Apple) … Philly and St. Louis both look to stay historically hot (see above). Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city.   🏈 LET'S PLAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL TRIVIA (Ben Liebenberg/Getty Images) Oregon was ranked in 70 consecutive AP polls before falling out of the Top 25 this week, ending the fourth-longest active streak among FBS schools. Question: Which three schools have the longest active AP poll streaks? Hint: They're all currently ranked in the Top 10. Bonus points: Which school holds the longest-ever streak, having appeared in 348 straight AP polls from 1981-2002? Answer at the bottom.   🏎️ FORMULA ONE FIRST LOOK: HORNER INTERVIEW (Kym Illman/Getty Images) Former Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner sat down with Autosport (part of the Yahoo Sports Network) at his house for an hour, and we've got a 24-minute YouTube cut that F1 fans will want to watch. What he gets into: Why he thinks Red Bull pushed him out; how Red Bull built its own engine from scratch (and what it's like watching it win without him); "Drive to Survive" and the Toto Wolff rivalry, which he says turned into theater.   📸 THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH (FK Bodø/Glimt) 🇳🇴 Bodø, Norway — The Aurora Borealis light up the sky above Bodø/Glimt's stadium on the eve of their Champions League match today against Borussia Dortmund. Our planet is pretty incredible.   Trivia answer: Alabama (302), Georgia (155) and Ohio State (103). Bonus: Nebraska

Greenland is back in Trump’s sights In a social media post just after midnight, President Trump claimed that “massive oil, gas and mineral exploitation is getting ready to begin” in Greenland, though he offered no details about the operation. Trump has repeatedly threatened to take control of the Danish territory and gain access to its vast natural resources, straining relations with European and NATO allies. But extracting those resources could prove extremely difficult and costly, with many mineral deposits located in remote areas above the Arctic Circle, where there is a mile-thick polar ice sheet. + Read more: Trump says ‘massive’ oil and gas drilling is about to begin in Greenland + For subscribers: Robert Price was sitting on a $1 trillion frozen goldmine. Then Dr. Phil got involved

A bitter turn on the campaign trail Republican campaign attacks are growing uglier amid an uncertain midterm outlook, with party leaders portraying Democratic candidates as strange, threatening and somehow less American. President Donald Trump is mocking the Muslim faith and the name of Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, calling him a “jihadist.” Vice President JD Vance joked Tuesday that Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico is gay, following Trump’s taunts meant to portray the Democratic Senate nominee as insufficiently manly for Texas. Trump has also ramped up racially charged attacks, saying Haitians and Africans are invading states like Ohio and Minnesota. Such rhetoric is hardly new to American politics, or to Trump’s campaigns. But the party appears willing to raise the stakes as its midterm prospects grow increasingly bleak. The loudest attacks, however, aren’t always the most persuasive — and they can alienate voters as easily as they energize. + Analysis: Trump turns to the politics of fear as GOP hopes darken + Also: In the midterm ad wars, Republicans are spending more to get less + Follow along: Sign up for CNN’s midterms newsletter, 20/26 Vision ps:They're getting more and more desperate, with lying and spending outrages amounts of money!!!!!

The not-so-secret vulnerability in Ukraine’s drone arsenal? Chinese technology Ukraine has become a global leader in military drone innovation, enabling its forces to grind a much larger enemy to a stalemate. But this has come with an unsettling vulnerability: Ukrainian drone makers are highly dependent on electronics made by China, a key Russian ally. Read more. What to know: Ukraine’s greatest fear is that the Chinese government could restrict its access to these critical parts. It also worries that Russian defense companies that need these same supplies could be given preferential treatment by Chinese factories. Over the past two years, Ukraine has sought to break its dependence on China but cannot do so entirely, whose lower costs and vastly greater production capacity cannot be matched by allied suppliers. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ A former Ukrainian officer goes on trial over sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines Zelenskyy says Ukraine received no intelligence from partners about missiles headed to Kyiv

October 14, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. The pope has lung cancer, the Vatican said. Joni Mitchell is now an American citizen. And there’s more news below, including an accounting of how you get your bananas. Let’s start, though, with Russia’s war on Ukraine. In Moscow last month. Reuters America first With winter bearing down, Russia is trying to destroy Ukraine’s energy grid and freeze the country into submission after more than four years of war. It’s also bombing civilians. Ukraine has struck back with attacks on Russian oil refineries and, recently, e-commerce warehouses across the nation. It has clawed back some territory, even though it’s running low on munitions. But as the price of diesel fuel soars, President Trump sees the United States as collateral damage in Ukraine’s fight for survival. “He wants to make problems for the world,” Trump said of President Volodymyr Zelensky. “He wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers.” Source: LSEG Data and Analytics. The New York Times Accordingly, Trump announced on Friday that the United States would suspend sanctions on Russian diesel. The announcement shocked Ukrainian and European leaders who have worked for years, with the help of the United States, to cut Russia off from the money that fuels its war. (Several Republican members of Congress objected yesterday, too. Many of them had just backed a new law to tighten the economic noose on Vladimir Putin, the Russian president. “This deal is a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our allies,” they and some Democratic colleagues wrote.) But it surely pleased Putin. If the agreement moves ahead, it could put some $4 billion of American money into the Russian economy. In return, Putin offered more war, launching an attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia that killed 22 people, including four children. The U.S. midterm elections are only weeks away, and high fuel prices imperil Republican candidates. Buying Russian diesel might bring those prices down, Trump suggests. It would be hard to find a clearer example of his “America first” posture toward foreign policy. On the ground Russia’s escalating assaults on Ukrainian cities are taking an enormous toll. The same week as the strike on Zaporizhzhia, a Russian bomb hit a commuter bus in Kramatorsk, killing at least 30 people. The Russian military has targeted civilians throughout the war. But the death toll is rising as Moscow deploys more “precision weapons” that have stretched Ukraine’s air defenses with a daily shower of attacks. Russia launched about 3,500 jet-powered drones against targets across Ukraine in September, reports Marc Santora, who has been covering the war since its start. In June, that number was 350. Ukraine is trying to engineer an interceptor that can stop them. (For now, F-16s try to shoot them down.) The Russians use older weapons, too, including World War II-era “glide bombs” that can be stopped only by shooting down the fighter jets that deliver them, something the Ukrainian military lacks the ability to do. In July, the Russians dropped 8,300 of those. A father’s grief Johanna-Maria Fritz for The New York Times Siobhán O’Grady and Liubov Sholudko, reporting from Ukraine, told the story of one of those bombs, which detonated in the city of Sumy, in the country’s northeast, not far from the Russian border. Their account opens with a horrifying scene: The 500-pound Russian bomb first appeared as a tiny blip on Yevhen Ovcharov’s live military map: a red speck gliding over the Ukrainian border and above the villages beyond. Then he saw it hurtling toward his hometown, Sumy. Yevhen was a Ukrainian soldier deployed 300 miles from home, on the eastern front. It was 9:45 p.m. on July 3 when he reached for his phone. His wife, Nataliia Ovcharova, answered quickly. Don’t worry, she told him. She and the girls were fine and happily walking home from the park. Their 13-year-old, Veronika, was trailing slightly behind with a friend. Their youngest, Milana, who was 5, was beside her. At 9:46, the call was cut off. Yevhen called back once, twice, three times. For six minutes, he heard nothing. At 9:52, his phone rang. It was Veronika. She screamed that she was covered in blood. Milana, she said, was lying completely still on the ground. “No one is helping,” she sobbed. “Dad, please come save us.” Yevhen ran outside and jumped in a car to start the four-hour drive home. Read more about his mission to show the world “what Russia did to my family.” FREE TO READ Near Sausalito, Calif. Ian C. Bates for The New York Times Anchors up: In a bay near San Francisco, people have lived rent free on boats for decades. Not for much longer. Pet telepathy? Argentina’s president hired a psychic to communicate with his dog as it was dying. Meet the psychic here. Your pick: The most clicked link in The Morning yesterday was about Kelly Clarkson’s feud with a Brooklyn novelty shop. Cartoon hero: P.C. Vey, “one of the faces on the Mount Rushmore of Cartooning,” has died at 70. Read about his life, and see some of his hilarious work for The New Yorker. THE LATEST NEWS Pope Leo Pope Leo was diagnosed with a common form of lung cancer, lung adenocarcinoma. It can be highly treatable. Doctors removed a lower lobe of the pope’s right lung during surgery. His case highlights the importance of early screenings. Politics The White House asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to quit as ambassador to Greece after reports she had asked a Republican donor to pay off a credit card for her and urged him to conceal their chats. A judge again blocked Trump’s efforts to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. Trump created a panel of allies to determine if he can fire Lisa Cook, a Fed governor. The new White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia, made her debut yesterday. It was bumpy. Katie Zacharia leaving the White House with President Trump. Kenny Holston/The New York Times Cornell Rape Investigation The president of Cornell said in an interview with The Times that he learned about the sexual assault report shortly after Jane Doe came forward but did not follow up. Cornell, where a third of students belong to Greek organizations, banned frat parties for the rest of the school year. Artificial Intelligence The F.B.I. arrested an OpenAI employee accused of planting a bug in the company’s offices. A.I. is now helping to solve some of mathematics’ most famous open problems. What happens when A.I. comes not just for your job, but for your purpose? Click to watch a math professor’s answer. A math professor on “The Daily.” The New York Times Around the World Sans froid: Supermarkets in France tossed produce after a cyberattack shut down refrigerators at more than 400 stores. Two crypto billionaires are working to make politics in Britain more American. In a system that operates on shoestring budgets, they gave $100 million to Nigel Farage’s Reform U.K. party. Other Big Stories Under the Texas abortion law, nearly anyone can sue violators. One mom filed suit against an anti-abortion group that posted about ordering abortion pills. A Turkish businessman was facing trouble with the U.S. government. Then he married a former Trump lawyer. THE MORNING QUIZ This question comes from a recent edition of the newsletter. Click an answer to see if you’re right. (The link will be free.) A Republican super PAC hoping to influence the Senate race in Maine messed up. What did it do wrong? It disclosed the name of a secret billionaire donor. It misattributed a quote by Karl Marx to Trump. It backed the Democratic candidate. It bought airtime in Portland, Ore., not the one in Maine. OPINIONS Taylor Maggiacomo Ebola is exploding in Congo. Foreign aid cuts, institutional distrust and conflict are weakening the country’s health systems, writes an International Rescue Committee director who is leading the response. “Digger” is one of Tom Cruise’s biggest missteps. It’s also the best climate crisis movie ever made, a critic argues. The Anniversary Sale ends soon: Morning readers, enjoy our best offer. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your interests with expert coverage of news, culture, business and more. Save now: $1/week for your first year. TODAY’S NUMBER Hannah Beier for The New York Times 80 — That’s how many bananas an American eats each year, on average. The Times tracked a shipping container full of bananas on a journey of about 2,500 miles, from the plantation where they were grown to a Pennsylvania grocery store. Follow along. RECIPE OF THE DAY Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Ham El-Waylly’s kung pao tofu easily ranks among my top 10 favorite Times recipes right now: a perfect balance of salt, sweet, sour and fire. Make it as written a few times and then you can begin to throw in some change-ups. For instance, sometimes I make it with cashews instead of peanuts, or with cubed chicken thighs in place of the tofu. But it’s always pure Ham. BEAUTY QUEEN Rambo Elliott for The New York Times Meet the new Miss America, Regan Hutsell. She’s a former Radio City Rockette and ballet dancer with the Birmingham Royal Ballet — a rare combination for a pageant queen. “For a dancer to perform in those boots and make it look effortless, like Regan does — you’ve reached the pinnacle,” one of her coaches said. “She was a joy bomb out there.” Read her interview with The Times. More on culture In Wales. Clementine Schneidermann for The New York Times Every year, the small Welsh town of Porthcawl welcomes one of the world’s largest gatherings of Elvis tribute artists and fans. “You couldn’t think of a more inappropriate place to put an Elvis festival,” the organizer told The Times. “But it seems to work.” Check out this amazing photo essay that captures the scene. White paint is everywhere. (You’ll start to notice it once you’ve read that sentence.) Wendy S. Walters, a professor at Columbia, takes aim at it in a new book, “A Dead White: An Argument Against White Paint,” that is part memoir, part design history. The book is “notable for its precise writing and its mood of existential unease,” The Times says. “Imagine if Joan Didion were set on edge not by the Santa Ana winds but by office walls.” THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Grace Coddington Clark Hodgin for The New York Times Visit the fashion goddess Grace Coddington’s sprawling retreat in East Hampton, N.Y. Not to be catty, but it’s very catty. Give tough feedback. It’s a gift. We’ll help you do it. Clean your iron. Not doing so can lead to catastrophe. The diligent housekeepers at Wirecutter show you how to avoid that. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were paranoid and raindrop. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. See you tomorrow. — Sam Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren Deputy Editorial Director: Lauren Jackson

THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 14 1947 Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier U.S. Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager becomes the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT Arts & Entertainment 1892 “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” published 1926 ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ first published 1957 “Wake Up Little Susie” becomes the Everly Brothers’ first No. 1 hit 1994 “Pulp Fiction” opens in theaters Black History 1964 Martin Luther King Jr. wins Nobel Peace Prize Cold War 1964 Nikita Khrushchev ousted as premier of Soviet Union 1962 Soviet missiles photographed in Cuba Crime 1975 Trial begins in Amityville murders European History 1066 The Battle of Hastings LGBTQ+ History 1977 Anti-gay crusader Anita Bryant is hit in the face with a pie U.S. Presidents 1912 Theodore Roosevelt shot in Milwaukee 1890 Dwight D. Eisenhower is born Vietnam War 1968 Military announces it will send U.S. servicemen to Vietnam for second tours World War I 1918 Adolf Hitler wounded in British gas attack World War II 1944 German General Erwin Rommel—aka “The Desert Fox”—dies by suicide

⛳ 1 for the road: Trump's tree timeout The trunks of large trees are wrapped in caution tape at East Potomac Golf Links in D.C. on Monday. Photo: Mark Schiefelbein/AP A federal judge yesterday ordered tree removal work to stop at East Potomac golf course through at least Oct. 26, Axios D.C.'s Cuneyt Dil writes. The court granted a request to require three business days' notice before conducting additional work on the site, according to legal advocacy group Democracy Forward. Go deeper.

🤖 $50M push to regulate AI Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Advocates for AI safety and regulation — including AI researchers themselves — are emerging as a force in U.S. elections, spending nearly $50 million this election cycle on candidates who favor regulation, a new analysis shared exclusively with Axios' Maria Curi shows. Why it matters: The people building AI are increasingly spending to push for its regulation — sometimes at odds with the companies they work for. Donors tell Axios they're not primarily motivated by party affiliation or specific policy positions, but by fears that industry money will scare candidates into staying quiet about an unpopular technology. 🔭 Zoom out: Forces favoring AI acceleration — who earlier this year seemed poised to target pro-regulation candidates — haven't spent as much as opponents expected, and safety advocates see an opportunity to fill the void. Keep reading ...

America's job jitters Data: Pew Research Center. Chart: Axios 48% of U.S. adults are very concerned that people who want to work won't be able to find jobs, according to a Pew survey — the highest reading since it started asking the question five years ago, Axios' Courtenay Brown and Neal Rothschild write. Half of Americans also say they're very concerned about AI's role in the economy, Pew found. Keep reading.

☎️ Bibi, Trump discuss attack Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photos: Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis and Win McNamee/Getty Images. Axios' Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo write: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump last week discussed the possibility of launching a major new operation against Iran before the Israeli and U.S. elections, according to two U.S. officials, one Israeli official and a fourth source with knowledge of the matter. Netanyahu said during the call that he was concerned about Israeli intelligence indicating Iran was taking troubling steps to reconstitute its nuclear program, according to the Israeli official. The Israeli leader's call with Trump about the possible attack took place before Trump said he would not strike Iran ahead of the midterms. Why it matters: Resuming major combat operations in Iran would inject a volatile new issue into the Oct. 27 Israeli elections and the U.S. midterms a week later. 👀 Behind the scenes: An Israeli official said Trump initially seemed to be leaning toward resuming attacks, but then grew more hesitant. A U.S. official said Trump has been going back and forth on the issue. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the leadership of U.S. Central Command are the strongest backers of resuming strikes in Iran, a source familiar with the discussions said. Most of Trump's advisers favor keeping up economic sanctions and other forms of pressure for now. Keep reading. ps:2 despicable people, at least one of them had a good reputation until he met trump and than it was downhill from there!!!!!

Trump's Russian roulette Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photos: Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg and Gavriil Grigorov/pool/AFP, via Getty Images President Trump is indulging his fondness for Vladimir Putin at a moment of acute political peril, forcing Republicans in the midterms to take cover as he showers Moscow with one-sided concessions, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. Why it matters: With just three weeks until the election, Trump is rekindling a decade-long, scandal-scarred relationship with a dictator reviled by most Americans — including his own supporters. 🔎 Zoom in: Since speaking with Putin on Friday, Trump has embarked on a remarkable five-day campaign of diplomatic concessions and cover for Russia — sparking bipartisan blowback just as voters prepare to cast their ballots. On Friday, Trump announced a deal to unleash millions of tons of Russian diesel onto global markets, easing sanctions designed to starve Moscow's war revenues. On Saturday, Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for striking Russian refineries and demanded that Kyiv replace its leader. On Sunday, Trump blindsided Zelensky by declaring an immediate "energy ceasefire." Russia has continued attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure, with no apparent consequences from Washington. On Monday, Trump dismissed months of intelligence-based reports that Russia was enabling Iran's war effort by supplying information about U.S. military assets. Yesterday, Trump doubled down on the diesel deal and brushed off concerns that the proceeds could finance Russia's war machine, even as GOP senators labeled it a "betrayal" and "a gift to our adversary." Between the lines: The benefits to Russia are clear. Far less apparent is what Trump's concessions accomplish for American security, European allies or his own political fortunes. For America: Energy analysts doubt the diesel deal will meaningfully ease fuel prices sent soaring by the Iran war. For Europe: Washington is breaking ranks with a NATO alliance confronting a historic threat environment, as Russia escalates its hybrid campaign of sabotage, cyberattacks and drone incursions. For Republicans: With control of Congress hanging in the balance, Trump is embracing a dictator viewed unfavorably by 81% of his own 2024 voters, according to a January YouGov poll. 🖼️ The big picture: Trump's warm relationship with Putin has haunted his political career since 2016, when Russia interfered in the presidential election to help him defeat Hillary Clinton. A decade of investigations, scandals and Washington outrage has done little to shake that affinity. If anything, the scrutiny appears to have hardened Trump's determination to defy the foreign-policy consensus. ps:PATHETIC

Ukrainian ex-army officer’s lawyers seek dismissal as Nord Stream pipeline blast trial opens HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — Defense lawyers for a former Ukrainian army officer charged with damaging the Nord Stream gas pipelines in blasts four years ago have called for the dismissal of charges in the first day of his trial. https://apnews.com/article/germany-nord-stream-pipelines-explosions-trial-ukraine-gas-fdbddfa8c362df5a9f81e617e546b287?

In Colorado, there is still an active volcano. It last erupted about the same time as the pyramids were being built in Egypt. James

China’s trade surplus nears record as pressure mounts from trading partners HONG KONG (AP) — China’s exports surged 36.3% in September from a year earlier, its customs agency said Wednesday, putting the country on track to surpass last year’s record trade surplus even as pressure mounts from trading partners, including the European Union, to rebalance trade. https://apnews.com/article/china-trade-exports-db43e08437b65f65c2ead64c82f9b990?

Hard to Believe View in browser Donald Trump is the quantum president: simultaneously all-powerful and also a wee, innocent figurehead, blithely unaware of what his aides are doing. The first Trump, the one who declares that he “alone can fix it,” was in the Oval Office last week, asserting his unfettered power to persecute his political opponents. “I could have done very bad things to Hillary Clinton. I could have done very, very bad things to Joe Biden. I could have done very bad things to Barack Hussein Obama,” he said. “I can do whatever I want, if I want.” But after federal law enforcement conducted a search at the Washington, D.C., home of Representative Ilhan Omar, the Minnesota Democrat, yesterday morning, Trump insisted he was completely uninvolved. Without more information, the search—conducted by agents from Homeland Security Investigations, a division of ICE that handles complicated probes—is deeply troubling. The Trump administration has deployed a series of probes, searches, and indictments, many of which are plainly pretextual or political, against outspoken critics. (This is a crucial distinction from an August 2022 search at Mar-a-Lago, which yielded many boxes of highly sensitive material, haphazardly stored.) Black women, including Representative LaMonica McIver of New Jersey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, have been particular but not exclusive targets. The search also breaks a norm against public action in highly political cases in the 60 days before an election. Attempts to intimidate or criminalize an opposition party are hallmarks of authoritarianism. There is much about the search that we do not know, including what evidence was used to obtain the warrant (though The New York Times reports it “was the subject of significant back and forth between prosecutors and the federal judge who eventually approved it”); what agents might have found; and what charges, if any, the government might be contemplating. Some reporting states that prosecutors are exploring whether Omar’s late father lied or made omissions on immigration applications. (The administration has focused on trying to strip citizenship from people who gave false responses on applications.) The congresswoman came to the United States as a child and became a naturalized citizen at 17. To hear Trump tell it, he also knows little about the probe. “I think she’s a terrible person, but that’s really up to the DOJ,” Trump said yesterday. “I have nothing to do with it.” (The Department of Justice told the Times that the search was part of an ongoing investigation but declined to comment further.) This is a pattern I previously identified: When faced with difficult questions or strong pushback, the president tends to insist that the lawyers are in charge and he’s not apprised of what’s going on. But his claim is hard to believe. Trump has repeatedly said that he has a “right” to direct federal prosecutors to investigate whomever he wishes, and although he generally insists that he has not done so, evidence suggests otherwise. Last September, Trump posted on Truth Social instructing then–Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against critics, including James, former FBI Director James Comey, and Senator Adam Schiff. “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!” he wrote. Several news outlets later reported that the missive was intended as a private message. Bondi was removed this spring, reportedly because of Trump’s frustration that his attempts at retribution were moving too slowly. In February, FBI agents searched an election center in Fulton County, Georgia, in pursuit of evidence for Trump’s assertion that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. (Their warrant was largely based on debunked claims.) The following day, Trump spoke directly to some of the agents involved, an extraordinary intervention. Comey was ultimately charged with threatening the president, after he posted a photograph of shells he found on a beach that read 86 47, a set of numbers that supporters have said connotes wanting to remove Trump from office. DOJ has insisted the post was a threat of violence (which Comey has denied). Documents released by Comey’s lawyers this summer show that Trump was closely involved in the case, demanding briefings and notes from interviews with Comey prior to his indictment. Adding to the impression that the Omar case is a White House effort, Katie Miller, the former Trump aide and the wife of Stephen Miller, posted about the story on X yesterday, saying, “Promise made, promise kept.” She later deleted the post. But even if Trump is not personally engaged, he has made clear through his statements that he wants Omar investigated and punished. In 2019, he suggested that members of the progressive “Squad,” which included Omar, should “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.” A few days later, after he criticized Omar at a rally, he watched as a crowd chanted, “Send her back!” In December, he called Omar “garbage” and said that Somalis should leave the U.S: “Their country stinks, and we don’t want them in our country.” The next month, when Omar was attacked at an event, Trump accused her of setting it up. This March, Vice President Vance told an interviewer, “We actually think that Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud.” The message from the White House is clear enough to make King Henry II blush. If Trump is as engaged in prosecutions of his political opponents as public evidence indicates, then his behavior is inappropriate and damaging to the rule of law. If, however, he truly knows nothing about what’s going on, then he’s not the heroic, powerful leader he claims to be. Which would he prefer the public conclude? Related: Trump is hiding behind his lawyers. Trump shrugs off the Ilhan Omar attack.

US hits Bank of America with $1.2 billion fine, saying it violated money laundering, sanctions laws WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury Department said Tuesday that it’s imposing $1.2 billion in fines on Bank of America for allegedly violating anti-money laundering and sanctions laws. https://apnews.com/article/treasury-bank-of-america-money-laundering-29013b2c8f08a3a8d579a96721ed1aa4?

Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis gets 40 years to life in prison for orchestrating the murder of Tupac Shakur LAS VEGAS (AP) — An aging ex-gang leader was sentenced Tuesday to 40 years to life in prison for orchestrating the 1996 drive-by shooting of rap icon Tupac Shakur near the Las Vegas Strip. https://apnews.com/article/duane-davis-sentencing-tupac-shakur-827803a315dedbf36d18b66417a74303?