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DeSantis withdraws death warrant for 74-year-old William Thompson Five days before the state of Florida was scheduled to execute 74-year-old William Thompson for the 1976 murder, kidnapping, and rape of 23-year-old woman in Miami-Dade County, Gov. Ron DeSantis withdrew his death warrant Thursday. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/09/desantis-withdraws-death-warrant-for-74-year-old-william-thompson/? Rick Scott makes the case for Byron Donalds as poll shows him tied with David Jolly LARGO — When it comes to winning close statewide elections, no one has been more successful in Florida than Rick Scott. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/08/rick-scott-makes-the-case-for-byron-donalds-as-poll-shows-him-tied-with-david-jolly/? ps:Shall we bring up "Fraud" here? It's really funny when Sen Scott was convicted of medicare fraud, it was no big deal. But now a Senator in Minn is being accused of fraud? Who's worse, those that are crying out for her being removed from her job or those that had nothing to say about Scott????? But yet here we are!!!!!

The Nobel Committee yesterday awarded its Peace Prize to former UN human rights chief Navi Pillay. The South African-born lawyer began her career fighting apartheid and, more recently, led a panel that concluded Israel committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Pillay, 85, became the first nonwhite woman on South Africa's High Court after being nominated by President Nelson Mandela, whom she defended as an anti-apartheid lawyer. She went on to serve on several international courts, including the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where she helped establish sexual violence as a form of genocide (w/video, warning—sensitive). The Nobel Committee chair also cited Pillay’s more recent work leading the UN commission on Gaza as a factor in the award. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision, while President Donald Trump reshared a Truth Social post claiming he deserved the prize. Hours later, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court, where Pillay previously served as a judge, accusing it of unfairly targeting Americans and Israelis accused of war crimes.

India cracks down on youth protests as anger grows against Modi and election chief NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian authorities deployed a sweeping security crackdown across New Delhi and detained thousands of protesters Saturday as India’s youth “Cockroach” movement sought to intensify a nationwide campaign against a contentious voter list revision that has fueled anger at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government and election authorities. https://apnews.com/article/india-sir-cockroach-election-commission-gyanesh-protests-030b35e23279c75394b7654233c99d6b?

Hurricane Isaias makes landfall in Florida and hammers Gulf coast Governors of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida declare states of emergency as a downsized Fema faces first major test https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/09/hurricane-isaias-makes-landfall? A weakening Isaias makes landfall in the western Florida Panhandle Note: We will update this story as the situation develops. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/09/isaias-is-now-a-major-hurricane-barreling-toward-northern-gulf-coast/?

Zelenskyy furious as Trump announces deal to buy Russian diesel US president says agreement needed to lower fuel prices, but move likely to create fresh crisis with Ukraine and Nato allies https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/09/trump-putin-russian-diesel-ukraine? ps:Such a pathetic potus! Can he be more obvious about his love for putin? He talks about communists in the USofA?? But here he is wanting to be just like Putin, North Korea's president, China's Leader, etc.!! Are they not Communists????? So who's the Communist????? ‘Medieval’ and ‘disturbing’: US plan to livestream execution elicits global condemnation Pentagon said execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, who killed 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, would be broadcast live https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/09/live-stream-execution-fort-hood-shooter? ps:Here's another example: He talks about not liking Iran, Isis, Hamas, etc., but here he is doing exactly what terrorist do!!!!! Just Pathetic beyond belief!!!!!

October 10, 2026 Seen from the Beginning “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead.” (Romans 1:20) One reason we should trust what God says about our earliest beginnings is that the New Testament agrees with what Genesis records in the Old Testament. What did New Testament authors say happened in the very beginning? Prophets began revealing God’s words to human hearers when the world began. Zacharias said after the Lord restored his voice, “As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began” (Luke 1:70). Genesis says Adam and Eve were created at the start of time, and Mark affirmed this: “But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female” (10:6). Today’s New Testament verse teaches that creation has been revealing the Lord’s “invisible things,” meaning His supernatural essence, since “the creation of the world.” Similarly, Hebrews 1:10 aligns with Genesis 1 in that God laid the foundation of the earth “in the beginning” and not billions of years after time began. Clearly both Testaments agree on a recent creation. These records falsify ancient and modern pagan notions of eons before Adam. Peter encouraged his readers to “be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets [in the Old Testament], and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour [in the New Testament]” (2 Peter 3:2). Belief in both the Old and New Testaments elevates our opinion of God’s Word and thus His character. He spoke the truth in the beginning about our beginnings. We can trust this God who is Himself “the truth” (John 14:6). BDT

Surging costs The Strait of Hormuz is no longer paralyzed and yet fuel prices remain painfully high. CNN’s Matt Egan walks us through the financial, political and economic challenges at play.

Wine heist Masked thieves broke into a warehouse in Italy and made off with more than $5 million worth of wine from one of the country’s top vineyards, including some of its most coveted labels. The heist could go down as one of the largest wine thefts ever reported.

Church leaders said the Pathfinder Ministry helps members lead their peers to the gospel. https://adventist.news/news/southeast-mexico-celebrates-164-baptisms-during-pathfinder-tour

The conference invited Seventh-day Adventist church members and pastors from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, to expand their biblical knowledge by participating in workshops and engaging in discussions. https://adventist.news/news/in-latvia-biblical-research-institute-hosts-international-bible-conference

Steven Francis unveiled the Steven Francis Scholarship Fund which will award five $5,000 scholarships to students pursuing higher education. https://adventist.news/news/nba-all-star-launches-scholarship-fund-at-washington-adventist-university

Prior to the rally, fighting between local clans had resulted in deaths and extensive damage to property, including schools and churches. https://adventist.news/news/youth-rally-brings-clans-together-amid-tribal-tensions-in-papua-new-guinea

Throughout the week, presentations and discussions explored practical ways to understand, connect, and communicate with others, build genuine relationships, and create opportunities for spiritual conversations. https://adventist.news/news/adventist-training-in-the-middle-east-fosters-meaningful-relationships-with-local-community

AdventHealth and Adventist Health Brazil partnered to bring care to more than 500 people in riverside communities in the Amazonas, Brazil. https://adventist.news/news/adventist-mission-in-the-amazon-unites-health-networks-and-serves-more-than-500-people

California has recently banned the commercial sale, but not personal use, of a family of Kratom products. You may read about this ban by clicking on the following link: https://x.com/i/grok/share/bGVnYWN5LWNvcHk_b9d911dd-01a6-4d14-9e7c-93ad3011a0eb Kratom is one of a family of plant products that is highly addictive and dangerous. Attempts to conquer addiction typically require medical supervision, as death may occur without such. The following link will inform you of the involved danger: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/75/wr/mm7511a1.htm?s_cid=OS_mm7511a1_w On a personal basis, my second son, David became addicted to Kratom. During his unsupervised attempt to conquer his addiction to Kratom, he ended Elis life. Kratom was a contributing factor. You may read about this by clicking on the following link: https://atoday.org/the-day-my-son-took-his-own-life I believe that the issues with Kratom are as important to the SDA Church today as tobacco and alcohol have been in the past. I suggest that this information should be provided to our members. Note: Thanks to my second son,. Gregory for providing me with the information related to the California ban on the sale of Kratom products.

God (The Son) was never a weakened "creature". The Council of Nicaea was EXPLICIT that Christ was never a creature. Instead, the Council affirmed that Christ was Light from True Light, God from true God, begotten and not made CONSUBSTANTIAL WITH THE FATHER. And that according to the Scriptures His death and Resurrection was as sure of a bet as God being God. The point I'm attempting to make here is that according to Sacred Scripture, Christ sinning was an impossibility. That's the point. Jesus WAS truly tempted by Satan and likely all through His childhood as well as a teenager all the way to the Cross. What I'm saying is that ALL of these temptations were EXTERNAL. I realize that the following will sound crude and crass but hear me out. Kevin, IF you were on a business trip with your wife at home and a scalding hot woman came up to you and started flirting you would LIKELY be tempted because just like James 1 clear says you are ONLY tempted when your own lust starts pulling you towards the thing. Change things up a little bit and instead of a scalding hot woman flirting with you it's a man. If you are not gay and because you don't internally desire to sleep with a man you YOURSELF are not tempted (within yourself). It's an external temptation. This is what happened in Jesus' case, His temptations were all external because He didn't yearn or lust for sin.

Shooting leaves 9 dead including suspect in Erie, Pennsylvania, police say A man killed eight people including a pregnant woman, children and other relatives at his home in Erie, Pennsylvania, before taking his own life as well, authorities said Saturday. https://apnews.com/article/nine-killed-shooting-erie-pennsylvania-563c7c4262d47858dabecc43485c6483?

She was in her day starting to meet this and was fighting this. She had different issues she had to deal with and put forth different amounts of effort on what was pressing at the time. The last issues was a tie about things that were starting to grow out of the first world war, and the proper use of her writings. This was her last great battle. She fought this battle as she was old and frail. Sadly, this is a battle she lost. Stephen Haskell was a very close friend of hers, so close that when they were both widowed that he proposed to her. Yet, they had one big, on going argument; how prophecy works. He had a much more fundamentalist view and insisted that Mrs. White's experience fit the view of the Fundamentalists. She held a much more liberal view of inspiration and what visions did and DID NOT do for her. Both were frustrated that they could not convince the other to their understanding, but remained close friends. After she died, he continued the same argument with Willie, where Willie gave the same ideas as his mother, but Haskell was far less cordial to Willie than he was to Mrs. White. I see the wisdom for her turning down his proposal (and finding another woman for him.) Marriage can change attitudes, especially with the role of men in the 1800s. Would he have remained cordial with their different views of inspiration? Could their differences on how inspiration worked ripped the church apart? There were less friendly correspondence between the Whites and the pastors who's thought developed into what is called "Historic Adventism." Among their followers (I did not find this in their writings directly) there were people saying that Mrs. White no longer believed that she was a prophet. No, she did not give up believing that she was a prophet, she just had a different view of what a prophet was than what they insisted a prophet should be. Sadly, I'm not sure how "shocked" she would be since she really had to face these issues, but she would be greatly disappointed that she lost the battle.

🌮 1 fun thing: Chefs' favorite fast food People eating at Taco Bell in D.C. this summer. Photo: The Washington Post via Getty Images Many Michelin-starred chefs across the U.S. share a favorite spot to grab a bite after their shifts: Taco Bell. Harold Moore, chef at Cafe Commerce, a chic French-American bistro in Manhattan, particularly loves the Crunchy Supreme taco, he told The Wall Street Journal for an A-hed on today's front page (gift link). "There is everything in the perfect bite. ... It's hot, it's cold, it's crispy, it's also supple. There's spice, but then it has sour cream that calms it. It's a very complete experience." 🗞️ The Journal's print headline: "Top Chefs Have a Confession: They Love Taco Bell ... The chain may be a polarizing brand, but these chefs love the 'Live Más' lifestyle." Dung Vo, a chef and co-founder of Noko Hospitality in Nashville, told WSJ: "A lot of people think that chefs need a really home-cooked meal, fancy food or something that's intricate in their off time, but the answer is 'not really.'" Vo's order: A chicken quesadilla, bulked up with ground beef and steak.

🎤 Trump's new voice Via X Katie Zacharia, a Californian and former Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, will be the next White House press secretary, President Trump announced on Truth Social: "She has an unblemished record of support, and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning. She is, likewise, a devoted fan and member of MAGA!" Zacharia will take over for Karoline Leavitt, who announced her departure from the administration in August, Axios' Josephine Walker writes. Zacharia wrote on X: "I look forward to working with the White House press corps, and with reporters across the country, to get [the administration's] record out. Following the fabulous Karoline Leavitt is a high standard, and one worth meeting." Catch up quick: Zacharia is a conservative lawyer and commentator who works as a senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group, which operates Truth Social. She also served for about six weeks as the Department of Homeland Security's deputy assistant secretary for public affairs and spokesperson. She holds both a law degree and a bachelor's degree from Pepperdine University, where she currently serves on the school's Dean's Council. Via Truth Social At 2:22 a.m. ET today, Zacharia, emulating Trump's nocturnal posting proclivity, popped up this excerpt from former President Teddy Roosevelt's iconic 1910 speech, "The Man in the Arena." She reupped it on X at 4:58 a.m.

📺 Age of viral violence Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Finn Gomez/Getty Images Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's announcement that the Fort Hood shooter's execution will be livestreamed reflects a shift toward putting raw, real-world violence on display for unlimited audiences, Axios' Neal Rothschild and Herb Scribner write. Why it matters: The Trump administration has made a show of flexing American power, sometimes with grisly footage. Now, it's preparing to make the government's ultimate punishment available for all to see. The big picture: Americans are increasingly encountering shocking images on their phones, often without warning. Graphic footage of Charlie Kirk's assassination spread instantly to social media users, including young ones. Since Oct. 7, 2023, footage from the Hamas attacks and Israel's military campaign in Gaza has circulated online. Some videos have spread from Telegram to social platforms like X, where clips are easy to find. Footage of the August 2025 killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte train went viral across X, stirring debate about crime and public safety. President Trump later said he had watched the video and wished he hadn't. A livestream of Nidal Hasan's execution would be the first known public broadcast of a lawful execution, according to death penalty experts interviewed by Reuters. Public executions are increasingly rare worldwide. In recent years, most have taken place in Iran and Taliban-run Afghanistan, according to Amnesty International. Trump told reporters he had approved the decision to livestream the execution. But Vice President Vance told reporters yesterday: "I don't know that that's actually going to happen ... So whatever the controversy is about the method of the execution, I hope that people don't forget that this is a guy who brutally murdered a lot of innocent people ... Now, that said, I mean, look, if it's ultimately livestreamed, I'm not going to be watching it." Keep reading.

✈️ Chart du jour: Fuel squeeze Data: Energy Information Administration. Chart: Matt Phillips/Axios Soaring jet fuel prices — driven up by the Iran war — have been pushing airfares higher and prompting airlines to cut flights, Axios' Pete Gannon reports. Case in point: Delta Air Lines said yesterday its fuel bill will be $6 billion higher this year, a 60% jump from last year. Zoom out: U.S. airfares were up 23.4% in August from a year earlier, according to the latest federal inflation data, with airlines passing rising fuel costs along to travelers. Travelers are also seeing fewer flight options, as carriers have cut unprofitable flights.

White House tightens AI leash Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Trump administration officials say they are now mandating that AI companies notify and correct security incidents following Anthropic's "fraudulent" use of government systems, Axios' Maria Curi, Marc Caputo and Ina Fried report. Why it matters: The administration's approach to AI regulation had been voluntary, at least in name. But as AI incidents stack up, Washington is feeling the pressure to act. 🚨 "This notification and remediation process is not optional," White House Super Intelligence Force leaders said in a statement shared exclusively with Axios. "It is a critical national security obligation." Driving the news: Anthropic contacted the government to share details of incidents discovered late last month regarding the "unauthorized and fraudulent use of government and other systems," which have since then ceased, the government says. Anthropic contacted the State Department on Thursday to report that one of its testing models had submitted 19 non-immigrant visa applications in August and one application in May through the publicly available form on the department's website, a State Department official said. None of the applications were processed and at no time were any of the department's systems compromised or hacked, according to the official. Separately, police officials in Philadelphia say they received a false homicide tip that was submitted by an Anthropic model. ⚡ State of play: The White House requirements apply to all AI companies. "SI companies must immediately disclose incidents involving their models and follow with swift, decisive action to remedy any and all harm," the SI Force statement said. "We also expect these companies to work with the affected systems to ensure that similar incidents do not occur."

October 10, 2026 Good morning. Hurricane Isaias made landfall last night as a Category 2 storm, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power. We’ve got details on that below, but we’re starting with a look at fall movie season. Let’s dive in. María Jesús Contreras Screen time By Melissa Kirsch That moment in a movie theater when the lights go down is such a sacred threshold. When the chattering and fidgeting fade and the crowd goes silent, there’s a feeling of shared anticipation, like we’re all embarking on an exciting trip. That experience was amplified last week when I was in an audience of more than 1,000 people for a screening of the new documentary “Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall.” The film features Winter, the dazzlingly talented 24-year-old singer-songwriter and frontman of the band Geese, alone at the piano and singing. The performance was, as my colleague Lindsay Zoladz wrote, “utterly magical.” But equally magical for me was the experience of seeing a movie with that many people, in this case at Lincoln Center during the New York Film Festival. A bunch of strangers agreeing to be silent and focused on a screen as a communal activity — so rare in an age when we’re so frequently staring at our own personal screens. Fall always lures me to the theater, a combination of the awards-season deluge of exciting films and a formative adolescent memory of emerging from a matinee of “Stand by Me” and noticing the changing October light. As I do each year, I’ve made a list of what I want to see, a sort of cinematic advent calendar. October alone could sate even the most insatiable cinephile. This weekend, one could do a technology double feature, with Aaron Sorkin’s “The Social Reckoning,” his follow-up to the 2010 Facebook thriller “The Social Network,” and the four-hour documentary “Musk,” about the world’s richest man. I’m also interested in the Romanian director Cristian Mungiu’s “Fjord,” starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as a conservative couple who are accused of abusing their children. Our critic Alissa Wilkinson told me it’s great and “provocative on purpose.” If you’d prefer not to be provoked, or provoked in a different way, next weekend brings the arrival of a new adaptation of “Sense and Sensibility,” starring Daisy Edgar-Jones. There are also two exciting nonfiction films coming Oct. 16: “Once Upon a Time in Harlem,” about a 1972 party at Duke Ellington’s apartment that reunited leading lights of the Harlem Renaissance, and “You Can See Everything,” the buzzy, three-hour documentary about the founder of the fraudulent blood-testing company Theranos, from Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim. On Oct. 23, “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York” opens, a thriller starring John Turturro as an aging thief who gets mixed up with a dangerous crime family. “Small New York films don’t always get made anymore,” Alissa noted, praising this one’s fidelity to the geography of the city. There’s also Taika Waititi’s “Klara and the Sun,” based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, whose trailer is creepily compelling. It’s about an A.I. companion, played by Jenna Ortega. If you prefer your fantasies more fantastical, “Wicker” stars Olivia Colman as a medieval fisherwoman who commissions a local basket-maker to weave her a husband. The husband is played by Alexander Skarsgard; as soon as I learned this, I could not conceive of anyone more perfect to play a person made from woven plant fibers. And there are more films to look forward to later in the year — “Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall” opens on Nov. 20. HURRICANE ISAIAS Florida last night. Hilary Swift for The New York Times The storm’s eye came ashore about 8:30 p.m. Central time on Friday near Destin, Fla., lashing the Gulf Coast with heavy rains and howling winds that toppled trees and flooded highways. Follow our live coverage here. It landed with maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour as a Category 2 hurricane, but dropped quickly over the next half-hour to a Category 1, with winds of 85 m.p.h. By early this morning, it had downgraded further to a post-tropical cyclone. At one point on Friday, the storm had reached Category 3 status. Read about the science behind its rapid intensification. Isaias is the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2026 season, which has been relatively quiet partly because of a powerful El Niño. And it is the first hurricane in two years to strike the mainland United States. More on the storm: Beach towns on the Alabama coast typically spend early October preparing for the season’s biggest event: the National Shrimp Festival. This year, the hurricane “ruined all of that.” See how sky-high weather balloons helped meteorologists understand the storm. As Isaias approached, forecasters were confronted with a striking split in their data: The traditional models said one thing, and experimental A.I. models said another. THE LATEST NEWS Midterm Elections Republicans are suddenly racing to defend a Senate seat in Kansas, where polls show Democrats with a real chance for the first time in nearly a century. More Democrats are confident there will be a blue wave in November. But history shows that such waves can produce notably different outcomes. President Trump has attacked the integrity of U.S. elections on more than 70 percent of the days since he returned to office. See how he does it. Trump Administration President Trump said he had reached an agreement with Vladimir Putin of Russia to immediately import Russian diesel into the U.S., despite a Russian ban on fuel exports. He also said the White House would investigate Lisa Cook, a governor at the Federal Reserve, on accusations that she committed mortgage fraud. Vice President JD Vance said he would not watch the Pentagon’s planned execution of the 2009 Fort Hood shooter and cast doubt on whether the plan would go forward at all. Katie Zacharia, a conservative commentator, was named the next White House press secretary. Health Care Millions of people with private Medicare coverage are being forced to change their insurance for next year and will face higher premiums. Trump has started sending $500 “refund” checks, along with a signed letter taking credit for the payments, to Americans enrolled in Obamacare. Around the World Investigators in the United Arab Emirates said that the co-pilot who attacked the captain of a FlyDubai flight had intended to carry out a Sept. 11-inspired suicide mission by crashing into an Israeli airport. Leaders of the Gen Z protest movement in India said they were detained in New Delhi. Demonstrators across the country had been met with walls of security forces as they tried to agitate against changes to the voter rolls. Houthi attacks on the airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital, killed three people. Israel denounced the decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Navi Pillay, a human rights lawyer who chaired a commission that found that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. Other Big Stories The New York Police Department released body-camera footage from officers who arrived on the scene after an ICE agent shot a man in his car Thursday. Watch it here. Mike Ditka, the Super Bowl-winning, sideline-shouting coach of the Chicago Bears — known to many as “Da Coach” — died at 86. The F.B.I. arrested a man in Pennsylvania on suspicion of carrying out the computer hack that stole sensitive information about thousands of the agency’s employees. GAME OF THE WEEK Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians, Game 5: There’s probably no Major League Baseball team having more fun than the White Sox. They have one player who swears that ice cream cones are good luck, another who wears a wizard hat in the dugout, and the whole team dances before games. It’s strange, but apparently effective: No other team in baseball history has emerged as a playoff contender after three straight 100-loss seasons. (The South Side squad really was the laughingstock of baseball a few short years ago.) Now, the White Sox are on the road for a do-or-die American League division series game against the Cleveland Guardians, whose offense proved dominant earlier this week. The winner will head to the semifinals; the loser will be done for the year. First pitch is tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern. — Matthew Cullen THE WEEK IN CULTURE Film and TV Tom Cruise and Sandra Hüller in “Digger.” Warner Bros. Pictures, via Associated Press The Tom Cruise film “Digger” bombed at the box office. David Gelles, host of our climate newsletter, says it should nonetheless be recognized for its go-for-broke attempt to dramatize the catastrophic effects of climate change. Sign up to get Climate Forward delivered to your inbox. “Fjord,” which won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival and opened in the United States this weekend, is morally ambiguous. Some viewers don’t like that. Hear Aaron Sorkin explain how he evolved Mark Zuckerberg’s character in “The Social Reckoning,” the sort-of sequel to “The Social Network.” Music Karol G, the Medellín-born singer, became the first Latin woman to headline Coachella. On the latest episode of Popcast, she discusses her fame and Spanish-language music. A North Carolina man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for using A.I. to defraud streaming platforms and musicians of millions of dollars in royalties. 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. RECIPE OF THE WEEK Kate Sears for The New York Times By Melissa Clark One-Pan Roasted Vegetables and Polenta Yewande Komolafe lets the oven do most of the work in her colorful one-pan roasted vegetables and polenta. To make it, she bakes cornmeal, brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes together until the polenta is thick and porridge-like and the vegetables are thoroughly tender. Then she runs it all under the broiler to crisp and brown the edges. A little fresh lemon juice right at the end adds brightness, while some crumbled goat cheese lends a creamy tang. It’s a cozy early autumn meal. REAL ESTATE Tony Cenicola for The New York Times The Hunt: Even after stretching their budget, a family couldn’t buy their Southern California home from their landlord, so they moved to New York’s Hudson Valley. What did they find? Play our game. What you get for $900,000: A Tudor Revival in Salt Lake City, a farmhouse in Woodbury, Conn., and a Craftsman in Denver. Which would you choose? LIVING Repurposed: Two architects transformed a Cold War-era radio tower that once served as the set for a zombie movie into a unique home. Go inside. “Looks messy, helps frogs”: A backyard pond can promote biodiversity, especially during the winter. Learn how. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER Make a cheap but fun Halloween costume You don’t need to spend a fortune to whip up a fun, easy Halloween costume. Start with stuff you already own. My colleague easily made a Kermit the Frog meme costume with a green T-shirt, a glass mug and felt triangles. A tube of red lipstick smudged around the mouth could turn you into a vampire. Finally, there’s a whole genre of fun “attach a thing to a shirt” costumes. A few colorful balloons on a tee, and suddenly you’re a bunch of grapes or a gumball machine. If you do buy something, make it something you can use it for non-costume purposes in the future. While we’re on Halloween: We found some great, non-junky decor that’ll charm and spook for years to come. — Annemarie Conte NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were gentility, intelligently, negligently and tellingly. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week’s headlines. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Crossplay, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa 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 is the point!!!!!!! Can God, even as a weakened creature, the the weakest point possible, facing true temptations, choose not sin. If he can, then it would prove that God is who God claims to be. If this did not happen, then it would mean that God wouldn't be God. The entire universe would be thrown into chaos. Creatures needed to know whether God really is God, or just some sort of higher evolved creature of the same essence as we are. If God is God, is God all that He claims to be, especially in relation to his law of self sacrificing love/self renouncing love; and in the question in how he will treat sinners with the apparent contradiction of being both just and merciful. If he's just, sin needs to meet it's results. That would kill all sinners and that would not be merciful. For God to be merciful, he needs to be able to forgive and if he's forgiving and merciful then doesn't this go against his claim to be just. Gustave, what is say is what indeed the `issue is and why Jesus had to have the free choice to truly face temptation and the sin issue with the real risk of failure answers the question: is God truly God? If Jesus failed, then God wouldn't be God.