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⚖️ 1 for the road: Record-breaking pumpkin Frerich Farms Facebook page A 3,156-pound pumpkin in Coventry, R.I., was certified by Guinness World Records as the largest pumpkin ever weighed. Ron Wallace's behemoth crushed the previous record by nearly 300 pounds, becoming the first pumpkin to break the 3,000-pound barrier. He grew it inside a greenhouse, and there was "near-perfect" weather for much of the growing season, he told Guinness. Go deeper.

💰 Time capsule: Ballroom donors revealed Yesterday's Washington Post front page. Secret records obtained by The Washington Post (gift link) reveal $333 million in donations from corporations and billionaires bankrolling the White House ballroom. The list includes donors who benefited from government contracts, regulatory decisions and a presidential pardon involving a family member. 🎁 The biggest corporate donors include Apple ($25m), Nvidia ($25m), Microsoft ($10m), Palantir ($10m) and Lockheed Martin ($10m). Read the story. ps:So Pathetic!!

🕯️ Oregon teacher prevented more deaths Community members grieve at the site of a makeshift memorial in front of Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Ore. Photo: Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images A teacher threw her phone at the teenage gunman who killed four people at an elementary school in Bend, Ore., then tackled and fought with him, likely saving lives before he was shot by a father who followed him into the building, police said yesterday. City of Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz called the teacher's actions "heroic" during a news conference and said she wasn't injured. He identified the attacker as 16-year-old Griffin J. John II and said all of the victims were shot in the same classroom. John was once a special needs student at Silver Rail Elementary, authorities said, and he attacked a classroom with special needs students. Read more.

📺 Scoop: Trump sought Bartiromo Before hiring Katie Zacharia for her five-day stint as White House press secretary, President Trump wanted to recruit former Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, two administration sources told Axios' Marc Caputo. Bartiromo, who was bounced from Fox's air last month but is still being paid under her contract, signaled she wasn't going to take the job. "She's no longer on air, but she's still on the Fox payroll and the taxpayers can't compete with that," a source told us. Conservative commentator Scott Jennings was in contention but wasn't offered the job. Go deeper.

🎙️ Exclusive: Musk tells Isaacson "AI and robots" need to fix deficit Elon Musk tells biographer Walter Isaacson in a new podcast interview that the fizzled DOGE experiment, which the SpaceX and Tesla CEO once headed, proved there's "no way we were gonna solve the deficit from within the government." "The only way we're going to solve the national debt is with AI and robots," Musk tells the author for a new podcast series, "The Builders with Walter Isaacson," premiering Tuesday. "We're not gonna solve it by trying to save our way there." Why it matters: Musk's comments to Isaacson — author of the definitive 2023 biography, "Elon Musk" — admit that DOGE was a flop, but point to the chance that some future administration can take a new stab at the problem using ever-more-capable AI. 🔬 Zoom in: Musk said the appetite to cut spending "is not there at the presidency, the House, the Senate or the judiciary." "Maybe if the president made that his primary goal, we could do that," Musk added. "If you try to solve the deficit and stop wasteful spending, you make a lot of enemies. President Trump likes to be liked. He doesn't like people calling him, being upset about ... some funding being stopped." Musk admits he "kinda got carried away, basically" and that he wound up being "gone for too long" from his companies. "What I should have done," he added, "was be more in the background ... and probably only had it last for a month or two" rather than the four months he was formally in the White House. "I should have gone back and focused on AI a little sooner than I did." The big picture: Isaacson warned this week that Steve Jobs and the other great creators of the personal computer age would be cautious about autonomous AI agents not tightly connected to human control. Isaacson includes his warning in the new preface to an updated edition, published this week, of his sweeping 2014 history of the digital age, "The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution." Behind the scenes: Isaacson tells me he launched "The Builders" because he wanted to press the builders of this new AI age on these dangers and hear in their own voices what motivates them. Listen to a trailer for "The Builders" ...

👋 Tesla's farewell to cars Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Elon Musk's spectacular unveiling of a flying, rocket-powered Tesla Roadster could be seen as a boisterous farewell to Tesla, the car company, Axios' auto expert Joann Muller writes. Why it matters: The Roadster is a dazzling celebration of automotive engineering, but Musk increasingly envisions a future in which humans don't drive at all — and Tesla is more an AI and robotics company than an automaker. 🖼️ The big picture: With speculation mounting about a possible Tesla-SpaceX merger, the Roadster offers a tantalizing glimpse of how the two companies' technologies might intersect. Tesla's first Roadster, introduced nearly 20 years ago, helped launch the electric vehicle revolution by proving that EVs could be fast, sexy and fun. The new Roadster takes that idea to an almost absurd extreme, using SpaceX rocket technology and powerful suction fans to perform gravity-defying stunts. And while Tesla can still push the boundaries of automotive engineering, its mainstream vehicle lineup is aging, sales have struggled and Musk is increasingly focused on robotaxis, Optimus robots and artificial intelligence. The intrigue: Thursday's demo arguably had little to do with selling cars. Not every version of the Roadster will be street legal, and Musk had some fun while acknowledging the risks of driving a rocket-powered car. "This is not necessarily a safety-optimized car," he said Thursday. "But ... it takes the fun meter to 11 out of 10." 🏁 The bottom line: The original Roadster announced Tesla's arrival as a car company. The new one might be its most extravagant exit. Roadster video ...

Trump's October barrage President Trump is carrying his insatiable appetite for controversy into the most unforgiving stretch of the electoral calendar, fortified by a decade of political survival, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. "Bottom line, it's gonna all work out. You know why? It always does," Trump told reporters this week. Why it matters: Gone are the days of a single "October surprise." It's been swallowed by a barrage of scandals, provocations and shattered conventions that have persisted in the closing weeks of Trump's final midterm election. The big picture: Axios has documented Trump's steady demolition of presidential norms in his second term, from the transition through his first 100 days and first year in office. This year, even the threat of losing Congress — and with it, much of his ability to pursue his agenda over the next two years — has done little to temper the pace or audacity of Trump's presidency. 🗓️ Consider the first 15 days of October alone, and the succession of controversies that might have shaken the foundation of a more conventional presidency: Raid on a political opponent: Federal agents searched Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-Minn.) home and seized her phone as part of an investigation aimed at stripping the sitting member of Congress of her U.S. citizenship and ultimately deporting her, The Wall Street Journal reports. Calls to shoot leakers: Trump declared at an Arizona campaign rally that officials who leak sensitive military information "should be shot," invoking an earlier era when he claimed the government routinely executed leakers. Concessions to Vladimir Putin: Trump eased sanctions on Russian diesel, demanded the ouster of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and pressured Kyiv to stop attacking Russian refineries, even as Moscow continued bombing Ukrainian infrastructure. Federal crackdown on the press: The Justice Department launched an antitrust investigation into ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC after the networks suspended White House TV pool coverage to protest Trump's ban on three news organizations. $5,000 election promise: Trump pledged to send every adult American a $5,000 check if Republicans retain control of Congress, explicitly tying more than $1 trillion in proposed federal payments to the outcome of the midterms. The other side: Three October episodes forced Trump into rare retreats. A televised execution: Trump scrapped Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's plan to livestream a convicted mass murderer's execution by firing squad after bipartisan outrage. An ambassador's downfall: Trump forced Kimberly Guilfoyle — who was engaged to his son for four years until 2024 — to resign as ambassador to Greece after reports that she solicited $100,000 from a political donor to cover personal credit-card bills. A five-day press secretary: Trump ousted Katie Zacharia amid scrutiny of her legal credentials and a widely criticized debut. Axios reports Trump was blindsided to learn that Zacharia — whom he had introduced as an attorney — had never passed the bar exam. What they're saying: Far from seeing October as a month of political peril, the administration is celebrating it as a continuation of Trump's record. White House assistant press secretary Allison Schuster told Axios: "Since Day 1 of his administration, President Trump has boldly and consistently fulfilled his campaign promises to protect national security, make America beautiful, secure the border, crack down on crime, ensure free and fair elections, and make life more affordable." The bottom line: Trump is treating a moment of maximum political vulnerability like business as usual, betting that the instincts that carried him this far won't fail him now.

In the dark? 2026 ‘Government in the Sunshine’ manual seemingly shelved Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has not published the Government in the Sunshine Manual this year, seemingly breaking an annual effort by attorneys general in the state for decades. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/16/in-the-dark-2026-government-in-the-sunshine-manual-seemingly-shelved/? DeSantis seeks ‘major disaster’ declaration from Trump post-Isaias Florida has asked for a major disaster declaration from the White House a week after Hurricane Isaias tore through a swath of the Panhandle and was blamed for six deaths. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/16/desantis-seeks-major-disaster-declaration-from-trump-post-isaias/?

THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 17 1931 Al Capone convicted of tax evasion Gangster Al Capone is found guilty of tax evasion, signaling the downfall of one of the most notorious criminals of the 1920s and 1930s. He was later sentenced to 11 years in prison. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1835 The first resolution formally creating the Texas Rangers is approved American Revolution 1777 Americans win more than a battle at Saratoga European History 1912 Serbia and Greece declare war on Ottoman Empire in First Balkan War Middle Eastern History 1973 OPEC enacts oil embargo Natural Disasters & Environment 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake strikes near San Francisco Sports 1989 Oakland-San Francisco World Series game postponed because of earthquake U.S. Presidents 1974 President Ford explains his pardon of Nixon to Congress

Pope returns to Vatican days after surgery; surgeon says he should be fit for Latin America tour VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV returned to the Vatican on Saturday days after lung cancer surgery, as his surgeon said there are “no clinical reasons” to prevent his planned trip to Latin America next month. https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-lung-surgery-hospital-release-41683469bc294bcae08aa631b622e435?

October 17, 2026 Good morning. We’re all temporary citizens of makeshift communities created by happenstance, tiny disposable societies forged and dismantled in jury rooms and departure lounges. María Jesús Contreras Paper towns By Melissa Kirsch I resisted the urge to sneak a peek at the questionnaire of the man sitting beside me at jury duty a few weeks ago. He’d been totally unknown to me a half-hour before, but now, through the accident of being summoned to serve this civic duty on the same day, he was part of my world, an object of curiosity, my neighbor for the day. Who was this 30ish man in a plaid flannel who didn’t crack a smile when the hammy lawyer released a fellow juror with the quip, “Always the bridesmaid, never the bride”? Who were any of these people who, as I had, took the day off work and stepped out of the currents of their lives to enter this fluorescent-lit parallel universe of judgment and justice? Jury duty presents an acute instance of the makeshift community: strangers who come together for a short period, and in that time become their own little society with its own customs and laws, its own characters and gossip. These accidental communities happen all around us, all the time: the people sitting around you on the beach, fellow passengers on a flight, other fans who started queuing for concert tickets before dawn. Unlike when, say, staying in the same bed-and-breakfast or sharing a cubicle at work, socializing is not expected; but just by being present, you’re part of the play. How quickly people go from invisible to mattering! At jury duty, the woman who works at a nonprofit and grew up in Kansas has such thoughtful answers to the lawyers’ queries: She is the most beloved of all my new neighbors. We share a smile when we’re released for lunch, the pop-up community equivalent of best friendship. And that man in the cap watching a movie on his phone: He’s breaking the no-devices rule, and we all revile him. By afternoon, we have familiarized ourselves with routes from the metal detector to the assembly room, assembly room to bathroom: These are our neighborhood’s streets. We all know the same sleepy security guard, the no-nonsense courthouse staff; they live here too. Our outside lives become dim — do we really have jobs and spouses and full-fledged personalities? Our friends have no idea about these people to whom we’ve uttered not a word but have somehow become our confederates, no inkling of all the infrastructure we’ve erected. Then, as quickly as this society materialized, it evaporates. Those of us who have not been empaneled are abruptly dismissed at 4:30 p.m. There is no duty keeping us here, no actual ties to unravel, so we spill out the doors and stagger back to our actual friends and neighbors. We will probably not remember one another, and isn’t there a tiny bit of grief in that? How strange to periodically take up residency in these disposable towns, to participate in their bureaucracies so intensely and then never revisit them. We return home to our established relationships, the people we’ve lived beside for years, those who know us and whom we know. How wonderful to be recognized, depended upon, to contribute to the ongoing project of building a community we hope will last. THE LATEST NEWS Oregon Shooting Outside Silver Rail Elementary School yesterday. Jordan Gale for The New York Times A teacher and a father of two girls stopped the 16-year-old assailant who killed four people at an Oregon school Thursday from doing much more damage. Read how they did it. Officials believe the attacker, a former special ed student at the school, used a shotgun owned by his mother. Here’s what else we know about him. Trump Administration Katie Zacharia is out after only five days as White House press secretary. Her ouster follows a shaky first news conference and questions about whether she misrepresented herself as a lawyer. President Trump signed an executive order exempting Russia from new sanctions legislation as part of his effort to lower gas prices. The Midterms Jeremy White/The New York Times Trump has claimed that noncitizens vote en masse, but studies show that it is so rare that it has never changed the outcome of an election. Our graphics put the frequency in perspective. Our reporters talked to young voters who have given up on Trump and to residents of Republican strongholds who are struggling with drug prices. Four congressional districts in Pennsylvania exemplify the types of seats that Democrats are aiming to flip. In the video below, our national political correspondent Shane Goldmacher explains. Click to watch. The New York Times Political Spending Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York transferred $1 million to Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate campaign in Michigan. Democratic candidates have out-raised Republicans, but super PACs tied to Elon Musk and Trump have kept the G.O.P. competitive. Some $137 million has been spent in this election cycle on A.I.-generated ads. More than 80 percent of those were by or on behalf of Republican candidates. Around the World Using new drones, Russia is trying to make life in Kyiv unbearable. See what it’s like there now. Dozens of Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Times reporters witnessed the attack, in which a photojournalist from The Washington Post was among the injured. Crime plunged in Caracas after death squads killed thousands in 2018 and 2019. Now Venezuela is investigating that blood-soaked campaign. Officials in France acknowledged that they failed to keep sexual offenders from working in schools. College Safety A campaign to unmask the former Cornell student who accused seven men of sexual assault began on X. Our reporters tracked how it evolved. A 19-year-old man was charged in the rape and fentanyl death of a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Science The international authority on timekeeping voted to eliminate the leap second. The contentious measure will be replaced, a very long time from now, with a leap hour. Researchers claimed to have found the world’s oldest shipwreck. Terence Tao, one of the world’s greatest living mathematicians, is on a “war footing” about A.I. In an interview, he told us why. THE INTERVIEW Philip Montgomery for The New York Times “We pledged to each other when we were 18, 17, 16, that we would never, ever walk onto a stage without it being everything. We’ve had fistfights onstage, we’ve had them backstage, we’ve had madness, but we’ve never betrayed that.” — Bono. He and The Edge talked to David Marchese on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of U2. They also have a new album coming out. Watch or read more of their conversation here. THE WEEK IN CULTURE Film and TV Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave in a scene from “Ken Russell’s The Devils.” Warner Bros. Clockwork Perhaps the most in-demand screening at the Cannes Film Festival this spring was 55 years old and hated when it came out. A new restoration makes its qualities clearer. A cringe comedian might seem an odd choice to helm a documentary about Elizabeth Holmes — until you see Nathan Fielder’s TV shows. Get caught up with our guide. Music In 2003, the Dixie Chicks took on the president. In 2006, they took on the backlash with a Grammy-winning album. Now they’re on tour celebrating that album’s 20th anniversary. Barbara Kingsolver and Yiyun Li are novelists who also play piano. Both just published novels about pianists. We talked to them about it. More Culture The act of cutting paper is one of the world’s oldest folk arts. A new generation has given it a subversive edge. Trained as a historian, the painter Nilima Sheikh portrays the fractures of modern India in massive scrolls. Our critic says that her first New York show is marvelous. Deeply reported journalism needs your support. The Times relies on subscribers to help fund our mission. Become a subscriber today. GAME OF THE WEEK Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover Jay Laprete and Vera Nieuwenhuis/Associated Press Ohio State vs. Indiana, college football: The Athletic’s Justin Williams called this “the biggest home game in the history of Indiana football,” and it’s not hard to see why. The No. 5-ranked Hoosiers, who spent much of the last 70 years as the Big Ten’s punching bag, are now riding an incredible 22-game winning streak that includes last season’s national championship. Yet they’re still considered the underdog against the No. 4-ranked Buckeyes, whose star wide receiver, Jeremiah Smith, has appeared nearly impossible to defend. Kickoff is today at noon Eastern. — Matthew Cullen REAL ESTATE Graham Dickie for The New York Times The Hunt: After years of visiting her children in New York, a Colorado sculptor decided to look for a second home near Manhattan’s galleries. What did she find? Play our game. What you get for $400,000: An Italianate brick home in Schenectady, N.Y., a bungalow in Oregon, and a farmhouse in Indiana. Which would you choose? Jewel box: For decades, the architect Bob Ray Offenhauser built mansions for his clients. Now his own home is on the market. Check it out. LIVING Andrew Lee for The New York Times More space: An artist in Atlanta built his own backyard studio using salvaged materials. Go inside. Cosmetic restoration: Mask scratches, gouges and splintering on your hardwood floors with these D.I.Y. techniques. Home gallery: Young artists in New York are using their apartments as studios to showcase and sell their work. Meet some of them. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER Surprising things you should refrigerate Of course, your milk and poultry need to be kept cool. But the chilly darkness of your fridge can also help many common household objects last much longer. Cold temperatures can prevent an open bottle of super glue from turning rock solid or slow the aging process of unused photo film. Same goes for expensive skin care products, like vitamin C serums. Use teeth-whitening strips? The cold helps delay the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide and other active ingredients. Just make sure any nonfood items are clearly labeled, out of sight or out of reach from anyone who might not understand that they are not safe to ingest. — Maki Yazawa NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were burping and upbringing. 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

Brazilian Amazon deforestation falls to lowest on record as pivotal vote looms Forest clearance at smallest total since records began in 1988 in success for Lula ahead of presidential run-off https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/16/brazil-amazon-deforestation-lowest-on-record-election?

India’s Cockroach Janta party leader arrested amid crackdown on protests Abhijeet Dipke was detained before planned anti-government demonstrations in Delhi https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/16/india-cockroach-janta-party-leader-detained-amid-crackdown-protests?

‘I cannot carry all of this alone’: the couples kept apart by the war in Gaza Families have been scattered, fathers separated from their children, and couples unable to reunite and marry https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/17/couples-families-separated-war-in-gaza?

Trump pauses new Russia sanctions passed by Congress amid deepening row with Ukraine President signed the legislation championed by late senator Lindsey Graham last month but has waived the restrictions as they were due to come into effect https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/17/trump-puts-new-russia-sanctions-passed-by-congress-on-hold-amid-deepening-row-with-ukraine?

Georgia firefighters help veterinarian deliver rare 15-puppy litter; one firefighter adopted a puppy for his daughter. (More, w/photos and video) Bride jokingly surprises her dad with the emergency credit card he gave her when she left for college and let her keep through wedding planning. (More) Teen triathlete raises more than $30K to distribute 400 bikes and 500 helmets to low-income families, and host dozens of bike clinics. (More) Retired firefighter and fisherman coordinate six-hour community rescue of a dolphin stuck on a sandbar. (More, w/video) Woman secretly pays off her family's more than $58K debt with careful budgeting and over $40K in donations from a supportive online community. (More, w/video) Today, we're sharing a story from reader Kati B. in Kentucky. "I was in a very long line at the grocery store. When I finally got close to the register, I realized I had forgotten something. And I guess because of the look on my face, the lady behind me knew. She just looked at me and said, 'Run!' I did! And she just moved my cart up for me. When I got back, I helped her unload her groceries, too. That’s when I looked down and saw she had a broken foot."

Ovaries remain active decades after menopause, according to landmark study. The reproductive organs undergo structural tissue changes and experience increased inflammation, with molecular patterns often associated with cancer. The finding challenges the long-held assumption that ovaries go dormant after menopause and raises questions about whether ovaries should be removed later in life to support healthy aging. (More) Separately, the nation's leading OB-GYN group issued its first updated guidance on treating common menopausal symptoms in over a decade, strongly recommending hormone replacement therapy for hot flashes and night sweats. (More)

Israeli settlers attack West Bank olive harvest, injuring American journalist. Dozens of Israeli settlers burned olive trees and threw rocks at Palestinians in an attack on a West Bank village's annual olive harvest. At least two people were wounded and taken to a nearby hospital, including a photojournalist with The Washington Post who is in stable condition. Israeli settlers have launched at least 170 attacks since the annual olive harvest began Sept. 27. (More, w/photos, warning—sensitive) ps:And where is the outrage over this from anyone????? And by the way Israeli's should not be living in the West Bank, but the PM is allowing them to move there!!!!!

CDC to send disease detective to investigate Pennsylvania measles outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sending one of its scientists to Pennsylvania to help contain the growing measles outbreak. The state averaged more than 100 new cases weekly last month and accounts for over a quarter of the nation's more than 4,400 confirmed cases (see heat map). Fewer than 1% of Pennsylvania's cases are among those who are fully vaccinated. (More) ps:Why not wait another year or so??

The so=called lSabbth l School Qluaterly ils the published recommendation for SDA congregations to use in their Sabbath Schoool clases.. SDA Congregations are free to use other mteriL. Many do use other material, including non=SDA material.

Russia strikes 9 Ukrainian regions as a new report shows a spike in civilian casualties Russian attacks on nine regions of Ukraine knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of households and wounded at least 15 people, officials said Friday, as a new report showed that civilian casualties from Russia’s invasion have climbed steeply. Read More.

LA fire survivors are set to lose case managers as standoff between California and FEMA drags on Throughout the arduous process to rebuild the Altadena home where she lived for nearly 50 years, Mary Landau has sometimes felt like giving up. Much of what has sustained her is the encouragement she receives from her disaster case manager. Read More.

Serbian populist leader Aleksandar Vucic returns to tragedy-hit Novi Sad for preelection rally Serbia 's populist leader Aleksandar Vucic on Friday staged a preelection rally in Novi Sad, the northern city where 16 people died in a train station tragedy almost two years ago setting off a wave of mass anti-government protests. Read More.

Croatian soccer fans arrested over antisemitic slurs during match with Amsterdam team Police in the Croatian city of Split on Friday arrested at least a dozen fans of the Hajduk Split soccer team a day after unruly supporters held an antisemitic rally, clashed with officers and interrupted a match with the visiting Dutch team Ajax. Read More.

Chile's president makes first state visit to Bolivia in 71 years as region shifts right Chilean President José Antonio Kast met with his Bolivian counterpart, Rodrigo Paz, in La Paz on Friday in the first state visit by a Chilean leader in more than seven decades, as a rightward political shift in South America reshapes long-standing rivalries. Read More.