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Latest information and investigation into UPS cargo plane crash fatalities

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Latest information and investigation into UPS cargo plane crash fatalities

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Days after a United Parcel Service cargo plane crash sparked a deadly fireball in Louisville, Kentucky, authorities fear the death toll could continue to rise as the search for answers slowly begins.

At least 12 people were killed and several others injured in the Nov. 4 accident, officials said. Officials described an “apocalyptic” scene, detailing falling debris and blackened skies over Louisville in the immediate aftermath of the crash.

According to authorities, as of November 5, at least nine other people were confirmed dead on the ground, in addition to the three people on board the plane who were presumed dead. Gov. Andy Beshear said it may be difficult for the coroner to identify the bodies due to the extent of the damage.

Beshear warned that the death toll could be higher because authorities do not expect to find any survivors at the crash site. Earlier on Nov. 5, the governor announced that 16 families had reported their loved ones missing.

“It is with great sadness that I share that the death toll has risen to 12 and there are still several people missing,” Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said on social media on November 5. “No one should face tragedy alone. Please take a moment to hug your loved ones and check on your neighbors.”

Meanwhile, the investigation into the crash has produced some preliminary findings about what went wrong.

Todd Inman, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, confirmed at a press conference on November 5 that a large column of fire erupted around the left wing of the plane as it rolled off the runway, causing one of its three engines to disengage.

Inman said investigators recovered the plane’s so-called black boxes: the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. He said it appeared to be unharmed when it was found among the crash debris on Nov. 5, adding that investigators should be able to retrieve data from the system within a few days.

Approximately 28 members of the National Transportation Safety Board arrived in Louisville on Nov. 5 to begin the investigation, Greenberg said. The NTSB said the agency assists the agency at the scene by collecting evidence, taking photographs, mapping and measuring the wreckage scene, and “generally serves as an augmentation to the NTSB go team.”

Here’s what we know about the study.

Where did the UPS plane crash occur?

The plane crashed in a primarily industrial area just south of Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, about nine miles south of downtown Louisville. The airport is home to UPS Worldport, an international aviation hub with over 300 daily flights and approximately 2 million packages processed daily.

Beshear said two businesses were directly affected by the disaster: Kentucky Oil Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts. Other businesses nearby also escaped the fire, including a convention center, restaurants and a Ford assembly plant.

The crash and subsequent fire also disrupted airport-based operations at the UPS Worldport facility and delayed delivery services. UPS announced on the night of November 5 that it had reopened its facilities.

“It’s a workhorse.” The UPS jet that crashed was part of an aging fleet with an expensive reputation

What is the cause of the UPS plane crash?

The Federal Aviation Administration announced that the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the accident investigation. Full results of the investigation are expected to take more than a year.

The plane’s flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder will be a key part of the investigation.

“We feel confident that once we get these to our lab in (Washington) D.C., we’ll be able to accurately read out the relevant data. That’s going to be yet another piece of information that will really help us understand what happened,” Inman said.

“You thought the world was ending”: Witnesses were horrified as they watched the violent crash of the UPS plane

Inman said the NTSB was “not aware” of staffing shortages due to the government shutdown at the time of the accident. “The SDF tower was adequately complemented as far as we saw and from what we heard,” he said.

The aircraft, a 34-year-old MD-11 cargo plane with three crew members on board, crashed during takeoff on Nov. 4, shortly after flying over a fence at the end of the runway. The plane crashed into nearby structures, including an oil recycling facility, burst into flames and exploded.

UPS plane crash: How often do cargo jets crash?

Contributor: Janine Santucci and Carissa Wadick, USA Today. Reuters

Starbucks Holiday Menu 2025, Glass Bear Cup, Hello Kitty Goods Introducing

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Starbucks Holiday Menu 2025, Glass Bear Cup, Hello Kitty Goods Introducing

It’s the holiday season at Starbucks, with special drinks like the Peppermint Mocha and holiday-themed products like Hello Kitty items and adorable Bearista cups.

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The holiday season has begun at Starbucks.

The specialty coffee chain’s holiday menu will go on sale on Thursday, November 6th. This includes seasonal drinks such as peppermint mocha and caramel brûlée latte, as well as new products this year including special Hello Kitty merchandise, including hot and cold cups and a special edition Hello Kitty plush toy. The chain also sells other merchandise, including the popular cute glass bear cups known as “Bearistas.”

Red Cup Day fans will have to wait one week until Thursday, Nov. 13 to get their reusable red holiday cup when they order a holiday drink at participating locations, while supplies last. Meanwhile, the designs for this year’s disposable holiday cups have been announced and are scheduled to go on sale from November 6th.

Here we will introduce the contents of the menu and what you can order.

Snap situation: Our friends at the grocery store are helping us buy food for SNAP recipients. what are they?

Starbucks 2025 Holiday Drink Menu

This drink will be released at Starbucks from November 6th (Thursday).

  • Peppermint Mocha: Starbucks Signature Espresso combines steamed milk, mocha sauce, and peppermint-flavored syrup and is topped with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls. Available as hot, iced, or Frappuccino blended beverages.
  • Caramel brulee latte: A combination of Starbucks Signature Espresso, steamed milk, and rich caramel brûlée sauce, topped with whipped cream and caramel brûlée topping. Available as hot, iced, or Frappuccino blended beverages.
  • Ice sugar cookie latte: Sugar cookie-flavored syrup is mixed with Starbucks Blonde espresso, ice, and milk, then topped with red and green sprinkles. Available as hot, iced, or Frappuccino blended beverages.
  • Iced gingerbread chai: Combine warm chai spices, milk, and ice and top with dairy-free gingerbread-flavored cold foam and spice toppings. (You can also customize your beverage with dairy-free alternatives at no additional charge.)
  • Marron praline latte: Featuring flavors of Starbucks Signature espresso, steamed milk, caramelized chestnuts and spices, it’s topped with whipped cream and spiced praline crumbs. Available as hot, iced, or Frappuccino blended beverages.
  • Eggnog latte: Recently removed from the 2021 holiday menu, this returning drink includes Starbucks Signature Espresso, steamed eggnog, milk, and nutmeg topping.

Starbucks says it will be bringing back two additional holiday drinks later in the holiday season: Chestnut Praline Latte and Eggnog Latte.

Beyond drinks, Starbucks is also bringing back a quartet of cold foam that you can use to customize your cold drinks. Most can be made dairy-free and you can also add protein-rich cold foam, giving you about 15 grams of extra protein in a grande-sized drink.

Below are the Holiday Cold Foam flavors and the company’s descriptions.

  • Gingerbread cream cold foam: A sweet and spicy gingerbread flavor blended with Starbucks’ special vanilla sweet cream.
  • Peppermint chocolate cream cold foam: Peppermint-flavored syrup and mocha sauce are blended with Starbucks’ special vanilla sweet cream.
  • Sugar Cookie Cream Cold Foam: Starbucks’ special vanilla sweet cream is blended with sugar cookie flavored syrup.
  • Candy brulee cream cold form: Rich caramel brûlée sauce blended with Starbucks special vanilla sweet cream. Not available in dairy-free cold form.

Baked goods on the holiday menu include returning items like snowman cookies, cranberry bliss bars and sugar plum cheese danishes. The new menu includes polar bear cake pops and cinnamon pull-apart bread.

Starbucks also announced four limited edition seasonal blends available during the holiday season.

  • Starbucks Thanksgiving Blend:The company says it uses beans sourced from Indonesia’s Sumatra, Ethiopia’s Sidama, and Guatemala’s Antigua regions, and it’s described as “delicately sweet and deep,” with “aromas of candied pecans, sage, and dried figs.”
  • Starbucks Christmas Blend:The blend, now in its 41st year, “demonstrates Starbucks’ artistry in roasting and blending an expert combination of Latin American beans and rich Indonesian coffee,” the company said.
  • Starbucks Christmas Blonde Roast:The Blonde Roasted version of this Christmas blend is “lightly roasted to bring out woody notes and a smooth flavor with just the right amount of seasonal spice.”
  • Starbucks Holiday Blend:The company describes it as a “full-bodied, vibrant blend with layered notes of sweet maple and enticing herbs.”

Starbucks’ 2025 holiday products include ‘Bearista’ cups and Hello Kitty items

What would the holiday season be without gift items like festive coffee cups (for hot and cold drinks) and drinkware from an exclusive collaboration between Starbucks and Hello Kitty?

The new collection of holiday-themed cups and tumblers (priced from $19.95 to $39.95) includes the cute Starbucks Bearista Glass Cold Cup ($29.95). There are also red cup and coffee mug holiday ornaments ($12.95).

Hello Kitty items include a Hello Kitty stuffed animal wearing Starbucks’ iconic green apron (and her signature red ribbon) for $34.95, a 16-ounce Hello Kitty ceramic mug for $32.95, a 26-ounce stainless steel cold cup for $32.95, a 20-ounce water bottle for $29.95, and a 24-ounce cold cup. $24.95, includes stainless steel 12 oz. Tumbler is $32.95.

Mike Snyder is a national trends news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, and X, and email him at: mike snyder & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com

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Flight reductions, groundings, air travel, tariffs, SNAP, cancer: Daily Briefing

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Flight reductions, groundings, air travel, tariffs, SNAP, cancer: Daily Briefing

good morning!🙋🏼‍♀️ I’m Nicole Fallato. A “Bearista” cup is required.

Let’s take a quick look at Thursday’s news.

Flight reductions begin at major airports

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced at a press conference that 40 major airports will be reducing flights by 10% over the weekend due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.

What happened next: Plans for drastic flight reductions have left airlines scrambling to implement drastic reductions in just 36 hours, with passengers flooding airline customer service hotlines with concerns about air travel in the coming days.

  • Why is this happening? The government shutdown, currently the longest in U.S. history, is putting pressure on the country’s air traffic controllers.
  • “Regional flying” may be on the chopping block. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has promised refunds to customers who don’t want to fly during the flight restrictions.
  • Will my flight be changed? If your flight is affected by staffing issues related to the grounding, you may not have many rights. Duffy did not say how long these restrictions would last or which airports would be affected, but said they would begin Friday morning.

Judges question President Trump’s tariffs

The Supreme Court, which has largely respected President Donald Trump’s claims to expand executive power, may be ready to put the brakes on the court. During nearly three hours of debate Wednesday, the justices asked whether President Trump has the authority to impose significant tariffs on most imported goods. Experts told USA TODAY they observed “significant skepticism among the judges.”

More news you need to know right now

How’s the weather today? Please check the local weather forecast here.

In 1909, Pittsburgh police rounded up 400 black men for no reason.

Attracted by booming steel mills and factories, black Americans moved to industrial Pittsburgh in record numbers in the early 20th century. But another, more immediate danger loomed: the police. On the night of February 2, 1909, police arrested all black men who could not immediately provide proof of employment. The pretext for the roundup was a series of vague and unsubstantiated reports about “assaults” against white women and girls. What happened to the 400 black men arrested?ted.

This article is part of the “Injustices” series published by the USA TODAY Network in partnership with the Equal Justice Initiative. This coverage seeks to confront the reality of racial injustice, consider its lasting impact, and preserve these stories as part of America’s collective history.

Can remote work solve America’s baby bust?

Americans are having fewer and fewer babies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, the birth rate will drop to an all-time low in 2024, with each American woman expected to have an average of 1.6 babies. However, new research suggests there is a “positive relationship” between recent trends in remote and hybrid work schedules and having children. Couples who work from home even one day a week are more likely to have children.

today’s speaker

Everyone is talking about a blood test that detects 50 types of cancer.

USA TODAY wellness reporter David Oliver took the Galleri Multicancer Early Detection (MCED) test, a $949 blood test that studies DNA fragments that have leaked into the bloodstream. Patients need a prescription before pulling up the sleeve (currently not FDA approved). As a result of his research, Garelli found signs of cancer in 216 people, 133 of whom actually had cancer. It also accurately predicted the origin of cancer 92% of the time. The big question: Is this the future of cancer treatment?

Photo of the day: Pop star and prince

Prince William attended the annual Earthshot Awards ceremony on Wednesday, welcoming celebrities including singer-songwriters Shawn Mendes and Kylie Minogue. The evening celebrated innovative global environmental solutions.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer for USA TODAY. Sign up for emails here. Want to send a note to Nicole? Email NFallert@usatoday.com.

Are you saving enough for retirement compared to others?

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Are you saving enough for retirement compared to others?

Are you ahead or behind others when it comes to saving for retirement?

christy bieber
|The Motley Fool

Most experts recommend taking back 70% to 90% of your pre-retirement income when you leave your job. This money should come from Social Security and savings, and from your employer pension if you have one.

You’ll probably want to maintain a similar lifestyle in retirement, so your income will affect how much you need to save. After all, if you were making a six-figure income and suddenly had to live on $20,000, it would be a drastic change.

Your income can also affect how much you can save. If you’re making a lot of money, you’ll probably have more disposable income to invest in your future.

Your income plays a huge role in your retirement planning, so it helps to see where you stand. your Your retirement nest egg is on par with other people making the same salary as you. The data required for this is:

How do your retirement savings compare to others with similar incomes?

According to Vanguard’s 2025 How America Saves report, the average and median account balances by income are:

income Average 401(k) balance Median 401(k) balance
Less than $15,000 $25,716 $4,055
$15,000～$29,999 $19,858 $6,475
$30,000～$49,999 $27,278 $10,928
$50,000～$74,999 $62,618 $27,528
$75,000～$99,999 $109,770 $53,112
$100,000～$149,999 $188,329 $98,434
Over $150,000 $377,488 $221,220

Data source: Vanguard.

It is clear that both the average balance and the median increase as income increases. Of course, the average balance will be higher than the median because some people who invest very heavily in their retirement plans will push up the average balance.

Still, the highest earners save more than 50 times more for retirement than the lowest earners.

It’s clear that these highly paid people will need more money in their 401(k) accounts to maintain their lifestyles. However, balances for people at the bottom of the income scale are so low that they cannot replace the recommended income percentage.

For example, if you only had $10,928 in savings and followed the 4% rule, your investments would only generate about $437.12 in annual retirement income. That’s well below the $30,000 to $49,999 people with this level of median savings currently earn.

Now, this data covers all ages, so the numbers may be skewed downwards for people who take longer to retire. But the truth is, if you have many years until retirement, you need to save a larger nest egg because you need to account for the effects of inflation, which reduces the purchasing power of your future savings.

Are you on track for a secure retirement?

It’s interesting to see how you compare to your peers and can give you insight into how people with similar incomes are managing (or not managing) their retirement investments.

But most importantly, make sure you personally have enough money in your 401(k) or IRA to live the life you want after you quit your job. You can do it in the following way.

  • Determine the total amount you need to save. A good rule of thumb is to estimate that you will need 10 times your pre-retirement income.
  • Using an online calculator Investor.gov does the same thing as seeing how much you should save each month to get the nest egg you decide you need.
  • A budget based on how much money you have to saveReduce your amount to ensure you can invest the amount you want (or, if you can’t invest the amount you need at the moment, at least take steps to work up to it).
  • Automate 401(k) contributions or other retirement plans to ensure you save the amount you need.

It’s important to remember that Social Security alone won’t support you. So whether you’re above or below those in your income bracket, this kind of planning for a secure future is worth the effort.

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The Motley Fool is a USA TODAY content partner providing financial news, analysis and commentary designed to help people take control of their financial lives. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

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Horrifying ‘choir stall’ child murder case solved, Pennsylvania prosecutor announces

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Horrifying ‘choir stall’ child murder case solved, Pennsylvania prosecutor announces

The murder of Carol Ann Dougherty at a Pennsylvania church remained unsolved for decades. Now authorities have named a suspect in her murder.

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On an October day in 1962, Carol Ann Dougherty was on her way to meet a friend at the library in her small hometown in Pennsylvania. The 9-year-old never made it there.

She parked her bike outside and stopped to say a short prayer at St. Mark’s Roman Catholic Church. When she did not return home for dinner, her parents began looking for her.

Noticing her bicycle, her father entered the church and discovered her partially clothed and battered body in the choir loft.

Witness found: Access our exclusive collection of true crime stories, podcasts, videos, and more

Her murder remained unsolved for 63 years.

On October 29, the Bucks County, Pennsylvania, district attorney announced that the identity of Carol Ann Dougherty’s killer has finally been determined, according to the Bucks County Courier-Times, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Shawn released a grand jury report alleging that William Schroeder raped and strangled Carol on October 22, 1962, in the choir room of St. Mark’s Roman Catholic Church. She is said to have been a happy and pious child who loved reading.

learn more: The 1962 murder of Carol Ann Doherty in a Bristol church has finally been solved. Prosecutor reveals murderer

Schrader died of a heart attack in July 2002 at the age of 64.

“This case has remained unsolved for decades, but it’s not for a lack of hard work, dedication and dedication to seeking the truth,” Sean said. “We believe this may be the only rape and murder of a young girl to occur in a church in the United States.”

Schrader was one of the few suspects in the case, but he passed a polygraph test and then abruptly left the country for Florida. In 1970, he was sentenced to 21 years in prison for setting fire to and killing a 12-year-old girl in Louisiana.

Carol Ann Dougherty’s case remained unsolved and disappeared from the public consciousness until the 1992 Bucks County Courier Times series “The Choir Loft Murders” prompted a reexamination of the evidence and made Schrader the focus of a new investigation.

When he was extradited to Pennsylvania for questioning and forced to testify before a grand jury, Schrader invoked the Fifth Amendment when asked about the murder of Carol Ann Dougherty. He was not charged and sent back to Louisiana.

A man who said he met Schroeder in prison in the 1960s told parole officials that Schroeder told him shortly before his death that he had “committed the perfect murder” and that he had “raped a girl on the altar” before killing her to keep her quiet. Robert LeBlanc’s parole officer told Bucks County authorities, and LeBlanc, who has since died, admitted the information to investigators in 2024.

Keep the story alive: A reporter’s 33-year journey to solve the 1962 Bristol church murders

The DNA evidence was retested in 2024 and submitted to a Texas lab that specializes in cold cases, according to the Bucks County Attorney’s Office.

“This incident has plagued the Bristol Borough community for years,” said Bristol Borough Police Chief Joe Moores. “(Investigators’) pursuit of the truth and teamwork finally brought answers to Carol’s family and our community… Their pursuit of the truth has finally come to fruition.”

“Our family is living without answers, and the uncertainty surrounding Carol’s death has become part of who we are,” her sister Kay Doherty Taranka said, according to 6ABC News.

“After decades of going unnoticed, this discovery finally brings closure and truth to a wound that never healed.”

Why working from home could boost America’s birth rate

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Why working from home could boost America’s birth rate

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When technology executive Logan Maley returned to the office after giving birth to her first child in 2018, she had the ideal environment in place. Although she worked four days a week in a private office with a mini-fridge and blackout blinds so she could pump at her desk, she was still heartbroken to be away from her young daughter.

Then the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic occurred. She was able to have breakfast and lunch with her daughter and put her daughter to bed for a nap. She stopped missing out on so many firsts. And in addition to spending more quality time at home, Maley said she’s also been more productive and focused at work.

No longer torn between being a professional and being a parent, she and her husband decided it was the right time to have a second child. “We were both at home, so while the world was falling apart, we thought we’d do the same,” Maley said.

Researchers hear that sentiment so often that they decided to study it. They say the findings suggest a “positive relationship” between recent trends in remote and hybrid work schedules and having children.

Since the end of the baby boom in the early 1960s, Americans have had fewer and fewer babies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, the birth rate will drop to an all-time low in 2024, with each American woman expected to have an average of 1.6 babies.

But a new study by Stanford University and other institutions that analyzed data from 19,000 workers in 38 countries shows that the number of births in the U.S. increased by an additional 80,000 between 2021 and 2025, when the pandemic shuttered offices and ushered in a new era of remote and hybrid work.

Couples who work from home even one day a week are more likely to get pregnant and plan to have children in the future than those who commute to the office five days a week, a study found. Couples were still more likely to have children even when only one person worked from home.

“Flexibility, or lack of such flexibility, about when, where, and how to work is one potentially important factor in fertility decisions,” the study states.

“You can’t get pregnant through email.”

Nick Bloom, a Stanford University economics professor and co-author of the “Working from Home and Fertility” study, said giving people more flexibility and freedom during the pandemic has made it possible for couples to start families.

No more long commutes or rushing home for dinner. Parents were attending school pick-ups and soccer games. We now have more time to put the kids to bed, catch up on our own sleep schedule, and even exercise in some cases.

Bloom said her remote work schedule not only made it easier to care for her children, but it also made it easier to get pregnant. After all, “you can’t get pregnant over text,” he said.

Although she has no plans to expand her family, working remotely is now non-negotiable for Maylie. With my second child, I didn’t have to wash pump parts, and I didn’t have to stress about storing milk or remembering to bring it home after work. She secretly breastfed her son during a Zoom call.

“If I had to go to the office, I would be much less likely to have more children,” she said.

Bloom said the study raises important questions about the role flexible working arrangements can play in restoring fertility rates.

This is also not the first time that a link has been suggested between working from home and childbirth. A 2021 National Bureau of Economic Research study on the baby bump concluded that improving childcare and giving parents more flexibility to work from home “may be associated with higher future fertility rates.”

A 2023 study of 3,000 American women by economist Adam Ozimek and demographer Lyman Stone found that women who work remotely are more likely to say they plan to have children, especially if they’re more educated, wealthy, and older. Approximately 15-20% of women working remotely were trying to conceive, compared to only 10-14% of employed women without remote work options. Remote workers surveyed were also more likely to be married.

“We believe this evidence suggests that a ‘return to the office’ may contribute to fertility declines and that governments interested in implementing marriage support and prenatal policies may be interested in considering how they can support and encourage flexible work arrangements,” Ozimek and Stone write.

Did the birth rate drop after returning to public service?

As women wait longer to have children or postpone having children, many office workers, especially women, say flexible work schedules allow them to better balance work and caregiving responsibilities, the survey found. According to a FlexJobs survey, 80% of women cite flexibility as the biggest benefit of their job.

“I’m one of the only millennials I know who has had a baby IRL,” one person commented on Reddit. “It’s no coincidence that my partner and I have been working from home since 2020.”

“Now that I know I can work from home, I feel much better about having kids in the future,” another commented.

However, the research comes amid a wider crackdown on flexible working arrangements.

President Donald Trump has ordered federal employees to return to office full time. More companies, including Amazon and JPMorgan Chase, are following suit.

Blackstone CEO Steve Schwartzman said remote workers “weren’t working as hard” during the pandemic. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “People who work from home are inefficient.” Former Trump adviser and Tesla CEO Elon Musk said working from home is “morally wrong.”

Bloom said remote work’s bad reputation contradicts President Trump’s policies encouraging Americans to have more children.

As the United States and other developed countries struggle with falling birth rates, concerns about an aging population are growing, raising concerns about a shrinking labor market and economic stagnation.

President Trump announced a plan in October to expand access to in vitro fertilization, and his administration has proposed a “baby bonus” that includes scholarships for married people and parents and a one-time cash bonus of $5,000 for mothers.

“What’s strange is that the current Trump-Vance administration is pushing to increase the birth rate, but they’re trying to eliminate telecommuting,” Bloom said. “A government that wants more Americans to have babies will embrace telecommuting. You can’t force couples to have children, but making it a lot easier would certainly help, and telecommuting definitely does that.”

So far, pro-natalist government policies have not brought about much change. Countries such as Sweden, Norway and Finland have paid parental leave and subsidized child care, but birth rates remain low. Although Hungary has offered a number of incentives, including exempting women with four or more children from paying income tax, convincing people to have children remains difficult.

What’s hidden behind a baby’s bust?

The reasons Americans choose not to have children are hotly debated in academic circles, with many blaming America’s infant collapse on changing priorities and social norms.

When asked, couples give a variety of reasons. Marriage and childbirth delays are increasing, and the time to pregnancy is becoming shorter. They also blame rising costs for childcare, fertility treatment, housing and medical care.

Some say they no longer think they need children to lead a meaningful life, and instead would like to spend more time working or pursuing leisure. And recent research suggests that men’s unequal participation in childcare and household responsibilities is another factor in the decline in fertility.

Not everyone is convinced that remote or hybrid work schedules are an important factor in deciding whether to start a family. Some economists say people may simply be choosing to work from home because they want to have children.

“It is not inconceivable that increased telecommuting could affect birth rates. One of the challenges we face and that is likely to contribute to changes in birth rates is the difficulty in managing careers and personal lives,” said Wellesley economics professor Philip Levin. “Given the evidence currently available, it’s hard to say it’s having a significant impact.”

Many American workers now have more flexibility than before the pandemic. More than half will work in a hybrid role in 2025, and 28% will work fully remotely, up from 18% five years ago, according to Gallup data. But birth rates are still declining, Levine said.

Even if flexible working arrangements did not increase birth rates, they were still valuable because they could benefit families, he said. Approximately 45% of working Americans between the ages of 25 and 54 have children under the age of 17, making working parents an important part of the workforce.

“Not every positive intervention has to solve all of society’s problems,” Levine said.

Trump has overseen up to two government shutdowns. What did he say at the end?

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Trump has overseen up to two government shutdowns. What did he say at the end?

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  • The two longest government shutdowns in U.S. history occurred under President Donald Trump.
  • The previous record-breaking shutdown in 2018-2019 lasted 35 days and was focused on funding construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
  • President Trump’s previous statements have varied between criticizing Democrats and saying the president has the ultimate responsibility to gain public consent.

President Donald Trump held office during two of the longest government shutdowns in American history.

The current government shutdown entered its 36th day on November 5th, as Democrats and Republicans failed to reach an agreement on the expiration of health insurance subsidies, which is at the center of the debate. The Trump administration has widely blamed Democrats for the government shutdown, and Democrats say Republicans are refusing to negotiate.

The last record-breaking shutdown also occurred under President Trump’s administration. The shutdown, which lasted 35 days during the 2018 holiday season, was the third such shutdown during his first administration. Others lasted from hours to days. The shutdown broke a record set by Trump, who received the most airtime during his public remarks on Nov. 5, the anniversary of his 2024 election victory.

What did he say about the closure at the time? Here’s what we know.

Live updates: Democrats roll to victory as President Trump blames Republican losses due to the government shutdown.

How did the last shutdown end?

The longest government shutdown on record began with an impasse over President Trump’s request for $5.7 billion to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Democrats refused to fund him, arguing that building a wall would be expensive and ineffective.

The period was 35 days from December 22, 2018, and ended on January 25, 2019. At the time, Democrats controlled the House of Representatives and Republicans controlled the Senate.

Ultimately, the White House and Congressional leaders struck a deal to reopen the government within a month. Their agreement did not include new funding for border wall construction, but called for a bipartisan conference committee to spend the next three weeks negotiating ways to secure the southern border.

Weeks later, the funding plan agreed to by Congress included only $1.375 billion for wall construction, so President Trump sought to access even more funds by declaring a national emergency.

President Trump in 2018: “I’m all alone in the White House (poor guy)”

President Trump still blamed Democrats for the 2018-2019 government shutdown, but he remained in Washington, D.C., citing concerns about the shutdown and federal workers who went without pay. This time, President Trump traveled to the Middle East, Asia, and his home in Florida.

On Christmas Eve 2018, Trump said, “I’m all alone in the White House (poor me) waiting for the Democrats to come back and make a deal on desperately needed border security,” Trump later tweeted. “At some point, the Democrats not wanting a deal will cost our country more than the border wall we’re talking about. Crazy!”

President Trump also congratulated Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi on her reelection as Speaker of the House amid the government shutdown.

According to Reuters, President Trump said at a White House press conference on January 3, 2019, “This is a tremendous accomplishment, and I hope that we can work together to accomplish infrastructure and many other things.” “I think it’ll actually work.”

President Trump has repeatedly mocked Democratic leaders in Congress over the past month, including a widely shared deepfake video from the White House that showed House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wearing a sombrero. “We’re going to make sure every employee gets their back pay promptly, or as soon as possible. That’s going to happen very soon. I’m asking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to take this proposal up immediately,” Trump said. President Trump said this on the day the shutdown ended in 2019.

On October 7, President Trump threatened to withhold payments, saying some employees “do not deserve” compensation. However, the Public Employees Fair Treatment Act, passed during the 2019 government shutdown, says federal employees who are furloughed while federal funding lapses “will be paid their wages for the period of lapse.” The White House claimed there was a loophole and threatened to make federal job cuts even worse during the government shutdown. After the 2019 government shutdown ended, President Trump denied he would rescind his demands.

“This is in no way a concession,” President Trump posted on social media. “The government was looking after the millions of people seriously injured by the shutdown on the understanding that if no deal was reached within 21 days it would be off to the races.”

President Trump says the president bears responsibility during Obama administration shutdown

In April 2011, after weeks of difficult negotiations, leaders of both parties reached an agreement that ultimately averted a government shutdown, as summarized by President Barack Obama. President Trump spoke about the possibility of a shutdown ahead of a deal in an interview with Meredith Vieira on NBC’s “Today” show. A recording posted on Vimeo by Roll Call Factbase shows President Trump saying:

“In my opinion, I’ve heard that Democrats will be blamed, I’ve heard that Republicans will be blamed, and I actually think the president will be blamed, too,” he said. “If there was a shutdown…I think that would be a very negative review for the president of the United States. The president is the person who has to bring people together.”

At the time, Trump was toying with a presidential bid and repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of Obama’s citizenship. Mr. Obama was born in Hawaii and is a U.S. citizen.

The final shutdown occurred when Obama was president. In 2013, the government was shut down for 17 days.

Trump also spoke about how the shutdown will be remembered in a phone interview with Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” ahead of the 2013 shutdown, according to PolitiFact.

“When they talk about the government shutdown, they’re going to be talking about the president of the United States, the president at the time,” Trump said. “They’re not going to talk about who was the head of the House or the head of the Senate running things in Washington. So I really think the pressure is on the president.”

Contributions: Eliza Collins, Michael Collins, John Fritze, Joey Garrison, Zach Anderson, USA TODAY

Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Please contact kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky (@kinseycrowley.bsky.social).

Tired of your bank? You probably want to hear about “soft switching.”

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Tired of your bank? You probably want to hear about “soft switching.”

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A few years ago, there was a lot of talk about “quiet exits” in corporate America. Now, a banking industry report points to another new trend with the alliterative name “soft switching.”

According to an Oct. 20 report from J.D. Power, many customers are secretly switching banks.

Changing your primary bank account is notoriously difficult, given the complications involved with direct deposits, automatic withdrawals, and other transfers.

Instead, customers are opening a second or third checking account with a new financial institution. Then, over time, gradually move your trades and funds to a new account, or soft switching.

“We feel like they love the experience they’re getting with the new accounts they open,” said Miles Tullo, managing director of financial services at J.D. Power. “And before you know it, those customers who used to bank with you for all their banking needs are now banking elsewhere.”

JD Power reports that just over half of new checking accounts opened in the third quarter of 2025 were add-on accounts opened by customers who already had one or more accounts.

In many cases, these new accounts become the customer’s primary bank account. Consumers can keep their old checking accounts, but they may not use them.

Opening a new bank account is very easy

The “soft switching” trend comes at a time when consumers are inundated with new financial service offers and opening a new account is easier than ever.

“As consumers, we have a plethora of choices in everything we do,” Tullo said. “For us, it has never been easier to take advantage of that choice.”

And this trend is counterintuitive, since bank customers tend to be stationary.

The average American holds the same bank account for 17 to 19 years, said Ted Rothman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate.

Many consumers’ reluctance to switch banks is one reason they miss out on high-yield savings accounts, which are more popular in the online banking world.

“It seems like some people are starting to be open to switching,” Rothman said. “I actually like the idea of ​​people shopping.”

Why are bank customers flocking to Chime?

A big winner in the soft switching trend is Chime, a financial technology company that partners with banks to offer low-cost products.

According to JD Power, Chime had the largest share of new checking accounts opened in the third quarter, ahead of companies such as Chase and Bank of America.

There has been a lot of “soft switching” among banking giants, with most of the 10 companies with the highest share of new accounts being traditional large banks. The list also includes financial technology company SoFi and payments app Cash App.

Chime offers perks like fee-free banking, a popular app, and the opportunity to withdraw a portion of your paycheck before payday.

“Chime has a very specific strategy that resonates with the majority of Americans,” Tullo said. “And they’re saying, ‘We’re going to give you a better experience.'”

Some analysts call Chime a “neobank.” This is an umbrella term for fintech companies that typically partner with banks to provide banking services, but they are not banks.

“This is a new kind of alternative to many of the big banks,” Rothman said. “They’re kind of meeting people on the spot from a technology standpoint.”

Chime has proven to be highly successful in persuading new customers to open accounts. The company’s “conversion rate,” the percentage of potential customers who actually open an account, was 77% in the third quarter, the highest among institutions included in JD Power’s report.

“We founded Chime to serve the millions of everyday people making up to $100,000 a year, the ‘unhappy bankers’ who are underserved by traditional banks,” said Chime co-founder Ryan King. “More Americans are choosing Chime because we’re offering them something better than what they’re currently getting.”

Bad banking experiences drive consumers to switch

J.D. Power’s Mr. Turo said consumers are often motivated to switch banks because of a series of negative experiences with their previous bank. Ultimately, the consumer clicks on a new bank promotion to open an account. If bad experiences continue, consumers will gradually switch banks.

If big banks want to retain customers, “they can’t afford to make too many mistakes,” Tullo said.

According to J.D. Power, convenience was the primary motivator for consumers when choosing which bank to open a new checking account with. A small number of customers cited the institution’s good reputation, low fees, or promotional offers. The report is based on 84,019 responses collected in August and September.

“It all starts with someone opening a second or third account,” Tullo says.

New model design could solve high AI costs for enterprises

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New model design could solve high AI costs for enterprises

Business leaders grappling with the steep costs associated with deploying AI models may find a reprieve thanks to a new architectural design.

Although the capabilities of generative AI are attractive, the enormous amount of computation required for both training and inference increases cost-prohibitive costs and environmental concerns. At the heart of this inefficiency is a “fundamental bottleneck” in the model: an autoregressive process that sequentially generates text for each token.

For companies processing massive data streams, from IoT networks to financial markets, this limitation makes producing long-form analysis slow and economically difficult. But a new research paper by Tencent AI and Tsinghua University suggests an alternative.

A new approach to AI efficiency

In this study, a continuous autoregressive language model (CALM) is introduced. This method redesigns the generation process to predict continuous vectors instead of discrete tokens.

High-fidelity autoencoders “compress chunks of K tokens into a single continuous vector” and preserve higher semantic bandwidth.

Instead of processing “the”, “cat”, “sat”, etc. in three steps, the model compresses them into one step. This design directly “reduces the number of generation steps” and attacks the computational load.

Experimental results show a better performance-computing trade-off. The CALM AI model, which grouped four tokens, provided the company with performance “comparable to a strong discrete baseline, but at significantly lower computational cost.”

For example, one CALM model required 44 percent fewer training FLOPs and 34 percent fewer inference FLOPs than a similarly functional baseline Transformer. This represents savings in both the initial capital expenditure of training and the recurring operating costs of inference.

Rebuild the continuous domain toolkit

Moving from a finite, discrete vocabulary to an infinite, continuous vector space breaks the standard LLM toolkit. The researchers needed to develop a “comprehensive likelihood-free framework” to make their new model workable.

For training, the model cannot use standard softmax layers or maximum likelihood estimation. To solve this, the team used an “unlikelihood” objective using Energy Transformer. This rewards the model for accurate predictions without calculating explicit probabilities.

This new training method also required new evaluation metrics. Standard benchmarks such as Perplexity are not applicable because they rely on the same likelihood that the model no longer computes.

The team proposed BrierLM, a new metric based on Brier scores that can be estimated purely from model samples. Validation confirmed that BrierLM is a reliable alternative, showing a Spearman rank correlation of -0.991 with traditional loss metrics.

Finally, the framework restores controlled generation, a key feature for enterprise applications. Standard temperature sampling is not possible without a probability distribution. This paper introduces a new “unlikelihood sampling algorithm” that includes a practical batch approximation method to manage the trade-off between output accuracy and diversity.

Reduce AI costs for enterprises

This research offers a glimpse into a future where generative AI is not defined purely by an ever-increasing number of parameters, but by the efficiency of its architecture.

Current paths to scaling models have hit a wall of diminishing returns and increasing costs. The CALM framework establishes “a new design axis for LLM scaling: increasing the semantic bandwidth of each generation step.”

Although it is a research framework and not an off-the-shelf product, it represents a powerful and scalable path towards ultra-efficient language models. When evaluating a vendor’s roadmap, technology leaders should look beyond model size and start thinking about architectural efficiency.

The ability to reduce FLOPs per generated token is a decisive competitive advantage, enabling more economical and sustainable deployment of AI to reduce costs across the enterprise, from the data center to data-intensive edge applications.

See also: Flaws in AI benchmarks put company budgets at risk

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What are the winning numbers for Powerball’s $438 million jackpot?

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What are the winning numbers for Powerball’s 8 million jackpot?

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After no one won the top prize on Monday, Nov. 3, the Powerball jackpot rose to $438 million in the Wednesday, Nov. 5 lottery drawing.

If the ticket matches all five numbers and the Powerball in the 11 p.m. ET drawing, the winner can opt for a one-time cash payout of $207 million before taxes.

Top 10 Powerball Jackpots

  1. $2.04 billion – November 7, 2022 – California
  2. $1.787 billion – September 6, 2025 – Missouri, Texas
  3. $1.765 billion – October 11, 2023 – California
  4. $1.586 billion – January 13, 2016 – California, Florida, Tennessee
  5. $1.326 billion – April 6, 2024 – or
  6. $1.08 billion – July 19, 2023 – California
  7. $842.4 million – January 1, 2024 – Michigan
  8. $768.4 million – March 27, 2019 – Wisconsin
  9. $758.7 million – August 23, 2017 – Massachusetts
  10. $754.6 million – February 6, 2023 – Washington State

To find out the winning numbers for the November 5th Powerball drawing, check below.

Powerball winning numbers for November 5, 2025

The winning numbers for Wednesday, November 5th drawing are 9, 17, 29, 61, 66 and 26 for Powerball. The “power play” multiplier is 5x..

The lottery winning numbers sponsors are: Jackpocket is the official digital lottery carrier of the USA TODAY Network.

Has anyone won Powerball?

Powerball winners will be posted here as soon as they are announced by lottery officials.

To find a complete list of past Powerball winners, go to Click on the link to the lottery website.

When is the next Powerball drawing?

The next drawing will take place on Saturday, November 8th at just after 11pm ET.

How to play Powerball

To play Powerball, you must purchase a $2 ticket. This can be done at a variety of locations, including local convenience stores, gas stations, and grocery stores. In some states, you can purchase Powerball tickets online.

Once you have your ticket, you have to choose six numbers. Five of them are white balls with numbers from 1 to 69. The red Powerball range is 1-26. You can also add a “Power Play” for $1, which increases your winnings on all non-jackpot prizes.

“Power Play” multipliers allow you to increase your winnings by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 10x.

If you’re feeling unlucky or just want to let the computer do the work for you, you can take advantage of the “Quick Pick” option, where a computer-generated number is printed on your Powerball ticket. To win the jackpot, players must match all five white balls with the red Powerball in any order.

Powerball drawings are held on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights. The winnings continue to increase even if no one wins the jackpot.

Where to buy lottery tickets

Tickets can be purchased directly at gas stations, convenience stores, and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online Jackpocket, USA TODAY Network’s official digital lottery delivery companythese states and territories of the United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington DC, and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to select your lottery games and numbers, place your order, view your tickets, and claim your winnings, all from your mobile phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery carrier of USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue from viewer referrals to the Jackpocket Service. Must be 18 years or older, 21 years or older in Arizona, 19 years or older in Nebraska. Not affiliated with any state lottery. Gambling problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 1-800-327-5050(MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-GAMBLER (ALL OTHERS). visit jackpocket.com/tos Over the entire period.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact us at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow us at X @fern_cerv_.

According to reports, Prince Andrew was allowed to keep his military decorations

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According to reports, Prince Andrew was allowed to keep his military decorations

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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, exiled from the British royal family, has at least one honor he was allowed to protect.

The 65-year-old former Duke of York, no longer known as Prince Andrew, has been allowed to keep his Falklands War campaign medals after his brother Charles II began the process of revoking his titles on October 30, the Guardian and Telegraph reported.

British media reported on November 5 that Buckingham Palace had confirmed the news.

The Guardian noted that the Operational Service Medal was not an honour, while the Telegraph said all Operational Service Medals would be retained.

USA TODAY has reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.

In 1982, Andrew co-piloted a helicopter when the Argentine army invaded the Falkland Islands off the coast of South America. According to the 1982 Order of the South Atlantic Society, the Order of the South Atlantic was “awarded to all personnel who participated in operations in the South Atlantic for the liberation of South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.”

Andrew has been stripped of a number of military titles, duchy, knighthood and honors in recent years. On November 2, British Defense Secretary John Healy confirmed that Andrew would also be stripped of his “last remaining title” as Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy.

Could Prince Andrew go to prison? Royal experts answer hard-hitting questions

Mr Andrew, who has vehemently denied sexual abuse allegations linked to Mr Epstein, renounced his royal title on October 17 due to continuing accusations against him, including damning allegations raised in accuser Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl.

Andrew said in a statement that by “agreement” with Charles III, “I will no longer use my title or the honors bestowed on me. As I have said before, I categorically deny the charges against me.”

what happened? Prince Andrew has been kicked out of the royal family, palace confirms

Giuffre, who died in April, filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against Andrew in 2021, alleging that Epstein trafficked her to members of the British royal family on three separate occasions when she was a minor around 2001. Andrew settled the lawsuit in 2022.

In the same year, Andrew’s late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, stripped him of his patronage and military ties, making him a royal persona non grata.

contribution:

President Trump seeks lower prices for Wegovy and Zepbound

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President Trump seeks lower prices for Wegovy and Zepbound

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The Trump administration is expected to announce agreements with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk that will lower the price of some weight loss drugs to less than $150 for a month’s worth.

The negotiated agreement is expected to expand Medicare and Medicaid coverage of obesity drugs, The Wall Street Journal and Endpoint News reported.

The deal, to be announced Nov. 6, includes Lilly and Novo’s weight-loss drug, which is extremely popular but unaffordable for some consumers due to limited insurance coverage and high list prices.

Endpoints News and the Wall Street Journal reported that Lilly and Novo will offer the lowest dose of the weight loss drug for $149 per month. In return, the drugs would be covered by Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people over 65 or with disabilities.

Two popular weight-loss drugs, Lilly’s Zepbound and Novo’s Wegovy, are not currently covered by Medicare as obesity drugs.

Separately, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration is in talks with Lilly and Novo to sell some obesity drugs through TrumpRx, the government’s direct-to-consumer website, scheduled to launch in 2026.

Novo Nordisk said in a statement that the company is “engaging in constructive discussions with the government.” Representatives for Lilly did not respond to questions about negotiations with the administration.

This isn’t my first time using weight loss drugs. President Donald Trump has already announced deals with several drug companies to sell other drugs at discounted prices to federal health programs and TrumpRx.

The president is pressuring drug companies to lower prices to what patients are paying in other countries, a concept known as most-favored-nation pricing. On September 30, President Trump announced that he had entered into a most-favored-nation agreement with Pfizer to sell drugs more cheaply through Medicaid.

President Trump also said last month that EMD Serono, the nation’s largest maker of fertility drugs, had agreed to reduce the price of commonly used IVF drugs.

Most insurance companies do not cover obesity drugs

Doctors who prescribe weight-loss drugs say it’s critical to expand Medicare coverage for older adults and make drugs more affordable for younger consumers.

“These drugs really change the lives of so many people,” said Dr. Angela Fitch, past president of the Obesity Medicine Society. “It’s very difficult for people to afford the current prices.”

Weight loss drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 drugs (GLP-1) suppress the user’s appetite, leading to weight loss.

While insurance companies often cover GLP-1 drugs prescribed for diabetes and heart disease, more than half of employer insurance plans refuse to cover drugs to treat obesity. Mercer, a benefits consultant, said 44% of all large employers will have GLP-1 drug coverage for obesity in 2024, up from 41% in 2023.

In November 2024, the Biden administration announced plans to expand Medicare and Medicaid coverage of obesity drugs, including Wegovy and Zepbound. Under the rules proposed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Biden administration estimates that 3.4 million Americans enrolled in Medicare will be eligible for drugs starting in 2026.

An additional 4 million Medicaid recipients will gain coverage under the Biden administration. But those reports will only happen once the Trump administration finalizes the rules.

Contributed by: Reuters

Trump Air Raid Executive Defends Chicago Federal Workers as ‘Exemplary’

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Trump Air Raid Executive Defends Chicago Federal Workers as ‘Exemplary’

U.S. District Judge Sarah L. Ellis heard from Border Patrol agents and Chicago residents affected by the president’s Midway blitz as she considered whether to extend restrictions on federal agents.

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CHICAGO – President Donald Trump’s top executive in command of the Midway raid said in a video court deposition that he believes the president’s “use of force was more than exemplary” despite complaints from citizens alleging tear gas, illegal arrests and assault.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Chief Patrol Agent Greg Bovino’s sworn testimony, heard in U.S. District Court in Chicago on November 5, came in response to a lawsuit over the tactics of federal agents. A group of clerics, journalists, and protesters filed the lawsuit, claiming the agents’ tactics were scaring people from exercising their rights to freedom of religion and speech.

Among the witnesses who testified Wednesday was a local pastor who was shot in the head with a pepper ball. A suburban elected official whose arrest by Bovino was caught on camera. Two women document immigration raids and are later stopped at gunpoint by officers.

“They pointed the gun at me. I could see inside the barrel,” said Leslie Cortez, one of the two women. She was contacted by investigators after recording herself arresting a day laborer. “My heart quickened and I froze up, worried I was going to be shot.”

Defendants in the lawsuit include Mr. Bovino of the Department of Homeland Security. Kristi Noem, Trump and top officials at the Department of Homeland Security. Defense attorneys called Border Patrol Supervisor Christopher Hewson as a witness. Portions of the five-hour deposition Bovino was ordered to give were played in court, along with body-worn camera footage and other videos.

Mr. Bovino testified that agents were justified in taking action in Chicago and elsewhere.

“When someone refuses a lawful command from a law enforcement officer, that is, in my opinion, an indicative element,” Bovino said in a deposition. “Because not following directions is an indicator that someone is ready to break the law.”

The lawsuit was first filed in the Northern District of Illinois on October 6th. Chief Judge Sarah L. Ellis first issued a temporary restraining order in the case on October 9, forcing federal officials to issue warnings before using chemical weapons. Ellis amended his order on Oct. 16 to allow officers to use body-worn cameras as well.

Ellis is considering whether to extend the temporary restraining order. After about nine hours of court proceedings, Ellis told his lawyers to return to court on Nov. 6 for an oral judgment.

Since issuing the restraining order, federal agents have used the chemical in numerous cases, prompting complaints from Chicago residents. Complaints from citizens include that federal agents used tear gas on a North Side residential area on October 25, and that children were “tear gassed while celebrating Halloween.” The complaint prompted Ellis to issue a warning just before Halloween to keep an eye out for more complaints about people being harassed on Halloween.

Other complaints include video footage showing Mr. Bovino himself using tear gas on Oct. 23 and officers using tear gas on Oct. 22 in Chicago’s most famous Mexican neighborhood during an attack that a local alderman called a “reign of terror.”

“I’ll let you go this time.”

Jor El Munchak was the second woman to testify in court on Nov. 5 that federal agents recorded her arrest and then stopped her at gunpoint. The incident occurred on October 10, near her home on Chicago’s North Side.

Munchak said officers then pulled up in front of her car, surrounded her, pounded on her car, told her to open the door and pointed guns at her.

“It’s been tough,” Munchak, the privacy compliance manager, said of the weeks since the incident. “I was really shocked. I had never been held at gunpoint before.”

The Northside woman said when she refused to open her car, the officer told her, “This time we’ll let you go, but next time we’ll detain you.”

Since the incident, Munchak said he has stopped recording federal agents and has avoided protests. She recently underwent back surgery and said she worries what would have happened to her if investigators had pulled her from her car and restrained her, like other Americans in Chicago.

Man claims Bovino tackled him

Juan Muñoz, a trustee for the Oak Park suburb just west of Chicago, said in court that Bovino tackled him and arrested him while participating in a protest in front of an immigration processing center near Broadview.

“I turned around and it was Gregory Bovino,” Munoz said of the moment he felt someone tug on his shoulder. “He slapped the phone out of my hand and said, ‘You’re under arrest.'”

Muñoz, who has been filming the protests, said he had previously witnessed operatives using chemicals on demonstrators and was ready to document the action again.

Lawyers played a video clip of the moment in court. Bovino appeared to be arguing with a man who was standing near Muñoz, and the man said something that clearly angered the chief. Bovino stepped over the barrier separating the two sides and arrested the man and Munoz, forcing them both to the ground.

Munoz said he spent eight hours in an immigration detention facility before officials released him at a gas station about a mile away without explanation. He worried that his common Hispanic name would be mistaken for an illegal immigrant. He testified that he had been hesitant to participate in protests since the incident.

Lawyers seeking to remove Bovino from office played clips of the incident to Bovino. He denies tackling Munoz or the other man, Scott Blackburn.

“You climbed over the fence and tackled him,” the lawyer tells Bovino.

“No,” says the chief.

“What are you doing?” the lawyer asked off camera.

Mr Bovino said he had been “begging” Mr Blackburn to leave the area.

“That was not a reportable use of force. I arrested him. I didn’t tackle him, I arrested him,” Bovino said. “The use of force was against me.”

Border Patrol agent says tear gas ‘doesn’t harm people’

The defendant in this case called one witness to the stand. It was Border Patrol Supervisor Hewson, a veteran of the agency who had accompanied Bovino on a summer raid in the Los Angeles area.

Hewson said he joined in 2006 after the 9/11 attacks and the need to “defend this great country.”

The Border Patrol agent was called to testify about the use of force case, and his attorney played some of his body camera footage.

Hewson said he and other immigration officials were already following the provisions of Ellis’ order before Ellis issued the rule.

“As far as I know, your TRO has no effect on me,” Hewson said of the temporary restraining order.

In the video played, Mr Hewson can be seen chasing a woman as she tries to kick away a tear gas canister thrown at her. He grabbed the woman from behind, called her names, and told her she was under arrest.

Mr Hewson described the woman’s actions as “aggressive”. His characterization came after he testified that tear gas “doesn’t harm people.”

Another video shows Hewson grabbing what he calls a “shield with nails sticking out” from a protester.

“Anyone with such a shield is on the verge of being assaulted,” he said.

In court Mr Hewson was asked to provide evidence that the items had been fitted with nails and said investigators had thrown them away after the incident.

Starbucks union plans to strike on Red Cup Day if contract fails

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Starbucks union plans to strike on Red Cup Day if contract fails

Starbucks union members have voted to authorize a nationwide strike next week unless a contract agreement is reached with the coffee giant.

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Starbucks union members voted Wednesday, Nov. 5, to authorize a nationwide strike on the popular coffee chain’s Red Cup Day next week unless a contract agreement is reached.

Starbucks Workers United announced in a statement that the strike will begin on Thursday, November 13th. This is the day Starbucks plans to celebrate its annual and often crowded Red Cup Day, when it hands out free reusable red cups to customers.

The union did not say how many Starbucks stores would be affected. But it said workers in at least 25 cities were planning strikes, with more locations likely to be added. Unions cite the wide disparity between CEO and employee pay in their contract demands.

more: Starbucks releases “Bearista” cup with “adorable” beanie hat on top. When to get it?

Starbucks CEO Brian Nicol earned 6,666 times more than the average employee in 2024, according to the AFL-CIO union federation’s annual Executive Paywatch report.

“Our fight is to actually make the Starbucks job the best job in retail. Right now, it’s the only best job in retail for Brian Nicol,” Jasmine Lelli, a third-year Starbucks barista and strike captain from Buffalo, New York, said in a Nov. 5 news release.

Starbucks Workers United represents workers at about 550 of the coffee chain’s estimated 10,000 U.S. stores, which are unionized.

Starbucks disappointed in union strike decision

In an emailed statement to USA TODAY, Starbucks spokesperson Jaycee Anderson said the company was disappointed that the union chose to strike rather than negotiate.

“When they’re ready to come back, we’re ready to talk,” she said.

In a letter to Starbucks employees, Sara Kelly, Starbucks’ chief partner officer, said the union represents a small portion of Starbucks employees and the union’s demands are not “serious.”

Kelly said those demands included a proposed 65% immediate raise, a 77% raise over three years, and additional pay on weekends and promotion days. Kelly also said requests such as suspending mobile ordering when a store has five or more orders in its queue “significantly impact store operations and the customer experience.”

Starbucks union’s past strikes

If the strike, scheduled for Nov. 13, begins as planned, it will be the latest example of workers walking off the job at Starbucks stores across the country during busy periods.

In 2023, thousands of Starbucks employees at over 200 stores went on strike on Red Cup Day. In 2024, 59 stores were closed for five days due to a labor union strike ahead of the Christmas rush.

“Union baristas mean business and are prepared to do whatever it takes to win fair contracts and end Starbucks’ unfair labor practices,” Michelle Eisen, a spokeswoman for Starbucks Workers United and a 15-year veteran barista, said in a Nov. 5 release.

Contributor: Mike Snider/USA TODAY

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact us at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow us at X @fern_cerv_.

Claudia Sheinbaum accused of molestation by man in Mexico

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Claudia Sheinbaum accused of molestation by man in Mexico

Cassandra Garrison
|Reuters

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MEXICO CITY — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Wednesday, Nov. 5, that she had filed a complaint against a man who groped her and tried to kiss her as she walked between meetings in the capital, a day after a video of the incident went viral.

Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first female president, said: “If something like this happens to the president, where does that leave young women in this country?” “Men have no right to invade women’s personal space.”

Video of the incident quickly went viral on the internet and was removed by some accounts, but for many in Mexico it highlighted the insecurities faced by women in a country steeped in masculinity and gender-based violence.

Questions have also been raised about Sheinbaum’s security details. Like his predecessor, Andres Manuel López Obrador, Sheinbaum has been widely visible to the public, traveling with minimal security and often wading into crowds.

She said on November 5 that she had no intention of changing this practice, saying, “We have to stand by our people.”

The incident occurred on Nov. 4 in the capital’s historic center, as Sheinbaum was greeting citizens during a short walk from Mexico’s National Palace to the Ministry of Education. The video shows a middle-aged man putting his arm around Sheinbaum, touching her chest and attempting to kiss her.

She pushes his hand away before one of the staff members steps between her hands. The president’s security personnel do not appear to be near her at this time.

Sheinbaum said the man appeared to be intoxicated.

Re-victimization

She also criticized the Mexican newspaper Reforma for publishing an image of her being groped by a man, saying it was “re-victimization” and crossed an ethical line.

“The use of images is also a crime,” Scheinbaum said, pointing to legislation against digital violence. “We are waiting for an apology from the newspaper company.”

The federal government’s women’s ministry, created under Sheinbaum, issued a statement on Nov. 4 encouraging women to report violence but asking the media “not to reproduce content that violates women’s integrity.”

Still, feminist activists have harshly criticized Sheinbaum in the past for not doing enough to address violence against women. In particular, it points out that the prosecution and investigation of murder cases in which women are killed because of their gender are lackluster.

According to government data, Mexico recorded 821 murders in 2024. Although 501 murders have been recorded through September of this year, many advocates say that number is likely a significant underestimate.

criminalize harassment

Ana Yeri Perez, director of the National Citizens Observatory on Femicide, said Sheinbaum’s molestation has put the issue of violence against women back on the national agenda.

“This is reprehensible, it has to be condemned, it has to be named, because it’s an act of violence. But it’s also an important event and it’s symbolic of what women go through every day,” she said.

Sheinbaum said sexual harassment should be a “criminal crime punishable by law,” adding that he had asked Mexico’s Ministry of Women’s Affairs to review each state’s legal code.

Sexual harassment is a crime not only in Mexico City but also in about half of Mexico’s states.

Local media identified the man who assaulted Sheinbaum as Uriel Rivera, and he was arrested at 9 p.m. on Nov. 4, according to a national security filing.

(Reporting by Cassandra Garrison; Additional reporting by Raul Cortes and Sarah Morland; Editing by Emily Green and Bill Berkrot)

Cicis is currently offering a $2.99 ​​buffet plan. The billing method is as follows.

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Cicis is currently offering a .99 ​​buffet plan. The billing method is as follows.

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The meal plans currently available at Cicis Pizza may bring back some memories.

To celebrate the launch of Cicis Rewards, the famous “All You Can Eat” Pizza Buffet is offering two $2.99 ​​”Adult Buffet” digital coupons to anyone who signs up for the brand’s loyalty program before the end of this month.

“This is one of the biggest moments in Cicis’ history. For the first time ever, our guests can earn points and redeem them for rewards just by enjoying the food they love,” Jeff Hessel, president of Cicis Pizza, said in a statement. “Cicis Rewards brings our story full circle, paying homage to the generation that grew up around our buffet while welcoming a new wave of fans.”

For a limited time, fans of the buffet pizza chain will be able to pay “the same price guests paid when the first Cicis opened 40 years ago.”

“Reviving the original $2.99 ​​buffet is a thank you to our guests and a promise that true value will always be at the heart of Cicis,” added Hestel.

Without a coupon, adults can dine for $9.99 and children for $5.99. According to Cicis Pizza’s website, buffet prices may vary by location.

Here’s what you need to know about Cicis Pizza’s $2.99 ​​meal deal, including how to claim it.

How to claim your $2.99 ​​Cici Pizza meal benefit

To redeem the $2.99 ​​voucher, customers must sign up for Cicis Rewards online or through the Cicis Pizza app by Sunday, November 30th.

Those who sign up during the promotional period can redeem dinner benefits at any of Cicis Pizza’s 269 restaurants across the United States. Find a Cici Pizza restaurant near you here.

According to Cicis Pizza, members can earn 10 points for every $1 spent by presenting the QR code in the Cicis app when ordering or by logging in online.

According to the chain’s website, those who download the Cicis app will be “the first to know about new menus, limited-time offers, surprise discounts and even special birthday offers.” Additional benefits and exclusive features will be rolled out in the coming months.

New York Mayor-elect Zoran Mandani celebrates Bollywood, India and Islam

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New York Mayor-elect Zoran Mandani celebrates Bollywood, India and Islam

Mamdani’s mood, aesthetic, and vocabulary often reflect the global upbringing of her immigrant parents.

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NEW YORK – Moments after making history as the first Muslim and Asian American mayor of New York City, Zoran Mamdani delivered an impassioned acceptance speech that ended with a soundtrack of Bollywood hits blaring through a packed venue of supporters.

Mamdani’s mood, aesthetic, and vocabulary often reference his global upbringing by Indian-born immigrant parents in Uganda, South Africa, and the city he will lead.

The democratic socialist’s speech was peppered with international references.

The song, “Dhoom Machare…Dhoom Machare Doom,” roughly translates to “Make some noise and have fun.” The last song he performed was the title song of the 2004 Hindi film Dhoom.

Moments earlier, Mamdani sent a powerful message to Donald Trump: “I know you’re watching, so I have four words: Turn up the volume.”

Was the one-time wannabe rapper turned state legislator urging the president to pay attention, or flaunting generational change? Probably both.

more: Mamdani’s election night party celebrates diversity, unveils new coalition

Mamdani, 34, will be the youngest mayor of New York in more than a century. At 79 years old, Trump is from Queens and is the oldest person elected as commander in chief.

After his speech, Mamdani’s wife, Rama Dowaj, a Gen Z child of Syrian immigrants who grew up in Dallas and Dubai, joined him on stage as the fast-paced song “Doom” played. The crowd jeered and cheered.

In his speech, he referred to Duwaj in Arabic as “hayati,” or “my life.”

more: Democratic socialist Zoran Mandani rises to stardom ‘like a young Obama’

He also quoted a famous quote from India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. ”On August 14, 1947, on the eve of India’s independence, the “Challenge of Destiny” speech delivered to the Constituent Assembly stated: “There comes a moment when we step out of the old into the new, when an era ends, when the long-suppressed soul of a nation speaks, something that rarely happens in history.”

Mamdani was born in Uganda, moved to New York City at the age of seven, and traveled frequently to India. He is fluent in Hindi and Spanish.

more: Zoran Mamdani excites Muslim and South Asian voters amid attacks on faith

His campaign ad featured him wearing a kurta, an Indian tunic. His Instagram posts and speeches include words in Arabic, Spanish, and Hindi. Before running for mayor, Mandani represented the borough of Queens, where more than 140 languages ​​are spoken.

“Release your client list, Habibi,” he said in one campaign ad, calling on his opponent and “habibi” (friend, man, beloved), former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, to reveal his business dealings.

On Tuesday night, after his big victory over Mr. Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, he started flying Arabic again.

He told voters, “You showed us that we can usher in a new era of leadership when politics speaks to you without being condescending. We fight for you because we are you. Or as we say at Steinway, ana minkum wa alaikum.”

Steinway Street, in the “Little Egypt” neighborhood of Astoria, Queens, is home to a large Muslim community. This Arabic phrase means something like, “We are yours and you are ours.”

After his speech, his parents joined him and his wife on stage. His mother is Mira Nair, an acclaimed film director, who is a Punjabi and Hindu born in the eastern Indian state of Orissa. his father, Mahmoud Mamdani, The Gujarat-born professor of African studies and political science at Columbia University is a Muslim who grew up in Kampala, Uganda.

Nia, the iconic filmmaker behind such classics as “Mississippi Masala” starring a young Denzel Washington, “Nameless” and “Monsoon Wedding,” wore a bright blue and green sari with a traditional Hindu bindi on her forehead..

She kissed the mayor-elect’s arm.

Early in the evening, before the results started coming in, Nehru was quick to point out his contribution.

“I’m the producer of the nominees,” she said with a smile.

Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is USA TODAY’s White House correspondent. You can follow her at X @SwapnaVenugopal.

Vogue article asks if boyfriends are embarrassing sparks debate

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Vogue article asks if boyfriends are embarrassing sparks debate

“Being a partner is no longer an affirmation of being a woman,” said an article in British Vogue.

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Is it embarrassing to have a boyfriend now? The internet is divided.

The conversation about heterosexual relationships has exploded since an Oct. 25 British Vogue article posed the question in its headline.

Although author Chanté Joseph framed the headline as a study, she made her position clear: straight women “don’t want to be seen as only thinking about men.”

“Being a partner is no longer an affirmation of being a woman. It is no longer considered an achievement,” Joseph wrote in the article.

On social media, people say a lot of things in one way or another.

“Vogue is right, it’s embarrassing to have a boyfriend!!!” one person wrote about X, while another called the piece “stupid than the title”.

Why is it becoming a hot topic on the internet that boyfriends are embarrassing?

Joseph’s opinion piece talks about how women showcase their relationships online, especially in the world of soft and hard launches.

“To me, it feels like a result of women wanting to straddle two worlds: one where they can reap the social benefits of having a partner, but not be so attached to their boyfriend that they come across as quite culturally losers,” Joseph writes.

However, she declares, “Falling in love is nothing to be ashamed of.”

Joseph said on TikTok that in the process of writing her article, she spoke to many women who raised similar themes, both single and in relationships.

“There was this idea that there was no sense of solidarity with other women, and that being in a relationship was by default very uncool,” she said in a video posted on Oct. 26, which has been viewed more than 5 million times to date.

In another video, the writer shared that he has gained 30,000 followers on TikTok since the article was published.

Supporters say the story ‘rocked women’s worlds’

Among the wide range of opinions about this work, some people said online that they relate to or agree with being single and fulfilled.

One person wrote of X: “Vogue wrote that having a boyfriend was embarrassing. Finally found my natural talent.”

Another wrote: “I want to make it clear that I thought having a boyfriend was shameful long before Vogue said so.”

However, many others justified the argument with their own conditions.

“Is it embarrassing to have a boyfriend or is it embarrassing who you commit to?” one person on TikTok said.

Another wrote: “This British Vogue article isn’t about hating love. It’s about how we’ve come to feel that being loved proves we’re worthy.”

“That Vogue article is too real. If he’s not obsessed with you, that’s all you need. Anything less is embarrassing,” user X wrote.

On the other hand, there were others who praised the work without hesitation.

One said: “It’s incredible to see an intelligent woman put into words what you’ve been feeling for years.”

Another said the article “rocked women’s world forever. History will remember how dating changed forever because women realized men were embarrassing.”

Critics say having the right boyfriend is nothing to be ashamed of

However, many criticized the article as cynical or inaccurate.

One TikToker said, “Articles like this only provide emotional relief and support to people who don’t have happy relationships.”

Other users said their relationship experiences were different.

“Dear Mr. Vogue, my boyfriend is the best thing that happened to me. He’s nothing to be ashamed of,” someone said on X.

“Sorry Vogue, but having a boyfriend is only embarrassing if he’s a loser,” one person said on TikTok, adding, “I’m not a loser.”

Melina Khan is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Contact her at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

Trail Seeker and Uncharted EV added to 2026 Subaru SUV lineup

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Trail Seeker and Uncharted EV added to 2026 Subaru SUV lineup

bob hernandez
|Motor Trend

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Subaru is making big moves toward an all-electric future by tripling its electric SUV lineup by 2026. The brand’s existing EVs have received significant upgrades, and a new hybrid model has also joined the lineup, in addition to an updated version of the company’s popular midsize SUV.

Keep reading to explore all of the exciting new and updated features across Subaru’s safe, comfortable, and mostly AWD-equipped 2026 SUV lineup.

2026 Subaru Ascent

Subaru will reduce the Ascent trim walk and eliminate the Onyx edition this year. Trim levels for the 2026 Ascent include Premium, Limited, Limited Bronze Edition, Touring, and Onyx Edition Touring.

The 2026 Premium base model carries over some of the styling touches from the discontinued Onyx Edition. These include 18-inch alloy wheels with a black finish, black side mirrors, and black exterior and interior trim accents. This model’s front seats come standard with black water-resistant StarTex upholstery with silver contrast stitching.

Touring grades with Java Brown Nappa leather trim upholstery and silver stitching or Slate Black Nappa leather trim upholstery and black stitching add updated matte-finish woodgrain accents in the cabin.

Finally, the 2026 Ascent also gets a new exterior color, Sapphire Blue Pearl, which replaces Cosmic Blue Pearl.

Motor Trend ranking: 7th place among 3-row SUVs.

Read our expert’s full review of the Subaru Ascent

2026 Subaru Crosstrek

The Crosstrek was redesigned for 2024, but Subaru didn’t replace it with a hybrid model until this year. Still, the new version doesn’t pick up exactly where the previous version left off. First of all, it’s not a plug-in hybrid.

The new 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid is powered by a 2.5-liter boxer engine and an electric motor. Combined output is rated at 194 horsepower, making it the most powerful Crosstrek in the lineup. By comparison, the SUV’s 2.5-liter engine puts out 185 horsepower, while the now-discontinued 2.0-liter flat-four puts out just 152 horsepower.

Fuel efficiency will also improve. The 2025 Crosstrek with the 2.5-liter engine gets 27/33 mpg city/highway. Look for the Crosstrek Hybrid’s numbers to be close to the Forester Hybrid’s 35/34 mpg.

The Hybrid trim comes with model-specific 18-inch dark gray wheels. Sand Dune Pearl or Citron Yellow Pearl exterior paint is also available. Also new in 2026 is a 12.3-inch driver display that will be standard on the Hybrid.

Motor Trend ranking: It ranks second among subcompact SUVs.

Read our expert’s full review of the Subaru Crosstrek

First drive car review: The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid is impressive both on and off-road. Let’s see why.

2026 Subaru Forester

Like the Crosstrek, the Forester is one of Subaru’s most popular models and now features a 12.3-inch driver display. Additionally, the lineup introduces a new Forester Wilderness grade with retuned suspension and ground clearance of 9.3 inches, slightly more than the previous model’s 9.2 inches.

The Wilderness trim also has improved approach, departure, and breakover angles of 23.5 degrees, 25.5 degrees, and 21 degrees, respectively, compared to the standard Forester’s 19.0 degrees, 24.6 degrees, and 19.6 degrees.

The Forester Wilderness is only available with a gasoline engine (for now), but it comes with a CVT automatic with a short final drive ratio. Subaru also upgraded the transmission cooler to improve towing capacity, which now reaches 3,500 pounds. A new temperature sensor has been added to the rear differential. Additionally, the 2026 Forester Wilderness introduces snow/dirt and deep snow/mud driving modes.

For enhanced off-road performance, the Wilderness trim features Yokohama Geolander all-terrain tires on trim-specific 17-inch wheels. The roof is equipped with roof rails with a load capacity of 800 pounds static and 176 pounds while driving. Other upgrades include LED hexagonal fog lights, underbody protection, and anodized copper accents that carry over to the interior, where the seats are covered in Subaru’s water-resistant StarTex upholstery.

As before, standard gasoline and hybrid models are part of the 2026 Forester lineup.

Motor Trend ranking: It ranks 5th among compact SUVs.

Read our expert’s full review of the Subaru Forester

2026 Subaru Outback

The new seventh-generation Outback will debut in 2026 with a new front fascia and larger grille, revised headlights and taillights, and a more angular design. For the first time, the Outback may look more like an SUV than a lifted wagon.

Ground clearance remains at 8.7 inches. The roof is raised 2 inches, increasing passenger space and adding 2 cubic feet of cargo room for a total capacity of 34.6 cubic feet, the largest in Outback history.

The EyeSight system is enhanced with a new radar sensor and three forward-facing cameras to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety. It also allows hands-free driving on designated highways at speeds of up to 135 mph. EyeSight also has the ability to pull the car to the side of the road and alert emergency services if the driver becomes unresponsive.

Inside, a new 12.1-inch horizontal touchscreen controls most functions, with dedicated buttons for climate control improving ease of use. Equipped with a 12.3-inch digital driver display.

The 2026 Outback also adds wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, voice recognition, and optional cloud-based navigation. You can now store a 32oz water bottle in the door bottle holder.

At launch, the 2026 Outback comes with two familiar powerplants. Either a 2.5-liter boxer-four with 180 horsepower or a 2.4-liter turbo-four with 260 horsepower.

Motor Trend ranking: Number 1 among medium-sized SUVs (last generation model).

Read our expert’s full review of the Subaru Outback

2026 Subaru Solterra

Solterra has been renewed this year, and it’s not just about looks. The company’s EV platform has been revamped, with a larger 74.7kWh lithium-ion battery replacing the 72.8kWh battery for the 2025 model year. The updated architecture also enables faster charging at up to 150 kW, a marked improvement over the previous 100 kW.

Solterra comes with a standard NACS charging port, providing access to Tesla’s Supercharger network. Range has also improved, with the base model now estimated at 285 miles, an increase of 58 miles over last year’s entry-level trim.

The Solterra’s powertrain has been enhanced to deliver up to 233 horsepower, up from 215 horsepower in the 2025 model. Subaru is also rolling out a higher-performance XT version with a motor that produces up to 338 horsepower. The SUV’s all-wheel drive system benefits from an improved motor controller and more powerful motor, further improving overall performance.

The 2026 Solterra features updated styling, including an EV lighting signature, redesigned headlights and a new front bumper. Subaru offers 18-inch and 20-inch wheels, along with an updated rear badge and new spoiler. Inside, the Solterra features a larger 14.0-inch touchscreen and standard wireless smartphone chargers for both the driver and passenger.

All of these meaningful changes should further improve the Solterra ownership experience, but they may not be enough to put it above the best in the segment.

Motor Trend ranking: Ranked 7th among electric compact SUVs (2025 model).

Read our expert’s full review of Subaru Solterra

Safest 3-row SUVs of 2025: See top picks for shoppers, rated by IIHS and NHTSA

2026 Subaru Trail Seeker

The Trailseeker is Subaru’s second electric vehicle after the Solterra. It has a 74.7 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and dual motors for standard all-wheel drive. The most efficient model has an estimated range of 260 miles per charge, but higher trim models may have less range. A NACS-enabled port is standard, and the Trailseeker supports 150 kW fast charging.

The SUV delivers 375 horsepower and accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in an estimated 4.3 seconds. Rated to tow up to 3,500 pounds. Off-road capabilities build on Subaru’s reputation for rugged vehicles. The Trail Seeker features 8.3 inches of ground clearance, symmetrical AWD, snow/dirt, deep snow/mud drive modes, grip control and downhill assist control.

Size-wise, the Trail Seeker is over 6 inches longer and nearly an inch taller than the Solterra, presumably offering more cargo space and passenger room. It is also equipped with Subaru’s EyeSight driver assistance technology, which includes automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assist.

This SUV features a 14.0-inch touchscreen, dual wireless charging pads, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Additionally, it is also equipped with roof rails to increase loading capacity. Like all Subaru electric cars, this one is based on a Toyota model, in this case the bZ Woodland. But unlike the other two, this one has the most wagon-like proportions of the trio.

Read our expert’s full review of the Subaru Trail Seeker

2026 Subaru Uncharted

With the debut of Uncharted this year, Subaru has effectively tripled its electric vehicle lineup. It will also reintroduce a front-wheel drive model to its product lineup, which it has not offered since the mid-1990s.

The 2026 Uncharted AWD has a dual-motor system that produces 338 horsepower, while the FWD version has a more modest 221 horsepower. High trims with AWD have snow, dirt, and mud-specific drive modes. This setup should provide Uncharted with performance similar to models like Solterra and Toyota C-HR Electric.

Like the Solterra and Trailseeker, the Uncharted has a 74.7 kWh battery. This model has a range of 300 miles for FWD models and 290 miles for AWD versions. The SUV’s NACS port provides access to the Tesla Supercharger. Under the right conditions, a 10-80 percent fast charge can take about 30 minutes. Uncharted also comes with an 11 kW AC charger for Level 2 home charging.

Subaru’s smallest EV sits below the Solterra in the lineup. It’s nearly 7 inches shorter than the Solterra, but like the Crosstrek, it offers more than 25 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row and rear legroom.

Technically, the Uncharted features a 14.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual wireless phone chargers and USB ports. It’s also equipped with an upgraded Harman Kardon sound system, digital rearview mirror, 360-degree camera, and a suite of EyeSight driver-assistance technologies including automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control.

Read our expert’s full review of Subaru Uncharted

2026 Subaru SUV: New Features

  • 2026 Subaru Ascent: Minor Update
  • 2026 Subaru Crosstrek: Major Updates
  • 2026 Subaru Forester: Minor Update
  • 2026 Subaru Outback: Redesigned
  • 2026 Subaru Solterra: Major Updates
  • 2026 Subaru Trail Seeker: All-New Model
  • 2026 Subaru Uncharted: All-New Model

Photo courtesy of Subaru, MotorTrend Staff; Illustration by Ryan Lugo

President Trump hints at 2026 midterm election theme in Miami

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President Trump hints at 2026 midterm election theme in Miami

The president has rehashed themes from his 2024 campaign, including musing on a transgender weightlifter and resurrecting a political opponent’s nickname.

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  • President Donald Trump, speaking at a summit in Miami, said Americans’ political choice is between “communism and common sense.”
  • President Trump threatened to boycott the G20 summit in South Africa and touted the economic achievements of his second term.
  • Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Colina Machado supported the Trump administration’s aggressive stance against the Maduro regime.
  • The speech came amid a record-long government shutdown, for which polls show the public places the blame primarily on Trump and the Republican Party.

MIAMI — A day after the Republican’s election loss, President Donald Trump hammered home the themes of the midterm elections in a more than hour-long speech at a business and culture summit.

“Following last night’s results, the decision facing all Americans could not be clearer,” the president said. “A choice between communism and common sense.”

Trump’s speech to commemorate his return victory in the presidential election did not reveal any new initiatives, other than threatening to boycott the G20 meeting in South Africa in December over disagreements with the country’s government’s policies.

Beyond that, President Trump praised the stock market’s record returns, promised trillions of dollars in overseas investment, and promised another historic tax cut as part of “One Big, Beautiful Bill” he signed this summer.

President Trump also declared victory on border security and defended military attacks on ships leaving Venezuela, again claiming they are smuggling drugs that kill Americans.

“I think we can honestly say this is America’s Golden Age, and I think we’ll be able to say even more so over the next 12 months,” Trump said.

The president also rehashed themes from his 2024 campaign, including musings about transgender weightlifters and reviving nicknames for his political opponents, from former president “Sleepy Joe Biden” to Senate Minority Leader “Cry Chuck Schumer.” He again condemned the 2020 “rigged” election despite evidence to the contrary.

And he added more than a little bragging.

“People say it’s been the best nine months of any president,” President Trump said of the start of his second term in the White House. “And I truly believe that. If you just give it another nine months of this, you’ll be very happy and very content.”

Trump addressed a friendly audience of several thousand people. Many identified themselves as business owners, and some wore their trademark red “MAGA” hats. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez presented President Trump with the keys to the presidential library’s “real estate.” This is a nod to a parcel of land near the Caseya Center in downtown Miami that was offered to President Trump.

The president’s appearance was sandwiched between speeches by two other world figures, Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Colina Machado and soccer player Lionel Messi, at an eclectic two-day conference on politics, business and culture.

President Trump’s remarks came just hours after Venezuelan opposition leaders wholeheartedly endorsed the administration’s hardline stance against Maduro’s regime. Messi was scheduled to give his final speech on the evening of the first day of the summit.

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Says President Trump’s Aggression Against Maduro Is ‘Absolutely Right’

Machado spoke via video as hostilities between the Trump administration and Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro government intensify.

“President Trump’s strategy against this criminal narco-terrorist organization is absolutely correct because Nicolás Maduro is not the legitimate head of state,” Machado said.

A U.S. military operation that began in the southern Caribbean in September has resulted in some 15 deadly attacks on boats that Washington claims are smuggling deadly drugs from the Venezuelan coastline. News outlets have reported that Trump’s team is poised to launch attacks on Venezuelan military facilities within South America’s borders, but Trump himself has publicly given mixed signals.

In a Nov. 2 network interview, President Trump said he believed the Maduro regime was nearing its end, but when asked if the United States and Venezuela were headed for military conflict, he answered, “I don’t think so.”

President Maduro has turned to Moscow and China for support amid rising tensions with the United States. On November 4, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that China “opposes any attempt to undermine peace and stability in Latin America and the Caribbean region, as well as unilateral coercive actions against foreign vessels beyond reasonable and necessary limits.”

Machado praised the Trump administration’s actions, saying they target Machado’s illicit sources of funding, including drug trafficking, gold smuggling, arms and weapons trafficking, and human trafficking.

“We need to cut those cash flows, and that’s exactly what President Trump is doing to protect the lives of millions of Americans, Latin Americans, and of course Venezuelans,” she said. “Maduro started this war, and President Trump is trying to end it.”

President Trump speaks in Miami on Victory Day 2024

Trump arrived in Miami on the anniversary of his return to the presidency in 2024. But a year later, the president and his party suffered a political setback, with Democrats and leftists winning races in Virginia, New Jersey, New York City, and a statewide redistricting proposal in California.

“America’s voters just signaled the resurgence of the Democratic Party. The liquidation of the Republican Party. The blue sweep. And it happened because Democratic candidates, no matter where they are or how they fit into our big tent parties, are meeting voters at kitchen tables, not gilded banquet halls,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin wrote.

In an election night post, the president boasted that 10 months after returning to the Oval Office, the result was an ambitious and tumultuous referendum on himself.

“According to pollsters, the two reasons Republicans lost tonight’s election were ‘Trump wasn’t on the ballot and the government shutdown,'” the president said in a social media post.

President Trump took to the stage on the day he marked the disgrace and presided over the longest government shutdown in U.S. history at 36 days.

The previous 35-day shutdown in 2018-2019 occurred during the president’s first term in the Oval Office. Taken together, both episodes are questionable accomplishments for a man who has frequently said in pre-presidential interviews that the commander-in-chief would bear the brunt of the blame if the government were to shut down because White House figures were unable to reach a deal and reached an impasse.

In a 2013 interview during the Obama administration, President Trump said, “If the government shuts down, the president will be blamed.” “I think that would be a very negative assessment of the president of the United States. He is the person who has to bring people together.”

Trump blamed the stalemate on his rivals, claiming they were “crazy Democratic lunatics” who could “stop everything by withholding votes.” Surveys show that Americans are more likely to criticize the president and the Republican majority in Congress than the Democratic minority.

Record-long government shutdown is straining Republicans and the public.

In a mid-October poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, nearly 60% of respondents said President Trump and the Republican Congress bear “a lot” or “a lot” of responsibility for the shutdown, and 54% said the same about Democrats. In an NBC News poll released at the end of the month, 52% of respondents blamed Trump and the Republican Party, but only 42% blamed Congressional Democrats.

Throughout the ordeal, the president at times stumbled on his message. On November 4, President Trump claimed in a social media post that food assistance benefits would only be reinstated “when the radical left Democrats open up the government,” a statement later corrected by the White House Press Office, which said the administration was following a court order to continue providing payments.

The president also advised Senate Republicans not to be “weak and stupid” and vote to abolish the filibuster rule, which would clear the way for government funding bills to pass with a simple majority. Senate leaders ignored this request.

He has not publicly commented on a bipartisan House initiative seeking a compromise on extending Obamacare tax credits, the core issue of the government shutdown.

Antonio Fins is the politics and business editor for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. Please contact us at afins@pbpost.com. Please support our journalism. Subscribe now.

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