Trump Budget Plan: Massive State Department Cuts Proposed | JQJO

A proposed Trump administration budget would slash the State Department budget by nearly half, eliminating funding for over 20 international organizations including the UN and NATO. The plan includes embassy closures, cuts to foreign service travel, and the elimination of the Fulbright program and international peacekeeping funds. While the State Department denies a final plan exists, the proposal, if implemented, would significantly reduce US global engagement and has drawn criticism from Democrats who warn of the consequences for US influence.

The Orionid meteor shower will peak at two p.m. ET Wednesday, with best viewing between midnight and dawn Wednesday and Thursday. A bright waxing gibbous moon, 76 percent illuminated, will set a few hours before sunrise, allowing up to twenty meteors per hour to be seen. Orionids travel at forty‑one miles per second, producing luminous fireballs. The shower occurs each October as Earth crosses Halley’s comet debris trail, which completes an orbit every seventy‑six years.

President Donald Trump is offering $5,000 checks to every American adult if Republicans retain control of Congress. He has also pledged additional "goodies" tied to GOP victories, including fuel policy changes and investment promises in specific states. Trump’s promises are contingent on Republican wins, a strategy critics say politicizes federal benefits. The campaign trail has seen Trump promise fuel blends without ethanol restrictions in Kansas, a $100 million pharmaceutical investment in Kentucky, and consideration for a Space Force Academy in Ohio. Polls show only fourteen percent of U.S. adults expect the checks, and less than half of self‑identified Republicans anticipate receiving them.

Julia Stiles performed a contemporary routine on Dancing With the Stars Dedication Night, joined by her 10 Things I Hate About You castmates to tribute late co‑star Heath Ledger. The routine echoed Ledger’s 1999 performance in the film, where his character sang to Stiles’ character from the bleachers. Stiles described the moment as trippy, noting her age difference and the emotional impact of revisiting the film’s legacy. Ledger died in January 2008 at the age of twenty‑eight.

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The New York Knicks unveiled their first new rafter banner in 53 years at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, a ceremony that marked a historic moment for the franchise. The banner, which took its time ascending from the floor to the left of the “M” in the arena’s name, was the only one to be displayed that evening. The event was attended by notable figures including Mariska Hargitay, Spike Lee, Roger Goodell and Jon Bon Jovi. While the Knicks celebrated the banner, the 76ers, led by LeBron James, stole the spotlight with a 106‑100 victory over the Knicks on opening night. The Garden, a venue that also hosts concerts, hockey, bull riding and monster trucks, remains the epicenter of a basketball city whose playgrounds have produced legends worldwide. The banner’s arrival was described as a “beautiful curtain” that honors the luckiest of the lucky. The ceremony took place before the 6:30 p.m. opening‑night game, which drew the highest ticket price in NBA history for an opener, according to Forbes. The Knicks’ fans, wearing jerseys and championship gear, filled the arena in anticipation of the new chapter for the team.