Obama calls Mamdani signaling support without endorsement | JQJO

Former President Barack Obama privately phoned New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Saturday, praising his campaign and offering to serve as a sounding board if he wins. The roughly 30-minute call, the second since Mamdani’s primary victory, stopped short of a formal endorsement but signaled support as Democratic leaders remain split; Senator Chuck Schumer has not declared his vote, while Representative Hakeem Jeffries offered late backing. Obama and Mamdani discussed staffing and affordability goals and floated a future meeting. Meanwhile, Republicans aim to cast Mamdani as emblematic of Democrats, and Andrew Cuomo highlights an old critical tweet.

IGN recently announced a wave of layoffs, letting go of longtime hosts Brian Altano and Seth Macy. The two, along with Max Scoville, have launched an independent gaming podcast network called X Button on Patreon. The new network hosts two shows: X Button, a general gaming podcast, and Ninfriendo 64, focused on Nintendo. The move follows IGN’s decision to retreat from its well‑known gaming podcasts, citing insufficient revenue for weekly production.

Federal immigration agents broke the arm of Ricardo Gonzalez, a US citizen, during a confrontation with protesters in Long Beach. Video shows Gonzalez handcuffed and face down, ICE officers kneeling on his back. He was tased twice, pinned to the ground, and taken to a hospital for serious injuries. Long Beach mayor Rex Richardson said Gonzalez had called emergency responders. Congressman Robert Garcia condemned the attack and called for the abolition of ICE.

The City Council plans to vote on the airport use and lease agreement during its Nov. 9 meeting after the mayor vetoed a longer timeline.

Netflix announced that Dan Lin has been relieved of his duties as head of film. The decision follows a wave of layoffs that saw 1,000 employees—about 6 % of the global workforce—cut last week. Lin, who joined Netflix in 2024, will meet with his feature staff for a post‑mortem. A successor will not be named until Peter Rice takes over as Chief Content Officer from Bela Bajaria on October 26. Co‑CEO Ted Sarandos praised Lin’s “dedication to quality filmmaking” and “collaborative spirit.” The move comes as Netflix’s stock trades near $70, down 1 % from the day’s close. A company‑wide town hall with Sarandos and Greg Peters is scheduled for Wednesday.

Dana‑Farber Cancer Institute broke ground Monday on a 300‑bed, 450,000‑square‑foot cancer hospital that will open in 2031 on the former Joslin Diabetes Center site on Brookline Avenue. The new facility will create about 2,400 jobs over the next four years and will feature a bridge to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, replacing the existing bridge to Mass General Brigham. The move follows Dana‑Farber’s 2023 decision to end its long‑standing partnership with Mass General Brigham and begin a new collaboration with Beth Israel Lahey Health, the state’s second‑largest health system. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu called the groundbreaking “a significant moment in history.” Dana‑Farber will house hospitalized cancer patients at Beth Israel Deaconess until the new hospital opens, with a staged transition of patients and outpatient services beginning this week. The partnership shift is expected to be completed by 2028.

French officials considered declaring a state of emergency and local curfews after widespread riots. Anti‑government protests in major cities turned violent, damaging historic sites and leading to more than two thousand arrests. In Marseille, large gatherings were banned following the unrest. The town hall in Limoges was burned by masked rioters. President Emmanuel Macron vowed to hold those who sought to undermine the republic accountable. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu blamed an ultra‑left movement for orchestrating disorder and called for regional curfews.

More than three dozen members of the United States Congress received envelopes containing white powder less than three weeks before the November three midterms. The latest incident involved Virginia Democrat Suhas Subramanyam, whose Leesburg district office was evacuated after a suspicious substance arrived. Preliminary tests indicated the powder was not hazardous. Federal agents, including the FBI, Capitol Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, are investigating the campaign. Election offices in at least fifteen states reported receiving or being targeted by suspicious mail. No suspect has been named, and authorities have not released a confirmed figure.

Elon Musk said on Monday he will give one SpaceX share to every child in America next year. The announcement came in an X post, with no age limit specified. SpaceX stock rose one percent in morning trading that day. Musk may use Trump Accounts to distribute the shares. SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell pledged over three hundred twenty million dollars in stock for more than two million children.

The Indianapolis Colts have fired General Manager Chris Ballard and are now exploring a potential hire of former quarterback Peyton Manning. Dan Patrick announced on his show that the Colts’ first call will be to Manning, who could also receive an ownership stake. The Colts have not yet contacted Manning, but the possibility is being discussed. If hired, Manning would focus solely on the GM position, leaving his media ventures behind. The move could bring a high-profile figure back to Indy and reshape the team's front‑office structure.

A Russian Geran‑3 drone struck the central park of Nova Vodolaha in Kharkiv Oblast on October nineteenth, killing six people, including two children aged eight and one, and injuring at least fifteen. Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi said the attack made no military sense, while President Volodymyr Zelensky called it an "absolute atrocity" and urged that sanctions against Russia remain in place until such killings cease. Prosecutors have opened a pre‑trial investigation into a possible war crime.