JQJO — General news · Page 67

Trading cards are surging, with Circana reporting strategic sales up 103% year-to-date through August and non-strategic up 48%. Target says category sales have climbed nearly 70% and are on track to top $1 billion, while Walmart Marketplace cites a 200% spike and tenfold Pokémon gains. Retailers are fueling demand with weekly drops, bolder in-store displays and livestreams, even as many adults buy for themselves. Cards sell steadily beyond holidays; Pokémon leads, NFL and WNBA grow, and some buyers view cards as investments, prompting purchase limits at many stores.

Repair crews are working to restore off-site power to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant after rare local “ceasefire zones” were set up, the IAEA said. The facility has been cut from the grid for four weeks—the longest outage of the war—after losing its last power line and relying on diesel for more than 20 days. The agency said both sides cooperated to enable the complex plan, though neither confirmed a truce. Kyiv and Moscow traded blame for the blackout, amid continued strikes on Ukraine’s energy network, including a recent hit affecting Chernobyl.

On Monday, Oct. 13, SpaceX’s Starship Version 2 flew its 11th and final suborbital test, closing a turbulent two-year run on a high note after earlier failures. The prototype deployed eight Starlink simulators as the company pivots to a larger Version 3, debuting in 2026 with more propellant capacity, third‑generation Raptor engines, new docking adapters, and upgrades for longer missions. SpaceX says the next iteration will begin orbital flights, payload missions, and in‑orbit propellant transfer, though Elon Musk cautions the radical redesign may face early “teething pains” and timing for a Mars attempt remains uncertain.

Americans are running into snarled deliveries and surprise bills after the Trump Administration ended the de minimis loophole in August, part of President Donald Trump’s April tariff push. UPS customers describe packages marooned in warehouses, disposal threats, and steep fees: an Alabama buyer’s Italian wine was refused and billed $13 for “abandoning,” a Depop seller faced a $769 charge on a $179 order, and others cite misapplied 200% Russian aluminum rates. Businesses brace for the holidays, while experts warn confusion hurts brands. Some shoppers, hit with hundreds in duties, say they’re pausing cross-border buys.

North Carolina’s search for a breakthrough under Bill Belichick slipped away at California, 21-18, when Nathan Leacock fumbled at the goal line with 3:48 left after Brent Austin’s hit and recovery. The Tar Heels also fumbled on their first snap, setting up a Cal touchdown, and finished without a defensive takeaway despite improved rushing and defensive stops. Belichick said turnovers were decisive as his team continues seeking its first win over a power opponent after three earlier blowouts. The defeat arrived amid off-field scrutiny of the new regime and with wins only against lower-level Richmond and Charlotte.

School halls across the country echo with kids yelling "6-7" for any excuse, a nonsense chant that signals in-group belonging and exasperates teachers. Linguists describe "semantic bleaching": the phrase, tied to Skrilla’s "Doot Doot (6 7)" and a gesture popularized by Taylen Kinney, now means nothing—and that’s the point. Adults’ reactions may be prolonging its life; some educators neutralize it by using it themselves. Experts say it isn’t harmful, just typical youth slang likely to fade, with would-be replacements like "41" already angling to dethrone it.

The article reports no clear scandal around Jim Morrison’s ski descent on Everest, but outlines issues drawing scrutiny. Critics question risk to Sherpas and environmental strain, and the ethics of filming a high-stakes feat for a National Geographic project by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi. Past permitting hurdles and sensitive access on the mountain’s north side invite questions. Verification standards loom, especially with a reported 650-foot rappel where skis couldn’t be used. Some also debate the use of his late partner’s memory in the narrative.

Duke Roufus, the former kickboxer and revered MMA coach who founded Milwaukee’s Roufusport, died in his sleep Thursday at 55, longtime friend and business partner Scott Joffe said. Roufus guided multiple former world champions, including Anthony and Sergio Pettis, Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren. In a Facebook tribute, Joffe called him a mentor and innovator whose influence reshaped mixed martial arts. Anthony Pettis, a former UFC lightweight champion, wrote on Instagram that Roufus took him in after his father was killed and vowed to honor his legacy.

Sir David Attenborough, 99, broke Dick Van Dyke’s mark as the oldest Daytime Emmy winner, taking daytime personality, non-daily for hosting Netflix’s Secret Lives of Orangutans. Jonathan Jackson of General Hospital and Susan Walters of The Young and the Restless won supporting awards, while General Hospital also earned trophies for Alley Mills as guest performer and its writing team. “We’re living in really dark times… We just got to keep our spirits high,” Mills said. The Young and the Restless led with 19 nominations; it, General Hospital and Days of Our Lives vie for best drama.

For two games and seven innings, Seattle’s bats were quiet — until the eighth exploded. Cal Raleigh tied Game 5 with a leadoff homer, and after two walks and a hit batter, Eugenio Suárez crushed an opposite-field grand slam, his second homer of the night, sending T-Mobile Park into a roar and sealing a 6-2 win over the Blue Jays. Earlier, Alejandro Kirk’s dash home off a misfire in right put Toronto ahead, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stayed scorching. But the Jays’ bullpen unraveled, leaving Seattle one win from its first pennant on Sunday in Toronto.