JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1160

Phil Foden lit up the Etihad with two goals in Manchester City’s 4-1 win over Borussia Dortmund, a performance that pushed him back into the England conversation. The 25-year-old now has four goals and three assists in 13 games and hopes Friday’s squad for World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania will bring a recall after two omissions. Pep Guardiola hailed his readiness, while pundits Michael Brown and Leon Osman praised his influence. With City having lost only one of their past 13 games, Foden’s form and smile suggest last season’s struggles are fading.

Vladimir Putin ordered his government to draft proposals to possibly resume nuclear weapons tests, responding to President Trump’s instruction to the Pentagon to do so “on an equal basis.” Putin said Russia observes the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty but would take reciprocal steps if others test. Trump alleged Russia and China are testing, though his intent remains unclear; the last U.S. detonation was in 1992. China denied secret testing, Pakistan said it won’t be first, and a U.S. STRATCOM nominee told Congress neither Russia nor China is conducting explosive tests. North Korea is the only known tester since the 1990s.

Federal investigators say a UPS cargo jet erupted in flames on its left wing and lost an engine moments after takeoff from Louisville, then crashed and exploded, killing at least 12. The MD-11 freighter, departing for Honolulu with three aboard, scattered wreckage across a half-mile before striking structures off airport property. The NTSB recovered the flight recorders, which withstood heat and are expected to yield data, and deployed about 28 investigators. The crash triggered blasts at a recycling facility and hit a salvage yard, but narrowly missed nearby businesses, officials said.

Republicans reeled after defeats, fearing President Trump’s low approval would weigh on midterms. As blame ricocheted, they faulted flawed candidates, a government shutdown, a focus on demonizing transgender issues, and a weak economic pitch; Speaker Mike Johnson cast Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City and a democratic socialist, as the new leader of the Democratic Party. No one blamed Trump, who loomed but did little: no fundraisers or rallies, only phoned-in calls to New Jersey and Virginia, and an endorsement that omitted Winsome Earle-Sears’s name. Democrats surged to the polls as Republicans struggled to rouse MAGA base.

New Braves manager Walt Weiss filled two key staff roles by hiring former Mets coaches Jeremy Hefner as pitching coach and Antoan Richardson as first-base coach, the team announced Wednesday. Hefner, 39, replaces Rick Kranitz after six seasons guiding Mets pitchers to the NL’s sixth-best ERA over his tenure. Richardson, 42, will also oversee outfield and baserunning after the Mets led MLB in stolen-base success rate in 2025. Tom Goodwin, Kranitz and third-base coach Fredi González were informed they won’t return as Atlanta continues its staff changes.

Sinclair Broadcast Group CEO Chris Ripley used a Wednesday earnings call to condemn the ABC blackout affecting about 10 million YouTube TV subscribers, saying local broadcasters have no say over whether their paid-for content reaches viewers. He argued the standoff violates the Communications Act’s intent and may raise antitrust concerns, noting that recurring carriage fee battles and resulting blackouts harm local audiences and the ecosystem of local journalism. Ripley steered clear of discussing the September Jimmy Kimmel Live suspension he helped shepherd.

After the Jets sent three-time Pro Bowler Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys before Tuesday’s deadline, his wife Maranda posted gratitude for “the highs and the lows” and reshared his farewell to New York. New York received a 2026 second-rounder, a 2027 first-rounder and Mazi Smith, part of a broader fire sale that also moved Sauce Gardner to the Colts for two first-round picks. The moves signal a rebuild under coach Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey. Williams, a 2022 first-team All-Pro, thanked Jets fans and said he’s excited for what’s next in Dallas.

Houston’s 18th Congressional District moves toward a special election to finish the late Rep. Sylvester Turner’s term, after months of vacancy that Democrats say Gov. Greg Abbott prolonged. Amid confusion over a redrawn map demanded by President Donald Trump, Menefee and Edwards cast the race as a test of the president’s agenda, promising not just talk but results. The deep blue district’s shifting lines and demographics face scrutiny, while Republicans hold a 219-212 House edge with four vacancies and an unsworn Democratic winner in Arizona, leaving party leaders little room to maneuver.

President Trump blamed the ongoing government shutdown for Republicans’ losses in New Jersey and Virginia, saying unnamed pollsters saw it as a major drag. He noted he wasn’t on the ballot. Later in Miami, he castigated New York Democrats and framed politics as “communism” versus “common sense,” citing Zohran Mamdani’s win despite backing Andrew Cuomo. Democrats Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger won governorships decisively, while polls show waning support for Trump’s agenda. Trump said Democrats sparked the shutdown over health subsidies. Speaker Mike Johnson urged against reading the defeats as a repudiation.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey secured a third term in the city's ranked-choice election, edging Democratic state Sen. Omar Fateh in the final round, 50.03% to 44.37%. The 15-candidate race saw an alliance and second-choice votes reshuffle the field, but Frey prevailed as turnout hit a municipal record: more than 147,000 ballots, or 55% of registered voters. Frey urged unity while warning against extremism, and Fateh said his campaign built lasting people power. Progressives kept a narrow City Council majority. In neighboring St. Paul, Rep. Kaohly Her defeated incumbent Mayor Melvin Carter.