JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1164

Late-night hosts zeroed in on Donald Trump’s Great Gatsby-themed Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago, held Friday just hours before SNAP benefits expired for millions of Americans. On The Daily Show, Jon Stewart blasted the event as a gaudy ode to decadence, citing dancers, costumes, champagne, and a slogan, "a little party never killed nobody," and argued that leaders should at least feign empathy. The Late Show’s Stephen Colbert mocked footage of a dancer in a giant martini glass and urged Trump to "read the room." Jimmy Kimmel said the theme betrayed not having read Gatsby.

Yum Brands said it will review strategic options for Pizza Hut, citing lagging results that may be better realized outside the company. No deadline was set; possibilities include a divestiture, joint venture or selling a stake. The chain’s same-store sales fell 1% in the third quarter, including a 6% drop in its home market, while Taco Bell rose 7% and KFC 3%. After a pandemic surge, Pizza Hut’s shift from dine-in to delivery has stalled amid pizza fatigue and tighter dining-out habits, shrinking its U.S. market share from 22.6% in 2019 to 18.7% in 2024, Barclays said.

Daniel Day-Lewis pushed back at Brian Cox for pulling him into a dispute over method acting, saying he was “inadvertently” caught up in the Succession star’s criticism of Jeremy Strong. Praising both actors, Day-Lewis said he never interfered with Cox’s process and feels no responsibility for Strong’s approach. He defended method acting as a simple tool for spontaneity, not the extreme details often highlighted, and bristled at the “full method” stereotype. The actor said he stays immersed between takes and added Cox can speak with him directly.

Despite Jacoby Brissett's strong run in relief, including a 21-of-31, 261-yard, two-touchdown, no-interception showing in the Cardinals' 27-17 win over the Cowboys, head coach Jonathan Gannon reiterated that Kyler Murray will reclaim the job once cleared. Gannon cut off follow-up questions, saying nothing had changed. ESPN's Troy Aikman said on the broadcast that Brissett should stay the starter, a view shared by others. Still, Gannon said if Murray's injured foot allows him to play Sunday against the Seahawks, Murray will start.

As Virginia’s governor’s race enters its final days, Democrat Abigail Spanberger maintains a steady polling edge over Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. The off-year contest, seen as a bellwether, unfolds amid a grinding government shutdown and anxiety among the state’s 300,000-plus federal workers. Spanberger has campaigned on lowering costs for housing, health care, and energy, while Earle-Sears has pressed attacks tying her to Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones’ texting scandal and to policies on transgender students. A Christopher Newport University poll lists democracy, inflation, and health care as top concerns and shows Spanberger up seven points.

New York City voters headed to the polls Tuesday to choose a mayor in a three-way race testing a generational and ideological divide. Democrat Zohran Mamdani, 34, could become the city’s first Muslim mayor, elevating his democratic socialist agenda of free buses, universal child care and a rent freeze. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent after resigning in 2021 over sexual harassment findings, seeks a comeback with moderates and GOP support, aided by Michael Bloomberg and Mayor Eric Adams. Republican Curtis Sliwa hopes for an upset on a tough-on-crime message as Donald Trump backs Cuomo over Sliwa.

Hurricane Melissa, the most powerful to strike Jamaica, slammed into the island as a Category 5 storm, killing at least 32 and leaving much of the country without power. In Black River, St. Elizabeth Parish, nearly every building was shattered: a church gutted, the firehouse flooded 16 feet deep, the hospital unroofed, and historic waterfront homes obliterated. A fire superintendent said 90 percent of residents are displaced as aid distribution has begun. Families sleep in cars, elders crowd into one room, and loved ones are still missing.

New Jersey voters head to the polls Tuesday to choose a governor in a closely watched test of Democrats’ hold on a traditionally blue state. Republican Jack Ciattarelli, a former legislator endorsed by President Donald Trump, faces Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who would be the second female governor. Ciattarelli touts business credentials and ties to Trump; Sherrill centers opposition to Trump and criticized an administration freeze on Hudson River tunnel funding. The Justice Department will monitor Passaic County polling sites, a move the state attorney general called highly inappropriate. All 80 Assembly seats are also on the ballot.

Two courts have temporarily blocked the deportation of Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam, a 64-year-old Pennsylvania man whose murder conviction was overturned after more than four decades in prison. An immigration judge stayed his removal while the Bureau of Immigration Appeals considers whether to review his case, and his lawyers also got a stay in U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania. ICE still seeks to deport Vedam over a decades-old no contest plea to LSD delivery. Detained in Alexandria, Louisiana, since his Oct. 3 release, his family called the rulings a relief as he fights to reopen his immigration case.

In Indianapolis, Giannis Antetokounmpo shook free on an AJ Green screen, backed down Aaron Nesmith and hit a fading jumper as the buzzer sounded, lifting the Bucks over the Pacers 117-115. Coach Doc Rivers conceded the play wasn’t clean, but Antetokounmpo’s 33 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and two steals carried the night—and capped his second career buzzer-beater. After silencing the crowd, he gestured in support of Myles Turner, booed in his first return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse after 10 seasons in Indiana. Teammates marveled at the shot, calling it “surreal” and the product of daily work.