JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1171

After a bye week, Lions coach Dan Campbell said Detroit looked unprepared in a 27-24 loss to the Vikings and put the blame squarely on himself. He lamented 'critical errors' across all phases, calling it one of the team’s worst games in a long time, with players appearing rusty and out of sync. The Lions are 5-3, with more losses than all of last season, but Campbell voiced confidence in a turnaround. 'I’ve got to clean some stuff up, and we will,' he said.

Akita’s dazzling kanto festival masks a harsher reality: rigid gender roles pushing young women from rural Japan. Government data show Akita has Japan’s oldest population — 39% over 65 — and its lowest birth rate, while a survey finds 27% of young women want to leave their hometowns, versus 15% of men. Matchmaking schemes persist, but critics say they miss the point. Activist Ren Yamamoto told then Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba that policy overlooks women’s choices. Even as Sanae Takaichi becomes Japan’s first female prime minister, locals describe slow progress, gnawing unease and a depopulation that feels relentless.

On day 33 of the US government shutdown, Republicans say Donald Trump is eager to end the standoff, yet Congress remains deadlocked over a spending plan. With 53 Senate seats, Republicans need seven Democrats to reopen agencies; only three have backed funding in repeated votes since the 1 October closure. Two federal judges ordered the administration to tap $5bn in contingency funds to resume SNAP benefits for up to 42 million people, after payments stopped Saturday. Trump says he is waiting for judicial clarification, as the shutdown inches toward the 35-day record.

A federal judge late Sunday barred the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops to Portland for at least five more days, signaling she may block them for good. U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued a preliminary injunction extending her earlier order preventing Guard protection of a local ICE facility amid months of protests. Citing voluminous evidence, she said the government hadn’t shown an imminent rebellion or that ICE lacked resources, and the plan likely violated the Tenth Amendment. A final ruling is due by Friday; if she upholds it, federal lawyers are expected to appeal.

Before dawn on Halloween, FBI agents raided a Dearborn, Michigan home with smoke bombs and loud commands, later touting on X that a terrorist plot was foiled. Yet as of Sunday, no charges have been filed, and details remain scarce. Attorneys and neighbors dispute the allegations, citing lawful firearms and possibly misread online chatter about pumpkin day. Law enforcement sources referenced ISIS-inspired talk and range practice; the FBI has not elaborated. Community leaders decried Islamophobic backlash and urged patience, while an expert questioned the maturity of any plot.

Long-term melatonin use may be a red flag for the heart, researchers report. Reviewing five years of records from 130,828 adults (average age 56), regular users for at least a year had higher rates of heart failure (4.6% vs 2.7%), hospitalization (19% vs 6.6%), and death. The team says melatonin isn’t proven to cause harm; instead, persistent insomnia may signal cardiac strain. Outside experts urged caution, noting over-the-counter use often isn’t captured in records. The findings, led by SUNY Downstate researcher Dr. Ekenedilichukwu Nnadi, will be presented at an American Heart Association meeting and have not been peer reviewed.

More than half the states vote Tuesday in the first general election of Donald Trump’s second term, offering an early verdict on his agenda. Voters will choose governors in New Jersey and Virginia, decide New York City’s mayor, and weigh California’s Proposition 50 to redraw congressional maps. Pennsylvania will vote on retaining three justices on its Supreme Court, with control potentially shifting. Other contests include Virginia’s attorney general race, a crowded Texas congressional seat, fights for legislative control, and statewide ballot measures in Maine, Texas, Colorado and Washington.

In a 60 Minutes interview aired Sunday night, President Donald Trump said he didn’t know Binance founder Changpeng Zhao—despite having issued a pardon last month for the crypto billionaire who pleaded guilty to violating anti-money laundering laws. He also addressed the ongoing shutdown, on track to become the longest ever, saying Republicans are voting almost unanimously to end it while Democrats keep blocking a resolution. Trump offered no plan and predicted Democrats would eventually relent: 'And if they don't vote, that's their problem.' He said the conversation also touched on immigration raids and China.

Dutch voters nudged politics toward the center, with D66 and the Christian Democrats gaining as D66 and Geert Wilders’s PVV finished in a photo finish for first. No party topped 20 percent, pointing to hard coalition talks and a likely delay. The result, more pro‑European than in 2023, could reset The Hague’s stance in Brussels if D66 leader Rob Jetten becomes prime minister, vowing deeper integration and fewer vetoes. After the Schoof government’s withered influence, a Jetten-led broad coalition could rebuild Dutch clout through EU networks, even as Europe’s fragmented priorities and fragile alliances complicate the path.

Gold hovered near $4,000 an ounce after a shaky Monday open, recovering 0.2% following an early drop of up to 1%. The move came after Beijing ended a long-standing policy allowing some retailers to fully offset value-added tax on gold bought from the Shanghai Gold Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange, a change that could weigh on demand in one of the world’s largest precious-metals markets. Chinese gold jewelry stocks tumbled on the news.