JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1178

After months of tariff threats and pressure on defense spending that rattled Asian allies, President Donald Trump used a three-nation tour to signal steadier backing. He said the US was “wedded” to South Korea, addressed concerns tied to a $350 billion investment pledge, and approved South Korea’s request for nuclear-powered submarines. He told Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi she could ask him for “anything.” And in a summit with Xi Jinping, he avoided softening the US commitment to Taiwan as defense chief Pete Hegseth voiced concerns about Beijing’s naval activity nearby.

After a sedan rear-ended a U.S. Border Patrol vehicle in Evanston, a chaotic arrest unfolded, drawing a crowd and leading agents to use pepper spray, point a gun, and repeatedly punch a man pinned to the pavement. Three people were arrested. The Department of Homeland Security said the strikes were defensive after an agent was grabbed, and disputed claims agents caused the crash. Mayor Daniel Biss condemned the conduct and urged participation in rapid response teams. Evanston police are collecting videos and evidence for the Illinois attorney general’s Civil Rights Division as people were treated for pepper spray exposure.

Zohran Mamdani’s double-digit lead in the New York City mayor’s race has electrified many Muslim New Yorkers and drawn a surge of Islamophobic attacks. Opponents Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, echoed by Mayor Eric Adams, have faced criticism for remarks and ads linking Mamdani to extremism, including Sliwa’s false “global jihad” claim, Cuomo’s chuckle at a radio smear, and an A.I. video from Cuomo’s campaign. Mamdani responded with an emotional address at a Bronx mosque as his campaign intensifies outreach across dozens of mosques. Supporters celebrate his rise but worry about safety; critics deny Islamophobia.

At the Kia Forum in Inglewood, thousands queued for a drive-through food distribution as SNAP benefits lapsed on the first day of the month during a federal shutdown that began Oct. 1. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank loaded about 5,000 cars with roughly 40 meals each, while residents like 70-year-old Genaro Alfonzo described going hungry. Two judges ordered USDA to tap more than $5 billion in contingency funds, but implementation awaits Monday and won’t cover November’s $9 billion need. Officials said aid could take about a week; California mobilized the National Guard and $80 million for food banks.

Before 7,000-plus in Norfolk, Virginia, Barack Obama returned to the trail with razor-edged humor, backing Abigail Spanberger and other Democratic gubernatorial bids in Virginia and New Jersey. The former president, whose 2024 warnings preceded Trump’s election win a year ago, ticked through what he called daily lawlessness — politicized justice, phantom crime waves, quack medicine — and mocked Truth Social AI videos. He also riffed about paving the Rose Garden, gold-plating the Oval Office, and a $300m ballroom, argued ordinary people are worse off, and urged Virginians to vote as the crowd roared.

Ukraine’s top commander, Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, says troops face difficult conditions defending Pokrovsk against a multi-thousand Russian force, but rejects claims they are encircled. Special forces were sent to secure supply routes that sources say are under Russian fire. Footage showed Syrskyi with intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov poring over battlefield maps, as Kyiv denied Moscow’s assertion that 11 commandos were killed after a helicopter landing. DeepState estimates roughly half the town is a contested grey zone; the Institute for the Study of War reports only marginal Ukrainian gains. President Volodymyr Zelensky called Pokrovsk’s defence a priority.

The Baltimore Ravens traded cornerback Jaire Alexander and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2026 sixth-round pick. Buried on the depth chart, the 28-year-old appeared in two of Baltimore’s eight games and was a healthy scratch five times, including Thursday’s 28-6 win in Miami. Signed in June, Alexander missed time with a knee injury and struggled in a 41-40 opening loss in Buffalo. In Philadelphia, he’s expected to see more snaps as the Eagles sort out their outside corner spot opposite Quinyon Mitchell, with familiarity via coach Christian Parker.

At a Holy Year Mass for teachers and students, Pope Leo XIV declared St. John Henry Newman a doctor of the church and co-patron of Catholic education with St. Thomas Aquinas, praising his conscience-driven witness and writings on truth and universities. Citing Newman's hymn "Lead, Kindly Light," Leo urged educators to "shine like stars" and to keep human dignity at the center of technology and AI. Anglican leaders voiced support, and the hymn was sung at the service, underscoring Newman's broad appeal across traditions.

Before dawn, cars lined up at NRG Stadium as the Houston Food Bank opened a drive-thru supersite to serve about 5,000 families with produce, frozen chicken and staples, amid anxiety over SNAP delays. The rush follows Agriculture Department warnings that SNAP funding could lapse during a government shutdown; a Rhode Island judge ordered payments to continue nationwide, and President Donald Trump said he asked lawyers to review the issue. Texas has the largest food-insecure population. Calling the crisis “man-made,” CEO Brian Greene said the stopgap won’t meet need. The Houston Texans Foundation partnered in the distribution.

Fox News’ Entertainment Newsletter rounds up a volatile mix: King Charles strips Prince Andrew of all royal titles and honors; Rosie O’Donnell seeks prayers as her daughter faces a ‘scary future’ in prison; and Catherine Zeta-Jones’ daughter wears a 20-year-old vintage dress to a NYC gala. Also spotlighted: Julia Fox’s blood-stained Jackie Kennedy costume, Halloween looks from Paris Hilton and Victoria Justice, NASA pushing back on Kim Kardashian’s moon-landing claim, Sydney Sweeney in a sheer dress as Sharon Stone weighs in, Diddy’s transfer to Fort Dix, and five arrests after Robert De Niro’s grandson’s overdose death.