JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1190

Ukraine has turned drone warfare into a points contest, awarding units credits for verified strikes redeemable for gear on the Brave1 Market. Videos are reviewed in Kyiv, and values now prioritize infantry kills — up from two points at launch to six in October and doubled again in May. Awards range from eight points for wounding a soldier to 120 for a capture; destroying heavy weapons also scores. Over 400 teams compete, ordering more than 80,000 systems worth more than $96 million, as officials say the program sustains morale and expands to AI tools and robotic ground vehicles.

As layoff notices swept the CDC during the government shutdown, Aryn Melton Backus received a third termination email, then a rapid reversal, capturing the chaos inside the agency. Unions call the latest reductions illegal, saying repeated cuts have eliminated a quarter of the CDC and gutted offices from ethics oversight and the IRB to the library and Washington office, with key surveys and prevention programs disrupted. About 1,300 layoffs were processed; roughly 700 were later reinstated while 600 remain out. Staff also report harassment, doxing, and trauma after an August shooting at CDC headquarters.

On his first visit to South Korea in 15 years, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang unveiled an expanded partnership at APEC Summit 2025 to strengthen the nation’s AI infrastructure and physical AI. South Korea will secure over 260,000 Nvidia GPUs, with about 50,000 for public AI projects and the rest for Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor Group, and Naver. Samsung will build an AI Megafactory using more than 50,000 GPUs. Nvidia will co-develop AI-RAN with Samsung, telecom operators, and ETRI. Hyundai and Nvidia will deploy 50,000 Blackwell GPUs and establish AI research centers, as SK and Naver launch industrial AI platforms.

In Oologah, Oklahoma, Zach Bryan’s new song snippet has ignited a hometown debate over immigration enforcement, even as the country star recently drew more than 112,000 fans to Michigan Stadium. Lyrics about ICE breaking down a door, paired with an Instagram caption about the fading red white and blue, drew support from some and denunciations from others in this pro Trump area. Residents cited law and order loyalties, fears among immigrant families, and frustration with a rigid system. Bryan says the full song will address both sides. Federal officials and some fans called the song disrespectful to law enforcement.

Indian customs officers at Mumbai airport arrested a passenger after finding two endangered Silvery Gibbons in a checked bag; one was dead, the other alive and hooting in an officer’s arms. The traveler, who flew from Malaysia via Thailand, was given the animals by a wildlife trafficking syndicate for delivery in India, customs said. Nearly 8 kilograms of hydroponic weed were also seized. TRAFFIC warned of rising trafficking tied to the exotic pet trade, citing more than 7,000 animals seized on the Thailand to India route in 3.5 years. The bust follows several recent smuggling cases at the same airport.

Justice Elena Kagan has long pursued quiet persuasion, even scrubbing sharp lines from a draft dissent in the student loan case, while Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has embraced blistering dissents and extended questioning, warning of favoritism toward moneyed interests. Their contrasting styles—joined by Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s alarms—have fueled friction within the shrunken liberal bloc and with conservatives, notably Amy Coney Barrett. As the court grants Donald J. Trump temporary wins and prepares high‑stakes disputes, Kagan’s restraint yields occasional narrow victories, yet she now faces whether to speak more bluntly.

After Steve Bannon claimed Donald Trump would seek an unconstitutional third term, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, “I would love to do it,” briefly entertaining a vice presidential workaround he called “too cute” and that would violate the 12th Amendment. House Speaker Mike Johnson cited the 22nd Amendment and labeled the chatter trolling, as a new poll put Trump at net -19 approval. The piece contends a rightwing legal apparatus and the supreme court are eroding constitutional limits—from moves against the Education Department to attacks on birthright citizenship—and warns only public mobilization, not lawsuits, can check him.

Virginia’s Nov. 4 governor’s race, a key early test after Democrats’ 2024 setbacks, pits former Rep. Abigail Spanberger against Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Spanberger will rally with Barack Obama before Election Day, while Donald Trump has had little involvement as Earle-Sears seeks to succeed Gov. Glenn Youngkin; either winner would become the state’s first female governor. Spanberger’s early edge has been complicated by backlash to violent text messages from Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones, which she denounced as he remains in the race. Republicans are seizing the issue, as Democrats also mount a last-minute redistricting push.

Amazon shares jumped 13% after a third quarter beat, posting $1.95 EPS on $180.27 billion in revenue versus $1.57 and $177.8 billion expected. AWS revenue hit $33 billion, topping estimates and accelerating 20.2% versus the 18.1% analysts anticipated. CEO Andy Jassy said AWS is growing at a pace not seen since 2022 amid strong AI demand, with custom Trainium chips a highlight. Wall Street turned more bullish, with Goldman Sachs, Barclays, Bank of America, JPMorgan, UBS, Morgan Stanley and Citi lifting price targets up to $320.

HBO’s I Love LA casts the city as its real lead, following Maia, a 20-something talent manager who signs her estranged best friend Tallulah, a rising social media star. Alongside Charlie, Alani and Dylan, the series skewers influencer culture, nepo-baby privilege and LA's sunlit grind that can make or break you online. Created by and starring Rachel Sennott, in her first creator credit and directing debut, the brisk 30-minute comedy leans on sharp one-liners, internet-native cameos and self-aware cringe, as Maia hypes herself with, "Hustle until your idols become your rivals."