JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1193

Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia left a screening in stunned silence before an exasperated outburst. Written by Will Tracy, it follows Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and his cousin Donny (Aidan Delbis) as they kidnap Big Pharma CEO Michelle (Emma Stone). The critic deems it mid-tier Lanthimos: a more grounded, naturalistic approach that sidelines his signature affectless style, with alternating close-ups that stifle interplay, even as Stone shines and Donny becomes the film’s soft center. The final act’s grotesquely beautiful imagery lands, but a full-length Marlene Dietrich cover of Where Have all the Flowers Gone derails the ending.

President Trump returned from a week in Asia touting progress: he said U.S. tariffs on Chinese exports will drop to 47% after Xi Jinping pledged to curb fentanyl, China will resume soybean purchases, and China will ease rare earths limits as Washington scales back some export rules for a year. A final deal isn't done; another China visit is planned for April. The trip mixed pageantry and peacemaking, including a Cambodia and Thailand ceasefire and openness to talks with North Korea. Back home, the shutdown endures as he floated ending the filibuster while Democrats seek a tax credit extension.

Owen McCown completed 31 of 33 passes for 370 yards and four touchdowns as UTSA beat Tulane 48-26, extending the Roadrunners’ regular season conference home win streak to 22. David Amador II and Devin McCuin each caught two scores; Amador also threw a 21-yard TD to McCuin. UTSA reeled off 31 straight points after Tulane’s opening 75-yard drive and led 38-12 early in the third on McCown’s strike to Will Henderson III. Robert Henry Jr. ran for 87 yards and Henderson added a rushing TD. Tulane’s Jake Retzlaff had two TDs but threw two interceptions; Brendan Sullivan added another.

Google, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon signaled no letup in AI outlays, lifting data center spending to meet surging demand. Google, Microsoft and Amazon together spent $112 billion on capex in the past three months; the foursome topped $360 billion over 12 months. Concerns about a budding bubble grew, and the Bank of England flagged rising debt risks if AI underdelivers. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said today's investments differ from the dot com era, citing profitable business models. Amazon plans $125 billion this year; Meta raised its target to at least $70 billion, while its shares fell 11 percent.

As mourners carried white flowers, families began burying victims in Rio de Janeiro after a police raid that left at least 132 dead, including four officers, in Vila Cruzeiro and surrounding favelas. Residents, reeling from scenes they likened to war, accused security forces of torture and executions, while the state government called the operation against the Red Command a success. The record toll drew condemnation from human rights groups and the U.N., and Brazil’s Supreme Court set a Monday hearing with the governor and police chiefs.

With much of the Education Department idled by the shutdown, schools are funded for now but losing guidance and facing looming gaps. Secretary Linda McMahon argues the slowdown proves the agency is unnecessary, even as no new grants or civil rights probes proceed and only 330 essential staff remain after layoffs and furloughs. Districts worry Head Start funding is uncertain and school meal reimbursements could run out in two months, and services for students with disabilities may stall. McMahon is advancing plans to shift functions to other agencies, including loans to Treasury and career education to Labor.

Reeling after a 28-6 prime time home loss, the Dolphins fell to 2-7, reviving questions about owner Stephen Ross's next move. He resisted changes after a Week 7 defeat and briefly found relief with a Week 8 upset of the Falcons, but frustration at Hard Rock Stadium was unmistakable: boos, paper bags, even a popcorn bucket with eye holes. With a mini bye before hosting the Bills and traveling to Madrid to face the Commanders, Ross must decide whether to stay the course or consider major changes involving coach Mike McDaniel or GM Chris Grier.

At the APEC summit in Gyeongju, Chinese leader Xi Jinping pledged to defend global free trade and multilateral cooperation, urging stability in supply chains and collaboration on green industries. The two-day gathering was overshadowed by Xi’s earlier meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, who left South Korea after announcing tariff cuts on China and Chinese moves to export rare earths and buy U.S. soybeans. With the United States represented by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, hosts pushed for consensus amid tensions, as Xi met regional leaders and South Korea emphasized AI and demographic challenges.

Lamar Jackson returned from a hamstring injury and threw four touchdown passes as the Baltimore Ravens beat the Miami Dolphins 28-6. Sidelined for three games after being hurt in a 37-20 loss at the Kansas City Chiefs on September 28, the two-time NFL MVP completed 18 of 23 passes for 204 yards with no interceptions. “He’s a two-time MVP for a reason,” tight end Mark Andrews said. Baltimore (3-5) have won successive games and are bidding to become just the fifth team in NFL history to reach the play-offs after a 1-5 start; Miami fell to 2-7.

CNN’s Dana Bash confronted House Speaker Mike Johnson over the shutdown’s looming hit to food assistance, asking why he’d reject a partial funding deal to reopen Agriculture. Johnson dismissed it as a stunt, blamed Democratic leaders for prolonging “pain,” and insisted only fully reopening the government is acceptable. The shutdown followed Republicans voting down a Democratic bill on Oct. 1; SNAP benefits could lapse Saturday for more than 20 million households. Johnson disputed using contingency funds as unauthorized by Congress. Meanwhile, Democratic-led states sued the Trump administration over benefits denied to 22 million households.