JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1229

Paramount Skydance will cut about 1,000 U.S. jobs Wednesday, Oct. 29, the first wave in a plan that could eliminate roughly 2,000 U.S. roles, with more layoffs expected internationally. The freshly merged company, led by chairman and CEO David Ellison, is pursuing cost reductions of up to $2 billion. President Jeff Shell said cuts will be executed swiftly and disclosed by the company’s third-quarter 2025 earnings report; Q3 results are due Nov. 10 after the market closes. Even as layoffs loom, Ellison has greenlit bold deals, including a $7 billion, seven-year UFC pact.

American climber Jim Morrison became the first to ski Everest’s daunting Hornbein Couloir on Oct. 15, descending the narrow, unrelenting gully from just over 1,100 feet below the summit. Partnering with filmmaker-mountaineer Jimmy Chin, the five-year project took three attempts and a roughly one-day annual window, ending with a four-hour, 9,000-foot descent that demanded zero mistakes. After more than six weeks on the mountain, Morrison, 50, finished at 7:45 p.m. local time, saying he felt elated and emotional. A National Geographic documentary is in production; both men described leveraging fear to guide decisions.

Two Illinois National Guard members told CBS News they will refuse federal orders to deploy in Chicago for President Trump’s immigration mission, calling the move illegal and a weaponization of troops against civilians. Staff Sgt. Demi Palecek and Capt. Dylan Blaha—both political candidates—said Guard units aren’t trained to assist ICE and warned of a dangerous precedent. A federal judge has delayed the deployment indefinitely. They reported retaliation, including a suspended security clearance and death threats, and cited unpaid, short-term orders and panic among immigrant service members, even as data show Chicago’s violent crime is down.

U.N. investigators documented hundreds of instances of Russian drone pilots targeting civilians in Kherson, concluding the attacks amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Over more than a year, small drones dropped grenades on people, ambulances and fire crews, often hovering over fires to strike responders, the report finds, describing a coordinated policy to terrorize and drive residents out. Russia denies targeting civilians and declined to cooperate. Live-streaming footage and unit posts online underscore intent. Kherson has strung net canopies as buzzing drones keep residents on edge.

Search crews scoured the Mediterranean on Monday after a Viking Star crew member was seen going overboard at 11:31 a.m. local time, the company said. The ship activated its emergency response and coordinated with the Italian Coast Guard as passengers described a widening air-and-sea search midway between Greece and Italy. An onboard Code Oscar was announced, the vessel turned back, and crew lined the decks with binoculars while guests watched the waves with concern. The cruise, which began in Athens on Oct. 23, was rerouted from Palermo to Messina and due to end in Rome on Thursday.

Week Eight delivered a lopsided slate. Heading into Monday night, 11 of 12 NFL games were decided by double digits, producing an average margin of 18.25 points. If the Commanders-Chiefs matchup also ends with a double-digit spread — Kansas City is favored by 10.5 — it would mark the first time since 1970 that every game but one in a week finished by 10 or more. The lone thriller? Jets 39, Bengals 38. Even that came with a caveat: New York fell to 1-7, while Cincinnati dropped to 3-5.

On Monday, Day 27 of the government shutdown, roughly 3,370 U.S. flights were delayed and 118 flights into or out of the country were canceled, FlightAware reported. The slowdowns followed weekend backups, with more than 8,700 Sunday delays as air traffic controller shortages deepen. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said controllers will miss their first full paychecks Tuesday and described mounting stress over gas and childcare. He cited 22 staffing "triggers" on Sunday and warned disruptions could worsen as the impasse threatens to interrupt staffing ramp-up efforts.

Vogue World touched down on the Paramount lot in Los Angeles, fusing runway spectacle with Hollywood theater in a film-themed show. Orchestrated by Anna Wintour, the 45-minute event raised $4.5 million for the Entertainment Community Fund to help local costume designers who lost homes after January wildfires, though the event is expected to generate over $30 million overall. Wintour dismissed retirement chatter after elevating Chloe Malle at Vogue, underscoring the brand’s shift to large-scale events. Gov. Gavin Newsom attended his first Vogue function as models walked the concrete to bullhorn calls.

After nearly five years in geostationary orbit, China’s secretive Xinjishu Yanzheng-7 came into focus when Australia’s High Earth Orbit Robotics released multi-angle images and a 3D rendering. HEO verified XJY-7 as a SAR satellite with a large dish antenna and two fixed solar panels requiring full-body rotation to charge. The spacecraft reentered on October 16 over Tenerife, producing a bright, slow, fragmenting fireball and sonic booms, according to tracker Marco Langbroek. The episode spotlights China’s rapidly evolving but opaque space program and the growing power of satellite-on-satellite imaging from firms such as HEO and Maxar.

Leaked screenshots hint Google’s next Pixel Feature Drop could arrive November 4, earlier than expected, with “theme packs,” Pixel Studio animations, and upgraded Pixel VIP alerts. Images posted by Mystic Leaks show a Pixel Tips rundown: one-tap “Wicked: For Good” themes that apply matching wallpaper and icons—and claim to change sounds and GIFs—plus tools to turn any image or text‑generated creation into GIFs or animated stickers. Pixel VIP would highlight WhatsApp and Google Messages from chosen contacts in yellow with status‑bar photos. The timing and a typo suggest caution.