JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1234

Far from public view, a new Survival International report warns that at least 196 uncontacted Indigenous groups in 10 countries—most in the Amazon—are under intensifying pressure from logging, mining, agribusiness and organized crime. Nearly 65% face logging threats, 40% mining, and 20% agribusiness; half could be wiped out within a decade without action. Experts urge legally recognized no‑contact zones, stronger enforcement, and supply‑chain scrutiny. Recent developments in Peru, Brazil and Ecuador underscore uneven protections, while projects from Brazilian railways to Indonesia’s nickel mining deepen risks to isolated peoples and the forests they sustain.

Huntington Bancshares will acquire Cadence Bank in an all-stock deal worth $7.4 billion, creating a top-ten bank with $276 billion in assets and $220 billion in deposits. Cadence holders will receive 2.475 Huntington shares per share, valuing the offer at $39.77. The bank raised its medium-term ROTCE target to 18%–19% on expense synergies and enhanced earnings potential, and will expand to 21 states, including Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin. Cadence shares rose about 2% premarket as Huntington fell 4%. First reported by the Wall Street Journal, the deal is expected to close in Q1 2026.

Relentless rain hammered Central Florida into Monday, unleashing flash floods that stranded drivers, swamped roads and flooded homes. The National Weather Service called it a “particularly dangerous situation,” reporting up to 18 inches in Lake County and 13 in Brevard. Flash flood emergencies covered Eustis and Mount Dora, with warnings to seek higher ground. Meteorologist Megan Tollefsen said totals were “definitely not normal,” and some areas, including Eustis and Titusville, saw one‑in‑200‑year rainfall. In Titusville, reports cited inundated homes and stranded cars, and Mount Dora issued a boil‑water notice after a water line break that appeared related to flooding.

Craig Brewer’s Song Sung Blue premiered at AFI Film Festival, igniting awards buzz for Kate Hudson’s revelatory turn as Claire “Thunder” Sardinia. The Focus Features release, opening Dec. 25, tells of two struggling musicians who form a Neil Diamond tribute band and is being pushed in the Globes’ comedy/musical category, a possible Oscar launchpad. Praise also extends to Hugh Jackman, Jim Belushi, and breakout Ella Anderson. Brewer’s adapted screenplay could contend. If Hudson is nominated, it would be her first Oscar nod since Almost Famous, 25 years ago.

A weeklong procession of Trump officials to Jerusalem, dubbed "Bibi-sitting" by Israeli media, underscored a new phase in U.S.-Israel ties and in the Trump-Netanyahu relationship. After granting major political gifts, indulging talk of a Gaza "Riviera," backing a March cease-fire breach, and deploying B-2s to strike Iran in June, President Trump is now showing impatience. He has increasingly aired frustrations, including an eruption over an Israeli airstrike on Iran in June after a 12-day war’s cease-fire, as Trump administration officials press Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stick to the Gaza truce.

Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi — the first woman to hold the post — meets President Trump in Tokyo on Tuesday seeking reassurance on trade and security. She is expected to lean on her ties to Shinzo Abe while urging commitment to the alliance, countering China and backing Taiwan. Talks will probe oversight of Japan’s $550 billion U.S. investment and her accelerated plan to reach about 2% of GDP on defense. Trump will visit the Imperial Palace, lunch at Akasaka Palace and rally troops. Analysts warn a warm Trump-Xi meeting later this week could leave Japan vulnerable.

U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to "solve" the Afghanistan-Pakistan crisis "very quickly" as the neighbors’ peace talks entered a second day in Istanbul, seeking to turn a fragile Doha ceasefire into a lasting security framework. The dispute follows the deadliest clashes in years. Pakistan’s army said it killed 25 militants while repelling two border infiltrations, and reported five soldiers dead; the figures could not be independently verified. Taliban-run RTA said Kabul submitted a draft urging respect for Afghan territory and a four-way ceasefire monitor; Pakistan offered a counter-draft. Pakistani officials did not comment.

Republican senator Rand Paul denounced the Trump administration’s recent airstrikes on boats off Venezuela as “extrajudicial killings,” saying Congress has received no evidence or briefings about the operations. On Fox News Sunday, Paul contrasted the killings—about 40 people in at least eight strikes, according to the administration—with executions by China and Iran, and noted he joined Democrats Tim Kaine and Adam Schiff on a failed war powers resolution. Trump has said he sees no need for authorization, adding the U.S. will “kill” suspected drug smugglers.

Craig Brewer’s Song Sung Blue follows the true story of Mike and Claire Sarina (Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson), Milwaukee musicians who form the Neil Diamond tribute act Lightning & Thunder. The film revels in Karaoke Culture as their Midwest circuit gigs lead to a breakthrough—opening for Pearl Jam, with Eddie Vedder joining onstage. A sudden calamity upends their lives, yet Hudson’s raw performance and the duo’s bond carry the drama. Amid Mike’s health scares and a planned reunion capped by meeting Diamond, the movie channels fervent, unapologetic love for his songs.

Families are choosing smaller sizes worldwide, NPR reports, with some like Ashley and Nick Evancho deciding “one is enough.” UN data show fertility has fallen by more than half since the 1970s; the U.S. rate hit a record-low 1.6 in 2024. Economists warn of aging populations, worker shortages and pressure on programs like Social Security and Medicare, as seen in rural New York where a maternity ward closed despite plentiful jobs. Some urge immigration, automation and incentives—Greece approved a multibillion-dollar tax package; the Trump administration included incentives—but others, including Claudia Goldin, say fears are overstated.