JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1247

Trick-or-treat bags may skew fruitier as non-chocolate candies surge and chocolate loses share amid soaring cocoa costs. In the 12 weeks ending Oct. 5, chocolate accounted for 44% of U.S. Halloween candy volume, down from 52% last year; it averaged $8.02 per pound versus $5.77 for non-chocolate. Cocoa prices quadrupled to a January record of $10,710 per metric ton. Americans spent $7.4 billion on Halloween candy in 2024. Hershey led with 40.8% market share, while Mars rolled out Halloween stock July 5 and makes 30 million M&M’s daily in Topeka. Non-chocolate sales grew 4.9% in 2024; chocolate rose 0.4%.

Donald Trump’s promise to avoid distant wars is straining under an escalating campaign against Nicolás Maduro’s regime. The U.S. has launched at least eight Caribbean strikes, killing at least 38 people, plus two in the Pacific that killed at least five, while B-52s and special operations forces deploy near Venezuela. Trump authorized CIA operations amid fears of a coup bid. A power struggle elevated Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s hard line, despite some eased oil sanctions. Critics question the legality and drug rationale; the White House cites the Patriot Act.

Argentina’s libertarian president, Javier Milei, faces a fraught midterm test Sunday amid inflation-weary voters, a sliding peso and corruption scandals touching close allies, including his sister and chief-of-staff Karina Milei. While he touts progress against triple‑digit inflation, his movement suffered setbacks — stones thrown in August and a bruising loss in Buenos Aires Province. US president Donald Trump, Milei’s strongest backer, has dangled up to $40bn in aid but warned it could vanish if Milei underperforms, prompting charges of interference. Pollsters predict punishment over austerity; analysts warn a poor result could trigger fresh financial turmoil.

Tom Aspinall makes his first defense of the undisputed heavyweight title Saturday at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, facing Ciryl Gane in the challenger’s third shot at the belt. Aspinall rides three blistering wins of 1:13 or less and sits No. 4 in ESPN’s pound-for-pound rankings; Gane has won two straight and ranks No. 2 among heavyweights. The card also crowns a new strawweight champion as Virna Jandiroba meets Mackenzie Dern for the belt vacated by Zhang Weili, who is moving up to flyweight. Jandiroba and Dern fought in 2020, a unanimous decision for Dern.

Polling places opened Saturday for in‑person voting in two closely watched contests: New York City’s mayoral race and New Jersey’s governor’s race. New Yorkers are choosing among Zohran Mamdani, Curtis Sliwa, and Andrew Cuomo, after incumbent Eric Adams exited and endorsed Cuomo. New Jersey’s matchup features Jack Ciattarelli against Mikie Sherrill. The elections are seen as bellwethers for Democrats amid fights over affordability and party direction, with Mamdani’s platform sparking pushback from Cuomo and Sliwa. Early voting runs through November 2 in New York and New Jersey; election day is November 4.

In Gaza’s Nasser Hospital, two 10-year-olds — one paralysed after being hit by what his family says was an Israeli drone bullet, another with a brain tumour — embody a wider emergency. The WHO says some 15,000 patients need urgent evacuation. Since a fragile 10 October ceasefire, it has moved 41 patients and 145 carers via Kerem Shalom to hospitals abroad, urging many more and access through Rafah. Israel keeps Rafah closed, and treatment in the West Bank and East Jerusalem remains blocked. Doctors report daily loss of life due to lack of capabilities, including three children this week.

Donald Trump has privately boasted he can direct House Speaker Mike Johnson—'I’m the speaker and the president,' he quipped—according to the New York Times, which cited two people familiar with his remarks. Johnson’s recent actions during an ongoing shutdown have reinforced that perception: he rallied Republicans behind the White House’s 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' refused to convene the House without Democratic concessions, and declined to swear in Democrat Adelita Grijalva amid an Epstein-related petition. He has blitzed media to blame opponents, backed Trump’s pardon of George Santos, and defended the president’s contentious behavior.

Stephen A. Smith refused to retract comments linking presidential influence to the FBI’s sweeping sports-betting probe that led to the arrests of Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Heat guard Terry Rozier and ex-NBA player Damon Jones, among others. After FBI Director Kash Patel blasted Smith on Fox News, Smith stood firm on his SiriusXM show, predicting more arrests and calling the investigation a warning shot. The FBI says 34 people were arrested in a $7 million scheme. The NBA placed Billups and Rozier on leave, as Commissioner Adam Silver said he was deeply disturbed.

President Donald Trump escalated a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, ordering the Gerald Ford carrier group to Latin America in what officials call a counter‑narcotics push and a show of force. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the expanded presence will help detect and disrupt illicit actors, though he gave no timeline; days ago the Ford was transiting near the Strait of Gibraltar. The deployment—alongside eight warships, a nuclear submarine and F‑35s—follows 10 strikes on alleged drug vessels since early September that killed about 40 people, some Venezuelan, stoking regional unease over Washington’s intent.

Kirk Cousins is 'highly likely' to start for the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Starter Michael Penix Jr. suffered a left-knee bone bruise in last week’s loss to the 49ers, was limited in practice, and is listed as questionable. Coach Raheem Morris said Cousins took 'significant' reps later in the week and voiced confidence in Cousins while still giving Penix 'every opportunity.' The expected start coincides with the 10-year anniversary of Cousins’ 'You like that?!' moment after Washington’s 31-30 win over Tampa Bay.