JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1248

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.

More than a month after Adelita Grijalva won a September 23 special election to succeed her late father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, southern Arizona’s 7th District still has no sworn member of Congress. House Speaker Mike Johnson refuses to administer the oath during the government shutdown, leaving Tucson’s shuttered district office, unanswered phones, and constituents without help or a vote. Arizona’s attorney general has sued to force her seating. Anger is rising—from rally chants of “Swear her in!” to residents who say representation, and basic casework, can’t wait.

President Trump late Friday urged prosecutions of Merrick Garland, Christopher Wray, Jack Smith and Lisa Monaco, accusing them of approving an FBI probe that obtained phone data for nine Republican lawmakers during the Arctic Frost investigation. He alleged “spying” and claimed the 2020 election was rigged, though the Senate Judiciary Committee says agents did not access call content. Chair Chuck Grassley called the FBI’s actions “disturbing,” while Smith’s attorneys said they were lawful. Smith’s 2023 case against Mr. Trump was later dropped after his election win. Trump recently sought $230 million from DOJ over past probes.

With enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies set to lapse Dec. 31, South Florida—the nation’s largest Obamacare market—faces steep premium shocks and potential coverage losses. Estimates suggest up to a third of Florida’s 4.7 million enrollees could drop plans, with older, lower–middle-income residents hit hardest; premiums for some early-60s earners could jump to $1,000 or more a month. The standoff over extending aid, a driver of the current government shutdown, has reignited Florida’s Obamacare politics, splitting Democrats’ warnings from Governor Ron DeSantis’s push for leaner, catastrophic coverage as families brace for cuts.

Polling has closed in Ireland’s presidential election, with independent Catherine Connolly and Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys awaiting early indications on Saturday. Counting starts at 09:00 local time, with an official result expected at Dublin Castle that evening. Early, unofficial signs suggest turnout may struggle to reach the just-under-40% record low set in 2018. The race uses PR-STV. About 3.6 million citizens were eligible to vote at roughly 5,500 polling stations on Friday, when outgoing President Michael D Higgins, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and both candidates cast their ballots. Ex-candidate Jim Gavin remains on ballots despite withdrawing.

Research increasingly links daylight saving clock changes—especially the spring shift—to health harms: modest rises in heart attacks, strokes, fatal car crashes and worsened mood disorders, driven by circadian disruption and lost sleep. Autumn’s extra hour brings only brief catch‑up rest and has been tied to higher depression, with limited benefits that don’t offset spring’s damage; one study estimates a per‑capita annual cost of about €750. Scientists note even a one‑hour misalignment can scale across populations. The European Parliament voted to end DST in 2019, but implementation has stalled amid disagreement over which time to keep.

Microsoft confirmed an emergency fix for CVE-2025-59287 after CISA said attacks are already underway against Windows Server. The flaw in the Windows Server Update Service enables remote code execution over the network; servers without the WSUS role are not vulnerable. CISA gave certain federal agencies two weeks to comply and urged all organizations to: identify vulnerable servers, apply the out-of-band update released October 23, 2025, and reboot. If patching must wait, disable the WSUS role and block inbound traffic on ports 8530 and 8531. Don't revert workarounds until after updating.

Behind Luka Doncic’s 49 points, the Lakers beat the Timberwolves 128-110, rebounding from their opener with sharper shooting and fewer turnovers. Doncic has 92 points through two games, shattering Jerry West’s 56-year franchise mark and becoming the first Laker to start a season with back-to-back 40-point games, a feat matched only by Anthony Davis, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. He added 11 rebounds and eight assists; Austin Reaves had 25 and 11. Coach JJ Redick even tried to spring Doncic to 50 before subbing him out at 49 as L.A. controlled the middle quarters and won the third.

Former 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens, speaking at Colby College in Maine in his first remarks since resigning in April, said Paramount bosses pressured him to avoid Gaza stories and dial back coverage of Donald Trump as the company sought federal approval for a merger with Skydance Media. After a Gaza segment rattled controlling shareholder Shari Redstone, intermediaries warned him off another. He refused to apologize over an edited Kamala Harris interview amid Trump’s $10bn lawsuit. Calling the clashes corporate censorship, he quit to draw attention and urged protection of 60 Minutes. Paramount declined comment.