JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1251

Stephen K. Bannon, the pro-Trump podcaster convicted of defrauding border-wall donors, endorsed the president’s talk of a third term, telling The Economist there is “a plan” to circumvent the 22nd Amendment and predicting, “Trump is gonna be president in ’28.” He offered no details, casting Trump as an instrument of divine will. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and some Republicans have called the idea a joke. Trump has alternated between saying he wouldn’t run again and posting an edited Time cover and king-themed videos that imagine rule beyond 2024.

The US will deploy the USS Gerald R Ford and accompanying warships to Latin America, marking the biggest escalation of its Caribbean build-up. Defense secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the carrier strike group after a tenth strike on alleged drug-trafficking boats since September left 43 dead. The Trump administration frames the mission as counter-narcotics, even as Washington sanctions Colombia's President Gustavo Petro and Trump vows potential land attacks. The Pentagon says the force will target illicit networks; B-52s, F-35s and 10,000 troops are already in the region. Arrival timing was not disclosed.

As the nation endures its longest-ever full government shutdown, Washington’s leaders are scarcely acting like it’s an emergency. The House has been dark for more than a month under Speaker Mike Johnson, the Senate is mired in symbolic votes, and the president is preoccupied with a White House ballroom project and an Asia trip. The standoff began Oct. 1 over extending Affordable Care Act premium tax credits. Republicans demand reopening first; Democrats want a Trump guarantee. Pressure mounts as 1.4 million workers miss pay, SNAP benefits are threatened, and Senate efforts to pay employees fail.

A scrap hauler rumbled out of the White House Friday, loaded with the demolished East Wing, as crews finished razing the wing and corridor. An upgraded walkway and a 90,000‑square‑foot ballroom are planned. The East Wing, built in 1902 and long used for offices and a formal guest entrance, is gone amid President Trump’s privately funded project, which appears to face less scrutiny. The White House says historic pieces, including Rosalynn Carter’s office, were saved, though Jacqueline Kennedy’s garden was removed. Debris traveled to a Maryland scrap yard, while dirt and plant material went to parkland and nurseries.

The USDA says it won’t tap its $6 billion contingency fund to cover November SNAP benefits, warning states they won’t be reimbursed if they pay out anyway, according to a memo obtained by CNN. Without a reversal, roughly 42 million people could miss food assistance as the shutdown that began October 1 drags on. The agency cites legal limits on using reserves, while Democrats and advocates argue USDA is obligated to use them and other funds to meet roughly $8 billion in costs. Political pressure is mounting as WIC was sustained only by a $300 million tariff-revenue shift.

Cameron Crowe’s memoir The Uncool revisits his years as a wunderkind rock journalist and the unlikely making of Fast Times at Ridgemont High. He recalls a family-shaped draft, a withering early rejection, editor Susan Bolotin’s support, and a title change from Stairway to Heaven. Hollywood chapters follow: producer Art Linson’s backing, David Lynch’s polite pass, Amy Heckerling’s hire, Sean Penn’s immersive Spicoli, and wary studio execs. A grim test screening gave way to a packed Tempe theater and a youth-driven hit—boosting Vans’ checkerboard shoes—and prompting calls for more teen films as Crowe embraced screenwriting.

Granted unusual access to the Lakers through his friendship with LeBron James, former NBA player and assistant Damon Jones is charged in a federal gambling probe that led to arrests of Jones, Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier. Prosecutors allege Jones, with Billups, joined alleged mafia members in a scheme to defraud poker players, and sold advance, private availability information on James and other Lakers to bettors. Jones wasn’t on staff in 2022-23 but hovered around the team; sources say James was unaware. Indictments cite bets tied to Feb. 9, 2023 and Jan. 15, 2024 games.

Alabama executed Anthony Boyd, 54, with nitrogen gas Thursday night for the 1993 killing of Gregory Huguley, prompting fresh scrutiny of the method. Witnesses said Boyd convulsed and gasped for roughly 15 minutes, with one counting more than 225 breaths, before he was pronounced dead about 15 minutes later. His spiritual adviser said he appeared to suffocate for 19 minutes. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to halt the execution; Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by two colleagues, called nitrogen hypoxia a “cruel” practice. State officials said the protocol was followed.

A 21-year-old semi-truck driver pleaded not guilty Friday to charges stemming from an alleged drug-impaired, high‑speed crash that killed three people and injured at least three on I‑10 in Ontario, California. Prosecutors say Jashanpreet Singh rammed stopped traffic; he faces three counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and a DUI causing injury. Held without bail, he returns to court Nov. 4; a Punjabi interpreter is required. Federal officials lodged an ICE detainer and say he is in the U.S. illegally. The DOT says California improperly upgraded his CDL despite new rules restricting asylum-seekers.

Federal officials said Friday the Trump administration canceled a planned surge of immigration enforcement across the Bay Area, not just San Francisco. DHS also dropped plans to bring staff from Los Angeles. Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, citing Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez, confirmed the cancellation. The reversal followed agents staging at the Coast Guard base in Alameda, which drew more than 200 protesters, and Trump’s claim that tech executives persuaded him to call off the San Francisco deployment. Local leaders expressed cautious relief and urged vigilance.