JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1256

Social Security benefits will rise 2.8% in January, adding $56 a month for 75 million recipients, the Social Security Administration said Friday. The 2026 cost-of-living adjustment edges above last year’s 2.5% increase; over the past decade, COLA has averaged 3.1%. The announcement followed September inflation data that ticked up to the highest level since January, the final input in the calculation. “Social Security is a promise kept,” Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano said, emphasizing that benefits reflect current conditions. The agency will also raise the taxable earnings cap from $176,100 to $184,500 and begin mailing notices in early December.

The White House has been remade repeatedly—and disputed each time—from Jefferson’s colonnades to Truman’s gut renovation after a grand piano leg punched through the floor. Later updates ranged from Jackie Kennedy’s Rose Garden to Nixon’s press room. Now, President Donald Trump’s 90,000-square-foot ballroom, funded by $300 million in private donations, is demolishing the East Wing despite his earlier assurance it wouldn’t touch it. The project sparked public outcry—Hillary Clinton said “he’s destroying it”—while House Speaker Mike Johnson praised it as a glorious addition meant for everyone.

California’s Proposition 50 has ignited a high-stakes, big-money brawl over mid-decade redistricting, saturating screens with ads before the Nov. 4 special election. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s committee reports raising more than $116 million, fueled by labor unions and national Democrats — including $15 million from House Majority PAC — with major checks from George Soros and Tom Steyer. Opponents led by Charles Munger Jr., the Congressional Leadership Fund and the state GOP have poured in millions. The measure would redraw the nation’s largest House delegation, potentially adding up to five Democratic seats, while critics warn it undermines California’s independent commission.

Law enforcement opened fire late Thursday after a vehicle backed toward the Coast Guard base in Alameda, hours after protests over federal immigration enforcement and President Donald Trump’s decision to halt a planned surge of agents in San Francisco. Around 10 p.m., officers fired when the driver, in what appeared to be a U-Haul, ignored commands and reversed, posing a direct threat to Coast Guard and security personnel, the service said. The vehicle drove away; no injuries were reported. The FBI is investigating. Earlier, several hundred protesters gathered as Customs and Border Protection agents began arriving at the base.

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere hews closely to the record, zeroing in on 1981–82 as Bruce Springsteen crafts Nebraska, battles depression, and pushes his label to release stark home demos. Guided by Springsteen, the film gets major beats right: childhood bar pickups of his father, ad-hoc Stone Pony jams, a Badlands spark for the title track, four-track bedroom recording, abandoned E Street versions, and Born in the U.S.A. songs taking shape. One invented composite girlfriend compresses real relationships. The portrait also faces family turmoil and illness, a lost father in L.A., and a cross-country move with friend Matt Delia.

Jelly Roll revealed on the "Human School" podcast that he had an affair, calling it one of the worst moments of his adulthood that "really, really, really blew me back." He said he has worked hard to repair his marriage to Bunnie XO, describing the "special" recovery and saying they're now stronger than ever. The couple married in 2016 and renewed their vows in 2023. Bunnie XO hosts the "Dumb Blonde" podcast, and Jelly Roll has often credited her support for helping him move from convicted felon to music star.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the United Kingdom for a London meeting of Europe’s “coalition of the willing,” as allies discussed further support ahead of winter. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who greeted Zelenskyy at Downing Street after a royal welcome from King Charles III, said he would press Europe to deliver additional long-range missiles and bolster defenses for Ukraine’s power grid. Denmark’s and the Netherlands’ prime ministers and NATO chief Mark Rutte joined in person, with more than 20 leaders dialing in, as the EU vowed continued financial support.

New inflation data contradicts President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that grocery prices are “down.” The Consumer Price Index shows average grocery costs rose 0.3% in September after a 0.6% jump in August, leaving prices 2.7% higher than a year earlier and 1.4% above January, when Trump returned to office. Most categories climbed, with beverages and bakery up 0.7% each; dairy fell 0.5%. Since last September, coffee is up 18.9% and beef and veal 14.7%. Food economists, including Michigan State’s David Ortega, say tariffs and an immigration crackdown have contributed to this year’s increases.

AdHoc Studio’s debut, Dispatch, reframes superheroes from behind a desk: you play Robert Robertson III, a powerless dispatcher managing reformed villains. The first two of eight animated episodes—rolling out two per week through Nov. 12—offer striking visuals and a notable cast (Aaron Paul, Laura Bailey, Jeffrey Wright, Travis Willingham), but sparse interaction and limited consequences. Brief missions unfold via a ’90s-style computer, with quick-time events that barely matter. Strong writing and characters stand out, yet early hours feel on rails, leaving cautious optimism; it’s available on PS5 and Steam.

Nearly 1.5 million federal workers are unpaid as the shutdown reaches day 24, with the Senate blocking rival pay bills and everyday strain mounting; a Social Security employee describes taking loans and feeling shoved back under just as she surfaces. The FBI arrested more than 30 people, including Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Heat guard Terry Rozier, in an illegal gambling probe tied to leaked non-public information. And the Trump administration imposed new sanctions on Russia’s Rosneft and Lukoil, after reversing a planned Putin summit; Putin said the canceled meeting and sanctions undermined recent progress in relations.