JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1262

MSNBC reports that Maryland U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes recently told Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche she sees insufficient evidence to charge Sen. Adam Schiff with mortgage fraud, even as a senior Justice Department official, Ed Martin, pushes to keep the probe alive. One source said the investigation continues. The DOJ declined comment, and Hayes did not respond. President Donald Trump has urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek charges. Schiff’s lawyer, Preet Bharara, called the allegations baseless, while Schiff earlier likened the effort to tactics of “tinpot dictators.”

For two months, the US has amassed warships, bombers, fighter jets and drones in the Caribbean—the region’s largest build-up in decades—while authorising CIA activity in Venezuela and carrying out lethal strikes on small boats it says carried narcotics, without offering evidence. Critics across the region question the legality and see an intimidation campaign to pressure President Nicolás Maduro’s inner circle, not a conventional drug war. BBC Verify tracked 10 US ships and advanced aircraft, including B-52 "bomber attack demonstrations". A $50m bounty and sanctions have yet to prompt defections, leaving Trump’s endgame—and the duration of the buildup—uncertain.

Ahead of Sunday night’s Steelers-Packers game, Aaron Rodgers told Green Bay reporters he will retire as a Packer, the team that drafted him, and one day see his No. 12 join Lambeau Field’s retired numbers. The 41-year-old quarterback, now with Pittsburgh, rejected any “revenge” talk, calling his 18 years in Green Bay some of his best and recalling pranks, plane rides, and friends he still cherishes. Rodgers, who has 14 TDs and five interceptions through six games, said the matchup is special and hopes to swap jerseys with Jordan Love.

Three liberal justices issued a striking dissent over nitrogen hypoxia, saying the method inflicts “psychological terror” and “excruciating suffocation” that likely violates the Eighth Amendment. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, urged Americans to start a stopwatch and imagine minutes of suffocation. The dissent came as the Supreme Court declined to halt Anthony Boyd’s Alabama execution; he was put to death later Thursday. Sotomayor wrote nitrogen gas has taken two to seven minutes to cause unconsciousness. Alabama and Louisiana have used the method in seven executions; Boyd had sought a firing squad.

President Trump said he would bypass Congress to continue and expand military strikes against drug cartels, shifting from sea operations to targets on land. Speaking at the White House, he promoted ongoing efforts as an operation that has included nine airstrikes at sea, resulting in 37 deaths, and vowed, “The land is going to be next.” A Senate vote is expected next week on a bipartisan measure barring U.S. hostilities inside Venezuela without explicit approval. Trump suggested he might brief lawmakers but seek no authorization, while an ally framed the mission as elimination rather than deterrence.

Customs and Border Protection Commander Gregory Bovino is accused of violating a restraining order after video showed him tossing tear gas at protesters during an immigration operation in Chicago's Little Village. Journalists and First Amendment advocates notified Judge Sara Ellis, arguing the act, and alleged uses of force and dispersal orders, breached her Oct. 9 limits on riot-control weapons and treatment of media. Ellis extended deposition time for Bovino and other officials and ordered both sides to include recent Little Village use-of-force incidents ahead of a Nov. 5 hearing. Separately, Gov. JB Pritzker created an Illinois Accountability Commission.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias launched a 'Plate Watch' hotline, urging reports of law enforcement vehicles using invalid or altered plates during federal immigration raids. Citing a viral video of an officer saying “we change the plates out everyday,” he said swapping or obscuring plates is illegal and under investigation, adding that no one is above the law. Illinois detailed fines, possible jail time, and plate revocations. A judge also ordered Chicago-area immigration officers to wear body cameras after repeated use of pepper balls, smoke grenades and teargas against protesters and local police.

Ford’s third-quarter profit more than doubled to $2.4 billion as strong truck and SUV sales offset tariffs, but a September fire at a key Novelis aluminum plant will slow pickup output and cut fourth-quarter pretax profit by up to $1 billion. The company halted F-150 Lightning production, shifted workers, and lowered its 2025 EBIT outlook to $6–$6.5 billion. Revenue rose 9% to $50.5 billion on 1.2 million vehicles. To plug gaps, Ford will boost large pickup output in Michigan and Kentucky, adding 1,000 jobs.

The Athletic’s stadium rankings explain why U.S. college football venues dwarf most others: early 20th-century building booms, postwar southern expansion, and relentless competition for seats. Programs from Michigan to Tennessee prioritized capacity, while NFL teams pursued amenities and Europe faced land, cost and safety limits. The result: college stadiums account for eight of the world’s 10 largest. Visitors like actor Stephen Fry and Australia-born Georgia punter Brett Thorson marvel at the size and deafening noise, a spectacle echoed by writer George Somerville after visits to Alabama and LSU.

European Union leaders failed to clinch a swift deal to fund Ukraine, deferring until December a proposal to use frozen Russian assets to back a €140 billion loan. Belgium, home to Euroclear where much of the money sits, balked at bearing disproportionate legal and financial risks, insisting they be shared. Brussels pledged to explore options for 2026–27 support while keeping the asset-backed plan on the table. Ursula von der Leyen said the 'what' is agreed, the 'how' remains. Volodymyr Zelensky called talks difficult as Ukraine’s urgent needs persist.