News - Friday, October 31, 2025

Jessica Winspear wasn’t sure what to expect when she first carried her 2-year-old daughter, Sophie, into a Little Gym class in Knoxville. The bright mats, the giggles that bounced off the walls and the relaxed rhythm of the class were all new to her. But before the session ended, she watched Sophie hold up two fingers to show her age and tell the group her name.

For hundreds of years, college classrooms have been sanctuaries for the written word as professors have led generations of students through the tragedies, sonnets and novels that make up the canon.

But stories no longer live only on the page. At the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, they live on screens, in code and in the choices players make inside digital worlds.

Hundreds of community members rose to their feet at the Waterhouse Pavilion in downtown Chattanooga Tuesday as Edna Varner, Ed.D. – educator, mentor and civic leader – was welcomed into a sisterhood she’d long admired but never formally joined.

Now that the buzz of summer has faded, fall can be a great moment to refocus on your home goals. Cooler temps, calmer weekends and a little less competition often make this season a smart time to shop, especially if you’re hoping to settle in before the holidays.

The Chattanooga Zoo’s annual event returns Oct. 31 with trick-or-treating, character meet-and-greets, a bounce house, a scavenger hunt and festive decorations. Popular characters like Elsa, Spider-Man and Moana will be on hand for photos, courtesy of Magic Lamp Entertainment. Friday, 4-8 p.m. Tickets

A piano composition by University of Tennessee at Chattanooga professor Jonathan McNair is featured on “Piano Crosscurrents,” a Grammy-nominated classical album by New York pianist and composer Max Lifchitz.

McNair, the Ruth S. Holmberg professor of American Music, has taught at UTC for 26 years. His piece, “Rabun Gap,” was professionally recorded with support from a UTC faculty development grant and added to the album, which debuted in April 2025. Lifchitz’s North-South Consonance Ensemble, founded more than four decades ago, is dedicated to performing works by contemporary composers from across the Americas.

Banner Built Homes has announced the development of Davidson Meadows, its first Chattanooga community. Developed with Legacy South, the East Brainerd neighborhood will include 95 single-family, cottage-style homes across five floor plans, with base prices from $299,900 to $409,900. Standard features include granite countertops, high-end cabinetry and Mohawk flooring.

Medicare becomes a vital part of your health care coverage when you turn 65. But signing up is just the beginning. Many people don’t realize that Medicare isn’t a “set it and forget it” program. 

In fact, you have the opportunity – and often the need – to review and adjust your coverage every single year.

Photograph provided

Leaders from Covenant College gather onstage during the ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the completion of renovations to Sanderson Auditorium in Sanderson Hall. The project modernized the well-known theater and classroom space with updated audiovisual technology, ADA-accessible features and refreshed interiors to support both academic and performance uses.

To Amy Adams Strunk: I know you only want what is best for the Tennessee Titans. The issue seems to be that you really just don’t know how to get there. But I think I have the answer for you. There is a legendary former sports executive that you could model yourself and your decision-making after in an attempt to turn the franchise around.

The Titans are the least-competitive team in the NFL, losing by an average of 29-14. With the Los Angeles Chargers coming to town, the Titans could be in for another long day at Nissan Stadium, where they have not won in nearly a calendar year.

First down

Play with a lead. The Titans have not had many leads this season, but they did have one briefly two weeks ago against New England. It would be nice if they could somehow score first, play some adequate defense and then try to use the running game to shorten the game and keep the Chargers offense on the sideline. That’s probably wishful thinking, but it has to be an option if the Titans are to have a chance.

Don’t buy that new car yet. If you can wait, you’ll have new 2026 model year options that aren’t out yet. Although some models barely change, others are completely redesigned and often get the latest features and improvements.

Whether you’re interested in improved fuel economy, cutting-edge technology or maybe just fresh and distinctive styling, there’s likely a car on the horizon that you’ll be interested in. To ensure you don’t miss out on the latest and greatest, the car experts at Edmunds highlight five vehicles you should consider waiting for.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas quarterback Arch Manning was "making good progress" in practice, coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday, but his status to return from a concussion in time to play against No. 9 Vanderbilt was still uncertain.

Manning has been in concussion protocol since being injured at the beginning of overtime in No. 20 Texas' 45-38 win over Mississippi State last week. Backup Matthew Caldwell came on to throw the winning touchdown as Texas rallied from 17 points down in the fourth quarter.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — As the football season pushes into November, No. 9 Vanderbilt continues its march through what could be a special one for the Commodores.

A shot at both the Southeastern Conference championship and a College Football Playoff berth are still easily within sight. Such things are new in Nashville, but quarterback Diego Pavia and this group of Commodores have changed the goals and the very idea of what's possible.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has stripped references to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack from court papers and punished two federal prosecutors who filed the document seeking prison time at sentencing Thursday for a man arrested with guns and ammunition near former President Barack Obama's home.

NEW YORK (AP) — Hip-hop producer Sean "Diddy" Combs wants a federal appeals court to quickly consider the legality of his conviction on prostitution-related charges and his more than four-year prison sentence.

His lawyers filed papers with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday, asking that oral arguments in his appeal occur in April.

BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge in Boston on Thursday challenged the Trump administration's argument that SNAP benefits could be suspended for the first time in the food aid program's history because of the government shutdown.

During a hearing over a request by 25 Democratic-led states to keep the funding flowing, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani told lawyers that if the government can't afford to cover the program, there's a process to follow rather than simply suspending all benefits. "The steps involve finding an equitable way of reducing benefits," said Talwani, who was nominated to the court by former President Barack Obama.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — American farmers welcomed China's promise to buy some of their soybeans, but they cautioned this won't solve all their problems as they continue to deal with soaring prices for fertilizer, tractors, repair parts and seeds.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government shutdown is exacting a heavy mental toll on the nation's military families, leaving them not knowing from week to week whether their paychecks will arrive.

Alicia Blevins, whose husband is a Marine, said she's going to see a therapist in large part because of the grinding uncertainty.

MILAN (AP) — Stellantis' shares dropped 10% on Thursday after the world's fourth-largest carmaker posted modest third-quarter gains and warned about possible future charges.

The Italian-French-U.S. carmaker that makes Jeep, Fiat and Peugeot vehicles reported a 13% increase in net revenues in the three months ending in September to 37.2 billion euros ($43.2 billion), ending seven quarters of decline on strong North American results as the carmaker showed the first signs of a turnaround under the new CEO.

BUSAN, South Korea (AP) — Three-digit tariffs are off the table, but import duties on each other are higher than in January.

Rare earth materials will flow more smoothly, but China has put in place an export permitting regime that it can tighten or loosen as needed.

The market for obesity and diabetes treatments remains scorching hot, funneling billions in sales to Eli Lilly and fueling a bidding war over another drugmaker.

Lilly said Thursday that its top-selling drugs, Mounjaro and Zepbound, brought in more than $10 billion combined during the recently completed third quarter. That made up over half of the drugmaker's $17.6 billion in total sales.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration's increasing efforts to exclude Democrats from national security briefings could endanger troops and keep important information from the public, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee warned Thursday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a resolution Thursday that would undo many of President Donald Trump's tariffs around the globe, the latest note of displeasure at his trade tactics in Washington that came just as the president celebrated his negotiations with China as a success.

BUSAN, South Korea (AP) — President Donald Trump appeared to suggest the U.S. will resume testing nuclear weapons for the first time in three decades, saying it would be on an "equal basis" with Russia and China.

The Kremlin pointed out that a global ban on nuclear tests has remained in place, but warned that if any country resumes nuclear testing Russia would follow suit.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is restricting the number of refugees admitted annually to the United States to 7,500 and they will mostly be white South Africans, a dramatic drop announced Thursday that effectively suspends America's traditional role as a haven for those fleeing war and persecution.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two prominent Republicans on Capitol Hill want the Supreme Court to allow a lawsuit to proceed against tech giant Cisco over allegations that the company's technology was used to persecute members of the Falun Gong religious sect in China.

NEW YORK (AP) — A Senate hearing for President Donald Trump's surgeon general pick, Dr. Casey Means, has been postponed because she went into labor, a spokesperson for the Senate health committee said Thursday.

The news came just hours before the 38-year-old Means, who has been pregnant with her first child, was set to appear virtually with the committee for her confirmation hearing. It was not immediately clear when the hearing would be rescheduled.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trevor Zegras scored twice and added an assist to continue his home ice hot streak and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Nashville Predators 4-1 on Thursday night.

Zegras, who leads the Flyers with 12 points, has at least one point in each of the team's seven home games this season, becoming just the third Flyer to do so in his first seven home games with the organization.

BOSTON (AP) — Two judges could rule as soon as Friday on whether President Donald Trump's administration must replenish SNAP food aid benefits for November despite the government shutdown.

The grocery-buying ability for about 1 in 8 Americans could hinge on the outcomes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for former FBI Director James Comey want to review a transcript and audio recording of grand jury proceedings in his criminal case, citing what they say were "irregularities" in the process that should result in the dismissal of an indictment pushed by President Donald Trump.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the military to provide dozens of lawyers to the Justice Department for temporary assignments in Memphis and near the U.S.-Mexico border that could run through next fall, according to a memo released this week and reviewed by The Associated Press.

NEW YORK (AP) — Disney content has gone dark on YouTube TV, leaving subscribers of the Google-owned live streaming platform without access to major networks like ESPN and ABC.

That's because the companies have failed to reach a new licensing deal to keep Disney channels on YouTube TV. Depending on how long it lasts, the dispute could particularly impact coverage of U.S. college football matchups over the weekend — as well as NBA and NFL games — on top of other news and entertainment disruptions that have already arrived.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The number of U.S. homes that typically change hands as people relocate for work, retire or trade-up for more living space hasn't been this low in nearly 30 years.

About 28 out of every 1,000 homes changed hands between January and September, the lowest U.S. home turnover rate going back to at least the 1990s, according to an analysis by Redfin.

KENT, Conn. (AP) — For most Americans, there's less reason than ever to worry about finding chargers to fuel up an electric vehicle. But charging worries remain a top hesitation for potential buyers, second only to sticker shock.

Those concerns linger even as fast chargers multiply. More than 12,000 have been added within a mile of U.S. highways and interstates just this year, an Associated Press analysis of data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows. That's about a fifth of quick-charging ports now in operation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Anthony Taylor will never forget the look of horror on the student's face. The school crossing guard was walking into the crosswalk in front of Washington Township High School in Indianapolis when a car with a young boy and his mom, who was dropping him off at school, suddenly appeared. The mom's eyes grew wide, and the boy began vigorously hitting on his mother's chest.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Across the country, school crossing guards provide a vital service protecting children as they go to and from school. Many of them say the job is rewarding. But an investigation by AP and Cox Media Group Television Stations shows it can also be dangerous.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government shutdown has been a source of anxiety for school leaders wondering how long grant money will last and who can help them interpret federal laws. For Education Secretary Linda McMahon, it offers a preview of what she hopes to make permanent.

GYEONGJU, South Korea (AP) — Silicon Valley chipmaker Nvidia plans to supply hundreds of thousands of its graphics processing units for projects with South Korean businesses and the government to advance the country's artificial intelligence infrastructure and technologies.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen has said that his refusal to sign a $35 billion gas agreement with Egypt has prompted his U.S. counterpart to cancel a planned trip to Israel.

A statement from Cohen's office on Thursday night said that U.S. officials had been "exerting a great deal of pressure on Israeli officials" to approve the deal, but it said that the minister would refuse to do so "until Israeli interests are secured and a fair price for the Israeli market is agreed upon."

Radio Free Asia says it is shutting down its news operations on Friday with its financing in dire straits due to the U.S. government shutdown and the Trump administration's moves against government-funded news services.

Since 1996, Radio Free Asia has been an independent news source operating online and on broadcast throughout that region, particularly in areas where the free flow of information is repressed.

HONG KONG (AP) — China's factory activity contracted for the seventh consecutive month in October, the government said Friday, as a newly announced truce in the trade war between the U.S. and China offers some hope for a stronger recovery in exports.

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon posted higher fiscal third quarter profit and sales compared with a year ago, fueled by accelerating growth in its cloud computing business and strong spending by its customers looking for low prices at a time when inflation is resurging.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple delivered financial results during its summertime quarter that exceeded analyst projections, despite being caught in the crosshairs of a global trade war at the same time the trendsetting company is scrambling to catch up to its Big Tech peers in the artificial intelligence race.

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Friday that he would try to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to grant Hungary exemptions from Washington's newly announced sanctions targeting Russian oil when he meets with the president next week.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The president of a prominent Republican-aligned think tank defended conservative media personality Tucker Carlson after he offered a platform to a far-right activist known for pushing white nationalist and antisemitic views.

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts posted a video to social media Thursday in which he denied that the group was "distancing itself" from the former Fox News host after Carlson's podcast hosted Nick Fuentes, whose followers see themselves as trying to preserve America's white, Christian identify.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Back from a week abroad, President Donald Trump is calling on the Senate to scrap the filibuster and reopen the government after a monthlong shutdown, breaking with majority Republicans who have long opposed such a move.

Trump said in a post on his social media site Thursday that "THE CHOICE IS CLEAR — INITIATE THE 'NUCLEAR OPTION,' GET RID OF THE FILIBUSTER."

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is investigating whether leaders in the Black Lives Matter movement defrauded donors who contributed tens of millions of dollars during racial justice protests in 2020, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Military leaders have ordered the National Guard in every state to develop a "quick reaction force" of troops trained to deal with civil disturbances and riots that can be ready to deploy with just hours' notice, the latest indication of longer-term Trump administration plans to more readily dispatch soldiers to U.S. streets.

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump's request to add a documentary proof of citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form cannot be enforced, a federal judge ruled Friday.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, D.C., sided with Democratic and civil rights groups that sued the Trump administration over his executive order to overhaul U.S. elections.

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon led the U.S. stock market on Friday to the finish of another winning week and month.

The S&P 500 rose 0.3% and pulled closer to its all-time high set on Tuesday. It closed out a third straight winning week and a sixth straight winning month, its longest monthly winning streak since 2021.

NEW YORK (AP) — Your neighbors might soon need extra assistance putting food on the table.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture planned on Nov. 1 to begin freezing food aid payments used by about 1 in 8 Americans for groceries. A cornerstone of the nation's social safety net, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was said to be out of funds as the government shutdown entered its second month.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Back from a week abroad, President Donald Trump threw himself into the shutdown debate, calling on the Senate to scrap the filibuster and reopen the government, an idea swiftly rejected Friday by Republican leaders who have long opposed such a move.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Seemingly frustrated by the government shutdown and Democrats' unwillingness to accept a Republican funding bill, President Donald Trump is once again demanding that the Senate eliminate the legislative filibuster.

The filibuster is a longstanding parliamentary tool that halts action on most bills unless 60 senators in the 100-member chamber vote to move forward. Over the years, it has stymied policy priorities for Democrats and Republicans alike, and Trump has been complaining about the maneuver since his first White House term.

Imagine an NBA where teams in the Eastern Conference have a salary cap twice as big as those in the West. In college basketball, it's sort of like that with the added fact that, ultimately, nobody really knows what everyone else is spending.

With schools now allowed to shell out $20.5 million to their players this year, most are doling out the lion's share to football players and giving whatever's left to the hoops stars.

The College Football Playoff committee releases its initial rankings Tuesday night and, as always, pundits and fans will debate whether the 12 members got it right.

There will be a lot to discuss about the placement of teams between spots 5 and 25 but probably not much when it comes to the top four. Defending national champion Ohio State should be a lock over Indiana for No. 1 and maybe the only question will be whether Texas A&M or Alabama has a better case for No. 3.

NASHVILLE (AP) — A pick-6 on the Los Angeles Chargers' second offensive play of the game. Then Justin Herbert lost his right tackle to injury later in the first quarter followed by left tackle Joe Alt carted off the field in the second.

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell announced Sunday that she has dismissed senior guard Ruby Whitehorn from the eighth-ranked Lady Vols, saying it was her responsibility to protect the program's high standards.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose mistaken deportation helped galvanize opposition to President Donald Trump's immigration policies, has hearings on Dec. 8-9 in the human smuggling case against him in Tennessee.

U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw will hear evidence on motions from the defense asking him to dismiss the charges and throw out some of the evidence. The hearing was originally scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. A brief entry from the judge in the electronic docket does not explain the reason for the change after a nonpublic status conference between the judge and the attorneys on Friday. However, the two sides have been fighting over what documents and testimony the government will be required to provide to Abrego Garcia as he tries to prove the charges against him were motivated by a desire to punish him for the embarrassment of his mistaken deportation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump sees tariffs — or the threat of them — as a powerful tool to bend nations to his will.

He has used them in an unprecedented way, not only as the underpinning of his economic agenda, but also as the cornerstone of his foreign policy in his second term.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A major question hangs over the Supreme Court's closely watched case on President Donald Trump's far-reaching tariffs: Will the conservative majority hold the Republican president to the same exacting standards it used to limit his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden?

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal judge in Oregon on Sunday barred President Donald Trump's administration from deploying the National Guard to Portland, Oregon until at least Friday, saying she "found no credible evidence" that protests in the city grew out of control before the president federalized the troops earlier this fall.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Food and Drug Administration's drug center abruptly resigned Sunday after federal officials began reviewing "serious concerns about his personal conduct," according to a government spokesperson.

Dr. George Tidmarsh, who was named to the FDA post in July, was placed on leave Friday after officials in the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of General Counsel were notified of the issues, HHS press secretary Emily Hilliard said in an email. Tidmarsh then resigned Sunday morning.

The government shutdown is triggering a wave of closures of Head Start centers, leaving working parents scrambling for child care and shutting some of the nation's neediest children out of preschool.

Dozens of centers are missing out on federal grant payments that were due to arrive Nov. 1. Some say they'll close indefinitely, while others are staying afloat with emergency funding from local governments and school districts. The closures mean Head Start students — who come from low-income households, are homeless or are in foster care — are missing out on preschool, where they are fed two meals a day and receive therapy vital to their development.

The U.S. government shutdown has now dragged on for over a month, and shortages of air traffic controllers are straining operations — with flight disruptions piling up nationwide.

Staffing shortages have caused flight delays at a growing number of airports in recent weeks. Among the latest disruptions, Newark Airport in New Jersey experienced delays of two to three hours on Sunday. And busy hubs like George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Chicago O'Hare were also seeing dozens of disruptions over the weekend.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Abu Dhabi opened a major oil summit Monday with officials offering bullish optimism that power demands for artificial intelligence and global aviation will boost energy prices, just hours after OPEC+ paused production increases planned for next year.

SEATTLE (AP) — OpenAI and Amazon have signed a $38 billion deal that enables the ChatGPT maker to run its artificial intelligence systems on Amazon's cloud computing services.

OpenAI will get access to "hundreds of thousands" of Nvidia's specialized AI chips through Amazon Web Services as part of the deal announced Monday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — People across the country formed long lines for free meals and groceries at food pantries and drive-through giveaways Saturday, after monthly benefits through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, were suddenly cut off because of the ongoing government shutdown.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government shutdown is poised to become the longest ever this week as the impasse between Democrats and Republicans has dragged into a new month. Millions of people stand to lose food aid benefits, health care subsidies are set to expire and there are few real talks between the parties over how to end it.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he "won't be extorted" by Democrats to reopen the government, making clear that he has no plans to negotiate as the government shutdown will soon enter its sixth week.

In an interview on CBS's "60 Minutes" that aired on Sunday, Trump said that Democrats who are demanding an extension in health care subsidies "have lost their way" and predicted that they will eventually capitulate to Republicans who have said they won't negotiate until they vote to reopen the government.

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 20 Democrat-led states are challenging a new Trump administration policy designed to block nonprofit and government workers from a student loan cancellation program if federal officials determine their employer has a "substantial illegal purpose."

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration said Monday that it will partially fund SNAP after two judges issued rulings requiring it to keep the nation's largest food aid program running.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, had planned to freeze payments starting Nov. 1 because it said it could no longer keep funding it during the federal government shutdown. The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation's social safety net. It costs more than $8 billion per month nationally. The government says an emergency fund it will use has $4.65 billion — enough to cover about half the normal benefits.

LONDON (AP) — Britain's antitrust watchdog said Monday that it is escalating its investigation of plans by Getty Images to buy rival Shutterstock, stepping up scrutiny of the $3.7 billion deal that would create a visual content giant.

The Competition and Markets Authority said that it was opening an in-depth merger investigation after its preliminary inquiry raised concerns that the deal would result in higher prices, worse commercial terms, or lower quality of editorial and stock images.

Kimberly-Clark is buying Tylenol maker Kenvue in a cash and stock deal worth about $48.7 billion, creating a massive consumer health goods company.

Shareholders of Kimberly-Clark will own about 54% of the combined company. Kenvue shareholders will own about 46% in what is one of the largest corporate takeovers this year.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Brock Boeser scored twice, including the winner 4:58 into overtime, to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a 5-4 victory over the Nashville Predators on Monday night.

Evander Kane scored twice, and Jake DeBrusk also scored. Thatcher Demko made 25 saves for Vancouver, winners of two of three.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tyler Nickel had 20 points, Tyler Tanner had 18, and five different players had double-digit scoring totals for Vanderbilt in a 105-61 rout of Lipscomb in a season opener for both teams.

Vanderbilt opened the game on a 12-0 run, and took a 56-26 lead into the half.

PARIS (AP) — Mikayla Blakes scored 27 points, Aiyana Mitchell had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 19 Vanderbilt dominated the third quarter for a 74-65 victory over California on Monday to begin the season in Paris.

Blakes scored 14 points in the first half but Vanderbilt trailed 33-31 at the 8,000-capacity Adidas Arena, where No. 16 Baylor beat No. 7 Duke 58-52 earlier Monday as part of a doubleheader.

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Nate Ament scored 18 points and had nine rebounds to lead No. 18 Tennessee to a 76-61 victory over Mercer on Monday night in the season opener for both teams

Ament, regarded as one of the top freshmen in the country, was much more efficient shooting against Mercer (6 of 11) than he was in last week's exhibition loss to Duke (5 of 19).

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have reached the midpoint of a miserable, not good and just plain ugly season with a chance to rest.

There may be no team in the NFL that needs its bye more.

The Titans are tied with New Orleans for the NFL's worst record at 1-8, losing four straight for the worst start through nine games since relocating to Tennessee in 1997.

IRVING, Texas (AP) — The College Football Playoff will open with one first-round game on Dec. 19 and three more on Dec. 20, CFP administrators announced Tuesday.

The Friday night game will start at 8 p.m. EST and be televised by ABC and ESPN, as will the noon game on Saturday. TNT, truTV and HBO Max will carry the 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. games on Saturday. Each of the first four games will be played on campuses of the higher-seeded teams.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hurling a sandwich at a federal agent was an act of protest for Washington, D.C., resident Sean Charles Dunn. A jury must decide if it was also a federal crime.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump won't be going in person to the Supreme Court hearing Wednesday that will determine the fate of the tariffs at the heart of his economic and foreign policy -- but his treasury secretary says he will be there.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department urged a federal judge Monday to reject James Comey's claim that his prosecution amounts to political retribution, arguing the former FBI director has failed to show that he's being targeted as punishment for his criticism of the Republican president.

LONDON (AP) — Artificial intelligence company Stability AI mostly prevailed against Getty Images Tuesday in a British court battle over intellectual property.

Seattle-based Getty had accused Stability AI of infringing its copyright and trademark by scraping 12 million images from its website, without permission, to train its popular image generator, Stable Diffusion.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chrysler is recalling more than 320,000 Jeep plug-in hybrid vehicles due to a faulty battery that can fail and lead to a fire, U.S. traffic safety regulators said.

Chrysler, which is owned by Netherlands-based Stellantis, is aware of 19 reports and 1 injury potentially related to the issue.

HONG KONG (AP) — China's Commerce Ministry said Tuesday that the Netherlands' seizure of Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia has caused "chaos" in the semiconductor supply chain that could threaten global auto production.

The Dutch government in late September took control of Nexperia, which is based in the Netherlands but owned by Chinese company Wingtech Technology, citing national security concerns. In response, China blocked shipments of chips from Nexperia's plant in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan, though it has now allowed those exports to resume.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday called for tripling the government spending on projects for expanding artificial intelligence infrastructure and technology in a budget speech.

Lee also called for lawmakers to approve a planned 8.2% increase in defense spending next year, which he said would help modernize the military's weapons systems and reduce its reliance on the United States, as the allies' military chiefs met in Seoul for annual security talks.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is attempting to forge new climate goals on Tuesday before the U.N. climate talks in Brazil.

Ministers from across the 27-nation bloc met in Brussels to try to get at least 15 to align their nationally determined emissions targets to have a stronger negotiating position during the Conference of Parties — known less formally as COP30 in Belem.

All nations of the world had homework this year: submit new-and-improved plans to fight climate change. But the plans they handed in "have barely moved the needle" on reducing Earth's future warming, a new United Nations report finds.

And a good chunk of that progress is counteracted by the United States' withdrawal from the effort, the report adds.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is attempting to forge new climate goals on Tuesday before the U.N. climate talks in Brazil starting next week.

Ministers from across the 27-nation bloc are meeting in Brussels to try and get at least 15 to align their nationally-determined emissions targets in order to have a stronger negotiating position during the COP30 summit in Belém.

At this year's NFL draft, some of the league's top prospects were asked a few questions they weren't used to.

"What is a skort?" an interviewer asked. Travis Hunter made his best guess.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on a group of bankers, financial institutions and others accused of laundering money from cyber crime schemes — money the Treasury Department says helps pay for North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi oil giant Aramco reported Tuesday a $26.9 billion profit in the third quarter, down slightly from last year as global energy prices remain depressed over concerns of too much oil being on the market.

Aramco's results serve as a bellwether for the wider oil industry, which is still digesting the OPEC+ decision this weekend to halt planned production increases in the first quarter of next year over supply worries. Benchmark Brent crude, at just under $65 a barrel, has been fluttering near a four-year low.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dick Cheney, the hard-charging conservative who became one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents in U.S. history and a leading advocate for the invasion of Iraq, has died at 84.

Cheney died Monday due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, his family said Tuesday in a statement.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tuesday marks the nation's first major Election Day since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, and his leadership and policies dominated the debate in almost every race — even though the Republican was absent from the campaign trail.

WASHINGTON (AP) — In diplomacy, even short words matter. And with a brief Truth Social post, President Donald Trump may have revealed his approach to the U.S.-China relationship — to the delight of reputation-conscious Beijing but to the worries of U.S. allies concerned with China's ascending global power.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI has continued its personnel purge, forcing out additional agents and supervisors tied to the federal investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The latest firings took place despite efforts by Washington's top federal prosecutor to try to stop at least some of the terminations, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

CHICAGO (AP) — A judge heard testimony Tuesday about overflowing toilets, crowded cells, no beds and water that "tasted like sewer" at a Chicago-area building that serves as a key detention spot for people rounded up in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal appeals court judges in Manhattan reacted skeptically Tuesday when a lawyer for once high-flying cryptocurrency entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried argued that his fraud conviction was unfair and should be overturned.

The attorney, Alexandra Shapiro, told a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the judge at his 2023 trial left the defense "cut off by the knees" by limiting what evidence it could present, particularly about advice he had received from lawyers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hurling a sandwich at a federal agent was an act of protest for Washington, D.C., resident Sean Charles Dunn. A jury must decide if it was also a federal crime.

"No matter who you are, you can't just go around throwing stuff at people because you're mad," Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parron told jurors on Tuesday at the start of Dunn's trial on a misdemeanor assault charge.

NEW YORK (AP) — With the Pentagon's press room largely cleared of mainstream reporters, conservative activist and presidential ally Laura Loomer says she has been granted a credential to work there.

Loomer has an influential social media presence and the ear of President Donald Trump, frequently campaigning for the firings of government officials she deems insufficiently loyal to his administration. Some targets have been in the field of national security, including Dan Driscoll, secretary of the Army.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration and private investors are partnering with two rare earth startups in a $1.4 billion deal to scale up the nation's access to materials and technology that is crucial for producing an array of high-tech goods and military equipment.

NEW YORK (AP) — United States Steel on Tuesday detailed its billion-dollar multiyear growth plan with new owner Nippon Steel that includes modernizing the century-old steelmaker.

The announcement comes just five months after Nippon Steel finalized a " historic partnership " with the Pittsburgh steelmaker in a deal worth nearly $15 billion. That deal included a "golden share" provision that gave the federal government the power to appoint a board member and a say in some company decisions.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Signs of a potential end to the government shutdown intensified Tuesday with behind-the-scenes talks, as the federal closure was on track to become the longest ever disrupting the lives of millions of Americans.

Senators from both parties, Republicans and Democrats, are quietly negotiating the contours of an emerging deal. With a nod from their leadership, the senators seek a way to reopen the government, put the normal federal funding process back on track and devise some sort of resolution to the crisis of expiring health insurance subsidies that are spiking premium costs from coast to coast.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Vice President Dick Cheney may have been a legendary figure within the Republican Party, but for President Donald Trump, he was part of a long list of people he viewed as political opponents.

While White House flags were lowered to half-staff in remembrance of Cheney on Tuesday, there was no fanfare, and Trump made no comment about Cheney's death on social media. His press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not mention his passing in a press briefing until she was asked by a reporter — and then made only perfunctory comments.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Marcus Johansson scored at 3:38 of overtime with the goal off its moorings and the Minnesota Wild overcame a last-second tying goal to beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Predators goalie Justus Annunen knocked the goal out of place as he backed up on a rush. Johansson's first shot hit the moving net and he got the puck back and slid it across the line. After a review, the goal was ruled good, infuriating the Nashville players and coaches.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's power to unilaterally impose far-reaching tariffs is before the Supreme Court on Wednesday in a pivotal test of executive power with trillion-dollar implications for the global economy.

The Republican administration is trying to defend the tariffs central to Trump's economic agenda after lower courts ruled the emergency law he invoked doesn't give him near-limitless power to set and change duties on imports.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three lower courts have ruled illegal President Donald Trump's use of emergency powers to impose worldwide tariffs. Now the Supreme Court, with three justices Trump appointed and generally favorable to muscular presidential power, will have the final word.

NEW YORK (AP) — Elon Musk turned off many potential buyers of his Tesla cars and sent sales plunging with his foray into politics. But the stock has soared anyway and now he wants the company to pay him more — a lot more.

Shareholders gathering Thursday for Tesla's annual meeting in Austin, Texas, will decide in a proxy vote whether to grant Musk, the company's CEO and already the richest person in the world, enough stock to potentially make him history's first trillionaire.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Video game maker Epic Games has reached a "comprehensive settlement" with Google that could end its 5-year-old legal crusade targeting Google's Play Store for Android apps.

Epic and Google revealed the settlement agreement in a joint legal document they filed in a San Francisco federal court Tuesday.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia has added message board Reddit and livestreaming service Kick to its list of social media platforms that must ban children younger than 16 from holding accounts.

The platforms join Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube in facing a world-first legal obligation to shut the accounts of younger Australian children from Dec. 10, Communications Minister Anika Wells said on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump got a serious warning from voters that he's out of touch with their fears about a deteriorating U.S. economy.

Democrats were able to run up the score in key races across the country on Tuesday by harnessing some of the same populist fervor that helped get Trump reelected a year ago — but also by focusing on the kitchen table issues the Republican had vowed to fix. Now, as the incumbent, fears about the economy have made Trump the face of much of the public's discontent.

PARIS (AP) — Fast-fashion giant Shein faced a fresh wave of controversy as it opened its first permanent store in Paris on Wednesday inside one of the city's most iconic department stores.

The launch of Shein, which has long drawn criticism over its poor green credentials and labor practices, in the heart of France's fashion capital has triggered a backlash from environmental groups, Paris City Hall, and France's ready-to-wear industry.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats dominated the first major Election Day since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

And while a debate about the future of the Democratic Party may have only just begun, there are signs that the economy — specifically, Trump's inability to deliver the economic turnaround he promised last fall — may be a real problem for Trump's GOP heading into next year's higher-stakes midterm elections.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump wasn't on the ballot in Tuesday's elections, but many voters in key races made their choice in opposition to him or considered him to be irrelevant, according to the AP Voter Poll.

It was hardly an endorsement of his nearly 10 months back in the White House.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom, eager to raise his national profile as a Democrat willing to aggressively confront President Donald Trump, scored a campaign victory Tuesday that may help his party in the midterms as he moves toward a White House run.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most California voters didn't like redrawing their congressional districts to favor Democrats. But many may have felt Republicans left them with no alternative.

The AP Voter Poll, an expansive survey of more than 4,000 voters in California, captured the mixed emotions of an electorate that chose to adopt President Donald Trump's own strategy of rewriting the rules by redistricting outside of Census years. Most voters in favor of the proposition hoped to counter his efforts to preserve Republican control of the House in next year's midterm elections – even if they thought redistricting should ideally happen another way.

NEW YORK (AP) — Zohran Mamdani wasted little time after becoming mayor-elect of New York City before addressing the man who threatened to not only defund the city — but also to arrest and deport him — if he won.

"Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up," Mamdani, a Democrat, told the Republican president from the stage of his Brooklyn victory party.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government shutdown has entered its 36th day, breaking the record as the longest ever and disrupting the lives of millions of Americans with program cuts, flight delays and federal workers nationwide left without paychecks.

MIAMI (AP) — President Donald Trump is heading to Miami on Wednesday — the anniversary of his reelection to a second term — to speak to a forum of business leaders and global athletes about what he sees as his economic achievements.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dick Cheney was the public face of the George W. Bush administration's boundary-pushing approach to surveillance and intelligence collection in the years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

An unabashed proponent of broad executive power in the name of national security, Cheney placed himself at the center of a polarizing public debate over detention, interrogation and spying that endures two decades later.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi won't have longtime teammate Luis Suárez alongside him for a match that could end Inter Miami's season on Saturday.

Suárez has been suspended for Saturday's series-deciding playoff game against Nashville SC, Major League Soccer announced Wednesday, for his actions in Game 2 of the series — specifically, kicking Nashville's Andy Nájar — this past weekend.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A majority of Supreme Court justices seemed skeptical on Wednesday about President Donald Trump 's ability to unilaterally impose far-reaching tariffs, putting at risk a cornerstone of his agenda in the biggest legal test yet of his unprecedented presidency.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A jury began deliberating Wednesday in the Justice Department's assault case against a man who threw a sandwich at a federal agent, turning him into a symbol of resistance to President Donald Trump's law-enforcement surge in the nation's capital.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Republicans filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday to block a new U.S. House map that California voters decisively approved at the ballot.

Proposition 50, backed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, is designed to help Democrats flip as many as five congressional House seats in the midterm elections next year. The lawsuit claims the map-makers illegally used race as a factor to favor Hispanic voters, and asks the court to block the new boundaries ahead of the 2026 elections. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The management team that took over First brands as well as debtors of the once fast-growing Cleveland auto parts supplier have sued its founder and CEO, saying that they now know where at least some of the more than $2 billion in missing funds went before the company sought bankruptcy protection in September.

CHICAGO (AP) — The first civil trial over a Boeing 737 Max crash in Ethiopia more than six years ago opened Wednesday before a federal court jury that was asked to decide how much the American aerospace company must pay to the family of one of the 157 victims.

U.S. health regulators on Wednesday sent warning letters to 18 websites selling counterfeit or unapproved versions of Botox and similar injectable drugs commonly used to smooth wrinkles.

The Food and Drug Administration said it was taking action after receiving reports of injuries in connection with the products, including toxic side effects.

NEW YORK (AP) — The UPS cargo plane crash on Tuesday at the company's global aviation hub in Kentucky, which killed at least nine, will temporarily disrupt the supply chain and result in some shipping delays.

But UPS says it has contingency plans in place, and experts say the impact should be cleared up before the peak holiday season.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic candidates saw victories across key races Tuesday, and there were signs there's plenty of room for the Democratic Party to make up ground among groups that moved toward President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.

That finding comes from the AP Voter Poll, a sweeping survey of more than 17,000 voters in New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City that explains who voted in each election and their views on top issues in their state.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at Senate Republicans to end the government shutdown, now the longest ever, blaming the record-breaking impasse for the party's defeat in closely-watched elections while Democrats emboldened by their off-year victories dug in for a fight.

Six-time Super Bowl-winning owner Robert Kraft and Bud Adams, who founded the Houston Oilers and was a key part of the formation of the AFL, are among the nine contributors who advanced to the semifinal stage for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026.

Merely three weeks into the season, UCLA's DeShaun Foster and Virginia Tech's Brent Pry were out of a job. Seven weeks later, a half-dozen more coaches were added to the list of midseason firings – and high-profile ones at that.

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal appeals court on Thursday gave new life to President Donald Trump's bid to erase his hush money conviction, ordering a lower court to reconsider its decision to keep the case in state court instead of moving it to federal court.

NEW YORK (AP) — A top executive at a startup company that eased the process for college students applying for financial aid was sentenced Wednesday to over five years in prison for cheating JPMorgan Chase in a $175 million acquisition of the company four years ago.

WASHINGTON (AP) — IRS Direct File, the electronic system for filing tax returns for free, will not be offered next year, the Trump administration has confirmed.

An email sent Monday from IRS official Cynthia Noe to state comptrollers that participate in the Direct File program said that "IRS Direct File will not be available in Filing Season 2026. No launch date has been set for the future."

NEW YORK (AP) — Major U.S. airports are among those facing 10% reductions in air traffic Friday due to the government shutdown.

A list distributed to airlines and obtained by The Associated Press includes airports in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles among the 40 that will see flights slashed.

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — When Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visits President Donald Trump in the White House on Friday, his priority will be convincing the U.S. administration to turn a blind eye to Hungary's dogged commitment to buying Russian oil, a potential test of how deep the affinity goes between the two friendly leaders.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) — For the past decade, Dr. Priscilla Chan and her husband Mark Zuckerberg have focused part of their philanthropy on a lofty goal — "to cure, prevent or manage all disease" — if not in their lifetime, then in their children's. But during that time, they also funded underprivileged schools, immigration reform and efforts around diversity, equity and inclusion.

BELEM, Brazil (AP) — World leaders descending on the United Nations annual climate summit in Brazil on Thursday will not need to see much more than the view from their airplane window to sense the unfathomable stakes.

Surrounding the coastal city of Belem is an emerald green carpet festooned with winding rivers. But the view also reveals barren plains: Some 17% of the Amazon's forest cover has vanished in the past 50 years, swallowed up for farmland, logging and mining.

NEW YORK (AP) — American shoppers are expected to spend more during the holiday shopping season this year, compared with a year ago, despite uncertainly over tariffs and the overall economy.

The 2025 forecast from the National Retail Federation on Thursday estimates that shoppers will make $1.01 trillion to $1.02 trillion worth of purchases in November and December, an increase of 3.7% to 4.2% over the same two-month period a year ago.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi will not seek reelection to the U.S. House, bringing to a close her storied career as not only the first woman in the speaker's office but arguably the most powerful in American politics.

Pelosi, who has represented San Francisco for nearly 40 years, announced her decision Thursday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will host leaders of five Central Asian countries at the White House on Thursday as he intensifies his hunt for rare earth metals needed for high-tech devices, including smartphones, electric vehicles and fighter jets.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Elections this week that energized Democrats and angered President Donald Trump have cast a chill over efforts to end the record-breaking government shutdown, raising fresh doubts about the possibility of a breakthrough despite the punishing toll of federal closures on the country.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has warned that the United States will be rendered "defenseless'' and possibly "reduced to almost Third World status" if the Supreme Court strikes down the tariffs he imposed this year on nearly every country on earth.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington D.C. National Guard will be deployed to the nation's capital through the end of February, according to formal orders reviewed by The Associated Press.

The formal order, dated Nov. 4, extends the original order from Aug. 11 and says the Guard members will be in the city at least through Feb. 28. The order states the additional duty is in response to the emergency declared in August by President Donald Trump and under directions from the "Secretary of War to protect federal property and functions in the District of Columbia and to support federal and District law enforcement."

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Trump administration officials briefed a small group of congressional leaders Wednesday on the growing military campaign to destroy alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the waters off South America, providing one of the first high-level glimpses into the legal rationale and strategy behind the strikes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans in Congress have spent most of the year acquiescing to President Donald Trump's demands — they've quickly confirmed his Cabinet nominees, passed his " big beautiful bill " of tax and spending cuts and kept his broad tariffs in place despite deep reservations.