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Battle lines form over regulation, safety of AI

Trump and allies have sniped at the movement for tighter guardrails

BY NITASHA TIKU,

IAN DUNCAN

AND GERRIT DE VYNCK

BERKELEY, CALIF. — After artificial intelligence safety advocates captured Washington's attention with dire warnings about the technology's power, the Trump administration and its allies embraced some of their suggestions, while moving to sideline the advocates themselves.

Battle lines have been drawn in recent days over part of an accord signed by President Donald Trump and AI chief executives last week: Who should audit AI companies' systems to ensure their technology behaves as intended.

Leading AI companies — including OpenAI and Anthropic — have for years worked with a cluster of nonprofits concentrated in the Bay Area's AI safety community, which grew out of the effective altruism movement. But Trump's tech-world allies say the work of auditing AI should be taken on by America's largest consulting firms.

"In my view they should be professional auditors, not these NGOs," investor and former top White House AI adviser David Sacks said on his All-In podcast last week. He said in a post on X last month that the AI safety nonprofit METR, which has worked with Anthropic, was too close to the company to be called independent. Soon after, Anthropic said it would partner with consulting giant Accenture to build a team of outside evaluators.

At a conference here over the weekend, members of AI safety organizations grappled with the impact of what some see as a coordinated campaign to delegitimize their work and paint their community as cultish and unserious. The event took place at a former hotel popular with AI safety acolytes that also recently hosted a conference on AI con-SEE AI ON A18

Protesters rally Tuesday at the Place de la République in Paris. The demonstrations have gained steam amid austerity measures.

DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Kamala Harris has an opening, and a problem

ELECTION 2026

BY CLEVE R. WOOTSON JR.,

PRAVEENA SOMASUNDARAM

AND DAN MERICA

If Kamala Harris runs for president again, she would begin with advantages no rival could match: near-universal name recognition, experience in the White House and the hard-earned lessons of already having carried the party's banner.

For many Democrats, that still may not be enough.

With roughly a dozen Democrats maneuvering toward possible 2028 bids, Harris retains considerable affection and respect inside the party. But inter-

For Collins, Trump is a drag in bid for 6th term

views with 18 strategists, donors, former Harris surrogates and other Democrats — including some who backed her in 2024 — revealed persistent uncertainty about whether her moment was cut short or her time has passed, and whether she can lead Democrats back to power.

Some see a former vice president with an unmatched résumé in the still-forming field — a candidate who, her supporters argue, deserves a fairer shot than the 107 frantic days she had to take over and try to rescue Joe Biden's faltering campaign.

Others see a defeated nominee

SEE HARRIS ON A6

BY DAN MERICA

BUCKSPORT, MAINE — Sen. Susan Collins's bid for a sixth term in the Senate is a test of political gravity.

For years, the Republican senator in an ever-more Democratic Maine has run so far ahead of President Donald Trump that she practically floated above him, suspended in air thanks to a mix of selective defiance and canny use of Senate seniority to steer millions to the small state for local works projects.

But 11 years into Trump's political life, Collins's campaign against Democrat Troy Jackson has been weighed down by the Republican president and his constant controversy and growing disapproval. Trump is everywhere in the race. When voters talk about it, they invoke Trump more than they do the two candidates. Democratic ads accuse Collins of doing “whatever Donald Trump wants” and Jackson has claimed that the president “owns” Collins.

Collins rejects these attacks and told The Washington Post that she has “done more than SEE COLLINS ON A8

Polling: Call centers say they can't keep up with surging demand. A7

Anger boils over in France

STUDENT PROTESTS

FILL THE STREETS

Walkouts tap into deep

discontent ahead of voting

BY ELLEN FRANCIS

Student protests are sweeping France, morphing into a display of broader discontent as the government strains to control its finances, months before a critical presidential election.

People spilled into the streets Tuesday across the nation after two weeks of students blockading schools and at times clashing with police. Several influential French labor unions joined Tuesday's rallies, as people gathered in dozens of cities including Paris, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, and Toulouse.

Hundreds of schools and colleges were shut, with students airing grievances over crowded classrooms, understaffing and inequalities in the education system.

“Old enough to be teargassed, but not to protest,” one sign in Lille said. “Disenchanted generation,” read another sign in Paris.

The protests have gained momentum as they tap into popular anger over spending cuts and rising prices, with a heated debate gripping France about how to contain record debt.

The storms risk converging six months out from an election that will determine the successor of two-term President Emmanuel Macron and the political direction of France, traditionally a key pillar in Europe.

The movement first spiraled out of a demonstration in late September in support of striking teachers at a school in the Paris suburb of Créteil, spreading through neglected, working-class suburbs of the French capital.

Protests have since expanded to many public high schools, or lycées, across the country. They have now grown with the backing of French unions including

SEE FRANCE ON A11

Obama-era DOJ official to lead probe of Cornell case

BY SUSAN SVRLUGA AND DANIELLE DOUGLAS-GABRIEL

A former acting U.S. attorney general will lead an independent review of Cornell University's response to allegations of rape at a fraternity house in 2024, as well as how the school more generally deals with allegations and prevention of sexual misconduct, a new committee of the university's board of trustees announced Tuesday.

The Ivy League university is facing widespread outrage related to the allegations, including from faculty members who have proposed a draft resolution saying they have no confidence in the school's central administration to address the crisis.

Sally Q. Yates, now a partner at the law firm King & Spalding, and her team will review areas including Cornell's campus SEE CORNELL ON A2

ILIA YEFIMOVICH/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Three years later, wounds fester

Israelis pay their respects Tuesday at the Nova festival site in Reim, Israel. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducted 251 others.

JIM BAKKER | 1940-2026

Televangelist was disgraced in sex and fraud scandals

salvation.

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With wife Tammy Faye, he led PTL empire before his fall in the 1980s

BY MATT SCHUDEL

Jim Bakker, a televangelist who once led a multimillion-dollar religious empire with his wife, Tammy Faye, before a sex scandal tarnished his reputation and a conviction for fraud and conspiracy sent him to federal prison, died Oct. 5. He was 86.

His second wife, Lori, announced the death but did not cite a cause or say where he died. He had a stroke in 2020.

Mr. Bakker (pronounced “baker”) was a preacher and fundraiser on television for more than 20 years, developing a following that numbered in the millions. An ordained minister before being defrocked by his denomination, the Assemblies of God, he espoused a message that mixed wealth and success with

He and his first wife were Bible Belt preachers before evangelist Pat Robertson hired them in the mid-1960s as personalities for his new Christian Broadcasting Network. Over several years, they refined their folksy, talk-show style of religious broadcasting with upbeat music, interviews, prayer and relentless fundraising, often punctuated by tearful pleas from one or both of them.

Mr. Bakker broke with Robertson in the early 1970s, establishing a separate broadcast network and a new show, "The PTL Club," which stood for "Praise the Lord" and later for "People That Love."

With Mr. Bakker's boyish charm and his wife's endless enthusiasm, accentuated by her thick makeup and elaborate wardrobe, "The PTL Club" became a mainstay of evangelical Christian broadcasting. The Bakkers built a ministry and financial juggernaut in Charlotte, and later in Fort Mill, South Carolina, that lasted from the mid-1970s

IN THE NEWS

Reflecting Pool damage Attorneys for the former Olympian who had been accused of vandalism have called for watchdogs to probe alleged misconduct in the case. B13

A crucial strand of evidence Thomas Jefferson's link to Sally Hemings's children may have been settled by a single hair. B13

THE NATION

Border agents knocked down a tree in Arizona that activists had occupied for months. A3

Christa Pike is awake and speaking after a botched execution attempt, lawyers said. A8

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THE WORLD

Vladimir Putin is said to be counting on a collapse of European support for Ukraine. A10 The ex-head of Germany's foreign intelligence service is accused of selling state secrets. A12

THE ECONOMY

Paramount closed its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, creating a megacorporation in Hollywood, news and streaming. A13

Mocking victims of romance scams only helps the criminals, columnist Michelle Singletary writes. A14

STYLE

Youth sports parents are even more insufferable in a new Kim Kardashian-produced reality show. B1

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SPORTS

Deion Sanders is still capturing hearts at the Colorado program he put back on the map. Wins aren't coming. B7

THE REGION

A hearing for Kilmar Abrego García on his possible deportation to Liberia was abruptly canceled. B13

FOOD

A \$60 loaf of rye bread illustrates everything that's right and wrong with New York, Elazar Sontag writes. E1

BUSINESS NEWS....A13

COMICS....B4

OBITUARIES....B17

OPINION PAGES....A15

TELEVISION....B6

WORLD NEWS....A10

CONTENT © 2026

The Washington Post

Year 149, No. 54727

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'I felt like bait': A timeline of the Cornell rape allegations

A protester at Cornell University. The Jane Doe case got national attention after the school newspaper wrote about it last month.

ADRIAN KRAUS/AP

The Chi Phi fraternity house where Jane Doe said she was assaulted by several members.

LAUREN PETRACCA/REUTERS

BY AMY B WANG

A lawsuit filed last month against Cornell University by "Jane Doe" — a former student who made allegations that she was drugged and raped by seven fraternity members in 2024

— has ignited a national debate about sexual assault on college campuses and drawn intense scrutiny over whether the response by Cornell and law enforcement two years ago was adequate.

The public outcry has prompted New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) to appoint New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) as a special prosecutor to reinvestigate the matter after saying she had lost faith in the district attorney's ability to handle the case fairly. Meanwhile, local authorities have defended their initial decision not to pursue criminal charges.

Here's how the allegations and the fallout unfolded.

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August 2022

Jane Doe enters Cornell University as a freshman and pledges the Alpha Beta chapter of the Delta Delta Delta (Tri Delta) sorority.

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Oct. 19, 2024

Doe, 20, visits two bars in Ithaca, New York, with her sorority sisters and consumes the equivalent of 10 drinks in about three hours. At about 11 p.m., Doe leaves the second bar alone and walks to the Chi Phi fraternity house to hang out with a friend who was a member there, according to the complaint.

The complaint states that the friend hands Doe a beer, dances with her in the main room of the house, then pulls her off to a quieter area and propositions her with having a threesome with him and one of his fraternity brothers. According to the complaint, the two men lead her upstairs and allegedly pressure her into ingesting ketamine, marijuana and liquor, then begin engaging in sexual acts without her consent.

---

Oct. 20, 2024

At 1:42 a.m., one of the men sends a Snapchat message to fraternity members and says there is “Free p---y” upstairs. Several members join the assault, the complaint says.

A screen recording of the conversation, obtained by The Washington Post, shows that a picture of Doe was shared in the chat. Someone asks afterward: “Shop still open?” Another responds, “Yeah,” with a devil emoji, and later adds: “Boys come whip it out.”

Several men enter the room throughout the night and snort ketamine off Doe's body, according to the complaint. Later in the night, two of the men initiate another sexual assault of Doe, concluding around 5:45 a.m., the complaint says.

When Doe wakes up later in the day, she returns to the Tri Delta sorority house “in a state of shock” and notices that a large bruise had formed on her buttocks, the complaint says.

---

Oct. 21, 2024

Doe receives a text message from one of the men, who says he “just wanted to apologize for how things went down the other night," according to the New York Times.

---

Oct. 22, 2024

Doe visits the university's health center and reports to a doctor that she contracted a urinary tract infection “in a traumatic way,” according to the Times.

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Nov. 3, 2024

Doe sends a text to another fraternity member she later would accuse of sexual assault and tells him that “90% of what happened that night was not consensual” and that she “was given more [ketamine] than i can remember,” according to the Times.

---

Nov. 8, 2024

Doe reports what happened to Cornell University police and Cornell's Chi Phi branch — called the Xi chapter — and seven students are placed on temporary suspension, according to the complaint.

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Nov. 14-15, 2024

Campus police interview Doe, according to CBS News. An officer drafts a six-page statement based on those interviews and, after making about 20 handwritten corrections, Doe signs a final version of her sworn statement to police, according to the Times. Cornell later says it turns over its investigative material to the Tompkins County District Attorney's Office, which declines to pursue criminal charges.

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Nov. 26, 2024

Cornell's interim president, Michael Kotlikoff, issues a statement to the university regarding "ongoing investigations into the serious and deeply disturbing allegations of drug abuse and sexual violence at the Chi Phi fraternity house." He notes that the fraternity remains under a temporary suspension.

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January 2025 to May 2025

Cornell commences a Title IX investigation. Title IX investigations into allegations of sex-based discrimination or sexual misconduct are mandatory for schools that accept federal funding.

The university conducts more than 50 interviews with 32 witnesses over several months. Cornell also conducts at least 12 hearings in May 2025 regarding Doe's allegations. Doe testifies at one of those hearings, saying: "I felt like bait. I felt like lions around me. It just was a totally debilitating place to be in."

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Sept. 16, 2026

Doe files a lawsuit against seven members of the Xi chapter of Chi Phi, Cornell University, the national Chi Phi fraternity, the Tri Delta sorority, an Ithaca bar and others.

The 101-page complaint states that Doe “was plied with alcohol and drugs to the point of intoxication” at the fraternity house, and it made allegations in detail that she was sexually assaulted and raped by members of the fraternity over the course of about seven hours.

The lawsuit accuses the students of sexual assault and battery, while accusing Cornell of failing to do enough to protect Doe. It seeks a jury trial to determine damages.

Sept. 18, 2026

The Cornell Daily Sun, a student newspaper, writes about the lawsuit, and the case begins gaining national attention.

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Sept. 28, 2026

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten releases a lengthy statement announcing he has reopened the case and defending his decision not to pursue criminal charges in 2024. His comments include a summary of facts from Doe's sworn statement, in which he says she “described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual.”

Cornell also issues a statement defending its response: "Any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false," university spokesman Kyle Kimball writes.

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Sept. 30, 2026

CBS News reports that it has obtained a copy of a transcript of the interview between Doe and campus police in which she says that she had gaps in her memory, that she remembers being “physically hit very, very hard” during the assault, and that she said, “I can say with 100% confidence I was raped.” Van Houten tells CBS News he had not seen a copy of that transcript before.

Chi Phi issues a statement saying the fraternity “went beyond anything the law or Cornell University required” in disciplining the alleged perpetrators, noting they had been expelled permanently from the national fraternity.

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Oct. 1, 2026

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announces that she has appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) as special prosecutor because she has lost faith in the Tompkins County district attorney's ability to fairly oversee the case.

Cornell University leaders may face a no-confidence vote by the Faculty Senate

CORNELL FROM A1

police response and processes, coordination with external law enforcement and prosecutors, disciplinary decisions and oversight of Greek life, the university committee said.

Yates and her team also will inquire in detail about Cornell's response to a then-student's allegations of sexual assault by members of the Chi Phi fraternity two years ago — including whether the university followed its own policies in its response to the incident.

A longtime federal prosecutor, Yates was appointed deputy attorney general under President Barack Obama. She became acting attorney general early in the first Trump administration, but she was fired days after ordering Justice Department lawyers not to defend President Donald Trump's refugee and immigration ban in court. She later led an independent investigation for U.S. Soccer after allegations of sexual misconduct and abusive behavior at the highest levels of women's professional soccer.

“Sally Q. Yates brings extraordinary experience, independence and judgment to this work,” Anne Meinig Smalling, chair of the Cornell special committee, said in a news release. “The questions

STEVEN SENNE/AP

raised by the Jane Doe matter warrant a rigorous examination of Cornell's response to that case, but our responsibility is broader. We have asked Ms. Yates and her team to examine Cornell's overall approach to preventing and responding to sexual misconduct, identify where we are doing things well and where we can do better, and recommend changes that will help make our community safer."

Since news broke last month of a lawsuit the former student had filed in connection with her allegations, Cornell's leaders have faced mounting pressure from critics who question whether enough was done to investigate and address the alleged assault.

Cornell undertook an extensive Title IX investigation, disciplined students and barred the fraternity from campus, but some of the alleged perpetrators were permitted to remain enrolled or eventually return to campus.

The local district attorney declined to seek criminal charges, but the criminal case was reopened after the lawsuit was filed. The criminal investigation has since been taken over by the office of New York state Attorney General Letitia James. On Tuesday, her office said it is in the final stages of also hiring outside counsel to assist it in the criminal investigation.

The allegations have touched off emotional discussions nationwide about sexual assault, drug use, consent and Greek life. On Monday, hundreds of students protested on campus. Before dawn that day, activists vandalized an administration building.

The draft no-confidence resolution by a group of Cornell faculty members is a rare move reflecting the depth of concern on campus. It could be put on the Faculty Senate's agenda for discussion as soon as next week, several professors said in interviews. If eventually scheduled for a vote and approved, the resolution would send a symbolic but still powerful message to the university's leaders.

"People are very upset," said David Bateman, an associate professor in the government department and president of the university's chapter of the American Association of University Professors. "People are upset about what happened, and they are upset about the university's actions and behavior and posture toward the entire attack."

Ariana Kim, an associate professor of music, accused Cornell administrators of putting the preservation of image and the bottom line above the welfare of the community. She said there is momentum to call for resignations and a turnover in leadership. "Now is the time," she said.

Sally Q. Yates speaks at Harvard University in 2017.

Other professors disagreed. Charles Walcott, who has been on the faculty for 45 years and served as university ombudsman for a decade, said it would be difficult for any college president to navigate the current situation but that he believes the administration has done a good job.

"I happen to think that our president, Mike Kotlikoff, is just excellent, and a thoughtful, caring human being who really wants to get this right," said Walcott, a professor emeritus of neurobiology and behavior. He called the independent reviews an important step.

Dozens of members of Cornell's board of trustees did not immediately respond to questions Tuesday.

Kyle Kimball, a spokesman for the university, said, “We understand the frustration and concern being expressed by members of our community, and we are listening and engaging directly with them.”

He said Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff and members of the administration are scheduled to meet with the Faculty Senate next week. “We look forward to that conversation,” Kimball wrote in an email, “and to continuing to engage constructively with faculty and others across the Cornell community.”

On Saturday, Kotlikoff released a video acknowledging the anger and sadness on campus and saying he supported Hochul's decision to appoint James as a special prosecutor to lead a reopened criminal investigation.

The appointment triggered pushback from Trump, a long-time James critic, and from some New York Republicans who questioned whether the attorney general could be impartial in the case. They pointed to a social media post in which James had expressed sympathy for the woman who made the allegations.

James' office noted Tuesday that it was not unusual for a state attorney general to seek out outside counsel in high-profile cases. But the retention of outside counsel, which could be finalized in the coming days, could help the attorney general fend off her skeptics.

Alexis Richards, a spokeswoman for James, said the attorney general's office “remains committed to a thorough and independent investigation guided only by the facts and the law.”

Richards added that attorneys in James's office have already met with Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten and Jane Doe's attorney.

Van Houten, who has been sharply criticized over his office's initial handling of the allegations, has agreed to cooperate with the state probe, according to James's office. Van Houten did not return a call to his office on Tuesday.

Tim Craig contributed to this report.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: An activist retrieves a bucket from the tree sitter last month. A plywood platform had been rigged up. The border wall under construction. Kate Scott, who kicked off the tree sit.

Border agents topple ‘grandmother’ tree after a long standoff with activists

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Giant cottonwood was in way of \$46.5 billion border wall expansion

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BY JAKE SPRING

LOCHIEL, ARIZ. — For more than two months, activists sat high up in the branches of a giant cottonwood tree here on the border with Mexico in an effort to block federal contractors from knocking it down to make way for President Donald Trump's \$46.5 billion border wall expansion.

But that standoff came to an end Monday when demonstrators say more than 50 Customs and Border Protection agents raided the activist camp and an excavator knocked down what they called a “grandmother” tree, estimated to be 150 to 250 years old.

Footage taken by protesters shows the massive tree crashing down as border agents look on, and the activists who worked to protect it wail.

“We have been raided, assaulted, battered, bruised, bleeding by the Border Patrol agents,” said Kate Scott, an activist who kicked off the group's tree sit, in a call following Monday's raid. As CBP cleared the area, about 10 people were arrested, the group of activists estimates, and another 10 received citations, including for “violation of a closure order” for being in the border-wall zone.

At least one activist showed images of scrapes and bandages on a Monday video call.

Customs and Border Protection previously identified cottonwood trees on federal land in Lochiel “that needed removal for planned border wall construction” and finished removing them as of Monday, the agency’s assistant commissioner Hilton Beckham said in a statement.

“CBP recognizes the importance of protecting the environment, wildlife, and cultural resources during border wall construction,” Beckham said, adding that preconstruction surveys found no active migratory bird nests. The Department of Homeland Security has waived dozens of laws requiring rigorous review of environmental impacts, although Hilton said the agency was still conducting environmental and cultural reviews and seeking public input.

CBP did not respond to questions about the descriptions of the confrontation with activists.

The cottonwood tree had become a rallying point for anti-border wall activists, who opposed the destruction of a native habitat and major wildlife corridor, as well as the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

The scene Monday brought to close a confrontation that began on July 27.

Scott, who had been in Lochiel on and off for weeks to keep an eye on advancing border construction, had sped back to the tiny former border crossing town that day after hearing fellow activists were in trouble. Arriving just in time, she ran across a field and dove under a fence, popping up on the other side to block an excavator that had already knocked down three other “grandmother” cottonwood trees.

The operator banged the excavator's bucket around the tree threateningly and came within six feet of Scott. But he could not knock down the tree without hurting her, she said. He backed off, churning up the dirt nearby before leaving the area, damaging some tree roots but leaving it otherwise intact.

The moment was the start of what became a 70-day standoff on the Arizona border, amid efforts to massively expand the border wall during Trump's second term.

Wanting to stop contractors from moving forward, Scott and a small but rapidly growing group of activists saw only one option to protect the cottonwood that clearly was in the border wall's path.

“We looked at each other and said ‘Who is going to go up in the tree?’,” Scott said.

At first, a tree-sitter just sat on a high branch with a yoga mat. But by night, a plywood platform — big enough for just one person at a time — had been rigged up to the tree, offering a bit more stability.

The group's tree sit drew on a decades old tradition that became most famous in California and the Pacific Northwest as a way to block loggers from cutting down old-growth forests. In the late 1990s, Julia Butterfly Hill occupied a redwood tree in Northern California for more than two years to prevent loggers from cutting it down.

“i have been supporting from a distance, the efforts against the border wall construction,” Hill said on social media, resharing posts from the Arizona tree sit to her account and alerting her followers to the clash with border agents on Monday.

As of late September, the wall construction stopped short about 300 feet from the tree. The contractors rarely passed, choosing alternate routes.

Speaking to The Washington Post in Lochiel last month, Scott called the effort a success thus far.

“Any group of people that can prevent border wall ecocide for close to three months is a milestone achievement,” she said then.

Federal contractors have been building the wall at a furious pace at the other end of the San Rafael Valley, a rolling grassland where the 1955 musical “Oklahoma!” was filmed. About 10 miles east of the tree-sit, a newly built concrete plant continuously loads trucks pouring the footers of the wall, while dozens of trailers sit nearby to house contractors working in the otherwise remote area.

On Monday, the camp that held frenetic construction at bay for weeks descended into chaos. As the group held a “sunrise ceremony,” a regular camp ritual not long after daybreak, dozens of CBP officers stormed the area.

“We were holding prayer. We were all silent and in meditation when they originally started to come,” said one activist on a Monday video call, identifying herself as “Hoops,” showing a scrapped and bandaged arm.

"One of our comrades was literally handcuffed and they were kicking him as he was on the ground," the activist said. "They were dragging our comrades on the ground. They were pushing us into barbed wire fences. They had knees on people's necks. They shoved me — I'm a very small person — and multiple men shoved me to the ground and got on top of me."

All except for Scott declined to give their names or have their faces photographed, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect their privacy and for fear of retaliation. Many of the activists adopted nature-related noms de guerre like “Tidepool.”

The border wall construction has already changed the landscape in an area where no wall was built in Trump's first term. One completed section with two 30-foot-high parallel walls — and 150 feet of no man's land between them — bisects a landscape that until recently would have offered visitors a panorama view of near-pristine nature for miles on either side of the border.

In Lochiel specifically, the tree-sitters are defending one of Arizona's last riparian ecosystems, or those that grow along waterways or water just below the surface, said Russ McSpadden, Southwest conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, an advocacy group. He estimates those ecosystems, which allow for larger plants like cottonwoods to grow, have been more than 90 percent wiped out in the state.

The camp often mounts colorful, artistic protests that involve music, dance or dressing up. Last month, three activists were arrested after confronting contractors while dressed as animals — including a jaguar and yellow-billed cuckoo — they say will have their migration corridors cut off by the wall.

Scott, who wore a monochrome jaguar shirt and a shawl, is a “great hippy matriarch of the valley,” McSpadden said, contrasting with the mostly much younger activists in the camp. Others protestors wore bandannas or even T-shirts tied across their faces, some expressing distrust of mainstream media.

Some wore dusters and broad brimmed hats — evoking the look of 19th-century desperados of the Wild West — seemingly enough to spook at least one contractor who turned the truck around.

What unites the group is a feeling that someone needs to stand up for the nature that is being destroyed for the border wall, several said.

"The border wall is not yet a scar. It's an open wound on our mother, mother earth's skin, mother mom's family and in the heart of the mother in all of us," wrote one activist who went by "Buglove," when asked how they felt about the border well. They wrote responses with pen and paper on the tree platform, sending them back and forth 50 feet via bucket and pulley.

"It is a monument to fascism and tool of fear. It is not built for any ‘real’ purpose, even the evil purpose the state claims," they wrote.

During the tree sit, activists took turns ascending to the platform, where there was just enough room for one person to live for days at a time. One activist, a Tucson-based arborist who only identified herself as “Magnolia,” said that when sitting in the tree, she could feel the roots shift whenever heavy equipment drives past. Living in the tree was “uncomfortable but really special.”

There was some “surf” on the platform, she said. It shifted with the person’s movement and the wind.

“It’s a mixture of terrifying, boring, magical and peaceful,” the activist said.

A bucket, raised by rope helped deliver meals to the sitters, and helped with bathroom and waste needs. The group kept secret how tree sitters would get into the tree and how often they would would switch places.

By September, the camp could fluctuate between as few as half a dozen protestors and swell to more than 100 on days when special events were planned. When The Washington Post visited the site on Sept. 24, about 20 tents were set up on a private property just behind the cotton-wood tree, whose owner allowed them passage to the 60-foot border zone controlled by the federal government.

But most of the group did not know each other before they organically arrived at the tree, Scott said.

“It’s magic. People just show up and they know how to do things for exactly what you need,” she added.

She said pockets of resistance against the wall have risen up in other areas along the border in Tohono O'odham Nation in Arizona out to Big Bend in Texas, where people say they are fed up with the government.

Some Tohono O'odham members have taken up watch on their segment of the border, where they have maintained a camp and prayer fire for weeks, observing masked CBP agents escorting contractors to drill soil samples in August.

In Big Bend, a judge granted a temporary injunction last week blocking construction of border infrastructure, in response to a lawsuit brought by environmental advocates and locals.

“We're all aligned, and we all feel this is the moment in time and this is a time we have to take these direct actions because nothing else has mattered,” Scott said. “We know they don't listen to us. They file our requests and our pleas and our petitions in boxes.”

In late September, Scott had vowed: "We will be here as long as it takes."

Following Monday's raid, Scott said they would continue carrying out other unspecified "direct action" that could take imaginative or creative forms.

“They have just cut down our grandmother but her roots are within all of us. I want to tell the country they will have a firestorm of energy, of prayer and song and activism and direct action like they have never seen,” Scott said.

Trump says public money won't be used to fund ads

BY NATALIE ALLISON

President Donald Trump announced Monday that he would reverse course on using taxpayer dollars to pay for ads promoting himself and his policies, following backlash from Democrats and even some Republicans about the campaign-style commercials.

Trump had initially doubled down on plans to continue the ads, saying they were justified because he was not on the ballot.

"The Radical Left is upset with the fact that I am taking Ads, which I consider to be a positive promotion for our Great U.S.A., and paying for them with U.S.A. money," Trump wrote on Truth Social, shortly before landing in Nebraska for a rally.

Trump argued that the television spots, which included one that closely resembled an ad for his 2024 presidential campaign, and another of him and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth advocating for the Iran war, were “a rather standard thing to do.” But he said he had “decided to do the Patriotic Ads, among others, and pay for them myself, and with money I raised for MAGA, Inc.”

A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said Trump's commitment covered future ads. The official defended the propriety of the ads that already ran and did not say whether Trump would reimburse the government.

Trump last week signaled that he was open to reversing course, telling reporters he would “gladly pay the money” if someone determined the practice was “wrong.”

Federal law prohibits agencies from using taxpayer money for unauthorized “publicity or propaganda.” The Government Accountability Office, Congress’s investigative arm, says the prohibition covers communications that are purely partisan, but acknowledged that administrations may use public money to explain and defend their policies.

Other ads featured campaign slogans and footage of Mount Rushmore.

Each featured a message saying “Paid for by the U.S. Government.” So far, the ads have been paid for with money Congress approved for border security upgrades, efforts to combat drug trafficking and memorials for officers killed in the line of duty, The Washington Post previously reported.

Days before the ads began airing, the White House Office of Management and Budget on Sept. 19 added \$20 million to a Department of Homeland Security budget line designated for “commemorative events.”

The next day, DHS awarded a \$20 million contract for a “national media campaign” to a Maryland-based media firm.

Isaac Arnsdorf contributed to this report.

ANNA MONEYMAKER/GETTY IMAGES

President Donald Trump argued that the television spots were “a rather standard thing to do.”

President approves use of firing squad in execution of Fort Hood shooter

Nidal Hasan was sentenced to death for a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009 that killed 13 people and injured 32.

BELL COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE/REUTERS

BY AOIFE WALSH

President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Nidal Malik Hasan, a former U.S. Army psychiatrist who opened fire on dozens of people at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009.

Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's spokesman, said Monday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had recommended death by Army firing squad and that Trump approved it.

“Judgement day for Hasan has finally come,” Parnell said on X.

The secretary of the Army will decide the time and place of the execution, Parnell added.

If carried out, it would mark the first U.S. military execution since April 13, 1961, when Army Pvt. John A. Bennett was hanged after being convicted of rape and attempted murder, according to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center, which monitors capital punishment. The military's last known firing squad execution was carried out by "musketry" on Nov. 9, 1945, according to the group.

Hasan, an American-born Muslim, killed 13 people and injured 32 others when he opened fire at Fort Hood's Soldier Readiness Processing Center, where troops were preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. He shouted "Allahu akbar!" meaning "God is great," before targeting soldiers with a handgun he had fitted with laser sights.

Hasan, who acted as his own attorney, was convicted of pre-meditated murder and sentenced to death in 2013. During his court-martial, he admitted responsibility for the shooting, saying he had been on the wrong side of a war against Islam and had switched over.

Hasan was scheduled to go to Afghanistan at the end of November 2009 but did not want to deploy, the court heard.

Execution by firing squad is rare in the United States, permitted in a handful of states: Idaho, Oklahoma, Utah, South Carolina and Mississippi. Three people in South Carolina were put to death using the method last year, Death Penalty Information Center data shows. Before then, only three people had been executed in this manner since 1977 — all in Utah.

Trump has long been a staunch supporter of capital punishment. During his first term in 2020, the Justice Department carried out its first federal executions in nearly two decades. In his second term, his administration lifted a moratorium on federal executions and pushed for more death sentences.

In April, the Justice Department said it would move to expand execution methods used to carry out federal death sentences beyond lethal injection, including by making the electric chair and firing squads available in some cases. It also directed federal officials to restore the execution protocol from Trump's first term, which uses the drug pentobarbital for lethal injections.

Trump's approval of Hasan's execution by firing squad comes days after Tennessee authorities made a botched attempt to execute Christa Pike, who was sentenced to death for her role in a brutal 1995 murder, by lethal injection.

Pike was hospitalized after she was given two doses of pentobarbital but continued to breathe for nearly an hour, court filings by her legal team stated. Her attorney said Sunday she remains in critical condition.

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Doubts swirl about whether Harris could lead Democrats back to power

HARRIS FROM A1

Beneath deep respect for the former Democratic standard-bearer is a striking anxiety about the potential consequences of her return to the political conversation.

MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

For some, the concern is not simply that she could lose again. It is that her candidacy could pull Democrats back to a painful political era.

JOE KLAMAR/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

inextricably tied to the party's recent past confronting Democrats hungry for new leaders, sharper ideas and a more decisive break from the political order that preceded Donald Trump's return to power.

Beneath the respect for the former Democratic standard-bearer is a striking anxiety about the potential consequences of her return to the political conversation. Her stature could instantly reorder the field, discouraging some candidates from running and forcing others to define themselves around her. For some in the party, the concern is not simply that Harris could lose again. It is that her candidacy could pull Democrats back toward a painful political era before they have fully reckoned with what happened and how to move beyond it.

“She's extraordinarily popular in the party and people are very fond of her and want her to be treated with a lot of respect and deference — given all the due of someone in her position,” said Jamal Simmons, a Democratic strategist who was Harris's communications director for a year starting in January 2022. “Many people see it as a service what she did in 2024, where she really stepped up for the party, stepped up for Joe Biden, stepped up for the country. There’s a lot of respect for her. But it’s yet to be seen how much of that becomes support for another presidential run.”

Former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have already begun making appearances in South Carolina, which will host the Democrats' first presidential primary in 2028 — a change designed in part to give Black voters and the party's broader coalition a larger voice in choosing the nominee.

Newsom, who has made a pair of recent visits there, said last month he would not run if Harris enters the race, wary of forcing their overlapping political bases to choose between them.

Fletcher Smith, a former South Carolina state legislator and one of Biden's surrogates in the state in 2020, said Harris's pending decision is impeding a necessary conversation about the Democratic Party's future.

“People just want to move on,” he said. “We’ve got a number of younger-generation people who are capable of leading — we’ve got governors, we’ve got congresspeople, we have senators. I think what she needs to do is sit out 2028 and let some other people have a shot at saving our democracy.”

Through a spokesperson, Harris declined multiple requests to comment on this story. She revisited the frustrations of her abbreviated campaign in full last year with a memoir, "107 Days," that included the difficulty of distinguishing herself from Biden while serving as his vice president.

She has left open the possibility of another presidential run. This spring she said she was “thinking about it.” She has expanded her public appearances as the midterms have approached, campaigning in key battleground states — in Michigan for U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and, soon, in Georgia for Sen. Jon Ossoff.

For those eager for Harris to run again, her experience is an argument for another chance.

Harris has been a senator, presidential candidate, vice president and presidential nominee — a résumé that would ordinarily be an enormous asset and, many Democrats say, make her an instant front-runner should she enter the race.

Harris and her allies have long viewed the 2024 loss through the constraints of the campaign she inherited: an unpopular incumbent, deep voter frustration over inflation and the economy, and barely three months to convince voters that she represented change while still serving as Biden's vice president. She lost the popular vote to Trump by about 2.3 million votes and the electoral college, 312 to 226.

Maria Cardona, a longtime Democratic strategist and friend of Harris, said the former vice president faces less time pressure than other potential candidates. Given her 2024 experience, Harris would be able to scale up campaign operations faster than other potential contenders who have never appeared on a national ballot, Cardona said.

Another go-round would look different from the 2024 campaign that she assembled in a pinch after Biden dropped out, Cardona said: "If she decides to run, she will run as an unapologetic, unabridged version of Kamala Harris. And I don't think any of us know what that looks like."

Ashley Etienne, who was Harris's first communications director as vice president, acknowledged that Harris would need to create some distance from a Democratic establishment facing an increasingly anti-status-quo sentiment. But she argued that Harris's critics discount something none of her potential rivals has yet demonstrated: that she can withstand the personal scrutiny, political pressure and sheer intensity of a national presidential campaign.

"It's almost like, why not her? She has proven, unlike anyone else in the race, that she's got these advantages that will matter in a national election," Etienne said.

Some Democrats warned that moving too quickly past Harris would carry its own political cost, particularly among Black women, one of the party's most loyal constituencies.

L. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth), the first woman and first Black person to be president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate, said she would back whoever becomes the Democratic nominee. But she said Black women she knows could see Democrats' rejection of Harris as another painful rebuff of a Black woman who had earned her chance to lead.

"There's no question that people would be upset because you see what happened last time," Lucas said. "It could very well be that some folks would be so disillusioned that they would just say, 'I give up on this process' — especially people who've been fighting as many years as I have, who have come through the civil rights movement and just experienced so much, endured so much, and then to see this happen again would be quite painful."

The 2024 campaign gave Harris unequaled name recognition, said Clay Middleton, a former senior adviser to the Biden-Harris campaign in South Carolina and a longtime Democratic operative in the state.

“She is instantly the front-runner because she was our nominee the last time, she has an infrastructure that was in place that she can turn on quickly,” Middleton said. “But can you stay up through the course of the entire cycle?”

Those advantages may help less as the party searches for new language, new fights and new political identities. To some Democrats, Harris looks less like the beginning of the next Democratic era than a vestige of the last one.

"I think she is a great candidate, but I don't want to see Harris run," said David Wilson, an 81-year-old retired educator from St. Louis. He supported Biden in the 2020 primary, voted for Harris in 2024 and would like to see someone else on the ballot in 2028. "She already lost and I don't think there is a practical purpose when you have a lot of good candidates to put up a loser a second time around. I want new ideas."

Harris faced skepticism about her political skills before her defeat. During her vice presidency, Democrats consistently questioned whether she could eventually lead the ticket, concerns that flared after awkward interviews, verbal stumbles and periods when she receded from public view. At one point, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) conspicuously stopped short of endorsing Harris as Biden's 2024 running mate, though she quickly clarified that she supported the pair's reelection.

Yet when Biden abruptly ended his campaign in July 2024, the doubts gave way to remarkable speed and unanimity. Biden endorsed Harris, Democratic leaders quickly followed, and within days she had secured commitments from enough del-

Harris has been a senator, a vice president and a presidential nominee — a résumé that ordinarily would be an enormous asset.

DEMETRIUS FREEMAN/THE WASHINGTON POST

---

"If she decides to run, she will run as an unapologetic, unabridged version of Kamala Harris. And I don't think any of us know what that looks like."

Maria Cardona, Democratic strategist and Harris's friend

egates to effectively claim the nomination.

Her defeat renewed questions about how she had made her case to voters.

A Democratic autopsy of the 2024 race argued that the White House, under Biden, did not do enough to set Harris up for political success, a frequent if whispered gripe among people in Harris's camp. But the report, which party leadership has said did not meet its standards, also faulted the campaign for assuming that negative views of Trump were baked in and for not doing enough to win the economic argument.

For some past supporters, the test will be what a Harris campaign has to offer Democrats.

Bakari Sellers, a former South Carolina state senator who helped marshal delegates behind Harris in 2024, said he still regards her as “extremely talented.” But talent alone, he said, will not answer the questions Democrats have about her viability.

She has taken public stances on issues, he said, but she has not defined what her candidacy would mean for the constituencies that matter most to her success. She hasn't spoken to him in more than a year, which he said raises questions about someone who would need to win South Carolina.

"One of the first statements she put out was about AI, when it's clear she needs to boost her support among Black men," Sellers said. "California has a cost-of-living issue, and she's not talking about cost of living at all."

Harris has largely receded from the spotlight since her defeat. Her reemergence on the campaign trail will give prospective supporters like Erick Allen, a Cobb County commissioner and former Georgia state representative, another look.

Allen, who backed Harris early during her first presidential run in 2019, said many people he knows are watching her closely.

"I think people want to see what's happened in two years," he said. "What is she going to come out looking like? If she goes out there and she gets the cheers, she's feeling good, you better damn well believe you're going to start seeing the 'Kamala 2028' bumper stickers."

With so many close races, pollsters struggle to keep up

People cheer on President Donald Trump during a rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on Saturday.

ROBERTO SCHMIDT/GETTY IMAGES

Increased demand makes it harder to accurately gauge public opinion

BY KATHERINE DOYLE

The expanded political map for this year's midterm elections has sharply increased the demand for polling, straining the call centers that conduct surveys, squeezing capacity and complicating the already difficult task of getting accurate reads on public opinion, according to pollsters.

“It’s like doomsday,” said Landon Wall, a Republican pollster and founder of GrayHouse, noting that his firm rotates through three different call centers depending on capacity constraints.

"It's the most stressed I've ever been in my entire career. We are medium-sized. We do millions of dollars of polling. But even that does not mean we have the volume to book things out."

"There are races coming online that should not have been," said Brent Buchanan, founder and CEO of Cygnal, a prominent Republican firm. "When you planned out how many polls you were going to need in a year, you're polling in places you weren't expecting to poll, or polling at the frequency you weren't expecting to poll, and this is on both sides."

“For Democrats, it’s more opportunity. For Republicans, it’s more defense,” he said.

As the fall campaign has moved into its final weeks, the pace has become so intense that pollsters describe staying up late to release surveys, waking up and doing it all again, barely stopping in between for coffee. "We are doing it over and over and over and over again," said one research firm executive. "It's relentless."

One firm told The Washington Post it had been forced to turn down business. And because certain areas have become more time-consuming to poll accurately, the process is taking longer, and labor costs are rising.

The challenges come at a worsening political moment for President Donald Trump and his party. Just 27 percent of voters surveyed by the Economist/YouGov in late September said the country was headed in the right direction, even as the poll showed that Trump retained 91 percent approval among supporters of his Make America Great Again movement.

The demand for more polls to keep up with rapidly evolving races may be worsening the problem of obtaining a representative group of voters willing to participate.

“Even if you increase capacity, you're getting a lower return per hour of calling now than you were two years ago,” Buchanan said. “I think a decent portion of it is, one, the emotional mood of the country, that you have a segment of folks who are just fired up and angry and willing to answer any call, but they don't represent the electorate as a whole, and you have a lot of people that are discouraged, and that doesn't make you want to answer a phone call and have a conversation about a political race."

In many of the places now attracting increased attention, pollsters say voters are tired of being surveyed and increasingly reluctant to pick up the phone. Even text-message surveys, which place smaller demands on people's time, are proving challenging.

The problem has become severe enough in some states to make polling substantially more difficult and expensive.

According to a document reviewed by The Post, one of the country's largest survey-data-collection firms has told clients that, in at least one region, many of its agents are able to get just one completed interview per shift — sometimes fewer.

Alaska, the sprawling and sparsely populated battleground that could decide control of the Senate, has been particularly difficult, pollsters said.

In South Texas, a notoriously low-turnout area, several state-wide races are dominating the airwaves, and numerous polls are in the field, compounding the problem of finding voters who will respond.

These difficulties have led some Republican consultants to question whether polling is accurately capturing the standing of candidates.

“Should you be concerned about accuracy of polling going into November? Absolutely, yes,” said Wall. “There are so many signs that the polling is really low quality right now.”

One much-discussed issue is what pollsters call nonresponse bias — the tendency of enthusiastic voters to more readily respond to polls than discouraged ones. How much that affects the accuracy of polls is almost impossible to know until after the fact: Among other complicating factors, voters who are too disheartened to answer a survey may also be unlikely to cast a ballot.

White House and GOP officials say that encouraging Republican turnout is the core of what Trump will be seeking to do over the campaign's final weeks.

“President Trump is the unequivocal leader, best messenger, and unmatched motivator for the Republican Party, and he is committed to maintaining Republican majorities in Congress,” said White House spokesperson Davis Ingle.

"While Democrats squabble over the last two cents their party has to spare and throw in the towel on key races, the president is barnstorming the country, energizing our base, and supercharging Republican candidates in battleground districts and beyond," said Republican National Committee spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre. "We have the resources to spend, and Republicans are full steam ahead to protect and expand our majorities."

As Trump makes stops intended to bolster Republicans in key races, his outside political operation is also spending heavily on advertising, with about \$96.6 million spent since Labor Day and another \$89 million reserved through Election Day, according to data from media tracker AdImpact.

As the White House ramps up money and travel, the possibility that surveys are overrepresenting enthusiastic Democrats has emerged as a nagging worry for consultants on the left and a remaining hope for Republicans.

Some Republican strategists say they are seeing signs that the deterioration has begun to level off in certain states, even if the political environment remains difficult for the party.

“I don’t see it slipping anymore,” said David Kochel, an Iowa Republican political strategist who saw movement through July in the state when gas prices were weighing on consumers.

"It's kind of stabilized, and stabilized in a fairly uncomfortable place for Republicans," he said, "but I don't think it continues to move."

Isaac Arnsdorf contributed to this report.

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Democratic candidate Troy Jackson in Portland, Maine, on Sept. 7.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in Kittery, Maine, on Aug. 14. To win, she will need the support of voters who disapprove of the president.

CJ GUNTHER/GETTY IMAGES

Collins runs against Trump's unpopularity in bid for her sixth term in Maine

COLLINS FROM A1

any member of the Maine delegation" to stop "harmful" actions by the president. She defended her more measured approach to Trump, whom she called unpopular with "terrible" numbers in her state.

"It does absolutely no good and is ineffective to go give a fiery speech to build up your social media following and to get on a popular podcast," Collins said. "It may make you feel better ... but it doesn't change the outcome."

A month out from arguably her most difficult bid for re-election, the 73-year-old Collins argues that throwing her out of office due to Trump would be shortsighted, because her stature as a senior Republican allows her to do more than anyone else in Maine to push back against an administration that will only be in power for two more years.

“Although I am certainly not the president’s favorite Republican or favorite senator, by any stretch, I am able to work with members of his team in a way the rest of the delegation cannot,” she said.

Her future depends on voters buying this argument. She and Jackson are squaring off in their first televised debate Tuesday night as polls show a close race. A New York Times-Portland Press Herald survey released in September found Collins with a narrow lead, but highlighted her issues with Trump: Only 32 percent of Maine voters approve of the job the president is doing.

Anti-Collins voters regularly remark that the senator expresses concern with Trump's actions without meaningful attempts to stop them. Several voters across the state told The Post that even though they respect and like Collins, they plan to vote against her.

"It's not even anti-Susan Collins; it's anti-Trump," Bob Cravens, 72, said between sips of a Manhattan at a popular bar in Ellsworth, Maine. "I like Susan Collins. I like what she's done in the past. I voted for her. I think she's competent. But God could be running as a Republican and I would vote against him or her because I think this country will be destroyed if Trump has another two years unfettered."

Polls show the most critical voters in Maine will be those who disapprove of Trump but are open to backing Collins, a sizable group.

Collins has ridden this trend to victory before. She defeated Democrat Sara Gideon by nine percentage points in 2020, even as Trump lost the state by the same margin. In Hancock County, a coastal region home to Ellsworth, Collins defeated Gideon by six percentage points, while Trump lost the county by 12 percentage points.

Doug Smith, a 76-year-old retired paper mill worker and Hancock County native, was one of those voters who backed Collins but rejected Trump in 2020. He said he won't do it again.

“She's done a lot for the state, but we need people in there that will bring Trump under control,” Smith said in the shadow of the paper mill he worked at, which closed in 2014. Trump has “shown himself to be who he is” during his second term in office, he said, and Collins hasn't met the moment.

“I don’t even particularly like Troy Jackson,” Smith said, “but we need some Democrats in there that will give a little balance because the Republicans are giving him free rein.”

Jackson declined to be interviewed. But he has argued that he believes Collins thinks “we’re all stupid in this state and in this country.”

“You can’t say on one hand I’m the most powerful person, I’m the chair of appropriations, don’t replace me, we’ll never be this powerful again,’ but all of these things she could have done something significant to stop she wouldn’t,” Jackson said last month.

Collins's race in Maine may be one of the clearest tests of Trump's effect on a candidate.

Maine relies on business and tourism from bordering Canada, which the president endangered through his ongoing trade fight. The Trump administration chose to surge aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdown in Maine communities, bringing Collins's votes to fund ICE to the forefront of her reelection. And while Collins has run on her seniority as a top congressional appropriator, Trump has subverted congressional spending authority by clawing back billions in federal funding the Maine senator approved.

Collins, when asked about these issues unpopular with voters, often name-drops the conversations she has had with Trump officials, like when she called Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in July after an ICE agent fatally shot a 25-year-old Colombian national in Biddeford, Maine.

Republicans argue that if anyone can survive a midterm backlash to an unpopular president, it's Collins.

“While she may have different relationships with different presidents over the years, you can always count on Senator Collins being her own person," said Jason Savage, a longtime Republican operative in Maine who used to run the Maine Republican Party.

And that has helped Collins win over unlikely supporters.

Beth Clark, 54, is a self-described liberal. The former social worker has never voted for Trump, and described the president as “a neo-Nazi in disguise.” And yet, Clark plans to vote for Collins this year because of the senator’s help after a teenager killed her daughter. Clark, in an act of forgiveness, wanted the young man directed to a youth diversion program that Collins supported.

"If Collins stays in, we will have the backbone that we need and the experience we need to get America out of the hole that we are in," Clark said.

Collins's argument for reelection hinges on constituent work like this, and her ties to the state. Collins was born and raised in Aroostook County — the same far-north place Jackson is from, affectionately known in Maine as “the county.”

One ad for her reelection shows her sitting on potatoes, the area's most notable crop. In conversations with voters, she regularly recalls her work for local organizations and businesses.

"There are workhorses and show horses," Collins said at a memorial for fallen firefighters in Augusta on Saturday, “and I am a workhorse who gets things done.”

That argument has worked for Collins before. But even she acknowledged this election was different, calling it “more vicious, by far.” Collins’s house has been egged, and the doors to one of her local offices were spray-painted with an epithet tying her to Trump. Democratic-backed ads, based on a report from nonprofit newsroom Pro- Publica that have tied Collins to a closed FBI investigation into political corruption, have tried to undercut her image as someone solely out to help Mainers.

The FBI closed an early-stage inquiry into allegations that a defense contractor made concealed political contributions benefiting Collins in exchange for help securing federal contracts. The inquiry centers on the former head of the Hawaii-based defense contractor Navatek, who told investigators that he discussed a large political contribution with the head of a super PAC supporting Collins during her 2020 run.

Collins denies the allegations. She said that she believes Mainers know she has “served with integrity,” but admitted you “always worry when baseless lies are repeated over and over again.”

Collins has broken with the president during his second term, despite Democrats regularly citing that she has voted with him 95 percent of the time, according to CQ Roll Call's count. After initially supporting the Iran war, Collins has joined with Democrats to restrict the president's military power on Iran. She voted against Trump's nomination of Pete Hegseth as defense secretary and Todd Blanche as attorney general. And while she voted for a procedural vote to advance Trump's controversial tax and spending legislation in 2025, she eventually voted against it on final passage.

Those breaks have not gone unnoticed by Trump and his Republican base, but they highlight Collins's predicament: holding the president's base together while continuing to win over independents and Democrats. Collins did not attend an August event Vice President JD Vance held in Brewer, Maine, and told The Post that she doubted Trump would call her about holding a rally in Maine, something the president suggested was possible on Monday.

Keith Fischer, a 76-year-old retired fire service worker from Belgrade, Maine, has noticed how Collins has broken with Trump. He attended the firefighters' event wearing a shirt that memorialized conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

She's a “squishy Republican” that has “done so much for the state,” he said. He plans to vote for her, but worries that the state's shift to the left could end her career.

“She is in a tough spot,” Fischer said.

Christa Pike is conscious and speaking after failed execution, attorneys say

burned, and blistered."

J. MILES CARY/REUTERS

Christa Pike in court on Dec. 4, 2007. "Her recovery is medically unprecedented," Pike's attorneys said in a statement.

Her prognosis is unclear, they say, after surviving lethal injection last week

BY BRADY DENNIS,

KATIE METTLER

AND MARK Berman

Christa Pike, who survived a botched execution attempt last week in Tennessee, is now conscious and speaking, her attorneys said Tuesday afternoon.

Tennessee officials attempted to execute Pike, 50, by lethal injection on Sept. 30, but she survived and was rushed to a hospital for lifesaving medical care. The historic failure by state officials has raised questions about Tennessee's execution protocols and led to the resignation of the state's prison chief.

“Her recovery is medically unprecedented,” Pike’s attorneys said in a statement. “Her prognosis remains unclear but, at a minimum, we expect a long recovery.”

Pike is still receiving “critical medical care,” said her legal team, Randy Spivey, Kelly Gleason, Stephen Ferrell and Luke Ihnen.

They renewed their call for Gov. Bill Lee (R) to commute Pike's death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The governor denied the clemency request in the days before her scheduled execution.

A spokesperson for Lee did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.

A jury sentenced Pike to death decades ago for her role in killing 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in 1995. Pike and two other teens — her boyfriend and another girl — lured Slemmer into a wooded area in Knoxville, where they beat, tortured and killed her. The teenagers knew each other through the Knoxville Job Corps, and prosecutors argued that Pike believed

Slemmer was interested in her boyfriend.

Pike admitted to hitting the girl in the head with asphalt, cutting her throat and taking a piece of her skull as a souvenir, court documents said.

Slemmer's mother, May Martinez, traveled from Florida to witness the attempted execution last week and told NBC News afterward that she was furious with state officials. Martinez called the botched execution “a mess” and said prison officials failed to properly communicate with her about it.

It remains unclear what exactly went wrong in the Nashville execution chamber on the night Pike was scheduled to die.

A process that normally plays out in minutes dragged on for more than an hour, with witnesses saying Pike continued to move, breathe and snore even after officials intravenously administered two fatal doses of

pentobarbital.

Hours later, Lee halted executions in the state and ordered a third-party review into what happened. The incident revived questions about methods of execution nationwide.

The day after the attempted execution, Pike's attorneys said she was on a ventilator and unconscious. They also reported in a court filing that she had arrived at a Nashville-area hospital with both arms "swollen,

One of Pike's attorneys, Spivey, who was present for the attempted execution, said he saw Pike's arm turn purple after the second dose of pentobarbital was injected, and media witnesses said they heard Pike complain about arm pain.

Medical experts had warned before the lethal injection that Pike's small veins and a blood disorder could lead to a condition known as "IV infiltration," when fluids leak into surrounding tissue rather than the vein itself.

Despite that, state and federal judges and the U.S. Supreme Court denied requests for alternative execution methods.

Pike's attorneys said Tuesday that she was “still handcuffed and shackled to the bed” in the hospital, “despite the severe damage she endured to her arms” as a result of the failed execution.

In an email Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Correction declined to elaborate on Pike's condition.

Dorinda Carter, the spokeswoman, said Pike remained hospitalized and federal privacy laws prevented the agency “from sharing or confirming her medical information.”

Pike's attorneys have asked a judge in Davidson County Chancery Court to order state officials to preserve all documents related to the woman's planned execution. A hearing related to the request is scheduled for Wednesday morning.

With wife, Tammy Faye, he presided over the multimillion-dollar PTL empire

BAKKER FROM A1

Jim Bakker in March 1987. With Mr. Bakker's boyish charm and his wife's endless enthusiasm, "The PTL Club" became a mainstay of evangelical Christian broadcasting.

LOU KRASKY/AP

well into the 1980s.

"The PTL Club" was broadcast each day from a packed 1,600-seat studio. Mr. Bakker's 24-hour-a-day PTL television network reached 13 million households. Books by the Bakkers and gospel albums recorded by Tammy Faye were hawked on their shows, which also featured fundraising telethons.

The Bakkers also opened a 2,300-acre South Carolina theme park, Heritage USA, which drew 6 million visitors a year, making it the country's third-largest attraction of its kind, after only Disney World and Disneyland. Mr. Bakker raised at least \$150 million by selling "partnerships" in Heritage USA for \$1,000 apiece, promising partners an annual three-night stay at the park.

"If the Bible says we are to be fishers of men," Mr. Bakker reportedly said, "then a water park is just the bait. And I don't see anything wrong in using some pretty fancy bait."

Wealth and the outward trappings of worldly success were a major component of the Bakkers' appeal, as critics quipped that the true meaning of PTL was "Pass the Loot."

In the 1980s, the Bakkers' salaries and bonuses soared well past \$1 million a year. They had homes near Charlotte and in Florida, Tennessee and Palm Springs, California. Their bathroom fixtures were gold-plated, and even the doghouses — and their son's tree house — were air-conditioned. Tammy Faye Bakker sold a line of makeup and owned as many as a dozen mink coats. She often talked about her shopping sprees on "The PTL Club" and in interviews.

“God wants his people to go first class,” Mr. Bakker said. “We preach prosperity. We preach abundant life. Christ wished above all things that we prosper.”

The Bakkers were chauffeured by a fleet of three Cadillac limousines and had several top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benzes, a Corvette and at least one vintage Rolls-Royce.

By 1987, when everything came crashing down, the Bakkers' TV network, theme park and related businesses were taking in at least \$129 million a year. The enterprise was valued at an estimated \$172 million.

The Bakkers were at the peak of their popularity in March 1987, when the Charlotte Observer — in a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation into PTL ministry finances — revealed that Mr. Bakker had a brief sexual encounter in 1980 with Jessica Hahn, a 21-year-old church secretary from New York. The newspaper showed that PTL officials had authorized \$265,000 in payments to Hahn to keep the dalliance secret.

Mr. Bakker stepped down from his show and related PTL interests “for the good of my family, the church and of all of our related ministries.” He claimed he had been “wickedly manipulated by treacherous former friends and then colleagues,” as his downfall — and Tammy Faye’s tears — became a never-ending source of jokes for late-night comedians.

Amid charges of hypocrisy and extravagant spending, feuding erupted in the world of televangelism. At Mr. Bakker's direction, Jerry Falwell took control of "The PTL Club" before walking away six months later.

Falwell, the founder of Moral Majority and a powerful spiritual and political force among conservative Christians, declared Mr. Bakker's stewardship of PTL “the greatest scab and cancer on the face of Christianity in 2,000 years.”

Mr. Bakker accused Jimmy Swaggart, a fellow Assemblies of God preacher and a rival on the airwaves, of leaking the story about Hahn. Other evangelists spread stories that Mr. Bakker had visited female prostitutes and engaged in homosexual behavior, both of which would have been considered grave sins in conservative Christian circles. The Assemblies of God revoked Mr. Bakker's ordination.

In 1988, a year after his fall from grace, Mr. Bakker was indicted by a federal grand jury on 24 counts of mail fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the public. The 158,000 “partnerships” sold at \$1,000 each could not possibly be redeemed at Heritage USA, prosecutors charged, because the facility did not have enough hotel rooms. When PTL was reorganized under Chapter 11 bankruptcy provisions, its debts were reportedly as high as \$70 million.

Mr. Bakker broke down in tears during his 1989 trial and was found guilty on all 24 counts. In sentencing Mr. Bakker, the judge called him and Tammy Faye — who was not charged — "moneygrubbing preachers." Mr. Bakker was fined \$500,000 and given an initial sentence of 45 years in federal prison. It was reduced to eight years on appeal, which was handled by Harvard legal scholar Alan M. Dershowitz. Mr. Bakker was released in 1994, after serving five years.

While Mr. Bakker was in prison, Tammy Faye divorced him and married Roe Messner, a building contractor who had been involved with the construction of Heritage USA.

---

'Hold steady'

James Orsen Bakker was born Jan. 2, 1940, in Muskegon, Michigan. His grandfather had been a Pentecostal street preacher, and his father was a machinist. His mother was a homemaker.

Mr. Bakker had a lonely, sometimes difficult childhood.

He was forbidden to watch television, but his father bought him an expensive tape recorder, which Mr. Bakker used to practice speeches. He was a disc jockey at high school dances.

At 18, he accidentally ran over a 3-year-old boy in a church parking lot while driving his father's car. The child recovered, but Mr. Bakker was so stricken by the incident — and by the forgiveness shown by the boy's parents — that he decided to become a minister.

At what is now North Central University, an Assemblies of God college in Minneapolis, Mr. Bakker met the ebullient Tammy Faye LaValley. When they married in 1961, they both had to leave the school because married undergraduates were not permitted.

Mr. Bakker nevertheless became an ordained minister, and he and Tammy Faye preached in tent revivals. They developed puppet shows to amuse children, and in 1965 they moved to Portsmouth, Virginia.

The Bakkers came to the attention of Robertson, who gave them a puppet show on CBN. In 1966, Mr. Bakker joined Robertson as a host of “The 700 Club,” the network’s flagship program. During an annual fundraising campaign, the network was about \$40,000 short of its goal when Mr. Bakker jumped up and pleaded with viewers to call in with pledges.

“His voice broke and he began to cry,” Robertson wrote in his book “Shout It From the Housetops.” “The … camera focused on Jim’s face as the tears rolled down and splattered on the concrete floor.”

A network official grabbed Robertson's arm, saying it was time to take the distraught Mr. Bakker off the air.

“‘No,’ I whispered,” Robertson wrote. “‘Hold steady. God is about to do something great.’”

The phone lines began to light up, and in the end, the station received more than \$100,000 in donations.

Mr. Bakker's raw emotionalism remained a key ingredient in his and his wife's appeal through the years.

After his release from prison, Mr. Bakker married Lori Graham in 1998 and settled in Branson, Missouri, a popular tourist and entertainment destination.

Tammy Faye died in 2007. She and Mr. Bakker had a daughter, Tammy Sue, and a son, Jamie, who changed his first name to Jay and became a tattooed, body-pierced preacher in Minneapolis who espoused somewhat liberal social views. Mr. Bakker later adopted five children with his second wife: Maricella, Lori, Clarissa, Marie and Ricky.

Complete information on survivors was not immediately available.

Mr. Bakker returned to preaching with his second wife and broadcast a religious-themed television show from Branson. He pitched a number of products on his program, including colloidal silver — particles of silver suspended in liquid — which he reportedly touted during the covid-19 pandemic as a potential cure for the coronavirus infection. The Missouri attorney general filed a lawsuit against him for misrepresenting the effectiveness of the products.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the New York attorney general's office sent cease-and-desist letters to Mr. Bakker, who took a sabbatical from his broadcast after a stroke. In 2021, Mr. Bakker was required to repay \$156,000 to people who had bought his unproven covid cure.

"We continue to fight the good fight of faith and take a stand against the evil forces and hatred that has come against our ministry," his wife said in a statement at the time. "In Jim's words, this has been the most vicious attack that he has ever experienced."

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Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker during the height of their multimillion-dollar evangelism empire.

LOU KRASKY/AP

THE WORLD

Putin's Europe plan: Hybrid attacks, nuclear bluster

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, right, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, announced \$1.5 billion in new aid.

TETIANA DZHAFAROVA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

He hopes to stymie support for Ukraine as Russia's economy slumps

BY CATHERINE BELTON

As Ukraine's European backers deal with myriad challenges at home — violent student protests in France, political upheaval in Germany and a mounting fuel crisis across the continent

— Russian President Vladimir Putin is counting on a collapse of European support for Kyiv in the coming months, Russian and European officials and analysts say.

The Russian economy is struggling under the weight of international sanctions, and the Kremlin is laboring to cover a yawning budget deficit. But after Putin's party secured a scripted win in parliamentary elections last month and Russian forces pounded Ukrainian schools, power plants and bridges with ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones, he has expressed no interest in dropping his maximalist demands in exchange for peace.

Instead, officials and analysts say, he appears to be proceeding on the belief that he has the advantage in a war of attrition against not only Ukraine but also Europe — which, as the Trump administration stops seeking new congressional funding for Kyiv, the Kremlin increasingly views as its main obstacle to victory.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday made an unexpected visit to Kyiv, where he announced \$1.5 billion in new aid to Ukraine. But his own political future is uncertain after stunning gains in regional elections by the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which opposes aid for Ukraine.

Putin, meanwhile, is working to advance Russia's position on several fronts, Russian and European officials and analysts say.

By targeting civilian infrastructure in Kyiv, they say, he's aiming to make the capital unlivable by winter, destabilizing the country. He's hoping that by spring, Europe will no longer have the appetite — or the ability — to support Ukraine

\- to support Ukraine.

“Putin has the view that by summer the situation in Europe will change and support for Ukraine will fall away,” said Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once Russia’s richest man, now a leading opposition figure in exile in London. “This gives the Kremlin the motivation to continue its brazen attacks.”

Moscow has been escalating what European leaders have called a “hybrid war” against Europe to further undermine support for Kyiv, including, they say, online disinformation, cyberattacks and sabotage, an attempted drone attack on Germany’s Leipzig airport in August and, last week, another threat to use nuclear weapons.

“We will take the path of escalation” to deter Europe, one Russian official told The Washington Post, “as well as strikes on Ukraine to take full advantage of the lack of missile defense.” Efforts to restart peace talks were going “nowhere,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Putin had indicated he would be ready to return to talks once the Duma elections were over. But he claimed last week that Ukrainian drone attacks over the election period Sept. 19 and 20 had derailed any possibility of a restart.

"The Russian leadership is concerned that the level of involvement of Europe in the conflict is constantly growing," said a Russian academic close to senior diplomats, speaking on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive discussions. "And of course Moscow would like to stop the process somehow."

The head of foreign intelligence in Germany, Ukraine's largest backer, warned the Bundestag, the German legislature, on Monday that Moscow was stepping up an aggressive “shadow war” against the country to undermine its support for Kyiv. “Russia is putting us to the test and closely watching how we handle this situation,” Federal Intelligence Service chief Martin Jaeger told lawmakers. “From the perspective of the Kremlin leadership, any sign of wavering invites them to further increase the pressure on Germany. ... We have to stand up to that."

Merz last week said Moscow's actions were a “sign of Russia's desperation in the face of its unsuccessful war in Ukraine.” And some analysts in Moscow say stepping up attacks on Europe and nuclear bluster is the Kremlin's only remaining option as Russian finances come under increasing strain. “The money is running out,” said Andrei Kolesnikov, an independent political analyst based in Moscow.

An E.U. flag in front of the main government building in Kyiv after it was damaged in an airstrike.

GENYA SAVILOV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

A draft federal budget for next year includes huge new tax hikes to fund an increase in spending on the Russian military to a record \$202 billion. New taxes this year have already brought economic growth to a halt.

A treasury auction was canceled last week after Russian banks, concerned the new spending is unsustainable, balked at buying state debt, undermining a key avenue for the government to cover its funding gap.

Still, the Russian official said, the economic “machine” is “holding.” As political forces with more pro-Moscow views rise in Europe, “strategic waiting and patience are also tactics, of course.”

Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's right-wing National Rally, is leading in polls ahead of the country's presidential election next year. Le Pen told the newspaper Le Figaro last month that deteriorating state finances meant France would no longer be able to provide as much support to Ukraine.

The French government, trying to contain spiraling borrowing costs, has proposed a budget for next year that foresees \$48 billion in cuts and tax increases. The government is facing a backlash as students across France protest underinvestment in schools and crumbling infrastructure. Twenty-four schools have been “burned or ransacked,” according to the education minister; up to 500 schools remained closed on Monday.

After Merz appeared in Kyiv on Sunday, Alternative for Germany co-leader Alice Weidel criticized the chancellor for “promising further billions in German taxpayer money that is missing from the pension and health insurance funds, while Germany is mired in its worst energy crisis."

“It’s all too much to fathom anymore,” she wrote. Weidel has said Germany should turn supplies of Russian gas back on.

Putin has revealed in Europe's financial and political challenges. He told the annual Valdai gathering of international foreign policy analysts last week that European leaders' complaints of escalating hybrid attacks were aimed at distracting attention from their own domestic woes. "Look at what's happening with the economy," he said. "Look at what's happening to social policy, with the living standards of citizens of the biggest European states. In these conditions they have to ... switch the attention of their citizens from internal problems to problems of an external nature."

Asked by a journalist whether Russia would try to dismantle the European Union, he said no effort was needed: "They will fall apart by themselves."

Putin is counting on “crises mounting,” said Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Eurasia Russia Center. “And that the current leaders who are seen as anti-Russian and inadequate just won’t be able to cope.”

Russia claimed last week it had information that NATO was preparing an “air and naval blockade” of Kaliningrad. The foreign ministry warned the Western alliance that the country was ready to respond to any attempt to isolate its Baltic exclave with “all its arsenal, including nuclear weapons.”

NATO, in response, accused Moscow of “irresponsible nuclear rhetoric.”

Russia made the threat after a British documentary series depicted a fictional war game exercise. But officials said they were also responding to recent NATO military exercises in the region and an operation in the Baltic Sea to protect underwater infrastructure.

Denmark's defense intelligence service warned last month of “a low but growing risk that Russia will launch a limited military attack against one or several NATO countries” on its border “in the coming months.” Given Russian hybrid attacks, Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken last week predicted “a dark winter ahead.”

French President Emmanuel Macron called an unusual meeting last month with the leaders of all the country's political parties and security chiefs to discuss the “intensifying” threat.

The Kremlin, Stanovaya said, is operating on “the understanding that there are different forces in Europe, and that there are those who don’t want the situation to escalate to nuclear confrontation.”

Moscow's policy on Europe has become “schizophrenic,” she said. “Putin is signaling that there is an official and unofficial line that we don't want to go to war with Europe” while warning that “we have nuclear weapons if you will continue arming Ukraine and build around us all kinds of military infrastructure and threaten Kaliningrad and so on.”

But all Putin really wants, she said, is for Europe to become “more pragmatic” and follow the path taken by President Donald Trump.

KENYA

---

Ebola case linked to Congo outbreak

Kenya has confirmed its first case of Ebola from the outbreak that started in the Democratic Republic of Congo in May.

A Kenyan citizen who had been living in Congo entered Nairobi on Saturday and died Monday night at a Nairobi hospital, Kenyan Health Minister Aden Duale told reporters Tuesday. The patient fell ill about a month ago and had been treated in several hospitals in Congo before traveling by road to Kampala, Uganda, and then flying to Kenya, Duale said.

Kenya's Health Ministry said 28 contacts, including the victim's family and health workers exposed to him, were being traced, as were 23 passengers and four crew members on the flight.

It is not clear how he managed to travel from Congo to Uganda to Kenya while un-

well. The three countries have ramped up Ebola surveillance across their borders since May.

Kenya is the fourth country to confirm a case in the outbreak that has infected more than 8,000 people in Congo and killed more than 4,000. Uganda reported 20 cases but was declared Ebola-free in August, and there had been no active cases outside Congo since then. France had reported a case in June: a doctor who had traveled to Congo on a humanitarian mission.

— Rael Ombuor

---

UNITED KINGDOM Another arrest over potential attack

British police arrested a seventh suspect Tuesday in connection with a widening investigation into a suspected plot backed by Iran to attack an air base that hosts U.S. bombers.

The 22-year-old British national was taken into custody in London on suspicion of planning an act of terrorism, Counter Terrorism Policing said in a statement.

Over the weekend, Pentagon commanders abruptly evacuated a fleet of about a dozen long-range B-1 bombers from the Royal Air Force Fairfield base, roughly 75 miles northwest of London, after multiple streams of intelligence warned of a possible attack, according to two people familiar with the decision and a British official, who all spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last week “there are strong indications” that Iran was involved in the suspected plot. Tehran has denied involvement.

In late September, police detained five men in white vans outside RAF Fairfield, raising concerns about the security of the U.S. bombers. Gasoline, but not explosives, was found in the vans, Counter Terrorism Polic-

---

DIGEST

ing said. U.S. and British officials suggested that Iran might have paid the suspects, but the details are unclear. A sixth suspect was later detained.

President Donald Trump told reporters Monday that the aircraft removed from the air base “didn’t fly out by accident.” He also said the U.S. knows who made the threat.

— Sammy Westfall

CANADA

---

Carney on Quebec separatists' victory

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that Quebec should focus on immediate economic challenges rather than wait for a possible independence referendum years from now, a day after the separatist Parti Québécois returned to power.

Carney said he would respond to the prospect of another referendum by working with Quebec through “cooperative federalism" while focusing on affordable housing, economic growth, infrastructure and support for workers affected by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.

"This is a crucial time for our country. It is a crucial time for Quebec," Carney said. "This is not a time to wait for something a few years down the road. It's the time to act. It's a time for boldness."

Carney said he spoke Tuesday morning with Quebec Premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, congratulated him, and discussed infrastructure funding and support for workers in the province affected by the U.S. trade war.

St-Pierre Plamondon has pledged to hold another referendum on Quebec independence but has said he would wait until Trump is no longer in office. He reaffirmed his separatist ambitions in his victory speech, saying he continues to envision Quebec becoming a country.

The Parti Québécois, or PQ, won 59 seats Monday, five short of the 64 needed for a majority in Quebec's 127-member National Assembly. The minority government will need opposition support to pass key legislation and survive confidence votes. The Coalition Avenir Québec was swept out of power after eight years, failing to win a single seat.

— Associated Press

Spain's government on Tuesday approved two housing decrees whose rejection by parliament last week prompted Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to call a snap election. The measures — which include rent caps, a temporary ban on evictions and limits on corporate purchases of residential property — were “based on plain common sense,” Sanchez said at a news conference, arguing that opinion surveys showed the public was broadly in favor of intervention in the property market.

— From news services

YVES HERMAN/REUTERS

Thousands have been detained, and classes are canceled for the rest of week

FRANCE FROM A1

STEPHANE MAHE/REUTERS transport workers and farmers disgruntled by cuts to public spending and some of Macron's policies.

High school and university students in Nantes, France, participate in a nationwide day of protests and blockades.

French riot police clash with demonstrators in Paris on Tuesday.

“Today’s high school and university students are tomorrow’s workers. They should not have to pay the price for austerity policies,” one of France’s main labor unions, the CGT, said in a statement.

Though much of the student action has been relatively nonviolent, it has also descended into clashes as some protesters set dumpsters and barricades on fire or launched fireworks, while riot police unleash tear gas.

Rights groups say police are also deploying heavy-handed force with rubber bullets and batons.

More than 5,000 people have been detained in total, mostly minors, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. Nearly 300 students and school personnel have been injured, as well as hundreds of police officers, authorities said.

A teenage boy had his hand blown off in the northern town of Lens on Monday after touching a stun grenade, local media reported. Officials said they were still investigating the details.

Nuñez has described the scale of student uproar as “surprising,” blaming social media and hard-left “proxies” for facilitating its spread.

It has also drawn comparisons to the Yellow Vests protests that roiled the country when tens of thousands of people, many wearing fluorescent safety vests, joined weekly rallies between 2018 and 2020.

Those started with grievances over a fuel tax, but ballooned into an uprising over social and economic inequality — and intermittently plunged into stand-offs with police.

On Tuesday, student groups estimated that about 450,000 people took part in the latest demonstrations, while the Interior Ministry put the number around 250,000. Some people held placards indicating they were parents or school staff showing support.

Education Minister Édouard Geffray said over the weekend that at least 24 schools were hit by acts of vandalism or arson.

Geffray met with students this week to convey that the government is listening to their concerns, and has called on them to allow classes to resume. Speaking Tuesday on French television, he promised the government has “already started implementing a plan of action.”

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said he has asked ministers to fill more teaching jobs and address dilapidated buildings.

Lecornu said Tuesday's largely peaceful marches were “met with respect” and that high school classes would be suspended for the rest of the week for consultations with students.

The turmoil is building in France ahead of a spring 2027 election that has come to symbolize the battle between Europe's mainstream political center and the rising nationalist forces on the right.

Marine Le Pen, matriarch of France's far-right National Rally, has been leading in the polls.

“Unrest on the streets and unease in the financial markets” are consuming the presidential race and shaking efforts to reassure investors, said Mujtaba Rahman, managing director for Europe at the Eurasia Group consultancy.

"The government also fears that student anger about the state of public schools will combine with wider public fury about the high cost of fuel and create an insurrectionary atmosphere," he wrote in an analysis note.

A sell-off in French government bonds last week stoked the anxiety. France's 10-year borrowing rate climbed near 5 percent, its highest level since 2002.

The cabinet is trying to pass a new state budget for 2027 that curbs spending on some elements of the social benefits system. It is the latest effort in France, the eurozone's second-largest economy, to plug a gaping budget deficit as sovereign borrowing costs surge.

The plan includes changes to pension rules, freezing public sector wages and limiting health care costs. It is now up for debate in a fragmented Parliament.

Even with attempts to tighten the purse strings, education remains among the costliest categories, alongside rising military spending. Debt interest costs also take up a mammoth share.

As she seeks to build credibility in her presidential campaign, Le Pen presented her own fiscal plans on Tuesday, including slashing France's contribution to the European Union's common budget.

Politicians and campaigners across the spectrum have seized on the French student protests to their own ends.

Le Pen has joined French government officials in accusing the far-left party La France Insoumise of hijacking student sentiment and stoking violence.

Its divisive leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, also a candidate in the 2027 presidential election, rejects the accusation. He has supported the protests as he seeks to gain ground in the race, and some party leaders attended the marches Tuesday.

In the United States and Britain, meanwhile, anti-immigrant influencers including conspiracy theorist Alex Jones jumped on the French protests to spread claims, including based on unrelated images of disorder, that they were a manifestation of an immigrant takeover or racial strife.

President Donald Trump chimed in Tuesday, characterizing the French unrest as a result of “out of control mass migration” in a post on Truth Social, though migration and religion have not factored into the demands of protesters or the government’s messaging in response.

"This is about Islam wanting to take over a once great Country!" Trump wrote.

Trump administration officials have promoted depictions of unfettered migration as Europe's main threat, irking some European leaders even as they have adopted restrictive controls.

U.S. sends formal demand to Russia for transparency on reported plague

This undated photo released in 2019 by the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and Far East shows the institute's workers in a lab.

IRKUTSK ANTI-PLAGUE RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF SIBERIA AND FAR EAST

State Department pushes Moscow about potential leak in Siberia

---

BY ADAM TAYLOR AND JOHN HUDSON

The Trump administration is preparing to send a formal diplomatic message to Russia requesting more information about the reported death linked to a facility in Siberia that studies pneumonic plague and a number of subsequent quarantines, according to U.S. officials.

The planned request comes amid growing U.S. frustration about the lack of detailed information from Russia after its public health agency reported that a laboratory worker employed at an institute dedicated to studying plague in the Irkutsk region had died after being diagnosed with pneumonia of “unknown” origin.

A formal message from the United States — known as a démarche in diplomatic lingo — would seek to remind Russia that it has obligations under international law to share information about disease outbreaks with other governments in a timely manner, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive dip-

lomatic matters.

Russian authorities have imposed quarantines on several hospitals in the area, but health officials have downplayed the severity of the situation. There remains no confirmation that the deceased lab worker had contracted pneumonic plague, an airborne variant of the bubonic plague.

The planning for a formal U.S. request came as Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it was "incumbent upon Russia to obviously share more information with the world." Rubio said at a news conference in Iceland on Monday that it's "what they should do, and that's what we hope they will do."

Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, told reporters Tuesday that Rospotrebnadzor, Russia's health watchdog, was "providing all necessary information" regarding the case.

The concern over the reported death coincides with broader tensions between Washington and Moscow, most significantly over Russian President Vladimir Putin's continued war in Ukraine despite repeated attempts to broker peace by President Donald Trump and his envoys. The Wall Street Journal first reported that the U.S. was planning a démarche to Russia.

Speaking to reporters on Mon-

day, Trump said he was con-

cerned about the reports and noted that “the germs have really become relatively stronger than they were and things that used to work on pneumonia don’t work as well anymore.” The president also said that the U.S. was ready to help Russia with the situation.

A State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to brief the media, said that health experts at the agency had been in touch with the Russian Foreign Ministry as early as Friday.

Russia is obligated to share information about potential outbreaks with the World Health Organization within 24 hours under a 2005 global health agreement known as the International Health Regulations, but it has not done so yet, an official with that body said Tuesday.

"WHO hasn't yet received a formal notification about this through the IHR channels," WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told reporters in Geneva, adding that Russia may still be making an "assessment" on whether the outbreak falls under the "notifiable categories."

The WHO is ready to support Russia if it asks, but it has not yet received Moscow's request, Lindmeier said. The WHO also assessed that the risk was "low" for Russia after the reported death and "very low" for the broader European region.

The U.S. formally withdrew from the WHO in January after Trump accused the global health body of “mishandling” the coronavirus pandemic, including early efforts to track its origin in Wuhan, China. Washington has long been the WHO’s largest donor, and its departure has left the organization with a significant cash crunch.

Local officials have suggested they do not need help containing the outbreak, with Elena Sofina, a deputy mayor in the Shelekhov district in Irkutsk, stating Tuesday that 60 percent of patients had already been released from quarantine. “The situation is fully under control,” Sofina said.

Israeli settlers beat AFP photographer covering violence in West Bank

BY SAMMY WESTFALL AND HEIDI LEVINE

Jaafar Ashtiyeh is carried by Palestinian first responders to seek medical assistance on Tuesday.

PHOTOS BY JOHN WESSELS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Israeli settlers attacked and fired in the direction of two Agence France-Presse journalists Tuesday as they were reporting on settler violence against Palestinian olive farmers in the West Bank, the French news agency said.

AFP photographers Jaafar Ashtiyeh and John Wessels were in the northern village of Aqra-ba to follow up on an incident the previous night in which several cars were burned, allegedly by settlers, AFP told The Washington Post.

The journalists were taking pictures of an Israeli soldier detaining a man when a driver on a quad bike raced toward them and opened fire, AFP reported. At least six other people also opened fire.

A Palestinian man was shot in the foot, AFP reported, citing the Palestinian Red Crescent.

The men were attacked within 500 meters of a group of Israeli soldiers, Wessel told the agency. The assailants took Ashtiyeh's camera equipment.

Ashtiyeh, a Palestinian man whom the AFP described as a veteran journalist in the West Bank, tried to escape into a car clearly marked “Press,” the agency reported, but two men jumped on him and “beat him repeatedly with the butts of their rifles.”

“I could hear his screams,” Wessel told AFP. Wessel, too, was threatened at gunpoint, the agency reported.

Ashtiyeh, 58, was conscious Tuesday evening in a hospital at Nablus, the agency reported. He was being kept overnight for observation. He suffered severe bruising but no broken bones, AFP told The Post.

Phil Chetwynd, AFP's global news director, called for a “full investigation.”

“It is unacceptable that journalists can be beaten and robbed by armed settlers in front of Israeli security forces who made no attempt to intervene,” he said in a statement.

The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Foreign Press Association in Jerusalem called the attack a “blatant attempt to intimidate the press and obstruct accurate reporting from the West Bank.”

“International media have a responsibility to tell all sides of the story and will not be deterred by physical assaults or threats,” the association said.

Settler violence in the West Bank has risen sharply in recent months. The Israeli government has shown little interest in reining it in.

The United Nations documented more than 1,600 attacks by settlers causing injury or property damage during the first eight months of the year, an average of more than six a day. At least 76 Palestinians in the West Bank have been shot to death by Israeli soldiers or settlers since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in February, the United Nations' humanitarian office reports.

Photos taken by Wessels show Ashtiyeh being carried into an ambulance on a stretcher. Other photos show Palestinian men around and on top of a tractor looking on after another man was shot and Palestinians running from gunfire.

Ashtiyeh was injured as he covered the West Bank olive harvest last year, too, AFP reported. In that incident, the agency reported, around 70 Israeli settlers attacked olive pickers and journalists with sticks and stones. Israeli soldiers present did not stop the attackers, Ashtiyeh told the agency at the time.

It was the first time in his 30-year career, he said, that he had “faced violence of this kind.”

---

"It is unacceptable that journalists can be beaten and robbed by armed settlers in front of Israeli security forces who made no attempt to intervene."

Palestinian men run away from Israeli forces that opened fire in Aqraba, West Bank, on Tuesday.

Germany arrests former intelligence chief in espionage case

August Hanning, who led Germany's foreign intelligence agency from 1998 to 2005, is accused of selling state secrets to at least one foreign government, in what could be the worst security breach to roll the agency since the end of the Cold War.

MICHAEL KAPPELER/AP

BY CATHERINE BELTON

AND GREG MILLER

The former head of Germany's foreign intelligence service has been arrested on suspicion of “treasonous espionage,” including seeking to hand state secrets to foreign governments, in what could be the worst security breach to roil the agency since the end of the Cold War.

August Hanning is accused of illegally acquiring nearly 2,000 documents from the top of the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), Germany's foreign intelligence service, via his former chief of staff at the agency, who continued to serve there. He sought to sell the information from the documents to at least one foreign state power, German prosecutors said in a statement Tuesday.

The documents included briefings prepared for the head of the foreign intelligence service for weekly security meetings at the German chancellor's office detailing major issues. "These are the crown jewels that the BND was producing," said one former senior BND official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. "It sounds really bad."

The revelations — at a time when the BND has been seeking to acquire new powers from parliament to carry out active operations to try to thwart hybrid attacks, and when it has been seeking to boost cooperation with European partners — risked undermining the agency's standing, the former official said.

Two senior German officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential information, said there was no indication that the foreign intelligence service Hanning sold classified information to was Russia. Hanning did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

Hanning, 80, was arrested at his home in the German city of Steinfurt on Tuesday morning. His former chief of staff, whom prosecutors identified only as Manfred D. in line with German privacy laws, was also arrested, and properties belonging to both men were searched.

Current BND chief Martin Jäger said the agency had launched extensive internal investigations. "There can be no compromises on internal securi-

ty," he said.

Hanning served as BND chief from 1998 to 2005, during Gerhard Schröder's term as German chancellor, and then as state secretary in the Interior Ministry until 2009 in Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet. He went on to set up his own commercial consultancy company, where, according to the German magazine Der Spiegel, he built up a roster of controversial clients, including Russian businessmen and bankers.

In his capacity as a private consultant, Hanning arranged for his former chief of staff Manfred D., who continued to work in the same position for other

BND chiefs, to supply him with a steady stream of classified information in exchange for payment over a 12-year period until 2022, German prosecutors said.

Hanning had fallen on hard times after losing most of his pension following the 2019 collapse of a Latvian bank, where he served on the board, Der Spiegel reported in 2023.

German law enforcement stumbled across the alleged scheme by accident during an investigation into a separate high-profile case involving allegations a German heiress, Christina Block, had sought to abduct her children from her former husband. Hanning had served as a consultant to Block, and German prosecutors searched Hanning's residence in September 2025 in connection with that case, prosecutors said, discovering a trove of classified documents from his former workplace.

Jessica Berlin, a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis who is based in Germany, said the fact that the breach was uncovered by accident showed it was not an isolated case. "It's systemic and ongoing for decades," she wrote in a post on X. "... Anyone who thinks we've found the last breach is kidding themselves."

It's far from the first time the BND has been rocked by a spying scandal. Most recently, a department head whom prosecutors named only as Carsten L. was arrested in 2022 on suspicion of spying for Russia. He is alleged to have handed over highly sensitive documents from the BND to the Kremlin. The BND's then-leader Bruno Kahl described his activities as a “catastrophe.”

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Paramount closes deal for Warner Bros. Discovery

Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison at the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors. His father, Larry Ellison, is a Republican donor whose close ties to the president have fueled public speculation that the deal received favorable antitrust treatment from the Justice Department.

JEENAH MOON/REUTERS

Companies' \$110 billion merger is official after months of wrangling

BY SCOTT NOVER

AND MIRIAM WALDVOGEL

After months of battling fellow bidders on Wall Street and state attorneys general in court, Paramount Skydance — the media conglomerate owned by tech scion David Ellison — has closed its \$110 billion merger deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, creating a new megacorporation in Hollywood, streaming and news.

The new company, called simply Skydance, will house the Paramount and Warner Bros. film and TV studios, Paramount+ and HBO Max streaming services, and news giants CNN and CBS News.

Ellison will be the company's chairman and CEO while Ynon Kreiz, formerly the top executive at Mattel, is co-CEO. The duo now helms one of the most powerful forces in American media.

CBS News will continue to be run by its editor in chief Bari Weiss — who has attracted controversy since being tapped to run the network last year. CNN CEO Mark Thompson said Monday that he is staying at the network as its chairman and editor in chief, a decision that has been seen as a sign of stability for the cable news giant.

The deal was challenged in federal court by a coalition of 12 Democratic state attorneys general led by California's Rob Bonta. The group settled out of court with Paramount Skydance last month having extracted concessions: Paramount agreed to spend at least \$300 million more per year on United States-based production and to make at least 30 movies in each of the next two years, followed by 32 movies in each of the three years after that. It also vowed to establish a board of journalists to ensure the editorial independence of CNN and CBS.

In a statement, Ellison said it was a “historic day, not just for Skydance but for our entire industry.” He added that his focus now is “building a company that empowers creatives, entertains audiences and rewards shareholders.”

Shares of the company began trading Tuesday on the New

York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol SKYD.

In a memo to staff obtained by The Washington Post, Ellison and Kreiz said that they chose the name Skydance for the corporate parent company but will maintain the Paramount and Warner Bros. studios, names and symbols — a mountain for Paramount, a shield for Warner Bros — that audiences have known for decades.

A bidding war

Paramount was never the intended buyer for Warner Bros. Discovery. The company chose to sell the bulk of its entities to Netflix in a deal that would have spun off cable channels including CNN. But Ellison was undeterred and waged a hostile campaign to court Warner Bros. shareholders by driving up the price of the deal. Netflix in February bowed out and Warner Bros. agreed to sell to Paramount.

To finance the acquisition,

Skydance took on a huge amount of debt — \$80 billion in total. The deal is being backed by a group that includes Ellison's father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, as well as the investment firm RedBird Capital Partners and sovereign wealth funds in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

To pay off that debt, the company said Tuesday that it plans to make \$6 billion in cuts within three years.

They face a considerable challenge recouping this investment in Hollywood and the media industry. For instance, Warner Bros.' recent Tom Cruise-led film, "Digger," bombed at the box office this weekend. The movie earned just \$8 million over the weekend and could be on track to lose \$150 million.

The credit agency Fitch Ratings on Tuesday downgraded bonds issued by Skydance citing “uncertainty about the company’s ability to achieve its stated synergies” and “materially higher leverage” following the merger.

Still, Skydance now controls a litany of valuable entertainment franchises including Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and Mission: Impossible that it could tap into to ease the financial strain.

David Ellison's father Larry Ellison is a Republican donor whose close ties to President Donald Trump have fueled public speculation that Paramount's deal to buy Warner Bros. received favorable antitrust treatment from the Justice Department, which approved it in June. Those ties have also intensified allegations that Weiss interfered with CBS News stories, including at "60 Minutes," to appease the Trump administration — allegations CBS has fervently denied.

The deal also puts David Ellison in charge of a news property that's angered Trump throughout his political career: CNN. Trump has repeatedly attacked and criticized the network's coverage of him and its individual journalists.

In September, Trump banned CNN, along with Politico and MS NOW, from the White House grounds, saying the outlets had spent years pushing false stories about him. The three news organizations sued in federal court and won a temporary reprieve from the ban — though Trump has still barred CNN from riding with him on Air Force One.

Markets set new records on earnings expectations

BY STAN CHOE

Associated Press

The U.S. stock market has never been higher, even though the list of challenges chipping away at it keeps growing.

The S&P 500 climbed 0.6 percent Tuesday to a record after topping its previous all-time high set in August. Despite worries about everything from war to high inflation to pressure from the bond market, the index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts has soared 23 percent since hitting a bottom in late March.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 253 points, or 0.5 percent, while the Nasdaq composite tacked 0.4 percent on to its own all-time high set the day before.

The record-high stock prices are helping investors feel better — or at least less bad — about their finances when Americans are generally feeling discouraged about keeping up with the fast-rising cost of living.

Many of the fears that sent the U.S. stock market to its bottom in March have indeed come true. Oil prices are high because of the war with Iran, which has made inflation worse. Yields have cranked higher in the bond market, which threatens to slow the economy by making it more expensive for everyone to borrow money. And Americans broadly say they're feeling more pessimistic about the economy and where it's heading.

But one vital source of support has remained resolute for the U.S. stock market throughout: companies' relentless ability to make money.

All kinds of companies are lining up to report how much profit they made from July through September, and expectations are high. Delta Air Lines will report its third-quarter results on Friday, with several of the country's biggest banks headlining the following week.

Analysts expect companies in the S&P 500 to deliver overall growth of nearly 30 percent in earnings per share from a year earlier, according to FactSet. If they're correct, it would be the third straight quarter of growth better than 25 percent.

That's crucial because corporate profits are one of the main levers that set prices for stocks, along with interest rates. At the moment, high bond yields are making investors less willing to pay high prices for investments that aren't bonds. But the simultaneous strength for corporate profits is allowing the market to stay high and "to win the tug-of-war against yields," according to strategists at Barclays.

To be sure, much hinges on companies actually meeting those expectations for fatter profits. If they fail to do so, stock prices could easily fall off their records. Some critics also point to a possible bubble in stocks in the artificial intelligence industry after how much they soared in the frenzy around the technol-

ogy.

RICHARD DREW/AP

An options trader at the New York Stock Exchange in June.

AI stocks have been a huge force driving the U.S. market to records, including Nvidia's 28.3 percent surge so far this year. That's roughly double the market's gain overall.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 44.98 points to 7,818.93. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 253.38 to 51,521.28, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 122.48 to 27,599.79.

Bond yields offered some slack on Tuesday after falling back from their highest levels in years or even decades. The yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 5.28 percent from 5.31 percent late Monday.

It fell after oil prices steadied themselves somewhat. The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, dropped to roughly \$97 in the morning before pulling back to settle at \$100.58. While that was up 0.3 percent from Monday's settlement price, it's still below the nearly \$110 it was at a few

weeks ago.

In stock markets abroad, indexes ticked higher in Europe as yields continue to swing amid concerns about high government debts and tight budgets. In France, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched in support of protests by students demanding more funding for schools.

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ENTERTAINMENT Emmys leave TV, move to streaming

Hollywood's annual celebration of all that is television is leaving traditional television next year to stream on Amazon Prime.

It's all part of a six-year partnership with Amazon that gives the streamer global telecast rights to the Emmy Awards ceremony, the Television Academy announced Tuesday. The Emmys will be in front of the streamer's paywall, meaning viewers can tune in without paying a fee, the academy said.

The move to streaming mirrors a broader trend, as streamers increasingly secure the rights to air live events that were once the domain of network and cable television. Platforms hope to attract new users, and the organizers of awards ceremonies hope to appeal to wider — younger, more global — audiences.

Amazon Prime airs the NFL's "Thursday Night Football" and the Academy of Country Music Awards. Netflix streams some major NFL games, comedy roasts and the Screen Actors Guild awards; six of the top 10 new member sign-up days were because of live events, Netflix leaders said in a recent earnings call. And starting in 2029, YouTube will have exclusive global rights to stream the Oscars.

— Elahe Izadi

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MEDIA ABC aims to avoid early license review

A lawyer for ABC on Tuesday asked a federal judge to prevent the Trump administration from conducting an unusual early review of its broadcast licenses, likening it to a looming execution by guillotine that was already chilling the network's editorial decisions just weeks before the U.S. midterm elections.

U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan did not immediately rule on ABC's request for a preliminary injunction prohibiting the Federal Communications Commission from conducting its early review, which ABC

said was unconstitutional, a violation of free speech and a retaliation for content President Donald Trump dislikes.

A government attorney argued that, as a procedural matter, the court doesn't have jurisdiction over ABC's case because it belongs in a different venue. The government also challenged the network's First Amendment arguments and said ABC had failed to show it suffered irreparable harm.

A ruling was not expected until at least mid-October. The judge asked the two sides to submit brief additional arguments by Oct. 9 (for the government) and Oct. 14 (for ABC).

ABC and its parent company, Disney, sued the FCC and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr in August, several months after the commission ordered eight ABC-owned stations to submit renewal applications for their broadcast licenses years ahead of schedule.

The case is one of several ongoing legal battles between the administration and news outlets over their coverage of and access to the executive branch since Trump returned to the

DIGEST

White House for a second term.

— Associated Press

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AUTOMOBILES NHTSA to address headlight concerns

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday that it will rewrite its vehicle lighting standards to address concerns about head-light glare and allow for the latest safety-improving lighting technologies.

NHTSÅ said it plans to improve rules for LEDs, dusk sensors, automatic high beams and replaceable light sources. The agency will also evaluate headlamps' height and aim, and how they impact driver visibility and address headlight glare, and make appropriate changes.

Complaints about glare from headlights have increased, and some lawmakers have urged the government to set a maximum headlight brightness standard. A growing number of taller trucks and SUVs on roads has also led to more complaints about glare.

LEDs, which now account for most headlights in new cars, are much brighter than traditional halogen headlights.

Headlight glare remains a factor in a small number of nighttime crashes, according to a study last year from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The study noted, however, that glare contributes to far fewer crashes than insufficient visibility.

— Reuters

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ENERGY Google inks deal to power data centers

Google has contracted for 3,590 megawatts of power from Constellation Energy, with new nuclear energy accounting for about a quarter of that supply, the companies said Tuesday.

Constellation will make more than \$4.3 billion worth of new investments in its fleet as part of the agreement, which involves adding capacity at several of the power company's nuclear reactors in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, the companies said.

Major tech companies are racing to secure massive amounts of electricity supplies to power data centers across the U.S. by striking unprecedented power deals and reviving the country's nuclear industry.

Over the past two years, Constellation has unveiled an agreement to restart its Three Mile Island reactor in Pennsylvania to serve Microsoft data centers, while Google contracted to restart NextEra Energy's nuclear power plant in Iowa.

In the latest arrangement, Google entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement for 890 megawatts of electricity from multiple Constellation-owned nuclear power plants, which would be upgraded to produce more electricity from existing reactors.

Maryland-based Constellation is the largest U.S. nuclear power plant operator and owns a fleet of natural gas-fired power plants, as well as geothermal energy, following its acquisition of electricity producer Calpine Corp earlier this year.

— Reuters

Mocking victims of romance scams only keeps more people from speaking out

ILLUSTRATION BY CHLOE MEISTER/THE WASHINGTON POST; ISTOCK

Imagine matching with a man on a dating app who claims to be a San Francisco 49ers wide receiver and a successful real estate developer from Switzerland.

Michelle Singletary

THE COLOR OF MONEY

He shows you account balances in the millions of dollars and promises to build a prosperous future with you.

You decide to check him out by Googling his name. The search results seem to confirm his story.

But then you find out it was a complete fabrication.

According to a federal criminal complaint unsealed in Oregon in August, 35-year-old Daejon Labrayae Love wasn't an athlete and was not a wealthy investor.

Federal authorities allege he was a serial fraudster who, alongside an 18-year-old co-conspirator posing as his financial adviser, cheated at least 26 women in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California out of about \$1.3 million. The FBI said in a release about the case that it believes there are many more victims, most of whom Love met through online dating apps. Their alleged schemes date back to at least February 2022.

Some of the women saved his video messages and communications. In one clip obtained by TMZ, he pulled out what he said was a key to a \$340,000 Lamborghini, holding up a ring of car keys he said were collectively worth about \$1 million.

According to prosecutors, all of the bragging — along with

displays of luxury watches, designer clothing, and claims of owning several multimillion-dollar homes — was intended to make his story believable and to convince the women that their money was safe with him because he was uber-rich.

Love currently does not have an attorney. According to a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office in Oregon, he remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service while awaiting transport from Idaho to Portland, Oregon, for his initial court appearance, where an attorney will be appointed.

Love is charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The 47-page complaint alleges elaborate investment schemes to defraud numerous women.

To gain their trust, the complaint says, women were shown screenshots of account balances that falsely indicated an increased value of their investments.

According to the complaint, one woman was scammed out of \$87,500, including \$30,000 paid to break a lease on a \$250,000 McLaren sports car. Love allegedly persuaded the woman to help him lease the vehicle.

Some of the women even loaned Love large sums of money, with the promise that their investment returns would more than cover the debt. When others didn't have enough cash to invest, they were coached on how to take out personal loans, according to the complaint.

I know what many of you are thinking right now: How could these women be so gullible?

Having covered cons for years, I'm not surprised that much of the commentary on this case has been critical of the women.

Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith weighed in on his YouTube channel. “This unbelievable,” he said. “I’m not laughing about it, because it ain’t funny to know that women got swindled.”

He added: "But I guess some of you are lonely, huh?"

While claiming to have “compassion,” Smith, in his typically animated fashion, pointed out, like a Monday-morning quarterback, that he would have noticed that Love’s workout videos weren't credible.

“Clearly, there are a lot of you women out there who don’t watch football,” he said. “Because, if you watch football, it ain’t hard to see that brother was no NFL player. If you watch the videos that he put out there with him working out, it’s real easy to see he ain’t an NFL player.”

Social media comment sections were even harsher.

On Instagram, one user reacted to a video of Love catching a football on the beach in a 49ers helmet: "The fact he took that helmet everywhere was the first [flag]. I laughed 10 minutes

straight when I saw the videos. Women, if you fell for that, please seek counseling."

On Reddit, another comment-er posted: “No offense to the women who are hurting, but I literally cannot fathom how this could happen to you in 2026.”

When someone opens a sentence with “no offense,” an insult invariably follows.

These knee-jerk comments mocking women who say they have been scammed are cruel and fail to recognize how insidious such schemes can be.

According to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, reported losses in 2025 to confidence and romance scams surged to more than \$929 million, up from \$672 million in 2024.

Romance scams succeed because predators systematically manipulate people's emotions. Consider the psychological and technical traps Love is accused of using.

He convinced the women that they could build a life together.

“Love convinced many of his victims that they were in sincere romantic relationships with him and that he was financially savvy and successful to gain their trust,” the complaint said.

The FBI said he created a fake digital footprint.

Investigators noted that searches for Love's name in early 2026 returned results and AI summaries that sometimes incorrectly identified him as a 49ers player.

Scammers use apps and AI to create fake documents that look incredibly authentic. In one video sent to a woman, Love allegedly showed a statement

indicating that he had an account balance of more than \$30 million, the FBI said.

I've reported on financial fraud for years, and if there is one universal truth, it's this: Even the most cautious, analytical people can be conned when trust and affection are weaponized against them.

Federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission, stress that official figures represent only a fraction of actual losses. Because of shame, fear of judgment and the emotional trauma caused by these cons, law enforcement estimates that many victims never report being cheated.

The relentless public ridicule of scam victims exacerbates the problem. Shaming keeps them silent.

On this point, Smith is correct. Romance scams are no laughing matter.

Here's advice I've given before that I hope you will share.

If you or a loved one has been scammed, call the AARP Fraud Watch Network helpline at 877-908-3360 or go online at aarp.org/fraudhelpline.

The AARP Fraud Victim Support Group provides an online forum for scam victims. Group sessions are confidential and led by trained facilitators. They are also open to friends and family; go to aarp.org/fraudsupport.

Coming forward can be difficult if you have been victimized, but it's important to notify law enforcement. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

ANNA MONEYMAKER/REUTERS

After speaking to Iowa gubernatorial hopeful Zach Lahn last month, Vice President JD Vance started making calls about “dyed diesel.”

Why Vance took on diesel pain ahead of midterms

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Iowa candidate's fuel suggestion piqued the vice president's interest

BY NATALIE ALLISON

AND KATHERINE DOYLE

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA — When Vice President JD Vance flew into this deep-red corner of a rural state, the soaring price of fuel was already increasing concern about Republican turnout in November.

The Republican Senate candidate, locked in a neck-and-neck race, didn't come to the rally. Two of Iowa's four Republican House members, both in their own worrying reelection fights, had just broken with the president to vote to stop the war with Iran. But Zach Lahn, the GOP nominee for governor who is trailing his Democratic opponent, was there to campaign with Vance's support — and to make a plea.

Backstage, according to three people with knowledge of the conversation, Vance asked Lahn what the administration could do to help farmers, whose discontent with high fuel prices and poor market conditions has weighed down Republican chances across the Midwest. Lahn had an answer ready: Provide some relief from diesel costs by allowing farmers driving up and down the roads during harvest to take advantage of tax-exempt diesel intended only for off-road use on farms and construction sites. The three people spoke on the condition of anonymity to report on private conversations.

It was a wonky policy request involving so-called “dyed diesel”—a little-known topic outside the agriculture and energy communities. Vance told Lahn it was an “interesting idea.”

Back in his armored SUV heading to the Omaha airport,

Vance asked his longtime adviser, Luke Thompson — now also working on Lahn's campaign — to see what was feasible. Vance started making his own calls, lingering on the phone for several minutes before exiting the vehicle to board Air Force Two.

Just over two weeks later, President Donald Trump on Monday night signed an executive order putting the policy into effect, doing so on stage at a rally in Nebraska, another rural state his party is trying to shore up ahead of November's midterm elections.

“Today, I’m announcing another unprecedented step to bring down costs,” Trump said, before signing the executive order, displaying his signature to the crowd of supporters.

“We're not going to need it long,” he added, saying, as he has for several months, that prices would soon “plummet” because the Iran war will end.

The scramble to change the tax treatment of diesel fuel was the latest instance of Vance trying to play his own part in mitigating anticipated GOP losses at a time the president's approval rating is at an all-time low. As he has traveled the country, the vice president has touted the administration's policies while repeatedly acknowledging that work still has to be done to address voters' economic pain.

Trump has largely dismissed concerns about the cost of living and fuel, insisting that the economy is booming — based on financial markets — and framing Americans' disapproval as merely a matter of poor “public relations” by the White House.

In Nebraska, where he campaigned for the state's incumbent Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, Trump repeated that the current run-up in fuel prices was a “very small price to pay” to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

The average price of diesel in the Midwest was \$6.53 per gallon last month, up \$2.80 from a year ago, according to federal statistics.

Trump also repeated his exhortation for his supporters to “pretend I’m on the ballot” and warned that “the fake news media is trying to demoralize Republican voters with rigged polls.”

But the fact that Trump visited such a heavily Republican state within a month of the midterms illustrates how much economic woes — including high diesel costs — have hurt his party.

Ricketts, a former two-term governor of the state, faces a competitive challenge from Dan Osborn, a labor organizer endorsed by Democrats who is running as an independent. Osborne's campaign has been boosted by the same economic concerns that have helped Democrats across the Midwest, although the Nebraska race does not appear as close as the contests in Iowa or neighboring Kansas.

Those cost concerns, especially as they apply to farmers, have had administration officials scrambling to find policies to bring prices down.

As part of that search, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who throughout the year has been on the receiving end of appeals from farmers seeking help, had been kicking around the concept of tax relief for dyed diesel, but the vice president's intervention expedited the process.

“Any time the vice president of the United States wants to get involved in the weeds of dyed diesel, that is much, much appreciated,” Rollins said.

Vance spoke with Cabinet members, and the vice president's staff scurried to get buy-in from Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and top White House officials.

Dyed diesel gets its name from coloration put in to allow enforcement agents to easily detect misuse of tax-exempt fuel by truckers on the nation's highways. Tax-exempt fuel is intended only for off-road use. Most revenue from fuel taxes goes into the federal government's Highway Trust Fund, which finances road construction and repair projects.

The administration can't waive taxes on diesel without congressional authorization. Instead, under Trump's order, federal officials will simply not enforce the tax requirement through the end of the year. States, which also collect diesel taxes, can still choose to enforce the tax rules.

The administration hopes the move will lower costs for farmers driving on highways to transport their crops to mills and production facilities during the current harvest season.

Because federal enforcement will be paused for everyone, truck drivers and others traveling on highways who have access to dyed diesel, which is limited in availability at truck stops, would also be able to use the tax-free fuel.

In recent weeks, 10 states — nine led by Republican governors, plus North Carolina — have liberalized use of dyed diesel, according to ClearView Energy Partners, a D.C.-based research firm. Administration officials hope that other states will now follow suit.

Agriculture Department projections estimate that farmers could save \$640 million on federal and state diesel taxes combined during the current harvest season, based on each farmer driving 150 miles. The White House estimates truck drivers using dyed diesel could save \$129 per refill, according to a person with knowledge of the policy.

Doyle reported from Grand Island, Nebraska. Allison reported from Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Washington, D.C.

Trump steers nearly \$7B to shipbuilding in deal with Anduril

BY PRANSHU VERMA,

DAN DIAMOND

AND ERIN COX

SPARROWS POINT, MD. — President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a nearly \$7 billion deal with a defense firm founded by one of his most prominent political supporters to expedite submarine shipbuilding, an unexpected arrangement that thrusts a largely autonomous-weapons company into a more traditional defense manufacturing role.

During an address at the industrial hub in Sparrows Point in Maryland, Trump said the new project with Anduril Industries will transform the Baltimore-area port site into “one of the most significant shipyards” in the world.

“Right here in Sparrows Point, you’ll build the next generation of American submarines, including autonomous subs, torpedo tubes, and critical components for our cutting-edge Virginia-class attack submarines — the greatest and quietest ever built,” Trump said.

The deal is backed by a \$3.7 billion investment from Anduril coupled with a \$2.9 billion U.S. Navy contract, Trump added. He also said that U.S. taxpayers “will receive a 40 percent stake in the new shipyard,” without providing specifics of the potential equity arrangement.

Anduril was founded by the prominent Trump supporter and billionaire Palmer Luckey. It holds billions in Defense Department contracts to provide AI software services to the military, and Luckey was named alongside Elon Musk last week as a key member of a Pentagon project tasked with planning for the future of warfighting.

Trump's announcement serves as potential boon to Maryland's economy and could bring thousands of jobs to the Baltimore area. Wes Moore, the state's Democratic governor and a prominent critic of the Trump administration, said he was slated to speak at the event but the administration blocked him from speaking.

The Sparrows Point project, called Arsenal-2, marks a departure for Anduril, a weapons technology company known for making autonomous drones and unmanned sea vehicles. The manufacturing initiative places it in a more traditional defense contracting role, creating components for manned Virginia-class nuclear submarines, which have faced significant production delays for years. They are crucial component to the U.S. military's strategy for competing against China in the Indo-Pacific region.

“It is unusual,” said Stacie Pettyjohn, director of the defense program at the Center for a New

American Security, a bipartisan national security think tank. It will be interesting to see if Anduril, which is known for making simple weapons quickly, can work on large nuclear submarines, the “most complicated ones that exist,” she added.

The Pentagon has been plagued with delays in building nuclear submarines for years. Coronavirus-induced employment shortages, maintenance backlogs and supply chain issues have left domestic submarine shipbuilders delivering roughly 1.1 new Virginia-class nuclear submarines a year, less than the military's annual goal of two, according to a Congressional Research Service report from January.

The U.S. has also agreed to provide Australia — through the trilateral AUKUS partnership that also includes the United Kingdom — with several Virginia-class nuclear submarines, increasing its supply requirements.

The Sparrows Point project is aimed at reducing the backlog, and it has the potential to transform an industrial peninsula outside Baltimore, whose economic fortunes were crippled with the financial collapse of Bethlehem Steel two decades ago.

Sparrows Point was once a home to a thriving blue-collar manufacturing hub anchored by Bethlehem Steel, which was one of the world's largest shipbuilders and also had a steel mill at the site. At its peak in the middle of the last century, it employed roughly 30,000 people.

Now, the site hosts logistics and fulfillment centers for Amazon, Under Armour and Home Depot, and it recently served as a cleanup hub after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Roughly 14,000 people work at the Tradepoint Atlantic site. (Amazon Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

As manufacturing jobs moved overseas, the Baltimore region endured the same erosion that hollowed out manufacturing towns across the country, and the steel mill eventually shuttered in 2012.

In 2014, a group of investors purchased the site for redevelopment and renamed it Tradepoint Atlantic.

Moore, the governor, said in a call to reporters that the state and Baltimore County could provide up to 13 percent of the project's \$3.7 billion in private investment in matching funds, and that the project could create 3,100 permanent jobs.

“This massive new project will deliver the largest private investment, drive billions of dollars in economic activity, and create the most jobs in Maryland in history,” he said in a statement.

This 19th-century novelist might be the best economist you've never heard of

BY JULIA R. CARTWRIGHT

women to write about the subject.

WASHINGTON POST STAFF ILLUSTRATION; ISTOCK

In opulent London salons at the turn of the 19th century, economists including David Ricardo and Thomas Malthus debated trade, famine and the fate of the poor. Among them was Maria Edgeworth, an erudite woman who helped shape how the emerging field of economics reached the wider world. In an intellectual world that offered women few conventional avenues into the discipline, she wrote it into novels, weaving lessons of political economy into the tales of captivating characters.

She arguably reached far more people with her economic ideas than her male counterparts because she translated the otherwise daunting language of thinkers such as Adam Smith into something much more accessible. Maria Edgeworth (1768-1849) is the economist most people have never heard of.

The book “The Invisible Hand of Maria Edgeworth” is about her: how she went from a celebrated literary figure to someone relegated to a footnote in the field of economics. Its author, Jeanna Smialek, a New York Times reporter who spent years translating the Federal Reserve for ordinary readers, is a fitting biographer for a woman who did the same for Adam Smith. Histories of economics usually feature its fathers, whom Smialek keeps as main characters, but the author focuses on the woman standing beside them who believed economics belonged to everyone.

Edgeworth's story begins with a longing for affection. Her mother died when she was 5, and her father, the restless inventor Richard Lovell Edgeworth, remarried within months. The young girl turned rebellious and was sent away to boarding school, where she felt abandoned. Desperate to return to her father's good graces, she discovered that writing could win back his affection, and the same gift soon made her the storyteller among her classmates.

The affection she had worked so hard to win returned when he finally pulled her out of school. Maria returned to the family estate in Ireland and rode alongside her father as he collected rent from his tenants. Richard Lovell shortened leases, rewarded tenants who improved their land and, following Smith, paid higher wages on the theory that better pay was good for everyone. He also required his daughter to study “The Wealth of Nations,” among other works, to prepare her to help manage the estate. Between the book and the rides, Maria gained an inside view of the lives of the poor, an experience few ladies of her upbringing ever had.

As a young woman, Edgeworth wrote children's tales and books on education, and in 1800, she published the novel "Castle Rackrent," a sensation. At her height, she outsold Jane Austen. Smialek writes that "readers were coming to Edgeworth books for dry quips, rollicking plots, and haphazard love stories, yet they were leaving them with an understanding of tenant-landlord relationships and the benefits of educating workers." King George III reportedly said that after reading her work, he knew his Irish subjects better.

All of this unfolded in an age of tumult. The French Revolution in 1789-99 and the Reign of Terror in 1793-94 shook Europe, and the Irish rebellion of 1798 came so close to home that local loyalists, suspicious of Richard Lovell's political sympathies, nearly lynched him. At 34, in 1802, Edgeworth traveled to Paris, where she discovered how famous she had become and turned down a proposal from a Swedish courtier, a decision that ended up leaving her heartbroken.

Her influence and knack for writing about economics for a general audience earned her respect in the field and a place in the rooms where economics was being invented. She befriended Ricardo and followed his sparring with Malthus over trade. She read and critiqued the work of Jane Marcet, whose 1816 “Conversations on Political Economy” became one of the earliest and most influential popular economics textbooks. Where Marcet spoke plainly about economics, Edgeworth hid it in narrative. Together, they helped pave the way for a generation of

In her 50s and 60s, as critics soured on her fiction, she remade herself as a political observer and unofficial economic adviser. The Great Famine, which began in 1845, underscored the limits of simple economic prescriptions: As blight destroyed the potato crop, grain and livestock kept leaving Ireland for export, sold to buyers who could pay. The poor had little money to buy food, and markets alone had trouble reaching them. Edgeworth spent her last years working to relieve the starving poor around her.

Her sex was surely a limitation, as “academic women were viewed as subversive, even dangerous,” Smialek writes — but it was also a strength. Largely shut out of the emerging professional world of economics, Edgeworth wrote stories, and they traveled where treatises never could. One could argue that confinement to the novel cost her a place in the canon, but Smialek makes the more interesting case that it is precisely why she mattered: “Maria’s lessons reached every corner of the empire” as “readers across the English-speaking world were exposed to whatever lessons she chose to tuck into her fictional pages: social commentary, ruminations on rent, ideas for improving the lot of the poor.”

Which leaves the question Smialek cannot stop asking: If she was so influential, “why do we hardly know her name?” The cruelest irony is that her name survives in every economics classroom through the Edgeworth box, named for her nephew Frances Ysidro Edgeworth. But Maria, who carried the ideas out of the salon and into the parlor, slipped away.

Return to those rooms where Ricardo, Malthus and other famous men argued over the pressing economic challenges of their time. The diminutive woman among them was part of the exchange, questioning, debating and advancing ideas alongside them. Maria Edgeworth's name may have faded, but her legacy shaped the field of economics, bringing the dismal science into the lives of ordinary readers.

Julia R. Cartwright is a senior research fellow in economics and law at the American Institute for Economic Research.

The 9/11 generation of warriors deserves the nation's respect and gratitude

BY MARTHA RADDATZ

On Oct. 7, 2001, the United States and allies went to war in Afghanistan, where the al-Qaeda terrorists who had plotted the 9/11 attacks were harbored. With the 25th anniversary of the war's start, my mind turns to Joshua Webster — 21 years old at the time, a 6-foot-4 Californian from a middle-class Catholic family. He had enlisted in the military in 1999 to help pay for college.

He graduated two years later from Army Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia. On Sept. 11, 2001, Webster and his fellow Rangers awakened early, still sore from having completed a final, grueling three-month field test. Eager to share his news with his family, Webster stood in line at the only pay phone and, just after 9 a.m., got through to his mother. But she had bigger news for him

— two planes had just hit the World Trade Center. Word spread quickly among the Rangers, who huddled around a radio someone had managed to find.

Like just about everyone else across the country, the soldiers spent that morning in shock. But unlike the rest of the country, they were sure of one thing: They were going to war.

And they did — many of them for several deployments. The wars that started that day in Afghanistan spread to Iraq and Syria and went on for years. Forever wars seemed to mean forever service.

In fact, Josh Webster would spend 20 years in the military; he retired in August, five years after American troops abruptly pulled out of Afghanistan, leaving Kabul in the hands of the Taliban. His career took him from the Army Rangers to Air Force pararescue, and back to the Army as an officer. In Afghanistan and Iraq, he risked his life time and again to save those who had been wounded in combat. He also managed to squeeze in that college degree — a bachelor's from UCLA.

I met Webster in 2011 on a pararescue helicopter in the mountains of Afghanistan. He told me about saving an Army captain who had been shot in the head by the Taliban and fallen into a ravine during fierce fighting. Both he and the wounded captain, Webster said, were among those whose lives had been transformed by 9/11.

The attacks that day spiked recruitment in all branches of the military, and made those already in the service more eager to stay. As the wars went on, the plans and lives of all Americans who had signed up or extended their tours were completely upended. In too many cases, the challenges and nightmares of their deployments extended into

their years as veterans.

In 1980, 18 percent of U.S. adults were veterans; by 2022, that figure had dropped to about 6 percent. Many Americans today, especially those with college degrees, don't know anyone on active duty. The years of “Thank you for your service” are long gone. As a nation, we are woefully disconnected from the men and women who have fought and are fighting our wars.

The service members who deployed after 9/11 knew the value of the press and largely welcomed the coverage. Respect for the First Amendment was fully ingrained as journalists embedded with their units to report on their triumphs, tragedies and, when warranted, their mistakes as well.

With a Pentagon that now resists coverage and brands the press as treasonous, the stories from this latest war and the human faces of the military are largely lost or overrun by debate. The men and women who serve are far too often lumped in with the politics and policymakers. They should not be.

Our service members are not making policy. They are not sending us to war. They took an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution, and to obey the orders of the U.S. president and their officers. They are part of the 9/11 generation of warriors, and I have been privileged through my work to know many of them.

The troops of the “Greatest Generation” fought the one war in our history that had near-unanimous approval from the American people. But we should honor the veterans of Fallujah and Tora Bora as much as we have honored those who fought at Normandy and Iwo Jima. This generation of warriors, like the one that fought in Korea, is no less great.

Yes, World War II had a moral clarity that other wars have not had. But the warriors of all our conflicts have shown courage, commitment, and patriotism.

They hold their love of country so dear that they are willing to fight and to die for it.

These people deserve our respect and gratitude, and maybe they will remind us that we all can do better — if we think in terms of our own “missions,” the small and large ways we might work to better our communities, our fellow citizens and our country. As our nation marks 25 years since America fought back against a massive terrorist attack, that lofty ambition seems a good way to go.

Martha Raddatz, the chief global affairs correspondent for ABC News and co-anchor of “This Week With George Stephanopoulos,” is the author of “The Hero Next Door: Stories of Patriotism and Purpose.”

The data center boom will shrink. That's good news.

ILLUSTRATION BY CLARE RAMIREZ/THE WASHINGTON POST; ISTOCK

BY TODD G. BUCHHOLZ

In 1946, ENIAC — an ancestor of today's computers — weighed 30 tons, could fill a house and gulped 140 kilowatts just to add numbers faster than a bookkeeper. Today, the phone in your pocket can translate ancient Greek, recognize your face, fly a drone and remind you that Rocky Marciano defeated Joe Louis in the eighth round in 1951. NASA would have been delighted with the first three.

Keep that history in mind as technology companies race to build data centers — the windowless warehouses stuffed with chips, cooling systems and enough electrical gear to shock Nikola Tesla. As politicians from both parties fight over whether to oppose these developments, investors and engineers should wrestle with a different question: What will a data center look like in 10 or 20 years, and what exactly is worth owning?

Gordon Moore supplied an answer 60 years ago. The Intel co-founder observed that the number of components that fit on a chip rises exponentially. Experts have pronounced Moore's Law dead almost as often as humanities professors have pronounced capitalism dead. Both keep outliving their obituaries. The precise engineering has changed — chips are stacked, cooling improves, software gets leaner — but the direction remains stubborn: We extract more computing from less.

Computing has migrated from a room to a desktop to a laptop and then to a phone. Now it lives in wristwatches, earbuds, doorbells and even devices not suitable for mention in a family newspaper. Why assume the data center has reached its final physical form?

In Ohio, a SoftBank-backed campus is rising, with commitments from OpenAI and Nvidia, hundreds of billions of dollars in long-term contracts and plans for 10 gigawatts of power. (The Washington Post has a content partnership with OpenAI.) Investors and communities locking in 20- and 30-year commitments should ask a sharp question: How much land, electricity and equipment will be required to produce a unit of intelligence?

That number will probably keep falling as computing migrates into smaller devices. Your car should not need to consult a 500,000-square-foot warehouse in Kansas before swerving around a pothole.

There is a catch, which a 19th-century English economist spotted long before anyone had heard of Bluetooth. William Stanley Jevons noticed that more-efficient steam engines did not reduce Britain's coal consumption. Because cheaper steam power created more uses for it, Britain needed more coal, not less.

Artificial intelligence could spark a powerful Jevons effect. If intelligence is 10 times cheaper, entrepreneurs may devise 20 times as many uses for it. Hospitals, tractors and household appliances will grow smarter. At some late-night hour, your refrigerator may develop strong opinions about your cholesterol and refuse to surrender the Häagen-Dazs.

Two apparently contradictory things can therefore happen at once: The world can consume vastly more computing while requiring less infrastructure for each computing unit.

That's why communities should welcome new investment but insist that developers pay the costs of power, water and grid upgrades. They should be especially skeptical of subsidies that assume today's physical footprint will last for decades.

Done correctly, these investments could end up benefiting nearby residents. A June study by the Electric Power Research Institute estimated that data center growth between 2015 and 2024 modestly reduced U.S. residential electricity prices because large, steady customers spread fixed grid costs across more kilowatt-hours. Of course, if utilities choose to build for a giant new customer and then stick households with the bill, families will pay more. That is not a law of computing; it is a bad contract.

Investors face a different question: What survives when the technology inside the building improves and the building itself begins to resemble a giant box stuffed with fast-aging silicon? Some data centers might start to resemble dreary indoor shopping malls in the internet age — expensive shells hoping for another use, like an indoor skating rink or pickleball courts.

But remember: Although railroads made horses less valuable, rights of way held their value. A site with contracted power, transmission access and fiber-optic cables has something far harder to replace than chips: a place at the front of the line to connect to the electrical grid. Securing that access can take years, but data centers might one day serve as a shortcut. The building is just a box; the more valuable asset may be the right to plug in.

America should build data centers along with more energy capacity. AI may prove as transformative as its evangelists claim, and starving it of infrastructure would be foolish, especially as China plows ahead. But it would be equally foolish to draw a ruler from today's acres, megawatts and cooling towers straight through to 2050.

In 1946, a computer took up the size of a house. Now, it fits in the palm of one's hand. Don't bet that the house has won.

Todd G. Buchholz, a former White House director of economic policy and managing director of the hedge fund Tiger Management, is the author of “The Price of Prosperity: Why Rich Nations Fail and How to Renew Them.”

The Washington Post

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British Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaks at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Sept. 29.

TEMILADE ADELAJA/REUTERS

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EDITORIALS

More government won't fix Britain

THE "NEW PATH" proposed by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham in his debut speech at the Labour Party's annual conference last week sounds a lot like the one that led the United Kingdom into prolonged stagnation.

The U.K. economy, which grew just 1.2 percent last year, desperately needs to be unleashed. Despite paying lip service to this, Burnham dedicated his much-anticipated speech to visions of a bigger government, more public ownership and more spending on entitlements that Britain cannot afford.

“This country isn’t where any of us would want it to be,” Burnham told his party. The former mayor of Greater Manchester, who replaced Keir Starmer as prime minister in July, pledged that under his leadership the party would “draw a line on a decade of division” and “stop doomscrolling on posts running Britain down.”

Britain is already down. Borrowing costs hit their highest levels since 1998 on Thursday, when 30-year gilt yields tipped over 6 percent. The government has little room to maneuver.

It's a positive sign that Burnham wants to end the unsustainable “triple lock” on state pensions. The policy increases payments by either the rate of inflation, average wage increases or 2.5 percent, whichever is highest.

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Six prime ministers in 10 years promised more spending would fix Britain. Andy Burnham just became the seventh.

But he proposed ending the triple lock as a way to pay for creating a universal social care program. Burnham said he wants something “as significant as the creation” of the National Health Service itself, but details of what he envisions were scant. The barest-bones version of a social care system, which might provide assistance with daily living, aging care and disability support, would annually cost an estimated 7.5 billion pounds (\$9.93 billion), though the amount would probably be far more.

Meanwhile, the NHS is beset by long waiting lists, staff shortages, delayed access to basic care, deteriorating infrastructure and growing demand. The NHS accounts for nearly 40 percent of day-to-day public spending. Why create a new entitlement when the one Burnham wants to model it on is so badly broken?

On public ownership, Burnham announced a plan to change the law so that the government could control water companies. The state-run energy company set up by Starmer would also gain more access to the country's energy grid.

Conservative prime ministers of recent vintage had their own attractions to Big Government: Boris Johnson sped up the process of rail renationalization, Liz Truss tried to implement energy price controls, and Rishi Sunak ushered in a generational smoking ban. In Truss's case, it led to a market meltdown.

If Burnham isn't worried that markets could be similarly spooked by his ideological fever dream, he should be. Britain spent almost twice as much on debt service as on defense in the past fiscal year. Rising borrowing costs make Burnham's "new path" even less realistic.

Luckily, if you can call it that, Britain is tied to the Labour Party's 2024 manifesto, because that's what the party ran on when it won power. Departing from it to pursue much of what Burnham floated at the party conference would require a new mandate. That would entail calling a general election, which Burnham has said he won't do until at least 2029.

Britain is now on its seventh prime minister in the past 10 years. All promised to put the nation on a better path. None meaningfully succeeded. If Burnham is to be different, he's going to need a better plan.

WILL NUCLEAR POWER be able to scale up quickly enough to meet America's energy needs? That's one of the most pressing challenges for the industry, and there's no guarantee of success. One major milestone last week, however, offers hope.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted a construction permit for a small modular reactor near Knoxville, Tennessee. The approval means the commission determined that the reactor's design is safe and that its operator — the Tennessee Valley Authority, a public utility — can begin building, though the TVA would still need an operating license to start generating power.

This marks the first time the NRC has given the green light for a commercial small modular reactor, which, if successful, could usher in a new era for nuclear power. Unlike the hulking traditional reactors of the past, which rely on large-scale energy generation to make sense financially, this new technology goes in the opposite direction: It attempts to shrink the technology, providing less energy per reactor but using a design that doesn't take so much space and can be replicated more easily.

Small nuclear reactors reach a big milestone

The TVA project is projected to generate 300 megawatts, enough to power 240,000 homes. That's about a quarter of the power produced by America's most recently built nuclear reactors in Georgia. A government-owned utility in Canada is planning a fleet of reactors using the same design, which it began constructing in April.

The technology could help scale advanced nuclear power to meet America's energy needs.

CAITIE MCMEKIN/NEWS SENTINEL/USA TODAY NETWORK VIA

REUTERS CONNECT

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) holds a news conference on Sept. 29 regarding a construction permit for a small modular nuclear reactor in his state.

Several obstacles remain: TVA, though it has authorized \$350 million for the project, is still negotiating with partners on cost-sharing and has not committed to breaking ground. Costs for the first reactor are also likely to be high, though the hope is for them to fall as the utility works out the kinks and builds additional generation capacity.

This project is the furthest along, but about a dozen companies are developing their own smaller reactor designs, often with investments from large tech companies looking to power the artificial intelligence boom. One of them is Amazon, whose executive chairman, Jeff Bezos, owns The Post.

The enthusiasm about modular reactors reflects increasingly bipartisan support for nuclear energy. A decade ago, investing in the technology was risky, since it takes years to develop and therefore needs sustained support across administrations. Now, majorities in both parties understand the need for expanding nuclear power, so much so that Congress overwhelmingly passed reforms to speed up the onerous review process for new reactors.

The NRC managed to issue the construction permit for TVA in 14 months, four months faster than anticipated. That's the second time the notoriously lethargic agency shocked developers with its speedy review of an advanced reactor. The first, for TerraPower's proposed plant in Wyoming, was completed nine months ahead of schedule.

Those are encouraging signs of a possible nuclear renaissance — or, at the very least, they're indications that the industry will succeed or fail based on economic merits, not ideological grounds.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

As a veterinarian, I can't stand botched executions

Regarding the Oct. 5 news article "Pike remains in critical condition, on ventilator":

I'm a veterinarian, and I find it unconscionable that the United States abides the death penalty but so regularly bungles the execution. I personally do not support the death penalty, but I believe that if an institution or judicial system elects to utilize death as a form of justice, then it is incumbent on that system to be able to perform the procedure painlessly and reliably.

One of my most important functions is to provide a safe, peaceful and ethical end of life for all species of animals. This is not a complicated procedure, and the administration of a lethal dose of pentobarbital is commonly used for humane euthanasia in dogs.

It is the legal obligation of any health care worker to deliver medication safely, within the permissible routes of administration of the agent, and to cause no unnecessary suffering. The decision to forcibly end a life is a serious one that deserves to be done correctly. If we will not reconsider the ethics of the death penalty, then either the drug and safety protocols used for judicially mandated death need review or there needs to be more training and oversight of the staff performing the procedure.

If cost of appropriate staffing and training is a concern, then making funds available should be of paramount importance to the institutions utilizing this procedure. The cost of training and appropriate staffing is nothing compared with the moral and ethical cost of taking a life — even if that life is an inmate's.

Kate Hartzler, Toronto

Tennessee's latest execution disaster exposes an inherent contradiction in execution using lethal injection. The state relies on medical expertise to take a life, yet major medical, nursing and pharmacy professional organizations oppose their members' participation in executions. Many pharmaceutical companies also object to states using their medicines for executions.

Even if Tennessee were to revise its lethal injection protocol, it would still violate a fundamental moral principle: Individuals have no right to take another person's life except in self-defense or to protect others from an imminent threat.

The state also frequently makes mistakes. On Sept. 28, Utah released Douglas Carter after more than four decades in prison, much of it on death row, following new DNA testing that excluded him as the source of genetic material on key crime scene evidence. Once the state executes someone, evidence that later casts doubt on the conviction is moot.

A convicted and securely confined prisoner poses no imminent threat. No improvement in execution procedures can justify the state's power to take the life of a securely confined prisoner.

Jeffrey A. Singer, Phoenix

The writer, a physician, is the author of "Your Body, Your Health Care."

The Christa Pike situation should compel all of us to rethink the death penalty. The Constitution explicitly prohibits “cruel and unusual punishments.” I believe our courts have made a grievous mistake in finding that capital punishment is not cruel. It is cruel whether the procedure is botched or effective. As a Marylander, I am proud that the death penalty is now banned here. It should be banned everywhere.

about whether people deserve to die for the crimes they commit. The real question of capital punishment in this country is, Do we deserve to kill?"

Bryan Stevenson, one of the truly great Americans of our time, wrote in "Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption": "The death penalty is not

Robert Tiller, Silver Spring

Why is the suffering of Christa Pike being given so much attention after the state of Tennessee attempted to execute her? Her situation does not compare to the terror and pain she caused Colleen Slemmer.

I don't think this case should be used as an example of why the death penalty should be abolished. Nor should Pike's age at the time of the crime or the abuse she suffered as a child and teen be factors in the severity of her punishment. The logical path forward should be to change the method of execution. Hanging or firing squad would surely accomplish the appropriate punishment for such heinous crimes.

But further sympathy and attention should be shifted away from Pike and toward her victim's devastated family.

Anne Dodrill, Leesburg

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A word about

the seventh day

I enjoyed George F. Will's Sept. 27 column, “Integralists’ and their socialist soulmates.” I appreciated the irony that integralists, who wish to “return America to being a ‘Christian nation,’” so badly misunderstand what Jesus meant when he declared, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).

After discussing “blue laws,” which restricted work, commerce and pleasure on Sundays, Will said, “Until 1934, Pennsylvania’s piety prevented the Pirates and Phillies from playing home games on the Sabbath.” However, God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2-3), which, according to our calendars, is Saturday. In many languages, the word for Saturday is based on the Hebrew word Shabbat, which means “to cease,” “to stop” or “to rest.” Examples include Spanish: sábado; Italian: sabato; Greek: sávvato; Russian: subbota; Czech: sobota; Arabic: al-sabt; Indonesian: sabtu; Filipino: sabado; Malay: sabtu; Baluchi: shambeh. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says Sunday is distinguished from the Sabbath, and the church ceremonially observes it on Sundays.

Marty Bokow, Silver Spring

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Letter submissions

Send letters to letters@washpost.com. Submissions must be exclusive to The Post and should include the writer's address and day and evening telephone numbers. Letters are subject to editing and abridgment. Please do not send letters as attachments. Because of the volume of material we receive, we are unable to acknowledge submissions; writers whose letters are under consideration for publication will be contacted.

Post Opinions wants to know: What do you wish you had known earlier? What nuggets of wisdom, gleaned from years of experience, would you share with your younger self? Send us your response, and it might be published as a letter to the editor. wapo.st/wise\_words

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CORRECTION

The photo caption accompanying the Oct. 3 editorial, “The Atlantic’s hurricane drought offers a lesson in climate science,” misidentified the state where the image was taken. Tybee Island is in Georgia.

ANGELINA ALCANTAR/ NEWS SENTINEL/USA TODAY NETWORK VIA REUTERS CONNECT

Demonstrators hold a vigil for Christa Pike in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Sept. 30.

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Medicare-for-all is back. The hard questions remain unanswered.

ance or paying new taxes, support often drops.

BY ELISABETH ROSENTHAL

As Americans grow increasingly frustrated with their health care system, a reform proposal that has long been kicked around on the Democratic periphery is showing up in debates and on political platforms: Medicare-for-all.

According to a 2025 Economist-YouGov poll, nearly 60 percent of Americans favor a system of Medicare-for-all, while 85 percent of Democrats support it. For years, Democrats in Congress have proposed symbolic Medicare-for-all bills that have had no chance of passage but have been supported by dozens of members.

Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland added his support in December. “I was listening to my constituents,” he told me. “It’s just reached the complete breaking point. Our system is unaffordable and unsustainable with premiums going up, co-pays going up and up.”

At a time when more than 100 million Americans carry medical debt, it's easy to get behind a promise of free, or free-ish, no-hassle health care. But turning an inspirational slogan into law gets gnarly. Those three words, Medicare-for-all — a pledge to bring universal health care to every American — mean not one thing to supporters but many. And all versions would face considerable obstacles to enactment.

“Medicare-for-all is a slogan, not a concrete proposal, so it’s hard to have an opinion on,” said Amy Finkelstein, an MIT economist who, with Stanford’s Liran Einav, wrote “We’ve Got You Covered,” which laid out what the pair considered a realistic and fiscally responsible plan for providing basic insurance to every American.

“What we can afford is a basic plan — what we call a shack, not a chateau,” Finkelstein said. Its bedrock would be a government-funded skinny plan less generous than Medicare, with potential constraints such as a limited number of physical therapy visits or stricter criteria for getting a knee replacement but guaranteed robust basic coverage for catastrophic medical conditions. She estimated that most Americans would opt for supplemental coverage.

The most high-profile political proponent of Medicare-for-all this election season is Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic senatorial candidate in Michigan who has made a more sweeping proposal central to his platform, far more chateau than shack.

It would create one plan that covers a suite of medical needs with no cost to patients — including dental and vision care, which traditional Medicare doesn't cover.

WIN MCNAMEE/GETTY IMAGES

A Medicare-for-all rally in D.C. in 2019.

(Traditional Medicare has increasingly come to resemble private insurance with premiums and co-insurance, and unlike standard commercial plans, it has no annual out-of-pocket maximum. To fill such gaps, patients buy separate “Medigap” and drug plans.)

"The most important thing is just to make Medicare whole — meaning no charge for medical care — rolling back the complexity and costs of the last 10 years," El-Sayed told me.

His program would start off covering children and adults five years younger than the current eligibility age for Medicare and close the gap over a period, he estimates, of eight years. To ease the transition for the health care system, he would initially set the Medicare payment rates so they mirror the totals doctors and hospitals receive now, avoiding a “price shock” to their operations. Future increases would be limited to the rate of inflation.

One big question is how to make the financing work in a highly profitable industry. National health spending was projected to hit \$5.7 trillion in 2025, or nearly 20 percent of U.S. gross domestic product.

Yes, the United States spends twice as much on health care per person compared with many peer countries. And, yes, health insurance is often a company's second-largest expense after payroll.

But how will the government divert financial outlays of employers and households into a new Medicare-for-all system without new taxes or massive government spending?

When polls ask voters whether they would support Medicare-for-all if it meant losing their insur-

“You could decide to raise taxes and cover more,” Finkelstein said. “If you don’t want to cut current Medicare benefits, you could decide to bust the budget, which seems to be a common practice.”

As president, Joe Biden said he would veto any Medicare-for-all bill, given the cost, which was estimated at up to \$40 trillion over 10 years. The bills in Congress don't include very detailed financing plans.

Economists who have mapped out the possibilities are divided on a realistic path.

A group of Yale researchers estimated that converting to a Medicare-for-all program could save \$450 billion annually. That's in part because a government plan could negotiate — or simply set — far better prices for hospitals, doctors, drugs and devices than private insurers. It would reduce the overhead created by private insurance with its army of negotiators, coders and claim deniers — and reduce profits.

There are strong forces pushing back against such “rightsizing” of exorbitant prices, most notably: insurers, hospitals, and drug and device manufacturers. In 2022, they spent over \$700 million on lobbying and have been a powerful force for job creation. But a grand Medicare-for-all proposal may simply be a strategy to open the debate to lesser possibilities. President Barack Obama’s initial Affordable Care Act proposal contained ambitious ideas — such as drug price negotiation — that fell by the wayside to get the votes for passage.

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico supports what he calls Medicare for Y'all — allowing people under 65 to buy into Medicare.

"There are versions of Medicare-for-all that could potentially include our proposal, and versions that could look extremely different," Finkelstein said.

Support in some parts of the industry is growing.

Support in some parts of the industry is growing. According to one survey, more than half of all physicians have said they'd prefer some sort of single-payer system. Though the American Medical Association is opposed, its student and resident sections are pressing to overturn the opposition. The American College of Physicians, the nation's second-largest physician group, also supports Medicare-for-all. Obama called the ACA a "starter house." It was "an improvement, but it has not met the need," Van Hollen said.

Now the growing number of Medicare-for-all proponents will have to define exactly what kind of new house they can accept and afford.

Elisabeth Rosenthal is a senior contributing editor at KFF Health News and the author of “An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back.”

PAVEL BEDNYAKOV/AP

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JIM GERAGHTY

Russian troops may have lost this holy relic. Is it a sign?

Whether the Russian invasion of Ukraine is in the headlines or not, the war just keeps grinding on. Last month, British intelligence updated its estimates of the

total number of casualties suffered by Russia — killed, wounded and missing — to 1.5 million troops since February 2022. Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, chief of the U.K. defense staff, noted that most of the losses occurred since January 2023, and in that time, Russia gained just 2 percent of Ukrainian territory.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated this summer that Russia had suffered as many as 450,000 battlefield deaths over the course of the war. A February 2026 estimate indicated Ukraine had suffered 250,000 to 300,000 military casualties, combined killed and wounded.

For perspective, in the roughly two decades of the Vietnam War, the U.S. casualties came to 58,220 killed, 303,704 wounded and 1,584 missing in action.

Clearly, Russian forces could use a morale boost, and last month the Russian Orthodox Church pitched in. Church officials sent relics including a piece of the right hand of Dmitry Donskoy to the front. The relics had been discovered this summer during restoration work in the Kremlin's Archangel Cathedral. Donskoy was a prince celebrated in Russia for his victory over Mongol forces at the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380; the Russian Orthodox Church canonized him as a saint in 1988.

The Moscow Patriarchate's military department — “the Synodal Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies”

— announced on Sept. 8, “Right now, a reliquary containing a particle of the relics of the holy and faithful Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy is en route to the front line. ... The holy commander is heading to where the fate of the Fatherland is being decided today, to invisibly stand in battle formation with our defenders.”

It's tempting to scoff at the notion that an army of invaders who commit atrocities with metronomic regularity would take inspiration from a Christian relic, even if it is supposedly from a warrior prince's sword-wielding hand. But put that aside for a moment, because now it appears Russian troops ... lost Dmitry Donskoy's hand fragment.

The Moscow Times, a news site covering Russia from Amsterdam after being driven out of Russia, reported on Oct. 1 that two pro-war Telegram channels in Russia had described retreating troops as abandoning the Donskoy relics.

Unsurprisingly, church authorities insist that Donskoy's relics are doing just fine. Spokesman Vakhrtang Kipshidze told the state-owned domestic news agency RIA Novosti, "Reports have surfaced on social media that a particle of Dmitry Donskoy's relics was lost in the area of a special military operation. This is a fabrication, and it is being spread, presumably, with anti-church intent." Military officials haven't commented.

Of course, no one is posting recent pictures of the relics from the front, so neither side's claim is easy to verify.

We do know that Ukraine's Operation Vivaldi has retaken about 68 square miles around Lyman in the northern Donetsk oblast and captured 250 Russian troops. And it's the front of a hard-fought war with constant drone bombardments; the notion of Russian troops coming under fire during a prayer service and abandoning the relics, as one report had it, is entirely plausible.

If you bring a saint's hand fragment to the front in a war of aggression, and within a few weeks, the enemy's attack just happens to be in the right place and at the right time and forces your guys to retreat, and they leave the hand behind ... is it possible God is trying to tell you something? Maybe, just maybe, the Creator is not on board with your more than 3,000 attacks on hospitals and other health care facilities during the war? The more than 3,900 Ukrainian children reportedly killed or injured during the war? The systematic abduction and forcible transfer, according to the United Nations, of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia and Belarus?

And if the presence of a holy relic on the battlefield is supposed to be such a great inspiration, how should Russian soldiers interpret its loss?

LEANA S. WEN

Pennsylvania's measles outbreak could be worse than it looks

Russian Orthodox Church clerics carry the relics of the Holy Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy during a procession in Moscow on Sept. 6.

HANNAH BEIER

The measles outbreak in Pennsylvania has already reached staggering proportions. Since it began in April, more than 970 cases across 39 counties have been confirmed. Nearly 200 people have been hospitalized. The state has reported five measles-associated deaths, including three unvaccinated adults and two infants.

As troubling as these numbers are, they don't tell the whole story. To get a better sense of how the outbreak is unfolding for clinicians on the front lines, I spoke with Patrick Gavigan, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Penn State Health Golisano Children's Hospital.

Gavigan's hospital borders Lancaster County, where more than a third of the state's cases have been confirmed. Before this outbreak, measles was so rare that he encountered it only once during his training. This year, his hospital has treated between 15 and 20 cases, most of them in the past month.

In addition to the volume, the symptoms his patients exhibited were what stood out to him. He had thought that most measles patients needing hospitalization would experience respiratory distress. About 1 in 20 children with measles develop pneumonia, and indeed, he is seeing patients who need oxygen support and, in some cases, machines to help them breathe.

Gavigan told me that his biggest surprise was how many severe cases he was seeing in previously healthy individuals, and how many involved non-respiratory symptoms. Some patients experienced vomiting and diarrhea and were found to have elevated liver enzymes and ultimately diagnosed with hepatitis. Some developed encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain that can result in seizures, paralysis and permanent brain damage. Some have been discharged to go home; others have faced a much slower recovery and may never regain the abilities they had before becoming ill.

What also worries him is how many people in the community are infected with measles but are not accounted for in official statistics. “Every pediatric patient that we’ve had at the hospital, when we talk to the family, everyone or nearly everyone at home has had a measles-like illness,” he said. When clinicians ask whether those family members were tested, the answer is no, unless they, too, were sick enough to go to the hospital.

This means the reported case numbers are almost certainly far below the true number of infections, which is why this outbreak has been so hard to contain. Measles is caused by a virus that can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves. Initial symptoms of fever, runny nose and congestion mimic other common viral illnesses. The characteristic rash does not appear until about four days after symptoms begin; during this window, the person could unknowingly spread the virus.

The best way to rein in measles is to track down exposed individuals and monitor them for symptoms during the incubation period, which can last up to 21 days. When people don't realize they are infected and never get tested, contact tracing becomes much harder. Some reported cases have involved exposures affecting potentially thousands of people at a time, including at service stations along major highways, grocery stores, a courthouse and a soccer camp.

Gavigan told me all the patients requiring inpatient care at his hospital have been unvaccinated. This tracks with statewide data: Less than 1 percent of Pennsylvania cases have been in vaccinated individuals. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are more than 97 percent effective against measles infection, making the kind of widespread societal disruption seen during the covid pandemic unlikely. But the resurgence has made life less safe for infants too young to be vaccinated and immunocompromised individuals, whose families must change how they interact with the public to protect them.

Despite the ballooning numbers, Gavigan sees signs of hope. He has seen people get vaccinated after watching family members fall ill. Some who were previously hesitant about the shot are now promoting it in their communities. His region has large populations of Amish and Mennonite families whom he believes are not necessarily opposed to vaccines but have been disengaged from the medical system.

“For so long, people hadn’t seen any measles,” he said. Now that it has become a real threat, there is more willingness to take preventive action.

The state health department is also reporting a surge of interest in the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. In August, health care providers administered more than 49,000 doses, nearly double the number in a typical month. In the first three weeks of September, they administered more than 38,000, including many through pop-up vaccination clinics in affected communities.

How Pennsylvania handles this crisis will offer important lessons for other states. Over the past two years, major measles outbreaks have struck Texas, South Carolina and Utah. It's only a matter of time before other states experience their next public health challenge from what remains a vaccine-preventable illness.

They told the world AI is dangerous. Now Trump's allies are coming for them.

AI FROM A1

Former White House AI adviser David Sacks, right, pictured with tech leaders at the White House last week, argues that some advocates for AI safety should be sidelined.

KEVIN DIETSCH/GETTY IMAGES

AL DRAGO/BLOOMBERG/GETTY IMAGES

Emil Michael, the Pentagon's chief technology officer, has dismissed calls for action to prevent extreme scenarios of AI causing harm.

sciousness and a sex workshop called “Slutcon.”

Trump officials and allies have sniped at the movement for months but the attacks intensified after public anxiety over AI risks forced the White House to respond. Sacks last month shared on X a New York Post front page that called employees of METR, which helped OpenAI investigate its rogue AI agents, “THE WOKE WIZARDS OF AI.” (The Washington Post has a content partnership with OpenAI.)

Trump on Sunday named several figures who have rejected calls from advocates for an AI industry-wide slowdown to his Super Intelligence Force advisory panel. They include Sacks and Emil Michael, the Pentagon's chief technology officer, who said last month that calls for action to prevent extreme scenarios of AI causing harm promoted “extinction, death-cult-like philosophies.”

"There has absolutely been a rhetorical push within certain corners of the White House and broader Trump administration to get the message out about effective altruism and its potential dangers," said a Trump administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe private discussions.

A White House official said that it supports organizations that evaluate the security and safety of how AI models are engineered. The official pointed to Trump's 2025 executive order targeting what the president termed “woke AI.”

Anthropic declined to comment.

Nathan Leamer, director of the pro-industry nonprofit Build American AI, said he has been briefing congressional staff and other influential conservative figures in Washington about effective altruism, describing it as antithetical to his own Christian values.

"A year ago no one in Hill offices knew what effective altruism was," Leamer said. Build American AI is linked to Leading the Future, a political campaign group funded by the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI President Greg Brockman, a major midterms Republican donor.

Brad Carson, co-founder of Americans for Responsible Innovation, which says it is focused on AI policy in the public interest, said that Trump allies are trying discredit anyone pushing for meaningful AI regulation, an idea that now has significant momentum.

"In D.C., at least, and maybe in the broader culture, we won that fight. The vibe is with us," said Carson, who also leads a political advocacy organization funded in part by Anthropic. "People are very concerned. Congress wants to regulate."

But leaders of AI evaluation start-ups that did not grow out of the AI safety movement said some Washington Republicans are distrustful of the label.

“It almost felt like a new version of McCarthyism,” said Rayan Krishnan, CEO of the Andreessen Horowitz-backed start-up Vals AI, after a trip to Washington last month to pitch his start-up to the public sector.

Judd Rosenblatt, CEO of AE Studio, who described himself as a conservative small business owner, said multiple people in the Trump administration have told his team that they see the need for third parties to assess AI tools, but are wary of effective altruism, he said.

Civil society groups that have been auditing AI systems since before the debut of ChatGPT warn there is a risk that an opportunity for oversight of opaque AI giants will be squandered.

“Where we find ourselves now is trying to determine who will actually be in the room in making decisions,” said Miranda Bogen, chief technologist at the Center for Democracy &

Technology and director of the advocacy group's AI Governance Lab, one of various groups eager to contribute their expertise in standard-setting.

The accord signed by AI chief executives last week, which Trump called “morally binding,” was frequently mentioned on-stage and in huddles between sessions at the Berkeley conference last weekend, where attendees endured a heat wave with fans and Popsicles.

At a Sunday discussion panel on what the AI auditor ecosystem might look like, one speaker said they are working on building a broad coalition of experts, including people working on bias and discrimination as well as blue-chip firms like Accenture and Deloitte. Panelists also discussed other ways the community could prove its legitimacy. Another suggested two-month boot camps to train a talent pipeline of qualified auditors.

Adam Gleave, CEO of FAR. AI, a nonprofit research institute, said in an interview that excluding the AI safety community would shut out people with expertise that are important in the current moment.

"When it comes to looking at millions of agent transcripts and trying to piece together what they did and how they were interacting, I don't think there are many organizations in the world that have that expertise," Gleave said. "The reality is that anyone you hire with that background is going to have some connection to the industry."

On his podcast, Sacks and his co-hosts, who remain close to the White House, made clear that they preferred instead to have established corporate giants do the work.

“You're going to see EY in short order here announce something,” said investor Chamath Palihapitiya, who earlier in the episode said his start-up 8090 was building the global accounting firm formerly known as Ernst & Young “an entire audit infrastructure for super intelligence,” and that 8090 now plans to “roll it out to everybody.”

EY said in a statement that it was working with 8090 to “develop new capabilities that bring greater visibility, traceability and human accountability to consequential AI-enabled decisions and workflows.”

For couples with an age gap, turning 65 doesn't solve health insurance issue

pick a plan.

ISTOCK

BY JOHN CSISZAR

Turn 65 and you might think your health insurance problems are over. Although Medicare doesn't cover every medical service or cost, for many retirees, it reduces coverage costs. But this doesn't solve the coverage problem if you have a younger spouse who relied on your insurance and isn't eligible for Medicare.

“People think of 65 as the finish line for health insurance,” said Zoe Lim, senior vice president of business development at DynEx Group Benefits. “For a couple with an age gap, it’s really only the finish line for one person.”

Large age gaps are not uncommon. The Census Bureau reports that in 2025, more than 5 million opposite-sex couples living together had a man who was at least 10 years older than his female partner. Another 1.3 million had a woman who was at least 10 years older than her male partner.

Even sophisticated workers can be left in the dark about their insurance choices after retirement or when becoming eligible for Medicare.

"I've consulted for CEOs of major corporations ... and what they're given is a piece of paper and sent on their way," said

Elizabeth Gavino, president and owner of insurance brokerage Lewin & Gavino.

One solution is to remain on an active employer plan even after becoming eligible for Medicare. In that case, a person can have both employer insurance and Medicare. Companies with 20 or more employees are generally responsible for paying medical bills of covered workers first. If it doesn't cover the full amount, Medicare may then pay some of the remaining bill, depending on whether Medicare covers the service. The opposite is true for smaller companies, where Medicare generally bears first responsibility for paying.

If the employer option isn't viable, the older spouse may choose to move to Medicare while the younger spouse obtains coverage through their own employer, COBRA, the Affordable Care Act marketplace or an individual policy purchased directly from an insurer.

COBRA can provide continuity because it allows the younger spouse to remain on the existing employer plan for up to 18 months, although coverage can sometimes last longer. But it can be expensive.

"I wouldn't automatically assume COBRA is the answer for the younger spouse. It's one option, but I would price everything before making that decision," said Lim.

The older spouse can enroll in Medicare while the younger spouse remains on COBRA. If the older spouse has delayed Medicare Part B while covered by an active employer plan, they generally have up to eight months to enroll after the job or coverage ends, whichever happens first. Choosing COBRA does not extend that deadline, and missing it can result in a late-enrollment penalty. The important factor is that this deadline continues running, even if the person chooses

COBRA.

Another bridge solution for some couples could be marketplace coverage.

Generally, workers who lose job-based insurance can use a special enrollment period that runs from 60 days before to 60 days after the loss of coverage to

Depending on household income and family size, premium tax credits and other savings may be available.

“Many couples think they are making a Medicare decision when they are really making a retirement decision that affects the whole family,” Gavino said.

Ultimately, the cost of providing health insurance for the younger spouse could end up forcing the older spouse to continue working.

"When the couple sits down to assess the real costs of Medicare and health insurance for the younger spouse, the decision to retire may be delayed," Gavino said.

To avoid this scenario, couples can compare the premiums, deductibles, provider networks and out-of-pocket limits of each available insurance option before selecting a retirement date for the older spouse.

They can also review which marketplace subsidies are available, if any, and how long any temporary coverage will last.

By modeling both spouses' insurance costs together and understanding how various solutions operate, couples can determine when retirement becomes affordable in terms of covering the cost of the younger spouse.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026

Where the dads are big league boors

TAYLOR JEWELL/AP

In ‘Team Moms,’ it’s the fathers who are the stars – and the villains

BY STEPHANIE APSTEIN

There is a moment midway through the third episode of “Team Moms: Baseball,” a new Kim Kardashian-produced reality show, when it almost seems as if the adults will remember that they are watching children play games.

There are still scenes of absurdity — such as when one child is revealed to be failing a few of his classes, and his father's primary concern is that the poor grades make him ineligible for practice; when another dad, ejected from a youth tournament for berating the umpire, sneaks back in, beer in hand. But surely those are extremes, played up for the television audiences. Surely at some point, someone is going to take a glance at these 13- and 14-year-old boys, all floppy hair and sweeps of eye black, and offer them a childhood.

The cast has taken a spring break trip to Sedona, Arizona, from their homes outside Phoenix, and they are preparing for a kayaking excursion. By the river, a dozen tweens crowd around equipment crates, pawing through water shoes and fastening life jackets.

Except for three, who wait to see if they will be allowed to take some time off from what their father describes as their job: playing sports, to his standards. One

SEE BASEBALL ON B2

Q&A

Michael Douglas's 'sense of immortality'

The actor

bares the

most painful

moments

of his life in

memoir

BY HILLEL ITALIE

IN NEW YORK

Associated Press

In his new memoir, "One Helluva Ride," Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas reflects on his youthful rebellion, his midlife success and his past mistakes.

Michael Douglas, the award-winning actor and producer, recently turned 82. He is a cancer survivor, a recovered addict, a married man, and the father and son of actors. He is also an author, who begins his memoir with a message of thanks to his family — past and present and future — for the “sense of immortality.” ¶ Immortality. ¶ “Many times my father was asked, ‘Kirk, are you jealous of your son?’” he said during a recent interview at a Manhattan hotel, referring to his late father, fellow actor and sometime combatant Kirk Douglas. “And he said, ‘Jealous?’ This is a sense of immortality, a continuity of generations.” ¶ Family is how Douglas anchors his legacy and his place in a world he fears is breaking down. But there are other ways to live on past your own time: starring in cultural touchstones such as “Fatal Attraction” or “Basic Instinct,” or writing a 500-page book that is titled “One Helluva Ride,” a famous man’s journey from rebellion and coming of age, to midlife success and transgression to the inevitable reckoning with mortality and past mistakes.

SEE Q&A ON B3

THE LAST FIRST: WINTER

K2 ★★★☆

Greed amid the falling rocks and avalanches

Documentary looks at the commercialization of extreme climbing

BY JOCELYN NOVECK

Associated Press

“He has to go and live on the edge,” explains Lina Móey about her husband, the Icelandic mountaineer John Snorri Sigurjonsson, in “The Last First: Winter K2.”

And she means it literally: He has to go live on the edge of a mountain.

In this case, it's the most forbidding mountain on the planet: K2, on the border between Pakistan and China. Sigurjonsson, one of the main figures profiled in Amir Bar-Lev's engrossing and sobering documentary, was already a celebrated climber when he returned to K2, the world's second-highest peak after Mount Everest. He had scaled it in summertime. Now, four years later, Sigurjonsson aimed to scale it in winter.

That's a feat no climber had ever achieved on what one expert calls a “savage mountain.” But that winter in 2021, as Pakistan eased pandemic-era border restrictions, dozens of climbers — veterans and novices alike — saw a chance to achieve that “last first” in extreme climbing.

Ultimately, 10 would make the summit. But Bar-Lev's film is far from the usual inspiring look at

SEE 'THE LAST FIRST' ON B2

Kardashian-produced reality show lays bare the unforced errors of parents

Some of the parents in a scene from the Paramount+ reality series "Team Moms: Baseball."

PARAMOUNT+

BASEBALL FROM B1

has a tournament that weekend, another a track meet. What if they pull a muscle paddling? What if they capsize going over a Class II rapid? They could be working out instead. Their parents deliberate.

“They want to go, bad,” the dad acknowledges to the other adults. “We don’t do this stuff because it’s always practice, sports, practice, sports.” (He says this proudly.) He finally relents: His son can kayak until lunchtime. Then they’ll go to the batting cages.

Again, the children are 13 and 14.

But then there is that moment of purity, in a confessional, when another dad scoffs.

“Let’s be real,” he says. “These aren’t million-dollar athletes signing deals and going to play professional ball. We’re on spring break. Quit running your kids like it’s a damn business, and let them have some fun.”

Yes! you think. Finally. Someone gets it.

Alas, keep watching. Sixteen minutes later, that same father openly speculates that his son is soft for not playing through pain. Throughout the show, at least two other dads do the same. At one point, a child confesses to an injury, and his father instructs him not to tell the coaches. "It's important in bracket play that when Sal gets opportunities, he steps up and makes the most of it," the man explains to the camera. When the boy later strikes out, his dad is waiting by the backstop — not to console him but to review video.

Even the show's most reasonable-seeming parents respond to their son's hip injury, a product of overuse, by shuttling him to extra pitching lessons. The boy — the only legitimate college prospect of the bunch — ends up throwing three days in a row and gets shelled.

This is the world of “Team Moms: Baseball,” which debuted on Paramount+ last week, and it’s also the world of so many young athletes. Most of the estimated 27.3 million children playing organized sports today do not attend baseball factories such as Legendary Prep Academy (Reported sticker price: \$30,900 per year for daily practices and weight training, tournaments every weekend and a barber once a week.) But just about every one of those kids probably has heard a dad berate his child after a poor performance. As youth sports become more professionalized, the emotional stakes higher with every dollar spent and mile traversed, so do the expectations placed on the participants by the people who are supposed to support them when they fall short.

Surely many of those children can relate to the car ride endured by one of these boys after he fails to come up with a pop-up at second base. (It's neither here nor there, but it was actually the shortstop's ball.) His father spends the drive home asking him why he failed. If I had to guess, I would say it's because

he's 14.

The titular Team Moms are not entirely innocent. "You can go kayaking every day if you want to after you become a famous athlete making millions of dollars," one tells her children.

But they are mostly engaged in the standard reality-TV fare you might expect from a show produced by a Kardashian: a deep-dive into whether one family owns or rents their suspiciously large mansion, an argument that ends when two combatants realize they share a birthday, even the classic discussion of whether someone is “there for the right reasons.” (Presumably in this case the wrong reasons would be having fun.)

The spat about real estate provides fodder for several episodes and culminates in a cease-and-desist delivered by one mother to another at an '80s-themed birthday party. The women — one in a neon leotard, the other in leopard print — swear so robustly that the exchange devolves into one long beep. They eventually have to be separated.

The melee ends, appropriately for this group, with one dad hoping it doesn't affect the kids' "brotherhood — and their performance on the field."

Even after all that, the kids still have a chance. During the spring break debate, they look incredulous.

“Imagine leaving in the middle of kayaking to go hit,” one says. But the camera does not linger on them. Just like their baseball careers, the show is not really about the children, or even about the moms, so the camera pans back to Dad.

"I can't wait till this weekend," the father beams after compromising on the kayaking question. "When Sal makes a Gold Glove play, and then one of the other guys makes an error, and I tell him, 'Told you you shouldn't have went kayaking.'"

Documentary looks at the cynical opportunism that plagues extreme climbing

'THE LAST FIRST' FROM B1

how determination and grit resulted in a triumph of spirit and body.

A scene from Apple TV's "The Last First: Winter K2." The documentary reveals the jealousy, competitiveness and ego among some of the climbers on K2.

It's a movie that instead looks at the cynical opportunism that has led to a dangerous — and in this case, utterly catastrophic — commercialization of extreme climbing.

APPLE TV/AP

That there were deaths on the 2021 climb is well-documented. But Bar-Lev, who has pieced together some extraordinarily intimate footage (he himself did not shoot on-site), chooses to assume the viewer doesn't know, keeping the final tragedy a mystery until the end.

His message comes through immediately, though, in a pre-credits sequence. We hear the crackling of a radio, and the voice of American climber Colin O'Brady, far up the mountain.

“I want to be on the record, I’m very worried about people’s safety,” O’Brady says. “Please, please, please help.”

We then go back two months, with Sigurjonsson saying an emotional goodbye to Moey and their six children as he departs Iceland on his dream mission.

“Finally this day has come,” he writes on Facebook.

Once at K2 base camp, he bonds with his team: noted Pakistani climber Ali Sadpara and his son, Sajid. The trio starts the slow process of acclimating to the mountain air and preparing for the ordeal ahead.

There's laughter, some quips about urine freezing midair, even a bit of dancing.

Then the Nepali team arrives. Their star, Nimsdai Purja, is on his own mission: making history for his nation. Historically, climbers from Nepal have been crucial in helping Westerners reach climbing greatness, with no glory for themselves.

So, though Purja gives Ali a big hug upon arrival and all seems collegial, there are sharp egos at stake, and nationalist pride.

“Nimsdai,” one climber says, “was there to win it.” And he did — though his team seemingly betrayed the others to do it, setting off alone one morning despite an agreement with Sigurjonsson and the Sadparas to summit together.

We see the trio's reaction in their tent: shock and disappointment. "It was over," says Moey.

Not long after, an experienced climber dies in a fall. Now, there's talk of everyone going home. But things get complicated. Pakistani officials arrive for a visit and make it clear the country is counting on their two countrymen to show they can match the Nepalis.

On top of that, filmmaker Elia Saikaly has arrived, planning a movie on Ali Sadpara and his heroic attempt.

Says Moey: "There was so much pressure on them."

Meanwhile, the true villain of the tale — the travel company Seven Summit Treks — has brought a group of fee-paying clients, many woefully inexperienced. And ill-equipped: When they reach Camp Three, from where climbers make the final push to the summit, they lack tents and food to survive the night.

So they plead their way into the tents of more experienced climbers, making it impossible for them to get any rest or prepare properly.

The next day, only three climbers make a final push to the summit.

There's some deeply poignant footage here. Some of it — such as people learning close friends or partners have died — was apparently too intimate to make the final cut.

But such personal moments are key to keeping the film moving. And they show how the risks of climbing K2 in winter extend far beyond falling rocks, avalanches, killer storms and deathly cold.

They include human qualities like jealousy, competitiveness, and ego.

As one climber says: "Mountaineering is not only a discovery of the mountain — it's a discovery of yourself."

But for us, it's also uncomfortable to be so close to such tragedy. As filmmaker Saikaly himself says at one point: "I had gone overboard. What am I doing right now? Nobody wants to see a camera."

the GUIDE to the Lively Arts | SHOW NAME | DATES & TIMES | DESCRIPTION | DETAILS | PRICE | ADDITIONAL | SPECIAL EVENTS | SAINT LOUISFRENCH SPEAKINGROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHWASHINGTON DC | Fall FairRESCHEDULEDFrench Cuisine • FrenchBooks for Kids & Adults• Gastronomic FrenchMenu • Family-FriendlyGames | NEW DATESunday,October 11, 202611:30 AM-5:00 PM | Annual Fall Fair • Every 1st Sunday of OctFrench Cuisine for sale • TraditionalFrench Dishes • Desserts & Sweets •Kids’ Meals • Family-Friendly Games •Foosball & Chess TournamentDine-In or Take-OutFrench Book Fair October 6-910:00 AM-6:00 PM | Saint LouisRoman Catholic Church4125 Garrison St, NWWashington, DCwww.saintlouisdc.org | FreeEntrance | Biggestdisplay of 2ndHand FrenchBooks, pocketto beautifulart books &collections$2-$25 | The Guide to the Lively Arts appears: • Sunday in Arts & Style. deadline: Tues., 12 noon• Monday in Style. deadline: Friday, 12 noon • Tuesday in Style. deadline: Mon., 12 noon • Wednesday in Style. deadline: Tues., 12 noon• Thursday in Style. deadline: Wed., 12 noon • Friday in Weekend. deadline: Tues., 12 noon • Saturday in Style. deadline: Friday, 12 noonFor information about advertising, call Raymond Boyer at 202-334-4174.To reach a representative, call: 202-334-7006 | guidetoarts@washpost.com | # Spouse is sad that entertainment interests have diverged. Readers have advice.

Carolyn Hax

We asked readers to channel their inner Carolyn Hax and answer this question. Some of the best responses are below.

Dear Caro-

lyn: How do I accept that my spouse's interests and desires for formerly shared activities have changed? We bonded early on over the arts — think independent films, thoughtful books and TV series, museums, and occasional ballet and symphony attendance squeezed in somehow despite a limited budget. We were so similar in outlook, we used to joke that we'd married our twin!

Over several decades, with the birth of our children, our priorities understandably shifted. But now, it seems the change is permanent. We still support each other's solo individual pursuits, but our common interests have dwindled. Shared movies (rare)

are hero action films or goofy comedies only. Spouse's books have narrowed to spy or detective lit. Any attempt to share a deeply meaningful movie, documentary or TV series that I've discovered is met with "meh" on their part.

Honestly, it's painfully lonely. I sometimes feel like I don't know who they are anymore, and that in a way, I've lost my best friend.

Remember in the movie "The Break-up" when Jennifer Aniston says it's not about whether Vince Vaughn loves the ballet, it's that \*the person that he loves\* loves the ballet? She's willing to do his stuff, and wants him to \*want\* to do her stuff, too, just for her sake. (Oof. No notes.)

Fruitlessly begging them to sit next to me to experience something meaningful that they claim they used to but no longer enjoy would diminish it for me and not bring us any closer. In other respects, they have been a good partner and parent over the years. How do I reframe this to get over my sadness about this change?

Baby Wanted 12 Lemons, Got 3

Baby Wanted 12 Lemons, Got 3: You describe your interests as “thoughtful” and “deeply meaningful” and your spouse’s as “narrow” and “goofy.” Leave aside the arrogance of your estimation of your own hobbies. Leave aside, even, the fact that some of history’s greatest writers, from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to John le Carré and Graham Greene, wrote detective and spy fiction.

The real question is: How can you fault your spouse for not taking an interest in your interests when you show such obvious contempt for theirs? Try learning more about what they love and why they love it. Only then will you have standing to request that they return the favor.

-RTF

Baby Wanted 12 Lemons, Got

3: Rather than trying to restart what you had in the past, I suggest exploring things that are new to both of you. Pick something; give it a try. No interest? Try something else.

Our interests change over time. My husband and I had symphony tickets for years, and then I realized I was zoning out during the orchestral music. I stopped going; he is still a subscriber. Yesterday we went to a concert by someone new who improvises and is truly gifted. We both enjoyed it. A few years ago, I never would have guessed I'd be raising butterflies. My husband has joined me in that new activity. You get the idea.

— New

Baby Wanted 12 Lemons, Got 3: You sound as if you haven't changed at all. Perhaps that's frustrating for your spouse?

— Flip

Baby Wanted 12 Lemons, Got 3: Hard to tell from your narrative whether your spouse truly changed or if they just went along with what you wanted to do for years and now are no longer willing to do that. Both are possible, so ask the question.

If it is the former, well, such changes happen, even if they are rare. If it is the latter, you have a right to be somewhat miffed your spouse apparently deceived you about what they truly liked for years.

On the other hand, you got to do what you wanted for years and your spouse didn't. So maybe it is their turn.

— Old Wine

Baby Wanted 12 Lemons, Got 3: You're both older. A lot of life has happened. The world can be a dark place. Is it possible your spouse is more interested in "lighter" entertainment because they're exhausted? Did they spend decades focusing on child care and/or earning a living? Are they still doing the heavy lifting in keeping your shared lives organized and comfort-

able?

Think about why they might not be interested in working at engaging with the more serious pursuits you miss doing with them. It may be a combination of changing interests and a need to relax. Make sure you're pulling your weight and accept that you may have different needs for leisure activities.

Every week, we ask online readers to answer a question submitted to Carolyn Hax's live chat or email. New questions are typically posted on Thursdays, with a Monday deadline for submissions. Responses are anonymous unless you choose to identify yourself and are edited for length and clarity.

Write to Carolyn Hax at tellme@washpost.com. Get her newsletter delivered to your inbox each morning at wapo.st/gethax.

Actor thinks he inherited father Kirk Douglas's tenacity, ambition and rage

Q&A FROM B1

Publishing on Tuesday, his memoir is framed around the making of some of his most notable movies, including “Basic Instinct,” “Fatal Attraction,” “Falling Down,” “Romancing the Stone” and two films that brought him Oscars: as a producer of best picture winner “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and as star of “Wall Street,” when his turn as corporate raider Gordon Gekko brought him the prize for best actor and helped make “Greed is good” a catchphrase for the late 1980s.

Michael Douglas in 1976 at the Academy Awards ceremony, where he won a best-picture Oscar as producer for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

Douglas himself was once enough a symbol of hedonism that he was rumored to be undergoing treatment for sex addiction. False, he says, but in his memoir he acknowledges that at the time he met Catherine Zeta-Jones, whom he married in 2000, he was dating five other women. They were all in different cities, he explained during his interview, and “as long as you weren’t seeing somebody else in the same city that might embarrass her, they were all right.”

He is now well settled with Zeta-Jones and satisfied enough with his career that he no longer has any great drive to top himself; he's just as happy taking a walk in the garden. But Douglas also sees the book as a baring of the most painful moments of his life: his near-archetypal quest to forge an identity apart from his father; a childhood damaged by violence and divorce that only was resolved in the latter part of Kirk's life; Douglas' own divorce from first wife, Diandra Luker; the substance abuse battles of Michael and son Cameron Douglas, who spent seven years in prison on drug charges; and the diagnosis of Stage 4 tongue cancer in 2010 that he at first assumed would kill him.

Wearing a dark blazer, blue shirt and no tie, Douglas is a warm and open conversationalist. During his interview, he spoke of the awesome burdens and privileges of being Kirk Douglas' son, his improbable decision to become an actor, too, and the single line of dialogue he says comes closest to the truth about himself.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Douglas and his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, in 2018. “I’m always saying to my kids or anybody else that will listen — get your career out of the way before you think about marrying and having kids,” Douglas says. “That affected my first marriage, because I was consumed.”

The way you describe your father in this book, it feels like something larger than just the two of you: the king and the heir who only wants to live up to him.

I looked at dad as just Superman. He was so dynamic. He was so strong. He has such tenacity. I watched him on the screen as Spartacus, saw him as Ulysses ... I never thought I could be the man my father was. I didn't think it was in the cards. It took me a long time to gain confidence and then to make a lot of the same mistakes he made.

And still, perhaps against all common sense, you decide to become an actor.

I never thought about being an actor until I was in college. I had no major. And they called me into the office, “You got to declare a major. You can’t just take general education courses.” I was a bit of a hippie at the time. And I thought, “Well, my mother (Diana Douglas) is an actress, and I had seen her doing stage productions. And my father ….” So I thought it would be an easy course.

I started then performing in school. I had terrible, terrible stage fright, you know, (vomit-

GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING/AP

Douglas's memoir, "One Helluva Ride," which was released Tuesday, details the personal struggles he has faced.

ing in) wastebaskets off stage.

What made you decide to stick with it?

I wanted to overcome my stage fright. I wanted to fight the uncomfortable feeling I had of being in front of a camera.

In so much of the book, it seems like you're at war with yourself.

I think that's probably true. I think I inherited my father's tenacity, my father's ambition, and his rage. He had a big temper growing up. There must have been this desire to feel like I was somebody. Because growing up, I was always the son of ...

Your father used to say that the most personal words he ever spoke on screen were in "Lonely Are the Brave," when he said "I'm a loner clear down deep to my very guts." What a line. A two-part question: Do you think that was true of him? And is there a line from one of your movies that says the same about yourself?

They [his parents] had good friends and everything, but there was always an isolation about him. And I find I have a bit of that, too.

As far as a line for myself, I always love in “Falling Down,” when he (an unemployed defense worker who turns violent) says “I’m the bad guy?”

Why do you relate to that? I'm fairly tough on myself in the book and, you know, honest. I tried to do the right thing but have found myself in situations where it appears that I am the bad guy.

You write about how you regretted spending so much time away from home during your first marriage. But seeing all the movies you made and everything else you did, would you have done it differently if you had the chance?

I can't say I would. I do not believe that you can balance career with family. You just can't balance it. So I'm always saying to my kids or anybody else that will listen — get your career out of the way before you think about marrying and having kids. That affected my first marriage, because I was consumed.

Could you have written this book if your father was still alive? No

Why not?

Because I was very uncomfortable talking about the early years and his physical abuse. He

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BIRTHDAY | OCTOBER 7: You're

This is the final year of a nine-year cycle for you. Take inventory of your life. Let go of people, places and things that have held you back.

Moon Alert: Avoid shopping (except for food and gas) and important decisions after 2:30 p.m. today. The Moon is in Virgo.

---

ARIES

---

(March 21-April 19)

Even though your work routine might be interrupted today, this is a productive day. Parents should be extra vigilant because this could be an accident-prone day for your kids. Social plans might suddenly change. Athletes should be careful to avoid injuries.

---

TAURUS

---

(April 20-May 20)

Parents should be vigilant to avoid accidents with their kids today. You might impulsively socialize with someone today, or the reverse – you might cancel plans. Meanwhile, you'll put out a lot of energy to make home improvements today. You might even surprise yourself.

---

GEMINI

(May 21-June 20)

Stay light on your feet, because your daily routine might change today. A small appliance might break down or a minor breakage could occur, or someone surprising might appear at your door.

---

CANCER

Pay attention to everything you say and do because this is potentially an

---

N-S VULNERABLE

NORTH

♠ K9

♥ 9854

♦ AQ1095

♣ K7

WEST EAST (D)

♠ 8432 ♠ QJ1075

♥ K3 ♥ 7

♦ 732 ♦ K84

♣ 9652 ♣ AQJ8

---

SOUTH

♠ A6

♥ AQJ1062

♦ J6

♣ 1043

---

The bidding:

EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH

1 ♠ 2 ♥ Pass 4 ♥

All Pass

Opening lead — ♠ 8

---

HOROSCOPE

accident-prone day. Meanwhile, keep an eye on your possessions and money to avoid loss, theft or damage. (Something unexpected.) Guard against impulse purchases especially during the Moon Alert.

---

LEO

---

(July 23-Aug, 22)

You're restless and impatient today because you want new thrills and chills! This is why you might be impulsive and do whatever you can to break free of your daily routine. Guard against impulse spending, which is likely. Be aware of the restrictions of the Moon Alert.

---

VIRGO

---

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Aug. 23 Sept. 22)

You're eager for something fresh and different today! You want to see new places and meet new faces. You certainly want to learn new things! Fortunately, with both Mercury and Venus in your House of Communications, you'll charm everyone you meet.

---

LIBRA

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

This is a restless day for you. However, you're not the only one restless. Very likely, a friend or a member of a group will do something that catches you off guard. Yes, it's that kinda day – unpredictable! Your inner rebel wants to break free.

---

SCORPIO

---

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Be aware that you might be surprised by authority figures today. ("Busted!") Forewarned is forearmed. Likewise, a friend or a member of a group might surprise you or catch you off guard in some way. Or perhaps you will meet someone who is unusual and different.

---

BRIDGE

Unlucky Louie is beset with misfortune — the kind of fortune, he says, that never misses. When I watched today's deal in my club's penny game, Louie played at four hearts. Cy the Cynic was West and led a spade.

Louie won in dummy and let the nine of trumps ride. He grimaced when Cy produced the king.

“Cheer up,” Cy told Louie. “Things always get worse before they fall apart completely.”

Sure enough, Cy shifted to a club, and East took the ace and jack and led a second spade. Louie won and drew the missing trump, but East's king of diamonds won the setting trick.

As usual, Louie brought misfortune on himself. Since East surely has the ace of clubs, Louie doesn't want West to get in for a club shift. Louie should take his ace of trumps at Trick Two — he doesn't mind if East wins a trump trick — then finesse in diamonds.

---

SAGITTARIUS

---

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Authority figures are unpredictable today. Meanwhile, plans related to travel, higher education, publishing, medicine and the law might suddenly change. Or you might bulldoze your way into a situation that matters to you. That's because it's easy to be impatient with restrictions today.

---

CAPRICORN

---

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Keep an eye on issues related to banking, inheritances, shared property, taxes and debt, because something unexpected might occur. You're certainly willing to stand up for your rights and defend your best interests. Meanwhile, travel is unpredictable. Friendships are cozy!

---

AQUARIUS

---

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

You might attract someone to you today who is suddenly aggressive or in-your-face. This might relate to an unexpected situation about shared expenses, shared property or inheritances. It might even relate to taxes or debt. Be aware that your relations with authority figures are smooth and supportive today. Great!

---

PISCES

---

(Feb. 19-March 20)

Your work routine might be interrupted today. Likewise, relations with partners and close friends are also subject to change and surprises. This is because people feel impulsive. You want to break free of any restrictions. Personally, you would love to travel for pleasure and do anything for a change of scenery. (Well, not anything.)

— Georgia Nicols

© 2026, KING FEATURES SYNDICATE, INC.

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East wins and leads another

spade, and Louie wins and runs the diamonds. He discards two clubs before West can ruff and lead a club.

---

DAILY QUESTION

You hold:

♠ Q J 10 7 5 ♥ 7

◆ K84 ♣ AQJ8

Your partner opens one spade. The next player passes. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your hand is way too strong to jump to four spades. Slam is possible if partner has a useful heart holding, but if he has say, K-Q-x, his honors will be “wasted” opposite your singleton. Your best bid is a “splinter” jump to four hearts, showing spade support and heart shortness. Let partner judge how well your hands fit.

— Frank Stewart

©2026, TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.

---

SUDOKU

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

DIFFICULTY RATING: ★★★☆☆

---

SCRABBLE G $_{2}$ R $_{1}$ A $_{1}$ M $_{3}$ S $_{1}$

DIRECTIONS: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. "Blanks" used as any letter have no point value. All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition. SOLUTION TOMORROW For more information on tournaments and clubs, email NASPA - North American SCRABBLE Players Association info@scrabbleplayers.org. Visit our website - www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzle inquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com

---

PREVIOUS SCRABBLEGRAMS SOLUTION | D2 | O1 | C3 | K5 | A4 | G2 | E1 | RACK 1 = 95 | L1 | A1 | Y4 | E1 | T1 | T1 | E1 | RACK 2 = 64 | F4 | A1 | M3 | I1 | S1 | H4 | RACK 3 = 14 | A1 | M3 | M3 | O1 | N1 | I1 | C3 | RACK 4 = 63 | PAR SCORE 150-160 TOTAL | 236 | We have more than 100 card, puzzle and word games to challenge you.

---

Play more games online

Just scan the QR code with your phone's camera or visit

wapo.st/games

---

Game Break

Get our gaming newsletter with daily reminders and other insights. wapo.st/newsletters

---

PREVIOUS SUDOKU SOLUTION | 3 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 8 | ---

JUMBLE CROSSWORDS $^{TM}$

ITV-Verdall 2D-Strangie 3D-Avive 4D-Fecade B-Hudson River

ANSWER: IA-Usual 5A-North 6A-Nice 7A-Severe

©2028 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

& Hoyt Designs. All Rights Reserved.

Send comments to DLHoyt@HoytInteractiveMedia.com

How to play Complete the crossword puzzle by looking at the clues and unscrambling the answers. When the puzzle is complete, unscramble the circled letters to solve the BONUS.

---

LA TIMES CROSSWORD

---

ACROSS

---

By Robin Stears

---

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68

1 Built (on)

6 Many an A-lister

11 Swing's path

14 Cartoon canine who speaks with an "R" consonant mutation

15 Level

16 "Argo" org.

17 Ruin the Olympic Games?

19 Every last bit

20 Tammy Duckworth's title, briefly

21 Merry-go-round music

22 Bas—

24 Like many dirt roads

26 Home of Hawaii's Merrie Monarch Festival

27 Destroy casual chitchat?

32 Tennis great Andre

35 Georgia airport code

36 "If you ask me ...""

37 Massage

38 Super vision?

39 Polite title

40 A in geometry

42 French wine classification

43 Annette of "Virgin River"

46 Wreak havoc on origami supplies?

49 Forever and ever

50 Repeat for emphasis

54 "Who \_!"

57 Burlesque bit

58 Light touch

59 Sometimes called, for short

60 Lay waste to a dairy product?

63 Virginia Woolf's " \_ Dalloway"

64 " \_ mañana"

65 A-list

66 Light touch

67 Elizabeth who plays the Scarlet Witch

68 Trig ratios

DOWN

1 Common voice for an opera villain

2 Colorado town near Snowmass

3 Curling piece

4 “\_\_tu”: Verdi aria

5 Brunei money

6 Orchard fruit

7 Congeal

8 Viscous goo

9 Having one's day in court?

10 Deal in, as vintage clothing

11 Breakfast bowl berry

12 Annoy but good

13 Baby camel

14 Africa-to-Asia land bridge

23 Trickster in Norse mythology

25 Jr. officers

26 URL starter

28 Invites to one's apartment, say

29 Childish comeback

30 Get just right © 2026 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

31 Giant

oceanic surface

current

32 Part of UAE

33 Hindu

mentor

34 Lie for, say

38 Goes astray

41 Las Vegas

WNBA team

42 Primary

43 \_\_ nerve

44 Shows signs of growth?

45 Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby

47 Top dog

48 Three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Troy

51 Saved on supper, perhaps

10/7/26

52 Sample size?

53 Stage combat props

54 Not quite dry

55 Sticky pod

56 From Perth to Sydney

57 Make full

61 Curvy letter

62 Yale grad

TUESDAY'S LA TIMES SOLUTION

RON CHENOY/IMAGN IMAGES

A switch at quarterback has not paid dividends for fourth-year Coach Deion Sanders and the struggling Buffaloes (2-3), who are mired in a three-game losing streak.

A tough time for Coach Prime

Sanders made Colorado football matter again, but his fourth season has been a trying one

---

BY EDDIE PELLS Associated Press

BOULDER, COLO. — One of Colorado's biggest boosters loves him. One of his most daunting opponents does, too.

Deion Sanders is still capturing his share of hearts at the program he put back on the map when he arrived before the 2023 season. But wins aren't following

Examining the before and after of the most recent loss — a 29-7 home setback against Texas Tech on Saturday that dropped Sanders to 18-24 at Colorado — shows there aren't any clear-cut answers for the Buffaloes, who are 2-3.

Yes, they could use more money to stay on pace in the college sports arms race. Even if they got it, though, there is mixed evidence as to whether “Coach Prime” and his staff are up to the task of winning big.

---

A valuable connection

A booster named Rob Wilhite was among the hundreds hanging out Saturday on a lawn in the shadow of Colorado's Folsom Field. On autumn Saturdays, the football-sized field becomes “Ralphie's Corral,” named after the buffalo that leads the Buffs onto the gridiron. Wilhite is the official personal injury attorney for Colorado athletics.

“Look what he’s done for our program,” he says of Sanders as he points at the hundreds of people milling, sipping and waiting for a pregame appearance from Ralphie herself. “Before he came, there was no one out here. It was like half this crowd.”

Wilhite grew up in Dallas watching Sanders play for the Cowboys on Sundays. On Saturdays, he loved watching Eric Bieniemy lead the Buffs to their only national title in 1990. The day the attorney officially fell in love with Colorado football was Jan. 1, 1996, at the Cotton Bowl.

"I got to see Rick Neuheisel play his SEE SANDERS ON B10

Changes are likely for O's in offseason

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Franchise begins process of self-examination after another lost season

BY MATT WEYRICH

Baltimore Sun

While the MLB playoffs are in full swing, the Baltimore Orioles' offseason is already well underway.

Baltimore was in mathematical contention until the regular season's final week, but the club never shook off its inconsistencies enough to secure a spot in the postseason. The Orioles finished 79-82, falling $4 \frac{1}{2}$ games short of a wild-card spot and landing in fourth in the American League East, just a half-game ahead of the last-place Toronto Blue Jays.

"It's a very bitter feeling, especially doing this two years in a row now," Mike Elias, the team's president of baseball operations, said in his end-of-season news conference Sept. 28. "It's a full organizational review, and that's how you kind of spend your October weeks. ... We want to be better, results-wise. The results need to be better. This is the second year in a row that they haven't been there to this degree. And we're tired of it."

Changes are expected this off-season, including in the front office, where the Orioles already parted ways with longtime player development executive Matt Blood and reassigned assistant general manager Sig Mejdal to a research-based role.

A long winter lies ahead, not just for the Orioles but MLB as a whole. With league owners expected to lock out the players Dec. 1 when their collective bargaining agreement expires, there's lots of uncertainty over whether and when the 2027 season will begin.

Here's everything you need to know about the Orioles' offseason:

---

Pending free agents (4)

Starting pitcher Trevor Rogers: The Orioles' biggest free agent this winter is Rogers, the left-hander who resurrected his career with Baltimore. Rogers followed up his 1.81 ERA over 18 starts in 2025 with a 4.03 ERA in 30 outings this season, posting strong underlying numbers — 3.45 FIP, 3.60 xERA — that backed up his standing as a middle-to front-of-the-rotation starter.

Elias already voiced his interest in working out a long-term deal before free agency opens next month. Rogers, 28, is eligible for the qualifying offer, a one-year deal projected to be about \$23 million this year by MLB SEE ORIOLES ON B11

Four ACC schools push for tweaks to legislation

Commissioner unfazed by lobbying efforts of FSU, Clemson, others

---

BY AARON BEARD Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips isn't publicly fretting about four member schools expressing support for tweaking realignment provisions in the Protect College Sports Act to make it easier for schools to change leagues.

Speaking Tuesday at preseason ACC basketball media days, Phillips touted the health and financial gains for the league while also saying schools “need direct access to state their case” when it comes to the proposed law to reform college athletics. The U.S. Senate approved a version of the measure and sent it to the House.

The presidents and chancellors of Clemson, Florida State, Miami and North Carolina sent a letter last week to House leaders seeking to increase the bill's membership cap for conferences from 20 to 22 schools. They also requested removing a requirement for a school to be independent for three years before joining another league.

Tomahawk Nation, a site covering Florida State athletics, was the first to obtain a copy of the letter. A North Carolina spokesman confirmed its authenticity when contacted by the Associated Press.

Phillips said he would continue to stay in touch with all ACC schools and noted most back the measure.

"We have 14 schools that feel really good about it that want to sign it, and we have four schools that have an issue with a portion of it," he said. "So that's what I'm going to continue to push towards the decision makers and

SEE ACC LETTER ON B10

Pat Narduzzi said the fact that Pitt and Virginia Tech were both undefeated but unranked before Friday's game was "disrespectful."

RYAN HUNT/GETTY IMAGES

Narduzzi: League still deserves more respect

Coach of 5-0 Pitt wants his team, and its rivals, on more voters' ballots

---

BY WILL GRAVES Associated Press

PITTSBURGH — Pat Narduzzi is tired of ACC football being a punching bag in the polls and seemingly everywhere else.

The pathologically unfiltered Pittsburgh coach is ready for the league to start punching back.

Narduzzi landed the first but probably not the last salvo of the season just moments after the Panthers fended off Virginia Tech on the road Friday night, a game decided on a missed 36-yard field goal as time expired.

In the frantic aftermath, the longest-tenured coach in Panthers history encouraged Associated Press top 25 voters to “wake your [butts] up,” just as Narduzzi promised ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips he would after the Panthers improved to 5-0.

Narduzzi wasn't just stumping for Pitt, which did sneak in at No. 25 when the latest poll was released Sunday, but the entire conference.

What else is there to do after being told before the showdown with the Hokies that it marked the first time two Power Four programs entered a game with identical 4-0 records and neither was ranked?

"It's disrespectful to the ACC," Narduzzi said Monday.

If Narduzzi sounds a little touchy, maybe it's because he has grown increasingly annoyed about repeatedly hitting the same talking points to an audience not particularly interested in listening.

While he leans into the fight, part of him wonders why one always seems to be necessary.

Well, actually maybe he doesn't wonder.

SEE ACC FOOTBALL ON B10

Back like he never left | MLB PLAYOFFS – DIVISION ROUND | 4 p.m. | Game 3: Cleveland at Chicago White Sox » TBS | 6 p.m. | Game 4: Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta » Fox Sports 1 | 8 p.m. | Game 3: Tampa Bay at New York Yankees » TBS | 10 p.m. | Game 4 (if necessary): Milwaukee at San Diego » Fox Sports 1 | WNBA PLAYOFFS – SEMIFINALS | 7:30 p.m. | Game 2: New York at Atlanta » ESPN | 9:30 p.m. | Game 2: Las Vegas at Golden State » NBCSN, Peacock | NHL | 7:30 p.m. | Pittsburgh at Washington » TNT, WJFK (106.7 FM) | NBA PRESEASON | 7 p.m. | Minnesota vs. Indiana » NBA TV | 10 p.m. | Golden State at Portland » NBA TV | COLLEGE FOOTBALL | 7 p.m. | Jacksonville State at Kennesaw State » CBS Sports Network | 7:30 p.m. | New Mexico State at Florida International » ESPN2 | GOLF | 11 p.m. | PGA Tour: Baycurrent Classic, first round » Golf Channel | SOCCER | 11 a.m. | Canadian Premier League: Supra du Québec at Inter Toronto » Fox Sports 2 | 7 p.m. | Canadian Premier League: Pacific FC at Forge » Fox Sports 2 | TENNIS | 11:59 p.m. | ATP: Shanghai Masters, early rounds; WTA: China Open, quarterfinals » Tennis Channel | MEN'S COLLEGE SOCCER | 10 p.m. | Oregon State at Cal Baptist » ESPNU | WOMEN'S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL | 7 p.m. | SMU at Pittsburgh » ACC Network | 7 p.m. | Texas A&M at Oklahoma » SEC Network | SPOTLIGHT: SOCCER

Ellis is the fitting hero for youthful Americans

U.S. 1,

CANADA 0

BY PATRICK DONNELLY

Associated Press

ST. PAUL, MINN. — Teenager Justin Ellis scored the only goal Tuesday as the United States completed a successful international window with a 1-0 victory over Canada.

It was the fourth victory in four friendlies for the Americans, who used the window to get a longer look at several young players who could play a role in the program's future. The U.S. starting lineup Tuesday had an average of just 21 caps, and the average age was 23 years, 156 days.

Ellis, a 19-year-old forward who plays professionally for Orlando of Major League Soccer, put the U.S. on the board in the 29th minute. A give-and-go between Alex Freeman and Malik Tillman created space down the right side before Freeman threw a cross in front of the net that Ellis tapped in for his second goal in three national team appearances.

Just 10 minutes earlier, Ellis — who also scored the opening goal in a victory over Peru on Sept. 26 — was on the ground after a hard foul. He received treatment on the sideline but was still limping when he returned to the field shortly before he scored.

Canada is looking to build on its success after appearing in back-to-back World Cups for the first time. Earlier in this international window, the Canadians beat Chile, 2-1, in Toronto and blanked Peru, 2-0, in Montreal.

Meanwhile, in the past 10 days the U.S. beat Chile, Peru and Mexico by a combined total of 11-3.

U.S. Coach Mauricio Pochettino made six changes from the starting lineup in Friday's 3-0 win over Mexico in Glendale, Arizona. Seventeen-year-old phenom Cavan Sullivan, who became the youngest player to score for the Americans in that game, did not play against Canada.

Brian Schwake, who starts for Nashville, earned the clean sheet in goal. Schwake made three saves in his first start and second appearance for the U.S.

Schwake's biggest moment came in the 63rd minute when he tipped a close shot by Luc de Fougerolles off the crossbar.

The U.S. has 17 wins, 12 losses and 13 draws in all competitions against Les Rouges.

ABBIE PARR/AP

Teenager Justin Ellis, left, scored in the 29th minute for the United States. The team's lineup for the friendly had an average age of 23.

---

TELEVISION AND RADIO

Explore cuisines

Search our database of tested recipes by ingredient or name. washingtonpost.com/recipes

The Washington Post

S0115-2x2.5

With a compression sleeve on his right arm, Carlos Alcaraz won the Japan Open final for his first title since his return from injury.

THE DAY IN SPORTS

EUGENE HOSHIKO/AP

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL Terps-Huskers error won't cost refs, Rhule

No disciplinary action will be taken against the Big Ten officials who worked the Maryland-Nebraska football game or against Cornhuskers Coach Matt Rhule for his postgame criticism of the crew, a conference spokesman said Tuesday.

The Big Ten said Monday that Nebraska's final point-after kick in Saturday's 48-23 home win was incorrectly officiated after a roughing-the-snapper penalty was called.

Because Nebraska missed the attempt, the penalty should have resulted in the Huskers retrying the attempt with the penalty yardage enforced as half the distance to the goal. However, the miss was allowed to stand, and the penalty yardage was incorrectly assessed on the ensuing kickoff.

"The Big Ten has been in contact with its officiating team from Saturday's game regarding the error and will continue to emphasize consistent application of the playing rules," the conference said in a statement.

Rhule indicated after the game that he expected to be fined for his criticism of officials. A combined 28 penalties were called, most in a game since 2021, and the Huskers were flagged 16 times.

“I thought it was ridiculous,” Rhule said. “I thought it was poorly handled by the officials and poorly done by us. You’ve never heard me say that before, but I was frustrated today. There were things I’ve never had called before.”

The officiating crew headed by referee Jim Wharrie also worked the controversial Western Michigan-Michigan game Sept. 5. ...

Missouri freshman offensive tackle Johnnie “DJ” Jones needs a heart transplant and is hospitalized at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, Coach Eli Drinkwitz said. ...

Michigan tight end Zack Marshall apologized after messages attributed to him criticizing offensive coordinator Jason Beck leaked on social media following the Wolverines' 20-14 loss to Minnesota. ...

California Coach Tosh Lupoi confirmed he stripped offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville of play-calling duties and promoted passing game coordinator Pat McCann to the role at halftime of Saturday's loss to UNLV. ...

Dennis Franchione, the longtime coach who turned around TCU before stops at Alabama and Texas A&M, died at 75.

---

TENNIS In Tokyo, Alcaraz wins first title since return

Carlos Alcaraz required two tournaments after a 4½-month injury layoff to raise another trophy.

The third-ranked Alcaraz beat Jiri Lehecka, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, on Tuesday to successfully defend his Japan Open title.

It was Alcaraz's third title of the year and his first since

winning in Doha, Qatar, in February....

Novak Djokovic was handed the China Open trophy after Alex de Minaur retired injured in the final.

Both players asked for medical timeouts after the opening set in Beijing. De Minaur had a groin issue and quit after winning the opening game of the second set.

With a 7-6 (7-3), 0-1 victory, the 39-year-old Djokovic extended his perfect record at the tournament to 34-0. ...

Top-ranked Jannik Sinner said he will be out for the rest of the year as he continues to deal with an injured right knee.

Sinner has not played since July, when he beat Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final.

---

PRO BASKETBALL Gray will be sidelined for Dream in Game 2

The Atlanta Dream ruled out guard Allisha Gray for Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals Wednesday night because of a hand injury.

Gray, a four-time all-star and Atlanta's leading scorer during the regular season, injured her left hand in the first quarter of Sunday's Game 1 victory over the New York Liberty. She briefly returned to action after going to the locker room but went down a second time after diving for a loose ball and did not return.

Dream Coach Karl Smesko said Gray is day-to-day and had an X-ray on her finger, though he said he had no information on it. ...

The Las Vegas Aces listed top reserve Jewell Loyd (leg) as doubtful for Game 2 of their semifinal series against the Golden State Valkyries, but Stephanie Talbot (leg) and Dana Evans (knee) might return to the lineup. ...

The Dream will play all of its home games in State Farm Arena, the home of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, beginning next season after landing a multiyear agreement with the venue. ...

Europe's biggest basketball clubs snubbed an offer to team up with the NBA, raising the prospect of a battle for the continent's top teams, players and commercial riches. ...

Philadelphia 76ers center

Ariel Hukporti tore his right

Achilles tendon in Monday's

preseason game against the New

York Knicks. ...

Braiden Bell asked the Portland Trail Blazers, through his legal counsel, to reconsider their decision to fire him as their play-by-play announcer.

SOCCER

---

Soccer Spain's unbeaten run is alive thanks to rally

Spain preserved its 2½-year unbeaten streak by rallying to beat host Croatia thanks to a clutch second-half double from super-sub Mikel Merino, while Harry Kane scored two more goals in another record-setting match for the England captain.

The marathon batch of Nations League matches ended with Merino — a star off the bench so many times for Spain in recent years — powering home an 88th-minute strike to complete the World Cup

champions' stirring recovery in a 2-1 win in Split.

Kane's brace in England's 3-0 win over the Czech Republic in London came during his record-tying 125th appearance for his country. It also took him to 91 international goals, extending his England record. ...

Son Heung-min became South Korea's all-time leading scorer when his 59th goal helped the team beat Uzbekistan, 2-0, in a home friendly in Yongin. ...

Cristiano Ronaldo said he will remain available to play for Portugal despite having walked out on the squad.

In a long statement issued through the Portuguese media, Ronaldo said recently hired coach Jorge Jesus had not been true to his word about when he would play the striker in the latest round of Nations League matches.

Still, the 41-year-old Ronaldo said he owed his teammates an apology and expects to receive a punishment. ...

A solution was found to keep Giovanni Malagò in charge of the beleaguered Italian soccer federation despite an irregularity in his election this year.

While Malagò was stripped of the presidency, he was named as the federation's emergency commissioner on an interim basis pending a new election. ...

FIFA knew before the World Cup that Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi was ineligible when he played in multiple qualifying games and let him continue at the tournament, according to media reports.

HOCKEY

---

Panthers' Barkov set to miss 6-8 weeks

Florida Panthers center

Aleksander Barkov is expected

to miss six to eight weeks with

a left leg injury and will not

require surgery, Coach Paul

Maurice said.

Barkov was hurt in last week's overtime loss at the San Jose Sharks. It appeared his left knee — not the knee that needed to be surgically rebuilt last year — buckled on the play. ...

Montreal Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov will be out two to four weeks with a lower-body injury, the team said. ...

The winless Philadelphia Flyers signed gritty winger Michael Bunting in the hopes that he can give them a spark following some alarming early season struggles. ...

Dylan Larkin scored in his first game since asking for a trade, helping the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-3 home win over the Ottawa Senators.

Larkin was initially booed by the home crowd when he touched the puck on his first shift. The boos turned to cheers after his goal. ...

Nick Schmaltz scored his NHL-best fifth goal, and the Utah Mammoth relied on its proficient power play to beat the New Jersey Devils, 5-3, in Newark. ...

No. 1 draft pick Gavin McKenna scored his first NHL goal in the second period, and the host Toronto Maple Leafs turned back the Nashville Predators, 5-4, on Auston Matthews's overtime goal.

---

BASEBALL

---

McDowell, ex-all-star and counselor, dies

Sam McDowell, a six-time all-star who led the American League in strikeouts four times before becoming a counselor for athletes battling addiction issues and depression, died Monday at his home in The Villages, Florida. He was 84.

The left-hander's baseball career and post-career sobriety served as the inspiration for the character Sam Malone on the sitcom "Cheers."

McDowell spent his first 11 MLB seasons with Cleveland and also pitched for the San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates. He was 141-134 with a 3.17 ERA in 425 games (346 starts).

GOLF

---

Furyk: Reed welcome to join Ryder Cup team

U.S. captain Jim Furyk said it would be “great” if Patrick Reed were among the 12 best Americans for the Ryder Cup next year in Ireland, even though Reed criticized Furyk’s first captaincy after the 2018 loss in Paris.

Reed hasn't been on a Ryder Cup team since those 2018 matches, another debacle for the U.S. team that ended with Reed telling the New York Times that he should have been partners with Jordan Spieth and that Furyk should not have benched him twice that week. ...

Three-time Spanish Open champion Jon Rahm will not play in his home tournament this week as he waits for the birth of his fourth child.

---

WINTER SPORTS Giant slalom will be Shiffrin's new focus

Two-time Olympic slalom champion Mikaela Shiffrin will shift her focus from that discipline this season to turn more of her attention toward training for giant slalom and super-G events.

The ski racer announced her strategy in what she describes as a season of “exploration.” She plans to push herself coming off a season where she won her second Olympic gold in slalom at the Milan Cortina Games and earned her ninth World Cup season title in the discipline.

The season kicks off Oct. 24 with a giant slalom race in Soelden, Austria.

OLYMPICS

---

India and Qatar among bidders for '32 Games

India and Qatar finally got some clarity for their long-held ambitions to host the 2036 Olympics.

They are now in a formal contest with South Africa, South Korea, Germany, Hungary and Turkey. The International Olympic Committee set an Oct. 31 deadline for late arrivals to the contest.

In the open-ended process, the contenders also can target future Summer Games in 2040 and 2044.

— From news services

NFL NOTES

Eagles tackle Johnson announces sudden retirement during his 14th season

Lane Johnson had said 2026 would probably be his final NFL season, and he missed Sunday's game against the Rams for personal reasons.

FROM NEWS SERVICES

MATT ROURKE/AP

Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson announced his retirement from the NFL after 14 seasons.

“I have given it my all for 14 years,” Johnson said Tuesday in a statement, “season after season pushing my body to the max and tirelessly working my craft to not only live up to the legacy of the guys that came before me, but to set a new standard of success for the best franchise in all of sports.”

Johnson had been a late scratch for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams for personal reasons. He said Tuesday that despite wanting to finish the season, the “personal and family priorities in my life have changed.”

Johnson missed time in training camp for personal reasons before saying that this season would probably be his last.

“Lane Johnson is an all-time Eagle and one of the best players ever to play his position in NFL history,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. “Lane was a major contributor to our team success for 14 seasons, helping to bring two Super Bowl championships and many other memorable moments to the organization and the city of Philadelphia.”

The 36-year-old Johnson was a first-round pick in 2013 and was a first-team all-pro in 2017 and 2022. He earned second-team honors in 2021, 2023 and 2024. Johnson has been a pillar at right tackle and won a pair of Super Bowls with the Eagles.

Johnson took a leave of absence during the 2021 season as he battled anxiety and depression and has since shared his story at mental health clinics in the area.

Johnson, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, said earlier this year his potential retirement came into focus last season after conversations with his family and an injury-filled season. He missed Philadelphia's final seven regular season games and the first-round playoff loss to the

San Francisco 49ers.

“Right now, it is critical that I focus on my mental health,” Johnson said. “I owe it to my teammates, coaches, the organization and the fans to have my head and heart 100 percent in the game. And right now my heart is telling me that it’s time to say goodbye to football.”

\- SEAHAWKS: Seattle decided against signing veteran running back Joe Mixon to its practice squad, ESPN reported.

Mixon worked out for the

Seahawks on Monday and underwent a physical. There is no word on what issue led them to reverse course on Mixon, who will remain a free agent.

Seattle's only healthy running backs are Emanuel Wilson, George Holani and Velus Jones. Rookie running back Jadarian Price went on injured reserve last week, and Zach Charbonnet will work in team drills during practice this week but won't play Sunday, Coach Mike Macdonald said.

Mixon, 30, is a two-time Pro Bowler who last played for the Houston Texans in 2024 following seven seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. He missed the 2025 campaign with a foot injury and was released last March.

\- BRONCOS: Cornerback Patrick Surtain II and wide receiver Pat Bryant's injuries are less serious than first feared when the players each sprained an ankle during Denver's loss at the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, a person with knowledge of the medical results told the As-

sociated Press.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team hadn't addressed the status of either player or the extent of their injuries. Either or both could end up on short-term IR, but the Broncos hadn't made any moves yet.

•GIANTS: Wide receiver Braxton Berrios said he is having season-ending surgery on the injury that knocked him out of New York's game Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

Coach John Harbaugh said Monday that Berrios was dealing with a foot or ankle injury from a punt return. Berrios was getting evaluated this week before the team needed to make the decision whether to put him on injured reserve.

•RAVENS: Tight end Durham Smythe will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn Achilles, NFL Network reported.

Smythe went down in Baltimore's win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. The 31-year-old is primarily deployed as a blocker and had one catch for four yards this season.

•MISC.: The NFL Referees Association said it will challenge the severity of the suspensions of two officials for unprofessional conduct, which the officials union maintains went beyond appropriate punishment.

The league Monday suspended line judge Jeff Seeman for two games for swearing at the Arizona Cardinals' Trey McBride and referee Adrian Hill for one game for yelling and gesturing at the Minnesota Vikings' Eric Wilson.

Against their most bitter rival, Saints couldn't do the ‘Domecoming’ justice

Quarterback Tyler Shough said the Saints' 45-24 loss to the Falcons was "extremely disappointing."

MORGAN SIMMONS/GETTY IMAGES

BY GUERRY SMITH

NEW ORLEANS — Quarterback Tyler Shough was “embarrassed.”

Second-year coach Kellen Moore was “disappointed” and “frustrated.”

And a day of festivities commemorating one of the most triumphant moments in New Orleans Saints history ended with boos and early exits.

Three plays into Monday night's game against the Atlanta Falcons, running back Bijan Robinson silenced an electric Superdome crowd with a 59-yard touchdown run.

The Saints' performance in a 45-24 loss to the Falcons bore no resemblance to their landmark 23-3 victory against the same team 20 years ago, when the Superdome finally reopened after being damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

On that made-for-TV night, Steve Gleason blocked a punt on the Falcons' opening possession and Curtis Deloatch recovered it for a touchdown, sending the Saints on their way.

This time, New Orleans held pregame ceremonies commemorating those magic moments two decades ago, with retired players Drew Brees, Scott Fujita, Scott Shanle, Deuce McAllister,

Devery Henderson and Deloatch joining Gleason — now in a wheelchair because of ALS — on the field before kickoff to lead fans in the team's familiar “Who dat!” chant.

Irma Thomas, a New Orleans native who sang the national anthem when the dome reopened, reprised her role.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell even traveled to New Orleans to commemorate the "Domecoming" game he also attended in 2006.

Earlier in the day, New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno (D) gave Gleason a key to the city.

Gleason later shared a moment with former Falcons punter Michael Koenen at the “Rebirth” statue outside the dome, which memorializes the famous punt block.

Then came the game itself — the first prime-time game in New Orleans in nearly two years.

"It's extremely disappointing," Shough said. "It's embarrassing. I can't say enough good things about fans showing up, the entire process, what this game meant and we fell short as a team. ... We've got to do better on all fronts."

One of Gleason's mottos is, "Never punt."

The Falcons seemed to take that to heart, scoring their most points since a 48-33 victory against the Carolina Panthers in 2016. They didn't punt after the first quarter and scored on their last six full possessions.

The Saints (1-3), who thought they had a breakthrough victory at the Baltimore Ravens two weeks ago, have followed that up with two straight losses at home.

“We're all frustrated, all disappointed with where we're at,” Moore said. “We're going to have to learn from this one and move forward.”

Shough threw for 286 yards and wide receiver Chris Olave had eight catches for 116 yards, but New Orleans got points on only one of its five first-half drives, falling behind 24-7. After the Saints settled for a 27-yard field goal on their opening drive of the second half, the Falcons responded with a nine-play, 74-yard touchdown drive to go

ahead 31-10.

The dome started to empty out at that point, and it turned into a red-clan Atlanta fan celebration after the visitors scored another touchdown to go ahead 38-17 with 9:50 remaining.

"I love New Orleans. I love this place," Shough said. "And you see the energy, the passion of everybody, the culture behind this place, and it sucks whenever you don't come through on the field in that way, especially against our division rivals. It hurts me. I don't want to feel like that ever again."

Playing without injured defensive end Carl Granderson, linebacker Kaden Elliss and running back Travis Etienne, among others, New Orleans was no match for Atlanta. Bijan Robinson ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns, and Brian Robinson Jr. added three scoring runs.

After falling behind, New Orleans pretty much abandoned its ground game, finishing with 50 yards on 19 carries. Moore's team fell a game behind NFC South coleaders Atlanta and Carolina.

“We squandered an opportunity, but we’ve got more opportunities,” Shough said. “You’ve got to kind of take it on the chin, and we’ll see them again.”

Associated Press

Argentina marks final game for its greatest player

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ARGENTINA 3, BENIN 0

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BY ISABEL DEBRE

BUENOS AIRES — Argentina is confronting a once-unimaginable reality: a national team without soccer great Lionel Messi.

On Tuesday, 39-year-old Messi bid farewell to international soccer after 21 years, 126 goals, two Copa América titles and a World Cup championship, scoring a penalty and setting up Argentina's other two goals for a 3-0 victory over Benin. What was otherwise an unremarkable friendly against the West African nation became a moment that this soccer-crazed country had long dreaded.

“Argentines often say, ‘Thank God I was born at a time when I could experience the miracle of watching Messi play;’” said Andrés Rabinovich, a University of Chicago scholar who has researched soccer’s role in Argentine culture. “It’s hard living in Argentina. Soccer is often one of the few things that offers you some respite, some joy.”

Argentines had an intense, often unforgiving relationship with the shy boy who left his hometown of Rosario at 13 for the youth academy of Spanish club Barcelona. As he grew into a global icon of near-mythical stature, his compatriots adored and abused him, sometimes questioning his commitment to his home country and accusing him of indifference to it.

But by the time he ended his dazzling international career, his devotion to Argentina was no longer in question. Nor was Argentina's devotion to its most famous export, whose triumphs reminded the country of its capacity for greatness through years of political and economic instability.

For years, Argentines had debated when and how Messi should leave the world stage. His Aug. 31 announcement that he would be retiring from the national team, weeks after Argentina's loss to Spain in the World Cup final, prompted an outpouring of gratitude and grief — even as Messi will continue to light up MLS with Inter Miami.

“I don’t know if there has ever been a love story between a player and a nation as great as the one you built,” his teammate Rodrigo De Paul wrote on Instagram.

The Argentine soccer federation turned Tuesday's game — Messi's 208th — into a national farewell billed as "the last tango." More than 85,000 tickets to Buenos Aires' largest stadium sold out in 90 minutes, seats that were originally priced around \$60-\$300 later fetching more than \$2,500 on resale sites. Players from Argentina's 1978, 1986 and 2022 World Cup-winning squads returned to see him off.

After the final whistle, Messi's eyes glistened as his teammates gathered around him, applauding. A rumbling chorus of "Olé, olé, olé, olé, Messi, Messi" rose from the stands as tens of thousands of fans jumped, sang and bowed toward him as if in worship. A banner at midfield proclaimed him the "Eternal Captain."

“Even through the worst moments we went through, I never stopped fighting, battling, giving everything I had, wanting to always be here,” Messi told the crowd, which roared as if he had scored. “I love all of you, and I will miss all of you. I am proud to be Argentine.”

During the 2000s and 2010s, Messi amassed trophies with his club and won die-hard fans from Barcelona to Bangladesh. Yet a major title for his own country eluded him. After Argentina lost a third straight final in 2016, he briefly quit the national team.

"There's some resentment by the people that stay in Argentina for those who leave, this sense of, 'They think they're better than us,'" said Rabinovich, adding that he identifies with Messi as a fellow teenage migrant. Rabinovich said he moved to Canada during Argentina's 2001 economic crisis, around the time Messi left for Europe.

The turning point came in 2021, when Argentina beat Brazil to win the Copa América, South America's championship, for the first time in 28 years. Messi collapsed to the turf as his teammates, delirious, ran to hug him. The player long accused of feeling too little could not stop sobbing.

“Winning clearly disarmed his critics. That’s how soccer works in Argentina,” said Diego Murzi, a sports sociologist at Conicet, Argentina’s national scientific research council. “Criticism of things off the field goes hand in hand with defeats on it.”

The World Cup victory the following year in Qatar sealed his place as a national hero. Messi had delivered the one prize that had eluded him, and millions of Argentines poured into the streets in collective ecstasy.

Across Argentina, fans who grew up watching Messi as their parents watched Diego Maradona have covered their skin with tattooed tributes to the soccer great, portraits of him kissing the World Cup trophy. It was easy to believe the world's greatest player would always be one of their own.

"I don't think we'll have somebody like him again, somebody with that sort of enduring power," said Pablo Brescia, a University of South Florida professor who writes about Argentine culture and soccer. "Like Maradona, he'll be unique — a figure that can't be repeated."

— Associated Press

GUSTAVO GARELLO/AP PHOTO/GUSTAVO GARELLO

Argentina's Lionel Messi converted a penalty in his final game for the national team, a blowout friendly victory in Buenos Aires.

JIM DEDMON/IMAGN IMAGES

"We're as healthy as we've ever been," Commissioner Jim Phillips said Tuesday afternoon at ACC basketball media days in Charlotte.

ACC head preaches calm amid schools' lobbying

ACC LETTER FROM B7

more than \$73 million.

those that have written the bill to date."

Florida State and Clemson filed lawsuits against the ACC in 2023 and 2024, respectively, to challenge the league's ability to levy hundreds of millions in exit fees on members that want to leave. The conference countersued. The parties ultimately settled the case in early 2025 with a deal that revised long-term exit costs while also revamping the ACC's revenue-distribution model as a way for schools generating the highest TV ratings to earn more money.

That has been part of a series of changes by the league to bolster the financial picture while facing a growing gap behind the Big Ten and SEC, though still finishing ahead of the Big 12 among the Power Four. The ACC reported about \$826.5 million in total revenue in tax filings covering the 2024-25 sports season, with schools earning a full distribution share getting an average of \$47.1 million.

That continued an upward trajectory from \$617 million for 2021-22 in Phillips's first full season, good for a full-share average of \$39.4 million. Meanwhile, the Big Ten and SEC both crossed the \$1 billion mark in total revenue in their 2024-25 filings, with the Big Ten paying an average of nearly \$80 million to full-share members while the SEC came in at

The ACC's legal settlement with Clemson and Florida State helped make 2030-31 a significant marker. The ACC's exit fee will decline each year before leveling off around \$75 million per school that year, while media deals for other leagues are expiring around that time to create at least the potential for another wave of broad realignment.

Provisions in any new law could make that harder, starting with membership caps that could limit the available landing spots. In addition, requiring a school to operate as an independent for a defined period after leaving a league would mean missing formerly guaranteed media payouts before being able to cash in elsewhere.

"I've been very consistent about I have always tried to make sure that this was a conference that people wanted to be in, and I'm really proud of what we've done," Phillips said. "We're as healthy as we've ever been."

Phillips declined to discuss “hypotheticals” when asked whether he was concerned about whether this was a sign of multiple schools intending to leave.

"The conference is in a good place," he said. "Healthy, functioning, achieving at a high level. We'll see where all this takes us. So you have to be ready. You have to be ready for anything. But I feel good about where we're at, and we'll see what this bill ends up doing."

Pittsburgh's Narduzzi comes to his league's defense

CHARLES LECLAIRE/IMAGN IMAGES

Coach Pat Narduzzi and the Panthers are 5-0 but ranked just 25th in the latest Associated Press poll.

ACC FOOTBALL FROM B7

“I think it’s all the brands,” Narduzzi said, seemingly alluding to the Big Ten and the SEC. “Everybody wants to look at the logo and gets all infatuated with logos and all that stuff.”

The Big Ten has six teams ranked this week. The SEC has nine. The ACC? Just three: No. 4 Miami, with SMU at 24, one spot ahead of the Panthers.

Narduzzi knows a part of him is trying to have it both ways. He repeatedly said in September that the early-season polls don't matter. Yet he knows he's in the minority, and it's much easier for him now at 60 to put the poll in what he considers the proper perspective.

As if to prove a point, he made a not-so-veiled reference to an unnamed program that had a number next to its name earlier in the season, a number that has since vanished.

“I mean, you look at the school down the road gets into the top 25, and what did they really do to get into the top 25?” he said.

Asked later whom he was referring to, Narduzzi just laughed, though longtime rivals West Virginia and Penn State both fit the profile.

The Nittany Lions and first-year coach Matt Campbell started the season ranked 18th and rose after opening with three uneventful wins against lesser competition. Two conference losses later, and Penn State is out of the polls and Campbell's honeymoon at his alma mater is over.

West Virginia made a cameo in the top 25 after throttling Virginia on Sept. 18, only to have its defense implode in back-to-back weeks.

There's still plenty of time for narratives to change, particularly at Pitt. Narduzzi's team will have to play the rest of the season without quarterback Mason Heintschel, who tore the ACL in his right knee in the third quarter against the Hokies.

Still, the Panthers are hardly the only ACC team off to a promising start yet unable to make serious inroads in an effort to change the perception of the league.

Wake Forest is 4-1, with its lone loss a game effort against the Hurricanes. The Demon Deacons edged an improved Purdue team by two on the road earlier in the season, did the same to disappointing Louisville and crushed Stanford by 54 points on Saturday, the biggest blow-out win in conference play for a charter member in ACC history. Duke is unbeaten at 4-0 with a victory at Illinois on its résumé.

Neither the Demon Deacons nor the Blue Devils are ranked.

Narduzzi tried to spend a rare Saturday off seeing how the other half lives, intending to watch some Big Ten and SEC games. His remote kept finding its way to some of the remaining teams on Pitt's schedule, including North Carolina, which visits Pitt on Saturday.

What he sees, admittedly with some bias, is good football in a league that will spend the next two months beating up on each other trying to keep pace with the Hurricanes, the CFP runner-up last season who look even better this fall.

"Your stomach starts to turn, and you're like, 'Golly, we've got a lot of work ahead,'" Narduzzi said.

The ACC would like the conversation around the league to evolve to the point in which an in-conference loss doesn't send a team's stock tumbling. Voters extended that courtesy to Mississippi State this week, which dropped just one spot after getting drilled at home by SEC rival Alabama by 33.

It doesn't appear to be there yet, as the bid for national relevance instead of national curiosity drones on.

Three years ago, the CFP committee left unbeaten Florida State out of the then-four-team playoff after quarterback Jordan Travis was hurt late in the season. Two years ago, SMU received the lone ACC bid as the 11th seed when the CFP expanded to 12 teams. Last year, Miami shook off a pair of midseason losses to SMU and Louisville that cost the Hurricanes a spot in the ACC championship to make the CFP as the 10th seed and make it all the way to the title game.

By the time the Hurricanes reached the final, the nip/tuck nature of their at-large bid was largely forgotten.

Yet instead of Miami's success serving as a stamp of approval that the league as a whole is legit, it seems to merely have certified the impression that “The U” is back. The rest of the conference it plays in, seemingly not so much.

So Narduzzi will keep banging the drum, even while facing a stretch run that looks far more daunting without the promising Heintschel.

Maybe Pitt remains in the mix to the end with well-traveled senior Holden Gernier behind center. Maybe it doesn't. The one thing Narduzzi is sure of is that whoever emerges at the top of the ACC standings come early December is worthy of consideration and then some, be it in the polls or anywhere else.

Asked whether he feels his almost defiant stance is as much about saying the quiet part out loud for an entire league as it is for the program he has run for 146 games and counting, he nodded.

“Absolutely,” the fourth-longest tenured Power Four coach said. “Absolutely.”

Sanders made Colorado matter again, but sustained success has been elusive

CHRIS JONES/IMAGN IMAGES

Buffaloes Coach Deion Sanders lost several prominent players to the transfer portal in the offseason.

SANDERS FROM B7

guitar," Wilhite said of the magnetic former coach. "My mom was so mad I wouldn't go to Emory or Georgia or anywhere else. I wanted to go to Colorado."

Colorado is lucky he came.

Wilhite didn't want to disclose and, frankly, probably couldn't even nail down how much money he has poured into the school's athletic department over the years.

But when the referee uses replay to review close calls at Buffaloes games, the massive scoreboards inside Folsom Field

— enlarged as one of the school's first big projects after Sanders's arrival — kill time by reminding fans that replays are brought to them by none other than Wilhite's law firm.

Generous as he is, Wilhite is also well aware Colorado football could use 10 or 20 more folks just like him.

He loves Sanders, whose .429 winning percentage at Colorado would get a coach fired at Michigan or Alabama, no questions asked. But in the hours before the Texas Tech game, Wilhite was talking about getting more help for the coach, not firing him.

“We need more people to come out and understand that we're a young program, and we need to develop it more,” Wilhite said. “I think part of the problem is, we can't get a lot of donors to donate.”

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The NIL arms race

Wilhite knows what name, image and likeness payments to players in this new era of college sports have done not only to his own experience but to the Colorado roster and college football itself.

"The problem is, at Colorado, as soon as we have a player who does really well, they get bought," he said.

He ticks off a few: Dylan Edwards left for Kansas State. Jordan Seaton went to LSU. DJ McKinney is now at Notre Dame. More bankroll might have helped Sanders stop some of those departures.

Either way, the coach has made Colorado football matter again and stoked a new energy on campus. It impacts the way so many people think and act and, yes, spend at the school and on the athletic program.

For example, one of the reasons now-retired athletic director Rick George gave for ripping out grass and installing artificial turf at Folsom Field before this season was that it would make it easier if Colorado might someday host a College Football Playoff game.

It won't happen this year.

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A billionaire's son visits

No one seemed surprised to see Cody Campbell hugging it out with Sanders on the visitors' sideline before the game.

Campbell is the billionaire head of the Texas Tech board of regents and also one of college football's most influential voices. He has worked tirelessly to promote a bill in Congress — the Protect College Sports Act — that could shift the out-of-control spending dynamics in college sports.

If the bill passes and puts guardrails around what schools can spend, that would most likely help the Colorados of the world — the schools that don't have billionaire donors — at the expense of the Texas Techs, the schools that do.

Campbell was wearing more than his regent's hat at this one. He was here with the family. His son, Carson, an offensive lineman at All Saints' Episcopal in Fort Worth, was on a recruiting visit.

Part of the beauty of Sanders — whose most recent contract extension was worth \$54 million through 2029 and who got Colorado to revamp its admission policies so he could recruit a wider range of players — is that he stirs the pot and generates almost endless headlines about the once-lost brand known as Colorado football. He is also okay with taking the heat when things go bad, which has been a lot lately.

But then something such as Saturday happens: A formidable leader from a conference rival — a man who should want Sanders and Colorado to flounder, if not outright fail — shows up with his kid.

"I love him," Campbell says of Sanders.

Why?

"I think he understands the part of developing boys into men," Campbell said. "Ninety-plus percent of these guys aren't going to go play in the NFL. They'll go on and do something else. He's preparing them for that. I wouldn't have brought my son to a place where they didn't have that vision."

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A failing experiment at QB

The Texas Tech score sounds like a blowout but was, in fact, something quite different for more than three quarters.

This game did not play out like the physical mismatch that some might have expected when one team, with every resource in the world available to recruit top talent, plays another with a star coach but not as much money to

spend.

Colorado, a 14-point underdog, did not get blown off the line of scrimmage. The Buffs actually gained 60 more yards than Tech.

Sometimes, the best coaches figure a way to lead their teams to upsets in games such as these, especially at home. A deeper dive into the stat sheet and the play calls makes clear this was not the Colorado coaching staff's finest moment.

The Buffaloes were penalized eight times for 84 yards, including one for taunting and two personal fouls. They average 82.6 penalty yards a game to lead the Big 12, 15 more than the next-worst team.

They also missed two field goals, came up short on a strangely timed fake punt and committed four turnovers, including an interception thrown by a wide receiver on a trick play that looked bad from the start.

Most of Colorado's problems, however, stem from one issue: quarterback. Sanders started Isaac Wilson, a transfer from Utah, in an offense designed for five-star recruit Julian Lewis, who was supposed to be the heir to the position that Sanders's son, Shedeur, revived at Colorado.

Sanders hired Brennan Marion from Sacramento State as offensive coordinator and Marion brought his “Go-Go Offense” to Boulder. But Lewis struggled at times over his first three and a half games, and Sanders made a change that, so far, has not worked.

“We’ve got one glaring problem,” Sanders said after the game. “You guys know darn well what it is. Let’s stop the foolishness. You better play better in one specific position.”

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Buffaloes risk backsliding

During his 20 minutes with the media after the game, Sanders was unflinching about the quarterback issue, somehow identifying the obvious problem without throwing his quarterbacks directly under the bus. The Buffaloes are on a three-game skid in which they have scored seven, 13 and seven points.

"We've been horrible,"

Sanders said. “Don’t sugarcoat it anymore, just tell what it is. You’re not going to win. You know darn well what it is. Write it yourselves. You know what it is. It’s blatant. Ain’t no ifs ands or buts about it.”

What Sanders didn't know at the time was that Colorado's quarterback crisis was the runner-up for the biggest college football trainwreck in the state Saturday.

An hour northeast of Boulder in Fort Collins, first-year Colorado State coach Jim Mora relieved his defensive coordinator, Tyson Summers, of play-calling duties while a 56-26 trouncing at the hands of Oregon State was still going on. Summers walked off the field, then got fired after the game.

Meanwhile, 45 minutes south in Denver, the Broncos and their fans were making sense of an exciting 2-1 start and getting ready for Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers. (They lost, 24-14.)

Those headlines served as a reminder of what Colorado is at heart: a state that loves the Broncos, and where it takes something large, intriguing, magnetic — or, like a trainwreck — to shift the attention of its sports fans.

All those elements lined up when Sanders arrived. With the Broncos coming off their sixth straight losing season, “Coach Prime” brought celebrities to the sideline and his sons and a Heisman Trophy winner in the making, Travis Hunter, to the field. He injected life into a program that had been ignored and irrelevant for a decade or more.

Over a lifetime in football, Sanders has been a lot of things — electric, divisive, a game-changer. “Ignored” has never been part of that list.

That's what made the scene toward the end of Saturday night's game all the more jarring. Fans were streaming up the stairs and bailing out of Folsom Field. With half the fourth quarter left to play, they were turning their backs on Colorado football and Coach Prime.

“I can’t blame them,” Sanders said. “They deserve more than this bulljunk we give them.”

GOLF NOTES

LPGA Tour plants its flag in Kapalua as the Lotte Championship relocates

The Plantation course on Kapalua, which had hosted a PGA Tour event for more than 25 years, will host the Lotte Championship in March.

GREGORY SHAMUS/GETTY IMAGES

BY DOUG FERGUSON

The PGA Tour lost Kapalua on Maui as a season opener when a water dispute left the Plantation course unplayable, and then it played the Sony Open in Honolulu for the last time to avoid having one tournament in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

But that's hardly the end of professional golf in Hawaii.

Kapalua is back in the fold with the announcement that the Lotte Championship is moving from Hoakalei on Oahu to the Plantation course, which had hosted a PGA Tour event starting in 1999.

The Lotte Championship moves from October to March 18-21, one week after the new Nanea Cup on the Big Island, which will have 95 players from the LPGA Tour and 25 players from five colleges competing concurrently in separate tournaments.

"As we continue to strengthen the LPGA Tour schedule, venues with deep-rooted heritage like Kapalua are exactly what we look for," LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler said.

The LPGA was at Kapalua for one year in 2008, won by Morgan Pressel on the Bay course. The Plantation course has more than 25 years of memories, from Tiger Woods beating Ernie Els in a playoff in 2000 to Hideki Matsuyama setting the PGA Tour's record score to par at 35 under in 2025, the final year it was played.

March also is the last month before the humpback whales — Kapalua is famous for its views of them breaching in the Pacific — head north toward Alaska.

“Kapalua is an incredible venue to showcase the beauty of Hawaii and everything that makes the islands so special,” said Allisen Corpuz, a Hawaii native and the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open champion.

The PGA Tour Champions also has a two-week Aloha swing. It picked up the Sony Championship at Waialae to go along with its Mitsubishi Electric Championship on the Big Island.

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Big names in the Motor City

The newest team for the indoor golf league TGL at SoFi Center in South Florida is already off to a big start in filling the roster.

The Motor City Golf Club started with Brooks Koepka, a five-time major champion who returned to the PGA Tour this year. This week, it announced the addition of Jackson Koivun, who in four months led Auburn to the NCAA golf title, won his first PGA Tour title in his third start as a pro and then went unbeaten in the Presidents Cup.

The Detroit-based club is the first expansion team for TGL and makes its debut early next year.

"With Jackson and Brooks, we have an amazing foundation for what we are trying to build," said Michael Hamp, the team governor of Motor City.

Meanwhile, TMRW Sports announced an extension of its U.S. media rights agreement with ESPN, which has been the network for TGL since it began two years ago.

Korn Ferry Tour finale

The Korn Ferry Tour ends its season with the Tour Championship, and eight of the 20 cards for the PGA Tour in 2027 already have been secured. Blades Brown, who turned pro while still in high school and has contended on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour this year, is at No. 14 and seemingly would be safe to be in the big leagues next year.

Holding down the 20th spot is Cole Hammer, who is just over five points ahead of Yuta Sugiura of Japan. Sugiura originally was in the field for the Baycurrent Classic in Japan, but he withdrew because of his position on the Korn Ferry points list.

Sugiura last week became the fourth player in Korn Ferry Tour history with a 58 or lower.

Also at stake this week is a fight for No. 1. Sandy Scott won in Oklahoma last week to overtake Ross Steelman on the points list by a mere 24 points. The leading player gets into The Players Championship and the

U.S. Open next year.

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The ageless Langer

Bernhard Langer is in the field for the Constellation Furyk & Friends on the PGA Tour Champions, marking his return to the Ocean Course at the Hammock Beach Golf Resort.

But it's been a minute.

Langer was 50 when he won the Ginn Championship at Hammock Beach for his third career PGA Tour Champions title. Ginn dropped its sponsorship the following year.

The Furyk & Friends, previously held at Timuquana Country Club in Jacksonville, Florida, moves to Hammock Beach about 60 miles down the Atlantic coast this year. Langer, the previous player to win on the Jack Nicklaus design, returns 18 years later at age 69 and goes for his 48th Champions title.

Following the Ryder Cup

The European tour schedule for 2027 had one curious shift of tournaments. The BMW PGA Championship, the flagship event on the tour, is moving to the week after the Ryder Cup in Ireland.

The flagship event for years was held in May until it was moved to September in 2019. For the next three Ryder Cups — one in Italy in 2023, the other two in the United States — the BMW PGA Championship has been held two weeks before the matches.

The schedule change allows for the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor next year to be Sept. 17-19. It will be preceded by the European Masters in Switzerland and the French Open. It also means 12 very happy — or very sad — Europeans go to flagship events with a hangover, literal or figurative.

It's reminiscent of 2008, when the PGA Tour rearranged its schedule for the Ryder Cup at Valhalla. There were three FedEx

Cup playoff events, followed by a week off and then the Ryder Cup. The Tour Championship was the week after Valhalla.

The Americans won, there was a great celebration. And then the top 30 headed to East Lake. That was the year Vijay Singh only had to finish 72 holes to claim the FedEx Cup. It also was the year Kentucky native Kenny Perry showed how little he wanted to be there.

"I don't want to be here — don't want nothing to do with this deal," Perry said that week. "It's ruined the greatest week of my life coming here. I don't want to play golf. I want to go home and celebrate. I'm physically tired. I have no focus. I don't even care. I'm just trying to get my last-place check, post a 72-hole number and go home."

He tied for 24th, collected \$120,400 and went home.

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Divots

Along with having world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler as its defending champion, The American Express will have the Zac Brown Band and Train performing on consecutive nights after the second and third rounds at PGA West in the California desert. ...

George McNeill is No. 7 on the Charles Schwab Cup and still needed an exemption to get into the Constellation Furyk & Friends this week. The good news for McNeill? The top 36 at the end of the season are fully exempt for next year. ...

Xander Schauffele brought 1-year-old son Victor to the Baycurrent Classic in Japan for grandparents on both sides — his mother and his wife's mother grew up in Japan — to see him for the first time.

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Stat of the week

Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand needed only 101 starts on the LPGA to surpass \$20 million in career earnings. She is \$30,163 ahead of Cristie Kerr, who played in 609 tournaments.

Final word

“That means I need to pay more tax.” — Thitikul on surpassing \$20 million in career earnings.

— Associated Press

Offseason autopsy could lead to change for Orioles

DANIEL KUCIN JR./IMAGN IMAGES

Impending free agent Trevor Rogers could be in line for a deal from the Orioles after pitching to a 4.03 ERA in 30 starts this season.

ORIOLES FROM B7

Trade Rumors. Should he decline it, the Orioles would receive draft pick compensation for 2027.

Starting pitcher Chris Bassitt: After joining the Orioles on a one-year, \$18.5 million deal early in spring training, Bassitt appeared in 20 games (18 starts) and put up a 4.59 ERA. He missed more than two months recovering from back surgery and responded well to the procedure, posting a 3.74 ERA after his return — more in line with his career statistics. Bassitt, 37, is mulling his future and whether to retire after pitching in parts of 12 seasons at the MLB level.

Reliever Andrew Kittredge: Baltimore's unlikely saves leader with 11 this season, Kittredge was a solid back-end reliever who was often thrust into ninth-inning situations because of injuries. The Orioles acquired Kittredge, 36, each of the past two offseasons, first by free agency then via trade, but it's unclear whether the club would be interested in another reunion with both closers Ryan Helsley and Félix Bautista expected to be fully healthy next spring.

Reliever Keegan Akin: Akin, 31, underwent Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery in July, knocking him out for the rest of the 2026 season and most of 2027 as well. It was ill-timed for the left-hander, who is hitting free agency for the first time this offseason. Akin will probably be searching for a two-year deal this winter to see him through his recovery.

(Note: The Orioles also had several minor leaguers eligible for free agency, including catcher Sam Huff, infielder Luis Vázquez and left-hander Andrew Magno.)

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Team options/opt-outs (5)

Reliever Ryan Helsley: Helsley's first season in Baltimore was derailed by injuries, making him a strong candidate to pick up his \$14 million player option for 2027. The 32-year-old appeared in only 17 games, and his 4.11 ERA didn't pop off the page, but he averaged 98.7 mph on his fastball and had a 30.9 percent strikeout rate. If healthy, he and Bautista could form a formidable late-inning duo in the back end of the Orioles' bullpen.

Starting pitcher Zach Eflin: Eflin's contract has a \$25 million mutual option for 2027 with a \$2 million buyout, and he's probably headed back to free agency after having Tommy John surgery in April. The right-hander made only one start for the Orioles this season after back surgery cut his 2025 campaign short, and while he should be ready for an MLB return by midseason next year, it might not be in Baltimore this time.

Outfielder Luis Robert Jr.: The Orioles claimed Robert off waivers from the New York Mets at the end of August, and he played just three games before a hamstring injury sent him to the injured list for good. Baltimore has a \$2 million buyout on a \$20 million team option, a hefty cost for a player who has been plagued with injuries while largely underperforming the past three seasons.

First baseman Ryan Mountcastle: Another player with bad injury luck, Mountcastle broke a bone in his foot running the bases April 11 and suffered a significant oblique strain warming up for his first rehabilitation game in July. He wound up playing only eight games after the Orioles avoided arbitration by re-signing him to a one-year deal with a \$7.5 million team option for 2027. If he returns to the Orioles again this offseason, it will almost certainly be at a lower cost.

Reliever Dietrich Enns: The Orioles outrighted Enns to Class AAA Norfolk on May 31, but they still hold a team option for 2027 with a \$3.5 million salary in the majors and a \$125,000 buyout. Though he put up a serviceable 3.94 ERA in 13 appearances before going through waivers, Enns struggled mightily in Norfolk (5.80 ERA over 31 games) and didn't make it back to the majors.

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Positions of need

The Orioles have needs all over the roster, and yet every position is filled. Unlike in previous seasons, in which the departure of players such as Ryan O'Hearn and Anthony Santander created clear holes Elias and his front office needed to fill, Baltimore might need to orchestrate a few roster shakeups to upgrade its on-field product.

Perhaps the most glaring area is in the outfield, where the

Orioles compiled 4.0 wins above replacement this season — 25th in the majors, according to FanGraphs. Colton Cowser, Leody Taveras, Tyler O'Neill, Dylan Beavers and Heston Kjerstad make up the Orioles' projected outfield, with O'Neill still owed \$16.5 million for 2027 and Kjerstad out of minor league options.

However, none of them showed enough this season for Baltimore to confidently pencil them into next year's Opening Day lineup. The group also skews left-handed, making a right-handed outfielder — preferably one who can play center field — a need, regardless of the ripple effects such a move might create.

Other than acquiring a backup catcher to help get Samuel Basallo off his feet, the Orioles would be hard-pressed to further upgrade their lineup if they stand pat on the infield. Pete Alonso and Gunnar Henderson are entrenched at first base and shortstop, respectively. Elias gave Jackson Holliday a public vote of confidence at second in the end-of-season news conference, and the Orioles will have several options to choose from at third between Blaze Alexander, Jordan Westburg, Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand.

What the Orioles do in the rotation hinges first on whether they retain Rogers, their Opening Day starter in 2026. This off-season's starting pitcher market is weaker than usual outside of Tarik Skubal, who could set records with his upcoming payday. The best starters behind him will be Rogers, Michael King, Sonny Gray, Freddy Peralta, Shota Imanaga, Kevin Gausman and perhaps Nick Martinez if his mutual option is declined.

Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz and Brandon Young are the only locks to open next season in the Orioles' rotation, with Trey Gibson, Cade Povich, Luis De León, Michael Forrett and Nestor German in the mix. Top pitching prospects Anthony Eyanson and Joseph Dzierwa aren't too far behind, either, after they both dominated Class AA this year.

The Orioles could also use another proven late-inning arm to pad the back end of their bullpen, but the unit as a whole was a bright spot in 2026, and it might even be a strength next season if Helsley and Bautista return to form.

MLB ROUNDUP

Yamamoto, Los Angeles seize 2-1 lead in NLDS

DODGERS 3,

BRAVES 1

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out 10 in seven brilliant innings, Kiké Hernández hit a two-run homer, and the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves, 3-1, on Tuesday night to take a 2-1 lead in their National League Division Series.

Yamamoto dominated the much-anticipated matchup with Atlanta ace Chris Sale, who allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings. Yamamoto, the MVP of the 2025 World Series, permitted only four hits with one walk while improving to 8-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 11 career postseason outings, including 10 starts.

His 10 strikeouts were a post-season high for the Japanese right-hander.

The Dodgers can win the best-of-five series and take another step in their attempt to become the first National League team to win three consecutive World Series titles by beating the Braves again Wednesday night in Game 4.

The Braves hoped giving Sale extra rest would be a winning formula in the pivotal third game. Instead, after stranding six runners in the first three innings, he gave up the two-run homer to Hernández and a solo shot to former Braves star Freddie Freeman in the fourth.

Ozzie Albies opened the Atlanta ninth with a double off the right-center wall against Edwin Díaz and moved to third on Michael Harris II's groundout. Díaz stranded the runner when Mauricio Dubón fouled out to right field and Mike Yastrzemski grounded out to shortstop Mookie Betts.

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Miller on paternity list

Closer Mason Miller went on the postseason paternity list with the San Diego Padares facing elimination against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of the NLDS, which ended too late for this edition.

The intimidating all-star reliever will miss at least one game, the Padres announced about 45 minutes before the first pitch. Wandy Peralta replaced Miller on the 26-man playoff roster.

Miller was one of the best closers in the majors this season for the Padres. With a fastball that regularly touches 104 mph, Miller converted 38 of his 41 save opportunities and went 5-2 with a 0.90 WHIP and 129 strikeouts over just 70 innings.

But Miller also blew the save in the ninth inning of the Padres' 4-3 loss to the Brewers in Milwaukee last Sunday, putting San Diego in an 0-2 hole in the best-of-five series.

MIKE STEWART/AP

Kiké Hernández, far left, returns to the dugout after blasting a two-run home run in the fourth inning Tuesday night in Atlanta.

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SCOREBOARD

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PRO FOOTBALL

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NFL | EAST | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | N.Y. Giants | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 82 | 79 | Philadelphia | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 75 | 93 | Dallas | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 122 | 112 | Washington | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 88 | 122 | SOUTH | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Carolina | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 121 | 109 | Atlanta | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 96 | 92 | New Orleans | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 105 | 128 | Tampa Bay | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 76 | 96 | NORTH | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Minnesota.... | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 86 | 51 | Chicago.... | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 112 | 65 | Detroit.... | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 119 | 127 | Green Bay.... | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 73 | 105 | WEST | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | San Francisco......4 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 122 | 64 | Seattle......3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 105 | 73 | L.A. Rams......2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 85 | 83 | Arizona......1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 87 | 117 | EAST | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Buffalo | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 127 | 107 | New England | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 65 | 77 | N.Y. Jets | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 76 | 84 | Miami | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 46 | 101 | SOUTH | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Jacksonville.... | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 104 | 53 | Indianapolis.... | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 102 | 104 | Tennessee.... | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 55 | 83 | Houston.... | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 84 | 109 | NORTH | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Cleveland | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 81 | 95 | Baltimore | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 116 | 96 | Pittsburgh | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 77 | 87 | Cincinnati | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 97 | 85 | WEST | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Kansas City......4 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 118 | 77 | Las Vegas......3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 115 | 84 | Denver......2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 74 | 94 | L.A. Chargers......0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 67 | 106 | ---

THURSDAY'S RESULT

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SUNDAY'S RESULTS

Indianapolis 30, Washington 13, London, GBR

at Baltimore 24, Tennessee 18

at Chicago 23, N.Y. Jets 12

Dallas 34, at Houston 30

Green Bay 17, at Tampa Bay 14

Jacksonville 22, at Cincinnati 17

L.A. Rams 24, at Philadelphia 20

at N.Y. Giants 36, Arizona 24

New England 29, at Buffalo 26

at Minnesota 15, Miami 10

Kansas City 30, at Las Vegas 27

at San Francisco 24, Denver 14

at Seattle 30, L.A. Chargers 23

at Carolina 32, Detroit 26

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MONDAY'S RESULT

Atlanta 45, New Orleans 24

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THURSDAY, OCT. 8

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SUNDAY, OCT. 11

Chicago at Green Bay, 1 p.m.

Cincinnati at Miami, 1 p.m.

Cleveland at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m.

Houston at Tennessee, 1 p.m.

Indianapolis at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.

Las Vegas at New England, 1 p.m.

Minnesota at New Orleans, 1 p.m.

N.Y. Giants at Washington, 1 p.m.

Denver at L.A. Chargers, 4:05 p.m.

Detroit at Arizona, 4:25 p.m.

San Francisco at Seattle, 4:25 p.m.

Baltimore at Atlanta, 8:20 p.m.

Open: Kansas City, Carolina

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MONDAY, OCT. 12

Buffalo at L.A. Rams, 8:15 p.m.

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Falcons 45, Saints 24

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LATE MONDAY | ATLANTA | 14 | 10 | 7 | 14 – 45 | NEW ORLEANS | 0 | 7 | 3 | 14 – 24 | ---

FIRST QUARTER

Atlanta: Bi.Robinson 59 run (Folk kick), 13:34. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:26. Key Play: Penix 12 pass to D.London.

Atlanta: Bi.Robinson 4 run (Folk kick), :48. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 2:05. Key Play: Bi.Robinson 3 run on 3rd-and-7.

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SECOND QUARTER

New Orleans: Kamara 3 run (Carlson kick), 14:57. Drive: 4 plays, 54 yards, 00:48. Key Plays: Price kick return to New Orleans 46; Shough 44 pass to Olave.

Atlanta: FG Folk 29, 3:07. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:45. Key Plays: Penix 37 pass to D.London; Bi.Robinson 11 run; Penix 10 pass to Pitts.

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THIRD QUARTER

New Orleans: FG Carlson 27, 7:38. Drive: 14 plays, 59 yards, 7:22. Key Plays: B.Brown kick return to New Orleans 33; Shough 11 pass to Olave; Shough 9 pass to Johnson on 3rd-and-4; Shough 10 pass to Olave on 3rd-and-7. Atlanta: Br.Robinson 8 run (Folk kick), 2:11. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:27. Key Plays: Branch kick return to Atlanta 26; Penix 23 pass to Dotson; Bi.Robinson 10 run; Penix 14 pass to D.London on 3rd-and-10.

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FOURTH QUARTER

New Orleans: Kamara 5 run (Carlson kick), 13:00. Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 4:11. Key Plays: B.Brown kick return to New Orleans 32; Shough 18 pass to Vele on 4th-and-10; Shough 17 pass to Vele on 3rd-and-18; Kamara 2 run on 4th-and-1.

Atlanta: Dotson 31 pass from Penix (Folk kick), 9:48. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:10. Key Plays: Branch kick return to Atlanta 28; Penix 28 pass to Pitts; Bi.Robinson 5 run on 3rd-and-2.

Atlanta: Br.Robinson 11 run (Folk kick), 6:52. Drive: 3 plays, 21 yards, 1:31.

New Orleans: Vele 3 pass from Shough (Carlson kick), 1:13. Drive: 14 plays, 76 yards, 5:38. Key Plays: B.Brown kick return to New Orleans 24; Shough 5 pass to Vele on 3rd-and-4; Shough 23 pass to Olave on 4th-and-7. A: 70,007 | Att | NO | FIRST DOWNS | 24 | 22 | Rushing | 13 | 6 | Passing | .9 | 13 | Penalty | .2 | 3 | HIRD DOWN EFF | 4-8 | 6-15 | FOURTH DOWN EFF | 0-0 | 3-4 | TOTAL NET YARDS | 420 | 320 | Total Plays | 56 | 69 | Avg Gain | 7.5 | 4.6 | NET YARDS RUSHING | 205 | 50 | Rushes | .35 | 19 | Avg per rush | 5.857 | 2.632 | NET YARDS PASSING | 215 | 270 | Sacked-Yds lost | 1-8 | 2-16 | Gross-Yds passing | 223 | 286 | Completed-Att | 15-20 | 30-48 | Had Intercepted | .0 | 0 | Yards-Pass Play | 10.238 | 5.4 | KICKOFFS-EndZone-TB | 8-2-0 | 5-2-2 | Punts-Avg. | 2-36.0 | 3-49.667 | Punts blocked | .0 | 0 | FGs-PATs blocked | 0-0 | 0-0 | TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE | 90 | 211 | Punt Returns | 1-25 | 1-2 | Kickoff Returns | 3-65 | 8-209 | Interceptions | 0-0 | 0-0 | REALTIES-Yds. | 8-70 | 8-48 | FUMBLES-Lost | 0-0 | 1-1 | TIME OF POSSESSION | 30:45 | 29:15 | ---

RUSHING

Atlanta: Bi.Robinson 19-145, Br.Robinson 14-62, Penix 2-(minus 2). New Orleans: Kamara 7-23, Donaldson 3-18, K.Miller 6-9, Shough 2-5, Brown 1-(minus 5).

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PASSING

Atlanta: Penix 15-20-0-223. New Orleans: Shough 30-48-0-286.

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RECEIVING

Atlanta: D.London 5-96, Pitts 3-47, Dotson 2-54, Branch 2-10, Hooper 1-9, Br.Robinson 1-5, Bi.Robinson 1-2. New Orleans: Olave 8-116, Johnson 6-59, Vele 6-54, Kamara 5-35, K.Miller 2-10, Donaldson 2-5, Lance 1-7.

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PUNT RETURNS

Atlanta: Branch 1-25. New Orleans: Brown 1-2.

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KICKOFF RETURNS

Atlanta: Branch 3-65. New Orleans: Brown 5-130, Price 3-79.

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TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS

Atlanta: Henderson 9-1-0, Perkins 6-2-5, Watts 5-3-5, Hughes 3-1-0, Daniels 3-0-0, Deablo 3-0-0, Thomas 2-3-0, Bowman 2-0-0, Dorlus 1-1-0, Ebukam 1-0-1, Brown 1-0-0, Harrison 1-0-0, Hellams 1-0-0, L.London 1-0-0, M.Smith 1-0-0, Dexter 0-2-0, Bates 0-1-0, Woods 0-1-0. New Orleans: Blackmon 5-5-0, T.Wilson 4-2-1, Sanker 4-2-0, J.Reid 3-1-0, Riley 2-2-0, Young 2-2-0, Stutsman 1-4-0, Diggs 1-3-0, Werner 1-3-0, Boyd 1-2-0, McKinstry 1-1-0, Shepherd 1-1-0, Jordan 0-2-0, Wooden 0-2-0, Broughton 0-1-0, Godchaux 0-1-0, Ridgeway 0-1-0.

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INTERCEPTIONS

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MISSED FIELD GOALS

New Orleans: Carlson 52.

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OFFICIALS

Referee Land Clark: Ump Mark Pellis, HL Dale Keller, LJ Stephen Ray, FJ Jabir Walker, SJ Dave Hawkshaw, BJ Brad Freeman, Replay Gavin Anderson.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL

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NCAA

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WEEK 6

TUESDAY'S RESULT

Southern Miss. (1-3) at Troy (2-2), 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7

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SOUTH

Jacksonville St. (3-2) at Kennesaw St. (1-3), 7 p.m.

New Mexico St. (2-3) at FIU (2-2), 7:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8

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SOUTH

Sam Houston St. (1-3) at Liberty (4-1), 7 p.m.

Missouri St. (1-3) at W. Kentucky (1-4), 7 p.m.

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SOUTHWEST

South Florida (4-1) at UTSA (4-1), 7:30 p.m.

South Alabama (3-2) at Arkansas St. (2-3), 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9

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EAST

Columbia (2-1) at Marist (3-2), 7 p.m.

Florida St. (3-2) at Louisville (2-3), 7 p.m.

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FAR WEST

Wyoming (2-3) at San Jose St. (3-2), 9 p.m.

Iowa (4-1) at Washington (3-2), 9 p.m.

Washington St. (1-4) at Utah St. (1-4), 9 p.m.

Iowa St. (3-2) at BYU (4-0), 10:15 p.m.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10

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EAST

North Carolina (2-2) at Pittsburgh (5-0), Noon Dartmouth (1-2) at Yale (2-1), Noon Tulane (2-2) at Army (2-2), Noon Bryant (4-1) at Brown (1-2), Noon Stonehill (1-4) at Sacred Heart (2-3), Noon Robert Morley (1-4) at Minnesota (4-1), Noon Arizona (4-1) at West Virginia (3-2), Noon Princeton (2-1) at Wagner (1-4), Noon Bucknell (1-4) at Georgetown (0-4), 12:30 p.m. LIU Brooklyn (3-5) at Duquesne (1-3), 1 p.m. Harvard (3-6) at Cornell (2-1), 1 p.m. Louisiana International University of SSU (1-3), 1 p.m. Howard (2-3) at Penn (1-2), 1 p.m. Franklin Pierce (0-1) at Delaware St. (3-3), 1 p.m. Miami (Ohio) (2-3) at UMass (4-1), 2 p.m. Richmond (5-1) at Fordham (1-5), 3:30 p.m. Tulsa (3-2) at Long Island (2-3). UConn (2-3) at Temple (2-3), 3:45 p.m. Stony Brook (3-2) at Towson (0-6), 4 p.m. Coastal Carolina (1-4) at Marshall (3-2), 7 p.m. Southern Cal (5-1) at Penn St. (3-2), 7:30 p.m.

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SOUTH

Wake Forest (4P) at NC State (5-27), New

New Hampshire (2-4) at NC A&T (1-5), Noon

Washington (2-4) at Minnesota (2-3), 5 p.m.

William & Mary (2-4) at NC Central (2-4), 1 p.m.

Old Dominion (1-4) at Appalachian St. (3-1), 1 p.m.

Samford (1-4) at Chattanooga (3-3), 1 p.m.

Wofford (3-3) at Elon (4-2), 2 p.m.

Va. Lynchburg (0-3) at Norfolk St. (3-3), 2 p.m.

Northeastern St. (0-2) at West Florida (3-2), 2 p.m.

TSU (4-2) at The Dalles (3-3), 2 p.m.

Annabels Baptist (0-1) at Alcorn St. (3-3), 3 p.m.

W. Carolina (3-3) at Mercer (4-2), 3 p.m.

E. Illinois (1-4) at Gardner-Webb (2-4), 3:30 p.m.

Duke (4-0) at Georgia Tech (1-3), 3:30 p.m.

Mississippi (3-1) at Vanderbilt (3-2), 3:30 p.m.

UT Martin (1-4) at Tennessee St. (1-4), 3:30 p.m.

Furman (2-4) at Tennessee Tech (4-1), 3:30 p.m.

TOMI (1-4) at Tennessee St. (4-1), 4 p.m.

Rice (1-4) at East Carolina (2-2), 4 p.m.

Jackson St. (5-0) at Grambling St. (3-2), 5 p.m.

Davidson (2-4) at Presbyterian (2-3), 5:30 p.m.

SC State (5-1) at Charleston Southern (2-3), 6 p.m.

West Georgia (1-4) at E. Kentucky (1-4), 6 p.m.

James Madison (5-0) at Georgia Southern (2-3), 7:30 p.m.

Syracuse (2-2) at Virginia (3-2), 7:30 p.m.

Louisiana-Lafayette (4-1) at Louisiana Tech (2-2), 7:30 p.m.

Georgia (5-0) at Alabama (5-0), 7:30 p.m.

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MIDWEST

Indiana (3-4) at Nebraska (3-5), Noon.

Montecanto (St. 1-4) at Texas (1-4), Noon.

Texas A&M (3-2) at Missouri (4-1), Noon.

Morehead St. (1-4) at Dayton (3-1), Noon.

Ball St. (1-4) at Northwestern (3-1), 12:30 p.m.

San Diego (2-3) at Butler (4-1), 1 p.m.

Youngstown St. (4-2) at Indiana St. (2-4), 1 p.m.

Youngstown (3-3) at South (3-5) at Kansas (4-2), 2 p.m.

Drale (2-3) at Vallesso (2-3), 2 p.m.

SE Missouri (2-3) at Lindenwood (Mo.)(1-3), 2 p.m.

Stetson (1-4) at St. Thomas (Minn). (4-2), 2 p.m.

E. Michigan (3-3) at Akron (1-4), 3:30 p.m.

Stanford (2-3) at Notre Dame (5-0), 3:30 p.m.

Santola (6-1) at Fort Wayne (4-1), 3:30 p.m.

Illinois (2-3) at Michigan St. (2-3), 3:30 p.m.

Kent St. (2-3) at W. Michigan (3-2), 3:30 p.m.

Buffalo (2-3) at Toledo (4-1), 3:30 p.m.

Cent. Michigan (3-2) at Ohio (3-2), 3:30 p.m.

Maryland (2-3) at Ohio St. (4-1), 4:15 p.m.

Minnesota (5-4) at Minnesota St. (4-1), 4:15 p.m.

Air Force (3-1) at N. Illinois (0-4), 7:30 p.m.

Minnesota (4-1) at Purdue (2-3), 8 p.m.

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SOUTHWEST

UCF (3-2) at Oklahoma St. (3-1), Noon

MVSU (2-4) at Texas Southern (1-4), 3 p.m.

Southern U. (2-4) at Prairie View (2-4), 3 p.m.

Oklahoma (2-2) vs. Texas (4-0) at Dallas, 3:30 p.m.

Charlotte (0-5) at North Texas (3-2), 3:30 p.m.

Incarnate Word (2-3) at Lamar (4-1), 4 p.m.

Tennessee (4-1) at Arkansas (2-3), 4:15 p.m.

Nevada (1-3) at UTEP (1-4), 7 p.m.

Cent. Arkansas (2-3) at Abilene Christian (2-4), 8 p.m.

SE Louisiana (3-2) at UT Rio Grande Valley (2-3), 8 p.m.

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FAR WEST

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Idaho (1-4) at Weber St. (3-3), 3 p.m.

Idaho (1-4) at Weber St. (3-5), 3 p.m.

Virginia Tech (4-1) at California (2-3), 3:30 p.m.

UCLA (4-0) at Oregon (3-1), 3:30 p.m.

Utah Tech (0-6) at Portland St. (1-4), 4 p.m.

Montana (5-1) at N. Arizona (4-2), 5 p.m.

Cal Poly (3-3) at Idaho St. (4-1), 6 p.m.

San Diego St. (2-3) at Oregon St. (3-2), 6 p.m.

N. Dakota St. (5-0) at UNLV (3-2), 7 p.m.

N. Colorado (2-4) at E. Washington (1-5), 7 p.m.

Kansas (2-2) at Utah (4-0), 10:15 p.m.

Hawaii (1-4) at Arizona St. (2-2), 10:30 p.m.

Boise St. (4-1) at Fresno St. (4-1), 10:30 p.m.

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NASCAR Cup Series

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POINTS LEADERS

Through Sunday.

1. Kyle Larson, 2318.

2. Denny Hamlin, 2278.

3. Christopher Bell, 2263.

4. Joey Logano, 2247.

5. Ryan Blaney, 2238.

6. Chaser Young, 2224.

7. Tyler Reddick, 2212.

8. Ty Gibbs, 2208.

9. Austin Cindric, 2190.

10. Bubba Wallace, 2181.

11. Carson Mcevar, 2160.

12. William Byron, 2158.

13. Chase Houghton, 2155.

14. Daniel Suárez, 2123.

15. Chris Buescher, 2122.

16. Ryan Preece, 2118.

17. Shane Van Gisbergen, 688.

18. Brad Keselowski, 654.

19. Ross Chastain, 621.

20. Michael Hsuickel, 597.

21. Erik Jones, 582.

22. AJ Allmendinger, 551.

23. Todd Gilliland, 542.

24. Austin Dillon, 528.

25. Josh Berry, 514.

26. Alex Bowman, 503.

27. Patrick H. Kentekh, 497.

28. Zine Smith, 484.

29. Ricky Stenhouse Jr, 460.

30. Riley Herbst, 446.

31. Noah Gragson, 394.

32. Cole Custer, 387.

33. Ty Dillon, 339.

34. Connolly H. Kentekh, 327.

35. Cody Ware, 229.

36. Casey Mears, 13.

37. Kevin Magnussen, 11.

38. Jimmie Johnson, 9.

39. Katherine Legge, 8.

40. BJ McLleod, 4.

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NASCAR O'Reilly Series

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POINTS LEADERS

Through Monday.

1. Sheldon Creed, 2259 (3).

2. Carson Kwapil, 2240 (2).

3. Jesse Love, 2238 (1).

4. Justin Allgaier, 2229 (6).

5. Corey Day, 2237 (8). Sam Mayotte, 2207 (0).

6. Taylor Gray, 2169 (1).

8. Sammy Smith, 2165 (0).

9. Austin Hill, 2160 (2).

10. Parker Retzlaff, 2142 (0).

11. Brandon Jones, 2122 (1).

12. Rajah Caruth, 2113 (0).

13. Brent Crews, 758 (0).

14. William Sawalich, 711 (1).

15. Ryan Sieg, 650 (1).

16. Anthony Alfredo, 606 (0).

17. Brennan Poole, 535 (0).

18. Dean Thompson, 528 (0).

19. Jeremy Clements, 481 (0).

20. Harrison Burton, 467 (0).

21. Jeb Burton, 441 (0).

22. Blaine Perkins, 398 (0).

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PRO BASKETBALL

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WNBA playoffs

FIRST ROUND

Best of three

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DREAM ELIMINATED MYSTICS, 2-0

Game 1: at Atlanta 92, Washington 77

Game 2: Atlanta 93, at Washington 75

LIBERTY ELIMINATED LYNX, 2-0

Game 1: New York 91, at Minnesota 75

Game 2: at New York 87, Minnesota 71

VALKYRIES ELIMINATED WINGS, 2-1

Game 1: at Golden State 104, Dallas 80

Game 2: at Dallas 108, Golden State 100 (OT)

Game 3: at Golden State 77, Dallas 73

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ACES ELIMINATED FEVER, 2-1

Game 1: at Las Vegas 102, Indiana 85

Game 2: at Indiana 99, Las Vegas 89

Game 3: at Las Vegas 94, Indiana 83

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SEMIFINALS

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VALKYRIES LEAD ACES, 1-0

Game 1: at Golden State 71, Las Vegas 60

Wednesday's game: Las Vegas at Golden State, 9:30

Friday's game: Golden State at Las Vegas, 9:30

x-Sunday's game: Golden State at Las Vegas, TBA

x-Wednesday, Oct. 14: Golden State at Las Vegas, TBA

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DREAM LEAD LIBERTY, 1-0

Game 1: at Atlanta 92, New York 82

Wednesday's game: New York at Atlanta, 7:30

Friday's game: Atlanta at New York, 7:30

x-Sunday's game: Atlanta at New York, TBA

x-Wednesday, Oct. 14: New York at Atlanta, TBA

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FINALS

Best of seven; x-If necessary

Wednesday, Oct. 17: TBD, 3:30

Monday, Oct. 19: TBD, 8

Thursday, Oct. 22: TBD, 8

Saturday, Oct. 24: TBD, 3:30

x-Monday, Oct. 26: TBD, 8

x-Thursday, Oct. 29: TBD, 8

x-Saturday, Oct. 31: TBD, 8

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SOCCER

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MLS | EAST | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | Nashville.... | 18 | 3 | 6 | 60 | 55 | 21 | New England.... | 14 | 9 | 4 | 46 | 45 | 36 | Inter Miami CF.... | 12 | 5 | 10 | 46 | 64 | 50 | Charlotte FC.... | 12 | 8 | 7 | 43 | 47 | 38 | Chicago.... | 12 | 8 | 6 | 42 | 46 | 38 | Philadelphia.... | 11 | 10 | 10 | 39 | 54 | 45 | Orlando City.... | 10 | 13 | 4 | 34 | 48 | 64 | New York.... | 9 | 12 | 6 | 33 | 34 | 51 | New York City FC.... | 8 | 10 | 9 | 33 | 41 | 36 | Cincinnati.... | 8 | 9 | 9 | 33 | 55 | 64 | D.C. United.... | 6 | 8 | 12 | 30 | 34 | 42 | Columbus.... | 8 | 14 | 2 | 29 | 39 | 39 | Toronto FC.... | 6 | 10 | 11 | 29 | 39 | 51 | Atlanta.... | 7 | 14 | 6 | 27 | 32 | 45 | CF Montréal.... | 6 | 15 | 6 | 24 | 34 | 54 | WEST | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | Vancouver.... | 15 | 6 | 5 | 50 | 59 | 26 | St. Louis City SC.... | 13 | 6 | 8 | 47 | 48 | 36 | FC Dallas.... | 13 | 6 | 8 | 47 | 50 | 42 | San Jose.... | 13 | 8 | 6 | 45 | 49 | 39 | Houston.... | 13 | 9 | 5 | 44 | 34 | 32 | Los Angeles FC.... | 11 | 9 | 8 | 43 | 33 | 30 | Seattle.... | 10 | 9 | 8 | 38 | 35 | 35 | Colorado.... | 11 | 13 | 3 | 36 | 38 | 38 | LA Galaxy.... | 9 | 10 | 9 | 36 | 37 | 44 | Portland.... | 9 | 13 | 5 | 32 | 48 | 51 | Real Salt Lake.... | 9 | 13 | 5 | 32 | 40 | 44 | San Diego FC.... | 8 | 11 | 8 | 32 | 47 | 47 | Austin FC.... | 7 | 10 | 10 | 31 | 35 | 47 | Sacramento United.... | 12 | 8 | 8 | 29 | 40 | 49 | Sporting KC.... | 6 | 18 | 3 | 21 | 32 | 65 | ---

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

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St. Louis City SC 3, at New York 0

THURSDAY'S RESULTS at Seattle 2, Sporting KC 1

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TUESDAY'S RESULTS

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10

CF Montréal at Toronto FC, 1

New York City FC at Chicago, 2:30

Cincinnati at Atlanta, 7:30

FC Dallas at Charlotte FC, 7:30

D.C. United at Miami, 7:30

Seattle at New England, 7:30

San Diego FC at New York, 7:30

Columbus at Orlando City, 7:30

Real Salt Lake at Philadelphia, 7:30

Nashville at Austin FC, 8:30

Portland at Sporting KC, 8:30

Houston at Minnesota, 8:30

San Jose at Colorado, 9:30

Vancouver at Los Angeles FC, 10:30

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14

New England at Cincinnati, 7:30

Charlotte FC at Columbus, 7:30

New York at D.C. United, 7:30

New York City FC at Miami, 7:30

Atlanta at CF Montréal, 7:30

Orlando City at Toronto FC, 7:30

Philadelphia at Chicago, 8:30

Seattle at FC Dallas, 8:30

Sporting KC at Nashville, 8:30

Vancouver at St. Louis City SC, 8:30

Minnesota at Colorado, 9:30

San Jose at Real Salt Lake, 9:30

Portland at LA Galaxy, 10:30

Austin FC at Los Angeles FC, 10:30

Houston at San Diego FC, 10:30

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17

Charlotte FC at Philadelphia, 2:30

St. Louis City SC at Minnesota, 4:30

Miami at Atlanta, 7:30

Chicago at New England, 7:30

Toronto FC at New York, 7:30

D.C. United at Orlando City, 7:30

Los Angeles FC at New York City FC, 7:30

Vancouver at Austin FC, 8:30

FC Dallas at Houston, 8:30

Real Salt Lake at Sporting KC, 8:30

San Diego FC at LA Galaxy, 10:30

Colorado at Portland, 10:30

Nashville at San Jose, 10:30

CF Montréal at Seattle, 10:30

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NWSL Glance | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | Gotham FC...... | 16 | 4 | 7 | 55 | 35 | 21 | San Diego...... | 16 | 8 | 3 | 51 | 40 | 28 | Washington...... | 15 | 8 | 4 | 49 | 39 | 26 | Utah Royals FC...... | 14 | 9 | 4 | 46 | 44 | 35 | Kansas City...... | 13 | 9 | 5 | 44 | 48 | 33 | Angel City...... | 12 | 8 | 7 | 43 | 45 | 29 | Portland...... | 12 | 8 | 7 | 43 | 45 | 39 | North Carolina...... | 13 | 11 | 3 | 42 | 50 | 39 | Seattle...... | 12 | 11 | 4 | 40 | 33 | 32 | Denver...... | 10 | 9 | 8 | 38 | 45 | 37 | Orlando...... | 10 | 14 | 3 | 33 | 36 | 43 | Houston...... | 8 | 13 | 6 | 30 | 34 | 39 | Boston...... | 8 | 14 | 5 | 29 | 36 | 46 | Bay FC...... | 7 | 15 | 5 | 26 | 28 | 42 | Louisville...... | 7 | 17 | 3 | 24 | 36 | 52 | Cincinnati...... | 7 | 18 | 4 | 22 | 36 | 48 | NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie.

SATURDAY'S RESULTS

Utah Royals FC 1, at Louisville 1

at Kansas City 5, Bay FC 1

Boston 4, at Portland 2

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SATURDAY'S RESULTS

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SUNDAY'S RESULTS

Angel City 1, at Gotham FC 1

Denver 3, at Chicago 0

Washington 3, at Houston 2

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FRIDAY, OCT. 16

Boston vs Racing Louisville FC, 8

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USL Championship | East | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | Tampa Bay.... | 15 | 5 | 7 | 52 | 46 | 25 | Detroit City FC.... | 13 | 6 | 8 | 47 | 33 | 20 | Charleston.... | 14 | 8 | 4 | 46 | 52 | 31 | Hartford.... | 9 | 5 | 12 | 39 | 29 | 26 | Rhode Island FC.... | 11 | 10 | 5 | 38 | 39 | 29 | Pittsburgh.... | 11 | 11 | 5 | 38 | 28 | 27 | Louisville.... | 10 | 9 | 7 | 37 | 43 | 42 | Miami.... | 9 | 10 | 9 | 36 | 38 | 45 | Indy.... | 9 | 11 | 7 | 34 | 33 | 33 | Loudoun.... | 4 | 10 | 12 | 24 | 32 | 44 | Birmingham.... | 4 | 11 | 11 | 23 | 36 | 43 | Brooklyn FC.... | 4 | 17 | 6 | 18 | 27 | 55 | Sporting Jax.... | 3 | 19 | 5 | 14 | 32 | 73 | West | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | El Paso.... | 14 | 8 | 5 | 47 | 46 | 35 | New Mexico.... | 13 | 7 | 7 | 46 | 41 | 32 | Sacramento.... | 11 | 5 | 11 | 44 | 37 | 25 | Lexington SC.... | 13 | 10 | 4 | 43 | 49 | 33 | Tulsa.... | 11 | 7 | 9 | 42 | 32 | 25 | Colorado Springs.... | 11 | 9 | 7 | 40 | 40 | 37 | Orange County.... | 10 | 8 | 9 | 39 | 36 | 42 | San Antonio.... | 9 | 7 | 11 | 38 | 29 | 29 | Las Vegas.... | 10 | 11 | 6 | 36 | 35 | 38 | Oakland.... | 8 | 9 | 10 | 34 | 33 | 35 | Phoenix.... | 8 | 10 | 9 | 33 | 36 | 40 | Monterey Bay FC.... | 5 | 16 | 6 | 21 | 29 | 47 | NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie.

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9

Louisville at Sporting Jax ppd.

New Mexico 2, Phoenix 1

Tulsa at Lexington SC, 7:30 p.m.

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BASEBALL

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MLB playoffs

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