Here are today’s top stories.
Headlines
Russia Denies Plague Outbreak
Russia told the World Health Organization that no plague cases were recorded in Irkutsk, contradicting earlier reports that a researcher there died of suspected pneumonic plague. Biosecurity experts say the scale of Russia’s response, including hazmat teams and a hospital lockdown, does not fit a routine plague case. The WHO has asked Moscow what caused the death. Read More
President Trump called the costs of the Iran war a small price to pay for national security, in remarks that raised the prospect of attacks on Los Angeles or San Diego. A Homeland Security program provides $300 million to help 14 high-risk urban areas detect radiological and nuclear material, among them New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Houston and Chicago. Source
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis are denying that they have lost ground to the country’s Saudi-backed military as the Middle East war spreads into a fight over a second key shipping waterway. Oil prices eased despite the widening crisis. Source
Politics
Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson clashed in a frequently tense Maine Senate debate. Collins leaned on her five terms and criticized some of President Trump’s policies, while Jackson argued she has not pushed back on the administration effectively. See Details
The Cook Political Report moved three Senate races toward Democrats: Kansas to a toss-up, New Hampshire to a Democratic lean, and North Carolina to a likely Democratic race. Cook now sees Democrats gaining two to six seats. They need four to take control of the chamber. See Details
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott holds only a single-digit lead in recent polls over Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, after winning by 10 points four years ago. Analysts tie the closer race to President Trump’s sagging approval on the economy. They still rate a Hinojosa win as unlikely; Texas last elected a Democratic governor in 1990. Source
U.S. News
Tropical Storm Isaias, about 580 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River, is forecast to strengthen quickly and come ashore Friday as a hurricane. It would be the first Atlantic hurricane of the season and the latest first hurricane on record. Rain and tropical-storm-force winds could reach the Gulf Coast from New Orleans to Pensacola by Friday morning. Find out More
An Arizona appeals court threw out a 10½-year manslaughter sentence because an AI-generated video of the dead victim was played at sentencing. The court upheld Gabriel Horcasitas’ conviction in the 2021 road rage shooting of Christopher Pelkey but said the avatar, created by Pelkey’s sister, crossed a line. A judge must now impose a new sentence. See Details
A former CIA official has admitted to inventing fake classified programs to divert nearly $200 million in government money. The funds paid for Florida mansions and gold bars, and he was found with about $40 million of it. See Details
Business
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at record highs Tuesday, up 0.58% and 0.45%, and the Dow rose 253 points, or 0.49%, to 51,521.28. Chipmakers led, with Nvidia and AMD at new highs and Marvell up about 8%. The 10-year Treasury yield eased to 5.27% after its highest close in 24 years. Find out More
A federal lawsuit filed in Illinois accuses McDonald’s of antitrust violations over an AI tool that recommends prices to its U.S. franchisees, calling it algorithmic price-fixing. McDonald’s says franchisees, not AI, set menu prices and the tool is optional guidance. The suit seeks class-action status and damages. Source
Families that heat with oil could pay about 50% more this winter than last, with annual costs topping $2,600, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. The Iran war and volatile oil markets are driving the increase. The Northeast, which burns 82% of the nation’s heating oil, is hit hardest, and several states there have declared energy emergencies. See Details
World News
A cargo ship sank and a second vessel caught fire Tuesday after coordinated drone strikes in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea, about 70 nautical miles offshore. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Russia and warned a massive strike was coming. Find out More
Russia fired about 70 missiles, many of them ballistic, along with attack drones at a dozen Ukrainian regions overnight, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. At least 11 people were killed and 28 injured, five of them children. Five of the dead were in a five-story apartment building in Pryluky. Find out More
August Hanning, 80, who led Germany’s foreign intelligence service from 1998 to 2005, was arrested on suspicion of espionage and attempted treason. Prosecutors say he obtained about 2,000 classified documents through a former aide and used them to prepare an analysis for an employee of a foreign intelligence service. Authorities have not named the country. Read More
Entertainment
Eva Marie Saint, who won an Oscar for her film debut opposite Marlon Brando in “On the Waterfront” and starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest,” has died at 102. She was one of the last surviving stars of Hollywood’s golden age. Source
Dennis Haskins, who played Principal Richard Belding on “Saved by the Bell,” died of Parkinson’s disease, according to his death certificate. Haskins was 75 and died Sept. 27 at a hospital in Burbank, California. He had kept the diagnosis private. Source
A new accounting from Michael Jackson’s estate shows it spent millions in 2024 on the singer’s three children and his mother. The court filing lists costs ranging from cleaning to events. See Details
Sports
The Dodgers beat the Braves 3-1 to take a 2-1 lead in their National League Division Series, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto striking out 10 over seven innings and Kiké Hernández and Freddie Freeman homering off Chris Sale. The Padres avoided elimination with a 4-3 win over the Brewers, who still lead that series 2-1. Source
Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson has retired at 36, four games into the season. The surprise announcement followed his absence from the team’s Week 4 game and ends a career that included six Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl title. Read More
Lionel Messi scored a penalty and set up two goals in his final match for Argentina, a 3-0 win over Benin at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. The 39-year-old finishes his international career with 126 goals in 208 appearances and a World Cup title. Read More
Off the Wall
Investigators have launched an expedition to examine a mysterious object in the Pacific. They believe it could be Amelia Earhart’s long-lost plane. Find out More
