Detainees are packed into holding rooms ‘like animals’ without adequate food, water and medication, plaintiffs allege
from The Independent https://ift.tt/eALY1Jp
Friday, October 31, 2025
Cockroaches, blood in the sinks and nowhere to bathe: Immigrants sue over ‘horrific’ conditions inside Chicago ICE facility
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Where to find food assistance amid pause in federal food aid, SNAP benefits
Nearly a half-dozen people have been arrested in connection with selling the drugs that led to the July 2023 overdose death of actor Robert De Niro’s grandson, according to court documents.
Five men — Bruce Epperson, Eddie Barreto, Grant McIver, John Nicolas and Roy Nicolas — were charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death in the July 2023 death of Leandro Anthony De Niro-Rodriguez, the only child of De Niro’s oldest daughter, Drena, and two other teens.
The defendants allegedly used social media to promote and sell drugs across New York City and parts of Long Island. They allegedly doled out thousands of fake Xanax pills laced with fentanyl to teens and young adults.
Federal prosecutors say three 19-year-olds, including De Niro’s grandson, died of overdoses in a three-month span during the summer of 2023. Each case involved fentanyl-laced pills.
De Niro-Rodriguez’s mother, Drena De Niro, had previously said her son died after being sold pills.
The NYPD has said officers found De Niro-Rodriguez unconscious when responding to a 911 call to Wall Street in Lower Manhattan. The recently turned 19-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.
Prosecutors say De Niro-Rodriguez had just moved to New York for a theater internship on Broadway, not long after graduating from high school in Aspen, Colorado. He had only been in his apartment for two days.
His death was ruled an accident, with the New York City medical examiner’s office determining De Niro-Rodriguez died from the toxic effects of fentanyl, bromazolam, alprazolam, 7-aminoclonazepam, ketamine and cocaine.
De Niro-Rodriguez’s mother announced his death on July 3, 2023.
“Someone sold him fentanyl laced pills that they knew were laced yet still sold them to him,” Drena De Niro wrote. “So for all these people still f—— around selling and buying this s—, my son is gone forever.”
Robert De Niro also provided a statement at the time of his grandson’s death, saying: “I’m deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo. We’re greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo.”
Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez, too, had acting credits to his name, with roles in three projects also featuring his mother: 2005’s “The Collection,” 2018’s “Cabaret Maxime” and “A Star Is Born.” In Bradley Cooper’s remake, the mother and son played mother and son — wife and child to Dave Chappelle’s character.
One of the other teenage victims was identified as Akira Stein, the daughter of Chris Stein, the guitarist and co-founder of the New York City rock band Blondie along with Debbie Harry. The teen overdosed on May 30, 2023, in lower Manhattan after taking pills allegedly sold to her by brothers John and Roy Nicolas.
In a post on Instagram, Chris Stein said arrests had been made in his daughter’s case, and that law enforcement had been “very sympathetic and respectful all through this process and I can’t thank them enough for this hope of some justice for her.”
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the suspects “used social media to manipulate teenagers” and sell them the deadly pills.
“The NYPD remains laser-focused on dismantling dangerous drug networks and restoring quality-of-life in our communities. I am grateful to the NYPD investigators, the DEA, HSI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their relentless work to shut this operation down and bring these dangerous individuals to justice,” Tisch said.
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Suburban officer's dashcam captures suspected meteor streaking across sky
Elmhurst police believe an officer caught an incredible look at a meteor streaking through the night sky on dashcam video last weekend.
In newly released footage, the Elmhurst Police Department said Officer Jacob Wiegele was working the night shift when he saw something trailing through the sky.
“Our officers see a lot of unusual things on the night shift but this is unique…” the department wrote.
The unexpected bright object was seen around 5 a.m. Saturday as Wiegele patrolled Illinois Route 83 from St. Charles Road.
Wiegele quickly activated his dash camera “just in time” and recorded “the object’s descent,” the department said.
“Just a cool reminder that police officers witness a lot while most of us are sleeping!” the department posted on social media.
While it’s not certain what exactly the object is, the department believes it to be a meteor. That timing lines up with just after the peak of the Orionid meteor shower, widely considered one of the most spectacular of the year.
The specific shower occurs when Earth travels through debris trailing behind Halley’s Comet, and the debris burns up in the atmosphere, according to NASA.
The shower began on Oct. 2 and is expected to remain active until Nov. 7.
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Tickets for special Christkindlmarket events, including new feature, now on sale
With the holiday season fast approaching, tickets to one of Chicago’s most popular Christmas markets are already becoming available.
Tickets for the special events at the Christkindlmarkets in Chicago and Aurora are now on sale, including for a new one-day-only themed special.
The ticketed events include a new “Haus of Krampus,” set for Dec. 14, which will transform the market’s heated Timber Haus into “a moody alpine lair where Krampus roams.”
“Snap eerie photos, enjoy holiday treats, and embrace the playful chaos – just don’t end up in his burlap sack…” organizers wrote in their announcement.
Other events include an exclusive sneak peek of the market before it opens to the public, along with the popular “culture and cheer tours” which offer a special behind-the-scenes tour of the market, along with a Christkindlmarket tote bag, one of the market’s beloved mugs, a hot beverage voucher, treats from vendors and more. The tours have been described as a secret hack for those looking to avoid long winter lines.
The Chicago and Aurora locations open on Friday, Nov. 21, and Wrigleyville will open its gates on Sunday, Nov. 23.
For tickets to the Chicago special events click here. And for Aurora click here.
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Thursday, October 30, 2025
Survey reveals the ‘right' way to eat candy corn — and most Americans agree
Britain’s Prince Andrew will have his royal titles formally removed and will move out of his home in Windsor, Buckingham Palace said Thursday, as the royal faces growing pressure over his ties to the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement that King Charles had “initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours” of his younger brother.
“Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor,” the palace said, an escalation from measures announced two weeks ago, when it said that Andrew would stop using some of his titles, including the Duke of York.
The palace said that the “censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him,” adding: “Their Majesties [King Charles and Queen Camilla] wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
The palace also said that a formal notice had been served for Andrew to leave his home at the Royal Lodge, close to Windsor Castle.
It comes after revelations that Andrew was paying a rent of “one peppercorn (if demanded) per annum” on the 30-room mansion owned by the Crown Estate, despite stepping back from public duties six years ago. The arrangement was revealed in a Freedom of Information request by The Times newspaper last week.
The palace said: “His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation.”
Andrew will move to a property on the royal family’s private Sandringham estate, and his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will retain their titles, according to the Palace.
The Royal Lodge was the home of Elizabeth, King George VI’s consort and the mother of Queen Elizabeth II, from 1952 until she died in 2002.
Legal documents published by The Times, not verified by NBC News, indicated that Andrew paid 1 million pounds for the lease when he moved into the property in 2004, also paying 7.5 million pounds for refurbishment works. The palace and Andrew did not previously comment on the reports.
In a statement two weeks ago, Andrew cited “the continued accusations about me” that “distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.”
“As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me,” Andrew said.
The storm has only intensified since, with the publication of late Epstein survivor Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, detailing allegations against Andrew, last Monday.
Giuffre, who died by suicide in April, wrote that she had sex with the prince on three occasions, including an “orgy” involving “eight other young girls” who “appeared to be under the age of 18 and didn’t really speak English.”
Andrew reached a legal settlement with Giuffre for an undisclosed amount in February 2022 after she filed a civil case against him in a New York court accusing him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17 years old. He has repeatedly denied having met her and previously denied that a photograph of the two of them is real.
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CVS Health to shut down 16 Oak Street Health clinics, including 1 in Chicago
What to Know
- President Donald Trump said he has made deals with China after meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping this morning, the final day of a trip to Asia that was an opportunity for the leaders of the world’s two largest economies to stabilize relations after months of turmoil over trade issues.
- Trump said he would reduce fentanyl tariffs on China to 10% from 20%. In return, Xi agreed to a one-year reprieve on China’s export curbs on rare earth materials.
- As the government shutdown entered day 30, there were signs of progress as Senate Majority Leader John Thune suggested bipartisan back-channeling between rank-and-file lawmakers “have ticked up significantly.”
- Casey Means, Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, was set to face senators this morning for her confirmation hearing, but the testimony has been postponed after she went into labor.
Follow along for live updates.
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Wednesday, October 29, 2025
DOJ indicts Congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh for actions during ICE protests
A federal grand jury has charged 9th district Congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh for allegedly blocking vehicles outside of the Broadview immigration processing facility.
According to the indictment, Abughazaleh and five other individuals allegedly “forcibly impeded, intimidated and interfered with an officer of the United States” during a protest on September 26 outside of the facility.
The indictment alleges that Abughazaleh and five other individuals surrounded a government vehicle as it attempted to enter the Broadview facility on the morning of September 26. They allegedly banged on the vehicle’s sides and windows, crowded together and pushed against the vehicle to impede its movement, according to prosecutors.
They’re accused of scratching the word “Pig” into the paint of the car, and broke one of its side mirrors.
If convicted, Abughazaleh could face a fine or up to one year in prison, according to prosecutors.
Abughazaleh issued a statement via a fundraising email for her Congressional campaign.
“This is a political prosecution and a gross attempt at silencing dissent, a right protected under the First Amendment,” she says. “Here’s the truth: As I and others exercised our First Amendment rights, ICE has hit, dragged, thrown, shot with pepper balls, and teargassed hundreds of protesters, myself included. This case is yet another attempt by the Trump administration to criminalize protest and punish those who dare to speak up. Because Chicago doesn’t back down from bullies in masks who teargas our neighborhoods, this administration is resorting to weaponizing the federal legal system to scare us into silence.”
NBC Chicago has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment on the indictment.
State Senator Laura Fine, who is also running for Congress in the 9th district, issued a statement calling the indictments “partisan and unethical.”
“I am disgusted by the partisan and unethical indictments of Kat Abugazelah and five others at the direction of Donald Trump’s weaponized Justice Department,” she said. “This unjust prosecution is an attempt to intimidate and silence those who stand up for their rights and beliefs. It’s an attack on anyone sickened by masked men roaming our streets and shoving our neighbors into unmarked cars. It’s a threat to everyone willing to call this what it is: creeping tyranny.”
Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, another Democratic candidate in the race, also criticized the prosecution.
“The only people engaged in violent and dangerous behavior at Broadview have been ICE,” he said. “As someone who has protested at Broadview multiple times, I know these protests are nonviolent demonstrations against the kidnapping of our neighbors. I hope these frivolous charges are dropped immediately and Trump begins to listen to the vast majority of Americans who oppose his terror campaign.”
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Democratic congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh indicted over role in ICE protests
According to court documents, Democratic congressional candidate in Illinois has been indicted along with five others over blocking vehicles during protests outside a federal immigration enforcement building in suburban Chicago
from The Independent https://ift.tt/TbeOGyd
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A beloved Chicago architecture boat tour will soon end for the 2025 season
Hurricane Melissa left dozens dead and widespread destruction across Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica, where roofless homes, toppled utility poles and water-logged furniture dominated the landscape Wednesday.
Flooding from the storm killed 25 people in Haiti and at least one death was reported in Jamaica, where Melissa roared ashore with top sustained winds of 185 mph, leaving widespread damage and power outages.
Melissa tore off roofs and uprooted trees in eastern Cuba, but the full extent of the damage wasn’t immediately known.
“That was hell. All night long, it was terrible,” said Reinaldo Charon, 52, who was one of the few people who ventured out on Wednesday morning in Santiago de Cuba, covered by a plastic sheet to keep dry from the intermittent rain.
Jean Bertrand Subrème, mayor of the southern Haitian coastal town of Petit-Goâve, told The Associated Press that dozens of homes collapsed and people were still trapped under rubble as of Wednesday morning.
“I am overwhelmed by the situation,” he said as he pleaded with the government to help rescue victims.
Wednesday afternoon, Melissa had top sustained winds of 100 mph and was moving northeast at 14 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. The hurricane was centered about 150 miles south of the central Bahamas.
Melissa’s center is forecast to move through southeastern Bahamas later Wednesday, generating up to 7 feet of storm surge in the area. By late Thursday, Melissa is expected to pass just west of Bermuda.
The hurricane could worsen Cuba’s severe economic crisis, which already has led to prolonged power blackouts, as well as fuel and food shortages.
“There will be a lot of work to do. We know there will be a lot of damage,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said in a televised address, and urged the population not to underestimate the power of Melissa, “the strongest ever to hit national territory.”
Government officials in the Bahamas are urging people to ensure their safety amid final preparations for the storm’s arrival later today in the southeast and central parts of the country.
“This is your final opportunity to ensure your safety. If you have not already found secure shelter, please do so immediately,” said Leon Lundy, disaster risk management minister, in a press briefing last night.
According to the authorities, 1,348 residents had been safely evacuated from the southern Bahamas.
“This is the most extensive pre-event evacuation exercise undertaken by the government of The Bahamas in recent history,” said Aaron Sargent, managing director of the Bahamas Disaster Risk Management Authority.
Jamaica rushes to assess the damage
Authorities in Jamaica are assessing the damage from Melissa after it tore through the island nation Tuesday as the fifth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record by pressure, and the strongest to make landfall since 2019.
Jamaican officials reported complications in assessing the damage, while the National Hurricane Center said the local government had lifted the tropical storm warning.
“There’s a total communication blackout on that side,” Richard Thompson, acting director general of Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, told the Nationwide News Network. More than half a million customers were without power late Tuesday.
Extensive damage was reported in parts of Clarendon in the south and in the southwestern parish of St. Elizabeth, which was “underwater,” said Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council. He said the storm damaged four hospitals and left one without power, forcing officials to evacuate 75 patients.
Santa Cruz town in St. Elizabeth parish was devastated. A landslide blocked main roads. Streets were reduced to mud pits. Residents swept water from homes as they tried to salvage belongings. Winds ripped off part of the roof at St. Elizabeth Technical High School, a designated public shelter.
“I never see anything like this before in all my years living here,” resident Jennifer Small said.
“The entire hillside came down last night,” said another resident, Robert James.
The government said it hopes to reopen all of Jamaica’s airports as early as Thursday to ensure quick distribution of emergency relief supplies.
The U.S. government said it was deploying a disaster response team and search and rescue personnel to the region. And the State Department said non-emergency personnel and family members of U.S. government employees were authorized to leave Jamaica because of the storm’s impact.
Cuba rides out the storm
People in the eastern Cuban province of Santiago de Cuba began clearing debris around the collapsed walls of their homes on Wednesday after Hurricane Melissa made landfall in the region hours earlier.
“Life is what matters,” said Alexis Ramos, a 54-year-old fisherman as he surveyed his destroyed home and shielded himself from the intermittent rain with a yellow raincoat. “Repairing this costs money, a lot of money.”
Meanwhile, local media showed images of the Juan Bruno Zayas Clinical Hospital with severe damage: glass scattered across the floor, waiting rooms in ruins and masonry walls crumpled on the ground.
In Cuba, parts of Granma province, especially the municipal capital, Jiguaní, were underwater, said Gov. Yanetsy Terry Gutiérrez. More than 15 inches of rain was reported in Jiguaní’s settlement of Charco Redondo.
The hurricane could worsen Cuba’s severe economic crisis, which already has led to prolonged power blackouts, along with fuel and food shortages.
“There will be a lot of work to do. We know there will be a lot of damage,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said in a televised address, and urged the population not to underestimate the power of Melissa,.
Wednesday afternoon, Melissa had top sustained winds of 100 mph and was moving northeast at 14 mph according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. The hurricane was centered about 150 miles south of the central Bahamas.
Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center, said the storm began affecting the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday.
“The storm is growing in size,” he said, noting that tropical storm force winds now extend almost 200 miles from the center.
Melissa’s center is forecast to move through southeastern Bahamas later Wednesday, generating up to 7 feet of storm surge in the area. By late Thursday, Melissa is expected to pass just west of Bermuda.
Before landfall, Melissa had already been blamed for three deaths in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.
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Tuesday, October 28, 2025
US citizen, 67, has ribs broken by Border Patrol agents after being dragged out of car while driving home into street they’d blocked off
The incident unfolded Saturday in Chicago’s Old Irving Park neighborhood, where residents say federal agents disrupted a children’s Halloween parade
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Chicago, suburbs dominate new ranking of ‘Best' elementary schools in Illinois
With the deadline for funding SNAP benefits approaching, a group of attorneys general and governors has sued the Trump administration, saying the widely used food assistance program was suspended unlawfully.
The lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Secretary Brooke Rollins says the funds were suspended despite there being contingency funds available to pay out full SNAP benefits in November for all 42 million people who use them.
It’s the latest legal battle amid the ongoing government shutdown. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in Boston, by
“Despite having the money to fund SNAP, the Trump Administration is creating needless fear, angst and harm for millions of families and their children especially as we approach the holidays,” Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said in a statement. ”It is past time for the Trump Administration to act to help, rather than harm, those who rely on our government.”
The contingency fund has roughly $5 billion — enough to pay the benefits for more than half a month, according to the lawsuit.
About 1 in 8 Americans use SNAP to help buy groceries. Beneficiaries, food banks and states have been scrambling to figure out how to make sure they’ll have access to food even if the program is paused.
The full list of plaintiff states is Massachusetts, California, Arizona, Minnesota, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. Washington, D.C., was also part of the lawsuit, and the governors of Kansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania filed suit as well.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
More SNAP food news
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Monday, October 27, 2025
Laugh Factory manager charged in alleged assault of Border Patrol agent
Originally appeared on E! Online
Ms. Rachel has some big feelings when it comes to screen time.
The popular children’s programming YouTuber waded into the ongoing discussion of how much screen time babies and kids should have, detailing why she thinks some screen time isn’t such a bad idea.
“I think what’s really important in life — and for kids — is balance,” Ms. Rachel shared with Glamour in an interview published Oct. 27. “You’re doing dishes, you’re doing laundry, maybe you’re exhausted. Or maybe they’re really cranky and it helps to put something on sometimes.”
The subject of screen time is one experts are still discussing, with current guidelines recommending no screen time for children under 18 months — unless it’s to video chat with an adult — and very limited screen time for kids 18 months and older, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Too much screen time may lead to sleep problems, less reading and not enough physical activity, among others.
READ YouTuber Ms. Rachel Reveals She Mistakenly Ghosted Rihanna “for Months”
But Ms. Rachel (real name Rachel Accurso) sees the benefit of some screen time for younger kids.
“During sick days, technology is fine,” the 42-year-old told Glamour. “Just lay around and watch shows. And on planes. But I think it is important to have balance.”
And with that balance in mind, Ms. Rachel — who is mom to son Thomas, 7, and daughter Susannah, 6 months, with husband Aron Accurso — also stressed the importance for parents to be having constant interactions with their children.
“For the really little ones, zero to three, that I have an expertise in, it’s really important that they have what Harvard calls serve-and-return interactions,” she explained. “So say they’re at the grocery store with you and they point, and you’re like, ‘Oh, you see the apples?’ And then they’re like, ‘Yeah.’ And you’re like, ‘Wow, should we get an apple? I’m going to pick out an apple.’”
As the Internet personality noted, “narrating your day” and having those “back-and-forth interactions” with your children are incredibly important for their development and can’t be replaced by screens. But that’s not to say that they are never helpful.
“I think expecting parents to never use screens — how is that possible?” Ms. Rachel added. “I think guilt can be a very heavy thing to carry as a parent. I think we don’t need to feel as guilty as we do.”
And when it comes to the kind of content she posts on her own YouTube channel — which she started to help her son Thomas through a speech delay — she’s very much inspired by what she watched growing up.
“I loved Mister Rogers. I still love him,” she gushed. “He’s been a big guide and hero of mine. I love ‘Sesame Street.’ PBS meant so much to me as a kid.”
As Ms. Rachel shared, being raised by a single mom who was often working a lot meant that she watched her fair share of television as a kid.
“We turned on the TV a lot, and I learned a ton from PBS,” she continued, “and I turned out okay.”
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Sail4th 250: Over 500 tall ships set to sail into New York Harbor next year
In what is shaping up to be the most significant maritime event in the nation’s history, more than 50 Class A and Class B tall ships from 30 countries have committed to participate in the NY/NJ region’s plans to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary.
These majestic sailing vessels will join another 50 allied and U.S. gray-hulled ships, the Queen Mary 2, and thousands of pleasure boats, on the water from the Verrazzano Bridge to the George Washington Bridge for Sail4th 250.
The Class A tall ships, which are used by foreign governments as Naval training vessels and goodwill ambassadors, will hail from all corners of the globe. They include ships from Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Marshall Islands, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Uruguay, and America’s own USCG Barque Eagle (pictured above), which will lead the Parade of Sail on July 4, 2026. Other nations are still expected to dispatch their tall ships to New York for this historic, maritime spectacle.
“We expect the Semiquincentennial celebration in New York to surpass the previous historic OpSail events from 1964,1976, 1986, 1986, 1992, 2000, and 2012,” said Chris O’Brien, president of Sail4th 250, the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization behind New York and New Jersey’s on-the-water plans for the 250th. “With 250 days to go, we’re in excellent shape to mount what will certainly be a highlight of the many celebrations taking place around the nation. I’d like to thank I LOVE NY and NYC Tourism + Conventions for their continued support.”
Ross Levi, executive director of the New York State Division of Tourism at Empire State Development said, “Sail4th is going to be a tentpole in America’s commemoration of its 250th anniversary, and the anticipation here in New York is only growing with just 250 days to go to this once in a lifetime event. I LOVE NY is proud to be supporting the flotilla and continues to make the invitation to visitors from across the globe to come be a part of Sail4th and all the other America 250 events happening statewide that will show guests that everything they love is waiting for them here in New York State.”
The New York celebration calls for a July 3 parade of the smaller, but equally impressive Class B tall ships down the East River. The next morning, the majestic Class A international tall ships will sail from the Verrazzano Bridge, past the Statue of Liberty, up the Hudson River to the GW Bridge and beyond.
Eight million spectators are expected to line the shores of New York and New Jersey. They will also witness an International Naval Review featuring the gray-hulled vessels, an unprecedented aerial review led by the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels, and the massive Macy’s fireworks display that evening. The U.S. Navy’s Fleet Week will be moved to coincide with the six-day celebration in New York.
A NYC Economic Development Corp study projects a $2.85 billion windfall for New York City from direct, indirect, and induced impacts from both event operations and visitor spending. Sail4th 250 is supported through a Market New York grant awarded by Empire State Development and I LOVE NY, New York State’s Division of Tourism.
NBCUniversal Local is a media partner of Sail4th 250. Through the partnership, NBC-and Telemundo-owned stations will present Sail4th 250 content across TV, streaming and digital platforms nationwide, highlighted by live coverage of the International Parade of Sail on July 4, 2026, which will also be featured during NBC’s TODAY and on Telemundo’s national morning programming.
“As we reach another significant milestone counting down to America’s 250th anniversary, the anticipation for our national celebration continues to expand, along with the expectations for the maritime festivities being organized by Sail4th 250 in New York,” said Valari Staab, chairman of NBCUniversal Local. “We are proud to partner with Sail4th 250 and excited to bring this momentous spectacle to audiences nationwide in July.”
Once the tall ships are berthed in and around New York City, they will be open for free public visitation until July 8. Visitors should note that stepping aboard one of these international Naval vessels is akin to stepping on foreign soil. Passports, however, will not be required.
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Sunday, October 26, 2025
USDA blames Democrats for potential SNAP benefits lapse in new message
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Saturday posted a new message to its website blaming Democrats for the upcoming suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, or food stamps, saying assistance will halt beginning Nov. 1 due to the government shutdown.
“Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times to not fund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the unsigned message posted on the USDA’s official website reads.
“At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance,” the notice concludes.
The message comes as the ongoing government shutdown is set to enter its fifth week on Wednesday if Senate Republicans and Democrats don’t reach a 60-vote threshold for legislation that would temporarily fund the government.
Representatives for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the notice on the USDA website.
In response to questions about the message, Anna Kelly, a spokesperson for the White House said, “Senate Democrats have shamefully played politics with our nation’s most vulnerable families in order to push health care for illegal immigrants. They should reopen the government now to protect these crucial benefits that feed one in eight American citizens.”
Some Democrats, like Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., earlier this month accused the Trump administration of violating the Hatch Act when agencies and departments across the federal government posted messages online at the start of the shutdown blaming the lapse in funding on the “radical left” and Senate Democrats.
The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees from using their official capacities to interfere with elections.
SNAP benefits, which are distributed from the federal government to states each month, were administered through October because the funds for them were allocated before the shutdown began on Oct. 1.
But in a letter dated Oct. 10 from Ronald Ward, the acting associate administrator for SNAP, Ward warned that benefits for funding would stop flowing to states on Nov. 1 if the shutdown continued past that date.
“As stated in our lapse of appropriation correspondence dated October 1, 2025, SNAP has funding available for benefits and operations through the month of October. However, if the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the Nation,” Ward wrote.
The Senate last week tried and failed a 12th time to pass a stopgap funding measure that would keep the government open through Nov. 21 at previous funding levels. That measure has already passed the House, which voted for it mostly among party lines in September. At the time, all House Republicans and one House Democrat — Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine — voted in favor of the temporary funding measure, and all other House Democrats voted against it.
Senate Democrats had introduced a separate stopgap funding measure that would have funded the government through Oct. 31 and would have extended Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of this year. That measure also never reached the 60-vote threshold for passage in the Senate.
Senate Democrats have maintained that they will not vote to reopen the federal government without a commitment from Republicans and President Donald Trump to extend ACA subsidies for over a year, saying that health insurance premiums will sharply increase for individuals and families if the subsidies expire.
“Insurance premiums doubling for 24 million Americans: That is the decision that Republicans are going to make, and then they have to own for the next year. And I’m not quite sure that a lot of Republicans in swing districts understand what they’re about to do,” Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
He added later in the interview, “I’ll give you a great example: An Arizona family of four, it’s going to jump almost $3,500. That’s $7,000 someone’s going to have to pay for their health insurance. Many families in this country do not have enough room for them to be able to afford that big of a jump.”
Republicans have alleged since the start of the shutdown that Democrats are seeking to fund health care for undocumented immigrants, something that is already prohibited under a long-standing federal law.
Democrats’ proposed stopgap funding measure would have reversed cuts that the GOP made earlier this year that prohibit “lawfully present” immigrants from receiving access to federal health care programs. These “lawfully present” immigrants are not “illegal” or “undocumented” immigrants, but include Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program beneficiaries, who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children; people who have temporary protected status; and refugees and people seeking asylum who are still going through the legal process.
Megan Lebowitz contributed.
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Derrick Henry passes Walter Payton with touchdown vs. Bears
Her patients are gathered for a group therapy session. They’re here to learn mindfulness techniques, stress mitigation and coping strategies for anxiety.
When Dr. Ayanna Abrams, Psy.D., founder of Ascension Behavioral Health, starts handing out candy, they’ll soon realize certain coping tools are tastier than others.
The latest social media craze is encouraging people to turn to sour candy when they’re feeling anxious. According to experts, the suggestion has merit. In fact, some have long been using it in their practices.
“When I was leading dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) groups and I’m working with individual clients and we’re doing some DBT, I usually would use mints,” Abrams tells TODAY.com. “I was using mints, I was using chocolates and then sometimes I would use sour candy.”
In a therapeutic context, the candy serves as less of a treat and more of a “healthy distraction,” Abrams explains. While it’s not a treatment for anxiety, she considers strong-flavored candy, which forces the mind to abandon stressful thoughts and instead focus on its sharp taste, a short-term tool to be used as part of the range of clinically backed anxiety treatments.
Does Eating Sour Candy Help With Anxiety?
It can, yes.
“Anxiety often focuses on the future and may involve unhelpful thoughts such as those that jump to conclusions or assume worst-case scenarios,” Jacqueline Sperling, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, assistant professor in psychology at Harvard Medical School and the co-founder and co-program director of the McLean Anxiety Mastery Program, tells TODAY.com.
“Practicing mindfulness, which involves paying attention to the present moment on purpose, and non-judgmentally, can help redirect one’s focus to the present,” she adds. That’s precisely what sour candy can do.
Sour candy is a resource used in grounding techniques that encourage us to concentrate on the here and now, the experts explain. Sour candy demands the attention of the senses, which serves to bring the mind to the present instead of ruminating on an uncertain future. “(Candy) can be something to then redirect your focus,” adds Sperling, author of “Find Your Fierce: How to Put Social Anxiety in Its Place.”
How Do You Eat Sour Candy To Soothe Anxiety?
Grounding starts before you’ve even eaten the candy, Abrams says. Turn your focus to the physiological sensations the candy brings about before you’ve opened the wrapper. She encourages her patients to notice the sensation in the back of their throat as they anticipate eating the candy, notice the rush of a saliva in their mouths, tune in to the crackle of the wrapper, relish in the nostalgia of first eating this candy as a child.
Once it’s time to eat it, letting the candy dissolve is key. “You place the candy on your tongue, close your mouth and use your senses to notice the taste, texture and shape of the candy over time,” Sperling explains.
Though your mind might wander, she says, gently bring your attention back to the candy and the sensations it brings up.
“After the candy has dissolved fully, reassess how strong the (anxious) urges are and if you’re more able and willing to resist acting on them,” Sperling says.
“Also notice the intensity of the emotion,” she adds. She compares emotions to an ocean wave. “The aim is to ride the emotion and urge waves to shore as no one can experience a feeling forever,” Sperling explains. Once the candy is gone and your emotions felt, for better or worse, you’ll have come out on the other side.
Which Anxiety Treatments Have Been Proven To Be Effective?
“Typically, when we’re thinking about treatment for anxiety, we’re thinking about something that is a bit more transformative and maybe kind of longer term (than candy),” Abrams explains.
For anyone experiencing anxiety, Abrams recommends psychotherapy, whether that’s cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy or interpersonal therapy. “Those are all kind of the gold standard,” she says. To that list, Sperling adds exposure and response prevention therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy. Medication is also an evidence-based treatment and, combined with behavioral treatment, can result in enhanced outcomes, Sperling adds.
Sour candy, mints, chocolates and gummy candies are all tools that can be used in mindfulness and grounding, two research-backed therapeutic techniques. Mindfulness is a “practice of presence,” says Abrams. “It’s really about being present with what is and not trying to change things.” Grounding, she says, is a form of mindfulness that calls on us to focus on the present as a healthy distraction from the difficult thoughts we might be having. “Your agency is in the present,” she says.
Get guided meditations and journaling exercises in Start TODAY app.
What Are the Downsides to Eating Sour Candy for Anxiety?
While candy, says Abrams, can be a tool for one patient, it can be a trigger for another.
For example, Abrams tends to avoid incorporating candy into her practice when working with patients who have concerns about sugar and body image.
If you find candy to be an effective grounding tool, but you rely on it too often, you might become dependent on it, adds Abrams, which can be harmful to your physical and mental health.
Sperling and Abrams both insist that candy is not a treatment. Candy is “a tool in your toolkit, not your toolkit,” says Abrams. By relying exclusively on candy to avoid your anxiety, Sperling says, you might end up reinforcing or strengthening that anxiety. “The tool is used once to resist temporary unhelpful urges and to ride strong emotional waves to shore,” she adds.
Consider candy one small part of a multi-pronged approach to tackling anxiety, says Sperling. In addition to mindfulness techniques and working with a mental health professional, “there are mental health hygiene behaviors that are important to do on a regular basis,” she says. “These are analogous to brushing one’s teeth twice a day to keep teeth healthy instead of just taking care of teeth when they have cavities, for example.”
To maintain mental health hygiene, keep a consistent sleep schedule, eat regular meals and snacks made from nutritious foods and participate in regular physical activity.
If you’re pressed for time, some of these activities can be combined, Sperling notes. “For example, one might enjoy going for a walk with a friend. That combines exercise, physical activity, and social experiences.”
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
- The Internet Is Divided: Is It Ever Okay to Go to Bed Angry With Your Spouse?
- Woman Stunned After Stranger Refused to Watch Her Bag at Airport. An Expert Weighs In
- Harrison Ford Shares What He’s Learned About Love in His Later Years: ‘Old People Can Love, Too’
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Saturday, October 25, 2025
Actor June Lockhart, who played mom in ‘Lassie,' dies at 100
“Lassie” and “Lost in Space” star June Lockhart died of natural causes in her Southern California home this week, her family said Saturday. She was 100.
Lockhart played the mother roles in the two popular TV series, but she also won what is now called a Tony Award early in her career in the Broadway production “For Love or Money.”
She died at her home in Santa Monica, California, on Thursday, with her daughter, June Elizabeth and granddaughter, Christianna, by her side, the family said in a statement.
In “Lassie,” Lockhart played Ruth Martin, and in “Lost in Space,” she played Maureen Robinson. She also played Dr. Janet Craig in “Petticoat Junction.”
Lockhart was long a proponent of the space agency NASA and its mission, and she appeared with pioneering moon-walking astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin when NASA Television won a primetime Emmy Award in 2009.
The ceremony marked the 40th anniversary of the historic live-TV broadcast from the surface of the moon, which captivated the world on July 20, 1969.
“Mommy always considered acting as her craft, her vocation, but her true passions were journalism, politics, science and NASA,” daughter June Elizabeth said in Saturday’s statement.
“She cherished playing her role in ‘Lost in Space’ and she was delighted to know that she inspired many future astronauts, as they would remind her on visits to NASA,” Elizabeth said. “That meant even more to her than the hundreds of television and movies roles she played.”
Lockhart was born in New York City on June 25, 1925, and began acting at 8 years old with a role in “Peter Ibbetson” at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York in 1933, her family said.
Her first film role was in 1938 in “A Christmas Carol,” in which her parents — who were both actors, Gene and Kathleen Lockhart — starred.
She won an Antoinette Perry Award, which would later become the Tony, for “best newcomer” after her Broadway performance in “For Love or Money” in 1947.
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What to do with your pumpkins after Halloween
Every year, more than one billion pumpkins are grown in the U.S., many destined for Halloween festivities.
But after the spooky day and the celebrations come to an end, millions of these pumpkins end up in landfills.
As they decompose, they release methane — a potent greenhouse gas that accelerates climate change. The U.S. Department of Energy warns that this holiday tradition has an unexpectedly serious environmental cost.
So instead of letting pumpkins rot away, you can give them a second life. From composting to cooking, there are plenty of eco-friendly ways to reuse your festive gourds. Here are 5 things to do with your pumpkins after Halloween:
Make a bird feeder
Transform your pumpkin into a lovely bird feeder by carving a hole large enough for a bird to access the seeds inside. Fill it up with lots of bird food, then place it on the porch or even suspend it from a tree branch in your garden.
Use it as a wildlife snack
Pumpkins are not just for decor — some animals find them delicious! If you slice your pumpkin into small chunks, furry animals, like squirrels, can easily munch on it.
Use it as an ingredient
Now pumpkins are not just snacks for wildlife; humans enjoy the festive flavor, as well!
If your pumpkins are intact and were not carved, try making some pumpkin recipes, such as bread, soup, pie or simply roast some seeds for a crunchy, satisfying snack.
Use it for composting
Did you know that pumpkins can enrich your garden? When composted, they improve soil quality, enhance water retention, and even boost plant yields, making them a valuable addition to any eco-friendly gardening routine.
Give it away
Lastly, don’t toss your gourd, donate it! Many places gladly accept leftover pumpkins, including gardens, farms, and even zoos. They can be repurposed as nutrient-rich compost or as tasty treats for animals.
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Judge rules immigration detention of Chicago man with daughter battling cancer is illegal
A federal judge has ruled that the detention of a Chicago man by immigration authorities is illegal
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Friday, October 24, 2025
Boy who swallowed 100 magnets has surgery to remove them from his gut
What to Know
- President Donald Trump canceled trade talks with Canada late last night after accusing the country of trying to interfere with a Supreme Court case on his tariffs through a television advertisement featuring a speech from former President Ronald Reagan.
- The Senate has adjourned until Monday, prolonging the government shutdown for several more days.
- New York Attorney General Letitia James, who previously sued Trump for making misleading statements to banks, has pleaded not guilty in federal court to bank fraud charges.
- The White House confirmed Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a trip to Asia, their first in-person meeting since Trump returned to office.
Follow along for live updates.
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Wedding etiquette includes being mindful of how much it costs guests to attend
Target said Thursday that it is eliminating about 1,800 corporate positions in an effort to streamline decision-making and accelerate initiatives to rebuild the flagging discount retailer’s customer base.
The cuts come about a month before the busy 2025 holiday shopping season, with Black Friday set for Friday, Nov. 28.
About 1,000 employees are expected to receive layoff notices next week, and the company also plans to eliminate about 800 vacant jobs, a company spokesperson said. The cuts represent about 8% of Target’s corporate workforce globally, although the majority of the affected employees work at the company’s Minneapolis headquarters, the spokesperson said.
Chief Operating Officer Michael Fiddelke, who is set to become Target’s next CEO on Feb. 1, issued a note to personnel on Thursday announcing the downsizing. He said further details would come on Tuesday, and he asked employees at the Minneapolis offices to work from home next week.
“The truth is, the complexity we’ve created over time has been holding us back,” Fiddelke, a 20-year Target veteran, wrote in his note. “Too many layers and overlapping work have slowed decisions, making it harder to bring ideas to life.”
Target, which has about 1,980 U.S. stores, lost ground to Walmart and Amazon in recent years as inflation caused shoppers to curtail their discretionary spending. Customers have complained of messy stores with merchandise that did not reflect the expensive-looking but budget-priced niche that long ago earned the retailer the jokingly posh nickname “Tarzhay.”
Fiddelke said in August when he was announced as Target’s next CEO that he would step into the role with three urgent priorities: reclaiming the company’s position as a leader in selecting and displaying merchandise; improving the customer experience by making sure shelves are consistently stocked and stores are clean; and investing in technology.
He cited the same goals in his message to employees, calling the layoffs a “necessary step in building the future of Target and enabling the progress and growth we all want to see.”
“Adjusting our structure is one part of the work ahead of us. It will also require new behaviors and sharper priorities that strengthen our retail leadership in style and design and enable faster execution,” he wrote.
Target has reported flat or declining comparable sales — those from established physical stores and online channels — in nine out of the past 11 quarters. The company reported in August that comparable sales dipped 1.9% in its second quarter, when its net income also dropped 21%.
The job cuts will not affect any store employees or workers in Target’s sorting, distribution and other supply chain facilities, the company spokesperson said.
The corporate workers losing their jobs will receive pay and benefits until Jan. 8 as well as severance packages, the spokesperson said.
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