News - Friday, September 26, 2025

Stacy Martin doesn’t have a stomach. She gave it up to survive.

Not metaphorically. Not in the grit-and-hustle way entrepreneurs love to romanticize. Martin, founder of Seahorse Snacks, literally had her stomach removed in 2019. She had a gene that gave her an 80% chance of getting a kind of stomach cancer so sneaky, it usually isn’t found until it’s too late. She didn’t wait.

It’s less Hollywood blockbuster and more Hamilton County treasure hunt, but the adventure still has shades of “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

At Big Soddy Creek Gulf, a group of would-be Indiana Joneses ducks under a dew-draped spider web, taking care not to rattle an orb weaver the size of a nickel. They scan the trees, the rocks and the underbrush for their prize – not a golden idol but a peanut butter jar hidden somewhere nearby. The summer air hums with insects, and just to keep things interesting, a copperhead has claimed a front-row seat a few feet from the path.

Each Sept. 17, our nation pauses to recognize Constitution Day, commemorating the signing of the United States Constitution in 1787. It’s a day not just for lawyers, judges or politicians – it’s a day for all citizens.

The beginning of the Constitution affirms this. The first three words of the Constitution read, “We the People.” Those three words are not ceremonial, nor put there as mere place holders. They are at the very heart of the representative republic established by the Constitution. The Constitution is a document that allows the majority in “We the People” to govern, while also protecting the rights of the minority.

As fall approaches, August housing data shows a market still adjusting to shifting supply and buyer demand.

National home sales posted a modest increase, while locally the picture was more mixed, with inventory climbing and prices edging down slightly. These monthly stats help both buyers and sellers understand the pace of the market and where opportunities might lie.

The first development to apply under Chattanooga’s updated affordable housing Payment in Lieu of Taxes program proposed 42 dedicated affordable units within a 278-unit project on Manufacturers Road. The application came from Atlantic Companies, an Atlanta-based firm, and is subject to approval by Chattanooga City Council.

Coolidge Park will transform into a giant fiber arts playground as the community explores oversized weaving, arm knitting and other large-scale textile crafts Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Free and family-friendly, the festival will feature hands-on stations where visitors can experiment with unconventional fiber art tools such as cross-stitching with cording instead of thread. Local fiber artists will offer live demonstrations, an artist market and food vendors. The event will also debut a colorful yarn bombing installation where crocheted creations are temporarily stitched to park fixtures like trees, benches and bike racks.

The Benwood Foundation has appointed Dr. Keri Randolph as its next president, effective Nov. 3. She succeeds Sarah Morgan, who is stepping down after 13 years of leadership. Randolph currently serves as executive director of Chattanooga 2.0, a nonprofit focused on expanding economic opportunity and improving quality of life in Hamilton County.

Sending your child to college is an exciting milestone filled with new experiences, friendships and opportunities for them to grow. For many families, it’s also the first time your student will be managing their own money independently.

The good news is that helping your child develop smart money habits doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With a few simple strategies, you can guide them to take control of their finances and avoid common pitfalls that trip up many college students.

Welcome back to Flick Picks, your twice-monthly movie fix. This edition spans guilty pleasures, zombie horrors and cinematic farewells – so let’s dig in.

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Movie critic Roger Ebert once used the phrase “guilty pleasure” to describe lowbrow films he secretly enjoyed. Over time, though, he came to loathe the term, dismissing it as a “yellow-bellied euphemism that revealed more about the viewer’s insecurities than the movie itself.”

A few weeks ago, on the night before the Titans season opener in Denver, I attended a Colorado Rockies game at Coors Field, just to take in a ballgame and cross another ballpark off my list.

While the park was nice, the Rockies are going through their worst season in franchise history and could end up losing somewhere in the neighborhood of 115 games before all is said and done.

Titans fans are fed up. The ones who bothered to show up Sunday let their feelings be known about Brian Callahan and the organization as a whole near the end of the first half.

The question now is whether ownership and the front office feel the same way.

Both the Titans and Texans are seeking their first win of the season Sunday when they meet in an AFC survivor battle. Whoever wins will save some face in a season gone wrong. Whoever loses might not want to take out any long-term leases.

First down

Protect Cam Ward. Ward is a rookie and admits some of the 15 sacks he has taken in the first three games are on him. That said, the Titans offensive line, in part due to injuries, is no better than it was a year ago at this time. Ward is the most important piece of the puzzle, and the line has to try to keep him upright and give him a chance to make a play.

You’re deep in planning mode. The next quarter has to be better than the last two, and you have to figure out how to make it happen. So why not start with these four great books, to help you work and succeed?

Taylor Swift has been in the news lately, and you can’t deny she’s a great businesswoman. You can capture some of her success by utilizing her 10 best ideas, found inside “Good Ideas and Power Moves: Ten Lessons for Success from Taylor Swift” by Sinéad O’Sullivan (Viking, $32). 

The Chevrolet Equinox and Hyundai Tucson are two popular choices for shoppers looking at small SUVs. They’re also notable for their recent updates. 

The Equinox’s 2025 redesign ushers in more squared-off styling, technology and safety-related upgrades, and a new rugged-looking Activ trim level. The Tucson’s updates are milder but include refreshed styling and new tech features.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The threat of a government shutdown has become a recurring event in Washington, though most of the time lawmakers and the president are able to head it off. This time, however, prospects for a last-minute compromise look rather bleak.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is holding talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House on Thursday with the Republican leader signaling that the U.S. government's hold on sales of advanced fighter jets to Ankara may soon be lifted.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has summoned the military's top officers — hundreds of generals and admirals — to a base in northern Virginia for a sudden meeting next week, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The directive did not offer a reason for the gathering Tuesday of senior commanders of the one-star rank or higher and their top advisers at the Marine Corps base in Quantico. The people, who described the move as unusual, were not authorized to publicly discuss the sensitive plans and spoke on condition of anonymity.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke, Janet Yellen and other former top economic officials appointed by presidents of both parties urged the Supreme Court on Thursday to preserve the Federal Reserve's political independence and allow Lisa Cook to remain as a central bank governor for now.

SEATTLE (AP) — Amazon has reached a historic $2.5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, which said the online retail giant tricked customers into signing up for its Prime memberships and made it difficult for them to cancel after doing so.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Nashville Predators spent big on signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei in a spree that made them one of the Stanley Cup favorites a year ago.

Then the Predators flopped in a season to forget.

They stumbled from the start and limped to the finish with the NHL's third-worst record. The top pick overall in the entry draft was closer than a playoff spot, though the Predators couldn't even hold onto their slot in the draft lottery slipping to No. 5 overall.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Friday that an influx of additional federal law enforcement agents will focus on crime in Memphis starting next week.

The Republican said at a news conference in Memphis alongside city and state officials that 13 federal agencies, city police and state troopers will be involved, and that authorities will arrive in Memphis in phases starting next week.

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump's unprecedented retribution campaign against his perceived political enemies reached new heights as his Justice Department brought criminal charges against a longtime foe and he expanded his efforts to classify certain liberal groups as "domestic terrorist organizations."

WASHINGTON (AP) — James Comey was charged Thursday with lying to Congress in a criminal case filed days after President Donald Trump appeared to urge his attorney general to prosecute the former FBI director and other perceived political enemies.

The indictment makes Comey the first former senior government official involved in one of Trump's chief grievances, the long-concluded investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, to face prosecution. Trump has for years derided that investigation as a "hoax" and a "witch hunt" despite multiple government reviews showing Moscow interfered on behalf of the Republican's campaign, and has made clear his desire for retribution.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The indictment of former FBI Director James Comey represents the first criminal case against a perceived adversary of President Donald Trump so far in this administration and comes on the heels of his public demands for Justice Department prosecutions of people he dislikes.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday approved a $1.5 billion settlement between artificial intelligence company Anthropic and authors who allege nearly half a million books had been illegally pirated to train chatbots.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup issued the preliminary approval in San Francisco federal court Thursday after the two sides worked to address his concerns about the settlement, which will pay authors and publishers about $3,000 for each of the books covered by the agreement. It does not apply to future works.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It pays less and less to buy and flip a home these days.

From April through June, the typical home flipped by an investor resulted in a 25.1% return on investment, before expenses. That's the lowest profit margin for such transactions since 2008, according to an analysis by Attom, a real estate data company.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Microsoft said Thursday it had disabled services to a unit within the Israeli military after a company review had determined its artificial intelligence and cloud computing products were being used to help carry out mass surveillance of Palestinians.

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — The Canadian Union of Postal Workers went on strike Thursday after the government announced door-to-door mail delivery would end for nearly all households within the next decade.

Canada Post said the strike will mean mail and parcels will not be processed or delivered for the duration of the strike and no new items will be accepted.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve's favored inflation gauge accelerated slightly in August from a year earlier.

The Commerce Department reported Friday that its personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index was up 2.7% in August from a year earlier, a tick higher from a 2.6% year-over-year increase in July and most since February.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will put import taxes of 100% on pharmaceutical drugs, 50% on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, 30% on upholstered furniture and 25% on heavy trucks starting on Oct. 1.

The posts on his social media site showed that Trump's devotion to tariffs did not end with the trade frameworks and import taxes that were launched in August, a reflection of the president's confidence that taxes will help to reduce the government's budget deficit while increasing domestic manufacturing.

BEIJING (AP) — China has opened an investigation into whether import tariffs being imposed by Mexico are a trade and investment barrier.

Mexico plans to impose taxes as high as 50% on more than 1,400 products from Asia to protect factories at home, which are facing stiff tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on exports to the United States.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that he says will allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States in a way that meets national security concerns.

Trump's order will enable an American-led of group of investors to buy the app from China's ByteDance, though the deal is not yet finalized and also requires China's approval.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish Airlines, Turkey's national carrier, has announced plans to add 225 Boeing aircraft to its fleet.

In an a declaration to the Istanbul Stock Exchange on Friday, the airline said it has decided to purchase 75 Boeing B787-9 and B787-10 aircraft and has completed negotiations with Boeing to acquire 150 737-8/10MAX models.

GENEVA (AP) — The United Nations has added nearly 70 more companies to a blacklist of firms from 11 countries that it says are complicit in violating Palestinian human rights through their business ties to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader John Thune is rejecting Democratic demands on health care as unserious but says a government shutdown is still "avoidable" despite sharp divisions ahead of Wednesday's funding deadline.

"I'm a big believer that there's always a way out," the South Dakota Republican said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday. "And I think there are off-ramps here, but I don't think that the negotiating position, at least at the moment, that the Democrats are trying to exert here is going to get you there."

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Friday that Hungary will continue to source fossil fuels from Russia despite demands from his ally U.S. President Donald Trump, and that he'd informed the president that dropping Russian energy would be a "disaster" for Hungary's economy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump hosted Pakistan's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, for talks Thursday at the White House in the latest sign of warming relations between the United States and the South Asian nuclear power.

Sharif was among the top officials from eight Arab or Muslim countries who met with Trump on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly this week to discuss strategy on ending the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has dispatched a fleet of American warships into the waters off Venezuela, bragged about fatal strikes on alleged drug boats and claimed Venezuela will pay an "incalculable" price if it won't accept more people deported from the U.S.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of former national park superintendents is calling on the Trump administration to close the parks to visitors in case of a government shutdown.

Past shutdowns in which parks have remained opened have led to the vandalism of iconic symbols, destruction of wildlife habitats and possible endangerment of visitors, 40 former superintendents said in a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

NEW YORK (AP) — Retired financier Howard Rubin was arrested Friday on sex trafficking charges for allegedly trafficking dozens of women, including former Playboy models, to be sexually and physically assaulted during encounters in his Central Park penthouse in a soundproofed room described in court papers as "The Dungeon."

Federal health officials are warning consumers not to eat certain heat-and-eat beef meatball pasta meals sold at Walmart stores because they may be contaminated with listeria bacteria previously linked to a deadly outbreak.

The U.S. Agriculture Department issued a public health alert late Thursday for Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce sold in refrigerated 12-ounce clear plastic trays. The products have best-by dates of Sept. 22 through Oct. 1 and may still be in consumer's refrigerators.

BALTIMORE (AP) — Sinclair Broadcast Group is bringing Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show back to its ABC affiliate stations on Friday night, ending a dayslong TV blackout for dozens of cities across the U.S. over remarks the comedian made in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's killing.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced that he has decided that the 19 soldiers who received the Medal of Honor for their actions in 1890 at Wounded Knee will keep their awards in a video posted to social media Thursday evening.

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal immigration officer who shoved an Ecuadorian woman to the floor at a Manhattan court is "being relieved of current duties" following the "unacceptable" behavior, the Department of Homeland Security said Friday in a rare rebuke of one of its officers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman of a House committee that pushed for the law demanding TikTok be spun off from its Chinese owners has requested an urgent briefing from the White House, one day after Trump signed an executive order supporting a proposed deal that would put the popular social video platform under U.S. ownership.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Ray Campbell finally stepped foot back on Vanderbilt's campus for a football game, his first in more than a decade.

Yes, Vandy's first stadium renovation since 1981 helped. How the No. 16 Commodores are playing this season, with cocky quarterback Diego Pavia and coach Clark Lea guiding his alma mater, is the bigger draw at a program long derided as "Same old Vandy," the SEC cellar dweller.

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston's defense got its first shutout in almost 15 years and the offense did the rest Sunday against the Tennessee Titans to give the Texans their first win of the season.

Rookie Woody Marks had a touchdown reception and ran for another score in the 26-0 victory.

MEMPHIS (AP) — Armed federal agents patrolled Chicago's downtown streets on Sunday and President Donald Trump called up 200 National Guard troops for deployment in Portland, Oregon, a move strongly opposed by the governor that immediately prompted a lawsuit saying Trump overstepped his authority.

NEW YORK (AP) — Dolly Parton has postponed her first Las Vegas residency in 32 years, citing "health challenges," the country legend shared on social media Sunday night.

She did not provide specific details, writing, "As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures. As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile check-up, although it's not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!"

PROVO, Utah (AP) — The 22-year-old man charged with killing Charlie Kirk will have a court hearing Monday where he and his newly appointed legal counsel will decide whether they want a preliminary hearing where the judge will determine if there is enough evidence against him to go forward with a trial.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported from the United States to his native El Salvador and whose case became a flashpoint over President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, has been moved from a Virginia detention center to a facility in Pennsylvania.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An experimental medication made from marijuana successfully reduced back pain in a new study, offering further support for the drug's potential in treating one of the most common forms of chronic pain.

The 800-patient study by a German drugmaker is the latest evidence of the therapeutic properties of cannabis, which remains illegal under U.S. federal law even as most states have made it available for medical or recreational use.

NEW YORK (AP) — Albertsons Companies has recalled several of its store-made deli products because they may contain listeria bacteria, in a move that arrives shortly after federal health officials warned consumers to not eat certain pasta meals sold at Walmart and Trader Joe's over similar contamination concerns.

NEW YORK (AP) — About 58 million pounds of corn dogs and other sausage-on-a-stick products are being recalled across the U.S. because pieces of wood may be embedded in the batter, with several consumers reporting injuries to date.

According to a Saturday notice published by the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service, the recall covers select "State Fair Corn Dogs on a Stick" and "Jimmy Dean Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick" products from Texas-based Hillshire Brands, which is a subsidiary of Tyson Foods.

LONDON (AP) — OpenAI said Monday it's adding parental controls to ChatGPT that are designed to provide teen users of the popular platform with a safer and more "age-appropriate" experience.

The company is taking action after AI chatbot safety for young users has hit the headlines. The technology's dangers have been recently highlighted by a number of cases in which teenagers took their lives after interacting with ChatGPT.

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Britain's Treasury chief warned Monday that "harsh global headwinds" from wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs have worsened the U.K.'s economic outlook since the governing Labour Party won power last year.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Lufthansa Group said Monday that it would shed 4,000 jobs by 2030 with the help of artificial intelligence, digitalization and consolidating work among member airlines — even as the company reported strong demand for air travel and predicted stronger profits in years ahead.

LONDON (AP) — GSK Chief Executive Emma Walmsley, the first woman to lead a major pharmaceutical company, will step down Dec. 31 after more than eight years at the head of the London-based drugmaker.

Walmsley, 56, will be replaced by Luke Miels, currently GSK's chief commercial officer, the company said in a statement released on Monday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic and Republican congressional leaders are heading to the White House for a meeting with President Donald Trump on Monday in a late effort to avoid a government shutdown, but both sides have shown hardly any willingness to budge from their entrenched positions.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Party leaders in Congress have long criticized government shutdowns as toxic and destructive.

"Always a bad idea," former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said of shutdowns in 2024. A potential "disaster," Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said of the shutdown the country narrowly avoided when he voted with Republicans to keep the government open in March.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Here he is, depicted at six months in office, chiseled and brawny, as mighty as the very nation. Here he is as a Star Wars Jedi wielding a patriot-red lightsaber, rescuing our galaxy from the forces of evil. Here he is taking over Gaza, transforming the strip into a luxury resort complete with a golden effigy of himself.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will speak at a hastily called meeting of top military leaders on Tuesday, according to a White House official.

Hundreds of generals and admirals — senior commanders of the one-star rank or higher and their top advisers — have been summoned by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from all over the world to the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, with little notice.

NEW YORK (AP) — Charlie Javice, the founder of a startup company that sought to dramatically improve how students apply for financial aid, was sentenced Monday to more than seven years in prison for cheating JPMorgan Chase out of $175 million by greatly exaggerating how many students it served.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration said Monday it will open 13 million acres of federal lands for coal mining and provide $625 million to recommission or modernize coal-fired power plants as President Donald Trump continues his efforts to reverse the year-long decline in the U.S. coal industry.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday they've agreed on a plan to end the war in Gaza, but it's unclear whether Hamas will accept the terms.

Trump on Monday laid out a 20-point plan for ending the Israel-Hamas war and establishing a postwar governance in the war-battered Palestinian territory. Trump's plan would establish a temporary governing board that would be headed by Trump and include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House has released President Donald Trump's plan to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he supported the plan following a meeting with Trump at the White House on Monday, but it's unclear if Hamas will accept these terms.

NEW YORK (AP) — Dozens of progressive nonprofits condemned President Donald Trump's general attacks on his political opponents and a specific report of a potential investigation into billionaire George Soros' philanthropy, Open Society Foundations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic and Republican congressional leaders arrived at the White House Monday afternoon for a meeting with President Donald Trump in a late effort to avoid a government shutdown, but both sides have shown hardly any willingness to budge from their entrenched positions.

The NCAA is on the verge of approving a single transfer window in college football that would allow players on teams competing in the postseason to remain eligible for playoff and bowl games before entering the portal.

The window of Jan. 2-16 was approved by the Division I bowl subdivision oversight committee on Monday and needs only a final signoff from the D-I administrative panel next month to take effect.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA has decided to hold the 2028 Women's Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis instead of the arena where the Pacers and Fever play their games.

The change announced Tuesday by the Division I Women's Basketball Committee means the event will gain approximately 13,000 seats. The plan is to play at around half of the capacity of the cavernous Colts stadium that holds 70,000 people for football games.

Democratic senators introduced a bill Monday that would rewrite a 1961 law prohibiting college sports conferences from banding together to sell their media rights. It's a move they say is designed to protect athletes, Olympics sports and smaller leagues that could be getting priced out of the increasingly expensive business of name, image and likeness deals.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The time for talking is over for the winless Tennessee Titans. Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons says they're playing bad football and he's tired of both hearing and saying they have to play better.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A First Amendment group and watchdog organization pressed a federal appeals court on Tuesday to compel the release of a Justice Department special counsel's report on the criminal investigation into President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors urged a New York federal judge Tuesday to send Sean "Diddy" Combs to prison for over 11 years following his conviction on prostitution-related charges, citing one of his accusers who said she lives in fear of the music mogul's release from detention.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Drugmaker Pfizer has agreed to lower drug costs and invest $70 billion in U.S. manufacturing under a deal struck with the Trump administration, President Donald Trump said Tuesday.

The announcement, which Trump made with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla at the White House, came as the Republican president has for months sought to lower drug costs.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government starts phasing out paper checks for most programs on Tuesday.

The change, which was initiated through an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in March, will affect recipients of benefits including Social Security, Supplemental Security Income and tax refunds.

NEW YORK (AP) — OpenAI is turning ChatGPT into a virtual merchant that can help sell goods for Etsy and Shopify as the artificial intelligence company looks for new revenue in online commerce.

ChatGPT users can now buy directly from Etsy sellers while interacting with the chatbot and will soon be able to do the same with Shopify sellers.

More online platforms are giving secondhand shopping a digital upgrade, rolling out features like livestream shopping and AI-powered search to make thrifting faster and more exciting.

Although choosing secondhand over new is often the more sustainable option, experts say it's not a license to overconsume. They warn that resale has its limits, since buying more than you need still fuels waste, and shopping online can add emissions from servers and shipping, thrifted or not.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The star of Sean Feucht — once a little-known conservative Christian worship leader and musician — began to climb in 2020 as he challenged government restrictions brought on by the coronavirus' tightening grip on the world.

At well-attended protest concerts that brazenly flouted social distancing rules, he became a poster child against public health regulations curtailing in-person religious practice. It put Feucht in league with high-profile conservative pundits and elected officials from President Donald Trump to conservative influencer Charlie Kirk and Pete Hegseth, now the secretary of defense.

Former associates of conservative Christian worship leader Sean Feucht allege he mismanaged millions of dollars in ministry funds while underpaying employees and mistreating volunteers.

Feucht, once a little-known musician and aspiring politician, shot to fame during the COVID-19 pandemic when his packed concerts that flouted social distancing rules made him a champion for religious freedom. His ministry drew millions of dollars in donations and he gained political influence, putting him alongside high-profile pundits and elected officials from President Donald Trump to conservative influencer Charlie Kirk and Pete Hegseth, now the secretary of defense.

An Arkansas egg producer is recalling 12-count and 18-count cartons of free-range large brown eggs after federal health inspectors detected salmonella contamination at a processing site.

Black Sheep Egg Company of Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, pulled products and notified direct customers about the recall of eggs with best-by dates of Aug. 22 through Oct. 31. The company also distributed eggs to other companies in Arkansas and Missouri between July 9 and Sept. 17. Two UPC codes are affected: 860010568507 and 860010568538.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The United States will deport hundreds of Iranians back to Iran in the coming weeks, with the first 120 deportees being prepared for a flight in the next day or two, Iran said Tuesday.

The deportation of Iranians, not yet publicly acknowledged by the U.S. government, comes as tensions remain high between the two countries following the American bombings of Iranian nuclear sites in June.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer confidence declined again in September as Americans' pessimism over inflation and the weakening job market continued to grow.

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell by 3.6 points to 94.2 in September, down from August's 97.8. That's a bigger drop than analysts were expecting and the lowest reading since April, when President Donald Trump rolled out his sweeping tariff policy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. jobs openings were essentially unchanged million last month amid economic uncertainty arising from President Donald Trump's trade policies and an impending government shutdown.

The Labor Department reported Tuesday that job openings blipped up to 7.23 million from 7.21 million in July. Economists had forecast a drop to 7.1 million.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — If it seems like its getting more expensive to replace a broken door, kitchen fixtures or upgrade a major appliance, you're not wrong.

The cost of home repair and remodeling projects is up compared to a year ago and running ahead of inflation overall, according to a report from data analytics company Verisk.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida officials decided Tuesday to set aside nearly three acres of prime downtown Miami real estate next to the historic Freedom Tower as a potential site of the future presidential library of President Donald Trump.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet voted to give the parcel appraised at more than $66 million to the foundation that's planning the president's post-administration archives, arguing that the property owned by the state-run Miami Dade College would provide a "greater benefit to the public" and "increase economic development activities" as Trump's library.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A partisan standoff over health care and spending is threatening to trigger the first U.S. government shutdown in almost seven years, with Democrats and Republicans in Congress unable to find agreement even as thousands of federal workers stand to be furloughed or laid off.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington is hours away from another federal government shutdown, with prospects looking bleak for a last-minute compromise in Congress to avoid closures beginning at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

Republicans have crafted a short-term measure to fund the government through Nov. 21, but Democrats have insisted the measure address their concerns on health care. They want to reverse the Medicaid cuts in President Donald Trump's mega-bill passed this summer and extend tax credits that make health insurance premiums more affordable for millions of people who purchase through the marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act. Republicans call the Democratic proposal a nonstarter.

QUANTICO, Va. (AP) — President Donald Trump revealed that he wants to use American cities as training grounds for the armed forces and joined Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday in declaring an end to "woke" culture before an unusual gathering of hundreds of top U.S. military officials who were abruptly summoned to Virginia from around the world.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Japan's outgoing prime minister and his South Korean counterpart underscored the need to strengthen cooperation between their nations, as U.S. President Donald Trump's transactional approach to allies and trade wars are bringing the often-feuding Asian neighbors closer.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — On a visit to New Zealand, FBI Director Kash Patel gave the country's police and spy bosses gifts of inoperable pistols that were illegal to possess under local gun laws and had to be destroyed, New Zealand law enforcement agencies told The Associated Press.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Nicole Kidman has filed for divorce from Keith Urban after 19 years of marriage.

The 58-year-old Oscar-winning actor petitioned on Tuesday to end her marriage to the 57-year-old Grammy winning country singer in a Nashville court. The documents state the couple has undergone "marital difficulties and irreconcilable differences."

BOSTON (AP) — The Trump administration violated the Constitution when it targeted non-U.S. citizens for deportation solely for supporting Palestinians and criticizing Israel, a federal judged said Tuesday in a scathing ruling directly and sharply criticizing President Donald Trump and his policies as serious threats to free speech.

NEW YORK (AP) — Online juggernaut Amazon Inc. unveiled its next generation of Kindle, Ring and Echo devices, among other gadgets, that are all powered by artificial intelligence and connected to Alexa+, its AI-infused personal assistant, which made its debut in February.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — DoorDash is expanding its offerings, adding restaurant reservations and robot deliveries in some U.S. markets.

The San Francisco-based company, already the largest U.S. delivery provider, announced its expansion plans Tuesday, saying it wants to bring even more business to the merchants it works with and stay ahead of ever-increasing customer demand. DoorDash's total orders jumped 20% to 761 million in the second quarter of this year.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A partisan standoff over health care and spending is threatening to trigger the first U.S. government shutdown in almost seven years, with Democrats and Republicans in Congress unable to find agreement even as thousands of federal workers stand to be furloughed or laid off.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Country music star Morgan Wallen denied to police that he threw a chair off a Nashville honky-tonk bar roof before and after he was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment in 2024, police video obtained by The Associated Press shows.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A federal judge disqualified Nevada acting U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah from several cases after concluding Tuesday that the Trump appointee has stayed in the temporary job longer than allowed by law.

U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell disqualified Chattah from supervising the criminal prosecutions, siding with defense lawyers who argued that her authority expired in July.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Planned Parenthood on Tuesday shuttered its two clinics in Louisiana over what the organization said were mounting financial and political challenges that made operating in the state no longer possible after more than 40 years.

NEW YORK (AP) — A new report on book bans in U.S. schools finds Stephen King as the author most likely to be censored and the country divided between states actively restricting works and those attempting to limit or eliminate bans.

NEW YORK (AP) — Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the "Peanuts" gang are staying put.

Apple TV+ is announcing a five-year extension as the exclusive streaming home for all things "Peanuts," The Associated Press has learned. The new deal will run until 2030.

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal agents grabbed and shoved journalists in a hallway outside a New York City immigration court on Tuesday, sending one to the hospital in the latest clash between authorities enforcing President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown and members of the public seeking to observe and document their actions.

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is suing Zillow and Redfin, accusing the real estate companies of entering what the regulator says is an illegal deal to suppress competition in online rental advertising.

In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, the FTC alleges that this agreement started in February — when Zillow paid Redfin $100 million. In exchange for that and other compensation, the commission said, Redfin agreed to end contracts with advertising partners, stop competing ads for multifamily properties for up to nine years and serve as a syndicator of Zillow listings on its own sites.

NEW YORK (AP) — It's official: AOL's dial-up internet has taken its last bow.

AOL previously confirmed it would be pulling the plug on Tuesday (Sept. 30) — writing in a brief update on its support site last month that it "routinely evaluates" its offerings and had decided to discontinue dial-up, as well as associated software "optimized for older operating systems," from its plans.

The Federal Communications Commission voted to end discounts for library Wi-Fi hotspot lending and school bus connectivity programs on Tuesday, drawing criticism from lawmakers and librarians who say the moves will make it more difficult for people who are low-income or live in rural areas to access the internet.

If the future of the internet looks like a constant stream of amusing videos generated by artificial intelligence, then OpenAI just placed its stake in an emerging market.

The company behind ChatGPT released its new Sora social media app on Tuesday, an attempt to draw the attention of eyeballs currently staring at short-form videos on TikTok, YouTube or Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency was already reeling from massive stuff cuts and dramatic shifts in priority and policy. A government shutdown raises new questions about how it can carry out its founding mission of protecting America's health and environment with little more than skeletal staff and funding.

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart said Wednesday that it plans to remove synthetic food dyes and 30 other ingredients, including some preservatives, artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes, from its store brands sold in the United States by January 2027.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration said Wednesday it was putting a hold on roughly $18 billion to fund a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey and the city's expanded Second Avenue subway project because of the government shutdown.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order vowing to use all measures including U.S. military action to defend the energy-rich nation of Qatar — though it remains unclear just what weight the pledge will carry.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Blame was hurled Wednesday at all sides for start of a government shutdown after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to strike an agreement to fund federal operations and plunged the country into a new cycle of uncertainty.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington is bracing for what could be a prolonged federal shutdown after lawmakers deadlocked and missed the deadline for funding the government.

Republicans supported a short-term measure to fund the government generally at current levels through Nov. 21, but Democrats blocked it, insisting the measure address their concerns on health care. They want to reverse the Medicaid cuts in President Donald Trump's mega-bill passed this summer and extend tax credits that make health insurance premiums more affordable for millions of people who purchase through the marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Already diminished by cuts by the Trump administration, the U.S. Education Department will see more of its work come to a halt due to the government shutdown.

The department says many of its core operations will continue in the shutdown kicking off Wednesday. Federal financial aid will keep flowing, and student loan payments will still be due. But investigations into civil rights complaints will stop, and the department will not issue new federal grants. About 87% of its workforce will be furloughed, according to a department contingency plan.

NEW YORK (AP) — On this, at least, the Democrats agree: It's time to fight.

Whether far-left activists, Washington moderates or rural conservatives, Democratic leaders across the political spectrum are shrugging off the risks and embracing a government shutdown they say is needed to push back against President Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress.

The U.S. civil rights agency responsible for enforcing worker rights will stop investigating complaints about company policies that don't explicitly discriminate but may disproportionately harm certain groups, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is withdrawing the nomination of E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, according to a White House official and an AP source who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the action, which has yet to be publicly announced.