James's News
Top Stories
Brent Tops $110 as Tanker Attacks Threaten Persian Gulf Supply
France hit by debt sell-off as violent protests unnerve investors
What Arkansans said on the first day of early voting for the midterm election
Patriots Place WR Romeo Doubs on Injured Reserve; Sign DB Elliott Davison to the 53-Man Roster from the Practice Squad; Announce Additional Practice Squad Moves
Hawaii employers facing double-digit rate hikes for half a million residents
NW Arkansas
What Arkansans said on the first day of early voting for the midterm election
Polls across Arkansas opened Monday for two weeks of early voting before the Nov. 3 general election, with Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Sen. Tom Cotton and all four congressmen facing Democratic challengers. The secretary of state's office expects about 500,000 people, roughly half of all expected voters, to cast ballots early.
Fayetteville Public Library reviews options for 15% operating cost cut
The Fayetteville Public Library is reviewing ways to cut its city-funded operating costs after Mayor Molly Rawn asked city departments to consider 15% cuts for 2027. Executive Director David Johnson gave no dollar figure and said no specific cuts have been chosen, though options such as closing one day a week were discussed.
Walker Park reopens with bocce, sand volleyball, lighted fields
Walker Park, Fayetteville's second-oldest park, has officially reopened after more than three years of work, adding bocce, sand volleyball and lighted fields. Park planners say its direct access from the greenway trail makes it easy for walkers and cyclists to stop and play.
FAA proposes $350K fine against charter company over unauthorized flights
The FAA has proposed a $351,000 fine against Fayetteville-based Creamer Pilot Services, which does business as Jett Aircraft, for alleged unauthorized passenger flights. The agency says the charter company flew 31 passenger flights on three aircraft not listed in its operations specifications between October 2021 and July 2022.
Proposed 2030 census changes could leave Arkansans uncounted
Arkansas had the largest undercount in the nation in the 2020 census, and advocates warn proposed changes for 2030 could leave even more Arkansans uncounted. Census data guides about $10 billion a year in federal funding to the state, including children's health insurance, school meals and child care programs.
Hawaii
Hawaii employers facing double-digit rate hikes for half a million residents
Health insurance costs are rising an average of 10% for about half a million Hawaii residents covered through employers with HMSA. Small businesses like a Ruby Tuesday franchise with 135 employees say the hikes are one more burden, while HMSA says costs are driven by more people using their benefits.
Why these candidates want to be CEO on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs board is expected to vote Thursday on a permanent CEO from three finalists: interim CEO Summer Sylva, former Honolulu council member Todd Apo and former Hawaiian Homelands director Kaulana Park. Beneficiaries say they want a leader who brings transparency and gives neighbor islands a voice.
State requested to give $1.85M Aloun Farms, Kauaʻi Shrimp for storm recovery
Aloun Kauaʻi Farming, operator of Kauaʻi Shrimp, is asking the state's Agribusiness Development Corporation for a $1.85 million, three-year recovery package after storm damage from Hurricane Lowell. The company says restoring its 46 shrimp ponds would cost millions, and Kauaʻi Shrimp has announced it will close at the end of this month.
‘Nothing to hide’: Laie zip line project partner addresses violations, concerns
Leaders of a controversial zip line project above the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laʻie invited media to the site after the city confirmed CLIMB Works lacked a grading permit and had building violations to correct. Project partner Aaron Campbell said, "We take responsibility for that, and we learn from it."
Brush fire in Kīhei burns 3-4 acres
A brush fire burned 3 to 4 acres along Piʻilani Highway near Kaonoulu Street in Kīhei on Monday, with Air 1 making water drops to help ground crews. No one was hurt or evacuated, the fire was brought under control at 5:05 p.m., and its cause is undetermined.
Business
France hit by debt sell-off as violent protests unnerve investors
French bonds and stocks sold off after violent weekend protests led to thousands of arrests and widespread looting, with the 10-year yield rising as much as 16 basis points to 4.94%, near a 24-year high. Analysts worry the unrest will undermine Paris's efforts to cut spending and reduce its debt.
TikTok staff raised child safety alarms. Court records show executives failed to act
Previously unreported depositions filed in federal court show TikTok employees repeatedly raised internal alarms about risks to children, including sexual exploitation and suicide content. Staff said they were frustrated by how leadership responded, and that minors used loopholes to get around age restrictions and parental oversight.
Christiane Amanpour announces she’s leaving CNN after 43 years
Christiane Amanpour, CNN's chief international anchor, is leaving the network after 43 years. Her CNN show will end in May and she will depart at the end of June, while her PBS show Amanpour and Company concludes at the end of this year.
Nearly 1.6M pounds of hot dogs, bacon and other meats recalled nationwide
Kayem Foods has recalled about 1.58 million pounds of ready-to-eat hot dogs, bacon, brisket, ham and other products over possible "temperature abuse" during storage. The USDA gave the recall its highest classification; the items were produced from about March 31 through Oct. 7 and shipped nationwide and to Hong Kong.
Why are some food prices up and others down? Here are the stories of 5 items
NPR traces why grocery prices have been out of whack since the pandemic, after food prices jumped 11.4% in 2022 alone. Inflation has since slowed to roughly the overall rate, but economists note any new increases now land on top of already very high prices.
Tech
Blackwall quadruples valuation to $2.2B as websites wrangle an increasingly crowded internet
Estonia-based Blackwall, which builds web traffic security tools for hosting providers, raised $100 million at a $2.2 billion valuation, four times its 2025 valuation. Its products help websites handle surging bot traffic, including AI agents.
Some Google Home Speakers downloading massive amounts of data in the background
Some owners of the new Google Home Speaker report it downloading huge amounts of data in the background, possibly from failed firmware downloads. One mostly idle speaker used 17 GB in a day and 132 GB over 30 days, though it's unclear how widespread the problem is.
The Apple Store will only let you check out two iPhone Duos
Apple is limiting iPhone Duo pre-orders to two per customer in the US and other countries including Japan, Spain and the UK. It's not clear when the limit started; some buyers said they ordered more than two when pre-orders opened Oct. 16.
How to find Flock cameras near you with MapQuest’s new ‘surveillance layer’
MapQuest has added a "surveillance layer" to its app that shows the locations of Flock and other license plate cameras. Cameras appear as small red eyes on the map, with a cone showing which direction each one faces.
Walmart’s Flipkart is quietly building a food delivery challenger in India
Walmart-owned Flipkart is quietly testing a food-delivery service to challenge Zomato and Swiggy in India, a market that defeated earlier attempts by Amazon and Google. The internal trial has grown to more than 8,000 employees, with a dedicated rider fleet ahead of a public launch.
XLE & Oil
Brent Tops $110 as Tanker Attacks Threaten Persian Gulf Supply
Brent crude topped $110 a barrel again, its highest in five months, and WTI moved back above $100 as tanker attacks in the Strait of Hormuz choked Persian Gulf oil flows. Kpler data cited by Reuters showed at least 18 tanker attacks in two weeks, with Gulf outflows down to 8.5 million barrels a day from more than 20 million.
Asian LNG Prices Surge Past $30 as Middle East Shipping Risks Escalate
Asian spot LNG prices topped $30 per million British thermal units for the first time since December 2022 after a reported attack on an LNG tanker in the Gulf of Aden. Asia and Europe are racing to lock in gas supplies ahead of winter regardless of price.
Oil-Rich Alberta Votes to Stay in Canada in Historic Referendum
Early referendum results show voters in Canada's oil province of Alberta rejected moving toward separation, with more than 76% of counted votes saying Alberta should remain a province in Canada, according to CBC projections. About 23% backed starting the legal process toward a binding separation vote.
EU Policy Draft Softens Language on Arctic Drilling
A draft of the EU's new Arctic strategy drops references to a moratorium on new Arctic oil and gas drilling, a softer stance than in 2021. Norway, which supplied almost a third of the EU's gas imports last year, had lobbied hard for the change.
Venezuela’s oil revival faces a $76 billion test
Venezuela is seeking nearly $76 billion in oil and gas investment over five years, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced. The government says 61 agreements have been signed under its revised hydrocarbons framework, but analysts note actual capital deployment will determine the impact.
Chainlink
Pacific Meta Partners With Chainlink, Selects CCIP As Preferred Cross-Chain Solution
Tokyo-based Pacific Meta has partnered with Chainlink Labs to speed institutional adoption of tokenized assets, onchain identity and compliance tools in Japan. As part of the deal, it selected Chainlink's CCIP as its preferred cross-chain interoperability solution.
Chainlink’s Nazarov And DTCC’s Chakar On The Future Of Global Markets
At Sibos 2026, Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov and DTCC Digital Assets head Nadine Chakar discussed bringing tokenization to market scale, including 24/7 collateral management. Chakar called collateral "the biggest use case" for tokenized assets, pointing to DTCC's Collateral AppChain.
Chainlink Data Standard Connects Stellar’s $4B+ RWA Ecosystem To DeFi
Chainlink Data Feeds and Data Streams are now live on Stellar, letting developers connect Stellar's $4 billion-plus real-world asset ecosystem to DeFi apps such as lending and prediction markets. Stellar joined the Chainlink Scale program a year ago.
Chainlink Price Eyes 10% Rally After ETF’s Second-Biggest Inflow of $9.48M
US spot Chainlink ETFs drew $9.48 million on Oct. 9, their second-largest daily inflow since launch, bringing total net inflows to $178.44 million. LINK rose 4% to $13.36 at the time, outperforming Bitcoin.
Chainlink price falls 18% despite bullish $19.50 call: Can LINK recover?
LINK rebounded toward $13 on Oct. 13 but remained about 17.7% below its late-September high near $15.74. One analyst outlined a possible move toward $16.50-$19.50 while allowing for another pullback.
Patriots
Patriots Place WR Romeo Doubs on Injured Reserve; Sign DB Elliott Davison to the 53-Man Roster from the Practice Squad; Announce Additional Practice Squad Moves
The Patriots placed wide receiver Romeo Doubs on injured reserve and promoted DB Elliott Davison from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. Doubs hurt his shoulder on a 42-yard touchdown catch in Sunday's win over the Jets and will miss at least four games.
Patriots vs. Bears Monday injury report: Ben Brown, Alijah Vera-Tucker among five sidelined
Linemen Ben Brown and Alijah Vera-Tucker, DT Joshua Farmer, CB Carlton Davis III and K Andy Borregales did not take part in Monday's walkthrough ahead of Thursday's 8:15 p.m. ET game at Chicago. It's a short week for New England after a physical win over the Jets.
Stock Watch: Drake Maye playmaking makes up for A.J. Brown drops vs. Jets
Drake Maye threw three touchdown passes and went a second straight game without a turnover in the Patriots' 26-19 win over the Jets. He has 10 touchdown passes in his last three games, all wins, while A.J. Brown struggled in his return from a high ankle sprain.
Patriots HC Mike Vrabel makes ‘lucky’ confession after messy win over Jets
"We're lucky to win, is probably where I'd start," Mike Vrabel said after New England held on to beat the Jets 26-19 and move to 4-2. The Patriots led 17-3 at halftime but lost two fumbles, and their 13 turnovers this season are the NFL's second-most.
How to watch Patriots vs. Bears in Week 7: Time, channel, stream and more
The 4-2 Patriots visit the 4-2 Bears on Thursday night in a matchup of 2024 draft picks Drake Maye and Caleb Williams. Maye has 11 total touchdowns and one interception during New England's three-game winning streak, while Williams returned from injury to lead Chicago past Atlanta.
Movies
Elizabeth Holmes documentary 'You Can See Everything' has audiences filling theaters
'You Can See Everything,' in which comedian Nathan Fielder questions imprisoned Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, finished second at the weekend box office behind 'Street Fighter.' It had the second-best opening ever for a non-music documentary, and theaters are rushing to add showings.
RIP Ann Hornaday, a Newspaper Film Critic Survivor
Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday has died of brain cancer at 66. IndieWire remembers her as a pioneering woman reviewer and 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalist who wrote with thoughtful finesse and outlasted most of her newspaper peers.
The Beekeeper 2 Director Timo Tjahjanto Set For Miramax Action Comedy The Burnout
Timo Tjahjanto, director of 'Nobody 2' and the upcoming 'The Beekeeper 2,' is set to make Miramax action comedy 'The Burnout,' Deadline reports. It's pitched as 'The Big Lebowski' meets Jason Bourne, about a past-his-prime former CIA agent living a carefree life in Ibiza.
Curry Barker on Why Gen Z Loves Going to the Movies: ‘It’s Social Interaction, but You’re Not Expected to Talk to Anyone’
Curry Barker, writer-director of the box office hit 'Obsession,' received IndieWire's first Future of Filmmaking Award on Oct. 17. He talked about leaving film school, his collaboration with Cooper Tomlinson, and why Gen Z loves going to theaters.
Why Brent Spiner's 'Justice League Of Star Trek' Never Got Made
Brent Spiner says he and screenwriter John Logan once worked on a 'Justice League of Star Trek' crossover movie with characters from every Trek series of the time. Spiner admits it was "a pipe dream" that was never realistically going to happen.
Lorcana & SWU
The Ultimate Disney Fan Event Now Available Online
Ravensburger will sell the 2026 D23 Collection and the Winnie the Pooh Hunny Wizard premium foil playmat for Disney Lorcana online through a random-selection draw on the EQL platform. Entries run Oct. 31 through Nov. 1, winners are notified starting Nov. 4, and shipping is limited to the US, UK and EU.
Starting Out with Star Wars: Unlimited Icons, Available November 20th
Fantasy Flight Games previewed the Icons 2027 Starter Box for Star Wars: Unlimited, arriving Nov. 20. Icons is a smaller set focused on fan-favorite characters and simple mechanics, designed as an entry point for new and returning players.
WALL-E Comes to Lorcana, Hyperia City Reveals + New Illustrious Card
Lorcana's Hyperia City set takes players to a bustling Disney metropolis and leans on the new Ink Drops mechanic, with WALL-E joining the game. It hit local game stores Oct. 16, with wide retail release on Oct. 23.
New Expansion ‘Homeworlds’ Shakes Up the Star Wars Unlimited Meta With New Mechanics
Homeworlds, Star Wars: Unlimited's ninth main set, released Oct. 9 with 260 new cards, the new Fortify keyword and two new token cards. The set focuses on planets, creatures and invading armies, with traits like Gungan, Wookiee and Ewok and, for the first time, cards that care about where your base is located.
Disney Lorcana Reveals Update Fans Have Been Waiting For Since Launch
At D23, Ravensburger revealed that a digital version of Disney Lorcana is in development for desktop and mobile. There's no release date yet, but fans can sign up for updates.
10 Most Valuable Star Wars Unlimited: Homeworlds Cards
Card Gamer ranks the most valuable cards so far from Star Wars: Unlimited's Homeworlds set, which added the Fortify keyword, Beast tokens and new card treatments. Serialized cards limited to 250 copies are scarce, but their values aren't yet well established.
Faith
U.S. lawmakers told of Pakistan’s religious rights violations
Religious freedom advocates urged US congressional staff to press Pakistan to end the abduction, forced conversion and marriage of Christian and other minority girls. The Oct. 13 briefing, organized by Jubilee Campaign with USCIRF and others, also raised blasphemy-related detentions and extrajudicial killings.
Hulvey Cancels Sold-Out Show over Graphic Images: 'I Stand for Jesus Only'
Christian hip-hop artist Hulvey canceled a sold-out show in Amsterdam after finding extremely graphic sexual images on the venue's walls about an hour before going on stage. The four-time Dove Award winner says the decision has opened doors for gospel conversations across the city.
Mike Huckabee suggests Tucker Carlson possessed, mentally ill: 'That demon must have got into him'
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister and former Arkansas governor, suggested on a podcast that Tucker Carlson might be mentally unwell and that "that demon must have got into him." He was mocking Carlson's account of being attacked by an unseen force in his sleep in 2023.
Texas woman sues pro-life group under state's abortion pill law for over $459K
A Texas woman is suing Students for Life of America and its president, Kristan Hawkins, under the state's new abortion pill law, seeking over $459,000. The suit argues the pro-life group violated the very law it championed by ordering abortion drugs in an undercover operation.
El-Sayed, Vance pressed on religion, loyalty and immigration
Two weekend exchanges in Michigan put faith in the political spotlight: Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed pushed back on a question implying his Muslim faith made his loyalty suspect, comparing it to scrutiny of JFK's Catholicism. Separately, a Catholic sister pressed Vice President JD Vance at a CBS town hall about the administration's immigration enforcement.
Christian Metal
Reveiw: P.O.D. Returns With a Vengeance on ‘Outbreak’ Featuring Norma Jean’s Cory Brandan
Heaven's Metal reviews P.O.D.'s new single 'Outbreak,' featuring Norma Jean vocalist Cory Brandan, released Sept. 30 on Mascot Records. The reviewer calls it aggressive and energetic and ranks it among the band's strongest releases since 2001's 'Satellite.'
Feature: Immortal Fest 2026 – Where Christian Metal History Still Feels Alive
A look back at Immortal Fest 2026, held Sept. 11-13 in Versailles, Ohio, which brought three days of Christian rock and metal from musicians tied to Petra, Bloodgood, Barren Cross, Bride and more. The writer says the community keeps fans coming back as much as the music.
Review: TIMŌRĀTUS – The Great Mortality
TIMŌRĀTUS, known for comedic death metal, revisits its earlier story-driven work with 'The Great Mortality,' re-recording four 2014-2015 EPs into one compilation. It follows a man living through the Black Plague and his journey of loss, renewed purpose and charity.
Splitcast - Art Official (Official Song Stream Video)
Splitcast released a song stream video for 'Art Official,' which opens Indie Vision Music's compilation 'Fighting From The Ground Up Vol. 5.' The compilation drops Oct. 23 as a name-your-price download on Bandcamp.
Have You Heard of He Is Mighty?
Indie Vision Music spotlights He Is Mighty, a new Christian metal band from Arvada, Colorado, mixing clean and harsh vocals. Their three-song EP came out Sept. 4 on Bandcamp and other digital platforms.
