Author: Emily Harper

Adjustment and Eligibility Details Reveal Important Changes The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026 benefits, marking an increase from the 2.5% bump applied for 2025. The increase will take effect with payments issued in January 2026 for most Social Security beneficiaries, while recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will see the adjustment reflected in the December 2025 payment made at the end of the month. According to official estimates, the average retired-worker benefit will grow by roughly $56 per month, based on a starting average benefit near $2,008. The increase applies to more than…

Alaska Airlines implemented a nationwide ground stop on Thursday after a major information-technology outage disrupted operations across the United States. The failure, traced to the airline’s primary data centre, halted all departures for several hours and led to widespread cancellations. According to data from FlightAware, more than 360 flights were cancelled by Friday morning, with an additional 400 flights delayed. The disruption extended into regional carrier Horizon Air, which operates under the Alaska brand, affecting flights throughout the West Coast, Alaska, and Hawaii. Scope of Disruption Across Network The outage began around 3:30 p.m. Pacific Time, when core scheduling and…

Denver Scores 33 in Fourth Quarter to Seal Unbelievable Win The Denver Broncos delivered one of the most remarkable comebacks in NFL history Sunday, storming back from an 18-point deficit in the final 10 minutes to defeat the New York Giants 33–32 at Empower Field. The victory, sealed by Will Lutz’s last-second field goal, left players and fans in disbelief. “We fought to the end,” said cornerback Pat Surtain II. “In this league, no matter how much you’re down, there’s always a will and there’s always a way.” Before this game, teams trailing by at least 18 points with six…

Royal Symbols Taken Down as Fallout From Epstein Ties Intensifies Prince Andrew’s banner bearing his coat of arms has been removed from St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, marking another public sign of his diminishing royal status amid renewed scrutiny over his association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The banner, which represented his membership in the Order of the Garter, was reportedly taken down earlier this week. It had hung inside the chapel’s quire — the area reserved for clergy and choir members — since Andrew became a Knight of the Garter in 2006. Only three banners…

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the incumbent President of Brazil, publicly declared on October 23, 2025 that he will seek re-election in the 2026 presidential contest, pursuing a fourth non-consecutive term. Speaking during a state visit to Indonesia, Lula emphasised his continuing vitality, stating, “I’m turning 80, but you can be sure I have the same energy I had when I was 30.” Presidential Declaration and Context His declaration comes amid a diplomatic tour through Asia, including meetings in Jakarta and an upcoming visit to Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit. As the Brazilian constitution limits presidents to two consecutive terms, Lula’s candidacy qualifies…

In a decisive move, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada is targeting a doubling of its exports to countries other than the United States within the next decade. Addressing business and industry leaders ahead of the federal budget release, Carney described the nation’s longstanding reliance on U.S. trade ties as increasingly risky. He said the dominance of American-bound exports (more than 75% of Canada’s total exports) has become “a vulnerability” in the face of rising American tariffs and waning investment confidence. Carney emphasised that key Canadian sectors such as autos, steel, lumber and aluminium are facing headwinds due to…

GJ 251C Emerges as a Leading Candidate for Future Exploration Astronomers have identified a new “super-Earth” exoplanet located just 18.2 light-years away, marking one of the most promising nearby worlds for potential life. The planet, named GJ 251c, orbits a red dwarf star in the constellation Gemini and lies within its star’s habitable zone — the region where conditions could allow liquid water to exist. With a mass roughly four times that of Earth, GJ 251c is categorized as a super-Earth: a rocky planet larger than our own but smaller than gas giants like Neptune. The discovery, published in The…

Strong Capital Gains Fuel Earnings Jump Blackstone Inc. reported distributable earnings of US $1.89 billion, equivalent to US $1.52 per share, for the third quarter, an increase of 48% compared with the same period last year. This figure surpassed analysts’ estimates, which had projected around US $1.23 per share. The firm attributed the robust performance to heightened asset sales and improved activity in its core private equity business. The company sold approximately US $30 billion worth of investments during the quarter, including about US $9.3 billion in private equity assets. That level of divestment more than doubled earnings from its…

Seattle’s mayoral race is heating up as ballots go out ahead of the November 4 election, with incumbent Bruce Harrell battling to retain his seat against progressive challenger Katie Wilson. Wilson, a community organizer and general secretary of the Transit Riders Union, finished nearly ten points ahead of Harrell in the August primary — signaling a potential shift in Seattle’s political direction. At stake is whether the city continues Harrell’s focus on public safety and downtown recovery or embraces Wilson’s call for expanded social housing and deeper public investment. The contest has quickly become one of Seattle’s most ideologically divided…

Masked Thieves Strike in Daylight, Stealing Priceless Artifacts The Louvre Museum in Paris remains closed after a brazen daylight robbery in which masked thieves stole royal jewelry of “inestimable cultural and historical value.” French officials have described the theft as a seven-minute operation that exposed deep flaws in the security of one of the world’s most visited museums. Shortly after opening on Sunday morning, two men used a truck-mounted lift to access a second-floor window leading into the Galerie d’Apollon — home to France’s crown jewels and imperial treasures. They smashed display cases and seized eight pieces of jewelry before…