Supreme Court postpones decision, will allow Fed Governor Lisa Cook to remain in position for now

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook will be allowed to continue serving on the central bank’s board at least until 2026, while justices weigh the legality of her removal by former President Donald Trump. The court scheduled oral arguments for January 2026, with a decision expected before the end of June next year.

In its brief order, the court did not explain the reasoning behind its decision, but no justices dissented—an unusual move given the court’s frequent alignment with Trump in past legal battles.

The dispute stems from Trump’s decision in August to dismiss Cook, alleging mortgage fraud, a charge she has firmly rejected. Cook challenged the dismissal, stating that the decision violated her constitutional protections as an employee at the independent federal agency while arguing that the president lacked authority to remove her. Under the Federal Reserve Act, a governor can only be removed “for cause,” and not at the president’s discretion – and no president has attempted such a removal in the 112-year history of the central bank.

Last month, an appeals court upheld a preliminary injunction requiring the Fed to let Cook continue serving in her role as a governor of the Federal Reserve System as her lawsuit moves through the courts. Trump asked the Supreme Court to allow him to remove Cook, but the nation’s highest court denied the request.

Cook’s attorneys, Abbe Lowell and Norm Eisen, said in a statement that the order on Wednesday “rightly allows Governor Cook to continue in her role on the Federal Reserve Board, and we look forward to further proceedings consistent with the Court’s order.”

White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in response to the Supreme Court’s move that “President Trump lawfully removed Lisa Cook for cause from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. We look forward to ultimate victory after presenting our oral arguments before the Supreme Court in January.”

Editorial credit: Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

Famed conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall dies at age 91

Dr. Jane Goodall, renowned conservationist as well as an advocate for animals who championed chimpanzee research, has died at the age of 91.

The Jane Goodall Institute announced in a statement posted on social media Wednesday that Goodall died of natural causes while in California on a speaking tour of the United States.

The statement read: “The Jane Goodall Institute has learned this morning, Wednesday, October 1, 2025, that Dr. Jane Goodall DBE, UN Messenger of Peace and Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute has passed away due to natural causes. She was in California as part of her speaking tour in the United States. Dr. Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world.”

Goodall was just 26 years old when she first entered Tanzania in the 1960s, and began her important research on chimpanzees in the wild. Throughout her study of the species, Goodall rose to prominence through her groundbreaking research, and became one of the first scientists to document how these primates use tools, communicate, and form intricate social bonds – proving that the primates display an array of similar behaviors to humans, such as the ability to develop individual personalities. Her insights that reshaped the way the world understands animal behavior, with her discoveries opening the door to generations of primate research conducted in the wild and setting a new standard for studying animals in their natural environments.

The Jane Goodall Institute was established in 1977 by Goodall and Genevieve di San Faustino, headquartered in Washington, D.C. with offices in 25 cities around the world. The organization aims to improve the treatment and understanding of primates through public education and legal representation. The Institute summarized Goodall’s legacy this way: she “entered the forest to learn about the remarkable lives of chimpanzees—and emerged determined to protect them.”

Goodall was awarded throughout her life with several honors, including being appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for “services to zoology” in 1995, and promoted to Dame Commander in 2003. Goodall’s other honors included the French Legion of Honor, Japan’s Kyoto Prize and the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Editorial credit: vitrolphoto / Shutterstock.com

MLB Wild Card games: Dodgers sweep Reds to advance; Guardians, Padres, Yankees all tie series

The Cleveland Guardians tied their AL Wild Card Series against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday with a 6-1 victory in Game 2 to force a deciding game in the best-of-three series.

Brayan Rocchio and Bo Naylor homered during a five-run eighth inning for Cleveland, with George Valera also going deep.   For the Tigers, Javier Báez had two hits and an RBI, who were 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position and stranded 15 runners. Jakob Junis got the win as the Guardians bullpen held Detroit scoreless over 5 1/3 innings.

The winner on Thursday will faces the Seattle Mariners in a Division Series. Tigers RHP Jack Flaherty will make his eighth postseason start against Cleveland RHP Slade Ceccon on the mound in his first playoff start.

***

The San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs in Game 2 of their NL Wild Card Series on Wednesday to force the deciding Game 3. After losing Game 1 of the series 3-1 to the Cubs on Monday, the Padres shut out Chicago 3-0 to even the series at 1-1.

Padres right fielder Fernando Tatís Jr homered at the top of the first inning to give San Diego the early lead, with the Padres going on to score a pair of runs in the fifth inning with Tatís Jr. and third baseman Manny Machado homering off of Cubs’ pitcher Shota Imanaga.

Game 3 between the Padres and Cubs is set for Thursday at Wrigley Field, Chicago.

***

NY Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night, with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of their AL Wild Card Series. Jazz Chisholm Jr. made it all the way home from first base after Austin Wells’ tiebreaking single in the eighth inning, helping the New York Yankees extend their season and avoid elimination by their rival Boston. Ben Rice hit an early two-run homer, and Aaron Judge had an RBI single for the Yankees to give them the win

The decisive Game 3 will take place on Thursday night in the Bronx, with the winner advancing to face AL East champions Toronto in a best-of-five Division Series beginning on Saturday.

***

The Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Cincinnati Reds in their best-of-three National League Wild Card series, beating the Reds 8-4 at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, and ending Cincinnati’s season.

The Dodgers now advance to face the Philadelphia Phillies in a best-of-five National League Division Series matchup, beginning Oct. 4 at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park.

Editorial credit: HE Photography / Shutterstock.com

Braves manager Brian Snitker to take on new role with Atlanta after 10 seasons

The Atlanta Braves have announced that their longtime manager Brian Snitker will be transitioning to an advisory role in the organization in 2026, and will step down as manager after 10 seasons with the team. The announcement also noted that Snitker will be inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame next season.

Snitker, 69, led the franchise to its last World Series win (and fourth championship overall) in 2021. This season, however, the team failed to make the postseason for the first time since 2017. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Snitker was informed of the Braves of his decision Tuesday (per sources); his contract expired after the 2025 season.

During his tenure, Snitker won the 2018 National League Manager of the Year award, and helped to make the Braves one of baseball’s premier organizations. He led the team to seven straight playoffs from 2018-24, including a 2020 NLCS appearance, and the 2021 World Series title. With Atlanta, Snitker holds an 811-668 (.548) record, and ranks third on the Braves’ all-time wins list – trailing only Bobby Cox (2,149) and Frank Selee (1,004).

Snitker has been considering retirement, and said after the Braves’ final game on Sept. 28: “I’ve teetered on the fence [about retirement]. I’ve never been through this before. I wasn’t sure how to navigate it. I’ve talked to a lot of people who have been through it who got some good advice. I’ve just tried to stay in the moment and focus on today … As we’re sitting here right now, I still feel good.”

Editorial credit: University of College / Shutterstock.com

Dierks Bentley releasing deluxe version of 11th studio album: ‘Broken Branches Extended’

Dierks Bentley has expanded his 11th studio album ‘Broken Branches’ with the deluxe version, ‘Broken Branches Extended’ which features two brand new tracks, including “IYKYK” and “All Night to Figure It Out.”

The original Broken Branches album was released on June 13, 2025, featuring 11 tracks as well as collaborations with artists including John Anderson, Riley Green, Miranda Lambert, and Stephen Wilson Jr. In conjunction with the album, Bentley launched the “Broken Branches Fund” in partnership with Music Health Alliance to provide mental health support for professionals in the music industry.

‘Broken Branches Extended’ drops on Friday, October 3rd; preorder – HERE.

Editorial credit: Daniel L. Locke / Shutterstock.com

Tim McGraw shares ‘King Rodeo (Live From the Inaugural Music City Rodeo)’

Tim McGraw has released his new song “King Rodeo (Live from the Inaugural Music City Rodeo)”, a live recording from its debut performance during McGraw’s headlining set at the first-ever Music City Rodeo in May. McGraw headlined one night of the inaugural event, along with Jelly Roll and Reba McEntire.

The performance video highlights the journey behind McGraw’s creation and performance of the song and its connection to the rodeo itself; the visual features appearances from World Champion riders Cody Custer and Tim O’Connell, as well as World-ranked bareback rider Cole Reiner.

Watch McGraw’s performance of “King Rodeo” – HERE:

Editorial credit: Adam McCullough / Shutterstock.com

AMC teases ‘Interview with the Vampire’ Season 3 now titled ‘The Vampire Lestat’

AMC has released a sneak peek at Season 3 of its horror drama, Interview with the Vampire, which has been retitled as The Vampire Lestat.

The new name, along with some new cast members comes as the series enters its third season, where it will focus on the second book in Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles series. Starring Sam Reid as the title role, the show is slated to return in 2026.

The contemporary adaptation of Rice’s gothic novel follows Lestat de Lioncourt (Reid), Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) and Claudia’s (Delainey Hayles) story of love and immortality. Reid shared in an interview: “It’s a wild ride. In Season 3, Lestat is living a rock star’s life in its most hedonistic, authentic way. Right now, he wants to be completely engulfed in the music. It lights a fire in him.”

The new season will focus on Lestat, but also will feature appearances by Eric Borgosion (Daniel) and Assad Zaman (Armand). Joining the cast for Season 3 are Jennifer Ehle, Christopher Heyerdahl and Damien Atkins.

Editorial credit: CarlaVanWagoner / Shutterstock.com

See the trailer for ‘Regretting You’ starring McKenna Grace, Allison Williams

Paramount Pictures is previewing the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book Regretting You, starring Allison Williams, McKenna Grace and Dave Franco.

Williams plays Morgan, whose life is upended when a car accident kills her husband and her sister, Jenny. Dave Franco stars as Jenny’s bereft husband, Jonah. The trailer shows Jonah and Morgan learning their spouses were together for a reason when they died, and that realization “forces them to confront family secrets, redefine love and rediscover each other,” according to an official description.

Regretting You also stars Mason Thames, Sam Morelos, Scott Eastwood, Willa Fitzgerald and Clancy Brown. Josh Boone directed the film from a script by Susan McMartin.

Regretting You will premiere in theaters on October 24; see the trailer: HERE.

Editorial credit: OSCAR GONZALEZ FUENTES / Shutterstock.com

Government shutdown begins after lawmakers fail to reach funding deal

The federal government officially entered a shutdown at midnight on Wednesday after lawmakers were unable to reach a compromise on funding, marking the first lapse in nearly seven years.

The federal government ran out of money after a Democratic-backed spending bill that would have extended health care subsidies under the Affordable Care Act and reversed cuts to Medicaid failed, as well as the GOP-backed stopgap funding measure that would have funded the government for seven weeks also failed. The Senate is expected to vote again on Wednesday, likely on the same two measures that failed Tuesday. However, there is no clear path to a resolution, with the two sides fundamentally at odds over how to resolve the impasse.

A temporary funding measure passed by House Republicans—which would have kept the government operating at current spending levels for seven more weeks—was blocked in the Senate. Because Republicans hold a narrow majority there, they need Democratic votes to move any spending bill forward. Democrats have conditioned their support on the continuation of federal health care tax credits, a demand Republicans have so far rejected.

With no resolution before the deadline, funding expired across most federal agencies and departments as the clock struck 12. Beginning Wednesday morning, agencies will roll out shutdown protocols that include furloughing hundreds of thousands of federal employees. Essential staff and those paid through alternate funding sources will continue working, but nearly all federal workers—whether furloughed or not—will go without pay until Congress passes a new funding bill.

About 750,000 employees will be furloughed each day, the Congressional Budget Office said, while others who work essential jobs, like Transportation Security Administration agents, air traffic controllers, federal law enforcement officers and members of the military, will be forced to work without pay. They are guaranteed back pay once the shutdown ends.

National parks will remain partially open during the shutdown. Medicare and Social Security benefits are unchanged, as they aren’t subject to the annual funding process, though new applicants could face delays due to workers’ being on furlough.

It’s the first government shutdown since 2018, in Trump’s first term, which was the longest in history at 34 days and lasted into early 2019. he impact of the current shutdown will largely depend on its duration. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that simply covering the cost of furloughed employees could reach approximately $400 million per day.

After signing executive actions at the White House, Pres. Trump said a “lot of good can come from shutdowns” because the administration can “get rid of” Democratic policies. Trump said: “we’re doing well as a country so the last thing we want to do is shut it down. But a lot of good can come down from shutdowns. We get rid of a lot of things that we didn’t want, and they’d be Democrat things. But they want open borders, they want men playing in women’s sports, they want transgender for everybody. They never stop. And they don’t learn. We won an election in a landslide, they just don’t learn. So we have no choice. I have to do that for the country.”

Editorial credit: Pandora Pictures / Shutterstock.com

Trump announces Pfizer deal to lower drug prices, launches “TrumpRx” website

President Donald Trump revealed Tuesday that his administration has struck an agreement with Pfizer to lower the cost of many of its medications for Medicaid patients. In return, Pfizer secured a three-year exemption from upcoming tariffs on foreign-made pharmaceuticals, which are scheduled to take effect Wednesday. A White House fact sheet said that “the agreement requires Pfizer to offer medicines at a deep discount off the list price when selling directly to American patients.”

As part of the deal, Pfizer will make several of its drugs available through a new government-run website called ‘TrumpRx,’ which the White House described as a direct-to-consumer platform. While the president offered few specifics on how the program will operate, he emphasized that it marks a new approach to lowering drug prices.

Mr. Trump said in the Oval Office: “Today, I’m thrilled to announce that one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers and one of the best anywhere in the world, Pfizer, has agreed to offer countless prescription medications at major discounts in the United States, a result of the ‘most favored nation’ drug pricing order that we established earlier this year.”  

As part of the announcement, Pfizer also committed to investing $70 billion in research, development, and domestic manufacturing.  Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, who was with the president for the announcement, said Mr. Trump’s threat of 100% tariffs on drugs manufactured outside the U.S. motivated his company to take swift action. The president said Pfizer’s drug prices will be lower starting “immediately,” adding that the cost of some Pfizer drugs could see decreases in price of 50%-100%.

According to Pfizer, the price cuts will apply to the majority of its primary care treatments and several brand-name specialty drugs. Discounts will average about 50% but could reach as high as 85%. For example, Pfizer’s menopause treatment Duavee will drop to around $30, the bladder medication Tobias will be reduced to $42, and the eczema ointment Eucrisa will cost $162 under the new program.

Chris Klomp, director of Medicare and deputy administrator at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the reduced prices should become available “soon.” It remains unclear whether the TrumpRx program will be limited exclusively to Medicaid recipients.

Trump also announced that every new drug Pfizer introduces in the U.S. market will follow the same lower pricing model, and that the deal will save American consumers and taxpayers “hundreds of millions of dollars a year,” since Americans have been “subsidizing research and development costs for the entire planet” because of the higher prices they have been paying. The president added that ‘we’re also announcing that moving forward, all new medications introduced by Pfizer to the American market will be sold at the reduced most favored nation cost. So, we’ll be paying essentially what other countries are paying, who have been much lower — much, much lower for many, many years.”

Pfizer, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the country, manufactures a wide array of medicines, including the blood thinner Eliquis, the cancer treatment Ibrance, and its COVID-19 vaccine. (Eliquis was included in the first round of Medicare drug price negotiations under the Biden administration, with the new pricing expected to take effect in 2026.). In May, Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to explore tying U.S. drug costs to those paid overseas. Pfizer is the first pharmaceutical company to finalize an agreement under that plan.

Editorial credit: Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com