“New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Thursday evening that she gave Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell ‘until tomorrow’ to resign after an investigation found he had violated state ethics and harassment policy. … The state said this month that it had hired a law firm to investigate allegations against Caldwell, a Democrat who was elected on the ticket with Sherrill last year, claiming that he had behaved inappropriately toward women. … Sherrill said Caldwell’s ‘ethical lapses persisted despite multiple warnings and trainings.’ … Lawyers for Caldwell, who has denied the allegations, said in a statement Thursday night that they ‘strongly disputed the three findings in the investigation,’ as its conclusions ‘go further than the evidence supports.'” (09/24/26)
“Fewer people applied for US unemployment benefits last week, as US jobless claims remain at historically low levels as most Americans enjoy job security. The Labour Department said Thursday, September 24, that 197,000 applied for unemployment checks last week, the fewest since mid-July and down from a revised 198,000 the week before. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week ups and downs, fell to 202,250 last week from 204,000. Claims for jobless benefits are a proxy for layoffs, and economists watch them because they can be a sign of where the job market is headed. So far this year, claims have mostly stayed below 220,000 — historically low.” (09/24/26)
“The governor of Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, a major agricultural producer, has declared a state of emergency over Ukrainian drone attacks that have inhibited the export of grain, a move which allows those affected to receive compensation. Both Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks on the other side’s grain vessels in the Black Sea in recent months, sending global prices higher. Regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev, announcing the state of emergency on Wednesday, said that ‘massive attacks’ on logistics infrastructure had caused the suspension of port operations and disruptions to shipping in the Black Sea, the Interfax news agency reported on Thursday. Agricultural producers, he said, were unable to sell much of their yields, leading to an oversupply on the domestic grain market.” (09/24/26)
“Starbucks announced it will close about 250 underperforming stores in North America, about 1% of its 18,000 locations. The announcement, revealed in a letter to employees from chief operating officer Mike Grams, heralds the second major wave of Starbucks closures since Brian Niccol became CEO two years ago. … The locations to be closed have not yet been specified by the company, but a regulatory filing from the company indicates most of the stores will be shuttered before the end of fiscal 2026.” (09/24/26)
“Newly unearthed records in a Munich archive have cast doubt on Adolf Hitler’s whereabouts at the time of his niece’s suspicious 1931 death, according to news magazine Der Spiegel. Hitler’s unusually close and controlling relationship with his niece, Geli Raubal, has long been the subject of speculation and rumor, and newspaper reports at the time suggested that Hitler may have played a role in her death. Raubal died from a gunshot wound to the chest from a pistol belonging to Hitler, in what was officially determined to be a suicide. Hitler … was away in the city of Nuremberg that day, giving him what appeared to be a strong alibi. But according to an article in Der Spiegel, historian Harald Sandner recently discovered documents in archives in Munich casting doubt on that account — and raising questions about whether Nazi sympathizers in the police may have falsified records to protect Hitler.” (09/24/26)
“A US appeals court has for now reinstated an Ohio law requiring residents to present documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote at the state’s motor vehicle offices, in a boost for allies of President Donald Trump who want tighter voter registration rules. The 2-1 decision late on Wednesday by the Cincinnati-based 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals to pause a lower court ruling blocking the law was a win for Ohio’s Republican government ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.” (09/24/26)
“German prosecutors are investigating a man aged 105 over allegations that he was an accessory to multiple counts of murder at a Nazi prisoner of war camp in World War Two. The suspect is alleged to have been a camp guard at Stalag 326 VI K in Senne in northwestern Germany. A similar case had also been under way involving a second former camp guard at Senne, Dortmund public prosecutor Sonja Frodermann said in a statement. That suspect died a few months ago at the age of 99, she said. No further details about the two former guards have been made public, however the two cases highlight the difficulties faced by prosecutors who continue to investigate Nazi-era crimes, with most of the remaining suspects already dead.” (09/24/26)
“Ever-higher costs to service mounting debt loads pose a major risk to governments around the world, economists have warned. Global debt rose by $10 trillion in the first half of the year to top $365 trillion, according to research published by the Institute of International Finance on Wednesday. State debts are rising as yields on medium- and long-term government bonds issued by a slew of the world’s biggest economies hit their highest levels in more than a decade — including in the U.S., Japan, France and the U.K. … The Washington-based group found that advanced economies paid over $3.3 trillion in interest on internationally traded government bonds last year, more than global spending on AI ($2.6 trillion), defense ($3.1 trillion), or clean energy ($2.3 trillion).” [editor’s note: From the article it’s not clear whether that “global debt” includes everyone’s assorted debts, or just the money borrowed by politicians – TLK] (09/24/26)
“Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has considered the remote possibility of US military action against Canada, according to an interview with The New York Times. Carney told the Times that his administration has carefully examined the ‘extreme tail risk’ scenario where the US takes military action against his country, and had prepared accordingly, without providing further detail. ‘I think you have a responsibility in these roles to look at extreme tail risk,’ Carney told the Times. ‘That’s just risk management. That’s not a base case, but it would be irresponsible not to’ prepare. Any conflict would likely be highly imbalanced. The US military has more than 2 million active-duty and reserve troops, while Canada has less than 200,000, according to their governments. Similarly, as of 2024, the US possessed 65 military submarines, compared to Canada’s four.” (09/24/26)
“The US Navy has disclosed that eight sailors assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during its prolonged deployment, The Hill reported. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao made the disclosure in a letter to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, after she sought information about the well-being of sailors aboard the carrier and accompanying vessels. The revelation comes after families of sailors raised concerns about deteriorating mental health and difficult living conditions during the carrier strike group’s lengthy deployment in West Asia amid the US war with Iran.” (09/24/26)
