NI secretary to ban the Drumcree parade The parade has led to a stand-off between Orangemen and nationalist residents of the Garvaghy Road in Portadown lasting almost two weeks.
Controversial vaccine trial touted by RFK Jr gets go-ahead in Guinea-Bissau Recommended dose of hepatitis B vaccine will be withheld from thousands of newborns by Danish researchersA controversial research trial that will withhold hepatitis B vaccines from some African newborns was given approval to move forward this week.It is a central part of the vaccine vision for Robert F Kennedy Jr, the secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and a longtime vaccine opponent. Continue reading...
ICJ judge Navi Pillay wins Nobel peace prize for promoting international law Committee recognises work of South African who chaired UN commission that concluded Israel was guilty of genocide in GazaThe Nobel peace prize has been awarded to Navi Pillay, the South African former UN human rights chief who chaired the UN commission that concluded Israel was guilty of genocide in Gaza.The Norwegian Nobel committee said Pillay, who is serving as a judge at the international court of justice (ICJ), has "shown that legal measures can help prevent acts of war and violence". Continue reading...
Isaias strengthens to become first Atlantic hurricane of 2026 season Storm expected to make landfall on US's northern Gulf coast with risk of flash floods and isolated river floodingIsaias has become the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2026 season, with wind speeds of 80mph and a minimum pressure of 975mb. It is expected to strengthen to a category 2 hurricane as it approaches the US's northern Gulf coast on Friday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).As a result of the strong El Niño, it has been a notably quiet Atlantic hurricane season. The first hurricane of the season has not formed this late since 8 October 1905, which pre-dates the satellite era (1960s) for tracking hurricanes that has allowed for more non-landfall hurricanes to be discovered. Continue reading...
Egyptian journalists plan weekend protest over detention of six colleagues Matsadaash staff allege torture and forced confessions after being held on charges of working for Muslim BrotherhoodEgyptian journalists are planning a new protest in Cairo this weekend after six colleagues were charged with terrorism offences amid allegations they had been tortured in police detention.Last week, Egyptian authorities arrested the journalists, from the independent factchecking and investigative platform Matsadaash, accusing them in a statement of being unlicensed and producing false news on behalf of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Continue reading...
Scientists discover 180,000 giant tortoises on one Seychelles island Free-roaming Aldabra population far exceeds human population of Seychelles after decades-long recovery programmeA survey of the world's largest free-roaming giant tortoise population has discovered that the once endangered species is thriving.A population of Aldabra giant tortoises lives on an island in Seychelles called Aldabra Atoll. Continue reading...
Powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake hits Panama and triggers tsunami warnings Hazardous waves are possible as far south as Ecuador and as far north as Mexico, as 13 aftershocks reportedA powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake has struck Panama and triggered tsunami warnings along the west coast of Central and South America, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).The quake hit along the southern coast of the country, the USGS said. It was centered near the southern tip of the Central American country, about 14km (9 miles) south-west of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba, the USGS said. Continue reading...
Trump announces Russian diesel deal weeks after signing sweeping sanctions law Trump announces Russian diesel deal weeks after signing sweeping sanctions lawWASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump said he has struck a deal to obtain diesel from Russia, a stunning reversal of years of U.S. pressure on Moscow over its war with Ukraine and an attempt to address high fuel prices ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. Trump said on social media on Friday that he struck the deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call in which he was expected to discuss a suspected case of plague in Russia. Instead, Trump announced that Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons "immediately thereafter." Russia will deliver an additional 3 million tons "within a short period of time" after that, he wrote. Trump's shocking announcement comes after he signed a sweeping Russia sanctions law last month that aimed at clamping down on the Russian oil and gas revenues that fuel its war against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it "a weak decision, unfortunately, a weak decision by strong partners," according to a statement released by the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington. Trump announced the deal as his envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were meeting with Ukrainian officials in Miami to discuss a proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine war. "I believe our team is simply being used as a smokescreen. And that is certainly not fair. It is certainly not how partners should treat each other," Zelenskyy said. Trump's move casts doubt on the likelihood of the White House imposing sanctions on Russia this month, given that the bipartisan law passed by Congress directs the administration to target the top importers of Russian oil and gas. Democratic leaders in the Senate said the decision was tantamount to "selling out Ukraine and our allies in a desperate attempt to save Trump's political prospects," arguing it was Trump's war in Iran that had driven oil and gas prices higher ahead of the Nov. 3 elections. Trump did not address the sanctions or Russia's war but said, "Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority." Trump said later as he left the White House for a campaign rally that he was thankful for the deal. "I want to thank President Putin. To be honest with you, we have massive amounts of oil coming into our country, and it's diesel, which is what we want. So, thank you," Trump said. He did not answer shouted questions about the criticism from Zelenskyy.
Washington and Moscow offer few details on deal
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about who was paying for the Russian diesel or when it would become available. Gas prices globally have surged as the war in Iran upends the energy sector. While diesel future prices dipped on the news on Friday, the national average for a gallon of diesel in the U.S. remained high at $6.28, according to AAA, after hitting a record $6.52 on Sept. 22. A statement from Putin, released by the Kremlin on Friday, said during their call he and Trump dedicated "significant attention to the prospects of resolving the Ukrainian crisis" and also discussed "the situation around Iran and various aspects of bilateral relations." Russia "confirmed its readiness to supply oil and oil products to the American and global markets," Putin said. "I am confident that this will have a positive impact on the entire global economy." Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, speaking later to reporters, wouldn't say whether the U.S. made any concessions in exchange for the supplies, or what, if anything, was promised to Russia in exchange.
Trump and Putin's deal draws immediate backlash
Zelenskyy, in a lengthy post online reacting to the deal, said Russia would repay it "with further terror and perfidy." He cast it as an investment in the war, allowing it to be prolonged. "It plays into Russia's hands - allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer, have even less respect for America, and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world," he said. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who co-sponsored the Russia sanctions law, said Trump's decision "makes us complicit in Putin's war against Ukraine." In his scathing statement, Blumenthal invoked the memory of Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally and Russia hawk, for whom the law is named. "This agreement with a murdering dictator is a stain on our nation's character, an insult to Lindsey Graham's memory, and directly contrary to Congress's intent in our bipartisan sanctions bill," he said. Rep. Don Beyer, the senior House Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee, called Trump's announcement "infuriating." "This is what we warned anyone who would listen: Trump isn't the slightest bit trustworthy when it comes to Russia," Beyer said in a statement on X. The law Trump signed last month envisions sanctions on Russian officials, banks and a shadow fleet of tankers and bans all new U.S. investment in Russia and the handling of sovereign debt. It also directed Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the top five importers of Russian oil or natural gas, with an exception for countries that import less than 15% of Russia's natural gas exports and have taken significant steps to reduce those imports. The U.S. has not imported Russian oil or gas since 2022, when the Biden administration banned the imports because of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Treasury Department moves to ease diesel sanctions for six months
Shortly after Trump made the announcement, the Treasury Department said it was immediately issuing a temporary license allowing Russian diesel to be supplied to the global market. This is the latest license the U.S. Treasury has issued regarding Russian fuel shipments since the start of the Iran war early this year. But it is the first to ease sanctions on diesel for a period lasting longer than the standard 30-day window since the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022. The new so-called general license means U.S. sanctions will not apply until April 2027 on deliveries of Russian diesel that has been loaded onto tankers as of Friday. The department extended similar easing of sanctions in March and April even though Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had ruled out such a move earlier in the year. The extensions underscore how the fallout from the Iran war has boosted Moscow's ability to profit from its energy exports.
It's unclear how the move will impact oil prices
"What does this do to prices? I think probably not much," said Clayton Seigle, an energy strategist and expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. But, Seigle said the new deal is a "great benefit to Russia and to Putin," who are currently trying to offload their summer-grade diesel for the heavier winter and arctic grades that they will need in the coming months. "It's kind of shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic," said Michael Lynch of the Energy Policy Research Foundation, a non-partisan research institution focused on energy and economics. "If we get diesel from Russia, basically it means that their existing customers are not going to get it and they'll have to go somewhere else, and that will keep the price basically where it is now," Lynch said. Russia, once a major exporter of diesel, has banned exports since July as it has struggled to meet demand inside the country because of Ukraine's repeated attacks on Russian oil refineries. The International Energy Agency says Russian diesel output has fallen by about 30%. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told state news agency Tass that Russia is "immediately starting to lift restrictions on diesel exports ahead of schedule." He said Moscow could start supplies to the U.S. this month and Russia's domestic market will be "fully supplied" with diesel, as well. ___ Associated Press writers Will Weissert and Konstantin Toropin in Washington, Alex Veiga in Los Angeles and Farnoush Amiri in New York contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Associated Press at https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-says-us-obtain-diesel-185740965.html
Trump selects Katie Zacharia as next White House press secretary Trump selects Katie Zacharia as next White House press secretaryKatie Zacharia attends the Nashville premiere of "David" in Franklin, Tennessee, on December 14, 2025. - Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for 2521 Entertainment and Angel Studios/FilePresident Donald Trump has selected Katie Zacharia, a conservative commentator who worked briefly at the Department of Homeland Security, as his new press secretary.Zacharia thanked Trump in a social media post Friday, writing, "Serving President Trump and the American people at this critical 250-year mark is the honor of a lifetime."In announcing her selection earlier Friday, Trump highlighted her work for Truth Social, the Trump Media & Technology Group and her frequent appearances on Fox and Newsmax."She has an unblemished record of support, and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning," he added.Trump in recent days called a number of his close allies and advisers, including former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to seek their opinion of Zacharia, a person familiar with the discussions said. And the president sought Leavitt's counsel before making a final decision and offering Zacharia the position, they said.CNN has reached out to Zacharia, who was in the Oval Office with Trump earlier Friday morning, according to a person familiar.Zacharia's selection came about quickly. As of last week, she was not being considered for the role, another person familiar said.Throughout the search to replace Leavitt, the White House struggled with higher-profile names, several of whom had previously criticized Trump. On multiple occasions, senior officials had narrowed down the list, only to find that candidates had said something negative about the president, disqualifying them from the position, according a White House official."The work ahead is to continue delivering strong results for our Country and communicating to the American people the major wins that this Administration is making every single day," Zacharia wrote on X."I look forward to working with the White House press corps, and with reporters across the country, to get that record out," she said, adding that "following the fabulous Karoline Leavitt is a high standard, and one worth meeting."Zacharia's been a frequent guest on Fox, Newsmax and CNN."She's a friend of most of you," Trump told reporters while leaving the White House on Friday. "I know she likes people - she likes all of you. Actually, I don't know if that's good or bad, but we just hired a new press secretary, and she's going to be, I think, terrific."Zacharia served as a senior communications adviser at the Trump Media and Technology Group and Truth Social since June, which followed a two-month stint as a senior official at the Department of Homeland Security - experiences that Trump also highlighted in his social media post, along with her work in his campaigns.Zacharia, who has young children and lives in California, commuted back and forth to Washington when she was filling in at DHS. At the time, she told a friend the commute was not sustainable, according to a source familiar with the matter.Zacharia has also served as a legal adviser for Fix California, a conservative group founded by Trump ally Richard Grenell.She first came to Washington as an intern for the Republican National Committee during the George W. Bush administration in 2006.This story has been updated with additional reporting.For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.comThis article originally appeared on CNN at https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/09/politics/katie-zacharia-white-house-press-secretary
'It was quid pro quo': Businessman says Guilfoyle offered political access for $100,000 'It was quid pro quo': Businessman says Guilfoyle offered political access for $100,000Businessman Eric Deters said he has "no doubt it was pay to play," claiming Kimberly Guilfoyle, now the U.S. ambassador to Greece and ex-fiancee of Donald Trump Jr., asked him to wire $100,000 to pay her American Express bill in exchange for her help with the Trump administration ahead of Guilfoyle's Senate confirmation hearing. In an interview with CBS News, Deters said Guilfoyle should "lose her ambassadorship" over her alleged behavior, after texts between the two of them from last July were published in the Wall Street Journal. "It was quid pro quo," Deters told CBS News White House correspondent Weijia Jiang Thursday.Deters said he never gave her the money. "Unfortunately for Kimberly Guilfoyle, at that time, at that moment in time, I didn't have $100,000 to spare to give to Kimberly Guilfoyle, or I actually would have been a dumbass enough to do it." Deters said he made up an "excuse" that his wife wouldn't go along with it. White House officials were told that the text messages between Guilfoyle and Deters were authentic, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News. Some Trump aides expressed displeasure about Guilfoyle's actions, they said.The Wall Street Journal first reported this week that Guilfoyle allegedly reached out to Deters days before her congressional hearing to become a U.S. ambassador, saying she needed $100,000 to pay off her American Express credit debt in a way that wouldn't be publicly visible. "It won't show up anywhere if you wire money to American Express that's all that will show," Guilfoyle wrote to Deters on July 3, according to screen shots of texts provided to CBS News. "I have been officially announced honey please I need you to get this done for me today," she wrote, punctuating the message with a prayer-hands emoji. Her confirmation hearing took place on July 9. She sent him "American Express Instructions" in a PDF document. CBS News has reviewed the texts, which were provided by Deters as part of a 292-page file that included dozens of pages of grievances against Trump world figures, communications with Guilfoyle and others, photos of Deters with Guilfoyle, President Trump, Eric Trump and Trump Jr., and a lengthy excerpt of a book Deters has written. CBS News has reached out to spokespeople for the State Department and the White House, as well as Guilfoyle. Deters, a longtime Trump supporter, is a retired lawyer and businessman from Kentucky who was sanctioned by the Ohio Supreme Court in 2021 for engaging in the unauthorized practice of law. He has also run unsuccessfully for Kentucky governor and for Rep. Thomas Massie's U.S. House seat.For years, Deters has been trying to attract media attention and political support for a push to extradite orthopedic spine surgeon Dr. Abubakar Durrani. The government believes Durrani fled the country while he was awaiting trial for healthcare fraud charges. He was accused of billing Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies millions of dollars for unnecessary spinal surgeries that were potentially harmful to patients. Today, Deters said he feels slighted that he never received support for his push to have Durrani extradited to the U.S. from influential Trump world figures."I sent Susie Wiles, Don Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle an email, and I told them, I said, 'You got until 5 o'clock on Monday to help me out with the Durrani victims,'" he said. "They didn't respond. And I told them, 'If you don't, I'm going to go to the media and try to get the media's help because you're not helping.' So I gave them one last shot, and they ignored me."In the text messages reviewed by CBS News, Deters, who said he also represents hundreds of Durrani's former patients, may have believed he could benefit from Durrani's extradition to the U.S. He wrote to Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle's podcast producer, Drew Lynch, and suggested, "If anyone in Don Jr or your world has an interest in listening to a pitch on how lots of money could be made for a little money in this Durrani matter let me know."Deters, who no longer practices law, once stood to gain financially if he were able to successfully sue Durrani.Just before he took office in 2025 and soon after Guilfoyle and Trump Jr. broke off their engagement, Mr. Trump announced he planned to nominate Guilfoyle to be U.S. ambassador to Greece. But Deters said her influence has waned since her relationship with Trump Jr. ended."There was no question that she would do anything for me," Deters said. "The problem was, she was on the outs of the Trump world." Deters claimed Guilfoyle knew there was something wrong about asking for the payment. "She knew there was something wrong about it because she kept getting mad at me," Deters said. "I mean, I'm naive, I'm putting stuff in writing, sending it to her. She's getting mad. She wants me to use Signal. I didn't know what Signal was."In late June 2025, she texted, "Eric, I really wish you would stop papering these things. It's really dangerous and not helpful to you and not helpful to you or me while you could simply just call me on Signal." Deters had just sent her a memo to complain that she had not delivered on things that he had asked of her, including getting him booked on Tucker Carlson's podcast. "I generously offered you $1 million dollars when Durrani settles if you got me on Tucker," he wrote. He also complained that he had prepared a "concise summary" for then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, but "I have not received nothing concrete."Deters also sought a meeting with then-IRS Commissioner Billy Long about a tax issue, and he wanted Guilfoyle to send the lyrics to a song he had written to Kid Rock.Deters said in the memo, "I am not naive or a sucker. I need results. No results. No need for me to pay."He prodded her over text soon afterward: "As of this moment, I bet there have been no emails AND phone calls by you to Wells [Tucker Carlson's producer], Bondi, Long."Guilfoyle said his accusation was "completely false" and sent as proof the PDF of a letter in which she congratulated Long on his confirmation and asked him to give his attention to Deters' tax issue. Deters claimed he has paid Guilfoyle and members of the Trump family in the past. "I paid her a total of $300,000," he said. "Don, Jr. $200,000 for two appearances. Eric Trump for $100,000, $125,000 for President Trump's PAC, $100,000 to go to Kentucky Derby with Trump. So, I paid a lot of money to Trump World," he said, adding that he never owed money to Guilfoyle or anyone else around Mr. Trump. According to the documents he shared with CBS News, he says he paid Guilfoyle a total of $300,000 for appearance fees. And he said his promise of further payments to Guilfoyle and Lynch was to be for their services as consultants.
The Trump administration's response so far
In Greece, where Guilfoyle greeted his plane earlier this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio chastised reporters for asking about the matter. "You guys walk around thinking that because some source told you something and you reported it, it's the gospel," he said. "It's not the gospel. It's not the gospel for me. That's not the way we do things."Rubio also declined to comment because the story had only "literally posted a few hours ago," telling reporters that "we don't conduct these things in a press conference, on a tarmac, in a foreign country." As Rubio departed Greece, Guilfoyle was present, but off to the side.CBS News on Thursday asked Vice President JD Vance about the propriety of a government official asking someone to pay off their debt. CBS News senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs asked: "Do you have any reaction to a U.S. government official, in this case a U.S. ambassador, asking someone to pay off debt in exchange to access to other government officials?""With that hypothetical, obviously I don't love that, but I, you know, I don't know exactly who you're talking about. I don't know the full details," Vance responded. Deters insisted his relationship with Guilfoyle was purely political."Kimberly Guilfoyle and I have absolutely zero personal relationship, nada," he told CBS News. But Deters is now determined to share his story. He said he wants to draw attention to Dr. Durrani's victims. And he wants Guilfoyle out of her post as U.S. ambassador. "I'm a tough hombre," Deters said. "I'm going to get to take Kimberly Guilfoyle's deposition." This article originally appeared on CBS News at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kimberly-guilfoyle-greece-ambassador-eric-deters-texts-100000/
Vance casts doubt on Pentagon plan to livestream Fort Hood shooter's execution Vance casts doubt on Pentagon plan to livestream Fort Hood shooter's executionHEBRON, Ky. (AP) - Vice President JD Vance cast doubt Friday on whether the Pentagon will livestream the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan in December but told reporters that if it is livestreamed, "I'm not going to be watching it." The Republican vice president said, "I don't know that that's actually going to happen," when asked about the plans that the Pentagon confirmed Thursday. But Vance then tried to set aside the controversy over the plans for a public execution and said Hasan's crimes should not be forgotten. Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people and injuring 32 others in a shooting spree at the military base in 2009. "So whatever the controversy is about the method of the execution, I hope that people don't forget that this is a guy who brutally murdered a lot of innocent people," Vance said. "Now, that said, I mean, look, if it's ultimately livestreamed, I'm not going to be watching it," he added. Vance is a convert to the Catholic Church, which has long opposed capital punishment. President Donald Trump had endorsed Hasan's execution by firing squad during a Wednesday political event in Texas, suggesting "he deserves it." However, Trump was noncommittal when asked Friday whether he wanted the execution livestreamed. "Well, they're making a determination about that," Trump told reporters before traveling to a political event in Syracuse, New York. But he again endorsed the firing squad as the method. "He will be killed. He will be, through firing squad," Trump told reporters. "I really don't care how he goes, as long as he goes. And I think the death penalty is a very worthy way of going for him." Trump did not answer when asked if he would watch a livestreamed execution. Earlier Friday morning, the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops condemned the U.S. government's decision to livestream Hasan's execution. "It is with shock and great sorrow that I have learned of the Department of War's decision to publicly livestream the execution," Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the conference, said in a statement. He added that the decision was "a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered." Trump approved the execution by firing squad days after a failed attempt to execute Christa Pike by lethal injection late last month pushed Tennessee's governor to halt further executions in that state this year. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the military hasn't executed a service member by firing squad since World War II. The last military execution took place on April 13, 1961, when Army Pvt. John Bennett was executed by hanging. From Congress, lawmakers from both parties, Republicans and Democrats, widely condemned what they called the "gruesome" and "disgusting" decision to livestream the execution and implored the Pentagon to reverse course. "Beyond disgusting," said Sen. Thom Tillis, the Republican from North Carolina. "Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America." The lawmakers said the authoritarian-style spectacle would send a message that runs deeply counter to American values and its system of justice, and risks putting U.S. service personnel and others overseas at risk of blowback. Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, condemned Hegseth's plan, saying there's a reason why "almost no countries in the world engage in this barbaric practice." Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said how the U.S. carries out its system of justice matters, and urged the Pentagon "to reverse this gruesome decision." Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah pointed to Rome's bloody spectacles of the past said Hegseth's plan to livestream the execution risks "feeding that appetite" for corrosive entertainment. "I urge him to reconsider," Curtis said. ___ This story has been corrected to show the military base's name is Fort Hood, not Ford Hood. ___ Associated Press writers Will Weissert and Lisa Mascaro in Washington and Holly Meyer in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Associated Press at https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/vance-expresses-doubts-pentagon-plan-173307506.html
New Paxton recording exposes lingering GOP divisions in a tight Texas Senate race New Paxton recording exposes lingering GOP divisions in a tight Texas Senate raceTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during a campaign event in Houston, on September 21. - Antranik Tavitian/Getty ImagesKen Paxton has publicly said he would "love to have" John Cornyn's support after their bruising Republican primary runoff in the Texas Senate race. But privately, Paxton has grown frustrated with the outgoing senator's distance from his campaign."He's clearly not helping. He wants me to lose," the Texas attorney general said at a fundraiser last month, according to an audio recording obtained by CNN from an attendee who opposes Paxton.While Paxton has minimized his criticism of Cornyn following their runoff, the private remarks demonstrate how their long-running tensions continue to roil the race, coming as national Republicans mount an all-out effort to help Paxton defeat Democratic state Rep. James Talarico. With polls showing a tight race, Republicans have poured well over $100 million into the general election in Texas, a state that has not elected a Democrat to statewide office since 1994 but is now critical to Republican hopes of holding a Senate majority.Paxton made the comments at a September 24 gathering in Washington after receiving a question about Rep. Jasmine Crockett, the Democratic congresswoman whom Talarico defeated in his primary, according to two sources familiar with the discussion. The recording obtained by CNN begins with Paxton apparently referencing Crockett, who has not campaigned for Talarico, saying he does not "know how much she really affects votes.""I mean maybe a little bit around the margins, just like Cornyn, basically how much he affects me," Paxton said.After saying Cornyn wants him to lose, Paxton pointed to a recent encounter that he said a friend had with the senator at a Dallas restaurant. Paxton said the friend bought Cornyn's table dessert and sought to thank him for "supporting the ticket" - and for "supporting Ken Paxton" - and Cornyn reacted angrily."Cornyn's face went red. He backed off," Paxton said. "He said, 'Paxton's gonna lose. We need to teach those Republicans a lesson. It's going to be hard to learn, but they need to know that their decisions have consequences.'""That's what he's trying to do," Paxton said. "That's John Cornyn."CNN has not independently confirmed Paxton's account, and a Cornyn representative, Rob Jesmer, told CNN that the conversation at the restaurant did not happen."If Sen. Cornyn wanted Ken to lose, I can assure you he'd be more active in the campaign," Jesmer, a longtime political strategist for Cornyn, said. "He has said he supports the Republican ticket. Given all Ken has said and done, I think that's a pretty good place for Sen. Cornyn to be."Asked for comment on the audio, Paxton's campaign dismissed it as "a story that doesn't exist" but noted that Paxton "has called, texted, and offered to have a conversation with Senator Cornyn.""Like all Texans, General Paxton appreciates his decades of service to the Lone Star State," Paxton senior adviser Nick Maddux said in a statement. "We hope he will join us in our fight to preserve the institution that is the United States Senate and help save our majority."The two lobbyists who hosted the fundraising event, Chris Brinson and Susan Hirschmann, did not respond to requests for comment, nor did Talarico's campaign.A spokesperson for Crockett said she has taken a different approach than Cornyn since losing her own primary."Cornyn is the sitting senator and continues to attack his party's nominee," the spokesperson, Karrol Rimal, said in a statement. "Crockett endorsed Talarico on March 4th and has not stopped working to support Democrats across the nation since."
Continued problems for Paxton's campaign
Paxton's problems with his own base, including former Cornyn supporters, have loomed over the final weeks of the race.A Paxton campaign memo dated Tuesday, reported by Punchbowl News, told supporters that the "biggest challenge we face is shoring up Republicans following a bruising primary."A Fox News poll done late last month found that nearly a third of Republican likely voters had an unfavorable opinion of Paxton. While he was winning 90% of GOP voters, about a fifth of "non-MAGA" Republicans were breaking for Talarico.The clip obtained by CNN is at least the fifth recording that has leaked from the fundraising event last month and put Paxton's campaign on the defensive in the final weeks of the race. Previous clips have featured Paxton saying the GOP's midterm convention damaged him politically and that he feels like he has lost "control" over his campaign as outside groups have handled most of the spending.President Donald Trump, who backed Paxton in the primary, has said he is "worried" about the Texas race but largely declined to address the recordings when asked about them. He said Wednesday he was not second-guessing his endorsement."I would have no regrets at all," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.The president visited San Antonio on Wednesday night for a rally with Paxton where he praised him as "perhaps the greatest attorney general in the United States of America."
Years of bad blood
The bad blood between Cornyn and Paxton goes back years.Cornyn, who served as Texasattorney general from 1999 to 2002, has long made clear that he believes Paxton has disgraced the office and served as an example of what happens when Republicans do not police their own. Paxton has dished it back, painting Cornyn as a relic of a bygone era of Republican politics in Texas, especially after Cornyn ushered through a bipartisan gun safety law in 2022.Sen. John Cornyn, on Capitol Hill on August 4. - Win McNamee/Getty ImagesWhen Paxton faced a competitive primary for reelection in 2022, Cornyn did not make an endorsement but said Paxton's long-running indictment on state securities fraud charges was an "embarrassment." The case finally ended two years later with a deal where Paxton agreed to do community service and pay restitution.After Paxton was acquitted in a state Senate impeachment trial in 2023, which centered on allegations he abused his office to help a donor, he wasted little time teasing a potential run against Cornyn in 2026. "Everything's on the table," he told former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in a triumphant interview days after the trial."Hard to run from prison, Ken," Cornyn said in a February 2024 social media post after Paxton called for Texans to elect a new senator in 2026.Paxton, who denies all wrongdoing, launched his campaign in April 2025 with a promise to "send John Cornyn packing." Cornyn and allied groups unleashed tens of millions of dollars of bitter, negative ads against Paxton, some of them highlighting allegations of infidelity. Cornyn finished narrowly ahead of Paxton in the primary but did not earn enough support to avoid a runoff against Paxton."I refuse to allow a flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate like Ken Paxton to risk everything we've worked so hard to build over these many years," Cornyn said on primary night, adding, "Judgment Day is coming for Ken Paxton."But Trump ultimately had other plans. He endorsed Paxton a week before the runoff, dealing a crushing blow to Cornyn and his hopes of stopping a fellow Republican who, to him, embodied much of what is wrong with the modern GOP.
'He was not my first choice'
Cornyn had long promised to support the "Republican ticket" regardless of the outcome of the primary. But since losing, he has avoided helping Paxton and even leaned into his frustrations with the nominee and his wing of the party at times.The senator criticized Paxton as a "poor campaigner" and "lazy" candidate in an August interview with the Texas Tribune.Cornyn and former President George W. Bush headlined a fundraiser in Dallas last month for six Senate GOP candidates in battleground races - but not Paxton.Cornyn's refusal to endorse Paxton has annoyed some Texas GOP leaders, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a top Trump ally in the state. Patrick suggested in June, following the primary runoff, that Cornyn was part of "sore losers undermining our party."Talarico, meanwhile, has sought to appeal to people who supported Cornyn in the GOP primary. He told CNN last month that he hopes to "live up to" Cornyn's legacy and that he welcomes the incumbent's supporters to "join this movement we're building."The Democrat's campaign even hired a former staffer in Cornyn's office over the summer. Cornyn defended the staffer's move amid some intraparty backlash, saying on X that "those concerned might want to channel their energy into broadening R[epublican] outreach."Some prominent supporters of Cornyn from the primary continue to show reluctance about voting for Paxton.President Donald Trump shakes hands with Ken Paxton during a campaign rally in San Antonio on October 7. - Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images"I'm supporting the party, but he was not my first choice, and I do think it's going to have an impact down-ballot," Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas told CNN last month. "And I do think there are Republicans … that may just not vote, and that's the danger."Paxton has made some headway with his intra-party opponents. In the weeks after the primary runoff, he was joined on the campaign trail by state Rep. Jeff Leach, who endorsed Cornyn in the primary and served as a leader in the 2023 impeachment case against Paxton.Yet some Texas Republicans continue to worry that GOP voters could simply skip the race. Ken Paxton's estranged wife, Angela Paxton, addressed that possibility during a recent speech to a group of GOP women, urging them to set aside their reservations with any particular candidate for the good of the party."When you can't vote for, then vote against," she said, "but vote."For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.comThis article originally appeared on CNN at https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/09/politics/ken-paxton-audio-john-cornyn
Hurricane Isaias is expected to bring heavy rain, damaging winds and life-threatening storm surge to the northern Gulf Coast when it makes landfall late Friday or early Saturday.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Isaias remains a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph, which forecasters consider a "major hurricane."
As of 5 p.m. ET, the storm was located about 90 miles south of Pensacola, Fla., and roughly 125 miles south-southeast of Mobile, Ala., moving north at 17 mph. It is expected to approach the northern Gulf Coast this afternoon and make landfall near the Alabama-Florida state line tonight.
The governors of Florida, Alabama and Georgia have declared states of emergency, along with several Mississippi counties, urging residents to take the first hurricane of an unusually quiet season seriously. Thousands of National Guard soldiers are being deployed.
Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for parts of Florida's Walton, Escambia, Okaloosa and Franklin counties. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey also ordered nonresidents to evacuate Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Dauphin Island.
Heavy rain and flooding could extend as far north as Tennessee and North Carolina through the weekend. There's also a risk of tornadoes across the Florida Panhandle into southern Georgia.
Follow live updates on Hurricane Isaias below.
This article originally appeared on Yahoo News at https://www.yahoo.com/news/weather-news/live/hurricane-isaias-live-tracker-dangerous-category-2-storm-strengthening-before-making-landfall-along-gulf-coast-evacuations-ordered-in-alabama-and-florida-115816597.html
She sent him "American Express Instructions" in a PDF document. 
CBS News has reviewed the texts, which were provided by Deters as part of a 292-page file that included dozens of pages of grievances against Trump world figures, communications with Guilfoyle and others, photos of Deters with Guilfoyle, President Trump, Eric Trump and Trump Jr., and a lengthy excerpt of a book Deters has written. CBS News has reached out to spokespeople for the State Department and the White House, as well as Guilfoyle. Deters, a longtime Trump supporter, is a retired lawyer and businessman from Kentucky who was sanctioned by the Ohio Supreme Court in 2021 for engaging in the unauthorized practice of law. He has also run unsuccessfully for Kentucky governor and for Rep. Thomas Massie's U.S. House seat.For years, Deters has been trying to attract media attention and political support for a push to extradite orthopedic spine surgeon Dr. 
"I generously offered you $1 million dollars when Durrani settles if you got me on Tucker," he wrote. He also complained that he had prepared a "concise summary" for then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, but "I have not received nothing concrete."Deters also sought a meeting with then-IRS Commissioner Billy Long about a tax issue, and he wanted Guilfoyle to send the lyrics to a song he had written to Kid Rock.Deters said in the memo, "I am not naive or a sucker. I need results. No results. No need for me to pay."He prodded her over text soon afterward: "As of this moment, I bet there have been no emails AND phone calls by you to Wells [Tucker Carlson's producer], Bondi, Long."Guilfoyle said his accusation was "completely false" and sent as proof the PDF of a letter in which she congratulated Long on his confirmation and asked him to give his attention to Deters' tax issue. Deters claimed he has paid Guilfoyle and members of the Trump family in the past. "I paid her a total of $300,000," he said. "Don, Jr. $200,000 for two appearances. Eric Trump for $100,000, $125,000 for President Trump's PAC, $100,000 to go to Kentucky Derby with Trump. So, I paid a lot of money to Trump World," he said, adding that he never owed money to Guilfoyle or anyone else around Mr. Trump. According to the documents he shared with CBS News, he says he paid Guilfoyle a total of $300,000 for appearance fees. And he said his promise of further payments to Guilfoyle and Lynch was to be for their services as consultants. 
