Hilarious quips and '100,000-volt' energy: the hypemen (and women) redefining Afrobeats music Style of emceeing based on high-octane, ad-libbed vocals has flourished thanks to its unique way of captivating crowdsFor the 2015 freshmen cohort of the history degree programme at the University of Lagos, their classmate's first-semester presentation was so captivating that they began calling him Toby Shang, after the 16th-century Chinese dynasty he had focused on.His crowd engagement that day had been harnessed from his high school days as a ginger-man (energiser) in a three-man band and as a private tutor. By his final year at university, his viral catchphrases and infectious energy had resulted in a hit song, Shedibalabala. Today, he is one of the self-acclaimed "evangelists and pioneers" in the Afrobeats sub-genre some are now calling Afrohype or lamba. Continue reading...
An extraordinary life: descendant welcomes biography of woman 'gifted' to Queen Victoria A girl called Àìná was captured by an African king and later taken to England to become Sarah Forbes Bonetta, protege of the imperial monarch When she was seven years old, Bayo Randle's great-great-grandmother Sarah Forbes Bonetta was presented to Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle as a "diplomatic gift" from an African king.Victoria would go on to pay for Bonetta's education, approve her marriage to one of west Africa's wealthiest men, and become godmother to her eldest daughter. Continue reading...
LGBTQ+ people go into hiding in Senegal as hundreds are arrested At least 320 people detained for 'acts against nature' after law criminalising homosexuality toughened, HRW reportsMass arrests, forced HIV testing and barriers to legal representation are part of an escalating crackdown against LGBTQ+ people in Senegal, according to a new report.More than 320 individuals have been arrested and detained on allegations of "acts against nature" since February, according to HIV Justice Network, an organisation quoted in the Human Rights Watch (HRW) report. Among these, at least 84 were charged with "voluntary HIV transmission", solely on the basis of their HIV status. Continue reading...
Zimbabwean author Simbarashe Kundizeza denies using AI to write prize-winning story Article in Atlantic claims The Blue Fighter was artificially generated, days after it won Caine prize for African writersThe Zimbabwean writer Simbarashe Kundizeza has denied using AI to write a prize-winning short story after an article in the Atlantic said software had flagged it as almost completely AI-generated.Kundizeza's story The Blue Fighter was announced as the winner of the prestigious Caine prize for African writers on 6 October. Five days later, The Atlantic published an article by the author and journalist Vauhini Vara titled: "Yet Another Literary prize winner Seems to Be AI." Continue reading...
Guinea-Bissau denies it has approved controversial vaccine trial in newborns Health minister says government 'did not authorize' Danish-led hepatitis B trial in babies backed by RFK JrGuinea-Bissau has not approved the controversial hepatitis B study in newborns that would be funded by the US government and private partners, the African country's minister of health said on Tuesday.The study, which would not investigate the safety or effectiveness of vaccines but would instead track "nonspecific" health outcomes like overall mortality or neurodevelopmental conditions, has been championed by Robert F Kennedy Jr, secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and a longtime anti-vaccine activist. Continue reading...
Four people killed in 'violent, fast-moving' fire at Canadian military base Prime minister Mark Carney describes blaze as 'one of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime'Four people have been killed and dozens more seriously injured after a "violent, fast-moving" fire tore through one of Canada's busiest military training bases in Alberta, Canada's prime minister said on Sunday.Mark Carney called the incident "one of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime". Continue reading...
Driver whose truck drove into Kansas soccer game released, pending toxicology tests Driver whose truck drove into Kansas soccer game released, pending toxicology testsClipped From VideoWhat began as a soccer game on a sunny Saturday in Wichita, Kansas, for children whose loved ones watched on the sidelines ended in tragedy when a pickup truck sped onto the field, killing a 6-year-old boy and a man and injuring 10 others.The truck had been parked in a space near the soccer fields at Stryker Sports Complex before it went onto one of the fields around 3:25 p.m. local time, police said.The driver, a 34-year-old woman, was released "pending the results of toxicology testing and a mechanical examination of her vehicle" after investigators conducted interviews with witnesses and consulted with the district attorney's office, according to a news release from the Wichita Police Department.Two of the woman's children were with her in the truck and another was playing soccer on a different field at the complex, according to police.Officials are still working to determine more about what happened and why. Police said Saturday evening that the woman had been cooperative in the investigation. Charges have not been filed at this time, officials said.The 10 people injured ranged in age from 5 to 68, including five children, police said. They had injuries ranging from bruises to extremely severe injuries, though none appeared to be life-threatening. The victims who died were identified as 6-year-old Cole Adrian and 35-year-old Nicholas Schafer, police said. Police originally misidentified the 6-year-old in a release, reversing his first and last name.An 11th person was also taken to a local hospital after experiencing medical complications unrelated to traumatic injuries, police said."This is a tragedy," Aaron Moses with the Wichita Police Department told reporters outside the complex.First responders arrived on scene to find community members providing medical aid to those who were injured, Moses said.
'It was pure panic'
Children were playing soccer on the field with their families gathered nearby when the screeching sound of tires rang out, a video obtained by CNN shows.The camera of the woman filming the video shakes as she flees the area, with her and others' screams audible in the recording that appears to capture the moment the truck entered the field.Vanessa Trammell, who was at the complex watching her 13-year-old son's soccer game nearby, saw the truck drive across the neighboring field near the sidelines, striking several people, she told CNN."It was pure panic," Trammell said. "I didn't know what was going on - just that people were being hit. I'm pretty sure I probably screamed, but, absolutely, just pure panic was going through me."She added her son's coach ran to help victims before paramedics arrived at the scene.One youth player, identified by CNN affiliate KWCH only as Isaac, told the outlet his father was one of the people who rushed to remove the driver from the vehicle."My dad went to the truck (and) took the person out of the truck so that they don't hit any more people," Isaac said. "(I'm) shocked he did that cause if he didn't do that, maybe the car wouldn't have stopped and more people could've gotten hit."View from outside the Stryker Sports Complex, on October 17, 2026. - KWCH-DTDozens of first responders quickly swarmed the scene, as children wearing their red sports uniforms gathered near the emergency vehicles, video shows.The driver and two juveniles were still with the vehicle when officers and paramedics arrived, Moses said.It's unclear how fast the vehicle was going or how it breached the Stryker Sports Complex, which is fenced off and has a concrete runway leading to the parking lot, Moses said.The complex hosts recreational and competitive youth soccer leagues for players ranging from under-5 age groups through high school, as well as adult leagues, according to its website. It has 11 outdoor turf fields and an indoor facility.Investigators have interviewed more than 30 witnesses at the scene and others over the phone, and have asked for the public's help as they search for video from the sports complex, Moses said.All events at the complex have been canceled until further notice, the facility said.Flag football state championship games scheduled at an adjacent field have also been suspended as police probe the scene, the Kansas State High School Activities Association said in a statement.Wichita Mayor Lily Wu said she's "heartbroken" and advised people to avoid the area."My heart breaks for the families who have lost loved ones, especially the family grieving the loss of a child," the mayor said.This story has been updated with additional information.CNN's Maria Aguilar, Taylor Galgano, Sarah Dewberry and Diego Mendoza contributed to this report.For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.comThis article originally appeared on CNN at https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/17/us/wichita-stryker-complex-incident
Two weeks from Election Day, Republicans face a bleak political landscape. President Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to a new low, and support for Democrats in the race for control of Congress is rising as inflationary pressures contribute to an acrid mood among voters, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll.
Trump's approval among U.S. adults now stands at 33 percent, with 66 percent disapproving; 52 percent said they disapprove strongly. That approval rating is four percentage points lower than in July and eight points lower than at this point last year. It's lower than at any point in his first term. Among likely voters, Trump's approval is 38 percent, with 62 percent disapproving.
The poll also finds that, for the first time in more than a decade, Democrats are seen as more trusted to deal with the economy.
In the competition for control of the House, Democrats hold an eight-point lead among registered and likely voters, an improvement for the party since The Post's July poll, when the Democratic lead was three points with registered voters.
Trump is central to Republicans' struggles. In a separate question, the poll asked voters whether they would rather have a Democratic-led Congress acting as a check on Trump or a Republican one to support his agenda. By 58 percent to 39 percent, registered voters said they prefer the Democrats. That margin is roughly double what it was a year ago.
The collective results of the new survey reveal an electorate that has lost faith in the president, is deeply worried about his decision to go to war with Iran, is feeling the effects of that war - especially the price of gasoline - on their pocketbooks and now has more confidence in Democrats than Republicans to deal with major issues. Today, 72 percent say the country is heading in the wrong direction, up five points since April.
The new survey findings do not predict how individual House or Senate races will turn out in November. But they help to explain why Republicans are on the defensive in these final weeks, even in areas where they have traditionally held a strong advantage.
Republicans still enjoy an overall lead in money to pour into political advertising that they hope will hold back the Democratic tide. Tellingly, those resources are shifting to protect some candidates in redder areas, a sign of the growing concerns among party leaders and strategists about the overall climate.
As always, the question of who turns out to vote will decide how individual races go, with many of the most competitive Senate races still in the balance. Nationally, Democrats have a big advantage among those who said they're "certain to vote" or have already done so, but Republicans fare relatively well among voters who turned out in the 2024 or 2022 elections, which are also strong predictors of voting.
One critical unknown is how many of Trump's 77 million voters from the 2024 election will cast ballots. Midterm turnout is always lower than in presidential years and Republicans have had a harder time turning out their supporters when Trump is not on the ballot.
The poll echoes those challenges.
Democratic registered voters are more likely than Republicans to say they are certain to vote or have already done so, 75 percent versus 67 percent. While 75 percent of Republicans who support the MAGA movement say they're certain to vote, that drops to 57 percent among non-MAGA Republicans (though more than a quarter of these non-MAGA Republicans said they prefer Democrats in control of the next Congress). By contrast, 79 percent of Democrats who support the Democratic Socialists of America say they are certain to vote, as do 73 percent of nonsocialist Democrats.
Presidential approval has long been one of the most important indicators of how a midterm election will go. Based on history, Republicans are poised to lose seats from their narrow House majority and likely to lose control of the chamber next month. But how many is more difficult to predict because, in contrast to some past years, there are fewer swing districts.
Republicans may also retain backing from voters who expressed only limited dissatisfaction with the president. The Post-ABC-Ipsos poll finds that among the 10 percent of likely voters who said they "somewhat disapprove" of Trump's performance, 58 percent prefer the Republican candidate for the House.
Economic issues stand as a major threat to the GOP's hold on the House and Senate. Trump's economic approval rating has fallen to 28 percent, down from 33 percent in July, 41 percent in February and 49 percent at this point in the 2018 midterm election campaign. About 3 in 4 Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of inflation and the cost of living in the United States.
By a 3-1 margin, Americans said the state of the economy is either not so good or poor. Most Republicans (53 percent) rate the economy positively compared with 9 percent of Democrats and 16 percent of independents. At this point in 2022, when President Joe Biden was in office, impressions of the economy were almost identically negative. But in a sign of how party allegiance can affect attitudes, 54 percent of Democrats then rated the economy positively, compared with 8 percent of Republicans and 16 percent of independents.
Economic strains on many Americans are great enough that 48 percent say they are financially worse off than when Trump returned to office in 2025. That represents the highest percentage saying this about any president in Post-ABC polls since 1986. Among these financially stressed Americans, 78 percent favor Democrats for Congress, along with 71 percent of independents.
Affordability is an issue that nearly all candidates are talking about this fall and the survey points to many areas of difficulty for families. The biggest is the cost of gasoline. In February, before Trump launched the war with Iran, 71 percent said gasoline was affordable. Today, as the war has disrupted supplies and shipping, pushing up gasoline and diesel prices significantly, perceptions have flipped, with 71 percent now saying gasoline is not affordable.
Majorities also say groceries, health care and home energy are unaffordable, all up significantly since before the Iran war. Fewer than 4 in 10 said going out to dinner is affordable, down from half who said this in February.
The shift against the president ripples throughout the survey. On Iran, 65 percent said it was a mistake to take military action and 68 percent disapprove of the way Trump has dealt with U.S. allies. Roughly 6 in 10 disapprove of his handling of immigration, a sharp departure from the beginning of his second term when 50 percent said they approved. A majority (56 percent) said Trump has gone too far in deporting undocumented immigrants, which compares with 48 percent in April 2025 as the deportation effort was beginning.
Trump's negative ratings are boosted by significant criticism from his 2024 voters, including 23 percent who disapprove of his overall performance, 31 percent who disapprove of his management of the economy and 38 percent who disapprove of his handling of inflation. Most of these critics said they support Republicans for Congress, but they're far less certain about casting ballots this year than Trump voters who approve of him.
Trump is judged harshly on several measures of his commitment to fundamental principles of democracy. At least 6 in 10 people said he is not committed to protecting freedom of the press and freedom of speech, free and fair elections, and respecting the authority of Congress or the courts.
Beyond major issues, the public disapproves of the ways Trump has conducted himself in office. The poll finds that 66 percent said he is using the presidency to enrich himself, up from 56 percent last fall. Eight in 10 think it is inappropriate that he has pushed to put his name on the Kennedy Center in Washington (59 percent view this as "completely inappropriate"), and 74 percent say it's inappropriate that the federal government paid for television ads promoting Trump and his policies. Overall, 66 percent said they see Trump as "too extreme."
The dissatisfaction with Trump inevitably has spilled onto a Republican Party that has been remade in his image. Registered voters said they trust Democrats over Republicans to handle the economy by 40 percent to 33 percent, the first Democratic advantage on the economy in Post-ABC polling since 2014. Voters split about evenly on this question in April and July of this year. Democrats also hold double-digit advantages on trust to handle inflation and the cost of living.
Democrats are seen as more trustworthy on many issues even though 54 percent of U.S. adults have an unfavorable view of the party, perhaps because even more Americans - 63 percent - dislike the Republican Party. The Republican Party is seen as too extreme by 55 percent of U.S. adults, compared with 36 percent who see the Democratic Party that way.
Americans hold negative impressions of the president's MAGA movement and of democratic socialism, which has roiled the Democratic Party this year. But the MAGA movement is seen even more negatively at 69 percent unfavorable compared with 59 percent unfavorable toward democratic socialism.
One-quarter of Americans dislike both major political parties, but as often happens, these "double-haters" swing against the party in power, favoring Democrats by 58 percent to 32 percent in support for Congress.
One factor boosting Democrats this fall, and another sign of how Trump's policies and performance have hurt him and his party, is a shift in the partisan leanings of Americans. The Pew Research Center's annual benchmarking survey - a comprehensive poll conducted over several months - found 47 percent of U.S. adults identified as Democrats or lean Democratic this spring, while 43 percent identified as or leaned Republican.
That marked a shift from both 2025, when 46 percent of adults identified as Republicans and 45 percent as Democrats. Post-ABC-Ipsos polls are calibrated to match Pew's estimates for partisanship, and the latest poll reflects the national shift in party leanings.
Read detailed results and cross tabs from the Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll. The poll was conducted online Oct. 9-13 among 2,545 U.S. adults nationwide reached through the Ipsos KnowledgePanel, an ongoing panel of U.S. households recruited by mail using random sampling methods. Overall results have a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points. The error margin is plus or minus 2.2 points for results among 2,032 registered voters and likely voters; all registered voters were assigned a probability of voting to produce likely voter results. The sample was weighted to match population demographics, 2024 turnout/vote choice and political partisanship.
Related ContentThis article originally appeared on Washington Post at https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-approval-hits-record-low-140856093.html
A dramatic El Niño effect is headed for the West Coast A dramatic El Niño effect is headed for the West CoastOne of El Niño's most dramatic effects is waiting in the wings and could soon cause chaos along the West Coast, especially in California, forecasters warned.A historic El Niño is expected to up the intensity of atmospheric rivers - long corridors of water vapor in the atmosphere that can transport tremendous amounts of moisture and produce heavy rain or snow when they reach land."A stronger El Niño brings stronger atmospheric rivers," Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, told USA TODAY. "There aren't necessarily more of them, but atmospheric rivers are more intense during a strong El Niño like this one."In addition, strong El Niños also increase the frequency of non-atmospheric river storms in California, he said."Amid an El Niño that will become the strongest, and also easternmost-centered, event on record (if it isn't already), this year's tilt in the odds toward wet and stormy conditions in California will be profoundly unsubtle," Swain wrote this week on his blog Weather West.
What are atmospheric rivers?
Often in the winter, you'll hear that "atmospheric rivers" are causing big weather problems along the West Coast. But what are they?Made visible by clouds, these ribbons of water vapor extend thousands of miles from the tropics to the western U.S. At 250 to 375 miles wide, they provide the fuel for massive rain and snowstorms that can cause flooding along the West Coast.In general, atmospheric rivers pick up water vapor from the warm, moist air of tropical regions and then drop the water over land in cooler regions as rain or snow.These "rivers in the sky" are responsible for up to 65% of the western USA's extreme rain and snow events, a 2017 study said. And on average, up to 50% of the annual precipitation on the West Coast occurs in just a few atmospheric river events.Some atmospheric rivers can stretch as far as 5,000 miles, all the way from Asia.Though beneficial for water supplies, such events can wreak havoc on travel, bring deadly mudslides and cause catastrophic damage to life and property, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
When will the atmospheric rivers begin?
"It's impossible to predict, but I'll be surprised if we see anything in October," Swain said.AccuWeather's Alex DaSilva told USA TODAY that "we can see the first one as early as mid-November. The time of year when they will be the most frequent will be in January and February."
Has El Niño already brought extreme weather to the West?
Even before the "atmospheric river" season begins in a few weeks, remnants from an eastern Pacific hurricane (Rachel) already brought flooding to Southern California and the Southwest earlier this month.In California, several days of high tides, coastal surge and winds battered and damaged homes along the Long Beach Peninsula and flooded Newport Beach's Balboa Peninsula, AccuWeather reports.Elsewhere, heavy rainfall caused flash flooding and closed dozens of roads from San Diego County through the Coachella and Imperial valleys to Kingman and southern Utah. Record rainfall overwhelmed desert land in Las Vegas, which recorded its wettest October day, leading to dozens of water rescues. Rachel can partially be attributed to El Niño, DaSilva told USA TODAY via e-mail: "El Niños typically bring less wind shear (hostile winds) across the Pacific basin, so there was less wind shear that the storm had to contend with. Less wind shear overall allowed the storm to survive longer than if the environment was more hostile. "Sea-surface temperatures off of California were also well above average. This isn't always the case in El Niño years, but this year it was very much the case," DaSilva said.
Hurricane season still a worry
Experts continue to warn that intensifying El Niño conditions will continue to produce tropical activity in the Pacific and drive rain and potentially more storms into the West Coast."The Pacific is expected to remain active for the rest of the hurricane season and could send organized storms and moisture into the coastline," said DaSilva. "As we move into the winter months, powerful atmospheric rivers become a threat, and we're forecasting a wet and even snowy winter across the area."
Does fall weather predict winter weather?
Apparently, no: There remains "little physical or statistical connection between autumn (Sept.-Nov.) precipitation and even an extremely strong El Niño event," according to Swain, writing in Weather West: "Do not be surprised if October, and even November, are fairly unremarkable with respect to storm activity in California and the Southwest; it could be wet, it could be dry, and right now there's just not much signal either way."But what happens this autumn has no bearing whatsoever on what is increasingly likely to occur this coming winter."
How concerned should Californians be about this winter's El Niño?
"I think Californians should be concerned this winter about additional beach erosion," DaSilva told USA TODAY. "Several storms this season have produced significant erosion, and this may continue with powerful atmospheric rivers this winter. "We also need to be concerned with strong winds and flooding rains with these atmospheric rivers. I think there can be a couple of very strong atmospheric rivers that can cause some pretty significant flooding. We can also see flooding from snow melting as temperatures warm later in the spring months."Doyle Rice is a national correspondent for USA TODAY, with a focus on weather and climate. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A dramatic El Niño effect is headed for the West CoastThis article originally appeared on USA TODAY at https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2026/10/18/el-nino-atmospheric-rivers-west-coast/92248452007/
U.S. resumes intelligence-sharing with Ukraine after pause, Zelensky says U.S. resumes intelligence-sharing with Ukraine after pause, Zelensky saysOct 18 (Reuters) - The United States has resumed providing Ukraine critical intelligence to help it defend against Russian missile strikes, after a brief pause, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in comments published on Sunday. Ukraine has relied on US intelligence to spot the fast-moving ballistic missiles that Russia has fired in waves at its cities. US President Donald Trump had said earlier this week that Washington was still sharing intelligence, although Ukrainian officials said some Russian strikes had occurred without warning. Speaking to NBC's Meet the Press, Zelenskiy said intelligence-sharing had been interrupted but later "de-blocked." "We are very thankful for this," he said. "Now it works." But Zelenskiy said other US actions, such as signing a deal to import Russian diesel and waiving sanctions on Russia that had been slated to take effect this week, will hurt Ukraine. "If the United States will officially take the side of Russia, of course if these two countries will be together, of course we will not prevail and we will not be able to stand," he said. Over the past week, a widening rift between Trump and Zelenskiy has sparked concerns that their tumultuous relationship could lead to even worse outcomes for Kyiv. Zelenskiy told NBC that he hopes Trump will remain an ally of Ukraine. "We want to trust him, and I hope that he will change his decisions," Zelenskiy said. "Because I think that it's all mistakes and it will not help us. And it will not help United States." In a Truth Social post on Sunday afternoon, Trump wrote that his decision-making was aimed at avoiding anything "that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table." Ukraine gets US help that Russia does not receive, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told NBC, citing intelligence-sharing and the provision of US munitions to other countries for resale to Ukraine. But Bessent, speaking with "Meet the Press" after it aired Zelenskiy's interview, did not directly answer when asked multiple times whether the United States views Ukraine as an ally. "Zelenskiy presents a false binary this morning that Ukraine must win," Bessent said. "The war must end, and that will be with some kind of a negotiated settlement." (Reporting by Dan Peleschuk and Michael Derby; Editing by Joe Bavier, Sergio Non and Edmund Klamann) This article originally appeared on Reuters at https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/us-resumes-intelligence-sharing-ukraine-135650691.html
Trump endorses Netanyahu just 9 days before Israeli elections Trump endorses Netanyahu just 9 days before Israeli electionsThe relationship between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin and US President Donald Trump, shown in April, 2025, has soured ahead of crucial elections. - Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/FILEWith just over a week to go until Israel's election day, President Donald Trump finally gave the full-throated endorsement that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had long sought.The president called Netanyahu a "Great Warrior Prime Minister" in a post on social media, which he said serves as his "Complete and Total Endorsement of Bibi Netanyahu."Trump also hinted at a possible resumption of hostilities in the unpopularwar with Iran - a war the US launched alongsideIsrael eight months ago - saying that if the Iranians do not "change their ways, rapidly, we will soon finish the job."Netanyahu was quick to respond, thanking Trump for the "tremendous support and the joint work."Trump told Axios journalist and CNN Global Affairs analyst Barak Ravid in a brief phone interview that he had always intended to endorse Netanyahu. "I was always going to do that. I just didn't want to do it too soon," he said.Trump added that they have a "good relationship" and would "continue to do well" together if Netanyahu is reelected, according to Ravid."It is important that Israel has a person they can count on," Trump said.It was an endorsement that seemed uncertain until it finally arrived and cannot mask what has become at times a rocky relationship between the two.For years, Israelis driving the country's highways in the final weeks of an election have seen the same image: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu standing beside President Donald Trump, under the slogan, "A different league."Less than two weeks before the October 27 vote, the billboards of Netanyahu are back. But this time Trump is not on them.The president still appears in some videos for Netanyahu's Likud party, but his absence may signal something beyond advertising.Until Sunday, Trump had held off endorsing Netanyahu."I'm not involved in [Israeli] politics anymore," he told Time earlier this month. On Thursday, Trump told Newsmax that Netanyahu would like him to be involved in the election. "I've had a very good relationship with him," he said, but avoided endorsing him again. When asked directly whether he trusts Netanyahu, he said bluntly, "I don't trust anybody in the world of politics."Trump has starred in Netanyahu's campaigns since 2013, when still a businessman and TV personality, he released a video urging Israelis to "vote for Benjamin."When Trump entered the White House in 2017, he showered Netanyahu with political gifts.About two weeks before Israel's April 2019 election, Netanyahu was in Washington to watch Trump sign a historic proclamation recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. In January 2020, five weeks before Israelis went again to the polls, Trump unveiled the Israeli-Palestinian "Deal of the Century" plan. Netanyahu stood smiling by his side.Ahead of this election, there has been no red carpet. The last time Netanyahu and Trump met at the White House in August, there were no cameras. The two did not meet at all when Netanyahu traveled to New York for the UN General Assembly in September.Demonstrators protest against Netanyahu's address to the UN General Assembly in New York in September. His efforts to undercut peace talks have drawn bipartisan ire. - David Dee Delgado/ReutersA protesters against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies is arrested after blocking a street next to the United Nations. - Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesOver the course of the last year, Netanyahu has taken steps that have drawn fury from Trump, including undermining Trump-led peace efforts by striking inside Lebanon and Gaza.Trump has cursed the prime minister out in phone calls and warned him he's losing support among Americans, according to people familiar with the conversations. He's asked why Israel was blowing up apartment buildings in Lebanon and warned about the risk of a global economic downturn as a result of the Iran war.Inside the White House, many of the moves were interpreted as election-year posturing by Netanyahu, whose internal politics are well known by Trump and his advisers. Over the summer, many Trump advisers came to the conclusion that Netanyahu was trying to prolong the Iran war to bolster his own political standing.Trump has given Netanyahu a degree of leeway because of those political concerns, people familiar with the matter said. But he's still grown frustrated at some of Israel's actions, many of which he believes run counter to American interests.Another person close to Trump suggested his lack of endorsement had been tied to Netanyahu's weakness in the polls. Trump has long been careful to avoid endorsing candidates who seem likely to lose.In conversations over the past several months, Trump has quizzed Netanyahu about the election and his prospects, according to people familiar with the matter. While Netanyahu has sought to project confidence, Trump is well aware of the prime minister's difficult political position.As Netanyahu's standing fell in the Trump administration, so did Trump's standing in Israel.According to Israeli sources close to Netanyahu, Trump was originally meant to be a centerpiece of Netanyahu's campaign. Last December, at Mar-a-Lago, the prime minister announced that Trump would become the first non-Israeli to receive the prestigious Israel Prize. Netanyahu aides hoped Trump would accept the prize in person at Israel's Independence Day ceremony in April, giving jumpstarting the campaign.Then came the war with Iran.A smoke plume rises following a missile strike on a building in Tehran on March 1, 2026. - Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty ImagesThe joint US-Israeli attack began on February 28 with the two leaders projecting strategic harmony. Netanyahu thanked "my friend, President Donald Trump," calling him "a leader who stands by his word." Trump described the two of them as "war heroes" and publicly demanded that Israel's president grant Netanyahu a pardon in his ongoing corruption trials.But Trump never showed interest in attending the Israel Prize ceremony. By then, the fighting in Iran had ended and ceasefire talks were underway.The Iran ceasefire and subsequent memorandum of understanding were deeply unpopular in Israel, particularly on the right. Yinon Magal, a pro-Netanyahu TV anchor, called Trump a "loser" after the deal was signed.A July survey by the Jewish People Policy Institute found that only 7% of Israelis had "a great deal of trust" that Trump "will do the right thing" on US-Israel relations, and 45% had none."Trump's stock in Israel, especially among right wing-voters, has weakened," a Likud source said. "An endorsement would not necessarily have helped Netanyahu so much, so he did not invest much in it." Another Likud source said, "It's not as if Trump will endorse any other opponent, so it's nice to have, but not a must."US President Donald Trump leaves the stage after speaking during a campaign rally at the Freeman Coliseum on October 07, in San Antonio, Texas. - Win McNamee/Getty ImagesNetanyahu's opponents are watching, but with less alarm than before. "A year ago, our camp was calling anyone close to Trump to prevent an endorsement," one senior opposition figure said ahead of Sunday's news. "Now it doesn't really matter, the charm is not there."When Trump was asked specifically about who is currently polling as Netanyahu's leading challenger, he said, "Well, I don't know, I don't hear bad things about him." He then said, "They've written Bibi off many, many times, just like they've written me off many, many times. I wouldn't underestimate Bibi."Trump has his own reasons for distance. American public opinion of Israel has fallen sharply, declining even more against the backdrop of the Iran war. Israel's average net favorability fell from +51 points in July 2018 to -16 in July 2026, according to multiple polls, a 67-point drop over eight years.As America quickly soured on the Iran war, a source familiar with the relationship said, Trump has been "trying to shed the image that Netanyahu pulled him into it."Still, the apparent distance may be misleading. Israeli sources say the two leaders have recently discussed renewed strikes on Iran. Israeli security sources told CNN preparations are underway - pending Trump's decision - with timing unclear because of the US midterm elections.Netanyahu rejected suggestions he was seeking escalation before the vote."It is not convenient for us, it's no good," he told Army Radio this week. He complained that if Iran fired missiles at Israel, his opponents "will blame me."For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.comThis article originally appeared on CNN at https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/18/world/trump-netanyahu-elections-relations-intl
Coastal storm threatens East Coast with high winds and flooding Coastal storm threatens East Coast with high winds and floodingA slow-moving coastal storm is expected to bring high winds, flooding and dangerous surf to parts of the East Coast this week, with forecasters also monitoring the system for possible subtropical development.The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Sunday that a storm-force non-tropical low was expected to form off the Southeast coast on Sunday or Sunday night and move "slowly and erratically" through the middle of the week. The agency gave the system a near-zero chance of development within 48 hours and a 30 percent chance within seven days."Regardless of development, this system will cause high winds, coastal flooding, and dangerous surf along portions of the U.S. East Coast," the NHC said.If it develops into a named subtropical or tropical storm, it would be called Josephine, according to the list of next named storms. The possibility comes during an unusually quiet Atlantic hurricane season. Through October 18, the basin had produced nine named storms but only one hurricane, Isaias, which is currently the year's only major Atlantic hurricane.Forecasters say the storm does not need to become Josephine to produce significant coastal impacts."AccuWeather hurricane experts continue to monitor a medium risk for tropical or subtropical development off the East Coast between October 19th and October 23rd," Alexander Duffus, a meteorologist for forecasting operations with AccuWeather, told Newsweek in an email Sunday.Duffus added: "Regardless of if this will eventually be designated as a subtropical or tropical storm by the National Hurricane Center in the coming days, gusty winds, rough surf, beach erosion and coastal flooding can be expected for portions of the mid-Atlantic through early to the middle of this week."A storm in the Atlantic has 30 percent chance of development over the next seven days, according to the National Hurricane Center.
East Coast Threats
The most prolonged effects are expected from the Delmarva Peninsula into eastern North Carolina, with rain, gusty winds, beach erosion and coastal flooding among the threats, according to The Weather Channel. High surf and dangerous rip currents could extend much farther, from Florida to New England.AccuWeather said the most significant coastal impacts could occur around the Outer Banks of North Carolina, southeastern Virginia and the beach communities of Maryland and Delaware."The coastal hazards risk at this time is greatest from coastal New Jersey to the Outer Banks of North Carolina through Tuesday," Duffus said. "Very wind[y] conditions are expected with gusts from 40-60 mph that can blow around unsecured objects. Coastal flooding and beach erosion can also occur, especially during high tide cycles.
Coastal Flooding and Beach Erosion
The storm's slow movement could prolong its effects on vulnerable beaches and coastal communities.The Weather Channel reported that the system could remain offshore for days, producing high surf, rip currents, coastal flooding, rain and strong winds. The outlet said the storm was not expected to be as strong as the late-September nor'easter but could linger through much of the week.AccuWeather similarly forecast long-duration gusty winds, beach erosion and tidal flooding, with the Outer Banks and southeastern Virginia potentially seeing greater impacts than areas farther north because of the storm's expected position and duration.The National Weather Service's Eastern Region coastal hazard page showed a range of active coastal and marine hazards Sunday, including coastal flood, high surf and gale alerts in parts of the region.
A strong non-tropical low pressure area is expected to form during the next day or two off of the eastern coast of the U.S. This low is likely to move slowly and erratically through the middle of next week, and some subtropical development is possible during this time. Regardless… pic.twitter.com/M8Z9zaDFpV- National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 17, 2026
Newsweek's reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Steve Mollman and Anthony Murray.
