Trending News
Brewers' William Contreras wins World Series MVP with stellar hitting and catching
Venezuela’s flag draped around him, flashing a wide smile and filled with pride, William Contreras was willing to boast."I don't want to offend any of the other catchers in the league. The last thing I want to do is offend any of them," he said, speaking through a translator. "But sitting up here today, champion of the world, I feel like I'm the best catcher in the league. Again, that's no disrespect to any of them. That's the last thing I want to do. But today I feel like I'm the best catcher in the world."Contreras became the eighth catcher voted the World Series MVP after lifting the Milwaukee Brewers to their first World Series championship.Leader of the small-market Brewers, the 28-year-old hit .381 while guiding his pitching staff, throwing out four attempted base stealers and winning 10 of 13 appeals in the first Series with the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system. He had a run-scoring double during Milwaukee’s clinching 4-1 victory in Game 5 on Wednesday night. "He’s our pit bull. You don't just walk up and pet him. There's a chance you get nipped," manager Pat Murphy said. Moments after being awarded the MVP trophy, Contreras embraced his 34-year-old brother, Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras, a World Series champion with the 2016 Chicago Cubs."My brother is my role model. I don't have a lot of friends. He's my friend," William Contreras said. "If I have something to ask somebody, I ask Willson."William teared up when asked about Venezuela, his home country. Contreras was on Venezuela's team that won its first World Baseball Classic in March, though he was 0 for 13 with no RBIs.He and teammates Jackson Chourio and Antonio Senzatela joined Americans Alex Bregman and Luke Gregerson of the 2017 Houston Astros in winning the WBC and World Series in the same year."It means everything because that's the first time Venezuela guys win the WBC and the World Series,” William Contreras said. “It's history, history for my country. I love Venezuela. It's my country."He joined Gene Tenace (1972), Johnny Bench (1976), Steve Yeager (co-winner in 1981), Darrell Porter (1982), Rick Dempsey (1983), Pat Borders (1992) and Salvador Perez (2015) as catchers to win the award.A three-time All-Star, Contreras hit .270 with 18 homers and a career-best 94 RBIs as the Brewers won their fourth straight NL Central title."Think about what he's achieved, and he's disappointed his numbers aren't better,” Murphy said. “He's disappointed that he isn't Gold Glove.”Contreras was best at leveraging baseball’s new robot umpires, leading Major League Baseball with 185 challenges and 105 overturns during the regular season. He won 22 of 33 in the postseason.William Contreras of the Milwaukee Brewers poses for a photo with the Commissioner’s Trophy on the field after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2026 World Series at Tropicana Field on October 28, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. "It's not magic," Contreras said. “I think it's the experience of playing every day throughout the season.” He batted .444 with a pair of solo homers in the Division Series against San Diego, hitting a tiebreaking, seventh-inning drive in the opener and another homer in Game 3. He batted .357 with one homer and three RBIs in the Championship Series sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.Milwaukee had several worthy MVP candidates.Cooper Pratt set a Series rookie record with six straight hits and tied Gil McDougald’s rookie mark from 1951 with seven RBIs, including go-ahead hits in the final three games. Jackson Chourio was 11 for 24 (.458), the most hits by a player in a five-game World Series. Ace Jacob Misiorowski was 2-0 and allowed one run in 10 2/3 innings, and reliever Aaron Ashby pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings with a save and nine strikeouts."I told him before the game: You will be the MVP of the World Series," Murphy said of Contreras. "People recognized what that kid did for us. There was no doubt in my mind. Yeah, he's special."
Spain reckons with second deadly train crash ahead of national election
Spain’s second high-speed rail disaster this year, in which one train struck another from behind, killing 68 people, has raised fresh concerns about the safety of the country’s rail network.Search teams with sniffer dogs continued to look for victims on Thursday morning, a day after the collision in central Spain. Cranes were in place to help shift the carriages as police and soldiers helped pick through the wreckage strewn down the gravel slope where at least three train carriages were tossed by the impact.The spokesperson for the Castilla La Mancha region, Esther Padilla, said that 53 people remained hospitalized with 15 in critical care at different hospitals on Thursday. Padilla said the death toll remained at 68, but was still provisional."Emergency workers and the military emergency brigade are still working with much care because we still can't be sure that there aren't more victims," Padilla told national broadcaster TVE.Spain's government declared three days of mourning starting Thursday.Crash comes as Spain is preparing for an electionSpain's high-speed rail network has been considered one of the nation's crowning achievements. It is the world’s second-largest, after China’s. Until this year, it had not endured a deadly crash since coming into service over three decades ago.The collision Wednesday morning that turned a sleepy stretch of rail lined by olive groves into a scene of carnage came just four weeks before the country votes in a national election.Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the crash site in the province of Toledo on Wednesday after regional authorities confirmed that more than 60 people had died and dozens more were being treated at hospitals.In January, 46 people had died when one train jumped the track and slammed into the side of another going the opposite way in southern Spain. Spain Oct 28 Spain train crash leaves at least 68 dead in second major collision this year Transportation Oct 24 Some U.S. transit systems weigh whether to run trains without a human at the controls Sánchez pledged an investigation into the latest collision and improvements to prevent another tragedy like the two that have shaken trust in a rail system that carried 45 million travelers last year, including millions of tourists."It is clear that we need to reinforce the safety of our train service to rebuild the trust in our high-speed rail," Sánchez said. "It is not acceptable for a country like Spain to endure two high-speed train accidents in the same year."Both deadly crashes this year took place on the same rail line. Each involved a train operated by state-owned RENFE and another operated by privately owned IRYO. Spain liberalized its high-speed rail service in 2021, with the Italian IRYO starting service the following year.Political implications for Sánchez ahead of electionSánchez has weathered many crises since taking power in 2018, staying in office and winning reelection after the COVID-19 pandemic and the global rise in inflation.But polls show he faces another uphill battle when voters cast ballots in Spain’s first national election since 2023. The new rail disaster can’t help the prospects of his Socialist party.Sánchez and other progressive parties had hoped to leverage a wave of discontent over housing costs and high rents when he called for early elections earlier this month.About an hour before news of Wednesday’s crash spread, Sánchez had posted on X a message that "There are lots of reasons to be optimistic about this country."He now faces questions about the safety of Spain’s rail service along with criticism from right-wing parties of his liberal migration policies and accusations of corruption against his party and his wife, which both he and his wife deny.His transport minister, Óscar Puente, faced media questions over whether he would resign following a second major train wreck under his watch. He said he was fully focused on dealing with the collision, not his future.Sánchez’s main rival, Popular Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo, demanded a full investigation of the crash on Wednesday. The conservative leader said that in respect for the victims his party canceled its campaign events for the day."This is the moment to respect the dead, the injured and their families," Núñez Feijóo said. "That does not mean we will ignore the fact that Spaniards are asking tough questions that demand answers."A group of people at a protest outside the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility to demand accountability following the train accident in Urda (Toledo), on 28 October, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. The far-right Vox leader, Santiago Abascal, who is likely hoping to enter a coalition government with the conservatives, did not show the same restraint."More dead. Another tragedy. More rage over being left to fend for ourselves, the despair and the betrayal that Spaniards are enduring," Abascal said just hours after the crash."I promise to work tirelessly until this government, which is a criminal organization, is sitting in a courtroom to answer for its crimes," he said.Human error was behind the crashPuente said that the crash was caused by what he called the "inexplicable" order from a central command center for Spain's trains after a security system had failed. He said the train engineers were not to blame.Puente said that at 8:30 a.m. the security system on a stretch of 39 miles stopped working due to a computer malfunction, causing all trains on that stretch to stop. At that point the IRYO train was stopped near the town of Urda, while the RENFE train was 15.5 miles behind it.But a few minutes later the central command told the RENFE train to start running again without any speed restrictions, and it ended up colliding with the stationary IRYO train at 8:53 a.m.Puente said that the train should never have been told to start moving again since there was still a "stop signal" active on that line. And if it had, at least it should have been told to go at reduced speed.Thousands of travelers were left stranded and searching for alternative transport after the high-speed line connecting Madrid and Seville was shut down. RENFE, which operates the most trains, is not selling tickets online for this service until mid-December.___Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain. Associated Press writer Teresa Medrano in Madrid contributed to this report.
Spain begins mourning period as search continues for train crash victims
Emergency services, drones and dog unit continue to comb carriages as Civil Guard sets up clinics for relatives to provide DNA samplesHow did the Spain train crash happen and what will investigators be asking?Spain began three days of mourning on Thursday for at least 69 people who died in a high-speed rail collision, as hospitals continued to treat dozens of injured passengers and train drivers went on strike to urge more investment in railway safety.The trains – one from Spain's state-owned Renfe and the other from the private rail company Iryo – were travelling from Madrid towards the southern region of Andalucía on Wednesday when they collided just before 9am. After the Iryo train came to a halt, the other slammed into its rear, knocking several carriages off the track near Urda in the central region of Castilla-La Mancha. Continue reading...
Hegseth fires the Pentagon's top military planner as Trump considers new Iran strikes
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the Pentagon's top military planner, a defense official said Wednesday, the latest in a series of generals to be ousted and one that comes even as President Donald Trump is weighing renewed strikes on Iran in the eight-month-long war.Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was removed as head of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is the second general to be ousted from the post, known in military circles as the "J5," under Hegseth. His predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was forced to retire last October.The defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters, said there is no immediate replacement for Sylvia and no reason has been given for the firing. The move was reported earlier by The Atlantic.A spokesperson for the Joint Staff said "the Chairman, the Joint Staff, and the Joint Force extend our deepest gratitude to Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia and his family for their 32 years of distinguished service to our nation" and they “wish him and his family the best."Typically, the J5 director and their staff are responsible for generating and coordinating military plans with both the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the president. Sylvia’s firing comes as Trump has repeatedly floated starting new military operations against Iran. Trump has vowed to "finish the job" in Iran after launching the war with Israel eight months ago and said new strikes are an option after the midterm elections next week. Trump Administration Sep 1 Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is stepping down amid tensions with Pete Hegseth War with Iran Apr 2 Hegseth asks the Army's top uniformed officer to step down while U.S. wages war against Iran U.S. officials have told several Middle East countries and regional allies to be prepared for potential renewed military action after Tuesday’s elections as well as for the possibility that Iran will attempt to retaliate against them, two diplomats briefed on the matter said. They say Trump has not made a final decision on new strikes.A third U.S. aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are making their way to the region.Before arriving at the Joint Staff, Sylvia served as the commander of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, until May 2025, according to his official biography, which has now been taken offline. He also previously served as the vice director for the J5.He is the latest in nearly two dozen generals, admirals and other military leaders to be fired, forced to retire or otherwise depart under Hegseth’s tenure — almost all of which have not been publicly explained by the Pentagon. That includes the civilian secretaries of the Army and Navy as well as some top uniformed officers for the military services.The Pentagon did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment late Wednesday.Hegseth said last month that he ordered the military to double the cuts to the overall number of top officers to a 20% decrease to be completed by Jan. 1, 2027. There are currently roughly 800 flag and general officer positions."I call it accountability and long overdue," Hegseth told junior officers and enlisted leaders at the Marine Corps Base Quantico on Sept. 30.Some members of Congress have criticized cuts to the ranks of generals as a "purge" that will take years to rebuild."He's got some kind of like deep-seated grievance about leadership in the military," Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a former Navy combat pilot who has been critical of Hegseth, said last month. "He's purging a generation of great leaders of the military, and it's going to take a generation to recover from it."___Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani in Washington and Samy Magdy in New York contributed to this report.
COMING UP: Update on 2 dead in apparent murder-suicide after kidnapping, police chase
Two people were found dead Thursday morning following a reported kidnapping in Burleson that led to a police chase through North Texas, police say.Burleson police are expected to provide an update at 3 p.m. in connection to the incident.Burleson police said that at approximately 7:45 a.m. on Thursday, public safety personnel responded to reports of an armed man in the 700 block of West Hidden Creek Parkway.According to police, the man was seen outside with a woman before forcing her into a vehicle. Initial information indicated the two were estranged spouses, police said.Police said the man fled the area and traveled southbound on State Highway 174.Burleson officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver refused to comply, prompting a pursuit, police said.The chase continued toward Chisholm Trail Parkway before ending near Bourland Field Airport in Cresson.According to police, both the man and woman were found dead inside the vehicle from apparent gunshot wounds. Preliminary findings indicated that the incident was a murder-suicide, police said.Police said no law enforcement officers fired their weapons during the incident.Multiple agencies assisted the Burleson Police Department, including the Johnson, Parker, and Tarrant County Sheriff’s Offices, the Fort Worth Police Department’s Air 1 helicopter unit, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.Police said the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.Check back and refresh this page for the latest updates.This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
2 college students found dead after going missing during Colorado hike
Two Colorado college students have been found dead after going missing during a hiking trip in the Rocky Mountains last weekend when a heavy snowstorm hit, authorities said.The bodies of Kaden Matsuda, 19, of Ridgway, Colorado, and Jackson Donlon, 20, of Queensbury, New York, were found Wednesday afternoon in a basin of West Apostle Mountain, about 100 miles southeast of Aspen, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement posted on social media.They left Colorado Mountain College Leadville’s campus on Friday, telling family and friends they planned to hike up Ice Mountain, a nearly 14,000-foot peak near West Apostle Mountain that requires technical climbing, the sheriff’s office said. They were expected back by Sunday, but college staff reported them missing on Monday morning.The sheriff’s office said the causes of their deaths were under investigation, but foul play was not suspected. Authorities said they would not offer theories on what may have happened until autopsies are completed."Our heart aches for Kaden and Jackson's family and friends," Sheriff Andy Rohrich said in the statement Wednesday night. "We are very proud of our team's efforts to find them before this weekend's coming storm. Although this is a gut punch, our prayers were answered that we would find Kaden and Jackson, allowing some closure for the family."Rohrich said in a phone interview Thursday morning that the men’s bodies remained in the basin and officials were waiting for gusty winds to calm so a helicopter crew could fly to the site to retrieve them.About 60 search and rescue volunteers, aided by helicopters, drones and dogs, searched for the two men.The helicopter crew on Tuesday discovered a tent collapsed under the snow with their sleeping bags, a stove and clothing near a lake northwest of Ice Mountain — but the students were nowhere to be found.Based on the tent’s location, Rohrich said it appeared Matsuda and Donlon changed plans and were aiming for the 13,597-foot West Apostle Mountain, instead of Ice Mountain. He said the location of the bodies indicated they were well into a hike when they died.Friends and family described both as experienced hikers and climbers.The sheriff’s office said their climbing equipment was not in their dorms, tent or vehicle, suggesting they left their tent prepared for a technical climb. Trash inside the tent indicated they had eaten before starting their hike, officials said.Matsuda was studying to become a wildland firefighter, and Donlon was studying to become a mountain guide, Rohrich said.Authorities had been concerned that aerial searches could be limited in upcoming days because of poor weather that was expected to begin Friday.___Associated Press writer Wufei Yu in Phoenix contributed.
2 critically injured after shooting inside Bridle Path home, suspects flee in SUV: Toronto police
Two people have life-threatening injuries after an early-morning shooting inside a home in Toronto’s Bridle Path neighbourhood that police say is being investigated as a home invasion. Toronto police said officers were called to the area of Bayview Avenue and Lawrence Avenue East at approximately 3:43 a.m. Thursday following reports of a shooting inside a […]
Milwaukee Brewers close out Tampa Bay Rays to end 57-year wait for first World Series title
Brewers win first championship with 4-1 win in Game 5Misiorowski hurls five and two-thirds scoreless inningsContreras named World Series MVP after batting .381The Milwaukee Brewers captured their first World Series crown on Wednesday night, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 to complete a four-games-to-one victory and end more than half a century of waiting for baseball's biggest prize.Rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt drove in two runs and Jacob Misiorowski pitched five and two-thirds scoreless innings as Milwaukee put the finishing touches on a charmed season that began in spring training with championship ambitions and ended with a maiden title in the franchise's 58th year. Continue reading...
Father, 2 daughters shot and injured during ‘violent’ home invasion at Bridle Path residence
Toronto police say four family members, including a father, mother and their two daughters, were injured after three masked suspects forced their way into a Bridle Path home during a violent home invasion early Thursday morning. Officers were called to the area of Bayview Avenue and Lawrence Avenue East at approximately 3:43 a.m. after reports […]
Astronaut Joshua Kutryk becomes fifth Canadian to perform spacewalk - CityNews Kitchener
Astronaut Joshua Kutryk becomes fifth Canadian to perform spacewalk CityNews Kitchener
On TV
Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent — 4x6: "Wind Phone" (Citytv)
Law & Order — 26x4: "Property" (NBC)
When an antiquities dealer is found murdered, Walker and Calvino uncover a contentious motive; as the case evolves into a high-stakes legal and moral dilemma, Maroun must confront her own beliefs as she works with Price toward a conviction.
Grey's Anatomy — 23x3: "It's All Wrong, but It's All Right" (ABC)
As Blue fights to reclaim his place at Grey Sloan, Jo is pulled from motherhood back into the OR. Jules and Winston's relationship remains strained, and Bailey struggles to find her footing as a student.
Ask This Old House — 25x5: "Cracked Foundation Skirting" (PBS)
Tom Silva uses a water demonstration to explain common gutter mistakes. Ross Trethewey installs a Wi-Fi kit that turns an old mini-split into a smart, app-controlled unit. After, some of the team watches some throwback clips of when their Boston accents came out wicked strong. Then, Mark McCullough removes and re-installs stucco foundation skirting.
This Old House — 48x5: "Bigger Isn't Better" (PBS)
Zack uses a clear-pipe demonstration to show why a bigger sewer line isn't always better, then quiets squeaky stairs, and Kevin helps install new pocket-door hardware.
New Music

No new drops today. Go rediscover something in your old playlists.

In theaters
The Mongoose (99 minutes)
A falsely accused war hero with nothing to lose leads police on an epic televised cross-country car chase, helped by members of his former Special Forces Army battalion and closely monitored by a fascinated public rooting for his safe getaway.
Campeón Gabacho (108 minutes)
Liborio, an endearing and mischievous young migrant whose only talent is taking punches. He crosses the Rio Grande to escape a harsh reality in Mexico, looking for a better life in the United States, and settles in a Latino barrio in New York City. Through his fists, his love, and his words, he faces cultural walls and prejudices that threaten his hopes, and becomes a hero in an unknown land.
Launching today

Nothing launching today. Every rocket is staying grounded and behaving.

Useless Fact

40% of McDonald’s profits come from the sales of Happy Meals.

The loonie
CAD → USD
0.7125
▲ 0.0001
CAD → EUR
0.6395
▲ 0.0003
Today In History
2015 — China Ends One-Child Policy, Allows Two Children
It was announced that China was ending its one-child policy; beginning in 2016, couples could have two children
1998 — Hurricane Mitch Strikes Honduras, Causing Over 11,000 Deaths
Hurricane Mitch made landfall, hitting northern Honduras; one of the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes on record, it caused some 11,000 deaths in Central America
1995 — Acclaimed Screenwriter Terry Southern Dies at 71
Terry Southern, the acclaimed screenwriter known for his work on films like Dr. Strangelove and Easy Rider, died in 1995 at the age of 71.
1956 — 1956 Suez Crisis
Israel's army attacked Egypt in the Sinai Peninsula in a fight for control of the Suez Canal area
1950 — Death of King Gustav V of Sweden
King Gustav V of Sweden, a strong proponent of Swedish neutrality during World War II, died in Stockholm
1933 — Death of Ashcan School Painter George Luks
American artist George Luks, a prominent member of the Ashcan school known for realistic urban scenes, died in 1933 at the age of 66. His painting "The Spielers" is held in the collection of the Hunter Museum of American Art.
1929 — Collapse of U.S. stock market prices
Just five days after nearly 13 million shares of U.S. stock were sold inone day in 1929, an additional 16 million shares were sold this day, called "Black Tuesday," further fueling the crisis known as the Great Depression
1923 — Establishment of the Republic of Turkey
The Republic of Turkey was established, largely through the efforts of Kemal Atatürk, who is considered the country's founder and served as its first president
1901 — Execution of Leon Czolgosz for McKinley Assassination
Anarchist Leon Czolgosz was executed in 1901 for the assassination of U.S. President William Mc Kinley.
1897 — Birth of Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Propagandist
Joseph Goebbels, minister of propaganda for the German Third Reich under Adolf Hitler, was born
1709 — Dispersal of Port-Royal Cistercian Nuns over Jansenism
The community of Cistercian nuns at Port-Royal, an abbey in France, was dispersed and exiled to other convents because of their involvement with Jansenism
1618 — Sir Walter Raleigh Executed for Treason
British adventurer and writer Sir Walter Raleighwas executed for treason

This is today, boiled down to the essentials. The full stash lives at logicalchaos.ca. Go get lost in it.