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Ontario air ambulance company says 6 aboard missing flight presumed dead
Six people aboard a medical evacuation flight that disappeared off the U.S. East Coast while travelling from Bermuda to Boston are now presumed dead after the search-and-rescue effort was called off, according to the Ontario-based company that operated the aircraft. Hamilton-based Latitude Air Ambulance issued a statement saying the United States Coast Guard has concluded […]
Dennis Hastert, ex-House speaker disgraced by child sex abuse scandal, dies at 84
NOTE: The video in the player above is from a previous story.Dennis Hastert, the nation's longest-serving Republican House speaker, who helped turn much of President George W. Bush's agenda into law before his own political legacy was forever fouled by allegations that he molested high school athletes when he was a wrestling coach, died over the weekend, a coroner said Monday. He was 84.Hastert, who was speaker from 1999 until 2007, died of natural causes at his home, according to Kendall County Coroner Jacquie Purcell.When he was sentenced in 2016 to more than a year behind bars, the former history teacher became one of the highest-ranking American politicians ever ordered to prison.In the late 1990s, Hastert was a little-known Illinois lawmaker with a reputation for congeniality that had helped him ascend the ranks of congressional leaders. When Newt Gingrich lost support because of ethics violations and the GOP's poor showing in an election, Republicans elected Hastert to succeed him. In his first weeks on the job, he presided over the House while the Senate conducted Bill Clinton's impeachment trial.After the GOP reclaimed the White House, Hastert took much of what Bush proposed and steered it to passage, including massive tax cuts and a measure that amounted to a huge expansion of prescription drug benefits — the biggest change in Medicare in decades.His legacy was suddenly thrown into doubt in 2015, when he was accused of evading banking regulations as part of a plan to pay hush money to conceal unspecified “prior misconduct.” Nearly a year later, prosecutors filed papers that described what media reports had suggested for months: Hastert's misconduct involved the sexual abuse of teenage boys on his wrestling team in the small town of Yorkville, west of Chicago.During a 16-year coaching career, he led his team to a state championship and was named national coach of the year in 1976. But behind the accolades, prosecutors said, Hastert sexually abused at least four team members from 1965 to 1981.The person Hastert was paying, identified in court papers only as Individual A, said the abuse occurred in a motel room when he was 14 on the way home from wrestling camp. Hastert allegedly touched other wrestlers in a locker room after saying he would give them massages. Two wrestlers said Hastert performed sex acts on them.Prosecutors also described a recliner where Hastert often sat in the locker room with a direct view of the stalls where the boys showered.Hastert agreed to plead guilty to evading banking laws. In all, he paid more than $1.7 million out of $3.5 million that he had promised to Individual A, sometimes in lump sums of $100,000 cash.At the sentencing hearing where he received 15 months behind bars, the visibly angry judge called Hastert a "serial child molester." A former wrestler struggled with his emotions as he told the court about his "dark secret" from adolescence.In his own statement, Hastert said he was "deeply ashamed" and admitted that he “mistreated" some of his athletes. But he never referred directly to sexual abuse.The public knew nothing about Hastert's past when Republicans lost seats in the 1998 midterm elections. Hastert confronted Gingrich about dissatisfaction in the GOP ranks, saying it was unlikely Gingrich could hold his post, Hastert wrote in “Speaker: Lessons from 40 Years in Coaching and Politics.”“Well, I’ll make them support me,” he quoted Gingrich saying of the GOP rebels. Told that was unlikely, Gingrich asked Hastert what to do.“Do what you have to do,” he replied. The next day, Gingrich stepped down as speaker and left the House.Hastert's path to the speaker's office was cleared when Louisiana Rep. Bob Livingston, who was considered a lock to replace Gingrich as speaker, resigned after acknowledging several extramarital affairs.In January 1999, Hastert broke with tradition by delivering his acceptance speech from the House floor and by allowing Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, a Missouri Democrat, to briefly preside over the day’s proceedings.“Solutions to problems cannot be found in a pool of bitterness,” Hastert said in his speech. “They can be found in an environment in which we trust one another’s word, where we generate heat and passion, but where we recognize that each member is equally important to our overall mission of improving the life of the American people.”Hastert was aware of the personal pitfalls of holding the powerful position.“You know, in this business, especially in a job like this, you can get your head someplace where it shouldn’t be,” Hastert said in a 1999 interview with The Associated Press. “But you come back home, and you’re home. You’re back where you’ve always been, and your feet are back on the ground.”He was generally viewed as a friendly, even-tempered lawmaker. His wrestling experience followed him to Washington, with GOP colleagues often calling him “coach."Hastert said he lacked the appetite for higher office.As the recount of the 2000 presidential election dragged on, Hastert's aides briefed him on the possibility that he might become acting president in the event of an Electoral College deadlock.“I really didn’t want to be president, temporary or otherwise,” he wrote in his book. But he decided that he would not pass the office to the constitutional officer next in line if an Electoral College deadlock extended beyond Inauguration Day. In the end, the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling ended the recount, and Bush moved into the White House.Hastert's journey to Congress from his boyhood farm appeared to be the result of fate and luck.In 1980, he finished third in an Illinois House primary. But the incumbent became fatally ill, and GOP leaders chose Hastert to take his place on the November ballot, where he won in a traditional GOP stronghold.Hastert became a congressional candidate in 1986, when local Republican leaders put him on the primary ballot, replacing freshman Rep. John Grotberg, who was battling cancer. Hastert went on to beat the Democrat with 52 percent of the vote, his smallest margin of victory in a congressional race.In Washington, Hastert served quietly in House leadership, working closely with Gingrich and then-House Majority Whip Tom DeLay after Republicans took control in 1995. Several years later, DeLay was the force driving Clinton's impeachment and was simply too toxic to seek the speaker's chair.Hastert's tenure was marked by a shift of power from committee chairmen to GOP leaders, fealty to the Bush administration and an explosion of congressional pet projects known as earmarks. Democrats fumed that he weakened the ethics process that ensnared DeLay, who left Congress under a cloud of criminal charges in 2006.Hastert became wealthy largely through a complex web of transactions that coincided with one of his own highway earmarks increasing the value of land he had purchased in his district.He was forced to step down as speaker in 2007, when Democrats gained control of the House, and he resigned his seat later that year. In 2008, he joined the Washington lobbying firm of Dickstein Shapiro as a senior adviser, specializing in government law and strategy.Born in Aurora, Illinois, Hastert earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Wheaton College in 1964 and a master's in education from Northern Illinois University in 1967.In 2007, Wheaton named its newly created public policy center the J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government and Public Policy. After Hastert's indictment, the school removed his name in 2015. Other organizations abandoned associations with Hastert, and his portrait was removed from a hallway outside the House chamber.Hastert lived his entire life in Chicago’s suburbs, primarily in the Yorkville area. While growing up, he helped his father with the family feed business.Survivors include his wife, Jean, and two adult sons.
Monday briefing: You asked, we answered – how will the US midterms go?
In today's newsletter: As Americans get ready to vote on whether the Republican party remains in control of Congress, our Washington editor talks about the disconnect between Trump and his supportersGood morning. Later today, Donald Trump will be in the state of Nebraska to rev up supporters as he kicks off a campaign blitz of rallies ahead of the midterm elections on 3 November.If his early speeches are anything to go by, cornhuskers can anticipate poll denial, accusations of veganism and an expletive ratio that my nine-year-old would love. And Nebraskans may love it, too: aside from one "blue dot" district in Omaha, Republicans argue their support is steady in the state that has easily backed Trump three times.UK politics | The Greens in England and Wales have formally adopted a policy that equates Zionism with racism and calls for Israel to be replaced by a single Palestinian state.Schools | Lawyers and campaigners have condemned the "horrifying" scale of child-on-child sexual abuse in schools after a Guardian investigation revealed thousands of sexual offences against under-13s are reported to police each year.Brazil | Brazil's presidential race will go to a second round after the far-right candidate, Flávio Bolsonaro, beat the incumbent leftwing president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, but failed to secure the outright majority he needed to avoid a runoff.Environment | A study of Europe's summer paints a grim picture for the future, with doctors and climate scientists calling on governments to stop burning fossil fuels, shade buildings, green cities, and install air conditioning in hospitals, schools and care homes.US military | The US Air Force has pulled its bombers from RAF Fairford following an investigation into an alleged planned terror attack at the base.Tuesday | ABC News is suing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over its licence review, and on Thursday its hearing will take place. The broadcaster claims the review, ordered by Donald Trump in April over comedian Jimmy Kimmel's comments about the US president, is a "retaliatory campaign" in violation of its first amendment rights.Wednesday | Kemi Badenoch is to speak at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham. This day also marks the third anniversary of the 7 October attacks by Hamas. In London, the Met are asking organisers of a pro-Palestinian student march to move the event.Thursday | Holborn and St Pancras will hold its byelection. The seat belongs to former prime minister and Labour party leader Keir Starmer, who held it from 2015 until his resignation in September. Continue reading...
Supreme Court begins new term with cases on climate change, immigration, gun rights
The Supreme Court’s new term begins Monday with cases on climate change, religious rights and President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration high on the agenda.Here's a look at what’s in store:Climate changeThe high court is starting its term with a major climate change case. The justices will hear an appeal from energy companies trying to block dozens of lawsuits seeking to hold them liable in court for damage related to climate change. Billions of dollars are potentially at stake in a case out of Boulder, Colorado, where local officials say the industry should help shoulder the escalating costs of disasters linked to climate change. The companies, Suncor and ExxonMobil, say lawsuits aren’t the way to deal with the global issue. They have the backing of the Trump administration, which argues the litigation is a power grab intended to impose regulations on emissions. Assault weapons bansAbout a dozen states have banned semiautomatic rifles like AR-15s, which are often called assault weapons. They say the guns are disproportionately used in mass shootings, and banning them helps reduce gun violence. Challengers say those laws violate the Second Amendment. They argue that AR-15s and other similar weapons are among the most popular and commonly owned guns in the country. The conservative-majority court has expanded gun rights in recent years, and four justices had signaled that it was only a matter of time before the court took up the issue. The case will be considered in December. ImmigrationThe court will hear two significant immigration cases with potentially big implications for Trump’s wide-reaching crackdown. One is about deportations of migrants who can’t be quickly sent back to their home countries. The Trump administration has been sending thousands to other countries where they have no ties, under a series of often-secret agreements.The Supreme Court will consider overturning lower court orders allowing them a chance to object. The justices have allowed the flights to continue in the meantime. The other case is over the administration’s mandatory detention policy for immigrants who have been living in the U.S. illegally, even if they’ve been in the country for years. The administration argues it can hold people without a bond hearing, but most appeals courts that have considered the issue disagree. VotingA Republican push to enforce strict Arizona voting laws will also come before the justices this term. One measure requires people to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote using a state form, and another calls for regular purges of the voter rolls to remove people if their citizenship could not be confirmed.It comes as Trump has failed to get legislation requiring documentary proof of citizenship for registering to vote through Congress. Arguments are set for December. Religious rightsCatholic preschools that can’t take part in a taxpayer-funded program in Colorado will come before the court in November. It’s the justices’ latest case involving religious rights. St. Mary Catholic Parish says it’s been left out of the state’s universal preschool program over its faith-based admissions policies, which exclude kids from LGBTQ+ families. Colorado says religious schools are welcome to participate but have to follow nondiscrimination laws. The program was created by a 2020 ballot measure and provides public funding for preschool at schools selected by parents.
Trump may be losing support from Latino voters. Here's why
Latino voters, who helped elect President Donald Trump for a second time in 2024, appear to be turning away from the Republican Party over a number of key issues, including the cost of living and immigration.The latest NBC News/Telemundo poll, released Oct. 4, showed 69% of 800 surveyed Latino voters disapproved of Trump’s overall performance as president, while 27% said they approved.When it comes to specific issues, 78% of voters said they disapproved of the president’s handling of the cost of living, while 74% expressed disapproval of the economy under Trump.Nearly two-thirds of Latino voters may be blaming the president for economic conditions. Sixty-five percent said Trump’s policies had hurt the economy, while 23% said they had helped.Although the Latino voting bloc is not a monolith, Trump’s immigration policies, as well as images of undocumented immigrants being detained by federal agents, appear to have left a mark on many voters. Sixty-seven percent said the Trump administration had gone too far on immigration enforcement, while 22% said it had taken the right approach and 9% said it had not gone far enough.When it comes to control of Congress, 59% of Latino voters prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress, while 35% prefer a Republican-controlled Congress. And a majority of Latino Americans surveyed said their vote for Congress will be a way to express opposition to President Trump.The poll, conducted by NBC News pollsters Hart Research and Public Opinion Strategies, has a margin of error of 3.46%.Among the 800 surveyed Latino voters, Mexican Americans made up the largest group at 57%, followed by Puerto Ricans at 14%.More than half of the voters said they support Democrats, while 31% said they are Republicans. Sixteen percent of respondents identified themselves as independents.The November election results may show whether Pope Leo XIV, the first American leader of the Catholic Church, has influence among Latino voters. The pope has strongly denounced some Trump policies, particularly on immigration and the war with Iran. More than half of the Latino voters surveyed said they are Catholic. Elections Sep 30 Poll: How California voters view Trump and Newsom's performance Decision 2026 Sep 23 Nithya Raman holds lead over Karen Bass in new poll on LA mayor election
Caught on Cam: Pair sought after shop ransacked, owner attacked in Brewerytown
Police have released surveillance video in the hopes of tracking down two men who, officials said, attacked and injured the owner of a store in Philly’s Brewerytown section on Sept. 29, 2026. Officials shared surveillance footage on social media on Monday morning. According to police, the footage shows the interior of Diaz Grocery, along the 1500 block of North 29th Street in Brewerytown, at about 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, when three men wandered into the shop. Shortly after entering the establishment, one of the men gestures to a third man, who then walked back out of the business and, police said, “kept watch outside.” Then, the pair produced handguns and, officials said, they announced a robbery and forced victims into a rear stockroom as they demanded access to a safe. While in the stockroom, police said, a suspect — described as a man between 25 and 30 years old, who wore a KMSL hooded sweatshirt and “Sprayground” backpack at the time of the incident — pistol whipped the store owner, causing a “large laceration below their eye.” The suspects were not able to access the safe and, instead, police said, the pair ransacked the sales area of the shop before they fled eastbound on West Jefferson Street with the victim’s keys, phone and about $7,000 in cash. Along with the first suspect, police are looking for another suspect, described as being a male between 17 and 20 years old, with ear length twists or braids in his hair. He was wearing a black and white Spider-Man backpack at the time the incident occurred, officials said. Police are asking anyone who may recognize these individuals to contact the Philadelphia Police Department’s Central Detective Division at 215-686-3047/48 or the department’s tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477). This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
Quebec voters heading to the polls for provincial general election - CityNews Montreal
Quebec voters heading to the polls for provincial general election  CityNews Montreal
Former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor taking police to court over Epstein arrest
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is taking legal action against Thames Valley Police in a bid to quash search warrants which led to his arrest, with a private High Court hearing to take place on Thursday, a judicial spokesperson has said.
Carney's major projects bill up for debate as MPs return to Parliament
The government's key piece of economic legislation, Bill C-39, proposes measures to create a one-year timeline for federal project decisions.
'Want to see who modified Form 6': SC refuses to pass interim order to suspend CEC Gyanesh Kumar
The Supreme Court refused to suspend Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid allegations regarding unilateral decisions. Petitioners challenge decisions made without approval from other commissioners, citing possible violations of electoral regulations. Kumar's modifications to the voter registration process have raised questions about their legality and adherence to the law. The Election Commission maintains that differing opinions are normal and does not invalidate its orders.
On TV

Nothing airing worth remote control today. The screen can rest.

New Music

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

In theaters

No new releases hitting theaters today. Your popcorn can wait.

Launching today
Falcon 9 Block 5 | SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer A — SpaceX (08:18 UTC)
Tranche 1 Transport Layer A is one of six missions by the United States Space Force Space Development Agency (SDA) for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) Tranche 1 Transport Layer constellation, which will provide assured, resilient, low-latency military data and connectivity worldwide to the full range of warfighter platforms from Low Earth Orbit satellites. The constellation will be interconnected with Optical Inter-Satellite Links (OISLs) which have significantly increased performance over existing radio frequency crosslinks. It is expected to operate over Ka band, have stereo coverage and be dynamically networked for simpler hand-offs, greater bandwidth and fault tolerance. This launch carries 21 satellites manufactured by Northrop Grumman.
Useless Fact

When we think of Big Ben in London, we think of the clock. Actually, it's the bell.

The loonie
CAD → USD
0.7016
▼ 0.0004
CAD → EUR
0.6260
▲ 0.0025
Today In History
2011 — Steve Jobs, Apple Co-Founder, Dies at 56
American businessman Steve Jobs, a pioneer of the personal computer era who cofounded Apple and transformed it into one of the world's most successful companies, died at age 56
2007 — Marion Jones Stripped of Olympic Medals
Following years of speculation—and denials—American track star Marion Jones pleaded guilty to steroid use, and several months later she was stripped of her five Olympic medals, three of which were gold.Read our list of seven unsportsmanlike sportsmen Adam Pretty—Allsport/Getty Images
2001 — Barry Bonds Breaks Single-Season Home Run Record
Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants broke Mark Mc Gwire's single-season home-run record when he hit his 71st and 72nd home runs of the season and finished the season with 73. How much do you know about baseball?
1998 — House Recommends Clinton Impeachment Hearings
The Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives recommended impeachment hearings against President Bill Clinton
1983 — Lech Wałęsa Awarded Nobel Peace Prize
Lech Wałęsa, the leader of the Solidarity labor union in Poland, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1983 for his role in leading the Solidarity movement and advocating for democratic reforms and workers' rights in Poland.
1975 — Kate Winslet Born, Known for Unusual Roles
English actress Kate Winslet was born in 1975. She was known for her acclaimed portrayals of spirited and unusual women in film.
1970 — PBS Launches on American TV in 1970
PBS began broadcasting on American television in 1970, becoming known for various educational programs like the children's shows Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood starring Fred Rogers.
1969 — Debut of Monty Python's Flying Circus on BBC
The British television series Monty Python's Flying Circus debuted on the BBC and proved to be a landmark in the history of TV comedy.
1962 — World Premiere of First James Bond Film "Dr. No"
The first installment in the James Bond film series, Dr. No, had its world premiere in 1962. The British spy film was adapted from the Ian Fleming novel and starred Sean Connery as the iconic secret agent.
1961 — Breakfast at Tiffany's World Premiere
The American romantic comedy Breakfast at Tiffany's, an adaptation of Truman Capote's novella, had its world premiere; it became especially known for Audrey Hepburn's performance as the free-spirited Holly Golightly
1918 — Allied Forces Break Through Hindenburg Line in World War I
Allied forces broke through the Hindenburg Line in World War I
1892 — Dalton Brothers' Botched Bank Robbery in Coffeyville
The Dalton Brothers—famous American outlaws in the Old West—rode into Coffeyville, Kansas, intent upon robbing the town's two banks, but they were recognized and, coming out of one bank, were met by wild gunfire from vigilantes
1882 — Birth of Robert Goddard, Father of Modern Rocketry
American educator and inventor Robert Goddard, generally acknowledged to be the father of modernrocketry, was born. science quiz
1877 — Nez Percé Surrender to General Miles After Cross-Country Chase
A small band of Nez Percé warriors, under the leadership of Chief Joseph, surrendered to General Nelson A. Miles after holding off U.S. forces that had tracked them through Idaho, Yellowstone Park, and Montana.Edward S. Curtis Collection/
1813 — Battle of the Thames
On this day in 1813, during the War of 1812, a British army with some 1,000 Indian allies under the famed leader Tecumseh was defeated by U.S. troops in the Battle of the Thames in what is now Ontario, Canada

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