Month: September 2025

At least one person was killed and nine others were wounded in a shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan; a suburb of Flint, Michigan located about an hour north of Detroit.

Authorities say the shooter drove his vehicle through the front of the church during a large service, began shooting, and then intentionally set a fire that grew into a large blaze. Police believe they may find additional victims when it is safe to enter the building.

Grand Blanc Police Chief William Renye said at a news conference that the incident took place at 10:25 a.m. with more than 100 people were attending the church service. Renye said that “He ran the vehicle through the front door, exited and started firing shots,” with at least 10 parishioners shot, including two who were killed. One of the victims remains in critical condition, while the other are listed as stable. According to Renye, officers killed the suspect – 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford from Burton, Michigan – after exchanging gunfire with him. Two officers were involved in the shootout: one from the Department of Natural Resources and another from Grand Blanc Township.

According to law enforcement officials, the fire set in the aftermath of the shooting grew to a five-alarm blaze that caused a partial collapse of the structure. The fire was extinguished just before 1 p.m.  Renye said at the afternoon  briefing that a motive for the fire is still unclear, and “we are still trying to determine exactly when and where that fire ended up coming from and how it got started, so we believe it was deliberately set out by the suspect.”

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he has been briefed on the “horrendous shooting that took place at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Grand Blanc, Michigan. The FBI was immediately on scene, and will be leading the Federal Investigation, and providing full support to State and Local Officials. The suspect is dead, but there is still a lot to learn. This appears to be yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America. The Trump Administration will keep the Public posted, as we always do. In the meantime, PRAY for the victims, and their families. THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spokesperson Doug Andersen released a statement after the shooting: “The Church is in communication with local law enforcement as the investigation continues and as we receive updates on the condition of those affected. We offer thanks to the emergency responders who are assisting victims and families.” Andersen said the church is “deeply grateful for the outpouring of prayers and concern from so many people around the world. In moments of sorrow and uncertainty, we find strength and comfort through our faith in Jesus Christ. Places of worship are meant to be sanctuaries of peacemaking, prayer and connection. We pray for peace and healing for all involved.

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New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Sunday that he is dropping his third-party bid for re-election, narrowing the field for November’s election and setting up a three-way race between Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee; Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate; and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, an independent

Adams, who took office in January 2022, has had a a tumultuous year overall; he faced a federal corruption scandal and criticism over his relationship with the Trump administration. In a nearly nine-minute video posted to his social media, Adams said “I was wrongfully charged because I fought for this city, and if I had to do it again, I would fight for New York again,” and added that he hoped New Yorkers “will see that despite the headlines and the innuendo, I always put you before me.”  His name will still appear on the November ballot, with ABC News reporting that it is too late for Adams’s name to be removed.

In the video message, Adams said: “Despite all we’ve achieved, I cannot continue my reelection campaign. The constant media speculation about my future and the Campaign Finance Board’s decision to withhold millions of dollars have undermined my ability to raise the funds needed for a serious campaign.”

Adams also urged his successor to “continue the work we started, lowering the cost of living, investing in quality of life and staying laser-focused on reducing crime and disorder through investments in policing, mental health, substance abuse care, homelessness services and community-based initiatives; he added that “this campaign was for the underserved, the marginalized, the abandoned and betrayed by government. Since then, it has been my honor to be your mayor, and I’m proud to say that we took that victory four years ago and turned it into action, making this city better for those who have been failed by government.”

Adams did not make an endorsement in the video, but took a swipe at Mamdani, arguing that “extremism is growing in our politics … Too often, insidious forces use local government to advance divisive agendas with little regard for how it hurts everyday New Yorkers. Major change is welcome and necessary, but beware of those who claim the answer to destroy the very system we built together over generations. That is not change, that is chaos.”

The announcement from Adams comes just weeks after he dismissed speculation that he would drop his reelection bid. Adams insisted during a Sept. 5 news conference that he was remaining in the race, and was “the only one that can beat [Zohran] Mamdani” – referring to the Democratic frontrunner and former governor Cuomo as “two spoiled brats.”

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Amazon has agreed to pay $2.5 billion to settle a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit accusing the company of misleading customers into enrolling in Prime and making the cancellation process overly burdensome.

Under the settlement, announced Thursday, the company will pay $1 billion in civil penalties — the largest fine ever imposed by the FTC — and $1.5 billion in refunds to consumers. Those eligible for compensation include people who were signed up for Prime through the company’s “Single Page Checkout” between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025, without realizing it or who faced obstacles when trying to cancel. Amazon did not admit wrongdoing as part of the agreement and has not publicly responded to the settlement beyond court filings.

The settlement closes out a lawsuit brought in federal court in Seattle over two years ago by former FTC Chair Lina Khan under the Biden administration, who targeted Amazon’s use of “dark patterns,” accusing the tech giant of tricking users into enrolling in Prime subscriptions that renewed automatically. The lawsuit alleged that the retailer had spent more than a decade violating consumer protection laws. Among the violations cited was a breach of the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act, a 2010 law intended to ensure online shoppers are fully informed before being charged.

Prime, which costs $139 annually or $14.99 per month, is a central part of Amazon’s business model. Subscribers receive benefits such as free two-day shipping, access to Prime Video, and discounts at Whole Foods. The service has grown to more than 200 million members worldwide. In its most recent earnings report in July, Amazon said its subscription services, which include Prime along with music and e-book offerings, generated over $12 billion in revenue — a 12% increase from the previous year.

Amazon has defended its subscription practices, saying customers are clearly informed of Prime’s terms before being charged and that cancellation is straightforward via phone, online, or live chat. In a recent court filing, the company said, “Occasional frustrations and errors are unavoidable — especially for a program as widely used as Amazon Prime.”

The FTC, however, argued that Amazon intentionally made it difficult for customers to complete a purchase without also enrolling in Prime. In many cases, the agency said, customers were shown a button to finalize an order without being told it would also trigger a Prime subscription.  The FTC added that cancelling was equally problematic, with documents revealing that Amazon rejected or delayed design changes that would have simplified the process.

FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson called Thursday’s settlement a “record-breaking, monumental win for the millions of Americans who are tired of deceptive subscriptions that feel impossible to cancel.” The FTC is continuing, however, to pursue a broader antitrust case against Amazon.

Amazon spokesperson Mark Blafkin said in a statement that the company and its executives “have always followed the law” and that the settlement “allows us to move forward and focus on innovating for customers.” The e-commerce giant did not admit guilt, and the settlement did not require additional changes to its sign-up and cancellation process.

In her own statement, Khan called the $2.5 billion fine  a “drop in the bucket” for Amazon and “a big relief for the executives who knowingly harmed their customers.” She accused the FTC of “rescuing Amazon from likely being found liable for having violated the law.”

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The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has instructed federal agencies to draw up plans for potential layoffs in case Congress fails to pass a spending bill by Tuesday, raising the stakes in the latest government funding standoff.

The memo from the Office of Management and Budget, first reported by Politico , points to job losses for certain federal employees if the government shuts down next week.  It advises agencies to prepare “reduction-in-force” notices — the official term for federal layoffs — for employees working in programs or projects that lose funding on October 1 or lack alternative financing. It also specifies that workers tied to initiatives not aligned with the president’s priorities should receive such notices. Traditionally, government shutdowns have resulted in temporary furloughs for non-essential staff, while employees in critical roles are asked to work without pay until funding resumes. Permanent layoffs are far less common.

According to the memo, these layoffs would come on top of furlough orders, which require federal employees to stay home without pay during a shutdown. The memo states: “programs that did not benefit from an infusion of mandatory appropriations will bear the brunt of a shutdown, and we must continue our planning efforts in the event Democrats decide to shut down the government.”

An OMB official clarified that several essential programs and services would not be affected, including Social Security, Medicare, veterans’ benefits, military operations, law enforcement, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and air traffic control. These areas are funded by law and would not be subject to layoffs.

The memo closed with: “we remain hopeful that Democrats in Congress will not trigger a shutdown and the steps outlined above will not be necessary. The President supports enactment of a clean CR to ensure no discretionary spending lapse after September 30, 2025, and OMB hopes the Democrats will agree.”

Bobby Kogan, who previously worked at OMB under the Biden administration, condemned the move as reckless and said the mass firings would be “an action of enormous self-harm inflicted on the nation, needlessly ridding the country of talent and expertise. It’s also extortive. ‘Give us what we want in a funding fight, or we’ll hurt the country’”

Democrats on Capitol Hill also pushed back, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York calling the memo “an attempt at intimidation.” Schumer wrote: “Donald Trump has been firing federal workers since day one — not to govern, but to scare. This is nothing new and has nothing to do with funding the government,” predicting that any laid-off workers will be hired back.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, also a New York Democrat, echoed that sentiment on X, writing: “We will not be intimidated by your threat to engage in mass firings. Get lost.”‘

The government’s fiscal year ends on September 30, leaving just days for lawmakers to reach an agreement before a shutdown begins Wednesday. A short-term spending bill passed by House Republicans has stalled in the Senate, where it fell short of the 60 votes required to advance. With 53 Senate seats, Republicans will need support from at least seven Democrats to break the impasse. Democrats, however, are pressing for concessions, including reversing recent Medicaid cuts and extending health insurance tax credits, before they agree to a deal.

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