IJR News

Trump Says Taiwan Plans 30% Alaska Gas Deal — 9hTrump said Taiwan will buy 30% of Alaska LNG gas for 20 years and add $4.4B; Taiwan has not confirmed, and Seoul ties its $50B pledge to viability.

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Maya Lindstrom Taiwan not confirming the numbers makes the whole thing feel uncertain compared to Seoul's careful approach.

60 Countries Oppose Tolls on Shipping Straits — 1dSixty countries backed the EU’s “No Fees, No Tolls” pledge on Oct. 12, 2026, opposing shipping-strait fees as Iran asserts control of Hormuz.

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Samaritan-MultiCare Merger Set to Close Nov. 1Health — 20hSamaritan Health Services will join Washington-based MultiCare Health System on Nov. 1 after clearing regulatory reviews. MultiCare has pledged $700 million over 10 years for Samaritan’s facilities, workforce and access to care; Samaritan will retain its name and local leadership, and officials say the phased integration will not disrupt patient care or coverage.

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More Than 170 Candidates Sign Pledge To Remove COVID Shots From Market — 6dOne month before the midterms more than 100 candidates running for public office across the country have pledged their commitment to remove the COVID-19 vaccines from the market.

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Reform Pledges Full-Term UK Asylum SuspensionPolitics — 2dNigel Farage said Reform would suspend the UK asylum system for up to five years if elected, void roughly 90,000 pending claims and deport the claimants.

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AP Top 25 College Football TeamsRankingCollege football fans argue endlessly over which programs deserve the top spots in the AP Poll based on wins, schedule strength, and legacy.

Becton Dickinson pledges $19B for tariff relief — Oct 6, 2026Becton Dickinson becomes the first major U.S. medical device company to win tariff relief, pledging $19 billion in U.S. investment.

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Maya Lindstrom Spending that much just to dodge tariffs feels like a costly workaround rather than real long-term growth.

Picklr Files Chapter 11, Clubs Stay OpenBusiness — 1dPickleball franchisor The Picklr filed for Chapter 11 protection to restructure after lease guarantees for early franchise locations created financial strain, a mistake its founder acknowledged. A franchisee-led investor group has pledged millions in reorganization financing, and the company says its clubs remain open and operating.

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G7 Allies Meet Oil Request With Barrels Pledged in March — 4dU.S. allies answered President Donald Trump’s demand for more emergency oil with barrels they had already promised in March and not yet released.

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Rubio Pledges Cooperation in Okinawa Murder Probe — 3dAfter a Marine’s Oct 4 arrest in Anna Yagi’s killing, Rubio told Japan the US will fully cooperate and offered sincere condolences; a 30-day Okinawa troop curfew began Oct 9.

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Trump Expects Blame if Republicans Lose Midterms — 3dPresident Donald Trump said he expects to be blamed if Republicans lose control of Congress in the midterms, while urging supporters to vote and trying to overcome historical headwinds and weak approval ratings. He has also promised $5,000 checks to adults if Republicans retain majorities in both chambers, a pledge estimated to cost $1.3 trillion.

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Burnham to Publish Manchester City Dealings After Criticism — 2dPrime Minister Andy Burnham says he will make public his dealings with Manchester City during his time as Greater Manchester mayor, including details of one significant meeting in 2021. The pledge follows criticism of his comments about the club’s owners after an independent commission found City breached Premier League financial rules; the club is appealing, and the process is ongoing.

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Most Influential Women in World HistoryYourlist — RankingFrom ancient queens who ruled empires to modern activists who changed laws, these women left indelible marks on politics, science, and culture. Vote for who you think shaped history most profoundly.

Trump announces Medal of Freedom for Roger Clemens at Texas rally — 5dAt a San Antonio rally, Trump pledges Clemens a presidential medal, cites seven Cy Youngs and a clean legal record, then the White House email revises the honor named.

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Priya Raman Clemens earned those seven Cy Youngs and beat the charges in court, so the medal seems fair enough even if the rally timing feels odd.

Trump Pledges Medal of Freedom for Clemens — 6dTrump on Oct. 7, 2026 announced the Presidential Medal of Freedom for Roger Clemens at a San Antonio rally; a White House email later said he meant the Medal of Honor.

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Riley Bennett · IJR Editorial Noted on the test comment. What coverage angles on the Clemens announcement would you like to see more of?

DNC Sues Trump Over Taxpayer-Funded Ads — 6dFifth Trump ad on Venezuela aired Tuesday with a U.S. government pay notice after his MAGA Inc. pledge; DNC sued over $20M in DHS ad funds.

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Frey Nominates Interim Chief Peterson for Permanent Minneapolis Police Role — 4dAfter Brian O'Hara resigned amid interference allegations, Mayor Frey named interim chief Bill Peterson for the permanent Minneapolis police job. Peterson had said he did not want it and pledged to bring overtime spending within budget.

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Toy Story vs ShrekYourlist — VS BattleThe toy box vs the swamp: two animation revolutions, one inevitable playground argument.

Hegseth Pledges Public Firing Squad Execution for Fort Hood Shooter — 5dDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth promised to make the execution of convicted Fort Hood mass shooter Nidal Hasan public, potentially marking America's first public execution in 90 years.

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Haynes, The Dump Set to Close 12 StoresBusiness — 4dFamily-owned Haynes Furniture and The Dump are permanently closing all 12 stores across five states, ending a 128-year retail business. Liquidation sales have begun, and executive chairman E.J. Strelitz thanked generations of customers and employees while pledging support for workers during the transition.

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AWS Pledges $1 Billion for Data Center Communities — Oct 2, 2026AWS pledged $1 billion over five years to data-center host communities and vowed not to raise local power bills, days after Trump told tech leaders to make those towns happy.

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Tom Gallagher AWS's pledge of a billion dollars over five years looks like a solid step to offset the strain on towns hosting their facilities.

FBI Arrests 18-Year-Old Accused of Plotting Mall of America Shooting — 6dAn 18-year-old Minnesota man was arrested after allegedly pledging allegiance to ISIS and purchasing an AK-47-style rifle, magazines and ammunition as part of a planned attack at t… — by Andrew Powell

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Tom Gallagher Radical groups like ISIS keep finding ways to target young people online.

Germany, Netherlands pledge ICC support amid sanctions — Sep 28, 2026On Sept. 28, 2026, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul pledged Germany will keep the ICC capable of acting under U.S. sanctions pressure.

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Jared Kim I hope this support actually leads to more funding and staff so the court can handle its cases without delays.

Buffington Announces Mississippi Auditor Bid — Oct 6, 2026Mississippi attorney Phil Buffington announced a Republican primary bid for state auditor, pledging to focus on fraud prevention, accountability and cybersecurity. He joins two other Republican candidates in the race as current Auditor Shad White considers a run for governor and is not planning to seek reelection.

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Shanghai Brings China-US Cultural Exchange to Washington — Oct 4, 2026Oct. 3, 2026: Future Resonance — ShanghaiEye Night put Chinese and American artists on the National Mall; Xie Feng cited a pledge to invite 100,000 young Americans to China.

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Maya Lindstrom It's nice to see Shanghai musicians and performers sharing their culture right on the National Mall with American audiences.

Hungary Plans 1% Wealth Tax Above $3.1 Million — Oct 6, 2026Hungary’s government has proposed an annual wealth tax starting in 2027: 1% on assets above 1 billion forints and 1.5% on wealth above 100 billion forints. The levy would cover assets at home and abroad, with debts deductible, and is intended to fulfill a campaign pledge as the government addresses a large budget deficit; the proposal will undergo public consultation.

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Bolsonaro Leads Brazil Vote, Climate Future Uncertain — 6dBrazil’s presidential runoff pits conservative Flávio Bolsonaro against incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with sharply different implications for Amazon protection and the country’s climate agenda. Bolsonaro’s first-round lead has alarmed environmental advocates and green-economy investors, though he has pledged support for some climate-related industries; Lula’s administration has cut Amazon deforestation nearly in half.

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