U.S. offers $20 million reward for information on Iran nuclear program

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Steve Thompson·15 min

Economics Correspondent

Is AI taking white-collar jobs? Latest hiring report suggests not yet.

*(Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg)*

Economists have been asking whether AI is starting to take white-collar jobs. But the latest numbers out this week point the other way.

Employers in professional and business services, the part of the economy that includes lawyers, accountants and consultants, added 70,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department said Friday. That’s the biggest gain in several years.

“Despite the effects of AI on the job market, some white-collar industries are still adding jobs at a solid clip,” said Bill Adams, chief U.S. economist at Fifth Third Commercial Bank.

The picture remains murky, though. The sector also counts lower-paid workers like temps, janitors and security guards. Consulting firms added about 17,000 jobs, and temp agencies added about 19,000.

Some office work is shrinking. Firms that design computer systems for other businesses employ about 26,000 fewer people than they did a year ago. Much of that is outsourced programming, Adams said, where companies “can do the same work with fewer people in many cases because of AI.”

And the bump last month could be “a head fake” caused by the election, as campaigns poured money into consultants, ads and temp workers, said Brian Bethune, an economist at Boston College. He expects agencies to shed about 20,000 jobs in November as that work dries up.

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Taz Ali·45 min

Reporter covering breaking news from London

U.S. offers $20 million reward for information on Iran nuclear program

*A man talks on his cellphone while sitting in front of a billboard in central Tehran in October. (Vahid Salemi/AP)*

The United States announced that it is offering a reward of up to $20 million for information about Iran’s nuclear program.

The State Department, through its Rewards for Justice program, is also offering “possible relocation” for informants, the U.S. Central Command said on X. The program, established in 1984, offers financial rewards for information that helps counterterrorism.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said his primary objective in the war with Iran is to prevent the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He has argued that Iran was close to achieving that capability, despite claiming last year that Tehran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities had been “completely and totally obliterated.”

Centcom said the State Department is seeking information on Iranian “facilities, equipment, and associated personnel, such as those in the scientific community, or the movement of any of the above.”

The reward posting came weeks after Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Cubans to make discreet contact with the CIA, in a social media post that was mocked by Cuban officials.

“There must be a lot of desperation or poverty within the agency if it has to market its job offers like toothpaste,” Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío wrote on X.

Taz Ali·1h

Reporter covering breaking news from London

Dad arrested after leaving sleeping 6-year-old in line for Pokémon cards

*(Steven Senne/AP)*

A South Carolina man has been arrested and accused of leaving his 6-year-old daughter asleep outside a Target store overnight to hold his place in line for Pokémon cards.

John-Michael Dooley, 35, had been waiting with his daughter outside the store Friday in Charleston’s West Ashley district, where a crowd had gathered overnight in hopes of buying a newly released Pokémon card set.

Police arrived at the store around 2:30 a.m. after receiving reports of an unattended child, according to a news release from the Charleston Police Department. Witnesses told officers that Dooley gave his daughter a pillow and blanket sometime after 1 a.m. before leaving her asleep in line. He failed to return after an hour, which prompted them to contact police.

Dooley returned to the store and was arrested. During his police interview, he admitted he had gone home and left his daughter unattended so that he could keep his place in line, according to authorities.

Dooley, of Johns Island, South Carolina, was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child. Police said the girl was unharmed and placed in emergency protective custody.

Victoria Bisset·1h

Reporter covering breaking news from London

With counting still underway, Trump continues to claim GOP win in Alaska

*A polling station in Anchorage on Nov. 1. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)*

President Donald Trump continues to assert that incumbent Dan S. Sullivan (R-Alaska) is “leading substantially” in the state’s Senate race — despite figures showing an edge for Democrat Mary Peltola.

Basing his math on claims of fraudulent candidates, he said Saturday on social media the race “is OVER.”

Trump has expressed frustration about the ballot’s including a candidate with a nearly identical name as the senator’s, Dan J. Sullivan Jr. Republicans say it confused voters and could propel Peltola to an unfair victory.

“Sullivan is leading substantially in the Alaska Senatorial Race. When you add Daniel (3,600, 1.68%) into Dan, and Gerald Heikes (4,846, 2.27%), Senator Dan Sullivan is up by thousands of Votes,” Trump wrote.

Alaska law doesn’t allow for that: When a candidate is eliminated, each ballot moves only to the next candidate voters ranked.

About three-quarters of votes have been counted, according to the Associated Press, with Peltola up by about 600. The result could take weeks. Another batch of votes is expected Tuesday.

The Justice Department sued last month to block certification of the results if the senator loses by fewer votes than the other Sullivan received. A judge dismissed the suit, and the department appealed.

Dhruti Shah·2h

Reporter covering international breaking news

A short primer guide to Diwali and those who celebrate it

*Indian women shop for decorative string lights ahead of the festival of Diwali in Jammu, India, on Friday. (Channi Anand/AP)*

More than a billion people are celebrating Diwali on Sunday with lights, fireworks, prayers and a lot of sweet dishes.

Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists will be celebrating with lit candles, while others will create colorful rangoli designs showing lotus flowers, peacocks and religious symbols.

Diwali, which is also known as Deepavali, falls on the darkest night of the Hindu calendar when the moon can’t be seen in the sky. The festival signifies the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.

For Hindus, the festival celebrates god Lord Krishna’s victory over the demon Narakasura, but also the return home of long-exiled Lord Rama, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana after they defeated Ravana, a demon you’d never want to meet in any circumstance.

For Sikhs, it’s time to mark Bandi Chhor Divas, which commemorates the release of revered sixth guru — Guru Hargobind from an unjust imprisonment. Jains see Diwali as a time to celebrate Lord Mahavira’s attainment of moksha — the path of liberation away from the cycle of reincarnation.

For all it’s a time to welcome prosperity, remove negative energy and celebrate family. We even have a beautiful illustrated guide from the archives if you want to join in all the fun.

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Christy Bieber·2h

Hate making a budget? Have you tried the 50/30/20 method?

*(iStock)*

About half of Americans don’t live on a budget, even though a spending plan can build better financial habits, prompt smart spending adjustments and help families reach