Authored by Troy Myers via The Epoch Times, The Trump administration has petitioned the Supreme Court to allow border wall construction to resume in the Big Bend area of Texas. In an emergency application filed with the high court on Oct. 21, lawyers for the federal government asked the justices to lift a lower court order halting construction of President Donald Trump’s key project that began during his first term in office. In the Oct. 3 order, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone sided with environmental groups who claimed the work was unconstitutional, breached the separation of powers, and took land from residents. “This case involves a baseless injunction that halts a major portion of the construction of the border wall,” U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in the emergency application. “Leaving a 300-plus-mile gap in border defenses would act as a dangerous magnet for cartels and other bad actors to exploit as other routes close off.” The Trump administration argued that continuing construction was crucial because the Big Bend region encompasses nearly one-quarter of …

To free up more time in your life, writer Caroline Sylge proposes a creative idea: Give yourself a “say no” retreat. It’s a day to look at your calendar and thoughtfully decline obligations in the next few weeks and months. Juan Moyano/ Moment RF/ Getty Images hide caption toggle caption i Juan Moyano/ Moment RF/ Getty Images This story is adapted from Life Kit’s weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get expert advice on lifestyle topics like health, money, relationships and more.  How is your to-do list looking for the next few weeks? If it’s already full of obligations and tasks you’ve been dreading, and ramping up toward the holidays, you might need a “say no” retreat. That’s one of dozens of creative ideas in Caroline Sylge’s book, How to Retreat: A Guide to Stepping Away from the Everyday to Find Space for Yourself, published this spring. A “say no” retreat is a day to brainstorm all the things you want to say no to in your life in the coming weeks and months, she …

The state pension triple lock is great but works better for some than others (Image: Getty) The triple lock is expected to deliver a 3.9% increase in April 2027, based on earnings growth in the three months to July. The September inflation figure came in lower at 3.5%, so the earnings element holds sway. That should lift the full new state pension by £489.36 a year to £13,036.96. Sadly, it’s not quite that simple. It never is, with the state pension. There are two state pensions, and the other one pays considerably less. People who reached state pension age before April 6, 2016, receive the old basic state pension. Its full rate is currently £9,614.80 a year. A 3.9% increase will add just £374.98, taking it to £9,989.78. That’s £114.38 less than the increase enjoyed by someone receiving the full new state pension. The gap between the two full rates will widen from £2,932.80 to £3,047.18 a year. It’s a longstanding source of frustration and I highlight it every year, because readers ask me to. …

In summer, a high-pressure system over the UK usually means fine weather. But in the colder months it can result in anticyclonic gloom, characterised by grey skies, mist, fog and drizzle. A settled high-pressure system brings stable conditions and impedes the usual vertical movement of air. This is a recipe for sunshine when humidity is low, but can act like a lid, trapping atmospheric moisture near the surface. The moisture condenses as low stratus or stratocumulus clouds, and sometimes as fog or mist. Wind normally disperses these and in summer the sun is strong enough to burn them off. But there is little wind when high pressure dominates, and in winter the shorter duration and low angle of the sunlight make it less effective. The weather may be mild and even warm during anticyclonic gloom, but dull conditions persist day after day, with frequent drizzle and occasional mist or fog. In northern Europe in the renewable energy sector, this situation is called Dunkelflaute, German for “dark doldrums” because it brings a reduction in both solar …

Yemeni government forces and allied Popular Resistance fighters clashed with Houthi fighters on the western outskirts of Taiz on Wednesday, 21 October, near the city’s old airport and Jabal Han mountain. The internationally recognised government said its forces repelled the attack, while reporting air strikes on Houthi positions, vehicles and a missile launchpad west, south and east of the city. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Footage showed a government tank firing towards Houthi positions as gunfire echoed across the area. The fighting comes as Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, faces mounting pressure from Houthi forces, which have largely encircled it and cut key supply routes, including the main road to Aden, the interim capital of the internationally recognised government. The restrictions have also disrupted access to the city’s main landfill, leaving rubbish to pile up along major streets. Sanitation workers say they can no longer reach the dumping site because of the clashes and have resorted to burning waste in the streets. Footage showed waste burning beside busy roads, thick smoke rising over neighbourhoods and goats feeding among the …

Tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, who has more than 21 million subscribers, offered a mixed first take on Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo ahead of its Friday release, describing the device as “very polished around the edges, but kind of rough in the middle.” Brownlee’s review of Apple’s first foldable iPhone may present a hurdle to adoption. At more than $2,000, the Duo’s first-generation shortcomings could make buyers reluctant to pay the hefty premium, prompting some to wait for a second generation. “It’s $2,000 to get an iPad mini that can fit in your pocket. 120 Hz iPad Mini OLED fits in your pocket. Have you ever wanted that? They made it. They did it. Great. This is the first generation. It’s made for you. But also, yeah, it is it is polished but rough,” Brownlee noted. The Duo is slightly thicker and heavier than the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, a difference Brownlee said “makes a big difference in daily use.” After testing the Duo for a week, he said, “you would be happy if it …