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Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Layoffs During Shutdown

admin - Latest News - October 16, 2025
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A judge has put an immediate stop to the Trump administration’s layoff plans, ruling that the shutdown was not an excuse for widespread layoffs. Meanwhile, the Senate will vote on a bill to fund the Pentagon which would include ensuring military members get paid. NBC’s Ryan Nobles reports for TODAY.



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Oct. 16, 2025, 10:06 AM EDTBy Elmira AliievaLONDON — It’s safe to say they’re making their presence felt. Japan’s top sumo wrestlers were wandering the streets of London ahead of the sold-out Grand Sumo Tournament taking place this week at the Royal Albert Hall, the British capital’s famous Victorian concert venue. Dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, the wrestlers known as rikishi, have been exploring the city in between rigorous training for what is just the second event of this type to be held outside Japan in 1,500 years. Atamifuji Sakutaro sightseeing in London on Tuesday.Kyodo via APWearing traditional clothing, the wrestlers pass the gates of Buckingham Palace. Ryan Pierse / Getty ImagesThis time, the spotlight is on two highest-ranked wrestlers, known as yokozuna — Mongolian Hoshoryu Tomokatsu and Japan’s Onosato Daiki. Onosato, 25, became the 75th fighter to earn that title in May, having risen to the rank in a record 13 tournaments. His rival, Hoshoryu, was the 74th man to attain the rank.“I’m happy that sumo is back after so many years,” Onosato told Sky News, NBC News’ broadcasting partner, on Wednesday. “I hope I can show the U.K. fans how fantastic sumo is.”“Being a yokozuna has a lot of responsibility,” Hoshoryu said. “My uncle was a yokozuna — and I’m happy to follow in his footsteps. But I came here to London as a yokozuna which he didn’t, so I’m even happier,” he added. Stopping to pose for pictures with traditional souvenirs, the pair were among a group of sumo wrestlers who visited most of London’s touristic landmarks, including Buckingham Palace and Westminster with its iconic Big Ben.The rikishi at the tournament’s opening ceremony.Jordan Pettitt – PA Images / PA Images via Getty ImagesBut that didn’t stop them from their rigorous training routine and their equally rigorous eating regime. Their carefully structured, high-calorie meals are vital for building the size and strength needed to compete at the highest level.“We are going through 70 kilos of rice a day,” Donagh Collins, the CEO of Askonas Holt, an arts company which helped to organize the event, told Sky News. “Somebody told me that the wholesaler for the noodles has run out of noodles,” he added. But in a break from their traditional diet, some of the wrestlers were pictured enjoying London’s street food and feeding each other hot dogs as they explored the city. Hoshoryu feeds Onosato a hot dog near the Houses of Parliament. Ryan Pierse / Getty ImagesWhile the tournament in London was completely sold out, back home Sumo has faced a series of scandals, including allegations of bullying, assault and sexism at stables where the wrestlers train. Allegations of illegal betting and links to organized crime have also cast a shadow over the image of Japan’s national sport. But in London, Wednesday saw the first day of the five-day exhibition tournament — the first of its kind since one was hosted at the same venue some 34 years ago. The tournament was watched by a sellout crowd. Ryan Pierse / Getty ImagesTobizaru throws salt before his match against Shonannoumi.Ryan Pierse / Getty ImagesOnosato lifts Ura during their bout Wednesday. Ryan Pierse / Getty ImagesThe wrestlers, who weigh a combined six tons, slapped, gripped and lifted each other, as spectators reveled at the sight of the centuries-old Japanese sport. Around eleven tons of clay were brought into the hall to build the dohyo, the raised ring where the wrestlers compete, outlined with rice bales shaped and secured using beer bottles, according to Reuters.The two grand champions, Hoshoryu and Onosato, each secured victory in their bouts, closing the evening with weighty performances — literally. Elmira AliievaElmira Aliieva is an NBC News intern based in London.
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November 27, 2025
Nov. 27, 2025, 5:00 AM ESTBy Alicia Victoria LozanoLOS ANGELES — This time last year, Jon Cherkas and his wife were busy preparing to host relatives, friends and neighbors for Thanksgiving in their Southern California home of more than 20 years.This year, the couple is planning to dine out with friends in Scottsdale, Arizona. “We had such great community and fun with neighbors,” he said. “That’s the one thing that’s really missing now.”Cherkas’ home was one of roughly 16,000 structures destroyed in the deadly Jan. 7 wildfires that consumed entire swaths of Los Angeles County. At least 31 people were killed, and more than 57,000 acres were scorched in densely populated communities including Altadena, Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Sunset Mesa, where Cherkas’ house overlooked the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of empty lots now dot neighborhoods that would otherwise be brimming with holiday decorations. Survivors say those inescapable reminders of what was lost gives them a renewed appreciation of Thanksgiving.“I’m optimistic and try not to dwell on it,” Cherkas said. He’s seen wildfires disrupt the lives of plenty of other people. But now, he said, “I am that other person.”So instead of getting ready for his annual party, Cherkas and his wife chose to spend Thanksgiving this year with old neighbors from Sunset Mesa who relocated to Arizona before the fire hit. Being with old friends, he said, “makes it feel a little bit like being home.” Cherkas intends to rebuild but says permitting is taking much longer than expected. Like all natural disasters, rebuilding is an onerous process. Fewer than 2,000 permits have been issued in burn zones out of 5,000 applications received to date, according to the state’s dashboard. About 3,100 are under review and thousands more have yet to be submitted. Tom Reed, who also lost his home in the Palisades Fire, said this year has been a study in creative problem-solving. For Easter, rather than hosting the annual egg hunt for his grandchildren in the backyard, he and wife threw a party in the courtyard of their rental condo. The adults wore T-shirts with eggs attached via velcro. Instead of hunting for eggs, grandchildren hunted for grandparents. “Things have changed, but I gotta find amusement,” he saidWhen the question of where to host Thanksgiving came around, Reed decided one day was simply not enough. Instead of cramming everyone into the condo, Reed, his wife and the rest of the family will spend the weekend at Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino Mountains. “You can’t look back because it will mess with your head,” he said. Across the county, in Altadena, Freddy Sayegh is back in his smoke-damaged house. It has been remediated, but his wife and two children remained at their rental for several months. Before the fire, Thanksgiving Day festivities with Freddy Sayegh’s large extended family could number anywhere between 50 and 60 people all in one house. This year, the family is splitting up because many relatives were displaced by the Eaton Fire.Courtesy Freddy SayeghTucked in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, Altadena felt like a small village nestled within a megapolis. It was filled with mom-and-pops stores and multigenerational families who purchased homes when other parts of the county were out of reach.Sayegh and his extended family lost seven properties in the Eaton Fire, homes and businesses included. He has spent much of this year jumping from one rental to another waiting to be able to move back into his house. Before the fire, Thanksgiving with the Sayeghs could mean celebrating with up to 60 people spread throughout “one big home cooking and sleeping and drinking and partying for 48 hours,” he said.This year won’t be like that. Some relatives have decided to vacation out of state, and others made reservations to dine out. “It’s all been broken up into pieces,” he said. But a strong sense of community defined Altadena, and many are determined to nurture its essence. Some residents have thrown block parties on their otherwise vacant streets, and others meet for weekly game nights or other gatherings throughout the area. Next week, Sayegh is hosting a 1980s-themed extravaganza called Back to Altadena that will take over a small block in the western side of the neighborhood near the worst of the destruction. “I want to give them a party and a reason to smile,” Sayegh said. “It’s really magical when you’re around other survivors in the same situation.”Altadena resident Keni “Arts” Davis plans to spend this Thanksgiving Day at the home of one of his daughters outside Los Angeles who not affected by the Eaton Fire. He is most grateful this year that everyone is safe and happy.Courtesy Keni “Arts” DavisAltadena resident Keni “Arts” Davis, whose home of 45 years was destroyed, said he and his family will focus this Thanksgiving on being grateful for what they do have. One of his daughters, who also lost her house in the fire, recently secured a grant to plant gardens at dozens of Altadena homes that were destroyed. Each site will feature a bench where people can gather or just enjoy the silence.Davis said he has also been involved in beautifying Altadena during its recovery. An accomplished artist, Davis spent much of the last year painting the rebuild and visiting places he once frequented. He and his wife will move into his daughter’s new guest house once it’s completed and then begin rebuilding their own home.“I just can’t get over how thankful I am that my family is safe,” he said.Alicia Victoria LozanoAlicia Victoria Lozano is a California-based reporter for NBC News focusing on climate change, wildfires and the changing politics of drug laws.
November 5, 2025
Savewith a NBCUniversal ProfileCreate your free profile or log in to save this articleNov. 5, 2025, 4:14 PM ESTBy Camila Bernal and David DouglasMinutes before a 10-hour surgical procedure, 8-year-old Olivia Olson sat on a hospital bed grinning. With quiet confidence she explained why the operation was so important to her.“I think I look beautiful, and I don’t really care what other people think of me,” Olivia said. “I just want to get a big ear so people don’t bully me in the future.”Olivia was born with a rare congenital condition, microtia, that prevents the development of the outer ear. Fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. have microtia, according to the National Institutes of Health. Olivia’s right ear developed normally, but her left was never fully formed. Her parents, Annie and Dave Olson, of Oro Valley, Arizona, knew from birth she would need surgery to reconstruct her ear. But up until the day of the operation last month, their insurance provider, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, had repeatedly refused to approve coverage for the procedure with the surgeon the Olsons wanted to use. Dr. Sheryl Lewin holds up the 3D-printed ear implant to Olivia’s right ear. The implant would become her left ear.Courtesy David OlsonOnly a handful of doctors in the U.S. regularly perform the operation Olivia needed. Most of them — including Dr. Sheryl Lewin, a pediatric craniofacial plastic surgeon in private practice based in Torrance, California — were out of network for the Olsons. “The anatomy of an ear, it’s very complex, lots of detail, shadows, highlights, etc., so just physically recreating something that complex is very difficult. It’s rare to have a surgeon that specializes in it,” Lewin said. “If you don’t have a lot of experience, you’re going to end up with a lot of problems with this complicated of a surgery.”The family chose Lewin after years of research. They believed her reconstruction method, which involved using a 3D-printed implant to rebuild the ear, was best for Olivia. (Another technique involves using the patient’s rib cartilage to reconstruct the ear.)“We got a denial letter, and it was literally like a stab in the heart,” said Annie Olson. “We’re like, what are we going to do now?”The family requested what’s known as a “gap exception,” which allows a patient to use in-network benefits for an out-of-network provider. The request was initially denied; instead, Anthem gave them a list of six in-network doctors, the Olsons said. NBC News reached out to all six. Not a single one said they performed the surgery.If you are dealing with bills that seem to be out of line or a denial of coverage, care or repairs, whether for health, home or auto, please email us at Costofdenial@nbcuni.com.“Very few programs really offer somebody enough surgical time experience to when they leave the program and go out in private practice, where they’ll feel comfortable enough to do this kind of surgery,” said Dr. Arturo Bonilla, a pediatric microtia reconstructive surgeon in San Antonio. “It’s very specialized.”Bonilla, who performs the rib-graft method for reconstructing ears, said he regularly requests gap exceptions for his patients — and while sometimes requests need to be appealed, they’re almost always approved by all insurers, including Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. “Rarely will we get somebody that says, ‘No, we’re still not going to approve it,’” he said.The Olsons debated canceling the surgery but ultimately decided to keep the date and shield Olivia from the challenges they faced paying for it. Lewin prepares the 3D-printed ear in the operating room.NBC Nightly NewsAfter multiple appeals and denials, the Olsons fundraised, borrowed money from family members and turned to credit cards. But that was not enough. Eventually, Dave Olson pulled a huge portion of the surgery’s roughly $100,000 cost from his 401(k).He said he didn’t hesitate to take the money out of his retirement fund. “It is my responsibility as a parent to make sure that my kids have everything they need,” he said.“If we knew that this was going to be the outcome, we would have been responsible people and started saving since the day she was born, versus finding out last minute, and then also having to be penalized because of pulling out of your 401(k) early,” Annie Olson said.NBC News reached out to Anthem a couple days before Olivia’s surgery and was waiting for a complete response. On the day of the surgery, with Olivia on the operating table, the Olsons finally received word that Anthem would grant the gap exception — a change the Olsons attributed to NBC News’ involvement.“We went through literally what felt like a battle every day, day in and day out,” Dave Olson said. “Then at the 11th hour during the surgery, you say they’re gonna cover it. It’s like, what? Like, why? Why? Why now?”In a statement to NBC News nearly two weeks after Olivia’s surgery, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield said: “We are happy that the member was able to receive the treatment she needed. Even though the member’s plan does not cover out-of-network providers when an in-network provider is available, we were able to make a unique one-time exception to ensure her care was not delayed.”Lewin shows Olivia her new ear for the first time.NBC Nightly NewsLewin, who performs about 120 microtia surgeries a year, said that in 2025, getting denials overturned and getting gap exceptions approved for microtia surgery has been a lot more challenging. She said in 2024, more than 90% of her Anthem patients’ gap exceptions were approved, or denied and overturned. In 2025, with the exception of Olivia, none of her Anthem patients have been approved.“It’s just become kind of a very slow trend that’s very much peaked in the last year,” Lewin said. “It’s been rough, and we’ve had to work much harder to get a negotiation agreed upon.”Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield didn’t respond to questions about Lewin’s claim that her patients have been denied gap exceptions this year. However, it said it is reaching out to Lewin to offer a potential in-network arrangement.The financial details for Olivia’s case are still being finalized, but she said she is already excited for the future.“When it’s fully recovered, I’m gonna be like, ‘OK, that was just a short little bump,’ and then I’ll just go on with the rest of my life,” she said.Camila Bernal David DouglasDavid Douglas is a supervising producer for NBC News based in Los Angeles.
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