The NBA season has kicked off with a scoring frenzy. Players have already scored 40 or more points in 16 games, an unprecedented start. Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic of the Lakers, and Tyrese Maxey of the 76ers, have each hit this mark twice. Other players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry have also joined the high-scoring club. Despite these performances, the spotlight is on a gambling scandal involving Portland coach Chauncey Billups and Miami guard Terry Rozier. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has apologized for the distraction. Meanwhile, scoring averages have jumped, with teams playing faster and getting to the foul line more often.

Maine and Texas are the latest states where Republicans are pushing ballot initiatives targeting noncitizen voting, which is rare. Maine’s initiative on the Nov. 4 ballot is the more far-reaching one, seeking to require voter ID, restrict absentee voting and limit drop boxes. In Texas, a Republican-backed measure would add wording to the state constitution specifically prohibiting voting by anyone who is not a U.S. citizen, even though voting by noncitizens is already illegal. The initiatives are the latest in a wave of voting-related measures since President Donald Trump's false claims about widespread fraud costing him reelection in 2020, with Republican states passing mostly restrictive laws and Democratic ones passing laws to make voting more accessible.

A veteran U.S. law enforcement agent secretly tried to recruit Nicolas Maduro’s personal pilot to join a plot to capture the Venezuelan leader and deliver him into U.S. custody to face drug trafficking charges. Details of the untold rendition plot, drawn from interviews with current and former U.S. officials, are emerging as the Trump administration exerts unprecedented pressure on Maduro that includes the deployment of a U.S. naval strike force to the Caribbean and the doubling of a bounty for his arrest to $50 million.

Michigan and football coach Sherrone Moore have dropped their appeal of NCAA penalties stemming from a sign-stealing operation. Michigan was fined tens of millions of dollars and Moore was suspended for a third game by the NCAA as punishment for a sprawling scandal that has loomed over the Wolverines for two years, including during their run to the national championship in the 2023 season. The 21st-ranked Wolverines host Purdue on Saturday. Moore withdrew his appeal on Sept. 29 after serving a two-game suspensions. He will also miss the 2026 season-opening game. The school withdrew its appeal on Oct. 6.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the remains of a hostage returned by Hamas overnight are body parts of a hostage who was recovered in Gaza by Israeli troops almost two years ago. The Israeli military recovered the bodies of some 51 hostages during the two years of the Israel-Hamas war in the coastal territory. Netanyahu on Tuesday called the return of body parts a “clear violation” of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement by Hamas. There are still 13 bodies of hostages in Gaza, and the slow recovery of those remains is posing a challenge to implementing the next stages of the ceasefire.

A federal agent had a daring plan: persuade Nicolas Maduro's chief pilot to surreptitiously divert the Venezuelan president’s plane to a place where U.S. authorities could nab the strongman. His plan had all the ingredients of a Cold War spy thriller – luxury private jets, a secretive meeting at an airport hangar and high stakes diplomacy in a delicate dance to lure a loyal Maduro lieutenant to switch sides. There was even a final bit of intrigue aimed at rattling Maduro about the pilot’s true loyalties.  More broadly, the scheme reveals the extent — and often slapdash fashion — to which the U.S. has for years sought to topple Maduro.

Amazon will cut about 14,000 corporate jobs as the online retail giant ramps up spending on artificial intelligence. “The reductions we’re sharing today are a continuation of this work to get even stronger by further reducing bureaucracy, removing layers, and shifting resources to ensure we’re investing in our biggest bets and what matters most to our customers’ current and future needs,” Beth Galetti, Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology at Amazon said in message to employees Tuesday. Teams and individuals impacted by the job cuts will be notified on Tuesday.

House Republicans have released a long-promised report on former President Joe Biden's use of the autopen and the alleged cover-up of his mental state while in office. The report on Tuesday issues a scathing critique of the former president's team but cites largely public information and no specific instances of illegal activity to back up the report's explosive conclusions. While Republicans did not cite a specific case of the autopen being misused in the Biden White House, they called all actions taken by the previous administration void. Congressional Republicans also sent letters to Attorney General Pam Bondi and the D.C. Board of Medicine calling for further investigations into Biden's former aides and his personal doctor.

East Timor’s President José Ramos-Horta has expressed willingness to mediate in Myanmar’s civil war after his country joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He highlighted East Timor’s diplomatic experience despite being one of the region’s youngest and poorest nations. Ramos-Horta, a Nobel laureate, also criticized Myanmar’s military coup and emphasized the need for dialogue with all parties. He also addressed East Timor’s domestic challenges, including poverty and youth unemployment, and the benefits of ASEAN membership. Ramos-Horta downplayed concerns about East Timor’s ties with China and expressed readiness to work with the U.S. administration.

The pressure to end the second-longest federal government shutdown is taking on new urgency this week. Millions of Americans face the prospect of losing food assistance. More federal workers will miss their first full paycheck. And more frequent delays at the nation’s airports are snarling travel plans. The building strain on lawmakers to end the impasse was exemplified by the nation’s largest federal employee union calling on Congress to immediately pass a funding bill and end the shutdown. At the Capitol, congressional leaders used their time highlighting the difficulties many Americans are facing. And they attempted to lay blame for those difficulties on the other side of the political aisle.

A Maryland federal judge wants the government to assure it will not deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia before she has lifted an injunction barring his removal from the U.S. The Salvadoran national's mistaken deportation to his home country in violation of an earlier agreement has galvanized opposition to President Donald Trump's deportation agenda. Immigration and Customs Enforcement filed a notice late last week of their plan to deport him to the West African nation of Liberia as early as Friday. At a status conference Monday, government attorneys assured U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis that Abrego Garcia will not be deported until after she lifts her injunction.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards will miss at least a week due to a strained right hamstring. He was sidelined in the opening minutes of Sunday's game against Indiana. An MRI on Monday confirmed the strain. Edwards will be reevaluated in a week. That suggests a mild strain. The three-time All-Star will miss at least three games including the start of a road trip at Charlotte on Saturday. The Timberwolves announced backup point guard Rob Dillingham is available to play against Denver after missing the Indiana game with a broken nose.

A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration must release millions in grants meant to address the shortage of mental health workers in schools. Congress funded the grant program after the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The grants aim to help schools hire more counselors, psychologists, and social workers, focusing on rural and underserved areas. The ruling applies only to some grantees in sixteen Democratic-led states that challenged the decision. The Education Department under President Biden initially awarded the grants, prioritizing diversity. The ruling will remain in effect while the case proceeds.

Federal funds could begin running dry on Saturday that help tens of millions of Americans buy food for their families and send their toddlers to preschool if the government shutdown persists. If Congress doesn’t reach a deal by Saturday to resolve the shutdown, benefits could also run out for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps about one in eight Americans buy groceries. Starting Nov. 1, a total of 140 Head Start preschool programs also could miss their federal funding payments under the shutdown. States could also run out of money as early as Nov. 8 for another food aid program supporting millions of low-income mothers and young kids called WIC.

The Minnesota Vikings have placed quarterback Carson Wentz on injured reserve. Wentz will have season-ending surgery on his left, non-throwing shoulder, according to a person with knowledge of the plans. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Vikings had not yet announced those details. Wentz played through the injury for 2 1/2 games. He made five starts in place of J.J. McCarthy, who's recovering from a high ankle sprain. McCarthy was already on track to return this week.