U.S. and world news for Oct. 2

(COVER PHOTO CREDIT: Dylan Crow via CNN Newsource)

White House says mass layoffs are imminent

As the U.S. government remains shut down with no resolution in sight, the Trump administration has renewed Trump’s threat to carry out mass layoffs of federal workers if the stalemate continues. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that layoffs to the federal workforce are “imminent.” Trump’s budget chief Russell Vought privately told House Republicans Wednesday that mass layoffs would occur within one to two days — and would target agencies that don’t align with Trump’s priorities. Some Democrats, meanwhile, have pointed out that the Trump administration already started firing thousands of federal workers and trying to shut down government agencies just after taking office.

Federal arrests in Memphis

CNN reports that federal agents are making dozens of arrests in Memphis, Tennessee, following the Trump administration sending law enforcement officers and National Guard troops to the Democratic-controlled city. Trump said that the action in Memphis calls for “large-scale saturation of besieged neighborhoods with law enforcement personnel” and “strict enforcement of applicable quality-of-life, nuisance, and public-safety laws.” Separately, the president said that National Guard troops are “now in place” in Oregon, even though the state and city of Portland have filed suit to block Trump’s use of the military against Oregon residents. CNN reported it is working to determine the extent of the troops’ presence in the state.

LaGuardia Airport collision

The FAA said this morning it is investigating the collision of two Delta Air Lines regional jets on a taxiway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport Wednesday night, with the wing of one aircraft slamming into the cockpit windows of the other. One person was taken to a hospital, airport officials said. Both aircraft were CRJ-900 regional jets operated by regional carrier Endeavor Air, according to a statement from Delta. Flight 5047 had just arrived from Charlotte, North Carolina, when the wing of flight 5155, preparing to depart to Roanoke, Virginia, hit the nose of that aircraft. The FAA said traffic control had instructed flight 5155 to wait to cross the intersection and to yield to the other aircraft. One person was taken to the hospital, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey which operates the airport.

Walmart to remove some food additives

Walmart will remove artificial dyes and other additives from its private-brand food and beverage products by 2027, the company has announced. The move reflects a growing trend among companies to adapt to shifting consumer preferences and heightened scrutiny of food additives. “Our customers have told us that they want products made with simpler, more familiar ingredients — and we’ve listened,” Walmart U.S. President and CEO John Furner said. Major food companies including Kraft Heinz, General Mills, WK Kellogg Co, The Campbell’s Company, PepsiCo and Utz have similarly pledged to remove artificial dyes by 2027.

Pope Leo calls for more environmental protection

Pope Leo XIV is calling on governments around the world to protect the environment for future generations. At a climate conference near Rome, the pontiff said that damaging the natural world is incompatible with the Christian faith. “We cannot love God, whom we cannot see, while despising his creatures,” Leo told the conference. “Everyone in society, through non-governmental organizations and advocacy groups, must put pressure on governments to develop and implement more rigorous regulations, procedures and controls,” he added. Leo’s remarks came just over a week after Donald Trump called climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” during a speech at the U.N. General Assembly.

Conservationist Jane Goodall dies at 91

Conservationist Jane Goodall, known for her revolutionary work studying chimpanzees, has died from natural causes, her institute has announced. She was 91. Goodall traveled to Tanzania in 1960 to study primates. Her field studies helped to broaden the understanding of animal behavior and their emotions. Goodall “worked tirelessly for our planet and all its inhabitants, leaving an extraordinary legacy for humanity and nature,” the U.N. said in a statement. Numerous world leaders have expressed their condolences but as of Thursday morning they did not include U.S. President Trump. Goodall had been a critic of Trump, saying his behavior reminded her of male chimpanzees and their dominance rituals.