Missouri map

draws protest

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Opponents of Missouri’s new congressional map have submitted thousands of petition signatures calling for a statewide vote on the plan backed by President Donald Trump.

Organizers of the petition drive said they turned in more than 300,000 signatures Tuesday to the secretary of state’s office. That’s well more than the roughly 110,000 signatures needed to suspend the U.S. House districts from taking effect until a public vote can be held next year. But the signatures still must be formally verified by election authorities. Republicans hope the new voting districts could help their party win additional seats in Congress in next year’s midterm elections.

US stocks

hold in place

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks largely held in place as Wall Street waits to hear what the Federal Reserve will say about interest rates. The S&P 500 slipped 0.1% Tuesday and remains near its record.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.1%. JPMorgan Chase was the heaviest weight on the market after saying its expenses could rise 9% next year. Treasury yields climbed following an update on U.S. job openings.

Traders are widely assuming the Fed will cut interest rates today, and the bigger question is what it will say about where rates will go in 2026.

Deadline near

for Epstein files

NEW YORK (AP) — The clock is ticking for the U.S. government to open up its files on Jeffrey Epstein. After months of rancor and recriminations, Congress has passed and President Donald Trump has signed legislation compelling the Justice Department to give the public everything it has on Epstein.

And it has to be done before Christmas. A federal judge on Tuesday said the department could release grand jury transcripts and other documents from the sex trafficking case brought against Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.

And last week another judge said the department could release transcripts of a grand jury investigation into Epstein’s abuse of underage girls in Florida.

Storms bring rain

to Northwest

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The first of a series of powerful storms is dumping heavy rain and swelling rivers in the Pacific Northwest, closing roads and prompting high water rescues. Residents in parts of Oregon and Washington are grappling with power outages, flooding and school closures on Tuesday, while drivers are navigating debris and water that has closed roads and submerged vehicles.

Fire officials northeast of Seattle say crews used inflatable kayaks to rescue several people trapped by rising water. And forecasters warn the worst was still to come, with some major rivers expected to crest later in the week.

Raul Malo

dies at 60

NEW YORK (AP) — Raul Malo, the soulful tenor and frontman of The Mavericks, has died at age 60. He was battling colon cancer and later leptomeningeal disease, a rare complication when cancer spreads to membranes around the brain and spinal cord.

Malo co-founded The Mavericks in 1989, blending genres like alt-country, Americana, and Latin. The band won a Grammy and multiple awards.