Nation and world news in brief for October 29
NPR: Over 200,000 subscribers flee Washington Post
(Reuters) — More than 200,000 people had canceled their digital subscriptions for the Washington Post by midday on Monday, following the newspaper’s decision to block an endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for president, National Public Radio reported.
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Not all cancellations take effect immediately, the NPR report said, adding that still, the figure represents about 8% of the paper’s paid circulation of 2.5 million subscribers, which includes print as well.
A series columnists have also resigned from the Washington Post, which is owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, NPR reported.
The Washington Post declined to comment on the report when contacted by Reuters.
Subway sandwiches are short on meat, lawsuit claims
NEW YORK (Reuters) — A new lawsuit accuses Subway of “grossly misleading” customers by advertising sandwiches that contain at least three times more meat than it delivers.
According to a proposed class action filed on Monday in federal court in Brooklyn, Subway ads for its Steak &Cheese sandwich show layers of meat piled high, reaching about as high as the surrounding hero bread.
In reality, according to several photos in the complaint, the fast-food chain’s sandwiches are far more bread than filling.
This is especially concerning, the complaint said, because of inflation and high food prices, and because many lower-income consumers are struggling financially.
Anna Tollison of the New York City borough of Queens said she paid $7.61 for a Steak &Cheese sandwich at a local Subway, not realizing Subway’s ads showed a sandwich containing at least 200% more meat than she and other consumers would receive.
Her lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for New Yorkers who bought the sandwiches in the last three years, for Subway’s alleged violations of the state’s consumer protection laws.
The Atlanta-based private equity firm Roark Capital bought Subway in April. Subway, based in Shelton, Connecticut, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Similar lawsuits filed in the same court by the plaintiff’s law firm against McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Taco Bell were dismissed last year.
Biden casts early ballot for Harris as Election Day nears
NEW CASTLE, Delaware (Reuters) — President Joe Biden on Monday cast his ballot in the U.S. presidential election, voting early in his home state of Delaware for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in her race against Republican Donald Trump.
The president, who dropped his reelection bid in July, joined many Americans who can vote before next Tuesday’s polling day. He cast his vote at an early voting site in New Castle, Delaware.
Jay Johnston, ‘Bob’s Burgers’ actor, sentenced to 1 year for Jan. 6 role
(TNS) — Jay Johnston, an actor known for “Bob’s Burgers” and “Mr. Show,” has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison for his role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
Johnston, 56, pleaded guilty to a felony count of interfering with law enforcement during civil disorder last July, roughly 13 months after he was arrested in June 2023. He had faced a maximum of five years in prison.
Court postpones Depardieu’s sexual assault trial due to ill health
PARIS (Reuters) — A French court postponed actor Gerard Depardieu’s trial for the alleged sexual assault of two women on a film set in 2021 for five months on Monday after his lawyers argued he was too ill to defend himself.
Depardieu, one of France’s biggest film stars whose hits include Green Card, Cyrano de Bergerac and La Vie en Rose, has faced a growing number of sexual assault allegations in recent years that have tarnished his legacy.
His trial marks the highest profile #MeToo case to come before the courts in France, a country where the protest movement against sexual violence against women struggled to gain traction in the movie industry and laid bare broader divisions over sexism.
