A woman holds a pink cancer awareness ribbon. (Getty Images stock photo)
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women, with one in eight developing breast cancer in their lifetime.
It is expected that more than 381,000 new cases of invasive, non-invasive and pre-invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women this year and about 42,000 women will die, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
Knowing your personal risk of developing breast cancer risk could help you and your doctor choose the right screening schedule and prevention methods.
ABC News is teaming up with the ACS for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The American Cancer Society encourages women to take the ACS CancerRisk360 free assessment to learn more about the factors they can change to improve their health and lower their cancer risk.
The tool is available to use for anyone ages 18 and older. The tool asks questions about things that can raise an individual’s cancer risk, including:
Individual health historyFamily health historyDaily habits and lifestyleCancer screening history
Based on someone’s answers, the tool gives tips on how to lower one’s cancer risk.
Cancer risk can be controlled or modified with several lifestyle changes including diet, physical activity, tobacco use, HPV vaccination and sun/UV protection, according to ACS. Certain risk factors — such as age and family history — cannot be controlled or modified.
The tool does not cover every type of cancer but does offer steps to lower the risk for cancers such as breast, cervical, colorectal, lung and prostate cancer.
“Understanding your cancer risk should make the next step clearer, not more complicated,” Shane Jacobson, CEO of the American Cancer Society, said in a statement. “CancerRisk360 gives people trusted, personalized guidance they can use to start a conversation with their healthcare provider and take practical steps that may help lower their risk.”
ACS says the tool is not a substitute for speaking with and getting medical advice from an individual’s doctor.
“Always talk to a qualified health care provider who knows your situation and personal health needs,” ACS states on its website. “Do not ignore or delay getting professional medical advice because of anything you read in this assessment or in your recommendations.”
U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on Sept. 30, 2026. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump said in an interview out Thursday that he would be open to pardoning members of his administration, pointing to former President Joe Biden’s blanket pardon to relatives and members of the administration out of concern they would be politically targeted after he left office.
“Yeah, sure, I’d do that,” the president answered when asked by TIME magazine earlier this week if he was “considering pardoning members of your administration prior to the end of your term?”
The president further said that Biden “gave pardons to everyone.”
Biden issued preemptive pardons to several close family members in the final minutes of his presidency in 2025, saying that his family “has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me” and that he had “no reason to believe these attacks will end” after he left office.
Those pardons included James Biden, Joe’s younger brother; Sara Jones Biden, James’ wife; Valerie Biden Owens, Joe’s younger sister; John T. Owens’, Valerie’s husband; and Francis W. Biden, Joe’s younger brother.
In 2024, Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden, who was convicted on tax evasion and federal gun charges.
Trump’s pardon comments mark the first time he has publicly said he would consider pardoning members of his administration.
Last year, he issued pardons to some to his political and financial supporters as well as several high-profile individuals allegedly involved in his attempt to overturn the election. In his first term, he pardoned several advisers, members of his campaign and one former member of his administration, former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.
In the interview, Trump expressed his belief that if the Democrats emerge victorious in the midterm elections, “they’ll probably go after” him, but he said he will also target them back.
Trump still expressed confidence that Republicans will “do okay” in November, as long as he is on the campaign trail.
“No, I think we’ll do OK if I campaign, and I intend to,” he said, when asked if he believes that Democrats will take control of Congress.
He then went on to tout some of his endorsement victories including for Republicans Darline Graham and Ed Gallerin — who defeated Rep. Thomas Massie in the primary for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District.
Asked about his record low poll numbers, Trump called them “fake” and insisted that he could easily beat anybody who ran against him.
“They’re fake numbers. I would beat anybody running today by 20 points,” Trump said. “Your numbers that you have are fake.”
Trump’s cover of TIME magazine will mark his 56th such appearance, according to the outlet. That’s more than any other figure in history, surpassing former President Richard Nixon’s record.
Trump’s interview will be the cover story for TIME’s Oct. 26 issue.
An image from a video circulating online taken by a passenger inside a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv that was diverted to Saudi Arabia, Sept. 30, 2026, after an incident took place inside the cockpit. (Obtained by ABC News)
Passengers aboard FlyDubai Flight 1073 expressed fear, anger and ultimately elation after they survived what Israeli officials said was an attempted terror attack thousands of feet in the air on Wednesday.
After the passengers, many of whom were Israeli citizens, returned to Tel Aviv following the ordeal, many said they were still bewildered over what transpired during their flight from Dubai.
The plane’s first officer allegedly stabbed the plane’s captain and then made the plane descend rapidly, Israeli officials said, with passengers saying they felt the impact almost immediately.
“I guess usually there’s like some turbulence and you feel like whoa, but then it like evens out pretty quickly, and here it wasn’t like that,” Mika Bauman, who was aboard the flight told ABC News. “It was…like chaos screaming and just the crazy drop. Like you look at the ground and you’re like, ‘OK, I’m going that way right now.'”
Another passenger, who identified herself as Miram, told Israeli media that things got scary when passengers heard the screams coming from the cockpit and saw the bloody pilot.
“We felt like we were, like, going to crash. I was already screaming [the Jewish prayer] ‘Shema Israel’ and saying, ‘I can’t die, I’m my only daughter, I can’t do this to my mother,’ the woman added.
Israeli officials said that some of the passengers worked together to subdue the suspect while another flight crew member was able to take back the plane.
“Here was a crazy man with a knife who stabbed one of the pilots. We jumped and helped the pilot. Friends, everything is OK now, as you can see we are landing in Saudi Arabia, you can see I am fine. That’s it,” passenger Itzhak Liber said in a Hebrew language selfie video posted to Facebook after the incident was over.
The jet was diverted to Saudi Arabia, where the injured pilot was taken to the hospital and the passengers were repatriated later in the day. The unidentified suspect remains in custody and the investigation is ongoing.
When the repatriation flight landed in Tel Aviv later, the passengers arrived to a warm welcome.
“It feels amazing in that it’ll probably take me a little while to get on the plane again. But I’m honestly just thanking God that I’m here right now because it was so close to not happening based on the whole situation that we were just in,” Bauman said after she landed in Israel.
A helicopter carrying five people crashed into the water off the coast of Catalina Island in California on Wednesday evening, killing two of those on board, sending two others to the hospital and prompting a search in the water for the last one.
“This remains an active scene with search and rescue operations continuing throughout the night,” the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.
Two of four people who were recovered from the water were taken to the hospital and another two were pronounced dead at the scene, the department said.
“I have been informed that a medevac helicopter leaving Catalina Island has crashed shortly after takeoff,” Janice Hahn, a county supervisor, said in a statement.
“LA County Fire, Sheriff, Coast Guard, and Avalon Fire are on the scene,” Hahn added. “Search and rescue operations are underway and I am praying for everyone who was on board.”
California officials said the National Transportation Safety Board had been made aware of the crash and that it would lead an investigation.
In this Feb. 10, 2026, file photo, New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaks to the media in New York. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images, FILE)
During a 2025 hearing at Cornell University, an unidentified female former student who alleges she was gang raped at a fraternity house in 2024 described her harrowing night at the house surrounded by multiple men: “I felt like bait. I felt like lions around me. It just was a totally debilitating place to be in.”
Her description is included in a heavily-redacted 99-page report, obtained by ABC News, that was prepared by the university last year as it investigated what happened.
As part of its investigation, Cornell conducted 50 interviews with 32 witnesses, including the fraternity brothers Jane Doe accused in a civil lawsuit filed earlier this month of gang rape, and determined that someone at the Chi Phi house had overdosed on ketamine one day prior to Jane Doe’s experience.
“Ketamine was a substance used by multiple individuals in the Chi Phi house at the time, including [redacted] who had overdosed on or about October 18, 2024,” the report said.
Jane Doe told investigators the ketamine she took that night induced a “vague consciousness” that left her disoriented.
“So, lights are on, but nobody’s home. Your brain is not functioning at its proper level,” Doe said, according to the report. “I know it sounds super weird to say. I know it happened, but I don’t remember it.”
The investigators also noted an apology from one of the fraternity brothers during the hearing.
“I was sorry that maybe if it wasn’t consensual and she was victimized, I was sorry for not stopping it,” said the fraternity brother, who Cornell’s investigation concluded did not engage in the assault but was found responsible for “attempted sexual exploitation.” “And that I’m sorry I couldn’t tell if she was under the influence … just sorry that I felt like if something actually bad happened, I didn’t stop it.”
University agrees to independent investigation, governor says
Earlier Wednesday, Cornell University agreed to initiate an independent investigation into how the Ivy League school handled the allegations, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told ABC News.
Hochul called for the outside review, saying the allegations raised “serious questions about Cornell campus culture” and whether the university is doing all it can to protect students.
“I wanted to make sure they knew how important this was, and they absolutely agreed. And they’re acting on this this afternoon. So, they’ll be reporting on what the details are, but they will be conducting what I asked for, which is an independent outside investigation of what happened,” Hochul told ABC News on Wednesday.
“People need to know the truth and I think it’s important for the public, for the victim, her family and the university community to know that their university did everything that they’re supposed to do,” she said.
Cornell’s internal data show 35% of undergraduate women reported experiencing sexual assault during their time on campus, but Hochul said the problem was acute on every campus.
“There’s been a culture of this kind of treatment of young women on campuses for as long as I’ve been in college, and it has to change,” Hochul said.
Cornell confirmed the outside investigation on Wednesday but has not yet provided details.
Prosecutors in central New York this week announced that they are reopening the investigation of the alleged sexual assault after the former student filed a civil lawsuit alleging that she was drugged, assaulted and gang raped by seven former and current members of the Chi Phi fraternity at Cornell, sparking outrage about the incident.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said in a statement that his office is considering whether to bring criminal charges related to the incident, though he said the allegations in the civil complaint are “dramatically different” than the woman’s statement to police two years ago.
In an interview with ABC News, Van Houten acknowledged that he relied on the investigation conducted by Cornell Police and said his office didn’t “independently investigate” the allegations.
Cornell’s Chi Phi chapter is barred from campus. Trey Robb, the interim executive director of Chi Phi fraternity, said in a statement that all the accused members were kicked out of the Cornell chapter within three days of Jane Doe filing her police report in 2024.
Three of the defendants named in the suit have denied the allegations through their attorneys.
“Any suggestion that the University did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false,” Cornell said in a statement Monday, in part.
In an earlier statement, Cornell said it conducted a thorough Title IX investigation of Jane Doe’s allegations. “At its conclusion, the hearing panel issued a range of sanctions, which included expulsions and suspensions from Cornell,” the university’s statement said.
Cornell did not specify who was disciplined, how many and for what.
The university said the investigation was conducted over several months and included hearings before a panel of trained faculty and staff.
Text messages between Jane Doe and fraternity member unearthed
A report prepared by Cornell as part of its investigation into the sexual assault allegations included text messages between the Jane Doe and one of the people she accused of rape — the fraternity member who had invited her to the Chi Phi house.
According to the text messages, which were obtained by ABC News, Jane Doe told the man four days after the alleged incident that “everyone knows” and “my reputation is destroyed and I’m utterly ashamed.”
In the Oct. 23, 2024, exchange Jane Doe texted the man, later identified by the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office as Male Number 1: “everyone needs to grow up cause sexuality and sex and s— is changing and stuff like this is going to become more common,, I’m also really open minded tho, I luv you king.”
On Nov. 7, 2024, when Male Number 1 expressed concern that he was “being labeled an assaulter,” Jane Doe replied, “I haven’t said anything but I do know people are changing the narrative because like in any sexual scenario w one woman and many men the woman was probably the victim.”
“I know there are rumors I was gang banged,” her text continued.
On Nov. 8, 2024, Male Number 1 asked Jane Doe for a phone call. She replied, “I think I’m done talking to you. I know you lied.” It’s not clear from the text messages what Jane Doe was referring to but Male Number 1 responded, “What? Can you call?” Jane Doe answered, “no. never again.”
A week later, Jane Doe gave a sworn statement to Cornell University police. She described that she felt incapacitated, saying she declined to participate in some of the sexual activity and that the incidents at Chi Phi fraternity house “felt like coercion,” according to a copy of the police report obtained by ABC News.
When Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk climbs aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft atop the Falcon 9 rocket that will take him and the other three members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 to the International Space Station, he’ll bring a more than 100-year-old pocket watch.
Kutryk, a fourth-generation Ukrainian Canadian, says he’s bringing the timepiece because “I need a watch to tell time,” but also because it’s been a family heirloom since the first generation that reminds him of how far his family and the world have come.
“For me, it’s really neat to look at that and reflect on just how much has changed in those 100 years, a little over 100 years,” said Kutryk during a prelaunch news conference in August. “If that’s how much change in the last hundred years, how much more could change if we do things right in the next hundred?”
It was only 66 years from the first time the Wright Brothers took flight to the first time a human set foot on the moon. And when Kutryk, NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov lift off for the space station, currently scheduled for Thursday at 11:10 a.m. ET, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida; they will add to their own scientific contributions to centuries of discovery.
“During the mission, the crew will help researchers treat heart disease and Parkinson’s disease by studying human stem-cell-derived tissues that can help improve medicine, disease modeling, and pharmaceutical testing,” said Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, on NASA’s website. “They also will explore crop production, which is important for longer-duration spaceflight missions, help us better understand blood flow abnormalities that we see in space, and test new diagnostic medical equipment for monitoring crew health.”
The mission, part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, will take less than 8 hours to reach the station. NASA says if the launch proceeds as scheduled, it will be the fastest trip to the ISS ever.
“The angle separation between space station and Dragon is very, very close, and that’s just essentially orbital mechanics that got us in the right place,” said Bill Gerstenmaier, vice president of Build and Flight Reliability at SpaceX, during a prelaunch news conference on Wednesday. “There was a recent orbit adjustment maneuver done by space station, and that kind of set things up, and we just kind of got lucky that they line up and work out extremely well.”
Docking is scheduled for around 7 p.m. ET with the hatch opening less than two hours later. Once aboard the station, the crew will join Expedition 75, which includes three other astronauts who are already on the station. The crew will spend the next 6 months on the ISS, relieving Crew-12, who have been living and working on the station since February.
“Once our Crew-13 arrives on board station, they’ll quickly get acclimated and we’ll conduct a relatively short handover with our Crew-12 preparing to return home early next week,” said Lori Glaze, NASA’s associate administrator for the Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate, during Wednesday’s news conference.
NASA says the launch has “favorable weather conditions,” but there is still a 45% chance the mission will be postponed because of thick cloud layers and rain at the launch site.
The launch of the Crew-13 mission was delayed in August because of a mechanical issue involving an oxidizer leak in the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft’s propulsion system, discovered during environmental checks. Gerstenmaier said SpaceX also troubleshot unexpected problems with the vehicle’s GPS and a rocket engine motor microcontroller. But after a Launch Readiness Review on Wednesday afternoon, NASA and SpaceX declared they were “go for launch.”
“The spaceflight gave us some surprises here,” said Gerstenmaier. “But the absolute number one priority for us is to get the crew safely to orbit. We will continue to look at data. We will continue to review information. We’ll look back through past records. We’ll make sure everything is right, and when we’re ready to go fly, we’ll go fly.”
November will mark the 26th year of continuous human presence aboard the space station. In that time, more than 280 astronauts from 26 countries and the station’s five international partners have spent time on the ISS.
“The space station, as you know, is approaching 26 years of continuous operations, where research and technology demonstrations continue to benefit people here on Earth. They strengthen our U.S. leadership in space and ensure that we’re ready for sustained human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit,” said Glaze.
Oct. 1 marks the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, putting a spotlight on the second most common cancer diagnosed among women.
Although the rates of women diagnosed with breast cancer have increased, death rates have been declining and five-year survival rates have risen.
It’s not just women; men are also diagnosed with the disease. Additionally, disparities persist among races and ethnicities.
Here’s what you need to know about breast cancer by the numbers.
Diagnosis rates
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in the United States, aside from skin cancer, with more than 320,000 new invasive cases expected each year, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
Breast cancer diagnoses have risen with a 1% increase per year in recent years, ACS says.
“Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women, but most women diagnosed with breast cancer do very well and outcomes have improved tremendously over the years,” Hannah Rose Naughton, breast surgical oncologist at Hackensack Meridian Health, told ABC News.
Breast cancer accounts for roughly one in every three new cancers diagnosed in women each year and is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the U.S., behind lung cancer, according to the ACS.
“The earlier we find the cancer, the better the outcome for the patient,” Naughton said.
While breast cancer affects women far more often, the disease can also occur in men.
“One percent of breast cancer cases occur in men; it’s extremely rare,” Priya Thomas, breast oncologist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, told ABC News.
Declining death rates
The breast cancer death rate among U.S. women decreased by 44% from 1989 to 2024, preventing an estimated 500,000 to 517,900 deaths, according to ACS.
“The decrease in breast cancer death rates is probably a combination of our screening advances, as well as advances in the treatments that we have for different subtypes of breast cancer,” Thomas said. “Artificial intelligence is also being investigated and possibly can also increase sensitivity and detection.”
Improving survival rates
In the late 1970s, the five-year relative survival rate for women with invasive breast cancer — which compares how many patients are alive five years after diagnosis with people of the same age who don’t have cancer — was roughly 75%.
As of 2022, it is above 90%, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The increase reflects major advances in screening and earlier diagnosis.
Where breast cancers are found
Stage at diagnosis remains one of the biggest predictors of outcome.
Most breast cancers are discovered before they have spread to other parts of the body, according to the NCI.
About 64% of cases are diagnosed at a localized stage, meaning the cancer has not spread beyond the breast. About 27% have spread to nearby lymph nodes or tissue, and about 6% are diagnosed after the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body. About 2% have an unknown stage.
“If you feel a lump, if you notice a skin change, if you notice nipple discharge or any change that is different from your normal baseline, that warrants an evaluation by your provider,” Thomas said.
Persisting disparities
The burden of breast cancer is not shared equally.
“Black women are more likely to develop triple-negative breast cancer, which can be a more aggressive subtype, and unfortunately they do have a higher breast cancer mortality rate,” Naughton said.
As with many other diseases, the risk of breast cancer increases with age. The average age at breast cancer diagnosis in women is 63, according to the NCI.
In men, the ACS reports the average age at diagnosis is between 60 and 70. Although for both women and men, the disease can occur at virtually any age, and diagnosis at a younger age is linked to increased mortality.
“I know that recently some of the guidelines, depending on where you’re looking, have changed and may recommend mammograms every one to two years, but I still recommend yearly mammograms starting at age 40 for women at average risk,” Naughton said.
Beyond regular screening, experts say being aware of changes in your body is important.
“The most important message is that you shouldn’t ignore a change in your breast,” Naughton said.
Dr. Tara Howard is a fourth-year dermatology resident and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised Capt. Smit Machchhar, the FlyDubai captain credited with intervening to help save the flight from disaster on Wednesday.
“Captain Smit Machchhar has shown the world the highest form of courage. Without fearing for his own life, he fought valiantly and prevented another 9/11 like attack from happening,” Modi said Thursday morning.
The Indian consulate in Dubai said India’s ambassador and consul general in the UAE met with Machchhar’s family members.
“They briefed the family about Captain Machchhar’s health & recovery, conveyed that the Embassy & Consulate are in touch with the UAE authorities, and assured the family of continued support,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, prosecutors in the United Arab Emirates have opened an investigation into the incident involving a FlyDubai flight that was diverted to Saudi Arabia after an altercation in the cockpit, the state news agency WAM reported Thursday.
The UAE attorney general ordered an investigation to establish the circumstances and motives behind the incident and “determine whether it was linked to any terrorist activity or prior planning,” WAM said.
UAE judicial authorities have jurisdiction over the investigation because the aircraft is registered in the UAE and operates under its flag, meaning offenses committed on board are subject to UAE law even when they occur outside the country, the statement said.
The flight took off at 7:05 a.m. local time from Dubai Wednesday, according to Flightradar24.
Tracking data showed the aircraft descended rapidly from 34,000 to 16,000 feet in three minutes.
About 10 minutes after the initial descent, the plane’s squawk code — used by aircraft to communicate with air traffic control — changed to “general emergency.” Seven minutes later, the squawk code changed again, indicating a hijacking or “unlawful interference.”
The aircraft then continued flying at an average altitude of about 15,000 feet until it landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, roughly an hour to an hour and a half after the rapid descent began and the emergency signals were sent.
FlyDubai confirmed that the flight “experienced an incident while en route” and landed in Tabuk.
In this Nov. 1, 2025, file photo, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs speaks during her “Arizona First” rally at El Rio Center in Tucson, Arizona. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images, FILE)
Two members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are on opposite tickets in Arizona’s closely watched governor’s race, and Mormon women are reaching sharply different conclusions about what their faith asks of them at the ballot box.
Republican gubernatorial nominee Rep. Andy Biggs, an ultra-conservative ally of President Donald Trump, is running to unseat Gov. Katie Hobbs, who picked former Mesa Mayor John Giles, a church member and a Republican-turned-independent, as her running mate.
Some Republican and independent Mormon women told ABC News that Giles’ presence on the ballot and Biggs’ vote against certifying the 2020 election have pushed them toward Hobbs. Others say their views on parental rights and transgender issues draw them to Biggs.
About 442,000 Latter-day Saints live in Arizona, per the church’s 2025 count. That’s roughly 6% of the state’s population. The split could matter in a state Hobbs won by just about 17,000 votes in 2022.
“Some of these races are close, you know, 5,000 votes, 10,000 votes. That’s well within the margin that [John] Giles adds to the ticket,” said Tyler Montague, a Republican strategist.
“We’re a huge group, and I definitely think it would be smart to be courting Mormon voters, Mormon women, because we are high propensity turnout voters,” said Ronna McDaniel, former Republican National Committee chair and a church member.
“So go the Mormon wives, go the state, really,” said Stacey Pearson, a Democratic strategist in Arizona.
Biggs has defended his record of election denialism as raising legitimate questions about election administration.
“You have a lot of people that are character voters, and they view Biggs’ participation in the attempts to overthrow the election as a severe lack of character,” Montague said.
Montague also argued abortion, long the issue binding religious conservatives to Republican candidates, may have less influence this year after Arizona voters approved a ballot measure protecting abortion access in 2024. “It’s not as salient an issue,” he said.
Jane Andersen, Arizona state director of Mormon Women for Ethical Government, said principle and conduct can outweigh loyalty to a party. The group does not endorse candidates, and its membership is roughly 40% Republican, 34% Democratic and 26% independent nationally.
“When we’ve had statewide candidates on the Republican side that have been such outliers, and … their approach to politicking has been so harsh, so negative, so out of line with how the women conduct themselves in daily life, they’ve chosen to walk away from that person,” Andersen said, “even if maybe the policies might seem like they align more.”
Suzanne Lunt, a 60-year-old teacher in Gilbert, left the party after the Jan. 6 insurrection, briefly re-registered as a Republican to run for the Arizona House, lost, then returned to independent. She is voting for Hobbs and Giles.
“Our church leaders have taught us that we should try to vote for people with integrity,” Lunt said. “I try to find leaders who I know I can trust, who follow the rule of law, and who are ready to work with all kinds of people and not just toe the party line.”
Sylvia Jencks, 51, an independent from conservative San Tan Valley, is also voting for Hobbs.
“I want somebody who cares about Arizona and not just what the president wants,” Jencks said. But she faulted Democrats, too, saying the party is “focusing on the wrong things” instead of strengthening the state’s economy.
Tatiana Pena, 43, a South Phoenix mother of five and lifelong Republican, is voting for Biggs because of what church leaders have taught about protecting “family values.”
“They don’t talk politics, but they have given us warnings,” Pena said. “One of the biggest warnings is to defend the family unit in society. That to me outweighs everything else.”
For her, that means restricting transgender women’s access to women’s restrooms and girls’ sports, and opposing gender-transition care for minors.
Tyler Bowyer, Turning Point USA’s chief operating officer and a church member from Mesa, agreed, arguing that Mormon women are “most moved by the trans policies that have been pushed by the left.”
For Brittany Romanello, a University of Arkansas professor who studies Mormon political behavior, the divide shows shared faith no longer guarantees a vote.
“Women are looking at the values, the controversies, the morals …This is not the 2012 election, where people just expected people to vote for Mitt Romney because he’s LDS,” she said.
A sign indicates the store accepts SNAP benefits, April 21, 2026, in Miami. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Major changes are coming on Oct. 1 for the tens of millions of Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for food assistance from the federal government.
In the short term, most families will see a slight bump in their monthly payments to help afford groceries. But in the coming months, households will face stricter eligibility requirements and changes to how the benefits are administered that could ultimately result in far fewer benefits.
An estimated five million Americans — including more than 1 million children — have already lost SNAP assistance over the past year as part of President Donald Trump’s signature tax and spending law, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Short-term boost in benefits
Every year on Oct. 1, the federal government adjusts its monthly SNAP benefits to account for inflation. These cost-of-living adjustments apply across all states.
For a typical single-person household in one of 48 states (not including Alaska or Hawaii), checks will go from a maximum of $298 to $306 per month. That’s an extra $8 monthly.
For a family of four, checks will go from $994 to $1,023 per month. That’s an extra $29 per month, or $348 per year.
These inflation adjustments are intended to help families keep up with the rising cost of food. Grocery prices are up 2.2% in the past year.
Big funding changes
While these adjustments will help alleviate some cost pressures for current SNAP recipients, a major overhaul to the program is resulting in fewer people receiving benefits.
As part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” states are required to pay for a larger share of SNAP administrative costs while the federal government pays less. Now, states will be required to cover 75% of those administrative costs — a 25% increase. This change takes effect Oct. 1 and will leave states with millions of dollars of additional costs to cover.
Additional cost shifts are also looming for states. Starting in 2027, states with a SNAP recipient error rate above 6% would also be on the hook for funding a portion of SNAP benefits themselves — expected to cost states hundreds of millions of dollars extra per year.
In anticipation of these sweeping changes, some states are already seeing a big drop in SNAP enrollment.
According to an analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Arizona, Florida and Louisiana were some of the states that saw the biggest change in participation, with Arizona seeing its numbers cut nearly in half.
Changing eligibility requirements
The Republican-backed law has already imposed stricter requirements on SNAP recipients.
Under the law, work requirements apply to able-bodied adults without dependents aged 18 to 64, up from the previous age limit of 54.
The law also changed work requirements for families responsible for a dependent. Now, families with children age 14 and older are no longer eligible for an exemption from those work requirements.
