Auburn’s Glynn and Swallom Sweep SEC Riders of the Month as Tigers Surge Toward No. 1 Showdown

Perfect October performances earn Avery Glynn and Sydney Swallom dual SEC and NCEA honors; No. 2 Auburn prepares for top-ranked Georgia in a high-stakes equestrian clash.

AUBURN, Ala. | Auburn University continued its dominant rise in collegiate equestrian as juniors Avery Glynn and Sydney Swallom were named SEC Riders of the Month for October, the league office announced Thursday. Glynn earned her honor on the Flat, while Swallom captured the monthly award in Horsemanship, adding significant momentum for the Tigers ahead of their top-five showdown with No. 1 Georgia on Nov. 21.

The selections come as both athletes also earned national recognition as NCEA Riders of the Month, underscoring Auburn’s depth and consistency across multiple events.

EU Powers Expand Drone Defense Network, Commit More U.S. Weapons for Ukraine Amid Rising Hybrid Threats

Germany, the U.K., France, Poland, Italy, and the EU unveil significant security steps in Berlin, including new counter-drone deployments, stepped-up U.S.-made weapons transfers, and plans for a European-wide drone defense system.

BERLIN | Europe’s five largest military spenders gathered in Berlin on Friday to unveil a sweeping package of new defense initiatives aimed at fortifying NATO’s northeastern flank and accelerating military support for Ukraine as Russia intensifies its hybrid warfare campaign across the continent.

Defense leaders from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, and the European Union announced new counter-drone deployments, expanded intelligence cooperation, and a substantial increase in U.S.-made weapons deliveries destined for Kyiv.

Germany Boosts Ukraine Aid With U.S.-Made Weapons

Germany used the Berlin gathering to confirm a new €150 million ($175 million) commitment in American-produced military systems through a special procurement track designed to provide Ukraine with highly specialized weapons that only the United States manufactures. This latest tranche comes in addition to fresh military support approved by the German Bundestag earlier in the week.

Looking ahead, Germany plans to direct €11.5 billion ($13.4 billion) toward Ukraine in 2026 — €3 billion more than the current year — solidifying Berlin’s role as one of Kyiv’s most prominent European backers.

Marines Deploy MQ-9 Reaper Drone Unit to South China Sea Amid Rising Confrontations With China

Temporary mission in the Philippines boosts maritime domain awareness as Washington deepens security cooperation with Manila following a series of aggressive Chinese naval encounters.

The U.S. Marine Corps has deployed an MQ-9A Reaper drone unit to the South China Sea to reinforce Philippine maritime security amid escalating tensions with China. The deployment—requested by the Philippine government—comes after months of increasingly confrontational encounters between Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels and Philippine forces.

Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 (VMU-1) is now operating temporarily from Philippine territory, Marine Corps officials confirmed in a written statement to 'TELL IT LIKE IT IS' Defense News. The MQ-9As currently forward-positioned in the region are unarmed, underscoring that their mission is focused on surveillance, early warning, and shared domain awareness.

“At the request of the Philippine government, Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 is temporarily deployed to the Philippines to support Philippine regional maritime security through shared maritime domain awareness,” the spokesperson said.

“The temporary stationing of unarmed MQ-9As demonstrates our mutual commitment to improving collective maritime security and supports our common goal for a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

‘Keeper’ Ending Explained: Osgood Perkins Unleashes a Monstrous Motherhood Twist in His Creepiest Cabin Horror Yet

Tatiana Maslany anchors a terrifying final act as Perkins blends folklore, body horror, and generational curses to reveal the true nature of those cabin-dwelling creatures — and the shocking fate of Malcolm.

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Osgood Perkins’ Keeper, now playing in theaters.

Osgood Perkins, one of the most distinctive horror stylists working today, has delivered two unnerving genre entries this year — the Stephen King adaptation The Monkey and the cabin-in-the-woods nightmare Keeper. While the two films differ wildly in tone and mythmaking, Keeper stands out as a folkloric descent into manipulation, immortality, and monstrous legacy. And its ending may be Perkins’ most shocking reveal yet.

Like Longlegs and The Blackcoat’s Daughter, Keeper is deceptively simple on the surface: Liz (Tatiana Maslany) and her boyfriend Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland) escape to a remote forest cabin, hoping for a quiet, nature-soaked retreat. Instead, Liz becomes plagued by apparitions — pale, multi-eyed specters, a woman with a bag over her head, and a long-necked ghoul drifting through the trees.

But the final act blows the film wide open, revealing that Keeper isn’t just a haunting — it’s a centuries-spanning power struggle between humans and supernatural offspring.

Malcolm’s Secret: The Immortal Manipulator

Perkins reveals late in the film that Malcolm is no ordinary physician. Instead, he is an immortal predator who has spent 200 years luring unsuspecting women to the cabin to sacrifice them to a brood of forest-born monsters.

Through a flashback, we learn that Malcolm and his cousin once captured a pregnant woman trespassing on their land in the 1800s. She wasn’t human — or at least not entirely. Upon giving birth, she unleashed a litter of grotesque, otherworldly creatures. In exchange for women to feed on, the monsters granted Malcolm and his cousin eternal life.

Those horrifying spirits Liz has been seeing? They’re the remnants of past victims — women Malcolm brought to the cabin for slaughter, their tortured souls condemned to linger on the land.

Paramount Skydance Layoffs Reshape CBS, Paramount+ and MTV as Ellison Era Begins

More than 1,000 staffers impacted in sweeping first-round cuts targeting marketing, PR, programming, and talent divisions—another primary wave expected as new leadership restructures global operations.

Paramount has officially begun its first major workforce restructuring since its merger with Skydance, triggering a wave of layoffs across its broadcast, streaming, and cable units. In what insiders are already calling one of the most consequential entertainment downsizing events of the year, the David Ellison–led leadership team has executed deep personnel cuts at CBS, Paramount+, MTV, CMT, and Paramount Global Content Distribution.

The reductions strike at the core of Paramount’s linear and streaming operations. Marketing, PR/communications, business affairs, and current programming were among the hardest hit, with veteran executives and department heads—many with decades of institutional knowledge—exiting the company.

Michigan Unveils First-Ever Women Veterans License Plate, Expanding National Recognition of Female Service Members

The “HER SERVICE OUR FREEDOM” plate debut positions Michigan as the 17th state to honor women veterans with an official designation as female veterans become the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. military.

Michigan Honors Women Veterans With New License Plate as Female Service Members Gain National Recognition

Just days before Veterans Day, Michigan took a major step to honor the growing community of female service members—unveiling a new Women Veterans License Plate during a ceremony on Nov. 10 in Dearborn. The move makes Michigan the 17th state to formally recognize women veterans through a dedicated state plate.

The unveiling at the Henry Ford Centennial Library drew state lawmakers, military families, community leaders, and dozens of female veterans from southeastern Michigan, giving the event the atmosphere of a milestone moment long overdue.

“It is only fitting that we honor them not just with words, but with meaningful gestures,” said State Sen. Sylvia Santana, who spearheaded the bipartisan Senate Bill 788 authorizing the new plate.

SBA Eliminates Massive VetCert Backlog, Fast-Tracks Veteran Contractors as Post-Shutdown Recovery Begins

Administrator Kelly Loeffler calls the overhaul a “mission reset,” slashing certification wait times from 80 days to 12 and unlocking millions in federal contracting opportunities for veteran-owned businesses.

A Game-Changer for Veteran Entrepreneurs: SBA Clears VetCert Backlog and Rebuilds Veteran Access to Federal Contracts

As the nation emerges from the turbulence of the recent government shutdown, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler says one group is already leading the country’s economic rebound: America’s veteran entrepreneurs.

In an interview with 'TELL IT LIKE IT IS' Defense News, Loeffler revealed that the SBA has eliminated a backlog of more than 2,700 Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) applications—a logjam that had stalled veteran contractors from competing for federal defense and infrastructure contracts. The processing timeline, once a slow-moving 80 days, has now been cut to just 12 days, a change she described as “long overdue and mission critical.”

Official portrait of Kelly Loeffler, Administrator of the SBA 

“On day one, I said we’re going to restore this agency to its original purpose—promoting the interests of small businesses and expanding economic opportunity,” Loeffler said. “Veterans bring unmatched discipline, skill, and leadership. Prioritizing them was non-negotiable.”