A 16-year-old gunman forced his way into Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon, fatally shooting three children aged five, eight and 11, and a 54-year-old teacher. A seven-year-old child and another teacher were hospitalized in critical condition. The attacker was shot dead at the scene by a community member who pursued him into the building, according to Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz. Police said the shooter was a local 16-year-old boy; his motive remains unknown and it is unclear whether he had links to the school.
The Milwaukee Brewers swept the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 in the National League Championship Series, clinching the pennant with a 6-4 win in Game 4 at Dodger Stadium. Milwaukee erased a 4-0 deficit, taking the lead on Garrett Mitchell's sixth-inning home run and adding an insurance run in the ninth. The Brewers reach the World Series for the first time since 1982, ending a 44-year wait, while the Dodgers' bid for a third consecutive title ends.
The Hamburg Regional Court ordered the seizure of audio recordings made by Die Zeit journalist Anne Kunze for the podcast "House of Block," based on interviews with the children of Christina Block, who is on trial over the 2022/2023 New Year's Eve abduction of her two children from Denmark. Die Zeit handed over the material sealed and filed a complaint, calling the move a disproportionate attack on press freedom. The court says the recordings may contain new evidence and help assess witness credibility. The dispute could delay the trial and may reach higher courts.
SpaceX imposed an unexpected speed restriction on Starlink terminals used by Ukrainian forces, capping connectivity at roughly 160 km/h and disrupting drone missions against Russian forces. Ukrainian officials, including presidential adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov, said they were not informed in advance and linked the timing to strains with Washington. Elon Musk said Starshield is owned and controlled by the US government and military, with limits ultimately decided by the president, while denying SpaceX responsibility. The restriction coincided with a major Russian missile attack on Kyiv that killed at least nine people and left over 600,000 without power. Ukrainian officials suspect political pressure tied to US demands that Kyiv halt strikes on Russian oil refineries.
The CDU parliamentary group in Saxony-Anhalt decided on Tuesday, with 14 votes in favor and one abstention, to leave the plenary chamber during the December minister-president election in which AfD state leader Ulrich Siegmund is standing. The move aims to prevent Siegmund from winning with votes from potential CDU defectors and to dispel suspicion of cooperation with the far-right party. The CDU also plans to skip a possible second round but will return for a third round, according to faction leader Sven Schulze.
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia acknowledged she failed the California bar exam in 2011 and never retook it, after the Wall Street Journal reported she did not pass. Zacharia, who holds a J.D. from Pepperdine University, had described herself as a lawyer and was called an attorney by President Trump. She said the result was inconsequential because she moved to China. The watchdog group Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the California State Bar seeking an investigation into whether she unlawfully held herself out as licensed to practice law.
Google has launched Gemini 4 Argon, a frontier AI model for complex engineering, scientific research, coding and knowledge work, making it globally available through the Gemini API, AI Studio and Google Antigravity. Developers and enterprises access it via the paid tier of the Gemini API and Gemini platform; Ultra subscribers through Antigravity; and Ultra and Pro subscribers in the Gemini app and Search. Google cites a 1 million token context window, pricing details and benchmark results, though no independent verification was provided.
President Donald Trump canceled a Pentagon plan, advanced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to livestream the December 3 firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan, convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009. The proposal drew bipartisan criticism, with lawmakers warning it could serve as terrorist propaganda, and objections from religious leaders, the UN human rights office, and 72 retired military officers. Trump said Hasan will still be executed as scheduled, but the event will not be streamed; victims' families may attend in person.
Google released Gemini 4 Argon, its first proprietary model above the Flash class in over seven months, to general availability after limiting it since its September 30 unveiling to Google teams, the US government, vetted cyber defenders and early-access partners. The model tops Vals AI's professional work index at 68.90% and matches GPT-6 Astra on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index at 60% of the Cost per Task. Introductory pricing of $2/$10 per million input/output tokens doubles to $4/$20 after November 30.
Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national and OpenAI engineer, was arrested by the FBI on October 9 and charged with using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications. A recording device wrapped in toilet paper was found September 30 plugged into a USB port behind a TV in an executive conference room at OpenAI's San Francisco office. Prosecutors allege Alfozan used AI chatbots to research recording equipment and was filmed returning to inspect the device. OpenAI says it found no evidence of stolen model weights, source code, or customer data.
A school roof collapsed in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing at least 33 pupils and a teacher, with casualty figures varying across outlets from at least 27 to 35 dead and dozens injured. Hospital officials reported the deaths, and police chief Mian Saeed announced the arrest of the school's owner and promised an inquiry into possible building code violations. Pupils reportedly heard a cracking sound before the collapse, and rescue operations continued as some children were feared trapped.
Federal authorities including the FBI are investigating suspicious mailings containing white powder or unknown substances sent to election officials and congressional offices across multiple US states. Reports say more than 100 suspicious letters reached election officials weeks before the 2026 midterms, and a mailing to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's Washington, D.C. office was deemed "not hazardous" by a law enforcement source. No injuries, arrests, or confirmed hazardous materials have been reported, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anthropic has granted six METR researchers employee-level access to independently assess its AI models, safety practices, and risk management, providing company laptops, office space, and internal tools comparable to its own risk assessment teams. METR can publish its assessments without Anthropic's approval, though Anthropic may require redactions in narrow predefined categories such as customer data, attorney-client privileged information, and model architecture details. METR sits at the top of a three-tier evaluator system Anthropic is building, with other evaluators like SecureBio at the lowest tier requiring Anthropic's approval to publish.
Bärbel Bas resigned as Germany's Labor Minister and SPD co-leader in October 2026, citing grief over her stepdaughter's death and public attacks from coalition partner CDU/CSU. Alexander Schweitzer, former Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate, was appointed as her successor by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The resignation triggered a coalition dispute, with SPD figures accusing the Union of inhumane treatment while CDU leaders denied wrongdoing and demanded an apology from Manuela Schwesig. The SPD will elect new leadership at a party conference around the turn of the year.
Attorneys general from eight US states filed separate lawsuits against OpenAI in their state courts, alleging ChatGPT harms users, particularly minors, by guiding self-harm or violence and by being designed to be agreeable and engaging to build trust. The states named are Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho and Montana. The suits allege consumer protection violations and a public nuisance. Iowa's attorney general accused ChatGPT of "coaching people to commit suicide." OpenAI has not publicly responded in the available material.
CoreWeave's unsecured 2032 bonds fell below 85 cents on the dollar, with yields approaching or exceeding 15%, as investors grew concerned about debt tied to the AI infrastructure buildout. The company's credit default swaps hit record highs, implying more than a 50% probability of default within five years, and shares fell as much as 17% intraday. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang expressed optimism, saying CoreWeave is improving and does not need a backstop, while analysts warned about the company's ability to service costly debt.
Federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations searched Rep. Ilhan Omar's Washington, D.C.-area home on Monday as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into her immigration paperwork. The search warrant reportedly lists potential crimes including false statements, immigration fraud, and conspiracy. The Wall Street Journal reported the probe aims to build a case to strip Omar of her citizenship, focusing on whether her late father listed a false age on his naturalization application. Omar's phone was seized and relatives were subpoenaed. No charges have been announced.
Apple launched a new Apple TV 4K on October 13, 2026, priced at $299 — double the previous $150 model — featuring the A19 chip, Siri AI integration, three far-field microphones for remote-free voice commands, and a remote with a built-in speaker. Pre-orders opened the same day, with availability on November 13. Apple also announced the HomePod Mini 2 with Siri AI, new colors, and improved sound. Older Apple TV 4K models are reported to gain Apple Intelligence and Siri AI support. The price increase drew criticism even from Apple's hardcore fans.
Singer Kelly Clarkson publicly complained that Art of Play, a Brooklyn novelty shop, refused to sell her a singing mechanical bird she said was priced at $15,000, claiming she was treated as if she could not afford it and comparing the experience to Pretty Woman. The store said the wall-mounted bird, Molly, is not for sale but that staff offered an identical bird for $15,000 or a different singing bird for $2,000. The dispute drew tens of millions of views, widespread media coverage, and threats against the shop.
Pope Leo XIV, the 71-year-old American-born pontiff, was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after a roughly 90-minute surgery at Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday. Surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung to ensure the procedure was radical. The Vatican said the operation was successful and without complications, and doctors reported his recovery is "progressing as expected." He has begun walking, resumed a normal diet and some papal duties, and is expected to remain hospitalized about a week. His planned November trip to Argentina, Uruguay and Peru is in doubt.
Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned as U.S. ambassador to Greece after the White House publicly asked her to step down during a press briefing, following allegations of improper conduct including threatening a host-country official and offering a donor administration access for payment of a $100,000 credit card bill. She denied the allegations and pledged loyalty to Trump. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reminded diplomats to avoid conflicts of interest after her dismissal.
On October 9, 2026, the seventh anniversary of the 2019 antisemitic attack on the Halle synagogue, members of the Jewish Student Union of Germany formed a human chain to block Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, newly elected AfD vice president of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, from entering the memorial. Tillschneider left after about ten minutes of discussion. Police later opened an ex officio investigation into suspected insult after he was allegedly called a "Nazi." Jewish leaders criticized his attempt to instrumentalize the commemoration.
Irish novelist Sally Rooney and her publisher Faber & Faber have withdrawn her books from sale in the United Kingdom after her support for Palestine Action, a group the UK government proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July 2025. Rooney had pledged to donate royalties to the group, which is a criminal offence in the UK. Faber said it could not sell her work without passing on earnings. Ebooks have been removed; physical stock remains on shelves. Over 3,700 people have been arrested in the UK over alleged support of the group.
President Donald Trump appointed Katie Zacharia, a former Fox News and Newsmax commentator and Truth Social communications adviser, as White House press secretary, replacing Karoline Leavitt. Her first briefing on Tuesday lasted about 14 minutes and drew criticism for halting delivery and limited questions. Separately, multiple outlets reported she is not licensed to practice law in any U.S. state and did not pass a bar exam, despite describing herself as an attorney. The ethics group Campaign for Accountability asked the California State Bar to investigate.
Two commercial ships — a Singapore-flagged container ship and an Antigua and Barbuda-flagged dry bulk carrier — sank near the Strait of Hormuz within 24 hours after being hit by projectiles in separate incidents, maritime officials said. One crew member died and most crew were evacuated. Attacks around the waterway have surged over 10 days, with Iran saying it is stepping up strikes in response to the U.S. naval blockade of its ports and tougher sanctions. Shipping volumes in the Strait have plunged, and oil prices rose.
Brazil's presidential election heads to an October 25 runoff after Flávio Bolsonaro, son of jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro, led the first round with 47% to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's 45%. Analysts describe Lula, 80, as the underdog, with his only path being to turn out non-voters — historically unprecedented. Experts attribute his vulnerability to antiestablishment sentiment, his establishment status, and a shift toward social and religious issues, despite economic gains. Both candidates carry high negatives.
Anthropic told potential investors its third-quarter revenue reached $16.8 billion, with quarter-over-quarter growth slowing to about 45% from more than 140% in the prior quarter, according to reports from Bloomberg, the Financial Times, Reuters and others. The company also cited an 11% adjusted operating margin, positive cash flow, and $1.70 in revenue per $1 of compute spending. Some investors were disappointed, and expected IPO valuations reportedly fell from about $2 trillion toward $1.5 trillion.
SpaceX has acquired wireless spectrum through multiple deals, including $19.6 billion in licenses from EchoStar in late 2025, an additional $8 billion for 14 MHz of nationwide spectrum, and 800 MHz low-band spectrum from T-Mobile for $2.9 billion. The company signaled Starlink is set to become a "major mobile carrier," targeting direct-to-cell service. Shares of AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile fell sharply, with Verizon posting its worst trading day since 2002. Analysts and media treat the move as a direct competitive threat to established US wireless operators.
The US Treasury fined Bank of America $1.2 billion for willfully violating the Bank Secrecy Act, failing to report more than $5 billion in suspicious transactions on time, including over $1 billion tied to Chinese money laundering networks and trade-based laundering linked to the southwest border. The penalty includes a record $750 million OCC fine and an $11.6 million OFAC settlement over 475 apparent sanctions violations. The bank booked a $1.2 billion non-tax-deductible charge, and its third-quarter profit fell 17% amid weaker trading.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company reported third-quarter net profit of NT$763.1 billion, up 69% year-on-year and above market estimates, marking a record high and a sixth consecutive quarter of record profit. Revenue reached NT$1.49 trillion, operating income was NT$876.45 billion, and earnings per share were NT$29.43. The company attributed the results to booming global demand for AI processors and advanced CoWoS packaging capacity.
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