Edition 69 · Sunday, October 25, 2026
Here's what happened.
At least 12 people, including six minors, were injured in a shooting near Florida A&M University’s stadium. The shooting occurred hours after the university’s homecoming game, and police said the youngest victim was 11.
An outbreak of bird flu at a mink farm in Utah has raised concerns among infectious-disease experts about the government’s response. A state veterinarian seeking federal help was told that the USDA did not regulate mink farms; an expert said the outbreak was unlikely to produce a “tidal wave” of human infections but called the apparent lack of transparency troubling.
The U.S. government says Iran is in advanced stages of planning attacks against Americans. It has ordered diplomats and other federal employees to leave Saudi Arabia and is drawing down staff at other regional missions.
Elon Musk said SpaceX restricted Ukraine’s Starlink connection because Ukraine violated the service’s terms by using it for military activity. The service was later restored, with Ukraine saying it had returned to normal speeds.
Two critical bugs in PHP, a programming language used by the majority of the internet, threatened to disrupt online services. The episode highlights the risk of another major software security scare.
The U.S. military has given SpaceX access to restricted space-tracking data, according to the report. The arrangement could give the company an advantage in tracking objects in orbit and has raised national-security concerns, as well as fears of greater private control over the space industry.
Block introduced a voice model that TechCrunch says sounds eerily human. The company said the model can run locally on a MacBook M4 Max.
New research finds that oil from spills can eventually permeate extremely deep marine habitats, despite initially floating on the surface. Animal populations in affected areas declined by as much as 80 percent, showing that damage can persist for at least a decade.
Scientists have developed a new method for trapping an antimatter particle for months, overcoming a major obstacle to studying these elusive, reactive particles. The technique could enable tests of differences between matter and antimatter.
After a cancer vaccine achieved its first success, researchers and drugmakers are working to extend the approach to more tumor types. The report describes the effort to broaden the impact of cancer vaccines after what it calls the first effective cancer vaccine in a century.
Data from sewage samples and crime statistics indicate that cocaine use in Britain is becoming more established, with users taking the drug more often rather than necessarily representing millions of new users. Cocaine-linked deaths have reached record levels, while the drug’s supply supports a multibillion-pound criminal industry.
Markets are pricing at least four Bank of England rate increases over the next year, taking the bank rate from 3.75% today to 4.75% by the end of July and possibly 5% by December 2027. City economists say that outlook is wrong, arguing rates are unlikely to rise by a full percentage point and could fall by the end of 2027.
The UK Budget is expected to include £1bn for social and affordable housing. That would take funding for the 10-year programme to more than £40bn.
Mortgage rates fell toward 7.30% as the 10-year Treasury yield dipped below 5% during a volatile week in the bond market. The modest decline in rates finally stabilized the slide in housing demand.
The Justice Department has increased its interventions in the midterm elections in Alaska and California. The New York Times characterizes the moves as evidence that the department has become an instrument of the president’s direct executive power.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed the Artificial Intelligence Deceptive Advertising Act into law on Thursday. The law requires labels on still images, video, audio, or text in ads that have been significantly modified or generated by AI.
Pennsylvania’s statehouse elections could change the balance of power in the state capital. Democrats have a chance to take control of a legislature that is currently divided.
Netflix is laying off 6% of its workforce as it regroups after its latest quarterly earnings. Revenue growth has slowed while the streaming company works to overhaul its programming unit.
Dropbox is exploring cognitive-training tools and “analog” offsites in response to concerns that outsourcing work to AI could weaken workers’ cognitive skills. The company says it is investigating brain health, critical thinking and human connection, while acknowledging that this is an emerging area with limited evidence.
Retail employers including M&S and Tesco are offering six weeks of paid paternity leave, highlighting a gap with sectors such as construction and agriculture. M&S increased its provision from two to six weeks at full pay in 2024.
The Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals. Both teams are pursuing their first WNBA championship, with Golden State the No. 2 seed and Atlanta the No. 4 seed.
Australia beat Fiji 36-22 in a Group A match at the Rugby League World Cup. The result sends Australia through to the semi-finals, while New Zealand also returned to winning form.
A recent Meta settlement bans “cosmetic procedure filters” for teens, but the boundary between an ordinary filter and an extreme makeover is difficult to define. The debate raises questions about how social platforms should regulate appearance-altering tools for young users.
Elon Musk followed through on a promise to make an AI adaptation of *The Odyssey* using Grok. The first episode of the proposed Christopher Nolan-rivaling project has been released, and Mashable describes it as rough.
A top Xbox executive who was promoted as part of a brand “reset” has left after only three months in the role. The supplied report does not provide further details about the departure.
An indie developer removed AI-generated voice lines from Future? No Thanks! after previously condemning the technology as “anti-human and anti-art.” Refunds are being offered to players who still feel betrayed by the game’s use of AI.
The FBI and Santa Ana police are investigating the theft of 6,451 PSA-graded trading cards from a FedEx truck in California. Nearly 3,000 of the stolen cards were Pokémon cards.
Many 30-year-olds in New York say they are struggling to build middle-class lives and feel worse off than their parents. The story examines whether their housing, family and financial pressures reflect ordinary adult angst or a more enduring generational shift.
Students at University of California campuses in Berkeley, Irvine and Santa Barbara are facing annual costs above $50,000. Housing expenses are a major part of the burden, requiring students to navigate increasingly costly local housing markets.
Old songs are filling the music charts, while classic tracks dominate streaming services. The BBC examines why listeners’ playlists and the wider charts are increasingly turning to established music.
A musical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is making its U.S. debut at the Public Theater. The production has been in development for nearly 10 years.
The Chicago International Film Festival is marking its 62nd year. NPR highlights the event as the longest-running competitive film festival in North America, bringing world cinema to Chicago.
El Salvador’s president says bodies handed to soldiers in Haiti are not those of Salvadorans abducted last week. The statement adds uncertainty to the search for the missing hostages.
Gunmen killed at least 10 villagers and looted shops in north-east Nigeria, according to the report. Police are searching for additional casualties, and officials warn the death toll could rise.