Edition 70 · Monday, October 26, 2026
Here's what happened.
Hurricane Helene destroyed hundreds of private bridges that western North Carolina households relied on to reach their homes in 2024. Two years later, the state has rebuilt only 44 of them, leaving residents facing prolonged access problems.
A US startup has demonstrated using mirrors in space to reflect sunlight onto Earth at night. The test startled residents in rural California and drew criticism from scientists, environmentalists and local residents over the plan to deploy thousands of such mirrors.
Peta released video footage showing newborn macaques undergoing neurological experiments at the University of Washington’s National Primate Research Center. Records say the monkeys were separated from their mothers and used in research on domoic acid after prenatal exposure to the toxin, in a project that ran through 2020.
Proposition 45 is intended to make it easier to build housing in California. But some pro-housing groups worry the measure could lead to more sprawl, exposing a significant divide among supporters of housing construction.
A new reform will give California’s governor more power over schools by allowing the governor to appoint a newly created education commissioner. The reform also changes the state superintendent’s job, creating a major opportunity to reshape education policy.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won a fourth term, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro in a bitterly contested runoff. The result keeps Brazil’s left in power after a closely watched election in Latin America’s largest economy.
Russia says it will open a humanitarian corridor to the occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky. NPR reports that residents have been trapped by minefields, shelling and drones and are struggling to survive.
The owners of Elvis Presley’s music are suing Anthropic for $41 million, alleging the AI company used Presley’s songs to train its models without permission. Anthropic disagrees with the claims.
AI agents are pitching editors on reported stories and investigative features. The examples highlighted are named Jayden, Sam, and Zack, but each is an AI agent rather than a human journalist.
An iFixit teardown of Apple’s iPhone Duo found details about how the company may be concealing the crease in its folding screen. The device received a 5/10 repairability score, which iFixit described as its best score in that assessment context.
Tesla is turning to Turo to encourage adoption of its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software. Eligible Turo hosts will receive a one-month free trial.
Scientists know that Neanderthals shared many sophisticated abilities with Homo sapiens. Researchers are investigating why Homo sapiens became the only surviving human species.
A spill of 18 tonnes of plastic pellets occurred in the Tyne in July. Important questions about the incident and its consequences remain unanswered.
Satellites are being used to track the changing colours of autumn leaves. The technology brings a traditional leaf-peeping activity into a new, space-based perspective.
Measles cases in the United States have more than doubled compared with last year as an outbreak spreads. Pennsylvania has recorded at least 1,338 confirmed cases across 44 counties, according to the state Department of Health.
Merck presented results from an mRNA melanoma vaccine trial at a European cancer conference. The results showed reduced recurrence or death from skin cancer when the vaccine was used alongside an immunotherapy drug.
People from minority ethnic backgrounds in England were up to a third less likely to receive a breast cancer diagnosis through routine screening, research found. The analysis covered 86,564 adults diagnosed between 2009 and 2019, and found these patients were more likely to be diagnosed after an urgent referral or in an emergency setting.
A proposed federal rule could sharply reduce access to remote patient-monitoring programs for people on Medicare. These services provide devices to monitor health at home and aim to help keep patients out of hospital, while critics say oversight is insufficient.
European wholesale gas prices reached €97 per megawatt-hour, their highest level since 2022. Prices rose as colder weather increased heating demand and traders worried about further Middle East supply disruptions affecting winter supplies.
Five charts examine the state of the US economy during Trump’s second term as midterm elections approach. The analysis focuses on Americans’ continued concern about higher prices and the administration’s promises to reduce inflation.
China’s real GDP grew 4.5% year over year in the third quarter, slightly exceeding the 4.4% consensus expectation. Goldman Sachs economist Hui Shan cited the figure as China’s economy continued to grow faster than the United States.
The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit challenging a potential narrow loss by the Republican Senate incumbent in Alaska. The move represents a pre-emptive effort by President Trump to shape the election results before they are settled.
Republicans redrew congressional district lines to tilt the midterms in their favor, but the strategy has produced expensive and competitive races. The contests could undermine the party’s effort to outmaneuver Democrats through redistricting.
Britain’s largest employers warn that a planned overhaul of apprenticeship funding could undermine efforts to address the youth jobs crisis. Ministers are understood to be considering raising the cost of training workers over 25 in England by 25%, encouraging firms to train younger people instead.
Surveys indicate a gap between how executives and workers view the rollout of artificial intelligence. CEOs say implementation is going well, while employees report a different experience.
Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 at Camp Nou in the first El Clasico of the season. The victory opens up La Liga.
Defending champions Australia came from behind to beat Fiji 36-22 in their second Rugby League World Cup pool match. The result sends Australia through to the semi-finals with one pool game remaining.
Copper prices are at record highs, and TikTok creators are capitalizing on interest in stripping wire. The trend includes teaching viewers how to do it and selling them the tools.
Stephen King and Elon Musk clashed on X over the U.S. Senate race in Texas. The exchange centers on the midterm contest and involves two prominent public figures on the platform.
Grok released the first seven minutes of its AI-generated film ‘Odyssey.’ TechCrunch described the footage as technically acceptable but lacking artistry, inspiration, or human interest.
Meta launched a new Instagram app on Apple TV. The app brings Reels, long-form video, and live shows to the television platform, enabling Instagram viewing from the couch.
Microsoft has extended the consultation period for Arkane Lyon by one month while it seeks a new buyer for the studio. Development of Marvel's Blade is continuing, and Microsoft is exploring outside support for the project.
Creative Assembly says Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition was not developed by the studio after the release was pulled amid concerns about generative AI. The company has issued a statement about the AI use that led to the game's removal from sale.
Reviews have placed Phantom Blade Zero among the highest-rated games of 2026 on Metacritic. The S-Game action title draws on Wuxia and has been praised in the review roundup for its position among this year's Soulslikes.
A petition calling on EA to save Mass Effect has surpassed 187,000 signatures following BioWare's closure. The campaign reflects continuing fan support for the sci-fi RPG series.
After returning to power promising a closed border and mass deportations, President Trump has reshaped U.S. immigration policy in five significant ways. The BBC reviews how those signature policies have played out.
NPR spoke with more than a dozen special-education teachers about the work’s most rewarding and difficult moments. Their experiences help explain why special-education teaching positions are so hard to fill.
“Clayface” remained No. 1 at the box office, while “You Can See Everything,” a documentary about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, surged in its second weekend. The New York Times examines the contrasting box-office performance.
Amazon’s “Fourth Wing” adaptation is reportedly close to leaving pre-production, with filming expected to begin soon. Reports also identify a filming window and location for the show.
The International Weightlifting Federation has chosen Russia to host a world championships. It is the first Olympic federation to select Russia for a world event since the country's invasion of Ukraine.
A nurse was killed while responding to an Ebola alert in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Local youths reportedly accused health workers of contaminating water sources and spreading Ebola.