Edition 80 · Thursday, November 5, 2026
Here's what happened.
Six people died and seven others were injured, including three firefighters, after a fire tore through a residential home in Brooklyn early Thursday. More than 200 first responders attended the blaze, and firefighters found a lithium-ion battery at the scene.
Democrats won control of state governments in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Nevada, while also winning legislative chambers in Texas, Georgia and North Carolina. The results extended the party’s gains beyond Congress and reshaped state-level political power.
Democrat Xavier Becerra is California’s governor-elect. Unlike his predecessor, he made few campaign promises and only hinted at his policy priorities.
California billionaires backed Proposition 42 to counter a proposed wealth tax, and voters approved it. The measure creates a new obstacle to future wealth taxes.
ICE officers detained Erik Zepeda, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen with disabilities, as he walked to high school in Santa Maria, California. His wrist was broken and later required surgery, prompting outrage and calls from California leaders for an investigation into alleged racial profiling.
Some Iranian clerics and officials are calling for the country to abandon its longstanding pledge not to build a nuclear weapon. The calls followed the war with the United States and reflect arguments that Iran must rebuild deterrence.
Ukraine says body-camera video shows a deadly Russian “double-tap” bombing of a village. Kyiv says at least 40 people were killed and another 30 may still be under the rubble after Monday’s attack.
Agility has become the first publicly traded pure-play humanoid robotics company. Its shares began trading on the Nasdaq today.
Meta has acquired AI coding startup Conductor. The startup lets software engineers deploy teams of agents to work on different parts of a project simultaneously.
NASA says it is accelerating its Artemis plans to return Americans to the lunar surface in 2028. The agency is advancing toward an Artemis III test flight in 2027 and provided updates on Artemis IV.
Researchers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope studied 37 nearby dwarf galaxies, including NGC 4449. They found that much of the oxygen they expected to see is missing, raising a mystery about these small galaxies.
An extremely rare matter-decay event is giving particle physicists a first glimpse into scales 100 billion times smaller than an atom. The result opens new possibilities for studying the physical world in the “zeptoverse.”
An 80-cent maternal drape is helping address one of the world’s most persistent causes of death in childbirth. The low-cost device is saving thousands of women from dying during delivery.
Cocaine has become the leading cause of drug-related deaths in England and Wales, overtaking heroin. Deaths linked to cocaine use have nearly quadrupled over the past decade.
A study finds that replacing dairy milk, cheese and yoghurt with plant-based alternatives could reduce intake of iodine, calcium, riboflavin and vitamin B12 when products are not fortified. Young people and women may be particularly at risk, prompting researchers to call for more iodine fortification.
Social media claims that dark circles, hair loss and dry skin reveal iron deficiency are being challenged. Experts explain how low iron is actually diagnosed and treated, and why many people struggle to maintain adequate iron levels.
The Bank of England has raised interest rates from 3.75% to 4%, the first increase in more than three years. Most analysts had expected the move.
The pound has reached its highest level against a basket of currencies since the Brexit referendum a decade ago. The move marks a significant milestone for sterling.
Democrats’ sweeping midterm victory is expected to give Congress a stronger role in checking President Trump. They are positioned to reclaim some legislative powers and pursue investigations after Republicans helped the president expand executive power over the past two years.
Voters considered 146 statewide ballot measures during the midterm cycle. The measures covered abortion, LGBTQ rights, wealth taxes, redistricting, guns and other issues.
Voters approved nearly every data-center moratorium placed on ballots in Tuesday’s elections, with measures considered in at least 40 jurisdictions across 10 states. The results signaled broad opposition to large facilities associated with the technology industry and artificial intelligence.
Democrats are likely to investigate Elon Musk’s influence after the midterms. Potential scrutiny includes his leadership of DOGE and government contracts.
Canva is restructuring in a move affecting nearly 1,300 employees, or about 22% of its staff. The company says departing workers will receive six months of salary, continued healthcare, career support and other benefits, including grants for new projects and permission to keep their laptops.
AI is changing how clients buy work from solo businesses, with some companies shifting spending from freelance marketplaces toward AI providers. The article says freelancers face pressure for lower prices and more AI-generated feedback, while human judgment, expertise and personal relationships remain differentiators.
The U.S. Department of Labor has opened applications for an apprentice payment program. Eligible apprenticeship programs cover fields including information technology, shipbuilding and defense, and semiconductor production.
LIV Golf is set to wind down after a financing firm withdrew its support. The development could mark a major change for professional golf’s recent landscape.
Como beat Lens 9-1 away, with Anastasios Douvikas scoring a hat-trick. The result was the biggest away win in Champions League history.
ChatGPT can now generate GIFs from text prompts or images. OpenAI introduced the capability alongside its Images 2.6 AI image-generation model.
Husk, an influencer known for exposing chatbot shortcomings in viral posts, has drawn outreach from OpenAI, Anthropic, and SpaceXSI. The story highlights how AI labs are engaging with a creator who regularly critiques their products.
Instagram is offering one-off payouts and premium placements to attract creators making long-form content. The effort addresses the platform’s lack of the more robust payout system offered by YouTube.
Analytics firm Sensor Tower estimates that Grand Theft Auto 6 has generated more than $750 million in preorders across PlayStation 5 and Xbox. The figure was reported two weeks before the game’s release date.
An analysis of more than 300 game studios acquired by larger companies since 2000 found that one in three has since shut down. Half of those closures occurred within five years of acquisition.
God of War Laufey has been delayed by three months and will now release on May 20, 2027, instead of February. Sony Santa Monica is moving the PS5 exclusive away from a crowded release month.
PlayStation monthly active users across PS4 and PS5 reached 127 million in September, a 7% year-on-year increase and a new record high. Sony’s results also linked the platform’s success to Marvel’s Wolverine.
A forthcoming Milburn review will recommend that the British government create and subsidize paid jobs for thousands of disabled young people. Its proposals include flexible jobs, employment subsidies and intensive skills support for disabled and chronically ill people aged 16 to 24.
Americans facing high prices are increasingly relying on their local libraries. Libraries are being used for books and streaming services, as well as costly items such as musical instruments and sewing machines.
Juan Atkins, who helped invent techno music, has died at 64. He combined the futurism of Kraftwerk with the funk of George Clinton, helping make Detroit a capital of the genre.
The latest Godzilla film returns the monster to terrorize survivors of his previous rampage and confront a new foe. The review describes the sequel as dazzling and darkly haunted.
Democrats’ victory in Texas has opened the possibility of a major policy change that could expand health insurance coverage. The gains include winning the governor’s seat for the first time since the 1990s and possibly taking control of the state House.
Democrats have gained control of a powerful litigation channel after the midterm elections. The change could reshape how aggressively Texas challenges federal policies in court.