Edition 57 · Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Here's what happened.
Millions of Medicaid recipients are set to face new eligibility requirements beginning January 1, 2027. The reform law includes a requirement to work 80 hours per month to obtain or keep coverage.
One rider died and several others were injured at Six Flags Over Georgia, according to police. The company temporarily closed nine rides in the U.S. and Canada as a precaution.
Police said newly discovered DNA evidence linked former Chicago homicide detective Thomas McInerney to the 1960 killing of eight-year-old Gloria Kowalewicz. McInerney died in 2006, two decades before authorities identified him as the suspected killer.
Attendees at the twice-yearly Indigenous Peoples Day sunrise ceremony on Alcatraz criticized Gov. Gavin Newsom’s vetoes of tribal bills. The vetoed measures addressed water, sacred sites, and missing and murdered Indigenous people.
California’s boom-and-bust economy contributes to budget volatility. Proposition 2 would double the state’s rainy day fund, potentially reducing the need for future cost-cutting.
President Trump announced a partial ceasefire covering energy infrastructure in the Russia-Ukraine war. Ukraine’s leader says Russia is continuing attacks and ignoring the declaration.
NATO disclosed a blueprint intended to protect European allies supporting Ukraine from possible Russian attacks. The alliance said Russia has intensified sabotage, arson and cyberattacks against European nations.
India’s opposition parties say revisions to voter lists favor Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party. Authorities have removed more than 130 million names from the roll, prompting protests and a march toward the Supreme Court.
Meta released Muse Wonder, its first frontier model, as part of a broader effort to compete at the leading edge of AI. Compared with the lighter Muse Spark, Wonder models are larger and are described as stronger on benchmarks and complex tasks such as coding.
The UK’s AI minister warned that the country’s cyber defences will likely be breached. Kanishka Narayan said the government would use advanced AI to strengthen the UK against cyberattacks.
Apple’s October 13 “Welcome Home” event centered on its smart-home push. The company introduced HomeView, its first smart-home display, alongside cameras, thermostats, and a smart lock made with partners.
WindBorne, a startup using weather balloons and AI to predict weather, won a U.S. Air Force contract worth almost $50 million. The deal expands the company’s role in military technology.
A downturn in the logging industry is making it unprofitable to harvest some federal forests. The resulting buildup of vegetation leaves more fuel available for wildfires.
NASA’s SpaceX CRS-35 mission is sending experiments on human and plant health, as well as drug-resistant organisms, to the International Space Station. The research is intended to support astronaut health during long-duration missions and benefit life on Earth.
Researchers across North America are attaching tiny transmitters to monarch butterflies as the insects begin migrating to Mexico. The tracking is intended to reveal more about their stopovers and the challenges they face.
A Cambridge University study suggests women with autoimmune conditions are up to 74% more likely than men to be told their symptoms are psychological or psychosomatic. The study also found that women face much longer waits for diagnosis and treatment, despite autoimmune conditions affecting about one in 10 people globally.
People who have taken experimental peptides such as BPC-157 report migraines, eye pain and fatigue. KFF Health News reports that determining whether the popular but unproven drugs caused these harms could become harder if they are made more accessible.
Emergency departments are reporting soaring numbers of pediatric trauma accidents involving e-bikes and other micromobility devices. Experts and advocates say the federal government needs to intervene, prompting debate over regulation.
The IMF warned that the war in the Middle East, persistently high energy costs and technological upheaval will slow global growth and push prices higher. It said these pressures will widen the gap between rich and poor countries.
Asian semiconductor shares fell after Broadcom’s chief executive compared parts of the AI investment boom to casino gambling and Chinese chipmaker CXMT reported progress on a new architecture. South Korea’s Kospi fell 6.25%, while Japan’s Nikkei dropped 1.8% and Taiwan’s market lost almost 2%.
Federal agents searched Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home during the 60-day period before the midterm elections. The New York Times notes that the Justice Department has historically avoided investigative steps related to political candidates during that period.
Nearly $22 million in taxpayer funds has been spent on pro-Trump advertisements described by the White House as public service announcements. Nearly half of that spending came after President Trump said a super PAC would fund the ads, raising questions about the use of federal money for political messaging.
Leading the Future, described as the biggest pro-AI super PAC network, has raised large sums backed by Silicon Valley figures. The group has used millions of dollars in Nevada shell companies while promoting pro-AI candidates from both parties.
Jury selection is beginning in the trial of the white supremacist accused of killing 10 people at a Buffalo supermarket in 2022. Prosecutors could seek the death penalty in the case, which followed an attack targeting Black people.
Epic Games delayed an upcoming Disney collaboration and instructed developers to adopt an “AI first” production model. The move shows how generative AI is being incorporated into game-development workflows while a major project is postponed.
A job applicant describes being interviewed by an AI assistant for a preschool education role, calling the experience dehumanising. The commentary raises concerns about AI-led hiring, including the risk of discrimination and the outsourcing of a central hiring task to a machine.
A company agreed to a $500,000 settlement after the EEOC challenged job openings advertised exclusively for men. The commission has repeatedly pursued hiring policies that exclude applicants based on sex, as well as retaliation against HR professionals who hire women.
Rwanda has signed a 10-year deal with Formula 1 to host races, beginning in the early 2030s. It would be the first Formula 1 race in Africa since 1993.
Alexander Zverev is guaranteed to finish the 2026 season as the world number one. He secured the ranking after Carlos Alcaraz suffered a surprise defeat in Shanghai.
Character.AI, an early breakout startup of the generative-AI boom, has filed for bankruptcy. It is selling some of its assets to Disney for $20 million, amid scrutiny and lawsuits over chatbot safety.
Creator Jack Doherty says a Shuffle casino contract could keep him offline for six months. He says he signed the deal without fully reading its terms.
Ludeon Studios is moving RimWorld from Unity to its own Waylith Engine in update 1.7. The studio says performance should improve by around two to four times, while saves and community mods will continue to work despite the engine change.
Xbox leader Asha Sharma has reportedly told employees that the company must create enduring new intellectual properties alongside its established brands. She warned that Xbox cannot survive by relying only on revivals of the past.
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is a new game from Dead Cells developer Evil Empire, marking the classic series’ return on Switch, PS5, Xbox, and PC. Review coverage describes it as a triumphant modern revival, though the individual assessments differ on its Metroidvania elements.
Hello Games is bringing its space simulation No Man’s Sky to iPhone and iPad. The studio says the port was made possible in part by technology developed for its upcoming game Light No Fire.
Housing leaders in San Diego, Austin and Atlanta are testing approaches intended to make building affordable homes faster and easier. The effort comes as rents and homelessness have climbed in San Diego and housing construction remains slow and complicated nationwide.
Facing a competitive job market, college graduates in China are becoming farmers instead of taking corporate jobs. They are bringing smartphones and technology skills to the work.
More students are factoring politics into their college decisions, with students on both the left and right ruling out institutions based on the political climate of their states. The finding comes from the latest Art & Science Group poll.
Actor RJ Mitte, known for playing Walter White Jr. on the Emmy-winning drama “Breaking Bad,” has died at 34. The BBC notes that Mitte lived with cerebral palsy.
A surprise “Doctor Who” Christmas special has been announced after previously appearing unlikely. The special will star a familiar face, according to Polygon.
Critical Role is partnering with Hololive on “Shattered Legends,” a new “Daggerheart” campaign featuring VTuber stars. The campaign will be canon within the world of Exandria.
Hundreds of French supermarkets were targeted in an overnight cyber attack on refrigeration systems. Fresh and frozen food worth millions of euros was spoiled.
Residents of an island say data centres are taking such a heavy toll on water supplies that their taps have been dry for three months. One local told the BBC that not a single drop had come through the taps during that period.