Daily Brief

US

Business jet crashes in South Florida neighborhood, killing all nine aboard

A Learjet 60 carrying nine people crashed near a roadway in the Cresthaven area of Palm Beach County, Florida, at about 12:50 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, killing everyone on board, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. The FAA said the jet had departed Austin, Texas, for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Gov. Ron DeSantis said there were no reports of injuries on the ground. Those aboard had not been identified. The NTSB is leading the investigation with FAA support; no cause has been determined.

AP · NBC News · Washington Post

Halloween weekend shootings in Dallas and Birmingham leave five dead

Three shootings in Dallas's Deep Ellum entertainment district between about 12:20 a.m. and 1:35 a.m. Sunday killed four people and injured about 15, Police Chief Daniel Comeaux said; he said there was no information yet linking them and some people had been arrested. In Birmingham, Alabama, two shootings near Legion Field after Saturday's Magic City Classic football game killed a teenager and wounded others, officials said. Mayor Randall Woodfin said a 17-year-old with a gun fitted with a conversion device was in custody on a 48-hour hold.

ABC News · Dallas Morning News · AL.com · WBRC

Politics & Elections

Rep. Haley Stevens endorses Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan Senate race

Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for U.S. Senate on Sunday after appearing with him at a Detroit church. She narrowly lost the August Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed. In a video, Stevens said El-Sayed had told her she was "no longer welcome in his campaign," and she announced her support for Rogers. The endorsement followed her removal from a joint event with El-Sayed planned for the same day. The race is one of several that could decide which party controls the Senate.

NPR · CBS News

• Update: Early midterm vote passes 54 million, a record. More than 54 million Americans had voted early in person or by mail as of Nov. 1, up from about 43 million a few days earlier, according to the University of Florida Election Lab; the total is above the roughly 45.9 million early votes cast before Election Day in 2022. USA Today · Al Jazeera · UF Election Lab
• Sen. Chris Murphy hospitalized after stroke. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., 53, had a stroke Oct. 31 at his son's hockey game and was transferred to Johns Hopkins, where he is "awake and alert" and expected to fully recover, his chief of staff said. CBS News · BBC

Business

S&P 500 falls 1.8% on Oct. 30 as tech selloff closes out October

The S&P 500 dropped 140.32 points, or 1.8%, on Friday, Oct. 30, to 7,580.07, its worst day since June, as worries grew that AI stock prices had run too high, the AP reported. The Nasdaq composite fell 2.9% to 25,437.00 and the Dow lost 1.1% to 51,770.31. For October, the Nasdaq lost 5.3%, its worst month since March 2025. The S&P 500 fell 0.9% and the Dow gained 1.7%, according to InvestingLive and The Financial Wire.

AP · InvestingLive · The Financial Wire

AI

Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic back a single robots.txt opt-out from AI training

Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic said Friday they will honor one shared robots.txt signal that lets websites opt out of generative-AI training with a single rule, instead of separate rules for each company's crawler. The signal comes from an IETF draft by Anthropic's Kevin Kelley. Anthropic already supports it, OpenAI says it will within months, and Google plans to start in early 2027 and Microsoft on Feb. 1, 2027. The signal doesn't affect search visibility, doesn't undo past scraping, and Microsoft said it creates no licensing or payment arrangements.

Engadget · The Next Web

• Anthropic extends EU AI Act text watermarks to four older Claude models. Starting Nov. 3, Anthropic will watermark output from Claude Mythos 5, Opus 4.7, Opus 4.6 and Sonnet 4.6, including via cloud partners, under the EU's AI-content transparency code. Detection remains in private preview. Anthropic · Mashable · The Decoder
• Apple sets December China launch for Apple Intelligence, with Alibaba's Qwen built in. Apple said Oct. 31 that Apple Intelligence will reach China with iOS 27.3 in December after a developer beta from Nov. 4, and Alibaba's Qwen model will be available inside Siri, Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence. South China Morning Post · Xinhua

Tech

Intel stock falls nearly 29%, its worst day since 1974, on weak fourth-quarter outlook

Intel shares closed down nearly 29% on Friday, Oct. 30, after the chipmaker forecast fourth-quarter revenue of $15 billion to $16 billion and adjusted earnings of 25 cents a share, below analysts' expectations of about $17 billion and 43 cents, according to Yahoo Finance and CNBC. Intel said a weak PC market, driven by higher memory prices, and the effects of an explosion at its Israel fab are weighing on results, even though its third-quarter data-center revenue rose to $7.3 billion. The drop cut about $140 billion from Intel's market value, Yahoo Finance reported, and CNBC said it reduced the value of the U.S. government's roughly 10% stake by about $12 billion. Intel's CFO said the PC slowdown should continue at least through the first half of 2027.

Yahoo Finance · CNBC

• Alphabet has its worst day on record and Amazon slips after earnings, as AI-spending worries hit tech. CNBC reported that Alphabet fell more than 12% on Thursday, Oct. 29, its worst day on record, and dropped again Friday, while Amazon slid 1.4% after missing third-quarter expectations and keeping its 2026 capital-spending forecast at $220 billion. The Nasdaq Composite fell 2.9% on Friday, and Qualcomm and Broadcom also fell sharply, as investors questioned whether big AI investments will pay off. Yahoo Finance said Dell and HP also slid, adding to a tech sell-off that has hit Alphabet and Amazon after their earnings this week. CNBC · Yahoo Finance

Law & Courts

Ninth Circuit lets Idaho enforce abortion ban during appeal

A divided Ninth Circuit panel on Friday stayed a district court injunction that had barred Idaho from enforcing its near-total abortion ban where a pregnancy posed a serious risk to a woman's health. In a 2-1 order, Judges Kim Wardlaw and Consuelo Callahan said Dr. Stacy Seyb is unlikely to establish a constitutional right to health-preserving abortions under Dobbs. Judge Marsha Berzon dissented. The order is not a ruling on the merits. Idaho law now permits abortion only when necessary to prevent the woman's death.

Courthouse News Service · Ninth Circuit

Appeals court reinstates "Sunday Ticket" antitrust liability verdict against NFL

The Ninth Circuit on Friday reversed a judge's 2024 decision that overturned a jury verdict finding the NFL violated antitrust law by selling its "Sunday Ticket" out-of-market package only through DirecTV at inflated prices. The panel held the trial judge exceeded his gatekeeping role under Rule 702 by excluding the subscribers' expert testimony, but upheld his order for a new damages trial, agreeing the jury miscalculated its $4.7 billion award.

Ninth Circuit · AP · The Wrap

Judge dismisses Trump's $10 billion suit against Wall Street Journal with prejudice

U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami on Oct. 31 dismissed President Trump's amended defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones and Rupert Murdoch over the paper's July 2025 report on a birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein bearing Trump's name. The judge ruled Trump again failed to plausibly allege actual malice and dismissed with prejudice, barring refiling of the claim in federal court. He did not decide whether Trump wrote the letter, which Trump denies. Trump sought $10 billion and plans to appeal, according to CNBC.

AP · CNBC · Politico

• Update: Judge dismisses DOJ suit over Alaska "two Sullivans" ballots. U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason on Nov. 1 dismissed the Justice Department's suit seeking to segregate ballots for Dan J. Sullivan and delay certification, citing lack of standing and ballot secrecy; DOJ has appealed. Anchorage Daily News · CNBC

Global

Update: Qatar mediates third day of Iran talks on plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Iranian negotiators held a third consecutive day of talks with Qatari mediators in Doha on Sunday, an official briefed on the talks told Reuters. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said discussions on a "two-day proposal" to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after any deal with Washington were continuing but had reached no conclusion. The Guardian reported Qatar is seeking release of more than $6 billion in Iranian assets. UAE adviser Anwar Gargash urged a diplomatic solution.

Reuters · The Guardian · AP

Update: Kherson truce ends after nearly 800 evacuated from Oleshky

The six-day local ceasefire around Russian-occupied Oleshky and the wider Kherson region expired Sunday night with no violations reported, the longest pause in fighting since 2022. First lady Melania Trump, who helped broker it with Pope Leo XIV's involvement, said nearly 800 people were evacuated. A Ukrainian official told AFP Russia declined Kyiv's offer to extend it. Elsewhere, President Zelensky said Russian strikes cut power to hundreds of thousands of households, and Russian officials reported damage after Ukrainian drone attacks on Nizhny Novgorod region.

Reuters · BBC · Al Jazeera

UN Western Sahara mission ends after 35 years amid Security Council split

The UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) ceased operations Sunday after its mandate expired. On Friday, Russia vetoed a US draft that backed Morocco's autonomy plan and would have ended the mission next year; a rival Russian extension failed to win the nine votes needed. Secretary-General António Guterres said the departure does not remove Sahrawis' right to self-determination and that envoy Staffan de Mistura will continue work. The UN said the mission will carry out an orderly withdrawal.

UN News · AP

• Update: Israeli election chief says results stand despite interference probe. Central Elections Committee chairman Noam Sohlberg said Sunday that suspicions of foreign funding, even if substantiated, would not undermine the results, and officials announced a joint Shin Bet, police and prosecution investigation. Likud has alleged without evidence that Qatar-funded Arab parties "stole" the vote; Qatar called that disinformation. Ynet · AP · The Jerusalem Post
• Iliana Iotova elected Bulgaria's first female president. Acting President Iotova won Sunday's runoff with 57.6% to Andrey Gyurov's 39.5%, final election commission data show; turnout was about 27%. Reuters · Radio Bulgaria
• Riots in Frankfurt after German youth protests; more than 100 police hurt. Tens of thousands joined largely peaceful "Gen Z regelt" protests in more than 30 German cities Oct. 31; in Frankfurt, stores were looted and over 100 officers injured, with 54 arrests, Hesse's interior minister said. Tagesschau · ZDF

Security & Intelligence

Update: FBI attributes $6 billion Binance theft to North Korea

The FBI said Oct. 31 that North Korea was responsible for the theft of more than $6 billion in virtual assets from Binance on or about Oct. 29, naming the activity "TraderTraitor," the group it also blamed for the 2025 Bybit hack. With the Secret Service and IRS-CI, it published hundreds of laundering addresses and asked exchanges and DeFi services to block them. Users withdrew about $3.6 billion after Binance reopened withdrawals, and the company said it has covered about 95% of the stolen assets, the BBC reported.

FBI · AP · BBC

• Former Fort Bragg contractor charged with leaking classified military videos. The Justice Department said Oct. 30 that James Thomas Ashbacher, 37, a former security contractor at Army Special Operations Command, was arrested and charged with allegedly posting classified operational images to social media and stealing night-vision goggles. Justice Department · News & Observer
• Russia's statistics agency reports cyberattacks; hackers claim data theft. Rosstat said its sites were attacked Oct. 29-Nov. 1 but no data was compromised. Belarusian Cyber Partisans and Silent Crow claimed they stole 23 terabytes, including data on Russian war losses. The claim has not been verified. Reuters · Moscow Times

Construction, Infrastructure & Manufacturing

U.S. Steel breaks ground on $1.9 billion iron plant in Arkansas

U.S. Steel broke ground Oct. 30 on a $1.9 billion direct reduced iron (DRI) facility at its Big River Steel Works in Osceola, Arkansas, according to the company. The plant will process ore from U.S. Steel's Minnesota mines into DRI fed hot into the electric arc furnaces of the adjacent Big River 2 mill, replacing prime scrap. The company expects about 200 permanent jobs and up to 2,000 construction jobs at peak. Site preparation is underway, construction is expected to begin later in 2026, with first production targeted for early 2029, officials said.

U.S. Steel · KAIT · Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Science & Health

Congo's Ebola death toll passes 5,000

Deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak have reached 5,026 among 10,351 confirmed cases, according to Congolese health authorities' latest figures, released Oct. 30-31. The case fatality rate is about 48.6%. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment. It was declared in mid-May and has reached 67 of the country's 178 health zones, with Ituri and North Kivu the main hotspots. It is the second-deadliest Ebola outbreak on record.

AP · BBC

• FDA grants accelerated approval to first plasmid DNA-based immunotherapy. On Oct. 30, the FDA approved Inovio's Voceryq for adults with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. It is intended to reduce how often patients need surgery. Under accelerated approval, continued approval may depend on a confirmatory trial. FDA · Inovio

Energy & Climate

Core OPEC+ group holds December output targets steady

Seven core OPEC+ producers, including Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iraq, agreed on Sunday, Nov. 1, to keep December production targets at September levels, OPEC said. According to Reuters, most Gulf members are still producing below their targets because the Iran war has disrupted exports through the Strait of Hormuz. The National reported Brent trading above $117 a barrel. The full 21-country group meets Nov. 29 and is expected to set 2027 quotas.

OPEC · Reuters · The National

Level Up

Run a 10-minute premortem before any big commitment

Before kicking off a project, deal or race plan, tell the team (or yourself): "It's six months from now and this failed badly. Write down every reason why," then spend two minutes each listing causes silently before sharing. Psychologist Gary Klein developed this "premortem" method, building on research by Mitchell, Russo and Pennington (1989) finding that imagining an event has already happened ("prospective hindsight") increased people's ability to identify reasons for future outcomes by about 30%. Close by picking the top two or three failure causes and assigning one concrete mitigation and owner to each, for example: "Client data access delayed -> request credentials this week, owner: me."

Harvard Business Review · Journal of Behavioral Decision Making

Set a caffeine cutoff at least 6 hours before bed

In a small randomized, placebo-controlled home study (Drake et al., 2013), 400 mg of caffeine taken even 6 hours before bedtime cut total sleep by more than 1 hour, as measured by an in-home sleep monitor, while participants' own sleep diaries showed no significant effect at 6 hours. If you aim for bed at 10:00 p.m., make 2:00 p.m. your last coffee or pre-workout, and treat heavy late doses as costing you sleep you won't feel losing. The FDA cites 400 mg a day, about two to three 12-oz cups of coffee, as an amount not generally linked with negative effects for most adults; caffeine in energy drinks and gels varies, so check labels on training fuel. Try a two-week cutoff and compare your sleep tracker or morning energy against the prior two weeks.

Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine · U.S. FDA