In US News, a federal judge has dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over its reporting on a lewd birthday letter allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump denied writing the letter, while the Journal defended its coverage as accurate and protected reporting on a matter of public interest. The ruling ends the case at the trial-court level, though Trump could appeal.
The administration is asking the Supreme Court to intervene in a dispute over California’s mail-voting rules. The case concerns roughly 20,000 ballots that arrived after Election Day but were postmarked on time. California officials say the ballots were lawfully cast; the administration argues that counting them conflicts with federal election requirements.
A judge has dismissed a criminal complaint accusing two former FBI officials of lying to Congress about information related to Hunter Biden. The decision removes the immediate case but does not resolve broader disputes over the bureau’s conduct. Prosecutors could still amend or refile the allegations.
In World News, the United States carried out limited strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island, according to three US officials who described the action as defensive. Officials did not disclose the targets, weapons used, or whether there were casualties. The Pentagon has not yet released a full account.
China is reportedly testing how large stealth drones could operate from naval vessels. The demonstration involved the unmanned GJ-11 aboard the Type 076 amphibious assault ship Sichuan, which features an electromagnetic catapult and arresting gear. The test suggests Beijing is exploring drones that could extend naval reach while reducing risks to pilots.
The Green Party of England and Wales has abandoned its longstanding opposition to nuclear energy, reflecting a wider debate over how to provide reliable, low-carbon power for an increasingly electrified economy. Supporters point to dependable electricity; critics cite cost, construction time, safety and waste.
In Money, the AI industry is beginning to resemble a new industrial economy, consuming enormous amounts of capital, electricity, hardware and political attention. Anthropic says Claude now writes more than 90 percent of its new code, while revenue has grown 86-fold. But the company has committed nearly $895 billion through 2045 for computing capacity.
The financial momentum is colliding with uncertainty over what AI systems can actually do. One benchmark found the strongest model completed only 12 percent of real-world job tasks, while another showed average performance above 80 percent in caregiving, health and administrative work. The gap suggests that AI capability remains highly dependent on the task.
Markets are beginning to price the risks. CoreWeave’s volatility has reached a record, credit-default swaps for major technology companies have risen to their highest levels since 2021, and Jump Trading has opened a desk to hedge falling GPU rents.
Marvell plans to acquire Lumentum for $115 billion, betting that optical technology will carry more of the data moving through AI systems. Marvell shares nevertheless fell more than 10 percent, as investors demanded clearer evidence that AI spending will produce durable returns.
In Science and Technology, the AI build-out is running into physical limits. Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon and Oracle have disclosed more than $3 trillion in combined commitments for leases, buildings, electricity and computing equipment. Banks are demanding stricter terms as construction delays and uncertain returns raise concerns.
Those limits are increasingly local. Arizona is facing growing opposition to data centers amid severe water stress and reduced Colorado River allocations. Agriculture still accounts for roughly 70 percent of regional water use, while TSMC’s Phoenix plant reportedly consumes in nine days more water than a proposed data center would use in a year. The comparison does not make data centers harmless; it shows the political challenge of deciding which industries receive scarce resources.
Energy availability is shaping the global build-out. Envision plans a three-gigawatt data-center campus in Inner Mongolia, while Boom Supersonic is reportedly shifting attention from its delayed aircraft to gas turbines for data centers. Google’s energy chief says permitting, rather than generation, may now be the main constraint.
AI is also reshaping labor and institutions. Linux maintainers are struggling with a surge of AI-generated patches, while PostgreSQL’s next release could be delayed as back-patches rise. Michigan plans to pilot software that scores inmates’ violence risk in real time, raising questions about bias, transparency and due process.
Physical technology is advancing more slowly. Apple’s first home robot has reportedly been delayed to 2027 or later because its software lagged behind finished hardware. Ford, Rivian and General Motors are expanding 3D printing for production parts, while Toyota’s electric-vehicle sales rose sharply even as its China business weakened.
NASA is confronting resource constraints of its own. Voyager 1 is conserving its dwindling plutonium supply after engineers replaced three heaters, while the agency is asking private companies how they might raise, service or deorbit Hubble by 2032. No mission has yet been funded.
In Sports, the Golden State Valkyries defeated the Atlanta Dream in Game 7 to win the franchise’s first WNBA title. The championship caps a tightly contested series and establishes the Valkyries as a new force in the league. For Atlanta, the defeat ends a determined postseason run just short of the title.
In Entertainment, You Can See Everything and Clayface are competing for the top spot, with each film projected to earn about $10.5 million domestically. The unusually close race reflects a broader slowdown in theatrical attendance and could be decided by final weekend estimates and Monday updates.
The Kennedy Center has selected its 2026 honorees, including playwright and screenwriter David Mamet, singer-songwriter Paul Anka and actor Andy Garcia. The annual honors recognize careers that have shaped American entertainment and culture. Further ceremony and broadcast details are expected later.
The Try Guys are returning with Season 9 of Without a Recipe, bringing contestants back for elaborate dishes, improvised techniques and inevitable kitchen mishaps. JonnyCakes, known for Is It Cake?, joins the competition as a professional dessert specialist. A premiere date and contestant list have not yet been announced.
Finally, in Science and Technology, Xiaomi delivered more than 50,000 electric vehicles in October, its strongest monthly performance reported so far in 2026. The milestone reflects the company’s expanding production capacity and its effort to compete with China’s leading EV manufacturers.
Scientists are tracking monarch butterfly migration across North America to identify critical breeding, resting and overwintering grounds. The research could guide efforts to restore milkweed and native wildflowers, reduce pesticide exposure and protect habitats affected by climate change.
Researchers are also studying how mechanical pressure on mice’s leg bones triggered anti-aging proteins, producing stronger bones, improved cognitive performance and nearly three additional months of life. The findings are preliminary but suggest that physical signals may influence aging in ways scientists are only beginning to understand.
The wider lesson is that technology does not operate in isolation. AI can accelerate software, medicine, logistics and research, but its impact depends on power, water, memory, labor, trust and public consent. The next phase of the technology race will be decided not only by who builds the largest model, but by who can govern its consequences.