Alphabet shares fell nearly 13% on Thursday, and the company’s market value dropped by just over $500 billion after it reported that AI summaries were affecting search ad sales. Alphabet, Amazon and Microsoft all reported large AI-related investments, while investors weighed those costs against the companies’ core businesses and cash flow.
Key Facts
Alphabet’s market value fell from $3.97 trillion to $3.46 trillion.
Alphabet revenue rose 25% year over year to $127.6 billion, while profit fell 25%.
Alphabet reported negative free cash flow of more than $9 billion, which the article linked largely to AI investment.
Google said AI summaries in search affected the number of ads it sold during the quarter.
Google Cloud revenue grew 103% to nearly $31 billion.
Amazon shares fell 6% in after-hours trading after it reported quarterly sales growth of 11% to $201 billion and negative cash flow of $42 billion.
Microsoft shares fell less than 1%; its quarterly revenue grew 19% to $92.3 billion, and cloud revenue grew 30% to $63 billion.
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Families in Tunisia are seeking information about men who went to Russia for work or study and were then forcibly conscripted to fight in the war in Ukraine. The report also covers lingering fear in Tanzania a year after a controversial election and preparations for an Olympic event in Dakar, described as the first held on African soil.
Key Facts
Some Tunisian men travelled to Russia for work or study.
The men were forcibly conscripted to fight in the war in Ukraine, according to the program description.
Their families in Tunisia are still seeking answers about their fate.
The report also discusses fear in Tanzania a year after a controversial election.
Dakar is preparing to host an Olympic event this weekend.
The program describes the Dakar event as the first Olympic event held on African soil.
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Reddit plans to test a login requirement in select markets outside the U.S. in Q4, CEO Steve Huffman said in a shareholder letter. The company says logged-in use could support ad targeting and user engagement as search referrals decline; it will use the tests to shape a possible global rollout.
Key Facts
Huffman said Reddit is shifting toward a primarily logged-in experience.
Reddit plans to begin testing the login requirement in select non-U.S. markets in Q4.
Huffman said Reddit's search referral traffic fell meaningfully in Q3, with logged-out and web traffic taking the largest hit.
In October, search referrals declined by an average of more than 1 million per week, according to Huffman.
Huffman said continued referral declines could lead Q4 daily active unique users to fall by a low-double-digit percentage from a base of 130 million.
Reddit's average daily active unique users rose 12 percent year over year in Q3.
Reddit reported Q3 net income of $283 million on revenue of $895 million.
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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are set to welcome trick-or-treaters to the White House on Thursday evening for the annual Halloween celebration. The event follows Trump’s return from South Carolina, where he rallied support for Republicans ahead of next week’s midterm elections.
Key Facts
Donald Trump and Melania Trump are hosting the White House Halloween celebration.
The event is scheduled for Thursday evening.
The celebration is an annual event.
Trump returned from South Carolina earlier that day.
Trump rallied support for Republicans in South Carolina.
The rally took place ahead of next week’s midterm elections.
The first couple is expected to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters.
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A CNN/SSRS poll released Thursday found Democrats with narrow leads in the Kansas and Maine Senate races. Both leads were within the poll’s margin of error, with only a few days remaining before the election.
Key Facts
CNN/SSRS released the survey on Thursday.
The poll found Democrats narrowly ahead in the Kansas Senate race.
The poll found Democrats narrowly ahead in the Maine Senate race.
Both Democratic leads were within the margin of error.
The election was only a few days away when the poll was released.
Both parties were spending millions on the races.
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Alaska’s governor requested an investigation into Mary Peltola’s Senate campaign. The New York Times reported that people aligned with the campaign were involved in recruiting Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., who shares a name with Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan.
Key Facts
Alaska’s governor requested an investigation into Peltola’s Senate campaign.
The New York Times reported that people aligned with Peltola’s campaign were involved in recruiting a candidate.
The recruited candidate was identified as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.
Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. shares a name with Alaska’s Republican incumbent senator.
Alaska Beacon reporter James Brooks and CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang discussed the report.
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A severe housing shortage in Ivory Coast has increased demand for land and created opportunities for fraudsters selling fake properties and plots that do not exist. The program also reports on the success of Kenyan women athletes and Addis Ababa’s plans to become a clean-energy hub in East Africa.
Key Facts
Ivory Coast faces a severe housing shortage.
High demand for land in Ivory Coast has created opportunities for real estate fraud.
Fraudsters sell fake properties and plots that do not exist.
The program covers women athletes in Kenya, including athletes in track and boxing.
The program reports on Addis Ababa’s plans to become a clean-energy powerhouse in East Africa.
The report is an episode of France 24’s Across Africa, issued on October 29, 2026.
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U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper briefed President Donald Trump on the Iran conflict, including the naval blockade, efforts to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz and economic pressure on Iran. The briefing came as regional mediators seek to restart U.S.-Iran negotiations, while Iranian officials say the U.S. must take several steps before talks resume.
Key Facts
Two U.S. officials said Cooper briefed Trump on Thursday about the blockade and the state of the conflict.
Cooper also discussed a military operation to guide oil tankers out of the Strait of Hormuz and an economic pressure campaign coordinated with the Treasury Department.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff attended, according to the officials.
Qatar-led regional mediators are working to prevent a resumption of fighting after the U.S. midterm elections and promote negotiations, a regional source said.
Vice President JD Vance proposed restarting talks in a letter delivered to Iran's Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, according to the article.
A source said Trump and Vance discussed sending humanitarian goods to Iran; Trump later publicly supported the idea.
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said the United States and Iran were close to an agreement to reduce tensions.
Iranian officials said the U.S. should lift the blockade, release frozen Iranian funds and allow Iran to sell oil before nuclear negotiations resume.
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The Pentagon’s FORTRESS initiative aims to help military installations keep operating during disruptions to energy and supply networks. Separately, the Army’s Janus program plans to place nuclear microreactors at five bases, with the first expected to operate by September 2028.
Key Facts
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced FORTRESS in a September 30 memo.
FORTRESS includes five areas: energy independence, supply-chain and defense industrial base resilience, a strategic defense reserve, installation hardening and cyber resilience, and resilience in space and spectrum.
The Army selected Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Campbell in Kentucky, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Benning in Georgia, and Fort Drum in New York for the first Janus microreactors.
The Army announced the Janus sites and vendors in August.
The microreactors are intended to provide power during grid outages and other emergencies.
The Army aims to have the first Janus microreactor operational by September 2028.
The article says officials have not described FORTRESS or Janus as responses to a specific imminent threat.
The article says FORTRESS aims to help bases operate for up to 90 days during disruptions, and that the initiative could take years to enact.
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As the 2026 midterms approach, states are preparing for the election while some adopt new congressional maps and voting rules. The Justice Department plans to send 1,000 election monitors across all 50 states, more than twice the number it sent for the 2022 midterms.
Key Facts
States are preparing for the 2026 midterm elections.
Some states have adopted new congressional maps.
Some states have changed voting rules.
The Justice Department plans to deploy 1,000 election monitors.
The monitors are planned for all 50 states.
The planned total is more than double the number sent during the 2022 midterms.
PBS News' Liz Landers and Votebeat editorial director Jessica Huseman held a Reddit question-and-answer session on election security.
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A train crash near Urda in central Spain killed 69 people and injured more than 100 on Wednesday. Among those identified were 24-year-old long jumper Julieta Gallego and former employment minister Fátima Báñez, 59; authorities said the death toll could rise.
Key Facts
The crash involved a high-speed Renfe train and a stationary Iryo train on the same track.
The impact caused carriages to derail.
More than 100 people were injured, many seriously.
Officials transferred victims’ bodies to a forensics institute in Toledo, where families provided DNA samples for identification.
Gallego competed for Madrid athletics club AD Sprint and had a personal best long jump of 5.9 metres.
Báñez served as employment minister from 2011 to 2018 under Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.
The Civil Guard confirmed the death of its officer José Manuel Chacón, 31.
Spain’s tax authority confirmed the death of lawyer Antonio Montero Domínguez.
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A report alleges that former Rep. Mary Peltola’s campaign recruited candidates to draw votes away from incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. Republicans have called for legal consequences, while Democratic lawmakers have largely stayed silent so far.
Key Facts
Mary Peltola is a Democrat from Alaska and a former member of the House.
Dan Sullivan is the incumbent Republican senator from Alaska.
A report alleges that Peltola’s campaign recruited candidates to run on the ballot.
The report describes those candidates as “spoilers” who could siphon votes from Sullivan.
Many Republicans have called for legal consequences.
Democratic lawmakers have not publicly rushed to defend Peltola, according to the article.
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Amazon reported third-quarter sales of $201.94 billion and net income of $20.69 billion, both below analysts’ expectations. AWS sales grew 39.3%, while Amazon forecast fourth-quarter sales below analysts’ estimates at the midpoint of its range.
Key Facts
Amazon’s third-quarter sales rose from $180.17 billion a year earlier to $201.94 billion.
Net income was $20.69 billion, or $1.89 per share, compared with $21.19 billion, or $1.95 per share, a year earlier.
Analysts had expected earnings of $1.97 per share and sales of $202.2 billion, according to FactSet.
AWS sales grew 39.3% in the quarter, up from 37% in the previous quarter; Amazon said this was its fastest growth rate in nearly five years.
Amazon forecast fourth-quarter sales of $240 billion to $247 billion, a 12% to 16% increase from a year earlier; analysts expected $244.16 billion.
Amazon shares fell more than 6% in after-hours trading after the results were released.
CEO Andy Jassy said Amazon expects fiscal-year capital spending, mostly on artificial intelligence, to reach $220 billion, up from a $200 billion plan announced in February.
Amazon said it plans to hire 300,000 U.S. seasonal workers for the holiday shopping period, compared with 250,000 last year.
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A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration’s definition of “medically frail” for Medicaid is unlawful. Judge Richard G. Stearns issued a temporary injunction regarding states’ requirement to determine medical frailty under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Key Facts
U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns issued the ruling on Thursday.
The case concerns the definition of “medically frail” used for Medicaid.
Stearns found the act’s definition unlawful.
The ruling concerns the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, also called OBBBA.
The judge issued a temporary injunction related to states determining medical frailty.
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Israeli authorities have barred Sheikh Ekrima Sabri from Al-Aqsa Mosque until April 2027, extending a series of exclusion orders that began after his 2024 detention. Palestinian monitors and worshippers say restrictions on Palestinians have increased, while far-right Jewish religious activists have increasingly been allowed to pray at the site under police protection.
Key Facts
An exclusion order issued on October 20 bars Sabri from praying or preaching at Al-Aqsa until April 2027.
Sabri heads the Higher Islamic Council in Jerusalem and has faced repeated exclusion orders since August 2024.
Police detained Sabri in August 2024 after a sermon in which he mourned Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, whom Israel assassinated.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center says Israeli authorities issued more than 1,000 orders barring Palestinians from Al-Aqsa and the Old City since the start of 2026.
The center reported that Israeli authorities issued more than 40 exclusion orders over five days in early September, ahead of Jewish holidays.
Ibrahim al-Natsheh said police detained him for a week after he attended funeral prayers at Al-Aqsa and then issued him a six-month ban from East Jerusalem’s Old City.
Al-Natsheh said he has received repeated exclusion orders over about nine years, sometimes citing “disturbing the peace” without giving a specific reason.
The article says far-right Jewish religious activists have increasingly been allowed to pray at Al-Aqsa under Israeli police protection.
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Israel revoked travel authorization for Brad Lander, a U.S. Democratic congressional candidate, after he was detained last week. The article says he had been harvesting olives with Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Key Facts
Israel revoked Brad Lander’s travel authorization.
Lander is a U.S. Democratic congressional candidate.
Israeli authorities detained Lander last week.
Lander was harvesting olives with Palestinians when he was detained.
The incident took place in the occupied West Bank.
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Bodum USA is recalling 5.9 million French press coffee makers because their glass carafes can break and cause burns. The company has received 70 reports of breakage, including 48 reports of burns; customers can contact Bodum for a plastic stirring spoon, but the company is not offering refunds.
Key Facts
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission posted the recall under number 27-055.
The recalled products include 8-cup French presses and several 12-cup models, including Bistro, Brazil, Caffettiera, Chambord, Crema, Java, Jesper and Kenya.
The coffee makers were sold at Amazon, Target, Walmart and other retailers from 1974 through October 2026.
The agency says carafes may break if they are damaged or cracked; using metal spoons to stir coffee can damage them.
Regulators advise customers not to stir coffee with metal utensils and not to use carafes that are cracked or damaged.
Customers can contact Bodum at 888-879-8213, Bodum3302@sedgwick.com, or through the company's recall website for more information.
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Arizona reported its first New World screwworm case on Wednesday, found in a domestic dog in Cochise County. The county borders Mexico, and the case makes Arizona the third state affected by the parasite, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Key Facts
Arizona reported its first New World screwworm case on Wednesday.
The confirmed case was found in a domestic dog.
The dog was in Cochise County, Arizona.
Cochise County shares a border with Mexico.
Arizona is the third state reported to be affected by the parasite.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the case in a press release.
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Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado called for elections in 2027 after returning to Caracas from months in exile. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez also said elections would take place but gave no date and said her government should oversee the transition; Machado rejected that proposal.
Key Facts
Machado spoke at a news conference in Caracas on Thursday.
Machado said Venezuela’s transition to democracy was irreversible and should be peaceful and organised.
Machado thanked the Trump administration for capturing former President Nicolás Maduro.
Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice-president, was sworn in as interim president after Maduro was seized by the United States in January.
Rodríguez said elections would be held but did not set a date.
Machado said she would not personally take part in election negotiations between opposition representatives and the government.
Machado called for reform of the electoral body so Venezuelans at home and abroad could vote.
Rodríguez said she had instructed security agencies not to detain people without a judicial order, except when they are caught committing crimes.
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