New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani says DoorDash’s proposed $17 billion acquisition of Instacart could reduce competition and raise costs for customers. The companies say the deal could lower membership costs and expand store access, while regulators and shareholders must still approve it.
Key Facts
DoorDash has offered approximately $17 billion to acquire grocery and convenience delivery company Instacart.
The companies say Instacart would keep its brand and app, and its shoppers could continue fulfilling orders.
DoorDash says customers who pay separately for DashPass and Instacart+ could eventually use one membership; the companies estimate combined membership savings of $100 million annually.
The companies say Instacart customers would gain access to 50,000 additional stores on DoorDash’s platform.
Mamdani criticized the proposed acquisition and cited DoorDash’s recent settlement of more than $131 million with New York City over delivery-worker pay.
The American Economic Liberties Project has urged regulators to block the deal and says the combined company would control nearly 60 percent of the third-party grocery delivery market.
The acquisition requires shareholder and regulatory approval.
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The opinion article argues that investors should use a repeatable method to assess companies instead of relying on stock tips from influencers, social media, or friends. The author describes a rating process that sorts stocks into “On Sale,” “Watch,” or “Overpriced,” while noting that no process can guarantee gains or remove market uncertainty.
Key Facts
The author says he developed his investing process after years of reading and building a model.
The article cites Amundi as reporting that 46 percent of investors seek investment information through influencers.
The author says opening a brokerage account does not teach people how to evaluate a business or its risks.
The author’s process assigns stocks one of three ratings: “On Sale,” “Watch,” or “Overpriced.”
The author says the calculations behind the ratings are open source.
The article says a consistent process can help investors explain their decisions and reassess them later.
The author says the process cannot guarantee a winning investment or remove uncertainty from the market.
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Google said a technical gap caused AI Mode to avoid naming the winner of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, even as it identified Donald Trump as the winner of the 2016 and 2024 elections. Google said it was fixing the issue, and Newsweek later reported that AI Mode named Joe Biden as the 2020 winner.
Key Facts
Users shared screenshots on X showing AI Mode directing them to official results when asked who won the 2020 election.
AI Mode identified Trump as the winner of the 2016 election and cited 270 To Win.
When asked about the 2024 election, AI Mode identified Trump as the winner and cited CNN.
Google said its systems use news articles or AP data for recent election responses and historic records for older elections.
Google said it was also working to fix a similar technical gap involving 2022 Senate races.
Newsweek reported that, by Thursday morning, AI Mode gave comparable direct answers about the 2020 and 2024 elections.
In its later test, Newsweek said AI Mode named Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 election.
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The Texas governor’s race pits incumbent Greg Abbott against challenger Gina Hinojosa. The article says the result will determine whether a new congressional map favoring Republicans or one protecting Latino representation becomes law.
Key Facts
Greg Abbott is the incumbent in the Texas gubernatorial election.
Gina Hinojosa is challenging Abbott.
The article links the election result to which congressional map will become law.
One proposed map favors Republicans.
Another proposed map is intended to protect Latino representation.
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Archaeologists found a sealed closet of household items in a home in Pompeii, the Roman city destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. The finds include cosmetics, coins, commercial weights and a necklace of amulets, offering clues about residents’ daily lives, though researchers cannot identify who owned them or what happened to them.
Key Facts
The closet was found in a home in central Pompeii; the house was first excavated in 1912.
Items included cosmetics, an incense burner, a bronze lantern, a balsam jar and a decorated snuff bottle.
Researchers found weights that may have been used for commercial activity inside a wooden chest of drawers.
A necklace contained at least 20 miniature objects and materials, including bone and crystal; such necklaces were known as crepundia and could serve as protective amulets.
The closet also held 38 bronze coins in a container made of plant material.
The coins suggest the owner or owners may not have had time to retrieve their valuables, but archaeologists do not know whether they escaped or died.
Mouse skeletons found in the home complicate assumptions about the residents’ standard of living.
The house was previously attributed to Cornelius Maximus based on inscriptions that are no longer visible.
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Airline groups representing major American and foreign carriers asked the CDC to reassess new requirements for travelers coming to the United States. The rules were introduced in response to a record-breaking Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo; the supplied article excerpt ends before it fully describes what travelers must certify.
Key Facts
Groups representing major American and foreign airlines asked the CDC to review its new traveler rules.
The CDC issued the mandate the week before the article was published.
The mandate applies to travelers entering the United States.
The CDC introduced the rules in response to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The article describes the outbreak as record-breaking.
The supplied excerpt cuts off before completing the description of the certification requirement.
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West Virginia sued TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, over alleged harm to children. The state claims TikTok uses features that encourage excessive screen time and exposes young users to sexualized content and potential predators.
Key Facts
West Virginia filed the lawsuit on Thursday.
The suit names TikTok and ByteDance.
The state alleges TikTok deliberately keeps children engaged with the app.
The complaint says TikTok uses addictive features to encourage excessive screen time among children.
West Virginia alleges the app exposes children to sexualized content and potential predators.
The state accuses the companies of violating West Virginia consumer protection laws.
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President Donald Trump is visiting South Carolina to encourage Republican turnout for Sen. Darline Graham, whose race against Democrat Annie Andrews is described as unexpectedly close. The visit is his second to the state this month as Republicans seek to keep their Senate majority.
Key Facts
Trump is holding a rally in South Carolina on Thursday.
The visit aims to boost Republican get-out-the-vote efforts.
Sen. Darline Graham is facing Democrat Annie Andrews in a tight race, according to the article.
The article says Republicans need to hold South Carolina to keep their Senate majority.
This is Trump's second visit to South Carolina this month.
Trump won South Carolina by nearly 18 percentage points in 2024.
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A New York Times report says Mary Peltola’s campaign and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee staff worked to recruit Dan J Sullivan and other candidates with names similar to Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. Peltola’s campaign previously denied encouraging or soliciting Dan J Sullivan to run, while he said he wanted to offer conservative voters another choice. Ballot stacking is generally legal, though lying under oath about coordination could constitute perjury; the article says no such accusation had been made as of October 29.
Key Facts
Dan J Sullivan entered Alaska’s Senate race as a Republican in May, challenging incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola.
Dan J Sullivan is a retired schoolteacher and former U.S. Forest Service employee with no prior political experience.
The New York Times reported that Peltola campaign staff and senior Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee aides sought candidates with names similar to Dan Sullivan’s.
The report drew on interviews with at least a dozen people and reviewed text messages and documents.
Peltola’s campaign denied encouraging or soliciting Dan J Sullivan to run in a statement to the Anchorage Daily News in May.
Dan J Sullivan told the New York Times he did not intend to confuse voters and wanted to give conservative Alaskans another candidate.
Ballot stacking—recruiting candidates to draw votes from an opponent—is not itself illegal and is used by both major parties.
The article says that, as of October 29, no one had been accused of lying under oath about cooperation with Dan J Sullivan.
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A New York Times and Siena University poll put Republican Byron Donalds ahead of Democrat David Jolly by 48% to 44% in Florida’s governor’s race. The poll also showed Republican Ashley Moody with a 6-point lead over Democrat Angie Nixon, while Donald Trump Jr. and President Trump were scheduled to campaign in Florida ahead of the election.
Key Facts
Donalds led Jolly by 4 percentage points, 48% to 44%, in the new poll.
Jolly led among independent voters, 52% to 35%.
Six percent of Republicans said they would vote for Jolly, while 4% of Democrats said they would vote for Donalds.
Twenty-two percent of respondents were unsure about Donalds or had not heard of him; the figure was 34% for Jolly.
Forty-four percent viewed Donalds favorably and 34% unfavorably; 36% viewed Jolly favorably and 30% unfavorably.
The poll gave Republican U.S. Senator Ashley Moody a 6-point lead over Democrat Angie Nixon.
RealClearPolitics’ polling aggregate showed Donalds ahead by 5 points as of Thursday; other cited polls showed leads of 8 points and 6 points.
Donald Trump Jr. was scheduled to appear with Donalds at a rally in Hialeah, and President Trump was scheduled to hold a rally in Daytona Beach.
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The Metropolitan Police referred its handling of a 2019 letter about Thomas Markle to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. The watchdog will examine why the force gave the letter to the Sussexes’ office but did not share its contents with other law enforcement agencies.
Key Facts
Roslyn Loveless, Thomas Markle’s first wife, sent the handwritten letter to the Met’s royal protection team.
The Met passed the letter to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in January 2019.
Meghan said the letter contained troubling allegations about her father and influenced her decision not to visit him or let him meet her children.
The Met said the letter contained claims of alleged offending outside the United Kingdom but no information specifically related to security matters.
The police watchdog will examine the Met’s decision not to share the letter with law enforcement agencies in the UK or overseas.
The Met said it plans to refer the matter to relevant overseas law enforcement agencies in the coming days.
Thomas Markle has strongly denied recent allegations that he possessed images of child abuse.
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The article describes ranked choice voting and its use in Alaska, Maine and Hawaii, as well as state restrictions on the system. The voting method is drawing renewed attention during Alaska’s competitive Senate race, where the Justice Department has sued over candidate Dan J. Sullivan’s candidacy and President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have criticized ranked choice voting.
Key Facts
In ranked choice voting, voters rank candidates by preference, and the lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated in rounds until a candidate receives a majority.
Alaska and Maine use ranked choice voting, while Hawaii uses it for some statewide elections.
Alaska’s Senate ballot lists Mary Peltola, incumbent Dan Sullivan, Dan J. Sullivan and Gerald Heikes.
The Justice Department has sued Alaska over Dan J. Sullivan’s candidacy.
Dan J. Sullivan changed his party affiliation from Republican to undeclared amid the controversy.
The article lists 19 states as having banned ranked choice voting.
The article lists 13 states as allowing ranked choice voting in some localities or certain elections.
Vance said he was not a fan of ranked choice voting, and Trump has also opposed the system.
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A federal judge scheduled Cole Tomas Allen’s trial for Sept. 7, 2027, in Washington, D.C. Allen is accused of trying to kill President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April 2026; jury selection is expected to begin then, with the trial lasting three to four weeks.
Key Facts
Allen’s trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection on Sept. 7, 2027.
Prosecutors had recommended a May 2027 start, but the judge set a later date after Allen’s attorney requested more preparation time.
Authorities say Allen entered the April 25, 2026, dinner at the Washington Hilton armed with guns and knives.
Authorities say Allen fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer who tried to stop him.
The officer was struck once in a bullet-resistant vest and fired five shots; authorities said no one was hit by those shots.
Allen was injured, but not by gunfire, according to the article.
Allen faces an attempted assassination charge that carries a maximum possible sentence of life in prison, along with an assault charge and two firearms counts.
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A joint report by four UK agencies found that eight of England’s nine water companies were rated poor or in need of improvement on environmental performance. The report recorded 74 serious pollution incidents in 2025, while the companies’ combined performance score fell to its lowest level since ratings began.
Key Facts
England recorded 2,666 pollution incidents in 2025, 40% more than in 2016.
Thames Water had the most pollution incidents, followed by Anglian Water, United Utilities, Yorkshire Water and Southern Water.
The companies received a combined 16 out of 36 possible performance stars, down from 19 the previous year.
Environment Secretary Angela Eagle summoned water industry bosses to Whitehall and said the government was preparing further action.
Defra said it would set improvement actions covering issues such as leakage, pollution and customer satisfaction.
Rules introduced last year block executive bonuses at companies with a one-star rating.
Four agencies combined their data for the report for the first time, as a step toward bringing fragmented regulatory responsibilities together.
Water UK said leakage was at a historic low and argued that blockages or vandalism caused more than half of pollution incidents in 2025.
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German-born actor Elke Sommer, known for films including A Shot in the Dark and And Then There Were None, has died in Los Angeles at age 85. Bild magazine reported that she died of heart failure.
Key Facts
Sommer was born Elke Schletz in Berlin in 1940.
Italian director Vittorio de Sica noticed her after she won a beauty contest in Italy in 1958.
Her first English-language film was the 1961 British comedy Don’t Bother to Knock.
She appeared opposite Paul Newman in The Prize, which brought her a Golden Globe as a promising newcomer.
Sommer played a maid suspected of murder in A Shot in the Dark, the Pink Panther sequel.
Her later film credits included the horror films Baron Blood and Lisa and the Devil, as well as the British comedy Carry On Behind.
After reducing her film work, Sommer focused on painting.
A court awarded her $3.3 million in damages for defamation after a dispute with Zsa Zsa Gabor.
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Christine Lagarde said she will leave the European Central Bank presidency on February 7, about nine months before her term was due to end. Her early departure gives European Union leaders time to select a successor before France’s April presidential election, though some officials warned that the timing could raise concerns about political influence.
Key Facts
Lagarde announced her decision in a filmed statement posted on X.
She became ECB president in October 2019 and led the bank through the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The ECB has faced criticism for responding slowly to the 2022 inflation surge.
Inflation is running at nearly twice the ECB’s 2 percent target, according to the article.
French President Emmanuel Macron thanked Lagarde and said her successor’s appointment should be prepared with European partners.
German lawmaker Markus Ferber said linking the departure to national elections could damage trust in the ECB’s independence.
Goldman Sachs fixed-income executive Simon Dangoor said markets appeared unfazed and expected the bank’s institutional behavior to remain similar under a new president.
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The article examines why some wealthy U.S. sports team owners spend millions of dollars on politics. Al Jazeera’s Samantha Johnson follows their political spending ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.
Key Facts
Some U.S. sports team owners are among the world’s wealthiest people.
Some team owners spend millions of dollars on U.S. politics.
The report focuses on reasons for owners’ political spending.
Al Jazeera’s Samantha Johnson reports on the issue.
The report comes ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.
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Russian strikes across Ukraine killed at least 16 people and injured 56, Ukrainian authorities said. A separate six-day ceasefire around Russian-occupied Oleshky entered its third day, with officials saying it was holding and aid deliveries were expected to begin Friday.
Key Facts
A Russian drone struck two passenger trains at a station in Dnipro, killing at least 14 people and injuring 14.
A Russian cruise missile killed two 15-year-old girls in Chernihiv, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Three civilians died when a Russian drone hit an apartment block in Kremenchuk.
Ukrainian authorities said the strikes injured 56 people in total, including 10 children.
The localized ceasefire around Oleshky began Tuesday and was planned to last six days.
Officials from both sides said the truce was holding as Russian engineers cleared mines from roads for a humanitarian convoy.
Aid deliveries were due to start Friday for about 2,000 people in Oleshky, and officials said residents could evacuate toward either Russia or Ukraine.
Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses downed 1,214 Ukrainian drones overnight; Moscow's mayor said about half were heading toward the capital.
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Health experts want mammogram reports to use a standard method for noting breast arterial calcification. They say this could help improve cardiovascular disease prevention for women.
Key Facts
Breast arterial calcification can be seen on mammograms.
Health experts are calling for standardized reporting of this finding.
The proposed reporting change aims to support cardiovascular disease prevention.
The prevention effort focuses on women.
The article does not describe a specific reporting standard or study.
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Booker Prize-winning author Ian McEwan discussed his novel “What We Can Know” with France 24’s Olivia Salazar-Winspear as the book was translated into French. The conversation covered its imagined 22nd-century society, climate change, literature and the possible effects of artificial intelligence on human civilization.
Key Facts
The novel is set in a 22nd-century society after a major event called the “derangement.”
In the novel, many 21st-century capital cities have been submerged.
The story follows academics pursuing a mythical lost poem.
The interview considered climate change and the future consequences of the climate crisis.
McEwan and Salazar-Winspear discussed celebrity artists and the possible decline of reading.
McEwan shared views on how artificial intelligence could reshape human civilization.
The France 24 interview was published on October 29, 2026, as the novel was translated into French.
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