James's News
Top Stories
General Motors beats Wall Street's Q3 earnings expectations, narrows full-year guidance
Game Preview: Patriots at Bears | NFL Week 7
Sanders Announces Fort Smith as Arkansas’ Capital for a Day on October 21
Apple announces American Manufacturing Program partners for latest iPhone lineup
Saudi Arabia and Asia Locked In Dispute Over 2027 Term Oil Deals
NW Arkansas
Sanders Announces Fort Smith as Arkansas’ Capital for a Day on October 21
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has proclaimed Fort Smith Arkansas' "Capital for a Day" on Wednesday, Oct. 21. It is the 27th city to get the designation under Sanders, and senior state officials will join her for the visit.
Walk, ride or explore: Bella Vista’s Razorback Greenway just grew
A new one-mile section of the Razorback Greenway is open in Bella Vista, running from behind Sugar Creek Center under Highway 71 to the Bluebird Trailhead off Riordan Road. City communications director Cassi Lapp said it gives people more ways to walk, bike and reach local businesses without a car.
Three Ribbon Cutting Events Planned for Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Department
Fayetteville Parks and Recreation is marking three park projects this fall, capped by the opening of the new west-side Underwood Park on Nov. 1. Bryce Davis Park got about $1 million in shade sails, swings, a pavilion and trail lighting, and Walker Park was celebrated after a major transformation; all of the events are free and open to the public.
Flo Milli, Ferg, Sasha Keable to headline Springtime of Youth fest at UA Saturday
The University of Arkansas Headliners Committee's Springtime of Youth festival is Saturday, Oct. 24, in the Baum-Walker Stadium parking lot, headlined by rappers Flo Milli and Ferg and British singer Sasha Keable. Tickets are free for students through Hogsync, and no public tickets are being sold this year.
Arkansas #12/13 in Preseason Polls; Face Top-15 Gonzaga Saturday
Arkansas men's basketball opens the season ranked No. 12 in the AP preseason poll and No. 13 in the coaches poll after back-to-back Sweet 16 runs and the nation's top recruiting class. The Hogs host No. 15/12 Gonzaga in an exhibition Saturday, Oct. 24, at 3 p.m. in Bud Walton Arena.
Hawaii
NEWS RELEASE: Hawai’i September Unemployment Rate at 2.8 Percent
Hawaii's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose slightly to 2.8% in September, from 2.7% in August, still far below the national rate of 4.2%. The state counted 675,450 people employed and 19,450 unemployed, DBEDT said.
Donnette Leilani Kapono named interim chancellor of Hawaiʻi CC
The University of Hawaiʻi named Donnette Leilani "Lei" Kapono interim chancellor of Hawaiʻi Community College starting Nov. 2, while a national search for a permanent chancellor continues. The appointment still has to be published on the Oct. 22 Board of Regents agenda.
Students explore Maui recovery through interdisciplinary field study
University of Hawaii at Manoa architecture, engineering and planning students spent two days on Maui studying Lahaina's wildfire recovery, resilient construction and mass timber. They met with AIA Maui, the Lahaina Town Action Committee, the county housing department and construction teams.
Līhu‘e Airport implements temporary passenger pickup changes during construction
At Līhuʻe Airport on Kauaʻi, the passenger pickup area in front of Baggage Claim A reopened Oct. 19 to shuttles, taxis and rideshares. Baggage Claim B's pickup area is now closed for construction until about April 2027, and all pickups are moving to A.
10/19/26 – HAWAIʻI CLIMATE REBATE FINDER HELPS RESIDENTS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES SAVE ON UPGRADES
A new Hawaiʻi Climate Rebate Finder from the state's climate commission puts rebates, tax incentives and other aid for home and business upgrades in one place: appliances, water systems, lighting, HVAC and clean vehicles.
Business
General Motors beats Wall Street's Q3 earnings expectations, narrows full-year guidance
General Motors beat Wall Street's third-quarter expectations, narrowed its 2026 earnings guidance, raised its free-cash-flow outlook and announced a new $20 billion buyback. The stock still fell about 5% Tuesday because the new $13.25-per-share guidance midpoint came in under analysts' $13.41.
Trump announces $8B bailout for farmers to cover diesel cost surge amid attacks on global supply
President Trump announced an $8 billion "Harvest Fuel Relief" program for farmers at a Kansas rally, to offset higher diesel and other costs tied to Middle East supply disruptions. USDA says payments will be based on modeled 2026 losses, with crop rates due in November.
SEC and AMF Announce Supervisory MOU To Enhance Cooperation for Investment Advisers and Investment Service Providers
The SEC and France's Autorite des Marches Financiers signed a memorandum of understanding to share information and consult on supervising investment advisers, funds and investment service providers operating in both countries. The deal also makes it easier for AMF-supervised asset managers to register with the SEC as U.S. investment advisers.
SEC, FSA Hold Autumn Financial Regulatory Dialogue
The SEC and Japan's Financial Services Agency held their autumn regulatory dialogue in Tokyo on Oct. 19, covering private and public markets, asset management and innovation. Commissioner Mark Uyeda led for the SEC, and the next round is set for Washington in spring 2027.
Google Cloud outage: problems fixed for ‘most‘ customers, as regulators push for details – latest updates
A "power event" in one zone of Google Cloud's London region (europe-west2) knocked out services Tuesday, disrupting UK banks, fintech apps such as Revolut and Emma, and court video systems. Google says the power issue is fixed and services are recovering.
SEC Announces Roundtable on Machine-Understandable Data in the Age of Super Intelligence
The SEC will hold a public roundtable on Nov. 9 on machine-understandable data and "Super Intelligence," including the risks and costs. It will run 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET at SEC headquarters and be streamed on SEC.gov.
Tech
Apple announces American Manufacturing Program partners for latest iPhone lineup
Apple named new US suppliers for iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro under its American Manufacturing Program. Pennsylvania's Perryman will supply titanium for the foldable iPhone Duo, with Apple committing up to $100 million over three years, and Qnity Electronics will make parts for the 18 Pro's new variable-aperture camera.
Expanding our defenses against financial scam ads
Google is bringing Financial Services Verification to the U.S. and Canada, requiring certain financial advertisers to prove they are authorized by regulators or recognized registries before running ads. Google says more than 97% of ads seen there already come from identity-verified advertisers, and the program already covers 42 countries.
Apple unveils the 2026 Designers of Tomorrow
Apple and Design Miami are bringing back Designers of Tomorrow for a second year, with an exhibition curated by Rodman Primack on the theme of presence. Designers Salem S. Charabi, Isabel Rower, Yoonjeong Lee and the duo Parafernalia made original works that used Apple products in their creative process.
Amazon is creating over 300,000 new US jobs this holiday season with increased pay and expanded benefits
Amazon is hiring more than 300,000 people across US operations for the holidays. Starting Jan. 1, 2027, seasonal workers on 30 or more hours a week get healthcare from day one, with plans from $5 a week. Full-time operations pay starts at $20 an hour and averages nearly $24.
Introducing tsrs: a Port of TypeScript to Rust
Cloudflare and VoidZero are building tsrs, a Rust port of the TypeScript compiler, with Max Schwenk of Owner.com and in close collaboration with the TypeScript team. Early benchmarks show it up to 8x faster and using about 70% less memory than TypeScript 7.0. They stress it is not a fork.
TikTok staff raised child safety concerns, but executives reportedly failed to act
Court records obtained by NPR show TikTok employees repeatedly warned executives about risks to children, including minors appearing in sexual content and exposure to suicide-related material. Staff said they were frustrated by how leaders responded, according to depositions filed in March 2026.
XLE & Oil
Energy Department Advances Constitution Pipeline Project with $42 Million in Defense Production Act Funding
The Energy Department will put up to $42 million in Defense Production Act Title III funding into the proposed 125-mile Constitution natural gas pipeline from Pennsylvania to New York. DOE says it will lower energy costs and reduce blackout risk in the Northeast.
Oil prices fall as traders hope for diplomatic progress in Middle East
Oil fell Tuesday as traders hoped for U.S.-Iran diplomatic progress, with December WTI down about 1% near $97.50 and Brent near $108.31, well off session highs above $110. Attacks on Hormuz shipping keep escalating: Kpler counts at least 18 vessels hit in two weeks, and Iran's Revolutionary Guard said two tankers were set ablaze after hitting mines.
Saudi Arabia and Asia Locked In Dispute Over 2027 Term Oil Deals
Asian refiners and Saudi Arabia are at odds over 2027 term crude contracts because the Iran war disrupted this year's fixed-term supplies and pushed Gulf producers into spot sales. Refiners want this year's spot cargoes counted toward 2026 term volumes, traders told Bloomberg, with only days left to settle the deals.
HSBC Sees Hormuz Becoming Redundant in Five Years
HSBC chief executive Georges Elhedery said new pipelines and alternative export routes could make the Strait of Hormuz "redundant" within about five years. He spoke at the HSBC Future Forum in Dubai as Gulf producers race to ship more crude via the Red Sea and Mediterranean.
Citgo Raises Profit Outlook by $2B
Venezuelan-owned refiner Citgo raised its 2026 operating profit outlook by $2 billion on surging fuel margins, according to a document seen by Bloomberg. It now expects full-year EBITDA of $7.7 billion to $8 billion, up from the $5.8 billion it forecast in August.
Shipping Crisis Forces Asian Crude Buyers to Use Smaller Tankers
Record freight costs are pushing Asian crude buyers toward smaller tankers and long-term charters, sources told Reuters. Supertankers are tied up for weeks in ship-to-ship transfers near the Strait of Hormuz, leaving fewer VLCCs for routes like the U.S. Gulf Coast to Asia.
Chainlink
Why Chainlink CCIP 2.0 Is the Standard for Global Finance | Sergey Nazarov
In a new video from Chainlink, co-founder Sergey Nazarov explains why security, reliability and institutional-grade features matter for cross-chain interoperability, and how CCIP 2.0 is built to move tokenized assets securely across blockchains.
The Next Generation of Collateral Management | DTCC & Chainlink at Sibos 2026
At Sibos 2026, DTCC's Dan Doney and Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov showed how DTCC's Collateral AppChain will use Chainlink to move collateral in near real time, 24/7. The AppChain uses the Chainlink Runtime Environment for orchestration and CCIP to move assets and liquidity across chains.
Tokenization at Scale: Building the Next Era of Global Markets | DTCC & Chainlink at Sibos 2026
DTCC's head of digital assets, Nadine Chakar, joined Sergey Nazarov at Sibos 2026 to talk about bringing tokenization to market scale, covering the DTCC AppChain, 24/7 collateral management, interoperability and DTCC's digital-asset roadmap.
Chainlink Data Standard Connects Stellar’s $4B+ RWA Ecosystem To DeFi
Chainlink's data standard is live on Stellar, giving developers Data Feeds and Data Streams to build lending, prediction and perpetual-futures markets. The goal is to connect Stellar's roughly $4 billion real-world-asset ecosystem to DeFi.
Pacific Meta Partners With Chainlink, Selects CCIP As Preferred Cross-Chain Solution
Tokyo-based Pacific Meta has formed a strategic partnership with Chainlink Labs, choosing CCIP as its preferred cross-chain solution and adding Chainlink's Automated Compliance Engine (ACE) to its marketplace for Japanese institutions.
Patriots
Game Preview: Patriots at Bears | NFL Week 7
The Patriots visit the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football, Oct. 22 at 8:15 p.m. ET, one of two Thursday games for New England this season along with a Dec. 10 home game against Minnesota. The team's preview notes New England is 11-4 against the Bears in the regular season and 15-8 all-time on Thursdays.
Week 7 Injury Report: Patriots at Bears
Monday's first injury report for Thursday's game at Chicago, from a walkthrough: K Andy Borregales, OL Ben Brown, CB Carlton Davis III, DT Joshua Farmer and G Alijah Vera-Tucker were listed as not participating, and A.J. Brown (ankle) and Morgan Moses (foot) as limited. Drake Maye (right shoulder) was full.
Patriots’ Romeo Doubs heads to IR with shoulder injury sustained in win over Jets
Patriots receiver Romeo Doubs is going on injured reserve with a shoulder injury from Sunday's 26-19 win over the Jets, per the Boston Herald's Doug Kyed. He'll miss at least four games and could return Nov. 29 against the Chargers, just as A.J. Brown came back from his own IR stint.
How to Watch and Stream Thursday's Patriots Game Against the Bears | NFL Week 7
Thursday's Patriots-Bears game streams on Prime Video and airs locally on WCVB Channel 5 in Boston and WMUR in Manchester, with Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung calling it. On radio, Bob Socci and Scott Zolak have the call on 98.5 The Sports Hub.
Corey Kiner proved he deserves a bigger role in Patriots' offense
Undrafted second-year running back Corey Kiner led the Patriots in rushing against the Jets with 57 yards on 11 carries, out-gaining Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. Chowder and Champions argues the small sample still earns him a bigger role in a backfield that has struggled all season.
Movies
Every Case Tells a Story: ‘Miracles of the ER’ Unveils Gripping Trailer
Netflix released the trailer and key art for "Miracles of the ER," Taiwan's first emergency-room medical drama, starring Wallace Huo and Cheryl Yang. It premieres worldwide on Nov. 12.
Netflix Unveils First Look at ‘Empress of Flames’, a Fresh Take on the Iconic Thai story of Vengeance for the Throne
Netflix released a first look at "Empress of Flames," a reimagining of the classic Thai story of vengeance for the throne from the makers of "Master of the House." It arrives Dec. 3.
Ryan Gosling Turned Obstacles Into Opportunities on ‘Project Hail Mary’ — with a Little Help from Julia Roberts
Ryan Gosling told IndieWire that Andy Weir's unpublished Project Hail Mary manuscript "felt like this project had a knife in my ribs," pushing him to recruit directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller and producer Amy Pascal. The feature traces how Gosling turned the film's production obstacles into opportunities.
‘Clayface’ Introduces DC Studios’ Gotham City — but Director James Watkins Never Felt Pressure to Set Up Future Films
Clayface, an R-rated horror film about a minor Batman villain, gives the first look at DC Studios' Gotham City under James Gunn and Peter Safran. Director James Watkins (The Woman in Black, Speak No Evil) told IndieWire he never felt pressure to set up future films.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping Is About ‘The Choice To Keep Fighting’
Empire talks to the cast of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, the second prequel, which tells the story of young Haymitch Abernathy's brutal Quarter Quell. Star Joseph Zada describes a story about "the choice to keep fighting."
Lorcana & SWU
Disney Lorcana TCG Set Release Notes: Hyperia City
The official Hyperia City release notes introduce ink drops, counters you can remove to pay 1 ink each, along with a revamped Comprehensive Rules section on counters and other rules updates for the new Disney Lorcana set.
Star Wars: Unlimited | Starting with Icons
Star Wars: Unlimited explains the Icons 2027 Edition Starter Box: two 30-card decks, Darth Vader and Princess Leia, that grow over four guided games to teach new players the basics before full deckbuilding.
TIMELESS TALES AND TOTALLY-ROCKIN’ TUNES
Ravensburger's Disney Lorcana released two new products on Oct. 16: the Curator's Collection: Beauty and the Beast Edition, with new glimmer art inspired by the film's stained glass, and the I2I Foil Playmat. They're sold at Downtown Disney, Disney Springs, World of Disney in Paris and DisneyStore.co.uk.
New Expansion ‘Homeworlds’ Shakes Up the Star Wars Unlimited Meta With New Mechanics
Star Wars: Unlimited's ninth main set, Homeworlds, is out with 260 new cards, a new fortify keyword, two new tokens and a new prestige style as the game enters its third year. The set focuses on planets, creatures and armies, with Gungan, Wookiee, Ewok, Imperial and beast traits and the first cards that care where your base is located.
Disney Lorcana TCG Products from D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event Now Available Online
Ravensburger will sell the 2026 D23 Collection and the Winnie the Pooh Hunny Wizard premium foil playmat online through an EQL random draw. Entries open Oct. 31 at 9 a.m. ET and close Nov. 1 at 9 p.m. ET. Shipping is limited to the US, UK and EU.
Faith
Holy See: Nuclear weapons are one of gravest threats to humanity
The Holy See's U.N. observer, Archbishop Christophe El Kassis, told the General Assembly's First Committee that nuclear weapons remain "one of the gravest threats to humanity" and that global instability makes eliminating them more urgent. He quoted Pope Leo XIV: peace "is built day by day through dialogue and justice."
Lifeway offers churches Advent resources for every age
Lifeway Christian Resources is offering Advent Bible studies, family devotionals and a virtual event for churches and families of every age. Lifeway Research found 91% of Americans celebrate Christmas, but only 22% say they could accurately retell the biblical Christmas story from memory.
Specialized spiritual care: Bringing Christ’s love to all
The LCMS Specialized Spiritual Care Conference in St. Louis covered chaplaincy and crisis care, ministry to older adults, trauma and disaster response with immigrant communities. A fire chaplain called it "extremely helpful."
Global missionary partners expand gospel work through IMB teams
IMB profiles Rebeca Couto, a fourth-generation Christian from Portugal's Azores who now serves in Japan as a global missionary partner. Close to 400 GMPs, missionaries supported by churches in their home countries, serve on IMB teams worldwide.
More than 1,600 children celebrate World Mission Sunday in Myanmar
About 1,650 children in Myanmar marked the 100th anniversary of World Mission Sunday at a Mass led by Cardinal Charles Maung Bo in Twantay Parish near Yangon. He told them they don't need to grow up first: they "can be a missionary today!"
Bear Grylls Says Jesus Changed How He Sees Himself and Others: ‘All Needing His Mercy’
Survivalist and TV host Bear Grylls has been sharing weekly faith reflections, writing on Oct. 18 that he once believed people had to earn their worth and that Jesus changed how he sees himself and others. He posted the reflections alongside photos of his 2023 baptism in the Jordan River.
Christian Metal
Reveiw: P.O.D. Returns With a Vengeance on ‘Outbreak’ Featuring Norma Jean’s Cory Brandan
Heaven's Metal calls P.O.D.'s new single "Outbreak," featuring Norma Jean's Cory Brandan, among the band's strongest releases since 2001's "Satellite": heavy, urgent and built around a massive breakdown.
SAVE US - No Holding Back
Solid State Records released a video for SAVE US' "No Holding Back," from the band's album "Death To Something," which is out now. The song pleads with someone hurting to pour it all out: "don't hold back on me, I'll keep listening."
Feature: Immortal Fest 2026 – Where Christian Metal History Still Feels Alive
Heaven's Metal looks back at Immortal Fest 2026, three days of Christian rock and metal in Versailles, Ohio, with musicians tied to Petra, Bloodgood, Barren Cross, Bride and more. The writer says the fest is as much about community as the music.
Skillet - Grave Stomper (Official Visualizer)
Skillet released an official visualizer for "Grave Stomper," written by John L. Cooper and produced by Korey Cooper. The song is streaming now.
Chris Voss
How Tactical Empathy Will Change Your Life- Justus Parmar & Chris Voss
In a new Negotiation Mastery episode, investor Justus Parmar of Fortuna Investments tells Chris Voss how the Black Swan Method's tactical empathy changed how he negotiates: he now starts with what the other side wants and aims for deals that benefit both sides.