Tuesday, October 20, 2026
14 stories
A former OpenAI employee accused of bugging conversations has been denied bail after a judge learned that a Saudi consulate offered to pay for his release. The case took a diplomatic turn with reports that the accused, Abdulrahman Alfozan, had discussed job opportunities with a Saudi royal. He will remain in custody while the proceedings continue.
President Trump said he is open to talks with the leaders of Russia and China. The remarks came alongside a rundown of the day's news: Elon Musk pledged a SpaceX share to every child in America, and Saudi Arabia postponed its "Davos in the Desert" investment conference. The developments point to a busy stretch of diplomacy and billionaire gestures.
The president's push to move quickly on overhauling the East Potomac Golf Links in Washington has put his administration in a tense standoff with a frustrated judge. The renovation project is already the subject of an ongoing legal battle. Trump's team is pressing ahead despite the court's resistance.
General Motors plans to buy back $20 billion of its stock, with executives saying the shares are fundamentally undervalued. The move comes even as auto sales cool across the industry. The buyback is aimed at shoring up the company's share price after a weak stretch.
Netflix, America's dominant streaming service, is struggling to get domestic audiences to watch more. The company is responding by overhauling its creative leadership. The shake-up marks one of the biggest challenges yet for the streaming giant since it won the streaming wars.
Nurses remain in high demand and can command six-figure salaries, but they are quitting the profession in droves. Understaffing and persistent workplace violence are pushing nurses off the front lines. The exodus is straining hospitals even as pay stays strong.
Tradeweb Markets agreed to buy fixed-income trading platform Trumid for about $1.97 billion. The deal will move Tradeweb earlier into the credit trading lifecycle and expand its capabilities into grey markets. It is one of the bigger recent combinations in electronic bond trading.
Oil prices pushed back above $100 a barrel as traders weighed persistent Middle East supply risks. December futures for both West Texas Intermediate and Brent crossed the $100 threshold. Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia are keeping the market on edge.
Amazon pledged more than $17 billion to expand its operations in Germany. The investment will fund AI infrastructure, high-speed satellite internet, logistics projects, and new Prime Video content. It is the latest big-ticket overseas commitment from a U.S. tech company.
Banks including Revolut and Lloyds reported disruptions to their services after problems in Google Cloud's London region. The outage affected payments, transfers, and withdrawals for customers. Google Cloud said its London region was experiencing multiple issues.
Northrop Grumman raised its full-year outlook after reporting higher earnings and sales. The quarter reflected strong demand across its defense businesses, with aeronautics sales up 14% and defense sales up 12%. Mission and space sales each grew about 2%.
JPMorgan's "security and resiliency initiative," launched by Jamie Dimon, has financed $230 billion in its first year. The program is helping to bolster U.S. supply chains and defense contractors. Dimon has framed the effort as a national-security pledge.
Scientists are using gene editing to give crops visible stress signals, from glowing plants to purple leaves. The signals let farmers quickly detect diseases and pest problems before they spread. The technology could reduce the need for widespread chemical use on farms.
Silgan Holdings agreed to combine with Trivium Packaging in a $3.4 billion deal. The combination will create a global supplier of metal packaging products for consumer goods. The deal brings together two major makers of cans and metal containers.