Latest Episode
October 23: California Ballot Dispute and Ukraine’s Starshield Restrictions
In British courts and policing
A jury at Preston Crown Court has convicted Nathan Owens of murdering his stepdaughter, Carla Georgescu. The court heard that he sexually assaulted her, killed her and staged the scene to look like suicide. Georgescu, a clinical psychology student, was found dead in her student apartment on her twentieth birthday. Owens is due to be sentenced Friday.
In Greater Manchester, police have received 49 reports of criminal damage to shared homes, including smashed windows and anti-migrant graffiti. Properties have also been targeted with a pig’s head. Three men arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage have been released on bail. Detectives believe adults are exploiting children to carry out attacks.
On Wall Street
The Nasdaq fell 2.6 percent as investors worried about spending on artificial intelligence. The selloff comes amid debate over whether AI is a bubble.
In the California ballot dispute
The Justice Department has asked the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to temporarily block California from counting more than 20,000 mail-in ballots. The Trump administration claims the ballots were cast by people who are not U.S. citizens. The request is part of its lawsuit against the state.
In Venezuela
Venezuelans are demanding elections in their first nationwide protest in nearly two years. No date has been set to choose a successor to former President Nicolas Maduro, who was captured by U.S. forces.
On U.S. fuel production
President Trump has invoked the Defense Production Act and announced $150 million in federal spending to boost domestic gasoline and diesel production. The White House says the effort is aimed at easing costs at the pump.
On high-tech investment
The Treasury Department has proposed expanding restrictions on American investment in high-tech sectors in China, Russia, North Korea and other designated countries of concern. The proposed curbs cover technologies including artificial intelligence, hypersonic systems, quantum information and supercomputing.
In Ukraine
Ukrainian officials say restrictions on access to Starshield, SpaceX’s military-grade version of Starlink, have left many drones used for strikes behind the front lines inoperable and hampered air defenses against Russian attacks. The Trump administration, officials in Kyiv and Elon Musk dispute who is responsible.
In battery research
NASA-developed solid-state batteries operated in tests from minus 60 to 80 degrees Celsius. They also survived cooling to minus 170 without damage or capacity loss after a small heater returned them to their operating range. The batteries are intended for environments such as the Moon’s south pole.
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