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Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Evening edition
AI
OpenAI begins rolling out GPT-6 with Intelligent UI in ChatGPTOpenAI said Oct. 7 that "GPT‑6 with Intelligent UI starts rolling out globally to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise tiers today" and that "starting tomorrow, the rollout expands to Free and Go tiers." OpenAI said that for web search questions, "GPT‑6 Instant starts answering 44% sooner, on average, than GPT‑5.6 Instant."
Anthropic releases Claude Haiku 5.5Anthropic released Claude Haiku 5.5 on Oct. 7, available on all platforms including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure, the company said. Anthropic lists pricing for prompts up to 100k tokens at $0.10 per million input tokens and $0.50 per million output tokens, compared with $1.00 and $5.00 for Haiku 4.5.
Meta rolls out AI tools to detect ads leading to child sexual abuse materialMeta said Wednesday it is rolling out AI tools to catch ads that "may look normal but are suspected of directing users to illegal content or other harmful activity elsewhere online," TechCrunch reported. Meta said it "took action against 33.2 million pieces of child sexual exploitation content on Facebook and Instagram in the first half of 2026."
The S&P 500 fell 17.16 points, or 0.2%, to 7,801.77 on Wednesday, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 341.41 points, or 0.7%, to 51,179.87, the Associated Press reported.
Fed releases minutes of September meetingThe Federal Reserve on Wednesday released the minutes of its Sept. 15–16 Federal Open Market Committee meeting. The minutes state that "the Committee decided to raise the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/4 percentage point to 3-3/4 to 4 percent," approved "by a 12–0 vote."
10-year Treasury yield at 52-week highThe 10-year Treasury yield was 5.29% and the 30-year yield was 5.671% in TheStreet's 2 p.m. update Wednesday, both 52-week highs, TheStreet reported.
Mortgage applications fall 4.2%; 30-year contract rate at 7.49%Mortgage applications decreased 4.2% in the week ending Oct. 2, 2026, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday, according to HousingWire. The refinance index decreased 8% and the seasonally adjusted purchase index decreased 2%, and the average 30-year fixed contract rate for conforming loans increased to 7.49% from 7.30%, the MBA said.
City Council votes 14-0 to ban nitrous oxide sales at tobacco and cannabis shopsThe Los Angeles City Council voted 14-0 Wednesday to approve an ordinance banning "nitrous oxide products" at tobacco and cannabis shops, with prepackaged foods that use the gas as a propellant exempt, NBC Los Angeles reported. The measure goes to Mayor Karen Bass, and the council asked the City Attorney's Office to draft a broader ordinance covering all retailers selling the products "without legitimate use."
Council directs staff to set up Sixth Street Viaduct maintenance fundThe Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a motion by Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado directing staff to begin establishing a dedicated maintenance fund for the Sixth Street Viaduct, covering sanitation, graffiti abatement and beautification, NBC Los Angeles reported. The fund could accept private donations, according to the report.
Bass promotes Convention Center expansionMayor Karen Bass said Wednesday the downtown Los Angeles Convention Center expansion is "expected to bring in an estimated 186,000 visitors," NBC Los Angeles reported. The project's 2025 financing plan includes $2.68 billion in borrowing, and completion is expected as soon as 2029, according to the report.
101 Freeway wildlife crossing set to open Dec. 2The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing over the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills is "scheduled to officially open Dec. 2," NBC Los Angeles reported Wednesday. The bridge spans 10 highway lanes and a feeder road, according to the report.
The Rink Sports Pavilion grand opening FridayThe city of Santa Clarita invites residents to the grand opening of The Rink Sports Pavilion on Friday, Oct. 9, at 2 p.m., with a City Council ribbon cutting and a skating demonstration, The Signal reported, citing a city news release. The 25,000-square-foot facility has a 12,000-square-foot rink, three pickleball courts, one volleyball court and one basketball court, and free public skates run 5-7 p.m. and 8-10 p.m. with advance registration at City.SC/TheRinkSkating.
Planning Commission takes first look at Princessa CrossroadsThe Santa Clarita Planning Commission first reviewed the 146-acre Princessa Crossroads project at its Oct. 6 meeting, KHTS reported. The plan allows up to 300 multifamily residences and up to 1.5 million square feet of business park and commercial space on the east side of Golden Valley Road; no vote was taken, and the item returns Nov. 17 for discussion of the draft environmental impact report.
WSU reports fall enrollment and retention figuresWashington State University said Oct. 7 that "retention of undergraduate students increased by 1.1% to 14,656, compared with 14,493 last fall." WSU said 24,749 students are enrolled across the system this fall, compared with 25,477 in fall 2025, and listed Pullman campus enrollment at 15,641, down 3.7%.
Lower Granite Dam crossings may be delayed up to three hours through FridayThe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said vehicle crossings of Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River, south of Colfax, could be delayed up to three hours from Wednesday through Friday for scheduled maintenance, and advised drivers to use alternate routes, Pullman Radio reported.
DNC sues Trump administration over taxpayer-funded adsThe Democratic National Committee sued President Trump, the White House, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of Management and Budget on Oct. 7 in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleging taxpayer-funded administration ads are "illegal government-sponsored propaganda," the Associated Press reported. The suit asks the court to declare the ads illegal and stop federal funds from paying for them; Trump has called the ads "positive promotion for our Great U.S.A.," according to AP.
Shaheen and Wicker urge swift action on Russia sanctionsSens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., sent a letter late Tuesday to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging quick action under the Russia sanctions law, starting with the "shadow fleet" of tankers carrying Russian oil, the Associated Press reported. They asked Treasury to "issue clear regulatory guidance ahead of the October deadline," according to AP.
Flight attendants union raises safety concerns over planned Washington archAssociation of Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson said in a statement Wednesday that the planned 250-foot arch near Reagan National Airport raises safety concerns, saying, "DCA is already stretched to its limit, we do not need an obstacle taking up space in our flight path," the Associated Press reported.
Saudi aviation authority: Houthi attacks on two airports killed three civiliansSaudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said three civilians, including two women, were killed and 36 injured in Houthi attacks on Abha and King Khalid International airports, Al Jazeera reported Oct. 7 (single source). The morning edition reported the Houthi claim of a missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Yemen ranks 6th of 179 countries in the Fragile States Index 2024, the Fund for Peace's latest annual ranking.
FDA approves tucatinib maintenance regimen for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancerThe FDA on Oct. 7 approved tucatinib (Tukysa) with trastuzumab and pertuzumab "for the maintenance treatment of adults with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer," Targeted Oncology reported. In the phase 3 HER2CLIMB-05 trial, median progression-free survival was 24.9 months with tucatinib versus 16.3 months with placebo, according to the report.