Daily News Briefing

AI

• Nvidia announces investments in four German startups; Germany signs AI agreement with NvidiaNvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Monday announced planned investments in German startups Agile Robots, Avelios Medical, Mirelo and Reflex Aerospace, part of what an Nvidia blog post called a "nearly $10 billion commitment to the technology ecosystem across Europe," Reuters reported. Germany's economy ministry signed a memorandum of understanding with Nvidia at an industry summit in Berlin, where Chancellor Friedrich Merz told business leaders, "Please open your doors for AI to make use of your data," according to Reuters.
  Sources: Reuters via The Star, Tech.eu
• Amazon releases TorchNeuron software for its Trainium chipsAmazon is releasing TorchNeuron, a free and open-source tool that lets developers run PyTorch code on Amazon's Trainium AI chips with a "single configuration change," Reuters reported Oct. 20, citing Amazon's Annapurna Labs chip unit. "This has been about meeting customers where they're at," Colin Brace, Annapurna Labs' vice president of software, told Reuters.
  Sources: Reuters via Business Standard

Financial

Tuesday in Asia and Europe, per the AP: Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 1.3% to 64,075.42, South Korea's Kospi fell 3.7% to 5,552.74, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.3% to 23,867.74 and the Shanghai Composite rose 0.1% to 3,735.37, while Germany's DAX fell 0.7% to 25,134.29 in early trading. Dow futures rose 0.3% to 52,332.00, Brent crude rose 1.10% to $110.75 a barrel and U.S. crude rose 2.13% to $105.87, the AP reported.

Source: AP via KSAT

• Wall Street closes mixed MondayThe S&P 500 rose 31.29 points, or 0.4%, to 7,690.73 on Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 36.38 points, or 0.1%, to 51,966.03, and the Nasdaq composite rose 290.85 points, or 1.1%, to 26,430.89, the Associated Press reported. The AP put the S&P 500 up 12.3% for the year.
  Sources: AP via myMotherLode
• Steel Dynamics reports third-quarter resultsSteel Dynamics reported third-quarter 2026 net sales of $6.5 billion and net income of $756 million, or $5.26 per diluted share, in an Oct. 19 release from Fort Wayne, Indiana. The company reported record steel shipments of 3.8 million tons, and Chairman and CEO Mark D. Millett said "steel prices continued to improve and the teams executed well across our steel platform."
  Sources: Steel Dynamics release via StockTitan

Real estate

• Average 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 7.297%The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 7.297%, up from 7.260% the prior day, and the 15-year fixed rate was 6.505%, up from 6.479%, according to Mortgage Research Center data reported by Fortune on Oct. 20.
  Sources: Fortune

Los Angeles

• High-speed rail authority releases final environmental report for L.A.-Anaheim segmentThe California High-Speed Rail Authority released the final environmental impact report for the 30-mile Los Angeles-to-Anaheim segment, Urbanize LA reported Oct. 19. The recommended alternative would have high-speed trains share track with Amtrak and Metrolink between Los Angeles Union Station and ARTIC in Anaheim and would include a maintenance and storage facility at 26th Street in Vernon, and the authority's board will vote later this month, according to Urbanize LA.
  Sources: Urbanize LA
• LADWP roadwork at Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive scheduled through Nov. 12Los Angeles Department of Water and Power contractors were scheduled to start a four-week roadway restoration project at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive on Monday, Oct. 19, with completion set for Thursday, Nov. 12, Yo! Venice reported. At least one lane will remain open in each direction throughout the project, according to the report.
  Sources: Yo! Venice
• Metro to offer free rides on Election Day, Nov. 3Metro will offer free rides on all buses and trains for the Nov. 3 general election and will not collect fares from 4 a.m. Nov. 3 to 3 a.m. Nov. 4, The Norwalk Patriot reported. Metro Micro rides booked on Election Day are free, and Metro Bike Share users get a free half-hour ride on Nov. 3 with a promo code, according to the report.
  Sources: The Norwalk Patriot

Santa Clarita

• Northbound Sierra Highway lanes closed weekdays through FridayNorthbound Sierra Highway between Placerita Canyon Road and Golden Valley Road is closed between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, through Friday, Oct. 23, during scheduled Caltrans paving work, KHTS reported, citing Caltrans officials. Drivers are asked to follow posted detour signs.
  Sources: KHTS

Pullman-Moscow

• WSU names Colette Casavant executive director for university advisingWashington State University selected Colette Casavant as executive director for university advising, starting Oct. 26, WSU Insider reported Oct. 19. Casavant has been director of student success and academic advising in WSU's College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, according to WSU Insider.
  Sources: WSU Insider

US politics

• Trump rallies for Sen. Roger Marshall in Park City, KansasPresident Donald Trump held a rally Monday at Heartland Credit Union Arena in Park City, Kansas, for Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, calling Marshall "one of the greatest senators in our country" and Democratic challenger the Rev. Adam Hamilton a "disgrace," the Kansas Reflector reported. Protesters interrupted the speech at least five times, according to the Kansas Reflector, and KWCH reported "multiple people were removed from the rally for protesting." Hamilton campaign spokesperson Tyson Brody said, "They're sending in reinforcements to lie and attack Adam Hamilton to try to save Marshall."
  Sources: Kansas Reflector, KWCH

Global risks

• Death toll in Houthi strike on Yemen government training camp reaches 60Yemeni officials told the Associated Press on Tuesday that the death toll from Monday's Houthi strike on the al-Alam training camp in Shabwa province had reached 60, mostly new recruits, with more than 200 wounded; Al Jazeera, citing Shabwa local authorities, reported at least 53 killed. The Shabwa provincial government said the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles, and the Houthis claimed the attack, the AP reported. Yemen ranks 6th of 179 countries in the 2024 Fragile States Index (Fund for Peace), the top quarter.
  Sources: AP via WFTV, Al Jazeera, Fragile States Index list (Wikipedia)

Catastrophic events

Good news

• FDA approves Jemperli for locally advanced rectal cancerThe FDA granted accelerated approval on Oct. 19 to GSK's Jemperli (dostarlimab) for adults with stage II or III MSI-H/dMMR locally advanced rectal cancer, Pharmaceutical Executive and The ASCO Post reported. In the AZUR-1 trial, 47% of 116 evaluable patients had a sustained clinical complete response for 12 months, according to The ASCO Post.
  Sources: The ASCO Post, Pharmaceutical Executive
• Orangutan seized in India returns to IndonesiaA baby Sumatran orangutan named Rocky, seized in Gujarat, India, in November 2024, was returned to Indonesia at Kualanamu Airport in Medan, WION reported Oct. 19. Indonesian Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni called the day "very meaningful," according to WION.
  Sources: WION