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Thursday, October 8, 2026
Morning edition
AI
Australia moves toward mandatory safety standards for frontier AIAssistant Minister Andrew Charlton said in a speech in Sydney on Thursday that the government is finalising national standards for frontier AI, under which developers would have to show their safety systems work, including testing their models, ABC News (Australia) reported. The standards are due by the end of 2026, with legislation planned for 2027, according to the ABC.
Early Thursday, the future for the S&P 500 slipped 0.4% and the future for the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.7%, AP reported. Hong Kong's Hang Seng declined 1.4% to 23,785.79 and the Shanghai Composite slipped 0.8% to 3,811.90; the 10-year Treasury yield was around 5.33%, according to AP.
TSMC reports September revenue of NT$511.86 billionTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said on Oct. 8 that its September 2026 net revenue was approximately NT$511.86 billion, a decrease of 0.6 percent from August 2026 and an increase of 54.6 percent from September 2025. Revenue for January through September totaled NT$3,898.73 billion, up 41.1 percent from the same period in 2025, the company said.
Average 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 7.52%The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage is 7.52% and the 15-year fixed averages 6.71% as of Oct. 8, according to Mortgage Research Center data published by Forbes Advisor.
Bacteria warnings posted at 11 LA County beach sitesThe Los Angeles County Department of Public Health had warnings in effect Wednesday for 11 beach sites, issued after water samples showed bacteria levels above state health standards, City News Service reported via NBC Los Angeles. Sites include the Santa Monica Pier, the Rose Avenue storm drain at Venice Beach, Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro and the Manhattan Beach Pier; the county beach hotline is 800-525-5662.
Indigenous Pride LA set for Sunday at Exposition ParkIndigenous Pride LA takes place Sunday, Oct. 11, at 700 Exposition Park Drive, and admission is free, according to LAist's weekly events guide.
New public sculpture installed at South Fork River Trail headSanta Clarita artist Mary Elizabeth created a fiberglass sculpture about 6 feet, 7 inches tall at the head of the South Fork River Trail through a city public call for artists, KHTS reported Wednesday. The piece includes the words "You are here" with its longitude and latitude and references the Tataviam people, according to KHTS.
City: filming brought an estimated $14.6 million to Santa Clarita in 2025The City of Santa Clarita issued 338 film permits in 2025, with an estimated $14.6 million in economic impact from filming, according to a city news release published by KHTS on Wednesday. Ten Emmy-nominated productions filmed scenes in Santa Clarita this year, and six won at the 78th Emmy Awards, the release said.
City of Pullman announces another round of job cutsThe City of Pullman announced job cuts in a press release Wednesday, with five employees being laid off this month, Pullman Radio reported. Positions cut include six reserve firefighter positions, two building inspectors, an assistant city planner and a part-time library assistant; City Administrator Sean Wells said, "It's incredibly difficult to make these kinds of decisions, especially the ones that directly impact our team." Mayor Francis Benjamin is set to propose the city's next two-year budget to the City Council later this month, according to Pullman Radio.
Flaggers at Stadium Way and Hall Drive Thursday and FridayZiply is stringing fiber cable across the intersection of Stadium Way and Hall Drive in Pullman on Thursday and Friday, with flaggers directing traffic on the route to Pullman High School, Pullman Radio reported.
University of Idaho stages "1984" at the Forge TheaterThe University of Idaho Department of Theatre Arts presents "1984" at the Forge Theater in Moscow, with a preview Thursday at 7:30 p.m., evening shows Oct. 9, 10, 16 and 17 at 7:30 p.m. and matinees Oct. 11 and 18 at 2 p.m., Pullman Radio reported. Tickets are free for UI students and $6 to $26 for the public.
Pullman Regional Hospital receives American Heart Association awardsPullman Regional Hospital received Get With The Guidelines Gold Quality Achievement Awards for heart failure and stroke care and a Bronze award for STEMI care from the American Heart Association, Pullman Radio reported Wednesday. The hospital reported an average of 6.6 minutes from a stroke patient's emergency department arrival to initial evaluation in 2025.
Trump proposes presidential retreat at his West Palm Beach golf clubPresident Donald Trump said in the Oval Office on Wednesday that part of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, could become a retreat for future presidents, AP reported. In a letter to Palm Beach County commissioners last month, attorney Harvey Oyer said Trump is offering to designate the course a "U.S. Presidential Golf Course"; County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo said local officials are eager to explore the "historic opportunity," according to AP.
Trump rallies for Ken Paxton in San AntonioPresident Donald Trump held a rally for Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton at Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio on Wednesday evening, where at least a dozen protesters interrupted him, AP reported. Trump pledged to award retired pitcher Roger Clemens the Presidential Medal of Freedom, according to AP.
Anne Carson wins the 2026 Nobel Prize in LiteratureThe Swedish Academy awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday to Canadian poet, essayist and translator Anne Carson, 76, "for her bold and inventive oeuvre that, in playful dialogue with the classical tradition," created new forms, Euronews reported. The prize carries 12 million Swedish kronor, and Carson is the 19th woman to win it, according to Euronews.