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Saturday, October 17, 2026
Morning edition
AI
Anthropic says Claude designed quantum circuits that beat the best published ones on eight tasksAnthropic said in a research post dated Oct. 16 that its Claude Mythos 5 model, "working largely on its own," found designs that improve on the best published quantum circuits for eight computational primitives. Anthropic said one point-addition circuit uses 17 times fewer gates than the smallest previous design, at 12% more qubits, and a Reed-Solomon decoder step cuts gates by a factor of 12 relative to Google's previous construction.
Anthropic reports agent hours outnumber its employees' hours 6 to 1Anthropic published a report on Oct. 16 stating that agents' interactive hours outnumbered its employees' hours 6 to 1 by August. The report said the share of junior technical hires fell from 27% to 9%, and the share of junior-level employees in technical departments fell from 21% to 14% since early 2025.
Lam Research, Texas Instruments, Tesla, Netflix and Meta among companies reporting next weekLam Research and Texas Instruments are scheduled to report results on Wednesday, and Meta Platforms, SpaceX, Tesla, Netflix, Procter & Gamble and GE Aerospace are also due to report next week, Reuters reported in a story published Saturday by The Star.
Zillow data puts Saturday's 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 7.14%The average 30-year fixed purchase rate was 7.14% on Saturday, Oct. 17, according to Zillow data reported by Yahoo Finance. The same data put the 20-year fixed at 6.68%, the 15-year fixed at 6.59% and the 5/1 ARM at 7.28%.
Bryson Fire containment reaches 39%Officials said the Bryson Fire in Malibu has burned 147 acres and is 39% contained, ABC7 Los Angeles reported early Saturday.
"No Kings" rallies set for Saturday across the Los Angeles area"No Kings" rallies are scheduled Saturday, Oct. 17, with the downtown Los Angeles rally set for 1 to 5 p.m. at Gloria Molina Grand Park, The LA Local and LAist reported. Other listed sites include Santa Clarita at Valencia Boulevard and McBean Parkway from 9 a.m. to noon, Pasadena, Burbank, Culver City, Torrance and Whittier; LAPD said it is aware of the rally and does not anticipate any issues.
Mariposa at Jordan Downs opens with 75 homes; Children's Park breaks groundThe Michaels Organization and the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles completed Mariposa at Jordan Downs, the fifth phase of the Watts redevelopment, with 75 affordable and market-rate units and an early childhood education center, Urbanize LA reported Oct. 16. Work began on an adjacent Children's Park with play areas, a splash pad and a junior basketball court, with completion expected in summer 2027, according to Urbanize LA.
Santa Clarita named finalist for LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City awardSanta Clarita is one of seven Large City finalists for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation's 2026 Most Business-Friendly City Award, according to a city news release published Oct. 16 by The Signal. Honorees will be announced at LAEDC's 31st Annual EDDY Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 4; Mayor Laurene Weste called the recognition "a tremendous honor."
E-bikes expected on Oct. 27 City Council agendaCity Manager Ken Striplin said e-bikes are expected on the agenda for the City Council's next meeting, scheduled for Oct. 27, The Signal reported Friday.
Fallen tree closes northbound McBean ParkwayA large tree fell onto the roadway at McBean and Magic Mountain parkways shortly after noon Friday, pinning a white SUV and closing the northbound side of McBean Parkway, The Signal reported. Firefighters confirmed no one was trapped, and SCV Sheriff's Station officials said the incident was declared wrapped up by 2:45 p.m.
Festival of Trees returns Nov. 20-22 at Valencia Town CenterThe Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley will hold its 24th Annual Festival of Trees Nov. 20-22 at Valencia Town Center, with a Magic of the Lights Gala on Friday, Nov. 20, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and community days on Nov. 20, 21 and 22, KHTS reported Oct. 16.
Inland Harmony Chorus performs Saturday at the Kenworthy in MoscowThe Inland Harmony Chorus, with guests the Tapestry Women's Choir and the aca'Bellas Quartet, performs Saturday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre in downtown Moscow, Pullman Radio reported. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.
Lauren McCluskey Race for Campus Safety Saturday at WSUThe annual Lauren McCluskey Race for Campus Safety will be held Saturday at the Washington State University Vet Med parking lot in Pullman, with a 1K at 10 a.m., a 10K at 10:30 a.m. and a 5K at 10:40 a.m., Pullman Radio reported. Pullman Radio said it benefits the Lauren McCluskey Foundation's campus safety programs.
Palouse Conservation District seeks volunteers for stream restoration SaturdayThe Palouse Conservation District is seeking volunteers Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon to plant native trees and shrubs and remove invasive plants along a tributary of the South Fork Palouse River about six miles outside Pullman, Pullman Radio reported. Advance registration is required to receive the location.
Trump signs order waiving Russia sanctions under the Graham ActPresident Trump signed an executive order late Friday stating, "I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions, and duties provided for in the Graham Act," Just the News and Channels TV reported. In the order, Trump wrote that he had submitted a certification to Congress that the waiver "at this time is in the national interests," according to Just the News.
White House official confirms Katie Zacharia has left press secretary jobA White House official confirmed Friday that Katie Zacharia has left the press secretary role after roughly a week, The Signal reported (single source). Trump said, "I don't think Katie should be made to suffer like she is suffering at the hands of the press," according to The Signal; no successor was named.
"No Kings: Vote Early" events scheduled in all 50 states SaturdayMore than 2,500 "No Kings: Vote Early" events are on the organizers' map for Saturday, Oct. 17, in all 50 states, Fast Company reported. Organizers include the ACLU, the American Federation of Teachers, 50501, Indivisible, the League of Women Voters and MoveOn, according to Fast Company.
FDA approves Ryzumvi eye drops for presbyopiaOpus Genetics announced Oct. 16 that the FDA approved phentolamine ophthalmic solution 0.75% (Ryzumvi) to treat presbyopia in adults, Ophthalmology Times reported. In the VEGA-3 phase 3 trial of 545 participants, 27.2% of those on the drug met the primary endpoint versus 11.5% on placebo, according to topline data cited by Ophthalmology Times.