⚡ TODAY IN HISTORY

On October 18, 1867, Russia formally handed Alaska to the United States at a flag ceremony in Sitka, months after selling the territory for $7.2 million, or about two cents an acre. In 1922, the British Broadcasting Company was formed to run a national radio service. Today? The Trump administration has suspended US sanctions on Russian diesel exports, a step taken October 9 as fuel prices climb.

TOP NEWS

Armed bystander stops Oregon school gunman after four are killed 4 KILLED

On Thursday, October 15, a 16-year-old fired a shotgun through locked doors to enter Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, about 100 miles southeast of Portland. Three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and a teacher were killed before a legally armed bystander followed the shooter inside and shot him dead.

Wholesale prices post biggest jump since 2022 +6.3% Y/Y

Gasoline, up 20.3% at the wholesale level, drove half of September’s rise in the Producer Price Index, which tracks what businesses charge before goods reach stores. The index climbed 1.3% in one month and 6.3% over the year, the Labor Department said October 15, a day after consumer prices showed a 3.7% annual gain.

Ten ships hit near the Strait of Hormuz in five days 10 SHIPS

Iran’s army chief has vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz, the sea lane between Iran and Oman that normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil, closed until Iran’s “rights” are respected. At least 10 vessels have been struck there since October 11, the most over any such stretch since the US-Israeli war on Iran began February 28.

Trump rules out nuclear weapons and ground troops in Iran

As reports said the US military was weighing the “Mother of All Bombs,” the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal, for strikes on Iran, President Donald Trump said late Thursday, October 15, that he would not use nuclear weapons. Trump added that he did not see US troops being put on the ground in Iran.

Zelensky defies Trump, resumes strikes on Russian refineries

After Russia fired about 40 ballistic missiles at Ukraine’s power grid during a three-day “energy ceasefire” that President Donald Trump declared October 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was “done” with the pause. Ukrainian drones then set fire to a Rosneft refinery in Russia’s Ryazan region, about 180 miles southeast of Moscow, early on October 15.

WORLD

Houthi missiles hit Yemen’s presidential palace in Aden 5 KILLED

Saudi officials accuse Iran of encouraging the Houthi rebels, whose war with Yemen’s government reignited in July after a 2022 truce collapsed. On Thursday, October 15, Houthi missiles and drones struck al-Maashiq palace in Aden, the southern port city that serves as the seat of Yemen’s Saudi-backed government, killing five people and wounding 16.

Riyadh’s main airport targeted 20 times this month 20 ATTACKS

As the Houthis widen their campaign against Saudi Arabia, the Saudi-led coalition says the rebels have tried to hit dozens of airports, ports and oil sites inside the kingdom. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, has come under attack 20 times since October 1, a coalition spokesman said.

Iran and the US give rival accounts of ship sunk near Hormuz

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said a naval mine sank a container ship loaded with more than 2,500 containers just south of the Strait of Hormuz this week. US Central Command disputed Iran’s account and said a Singapore-flagged container ship that went down in the strait had been hit by an Iranian projectile.

Lavrov rejects any pause in the Ukraine war

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would not accept a ceasefire that could let Ukraine rebuild its military strength. Lavrov made the remarks this week after a summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, a regional security forum.

Macron pledges new aviation aid for Ukraine

With Russia still hitting Ukraine’s energy grid, French President Emmanuel Macron promised continued military support and new aviation aid after meeting Zelensky in Brussels on October 15. Zelensky also pressed Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever that day to speed up deliveries of F-16 fighter jets and ammunition.

POLITICS

Trump scraps livestream of Fort Hood shooter’s execution DEC. 3

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in early October that the firing-squad execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009, would stream live online. After objections from both parties, President Donald Trump canceled the stream on October 15, though victims’ families may still attend the December 3 execution.

Suspicious letters reach election offices in 15 states 15 STATES

Less than three weeks before the November 3 midterms, election offices in at least 15 states and several congressional offices received letters, some holding unknown powders that forced evacuations in Louisiana and Oklahoma. The FBI and the Postal Inspection Service are investigating, and NPR reported that law enforcement found no evidence of harmful substances.

Musk pours $276 million into the GOP midterm push $276M

Since July, Elon Musk has given more than $276 million to Republican groups and his own America PAC, making the world’s richest person the largest known donor of the 2026 midterms. The biggest share, $158 million, went to the Senate Leadership Fund, which is spending to hold a Texas Senate seat for Republican nominee Ken Paxton.

Republicans in tight races break with Trump on tariffs

Facing Democratic attacks over the cost of tariffs, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and former Rep. Mike Rogers, the Republican Senate nominee in Michigan, have publicly split with President Donald Trump over duties on Canadian goods. Collins and Rogers say they have pressed Cabinet officials to reach a deal with Canada or exempt certain products.

Outside midterm spending tops a record $2 billion $2B

Super PACs and other outside groups, funded mostly by a handful of megadonors in tech, finance and gambling, spent $2 billion through the end of September, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. That total is 51% higher than the last midterm cycle after adjusting for inflation.

MARKETS

Dow jumps 556 points as Treasury yields fall +1.08%

Lower Treasury yields and easing pressure on debt-heavy AI companies pulled stocks out of early losses on Thursday, October 15. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 52,177.69, while the S&P 500 rose 0.33% to 7,744.06 and the Nasdaq Composite edged up 0.08%.

CoreWeave sinks 15.5% as AI borrowing worries spread −15.5%

Investors are questioning whether companies borrowing heavily to build AI data centers can repay those loans as interest rates rise. CoreWeave, a cloud provider with about $50 billion in debt, more than its AI cloud rivals, fell 15.5% on October 14 as its bond yields neared 15%, and Oracle shares closed down nearly 9% that day.

South Korea’s KOSPI plunges 7.5% in global chip rout −7.5%

Hot US inflation data and doubts about AI profits sent chip stocks lower across Asia, Europe and the US. South Korea’s main stock index fell more than 7.5% on October 15, and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, the key US chip gauge, lost $1.6 trillion in value, or 11.6%, over six sessions.

Brent crude holds above $105 as Hormuz attacks continue $105/BBL

Iranian strikes on tankers and an 8.56-million-barrel drop in US crude stockpiles in the week to October 9 kept oil prices high. Brent, the international price, traded near $105 a barrel on Friday morning, October 16, and West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, was on track for a weekly gain of nearly 6%.

Gold rebounds toward $4,200 as the dollar weakens

Lower Treasury yields and a softer dollar helped gold gain more than 1% on Thursday, October 15, ending a three-session losing streak. Spot gold traded near $4,177 an ounce early Friday, while Bitcoin recovered to about $82,000 after dipping near $79,700.

ENTERTAINMENT

“Street Fighter” aims for a $30 million box office debut $25M–$35M

Paramount’s video game adaptation “Street Fighter” opened Friday, October 16, in about 3,500 North American theaters, with Variety projecting a $25 million to $35 million weekend. Disney’s $60 million survival thriller “Whalefall,” starring Austin Abrams, was expected to finish second with $10 million to $12 million.

U2 sets its first stadium tour since 2019

Ahead of “Carnaval De Luz,” the band’s 16th studio album due November 13, U2 revealed on October 15 a 2027 world tour opening February 23 in Mexico City, with Beck as support. Six shows in Mexico City, São Paulo and Buenos Aires are confirmed so far, with European and North American dates to follow in the coming weeks.

Justice will score “Grand Theft Auto VI”

Rockstar Games named French electronic duo Justice as composers of the score for “Grand Theft Auto VI” alongside the game’s launch trailer on October 15. The trailer debuted “Flower in a Hurricane,” a new Justice song featuring Tame Impala, SZA and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard that will appear on the game’s 34-track album.

Blondie unveils first new album in nine years

The New York band behind “Heart of Glass” revealed “High Noon” on October 15, its first album since 2017. The record features guests including Johnny Marr of The Smiths and Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols, and arrives with the single “Spectral Eyes.”

Nightwish and singer Floor Jansen split after more than a decade

Calling the decision mutual, Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish said on October 15 that Dutch singer Floor Jansen, a full member since 2013, is leaving. Jansen will focus on her solo album “Hytress,” due in early 2027, while Nightwish plans to enter the studio that year to make a new album.