Here are today’s top stories.
Headlines
Fears Grow of Russian Plague
A worker at a Russian anti-plague research institute in Siberia has died of pneumonia of undetermined origin, and nearly 200 people were reported under medical observation as of Monday. At least one hospital facility near Irkutsk has been closed for quarantine. The World Health Organization said no cause of death has been officially confirmed. Source
President Trump has named Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton as the administration’s AI czar. Clayton will lead a newly created Super Intelligence Force that coordinates the federal government’s dealings with consumers, religious groups, AI companies and others. The task force has 120 days to deliver a report on the technology’s risks and opportunities. Read More
The Supreme Court opened its new term Monday with a high-profile case touching on clean air and the reach of federal authority. The opening argument session included Suncor Energy v. Boulder County, a dispute over climate-related claims against energy companies. See Details
Politics
Justice Samuel Alito said he thought about retiring after the Supreme Court’s last term but decided he could still make a valuable contribution. The 76-year-old said it is a question he has to consider every term. His comments come as control of the Senate, which confirms Supreme Court nominees, hangs on November’s elections. Find out More
A push to stop the twice-yearly changing of the clocks has hit a wall in the Senate, reigniting the long-running fight over daylight saving time. Clocks are set to fall back on Nov. 1. Source
President Trump is on a red-state campaign swing with a month to go before the midterms, promising a Republican win at a weekend rally in a Dayton, Ohio, suburb. The push comes as recent polling shows promising signs for Democrats in their bid to retake control of Congress. Source
U.S. News
A Massachusetts man with a prior felony record has pleaded guilty in a federal case involving the sale of Russian plutonium. The Justice Department says he sold the material to 67 customers. Source
President Trump criticized New York Attorney General Letitia James after Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed her special prosecutor in an alleged 2024 sexual assault at a Cornell University fraternity. Trump called James corrupt and said those she investigates will not be treated fairly. James, who previously won a civil fraud judgment against Trump, has said her office opened an active criminal investigation. Read More
Two men were killed and 35 people were wounded when gunfire broke out at a block party in Vienna, Georgia. The party spanned four blocks and fell on the local high school’s homecoming weekend, though it was not a school event. Investigators have not announced a suspect or a motive. Source
Business
Stock futures edged higher heading into Tuesday after the Nasdaq Composite hit a new record. S&P 500 futures were up about 0.25%, Dow futures gained 0.48% and Nasdaq-100 futures added 0.26%. Find out More
Oil prices fell about $2 a barrel Monday as Middle East crude exports rose and the Group of Seven nations moved to release 100 million barrels from emergency reserves. Brent settled at $100.32 and U.S. crude at $89.43. The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve has dropped to 283 million barrels, its lowest level since 1982. Find out More
Hooters continues to shrink, with the restaurant chain losing longtime locations in Florida, the state where it was founded. The closures add to a string of shutdowns for the brand. Source
World News
Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, the 45-year-old son of former President Jair Bolsonaro and an ally of President Trump, finished ahead of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the first round of Brazil’s presidential election. The two now head to an Oct. 25 runoff. Lula spent Monday trying to shake up his campaign while Bolsonaro reached for support from voters who backed other candidates. Source
At least two more vessels were struck over the weekend in waters near Oman and Iran. Iran’s parliament speaker said the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until seven Iranian conditions for ending the war with the U.S. are met. Separately, the U.S. withdrew all of its B-1 bombers from a British air base after an investigation uncovered a suspected terror plot against it. See Details
Governments are moving to guard against a suspected plague case tied to a Russian laboratory death. Kyrgyzstan began quarantine controls at its border crossings Monday, and the U.S. State Department said it is aware of the possible pneumonic plague death. The World Health Organization said the risk to the general public appears low, while Russia’s health agency has played down any link between the death and the researcher’s work. See Details
Entertainment
Halle Berry has filed a lengthy court response to ex-husband Olivier Martinez’s request for temporary sole custody of their 13-year-old son. Berry denies his allegation that she was violent toward the boy and says she would never hurt her child. She is asking the court to keep the existing joint custody arrangement. Source
HBO’s “Lanterns” closed its first season Sunday with a finale built around emotion rather than superhero action. The show’s creators say the ending was always meant to center on the relationship between the characters played by Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre. See Details
Former “Grey’s Anatomy” star Isaiah Washington has revealed that his wife died in 2025. He said the cause was a massive stroke. See Details
Sports
Bijan Robinson ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns, including a 59-yard score on Atlanta’s third play, as the Falcons routed the New Orleans Saints 45-24 on Monday night. Brian Robinson Jr. added three short touchdown runs. The loss spoiled the Saints’ celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Superdome’s reopening after Hurricane Katrina. Source
The Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 5-2 to take a 2-0 lead in their American League Division Series. The Yankees committed four errors, three of them in the first inning. New York is now one loss from elimination. Source
The NFL has suspended officials Jeff Seeman and Adrian Hill after confrontations with players during Week 4. The league had been reviewing an incident in which Seeman, a line judge, appeared to direct profanity at Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride. Source
Off the Wall
The world’s two oldest men share a birthday, and this year they traded greetings. Brazil’s João Marinho Neto turned 114 on Monday and Australia’s Ken Weeks turned 113, and each posed for a photo holding a card celebrating the other. Read More
