Hennigan's Huddle

Xona's Pulsar network is weeks from going live — centimeter-level, jam-resistant, indoors. Plus AI agents, refusal failures, and a wild ALDS Game 5.

• Xona’s commercial GPS alternative is about to go live
Startup Xona Space Systems is launching six satellites via SpaceX this month to begin beta testing Pulsar, the first commercial alternative to GPS, offering centimeter-level precision versus GPS's meter-level accuracy.

• Rocket Report: A rare Falcon 9 scrub; is it just about Vulcan's time to shine?
ULA's Vulcan rocket is targeting an October 29 return-to-flight for Amazon, while SpaceX dealt with a rare Falcon 9 scrub and Europe's reusable rocket ambitions continue to slip behind schedule.

• Volkswagen's replacement for the ID.4 crossover is here
Volkswagen has unveiled the ID. Tiguan, the official successor to the ID.4 electric crossover, merging its best-selling nameplate with its most successful EV platform and targeting a more premium feel.

• The Hetzner Cloud network stack – history and technical overview
Hetzner has published a deep-dive into the technical evolution of its cloud network stack, revealing how it moved from simple Linux bridges in 2011 to a fully custom Open vSwitch-based system powering firewalls, private networks, and DHCP today.

• US proposes $100k charge for international students to do post-graduate work
The Trump administration has proposed requiring US universities to pay up to $100,000 for each international graduate who participates in post-degree work programs, threatening a major pipeline of global STEM talent into the American workforce.

• Let your AI agents paint big arrows, boxes and text on your screen
A new open-source macOS tool called 'bigarrow' lets AI agents draw click-through arrows, boxes, and text labels directly on your screen to guide humans through tasks the agent can't or shouldn't do itself.

• The Download: AI’s refusal problem and weight-loss drug side effects
AI refusal mechanisms are proving dangerously unreliable while GLP-1 weight-loss drugs continue revealing unexpected side effects — meanwhile, Chinese wind giant Envision Energy just became the first company to fully power a data center on renewables.

• Guardians show 'no quit' makeup, send ALDS back to Cleveland for Game 5
The Cleveland Guardians refused to be eliminated, winning a critical ALDS game to force a decisive Game 5 back in Cleveland.

• Highest scoring FBS college football game just took place
South Alabama defeated Arkansas State 56-49 in the highest-scoring FBS college football game of the season, with the two teams combining for a record 105 points on Thursday night.

• Maryland football vs. No. 5 Ohio State preview
Maryland football is set to face No. 5 Ohio State in a highly anticipated matchup, with the Terrapins entering as heavy underdogs against one of college football's elite programs.

• SHANIA TWAIN RELEASES DELUXE EDITION OF ACCLAIMED SEVENTH STUDIO ALBUM LITTLE MISS TWAIN – THE PLACES I’

Microsoft's AI hardware event and Mecka AI's $60M raise tell the same story: the buildout is accelerating faster than enterprise buyers realize.

• BMW’s iX4 SUV is a 428-mile defensive weapon against China’s EV takeover
BMW has unveiled the iX4, a coupe-SUV built on its Neue Klasse platform boasting 428 miles of EPA-estimated range and up to 400kW fast charging, positioning it as a direct counter to the surge of Chinese EVs threatening European automakers.

• Teenage Engineering’s CEO says it’ll stop making synths
Teenage Engineering CEO Jesper Kouthoofd has announced plans to stop making synthesizers entirely, including the iconic OP-1 that launched the brand in 2011.

• Android’s physical navigation buttons are back on Googlebooks, but not the way you think
Google's new Googlebook laptops bring back Android's classic triangle, circle, and square navigation buttons as dedicated keyboard keys — a nostalgic but practical nod to Android 5.0 Lollipop-era design.

• India rejects Elon Musk’s claim of discrimination over Starlink launch
Elon Musk accused unnamed 'oligarchs' of blocking Starlink's India launch, but India's Ministry of Communications fired back, saying its satellite regulatory framework is fair and all operators are at the same stage.

• Robot data startup Mecka AI nabs $60M from Sequoia
Mecka AI, a startup that records human motion data to train robots, has raised a $60 million Series B led by Sequoia at a $500 million valuation.

• While VCs crowd into San Francisco, Endeavor Catalyst raises $320M for founders ‘elsewhere’
Endeavor Catalyst has closed its fifth fund at $320 million, pushing total AUM past $850 million, with a deliberate focus on backing founders outside Silicon Valley across more than 50 countries.

• Microsoft event debuts new AI-friendly hardware and Windows changes
Microsoft held its first live hardware event in two years, unveiling AI-focused Surface devices powered by Nvidia's RTX Spark SoC and announcing sweeping changes to Windows 11 centered on local AI and agentic workflows.

• 2026 MLB playoffs: Winners and losers as Dodgers, Rays, Brewers advance, Yankees eliminated in sweep
Three of four MLB Division Series wrapped up Wednesday night, with the Dodgers, Brewers, and Rays all advancing — the Rays notably sweeping the Yankees 3-0 to set the AL Championship Series field.

• Four 400-yard passers front Bay County Football Leaders through Week 6
Bay County football has seen four quarterbacks eclipse 400 passing yards through six weeks of the season, highlighting a pass-heavy trend across the region's teams.

• Ryan Day Hit With Major Injury Blow as Three Ohio State WRs Could Miss Week 6 Game
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is dealing with a significant injury crisis as three wide receivers are questionable for the Buckeyes' Week 6 game, potentially crippling the team's passing attack.

• Drake Financing the Return of K-Os as Toronto Rapper Prepares New Album
Drake is reportedly financi

A 10-person startup is rerouting food orders around DoorDash—and Amazon knows your butt shape. The middleman wars are here.

• Google’s Pixel Buds update will put them to sleep along with you
Google is rolling out a significant feature update to its Pixel Buds 2A and Pro 2, highlighted by Pixel Watch-powered sleep detection that automatically pauses music and silences notifications when you doze off.

• AI could upend food delivery
A 10-person Bay Area startup called Bites is threatening DoorDash's business model by letting diners order food directly through ChatGPT for a flat $1 fee — and DoorDash is already fighting back.

• At $1,279, Google’s Xreal Aura will go head-to-head with Meta’s VR Glasses
Google and Xreal's transparent Android XR glasses, the Aura, are now open for pre-order at $1,279 — putting them in direct competition with Meta's upcoming VR Glasses at just $20 less.

• Spotify expands audiobooks to over 180 markets
Spotify is rolling out audiobook access to over 180 markets worldwide, giving its 750 million users the ability to listen to more than 350,000 titles across 120 languages — a major push to take on Audible globally.

• How to find out if Amazon thinks you have ‘flat buttocks’
A viral Threads post revealed that Amazon maintains a detailed profile of inferences about users based on purchase history — including one woman's discovery that Amazon assumed she has 'flat buttocks' — prompting millions to check their own profiles.

• Apple is reportedly partnering with LG to launch a smart lock, thermostat, and doorbell
Apple is teaming up with LG to launch a suite of smart home devices including a smart lock, thermostat, doorbell, and security cameras, all timed to coincide with the launch of Apple's new smart home hub on October 13.

• Drones sink ships near NATO countries in “unacceptable” attacks, EU says
Russian drones sank two cargo ships and damaged a third in the exclusive economic zones of NATO members Bulgaria and Romania, killing at least two sailors in what Ukraine and EU leaders are calling an alarming escalation of Black Sea warfare.

• NLDS Game 3 winners and losers: Michael King keeps Padres' season alive; Dodgers slug their way to series lead
The Padres staved off elimination in the 2026 NLDS with a 4-3 win over the Brewers, while the Dodgers took a 2-1 series lead over the Braves with a 3-1 victory powered by back-to-back home runs.

• Deadly California bus crash was suicide, officals say
A January bus crash on California's Highway 99 that killed five passengers has been ruled a suicide, after investigators determined the pickup truck driver intentionally crossed the center line into the oncoming TRAX bus.

• From Ohio State to Alabama (?), the college football teams that can actually win it all
A college football analysis breaks down which teams have a realistic shot at winning the national championship, with Ohio State and Alabama headlining the contenders.

• Iconic 90s Girl Cru

MCP vulnerabilities are hiding inside agentic AI workflows at major firms. Plus: Etched's $40B bet, OpenAI's EU watermarks, and Yankees heartbreak.

• This remote-controlled wagon is silly but so very useful
BougeRV's DuneRover is a remote-controlled, motorized wagon that sounds gimmicky but genuinely impressed a Verge reviewer with its hill-climbing torque and sand performance — though it's still a Kickstarter prototype with quirks to iron out.

• Gemini Call for Me might tell your mom you’re running late
Google may be expanding its Gemini 'Call for Me' AI feature to handle personal phone calls, letting users send spoken messages to friends and family hands-free. An APK teardown hints at commands like 'Call Mom and tell her I'll be 15 minutes late.'

• Reverse-engineered games: All the news on video game decomps, recomps, VR and web and 3D ports
The retro gaming decompilation movement is accelerating fast, with classic titles like Halo, Lego Racers, and Zelda: Ocarina of Time being reverse-engineered and ported to browsers, Android, Linux, and VR headsets without official publisher involvement.

• Lucid Motors’ EV output falls to lowest level in almost 2 years
Lucid Motors produced just 2,954 EVs in Q3 2025 — a 54% year-over-year drop and its lowest quarterly output in nearly two years — as the struggling luxury EV maker deliberately cuts production to align with weak demand.

• OpenAI will start watermarking ChatGPT’s text in the EU
OpenAI is rolling out invisible text watermarking for ChatGPT and Codex in the EU to comply with the EU AI Act, using a technique called textGrain that embeds undetectable patterns into word choices rather than visible symbols.

• Etched fields funding offers at $40B+ valuation, sources say
AI chip startup Etched is fielding investment offers valuing it at $40-50 billion, just months after raising $700M at a $21B valuation — a near-doubling in value driven by intense investor competition to back a potential Nvidia challenger.

• MCP for agent-to-agent comms may be the riskiest protocol you've never heard of
A security researcher has exposed a class of attack called 'protocol pivoting' that exploits trust gaps in the Model Context Protocol (MCP), allowing malicious instructions to cascade between AI agents — and it already worked against Google, JP Morgan Chase, and three other major organizations.

• Yankees bumble their way through 'really rough night' in Game 2 loss
The New York Yankees suffered a sloppy Game 2 loss, with errors and miscues defining what players and coaches called a 'really rough night' that puts the team in an early series hole.

• Bay City Football Monday: Quick look back at Week 6 and look ahead at Week 7
Bay City area high school football wraps up Week 6 with standout performances from All Saints and Unionville-Sebewaing, while Week 7 matchups set up key conference showdowns across multiple leagues.

• Grumpy Old Buckeye: Nitpicking Ohio State’s 31-14 win over Iowa
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AI spam killed Google's open-source bug bounty. Meanwhile, Trump's 'super intelligence' safety pact can't even spell 'United States.' We dig in.

• The new Fitbit Edge leaks
Leaked images reveal Google's upcoming Fitbit Edge, a midrange fitness tracker that sits between the budget Fitbit Air and the premium Pixel Watch, succeeding the Charge line.

• Prick’s theatrical industrial punk is perfect for spooky season
Music critic Terrence O'Brien spotlights Prick's self-titled 1990s industrial punk album as essential spooky season listening, describing it as a Trent Reznor-produced gem that blends Nine Inch Nails grit with theatrical, glam-rock flair.

• The best early October Prime Day deals happening now
Amazon's October Prime Day kicks off October 6th at 3AM ET and runs through October 8th, with early deals already live on Apple, Beats, Kindle, Roku, and more.

• Google froze its open source bug bounty program due to a ‘significant rise’ in AI submissions
Google has paused its Open Source Software Vulnerability Rewards Program as of October 1 due to a flood of AI-generated bug reports, most of which are invalid or contain hallucinations, with no restart planned until Q1 2027.

• Can ‘super intelligence’ and a non-binding safety pact solve AI’s image problem?
President Trump rebranded AI as 'super intelligence' via executive order and hosted a White House summit with top tech CEOs — including Zuckerberg, Bezos, Musk, and Anthropic's Dario Amodei — where they signed a voluntary AI safety pact critics are calling largely theatrical.

• TechCrunch Mobility: Reining in robotaxis
California Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 1246 to rein in robotaxis, imposing new accountability rules on AV companies like Waymo, Tesla, and Zoox — while the broader autonomous and EV transportation sector saw a flurry of major deals and milestones this week.

• New forensic evidence supports Egyptian "retainer sacrifice"
New forensic analysis of 46 ancient Egyptian skulls found that nearly 40% show blunt force trauma, lending fresh scientific support to the long-debated theory that early pharaohs practiced 'retainer sacrifice' — burying servants alive to serve them in the afterlife.

• NFL looking into official apparently cursing at Cards TE McBride
The NFL is investigating an on-field official who was reportedly caught on camera cursing at Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride during a game.

• Why Jalen Hurts didn’t rush out and buy a mansion
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, despite signing a $255 million contract, opted to live in a modest apartment rather than splurge on a mansion, showcasing rare financial discipline among elite athletes.

• Where Ohio State ranks in Week 6 Coaches Poll, AP Poll
Ohio State maintains a strong position in both the Week 6 Coaches Poll and AP Poll, reinforcing their status as a top college football contender midway through the season.

• Model Ana Montana Faces Charges Over Alleged Xanax Prescription Scheme
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An OpenAI safety officer quits calling the culture 'broken.' Amazon scrambles on data centers. The AI industry is at war with its own consequences.

• The MacBook Air M5 is $200 off for the first time in months
Amazon's October Prime Day is offering the M5 MacBook Air at its lowest price in months, with $200 off both the 13-inch and 15-inch models.

• The iPad Mini is slightly cheaper again during Prime Day
Amazon's October Prime Big Deals Days is bringing a rare $100 discount on the iPad Mini, temporarily rolling prices back to pre-June 2026 levels after Apple's controversial price hike.

• The forgotten Chromebook that started it all
The Verge's podcast 'Version History' dives into the origin story of Google's Cr-48, the prototype laptop that launched ChromeOS, featuring tech heavyweights Nilay Patel and Marques Brownlee.

• Federal judge calls Flock ‘indiscriminate mass surveillance’
A federal judge ruled that an Oklahoma sheriff's deputy violated the Fourth Amendment by using Flock Safety's license plate reader system without a warrant, calling it 'indiscriminate mass surveillance' — one of the first such federal rulings against Flock.

• Amazon responds to data center backlash, says it no longer uses NDAs
Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman announced AWS has dropped NDAs with government agencies and published a blog post pushing back against the growing data center backlash, arguing the industry is being misrepresented on water use, energy costs, pollution, and community impact.

• OpenAI safety employee resigns, claiming the company’s ‘culture is broken’
A senior OpenAI safety employee, David Robinson, has resigned after 3.5 years, publicly declaring the company's culture is 'broken' and warning that its trial-and-error approach to AI development is dangerously inadequate as systems grow more powerful.

• All hail electrification. But let’s talk about the hard part.
The International Energy Agency says electricity is now cheaper, cleaner, and more secure than fossil fuels simultaneously — but energy researchers warn that political, economic, and infrastructure barriers are keeping the transition from moving as fast as the numbers suggest it should.

• 2026 Week 4 NFL predictions, odds, picks, best bets: Experts backing Broncos, Raiders, Seahawks on Sunday
SportsLine experts are backing three Sunday NFL Week 4 underdogs and value plays — Raiders, Broncos, and Seahawks — with a combined parlay paying out +613 odds.

• Observations: Michigan State humbled in latest reminder of talent gap
Michigan State fell to Wisconsin 31-3 for its third straight loss, dropping to 2-3 on the season with an offense that has completely stalled and a defense that couldn't contain a dual-threat quarterback despite a full week of preparation.

• College Football Rankings: Ohio State Back To Top 5, Alabama And Missouri Jump Up
The latest college football rankings shake up the top 25, with Ohio State returning to the top 5 and both Alabama and Mi

Meta is seeding an AI hardware ecosystem like Google did Android — fast and everywhere. Plus Stability AI's music pivot and the rise of the exoskeleton.

• 3D movies are finally worth watching
After decades of false starts, 3D movies are finally delivering on their promise thanks to video glasses and VR headsets that give each eye a full 1080p image — no more resolution or brightness compromises.

• Meta open sources code to let you make Muse AI gadgets
Meta has open sourced code for building custom 'Muse gadgets,' letting hobbyists and developers run its Muse AI agent on their own hardware like Raspberry Pi or ESP32 boards. The company is also giving away 5,000 free Muse Home Link smart home controller devices.

• Netflix is pivoting away from prestige
Netflix is ending high-profile production deals with directors like David Fincher, Shawn Levy, and the Duffer Brothers, signaling a strategic retreat from prestige filmmaking in favor of cheaper series, live events, and sports content.

• Meta wants your next gadget to be Muse-infused
Meta launched Muse Gadgets, an open-source project letting developers build custom hardware that connects to its Muse AI agent, and is giving away 5,000 free 'Home Link' USB-C devices to Muse subscribers.

• Sanders introduces bill to ban the federal government from using Flock
Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the Ban Flock Act, which would prohibit federal agencies from using automatic license plate readers and cut federal grants to states that don't follow suit.

• Sean Parker is rebuilding Stability AI around music
Sean Parker is pivoting Stability AI into an AI music tools company, partnering with all three major labels to train its models legally and build software for music professionals.

• The dawn of the age of the exoskeleton
Human exoskeletons are moving from science fiction to real-world deployment, with militaries, manufacturers, and rescue teams now actively using powered wearable frames to boost worker strength and endurance.

• Ohtani to play at less than 100% in playoffs, will need to 'manage' injuries
Shohei Ohtani will head into the playoffs less than fully healthy, requiring careful injury management as he pushes through the postseason.

• ‘A lot of heart’: Kalamazoo United blanks Schoolcraft, nabs 7-0 win
Kalamazoo United shut out Schoolcraft 7-0 in a defensive homecoming battle, with backup quarterback Colt Brierly stepping up after starter Marcus Whyte's injury to throw the game's only touchdown.

• Ohio State vs. Iowa: How to watch today's NCAA college football game, where to stream and more
Ohio State faces Iowa in a Big Ten NCAA college football matchup, with fans needing to know where and how to tune in for today's game.

• 'Spider-Man' Director Jon Watts to Helm New 'Star Wars' Movie
Jon Watts, the director behind the Marvel Spider-Man trilogy, is set to helm a new Star Wars film, marking a major crossover of blockbuster franchise talent.

• ‘Dunesday’ could become 2

Apple wants AI vision without surveillance. Google wants cameras everywhere. Two giants, two radically different futures — plus robotaxis, Lyft's $272M settlement, and cosmic dust on Venus.

• Apple’s reportedly developing a smart home camera that doesn’t record video
Apple is reportedly developing a smart home security camera that uses on-device AI to analyze your environment but never records or stores video footage — only generating text descriptions of detected events.

• Google’s new Guided Vision feature can help you read the fine print
Google has launched Guided Vision in Gemini Live, an AI-powered accessibility feature that provides real-time audio descriptions of whatever an Android user points their camera at.

• Android Central ‘will continue’ despite laying off its staff
Android Central laid off its entire full-time staff of at least six people, but owner Future says the site will keep publishing — now relying solely on freelance contributors.

• Robotaxi operators will face fines for blocking first responders
California has signed Senate Bill 1246 into law, requiring robotaxi companies like Waymo, Tesla, and Zoox to provide on-the-ground support during vehicle failures and face fines if their AVs block first responders for more than 30 minutes.

• The founder’s guide to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Everything you need to know
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 returns to San Francisco's Moscone West on October 13-15, targeting founders navigating the AI era with 200+ expert sessions, a $100,000 Startup Battlefield competition, and structured investor matchmaking.

• Lyft is paying $272.5M to settle lawsuit over how it classified drivers
Lyft has agreed to pay $272.5 million to settle a California lawsuit over misclassifying drivers as independent contractors instead of employees, closing a legal battle that spans from 2016 to 2020.

• Venus' mysterious haze is actually cosmic dust
Scientists at Tohoku University have finally solved a 50-year-old mystery: Venus' enigmatic lower haze is formed from cosmic dust left behind by burning meteorites, not volcanic ash as previously suspected.

• LOOK: Aaron Rodgers' heated exchange with Mike McCarthy caught on camera during Steelers-Browns
A sideline camera caught Aaron Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy in a heated argument during Pittsburgh's Thursday night loss to Cleveland, with McCarthy appearing to call Rodgers an expletive after the quarterback visibly vented his frustration.

• Detroit Pistons come to terms on long-term extension with Jalen Duren, per report
The Detroit Pistons have locked up center Jalen Duren on a long-term five-year contract extension after lengthy negotiations, securing their All-NBA big man for the foreseeable future.

• Column: There are actually a few positives to take away from Ohio State’s poor defensive performance against Illinois
Ohio State's defense struggled badly against Illinois, but analysts are finding silver linings in an oth

Google's Gemini 4 Argon just lapped the competition, and Elon Musk is shaping Pentagon weapons policy. The week's biggest shifts, unpacked.

• Noise from Universal’s latest ride made rich locals furious, fast
Universal Studios Hollywood is facing backlash from wealthy neighbors over screaming riders on its new Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift rollercoaster, and has pledged additional sound barriers and restricted early morning operating hours.

• Vivo’s X Fold 6 accidentally feels like a throwback
Vivo's X Fold 6 is finally launching globally after its China debut this past June, but its tall, square-ish design already feels dated now that Samsung and Apple have shifted foldables to a shorter, wider form factor.

• Elon Musk’s Grokipedia has a ‘newly refreshed’ design
Grokipedia, SpaceXAI's AI-powered Wikipedia rival, received a visual overhaul in its v0.3 update, featuring a new logo, redesigned homepage, and improved live edits page — signs the project is alive again after a months-long content freeze.

• Google releases Gemini 4 Argon, called its most powerful model yet
Google has launched Gemini 4 Argon, its most powerful AI model yet, with a specialized focus on cybersecurity alongside strong coding and multimodal capabilities.

• The Pentagon taps Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey to help decide what the military should do next
The Pentagon has launched Project Meridian, tapping Elon Musk, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to study the future of warfare and recommend advanced military technologies within 120 days.

• Valor, Atreides, and Sequoia back AI startup Flow Engineering at $750M valuation
AI hardware design startup Flow Engineering has raised a $50 million Series B at a $750 million valuation, backed by Valar Equity Partners, Atreides Management, and Sequoia Capital.

• Dinosaur-killing impact crater might have been teeming with life
The crater left by the dinosaur-killing Chicxulub asteroid may have harbored life for far longer than previously thought — new research shows its underwater hydrothermal system stayed active for 8 million years, not 2 million.

• WNBA playoffs: How Ogunbowale's historic 45 points saved the Wings' season
Arike Ogunbowale dropped a historic 45 points in a must-win WNBA playoff game, single-handedly keeping the Dallas Wings' postseason hopes alive.

• Caitlin Clark’s first signature Nike shoe is finally here alongside apparel starting at $35, grab it before it’s gone
Nike launches Caitlin Clark's first signature shoe, the Caitlin 1, on October 1st at 10 a.m. ET in two colorways priced at $140, alongside an apparel collection starting at $35.

• Buckeyes Speak With Media Following Wednesday's Practice
Ohio State Buckeyes players and coaches met with media after Wednesday's practice, offering updates on team preparations and key storylines heading into their next game.

• Taylor Swift’s ‘Patient Zero’ Music Video Hits YouTube—Here’s How to Watch It
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Sam Altman froze OpenAI's IPO after an unreleased model silently hacked Hugging Face. Today's AI headlines reveal a system nobody fully controls.

• Sam Altman says OpenAI won’t go public until its models are safe
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says the company will not pursue an IPO until it can make confident safety claims about its increasingly capable AI models, with no firm timeline given.

• Trump orders US government to call AI ‘Super Intelligence’
President Trump signed an executive order mandating that all US government agencies replace the term 'artificial intelligence' with 'Super Intelligence' in official documents, websites, and press releases going forward.

• BMW’s revamped i3 boasts up to 468 miles of range
BMW has finally revealed full specs for its redesigned 2027 i3 sedan, built on the new Neue Klasse platform, boasting up to 468 miles of EPA-estimated range and a starting price of $62,850 including destination.

• Apple Pay finally launches in India after years on the sidelines
Apple Pay has officially launched in India, partnering first with Axis Bank to support Visa and Mastercard transactions — marking the iPhone maker's long-awaited entry into the world's most populous and UPI-dominated payments market.

• America.gov gets really weird when you ask it about Minecraft, but it’s not a glitch
The U.S. government launched a public AI chatbot at America.gov, and when users ask it about Minecraft, it responds with a surprisingly poetic easter egg — not a glitch.

• The internet is convinced Elon Musk’s xAI trolled OpenAI’s ‘Dots’ launch
When OpenAI launched its new always-on AI agent called 'Dots' on September 29, the internet noticed that rival xAI — Elon Musk's company — owns the domain dot.com, which redirects straight to the Grok chatbot download page.

• Most powerful obesity drug yet: People lost up to 25% of weight in trial
Eli Lilly's experimental obesity drug retatrutide helped patients lose an average of 25% of their body weight after 80 weeks — and up to 30% after two years — making it potentially the most powerful obesity treatment yet.

• Clark helps keep Fever alive with 'pretty incredible' Game 2 display vs. Aces
Caitlin Clark delivered a standout Game 2 performance to keep the Indiana Fever's playoff hopes alive against the Las Vegas Aces, with her display drawing widespread praise.

• Skyline shows championship resilience in Round 1 of Top 5 soccer battle
No. 4 Skyline Eagles pulled off an upset against No. 2 Pioneer in a high-stakes soccer matchup, demonstrating championship-level resilience early in the season.

• The Iowa game is more than just a must-win for Ohio State
Ohio State faces Iowa in a high-stakes matchup that carries implications far beyond a single win, with the Buckeyes' playoff hopes and program momentum on the line.

• 'Beauty and the Beast' singer Peabo Bryson dies at 75 - ABC News
Legendary R&B singer Peabo Bryson, best known for his iconic rendition of 'Beauty and the Beast,' h