A brutal sell-off for AI stocks sends Wall Street reeling, and the S&P 500 tumbles 4.4%
NEW YORK (AP) — A brutal sell-off swept through Wall Street, led by stocks tied to the buildout of AI data centers. The S&P 500 fell 4.4% Thursday for its worst drop since President Donald Trump shook markets worldwide in April 2025 with his “Liberation Day” tariffs. The wipeout more than erased the market’s gain from the day before, which was its best in three months. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 1,800 points, and the Nasdaq composite tumbled 5.5%. AI stocks worldwide felt pressure as worries rise about possible moratoriums on data centers following Democratic victories in the U.S. midterm elections.
Paraguay President Peña under investigation, faces removal from office over bank collapse
ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay (AP) — Paraguayan President Santiago Peña is under criminal investigation following the collapse of a major digital bank, as the South American leader prepares to defend himself before the Senate against possible removal from office on Friday. The crisis at Ueno Bank turned Peña’s long-ruling Colorado Party against him, a stunning reversal for the former International Monetary Fund economist. In a day of lightning-speed developments, Peña offered his resignation Thursday, with the lower house voting unanimously to impeach him moments later. Both houses declined to accept Peña’s offer to resign, with the Senate instead deciding to press forward with a trial that could result in the president’s removal from office.
Trump meets with top Putin envoy at the White House — but not visiting Ukrainian officials
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy at the White House but did not meet with Ukrainian officials who were also visiting on Thursday. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he wouldn’t discuss his conversation with Kirill Dmitriev, but he suggested that some type of deal is in the works. He said: “There’s going to be an agreement, it’s going to be a big agreement and it’s going to involve more than Ukraine. The officials from Russia and Ukraine were invited to the White House by the first lady. She recently brokered a ceasefire between the warring countries in the Ukrainian village of Oleshky.
Democratic socialist Nithya Raman ousts embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Little-known Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman has defeated embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to lead the nation’s second most populous city. Her victory means LA will follow the lead of New York, where democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor last year. Voters turned to Raman after a rough first term for Bass that was marked by wildfire fallout and public frustration with homelessness. In a matchup between rival Democrats, Raman tapped into voters’ desire for change. She had endorsed Bass before launching her own campaign.
3 executions are carried out on the same day in the US, including Florida tying a record
Florida has carried out a record-tying 19th execution of the year as three states administered the death penalty on the same day. Jesse Guardado received a lethal injection Thursday evening at a Florida prison for the killing of a 75-year-old woman during a home robbery. Indiana executed a man hours earlier for setting a house fire that killed two children. And Alabama put to death a man Thursday evening for a double killing of two older adults. Florida has carried out more than half of the 35 U.S. executions this year under Gov. Ron DeSantis' aggressive use of the death penalty. Elsewhere, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday he'll commute all 548 death sentences in his state.
Senate Democrats will not let Trump put a 'right-winger' on the Supreme Court, Schumer vows
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is vowing that Democrats will not allow President Donald Trump to put “a right-winger” on the Supreme Court once they take power, raising the possibility that his party could block a presidential nominee if there were a vacancy in the next two years. In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Schumer would not say if he would hold a Supreme Court vacancy open until after the 2028 presidential election, as former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell did in 2016. But he said that Democrats are “not going to allow any crappy nominees” for Supreme Court — or for lower courts or Trump’s Cabinet, either.
AP Exclusive: Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war
WASHINGTON (AP) — Court documents reveal President Donald Trump's administration held secret talks with Iran about deporting Iranians during the ongoing war. Unsealed Thursday, the documents show the Republican administration said as recently as mid-October it had plans to deport Iranians through a third country. A judge ordered the government to notify the court of any finalized deportation plans. The documents reveal contacts with Iranian officials to arrange removals, despite the war and diplomatic tensions. A lawsuit claims the Trump administration shared confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with Iran, violating regulations. The Department of Homeland Security denies sharing asylum records. Deportations to Iran are rare due to diplomatic and safety concerns.
California Gov. Newsom says he will commute all death sentences in state to life without parole
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced he will change all 548 death sentences in the state to life in prison without parole. The state Supreme Court will have the final say in hundreds of these cases. The announcement Thursday comes as Newsom prepares to leave office after eight years and considers a run for president. The Democrat, who’s long been opposed to the death penalty, placed a moratorium on executions in California in 2019. The California District Attorneys Association has expressed concerns, warning it could cause anguish for victims’ families. The ACLU applauded the move, citing racial bias in the death penalty’s implementation.
Citibank office shooter targeted company over a $2,500 debt collection, Florida sheriff says
A Florida sheriff says a gunman who killed a woman before being fatally shot by a security guard at Citibank’s office complex in Tampa targeted the campus because he was angry over a $2,500 debt collection. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister says 35-year-old Jacob Pearson called an attorney affiliated with Citibank hours before Wednesday's shooting and threatened violence if a court hearing over the debt wasn’t canceled. Chronister says Pearson then drove from his home in Orlando to Tampa to Citibank’s campus. The sheriff said Pearson shot the first employee he saw. He says Pearson had no connection to her. She was identified as 41-year-old Leanne Selman.
Anthropic is rapidly accelerating AI development amid slowdown calls, outside research group says
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Anthropic is developing its AI systems twice as quickly as last year, despite CEO Dario Amodei’s calls to slow down model capabilities. An independent group, Model Evaluation and Threat Research, released an analysis on Thursday with these findings. The organization reviewed Anthropic’s internal data and interviewed staff. The report comes as Anthropic prepares for a major stock offering amid concerns about AI’s potential risks. METR found that AI itself is helping accelerate development. The researchers noted the lack of bottlenecks like computing power or data. Amodei has previously urged the industry to slow down to ensure safety measures can keep up with AI advancements.
