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An Ohio court’s ruling against $776 million in vouchers reignites the fight over who should pay for private school

Only 24% of first-time EdChoice Expansion recipients came from public schools, and judges found the program competes for money with a public system Ohio hasn’t fully funded.

By Bilin LinOctober 20, 2026

Ex–OpenAI engineer accused of bugging office stays in jail as prosecutors allege Saudi ties: ‘Once he leaves, there’s no getting him back’

Prosecutors say Abdulrahman Alfozan searched OpenAI tools for meetings with Saudi officials, and the Saudi government offered to back his bond.

By Emily Forlini and Wen ShaoOctober 19, 2026

The Supreme Court is taking on a 158-year-old law that makes distilling spirits at home a federal crime

Home distilling carries up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The justices will review whether the ban is constitutional.

By Michael Kunzelman and The Associated PressOctober 19, 2026

‘Divorced from reality’: House leader Jeffries says Dems ‘hold firm’ in midterm race—and says Trump undermines ‘democracy, freedom and dignity’

Jeffries is in line to become House speaker if Democrats win back the majority—and has traveled to 50 cities campaigning for Democratic candidates.

By The Associated Press and Lisa MascaroOctober 19, 2026

More in North America

Former Trump, Biden officials: America’s security depends on startups. Weak patent policy is undermining them

U.S. leaders have stood by for years as the IP infrastructure that undergirds private-sector innovation has crumbled. In some ways, they’ve accelerated it.

By Andrei Iancu and Chris InglisOctober 20, 2026

Larry Page could dodge nearly $15 billion in taxes after leaving California and spending $173 million on a Miami compound

The Google cofounder started cutting ties with the state last year. Californians vote Nov. 3 on whether to tax their billionaires.

By Sydney LakeOctober 20, 2026

Prediction markets are now ‘bespoke insurance’ for businesses, and a Los Angeles restaurant group’s $60,000 hedge on Kalshi is the latest example

One unnamed hospitality group placed a $60,000 trade on Kalshi to offset missed revenue from the Dodgers’ failure to advance to the World Series, according to the platform.

By Sasha RogelbergOctober 19, 2026

France is rioting over surging inflation, skyrocketing national debt, and crumbling schools. America is its sleeping twin

Growth is the main thing keeping the U.S. from looking like France. Underneath it, the debt math and the classrooms look a lot alike.

By Nick LichtenbergOctober 19, 2026

More in Asia

Japan and U.S. kick off one of their largest joint military drills defending Japan’s southwestern islands as tensions with China rise

This year’s exercises come just weeks after the arrest of a U.S. Marine in connection with the murder of a Japanese woman on Okinawa

By The Associated Press and Mari YamaguchiOctober 19, 2026

‘They may think that they can escape scrutiny’: Singapore cracks down on Indonesian companies spreading ‘entirely preventable’ smog across the border

This brings to 10 the number of Indonesian companies that Singapore is targeting under its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act.

By The Associated PressOctober 19, 2026

European stocks fall after violent protests in France, while oil drops as Trump puts Russia sanctions on hold

France’s CAC 40 sank after violent protests while oil fell 2% after Trump waived Russia sanctions, among other global stock developments

By The Associated Press and Chan Ho-HimOctober 19, 2026

AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes warns costs will ‘go up dramatically’ over the next 12 months: ‘Can’t get a vaccination for Donald Trump’

Fernandes says the squeeze will last about a year—and that the next leg of growth is in secondary cities like China’s Shantou.

By Nicholas GordonOctober 19, 2026

More in Global

‘We’ve never seen a 44% decline in demand for a brand’: Converse is in free fall and some suspect Nike may sell it

Everything you need to know before you reach the office this morning.

By Jim EdwardsOctober 20, 2026

Stocks sell off globally as France imposes riot curfews and Saudi Arabia cancels ‘Davos in the Desert’

Traders sold off after oil hit $111 per barrel this morning, an AI IPO in South Korea lost 30% on its debut, and the yield on the French 10-year bond hit 4.94%, a level it has not seen since 2002.

By Jim EdwardsOctober 20, 2026

Nothing’s brand chief is fed up of ‘boring and generic’ smartphone ads—he shares his marketing strategy for taking on Samsung and Apple

The brand chief at London-based tech group Nothing explains how he plans to take on Apple and Samsung by rejecting marketing formulas and inviting the customer into the boardroom.

By Sam BirchallOctober 20, 2026

Zuckerberg spent years building on Apple’s terms. His $100 billion-plus AI bet is about owning everything

Zuckerberg and chief AI officer Alexandr Wang want Meta’s Muse agents to shop for you. That could disrupt the ad machine paying for it all.

By Molly A. WallaceOctober 20, 2026