Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.   

On today's podcast:   

1) A series of Midterm debates took place Tuesday night across the country, with Election Day just weeks away. In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul faced off with her Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman. Senate debates took place in Massachusetts, Maine, Georgia, and Iowa. Along with partisan barbs, the economy was a central theme across all of the conversations, and it comes as investors get a slew of economic news this week and this morning with the September CPI due out.   

2) Russia said it attacked Ukrainian electricity plants in a "massive strike" overnight, targeting six thermal plants and a substation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strike was "entirely deliberate and demonstrative in its scale" and targeted "the very infrastructure covered by the ceasefire announced by the American President." Three people were killed and 25 injured in the attack, which also caused water and power cuts in Kyiv, according to Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi.   

3) An employee at OpenAI, Abdulrahman Alfozan, was arrested and charged with using a hidden recording device in one of the company's San Francisco offices. The device was discovered by OpenAI's security team on Sept. 30 in an executive conference room, and Alfozan is alleged to have placed it there around Sept. 28. OpenAI said it has no indications that Alfozan inappropriately accessed or exfiltrated model weights, source code, or customer data, and that the investigation is still ongoing.

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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.   

On today's podcast:   

1) President Trump dismissed concerns that Russia and China might be helping Iran in its war with the US, adding that the two countries would have “too much to lose” in aiding the Islamic Republic. China and Russia have maintained close ties with Iran for decades but have denied providing arms assistance to Tehran in its conflict with the US that began in late February. There have, however, been reports of military cooperation. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Chinese entities shipped components used in Iran’s drones and missiles, while US officials linked satellite imagery obtained from Chinese sources to an Iranian strike that killed three American troops.   

2) Saudi Arabia intercepted ballistic missiles launched by Yemen's Houthis, targeting Riyadh and Khamis Mushait. The attacks pose a challenge to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's efforts to transform the kingdom's economy, with recent strikes suspending operations at Riyadh's main airport. The US is assisting Riyadh with intelligence and aerial refueling, and US President Donald Trump said he is considering joining in the fight against the Iran-backed militant group.   

3) Global investors chasing the AI-powered equity rally are the most exposed to technology stocks since the rebound from the Covid pandemic six years ago, according to a poll by Bank of America Corp.The proportion of fund managers who are overweight the tech sector has risen to 37% from 30% last month, the highest since August 2020, the survey shows. About 45% of respondents agreed that there will be an AI bubble in 2027, with 42% saying no.Artificial intelligence has been the hottest trade in equities, driving gains of almost 120% in the S&P 500 Index during a four-year bull run. But some of the enthusiasm around AI is fading as investors question whether returns will justify the heavy spending on the technology. Respondents in the October BofA survey said global semiconductor stocks were the market’s most crowded trade.Eric Mollo

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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.   

On today's podcast:   

1) Houthi militants targeted airports across Saudi Arabia, killing at least 14 people and wounding hundreds in two separate incidents at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The Saudi-led military coalition intercepted missiles and drones aimed at the kingdom overnight, including areas that are home to some of Saudi Arabia’s key oil and gas facilities, and vowed a “decisive” response. Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the kingdom remained committed to providing energy security, stating “There is no way that somebody will break our back. We are like a phoenix. We come out of the ashes all the time and every time.”   

2) A federal judge in New York ordered the Trump administration to stop running taxpayer-funded television ads and to halt any payments of public money related to airing them. The judge wrote that the challengers had shown they’d suffer “irreparable harm” without immediate court action and that a temporary halt “serves the public interest." The challengers accused the White House of violating a congressional prohibition against using taxpayer dollars for unapproved “publicity and propaganda."   

3) Ukraine will continue to respond with long-range strikes against Russia unless Moscow agrees to an energy ceasefire that still hasn’t happened, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday.Speaking via a video link at Warsaw Security Conference, the president said he learned from the media about the truce announced by US President Trump on the Truth Social platform on Sunday. Since then, Ukrainian energy infrastructure has continued to be hit by Moscow’s air strikes, according to Zelenskyy. Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn’t read Truth Social,” the Ukrainian president said. “If Russia doesn’t agree to energy ceasefire - we will respond.”

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It’s not just Levittown. The website hosting the doctored photos is the nexus of campaigns to harass women across the world. A victim in New Zealand helps to spark a global battle against the site and its elusive owner.

For official transcripts and additional information on this series, go to bloomberg.com/levittown

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Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week.

• In the US – a look ahead to U.S CPI and PPI data, along with U.S bank earnings.
• In the UK – a look ahead to European leaders meeting in Brussels.
• In Asia – a look ahead to Japan's Sports Day.

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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) President Trump said the US would “not be attacking Iran” before November’s midterm elections, citing “productive discussions” with the Islamic Republic. Trump's comments came despite Iran escalating attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran-backed militants in Yemen attacking energy facilities in Saudi Arabia. The president said a US naval blockade of Iranian exports would remain in place, and he has suggested Iran was waiting to see how his Republican Party would do during the midterms.
2) Hurricane Isaias is bearing down on the US Gulf coast. Offshore US oil production is plummeting as Hurricane Isaias pushes toward a coastline dotted with refineries and chemical plants. More than 3 million people reside in the projected path of Isaias, which reached Category 2 strength on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale Thursday. Roughly 63% of US Gulf of Mexico crude output has been shut in, while 500,000 barrels a day of refining capacity is threatened.
3) OpenAI is expecting to reach or exceed $70 billion in annualized revenue by the end of the year, driven largely by growth in its enterprise business. The company's annualized revenue was roughly $50 billion at the end of September, which represents a projection of OpenAI's yearly sales based on a shorter period. OpenAI is in talks to raise $30 billion or more at a $1.4 trillion valuation before the new money as part of its latest fundraising effort.

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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) Oil climbed after a report that the White House asked the Pentagon to draw up strike options against Iran that could be executed before the midterm elections. Freight rates are surging, with shipping oil from the Middle East to China costing $1.4 million a day, the most on record. Producers in the Gulf of Mexico shut in more than 510,000 barrels a day of crude output in response to Hurricane Isaias forming in the US Gulf.
2) President Trump defended his immigration policies during a visit to Texas as he sought to boost struggling GOP Senate candidate Ken Paxton ahead of November’s midterm elections. Trump’s defense of his immigration policies comes as Republicans are seeking to shore up their standing with Hispanic voters, whose support for the president has slid in recent polls due to concerns over the economy and affordability issues. Paxton is in a close race with Democratic candidate James Talarico, with recent polls showing Talarico with a narrow advantage, leaving Democrats cautiously hopeful in what has been a reliably red state.
3) Hurricane Isaias has formed in the US Gulf, with top sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, and is tracking toward the coast. Offshore producers have shut in roughly 25% of crude output and 16% of natural gas production, and workers at eight platforms and two rigs have been evacuated. Forecasters are increasingly confident that the hurricane will land east of major energy assets off the coast of Louisiana and Texas around late Friday or early Saturday.

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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) Iran has increased the pace of attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, with UK Maritime Trade Operations reporting nine attacks this month. The impact of the latest escalation on Hormuz shipments and seaborne gas flows is uncertain, according to maritime security officials and shipping executives. The flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz has steadily picked up since the start of summer, with some Wall Street banks saying shipments are approaching prewar levels.
2) Elon Musk’s SpaceX is in talks with banks and investors to raise $40 billion to buy chips from Nvidia. SpaceX’s fundraising discussions are in an early stage and could end without a deal being completed, with Pacific Investment Management Co. and Apollo Global Management involved. The fundraising is for SpaceX's AI buildout, with the company seeking to raise about $10 billion in bank loans and $30 billion in investment-grade debt to pay for the chips.
3) Less than four weeks until the midterm election, Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins had her first debate last night with Democratic former state senate president Troy Jackson. Both Collins and Jackson got 47% support on that question in a New York Times Siena College poll. The same survey gave Collins a three point edge over Jackson among likely voters. The election is seen as crucial to either party's hopes of attaining a Senate majority, with Democrats needing a net gain of four seats and Collins having repeatedly defied expectations and outperformed polls in her nearly 30 years in the Senate.

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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) Yemen's government, backed by Saudi Arabia, claimed to have regained territory from the Houthis, as fighting in the region near the Bab el-Mandeb strait intensifies. The Yemeni armed forces said they took control of the Red Sea city of Mokha after battles with the Iran-backed Houthis, and also took over other areas near the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The Saudi-led coalition announced a large operation to recapture Houthi-held territory, and the Houthis responded by firing missiles and drones at the kingdom, targeting the main airport in Riyadh.
2) President Trump is preparing to ease limits on the use of red dyed diesel, a tax-exempt variety of diesel, to pare costs for the essential fuel ahead of the November midterm elections. The plan would allow more widespread use of red or dyed diesel, which is generally available for off-road purposes, and could translate into an effective tax break in some cases. The administration's approach is seen as a bid to address costs for diesel that have surged amid wars in Russia and the Middle East, with retail prices for diesel averaging $6.32 per gallon on Sunday.
3) Billionaire Ray Dalio warned that the Treasury market is vulnerable to a pullback of demand from China and Japan, two of the US’s largest foreign creditors. Dalio said the US relies on foreign capital for about a third of its debt, and that Japan and China have already been paring their holdings. He also warned that the US faces a potential debt crisis within a certain timeframe, and that some borrowers are already starting to feel the squeeze.

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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.   

On today's podcast:   

1) Yemen's government launched a full-scale military campaign to recapture Houthi-held territory after weeks of escalating conflict between the Iran-backed group and Saudi Arabia. The Saudi-led coalition will provide full operational support to Yemeni government forces to end the "Houthi coup" and said Saudi Arabia has the right to defend its sovereignty. The aim is for the Houthis to be "eliminated", according to the coalition's statement, as the fighting has pushed up energy prices and led to increased military support from Western powers. Oil swung amid intensified fighting in Yemen and risks to shipping remain acute.   

2) The Pentagon has removed bombers based at the Royal Air Force base in the UK after new threats of a plot linked to Iran emerged. A Defense Department official said all American bombers deployed at RAF Fairford have returned to their home bases in the US. UK Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said Iran was likely responsible for the thwarted attempt to attack, after police arrested a British-Iranian dual national on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts.   

3) Former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon will testify at a New York City Council hearing alongside representatives of some of the world’s biggest AI companies. Coxon quit Anthropic last month and issued a warning about the race to develop increasingly powerful AI, accusing his former employer and OpenAI of “gambling with our lives.” The hearing is part of an effort by New York officials to play a larger role in regulating the AI industry, with proposals under consideration including giving whistleblowers a portion of fines or penalties recovered from AI companies.

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Months after Kayla’s discovery, dozens of women in Levittown, a New York suburb on Long Island, learn they, too, are subjects of faked porn. Most are recent graduates of the local high school, and they zero in on a culprit. One of them sets out to prove it.

For official transcripts and additional information on this series, go to bloomberg.com/levittown

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