Author: CNN Newsource

By Jacqueline Policastro | Quincy News Correspondent

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    Washington (Quincy News) — Market Recap: U.S. stocks finished higher Tuesday as AI and chip shares regained momentum. The Dow edged up less than 0.1%, the S&P 500 rose 0.6% and the Nasdaq gained 1.2%.

Technology led the market after fresh interest in Anthropic’s initial public offering and stronger orders for computers and related equipment reinforced expectations that AI spending remains strong. Energy stocks declined as oil prices pulled back.

Oil prices fell Tuesday, with U.S. crude settling down 1.8% at $99.90 a barrel and Brent declining 1.7% to $113.88, as diplomatic talks in the Middle East eased some supply concerns. Prices remain near six-month highs. The national average for regular gasoline was about $4.27 a gallon Tuesday, according to AAA, and diesel was about $6.35.

Today’s Focus: The Federal Reserve is widely expected to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3.75% to 4% Wednesday, one meeting after raising rates by a quarter percentage point. Economists expect a hold but forecast another increase in December. The Fed releases its decision at 2 p.m. ET, followed by Chair Kevin Warsh’s press conference at 2:30 p.m.

For consumers, a hold means no additional increase Wednesday, but also little immediate relief from high borrowing costs. Many credit-card APRs are variable and move with underlying benchmark rates, while auto loans and other forms of consumer credit remain sensitive to broader financial conditions.

Exclusive Interview: High Rates Could Slow AI’s Trillion-Dollar Buildout

High borrowing costs are “one of the largest threats to the AI buildout,” WestCap founder Laurence Tosi told Quincy News in an exclusive interview Tuesday.

Tosi, a former chief financial officer of Airbnb and Blackstone, now leads WestCap, which has $6 billion in assets under management and 38 portfolio companies.

“The underlying reasons for high rates are very stubborn at the moment,” Tosi said, pointing to energy and cost-of-living pressures.

He warned that the strain reaches across an AI expansion that depends on enormous amounts of borrowed capital.

“Already spreads are widening across the AI trade,” Tosi said, citing “an unusual amount of correlated systemic risk” among the companies, lenders and infrastructure projects that need access to markets to finance the buildout.

Because many parts of the industry rely on the same pools of capital, higher borrowing costs can hit several parts of the AI economy at once. Wider credit spreads raise the cost of financing data centers, chips and power projects.

Tosi said even a modest rate increase can slow how quickly “trillions of dollars” in forward commitments are deployed.

Tosi said the problems extend beyond monetary policy, pointing to the federal deficit, government spending and overseas conflicts.

“The problem is, the issues we’re dealing with are intractable,” he said. “We have to solve these problems.”

ON THE SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026

-2 p.m. ET – Federal Reserve interest-rate decision

-2:30 p.m. ET – Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s press conference

-After the market closes – Microsoft and Alphabet earnings

-Thursday, before the market opens – Eli Lilly earnings

-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. ET – Third-quarter GDP advance estimate; September personal income and spending, including PCE inflation; and weekly initial jobless claims

-Thursday, after the market closes – Amazon and Intel earnings

-Friday, before the market opens – ExxonMobil and Chevron earnings

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Madeline Bartos

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    SAXONBURG, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — A duck at a Pennsylvania animal rescue that lost both of his feet has a brand new prosthetic pair.

Stu arrived at J and J Farms Animal Sanctuary in Saxonburg in May without any feet. The animal rescue said it was told that Stu was born without a leg and was able to overcome his disability until winter hit.

Two-legged birds can shift their weight from one leg to another, tucking one up into their bellies to keep it warm. But since Stu didn’t have that option, J and J Farms said he suffered frostbite and ultimately lost his remaining foot.

“Poor Stu has now resorted to scooting along, using his wings for added stability and forward motion,” the rescue wrote in a Facebook post in May. “He’s developed calluses on the sides of his wings. Our hearts are breaking for him.”

On Friday, the rescue posted a photo of the duck looking incredibly thrilled, writing, “STU HAS FEET!!!”

In an update on Monday, J and J Farms said Stu is “super excited” about his feet, which were built by Infinitely Able Pets Orthotics and Prosthetics.

“So far he’s figured out how to stand up in them, but he’s only been able to take a few steps before pitching forward,” the animal rescue wrote. “His pectoral muscles are unbelievably strong from years of propelling himself with his wings as his primary mode of locomotion. It’s going to take some time for him to adjust his center of gravity and learn to rely on his legs again instead of his wings. We’ll absolutely keep you posted on his progress.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Ben Jealous

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    October 27, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — Could President Donald Trump’s push for more executions—and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to livestream one—help accelerate efforts to abolish the death penalty in America? After a tumultuous October, the question deserves a closer look.

The case is particularly close to home for Texans. Nidal Malik Hasan, convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, is scheduled for a military firing-squad execution on December 3, 2026. Hegseth wanted Americans to watch it online. Lawmakers from both parties objected.

North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis called the proposal “beyond disgusting” and compared public executions to practices of oppressive dictatorships. Utah Republican Sen. John Curtis warned that “a civilization erodes” when executions become entertainment.

An ABC News–Washington Post–Ipsos poll found 80% of Americans opposed livestreaming Hasan’s execution, including 64% of Republicans. On October 15, Trump canceled the broadcast. The execution itself remains scheduled.

When Conservatives Question State Power Opposing a broadcast is not the same as opposing capital punishment. That same poll found 53% of Americans supported Hasan’s execution by firing squad. Yet other Republican leaders are reconsidering the state’s power to take a life.

On October 20, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey commuted Toforest Johnson’s death sentence to life without parole. Convicted of murdering sheriff’s deputy William Hardy, Johnson has maintained his innocence. His conviction stands, and Ivey did not declare him innocent. She questioned whether the direct evidence was sufficient to justify execution—a punishment that leaves no room to correct a mistake.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine helped revive his state’s death penalty law in 1981. This June, after decades as a prosecutor, lawmaker and governor, he called for abolition. “The moral justification I had,” DeWine said, “no longer exists.” He argued that capital punishment does not deter murder and described the prolonged toll on victims’ families. Bipartisan repeal legislation faces opposition.

These are not identical positions. They nevertheless pose a shared question: How can Americans distrust government with ordinary powers, yet trust it never to make a fatal mistake? Why Texas and Harris County Matter For Houston readers, this debate is anything but abstract. Texas has executed more people than any other state since modern executions resumed. Harris County alone accounts for 136 executions—more than any other state except Texas itself, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Victims’ families, defendants, jurors and entire communities live with the consequences.

Fifty Years After Gregg v. Georgia In 1976, Gregg v. Georgia allowed executions to resume under revised death penalty laws. But the Eighth Amendment still prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. In Atkins v. Virginia and Roper v. Simmons, the Supreme Court limited capital punishment by considering America’s “evolving standards of decency.”

Today, 23 states have abolished the death penalty. Another 10 retain it but have gone at least a decade without an execution. That makes 33 states where executions have ended in law or been absent for at least 10 years. Three more abolition states would create a numerical majority, though the Constitution establishes no automatic 26-state test.

Execution methods raise questions, too. Tennessee’s September attempt to execute Christa Pike by lethal injection failed; she survived. Republican Gov. Bill Lee ordered an independent review and halted the state’s remaining scheduled executions for 2026.

September also marked 15 years since Georgia executed Troy Davis. I stood outside that prison. Seven of nine key witnesses had recanted or changed their accounts. William Sessions, who led the FBI under Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush, urged Georgia to stop. It did not.

I helped lead Maryland’s successful abolition campaign in 2013. I learned that the cause can unite people who disagree on almost everything else: believers in redemption, skeptics of government power and citizens determined not to risk an irreversible injustice. Virginia followed in 2021, becoming the first former Confederate state to end capital punishment.

None of this guarantees abolition. Executions continue, and supporters argue that capital punishment can deliver justice for victims of heinous crimes. Still, this October raised questions that political labels cannot neatly contain.

Trump and Hegseth sought to demonstrate the severity of punishment. They may instead have encouraged more Americans to examine what government killing means. Fifty years after Gregg, that examination matters more than ever. Ben Jealous is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and former national president and CEO of the NAACP. He also served as the founding director of Amnesty International USA’s domestic human rights program.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

kierra lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
3465287733

By Donald Sparks

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    October 27, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — For one retired military veteran, voting on November 3 is a personal tribute to African American military service, voting rights, and the enduring promise of American democracy.

In the days leading up to Election Day, I enjoy seeing social media photographs of friends proudly displaying their “I Voted” stickers. Their smiles, excitement, and enthusiasm remind me that participating in our nation’s democratic process is both a privilege and a responsibility.

Yet, despite sharing that enthusiasm, I choose to wait until Election Day.

Friends often ask why. My answer begins with my military service.

In 1988, just shy of my 20th birthday, I left home to serve my country. My military assignments took me across Europe, Asia, and several states. Because I was frequently stationed away from home, I exercised my voting rights through absentee ballots rather than visiting a polling place.

When I retired in 2018, I made myself a promise: I would stand in line and cast my ballot in person on Election Day, regardless of the weather.

But my commitment goes deeper than personal tradition. Honoring Black Veterans Who Fought for Democracy Throughout American history, African American military veterans have defended freedoms abroad while struggling to secure those same freedoms at home.

During World War II, Black service members helped fight tyranny overseas even as segregation, racial discrimination, and voter suppression denied many African Americans equal citizenship in the United States.

Their courage helped inspire a powerful movement that remains relevant 81 years after World War II ended.

On January 31, 1942, the influential Black newspaper Pittsburgh Courier published a letter from James G. Thompson, a defense-industry worker from Wichita, Kansas, who asked a question that challenged America’s conscience: “Should I sacrifice to live half-American?”

Thompson proposed a powerful concept: the Double V Campaign — victory against enemies abroad and victory against racial discrimination at home.

The Pittsburgh Courier embraced his message, transforming it into a nationwide campaign demanding that America’s democratic principles extend to African Americans.

For Black veterans returning home, the struggle continued. Many confronted Jim Crow segregation, discriminatory voting practices, and racial violence. Nevertheless, their determination helped strengthen the growing movement for civil rights and equal representation.

Their sacrifices remind me that the ballot represents far more than a political choice. Why My Vote Still Matters in 2026 Today, I find myself voting for many of the same principles those brave men and women defended.

I vote to oppose voter intimidation and discriminatory registration practices.

I vote for economic opportunity, fair representation, and equal treatment for African Americans and every American.

I vote to hold elected officials accountable, defend democratic institutions, and ensure that public officials respect the people they serve.

Most importantly, I vote because protecting voting rights is not the responsibility of one generation of veterans. It is a continuing obligation shared by every generation.

I respect everyone who votes early or by mail. Their votes carry the same importance as mine. But for me, standing in line on Election Day is a deeply personal expression of gratitude, remembrance, and citizenship.

When I enter that voting booth, I am honoring generations who fought for a voice in America’s democracy, including those who wore our nation’s uniform while being denied equal rights at home.

On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, you will find me standing in line to vote.

Not simply to mark a ballot, but to affirm the citizenship, dignity, representation, and freedoms I spent my military career defending.

And now you know why I vote on Election Day.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

kierra lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
3465287733

By Donald Sparks

Click here for updates on this story

    October 27, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — For one retired military veteran, voting on November 3 is a personal tribute to African American military service, voting rights, and the enduring promise of American democracy.

In the days leading up to Election Day, I enjoy seeing social media photographs of friends proudly displaying their “I Voted” stickers. Their smiles, excitement, and enthusiasm remind me that participating in our nation’s democratic process is both a privilege and a responsibility.

Yet, despite sharing that enthusiasm, I choose to wait until Election Day.

Friends often ask why. My answer begins with my military service.

In 1988, just shy of my 20th birthday, I left home to serve my country. My military assignments took me across Europe, Asia, and several states. Because I was frequently stationed away from home, I exercised my voting rights through absentee ballots rather than visiting a polling place.

When I retired in 2018, I made myself a promise: I would stand in line and cast my ballot in person on Election Day, regardless of the weather.

But my commitment goes deeper than personal tradition. Honoring Black Veterans Who Fought for Democracy Throughout American history, African American military veterans have defended freedoms abroad while struggling to secure those same freedoms at home.

During World War II, Black service members helped fight tyranny overseas even as segregation, racial discrimination, and voter suppression denied many African Americans equal citizenship in the United States.

Their courage helped inspire a powerful movement that remains relevant 81 years after World War II ended.

On January 31, 1942, the influential Black newspaper Pittsburgh Courier published a letter from James G. Thompson, a defense-industry worker from Wichita, Kansas, who asked a question that challenged America’s conscience: “Should I sacrifice to live half-American?”

Thompson proposed a powerful concept: the Double V Campaign — victory against enemies abroad and victory against racial discrimination at home.

The Pittsburgh Courier embraced his message, transforming it into a nationwide campaign demanding that America’s democratic principles extend to African Americans.

For Black veterans returning home, the struggle continued. Many confronted Jim Crow segregation, discriminatory voting practices, and racial violence. Nevertheless, their determination helped strengthen the growing movement for civil rights and equal representation.

Their sacrifices remind me that the ballot represents far more than a political choice. Why My Vote Still Matters in 2026 Today, I find myself voting for many of the same principles those brave men and women defended.

I vote to oppose voter intimidation and discriminatory registration practices.

I vote for economic opportunity, fair representation, and equal treatment for African Americans and every American.

I vote to hold elected officials accountable, defend democratic institutions, and ensure that public officials respect the people they serve.

Most importantly, I vote because protecting voting rights is not the responsibility of one generation of veterans. It is a continuing obligation shared by every generation.

I respect everyone who votes early or by mail. Their votes carry the same importance as mine. But for me, standing in line on Election Day is a deeply personal expression of gratitude, remembrance, and citizenship.

When I enter that voting booth, I am honoring generations who fought for a voice in America’s democracy, including those who wore our nation’s uniform while being denied equal rights at home.

On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, you will find me standing in line to vote.

Not simply to mark a ballot, but to affirm the citizenship, dignity, representation, and freedoms I spent my military career defending.

And now you know why I vote on Election Day.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

kier

By Burt Levine

Click here for updates on this story

    October 27, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — Harris County’s democracy is making noise—and it sounds like footsteps at the polls. As the November 3 midterm election approaches, residents weighing races for U.S. Senate, governor, Congress and county judge are turning ordinary community centers into extraordinary displays of civic participation.

By Tuesday morning, October 27, a local election tracker reported approximately 706,000 early votes through Monday. The figure is preliminary, but the historic pace is unmistakable: county data showed 624,533 ballots cast in person or returned by mail through Sunday, the strongest first-week midterm showing in records dating to 1998. On opening day alone, 104,659 residents voted in person, surpassing the comparable 2018 record of roughly 63,000.

Leading the parade of participation is Cypress. The Richard and Meg Weekley Community Center had logged 23,972 voters through Monday, according to the local site tracker. Houston’s Metropolitan Multi-Service Center on West Gray followed with 22,351; Juergens Hall Community Center recorded 18,819; and Houston City College’s West Loop South site counted 18,335. Those figures represent cumulative check-ins, not today’s waiting times.

In Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, voters also face consequential decisions close to home. Five district propositions—one tax-rate measure and four bond questions—address classroom operations, building repairs, technology, athletics and pools. Proposition A would raise the maintenance-and-operations tax rate by 12 cents per $100 of taxable value and, district officials estimate, produce $83.4 million locally plus $20.2 million in state funds each year. The district projects a nine-cent net overall tax-rate increase if all five measures pass.

“We are incredibly excited by the turnout up here,” said Kendra Camarena, a Cy-Fair ISD trustee elected in 2025, emphasizing the engagement of parents, educators and taxpayers. The proposals are not merely numbers on a ballot: they are choices about educational services, community priorities and tax costs that residents must weigh for themselves.

Across Houston, the surge reaches neighborhoods where organizers have worked to overcome years of lower participation. Harris County Democratic Party Chair Traci A. Gibson said turnout in parts of Acres Homes, Sunnyside and the Tidwell corridor has roughly doubled from the comparable stretch in 2022. In Acres Homes, approximately 5,000 residents voted during the first four days, compared with about 2,400 four years earlier.

Community engagement has taken many forms, including the October 25 “Souls to the Polls” gathering organized by the Community of Faith Church and partners, combining fellowship with a nonpartisan trip to vote. Such gatherings underscore a simple principle: the voting booth belongs to every eligible citizen, regardless of party or background.

Could Harris County surpass one million early ballots? The trajectory invites the question, but the final total remains unknown. What is certain is the deadline: early voting continues at 75 countywide centers through Friday, October 30, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. Find sites, identification guidance and your sample ballot at HarrisVotes.com. Records may be made by numbers, but democracy is sustained by participation.

More Voting INFO: HarrisVotes.com

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

kierra lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
3465287733