Good morning. This is Artificially Intelligent News for Thursday, October fifteenth, twenty twenty-six. I’m Mark Ellison.

This program is created with the assistance of artificial intelligence and fact-checked against current reporting and official records. The information in this briefing was verified early Thursday.

Early voting is now underway in Georgia ahead of the November third midterm election. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office says more than 188,600 people voted in person on the first day. The office called that a record for the opening day of early voting in the state.

Georgia has fourteen U.S. House districts and several closely watched statewide contests. Its election system provides three weeks of early voting, and voters can cast ballots at designated locations before Election Day. A high first-day turnout is a measure of participation. It does not predict which candidates will win, because turnout figures do not reveal how people voted.

Early-voting records also help election administrators gauge demand at participating sites. They do not measure absentee ballots, Election Day turnout, or the mix of voters who may still participate later in the period.

The large opening-day number will draw attention because Georgia remains a major political battleground. Campaigns will be watching county-level participation patterns, but the meaningful result will come only after ballots are counted in November.

President Trump is also spending the final weeks before the midterms on the campaign trail. On Wednesday, he held events in Arizona and Montana to support Republican candidates and to make the case for preserving the party’s congressional majorities.

At the stops, the president defended the acceptance of a Qatar-provided aircraft intended for use as Air Force One and emphasized his support for gun rights. His western trip comes as both parties concentrate resources on competitive House and Senate races.

Campaign appearances can increase attention and fundraising, but they are not a substitute for local races and local issues. Voters will have the opportunity to assess the candidates and the records presented to them when polls close on November third.

In Washington, a federal judge has extended an order requiring the White House to maintain press access for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico while their lawsuit proceeds.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that the outlets were likely to succeed on claims that the administration’s revocation of their White House credentials violated protections for free speech and due process. The outlets’ hard passes had been revoked in September.

The ruling is preliminary. It does not resolve every claim in the case or prevent further appeal. But it means the three organizations may keep reporting from the White House grounds while the litigation continues.

The order preserves the reporting arrangement while the court considers the full dispute. It does not require the judge to decide the ultimate constitutional questions at this stage.

The dispute is part of a broader argument over the conditions under which government officials may limit press credentials. The White House had cited policy and security considerations. The judge concluded that the restrictions were likely unconstitutional on the record currently before the court.

The Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in a case about whether a law written for the video-rental era protects some online users today.

The Video Privacy Protection Act was passed in 1988 after a reporter published the video-rental history of Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork. The current case involves a person who subscribed to a Paramount-owned 247Sports email newsletter and then watched videos on the site.

The legal question is whether that newsletter subscriber qualifies as a consumer under the law, and whether video-viewing information can be shared in the modern internet environment. Paramount argues that the statute should not be extended that far. The plaintiff says the privacy protection applies.

At issue is not whether online privacy matters, but how language Congress chose nearly four decades ago reaches a service built around newsletters and web video rather than a video store.

The justices did not issue a decision from the bench. Their eventual ruling could help define how a pre-internet privacy statute applies to websites, advertising technology, and online video.

Cornell University is suspending parties and social events at Interfraternity Council houses for the rest of the academic year. The university also says New York State Police will have a role in investigations of sex crimes on campus.

The action follows a civil lawsuit filed in September by a former student. The lawsuit alleges that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by multiple fraternity members at a Chi Phi house in 2024. Those are allegations in civil litigation, not findings of fact by a court.

Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff announced a zero-tolerance policy under which a chapter that holds an in-house party or social event in violation of the suspension would face immediate emergency suspension. The university says it is also taking steps intended to strengthen survivor support and campus safety.

Cornell’s stated enforcement consequence is immediate emergency suspension for a chapter that violates the pause. The broader response therefore combines a temporary restriction with changes to how serious reports are handled.

The development has prompted difficult discussions about how colleges investigate sexual-violence reports, cooperate with law enforcement, and ensure fair processes for everyone involved.

Artificial intelligence is becoming another part of the midterm election environment. Anthropic says its Claude chatbot will begin drawing official voting information from Democracy Works later this month for users in the United States.

The company says users asking where to vote or what identification is required will receive state-specific information gathered from state and local election sources. Claude already directs some election-related questions to TurboVote, another Democracy Works resource.

Anthropic says its rules prohibit uses such as impersonating election officials, suppressing turnout, or spreading false information about candidates or voting procedures. It also says it will show current official results on election night and afterward when users ask for vote counts.

Election rules can differ by state and can change close to an election. Directing users to state-specific official information is intended to make the answer more useful than a general nationwide response.

The larger test will be whether companies can make useful information easy to find while preventing systems from amplifying false claims. Voters should continue to confirm their own registration, polling location, and ballot rules through their state or local election office.

A government-watchdog group has filed suit seeking to prevent Jared Kushner from continuing to serve in his volunteer envoy role without financial disclosures it says are required by law.

Kushner is President Trump’s son-in-law and has taken on a prominent role in administration diplomacy. The lawsuit argues that he exercises government authority and should be subject to transparency and conflict-of-interest obligations. It asks a court to block him from serving until those requirements are met.

Kushner has previously defended his business and financial connections as an asset to his diplomatic work. The case now puts that position before a federal court. As with any lawsuit, the allegations are claims by the plaintiffs and will be tested through the legal process.

Financial disclosures can allow the public and oversight bodies to examine potential conflicts. The question in this case is whether the position described in the lawsuit triggers those rules.

Overseas, Ukraine says Russian missile and drone strikes again hit its energy system, leaving at least 600,000 people without power.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks affected facilities in Kyiv, the surrounding region, and Kharkiv. Ukrainian officials say the strikes came despite President Trump’s announcement Sunday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an immediate energy ceasefire.

Ukraine has said it is prepared to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries if Russia stops attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure. But Kyiv says there has been no functioning halt in the attacks. Russia has said its strikes targeted communications and energy facilities used by the Ukrainian military.

Damage to a grid can have effects that continue after an attack ends because crews must assess equipment and restore service. That leaves energy protection central to Ukraine’s readiness and civilian life.

The episode shows the gap between a proposed pause and a verifiable ceasefire. A ceasefire requires clear terms, agreement by the parties, and a way to establish whether violations occurred. As Ukraine enters another winter under invasion, the condition of its electrical grid remains a central civilian and military concern.

In the Middle East, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says a cargo ship sank after striking a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz. Details about the vessel, the cause, and casualties were limited and could not immediately be independently verified.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical maritime passage for energy exports and global shipping. Even isolated incidents there can raise insurance costs, alter shipping routes, and add to worries about fuel supplies.

An account from a party to a regional conflict is not the same as a full independent investigation. More confirmed information would be needed to establish exactly what occurred.

The report comes amid continuing tension between Iran and the United States. Tehran has said it is negotiating with Washington while also saying it must remain prepared for war. For now, the most important fact is that information around this incident is incomplete. Shipping safety and the risk of further escalation will be closely watched.

Turning to money, Wednesday’s session was the most recent completed U.S. trading day.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 51,621.48, down 48.62 points, or one tenth of one percent. The S and P 500 closed at 7,718.94, down 86.51 points, or 1.1 percent. The Nasdaq Composite finished at 26,692.87, down 511.51 points, or 1.9 percent.

Those were final Wednesday closes, not futures or intraday values.

Stocks fell after the Labor Department reported that consumer prices rose six tenths of one percent in September on a seasonally adjusted basis. That followed a four-tenths increase in August. Over the twelve months through September, the Consumer Price Index rose 3.7 percent.

Gasoline was the largest driver of the monthly increase. The gasoline index rose 9.1 percent in September, while the broader energy index rose 5.2 percent. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, rose three tenths of one percent for the month and 2.6 percent over the year.

The monthly and twelve-month measures describe different periods. The monthly figure captures September’s change, while the annual figure compares prices with September of last year.

The figures matter because they may influence expectations about Federal Reserve policy. Higher inflation can make it harder for the Fed to lower borrowing costs and can raise concern that interest rates may need to remain elevated. Investors particularly sold technology and artificial-intelligence-related shares, which can be sensitive to higher financing costs and expectations for future earnings.

There was also major banking news. The Treasury Department announced enforcement actions against Bank of America over anti-money-laundering and sanctions-compliance failures. FinCEN assessed a 1.2-billion-dollar penalty. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency separately announced a 750-million-dollar assessment that is credited against the FinCEN penalty.

Treasury said the bank failed to timely report more than 5 billion dollars in suspicious transactions. Bank of America said in a filing that it recorded a 1.2-billion-dollar regulatory settlement charge in its third-quarter results. The bank consented to the orders. The case is a reminder that large compliance failures can carry financial costs well beyond a single quarter and can invite closer regulatory supervision.

The two agencies announced separate actions, and the OCC assessment is credited against the FinCEN penalty. That credit matters when describing the sanctions, because it does not mean the two announced dollar figures simply add together.

In sports, the Milwaukee Brewers are one win from the National League pennant after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers six to two in Game Three of the National League Championship Series.

Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell hit back-to-back home runs for Milwaukee. The Brewers now lead the best-of-seven series three games to none.

That puts the defending World Series champion Dodgers in an immediate elimination game. Game Four is scheduled for Thursday night in Los Angeles. The Brewers can reach the World Series with one more victory. The Dodgers need a win to extend the series and begin a very difficult comeback.

Milwaukee’s position reflects three wins in a series that requires four. Thursday’s game therefore carries a straightforward choice: a clinch for the Brewers or another game for the Dodgers.

The American League Championship Series is tied at one game apiece between the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians. Their Game Three is scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Cleveland, with the start moved earlier because of expected weather.

The NFL’s Week Six opens Thursday night with the Seattle Seahawks at the Denver Broncos. Both teams enter at three and two.

Seattle is the defending Super Bowl champion. Denver is looking to protect home field in a matchup that could matter for playoff positioning later in the season. The Broncos list cornerback Patrick Surtain the Second and safety Talanoa Hufanga as out. Seattle lists running back Zach Charbonnet as out, along with linebackers Chazz Surratt and Drake Thomas.

With the clubs each at three and two, it is still early in the regular season. The result will not settle the playoff picture, but it will affect each team’s next step.

Injuries are part of the weekly equation, but the game also offers an early test of two teams with winning records. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 Eastern on Prime Video.

A quick look at notable results from Wednesday.

In baseball, Milwaukee beat the Dodgers six to two to take that three-games-to-none NLCS lead.

In the NHL, the Washington Capitals edged the Montreal Canadiens five to four. The Dallas Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche three to two in a shootout.

In NBA preseason play, the Miami Heat defeated the Brooklyn Nets 144 to 128.

And in Major League Soccer, Atlanta United beat CF Montréal three to nothing.

Finally, in entertainment and technology, Character.AI has filed for Chapter Eleven bankruptcy protection while it pursues a court-supervised sale process.

The company runs a platform where users create and interact with artificial-intelligence characters. Character.AI says its platform will continue operating during the sale process.

Disney has agreed to serve as the stalking-horse bidder for a nonexclusive, perpetual license to certain Character.AI intellectual property and claims. The agreement is valued at 20 million dollars and includes transition services using former Character.AI employees Disney has hired.

A stalking-horse agreement sets an opening bid in a bankruptcy sale and can be topped by a higher or better offer, subject to court procedures. Character.AI says it chose the process after facing legal, regulatory, and operational pressures.

Chapter Eleven is a court process designed to organize a company’s financial affairs while it seeks a sale or restructuring. Character.AI says continued operation of the platform is part of its plan during the case.

The story is notable beyond one company. It sits where entertainment intellectual property, conversational AI, consumer safety, and the high cost of operating AI services meet. The court-supervised process will determine what assets change hands and whether the platform continues in its current form.

That is your Thursday briefing. We covered Georgia’s early voting, White House press access, campus safety, election information and AI, Ukraine, the Strait of Hormuz, inflation and markets, postseason baseball, pro football, and Disney’s proposed Character.AI deal.

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For Artificially Intelligent News, I’m Mark Ellison. Take care, and have a good day.