The Wall Street Journal

"Hezbollah strike shows growing threat posed by drones."

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Russ Roberts (https://trendsingeopolitics.blogspot.com).

 

Good afternoon. Here’s what you should know today, Oct. 14: Google goes nuclear—to help keep up with its need for electricity to power AI An ascendant faction of Trump allies want a bolder type of conservative judges A historic NASA mission to one of Jupiter’s moons blasts off By Zlati Meyer Thanks for reading What’s News! Look for the 🔐 to enjoy a free article on us—and share the link with a friend (or forward the whole newsletter!). What to Watch Four soldiers were killed and at least 60 others were injured in a Hezbollah drone strike that targeted an army base in northern Israel. PHOTO: ILIA YEFIMOVICH/ZUMA PRESS 1. Hezbollah struck an Israeli military base in central Israel with a drone, highlighting a weak spot in Israel’s vaunted air defense system that military officials say is hard to counter. Israeli forces didn’t detect the drone (🔐 read for free) that hit a dining hall, killing four soldiers and wounding dozens. While drones are key in the war in Ukraine, Israel has focused on longstanding threats such as rockets and missiles. The Israeli military said that in response to Hezbollah’s drone attack, it had issued a directive to prioritize targeting the Lebanese militia’s drone unit. Why Lasers Could Be Kryptonite for Drones (Read) 2. Google will back new nuclear-power plants in the U.S. to help feed its growing appetite for electricity to power AI and jump-start a nuclear revival. The tech giant committed to buying power generated by seven small reactors that nuclear-energy startup Kairos Power will build. The agreement aims to add 500 megawatts of nuclear power starting at the end of the decade, the companies said. The arrangement is the first that would underpin the commercial construction in the U.S. of small modular nuclear reactors. Five hundred megawatts is about enough to power a midsize city—or one AI data-center campus. 3. Donald Trump’s loyalists are pushing for a combative slate of new judges. They want the former president to appoint people who prioritize loyalty to him and advocate for dismantling the federal government should he win a second term. The movement’s old guard, including Federalist Society founders, is pushing back, fearful of discrediting the principles they worked for decades to legitimize in a left-leaning legal profession. After the 2020 election, Trump broke with Federalist Society leaders who’d supported his first-term judicial appointments but balked at his efforts to overturn the election and didn’t openly support him as he faced dozens of criminal charges. How Kamala Harris Tackled Her Border Assignment (Read) Economists Say Inflation and Deficits Will Be Higher Under Trump Than Harris (Read) With Tim Walz in the Spotlight, a Nation Fixates on Finding Irish Roots (Read) Is Ted Cruz Blowing His Re-Election Race? (Read) 4. The Dow Jones Industrial Average crossed the 43000 milestone for the first time and closed at a high. It rose 0.5%, and the S&P 500, which also hit a new record, added 0.8%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite went up 0.9%. Traders are betting on stock-market fireworks after the earnings results the rest of the week, including Bank of America, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup tomorrow. Strong earnings from JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo helped send the S&P 500 and the Dow to new highs Friday. Would a Time Machine Make You a Great Investor? (Read) Costco Members Are Buying Platinum. Should You? (Read) 5. The scale of Chinese spying is overwhelming Western governments. Beijing is mobilizing security agencies, private companies and civilians to undermine rivals and bolster the country’s economy. Decades of trade with China and Beijing’s decentralized intelligence operations are complicating the West’s response. The Chinese government’s press office, as well as the ministries of state security, public security and defense, didn’t respond to requests for comment. Beijing has denied allegations of espionage targeting Western countries while portraying China as a frequent target of foreign hacking and intelligence-gathering operations. China Launches Sea and Air Drills Around Taiwan (Read) Asia Watching China’s Policy Push Closely as Economies Brace for Spillover (Read) China’s Exports Slow but Continue Run of Growth (Read) 📰 Enjoying this newsletter? Get more from WSJ and support our journalism by subscribing today with this special offer. 🗨 Understand the biggest news—fast. Sign up for WSJ News Debrief, a free, occasional newsletter for the most important news events. Subscribe The Numbers ~$28,400 The average selling price of a three-year-old electric vehicle in September. That’s less than the cost of a gas-engine vehicle of the same age and a 25% drop from the start of 2023, according to car-shopping website Edmunds. The sharp decline could attract budget-conscious buyers, analysts say, but at the same time, many current owners with auto loans who paid a premium for their cars now owe more than what they’re worth. 6.8% The increase in revenue per available hotel room for group travel for the first eight months of this year, compared with the same period in 2023, according to data firm CoStar Group. (Group travel is generally defined as bookings of 10 rooms or more at prenegotiated rates.) In this era of remote work, many companies are prioritizing group travel and industry conferences as efficient for team-building or meeting with partners and clients, analysts say. ‏‏‎1,000 Words Efforts to reverse the baby shortage aren’t working. Falling birthrates have hit Europe harder and faster than expected. Not even two countries that devote more resources to families than almost any other nation can fix the situation. Hungary offers lifetime income-tax exemptions, subsidized minivans and more than $150,000 in cheap loans, while Norway has generous parental leave and subsidized child care. The reluctance to have kids is a fundamental cultural shift rather than a purely financial one, demographers say. Read More ‏‏‎Quoted “If Europa Clipper can show that in our one solar system there are two habitable worlds—Earth and Europa—that has profound implications for how common habitable worlds are in the galaxy.” —NASA program scientist Curt Niebur, referring to a historic mission to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. The uncrewed spacecraft is traveling 1.8 billion miles to settle into orbit around Jupiter in 2030. It’ll spend four years helping scientists assess whether Europa has the conditions necessary to sustain life. Catch Up Nobel for Economics Awarded to Authors of ‘Why Nations Fail’ and an Ex-IMF Figure (Read) Starbucks Scales Back Discounts Under New CEO (Read) Canada and India Expel Diplomats in Escalating Dispute Over Sikh Activist’s Killing (Read) Attacks on Gay Rights Push Russia’s LGBTQ Community Into the Shadows (Read) Fair-Wage Advocate Lilly Ledbetter Dies at 86 (Read) This Week in History‏‏‎‎ Oct. 17, 1907 Commercial transatlantic wireless communication began. A message sent from Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, to Clifden, Ireland, marked the launch. The Wireless Telegraph Co. of America accepted only press dispatches at the beginning. Charges started at five cents per word. Ships crossing the ocean would use the service to stay in constant communication with people on land. Take a Break Derrick Henry’s success this season has helped the Baltimore Ravens rattle off four straight wins after an 0-2 start. PHOTO: ROB CARR/GETTY IMAGES The Baltimore Ravens’ Derrick Henry is the NFL’s throwback star—and the last of a dying breed. Read More Beyond the Newsroom Buy Side from WSJ: Best 6-Month CD Rates Today's newsletter was curated by Zlati Meyer in collaboration with publishing editor Maggie Rothfus in New York. Follow Zlati on X at @Zlatimeyer. Sign up for WSJ newsletters on markets, tech, careers and more.   Access WSJ‌.com and our mobile apps. Subscribe

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