A roundup of today's top stories across current affairs, technology, faith, science and more.
1. Current Affairs: France Braces for Hundreds of Cost-of-Living Protests as Budget Fight Intensifies
France saw a wave of demonstrations over the weekend, with organizers reporting several hundred separate actions nationwide, many staged at roundabouts and fuel stations, aimed at pressuring the government over rising living costs. The mobilization drew support from the CGT union, France Unbowed, the French Communist Party and figures associated with the earlier Yellow Vest movement. Demonstrators are demanding lower fuel prices and opposing a freeze on social benefits contained in the government's draft 2027 budget. The protests come as President Emmanuel Macron's government faces a tight legislative calendar to pass next year's spending plan amid persistent public frustration over inflation and household expenses. Authorities have not yet released final turnout figures or confirmed whether the actions remained peaceful nationwide. The unrest underscores the fragile political footing of France's current government as budget negotiations continue in Paris. (Connexion France)
2. AI: Replit Drops Anthropic as Its Default AI Partner, CEO Says
Replit, the AI-assisted coding platform, is no longer using Anthropic as its default model provider, founder and CEO Amjad Masad confirmed this week, shifting that role to OpenAI. Masad said the change reflects performance and cost considerations rather than a full break, and he noted that Anthropic's Claude models remain available to Replit customers who prefer them. The move is a notable shift in the competitive landscape among AI model providers, where OpenAI, Anthropic and Google compete for developer platforms as default integration partners, a position that carries significant revenue and visibility. The announcement comes amid a turbulent stretch for Anthropic, which is simultaneously preparing for a possible initial public offering and facing regulatory inquiries into AI safety incidents. Analysts say such provider switches by major platforms can meaningfully affect usage volume for AI labs that depend on enterprise and developer adoption to scale revenue. (TechCrunch)
3. Gaming: Resident Evil 2, 3 and 4 Remakes Arrive on Nintendo Switch 2
Capcom's acclaimed remakes of Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3 and Resident Evil 4 launched digitally on Nintendo Switch 2 this week, bringing the modernized survival-horror trilogy to the console for the first time. The Switch 2 release of Resident Evil 4 ships as the Gold Edition, bundling the base campaign with the Separate Ways scenario, The Mercenaries mode and additional character costumes. Capcom first revealed the console ports during a Nintendo Direct presentation in September, and physical copies are expected to follow in early 2027. The releases give Switch 2 owners access to three of the best-reviewed horror games of the past decade without requiring a separate console or PC, and early purchase discounts have been offered in several regional eShops. The launch adds to a packed October slate for the platform, which has drawn a wave of third-party remasters since its debut. (Video Games Chronicle)
4. Faith: Latter-day Saints Dedicate Montpelier Idaho Temple, the Church's 225th
Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is dedicating the Montpelier Idaho Temple today, marking the Church's 225th operating temple worldwide and the eighth in Idaho. The dedicatory session is scheduled for 10 a.m. Mountain time, with a rebroadcast to meetinghouses across the roughly 15,000-member temple district in the early afternoon. A public open house was held in September ahead of the dedication. Eyring has now dedicated ten temples during his decades of apostolic service, most recently the Lindon Utah Temple earlier this year. Temple dedications are significant milestones within Latter-day Saint practice, formally setting the building apart for sacred ordinances. The Church has continued an aggressive global temple-building pace in 2026, part of a broader expansion President Russell M. Nelson has overseen since announcing the Montpelier project in 2022. (Church News)
5. Scam Alert: Fraudsters Cover Real Parking Meter QR Codes With Fake Ones, FTC Warns
The Federal Trade Commission has warned consumers that scammers are placing counterfeit QR code stickers directly over legitimate codes on parking meters and signage in lots across the country. Drivers who scan the fraudulent code are directed to a convincing but fake payment site designed to harvest credit card numbers and personal information, or in some cases to install malicious software. The FTC says similar tactics are being used in QR codes sent by text or email under false pretenses, such as claims about a delivery problem or an account issue requiring urgent action. Officials recommend inspecting any QR code for signs of tampering, checking the destination web address before entering payment details, and using an official parking app instead of scanning an unfamiliar code when possible. Anyone who believes they scanned a fraudulent code should change reused passwords and monitor bank and card statements closely. Complaints can be filed at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. (WSMV)
6. Tech Tip: Think Before You Scan, Verify Every QR Code
With fraudulent QR codes turning up on parking meters, menus and delivery notices, security experts recommend a simple habit: pause before scanning. Most smartphone cameras display a preview of the destination web address before opening it. Take a moment to read that address carefully, watching for misspellings or unfamiliar domains that imitate a trusted brand. Avoid entering payment information or login credentials on any page reached through a scanned code unless the address matches the organization's official site exactly. When paying for parking, consider using the municipality's official app rather than a sticker-based code, since apps cannot be physically tampered with the way a printed label can. If a code seems out of place, peeling, or layered over another sticker, treat it as suspicious and seek an alternative way to complete the transaction. This small pause can prevent stolen payment details and malware installation.
7. Science: Study Finds Wegovy Carries Higher Risk of Rare Vision Loss Than Ozempic
A new analysis drawing on adverse event reports and the medical literature has found that patients taking Wegovy for weight loss face a notably higher reported risk of a rare, irreversible vision-loss condition called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, compared with patients taking Ozempic for diabetes, even though both drugs contain the same active ingredient, semaglutide. Researchers reported roughly four times the risk signal for Wegovy relative to Ozempic in the data reviewed, while finding no elevated signal for oral semaglutide (Rybelsus) or for tirzepatide-based drugs. NAION damages the optic nerve and currently has no effective treatment, with vision loss generally considered permanent. The study's authors called for urgent further research to clarify causation and inform prescribing guidance. Novo Nordisk has previously noted that earlier observational studies cannot establish a direct causal link. Regulators in the United Kingdom added a NAION warning to semaglutide labeling earlier this year. (The Pharmacist)
8. Space: Rocket Lab Pushes Neutron Rocket's Debut Launch Into 2027
Rocket Lab announced this week that it has pushed back the first launch of its medium-lift Neutron rocket to 2027, abandoning an earlier target of a debut flight before the end of this year. The company cited an adjusted development and testing schedule following a fuel tank test incident earlier in the year that had already forced previous delays. Neutron is designed to carry larger payloads than Rocket Lab's workhorse Electron rocket and to compete for contracts currently dominated by SpaceX's Falcon 9, making its timeline closely watched by satellite operators and government customers. The delay places Rocket Lab alongside other companies facing setbacks in the crowded new-launch-vehicle market: Blue Origin's New Glenn has also been grounded since a static-fire test explosion this spring. Rocket Lab said it remains committed to Neutron's development and will provide updated milestones as testing progresses toward a 2027 debut. (Rocket Lab Investor Relations)
9. Business and Finance: Anthropic's IPO Valuation Talk Slips to $1.5 Trillion as Growth Cools
Investors discussing a potential initial public offering for Anthropic are now weighing a valuation near $1.5 trillion, down from roughly $2 trillion previously floated, according to a Reuters report, after the AI company disclosed that third-quarter revenue growth slowed. Anthropic's revenue reportedly grew 45 percent sequentially to $16.8 billion in the quarter, a deceleration from the near-doubling to $11.6 billion it posted the prior quarter. The company has also disclosed more than $8 billion in operating losses over the past year and more than $518 billion in committed long-term cloud and compute spending, underscoring the capital intensity of frontier AI development. Anthropic is reportedly aiming to begin investor pitches in early November with a listing targeted before Thanksgiving. The valuation reset reflects broader investor caution toward AI infrastructure spending that also weighed on chip and cloud stocks this past week. (Reuters, via AI Weekly)
10. Consumer Tech: Samsung Says Apple's iPhone Duo Is Fueling Galaxy Fold Sales in South Korea
Samsung sources say foldable phone sales in South Korea rose by roughly 10 percent following the launch of Apple's first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, with buyers reportedly comparing options and in some cases choosing Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 instead. The iPhone Duo, Apple's long-anticipated entry into the foldable category, starts at $1,999 in the United States, just above the Fold 8's price point, and has drawn heavy early coverage as a test of whether foldables can move beyond a niche audience. Foldables still represent a small slice of the overall smartphone market, estimated at under five percent of global sales, but analysts expect that share to grow as more buyers become familiar with the form factor. Some industry forecasts project Apple could capture a significant share of the foldable segment within the next year, a prospect Samsung has downplayed publicly while continuing to tout its Fold 8's reception among reviewers. (ChannelNews)
Written by Lonnon Jensen. Read more about the author.