Wednesday, October 7th

What happened

President Donald Trump offered U.S. help to Russia and said he had a call scheduled with President Vladimir Putin about a Siberian lab worker’s unexplained death. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Moscow to share more information, saying Washington had too few facts to speculate. The 28-year-old technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute died after developing pneumonia. Regional accounts raised plague as a possibility, while Russia’s health watchdog says tests found no work-linked pathogens and no Irkutsk plague case. Pneumonic plague can spread through respiratory particles, but prompt antibiotics can treat it. Russian authorities monitored her contacts and restricted hospitals. The WHO rated Irkutsk’s risk moderate to low and said its assessment could change.

What happened

President Trump told a Nebraska campaign rally that Iran could “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego, calling the situation a “small price to pay” while defending the war’s costs. Trump linked the war to higher fuel prices and said the costs were worth keeping America safe from a nuclear-armed Iran, as prices made the conflict a midterm issue for Republicans. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria condemned the remarks, while the White House said Trump was describing the danger of a nuclear-armed Iran. Iran has no known nuclear weapon or missile able to reach California. Newsom ordered threat monitoring; Bass knew of no active threat.

What happened

Paramount Skydance completed its roughly $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, creating a combined company called Skydance. Its shares now trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker SKYD. The closing followed a yearlong contest in which Paramount outbid Netflix, then settled antitrust lawsuits from states and a separate Writers Guild of America challenge. Chief executive David Ellison said the company aims to build a stronger competitor powered by creativity and technology. The deal puts CNN, CBS, HBO Max and Paramount+ under one owner, along with major film and TV studios. The company carries about $80 billion in debt and seeks cost savings over three years. Layoff plans, streaming prices and news-division rules remain unresolved.