Musk Pledges SpaceX Shares to Every Child in America

Texas Counties Set Early Voting Records

Supreme Court Rejects Appeals to Restore 9/11 Plea Deals

Zelenskyy Says Pentagon Delays Missiles as Russia Hits Power Grid

Alberta Rejects Path to Separation, Networks Project

Musk Pledges SpaceX Shares to Every Child in America

Elon Musk pledged on X on Oct. 19 to give one of his SpaceX shares to every child in America in 2027, a transfer that could make tens of millions of children shareholders if carried out. A Yahoo Finance analysis estimated the gift at about $10.5 billion, assuming roughly 72 million recipients and using the Oct. 16 closing price of $146.03 a share. The announcement followed Anthropic's plan to place 5% of its shares in a public benefit fund and Musk's call for the company to distribute shares directly to the public. Musk did not specify eligibility requirements, how families would claim shares or whether recipients would face restrictions on selling them. No securities filing, press release or company statement accompanied the pledge.

PBS / Axios / Fox Business / Yahoo Finance

Texas Counties Set Early Voting Records

Harris and Dallas counties reported record first-day turnout as Texas began early voting Oct. 19 for the Nov. 3 general election. Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth reported more than 104,000 in-person votes, exceeding the county's previous first-day midterm record of 63,188 in 2018; about 24,800 mail ballots had also been received, according to KTRH. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins reported 76,069 voters, surpassing the 60,573 who voted on the first day of early voting in the 2020 presidential election. Bexar County reported 42,333 ballots, about 32% more than on the first day in 2022. The figures are preliminary and measure participation rather than candidate preferences; the coverage reviewed did not include a statewide first-day total. Early voting continues through Oct. 30 in a state with a record 19 million registered voters, a competitive Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico, and Gov. Greg Abbott seeking a fourth term.

KTRH / KPRC / KHOU / Fox 4 / TPR / KENS 5 / Fox 7 / Texas Secretary of State

Supreme Court Rejects Appeals to Restore 9/11 Plea Deals

The Supreme Court on Oct. 19 declined to hear appeals seeking to restore plea agreements for accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and co-defendants Walid bin 'Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, leaving them facing possible death sentences. The unsigned order gave no explanation and noted no dissents, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh did not participate in Mohammed's case. The 2024 agreements called for guilty pleas in exchange for life in prison without parole, but then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin canceled them days later. A military judge upheld the agreements before a divided federal appeals court in Washington ruled that Austin had authority to withdraw them. The case returns to the military commission at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where a trial is not expected before 2028, according to reports. Families of the nearly 3,000 people killed remain divided, with some seeking a full trial and others viewing the agreements as the best hope of bringing the case to a close.

The Hill / Axios / AP / Supreme Court

Zelenskyy Says Pentagon Delays Missiles as Russia Hits Power Grid

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told U.S. lawmakers Oct. 19 that the Pentagon was delaying air-defense interceptors already paid for by European allies and awaiting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's signature. The purchases fall under NATO's PURL program, which lets allies buy American weapons for Ukraine as its supply of Patriot interceptors needed to defend cities and power plants runs short ahead of winter. Zelenskyy said partners gave no advance warning of an overnight Russian attack involving 16 ballistic missiles and more than 200 drones that struck 28 substations and other energy facilities. Ukraine's air force said no warning preceded the first wave and notice of a second came too late to sound air-raid sirens. At least 550,000 households lost power, the Kyiv Independent reported. The Trump administration denied changing intelligence sharing with Kyiv, and a U.S. official disputed Ukraine's claims, according to NBC News.

NBC News / CBS News / Kyiv Independent / Washington Times

Alberta Rejects Path to Separation, Networks Project

Alberta voters rejected a path toward separation from Canada in an Oct. 19 provincial referendum, CBC News and CTV News projected. With more than a million ballots counted in early unofficial results, about 76.5% favored remaining in Canada and 23.5% supported a second, binding referendum on separation, the central question on a 10-question ballot. Counting continued overnight, with Elections Alberta scheduling official results for Oct. 29. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Danielle Smith, who campaigned to remain, welcomed the outcome. Separatist leaders said they were awaiting the full count and would continue their campaign. The outcome carries stakes for U.S. energy trade because Alberta produces most of the oil Canada exports south, and Canada is the largest foreign oil supplier to the United States.

CBC News / CTV News / CNN / Al Jazeera / RTÉ

OCTOBER 20, 1967: BIGFOOT CAPTURED ON FILM IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

A short clip shot in a remote California forest claims to show the mythical ape man “Bigfoot,” electrifying believers and sparking decades of controversy. Years later, when a prominent Bigfoot researcher sent a related hair sample to the FBI, tests found it was from a member of the deer family, not an unknown creature.

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Sources

1. PBS / Axios / Fox Business / Yahoo Finance
2. KTRH / KPRC / KHOU / Fox 4 / TPR / KENS 5 / Fox 7 / Texas Secretary of State
3. The Hill / Axios / AP via U.S. News / Supreme Court
4. NBC News / CBS News / Kyiv Independent — Energy Strikes / Kyiv Independent — Missile Deliveries / Washington Times
5. CBC News / CBC News — Live Updates / CTV News / CNN / Al Jazeera / RTÉ