Abbott Laboratories will pay $385 million to resolve claims it manufactured baby formula in unsafe conditions at a Michigan plant that triggered nationwide shortages in 2022. The settlement covers the Sturgis facility, which federal investigators said produced formula for a taxpayer-funded program despite conditions that risked microorganism contamination.

— via Hoodline, Eric Tanaka

Developers want to replace a Glendale church with 323 apartments, shops, and a 474-car garage. The mixed-use complex still needs density bonus waivers and alleyway vacation approvals.

— via Hoodline, Juliette Kessler

Waymo is opening its robotaxis to 13-year-olds in Nashville, letting teen account holders summon a car alone and bring up to three friends aged 13 to 17. The company hasn't said how it will verify anyone's age, but it's betting parents will take that risk over handing keys to a teenage driver.

— via TechCrunch, Kirsten Korosec

California growers are ripping out roughly a quarter of the state's vineyards as wine sales sink more than 20% in five years, leaving about half this year's crop without buyers. Some farmers now dump healthy grapes rather than harvest at a loss, or swap vines for almonds and pistachios.

— via PBS NewsHour, Terry Chea, Associated Press

Canada is committing another $100 million to Palestine, with $80 million designated for humanitarian assistance and $20 million for a police training program in the West Bank, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced at the United Nations General Assembly.

— via CultMTL, Lorraine Carpenter

Singapore will pay citizens roughly 80 cents for 50 daily reading sessions, betting a points-and-coins scheme can dent doomscrolling the way its step challenges dented inactivity. Social scientists are split on whether pennies can build a lasting habit, though one Wharton researcher says it might nudge lapsed readers back to books.

— via Literary Hub, Brittany Allen

Harvey Weinstein got 15 years for assaulting Miriam Haley, less than the 20 prosecutors sought but well above the nine his lawyers wanted. It's his second conviction in the case after New York's top court threw out the original 23-year sentence in 2024.

— via NY Post, Eric Todisco

Antonio Brown will plead to a lesser charge and avoid prison entirely, his attorney says, with prosecutors recommending probation instead of the decades he faced on an attempted murder count. Brown maintains he acted in self-defense but couldn't refuse a deal that spares him jail, house arrest or an ankle monitor.

— via NY Post, Edward Lewis

Brit Floyd is bringing Pink Floyd's "Animals" back to the road in 2027, with six New York stops alone. Tickets for the run, plus the group's current tour, are already on sale, with some seats going for under $40.

— via NY Post, Matt Levy

Mary Beth Barone shot down dating rumors about her and Joe Alwyn with an Instagram "hard launch": of their new rom-com together. The two were spotted on a Williamsburg Bridge walk and out for drinks, but Barone says it's strictly co-star business.

— via NY Post, Amanda Rubio

The Roblox widow suing over a $6 million escort scam just dropped a bigger bombshell: her father-in-law was a convicted wife-killer who once threatened to murder her too. She revealed it mid-argument with her own lawyer, according to a court-filed transcript.

— via NY Post, Peter Senzamici

Netanyahu heads to the U.N. Thursday vowing to "tell the truth" about Mayor Mamdani, who once threatened to arrest him and still calls him a "war criminal." Protests are expected near the venue, and Mamdani says he won't join them, but won't stop them either.

— via Gothamist, Elizabeth Kim

A nor'easter passing offshore still means gusts up to 50 mph by Friday and minor coastal flooding around Jamaica Bay through Saturday. Officials want loose balcony and rooftop items secured before the wind arrives.

— via Gothamist, Brittany Kriegstein

Housing stress is climbing the income ladder. New research finds one in five renters struggled to pay in full and on time last year, with the strain now reaching higher earners who once seemed insulated.

— via NPR, Marissa J. Lang

A woman found dead in a Plumb Beach trash can had bruising not severe enough to explain her death, and police haven't called it a homicide. Her estranged husband says she was texting him about a family reunion just months before she went silent.

— via Gothamist, Brittany Kriegstein

Five ballot questions on Nov. 3 could rewrite how New York City works, from cutting outdoor dining permits down to two months to reshaping contracts and street safety rules. Here's what's actually in Mayor Mamdani's efficiency push, and the deadlines to register before you can weigh in.

— via The City, Kaitlyn Schwanemann

Hochul's lead over Blakeman has shrunk to 9 points, tighter than Zeldin's gap at this stage in 2022 when he lost by six. Her approval sits under 50%, but two-thirds of voters still expect her to win.

— via NY Post, Carl Campanile

Even elite drummers like Chad Smith, Danny Carey and Stewart Copeland struggle to nail Neil Peart's parts in a new documentary's jam sessions. "No One's Disciple," which hits CBC Gem Wednesday, also traces how Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson slowly found their way back to Rush's music after Peart's 2020 death.

— via Vancouver Is Awesome, author

A dozen homeless and formerly homeless performers took the stage on Skid Row for what organizers believe is the neighborhood's first talent show, singing original songs and reading Scripture as a fight broke out unnoticed just outside. The pastor behind it spent nearly 30 years homeless himself before entering the ministry.

— via Vancouver Is Awesome, author

ICE's Pennsylvania expansion plans include a request for "mobile detention facilities," according to paperwork tied to the project. The filing raises questions about how and where the agency intends to hold detainees beyond its existing sites.

— via NPR, Jasmine Garsd

Ottawa wants a public mediator's report to expose the sticking points before labour talks collapse. Plus: Carney teams with von der Leyen at the UN, B.C.'s Conservatives brace for an Oct. 24 vote, Quebec leaders debate one last time, and a masked, self-declared alien duo wins the $30,000 Polaris Prize.

— via Vancouver Is Awesome, author

A robot at a Calgary Kal Tire can swap all four tires in under 15 minutes, and PitPro's founder says it's a fix for an industry bleeding workers to places like Panda Express. The bigger surprise during installation: dandelion seeds nearly buried the machines.

— via TechCrunch, Sean O'Kane

A 6-year-old in China just posted the fastest women's average ever recorded for solving a Rubik's cube: 4.27 seconds. Two years ago it took her 90 seconds, and she's since memorized more than 1,300 solving formulas.

— via Vancouver Is Awesome, author

Regulators pushing to slow frontier AI development may end up entrenching the very companies already ahead. Critics say the rules would raise costs for challengers while leaving giants largely unaffected.

— via NPR, Bobby Allyn

Metro Vancouver two-bedroom rents fell 9.8 per cent over two years yet still lead the country at $3,030 a month, while smaller cities like Kamloops and Nanaimo are seeing rents climb as renters chase affordability outside big urban markets. Meanwhile, World Cup crowds pushed B.C. bar and restaurant sales 6.4 per cent above last year, raising the question of whether that boost survives the tournament's end.

— via Vancouver Is Awesome, author