10 things you need to know today: October 25, 2018

1. Pipe bombs addressed to Democrats intercepted

Authorities intercepted several pipe-bomb packages mailed to prominent Democrats including former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the party's 2016 presidential nominee, the FBI said Wednesday. The Secret Service found the package addressed to Clinton's office. Another was on the way to Obama's home. CNN's New York City headquarters was evacuated when another suspicious package was delivered by courier, addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) received a package addressed to former Attorney General Eric Holder, and police intercepted another addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.). Investigators are treating the packages as being connected, and looking into whether somebody is targeting figures vilified by the right. "This clearly is an act of terror," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

CNN The New York Times

2. Saudi crown prince promises justice in 'heinous' Khashoggi murder

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday said his country was doing everything possible to investigate the killing of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi and bring those responsible to justice. In his most detailed public comments on the case yet, Saudi Arabia's de facto leader called Khashoggi's killing in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul "a heinous crime." Speaking at a high-profile investment conference, he said the case was "really painful to all Saudis" and to "every human being in the world." In the latest change in Saudi authorities' position on the killing, Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor said Thursday that Khashoggi's killing was planned, based on evidence provided by Turkish investigators. Saudi officials last week said Khashoggi was killed accidentally by rogue agents in a fistfight.

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The Washington Post

3. Stocks plummet, erasing 2018 gains

U.S. stocks plunged on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing down 608 points, or 2.4 percent, and the S&P 500 falling by 3.1 percent. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 4.4 percent, entering correction territory as tech stocks fell sharply. Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Alphabet all lost ground. The rout wiped out gains for the year. Investors are worried about rising interest rates, and the possibility that President Trump's trade wars will cut into corporate profits. October has brought major losses; it has been the worst month for the S&P since May 2010. Stock-index futures pointed to a slight rebound early Thursday, with futures for the Dow and the S&P up 0.7 percent and those of the Nasdaq-100 rising 1.2 percent.

CNBC MarketWatch

4. Trump calls for unity after pipe bombs sent to Democrats

President Trump on Wednesday called for unity after suspicious devices were sent to Democratic politicians and to CNN's New York headquarters. He added that "acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States." "The safety of the American people is my highest and absolute priority," Trump said, adding that an investigation is currently underway and that those responsible for "these despicable acts" will be brought to justice. Suspicious packages were intercepted on Wednesday addressed to former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), among others. Trump, who has harshly criticized the targeted Democrats, called on media outlets to "stop the endless hostility."

NBC News BBC News

5. California white supremacists charged with inciting riots

An FBI spokeswoman said Wednesday that federal authorities have arrested the leader of a Southern California white-power group and two other members, charging them with inciting violence in California and at last year's deadly Charlottesville, Virginia, white supremacist rally. Authorities grabbed Robert Rundo, leader of the neo-Nazi Rise Above Movement, at Los Angeles International Airport, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said. Tyler Laube and Robert Boman were arrested Wednesday morning. A fourth man, Aaron Eason, was charged but remains at large, federal authorities said. The arrests came after several other members and associates of the group were publicly accused of traveling to Charlottesville to incite a riot during the violent white nationalist rally there.

Los Angeles Times The Associated Press

6. Super typhoon hammers U.S. Pacific islands

Super Typhoon Yutu slammed into U.S. island territories in the Pacific on Thursday with 180 mph winds. The storm, the most powerful ever to hit the islands, was the equivalent of a strong Category 5 hurricane. It lashed the U.S. island territories of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota in the Northern Mariana islands near Guam, which have a combined population of 55,000. "Devastating damage is expected," the National Weather Service said. "Most homes will sustain severe damage with potential for complete roof failure and wall collapse ... Most trees will be uprooted." Islanders reported severe damage and power outages but no deaths. Power and water could be out for weeks.

Vox The Weather Channel

7. Judge tells Georgia to stop rejecting absentee ballots with mismatched signatures

A federal judge said Wednesday that Georgia election officials must stop tossing out absentee ballots and applications because of a mismatched signature, saying they must give voters a chance to resolve the discrepancies first. U.S. District Judge Leigh May ordered the office of Secretary of State Brian Kemp, the Republican candidate for governor, to instruct county election officials to halt the practice for the November midterm elections. Kemp's opponent, Democrat Stacey Abrams, has accused Kemp of using his position to purge tens of thousands of voters, many of them African Americans. Kemp has accused Abrams of encouraging undocumented immigrants to cast ballots illegally.

The Associated Press The Hill

8. Tesla shares soar after surprise quarterly profit

Tesla shares jumped by 9.7 percent in after-hours trading on Wednesday after the electric-car maker reported the third quarterly profit in its eight years as a public company. Tesla reported adjusted earnings of $2.90 per share on $6.82 billion in revenue, blasting past average analyst expectations of losses of 15 cents per share on $6.32 billion in revenue. The company said in a statement that the period marked "a truly historic quarter for Tesla," with its first mass-market car, the Model 3, becoming "the best-selling car in the U.S. in terms of revenue and the 5th best-selling car in terms of volume."

Yahoo Finance

9. Chinese spies reportedly regularly listen in on Trump's cellphone calls

U.S. intelligence agencies have learned that when President Trump uses his unsecured iPhone to call friends, Chinese spies are regularly listening in on his conversations, former and current officials told The New York Times. Trump has been warned numerous times not to use his cellphone, with his aides urging him to make calls on his secured White House line. U.S. intelligence has determined that China is taking note of who Trump talks to and what their conversations are about. The government then asks Chinese businessmen to share Beijing's point of view on various matters with Trump's friends, with the hope that these people, trusted by Trump, will pass pro-China arguments along to the president. Russian spies are also routinely eavesdropping on Trump, the officials told the Times. Trump on Thursday called the report "soooo wrong."

The New York Times

10. Red Sox take 2-0 lead over Dodgers in World Series

The Boston Red Sox took a 2-0 lead in the MLB World Series on Wednesday, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 in Game 2. Steve Pearce tied the score in the fifth inning with a bases-loaded, two-out walk against Los Angeles reliever Ryan Madson. Then, J.D. Martinez put the Red Sox up for good with a two-run single, capping a two-out rally. After two games in Boston, the series moves to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Friday. The Dodgers face long odds: Teams that take a 2-0 lead have gone on to win the best-of-seven series 84 percent of the time.

ESPN