For: November 4, 2026

>>Ahead Of The Bell  

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed mixed yesterday as Americans went to the polls for midterm elections.  Technology stocks rose broadly with chipmakers including AMD, Broadcom and Micron each gaining two percent or more.  Apple fell nearly two-percent after the iPhone maker issued a weak forecast and iPad sales missed projections.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 197 points to 51-786.  The S&P 500 rose 27 points to 75-68.  The Nasdaq gained 207 points to 25-372.

>>Job Openings Edge Higher In September

(Washington, DC)  --  The number of job openings rose slightly in September.  The Labor Department says seven-point-five million jobs were available which is more than expected.  The number and rate of hires was little changed at five-point-four million for the month.  According to the JOLTS report, the number of total separations including quits and layoffs edged higher.  Job openings increased in state and local government, while accommodation and food services led the way in hiring in September.    

>>Google Turning Off AI By Default In Schools

(Mountain View, CA)  --  K-through-12 schools that want students to be able to access Google search and other AI products will have to turn it on themselves.  The company announced Tuesday that the products will be turned off by default.  That includes the Gemini chatbot.  But if schools decide to turn search on, it will include AI features.  The move comes after pushback in some schools against the use of AI.

>>Gas Prices Fall

(Undated)  --  Prices at the pump are falling.  Triple-A puts the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded at four dollars and 12 cents today.  That's down a couple cents from yesterday and even further from the four-36 we were seeing a month ago.  California drivers are paying the most, with prices averaging around five-86 a gallon, while the lowest prices in the nation can be found in North Carolina.