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— Josh
MARKETS
💰 Johnson: Schumer Handed Trump “Keys to the Kingdom” with Government Shutdown
(Credit: Forcal35/Pixabay)
The Scoop: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) of causing a government shutdown that has “handed the keys to the kingdom” to President Donald Trump, enabling potential government downsizing without Democrat support, Fox Business reports.
The Details:
The federal government shut down after Congress failed to meet the Sept. 30 fiscal year deadline for a spending agreement, impacting nonessential services.
Johnson criticized Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) for taking “a partisan political stand” instead of offering credible proposals in talks with Trump.
Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought now decides which services to prioritize or suspend during the shutdown.
Johnson said, “Chuck Schumer has now handed the keys to the kingdom to the executive branch under President Trump to do some things that we would not otherwise be able to do because we would never get Democrat votes for them.”
Affected agencies include Medicare, Medicaid, FEMA, Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Transportation.
What’s Next: The shutdown’s resolution depends on congressional negotiations, with Democrats potentially facing political consequences if public frustration mounts. Trump’s administration may use Vought’s authority to push efficiency reforms, but prolonged disruptions could force a bipartisan compromise.
Market Roundup
🏦 Economy
⭐ Editor’s Pick: Trump is exploring a bailout package of at least $10 billion for farmers to offset economic fallout from his proposed tariffs. (WSJ)
Trump is considering distributing $1,000 to $2,000 rebate checks to American taxpayers as a "dividend" funded by tariff revenues. (INV)
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are shuttering their New York offices in response to "corrupt and dangerous business practices" by Attorney General Letitia James (D). (FOX)
A productivity revival is emerging, with 19% of workers using AI frequently, echoing the labor-saving tech boom of three decades ago. (WSJ)
📈 Hot Stocks
⭐ Editor’s Pick: Morningstar identifies Microsoft and Alphabet among its top 10 companies to invest in, citing their strong offerings and rapid growth in AI and cloud computing. (MS)
Alphabet's stock could present an attractive buy, with its AI-driven growth in Google Cloud's generative AI solutions poised to capture a $75 billion-plus revenue opportunity by 2030, according to Seeking Alpha. (SA)
Marvell Technology stands out as a compelling semiconductor stock beyond Nvidia, with its robust growth in data center AI solutions and a projected 43% stock upside by 2027, Motley Fool said. (MF)
Sanuwave Health, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, and Belite Bio stand out as lesser-known healthcare stocks with substantial upside potential, according to MarketBeat. (MB)
🏢 Industry
⭐ Editor’s Pick: Apple removed the ICEBlock tracking app from its App Store following a Justice Department request amid escalating attacks on ICE personnel. (FBN)
Paramount Skydance plans to name Bari Weiss, founder of news site The Free Press, as editor in chief of CBS News. (NYP)
Tesla reported a record third-quarter 2025 sales increase of 7.4% year-over-year, fueled by U.S. consumers accelerating EV purchases to claim the expiring $7,500 federal tax credit. (TC)
Cracker Barrel ended its partnership with Prophet, the consulting firm behind its failed rebrand. (FBN)
A behind-the-scenes look at how Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson, the surfer who built a key connection with Jared Kushner, orchestrated a $55 billion leveraged buyout of the company. (WSJ)
🛢️ Energy & Commodities
⭐ Editor’s Pick: The Department of Energy canceled $7.6 billion in funding for 223 energy projects approved under the Biden administration, deeming them economically unviable. (OP)
Fermi, the startup co-founded by former Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Toby Neugebauer, achieved a $19 billion valuation in its Nasdaq IPO, minting three billionaires, including Neugebauer and Perry's son Griffin. (FORB)
Duke Energy plans to meet soaring power demand in the Carolinas by building new natural gas-fired plants, exploring nuclear power options, and delaying coal plant retirements. (PM)
Goldman Sachs predicts gold prices could exceed its $4,000 per ounce forecast by mid-2026, citing speculative positioning and surging Western gold ETF demand. (INV)
🌕 Crypto
⭐ Editor’s Pick: Polymarket bettors foresee the government shutdown persisting beyond October 15, with 43% anticipating resolution on that date. (CN)
The stablecoin market capitalization surpassed $300 billion for the first time. (TB)
Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev predicted that most major markets will establish asset tokenization frameworks within five years, saying the technology is "going to eat the entire financial system." (CNBC)
JPMorgan analysts predict Bitcoin could reach $165,000 by mid-2027, driven by a "debasement trade" as investors hedge against fiat currency devaluation. (BM)
SPONSOR
Consumers’ Research, America’s oldest consumer protection agency, has been a leader in calling out companies that are putting politics ahead of their customers.
Now they’ve set their sights on Chubb Insurance, the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurer.
According to Consumers’ Research’s newest campaign, Chubb has gone fully woke.
CEO Evan Greenberg called America First policies harmful on multiple levels and said preventing men from using women’s bathrooms is a “threat to democracy.”
Chubb declared DEI as the foundation of its culture. They also funded trans indoctrination of kids through The Trevor Project and supported an organization that defended a cop killer.
Chubb has made it clear that it values woke politics over serving its customers.
Visit WokeChubb.com to learn more.
TECH
💻 OpenAI Tops SpaceX as World's Most Valuable Startup with $500 Billion Valuation
(Credit: Andrew Neel/Pexels)
The Scoop: OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, has become the world’s most valuable startup with a $500 billion valuation following a $6.6 billion secondary stock sale, surpassing SpaceX and ByteDance, Reuters reports.
The Details:
Current and former OpenAI employees sold $6.6 billion in shares to investors including Thrive Capital, Dragoneer Investment Group, T. Rowe Price, SoftBank, and UAE’s MGX.
The San Francisco-based company, founded as a nonprofit in 2015, is not yet profitable, fueling debate about overvaluation in generative AI.
CEO Sam Altman dismissed bubble concerns, predicting AI will drive economic growth, scientific breakthroughs, and improved quality of life despite short-term “booms and busts.”
OpenAI recently launched a partnership with Etsy and Shopify for ChatGPT-based online shopping and a social media app, Sora, for AI-generated videos.
What’s Next: OpenAI faces competition from tech giants like Meta, which invested $14.3 billion in AI firm Scale, and regulatory scrutiny over its nonprofit-for-profit structure and partnerships with Oracle, SoftBank, and Nvidia.
Tech Roundup
🧠 AI
⭐ Editor’s Pick: OpenAI's Sora social media app for AI-generated videos is sparking concerns over "AI slop" flooding platforms and copyright disputes with opt-out requirements. (VER)
Perplexity AI has made its AI-powered Comet browser available worldwide for free after a limited rollout to high-paying subscribers. (CNBC)
Delays in the Trump administration's multibillion-dollar deal to export Nvidia's AI chips to the United Arab Emirates are frustrating CEO Jensen Huang and White House officials. (WSJ)
Microsoft warns that AI can engineer biological "zero-day" threats by redesigning toxic proteins to evade existing biosecurity screenings. (MIT)
🤖 Hardware & Robotics
⭐ Editor’s Pick: Nvidia and Fujitsu will partner to develop AI infrastructure leveraging Nvidia's GPUs for smart robots and innovations in health care and manufacturing. (AP)
Scientists developed robotic dogs to explore the Moon's underground lava tubes. (CBR)
A cyclist sued Austin-based autonomous vehicle firm Avride, alleging one of its robots failed to yield at an intersection, causing a collision that resulted in serious injuries. (CBS)
Scientists harnessed the world's fastest supercomputer, Frontier, to simulate how supermassive black holes regulate energy in massive galaxy clusters. (IE)
🚀 Defense & Space
⭐ Editor’s Pick: CBP imposed a massive temporary flight restriction over Chicago through October 12, citing a “credible threat” of drone attacks on law enforcement. (TWZ)
The Trump administration is negotiating a landmark drone deal with Ukraine, under which Kyiv would share drone technology with Washington in exchange for compensation. (WSJ)
Silicon Valley's "neoprime" defense tech startups, including Anduril, are challenging Lockheed Martin and Boeing with software-driven innovations in AI and autonomy. (CNBC)
The U.S. military is considering road-mobile launchers for its Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program for the first time since the Cold War. (IE)
💰Venture Capital
⭐ Editor’s Pick: DualEntry, developer of AI-powered ERP software, secured a $90 million Series A funding round led by Lightspeed and Khosla Ventures, achieving a $415 million valuation. (RTS)
Self-driving trucks startup Einride has raised $100 million from investors including EQT Ventures and IonQ. (TC)
Dash0, a provider of AI agents for monitoring and troubleshooting cloud, application, and infrastructure issues, has raised $35 million in Series A funding. (SIF)
Oneleet, a security compliance platform founded in 2022, has raised $33 million in Series A funding led by Dawn Capital. (TC)
FREEDOM
📢 UK Renews Push to Access Encrypted iCloud Data in Privacy Showdown with Apple
(Credit: Keir Starmer/Flickr)
The Scoop: The British government has issued a new order to Apple, demanding a mechanism to access encrypted iCloud data of UK citizens, reigniting a battle over privacy and national security. This narrower focus follows a broader, controversial demand earlier this year, BBC reports.
The Details:
In early September, the UK Home Office ordered Apple to enable access to encrypted iCloud backups for British users, citing national security, though details remain opaque due to “technical capability notices” laws.
Apple previously withdrew its iCloud Advanced Data Protection from the UK in response to a global data access demand, stating it will never build a backdoor into its products.
The revised order avoids international backlash, particularly from the US, where Trump administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance and DNI Tulsi Gabbard, criticized the earlier demand as authoritarian.
What’s Next: The legal battle and potential diplomatic tensions with the US could intensify if Apple resists the order. A successful challenge by privacy groups might curb the UK’s surveillance ambitions.
Freedom Roundup
🏛️ Policy & Culture
⭐ Editor’s Pick: A woman was caught on camera striking conservative activist Cam Higby during a confrontation at Washington, D.C.'s Union Station amid his "Fearless Tour" promoting open political debate. (FOX)
Conservative activist Chris Rufo said Trump should consider using the military to dismantle college DEI programs. (CHR)
Ukraine's Diia app, which streamlines governance through digital IDs for tasks like passport issuance and marriage registration, is sparking concerns over enhanced surveillance capabilities. (RTN)
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DISCLAIMER: The CAPITAL newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or professional advice. Readers should conduct their own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The CAPITAL newsletter and its owner and operator, Josh Caplan, are not liable for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on this information. The CAPITAL newsletter is solely owned and independently operated by Josh Caplan, separate from any employer affiliations.
