THE WEEKLY STEEP
Happy Trick-or-Treating! Hope you get a potato! 🗝️ This Week’s Clue (Week 2): Follow the universe’s whisper, look to Cosmic Chai. Hidden in the stars, one word glows. Hold it close.
Treasure Hunt Glow-Up:
Week 1: Shout-out to Radha S.
Week 2: Congrats to Kevin! This week’s prize is a $150 Apple gift card. 🍎
ps: to those who’ve joined, thank you for carrying the light; for those still watching, there is time yet… and remember: when we walk together, the glow grows. 🪔
Table of Contents
WHAT’S BREWING
U.S.: The 31-day shutdown could halt food aid for 42 million people starting Nov 1. The FBI stopped a Halloween-week plot in Michigan, and several Trump officials moved into military housing amid safety concerns. Abroad, Trump met Xi in Seoul, easing tariffs and reviving trade talks, as U.S. troops expand operations in Venezuela.
Nuclear Testing Returns: Trump directs the Pentagon to resume tests after 33 years, though details remain unclear. Read More
FBI Foils Halloween Plot: Agents prevent a planned attack in Michigan; several arrests made. Read More
Officials Move to Bases: Top Trump aides relocate to Fort McNair amid security concerns. Read More
Trump-Xi Trade Truce: Tariffs cut to 47% in Seoul talks, reviving soybean and fentanyl deals. Read More
Global: A week of power, peril, and upheaval. From Hurricane Melissa’s destructive landfall in Jamaica to Brazil’s deadliest police raid, violence and volatility rippled across continents. Europe grappled with royal scandals and election shocks, while conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine flared anew. Even the Louvre found itself swept into the week’s turbulence.
Hurricane Melissa: A Category 5 storm's landfall in Jamaica caused catastrophic damage; UN aid calls echoed globally. Read More
Sudan Genocide: Over 1,500 killed in El Fasher as RSF forces massacre civilians and hospital patients, UN confirms. Read More
Royal Reckoning: King Charles strips Prince Andrew of all titles over Epstein ties, a first in 108 years. Read More
Brazil Raid: Rio police kill 121 in city’s deadliest operation; officials call it a success, locals a massacre. Read More
Louvre Heist: $100 M crown jewels stolen in 7-minute raid; 7 suspects arrested, treasures still missing. Read More
Dutch Vote Deadlocks: Wilders and D66 tie with 26 seats each in historic stalemate. Read More
South Asia: Regional deals tested amid border tensions. Trump’s Asia summit grabbed headlines, but the real movement came closer to home: a landmark U.S.-India defense pact and a fragile peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan amid deadly clashes.
The Scene: Word of the Year: “6-7” Dictionary.com crowned this Gen Alpha phrase, used to describe something “effortlessly cool, balanced, and in-the-pocket,” as 2025’s Word of the Year, capturing the vibe of being both online and at ease.
This week, the future looked more human. Robotics firm 1X opened preorders for NEO, a $20k humanoid with tendon-driven hands and enough strength to lift 150 lbs. Etsy named Kruti Patel Goyal its new CEO, one of the first Indian-American women to lead a major U.S. marketplace. In Cartagena, UNESCO’s “Minds over AI” week urged students to sharpen critical thinking in an algorithm-saturated world. And at the corporate summit, the Fortune 500 shifted again as P&G’s Shailesh Jejurikar and T-Mobile’s Srini Gopalan rose to the top. From robots and reels to AI ethics and boardroom breakthroughs, this week’s scroll felt 6-7; human, creative, and just the right kind of wired.
MONEY MOVES
U.S. Markets: Stocks hit record highs as the $DOW ( ▼ 3.1% ) crossed 47,000 and the $SPX ( ▲ 0.0% ) and $NDX ( ▲ 0.07% ) extended a three-week rally. $NVDA ( ▼ 2.03% ) became the first company ever to hit $5 trillion in market value, powered by relentless AI demand. Softer inflation (3.0% YoY) lifted sentiment, though the Fed’s rate cut to 3.75-4.00% came with a hawkish note. $META ( ▼ 0.3% ) fell on a $16B charge, $MSFT ( ▼ 0.48% ) warned on AI costs, and $MSTR ( ▼ 3.36% ) gained on strong Bitcoin exposure.
India: The Nifty 50 and Sensex paused amid foreign outflows and profit-taking. The RBI held rates at 5.5%, raised FY26 growth to 6.8%, and trimmed inflation to 2.6%. Realty outperformed while IT and banks softened.
Currency & Commodities: The rupee slipped to ₹88.63 as the USD strengthened. Gold $4,011 edged up on trade-truce optimism, while oil $63 Brent eased on weak demand.
Crypto: Seventeen years since Satoshi’s white paper lit the fuse, Bitcoin still glows, holding near $110K and reminding the world how one idea reshaped money, markets, and imagination alike. #HappyBitcoinWhitePaperDay
Outlook: Markets stay buoyant but stretched, focus shifts to U.S. earnings, India’s Q2 results, and this weekend’s OPEC+ meeting.
PLAY BY PLAY
MLB: World Series Game 6: The Toronto Blue Jays host the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight (Oct 31, 8 PM ET) with a 3-2 lead, one win away from their first title since 1993.
Cricket: World Cup Semi-Final (Women): The India Women’s Cricket Team chased down 339 to beat the Australia Women’s Cricket Team, setting multiple records: the highest successful chase in a women’s ODI, the first 300+ chase in a World Cup knockout, and the highest aggregate (679 runs) in women’s World Cup history
NBA (Oct 30-31): Thunder 127-108 Wizards; OKC stays undefeated (6-0) • Spurs 107-101 Heat; San Antonio moves to 5-0 • Bucks 120-110 Warriors • Magic 123-107 Hornets. Power Ranks: West: Thunder 6-0, Spurs 5-0 • East: Bulls 4-0, 76ers 4-0.
NFL Week 8 (Oct 26): Colts 38-14 Titans • Eagles 38-20 Giants • Bills 40-9 Panthers • Broncos 44-24 Cowboys • Ravens 30-16 Bears • Jets 39-38 Bengals • Texans 26-15 49ers • Buccaneers 23-3 Saints • Packers 35-25 Steelers • Patriots 32-13 Browns • Dolphins 34-10 Falcons • Chargers 37-10 Vikings • Chiefs 28-7 Commanders. Top Teams: Colts 7-1, Patriots 6-2, Broncos 6-2, Bills 5-2.
Formula 1: Lando Norris dominated the Mexico GP to reclaim the championship lead by a single point over teammate Oscar Piastri. McLaren now holds a massive gap in the constructors’ race. With four rounds left, starting next week in São Paulo, every lap counts.
RAISING ROOTS: A Night of Tricks, Treats & Billions in Sweets 🎃
How an ancient harvest ritual transformed into one of America’s most enduring and profitable celebrations of memory, mischief, and make-believe. Read more
Happy Halloween!
LIVING WELL: Surviving the Halloween Aftermath
Halloween may scatter candy wrappers and capes across the living room, but it also leaves behind laughter, togetherness, and stories worth retelling long after the candy jar runs dry. Read more
COSMIC CHAI: Weekly Horoscope (Oct 31-Nov 6)
Intense but creative.
With the Sun, Mercury, and Mars all in Scorpio, this is a week of sharp focus, emotional honesty, and transformative action. Mercury conjunct Mars makes words land like arrows, powerful, but use wisely. The Last Quarter Moon in Leo (Nov 4) encourages risk-taking, boldness, and releasing old fears around visibility or self-expression. Venus in Libra continues to smooth connections, helping balance heavy vibes with grace. Post-eclipse echoes still reverberate, nudging you toward endings that free up space for new beginnings. Only what truly 🗝️ glows can guide you forward. Full Horoscopes
Nov 1: Partnership or teamwork breakthrough.
Nov 2-3: Mercury steadied by Saturn → clarity, mature decisions, contracts that last.
Nov 4: Last Quarter Moon in Leo → playful reset, courage to shine
EDITOR'S PICK: Good Fortune
Aziz Ansari’s long-awaited directorial comedy finally lands with Keanu Reeves as a bumbling guardian angel who swaps a gig worker’s life with a billionaire’s. Good Fortune spins modern chaos into a cosmic comedy about luck, class, and the universe’s sense of humor. 🍿 Now playing in theaters nationwide.
UPCOMING WEEK
Nov 1: National Vegan Day · Scented Candle Day · Native American Heritage Month begins
Nov 2: New York City Marathon 🏃
Nov 5: American Football Day · National Stress Awareness Day · World Tsunami Awareness Day