Morning Briefing

Here is your morning briefing for Friday, October 16, 2026: 

🚨 Major National & Global News

• Tragic Oregon School Shooting: A shooting at a school in Oregon has tragically left three children and one teacher dead. 
• Kyiv Missile Strike: Five Russian ballistic missiles struck civilian infrastructure in Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine received no advance warning from its international intelligence partners regarding the attack.
• Iran Blockade Escalation: Reports indicate that Iran's oil exports have fallen to zero under an American economic blockade. In response, Tehran has escalated attacks against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, intensifying fears of a broader conflict. 
• Yemen Conflict Intensifies: Saudi Arabia launched fresh airstrikes hitting oil facilities near Yemen's capital, Sanaa, amid an escalation in its war against the Houthis. 
• DOJ Sues California: The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against California over the status and maintenance of its voter rolls ahead of upcoming elections. 

🏛️ Politics & Washington

• Ambassador Resignation: Kimberly Guilfoyle is leaving her post as the U.S. Ambassador to Greece. Her departure comes after President Trump requested her resignation following a series of misconduct allegations.
• White House Briefing: Newly appointed White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia conducted her first official press briefing, focusing heavily on Trump's midterm election blitz and administration economic policies.

📈 Markets & Economy

• Market Outlook: Wall Street is bracing for a lower opening as stock futures decline alongside a 10-year Treasury yield that remains stubbornly above 5%. 

🪙 Bitcoin Treasury Focus

• Bitcoin (BTC): Bitcoin is trading at $81,756.93, maintaining a strong baseline as institutional capital inflows and public treasury strategies continue to drive macro momentum. 
• Strive, Inc. (ASST): Shares of the prominent Bitcoin treasury firm are up 3.12% in early pre-market activity, trading at $25.45. 
• Massive $630M Capital Raise: The upward momentum follows Strive’s late Thursday announcement pricing an upsized initial public offering of 7 million shares of its new 15% fixed-rate "SATS" Perpetual Preferred Stock. Offered at a discounted public price of $90 per share, the deal was upsized by 2 million shares to generate $630 million in gross proceeds. 
• Treasury Expansion: Strive plans to deploy the capital heavily into purchasing additional Bitcoin, acquiring income-producing assets, and potentially executing buybacks of its Class A common stock (ASST). 

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