Descope launched Envoy to help consumer apps accept personal AI agents safely. The service addresses challenges brought by agentic shopping tools introduced by companies like Meta.
The United States is set for a divided government for the first time since Donald Trump’s return to the White House last year. Voters across the country overwhelmingly cast ballots for Democrats, handily securing the party’s control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The victory came hours before polls closed in the nation’s westernmost reaches as Democrats flipped seats held by the GOP for decades in states such as Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas. It was a seismic national shift to the left, spurred in no small part by voters’ opposition to infrastructure supporting artificial intelligence and anger over rising gas and electricity prices, particularly since Trump launched a war on Iran. In an election widely seen as a referendum on Trump, Democrats trained their fire on the administration’s energy policies. Those include its moves to eliminate landmark climate regulations, its oversight of the U.S. buildout of data centers, its legally dubious deals to kill offshore wind farms, and repeals or redirections of funding for decarbonization. Much of what the next Congress focuses on when it comes to energy policy hinges on what happens with the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, the permitting reform bill that has dominated Washington dealmaking discussions since the Senate unveiled the legislation at the end of September. But key provisions in two of the most significant energy laws enacted in the past six decades — the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, better known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Energy Act of 2020 — have either expired or are set to lapse next year. Reauthorizing the bipartisan measures in both laws will offer a new, Democrat-led Congress the chance to push legislative priorities such as bringing back key subsidies for renewables in a bid to rebalance the country’s energy future following Trump’s AI-fueled gas bonanza. Candidates who flipped districts that previously voted for Trump also
Current conditions: The polar vortex that keeps air circulating around the North Pole collapsed months ahead of schedule, threatening to send frigid temperatures southward • India’s east coast Andhra Pradesh state is facing down yet another major storm as Severe Cyclone Murasu makes landfall • The catastrophic atmospheric river over the American Southwest has dumped more than 20 trillion gallons of water across Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. THE TOP FIVE 1. Gas prices hit a record high on the eve of America’s midterm elections The average price of a gallon of gasoline during President Donald Trump’s second term topped $3.46 as of Monday, a record that exceeds the previous high set under the Biden administration. That’s according to a new analysis by the Financial Times. And that’s just the average across the past 22 months. The average price nationwide on November 2 clocked in at just under $4.17 per gallon. “If modern living boiled down to a price, it’s the price at the pump,” Bob McNally, a former energy advisor to the George W Bush administration and president of consultancy Rapidan Energy, told the newspaper. “Whether a voter is filling up that day or not, it’s likely that they see a pump price.” Oil prices, meanwhile, plunged Monday on hopeful signals from Iran about potential progress in peace talks to end the war with the United States. West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, fell nearly 8% to $96 per barrel. Brent crude, the global measure, dropped over 8% to $104 per barrel. Murban crude, the stuff that flows out of the United Arab Emirates and therefore faces the worst impacts from Tehran’s attacks on tankers exiting the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, dove over 11%. 2. OpenAI vows to design its data centers for grid flexibility When energy researcher (and now Google wonk) Tyler Norris came out with his landmark paper last year arguing for data centers that can flexibly respond to conditions on the grid, my colleague Matthew
When Chicagoans head to the polls Tuesday, they’ll be making history as they elect all 21 members of the city’s school board for the first time. The showdown for the school board is the marquee race on the ballot, with Gov. JB Pritzker expected to win a third term and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton favored to secure retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat. Many are closely watching the citywide race for school board president — a powerful position that sets the board’s agenda and, until now, has never been elected. Political action committees and individuals have funneled more than $5 million into the heated three-way race between sitting school board member Jessica Biggs, former deputy political director for the Chicago Teachers Union Hilario Dominguez and prominent defense attorney Victor Henderson. How the balance of power shakes out on the school board could also be a harbinger of February’s mayoral race. Mayor Brandon Johnson, a close ally of the CTU, appointed the majority of current school board members and the teachers union is trying to hang on to control. But outside political groups, including the anti-CTU Common Ground Collective, are spending millions in an effort to get their own candidates on the board. To find out more about who’s running, and get the latest as results come in, click on the races below: Board president: Victor Henderson, Jessica Biggs, Hilario Dominguez District 1a Far Northwest Side: Ed Bannon, Margie Luscak District 1b Far Northwest Side: Michelle Pierre, Claudia Peralta District 2a Far North Side: Ebony DeBerry, Hector Morales District 2b North Lakefront: Debby Pope, Kyna Lenhof District 3a Northwest Side: Norma Rios Sierra, Peter Gonzales District 3b Near Northwest Side: Carlos Rivas Jr., Jason Dónes District 4a North Side: Karen Zaccor, Ellen Sherratt, Angel Alvarez District 4b North Side: Ellen Rosenfeld District 5a West Side: Aaron “Jitu” Brown, LaPamela Williams, Kernetha Jones District 5b West Side: Michilla “Kyla” Blaise, Anthon
District 3a neighborhoods: Avondale, Irving Park, Logan Square, Belmont Cragin, Hermosa, Albany Park A newcomer building a coalition of support from private donors and charter school advocates is challenging a longtime community activist with ties to the Chicago Teachers Union and Northwest Side elected officials in the race to represent District 3a. Incumbent Norma Rios Sierra, a Logan Square organizer appointed to the school board in 2024 by Mayor Brandon Johnson, is hoping to hold onto her seat against Peter Gonzales, a lawyer for the Illinois Secretary of State. Schools in District 3a are struggling with teacher shortages, arts program cuts, charter school closings and access to mental health support. The Northwest Side district has a mix of 23 dual-language, charter and alternative schools serving mostly Latino students. While both candidates have similar positions on increasing funds for CPS and supporting immigrant families, their support differs. Rios Sierra is backed by the CTU and the Service Employees International Union Illinois State Council, which represents thousands of CPS support staff and has split politically with the teachers union in recent years. She’s one of only five candidates to be endorsed by both unions. SEIU’s political action committee and another PAC funded by the CTU have contributed to Rios Sierra’s campaign, too. Gonzales has support from the Illinois Network of Charter Schools, a pro-school choice group, and the Common Ground Collective, an anti-CTU political action committee that is heavily funded by billionaire Michael Sacks and says it aims to engage voters around “effective progressive policies.” Gonzales is also backed by the Urban Center, a centrist political organization that advocates for school choice across public and private schools. Gonzales advocates for equitable teacher wages that can strengthen student test scores and expand opportunities for students, such as having a stronger trades pipelines and more school choic
Testimony in the retrial of the man accused of killing Morgan Hill teenager Sierra LaMar is expected to start Tuesday. LaMar disappeared on her way to her bus stop before school in 2012. Five years later, Antolin Garcia-Torres was found guilty in her murder, but that decision was later overturned by an appellate court because the district attorney’s office introduced three unrelated kidnapping accusations against him. During opening statements Monday, the Santa Clara County prosecutor tried to paint a picture of the day LaMar disappeared in March 2012. He explained that even though LaMar has not been found, there is evidence connecting LaMar and Garcia-Torres. He said carpet fibers from Garcia-Torres’ car were found on LaMar’s clothing and her DNA and a strand of her hair her found in the trunk. “Sierra’s body has never been found, yet traces of Sierra were found in the car driven by that man right there,” prosecutor O’Bryan Kenney said, pointing at Garcia-Torres. “Traces of that man were found on Sierra‘s clothes. Traces of that man’s car were found on Sierra’s clothes.” Garcia-Torres’ attorney said it was all evidence that was mishandled. “You want to carefully handle the items so that you don’t cross-contaminate or contaminate these items because you’re mishandling the evidence,” defense attorney Al Lopez said. “There’s protocols for this, and you’re going to see they weren’t followed.” Lopez also told the jury that they would be hearing about someone else who could’ve been involved. The trial is expected to resume at 9 a.m. Tuesday and stretch into next year. Morgan Hill Nov 2 Morgan Hill Oct 2 Sierra LaMar murder case: Judge will not recuse himself, jury selection next week
Sierra announced on November 2, 2026 that it had redesigned Agent Studio around Ghostwriter, its agent-building agent, bringing investigation, journey editing and testing into one conversation. Evidence, proposed changes and test results remain together so teams can review them before anything goes live. Previously, users had to move between different parts of Agent Studio to edit journeys, run simulations and review performance. The new workflow allows a user to ask why resolution rates…
Sierra Bancorp announced a consolidated net income of $15.3 million for the third quarter of 2026. This financial update is irrelevant to the AI customer service company Sierra.
Jos Leijdekkers has been found guilty in absentia of cocaine smuggling and is believed to be in Sierra Leone.
California mountain regions are experiencing light snow followed by a warming and dry trend. This has no relation to the AI company Sierra.
Researchers have found that snowstorms are delivering vast numbers of tiny plastic particles to remote reaches of California's Sierra Nevada mountains. Snowmelt is a major source of fresh water for the state. Read more on E360 →
The long-awaited retrial for the man accused of kidnapping and murdering South Bay teenager Sierra LaMar began Monday in San Jose, as prosecutors and defense attorneys laid out their cases during opening statements. It has been 14 years since the 15-year-old Morgan Hill resident disappeared in 2012. Antolin Garcia-Torres, looking older and somber in the courtroom, was convicted in 2017 for her disappearance and death, but a higher court later overturned the conviction. The appellate court ruled that the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office should not have combined three prior kidnappings with the original trial. Prosecutor O’Bryan Kenney wasted little time telling the jury what he believes Torres did to the teenager. “He grabbed her… subdued her… he dragged her… he put her in the back of his car… He closed the door… And he drove away… and then… that morning… Antolyn Garcia Torres… killed Sierra. He killed and hid her body,” Kenney told the court. Kenney also explained that he will introduce crucial DNA evidence during the proceedings. “Sierra’s body has never been found… yet traces of Sierra were found in the car driven by the man right there… traces of that man were found on Cierra‘s clothes… traces of that man’s car… were found on Sierra‘s clothes,” Kenney said. Lead defense attorney Al Lopez countered during his opening statement by arguing that the DNA evidence is not conclusive and was not handled properly by investigators. Legal analyst Steven Clark noted that the defense faces a significant challenge in countering the prosecution’s narrative and making Torres appear less ominous to the jury. “What you’re likely to see is the defense saying ‘we acknowledge that Sierra is dead, but that our client didn’t do it and convicting him won’t bring her back to her family… do not convict an innocent man,'” Clark said. With opening statements concluded, the retrial is set to resume Tuesday as the first witnesses take the stand. On Monday, the prosecution
A car enthusiast repairs a damaged Jaguar XK V8 using his own bodyshop. The article has no connection to the AI company Sierra.
The U.S. Army announced the successful first flight of its HADES prototype developed by Sierra Nevada Corporation. This program modernizes the military's airborne intelligence and reconnaissance capabilities.
"We've reached a point where plastic pollution is falling out of the sky every day..."
Sierra added over $150 million in ARR in a single quarter, surpassing $400 million in total ARR. This milestone highlights the rapid market shift toward AI agents and new B2B software models.
ServiceNow experienced earnings volatility alongside broader discussions of AI disruption in enterprise software. This broader market context highlights ongoing shifts in the AI agent landscape where Sierra operates.
Local residents are protesting plans to build a large data center near the Monongahela National Forest. This has no relation to the AI company Sierra.
A winter storm continues to drop snow across the California mountain range through the weekend. This weather news has no relation to the AI company Sierra.
Sierra is offering discounted Carhartt trucker hats with a promo code shared on Slickdeals. It highlights the platform's utility for apparel discounts.
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