{
  "slug": "2026-11-05-evening-9",
  "title": "Zipline Raises $1.5 Billion to Fly Deliveries to 300 More Walmart Sites, OpenAI Builds an AI Bug Hunter, and a Gene Editing Medicine Quiets Hepatitis B",
  "type": "evening",
  "label": "Evening Edition No. 9",
  "number": 9,
  "date": "2026-11-05T20:00:00-05:00",
  "summary": "Zipline raises $1.5 billion and Walmart signs on for 300 more drone delivery sites, OpenAI releases GPT-6 Cyber for approved security teams, New Glenn's return slips to January, the Pentagon offers LeoLabs $150 million to build radars that track satellites, NASA shows the X-70 Fractal research plane, a gene editing medicine for hepatitis B clears a virus marker in 11 of 12 patients, Shield AI agrees to buy radar maker Echodyne for $5.3 billion, China blocks SoftBank's purchase of ABB's robot business in China, the first tokenized U.S. stock trades under the SEC's new exemption, and Oak Ridge puts a quantum computer beside a supercomputer.",
  "url": "https://singularitynightly.com/editions/2026-11-05-evening-9/",
  "markdown_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/editions/2026-11-05-evening-9.md",
  "json_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/api/v1/editions/2026-11-05-evening-9.json",
  "window_start": "2026-11-04T18:00:00-05:00",
  "window_end": "2026-11-05T18:00:00-05:00",
  "editor": "Dennis W. Davis",
  "byline": "Edited by Dennis W. Davis. AI-assisted; see How We Make This.",
  "hero_image": {
    "url": "https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/zipline-platform2-tether-1450.jpg",
    "credit": "Zipline",
    "alt": "A Zipline delivery drone lowering a small delivery pod on a tether"
  },
  "in_60_seconds": [
    "Zipline, which delivers packages by drone, raised $1.5 billion, and Walmart agreed to add 300 more Zipline delivery sites.",
    "OpenAI released GPT-6 Cyber, an AI that finds and helps fix security holes in software. Only approved security teams can use it.",
    "A gene editing medicine for hepatitis B made a sign of the virus disappear from the blood of 11 of 12 patients in an early trial.",
    "Chip company stocks fell 12% on Thursday, one of their worst days in years, and the Nasdaq fell 5.5%, as investors worried about new rules for AI and data centers."
  ],
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "In 60 Seconds",
      "id": "in-60-seconds"
    },
    {
      "heading": "Lead Signal",
      "id": "lead-signal"
    },
    {
      "heading": "The Ticker",
      "id": "the-ticker"
    },
    {
      "heading": "The Desks",
      "id": "the-desks"
    },
    {
      "heading": "Watch",
      "id": "watch"
    },
    {
      "heading": "Voices",
      "id": "voices"
    },
    {
      "heading": "By the Numbers",
      "id": "by-the-numbers"
    },
    {
      "heading": "Tomorrow's Watchlist",
      "id": "tomorrows-watchlist"
    }
  ],
  "lead": {
    "title": "Zipline raises $1.5 billion, and Walmart signs on for 300 more drone delivery sites",
    "text": "Zipline, a California company that delivers packages by drone, raised $1.5 billion on Thursday, which values it at $21.5 billion. That is about 2.8 times what it was worth in January, TechCrunch reports. At the same time, Walmart signed a national, multi-year deal to add 300 more Zipline delivery sites; the companies did not say which states or when. Zipline's newest drone does not land at your house. It hovers high above the yard and lowers a small pod on a tether, a long cord, so the package arrives quietly at your door. Around Dallas and Fort Worth, Zipline has made more than 1 million deliveries this year, and in October the typical order arrived 19 minutes after checkout, DroneXL reports from the company's figures. Zipline says its drones have flown 150 million miles on their own. Investor Matt Huang of Paradigm called it \"one of the largest autonomous robotics companies in the world.\" Wider drone delivery still waits on Part 108, the FAA's rule for drones that fly beyond the pilot's sight, which is still under White House review.",
    "why_it_matters": "a drone that brings groceries or medicine in under 20 minutes can save a trip for people who cannot drive easily. Walmart's 300 new sites could put this within reach of many more towns. The sites will open over several years, and the FAA's new drone rule will decide how fast it spreads.",
    "image_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/zipline-platform2-tether-1450.jpg",
    "image_credit": "Zipline"
  },
  "ticker": [
    {
      "beat": "AIR",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/air/",
      "text": "Zipline raised $1.5 billion at a $21.5 billion value, and Walmart agreed to 300 more Zipline drone delivery sites. Not investment advice.",
      "why_it_matters": "drone delivery is growing from a test into an everyday service.",
      "source_url": "https://www.zipline.com/newsroom/zipline-raises-1-5-billion-to-build-nationwide-drone-delivery-network",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "AI",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/ai/",
      "text": "OpenAI released GPT-6 Cyber, a security AI for approved defenders that it rates at its highest cyber risk level.",
      "why_it_matters": "AI is now strong enough to find serious software holes faster than people can.",
      "source_url": "https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/11/05/openai-releases-gpt-6-cyber-and-promises-this-one-stays-within-rules-of-engagement/5307855",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "AI",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/ai/",
      "text": "METR, an outside testing group, says Anthropic's AI progress has run about 1.9 times faster since October 2025, mostly because AI is helping build AI.",
      "why_it_matters": "when AI speeds up its own development, everything that follows can come sooner.",
      "source_url": "https://metr.org/blog/2026-11-05-anthropic-ai-rd-acceleration-assessment/",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "AI",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/ai/",
      "text": "Gemini 4 Carbon (High) still holds the top score of 60 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index.",
      "why_it_matters": "the leaderboard shows how fast the best models are improving.",
      "source_url": "https://artificialanalysis.ai/models",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "AI",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/ai/",
      "text": "Meta let everyone in the U.S. video chat with an animated avatar of its Muse AI on phones, the web and Macs.",
      "why_it_matters": "talking to an AI face to face may feel more natural than typing.",
      "source_url": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/11/05/meta-says-us-users-can-now-video-chat-with-their-muse-ai-avatar/",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "AI",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/ai/",
      "text": "OpenAI's Images 2.6 can now make short moving GIFs and reuse saved reference pictures.",
      "why_it_matters": "making simple animations is getting as easy as asking for them.",
      "source_url": "https://www.testingcatalog.com/openai-launches-images-2-6-with-gifs-and-image-reference/",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "AI",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/ai/",
      "text": "About 600,000 Nvidia H200 chips are waiting in Hong Kong while Beijing holds back approval to bring them into mainland China, Reuters reports.",
      "why_it_matters": "AI chips are now caught in the middle of trade fights between countries.",
      "source_url": "https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/nvidia-chips-stockpile-hong-kong-120548918.html",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "WILD",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/wild/",
      "text": "The PHLX Semiconductor Index, which tracks 30 big chip companies, closed down 12.25%, and the Nasdaq fell 5.52%, as investors worried about new rules for AI and data centers. Not investment advice.",
      "why_it_matters": "chip stocks had risen a lot this year, and a fast drop shows how nervous investors are.",
      "source_url": "https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/stocks-nov-5-2026",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "WILD",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/wild/",
      "text": "Oak Ridge National Laboratory, IBM and AMD placed a 120-qubit IBM quantum processor beside a supercomputer to work on fixing quantum errors.",
      "why_it_matters": "quantum computers need regular computers to catch their mistakes.",
      "source_url": "https://newsroom.ibm.com/2026-11-05-oak-ridge-national-lab,-ibm,-and-amd-launch-new-co-design-platform-for-quantum-error-correction",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "WILD",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/wild/",
      "text": "Agility Robotics, maker of the Digit humanoid robot, began trading on Nasdaq as AGLT. Not investment advice.",
      "why_it_matters": "anyone with a brokerage account can now own a slice of a humanoid robot maker.",
      "source_url": "https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/11/05/3396226/0/en/agility-becomes-first-u-s-publicly-listed-pure-play-humanoid-robotics-company-begins-trading-today-on-nasdaq-as-aglt.html",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "WILD",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/wild/",
      "text": "Quantum computer maker Quantinuum reported $9.1 million in third quarter revenue, up 233%, and raised its full year outlook to $31 million to $34 million. Not investment advice.",
      "why_it_matters": "quantum computers are starting to earn real money, though still small sums.",
      "source_url": "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/quantinuum-reports-third-quarter-2026-results-and-raises-full-year-revenue-outlook-302931318.html",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "WILD",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/wild/",
      "text": "Japanese builder Kajima is expanding robots that inspect construction sites on their own to more than 10 sites, after more than 2,000 missions.",
      "why_it_matters": "robots can do the walk-around checks that take workers hours.",
      "source_url": "https://unite.ai/kajima-begins-full-scale-rollout-of-robots-with-fieldai-autonomy",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "LAUNCH",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/launch/",
      "text": "A Chinese Long March 2C launched three Yaogan 51 satellites from Xichang at 10:58 AM ET, the 257th orbital launch of 2026.",
      "why_it_matters": "2026 is on track to be the busiest year of rocket launches ever.",
      "source_url": "https://ll.thespacedevs.com/2.3.0/launches/previous/?net__gte=2026-11-05T00:00:00Z",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "LAUNCH",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/launch/",
      "text": "Blue Origin's New Glenn will not fly again until January 2027, its chief told staff, and the company showed a new third stage and booster engine.",
      "why_it_matters": "more big rockets mean more ways to reach space, but this one needs more time.",
      "source_url": "https://thenextweb.com/news/blue-origin-new-glenn-return-to-flight-delayed-january",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "ORBIT",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/orbit/",
      "text": "Astronauts Anil Menon and Joshua Kutryk installed the last of eight new roll-out solar arrays on a 6 hour, 59 minute spacewalk, raising the station's power from 160 to about 215 kilowatts.",
      "why_it_matters": "more power lets the space station run more experiments.",
      "source_url": "https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/11/05/spacewalkers-install-final-roll-out-solar-array/",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "ORBIT",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/orbit/",
      "text": "Canada named Alex MacDonald, NASA's former chief economist, to lead the Canadian Space Agency from Nov. 16.",
      "why_it_matters": "a space agency's leader shapes which missions a country chooses.",
      "source_url": "https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/former-nasa-chief-economist-is-new-head-of-canadian-space-agency/",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "AIR",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/air/",
      "text": "NASA showed the X-70 Fractal, a research plane that can carry about 2,000 pounds of test equipment and fly at 45,000 feet.",
      "why_it_matters": "test planes like this try out ideas that later reach everyday aircraft.",
      "source_url": "https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-announces-x-70-experimental-aircraft-to-advance-flight-research/",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "AIR",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/air/",
      "text": "Eve, the Embraer air taxi company, reported a $58.1 million quarterly loss and says its prototype is about 8 flights from moving fully to wing-borne flight. Not investment advice.",
      "why_it_matters": "switching from hovering to flying on wings is one of the hardest tests for an air taxi.",
      "source_url": "https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/futureflight/2026-11-05/brazilian-air-taxi-group-flybis-confirms-evtol-orders",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "MED",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/med/",
      "text": "Precision BioSciences' gene editing medicine made a hepatitis B virus marker undetectable in 11 of 12 patients in an early trial.",
      "why_it_matters": "hepatitis B affects millions, and today's medicines rarely cure it.",
      "source_url": "https://investor.precisionbiosciences.com/news-releases/news-release-details/precision-biosciences-announces-late-breaking-pbgene-hbv-data",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "MED",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/med/",
      "text": "Novartis says it has 9 reports of tumors in children treated with the gene therapy Zolgensma, with signs in 2 cases that the treatment's carrier entered their DNA.",
      "why_it_matters": "doctors and families need to know about rare risks so they can watch for them.",
      "source_url": "https://www.biospace.com/drug-development/novartis-confirms-9-reported-cases-of-tumors-in-patients-treated-with-zolgensma",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "MED",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/med/",
      "text": "Resolution Therapeutics says its repair cell therapy for end-stage liver disease cut death, transplant or worsening to 22% of patients, against 38% in a comparison group.",
      "why_it_matters": "people with failing livers have few choices beyond a transplant.",
      "source_url": "https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/11/05/3396647/0/en/resolution-therapeutics-announces-positive-interim-phase-i-ii-emerald-data-for-regenerative-macrophage-therapy-rtx001-in-end-stage-liver-disease.html",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "MED",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/med/",
      "text": "VeonGen agreed with the FDA on a final-stage trial of its gene therapy for Stargardt disease, an inherited cause of vision loss.",
      "why_it_matters": "Stargardt disease has no approved treatment today.",
      "source_url": "https://www.biopharminternational.com/view/veongen-fda-alignment-phase-3-vg801-stargardt-gene-therapy",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "DEF",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/def/",
      "text": "Shield AI agreed to buy Echodyne, which makes radars that spot drones, in a deal valued at up to $5.3 billion.",
      "why_it_matters": "stopping small drones starts with seeing them.",
      "source_url": "https://shield.ai/shield-to-acquire-echodyne-in-a-transaction-valued-at-5-3-billion-and-raise-2-5-billion-at-a-28-8-billion-valuation/",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "ORBIT",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/orbit/",
      "text": "The Pentagon's Office of Strategic Capital offered LeoLabs a $150 million loan to build radars that track objects in orbit.",
      "why_it_matters": "with thousands of satellites up there, someone has to keep track of them all.",
      "source_url": "https://www.airandspaceforces.com/pentagon-loans-150m-to-leolabs-to-build-ground-radars/",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "DEF",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/def/",
      "text": "European missile maker MBDA plans to fly a test version of its Hydis interceptor for hypersonic weapons by the end of 2029.",
      "why_it_matters": "very fast weapons are hard to stop, so countries are racing to build defenses.",
      "source_url": "https://defensenews.com/global/europe/2026/11/05/mbda-plans-to-fly-fat-hypersonic-interceptor-demonstrator-before-end-2029",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "POLICY",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/policy/",
      "text": "ABB says China barred SoftBank from buying ABB's robot business in China, part of a $5.4 billion deal.",
      "why_it_matters": "governments now treat robots and their data as matters of national security.",
      "source_url": "https://www.abb.com/global/en/news/140154/update-on-divestment-of-abb-robotics",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "POLICY",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/policy/",
      "text": "Google, Meta and TikTok sued to block a California law that bans features like endless scrolling and autoplay for users under 16.",
      "why_it_matters": "courts will decide how far states can go to shape what kids see online.",
      "source_url": "https://www.engadget.com/2308280/google-meta-and-tiktok-are-all-suing-california-to-block-social-media-law-intended-to-help-kids/",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "TOKEN",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/token/",
      "text": "The first trades of a tokenized U.S. stock under the SEC's Innovation Exemption settled on the Canton Network. Not investment advice.",
      "why_it_matters": "shares that live on a blockchain could one day trade any hour of any day.",
      "source_url": "https://prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-trades-of-tokenized-us-equity-under-sec-innovation-exemption-executed-on-the-canton-network-302929795.html",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "TOKEN",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/token/",
      "text": "Amundi, Europe's biggest fund manager, added a blockchain share class to its 22.8 billion euro STOXX Europe 600 index fund. Not investment advice.",
      "why_it_matters": "ordinary index funds are starting to come in token form.",
      "source_url": "https://www.ledgerinsights.com/amundi-adds-tokenized-share-class-to-e22-8bn-european-equity-index-fund/",
      "video_id": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "TOKEN",
      "desk_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/desks/token/",
      "text": "Tokenized real-world assets reached $39.70 billion, up from $39.40 billion on Wednesday, per RWA.xyz. Not investment advice.",
      "why_it_matters": "the total keeps climbing as more funds and bonds move onto blockchains.",
      "source_url": "https://app.rwa.xyz/",
      "video_id": null
    }
  ],
  "desk_items": [
    {
      "beat": "AI",
      "desk": "AI Models",
      "title": "OpenAI releases GPT-6 Cyber, an AI that hunts for security holes, only for approved defenders",
      "text": "OpenAI on Thursday released GPT-6 Cyber, a version of its AI trained to find weaknesses in software and help fix them, The Register reports. Only approved security teams can use it, through OpenAI's programming tools. This kind of work is called red teaming: attacking your own systems, with permission, to find holes before criminals do. OpenAI says researchers using the model found 81 serious, previously unknown flaws in the Firefox web browser, and in tests it turned 948 of 1,724 known Linux weaknesses into working attacks. On ExploitGym, a test of turning flaws into working attacks, it scored 48.5%, against 32.1% for the older GPT-5.6 Cyber, CyberScoop reports. OpenAI rates the model \"Critical,\" the top level of risk in its own safety rules, up from \"High\" for the older model, which is why access is limited.",
      "why_it_matters": "much of daily life, from banks to hospitals, runs on software with hidden holes. An AI that helps defenders find and patch them first could make that software safer for everyone. Because the same skill could help attackers, OpenAI is keeping it to vetted security teams for now.",
      "source_url": "https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/11/05/openai-releases-gpt-6-cyber-and-promises-this-one-stays-within-rules-of-engagement/5307855",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/11/05/openai-releases-gpt-6-cyber-and-promises-this-one-stays-within-rules-of-engagement/5307855",
        "https://cyberscoop.com/openai-gpt-6-cyber-security-model/"
      ],
      "url": "https://singularitynightly.com/editions/2026-11-05-evening-9/#story-openai-releases-gpt-6-cyber-an-ai-that-hunts-for-security",
      "video_id": null,
      "image_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/gpt6-cyber-hunter-1376.jpg",
      "image_credit": "Illustration: Singularity Nightly (AI-generated)"
    },
    {
      "beat": "LAUNCH",
      "desk": "Launches",
      "title": "New Glenn's comeback slips to January, while Blue Origin shows a third stage and a new engine",
      "text": "Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket will not fly again until January 2027, missing the company's goal of returning this year, CEO Dave Limp told staff in a memo, The Next Web reports from Bloomberg and the Financial Times. New Glenn has been grounded since May 28, when it exploded during an engine test at Cape Canaveral and badly damaged its only launch pad; Limp said bad summer weather slowed the roughly six-month rebuild. Its next flight is set to carry 48 Amazon Leo internet satellites. The same day, Blue Origin showed GS3, a new third stage, the top part of a rocket that gives a final push, Space.com reports. GS3 runs on one BE-7 engine and is built to send satellites straight to high orbits or toward the Moon; a government customer has booked it for a 2028 trip. Blue Origin also showed Northstar, a booster engine that burns methane and liquid oxygen, with 30% less weight and 50% fewer parts than its BE-4, and more push: 715,000 pounds of thrust. Limp said the return to flight \"remains our top priority.\" Northstar has no first flight date.",
      "why_it_matters": "the more big rockets there are, the cheaper and easier it gets to launch internet satellites, telescopes and Moon landers. New Glenn needs a few more months. The new stage and engine show where the company wants to go next, but they are plans for now.",
      "source_url": "https://thenextweb.com/news/blue-origin-new-glenn-return-to-flight-delayed-january",
      "sources": [
        "https://thenextweb.com/news/blue-origin-new-glenn-return-to-flight-delayed-january",
        "https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/blue-origin-announces-3rd-stage-for-its-powerful-new-glenn-rocket-and-a-new-engine"
      ],
      "url": "https://singularitynightly.com/editions/2026-11-05-evening-9/#story-new-glenns-comeback-slips-to-january-while-blue-origin-sho",
      "video_id": null,
      "image_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/new-glenn-january-1376.jpg",
      "image_credit": "Illustration: Singularity Nightly (AI-generated)"
    },
    {
      "beat": "ORBIT",
      "desk": "Satellites and Orbit",
      "title": "The Pentagon offers LeoLabs $150 million to build more radars that watch the sky",
      "text": "LeoLabs, a company that tracks satellites and space junk from the ground with its own radars, has been offered a $150 million loan by the Pentagon's Office of Strategic Capital, which lends money to companies building technology the military needs, Air & Space Forces Magazine reports. The loan comes with conditions: LeoLabs must meet financial, legal and technical requirements, and private investors must put in a matching $150 million, for $300 million in all. The money is meant for two large factories, due by 2028, and dozens more radars around the world by 2030. LeoLabs already runs radars in New Zealand, Australia, Alaska, Texas and Hawaii, including one that can be moved where it is needed, and its catalog follows nearly 29,000 objects in orbit. Knowing where everything in space is and where it is heading is called space domain awareness, and it is how satellite operators learn when to steer out of the way of a crash. The office's director, David Lorch, said the loan brings \"unparalleled Space Domain Awareness capabilities.\" In October the same office offered a similar $150 million loan to the rocket company Stoke Space.",
      "why_it_matters": "thousands of satellites now carry our phone calls, maps, weather forecasts and internet, and even a small piece of junk can wreck one. More radars watching the sky mean earlier warnings, so satellites can move before a crash. The loan is not final until LeoLabs meets its conditions and finds the matching money.",
      "source_url": "https://www.airandspaceforces.com/pentagon-loans-150m-to-leolabs-to-build-ground-radars/",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.airandspaceforces.com/pentagon-loans-150m-to-leolabs-to-build-ground-radars/"
      ],
      "url": "https://singularitynightly.com/editions/2026-11-05-evening-9/#story-the-pentagon-offers-leolabs-150-million-to-build-more-rada",
      "video_id": null,
      "image_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/leolabs-orbit-map-1604.jpg",
      "image_credit": "LeoLabs"
    },
    {
      "beat": "AIR",
      "desk": "Air Mobility",
      "title": "NASA shows the X-70 Fractal, a test plane built to try new ways of flying",
      "text": "NASA unveiled the X-70 Fractal on Wednesday night at the UP.Summit at Kennedy Space Center. An X-plane is a special research aircraft the United States builds to test new flying ideas. The X-70 weighs about 10,000 pounds at takeoff, can carry up to 2,000 pounds of test equipment inside or under its wings, cruise at three quarters of the speed of sound and fly as high as 45,000 feet, with a range of more than 1,500 nautical miles. Its parts can be swapped quickly, and its flight controls can be set up in new ways to try moves no plane with a pilot has shown before. NASA did not say who built it or what it cost, and The War Zone notes that is still unclear. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said, \"We expect her first flight under the NASA banner within the next two years.\"",
      "why_it_matters": "many things we now take for granted on airliners, like better wings and safer controls, were first tried on test planes. A flexible flying lab lets NASA test many ideas with one aircraft. Its first NASA flight is expected within two years.",
      "source_url": "https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-announces-x-70-experimental-aircraft-to-advance-flight-research/",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-announces-x-70-experimental-aircraft-to-advance-flight-research/",
        "https://www.twz.com/space/nasa-announces-x-70-fractal-experimental-aircraft"
      ],
      "url": "https://singularitynightly.com/editions/2026-11-05-evening-9/#story-nasa-shows-the-x-70-fractal-a-test-plane-built-to-try-new",
      "video_id": null,
      "image_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/nasa-x70-fractal-1672.jpg",
      "image_credit": "NASA"
    },
    {
      "beat": "MED",
      "desk": "Medicine",
      "title": "A gene editing medicine makes a hepatitis B virus signal vanish in 11 of 12 patients",
      "text": "Precision BioSciences shared early results Thursday for PBGENE-HBV, a gene editing medicine for hepatitis B, a virus that infects the liver for life and can lead to scarring and cancer. Gene editing changes DNA at a chosen spot; here, the medicine is designed to cut and destroy the virus's own DNA hiding in liver cells, called cccDNA, which is why today's pills can hold the virus down but rarely cure it. In a first trial of 25 patients, a blood sign of virus activity, pgRNA, became undetectable in 11 of 12 patients who could be measured, including all 6 at the dose chosen for the next trial; the 12th had a 95% drop. Liver samples from 2 patients showed cccDNA down about 10 times and 35 times. A virus protein in the blood, HBsAg, fell in all 24 patients measured. At the chosen dose there were no serious side effects across 15 doses in 8 patients, BioSpace reports. CEO Michael Amoroso said, \"Patients have long desired a cure for their virus.\" Full results come Nov. 8 at a liver meeting in Denver, and a larger trial should start in early 2027.",
      "why_it_matters": "hepatitis B affects many millions of people, and most must take pills for life. A medicine that wipes out the virus's hidden copy could one day let people stop treatment for good. This is an early, small trial, so bigger tests come next.",
      "source_url": "https://investor.precisionbiosciences.com/news-releases/news-release-details/precision-biosciences-announces-late-breaking-pbgene-hbv-data",
      "sources": [
        "https://investor.precisionbiosciences.com/news-releases/news-release-details/precision-biosciences-announces-late-breaking-pbgene-hbv-data",
        "https://www.biospace.com/press-releases/precision-biosciences-announces-late-breaking-pbgene-hbv-data-at-aasld-the-liver-meeting-2026-further-demonstrating-cccdna-elimination-and-potential-to-drive-viral-cure"
      ],
      "url": "https://singularitynightly.com/editions/2026-11-05-evening-9/#story-a-gene-editing-medicine-makes-a-hepatitis-b-virus-signal-v",
      "video_id": null,
      "image_url": null,
      "image_credit": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "DEF",
      "desk": "Defense",
      "title": "Shield AI agrees to buy drone-spotting radar maker Echodyne for $5.3 billion",
      "text": "Shield AI, a San Diego company that builds AI pilots and drones, agreed to buy Echodyne in a deal valued at up to $5.3 billion: $4.8 billion at closing plus up to $500 million more if Echodyne hits set goals. Echodyne, of Kirkland, Washington, makes flat radars with no moving parts that steer their beam electronically, and they are built into hundreds of counter-drone systems, gear that finds and stops small drones, in more than 40 countries. Its new $40 million factory can build about 30,000 radars a year. Shield is also raising $2.5 billion, which values Shield at $28.8 billion, Breaking Defense reports. Echodyne CEO Eben Frankenberg said \"superior sensors lead to superior systems and outcomes.\" The deal needs government approval and should close in early 2027; Shield says there will be no layoffs.",
      "why_it_matters": "cheap drones have become a big worry for armies, airports and stadiums, and you cannot stop a drone you cannot see. Joining an AI pilot company with a radar maker puts the eyes and the brains under one roof. The deal still needs approval.",
      "source_url": "https://shield.ai/shield-to-acquire-echodyne-in-a-transaction-valued-at-5-3-billion-and-raise-2-5-billion-at-a-28-8-billion-valuation/",
      "sources": [
        "https://shield.ai/shield-to-acquire-echodyne-in-a-transaction-valued-at-5-3-billion-and-raise-2-5-billion-at-a-28-8-billion-valuation/",
        "https://breakingdefense.com/2026/11/shield-ai-acquires-radar-firm-echodyne-in-5-3b-deal/"
      ],
      "url": "https://singularitynightly.com/editions/2026-11-05-evening-9/#story-shield-ai-agrees-to-buy-drone-spotting-radar-maker-echodyn",
      "video_id": null,
      "image_url": null,
      "image_credit": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "POLICY",
      "desk": "Law and Policy",
      "title": "China blocks SoftBank from buying ABB's robot business in China",
      "text": "The Swiss engineering company ABB said Thursday that China's office for reviewing foreign investments on security grounds has barred SoftBank from buying the China part of ABB's robotics business. SoftBank, a Japanese investment company, agreed in October 2025 to buy all of ABB Robotics for $5.375 billion. The robotics unit has about 7,000 workers and $2.3 billion in sales in 2024, and China is its biggest market, about 30% of the business, WHTC reports from Reuters and the Financial Times. The reported worry is that data from robots in China could leave the country and help train AI models, including those of OpenAI, in which SoftBank is a big investor. ABB said the two companies \"are in close dialogue and working on the transaction.\" SoftBank shares closed down 6.8%, Unite.AI reports. It is China's second big block of a foreign tech deal this year.",
      "why_it_matters": "robots in factories collect a lot of data, and countries now see that data as a resource to protect, like oil or minerals. That can decide who gets to build the robots and AI of the future. ABB and SoftBank are still working out what happens to the rest of the deal.",
      "source_url": "https://www.abb.com/global/en/news/140154/update-on-divestment-of-abb-robotics",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.abb.com/global/en/news/140154/update-on-divestment-of-abb-robotics",
        "https://whtc.com/2026/11/04/china-blocks-softbanks-5-4-billion-takeover-of-abbs-robotics-division-ft-reports/",
        "https://www.unite.ai/abb-says-china-barred-softbanks-purchase-of-abb-robotics-in-china/"
      ],
      "url": "https://singularitynightly.com/editions/2026-11-05-evening-9/#story-china-blocks-softbank-from-buying-abbs-robot-business-in-c",
      "video_id": null,
      "image_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/abb-hq-zurich-1920.jpg",
      "image_credit": "ABB"
    },
    {
      "beat": "TOKEN",
      "desk": "Tokenized Assets",
      "title": "The first tokenized U.S. stock trades under the SEC's new exemption",
      "text": "Shares of Canton Strategic Holdings, a Nasdaq-listed company, traded in token form on Wednesday, the first trades of a tokenized U.S. stock under the SEC's Innovation Exemption, the September rule that lets approved venues trade blockchain versions of listed stocks. A tokenized stock is a share recorded on a blockchain, a shared digital ledger. The trades ran on the venue TSV through Tradecraft, an automated market maker, software that sets prices from a pool of shares instead of matching buyers and sellers one by one, Tradecraft said. The shares and the payment changed hands in a single step on the Canton Network. The company created the tokens itself, so holders get the same rights as owners on Nasdaq, and a registered transfer agent keeps the official record. Trading runs every hour of every day, but only for checked, approved buyers, and the size and price were not shared. \"Today, the first trades are done,\" CEO Mark Wendland said. Not investment advice.",
      "why_it_matters": "today a stock trade takes a day to settle and markets close at night and on weekends. Tokenized shares could settle at once and trade any time. This first step is small and limited to approved traders, so ordinary investors will wait a while.",
      "source_url": "https://prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-trades-of-tokenized-us-equity-under-sec-innovation-exemption-executed-on-the-canton-network-302929795.html",
      "sources": [
        "https://prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-trades-of-tokenized-us-equity-under-sec-innovation-exemption-executed-on-the-canton-network-302929795.html",
        "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tradecraft-becomes-first-venue-to-support-a-tokenized-us-stock-transaction-under-the-sec-innovation-exemption-302929896.html"
      ],
      "url": "https://singularitynightly.com/editions/2026-11-05-evening-9/#story-the-first-tokenized-u-s-stock-trades-under-the-secs-new-ex",
      "video_id": null,
      "image_url": null,
      "image_credit": null
    },
    {
      "beat": "WILD",
      "desk": "Wildcard",
      "title": "Oak Ridge puts a quantum computer beside a supercomputer to tackle quantum errors",
      "text": "Oak Ridge National Laboratory, IBM and AMD launched a new platform on Thursday that sets IBM's 120-qubit Nighthawk quantum processor right next to Umbra, an Oak Ridge computer built on AMD chips. A qubit is the basic unit of a quantum computer; qubits are powerful but make constant tiny mistakes. Quantum error correction spreads one piece of information across many qubits so the mistakes can be caught and fixed, making one dependable logical qubit, and that checking needs a fast regular computer close by. The goal set by the Energy Department is 100 logical qubits running 100,000 hard steps by late 2028, FedScoop reports; IBM says it has reached up to 70 logical qubits and 438 steps so far, IBM's blog shows. IBM's Jay Gambetta said, \"The question is no longer if error correction will work on quantum hardware.\"",
      "why_it_matters": "quantum computers could one day help design new medicines and materials far faster than today's machines, but only if they stop making mistakes. Putting the two kinds of computer side by side is how scientists plan to get there. The 2028 target is still a big jump from today.",
      "source_url": "https://newsroom.ibm.com/2026-11-05-oak-ridge-national-lab,-ibm,-and-amd-launch-new-co-design-platform-for-quantum-error-correction",
      "sources": [
        "https://newsroom.ibm.com/2026-11-05-oak-ridge-national-lab,-ibm,-and-amd-launch-new-co-design-platform-for-quantum-error-correction",
        "https://fedscoop.com/oak-ridge-national-lab-ibm-amd-launch-quantum-error-correction-platform/",
        "https://www.ibm.com/quantum/blog/ornl-amd-error-correction-co-design-platform"
      ],
      "url": "https://singularitynightly.com/editions/2026-11-05-evening-9/#story-oak-ridge-puts-a-quantum-computer-beside-a-supercomputer-t",
      "video_id": null,
      "image_url": "https://singularitynightly.com/img/editions/ibm-ornl-codesign-2000.jpg",
      "image_credit": "IBM"
    }
  ],
  "videos": [
    {
      "video_id": "x09f_BuJsoY",
      "caption": "Moonshots with Peter Diamandis, episode 308: Big Tech's $3 trillion AI bet, Anthropic's filing saying Claude writes 90% of its code, and AIs editing other AIs.",
      "section": "Watch"
    },
    {
      "video_id": "Uc6xXNBWjfc",
      "caption": "All-In (Oct. 29), in case you missed it: WHOOP CEO Will Ahmed on 50 billion hours of health data and his company's fight with the FDA.",
      "section": "Watch"
    }
  ],
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
  },
  "cite": "Singularity Nightly, \"Zipline Raises $1.5 Billion to Fly Deliveries to 300 More Walmart Sites, OpenAI Builds an AI Bug Hunter, and a Gene Editing Medicine Quiets Hepatitis B\", Thursday, November 5, 2026, https://singularitynightly.com/editions/2026-11-05-evening-9/. CC BY 4.0."
}