GOP Thwarts Hegseth Impeachment; CoreWeave Quiets Doubts

The House voted 211-204 on a procedural motion that blocked Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie’s attempt to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over U.S. military actions in the Middle East and Latin America. The measure was sent to the House Judiciary Committee, where Bloomberg’s Derek Wallbank said it is likely to stall until Democrats take the majority in January. Republicans were nearly unified, leaving Massie isolated; President Trump called the vote an exoneration of Hegseth and said Democrats and Massie had “miserably failed.”

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang acknowledged an affair with Alice Wong, an AI executive who may have worked with Chinese intelligence. Trump said Huang assured him he did not know Wong’s alleged connections, while the New York Times reported Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised the relationship before Trump’s China visit. Bloomberg’s Ian King said Nvidia is unusually dependent on Huang as its only CEO and public driving force, making his possible departure a concern for Nvidia and the wider AI industry.

U.S. officials are examining whether Trump ignored warnings about Huang’s relationship, with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer calling that a possible “dereliction of duty.” Ambassador David Perdue said the episode showed that national security and economic security cannot be separated, even as Washington and Beijing maintain engagement. The U.S. has already restricted China’s access to Nvidia’s best products, and the spy allegations are prompting calls for tighter semiconductor export controls.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said U.S.-China engagement had improved before Trump’s planned visit and that the countries would discuss artificial intelligence, which the administration calls “superintelligence.” He said both sides were establishing a direct channel to alert each other to serious incidents involving their AI models and to reconcile competition with leadership responsibilities. Bessent will join Trump in Shenzhen for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and has reportedly moved to a military base after threats from Iran.

After Democrats’ strong midterm results, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said Schumer had not “met the moment” and that he would not support Schumer’s reelection as Democratic leader, despite liking him and acknowledging his hard work. Moderate Michigan Democrat Alyssa Slotkin also opposed Schumer unless he produced a concrete plan to lower costs during the first 100 days. Incoming Senator Abdul Al-Sayed preferred Chris Van Hollen, who began contacting colleagues about support.

Senate Republicans kept John Thune as their leader after the midterm setback; he faced no formal challenge, though two senators wanted to delay the vote. House Republicans selected Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan over current Majority Leader Steve Scalise by 106-73 after Speaker Mike Johnson said he would not seek leadership in the next Congress. Jordan promised to fight for American families by offering “more freedom” rather than the government expansion he associates with Democrats.

Futures rose after CoreWeave reported strong sales growth and projected $13 billion to $13.3 billion in revenue for the year, above its previous ceiling of $13.2 billion and Wall Street’s $12.9 billion estimate. The result eased concerns about the neocloud provider’s rapid spending and heavy debt load, sending its shares up nearly 11% and lifting related AI, optical, storage, and infrastructure companies. Analysts described the report as a return to AI fundamentals after recent doubts.

Anthropic’s bankers are considering raising the Claude maker’s IPO valuation to $1.5 trillion or more, with pricing expected the following week in what could become the largest IPO ever. Venture capitalist Jack Selby called the deal “very overshopped” and questioned who would buy it at a trillion-dollar valuation. Bloomberg strategist Neil Campling said demand appeared strong, while Goldman Sachs modeling suggested Anthropic could reach $685 billion in revenue by 2030, comparable to today’s Amazon or Walmart.

October core consumer prices rose 0.3%, exceeding estimates, and Chicago Fed President Austin Goolsbee called the report “distressing” and “borderline disturbing.” He said a genuine inflation problem had been developing and would have to be addressed. Traders were fully pricing at least a quarter-point rate hike for the following month, despite the broader market rebound driven by AI stocks.

British police arrested a 41-year-old U.S. Army soldier on suspicion of involvement in a Russian spy ring, though they released no further details beyond calling it a national-security case. Brigadier General Sean Stinchon of the Army Counterintelligence Command called the arrest a reminder that insider threats remain real and persistent. The case comes as Western governments warn more frequently about Russian espionage and sabotage aimed at countries supporting Ukraine.

Miami police arrested 30-year-old Derek Rivera de Leon at a Burger King on suspicion of raping three women in Central Park, including a jogger attacked near East 66th Street on October 24. Separately, a sightseeing helicopter making a maintenance flight landed urgently in Bayonne after engine trouble without injuries, while a minivan struck pedestrians outside a Los Angeles Metro station, killing three and critically injuring the driver and at least two others.

Minnesota reacquired 38-year-old Kirk Cousins, who had been its quarterback for six seasons, sending a third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders will now turn to Fernando Mendoza, the first overall pick in the draft. Other reported moves included wide receiver Keenan Allen going to the 49ers and Josh Downs going to Kansas City.

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology proposed vehicle standards requiring functions such as headlights and gear changes to use physical controls rather than relying entirely on screens. Regulators cited safety concerns if digital screens lose power or break, following recalls tied to digital door handles. The shift is not uniquely Chinese: Mercedes-Benz is also adding buttons to newer models.