Nobel Prize Goes to the Optogenetics Trio, Supreme Court Takes Up Big Oil's Climate Case: Monday's Top News

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2026 — Nobel week opened with the prize in medicine going to the trio behind optogenetics, the Supreme Court opened its term by taking on Big Oil, and Tom Cruise had his worst opening weekend in 19 years. Here are the ten stories that mattered.

1. Nobel Prize in Medicine goes to the optogenetics trio

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for developing optogenetics — the "light-sensitive switch" technique that lets scientists map which brain cells are responsible for which functions, as Nobel committee member Anna Wedell put it at Monday's announcement in Stockholm. Hegemann and Nagel discovered the light-gated channel proteins; Deisseroth turned them into a working toolkit for probing the living brain. It is one of those rare foundational methods that reshapes a whole field — neuroscience first, and eventually treatments for brain disorders.

2. Supreme Court hears the Big Oil climate case

The justices heard nearly two hours of argument Monday in the first major climate case in at least 15 years: whether Boulder, Colorado can use state law to make ExxonMobil and Suncor pay for local climate damages — wildfires, severe storms, extreme heat and flooding. Dozens of similar suits are waiting on the outcome, with billions of dollars at stake. The court gave no clear signal which way it leans; the Trump administration is backing the oil companies' argument that a global problem can't be fought with state lawsuits. Our preview of the blockbuster term

3. Trump says Becton Dickinson will invest $3 billion in U.S. manufacturing

President Trump said Monday on Truth Social that medical-technology giant Becton Dickinson has agreed to invest $3 billion to bring manufacturing of essential medical products to the United States — including more than $1 billion in Nebraska for products including needles Trump described as "made with American steel," according to Reuters. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It is the latest in a run of onshoring pledges the White House has touted as proof its tariff pressure is working.

4. Verity wins the weekend; Tom Cruise's Digger craters

Amazon MGM's Colleen Hoover thriller Verity, starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, opened at No. 1 with $32.6 million domestic — the latest win for the Hoover cinematic universe. Tom Cruise's Digger, meanwhile, managed just $8 million from 3,321 theaters, his weakest opening since 2007's Lions for Lambs, against a reported $125 million-plus budget and a C+ CinemaScore. As Barron's noted, Digger is Warner Bros.' last release before the Paramount merger closes this week. The full box office breakdown

5. The Batman Part II pauses production as Matt Reeves steps away

Warner Bros. and DC Studios confirmed Monday that production on The Batman Part II has been "temporarily paused" while director Matt Reeves "focuses on a family matter," with Reeves having the studio's full support. Filming had been underway in London since the summer; there is no timetable for resuming and no word yet on whether the February 18, 2028 release date holds. It is the latest delay for a sequel already pushed from 2025 to 2026 to 2027 — though this is the first time the studio has openly acknowledged something personal behind a pause.

6. Apple accuses OpenAI of improperly expanding its trade-secrets case

Apple fired back Monday in its trade-secrets fight with OpenAI, accusing the AI company of going beyond what court rules permit in its response — days after OpenAI accused Apple of improperly adding new evidence, 9to5Mac reported. Apple's suit claims OpenAI hired more than 400 former Apple employees and pressed recruits for confidential details about unreleased products. The talent war between the two AI rivals is now being fought in court filings.

7. AI leaders can't quantify the catastrophic risk — at a City Council hearing

At a heated New York City Council hearing Monday, AI leaders from OpenAI, Meta, Anthropic and Google said they could not quantify the worst-case catastrophic risk of AI. Asked by Council Speaker Julie Menin whether the chance was 1%, 10% or 20%, OpenAI's Morgan Dwyer answered, "I don't know. I also don't think it matters... None of these levels is remotely acceptable" — which Menin called "flippant, at best." None of the executives would guarantee their models always follow safety guardrails or accept legal responsibility for resulting harm.

8. PlayStation Plus October games: F1 25 leads the pack

Sony confirmed October's PlayStation Plus monthly games on Monday: F1 25, the extraction shooter Hunt: Showdown 1896, and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2, claimable October 6 through November 2. F1 25 for PS5 is the headliner, with Career and My Team 2.0 modes plus online multiplayer. Hunt brings the tactical monster-hunting; EDF brings the giant-bug chaos. The full October lineup

9. Taylor's Showgirl is back at No. 1 — and so is her single

Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl returned to No. 1 after the Encore reissue, and Patient Zero debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — her 16th chart-topper and record-tying 10th No. 1 debut. She celebrated quietly: a rare New York date night with Travis Kelce at Torrisi for his 37th birthday, a day after the Chiefs beat the Raiders. The couple has kept a low profile since their July wedding, which made the outing instant fan fodder. How "Patient Zero" made history

10. Kansas Senate race is a dead heat

A New York Times/Siena poll has Democrat Adam Hamilton tied with Republican incumbent Roger Marshall at 45% each in Kansas — a state that has not elected a Democratic senator since 1932. The survey of 605 voters, conducted September 22–30, has Republicans worried enough that the Senate Leadership Fund plans to redirect resources to Kansas. A genuine toss-up in deep-red Kansas would scramble both parties' Senate math.