Patrick Stewart died Oct. 28, 2026, at his home in Los Angeles at age 86. His spokesperson said the cause was Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. Stewart was born July 13, 1940, in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, England.
Stewart is remembered as a classically trained stage actor who became a globally known screen star. His best-known roles were Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and subsequent films, and Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" franchise; he later reprised Xavier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He also appeared in films including "Dune" (1984), "Excalibur" (1981) and "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" (1993).
Sir Patrick Stewart, the English actor famous as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" films, died Wednesday in Los Angeles at 86, following what his spokesperson called "a brief and poignant journey" with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia.
BThe Washington Post is reporting the Pentagon has made a criminal referral in the case of a fired three-star general. That general: Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia.
BWait—a criminal referral? That's not just a personnel action. What exactly is the allegation?
BThe Post says the Pentagon claims the firing was necessary to protect sensitive information. That's about as specific as they got.
BSo we don't know what was leaked, to whom, or whether Sylvia was the leaker or just the guy in charge when it happened.
BDoesn't matter, Bella. If a command climate allowed a leak of classified information, that's a firing offense. And referring it for criminal investigation means they think a law was broken.
BBut calling it a criminal referral before any charges is a political statement. It guarantees headlines and puts the general on defense before he's had a chance to tell his side.
BOh, come on. This isn't about headlines. The Pentagon can't just ignore a possible compromise of national security because it might look bad.
BI'm not saying ignore it. I'm saying the Pentagon leaking this to the Post is itself a leak. They're using the press to shape the story.
BEvery government agency briefs reporters on serious matters. That's not the same as leaking classified information. You know that.
BIt's still selective disclosure. We don't know if the criminal referral is against Sylvia or someone else. The Post used 'alleged leak'—alleged.
BFine, alleged. But the fact that a three-star general was fired is confirmed. That alone is a scandal. Generals don't get fired for nothing.
BThey get fired for politics, for disagreements with civilian leadership, for a bad command climate. A criminal referral is a different beast, and we need the actual document.
BOkay, you want the document. But let's be honest: if this were a Trump appointee, you'd be less skeptical about the framing.
BThat's not fair, Brian. I'd want the facts regardless. And you'd be just as cautious if the roles were reversed.
BMaybe. But the politics cuts both ways. The Pentagon under this administration has been eager to show it's tough on leaks.
BAnd the press has been eager to report every whisper. This story has both problems.
BStill, a criminal referral is a real legal step. We'll follow it.
BDifferent world entirely—on X, a market account is pushing a CNBC headline that Reddit shares are sinking. The reason: weak sales guidance, and Reddit planning to test requiring logins as Google search traffic shrinks.
BA login requirement? For Reddit? That's like putting a toll booth on a freeway and hoping people still drive.
BThe post also claims Alphabet closed down more than twelve percent. That's a brutal day if true.
BAlphabet's drop we've been watching all day, but Reddit is the new part. They've never made money consistently, and if Google sends fewer people, they're in trouble.
BWould you log in just to read a Reddit thread? I'd go somewhere else. There are a hundred forums.
BYou're already logged in, Bella. Everyone who uses Reddit is logged in. The test is about lurkers who read from search results.
BSo they're betting lurkers will cave. I'm not sure that's a winning strategy. Look at what happened to sites that forced sign-ups.
BPinterest, Quora—they still exist, but they're not the same. Reddit might become a walled garden, and that could actually increase ad revenue per user.
BOr it could kill the organic growth that made Reddit a top search result. Google sends them millions of visitors.
BBut if Google search traffic is shrinking because of AI overviews, Reddit has no choice. They need direct relationships with users.
BMaybe, but the timing is suspicious. They announce a login test the same day as weak guidance. Investors will see it as panic.
BMarkets punish uncertainty. We'll see if the numbers are confirmed tomorrow.
BAnd if they are, the AI spending story isn't just about Google and Amazon. Reddit is a collateral casualty.
BWhich is why one unverified post should be treated as a claim, not a fact, but it's a sign of where the market's head.
BAgreed. We'll keep an eye on it.