US markets and political circles witnessed a busy Tuesday as the United States extended the deadline for a TikTok divestment, Waymo expanded its robotaxi testing, courts ruled on two high-profile criminal cases, and Wall Street edged lower ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting.
US extends TikTok deadline to December 16
President Donald Trump again extended the deadline for ByteDance Ltd., TikTok’s Chinese parent, to divest its US operations, pushing the deadline to December 16 and avoiding an immediate nationwide shutdown of the app.
The move came via executive order on Tuesday, following talks between US and Chinese negotiators that resulted in a framework agreement.
Earlier in the day, Trump told reporters he had “a deal on TikTok” but declined to identify the companies involved.
He is expected to discuss the plan with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.
Waymo expands Robotaxi testing to San Francisco airport
Alphabet-owned Waymo secured a permit to begin testing its robotaxis at San Francisco International Airport, city officials announced Tuesday.
The rollout will begin in phases, starting with airport employees before expanding to Bay Area riders.
Initially, the cars will include human drivers to take control if needed, with driverless operations expected later.
Waymo is already running services in San Mateo County, San Francisco, and has permits at airports in Phoenix and San Jose.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie also recently allowed Waymo to offer limited service along Market Street.
The company’s broader robotaxi operations now span Phoenix, Los Angeles, Austin, Atlanta, and parts of the Bay Area.
Terrorism allegation dismissed in Luigi Mangione case
In New York, Judge Gregory Carro dismissed terrorism-related first-degree murder charges against Luigi Mangione, accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel in 2024.
Carro ruled that prosecutors failed to demonstrate Mangione intended the act as terrorism, instead finding his writings targeted the “greed of the insurance industry” rather than aiming to intimidate healthcare workers.
Mangione will still face second-degree murder charges and additional counts.
The decision marked a setback for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, though federal prosecutors continue to pursue a separate case.
Utah prosecutors seek death penalty in Charlie Kirk case
In Utah, prosecutors charged Tyler Robinson, 22, with aggravated murder in the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a speaking event at Utah Valley University last week.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray announced he would seek the death penalty, citing the severity of the crime.
Robinson also faces charges of obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and firearm discharge.
Gray said Robinson was identified after his parents recognized him in surveillance footage.
Robinson has been held without bail since his arrest and is scheduled for a virtual court appearance.
US stocks edge lower ahead of Fed decision
US stocks closed slightly lower on Tuesday as investors awaited the outcome of the Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting, which began the same day.
The S&P 500 slipped 0.13% after reaching a record earlier, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 125 points, or 0.2%.
The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.07%.
Key technology leaders retreated, with Nvidia down 1.6% and declines in Palantir, Microsoft, and Alphabet.
Markets are pricing in a 100% likelihood of a quarter-point rate cut, which would mark the Fed’s first rate reduction since last December.
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