IN THE NEWS TODAY
President Trump today warned North Korea he was prepared to use the full range of U.S. military power to stop any attack, but in a more conciliatory appeal than ever before he urged Pyongyang to "make a deal" to end the nuclear standoff. (Reuters)
* Trump wants $4 billion more for missile defense, citing North Korea (Reuters)
President Trump said today that extreme vetting of U.S. gun owners would have made "no difference" to the Texas church shooting. He spoke after 26 people were killed on Sunday after a gunman opened fire during a service at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. (CNBC)
* Air Force admits fault in reporting shooter's past crimes (AP)
* Why AR-15 style rifles are common among mass shootings (USA Today)
Voters in New Jersey and Virginia are choosing new governors today in contests that could be an early referendum on President Trump. The stakes are high as both parties seek momentum ahead of next year's mid-term elections. (AP)
* New Jersey's next governor could be a Democrat who worked at Goldman Sachs (CNBC)
* Hard-fought Virginia governor's race to test Trump's clout (Reuters)
House Ways & Means Committee Chair Kevin Brady unveiled a sizable amendment to the Republican's tax plan late Monday. It would restore a tax break for employees who receive child care benefits and tighten restriction on the use of earned income tax credit. (Axios)
* Ivanka Trump, Mnuchin pitch tax reform as middle-class relief (Politico)
Carter Page, a former foreign policy advisor to Trump, testified to lawmakers that he met with a Russian deputy prime minister on two trips to Moscow in 2016 and consulted with senior Trump campaign staff about one visit. (Reuters)
* Manafort's Trump Tower condo becomes the latest sticking point for prosecutors (CNBC)
Saudi Arabia's crown prince said Iran's supply of rockets to militias in Yemen is an act of "direct military aggression" that could be an act of war, state media reported today, remarks reflecting sharply heightened strains between Riyadh and Tehran. (Reuters)
* Trump praises Saudi king after crackdown (CNBC)
Harvey Weinstein reportedly hired spies to get information on potential accusers and journalists investigating his alleged decades of sexual harassment and sexual abuse. (The New Yorker)
Salesforce.com (CRM) has announced a partnership with Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google unit focusing on international expansion of cloud infrastructure services. Salesforce will use Google Cloud as its preferred cloud provider. (CNBC)
* Salesforce jumps after hours as fiscal 2019 guidance beats estimates (CNBC)
Apple's (AAPL) iPhone X has a larger profit margin than its iPhone 8, according to an analysis by teardown firm TechInsights. The iPhone X has a profit margin of 64 percent, compared to 59 percent for the iPhone 8.
* Report: Apple revamped overseas ops to find new tax havens (AP)
STOCKS TO WATCH
Priceline Group (PCLN) reported adjusted quarterly profit of $35.22 per share, beating the consensus estimate of $34.25, with the travel website operator's revenue also above forecasts. However, Priceline did give current quarter earnings guidance that is somewhat weaker than analysts were anticipating.
TripAdvisor (TRIP) came in 1 cent above consensus forecasts with adjusted quarterly profit of 36 cents per share, but the travel review website company saw revenue fall below estimates. TripAdvisor also made cautious comments about the prospects for a near term rebound, citing recent trends by its travel partners.
Skyworks Solutions (SWKS) beat estimates by 7 cents with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.82 per share, while revenue beat forecasts as well. However, the chip maker's stock is under pressure following those results, after a nearly 56 percent gain so far this year.
TrueCar (TRUE) earned an adjusted 2 cents per share for its latest quarter, compared to a consensus estimate of 1 cent. The car pricing service's revenue came in below forecasts, however, as did its current quarter guidance.
Weight Watchers (WTW) reported quarterly profit of 65 cents per share, beating estimates by 14 cents, with revenue also beating forecasts. The weight loss service's results helped it hit record high levels in off-hours trading. The company also said it was testing meal-delivery services.
Avis Budget (CAR) came in 6 cents above estimates with adjusted quarterly profit of $3.10 per share, but the car rental company's revenue missed forecasts and it gave weaker than expected full-year guidance. Avis Budget cited the negative impact of the recent hurricanes as the key factor in its lowered forecast.
WATERCOOLER
The emergence of artificial intelligence, or A.I., could be the "worst event in the history of our civilization" unless society finds a way to control its development, high-profile physicist Stephen Hawking said at the Web Summit technology conference on Monday. (CNBC)
* Google says augmented reality will be on 'hundreds of millions' of Android devices next year (CNBC)(