In the week ending October 13, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance was 210,000, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week’s revised level of 215,000, the Labor Department reported. The four-week moving average was 211,750, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week’s revised average of 209,750.

The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is 4.85%, down from 4.9% one week ago, according to Freddie Mac. The average interest rate for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage is 4.26%, down from 4.29%.

Thursday, the Dow lost 327.23 points (1.27%) to finish at 25,379.45, the NASDAQ closed 157.56 points (2.06%) lower at 7,485.14, and the S&P 500 decreased 40.42 points (1.44%) to 2,768.79. The Russell 2000 was down 28.85 points (1.82%) at 1,560.75, and the Wilshire 5000 fell 434.09 points (1.49%) to 28,622.13.

The price of the 10-year Treasury note was up 7/32, decreasing its yield to 3.178%. The price of the 30-year Treasury bond increased 8/32, bringing its yield down to 3.362%.

ON THIS DATE: In 1765, in the U.S., The Stamp Act Congress met and drew up a declaration of rights and liberties. In 1781, British General Charles Lord Cornwallis surrendered to U.S. General George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia. It was to be the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War. In 1914, government owned vehicles were first used to pick up mail in Washington, D.C. In 1933, basketball was introduced to the 1936 Olympic Games by the Berlin Organization Committee. In 1937, “Woman’s Day” magazine was published for the first time. In 1943, the Moscow Conference of Foreign Ministers began in Russia during World War II. Delegates from the U.S.S.R., Great Britain, the U.S., and China met to discuss war aims and cooperation between the nations. In 1944, the U.S. Navy announced that black women would be allowed into Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES). In 1950, the United Nations forces entered the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. In 1951, President Harry Truman signed an act officially ending the state of war with Germany. In 1960, the United States imposed an embargo on exports to Cuba covering all commodities except medical supplies and certain food products. In 1983, the Senate approved a bill establishing a national holiday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. In 1989, the Senate rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that barred the desecration of the American flag.

And now it’s time for FRIDAY FILES!

In Canberra, Australia, the U.S. embassy has issued an apology for a fake meeting invitation that was emailed from the State Department that featured a picture of a pajama-wearing cat. According to the Australian Associated Press, the cat in question appeared beneath the title “cat pajama-jam,” wore a blue Cookie Monster outfit and held a plate of chocolate-chip cookies. The public affairs counselor at the U.S. Mission to Australia, said it was a “training error” that was made by a new staff member who was “testing out our email newsletter platform.”

In Lincoln, Nebraska, the state’s next tourism campaign has a self-deprecating bent: “Nebraska. Honestly, it’s not for everyone.” The slogan, unveiled by the Nebraska Tourism Commission, will replace the current “Through My Eyes” campaign this spring, commission marketing manager Jenn Gjerde said, according to the Associate Press. State tourism director John Ricks told the Omaha World-Herald that because Nebraska consistently ranks as the least likely state tourists plan to visit, the marketing campaign needed to be different. “To make people listen, you have to hook them somehow,” Ricks said. “We had to shake people up.”

In Manila, Philippines, sanitation workers unblocking a drain discovered dozens of wallets had been clogging it up, some containing credit cards and IDs, but no money. The items were turned over to police so they could identify and alert the owners who were likely victims of pickpockets, a police officer said, according to Reuters.

In Columbia, Missouri, a Nobel laureate will get his own place on a bike rack. This is how the University of Missouri is honoring its Nobel Prize-winning scientist George Smith. Other schools have recognized their Nobel laureates with a dedicated parking space, but the Associated Press reports that the 77-year-old Smith admits he’s “not a good driver.” He lives less than a mile from the Columbia campus and bikes to work every day.

Hope everyone has a happy weekend!