Iniaes

Pennsylvania Roundup: laws, lotteries, license plates, and a Pittsburgh payoff

Harrisburg inches toward a stronger anti-discrimination law, some nail-biter local races prep for civics by coin toss, and Thanksgiving traffic looms like a gravy tsunami. Add a new tax credit to soothe wallets, a bid to resurrect a sepia-toned license plate for motorists nostalgic for fossilized paint, and a Pittsburgh team that, for once, finished the week by hoisting something shiny.

Airport eating without becoming a seat gremlin

It is not wizardry. Experts say go high on protein and drink plenty of water. That combo keeps digestion civilized at 35,000 feet and helps prevent the kind of mid-flight fatigue that turns you into the goblin of 23B.

Thanksgiving travel, AAA states the obvious and you try to dodge it

AAA says the night before Thanksgiving gets crowded when millions leave at once, shocking. The advice, depart off-peak. Some travelers report smooth sailing aside from mountain rain, gas prices sit near last year's levels, a brief vacation from gouging. For the return, AAA pegs the worst windows as Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Monday noon to 8 p.m., so book your reservation if gridlock is your love language. Others are detouring to sightsee and heading home early to skip the slog, a strategy also known as thinking ahead.

Philadelphia holiday weekend, from parade chills to a Longwood glow

Thanksgiving morning, the 2025 Thanksgiving Day Parade steps off 9:00 a.m. from 20th and JFK and rolls up the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Prefer brand worship to gravy, Netflix House in King of Prussia is open 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m., a free-to-enter, 100,000-square-foot shrine to your queue. Black Friday, catch Back to the Future: The Musical at the Academy of Music, Friday Nov 28 at 1:30 and 7:30, Saturday Nov 29 at 1:30 and 7:30, Sunday Nov 30 at 1:00, or go nocturnal as 50 Cent hosts at Mr. Ivy, 459 N 3rd St, doors 10 p.m. Saturday, trade malls for magic at A Longwood Christmas in Kennett Square, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., timed tickets required. Sunday night, digest with 76ers vs. Hawks at home, tip at 6:00 p.m. at 3601 South Broad Street.

Apple edges Samsung in shipments, secondhand iPhones do not know when to quit

For the first time since 2011, Apple has overtaken Samsung in smartphone shipments, Counterpoint says. That is despite side-eye at Apple’s AI features. The twist, a booming secondhand iPhone market is extending Cupertino’s reach even when the devices are on their encore tour. Your move, Samsung, preferably something more daring than a slightly shinier rectangle.

U.S. pauses Afghan immigration amid D.C. shooting probe

Authorities have suspended immigration processing for Afghan nationals effective immediately while vetting protocols are reviewed, following a reported shooting near 17th and I streets in Washington, D.C. Police identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, who was wounded and hospitalized after allegedly ambushing two West Virginia National Guard soldiers. Both remain in critical condition. Officials say Lakanwal entered in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, was granted asylum in April, and his permission to stay expired in September. Political leaders swiftly weighed in, with calls for tougher reviews and enforcement. The investigation continues, and the stakes are painfully real for the victims and their families.

Pennsylvania News Quiz: New Anti-Discrimination Law, Election Tie-Breakers, and Thanksgiving Traffic

Pennsylvania News Quiz: New Anti-Discrimination Law, Election Tie-Breakers, and Thanksgiving Traffic takes you from fresh civil-rights protections and coin-flip-adjacent election drama to the annual interstate crawl of grateful immobility. Also up for grabs: a new tax credit, a push to resurrect a retro license plate for the nostalgically bureaucratic, and a Pittsburgh team bagging a championship because the Steel City still collects hardware like it’s scrap day.

Maintenance for AmpliFi Remote Access Service

Maintenance for AmpliFi Remote Access Service: the platform will be in maintenance mode and unavailable on Nov 27 from 02:00 to 06:00 UTC—a tidy four-hour nap. Plan accordingly; the servers are taking their beauty sleep during the graveyard shift.

New York City to drop major asset managers in climate-driven pension fund overhaul

New York City to drop major asset managers in climate-driven pension fund overhaul: Comptroller Brad Lander is pushing to yank tens of billions from firms he says flunked the decarbonization test, rebidding BlackRock’s public equities index mandates and terminating active mandates with Fidelity and PanAgora. After reviewing 49 public-market managers for NYCERS, TRS, and BERS—covering nearly 1 million people—46 met the city’s Net Zero by 2040 criteria; BlackRock, Fidelity, and PanAgora did not. BlackRock, which manages $42.3 billion for the funds, offered the familiar “we’re eager to collaborate” mantra and noted any changes must crawl through board reviews; Lander, meanwhile, cites a 37% drop in financed emissions since 2019 as proof the strategy protects long-term value. He also points to Trump-era SEC shifts on climate disclosures—after which BlackRock reportedly pulled back on some proxy engagements at 5% ownership—while accusing Fidelity of an overly restrictive reading of that guidance and PanAgora of mistaking emissions disclosure for actual decarbonization. The city says it’s open to continued work—just not to greenwashing dressed up as a plan.

Leaders Call for Unity After Ambush-Style Shooting Near the White House Critically Wounds Two National Guard Members

Leaders call for unity after an ambush-style shooting near the White House critically wounded two National Guard members: Two West Virginia Guardsmen were shot Wednesday afternoon just blocks from the White House in what D.C. police described as an ambush. FBI Director Kash Patel said both remain in critical condition, correcting earlier reports they had died. The suspected gunman was wounded and restrained after other Guard members intervened; he has not been identified, and it’s unclear who fired the shot that injured him. President Donald Trump condemned the attack and pledged support for the Guard, joining Vice President JD Vance, West Virginia’s delegation, and Democrats including Chuck Schumer, Gavin Newsom, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore in denouncing the violence and urging unity. West Virginia Democratic chair Mike Pushkin called it a cowardly, tragic act and noted the families now face Thanksgiving in agony as the soldiers fight for their lives.

‘Past being angry’: Liverpool seek answers amid worst run in 71 years

‘Past being angry’: Liverpool seek answers amid worst run in 71 years, as another humiliating defeat pushes the club from outrage to numb disbelief and leaves Arne Slot under a very bright, very unflattering spotlight. The inquest now spans everything from tactics and mentality to recruitment and leadership, with the board weighing whether to back Slot for a rebuild or reach for the panic button. For supporters, it’s a historic spiral—just not the kind anyone wanted on the club’s honors wall.

AmpliFi Remote Access Maintenance, Nov 27 02:00 to 06:00 UTC

AmpliFi Remote Access will be offline for roughly four hours of scheduled maintenance. Plan accordingly, and try not to pine for your remote pings like it is a long-distance relationship.

Maduro waves Bolívar’s sword, warns of U.S. aggressors

Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, in fatigues and clutching Simón Bolívar’s sword, urged citizens to brace for alleged U.S. aggression. Nothing says steady leadership like revolutionary dress-up and a borrowed blade, a spectacle tailored to stir the base while dodging the basics.

Joan Templeman, wife of Richard Branson, dies at 80

Joan Templeman died this week at age 80. Our condolences to her family and loved ones. A life lived mostly out of the spotlight is rare in that orbit, and worthy of respect.

Ombudsman slams Cardiff council over unfit housing, calls for accountability

Wales’ Public Services Ombudsman found Cardiff council let a tenant’s home deteriorate into an appalling state, with leaks, mould, a gaping hole in the kitchen ceiling, and water pouring over live electrics. The family included people with asthma and an elderly relative. The report describes how the conditions fueled despair and loss of possessions. The council accepted all recommendations, apologized via its chief executive and a spokesperson, and agreed to pay £3,000, review repairs and damp policies, identify other tenants affected, and conduct an equality impact assessment. Opposition leader Rodney Berman says that is not enough from a member-led authority, urging personal apologies from council leader Huw Thomas and housing chief Lynda Thorne and proof that fixes actually happen. Bureaucratic responsibility means showing up, not just signing off.

NERC warns winter power shortfalls as data centers surge

NERC’s 2025 to 2026 Winter Reliability Assessment flags elevated risk across seven North American grids as demand jumped about 20 gigawatts since last winter while new generation grew by less than half. Server farms now reshape daily load and can push demand 25 percent above forecasts in deep freezes. Texas faces pre-dawn and post-sunset winter peaks when solar sleeps, and batteries may not ride out multi-day storms like Uri. Gas plants still hinge on voluntary freeze protections, a brave strategy for a single-fuel backbone. The IEA projects data centers could swallow nearly half of all new U.S. electricity through 2030, a growth plan powered by hype, thin margins, and a prayer that the wires hold. Everyone wants AI, few want transmission lines.

Trump says South Africa is not invited to next year’s G20

On Truth Social, Donald Trump declared South Africa will not be invited to a Miami G20 next year, escalating his feud over alleged mistreatment of white farmers. The declaration dropped as this year’s G20 wrapped in Johannesburg. Bold move to uninvite a country that just helped host a club you do not control, but the point was never protocol, it was the headline.

Pork remains on school lunch menus despite false ban rumors

Pork remains on school lunch menus despite false ban rumors, Newport’s deputy leader Deb Davies confirmed, noting it was served as recently as last week and warning that idle gossip can fuel division. After Conservative group leader Matthew Evans sought reassurance—then waxed lyrical about Johnny’s right to a ham sandwich—Davies suggested a radical innovation: call the education authority instead of grandstanding. Takeaway from the council: treat social-media whispers with the scepticism they deserve—and pass the salt, not the panic.

Street cleanup of discarded chewing tobacco costs a North London council £30,000 a year

Street cleanup of discarded chewing tobacco costs a North London council £30,000 a year, as pavements, shopfronts, and even flower beds across parts of Brent are streaked with dark-red spit. So yes, taxpayers are footing the bill to mop up after public spitters who treat the borough like a communal spittoon. A little enforcement, a few well-placed bins, and the radical concept of basic manners might save the roses—and the budget—from looking perpetually stained.

Prince Harry’s legal team returns to the High Court ahead of a major 2026 case

Prince Harry’s legal team returned to the High Court ahead of a major 2026 case, with a 10am pre-trial hearing before Mr Justice Nicklin setting the stage for a January 2026 trial. The Duke of Sussex and six other high-profile figures—Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sadie Frost and Sir Simon Hughes—are suing Associated Newspapers Limited, publisher of the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and MailOnline, over alleged unlawful information-gathering from 1993 to 2011. The claims include hiring private investigators to plant listening devices, intercepting and recording calls, blagging medical records, bribing police, and digging into bank data—accusations ANL dismisses as “simply preposterous.”

Lawyers traded barbs: ANL’s Antony White KC accused the claimants of “camouflage” via Byline posts; David Sherborne, for the claimants, called that “simply untrue.” The case, greenlit for trial in 2023 after the judge said ANL hadn’t landed a “knockout blow,” now carries a twist: PI Gavin Burrows says his signature was forged on a 2021 statement some claims relied on. Translation: British tabloids in court—scandal alleged, denials declared, and the meter gloriously running.

Proportion of City of London–managed homes deemed non-decent nearly doubled over the past year

Proportion of City of London–managed homes deemed non-decent nearly doubled over the past year, a growth statistic only a failing landlord could love. The City, which manages social housing on estates including Golden Lane, Middlesex Street and York Way, now looks like it can balance budgets but not fix basic living standards.

Beauty expert reviews Sabrina Carpenter’s perfume line, 20% off for Black Friday

Beauty expert reviews Sabrina Carpenter’s perfume line, 20% off for Black Friday: a fragrance pro sniff-tested all four of Carpenter’s scents, crowned her favorites, and noted they’re currently 20% off for the holiday rush—because nothing says festive cheer like bottling a pop star’s aura and slapping on a discount. Translation: you’ve got vetted picks and a timely price cut; act fast before “add to cart” turns into “join the waitlist.”

ICE Detains Mother of Karoline Leavitt’s Nephew

ICE detains the mother of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew during enforcement actions in Massachusetts, pulling the White House press secretary’s extended family into the immigration spotlight and turning an enforcement sweep into a politically awkward family affair.

Radio caller reports finding a body 18 days earlier, leaving host stunned

Radio caller reports finding a body 18 days earlier, leaving host stunned as a man identifying himself as “Joseph” told DC101’s Elliott in the Morning he’d discovered human remains in a wooded area of Frederick, Maryland, near a tent-city campsite. Police have confirmed the body, said it was in an advanced state of decomposition, and report no apparent threat to the public or signs of foul play at this stage; identification is pending, and the caller has been interviewed by detectives. Frederick Police urged the public and media to rely on official updates as the investigation continues.

HSBC estimates a $207 billion shortfall in OpenAI’s expansion plans

HSBC estimates a $207 billion shortfall in OpenAI’s expansion plans, warning the company must rustle up that sum by 2030 to hit its targets—a funding hole the size of a midsize nation’s GDP. The gap threatens Oracle, Microsoft, and Amazon, whose AI-cloud courtship assumes OpenAI keeps rocketing upward. This comes despite breathless forecasts of 3 billion ChatGPT users by 2030, because apparently scale requires more than hype and a keynote. If the money doesn’t materialize, expect some very awkward earnings calls in Big Tech’s front row.

Xbox-themed Crocs priced at $80

Xbox-themed Crocs priced at $80: if consoles are straining Santa’s budget, Microsoft and Crocs offer the next-best thing—branded clogs. It’s a tidy test of fandom and fashion tolerance, swapping teraflops for foam and proving there’s always another way to monetize loyalty.

US-China tensions spur decoupling in tech research, study finds

US-China tensions are spurring a decoupling in tech research, a study finds, with joint work falling to a 20-year low. An Australian think tank warns this rupture could reshape the global innovation engine that underpins security and economic growth. Geopolitical chest-thumping meets lab-bench collateral damage—because nothing says “staying competitive” like locking the smartest rivals out of the room and calling it strategy.

Centenary Christmas celebrations begin at Bedgebury

Centenary Christmas celebrations begin at Bedgebury, now open with a fabulous, family-friendly after-dark experience—holiday cheer that works after sunset and without a checkout line.

Newegg Black Friday bundles include discounted or free RAM to attract PC builders amid high memory prices

Sticker shock at the RAM aisle? Newegg’s Black Friday bundles include discounted or even free RAM to attract PC builders amid high memory prices, rolling out a series of deals to make memory upgrades actually affordable—for once, if only until the weekend sobers up.

Week 13 Roundup of Eagles Power Rankings

Week 13 Roundup of Eagles Power Rankings: In the grand tradition of pointless yet irresistible internet rituals, this compendium gathers where national outlets slotted the Eagles after Week 12—an exercise everyone swears is dumb, right before clicking it anyway.

Buying RAM? A prebuilt desktop or a laptop might be the better value.

Buying RAM? A prebuilt desktop or a laptop might be the better value, because standalone memory prices are soaring while prebuilt gaming PCs and notebooks are still pretending it’s last quarter. Translation: you’ll get more RAM per dollar with it baked into a system—at least until the bean counters wake up and fix the “mistake.” If you’re eyeing an upgrade, consider snagging a prebuilt now and let the pricing bots catch up later.

Scouting for Girls to Headline Kent Summer Music Festival

Scouting for Girls will headline the Kent Summer Music Festival, topping a bill pitched for all ages. The family-friendly event runs over three days, giving the pop hitmakers plenty of time to lodge a chorus in your head.

Wales make 14 changes; new call-up starts against South Africa

Wales make 14 changes; new call-up starts against South Africa, with Steve Tandy forced into a near-total overhaul for the final autumn match against the Springboks—because nothing says continuity like swapping out almost the entire lineup right before the bruiser at the finish.

Zork I, II, and III open sourced, the treasure is actually here

Team Xbox and Activision, working with Internet Archive archivist Jason Scott, have released the classic Zork text adventures’ source code under the MIT License. They submitted upstream pull requests to the historical repositories and added clean documentation of the open-source grant. Each repo includes game source, build notes, historically relevant files, and clear attribution and licensing metadata. It is code only, no commercial packaging, no marketing gloss, and no rights to trademarks or other assets, which are intentionally excluded. For once, the lantern is lit and yes, you can take it.

Documents tie David TC Davies to delay of petrol phase out to 2035

Information Tribunal papers show the former Welsh Secretary backed Toyota’s push to keep hybrids until 2035 and agreed with Aston Martin on an exemption for small volume manufacturers. By September 2023, ministers shifted the UK phase out to 2035 with a carve out for smaller carmakers. The new Labour government later even name checked the Prius in policy. The documents, forced into daylight by Democracy for Sale, came with a sharp ruling from Judge Marks on the public interest in exposing potential greenwashing and holding ministers to their private promises. Greenpeace accused lobbyists of steering decisions for private gain. Davies, a onetime climate skeptic who now talks up net zero, defended the meetings as part of his job and said he prioritised Welsh manufacturing jobs over pandering to radical anti motorist campaigners. Translation for the back row: industry asked, policy moved, and hybrids got an extra five years.

Nicolas Sarkozy previews Prisoner’s Diary, promises austere vibes

The former French president teased his forthcoming book with the line, “In prison, there is nothing to see and nothing to do.” If that is the tone, expect minimalist plot and maximal publicity. Fans of dignified boredom may consider this catnip, everyone else just got the trailer and, frankly, most of the plot.

South Korea logs 15th straight monthly rise in births

Another uptick, the Ministry of Data and Statistics said Wednesday. It is not a baby boom, but for a country bracing for demographic decline, baby steps are still steps. In policy terms, think of it as a small win against the gravitational pull of the birth rate floor.

On this day in 2005, Vijaypat Singhania set a hot air balloon altitude record

India’s 67 year old textile tycoon floated to 69,852 feet over Mumbai, swapping boardroom oxygen for the thin stuff and proving that sometimes the biggest lift in business is not the stock price. File under midlife crisis, but make it stratospheric.

Nov. 26 celebrity birthdays

DJ Khaled turns 50, another one for the keys to longevity. Lil Fizz turns 40, proving boy band timelines age like everyone else.

20 states sue HUD over new funding rules for homelessness programs

20 states sue HUD over new funding rules for homelessness programs, as a coalition of Democratic-led states filed suit Tuesday against the Trump administration. The challenge targets HUD’s changes to how homelessness grants are allocated and the new conditions attached to them—translation: a fresh federal–state brawl over who gets the money and which hoops they’re forced to jump through.

Republican senators back Kelly as “illegal orders” video is investigated

Republican senators back Kelly as “illegal orders” video is investigated: In a rare bipartisan plot twist, GOP Sens. John Curtis of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska publicly supported Democrat Mark Kelly while the Pentagon probes “serious allegations of misconduct” tied to a video of Kelly and five other Democrats telling service members to disobey illegal orders from the Trump administration. Curtis signaled his support on X—because of course—and for a fleeting moment, Capitol Hill remembered how to cooperate without a donor gala.

Brazil’s Supreme Court orders Bolsonaro to begin 27-year prison sentence

Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered Jair Bolsonaro to begin a 27-year prison sentence, a stunning reversal for the ex-president whom prosecutors charged with plotting to violently subvert Brazil’s democracy and target rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The tough-on-crime swagger just met the one institution he couldn’t bulldoze: the rule of law.

India meets supercomputing needs but falls short of its ambitions

India meets supercomputing needs but falls short of its ambitions: a decade into the National Supercomputing Mission, the country has rolled out 37 systems totaling 39 petaFLOPS, with a 35‑petaFLOPS hybrid slated for later this year. That’s a respectable haul—enough to crunch monsoon models and ministerial spreadsheets alike—but the “Make in India” muscle under the hood is still more aspiration than domination. Many machines feature locally developed components, yet the grand goal of becoming a supercomputing leader and serious semiconductor player remains, for now, stuck in the brochure. Ambition: turbocharged. Supply chain sovereignty: still idling.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro begins 27-year prison term for coup plot

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro begins a 27-year prison term for coup plot, entering custody Tuesday after being convicted of leading a coup attempt following his 2022 election loss—despite pressure and protest from US President Donald Trump. A stark reminder that in a democracy, losing an election isn’t a technicality, and overseas lobbying doesn’t commute a sentence.

Council allows caravans to remain despite small-town complaints of blocked access to homes and football pitches

Council allows caravans to remain despite small-town complaints of blocked access to homes and football pitches—yes, in Talywain, Pontypool, where 70 residents complained the vehicles were blocking bungalows and a football pitch, councillors have let them stay… for now. The reprieve comes with a bureaucrat’s love language: a three-month maximum stay per caravan, a management plan, and a registration log to be produced within 24 hours on demand. Planning officials cited “unneighbourly” conduct and obstruction claims; landowner Tony Janes denies blocking access to homes but does admit blocking the pitch, asserting his rights and saying he’s giving homeless travellers somewhere legal to stop amid a shortage of sites. The council is separately pursuing a fix for pitch access. The site itself will be scaled down from six caravans to two, confined to land Janes actually owns, and designated a short-stay transit facility under Welsh planning rules. Call it a temporary truce with a clipboard and a stopwatch.

Maduro displays sword, vows to resist any U.S. effort to oust his government

Maduro displays sword, vows to resist any U.S. effort to oust his government, telling crowds that “failure is not an option” as he pledges to defy Washington. Nothing says modern governance like brandishing a blade—message sent: he’s not budging.

Spyware targets U.S. officials via Signal and WhatsApp pairing tricks

A U.S. cyber defense alert says commercial spyware vendors and state-aligned operators are abusing linked-device features, including malicious QR pairing and some zero-click exploits, to monitor sensitive communications. Targets include U.S. government and military personnel and other high-profile users. Convenience met security, the QR code laughed, and your secondary device turned into a concierge for your stalker. Audit paired sessions, limit device linking, and remember that not every square on your screen is a good idea.

UK lawmakers push software liability and secure-by-design requirements

A parliamentary committee wants secure by design to become law, not a sticker on a press release, with fines for publishers who keep treating the public as unpaid QA. The plan would empower regulators to monitor compliance and levy penalties, putting a price on the ship-now, patch-later habit. If that makes a few executives rediscover testing and threat modeling, consider it a public health win.

HHS prepares to enforce information blocking rules at last

Nearly a decade after Congress told everyone to share patient data, regulators look ready to enforce it. Priorities are taking shape, and counsel like Nan Halstead of Reed Smith are flagging the compliance steps organizations should already be implementing. If you are still hoarding patient information like proprietary secret sauce, the bill for that menu item is on its way, and it will not be payable in buzzwords.

Amazon SageMaker adds EAGLE-based adaptive speculative decoding

SageMaker now supports EAGLE 2 and EAGLE 3 across six model families, including Llama, Qwen variants, and GPT OSS, letting a model draft its own next tokens from hidden layers instead of relying on a second helper model. Reported results include roughly 2.5x throughput and faster time to first token while preserving baseline quality, which is what you need if waiting for text like it is dial-up is not your business plan. You can start from JumpStart or bring S3-hosted artifacts, train on curated open datasets or your own ShareGPT or OpenAI-format logs, tune iteratively via Data Capture so behavior tracks real traffic, auto-export benchmarks, and deploy through the usual SageMaker inference interface. Pricing tracks standard SageMaker training for optimization and standard inference for deployment, net result, fewer wasted milliseconds and more actual work.

FBI arrests Florida man accused of plotting a neo-Nazi terror attack

Federal agents arrested 20-year-old Lucas Alexander Temple, who is charged with distributing information related to explosives and possessing an unregistered short-barreled shotgun. Investigators say he discussed plans to livestream an attack and shared violent extremist materials in encrypted chats. Agents linked online aliases to Temple using personal details and records, and a search recovered propaganda and a sawed-off shotgun. A magistrate judge ordered him detained pending trial, citing danger to the community. This is disturbing and serious, and the focus belongs on prevention, accountability, and the safety of targeted communities.

OpenAI lets enterprise customers keep data closer to home

OpenAI rolled out in-region data at rest options across ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Edu, and the API platform. Eligible customers can pick where data is stored, which gives compliance teams a brief moment of serenity and regulators one fewer reason to fan themselves. Translation, your bits can finally sleep in their own time zone.

Senators urge probes of Meta over alleged profits from scam ads

After a Reuters review of internal documents, Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley asked the FTC and SEC to investigate Meta. The materials reportedly suggested Meta anticipated up to 16 billion dollars this year from ads that include scams or banned goods, roughly 10 percent of revenue, and that users see about 15 billion higher risk ads a day. The senators want disgorgement, civil penalties, individual accountability, and a binding fix for scam ads. They cite Meta staff assessments that the company was tied to a third of successful U.S. scams and was unmatched by peers, plus examples like fake Elon Musk investments, a bogus 710 dollars for everyone Trump benefit, deepfake porn, and ads selling legal help to scam victims. A quick scan of Meta's Ad Library still turns up illicit gambling, payment scams, crypto cons, AI deepfake sex services, and fake federal benefits, they say. Meta calls the reporting distorted and says it fights fraud, while internal papers reportedly forecast up to 1 billion dollars in fines as U.S. and U.K. probes continue. The corporate vibe, the house swears it hates gambling while quietly expanding the casino floor.

Researchers find credentials leaking through free web tools

Security researchers say popular online JSON beautifiers were fed live authentication keys, database logins, and customer PII from banks and government agencies. The tools make code prettier, the internet gets a peek at your backend. It is the predictable result of convenience-first culture, not a clever new exploit. If it opens in a browser and costs nothing, treat it like a billboard, not a vault.

Albany hits the brakes on free NYC buses

New York State delayed Zohran Mamdani's fare-free bus proposal, and the next steps are murky. The plan would replace roughly 700 million to 800 million dollars in lost MTA fare revenue, and if New York City rides free, Buffalo, Rochester, and Albany will ask for the same, ballooning the bill into the billions. Mamdani also pitched universal child care, a rent freeze, a higher minimum wage, public groceries, and billions for housing, funded by raising corporate taxes to about 11.5 percent and hiking rates on millionaires. Nearly all require Albany's approval, and Gov. Kathy Hochul is disinclined to raise taxes. Looming in the background is the New York Financial Control Board, a reminder of 1975's near default, ready to yank the cord if City Hall tries to paper over operating costs with borrowing. Even supporters suspect the 9 billion dollar ask is an anchor to land less. With a lagging post-pandemic recovery and high earners still trickling out, state leaders seem to be saying, bring funding or a very convincing map. For now, the magic bus is idling behind caution tape.

Stretchable, Gelatin-Based Battery Aims to Cut E-Waste

Researchers at McGill’s Trottier Institute have built a flexible battery that swaps toxic materials for citric or lactic acid and gelatin, making it bendable and potentially implant friendly. It promises greener power for wearables and less electronic waste. Look at that, innovation behaving itself for once.

Ukraine Peace Plan Pushes Forward, Plus Washington's Seasonal Poultry Pageant

Kyiv has agreed to core components of a U.S.-backed framework, with security chief Rustem Umerev signaling President Volodymyr Zelensky plans a White House visit before month’s end for further talks. Meanwhile, in a ritual of bipartisan symbolism, President Trump will pardon turkeys Gobble and Waddle, because nothing says geostrategic resolve like ceremonial clemency for birds.

Foot Locker Closures Coming Under New Owner

Foot Locker will close some stores in 2026 under its new parent, Dick’s Sporting Goods, which says it plans to clean out the garbage in a post merger purge. Finally, a corporate strategy statement that skips the buzzwords and heads straight for the broom.

Mother and 4-Year-Old Son Diagnosed With Cancer the Same Day

A mother and her young son received separate cancer diagnoses on the same day and are now undergoing treatment on parallel paths. It is a profound hardship that demands immense strength, and their resolve deserves attention and support, not spectacle.

Orbán Courts Moscow as Ukraine Talks Advance

Hungary’s Viktor Orbán is reportedly seeking a sit down with Vladimir Putin while urging the EU to back a U.S.-led plan and open direct talks with Russia. He is casting himself as Europe’s self appointed envoy, also known as the Kremlin’s most punctual plus one inside the bloc.

O’Hare Braces for Record Thanksgiving Rush

Chicago expects more than 1.63 million passengers over the seven day holiday window, a 9.5 percent jump from last year and the busiest Thanksgiving week in the hub’s 70 year history. The city says it is ready, and travelers should be too, with patience, portable chargers, and expectations set to standing room only.

ULTRARAM Faces the Factory Test

In a University of Adelaide analysis, Dr. Dominic Lane examines whether the much hyped III–V memory concept ULTRARAM, billed as DRAM fast and flash persistent, can leap from elegant physics to scalable, reliable, economically sane production. Translation, can it survive anywhere beyond a press release.