Are racism fears shaping mental health sectioning decisions?

Paul Birch argues that anti-racism initiatives may be discouraging necessary interventions in high risk situations involving African-Caribbean people with schizophrenia, potentially leaving some individuals unsupervised. He calls for closer scrutiny of how race, risk, and mental health policy intersect. The goal should be equal dignity and equal duty of care, not optics management. More data, better safeguards, and clinician support would beat policy PR any day.

Deported man returns to UK, policy trips over its own shoelaces

No 10 confirms an Iranian man who arrived by dinghy in August, was sent to France in September under the one in, one out scheme, then returned in October, is still in Britain in an immigration removal centre while officials process his case with France. He claims he was a victim of modern slavery in France, and legal action may be under way. The Home Office says removals are scaling up. Downing Street calls the plan a landmark, not a silver bullet. Sir Keir Starmer says it is on course. Kemi Badenoch calls it total chaos. OECD figures show UK asylum claims hit a record 108,000 in 2024, up 28 percent year on year. If this is on course, someone might want to confirm the compass is not just for decoration.

Rescued worker dies after Rome tower collapse

A worker who was pulled from rubble after a partial collapse at the medieval Torre dei Conti in Rome during renovation died shortly after being rescued late Monday. Authorities are investigating the cause. A grim reminder that safety standards are not a formality, they are survival.

Major crash shuts M6 southbound between J13 and J12

A serious late night collision around 11:40 pm has closed the M6 southbound between Junctions 13, Stafford, and 12, Cannock. National Highways reported a crash involving a heavy goods vehicle and a van, while West Midlands Ambulance Service attended a collision involving a van and a pedestrian. A man with potentially life threatening injuries was taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital. Staffordshire Police are leading the investigation, with lanes closed for recovery and barrier repairs. Delays of up to two hours are expected, with clearance estimated around 1:30 pm. Drivers should allow extra time or follow the hollow circle diversion via the A449 southbound to the A5 at Gailey, then the A5 eastbound to rejoin the M6 at J12.

Rep. Nancy Mace blames airport security timing after reported tirade

After reports she unleashed a profanity laced rant at Charleston International, Rep. Nancy Mace went on Fox Business to fault airport security, saying officers did not show up on time to greet her and calling it a serious issue. Translation, the outburst becomes a security failure, because public safety apparently includes punctual VIP meet and greet. If only turbulence took appointments.

Runaway box truck scrapes South Philly street, driver bolts

A box truck squeezed a too tight turn on a narrow South Philadelphia street, chewed through parked cars, then floored it while neighbors caught the mess on video and sprinted after. Property damage aplenty, accountability zero, and one driver who treated a neighborhood like a slalom course and a Yelp review at the same time.

Bradford student gets 10 years for rape after taxi ruse

A 29 year old student met a 17 year old after a bus terminated early in March, offered to share a taxi, then directed it to his flat instead of the bus station. He trapped and raped her. CCTV later showed the teenager fleeing to seek help. The court sentenced him to 10 years in prison and ordered deportation after release. The victim described ongoing trauma including flashbacks and nightmares. Police credited her swift report for enabling a fast paced investigation.

RBA holds at 3.6 percent, cheap money sends a postcard

Australia’s central bank kept the cash rate parked at 3.6 percent, opting for caution over confetti. Inflation is still pressing the top of the 2 to 3 percent band, so the dragon is singed, not slain. Markets and the big four have pushed rate cut fantasies into 2026, with whispers of another hike next year or in 2027. The economy is inconveniently resilient, GDP up 1.8 percent over the year to June 2025, unemployment at 4.5 percent, a tight labor market keeping wages warm. Goods prices are easing, but housing, insurance, health care, and education are floating like helium. Globally, the Fed trimmed rates in October but stayed hawkish, and the ECB and BoE are in wait and see mode, so the RBA’s patience looks standard rather than stubborn. Next stop is the December meeting, with January CPI as the real decider. Until then, caution is the only thing easing.

Doctor flags risky supplements, starting with your liver

Hospital physician Christine Nwoha, MD, warns the lightly policed supplement bazaar can do real harm, starting with your liver. She cites a healthy middle aged woman who developed severe liver injury after taking high dose turmeric for weight loss on a remote naturopath’s advice. Nwoha is most wary of ashwagandha, green tea extract, garcinia cambogia, kratom, anabolic steroids, and high dose turmeric. Many side effects pass, liver failure does not. With regulation lagging and miracle claims blooming, do real research and treat natural as a marketing word, not a safety label. If you want green tea, try a cup, not a chemistry experiment.

New Mexico Launches Universal Free Child Care

New Mexico just did the radical thing of treating child care like infrastructure, not a luxury add-on. Starting Nov. 1, every family, regardless of income, gets free child care, with parents saving about $12,000 per child each year. The state is recruiting more licensed home providers and seeding a $12.7 million low-interest loan fund to build and renovate facilities. With 60 percent of 3 and 4 year olds not enrolled in school, this aims to close a gaping access gap, lift workforce participation, and give toddlers a fighting chance. A policy that helps kids and the economy, try to contain your shock.

Orcas Refine Liver-Only Dining, Great Whites Provide The Entrée

In the Gulf of California, the Moctezuma pod of orcas has been filmed flipping juvenile great white sharks into tonic immobility, opening them with surgical precision, and sharing the fat-rich liver that can be a quarter of a shark’s mass. Recorded in 2020 and 2022 and published in Frontiers in Marine Science, the hunts echo South Africa’s orca attacks, though Mexico’s predators target younger sharks, suggesting group-specific learning. Drones are finally catching behavior that may be centuries old, and researchers warn it can reshape ecosystems, as great whites have been known to abandon feeding grounds after repeated orca ambushes. Nature, where the tasting menu bites back.

Wall Street Eyes Venezuela, Talks Of Renewal While Counting Returns

As rhetoric hardens against Caracas, bankers are already workshopping the sequel. Barclays hosted heavyweight funds with opposition figure María Corina Machado during IMF-World Bank week, while her team courted multilateral lenders. UBS dubbed a post-Chavismo Venezuela a land of opportunity, citing oil reserves, farmland, and logistics, the kind of clean slate you only get after years of economic arson. Republican hawks promise private capital will rebuild, not taxpayers, while investors want basics restored first, like property rights and sanctions relief. Analysts sketch three paths, an internal military ouster, a major U.S. operation, or a negotiated transition that preserves some regime elements, each with its own risk-reward spice. The public pitch is drugs, the roadmap sounds like regime change, and the rush is very much about deals.

Trump Cranks The Caps Lock, Warns Of Doom If Voters Defy The GOP

In a late push aimed at Virginia and New Jersey, Donald Trump told Americans to vote Republican or you will rue the day that you voted to destroy your life. Subtle it is not. Routine state races are recast as an apocalyptic loyalty test, fear traded in by bullhorn rather than dog whistle. It is politics as melodrama, and the volume knob is stuck on max.

EA insists creative control will remain in-house amid potential investor deal

Electronic Arts says any consortium sale would be a financial reshuffle, not a creative takeover, and that new investors will not steer its games. Corporate translation, more owners in the room, all promising to admire the joystick from a respectful distance.

Kentucky resident receives cadaver parts after courier mix-up

A Hopkinsville woman awaiting urgent medical supplies opened a box to find two arms and four fingers packed on ice. Officials say the human remains were lawful cadaver material for surgical training, misrouted from Nashville. Deputies and the coroner retrieved the shipment, sent it to the morgue, arranged delivery to its proper destination, and ensured the resident got her intended supplies. Peak spooky-season logistics, unsettling, but resolved.

Senate scrambles for an exit as partial shutdown drags on

With a new endurance record in sight, Washington is treating governance like a marathon no one trained for. President Trump says he will not discuss Democrats' health insurance concerns until the government reopens, while senators insist bipartisan talks are gaining steam despite minimal movement. The USDA told a court it will release all SNAP contingency funds to keep food assistance flowing. Lots of talk, a few stopgaps, and a capital city praying the record book does not need a sequel.

Diane Ladd, celebrated actor and mentor, dies at 89

Diane Ladd, three-time Academy Award nominee and mother of Laura Dern, died at home in Ojai, California, at 89. Over seven decades she earned nominations for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Wild at Heart, and Rambling Rose, appeared in Chinatown, and later joined the TV sitcom Alice. Early television credits included Perry Mason, The Fugitive, and Gunsmoke. She frequently worked with Dern, and spoke candidly about the industry's relentless scrutiny. An enduring career, and a loss felt across film and television.

Jonas Brothers unwrap holiday single and trailer for A Very Jonas Christmas Movie

The trio debuted Coming Home This Christmas, featuring Kenny G's signature sax, alongside a trailer for A Very Jonas Christmas Movie. The film premieres November 14 on Disney+ and Hulu, because even holiday cheer likes a distribution hedge. Consider it the earliest snowfall of the season, complete with a branded playlist.

Whitmer rejects return to early COVID restrictions, defends past choices

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said there is no appetite to revive pandemic-era rules, including the much-maligned dining pods, arguing they were the best options with limited data and aimed to limit exposure within small groups. Critics note her own missteps, including a maskless indoor dinner she apologized for before the rule was rescinded, travel limits that even roped off seed aisles, and trips to Florida and an inauguration that fueled hypocrisy charges. Translation, the old playbook is closed, and so is the window for reliving its greatest hits.

Blind Items Revealed, Part 2

Blind Items Revealed, Part 2: The ongoing Real Housewives family drama is veering into a bigger scandal, with allegations that deep pockets can smooth the path to adoption even when glaring red flags are present—while middle-class families with pristine records get parked at the back of the line. If that holds up, it’s less reality TV and more a tutorial in how celebrity and money can steamroll systems meant to protect kids.

Blind Item #8

Blind Item #8: That emergency summit between the alliterate actress and her ex wasn’t about nostalgia—it was a heads-up. He told her the producer she’s seeing has been cheating, proving once again that in Hollywood, fidelity is a cameo at best.

Reckless driving leads to serious crash on Chester Pike in Delaware County, destroying Corvette

Reckless driving led to a serious crash on Chester Pike in Delaware County, destroying a Corvette and forcing an extended closure between Summit Ave. and Amosland Rd. as police investigate. Drivers should avoid the area and expect significant delays.

Michelle Obama Reflects on the Intense Glare of Public Scrutiny

Michelle Obama Reflects on the Intense Glare of Public Scrutiny: the former First Lady says the “white hot glare” on a Black woman in the White House meant no fashion missteps allowed. Promoting The Look, her new book co-authored with her stylist, she recalls avoiding talk of clothes then—too easily weaponized—while now embracing style as “soft power,” choosing welcoming palettes (rarely white), and dressing with the imagined nod of mothers and grandmothers. She calls out the reflex to attack women’s appearance to keep them “in place,” and notes some designers acted like they “own the first lady,” as if the East Wing came with a house label. The outfit was always a message, she says—about culture, care, and belonging—just not one written by her detractors. At 61, with her daughters launched and her husband “settled,” she’s enjoying the freedom to say it plainly—and wear it unapologetically.

Trial Opens for Man Charged With Throwing Sandwich at Federal Agent

Trial Opens for Man Charged With Throwing Sandwich at Federal Agent: In what looks like Washington’s new war on lunch, a man went on trial Monday for allegedly assaulting a CBP agent by tossing a sandwich at his chest during a protest. After a grand jury refused a felony indictment, prosecutors pressed ahead with a lesser charge—one of several unusually minor cases the Trump administration has hustled into federal court at the president’s direction.

Today's Quote

Today's Quote comes from Speaker Mike Johnson, who told reporters that House Democrats are “gaslighting” by claiming Republicans are shutting down the government—calling it “the most extreme” example in American politics—and chastised the media for enabling it. In short, he says the lie is the crisis and the cameras are accomplices. Washington blames the mirror; the mirror shrugs.

Mike Johnson Says a New Funding Bill Is Likely

Mike Johnson says a new funding bill is likely, as GOP leaders scramble ahead of the Nov. 21 expiration of the House-passed continuing resolution now mired in the Senate. Behind closed doors, Republicans are eyeing another stopgap that could stretch into early 2026 as part of any deal to reopen the government—because why fix a budgeting mess today when you can pre-schedule your next punt two fiscal years out?

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi proposes summit with Kim Jong Un on abductee issue

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi proposes a summit with Kim Jong Un on the abductee issue, saying she wants a face-to-face meeting to finally resolve North Korea’s decades-long abductions of Japanese nationals—an overture that puts the ball squarely in Pyongyang’s court.

Live updates: SNAP funding deadline looms for Trump administration as shutdown nears record length

As the SNAP funding deadline looms for the Trump administration and the shutdown nears a record length, the Senate returns to Washington on Day 34 with both parties scrambling for an off-ramp; a cluster of moderate Democrats is quietly huddling to plot a way out—because nothing says “functional government” like hunting for the exit after a month of self-inflicted gridlock.

Salmon Man Is a Punishing VR Platformer in the Vein of Getting Over It

Salmon Man Is a Punishing VR Platformer in the Vein of Getting Over It, flinging itself onto PC VR and Quest later this month for $9.99. Built by Valem Studio over three years, this hardcore rage-climber has you paddle upstream through physics-driven obstacles where one slip sends you back to the start—“no shortcuts, no cheats, and no mercy.” A demo with the full first level is available on Steam and on Quest via the official Discord. Post-launch plans include collectibles, an even nastier Lava Mode unlocked after finishing the game, challenge modes with potential time trials, more language support, and a boss fight—because clearly the river’s humiliation wasn’t enough.

Trump says he’s not seriously considering Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine

Trump says he’s not seriously considering Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine, telling reporters aboard Air Force One, “No, not really,” despite reports the Pentagon has greenlit the option. Moments later he hedged—“Could happen. I could change”—leaving U.S. policy somewhere between a no and a maybe, otherwise known as Schrödinger’s arms shipment.

Zelenskyy to attend Euronews' flagship EU Enlargement Summit

Zelenskyy to attend Euronews' flagship EU Enlargement Summit, joining the network’s one-of-a-kind political event on Tuesday, 4 November, from 2 pm to 5 pm CET, with live coverage on Euronews’ television and digital platforms—three brisk hours where diplomacy meets stage lighting.

Europe Signals It Is Serious About Business

Europe Signals It Is Serious About Business as the EU, after years of crisis firefighting, declares a renewed sense of purpose: last year’s elections nudged politics back to basics, with voters demanding economic stability and systems that actually work—and that people can understand, which in Brussels passes for radical reform.

Trump warns of possible military action against Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians

Trump warns of possible military action against Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians, casting himself as defender of the faithful with a carrier group in tow. While some applaud the prospect of U.S. intervention, others hear the rattle of pickaxes—fearing his sudden zeal aligns a little too neatly with Nigeria’s rare earth and mineral wealth. Crusader rhetoric up front, commodity calculus in the footnotes.

Half of unpaid carers in Wales cut back on essentials as crisis deepens

Half of unpaid carers in Wales are cutting back on essentials as the crisis deepens, with Carers Wales’ State of Caring in Wales 2025 report warning of a rapid slide into poverty and burnout. Of 900-plus carers surveyed, 25% say they can’t make ends meet, 11% are already in debt, and 36% are relying on loans, credit cards or overdrafts—up 33% in a year, rising to 65% among those already struggling. The human toll is stark: 39% report bad or very bad mental health, 77% feel stressed or anxious, 69% have scrapped hobbies and social time, and many are skipping meals—because “financial support is a joke.” The headline-grabbing squeeze comes alongside a 53% year-on-year jump in carers forced to cut back on basics, even as 310,000 unpaid carers provide care worth over £10 billion annually—roughly the entire NHS Wales budget. Meanwhile, Carer’s Allowance remains £83.30 a week, with 42% of recipients still unable to make ends meet and 64% worried about living costs, as caring duties derail careers (66%) and push employed carers to cut hours (29%). Around 100,000 unpaid carers in Wales live in poverty, making them 30% more likely to be poor and 50% more likely to be in deep poverty than the general population. Carers Wales is calling for urgent reforms to Carer’s Allowance, a Welsh supplement, and guaranteed access to social care—because a system built on unpaid labour can’t pretend shock when the people propping it up start to collapse.

Welsh charities get a Redress cash infusion to tackle fuel poverty

Three Welsh charities will split nearly £388,000 from Ofgem’s Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme, part of more than £9.7 million across Great Britain aimed at cutting bills, lifting efficiency, and inching toward net zero. Citizens Advice Denbighshire gets £148,810 for Fuel-Sense, with tailored advice in person, by phone, and at community drop-ins. Action in Caerau and Ely in Cardiff receives £49,961 for SafeSpace, bringing community energy guidance to improve health and lower costs. The largest share, £189,198, goes to Cyngor ar Bopeth Gwynedd Citizens Advice for bilingual, face-to-face casework across Conwy and Gwynedd, focusing on rural and digitally excluded households. The scheme repurposes those very sincere voluntary payments from suppliers that broke the rules, with the Energy Saving Trust having steered more than £191 million to 755 projects since 2018. Officials say this round will help frontline workers reach the most at risk, reduce energy use, and not leave people behind. Corporate contrition with receipts, for once, pointed at the right people.

Pyongyang to the world, denuclearization is a pipe dream

North Korea declared that denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula will never happen, a preemptive place-setting ahead of the Lee and Xi summit. Translation, the nukes are staying on the table, everyone else can bring platitudes and patience.

Huntingdon train attack, passengers describe terror as police arrest suspect

British Transport Police arrested a 32-year-old man after a knife attack on the 6:25 p.m. LNER Doncaster to London King’s Cross service, which made an emergency stop at Huntingdon. Officers tasered the suspect and recovered a large kitchen knife. Eleven people were taken to hospital, nine were initially in life-threatening condition and four have since been discharged. A second man arrested at the scene has been released with no further action. Police briefly initiated a Plato response, then confirmed there is no evidence of terrorism. An LNER rail worker hailed as a hero remains in a life-threatening condition. The company praised the driver, crew, and emergency services for swift and courageous actions. This is a grave incident, and the focus remains on the victims, the responders, and the investigation.

Syrian refugees in Turkey are building businesses, and good policy makes it easier

Since 2011, Syrians in Turkey have registered more than 14,000 enterprises, from restaurants to repair shops, adding jobs and tax revenue while rebuilding their lives. A study of 170 entrepreneurs finds that success hinges on host country identity, the sense of belonging that boosts adaptation to customers and markets. Language proficiency strengthens it, discrimination erodes it, and legal status is pivotal. Early, clear protection helps counter prejudice, while bureaucratic delays leave scars that paperwork cannot fully heal. The fix is not complicated, fast-track legal protection, fund language programs, and confront stereotypes with public education. Sweden’s Fast Track approach helped spark 83 new businesses, proof that when red tape jogs instead of crawls, everyone wins. Inclusion is not charity, it is basic economic competence, and for once the accountants and the humanitarians agree.

Glassboro Domino's Brawl, Chair Tossers Strike Officer, Police Seek Suspects

In Glassboro, New Jersey, a 2:44 a.m. Halloween-costume melee at a Domino's escalated when two men grabbed a red chair and hurled it at officers, striking one in the back of the head as arrests were underway. Surveillance shows customers on tables with phones out, the chair-throwers sprinting off like they just won Olympic gold in poor judgment. Police released stills and are seeking two males, one in a gray jacket, one in a light blue sweatshirt. Tips: text GLASSPD to 847411, call 856-881-1500, or email Detective Aitken at [email protected].

Two-Thirds Say U.S. Is on the Wrong Track, Bipartisan Grimace Achieved

An ABC News, Washington Post, Ipsos poll finds 67 percent of Americans say the country has gotten seriously off on the wrong track, while 32 percent see a better path. A rare moment of unity, everyone agrees the ship is sinking and the crew keeps insisting the smoke is normal.

Mississippi Homeowner Finds Escaped Rhesus Monkey, Hunt Continues

After a truck hauling nearly two dozen primates crashed, a Mississippi homeowner located one missing rhesus monkey on Sunday. Authorities say they are still tracking the last few escapees, because apparently modern logistics now includes a monkey roundup contingency.

Sam Altman Defends Trillion-Plus Compute Spree, Nadella Nods, Investors Invited to Sell if Nervous

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says the company needs massive compute, forecasting sharp revenue growth, new products, and even a consumer device business. He claimed OpenAI is doing well more than 13 billion dollars in annual revenue and argued that AI that automates science will create huge value, while admitting the bet is risky. Pressed by host and investor Brad Gerstner on the Bg2 podcast with Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, Altman snapped, If you want to sell your shares, I will find you a buyer. Nadella vouched for the strategy, because nothing says confidence like trillion-dollar IOUs and a partner applauding the burn rate.

George Clooney Calls Kamala Harris a Mistake, Wants a Primary Screen Test

George Clooney says Democrats erred by handing Kamala Harris the nomination instead of staging a fast, battle-testing primary. He does not regret urging President Biden to step aside, he just wanted an audition first. Of course he did, Hollywood insists on screen tests for everything, including democracy.

Sports Betting Crackdowns Grow as Leagues Cozy Up to the House

With arrests and probes into illegal betting, insider info, and alleged game-rigging, the FBI has launched a crime-and-corruption-in-sports initiative. Lawmakers are pushing the SAFE Bet Act and the Betting on Our Future Act to curb ads, tighten age checks, and limit college prop bets. Meanwhile, leagues ink deals with prediction markets and sportsbooks roll out peer-to-peer wagers on anything that moves. When the leagues, broadcasters, and books are business partners, the fans start wondering whether the referees work for the house. If sports want credibility back, they will have to pick a side, integrity or the vig.

Trump Says Seth Meyers’ Mockery Is Probably Illegal, First Amendment Smirks

Donald Trump attacked NBC’s Seth Meyers after tuning in for the first time in years, declaring the criticism probably illegal, per the Daily Beast. A bold legal theory in a country where parody and political ridicule are not only allowed, they are practically a national pastime.

Gaza cease-fire holds as Israel receives three hostages' remains

Israel said it has received the remains of three hostages from Gaza, now with forensic experts for identification, as a U.S.-brokered cease-fire tied to a 20-point plan for an international stabilization force with Egypt and Jordan continues to hold. Since the truce began on October 10, militants have returned the remains of 17 hostages, typically one or two every few days. Israel says some bodies transferred were not hostages, while Hamas cites widespread destruction for slow recoveries. Israel has also returned the remains of 15 Palestinians. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports receiving 225 bodies since the cease-fire began, with only 75 identified amid DNA kit shortages that have led officials to post photos online. Families continue weekly rallies as emotions remain raw. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says pockets of Hamas remain in Rafah and Khan Younis and will be eliminated. The war began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that killed about 1,200 people and led to 251 hostages. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports more than 68,800 Palestinians killed, figures Israel disputes.

Australia polling: Coalition hits record-low primary as One Nation surges

Newspoll has the Coalition’s primary vote sliding to a record 24 percent, while One Nation rises to a record-tying 15 percent. Labor leads 57 to 43 on two-party preferred, with primaries at Labor 36 percent, Coalition 24, One Nation 15, Greens 11, and others 14. Analyst Kevin Bonham notes a trifecta, worst Coalition primary in a national poll, equal-highest One Nation, and the lowest combined Labor–Coalition share in Newspoll history. Leadership numbers are no rescue, Anthony Albanese’s net approval is -5 but he leads Sussan Ley 54 to 27 as better PM, while Ley’s net approval sinks to -33. Essential shows similar trends, One Nation at 15 percent, Coalition 26, Labor ahead 50 to 44 by respondent preferences, Albanese at net +1 and Ley at -11. At the state level, polling has Labor ahead 59 to 41 in NSW, while the LNP leads 54 to 46 in Queensland. Translation, the centre-right is being outflanked by its own right flank, One Nation is eating its lunch, and Labor is quietly stacking frequent-flyer miles on preferential voting.

The Crown Drops the Halo, Prince Andrew Benched and the Monarchy Leans Into Showbiz

With King Charles sidelining Prince Andrew, the palace has quietly conceded that the divine-right glow is closer to studio lighting. The royal aura was mauled by the tabloid era and money worship, while televised royal experts keep doing tea-leaf readings for ratings. Most Britons now treat Windsor drama like a soap, entertaining, not sacred. By benching his brother, the king recasts the family as performers who answer to the crowd. Admit there is no magic blood and you are under meritocracy rules, if a prince can be sidelined for bad behavior, a sovereign can be judged on results too. From here on, the monarchy has to deliver or make way for new dancers.

Faroe Islands, Population 55,000, Puts Bigger States to Shame

GDP per person higher than Denmark, substantial devolved powers, and talks edging toward full independence. The Faroes have stitched 18 islands together with tunnels and bridges, including a roundabout under a mountain, built a thriving fishing industry and sustainability driven salmon farming, and fostered a lively cultural scene that runs from musicians to Michelin baiting cuisine. Politically, they negotiate international treaties with a cool remove from Copenhagen, light on pageantry, heavy on results. A new book, Faroese Days by Stan L. Abbott, captures the islands’ trilingual, can do ethos. One sober note, the traditional pilot whale hunt is increasingly contested, with health concerns over mercury likely to push it toward history. Small place, big competence.

Three Killed in U.S. Operation Targeting Suspected Smuggling Boat in the Caribbean

U.S. forces carried out an operation in the Caribbean targeting a suspected drug smuggling vessel, leaving three people dead, according to early reports. Some accounts attribute the announcement to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a title that does not match current U.S. officials, so key details require verification. The action is described as part of ongoing counter trafficking efforts. Further information was not immediately available.

OpenAI Grows Faster Than Profits, Hope Becomes a Line Item

OpenAI is racing ahead of profits, locking into big ticket compute deals with suppliers like Nvidia and Oracle, streamlining its structure for easier fundraising, and floating a breathless future IPO. Boosters insist it is Apple, Facebook, Google, and Tesla in one miraculous hoodie, skeptics see tulip mania in a lab coat. The systemic risk sits in the middle, if the productivity boom lags, unwinding those commitments could jolt the tech heavy corner of the economy keeping the lights on. Translation, a startup selling hope on margin is praying it scales. What could go wrong.