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Daily Briefing

World in a Pulse

Briflio distills the day's signals into one calm feed — a personalized mix of the top stories across every topic, with context, not noise.

Safari finally gets 3 popular browser features - and I can't wait to try them - ZDNET
AI

Safari finally gets 3 popular browser features - and I can't wait to try them - ZDNET

New developer beta release notes point to deeper Siri AI integration and more Safari customization.

The DEA banned a drug some opioid users called a miracle
Technology

The DEA banned a drug some opioid users called a miracle

In 2012, as the driver of deaths in the opioid crisis began moving from prescription pills to heroin, Laura Bohn was tasked with finding safer drugs to manage pain. Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2017 she and other scientists revealed in the science journal Cell that several compounds—including a particularly promising one called SR-17018—could relieve pain in mice without causing respiratory depression.

NASA Space Grant Students Fuel Agency’s Inspiration Tour
Science

NASA Space Grant Students Fuel Agency’s Inspiration Tour

4 min readPreparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman addresses a standing-room-only crowd during an Inspiration Tour stop at Iowa State University. Credit: NASA NASA’s Inspiration Tour spread the excitement of space exploration and aeronautical innovation by connecting the public, industry, and academia with the people, technologies, and organizations that drive American leadership in space.

Cyberattack hits French blood bank site but no blood products were compromised
Health

Cyberattack hits French blood bank site but no blood products were compromised

French authorities have reported a cyberattack on several blood banks that attempted to raise temperatures to dangerous levels

Previewing a Week 10 that could reshape the CFP race as the biggest Saturday yet arrives
Sports

Previewing a Week 10 that could reshape the CFP race as the biggest Saturday yet arrives

In a season already defined by chaos, what will the most impactful regular-season weekend of the College Football Playoff era have in store?

World

Democratic progressive wing notches win in California Central Valley

Campaign focused on cost of living issues and backlash over ICE raids pays dividends for progressive Randy Villegas.

McDonald’s to add new value bundles next year
Business

McDonald’s to add new value bundles next year

McDonald’s plans to introduce new value-oriented meal bundles early next year after a disappointing third quarter that saw lower traffic at U.S. restaurants. McDonald’s Chairman and CEO Chris Kempczinski said Wednesday that the company recently began an eight-week test of mix-and-match and fixed-price bundles at 1,900 U.S. restaurants. Those bundles might feature a McChicken sandwich and small fries for $3.50, for example. But around 4,000 franchisees have decided not to wait f

Emmerdale airs explosive Joe Tate and Caleb Miligan confrontation in early ITVX release
Culture

Emmerdale airs explosive Joe Tate and Caleb Miligan confrontation in early ITVX release

Warning: Contains spoilers for Wednesday's episode of Emmerdale, which airs at 8pm on ITV1 or can be streamed now on ITVX.

AI

Open source AI is booming. Hugging Face explains who profits.

Open source models are becoming more mainstream as enterprises, governments and startups alike rely on the promise of lower costs, more control, and more flexibility. But as increasingly capable models become more freely available, how do companies capture value? And with Chinese open models gaining ground, can American players keep up?  On this episode of […]

Sam Altman addresses RAM comments: people should ‘put as much as they want in their computers’
Technology

Sam Altman addresses RAM comments: people should ‘put as much as they want in their computers’

‘Ram Altman’ wants you to have ‘so much ram.’

Hubble Reveals Cosmic Mystery
Science

Hubble Reveals Cosmic Mystery

This is an image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope of NGC 4449, one of the dwarf galaxies in the Galaxies Losing Oxygen via Winds (GLOW) study. Researchers found that dwarf galaxies can hold onto only a small fraction of the oxygen made by their stars. NASA, ESA, Hubble Heritage–ESA/Hubble Collaboration, Alessandra Aloisi (STScI, ESA) This photo released on Nov. 2, 2026, showcases NGC  4449, a dwarf irregular.

Love green tea? Gabriela Peacock reveals why she's a 'huge fan'
Health

Love green tea? Gabriela Peacock reveals why she's a 'huge fan'

Matcha is a trendy green powder made from shade-grown tea leaves, traditionally whisked into hot water.

Malachi Toney injures ankle in practice: Miami star WR's status unknown for massive showdown vs. Notre Dame
Sports

Malachi Toney injures ankle in practice: Miami star WR's status unknown for massive showdown vs. Notre Dame

The Hurricanes biggest weapon has an ankle injury heading into Miami's biggest game of the year

World

How US midterm results could reshape Trump’s foreign policy

US midterm results could reshape Trump’s political landscape and increase congressional scrutiny of his foreign policy.

This map shows just how big Democrats won the midterms
Business

This map shows just how big Democrats won the midterms

The 2026 election was a total political reset from 2024, with many states that voted for President Donald Trump last time swinging to the left and giving Democrats control of the next Congress. A pair of maps shows through arrows just how dramatic the change in just two years really was. To communicate the shift in vote margin from one party to another from the most two recent elections, The New York Times has used an election results map with arrows that show the shift in each individual cou

Pokémon Pokopia DLC Dazzling Decorations Release Date and Features Revealed
Culture

Pokémon Pokopia DLC Dazzling Decorations Release Date and Features Revealed

Pokémon Pokopia DLC Dazzling Decorations launches December 9. Here are the new features and requirements to access the expansion.

Redditor uses AI to get Switch games running natively on Apple TV - Engadget
AI

Redditor uses AI to get Switch games running natively on Apple TV - Engadget

The TVPort project is another example of people using Claude Code to bring software to other platforms

Technology

Fireworks provide a few minutes of joy, but the economic and environmental costs last much longer

Every Bonfire Night, people pay for a box of fireworks so their friends and family can enjoy the colorful display. Within a few minutes, it's all over. But the price on the box doesn't reflect the hidden costs: the smoke inhaled by neighbors, the animals disturbed or the public services called out w

Man builds robotic cat feeder that senses when dish is empty
Science

Man builds robotic cat feeder that senses when dish is empty

An ultrasonic sensor ensures kibble doesn’t dump on the pet’s head.

The biotech startups skipping AI for drug discovery
Health

The biotech startups skipping AI for drug discovery

In this edition of AI Prognosis: These biotech startups don't think drug discovery is where AI can make the biggest difference.

Jacoby Brissett trade: Ravens strike deal for Cardinals QB amid injury crisis
Sports

Jacoby Brissett trade: Ravens strike deal for Cardinals QB amid injury crisis

Baltimore is expected to acquire the veteran quarterback from Arizona after injuries to Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley and Joe Fagnano decimated its depth chart

World

US midterms 2026: What key races remain undecided?

Key races in Alaska, Mississippi, Kansas and California remain uncounted.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi: Midterms sent a ‘very clear message’
Business

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi: Midterms sent a ‘very clear message’

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said this morning that Democrats’ sweeping midterm victory sent a “very clear message” about the damage inflation has done to American consumers.   During an appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Khosrowshahi said the problem stems from how the economy has evolved since the 2008 financial crisis, as wages have not kept pace with skyrocketing prices. “When you look at capitalism, there’s capital investment and return on capital, and obviously there’s return o

Helicopter Crashes Into Biscayne Bay in Miami, Search and Rescue Underway
Culture

Helicopter Crashes Into Biscayne Bay in Miami, Search and Rescue Underway

A helicopter plunged into Miami's Biscayne Bay Wednesday morning ... leaving two injured and a third person feared dead, according to local reports.

cxagent — a terminal coding agent
AI

cxagent — a terminal coding agent

A terminal AI coding agent. Give it a goal in plain language; it reads your files, works out what to change, and changes them.

People say they want small smartphones—the Enough Phone will put that to the test
Technology

People say they want small smartphones—the Enough Phone will put that to the test

The first modern smartphones had 3.5-inch screens, which can be hard to remember in today's world of gargantuan glass slabs. Sure, people talk about wanting smaller phones, but will they buy one? Enough Phone is betting they will. The company will begin taking preorders for its first device today, which is built around a petite 5.3-inch screen that is apparently the smallest it could find with decent performance metrics. The company's cheeky name is reflected in its approach to phone design. A flagship killer this is not, but it's probably "enough" for most people.

NASA Announces Ka-Band Satellite Relay Awards for Space Communications
Science

NASA Announces Ka-Band Satellite Relay Awards for Space Communications

Credit: NASA NASA selected three companies on Wednesday to perform work to develop Ka-band space relay capability concepts that are compatible with current missions in space, ensuring service continuity for existing spacecraft without requiring modifications to their onboard systems. Through this work, NASA will aim to acquire end-to-end solutions that include space, ground, launch, operations, and integration elements, as one of many customers in the commercial marketplace. The awards, under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-3 Broad Agency Announcement Appendix

Arthritis ruled Susan's life - until this drug-free therapy
Health

Arthritis ruled Susan's life - until this drug-free therapy

A few years ago, Susan Harrison's joints were causing her so much pain that she felt hip and knee replacement operations would soon be inevitable.

Sports

Guide to every NFL team's trade deadline: Candidates to be moved, targets who could fit, more

We outlined deadline plans for all 32 teams, including who could be dealt before 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Here's what you need to know.

World

Hakeem Jeffries promises ‘affordability’ focus after Democratic midterm win

Democratic leader says party expects at least 255 House seats and promises to deliver on affordability.

What's Going on With Microsoft Stock on Wednesday? - Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)
Business

What's Going on With Microsoft Stock on Wednesday? - Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)

Microsoft stock jumps over 6% on Wednesday as Azure cloud acceleration drove a Big Tech rally, while Wall Street analysts defended targets up to $722.

VisionQuest episode 7 twist sees Paul Bettany take on integral Marvel characters and fans are blown away
Culture

VisionQuest episode 7 twist sees Paul Bettany take on integral Marvel characters and fans are blown away

The history of Vision stretches further than fans might have expected...

AI

Building on open source AI? Hugging Face’s policy chief on the costs, risks, and trade-offs

Open source models are becoming more mainstream as enterprises, governments and startups alike rely on the promise of lower costs, more control, and more flexibility. But as increasingly capable models become more freely available, how do companies capture value? And with Chinese open models gaining ground, can American players keep up?  On this episode of […]

Binance says hackers who stole billions in crypto spent months planning heist
Technology

Binance says hackers who stole billions in crypto spent months planning heist

The hackers who stole billions of dollars in cryptocurrency from the Binance exchange spent months working on the theft and used both social engineering and novel malware in the process, the company said Tuesday. The heist, which both the FBI and the TRM Security firm attributed to North Korean actors, initially targeted $6.34 billion in cryptocurrency from Binance wallets. The exchange has since frozen or intercepted $2.85 billion of that sum. Binance said it has set aside funds required to cover the loss and provided this link to a Proof of Reserves page.

NASA, NOAA Track 2026 Antarctic Ozone Hole
Science

NASA, NOAA Track 2026 Antarctic Ozone Hole

4 min read NASA, NOAA Track 2026 Antarctic Ozone Hole Earth’s protective ozone layer remains on track for long-term recovery, despite atmospheric conditions that contributed to a larger Antarctic ozone hole in 2026, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported. The ozone hole ranked seventh largest by area in 48 years of monitoring, but was not as deep as other large holes on record. From Sept. 7 to Oct. 13, peak ozone depletion season, the average extent of the hole covered about 9.6 million square miles (25 million square kilometers).

Health

iGC: Antibody Optimization via Reinforcement Learning over a Learned Somatic Hypermutation Prior

Antibody affinity maturation is a natural optimization process in which B cells acquire mutations through somatic hypermutation (SHM), undergo selection for improved antigen binding, and iteratively evolve toward higher affinity. Computationally modeling this process requires capturing both biologically plausible mutations and antigen-specific selection. However, existing mutation models do not directly optimize binding, while affinity optimization often neglects realistic mutation trajectories.

MLB rumors: The only Oriole not on the trading block, Rays' Drew Rasmussen plan and Astros add to manager hunt
Sports

MLB rumors: The only Oriole not on the trading block, Rays' Drew Rasmussen plan and Astros add to manager hunt

Here are the latest MLB trade and free agency rumors for Wednesday, Nov. 4

World

Will the US resume its attacks on Iran?

Tehran says it's ready with a maximum deterrence plan.

Apple is restricting a fast-growing category of apps. Here’s what users need to know
Business

Apple is restricting a fast-growing category of apps. Here’s what users need to know

Apple is about to put greater restrictions on dating apps and AI companions.  Starting on Nov. 16, it will require developers to declare whether their apps use AI to facilitate romantic connections. The apps that do use AI, whether it’s an AI companion, or technology that assists humans in connecting to one another, will only be allowed for users over 18.  According to Apple’s Nov. 2 announcement, apps will have to declare whether the app offers real-world location sh

Men Who Do Less of This Have Better Luck Dating, According to a New Survey
Culture

Men Who Do Less of This Have Better Luck Dating, According to a New Survey

A new survey reveals an unexpected preference among women when evaluating potential dates, but there's a surprising catch.

AI

Google faces backlash for plan that would turn off Search for schools that restrict AI

Politicians on the left, like NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani and former FTC chair Lina Khan, accused Google of acting as an unregulated monopoly.

AI Is Taking the Memory Your Phone Needs, and AMD Just Confirmed It
Technology

AI Is Taking the Memory Your Phone Needs, and AMD Just Confirmed It

AMD says AI chips are competing with phones and laptops for the same memory supply. Here’s why that means phone prices will keep climbing in 2027.

Earlier sleep tied to weight loss in people with prediabetes
Science

Earlier sleep tied to weight loss in people with prediabetes

"When we fall asleep—not just how much we sleep—seems to be an important and overlooked factor for weight loss and metabolic health."

Where does MAHA go from here? Three possible futures
Health

Where does MAHA go from here? Three possible futures

Republican losses leave Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s MAHA movement with three possible futures.

NBA DFS: Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy basketball picks for Wednesday, Nov. 4 include OG Anunoby
Sports

NBA DFS: Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy basketball picks for Wednesday, Nov. 4 include OG Anunoby

SportsLine's Mike McClure, a daily Fantasy pro with more than $2 million in winnings, gives optimal NBA DFS lineup advice for Wednesday

World

Iranians celebrate Democrat victory in US midterms

US President Donald Trump acknowledged the Republicans’ crushing defeat was partly due to the war on Iran.

Amgen Analyst Likes Diversified Business, Remains Patient Until MariTide Obesity Data - Amgen (NASDAQ:AMG
Business

Amgen Analyst Likes Diversified Business, Remains Patient Until MariTide Obesity Data - Amgen (NASDAQ:AMG

Amgen approaches 52-week highs on Q3 earnings beats and raised 2026 guidance, while Wall Street analysts lift price targets.

Maura Higgins shares ‘reality’ of competing on Dancing With The Stars
Culture

Maura Higgins shares ‘reality’ of competing on Dancing With The Stars

The Love Island star is taking part on the US version of the dancing series, where she has been paired with professional dancer Mark Ballas.

AI

I tried Apple’s Siri Recaps. They’re surprisingly useful — and a little unsettling

Apple's AI-powered Siri Recaps won me over in just one day, despite my privacy reservations. But there's still room for improvement.

What I learned driving the Slate electric truck prototype
Technology

What I learned driving the Slate electric truck prototype

If my 45-minute drive yesterday morning is anything to go by, I think Slate Auto will have quite the hit on its hands. The startup had one of its prototype trucks in town and asked if I wanted to check it out—no jumping on a plane or having to spend yet another night in an interchangeable hotel room, just a drive from southwest DC to Rockville, Maryland. Easy-peasy. The prototype truck had been well-used, with almost 6,000 miles (9,656 km) showing on the small and minimalist but very legible digital display that also shows your speed and, if you engage reverse, the backup camera.

Rajeev Singh, Smartsheet CEO: A Fortt Knox Update
Science

Rajeev Singh, Smartsheet CEO: A Fortt Knox Update

Smartsheet, now private, unveiled vsActual, its first standalone agentic product — software that runs a corporation's annual operating planning start to finish, built on a context graph assembled over 20 years. Speaking with Jon Fortt, CEO Rajeev Singh also detailed a shift to "AI as UI" access and

Health

Empirical Bayes Flow Matching for Continuous Cryo-EM Heterogeneity

We address the problem of learning generative priors over high-dimensional latent variables from indirect, noisy observations, with a focus on continuous heterogeneity in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). In this setting, 3D atomic structures $x \in \mathbb{R}^{3N_a}$ are never directly observed and must be inferred from 2D projection images $y$ generated by a complex, non-linear forward operator. We propose Empirical Bayes Flow Matching (EB-FM), a method that learns a flow matching prior $p_θ

Today's top games to watch, best bets, odds: 76ers at Pistons, Flagg vs. Wembanyama, college football and more
Sports

Today's top games to watch, best bets, odds: 76ers at Pistons, Flagg vs. Wembanyama, college football and more

Find best bets and props for the biggest games in sports on Wednesday from the SportsLine Projection Model and top CBS Sports experts

World

WHO approves trials for two new Ebola vaccines

Two new vaccines were designed for the Bundibugyo virus that has killed more than 5,300 in the DR Congo.

Canva’s big layoffs say a lot about the AI design landscape
Business

Canva’s big layoffs say a lot about the AI design landscape

The AI design giant Canva just announced the first-ever major round of layoffs in its 13-year history. As part of the restructuring, 1,271 people—around 22% of the company’s overall staff—will either be laid off, asked to change roles, or relocate to the company’s headquarters in Sydney, Australia.  News of the layoffs was announced on November 3 (a perfect day to bury some bad news) in a press release from Canva cofounder and CEO Melanie Perkins. In the note, Perkins explains that the l

Crimson Desert Patch Notes for Update 2.04.06 – DLC Fixes and Performance Improvements
Culture

Crimson Desert Patch Notes for Update 2.04.06 – DLC Fixes and Performance Improvements

Crimson Desert update 2.04.06 fixes DLC issues, crashes, and framerate drops. Here are the full patch notes and platform availability details.

AI

DuckDuckGo pitches itself to schools amid backlash over Google’s AI policy

DuckDuckGo is courting schools frustrated by Google's AI restrictions, pointing educators to its search engine and options to disable AI features.

Technology

Satellite analysis finds little evidence that data centers cause widespread ground warming

A new study published in Environmental Research Letters has found little evidence that hyperscale data centers cause significant heating of surrounding land. While a previous study suggested data centers heat surrounding land by about 2 °C on average (up to 9 °C), reaching 10 kilometers (6.2 miles)

NASA Navigation Experiment Shows Promise for Planetary Landings
Science

NASA Navigation Experiment Shows Promise for Planetary Landings

3 min readPreparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) An Alta-X drone flies an advanced guidance and navigation system known as the Safe and Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) experiment near NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. Researchers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston developed SPLICE, which successfully communicated with the remotely piloted aircraft during hover maneuvers in flight.

Cocaine overtakes heroin as leading cause of drug deaths in England and Wales
Health

Cocaine overtakes heroin as leading cause of drug deaths in England and Wales

The number of deaths linked to cocaine use in England and Wales has nearly quadrupled in a decade.

What's next for the Valkyries? Why Golden State could add star free agent to championship core
Sports

What's next for the Valkyries? Why Golden State could add star free agent to championship core

After winning the WNBA title in just their second season as a franchise, the Valkyries are set up for sustained success

World

Ukraine raises death toll from Russian strike on Zaporizhia to 40 people

Dozens may still be under the rubble in Komyshuvakha. Rescue efforts ongoing despite interruptions by Russian drones.

Elon Musk spent nearly $500 million on the midterms. It bought him almost nothing
Business

Elon Musk spent nearly $500 million on the midterms. It bought him almost nothing

Elon Musk put about $474 million into the 2026 midterms, according to a New York Times tally. (And that’s just through October 14, when the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and IRS filings stop. (The trillionaire may have given far more in dark money.) For comparison, the world’s richest man spent an estimated $250 million to get Donald Trump elected in 2024. But this time, he has little to show for his efforts. Democrats wrested control of both the House of Representatives and Senate

Tributes paid to drummer with dozens of number ones
Culture

Tributes paid to drummer with dozens of number ones

Amarillo singer Tony Christie says Clem Cattini was a "world class" musician and gentleman.