Tuesday, November 11
Monday, November 10
Headlines
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“Beginning of the end” of govt shutdown may be upon us as Senate advances deal. Today is the 41st day of the shutdown, but last night, in a rare Sunday session, senators returned to Capitol Hill to advance a funding agreement that could reopen the government through at least January. Enough Democratic senators agreed to vote for the deal to clear a 60-vote threshold. It’s rumored to include a guarantee of a vote on a bill related to Affordable Care Act credits by the end of the second week of December (but not an extension of the credits themselves), a reversal of all permanent layoffs of government employees that have transpired since the shutdown, and the funding of SNAP, among other provisions. The plan still needs to pass in the House and be signed into law by President Trump, which would likely take at least a few days.
Two Cleveland Guardians pitchers indicted in alleged pitch-rigging scheme. The Eastern District of New York, the same US Attorney’s office that charged NBA figures with similar crimes last month, accused Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz with throwing specific pitches in an arrangement with a gambler so the person betting could win prop bets and provide the pitchers with kickbacks. Prosecutors said that the scheme began with Clase in May 2023 and Ortiz joined in June 2025, with gamblers winning at least $450,000 by wagering on the pitches. US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said, “The defendants deprived the Cleveland Guardians and Major League Baseball of their honest services. They defrauded the online betting platforms where the bets were placed. And they betrayed America’s pastime.” Ortiz’s attorney denied the charges in a statement to ESPN. A message ESPN placed to Clase’s attorney was not returned.
Visa and Mastercard near settlement with merchants that might lower transaction fees. In an exclusive report, the Wall Street Journal stated that the two major credit card companies are close to settling a 20-year legal dispute with merchants that would enable them to reject certain cards and be charged lower interchange fees. Under the deal, merchants would not have to accept every type of credit card that Visa or Mastercard offers, meaning they could refuse rewards credit cards, which cost them more to process than other types because the rewards are funded in part by the higher interchange fees. Anonymous sources told the WSJ that Visa and Mastercard would lower interchange fees overall by an average of 0.1 percentage point over several years. The uptick of merchants charging customers for credit card processing fees goes back to this dispute.—HVL
Robert Reich
In opposite ways, Musk and Mamdani pose the same question
Friends,
Last week, two things happened that may shed some light on where American capitalism is heading.
First, Tesla’s board caved in to Elon Musk’s demand that he get a pay package of $1 trillion (if he meets various goals).
Musk’s trillion-dollar pay package is so grotesque as to make a mockery of the most ardent free-market capitalists. Although his board is stuffed with cronies and relatives, he still had to hold it hostage to get his trillion — threatening that if he didn’t, his attention would wander elsewhere. Other Tesla shareholders got shafted.
Second, the voters of New York City — the capital of world capitalism — elected as their mayor a Democratic Socialist who thinks billionaires shouldn’t exist.
At A Glance
See the recently discovered world's biggest spiderweb.
Exploring the health benefits of singing.
Today marks 50 years since the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Managing credit card points is now a full-time job.
... and listen to our editor-in-chief explore the history of credit cards.
Denmark bans social media for kids under 15.
Kim Kardashian reveals she failed the California bar exam.
Meet the man with the world's longest name.
The case for "extra-illustrating" your books.
Clickbait: Should children have skincare products?
Historybook: Protestant Reformation leader Martin Luther born (1483); US Marine Corps is founded (1775); Singer and actress Jane Froman born (1907); "Sesame Street" debuts (1969); Bill Gates announces Windows 1.0 to public (1983).
In The NEWS
Future of Finance
Fintech, explained
"Fintech” is a broad term that stands for “financial technology” and refers to technological innovations in the financial services sector. The roughly $340B fintech industry encompasses everything from mobile banking apps and robo-advisers to digital payment software.
Examples include buy-now, pay-later apps like Klarna, payment processing technologies for businesses like Stripe, cryptocurrency innovations like crypto exchange Coinbase, and peer-to-peer payment services such as Venmo and PayPal.
Despite the industry’s breadth, fintech companies all have something in common: They aim to make various aspects of financial transactions more efficient and user-friendly. The global fintech industry is growing quickly—it currently employs roughly 300,000 people, and is projected to be worth about $1T by 2032.
... Read our full explainer on the tech here.
Also, check out ...
> The Nasdaq launched in 1971 as the first electronic trading hub. (More)
> Roughly 1.4 billion people lack basic financial services—and AI can help. (More)
> The first ATM—dubbed a "cash dispenser"—debuted in 1967. (More)
> Explore a visual timeline of fintech's growth. (More)
Global Jigsaw
Plate tectonics, 101
The theory of plate tectonics explains that the majority of Earth’s geological features—from mountain ranges to ocean trenches—result from interactions between slabs of rock that make up Earth’s outer shell (watch explainer). The slabs—collectively called tectonic plates—vary in size, composition, and movement, and have been dragged by convection currents in Earth’s mantle for at least 3 billion years (see map).
The theory began with rock, fossil, and climatic records suggesting that all land was once one interconnected supercontinent that had broken apart. Decades later, measurements of the seafloor showed that it continuously moved away from mid-ocean ridges. These movements cause oceanic plates to push into continental ones, resulting in earthquakes and volcanoes.
Mapping the locations of these and other geological features has allowed scientists to outline tectonic plates, identify types of plate boundaries, and model the history of Earth’s surface.
... Read our full write-up on tectonics here.
Also, check out ...
> The San Andreas Fault is an example of tectonic plates sliding past each other. (More)
> View maps of seafloor topography, earthquakes, and volcanic activity. (More)
> Stagnant lids found on Mercury, Mars, and the moon prevent tectonic activity. (More)
> You've likely heard of the supercontinent Pangaea—what about Rodinia? (More)
SPOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Life Goes On
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During my 78 years of life, I have learned one important lesson...
- I was born shortly after the end of WWII.
- I lived through the Korean War, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, several Middle Eastern Wars, and the Afghanistan withdrawal.
- My life changed but changed very little after Nine Eleven, the financial crisis of 2008, the Oil Crisis, and COVID.
- My life was also somewhat different after high school graduation, discharge from the military, college graduation, as well as grad school graduation.
- When I (along with my wife) retired in 2015, my life pretty much stayed the same as it did after being diagnosed with cancer and a heart attack at the age of 60.
The lesson that I learned after living for 78 years, is that LIFE GOES ON... regardless of what happens to you, to your community, to your state, to your country, or two the world short of a NUCLEAR HOLLOCAUST.
- Democrats win/lose
- Republicans win/lose
- Independents win/lose
- and guess what?
LIFE GOES ON...
We may bitch more than we did before, but life itself does not really change.
We have terrible crime going on in:
- New York City, New York
- Washington, DC
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Chicago, Illinois
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Portland, Oregon
- and guess what?
LIFE GOES ON...
Mainstream Media, social media, Print Media, all of it designed to make money by talking about STUFF they know the general public wants to hear about so advertisers can see products to unsuspecting buyers.
THESE PEOPLE LOVE ADVERSE NEWS
But, where I live in East Tennessee, my life throughout all this CRAP changes very little, if any. Groceries and gasoline may cost a little more, as does going out to eat, and vacations but the increased costs does not STOP ME... nor, do I suspect it STOPS YOU!!!
LIFE GOES ON...
Wyoming Ready To Be First State To Have Human Vs. Robot Combat Sports
Bryan Pedersen watched a video several months ago that made him think about the future of fighting. In the clip, someone kicked a robot, and the robot kicked the human back.
"I'm like, ‘We're going to fight one of these one of these days,'" said Pedersen, chair of the Wyoming Combat Sports Commission and managing director at RBC Wealth Management in Cheyenne. "Videos are coming up all the time, and regular mentions of 'fighting robots' have become part of the zeitgeist.
"It has even been brought up on Joe Rogan's podcast."
Sunday, November 9
They’re putting anything in airport vending machines
Najlah Feanny/Corbis via Getty Images
Somewhere around the turn of the century, electronics retailers realized they could make an extra buck squeezing their gadgets into metal boxes at the departure terminal, like sardines in a can or you on a plane. Airport vending machines have come such a long way since then that we could actually be moments away from one that dispenses tinned fish.
The rise: By 2009, machines selling iPods and other Apple products at Las Vegas’s McCarran International Airport (now Harry Reid International Airport) were collectively raking in as much as $70,000 per month, an assistant aviation director told USA Today. Now, you can rely on vending machines for a plethora of wants and needs at almost any major airport:Farmer’s Fridge, the antithesis to hitting B5 for a Snickers, sells salads, sandwiches, and other foodstuffs. Its vending machines have become a popular alternative to pricey gate restaurant meals since the brand launched in 2013, though some of its $7.50 average-price options are on the smaller side.
Uniqlo began vending thermal t-shirts and jackets in Oakland and Houston airports in 2017 for travelers who had forgotten to pack cold-weather essentials.
Other items available by boarding gates at the press of a button include: a Kylie Lip Kit at Chicago’s O’Hare, a barbecue rib sandwich at Alabama’s Birmingham-Shuttlesworth, a diaper at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, and a Lego set at Philadelphia International Airport.
The most vending-maxed airport is…New York’s JFK, where a row of Hudson-operated machines sell Brookstone, Apple, Beats, and Bose products, Burt’s Bees chapstick and moisturizers, and customizable Build-A-Bear Workshop dolls.
Zoom out: Airport vending machines offer brands a 24/7 way to reach customers who may have no better option at the time—especially if it’s 2am and every gate store is closed. That could become even more important as airfares rise and travelers take more odd-hour flights to save money. For example, earlier this year, Southwest added red-eye routes for the first time after years of being the sole holdout among major airlines.—ML
Robert Reich
Friends,
When historians look back on this dark time, I don’t think they’ll see the end of what we value in America. More likely, they’ll see the beginning.
I’m sure you’ve had the experience of taking something or someone for granted until you’re in danger of losing them. It’s only then that you realize how important they are.
I think something similar is happening in America, and what we’re realizing is how important are some values we’ve long taken for granted.
Many people tell me they hadn’t really appreciated democracy until the last nine and a half horrible months. Or the rule of law. Or due process.
Many hadn’t fully understood the meaning of tyranny and the critical importance of standing up against it.
At A Glance
The US paid roughly the same amount on debt interest and defense in 2024.
Nine paintings inspired by Shakespeare from Pre-Raphaelite John Everett Millais.
How Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky embraced "founder mode," diving into details.
The ancient Greeks (and most ancients) rarely wrote the color "blue."
Roughly 270 viruses can infect humans, out of 15,000 known to medicine.
Breaking down how F1 pit crews swap tires in under three seconds.
If "espresso" is meant to be fast, then pour-over is its luxuriously slow opposite.
Explore the world's leaning structures, from Pisa to Canterbury's "Crooked House."
A 101 on the Taeyangho, Kim Jong Un's heavily armed train.
Most Westerners don't need more protein, despite its recent boom.
Photos of wildlife using Rome's ancient historical sites as urban havens.
How 32 MLB teams organize travel for 2,430 games each season.
The original Renaissance Faire took place in Los Angeles in 1963 and was long a hippie haven.
The story of the psychiatrist who evaluated top Nazis at Nuremberg.
The rich philosophical depth of Mary Shelley's classic tale "Frankenstein."
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