Saturday, December 6
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> 2026 FIFA World Cup final draw begins at noon ET in Washington, DC's Kennedy Center; live coverage begins at 11:30 am ET on Fox (More) | Ralph Lauren unveils Team USA uniforms for 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics and Paralympics (More)
> Public broadcasters from Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia announce they will boycott 2026 Eurovision Song Contest over Israel's participation (More)
> New "Men in Black" film in development at Sony Pictures, with "Bad Boys for Life" Chris Bremner set to write the script (More)
Science & Technology
> CDC vaccine advisory panel to vote today on hepatitis B vaccines after yesterday's scheduled vote was postponed; vote originally delayed in September (More)
> Scientists identify previously unknown organization patterns in a brain region critical to learning and memory, offering insights into why some cells are more vulnerable to conditions like Alzheimer’s and epilepsy (More)
> Researchers discover a robust population of critically endangered Sumatran tigers in Indonesian forest, signaling that habitat conservation efforts are working (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.1%, Dow -0.1%, Nasdaq +0.2%) as investors await latest inflation data today (More)
> US weekly jobless claims fall to 191,000 for week ending Nov. 29, the lowest since September 2022 (More) | Layoffs top 1.1 million for the year so far, the most since 2020, new report finds (More) | World's billionaires rise to record 2,919 people, with collective wealth of nearly $16T; 91 became billionaires through inheritance (More)
> Legal AI startup Harvey raises $160M at $8B valuation, more than double its valuation in February (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> The Supreme Court clears the way for Texas to use newly redistricted map for the 2026 midterm elections as litigation continues in the lower courts; new map could potentially deliver as many as five seats to Republican candidates (More)
> Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo sign US-mediated peace deal despite ongoing clashes in eastern Congo (More)
> Vatican commission finds women should not be ordained as deacons—ministers who can preside over weddings, baptisms, and funerals (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Collaborating with AI
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Let's suppose you are a writer and you have an idea for a novel, but you want to check out the validity of your thought. With whom do you discuss this idea: your teacher, your minister, your family, a neighbor, a close friend, or a co-worker?
What about AI (artificial intelligence)?
AI has the ability to almost instantly check data bases to see what else has been written, if anything, on this subject and give you a list of authors to research.
AI has the ability to become your devil's advocate as you discuss the pros and cons or your idea. Once you have a list of the cons, you can use AI again, to come up with some ideas to circumvent the cons.
I have gotten into argument with AI over is there life after death, who created the human race, and if there really is a God. When I present my argument, AI responds with all sorts of data, peoples, dates and times of statements that either support me or with statements that do not.
AI can provide a framework for a chapter in a novel, that you and AI can revise and rewrite countless times. Once the chapter narration and dialogue has been decided upon, it is up to you, to put what was agreed upon in your own words, so that at least 60% has been written by you.
This is no different, than being in a writer's club and sharing a chapter or chapters with another member to critique, edit, or give you ideas.
Most professional writers come up with the original idea and the original writing, then send it to a professional editor to make it appropriate for publication. Do these editors change 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% of the novel they have been given?
Even the main idea can be modified by the editors.
When I use AI, I make sure that 70-80% of the writing has been put into my words, leaving 20-30% falling into the category of THERE IS NO BETTER WAY TO SAY IT.
Wabi-Sabi Is The Best Life Philosophy
Wabi-Sabi is more than just minimalism. It’s a philosophy of imperfection and acceptance to live your life by.
The Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi is about noticing and appreciating imperfection, impermanence and the understated beauty in everyday life. And embracing the principles of Wabi-Sabi might just be the radical act of rebellion you need to break free from the clutches of our hyperproductive, individualistic and perfection-obsessed world.
Incorporating a practice of Wabi-Sabi into one’s life entails, through repeated reinforcement, treating cracks, wear-and-tear and the passage of time not as flaws, but as the core of what makes life beautiful and meaningful.
For example, replacing a broken drawer knob with a personally crafted crochet pull isn’t just fixing a problem; it’s an act of giving your furniture a beautifully asymmetric touch, adding character and a special one-of-a-kindness to it. Similarly, the freckles on your face aren’t blemishes that need to be concealed with makeup; they are their own kind of embellishment for you to wear proudly.
Friday, December 5
Headlines
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
The FBI arrested a suspect in the Jan. 6 pipe bomb investigation. The agency has publicly identified Brian Cole Jr., of Woodbridge, VA, as the suspect in the case that has confounded law enforcement and launched a number of conspiracy theories for nearly five years. The night before the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol, pipe bombs were placed outside the Democratic and Republican headquarters in Washington, DC. While they did not detonate, both bombs were operational and could have killed people, officials said. Beyond naming a suspect, the FBI did not provide details of a motive, or if the bombs were connected to the Jan. 6 insurrection. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that Cole was charged with explosives offenses, though additional charges could be filed.
Lawmakers were shown a video of the lethal Caribbean boat strike. High-ranking US military officers met with members of Congress yesterday and showed them a video of the controversial Sept. 2 follow-up strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea. Admiral Frank M. Bradley, who the White House said authorized the strike, defended the decision, denying reports that there was an order to kill survivors. After seeing the video, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton called the attack “highly lawful,” while Democratic Rep. Jim Himes said it was “one of the most troubling things I’ve seen in my time in public service.”
Paramount called the Warner Bros. Discovery sales process “unfair.” The company behind Mission: Impossible and CBS News did the corporate equivalent of tattling to the teacher, issuing a scathing letter to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and the company’s board. The letter argues that the ongoing bidding war between Paramount, Netflix, and Comcast to acquire WBD is not a fair fight. In particular, Paramount accused WBD leadership of favoring Netflix’s bid and implied it wouldn’t pass regulatory scrutiny. Experts believe the letter could be a prelude to a hostile takeover attempt by Paramount.—AE
Robert Reich
Ten ways to make America more affordable
Friends,
Trump’s economy is truly sh*tty for most Americans. Every time Trump or his lapdogs in Congress tell voters that the economy is terrific, they seem more out of touch.
A significant number of Democrats have won elections over the last 10 months — mayoral, gubernatorial, and special elections — by stressing affordability.
Democrats can show America that they can be better trusted than Republicans to bring prices down and real wages up by promising 10 things.
***
The Democrats’ Pledge to Make America Affordable Again
1. We’ll eliminate Trump’s across-the-board tariffs. They’re import taxes that are raising the prices of just about everything American consumers buy. We’ll eliminate them where their costs to consumers are far higher than any potential benefits in the form of new jobs.
At A Glance
See Pantone's color of the year, "Cloud Dancer."Take the WSJ quiz on how to behave at work.
Goodreads' top books of 2025.
International Landscape Photographer of the Year 2025 award winners.
See how your salary compares to other jobs.
The most mispronounced words of 2025.
What role could tai chi play in improving sleep?
See inside Massachusetts' lost toys museum.
Clickbait: What "bird theory" means for your relationship.
Historybook: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart dies (1791); Walt Disney born (1901); 21st Amendment ratified in the US, repealing the nationwide ban on alcohol (1933); Montgomery Bus Boycott begins (1955); Nelson Mandela dies (2013).
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