Sunday, December 7
PEARL HARBOR
A Day of Infamy
What happened at Pearl Harbor?
On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (watch visualization). The strike marked the culmination of a decade of rising tensions as Japan expanded its empire across East Asia and the Pacific. With its industrial capacity unable to match the United States in a long-term war, Japanese leaders opted for a preemptive blow designed to cripple American naval power.
The attack—which permanently sank three American ships, damaged 15 more, and killed 2,403 Americans—was a tactical success but a strategic failure. Japanese forces did not hit the base’s oil reserves, submarine facilities, or repair yards, all of which proved crucial in the months that followed. The US Navy ultimately refloated all but three damaged ships, returning many to combat.
Pearl Harbor was the deadliest attack on US soil at the time, jolting the public and neutralizing what remained of isolationist or anti-war sentiment. The next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed Congress (watch here), calling Dec. 7 “a date, which will live in infamy” as he requested—and received—a declaration of war against Japan. Four days later, Germany's Adolf Hitler declared war on the US, pulling America fully into both theaters of World War II.
... Read what else we learned about the day here.
Also, check out ...
> A downed Japanese pilot sparked a three-day standoff on the island of Niʻihau. (Listen)
> One Japanese commander went on "The Merv Griffin Show" decades later. (Watch)
> Small wooden tail fins modified torpedoes to operate in the harbor's shallow water. (Read)
> Watch how engineers salvaged almost every sunken ship at Pearl Harbor. (Watch)
TRENDS
Making your own gifts
zlyka2008/Getty Images
Nothing says “I have no idea who any of you are” like giving everyone in your family the same mini Bluetooth speaker. If you’re looking for a more heartfelt gift and have the patience to fiddle with chunky yarn or peruse the cluttered shelves of your local thrift store, you might even make it to New Year’s without having to declare an “I won’t blow my budget next time” resolution.
Here are some ideas for DIY gifts on a scale of “casual crafter” to “textile expert.”
Thrift flips
There are no fewer than three mentions of butter in this gift guide, but it’s hard to ignore one of the most legendary ingredients of the holiday season. Thrift a butter dish and fill it with a homemade herbal or sweet butter. And by homemade…we of course mean spruced-up store bought—no one has time to churn.
On the non-food side, a vintage glass dish paired with a microwavable candle refill kit is a great alternative to unwrapping another boring sandalwood jar—just make sure the glass is heat-resistant. If you’re buying for someone who doesn’t want an activity, candlesticks and dramatic candleholders are also plentiful in most thrift stores.
Using your hands
Upcycling and textile crafts have exploded among younger generations since the pandemic. If you’ve dabbled in the fiber arts, you could make someone a chunky yarn bag (no extra tools required!) or a beginner-friendly crochet charging cord cover that looks like a plant vine.
But if you fear the fibers, these mini fridge-magnet photo frames can be personalized, and an air-dry clay flower frog pairs well with a fresh bouquet.
For those who know how to thread a bobbin
Reworked hoodies can go for over $100 on sites like Etsy, and while the patchwork versions can be challenging for beginner sewers, those with underlay applique are a bit more forgiving.
Faster projects, like fluffy scrunchies or placemats, can be great for groups or as last-minute gifts. One of these bike bags can also make a nice present, since gear like this can be pretty pricey.
Wild cards: If you want to give someone a gift they can DIT (do it themselves), try this moss rug-making kit or this book about dyeing fabric and materials with food scraps.—MM
zlyka2008/Getty Images
Nothing says “I have no idea who any of you are” like giving everyone in your family the same mini Bluetooth speaker. If you’re looking for a more heartfelt gift and have the patience to fiddle with chunky yarn or peruse the cluttered shelves of your local thrift store, you might even make it to New Year’s without having to declare an “I won’t blow my budget next time” resolution.
Here are some ideas for DIY gifts on a scale of “casual crafter” to “textile expert.”
Thrift flips
There are no fewer than three mentions of butter in this gift guide, but it’s hard to ignore one of the most legendary ingredients of the holiday season. Thrift a butter dish and fill it with a homemade herbal or sweet butter. And by homemade…we of course mean spruced-up store bought—no one has time to churn.
On the non-food side, a vintage glass dish paired with a microwavable candle refill kit is a great alternative to unwrapping another boring sandalwood jar—just make sure the glass is heat-resistant. If you’re buying for someone who doesn’t want an activity, candlesticks and dramatic candleholders are also plentiful in most thrift stores.
Using your hands
Upcycling and textile crafts have exploded among younger generations since the pandemic. If you’ve dabbled in the fiber arts, you could make someone a chunky yarn bag (no extra tools required!) or a beginner-friendly crochet charging cord cover that looks like a plant vine.
But if you fear the fibers, these mini fridge-magnet photo frames can be personalized, and an air-dry clay flower frog pairs well with a fresh bouquet.
For those who know how to thread a bobbin
Reworked hoodies can go for over $100 on sites like Etsy, and while the patchwork versions can be challenging for beginner sewers, those with underlay applique are a bit more forgiving.
Faster projects, like fluffy scrunchies or placemats, can be great for groups or as last-minute gifts. One of these bike bags can also make a nice present, since gear like this can be pretty pricey.
Wild cards: If you want to give someone a gift they can DIT (do it themselves), try this moss rug-making kit or this book about dyeing fabric and materials with food scraps.—MM
Robert Reich
MAGA is cracking up, but beware
Friends,
Ten and a half long months ago, America began spiraling in a terrifying direction. We knew Trump was bad; his first term had been a calamity. But few of us were prepared for the catastrophe that awaited us in the second.
Part of it came because Republicans gained control of both chambers of Congress, and Trump was able to intimidate and browbeat them into submitting to whatever he wanted to do.
Now, finally, the ground is shifting.
Some congressional Republicans are turning hawkish on the budget and reject Trump’s zany notion of $2,000 “tariff dividend” checks, as well as his stated desire to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies for two years.
Russian hawks dislike Trump’s love fest with Putin on Ukraine.
Nor did they appreciate his happy meeting with Zohran Mamdani.
At A Glance
Why Spotify took 18 years to reach profitability.
The US, China, and Germany top the list of 25 largest economies by GDP.
Butterball Turkey fields 100,000 calls each holiday season from the "turkey traumatized."
Volcanic eruptions likely contributed to the spread of the Black Death.
A lucid look at the famous "Are you living in a simulation?" argument.
Why stilts protect seaside homes—and how to determine the ideal height.
Explore a visual-rich survey of India's unique science fiction tradition.
Bill Nye first wore a bow tie while serving at an awards show for gymnastics.
"Morbid curiosity" about horror, true crime teaches about danger safely.
Soap operas earned their name from early soap brand sponsorships.
A list of reasons against dropping the bombs in Japan (with link to opposite view).
Visualize how transformer architecture generates an LLM's outputs.
Big banks built Zelle to compete with Venmo.
The role herd behavior plays in economic bubbles.
L. Frank Baum wrote 14 "Oz" novels.
In The NEWS
CDC advisory panel votes against universal hepatitis B vaccine guidance.
The panel appointed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. voted 8-3 to end a universal recommendation that infants receive a first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Breaking with over 30 years of federal guidance, the panel advises limiting birth doses to babies born to women who test positive for the liver infection or whose status is unknown. For infants born to women who test negative, the panel advised delaying the shot until at least 2 months of age.
Trump wins FIFA's inaugural peace prize at World Cup draw.
President Donald Trump was presented with the soccer organization's inaugural peace prize during yesterday's World Cup draw in Washington, DC. FIFA President Gianni Infantino had lobbied for Trump to win this year's Nobel Peace Prize and announced the new prize shortly after the Nobel Committee passed on Trump. Separately, the US will start against Paraguay in the 2026 World Cup. See full draw results here.
Judge orders release of Epstein grand jury transcripts.
A federal judge in Florida yesterday gave the Justice Department permission to unseal transcripts from 2005 and 2007 grand jury investigations into Jeffrey Epstein. The judge, who previously denied the request, said a new federal law ordering the release of Epstein-related records overrides a law that typically keeps grand jury files sealed. Judges in New York are expected to rule on similar unsealing requests soon.
Putin and Modi to strengthen Russia-India trade ties.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi finalized an agreement aimed at increasing annual trade to $100B by 2030. Bilateral trade totaled $68.7B last fiscal year and was heavily skewed in Russia’s favor. The nations are also pursuing a free-trade agreement for India with the Eurasian Economic Union, a Moscow-dominated bloc of five post-Soviet states.
Satellite boom is a growing threat to telescopes, according to NASA.
NASA researchers warn that a growing number of satellites in low-Earth orbit could ruin up to 96% of images from telescopes and observatories. Sunlight reflected off satellites can create bright streaks that obscure images, like this. Researchers say that risk should be factored into future satellite planning, noting that low-Earth orbit satellites already increased from roughly 2,000 in 2019 to 15,000 in 2025.
Egyptologists confirm the discovery of a pharaoh's tomb.
Archaeologists uncovered a trove of 225 figurines arranged in a star shape within an ancient Egyptian tomb—a rare find given how many sites were looted over the centuries. Symbols on the figurines suggest the resting site was intended for Pharaoh Shoshenq III, though his body was missing. Shoshenq III ruled during a civil war, so the research team believes political unrest likely foiled his burial plans.
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Future of War
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Artificial intelligence in the form of robots and drones will be fighting our wars in the near future. Humanoid robot soldiers will soon be mass produced to replace soldiers on battlefields.
While the Americans, the US Congress, and whichever political administration is in power at the time, RUSSIA and CHINA especially but other countries as well such as: Japan, North Korea, Brazil, South Africa, Iran, and a few billionaires are building strategies that include robot soldiers.
Drones at a huge rate are being deployed in the Russia/Ukraine war with Russia receiving most of its drones from North Korea.
If you can have drones in the air flown by pilots sitting behind a console 1,500 miles away, then the same can be done with tanks, airplanes, ships, and submarines.
Elon Musk, for one, is already planning to build a factory that mass produces robots for human consumptions that would be easy to convert into a factory that builds robot soldiers.
It would not surprise me at all to read or hear that robots are being used as soldiers before 2030 which is only four years away.
Physicists Create First-Ever Visible “Time Crystal”
Physicists have created a visible, self-sustaining “time crystal” using swirling liquid crystals that move in endlessly repeating patterns when illuminated.
Imagine a clock that runs forever without batteries or wiring, its hands turning on their own without stopping.
In a recent study, physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder used liquid crystals, the same materials found in phone screens, to build something that echoes that idea. Their work produced a new form of what is known as a “time crystal,” a phase of matter in which components such as atoms or particles remain in continuous motion.
Although time crystals have been created before, this version is the first that can be viewed directly, which could open the door to practical uses.
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