Happy Saturday! Today’s edition is 1,049 words, a 3 ½ minute read.

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Saturday’s Quick Hits

Amazon made more than $1B using secret algorithm called ‘Project Nessie,’ FTC says

Newly released portions of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s antitrust lawsuit against Amazon revealed that the company used a secret algorithm called "Project Nessie" to inflate prices, allegedly generating over $1 billion in excess profits from 2016 to 2018. The algorithm raised prices by predicting whether other online stores would follow an Amazon price hike and adjusting accordingly. While Amazon halted the project in 2019, the FTC warned that there are no technical barriers preventing Amazon from reviving or expanding its use in the future. (More)

Hezbollah tells US to halt Israel's Gaza attack to prevent regional war

In a recent speech, the leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, warned the United States that preventing a regional conflict hinged on stopping Israel's attack on Gaza. He also hinted at confronting US warships in the Mediterranean. Hezbollah has been engaged in border clashes with Israeli forces since October 8 but has not fully unleashed its arsenal. Nasrallah suggested that further escalation would depend on events in Gaza and Israeli actions toward Lebanon. The United States deployed two aircraft carriers to the Mediterranean to deter an expanded conflict. The extremist leader also showed readiness to face US warships, referencing past attacks on US interests in Lebanon. (More)

US adds 150k jobs in October as labor market cools

In October, the US labor market showed a slowdown, with the addition of 150,000 jobs and a rise in the unemployment rate from 3.8% to 3.9%. This cooling follows strong growth during the summer and could ease concerns at the Federal Reserve about inflation. Furthermore, revisions to August and September data resulted in 101,000 fewer jobs than initially reported. Average hourly earnings increased by 0.2% in October, while the health care sector saw significant gains with 77,000 new jobs, although a strike in the auto industry caused a decline in manufacturing employment. (More)

Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson and more inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

The 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony celebrated music legends like Sheryl Crow, Chaka Khan, Willie Nelson, Kate Bush, and more. Crow and Olivia Rodrigo opened the night with a performance, and Laura Dern honored Crow's impactful career. Chaka Khan, with the help of H.E.R., Sia, and Common, performed her hit songs. Willie Nelson's segment featured various artists paying tribute to him. George Michael was honored posthumously by Miguel, Carrie Underwood, and Adam Levine. The Spinners, DJ Kool Herc, Kate Bush, Rage Against the Machine, Link Wray, and Al Kooper were also inducted into the hall. (More)

"Home funds" are the newest wedding registry fad

More couples are asking for help with a down payment on their first home as a wedding gift, with the share of couples including "home funds" in their wedding registries increasing by 55% since 2018, according to The Knot. High housing costs, especially for younger generations, are driving this trend, with many turning to renting instead of buying due to the increased mortgage rates and the need for family financial support for down payments. (More)

Supreme Court to weigh Trump-era bump stock ban

The Supreme Court has agreed to review the Trump-era ban on bump stocks, gun attachments that enable semi-automatic weapons to fire rapidly. The ban was introduced by the Justice Department after the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas. Different federal appeals courts have issued contrasting rulings on whether this regulation, defining bump stocks as machine guns, complies with federal law. The case centers on whether the Trump administration followed federal law when implementing the bump stock ban, which took effect in 2019. A decision is expected by early summer 2023. (More)

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Weekly Dose of Positive

Shootings are plummeting in New Orleans

New Orleans has witnessed a significant decline in homicides and gun violence, with a 24% reduction in homicides this year, nearly double the average among 150 other cities. Between July and September, the city reported a 36% drop in murders compared to the same period last year, the lowest since October 2019. The cause of this progress is not immediately clear, but city leaders attribute it to an expanded summer work program for young people and pandemic recovery. (More)

Millionaire builds 99 tiny homes to cut homelessness in his community

Successful entrepreneur Marcel LeBrun is using his wealth to build a community of tiny homes in New Brunswick, Canada for homeless residents. He invested $4 million of his own money to construct 99 tiny houses. They come with a full-service kitchen, living and bedroom areas, a full bathroom, solar panels on the roofs, and a small deck. The community features an enterprise center with a coffee bar and a teaching kitchen, providing opportunities for residents to reintegrate into society while enjoying the benefits of property ownership. (More)

Missing Halloween for heart surgery: Neighbors throw early trick-or-treat surprise for 4-year-old girl

Naz Hassan, a 4-year-old from Syria, missed Halloween due to heart surgery scheduled for the day before. However, her community made sure she didn't miss out on the holiday. Over 60 houses in the neighborhood threw her an early Halloween celebration. Naz's surgery, performed at Children's Hospital New Orleans, was successful, closing a hole in her heart with a Gore-Tex patch and repairing a cleft in her mitral valve. She is expected to recover and go home soon. (More)

Cervical cancer trial hailed as ‘remarkable’ after 35% reduced death rate using simple intervention

A British cervical cancer trial found that administering an existing chemotherapy drug at a specific time could reduce the mortality rate by 35%. In the trial of 500 female patients, those who received a combination of carboplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation therapy had an 80% survival rate after a 5-year follow-up, with cancer not returning in 73% of cases. The researchers concluded that this combination of drugs and therapy should become the new standard of treatment for cervical cancer. (More)

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Bonus Material

One man’s yearslong quest for the world’s greatest sandwich.

How marijuana changes your sleep.

South Carolina’s new food trail has 20 stops for mayonnaise.

Meet the woman with the longest legs in the world.