Good Morning! Today’s edition is 986 words, a 3-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Burning ballot boxes

• Research breeder’s mistreatment of dogs

• Bat beauty contest

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Big Story

The Grate Cheese Robbery

Neal's Yard Dairy in the UK was recently scammed out of over 22 tons of artisan cheddar by a fake buyer posing as a distributor for a French retailer.

• The shop unknowingly delivered 950 wheels of high-quality Hafod, Westcombe, and Pitchfork cheddars before realizing it was a fraud. Despite the huge loss, Neal's Yard honored its commitment to small-scale cheese producers and fully paid the cheesemakers involved.

• The theft has been a major blow to the artisan cheese community, which operates on trust and close relationships. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver warned that the stolen cheddar equals a year’s worth of Hafod cheese, potentially affecting availability in the artisanal market.

• Neal's Yard Dairy is working with law enforcement to track down the thieves and has called on the cheese community to report suspicious cheddar sales, especially if they appear in large quantities without tags.

Big Story

Apple Enters AI Race

Apple is jumping into the AI game with its latest software update for iPhone 16.

• This update is available only in the US but will be available in other countries next year. AI features include tools for writing, proofreading, and photo editing.

• Siri will show a glowing light during tasks, and future updates will let Siri work with other apps and even use ChatGPT.

• Apple hopes the gradual AI release will attract customers to upgrade their devices, positioning Apple as a strong competitor in the AI market alongside Android models.

• The software update also enables some AirPods to act as hearing aids. This could benefit the estimated 30 million Americans with hearing loss, most of whom haven't tried hearing aids before.

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Big Story

Burning Ballot Boxes

Early Monday, fires were set in ballot drop boxes in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington.

• In Portland, a fire suppressant protected most ballots, but three were affected, and those voters are being contacted for replacements. The Vancouver fire, however, destroyed hundreds of ballots, as the fire suppressant there didn’t work.

• Washington state officials requested overnight security at Clark County ballot boxes to prevent further incidents. Clark County’s elections office will also collect ballots more often and later in the day to avoid ballots sitting overnight.

• Similar incidents have occurred in other states, like Arizona, where ballots were damaged in a fire at a US Postal Service station dropbox.

Quick Stories

U.S. News

• Halloween could be 15-20 degrees hotter than usual in cities like New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Raleigh-Durham. The Southwest, Gulf Coast, and Deep South are already seeing record warmth, with highs reaching the upper 80s and 90s. (More)

• The Philadelphia district attorney sued Elon Musk’s super PAC over his daily $1M giveaway to registered voters in swing states who sign a free speech and right to bear arms petition. The lawsuit claims the giveaway is an “illegal lottery scheme.” (More)

• California Governor Gavin Newsom has increased the state’s tax incentives for film and TV productions to $750 million a year, hoping to bring more projects back to Hollywood. (More)

World

• Air quality in Delhi, India's capital, has gotten extremely bad over the past few days, reaching levels 25-30 times above the safe limit set by the WHO. It could get worse due to weather, Diwali firecrackers, and crop burning in nearby areas. (More)

• Police in Shanghai were out in full force this weekend to control Halloween celebrations. Officials were worried that people might wear costumes seen as politically sensitive. (More)

• Protests erupted in Tbilisi, Georgia, after the ruling pro-Russian Georgian Dream party claimed victory in a disputed parliamentary election. The pro-Western president and opposition parties have rejected the election results, saying that the voting process was neither free nor fair. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed higher on Monday (S&P +0.27%, Nasdaq +0.26%, Dow +0.65%). (More)

• Trading platform Robinhood announced that users can now trade bets on the upcoming 2024 presidential election. Users who meet certain requirements, like being a US citizen, can trade Kamala Harris or Donald Trump contracts. (More)

• JPMorgan Chase is suing customers who used a glitch to take thousands from ATMs before their checks bounced. The bank filed cases against people who took the most money after the "infinite money glitch" spread on TikTok. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees 4-0 to take a 3-0 lead in the World Series. Freddie Freeman added another home run to his postseason tally, making it three in the last three games. (More)

• Police shut down a Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest in New York City's Washington Square Park on Sunday after the actor crashed the event. (More)

• Manchester City midfielder Rodri has won the Ballon d'Or following an impressive season in which he helped his club and Spain win trophies. Aitana Bonmanti of Barcelona won the femal Ballon d’Or. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• The Biden administration announced on Monday that it is finalizing rules to restrict US investments in certain technology sectors in China that may threaten national security. (More)

• Ridglan Farms, the second-largest research dog breeder in the US, is in trouble for alleged animal cruelty. Activists want a special prosecutor to investigate claims that beagles at the Mount Horeb facility are kept in small cages without outdoor access. (More)

• Researchers at McMaster University believe that bacteria and fungi found on bat wings may help protect them from white-nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease harming bat populations in North America. (More)

Extra Credit

🦇 The Bureau of Land Management’s bat beauty contest.

💤 This technique can help you fall asleep in 2 minutes.

🪙 A rare dime brings in $500K at auction.

🍭 5 tips to ween off added sugars.