Japan's Female PM, ChatGPT Browser, & a Thieving Otter

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Adam Rogers
October 22, 2025

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Japan’s parliament elected Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female prime minister on Tuesday, replacing Shigeru Ishiba after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) election loss in July. Her win was secured through a new coalition deal with the right-wing Japan Innovation Party, ending months of political deadlock.
The alliance pushes Japan’s government sharply to the right on immigration, defense, and social issues. Takaichi, a protégé of the late Shinzo Abe, backs constitutional changes to expand Japan’s military, opposes same-sex marriage, and supports male-only imperial succession.
Her government faces economic pressure from rising prices and eroding public trust after LDP corruption scandals. Takaichi must quickly present a stimulus plan and build coalitions to pass legislation, as her bloc lacks a majority in both houses.

Vice President JD Vance arrived in Israel on Tuesday to prevent the collapse of the Gaza ceasefire brokered by President Trump on Oct. 13. The truce faces strain after Israel dropped 153 tons of ordnance on Gaza Sunday following two soldier deaths in Rafah. Hamas denies involvement in the killings.
Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived Monday to push negotiations toward permanent peace, including Hamas disarmament, replacing Israeli troops with a multinational force, and establishing a Palestinian administration.
US officials worry Netanyahu may abandon the ceasefire and resume a full offensive against Hamas. Netanyahu brushed over his upcoming summit with Vance in a Knesset speech on Monday, instead boasting that Israel is 'stronger than ever before' after Sunday's bombardment.

OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT Atlas, a new browser that blends AI chat and web navigation. Released yesterday on macOS, it will roll out soon to Windows, iOS, and Android. Paid ChatGPT users get early access to “agent mode,” which lets the AI take actions like booking flights or editing documents.
The browser keeps a “memory” of user interactions to personalize responses and features a split-screen that displays webpages alongside ChatGPT’s commentary. Users can manage stored memories or switch to incognito for privacy.
Atlas enters a growing field of AI-driven browsers. Perplexity’s Comet and Google’s Gemini-infused Chrome are competing to automate web tasks as AI assistants move from search boxes to the browsing experience itself.

A Jan. 6 riot defendant pardoned by Trump in January was arrested for threatening to kill Rep. Hakeem Jeffries before his upcoming New York speech. (More)

North Carolina Republicans began redrawing congressional maps Monday to gain another House seat and defeat Democratic Rep. Don Davis in 2026. (More)

Crews started demolishing part of the White House East Wing on Monday for Trump's new 900-person ballroom. The project costs $250 million. (More)

The European Parliament approved rules Tuesday making driving bans work across all EU countries, fixing a gap where 40% of cross-border traffic offenses went unpunished. (More)

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy began serving five years in a Paris prison on Tuesday for illegally funding his 2007 campaign with Libyan money. (More)

Thick smog blanketed New Delhi on Tuesday after Diwali fireworks pushed air pollution to hazardous levels. The capital faces this crisis every winter when fireworks mix with crop fires and cold weather. (More)

US stock markets closed mixed on Tuesday (S&P +0.00%, Nasdaq -0.16%, Dow +0.47%). The Dow finished at a record high on strong earnings from Coca-Cola and 3M. (More)

Amazon plans to use robots to avoid hiring 600,000 US workers by 2033 despite doubling sales, internal documents show. The company expects automation to save $12.6 billion by 2027. (More)

Warner Bros. Discovery, owner of HBO and CNN, put itself up for sale on Tuesday after getting unsolicited offers. The media company is worth over $45 billion but carries heavy debt. (More)

Kevin Durant's Houston Rockets debut ended in a 125-124 double-overtime loss to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Oklahoma City on the NBA’s opening night. (More)

Netflix gave rivals Mattel and Hasbro unprecedented dual toy licenses for "KPop Demon Hunters," with products launching in spring 2026. The animated movie became Netflix's most-watched film ever with 325 million views. (More)

The Los Angeles Angels are hiring former catcher Kurt Suzuki as manager after talks with Albert Pujols broke down. Suzuki has no coaching experience but worked three years in the front office. (More)

Scientists tested rectal oxygen delivery in 27 men using liquid enemas to treat respiratory failure. Twenty completed the hour-long trial with only mild discomfort, proving the method is safe for humans. (More)

Australian scientists exploring the deep sea discovered 20 new species, including a glowing lantern shark and a semi-transparent crab. (More)

Brain scans of people watching Alfred Hitchcock showed older adults' brains shift between activity states less often than younger people's, possibly explaining why time feels faster with age. (More)

The surfboard-stealing otter could have struck again.

Stolen Louvre crown jewels are estimated to be worth $102M.

Locals rank Europe’s happiest cities.

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