No aid for Gaza, Social Security, and bigfoot footage.

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U.S. News, Politics, & Government

Senior citizens will see a much smaller Social Security boost for 2024

Social Security recipients will receive an annual cost-of-living adjustment of 3.2% for 2024, a much smaller increase than the inflation-fueled boosts of the past two years. Retirees’ monthly payments will rise by $59 to an estimated average of $1,907, starting in January. Recipients had received increases of 8.7% for 2023 and 5.9% for last year.

Sen. Bob Menendez charged with conspiracy to act as a foreign agent in new indictment

Sen. Bob Menendez has been accused of acting as a foreign agent for Egypt in a new indictment filed Friday. Menendez allegedly provided sensitive U.S. government information and took other steps that secretly aided Egypt’s government. He and his wife were previously indicted in New York on federal bribery charges. Menendez has since denied wrongdoing and has refused to resign from Congress. (More)

Middle East crisis pushes Education Department to curb campus protests

Protests on college campuses are putting pressure on the Education Department to release a proposal that could force university leaders to referee pro-Palestinian advocacy and discrimination against Jewish people. It would potentially force colleges to investigate claims of discrimination against ethnic groups or risk losing federal money. Dozens of universities have put out blanket statements trying to sympathize with civilians on both sides of the conflict. However, their attempts haven’t satisfied factions both on campuses and in the professional world. (More)

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World

France investigates suspected poisoning of Russian journalist

Paris prosecutors have opened an investigation into the suspected poisoning of a Russian journalist who displayed an anti-Ukraine war poster on state television. Maria Ovisiannikova told police that she felt unwell when she entered her Paris apartment and noticed a powdery substance. She is feeling better but is still under medical supervision. The journalist and her daughter fled Russia for Europe late last year, fearing for their lives. Just last week, a court in Moscow sentenced Ovisiannikova to 8 ½ years in prison in absentia for protesting the war. (More)

No power, water or fuel to Gaza until hostages freed, says Israel minister

Israel has said that there will be no humanitarian aid allowed through its siege of the Gaza Strip until all its hostages are freed. United Nations experts are concerned for civilians in the area who are running low on water, food, and fuel. In addition to the airstrikes that have been ongoing for the past six days, Israel is preparing to launch a ground invasion in response to the bloody massacres carried out in 20 Israeli communities by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas last weekend. Hamas is believed to have kidnapped between 100 and 150 Israelis during the initial attack. (More)

U.S. reportedly persuaded Qatar to halt $6bn to Iran in breach of deal

The United States and Qatar have reached a “quiet understanding” to temporarily deny Iran access to the $6 billion in Iranian funds that were transferred to Qatari accounts last month as part of a deal to free Americans detained in Iran, following Hamas’ attack on Israel on Saturday. There is no direct evidence of Iran having a direct link to the attacks, but they are being labeled as broadly complicit given their historic support for the terrorist group. All of the money is still currently in the Qatari bank. (More)

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Business & Economy

Daily stock market update

U.S. stock markets closed lower on Thursday (S&P -0.62%, Nasdaq -0.63%, Dow -0.51%) ~ Stocks fell Thursday in response to rising Treasury yields and new data showing persistent U.S. inflation. (More)

Consumer prices rise in September, boosted by soaring shelter and gas costs

Prices paid by consumers climbed more than expected in September, according to new Consumer Price Index data. The CPI, a key measure of rising costs, for the year ending in September, was 3.7%, keeping pace with the figure posted in August. The Federal Reserve’s rate hikes have helped take some of the steam out of the economy, but both inflation and demand have proven resilient, with energy prices jumping and the jobs market still strong. (More)

Retail real estate running low as construction dries up

Retail landlords are running low on available space despite a series of high-profile store closures. In the third quarter, the amount of retail space available for lease plunged to an all-time low since CoStar Group began tracking the figures in 2007. Construction of new space has dwindled to its lowest point in decades, and rising interest rates are making it increasingly cost-prohibitive. Retail construction is unlikely to pick up anytime soon as high interest rates keep investors away. (More)

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Sports & Entertainment

Phillies finish off the Braves in NLDS Game 4

The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 in the fourth game of the National League Division Series Thursday night, closing out the best team in baseball three games to one. Atlanta dismantled teams with a record-setting offense during the regular season, but struggled to score against Philadelphia’s pitching rotation. The Phillies will face the Arizona Diamondbacks in the next round. (More)

IOC suspends Russian Olympic Committee

The International Olympic Committee executive board suspended the Russian Olympic Committee on Thursday after it attempted to claim Ukrainian athletes for Russia. The suspension means the ROC can’t function as a National Olympic Committee and will not receiving funding. The IOC also reserves the right to decide whether athletes from Russia will be allowed to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics. (More)

Contract talks between Hollywood studios and actors break down again

Contract negotiations between Hollywood studios and streaming companies and the performers’ union SAG-AFTRA have broken down once again, continuing the nearly three-month-long strike. The major studios said that the gap between their proposals and the union’s was “too great” and that conversations “are no longer moving us in a productive direction.” (More)

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Science, Health, & Tech

Microsoft Outlook will soon write emails for you

Microsoft 365’s new Copilot tool will help users write their emails to keep sentences concise and error-free. The tool also summarizes long email threads to quickly draft suggested replies. In addition to writing emails, Microsoft 365 users will be able to summarize meetings and create suggested follow-up action items, request to create a specific chart in Excel, and turn a Word document into a PowerPoint presentation in seconds. (More)

Doctors get a step closer to a bionic hand

A woman named Karin had severe phantom limb pain after losing her hand. She was fitted with a special bionic hand that connects to her nervous system. The technology allows her to perform about 80% of what she used to do with both hands and has significantly reduced her pain. It's not as good as a real hand yet, but it's promising. However, the technology is expensive, and private sector investment is needed to make it widely accessible. (More)

Elon Musk’s X says it has removed ‘hundreds’ of Hamas-affiliated accounts

X says it has removed “hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts” and taken down thousands of posts since the attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group. The platform was given 24 hours by the European Union to address illegal content and disinformation regarding the conflict or face penalties. The company has redistributed teams who are working nonstop to monitor the situation. Meta, Facebook’s parent company, was also put on a similar 24-hour notice. (More)

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Bonus Material

Ranked: Median student debt for a U.S. college degree. 

$1.73 billion Powerball jackpot ticket sold in California.

Clickbait: Bigfoot finally caught on camera in Colorado.

A mama bear named Grazer easily wins this year’s Fat Bear Contest.