November 16, 2023 - Thursday

[WORLD] Pūteketeke, a threatened bird in New Zealand, won the Bird of the Century contest with the help of comedian John Oliver's campaign.

The pūteketeke, also known as the Australasian crested grebe, was crowned Bird of the Century in New Zealand's contest after receiving over 290,000 votes. Comedian John Oliver supported the campaign for the pūteketeke with various antics, such as billboards, banners, and dressing up as the bird. The contest, organized by conservation organization Forest & Bird, saw the kiwi come in second place. The pūteketeke won due to its unique appearance, parenting style, and peculiar mating rituals.

No sources available.

[NATION] Hundreds of Metro Detroit Jews were stranded at a D.C. airport after bus drivers allegedly walked off, causing them to miss a pro-Israel rally.

Hundreds of members of Detroit's Jewish community traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in a pro-Israel rally, but they were unable to attend due to a "malicious walk-off" by some bus drivers. The stranded group, including about 300 people, was left on the Dulles Airport tarmac for 11 hours before being sent back home. This prevented them from participating in the March for Israel event, causing frustration among the attendees.

No sources available.

[BUSINESS] The United Auto Workers' tentative agreement with General Motors is back on track for ratification after major plants voted against the pact.

The United Auto Workers' tentative agreement with General Motors is on its way to being ratified despite initial rejections at major plants. As of Wednesday afternoon, the deal had the support of about 54% of workers who had voted. However, there is still pending voting at small facilities and a crossover plant in mid-Michigan. The disapproval of the agreement can be attributed to concerns about unequal benefits for different employee groups and lingering distrust in union leadership after past corruption scandals.

No sources available.

[TECHNOLOGY] Microsoft has renamed Bing Chat to Copilot in order to create a unified chatbot experience and compete with ChatGPT.

Microsoft has renamed Bing Chat, its AI-powered chatbot on Bing, to Copilot in an effort to create a unified Copilot experience for both consumer and commercial customers. The premium version, Bing Chat Enterprise, has also been rebranded to Copilot. Microsoft's decision to rebrand comes as it competes with OpenAI's ChatGPT and aims to position Copilot as the option for consumers and businesses seeking AI assistants. The renaming follows Microsoft's integration of a ChatGPT-like interface into its Bing search engine earlier this year.

No sources available.

[SPORTS] Giants' Logan Webb finishes second in NL Cy Young voting, while Blake Snell wins the award for the Padres.

The San Francisco Giants' pitcher Logan Webb finished second in the 2023 NL Cy Young voting, with the award going to Blake Snell of the San Diego Padres. This marks the first time a Giants pitcher has placed in the top three since Tim Lincecum won the award in 2009. Webb's performance this season received recognition, but Snell earned the honor with 28 first-place votes. This news comes alongside the announcement that Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees won the AL Cy Young Award unanimously.

No sources available.

[SCIENCE] Comets could potentially spread the ingredients for life to other planets in the universe, according to new research.

New research from the University of Cambridge suggests that comets could transport the building blocks of life to exoplanets. The study proposes that comets traveling in 'peas in a pod' systems, where planets orbit closely together, could deliver organic material needed for the formation of life. It is important for comets to travel at speeds below 15 kilometers per second to ensure the survival of essential molecules upon impact. This research provides insights into the possibility of life on other planets and raises questions about how life on Earth may have originated.

No sources available.

[HEALTH] The life expectancy gap between men and women in the United States has widened to nearly six years, the largest difference since 1996.

A study shows that the life expectancy gap between American men and women has reached its greatest difference since 1996, with women expected to live nearly six years longer than men. Factors contributing to this widening gap include the COVID-19 pandemic, higher male mortality rates from accidental injuries, drug overdoses, and suicides. Concerns have been raised about the need for gender-specific healthcare interventions to address this growing disparity.

No sources available.

[ENTERTAINMENT] Lisa Kudrow and Jennifer Aniston paid tribute to their Friends co-star Matthew Perry, emphasizing the close bond they shared.

Lisa Kudrow expressed gratitude to Matthew Perry for the 10 years they spent together on the show, mentioning their poker games that inspired an episode. Jennifer Aniston shared an emotional tribute to Perry, reflecting on their deep friendship and the impact he had on their lives. Aniston mentioned their ongoing communication through text messages and expressed her love and admiration for Perry.

No sources available.