Keeping up with America

What’s that monolith in Wales? How it compares to the one found in a Utah canyon in 2020: A 10-foot-tall, three-sided steel monolith, placed by unknown hands, was discovered on a hillside in Wales, U.K., on Tuesday, the latest in a series of structures that have appeared around the world.

UnitedHealth cyberattack “one of the most stressful things we’ve gone through,” doctor says: The ransomware attack last month on Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, has turned into a national crisis. For doctors like Christine Meyer of Exton, Pennsylvania, it has become a personal nightmare.

Boeing, Alaska Airlines point fingers at each other in lawsuit over door plug blowout: The legal filings represent the first formal response from each company to any of at least three lawsuits filed in the wake of the Jan. 5 incident.

Book bans in US schools and libraries surged to record highs in 2023: Though the list is broad, many of the 4,240 books were targeted

Oil tanks catch fire at quarry in Maryland suburb of Washington, DC: Environmental officials are monitoring air quality in a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C. after several oil tanks caught fire late at a quarry, sending up a large plume of smoke

Around the World

Mexican lake is being sucked dry by development, drought and lawlessness: Once a glittering weekend getaway for wealthy residents of Mexico City, Valle de Bravo has been reduced to a shrinking muddy puddle by a combination of drought, water transfers to the capital, bad planning and lawlessness.

President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty or independence is threatened, issuing another blunt warning to the West just days before an election in which he’s all but certain to secure another six-year term.

Lets Talk Business and Tech

Morgan Stanley names a head of artificial intelligence as Wall Street leans into AI

Let’s not make the same mistakes with AI that we made with social media

Small Businesses Seek Funding Despite Tough Lending Market

Richer, Wiser, Happier

12 Small Business Ideas in 2024: Small businesses—those with fewer than 500 employees—aren’t really that small when you consider their collective impact on the economy.

Uber Is Becoming a Cash-Flow Machine. Can DoorDash Follow the Same Path and Offer Big Gains for Investors? | Jon Quast, The Motley Fool. All stocks require research before buying. But sometimes after research, I conclude that a company isn’t ever worth an investment — no need to circle back in the future. Some businesses simply burn cash, will burn more cash with scale, and continually dilute investors to pay the bills. I believed Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER) was going to be one of those companies after I researched it in 2019.

Sports and Showbiz Shenanigans

Cowboys land first free agent in Eric Kendricks after he spurned 49ers | NBA Power Rankings: Nuggets Surge to the Top As Timberwolves Falter

Tour of ‘Oppenheimer’ film set opens to visitors in New Mexico | Film and TV’s Carbon Footprint Is Too Big to Ignore

Pierce Brosnan pleads guilty to Yellowstone National Park violation | Grant Page, Legendary Stunt Performer in Australian Films, Dies at 85

 Life Hacks to Hack Your Life

How to Memorize Pi if You’re a Word Person

5 Costco Food Court Hacks, Ranked From Least To Most Unhinged

8 Exercises Trainers Want You to Try to Meet Your Fitness Goals

13 Autumn gardening tips to transition your garden with ease