Toma, as we all know, is one of Italy's most famous cheeses. The name is derived from the cheesemaking process and means "cheese made by the farmer themselves." Meanwhile, it's Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and a time to blow the shofar, wake up, and repent. Shana Tova! Meanwhile, today's cheddlines have plenty to keep you awake well into the middle of next week, if you're of a nervous disposition: Dip some apples into some honey, and wish yourself a sweet and fruitful new year. —Matt Davis, Need2Know Chedditor P.S. We've got a see-through octopus on our 'gram. |
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"We're in discussion of that. I think that would be a little – anyway..." — Joe Biden |
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1. Official Nintendo Museum Opens in Kyoto, So You're Officially Old |
I love that Nintendo has a museum now. I grew up playing Duck Hunt on the Nintendo Entertainment System, and I like to feel that my childhood has the sort of value you need to elevate to museum status. It's an ego thing, basically. Also I'm ancient now.
Nintendo's new museum showcases the firm's evolution into a video gaming behemoth from a playing card company founded 135 years ago. When I was born it was only 90 years old. The museum opening is a significant step for the firm as it transitions leadership and explores new ventures like retail, cinema, and theme parks.
The venue itself is a treasure trove of interactive exhibits and historical displays. The first floor offers shooting games and a baseball pitching simulation, reflecting Nintendo's toy-making origins. The second floor delves into Nintendo's history with visitors able to interact with hanafuda playing cards — Nintendo's first product — and explore the evolution of its gaming consoles and software. The exhibits are meticulously curated to focus on gaming experience over technical prowess, a testament to Nintendo's philosophy of accessible and addictive gameplay.
Shigeru Miyamoto, the legendary designer behind iconic games like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda, said the firm needs new ways to connect with consumers beyond a traditional product-focused approach. I think they should probably just make a newer, better video game system, but as Henry Ford said, if he'd asked people what they wanted, they would have said "a faster horse." Read More |
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2. All the Juicy Details From the New Trump Court Filing |
Special counsel Jack Smith has filed more information in the case against former President Donald Trump over his attempts to subvert the 2020 election outcome after losing to President Joe Biden. The timing couldn't be more useless, really, with Trump running for office again and the next election due in a month. If Trump wins again, the case is likely to evaporate. If Harris wins again, Trump could face legal jeopardy, but nobody will care. The overall effect of the timing of all this seems to be that a president can behave however they want without legal consequences, even if it's to do something illegal.
Among key information in the filing are Trump's disregard for Vice President Mike Pence's safety. Despite knowing the Capitol had been breached and Pence was in danger, Trump criticized Pence on social media for not blocking the certification of electoral results. He also continued to assert the election was stolen, even though aides and advisors informed Trump that his claims were baseless, and his legal challenges would likely fail.
The filing also details attempts by Trump's campaign to sow discord at polling places as the vote count showed a shift toward Biden. Trump also pressured Ronna McDaniel, then-chair of the Republican National Committee, to endorse a report claiming election fraud, which she deemed unreliable. Her testimony reflects internal GOP tensions over how to respond to Trump's claims. I'm sure it's all fine, though. It's fine.
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| Have you ever seen a see-through octopus? 🐙 👀
Meet the glass octopus: nearly invisible, except for its eyes, optic nerves, and digestive system.
A team from the Schmidt Ocean Institute captured stunning footage of this elusive creature while exploring the Pacific Ocean's seafloor. Over 34 days, they spotted the glass octopus twice near the remote Phoenix Islands, thanks to their underwater robot, SuBastian, whose name is a pun! |
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3. Fewer Americans Expect a TikTok Ban Than They Used To |
With over 170 million Americans using the popular social media app TikTok, many are wondering what will come of the potential ban in the United States. Colleen McClain, senior researcher at Pew Research Center, talked to us about how many Americans support a ban and why. It's about a third, but it's declining.
"We have been tracking Americans' views of a TikTok ban since March 2023," she said. "At that point, half of Americans supported a ban on TikTok in the US. That declined to 38% last fall, and that's now down to 32% of all Americans who support a ban on TikTok in the United States."
"Republicans are still more likely to support a ban than Democrats," Colleen said. "However, support for a ban is down since last March in both parties. For the first time, we were able to ask people, 'do you think TikTok will be banned in the U.S.?' And Americans are doubtful."
17% of Americans get their news primarily from TikTok, Colleen said, which is…interesting. Read More |
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4. Oil Prices Jump, Wall Street Jitters Over Israel's Likely Iran Strike |
Stocks sank yesterday as oil prices kept rising amid the world's wait to see how Israel will respond to Iran's missile attack from Tuesday. A barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, leaped 5% to settle at $77.62 after starting the week below $72. It's potentially on track for its biggest weekly gain in nearly two years.
The S&P 500 was edging down by 0.4% in afternoon trading after a shaky week knocked the index off its all-time high set on Monday.
Oil prices rose after President Joe Biden suggested on Thursday that U.S. and Israeli officials were discussing a possible strike by Israel against Iranian oil facilities.
"We're in discussion of that," Biden said to reporters. He added, "I think that would be a little – anyway," without finishing the thought. Biden also said he doesn't expect Israel to retaliate immediately against Iran.
Finish the thought, Joe! For the love of God…It's like JFK saying: "Ask not what your country can do for you…" and then trailing off. Although to be fair, one could intuit the end of that quote. Biden's quote on Israeli retaliation could mean anything. Read More |
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5. How Is Brooks Competing with Nike in the Running Shoe Market? |
We spoke with Carson Caprara at Brooks Running about how the company develops new footwear. The firm is owned by Berkshire Hathaway and has been disrupting the running market, just as Nike's own retail sales are down 10% in the last quarter year-on-year.
"Research and development in footwear takes a while," Carson said. "It takes two years or more. We're constantly listening for how people might have something they wish for in a shoe or something they want to feel on a run. Those are our cues. When they don't exist in a current style, we go right into innovation and start developing that."
"We pride ourselves in being out on the run, listening to what runners are saying," Carson said. "We're in running groups. We have a field rep team that's out in the field doing these groups. Our designers get out into the market and do that. We also have platforms where we can meet with people virtually so we can do longform interviews and see how they progress through the life of a shoe."
The firm also pulls a lot of data using wearables. "We can pull that data in and understand if the shoes are doing what we intended to do," Carson said.
Just do it! Read More |
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