Category Archives: general

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Trade Group Representing Studio Ghibli, Other Japanese Companies Tells OpenAI to Stop Using Their Content to Train Sora 2 Video Generator

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Japanese content trade group CODA, whose members include the award-winning animation house Studio Ghibli, has issued a letter to OpenAI demanding that the AI company stop using their content to train Sora 2.

CODA, the Content Overseas Distribution Association, also criticized OpenAI’s opt-out system. A representative expressed strong disapproval, stating, “If you really want to make creepy stuff you can go ahead and do it. I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all.” He further added, “I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.”

Founded in 2002, CODA’s members produce content that spans a wide range of media, including anime, movies, TV, music, video games, and publishing. Notable companies within the group include Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.-owned Aniplex Inc., NTT DoCoMo Studio & Live, Kadokawa, Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions Co., Square Enix, Studio Ghibli, Tokyo Broadcasting Systems Television, TV Asahi, TV Tokyo, Toei Co., Toho Co., TMS Entertainment, Nippon Television Network, Japan Broadcasting Corp., Bandai and Bandai Namco Filmworks, Fuji Television Network, Universal Music, and Yomiuri Telecasting Corp.

The letter from CODA to OpenAI, dated October 28, was first reported by the tech news site The Verge.

*Pictured above: Studio Ghibli’s “My Neighbor Totoro”*
https://variety.com/2025/digital/news/studio-ghibli-openai-sora2-japanese-trade-group-coda-letter-1236568751/

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How a father’s injury led his son to help others in his career

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When Garreth Bell was asked in a fourth-grade school assignment who his hero was, he didn’t hesitate to say: his dad, Stephen.

Garreth had a question for his dad: Why are you in a wheelchair? The answer dates back long before Garreth was born.

In 1992, Stephen was just 22 years old when he woke up with extreme back pain between his shoulder blades. It turned out that a blood vessel had burst in his spine, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down.

“I was in rehab for about two months, learning how to just live again. I gained a whole new perspective on the world,” Stephen recalled.

In his school assignment, Garreth wrote, “It’s like he’s still walking because he takes care of himself and the family.” Those words profoundly changed how Stephen felt about himself.

In an email to CBS News contributor David Begnaud, Stephen explained how much Garreth’s words meant to him.

**Son gives dad a special memory**

“When I read it, I felt seen for the first time in a long time. It was as if he understood what I had gone through and how I battled daily to continue to provide for our family regardless of the circumstances,” Stephen wrote.

The assignment also shaped Garreth’s future. He wrote, “Poppa, I’ve been watching you suffer my whole life. I should become someone who can do something about it so that others don’t have to go through what you went through.”

True to his word, Garreth went on to pursue a path to help others. He attended the University of Miami and became a physical therapist. Today, he helps run adaptive beach days—events that assist people with disabilities in getting into the water.

Recently, Garreth helped his dad experience the ocean firsthand for the first time in more than 25 years.

“They had to keep me from jumping out of the chair and swimming,” Stephen said. “It was just like heaven for me.”

“It was the biggest smile I’ve ever seen,” Garreth added, grateful for the special moment.

Since that first swim, Stephen has returned to the beach several times. He considers his son’s compassion and empathy his greatest qualities.

“I was surprised that he said I’m his hero because looking back, if I had to say it again, I’d say I want to be like him when I grow up,” Stephen said. “I strive to be the person that he actually sees.”

For Garreth, the answer to who his hero is remains the same today.

“He taught me how to be a man. He was my role model growing up, and he still is,” Garreth said.

—

David Begnaud loves uncovering the heart of every story and continues to highlight everyday heroes in his exclusive CBS Mornings series, *Beg-Knows America*. Every Monday, get ready for moments that will make you smile or even shed a tear.

Do you have a story about an ordinary person doing something extraordinary for someone else? Email David and his team at DearDavid@cbsnews.com.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dad-inspires-son-career-injury/

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How to spot November’s supermoon, the closest of the year

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NEW YORK — The moon will appear slightly bigger and brighter Wednesday night during the closest supermoon of the year.

The moon’s orbit around the Earth isn’t a perfect circle, causing it to get nearer and farther as it swings around. A so-called supermoon occurs when a full moon is closer to Earth in its orbit. This makes the moon look up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the faintest moon of the year, according to NASA.

November’s supermoon is the second of three supermoons this year and also the closest. The moon will come within just under 222,000 miles (357,000 kilometers) of Earth.

Tides may be slightly higher during a supermoon because the moon is closer to Earth, said astronomer Lawrence Wasserman with Lowell Observatory. However, the difference isn’t very noticeable.

No special equipment is needed to view the supermoon, provided skies are clear. But the change in the moon’s size can be tough to discern with the naked eye.

“The difference is most obvious as a comparison between other images or observations,” said Shannon Schmoll, director of Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University, in an email.

Supermoons happen a few times a year. One in October made the moon look somewhat larger, and another in December will be the last of the year.

https://abc7.com/post/how-spot-novembers-supermoon-closest-year/18108832/

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Thunder Guard Gives Details on Terrifying Burglary

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While the Oklahoma City Thunder have been cruising to victory on the court, star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been facing challenges off the court. The Thunder have won seven straight games to start the season, just a year after capturing the NBA title. Gilgeous-Alexander has continued to shine as the best player on the league’s top team, but recently, he has had to deal with a serious personal issue.

### Break-In at Gilgeous-Alexander’s Home

Just before Halloween, while the Thunder were playing a game against the Washington Wizards, there was a break-in at Gilgeous-Alexander’s home. This incident comes amid a wave of high-profile burglaries linked to alleged organized criminal activities. Fortunately, Gilgeous-Alexander was not at home during the break-in.

Speaking to reporters after a win against the New Orleans Pelicans, he provided a reassuring update on the situation:
“Long story short, everybody’s safe, and that’s all that really matters in the whole thing. Everything else can come and go, but my loved ones are safe, so I’m OK. I’m happy.”

### Staying Focused on the Court

Despite the unsettling incident, Gilgeous-Alexander’s on-court performance has remained unaffected. He scored 30 points in just 30 minutes against the Pelicans, demonstrating his resilience and focus. His dedication is a key reason the Thunder have started the season unbeaten at 7-0, the last undefeated team remaining in the NBA.

With this current streak, the Thunder haven’t lost since Game 6 of the NBA Finals in June against the Indiana Pacers. Last season, Oklahoma City won 68 games and they appear even stronger this year.

### Ongoing Investigation

At this time, it is unknown whether any items were stolen during the break-in or if anyone else was home at the time. The Associated Press reports that the police have not released further details, and no arrests have been made yet.

### Thunder’s Historic Start Thanks to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Oklahoma City’s play on both ends of the floor has been exceptional. The team boasts the second-best defense in the league, allowing under 110 points per game, while ranking seventh in scoring.

Though this break-in is undoubtedly unsettling for Gilgeous-Alexander, there is little indication he will take time away from basketball to handle the situation. It remains to be seen what security measures or actions he will pursue in response to the break-in.

### Looking Ahead

Coming into the season as favorites to repeat as NBA champions, the Thunder have so far lived up to expectations. They have started healthy, a contrast to some other contenders, and continue to build momentum.

As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder as they aim to defend their title and maintain their historic winning streak.
https://heavy.com/sports/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-guard-gives-details-terrifying-burglary/

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MacKenzie Scott gifts $80 million to Howard University, marking one of the school’s largest donations in its 158-year history

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On Sunday, Howard University announced that Scott, who is worth an estimated $35.6 billion, donated $80 million to the historically Black college. True to Scott’s style, the gift is unrestricted, meaning the university can use the resources as it chooses. Of the $80 million, $63 million will go toward Howard University, and $17 million will be allocated to the school’s College of Medicine.

This marks one of the largest single donations to Howard in its 158-year history.

“This historic investment will not only help maintain our current momentum, but will help support essential student aid, advance infrastructure improvements, and build a reserve fund to further sustain operational continuity, student success, academic excellence, and research innovation,” said Wayne A. I. Frederick, Howard’s interim president and president emeritus, in a statement.

Howard University says the gift comes at an “opportune time,” as the federal government shutdown has delayed annual federal appropriations that the school receives to support student success, academic programming, research, and the operations of the university and Howard University Hospital.

Due to the shutdown that began on October 1, new grant awards from the Department of Education have been halted because nearly 95% of non-student aid staff were furloughed, leaving only essential staff working. Key programs like the HBCU Capital Financing Program, which offers renovation and construction loan subsidies, are now left in limbo.

The timing is particularly unfortunate considering that in September, the Education Department announced a $495 million increase for HBCUs and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) for FY 2025.

At the same time, however, education experts find this action difficult to reconcile with the Trump administration’s desire to dissolve the Department of Education.

“If [the Trump administration] actually cared about HBCUs and tribal colleges, then you would not see such a big attack on other sectors of higher education,” Mike Hoa Nguyen, an associate professor of education at UCLA, recently told The American Prospect.

### MacKenzie Scott’s DEI Dedication

Scott’s gift to Howard builds on other recent DEI-focused donations. She donated $42 million to 10,000 Degrees, a Bay Area nonprofit focused on expanding college access for low-income and largely non-white students, alongside other eight-figure commitments to Native student scholars and HBCU endowments through the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).

In September, Scott made a $70 million donation to the UNCF as part of a campaign to bolster pooled endowments across 37 HBCUs. This strategy is designed to increase revenue streams and narrow historical wealth and funding gaps.

In October, the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund announced a $40 million gift from Scott—twice the size of her previous donation to the organization in 2021—representing 20% of its fundraising so far.

Scott emphasizes, though, that while the dollar amounts are high, they don’t fully represent their level of impact.

“When my next cycle of gifts is posted to my database online, the dollar total will likely be reported in the news,” she wrote in an October 15 essay on her organization Yield Giving’s site. “But any dollar amount is a vanishingly tiny fraction of the personal expressions of care being shared into the world this year.”

“The potential of peaceful, non-transactional contribution has long been underestimated, often on the basis that it is not financially self-sustaining, or that some of its benefits are hard to track,” she continued. “But what if these imagined liabilities are actually assets?”
https://fortune.com/2025/11/03/mackenzie-scott-80-million-gift-howard-university/

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Famine Spreads to 2 More Areas in Sudan, Global Hunger Authority Says

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**Famine Spreads to Two Regions in War-Torn Sudan Amid Rising Humanitarian Crisis**

*By SAMY MAGDY*

Famine has spread to two regions of war-torn Sudan, including a major city in Darfur where paramilitary fighters have been rampaging, a global hunger monitoring group reported Monday. The ongoing war has created the world’s largest humanitarian disaster.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the leading international authority on hunger crises, confirmed that famine has been detected in el-Fasher in Darfur and Kadugli town in South Kordofan province. Additionally, twenty other areas in Darfur and Kordofan, where fighting has intensified in recent months, are also at risk of famine.

El-Fasher had been under siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for 18 months, cutting off much-needed food and supplies to tens of thousands of people. Last week, RSF fighters seized control of el-Fasher, reportedly unleashing attacks that killed hundreds. However, the true extent of the violence remains unclear due to poor communications.

Kadugli town has also been under siege by the RSF for months, trapping tens of thousands of people. The paramilitary group is attempting to seize more territory from its rival, the Sudanese military.

### “Extremely High Levels of Malnutrition”

The war, which erupted in April 2023, has devastated Sudan. According to United Nations figures, more than 40,000 people have been killed, although aid groups believe the actual toll could be much higher. The conflict has displaced over 14 million people and fueled outbreaks of disease.

The latest IPC report describes conditions in el-Fasher and Kadugli as having witnessed “a total collapse of livelihoods, starvation, extremely high levels of malnutrition, and death.”

Famine is officially declared in areas where deaths from malnutrition-related causes reach at least two people, or four children under five, per 10,000; where at least 20% of people or households severely lack food and face starvation; and where at least 30% of children under five suffer from acute malnutrition by weight-to-height measurement or 15% by upper-arm circumference.

The IPC has confirmed famine only a few times before — most recently in northern Gaza earlier this year amid Israel’s campaign against Hamas. It also declared famine in Somalia in 2011 and South Sudan in 2017 and 2020. Previously, the IPC declared famine in five locations in Sudan.

### Refugee Camps Emptied as Violence Escalates

Near el-Fasher, sprawling refugee camps emptied as RSF troops advanced. Most displaced people fled into el-Fasher itself or nearby towns. The other famine-affected locations were in parts of South and West Kordofan provinces, which have since fallen under RSF control as well.

The new IPC report estimates that about 375,000 people had been pushed into famine conditions in Darfur and Kordofan as of September. Meanwhile, another 6.3 million people across Sudan face extreme levels of hunger.

### Thousands Flee El-Fasher

The IPC warned that towns near el-Fasher — including Tawila, Melit, and Tawisha — are at risk of famine. Thousands fleeing el-Fasher have been arriving at these locations in recent days. However, aid groups remain deeply concerned for tens of thousands more who remain trapped inside the city or have disappeared while trying to escape.

Doctors Without Borders reported that its aid workers in Tawila treated mostly women, children, and elderly people suffering from “catastrophic levels of malnutrition.” On October 27 alone, all 70 children under five who arrived were acutely malnourished, with 57% classified as severe cases. The following day, screenings of 120 adult men revealed that one in five were malnourished.

Sudanese arriving in Tawila described running out of food during the prolonged RSF siege of el-Fasher, resorting to eating animal fodder in desperation.

### Paramilitary Forces Focus on Darfur

Since Sudan’s military retook the capital, Khartoum, earlier this year, the RSF has shifted its focus to the Darfur region in the west and to Kordofan, aiming to secure supply lines toward the country’s center.

In September, Save the Children warned that food supplies had been exhausted in Kadugli amid escalating fighting. Another Kordofan town, Dilling, reportedly faces similar conditions, though the IPC has not confirmed famine there due to lack of data.

### Acute Food Insecurity Widespread

Across Sudan, the IPC reports that more than 21 million people — roughly 45% of the population — faced acute food insecurity as of September. This represents a 6% decrease from the previous report, which covered December 2023 through May 2024. The reduction is attributed to diminished conflict and improved humanitarian access in Khartoum, neighboring Gezira province, and eastern Sennar province after the military regained control of these areas. This has allowed over a million displaced people to return home.

The IPC called for an immediate ceasefire, emphasizing it as the sole measure that “can prevent further loss of life and help contain the extreme levels of acute food insecurity and acute malnutrition” across Sudan.

—

*Featured image via Associated Press/Norwegian Refugee Council*

**Related Stories**
https://chapelboro.com/world-news/famine-spreads-to-2-more-areas-in-sudan-global-hunger-authority-says

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Netherlands set to return 3,500-year-old stolen sculpture to Egypt

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**Netherlands to Return 3,500-Year-Old Sculpture to Egypt Following Grand Egyptian Museum Opening**

Cairo – The Prime Minister of the Netherlands announced on Sunday that the European nation will soon return a 3,500-year-old sculpture to Egypt. This announcement came just a day after he attended the lavish opening ceremony of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza.

Prime Minister Dick Schoof stated that during a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, he informed his counterpart about the upcoming return of a bust belonging to a high-ranking official from the dynasty of Pharaoh Thutmose III.

The piece was discovered for sale at an art fair in 2022 and was subsequently confiscated after Dutch authorities received an anonymous tip regarding its illegal origin. According to a statement from the Dutch government, the art dealer “voluntarily renounced the sculpture.” After investigation, Dutch police and officials confirmed that the bust was obtained through looting and unlawfully exported.

The sculpture is expected to be handed over to the Egyptian ambassador to the Netherlands by the end of this year. This will mark the first artifact returned to Egypt since the grand opening of the GEM.

Several campaigns have sought the repatriation of looted Egyptian antiquities ahead of the museum’s opening. Egypt’s government hosted dozens of foreign leaders and dignitaries on Saturday for the official launch of the new museum—a $1 billion project decades in the making.

Nevine El-Aref, media adviser to the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, told CBS News on Saturday, “It is a great day for Egypt and for humanity. This is Egypt’s gift to the world. It’s a dream come true. After all these years, the GEM is finally and officially open.”

The Grand Egyptian Museum is one of the largest museums in the world and the largest dedicated to a single civilization: ancient Egypt. Its exhibits span some 7,000 years, from prehistory to the end of the Greek and Roman eras around 400 A.D.

Egyptian officials hope the new museum will significantly boost the country’s tourism industry and stimulate the still-struggling economy. They predict the GEM will attract approximately 5 million visitors annually.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/egypt-netherlands-to-return-3500-year-old-sculpture-gem-museum-opening/

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If Chic Sweater-and-Jeans Outfits Are the Goal, Don’t Miss These Standout Picks From Zara, Madewell, J.Crew, and Nordstrom

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There’s no denying that I’m a sweater-and-jeans girl once fall and winter roll around. This classic outfit combo has endless possibilities and helps streamline getting ready in the morning. Always on the lookout for new pieces to add to my knit and denim collections, I set out to find standout items worth scooping up this week from favorites like Zara, Madewell, J. Crew, and Nordstrom. I was more than pleased with what I discovered.

Below, you can peruse and shop an array of chic sweaters and cool jeans perfect for the ultimate fall and winter 2025 outfits. You’ll find everything from discounted cashmere sweaters and of-the-moment brown knits to trendy jeans in various washes and silhouettes. Keep scrolling to explore 20 sweaters and jeans that are guaranteed to earn you compliments.

—

### Shop Chic Sweaters and Jeans

**BP. Everyday Easy Cotton Blend Sweater**
A neutral pick to pair with everything in your closet.

**ZARA Z.09 High-Waisted Straight Crossover Full Length Jeans**
Major love for cuffed jeans.

**Madewell Striped Pullover Sweater in Alpaca Blend**
Oversized goodness.

**J. Crew Utility Low-Rise Wide-Leg Jean**
These have a cool vintage wash.

**ZARA Soft Knit V-Neck Sweater**
A classic v-neck sweater.

**Madewell The Perfect Vintage Wide-Leg Jean in Softdrape**
Endless styling possibilities.

**J. Crew Wide-Rib Cashmere Cardigan**
I love the fitted silhouette of this cardigan.

**ZARA Z1975 Low Rise Straight Jeans**
Zara jeans are a no-brainer.

**Nordstrom Oversize Cashmere Turtleneck Sweater**
Nothing like a good cashmere sale.

**Madewell The Longline Straight Jean**
Dark-wash jeans make many outfits look more expensive.

**ZARA Striped Knit Sweater**
I’m obsessed with this striped knit.

**Levi’s 501 ’90s Straight Leg Jeans**
I never say no to a great pair of Levi’s jeans.

**Madewell Cloudsoft Drop-Shoulder Crewneck Sweater**
Gray sweaters are a personal favorite.

**J. Crew Nipped Straight Jean in Rigid**
I love the styling of these J. Crew jeans.

**Nordstrom Cashmere Crewneck Sweater**
You had me at brown cashmere.

**ZARA Trf Mom Fit High Waist Jeans**
Perfect for showing off your favorite shoes.

**J. Crew Cashmere Classic-Fit Crewneck Sweater**
Red sweaters are having a major moment.

**MANGO Miami Straight Leg Jeans**
Perfectly relaxed.

**ZARA V-Neck Knit Sweater**
Burgundy sweaters are on-point for fall and winter.

**Madewell The Darted Barrel-Leg Jean**
Barrel jeans are not going anywhere.

—

### Explore More

**Jennifer Camp Forbes** is a senior shopping editor at Who What Wear, where she has worked in a variety of roles including creative director and editor. She’s a well-known shopping expert sought after for advice and insight on the latest trends, outfit ideas, and fashion picks thanks to her thoughtful shopping roundups.

Jennifer’s lifelong interest in fashion started with an internship at Harper’s Bazaar as an undergraduate. Later, while pursuing a master’s degree in psychological counseling at Columbia University, she founded two digital fashion publications: *Le Fashion* and *Olsens Anonymous*. Both sites gained popularity, and after graduation, Jennifer decided to put her plans to become a therapist aside to pursue a career in fashion.

—

Get ready to elevate your fall and winter wardrobe with these stylish sweaters and jeans — the perfect foundation for effortless, chic looks all season long!
https://www.whowhatwear.com/fashion/trends/trendy-sweaters-and-jeans-2025

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New right-wing ‘Wikipedia clone’ calls Holocaust ‘a happy accident’

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SFGate columnist Drew Magary recently tested Elon Musk’s new “Wikipedia clone” known as Grokipedia and reported finding it rife with racism, antisemitism, and falsehoods.

“There is nothing this man cannot make cheaper, wonkier and 20% more Hitler-y,” Magary writes, critiquing Musk’s latest attempt at creating “his own optimized version of Wikipedia.”

For example, Grokipedia’s entry on Adolf Hitler includes a peculiar section titled “Debates and Intent on Functionality,” which, as Magary notes, is absent from Wikipedia’s corresponding article. The passage reads:

> “The historiographical debate on the intent and functionality of Nazi racial policies, particularly the Holocaust, centers on whether the systematic extermination of Jews was the fulfillment of Adolf Hitler’s premeditated master plan or the unintended outcome of bureaucratic radicalization and wartime improvisation.”

Magary highlights this as a dangerously misleading interpretation: “You already know about people who deny that the Holocaust ever happened, so kudos to Grokipedia for introducing, ‘The Holocaust was real, but also it was just a happy accident!’ as a new means of discrediting Jewish history.”

While it is unclear who authored this passage, the entry links vaguely to the Associated Press, but the sourcing remains questionable and ambiguous.

Musk’s site employs a confusing combination of crowdsourcing and proprietary AI software—similar to the algorithms appended to Twitter/X—which predictably results in virulent and problematic content across its more than 850,000 entries. Magary admits that he relied heavily on Wikipedia to verify information: “I never would have sorted this without Wikipedia, so thanks, Wiki!”

Unlike Wikipedia, which is non-profit and entirely human-written, Musk’s Grokipedia operates on opposing principles. Magary describes Elon Musk as “perhaps, second to Donald Trump, our greatest disseminator of bad faith,” suggesting that Musk’s priorities shape this project’s bias.

“It makes sense that he would cobble together a half-assed competitor to Wikipedia motivated by profit, and by his own demented worldview,” Magary writes. He calls Grokipedia “a reactionary product,” a characterization he found blatant during his exploration of the site.

The platform appears chaotic, essentially attempting to rewrite much of history to suit Musk’s interests. Shockingly, when Magary searched for a Grokipedia entry about Grokipedia itself, none existed. He quips:

> “More like WOKE-ipedia. Am I right, fellow plantation owners?! Huh? Anyway, if you think these suggested results make sense, then you’re on more ketamine than Musk himself.”

Regarding sensitive topics such as slavery, Magary criticizes Grokipedia’s so-called “slurbot” for freely denigrating Black and mixed-race individuals or for outright ignoring harmful content altogether—for instance, there is no Grokipedia entry for the N-word.

Musk, according to Magary, tailored Grokipedia directly to appeal to his base. “I got the feeling that his pet project tweaked hot-button entries to tilt MAGA, and then just stole content for all of the normal stuff,” he writes. This mechanism serves as a “whitewashing machine” aimed at spreading racist falsehoods.

Magary concludes that the site has no real purpose other than to strategically insert lies into what should be a reliable reference. This renders Grokipedia not only a malevolent product but also a poor one.

“But hey, maybe Elon didn’t mean for his baby to be such a piece of s—,” Magary jokes. “Maybe it was just the unintended outcome of bureaucratic radicalization and wartime improvisation.”
https://www.alternet.org/wikipedia-clone-musk/

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4 genuinely good Netflix movies to watch this week (November 3 – 9)

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We’re barreling towards the end of the year. Who can believe it’s already November? On the bright side, with a new month comes a new batch of films landing on Netflix, and I’ve picked out four that are genuinely worth watching this week. Don’t take my word for it — all of these are certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, so put away the fruit and grab some popcorn!

### 4. True Grit

It’s difficult to pick a favorite Coen brothers movie; some might say *No Country for Old Men* or *Fargo*. For me, nothing beats *True Grit*. I’m fond of the 1968 novel by Charles Portis, which this movie adapts (rather than remaking the less faithful 1969 John Wayne version), and I’m always a sucker for modern and classic Westerns alike.

But even if you aren’t predisposed to the genre or aware of the source material, *True Grit* is simply a gripping watch: masterful performances, wonderful cinematography from the legendary Roger Deakins, and rich dialogue.

The story follows a no-nonsense 14-year-old named Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), who hires the tough Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to capture Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the outlaw who murdered her father. Joining the duo is Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), who is in pursuit of Chaney for a separate murder.

You would expect the established actors to be great, and indeed they are, but it’s then-newcomer Steinfeld who steals the show, portraying her character with steely determination and more than holding her own. Amazingly, this was her first professional feature-length acting credit, for which she received an Academy Award nomination.

### 3. Back to the Future

“Are you telling me you built a time machine out of a DeLorean?”

If you’re talking about iconic movies, it’s impossible not to mention *Back to the Future*. Having recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, this Robert Zemeckis-directed film never gets old and stands up to repeated rewatches.

If you’ve somehow never seen *Back to the Future*, what are you waiting for? It’s about teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), who accidentally goes back in time from 1985 to 1955, traveling in a souped-up automobile created by his friend Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd).

Marty not only needs to figure out how to get back to the present day but also must protect his future existence by ensuring his parents fall in love.

Part of what makes *Back to the Future* so good is because of how accessible it is. Sure, it’s technically a sci-fi, but it’s not as heavy as that genre label might suggest. It’s charming and funny, with a perfectly paced plot that lets the characters shine.

Those characters are great on the page, but the actors elevate them to another level. For starters, Michael J. Fox’s charisma could carry anything, and Christopher Lloyd is hilarious as the eccentric scientist. Alongside them, you have Lea Thompson as Marty’s flirty mother Lorraine, Crispin Glover as his mega-awkward father George, and Thomas F. Wilson as the dim bully Biff. It’s a recipe for success.

Thankfully, Hollywood has yet to tarnish its legacy with a remake.

### 2. Doctor Sleep

If you want to get into horror movies, the unsettling classic *The Shining* is a must-see. It’s directed by Stanley Kubrick and adapted from the Stephen King novel of the same name. While the film is great, King dislikes it because he feels it didn’t capture the spirit of his book.

He wrote a sequel novel in 2013, which director Mike Flanagan adapted in 2019 with *Doctor Sleep* — a film more respectful to the source material.

Set around 30 years after the events of the Overlook Hotel, *Doctor Sleep* follows a now-adult Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) dealing with his past and battling a cult that kills and feeds on people who possess the same supernatural ability he does.

While you could technically watch *Doctor Sleep* as a standalone, it doesn’t disregard Kubrick’s production. This is why I recommend you check out *The Shining* first, if you haven’t already, so that you can really appreciate the sequel. You’ll have a deeper understanding of the central character, and some scenes will be more effective.

Whatever the case, *Doctor Sleep* is creepy, stylish, and boasts some great performances from McGregor and Rebecca Ferguson.

### 1. Game Night

When I first saw *Game Night*, I went in with no expectations and was blown away by how hilarious, inventive, and action-packed it was.

The 2018 movie, directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, stars Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams as Max and Anne Davis, a competitive couple who host a regular game night with their friends.

When Max’s brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) invites everyone to his murder mystery party, things quickly get out of control when someone is kidnapped, and it’s unclear what’s part of the game and what’s reality.

Bateman and McAdams are outstanding, with some great physical performances, and they completely commit to the increasingly ludicrous situations. However, it’s perhaps Jesse Plemons who is the real highlight. As Gary Kingsbury, the odd police officer who feels excluded from the games, his deadpan delivery of some golden dialogue is a treat.

*Game Night* is only streaming on Netflix for a limited time, so I strongly urge you to watch it this week — you won’t regret it.
https://www.howtogeek.com/netflix-movies-watch-this-week-november-3/