iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

A scrappy science project conducted in a makeshift lab in North Carolina led to a significant discovery: two new species of a rare organism that could offer a window into a fundamental transition in the history of life on our planet. nyti.ms/4rK5MHC

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Randy Spivey, one of Christa Pike’s lawyers, said that Pike remained in critical condition on Thursday after a botched execution attempt the night before. nyti.ms/46StlV9

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Weird Al Yankovic has charmed generations, especially those who grew up in his ’80s and ’90s heyday. Now the men of that era are taking their kids to his Bigger & Weirder tour, where he headlined Madison Square Garden for the first time at age 65 last summer. nyti.ms/3TZW5IA

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Weeks before her planned execution, Christa Pike expressed concerns that the lethal injections might not work, according to an unedited audio recording shared by her lawyers in response to questions from The New York Times. nyti.ms/4hUk98R

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It started as a bizarre late-night standoff behind the counter of an In-N-Out, as Luca Opperman grabbed a spatula to confront a woman screaming and bashing the counter with a tree branch. It ended with no injuries, a viral video and free burgers. nyti.ms/4ylmb7K

Luca Opperman, airborne and upside down. A headline reads: "The Viral In-N-Out Spatula Hero Is Exactly Who You Imagined He Was." Photo by Mark Abramson for The New York Times

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Documents from a Cornell University review of the sexual assault accusations from a woman known as Jane Doe, obtained by The New York Times, shed light on the crucial three-week period between the fraternity party and her decision to take her story to the campus police. nyti.ms/4yZQCjG

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How did you do in Connections today? Players must select four groups of four words without making more than three mistakes. nyti.ms/4iUy0wU

A Connections game shows a 4x4 grid of words

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We scoured thousands of Wirecutter recommendations from the past 15 years, focusing on unparalleled items that continue to beat out competitors, impress us with their longevity, and stay in heavy rotation in our lives. These 50 standouts are the best of the best. nyti.ms/4z62v7V

An illustration headlined: The 50 Best Products

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Starting next year, Americans seeking their first passports will be able to apply entirely online, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday. nyti.ms/4yp9eK6

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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a pilot attacked another in a possible attempt to crash FlyDubai Flight 1073. Those aboard the flight said passengers intervened to subdue the assailant. Here's what to know. nyti.ms/4rDP4tg

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Kelly McWilliams is biracial, and she was raised to be proud of her identity, but when she walks into a room, a lot of people perceive her as a white woman. And when she does tell people she’s Black, the situation can get uncomfortable — even scary — very, very fast. nyti.ms/4e5ZQmq

Kelly McWilliams poses for a portrait. Headline: I’m Black, Even if You Don’t See it

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Finding a bra that actually fits is harder than just figuring out your size. After testing more than 35 bras, our expert explains what to look for and which bras are worth buying. nyti.ms/4z9pu26

“There’s a lot more to consider beyond just your band and your cup size that impacts how a bra fits you and feels on your body.” - Zoe Vanderweide, a Wirecutter senior writer, on how to finally find a bra you won’t hate

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In Alaska's annual battle of the big bears, only one can be the winner. And this year, a brown bear that overcame a life-threatening injury in 2007 was crowned the winner of Katmai National Park and Preserve’s Fat Bear Week. nyti.ms/4rCmk48

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Passengers intervened after a clash broke out in the cockpit of a flight to Tel Aviv from Dubai, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, according to accounts from those on board. nyti.ms/4z6mYJJ

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A couple recently received a $575,000 settlement from the city of Milwaukee after 55 swatting calls over the course of three years summoned police to their home. Officials knew the calls were made by pranksters. nyti.ms/3TtgRQH

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Meta is using its A.I. data centers to exploit a lucrative tax break intended to support research and experimentation, according to an exclusive report by The New York Times. The company’s own accountants recognize that the strategy is on shaky legal ground. nyti.ms/3VlavDw

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How did you do in Connections today? Players must select four groups of four words without making more than three mistakes. nyti.ms/4deYdCR

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From @theathleticfc.bsky.social: "We knew it was going to be bad. But this bad? No," our columnist writes about Manchester City. "The club manipulated, doctored and abused the system to ensure English football was lopsided in their favour." nyti.ms/4jxGv17

“No other club has swindled English football so brazenly. Nobody has gone about it in such a devious and heavy-handed fashion. It has disfigured years of competition and, for that alone, Manchester City’s supporters should probably brace themselves for the heaviest of punishments." - Daniel Taylor, senior writer

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After two decades, the U.S. formally withdrew from Iraq, leaving behind a battered nation trapped between the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. invasion and subsequent occupation cost nearly 4,500 U.S. lives and killed more than 115,000 Iraqis, according to the most modest counts. trib.al/E3sCiNB

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Over-touristed destinations and overheated summers have pushed many travelers into fall, a formerly inactive time of year to travel. Here's what to know about off-season travel in November. nyti.ms/4z3G6bh

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In Turkey, fried dough balls known as lokma are served to mark joyous life events like engagements, births or job promotions. But more commonly, lokma is distributed to honor the dead. nyti.ms/4rMsvms

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From @theathletic.com: Yale alums raised more than $30 million to restore a golf course known as a “national treasure.” Now, five months after the course's reopening, members of the community are looking at its condition and asking: What is going on? nyti.ms/3Vg5sEo

Headline on a photo of the dilapidated golf course: A $30 Million Disaster:  How Did Yale Let Its Newly Restored Golf Course Fall Apart?

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Months before OpenAI’s artificial intelligence went rogue and attacked the A.I. start-up Hugging Face, two employees raised an alarm with top executives that its newest A.I. models were not being appropriately monitored during testing. They were ignored. nyti.ms/4hPBVtT

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Prosecutors have reopened the case of a Cornell student who said she was sexually assaulted at a fraternity house in 2024, raising questions about how the case was initially handled by law enforcement and the university. Here’s what to know. nyti.ms/4hw4XNF

The large white and dark-striped Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell University is shown with two people walking in front of it nearby. A headline reads: "What We Know About the Cornell Sexual Assault Investigation." Photo by Heather Ainsworth for The New York Times

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Reverse-engineered from the beloved cookie at City Bakery, Julia Moskin’s Peanut Butter Sandies are made to melt in your mouth. nyti.ms/4e09Ai7

New York's Cult Favorite Peanut Butter Cookie

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Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who was imprisoned in Russia for 16 months, described his ordeal and the moment that nearly broke him in an interview with The New York Times. nyti.ms/4z50V6e

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How did you do in Connections today? Players must select four groups of four words without making more than three mistakes. nyti.ms/4youj7J

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Three years after New York State enacted one of the most progressive laws in 21st-century America — legalizing marijuana as an instrument of racial justice — Hudson’s real-estate market was up for grabs. Can the ideals of social justice meet the realities of capitalism? nyti.ms/4d86jNx

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Unlike other floppy, black hole-esque toiletry bags, this one sits upright and has all kinds of loops, pockets, and pouches to help you neatly organize your products and tools. It's one of Wirecutter's best gifts for frequent travelers: nyti.ms/4AA70sY

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As global birthrates hit historic lows, researchers looked back at the baby-boom era and found federal mortgage programs played a part in the U.S. population upswing after World War II. nyti.ms/4dWY1bp

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Voters in Washington State will soon be asked to decide which they resent more: rich people or new taxes. In a state that has consistently rejected income taxes, voters will get a chance to accept or reject a 9.9% income tax on millionaires in November. nyti.ms/4e4KVJh

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As a nor’easter pounded the shores of Nantucket, videos by the Nantucket Current show it also uncovered a piece of history: a ship that had wrecked in 1884. nyti.ms/4hRiCQT

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In the 11 years since the last episode of "Glee" aired, "musical theater is less marginalized and pop is more open to borrowing from its stage cousin," writes Elisabeth Vincentelli. nyti.ms/4AxbC3b

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Following the U.S. military's intervention in Venezuela, the Trump administration issued a new policy allowing the import of Venezuelan gold. Hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of the precious metal now sits untouched as refiners fear the gold's connection to corruption. trib.al/siKHP1o

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A Russian drone strike on Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences in Kyiv on Monday killed at least one person and injured six, local officials said. nyti.ms/4ddood4

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British counterterrorism police said they would release on bail all five men who were arrested on Sunday for a possible terror plot at RAF Fairford, an air base in southern England. nyti.ms/4hwzHy6

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Radish, a commune spanning seven units and 14,000 square feet in Oakland, California, was built on the idea that people are happiest when surrounded by those they care about. Now, the whole property is ready for its next owner for $3.95 million. nyti.ms/4hxk3Tp

A handful of adults and four children lounge in a communal back yard under strings of lights. Overlaying headline reads "When Your Neighbors Are Your 19 Closest Friends (And Their Kids)" Photo by Gabriela Hasbun for The New York Times

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Breaking News: After a woman filed a lawsuit against Cornell University, a New York prosecutor said that he will reopen the decision not to pursue charges against seven fraternity members who were accused of sexual assault in 2024. nyti.ms/4hu9dgW

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An ad nearly identical to one President Trump ran during his 2024 campaign returned on Saturday, paid for using public money. Several ethics lawyers said it may violate federal law. nyti.ms/4hvMqRN

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The actor Sylvester Stallone is ready to examine his own life, his work and the impact it has had on our culture. In a candid and at times shocking conversation, he said he could “make a castle out of regrets” for what his drive and fame did to his mind and his body. nyti.ms/46NRsnU

Headline over a photo of Sylvester Stallone looking pensive: Sylvester Stallone Hid His Struggles for Decades.  Now He’s Coming Clean.

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Strands is a word search with a unique twist. Can you uncover the theme? Play here: nyti.ms/4xOLb6k

A grid of letters for the Strands word search

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How did you do in Connections today? Players must select four groups of four words without making more than three mistakes. nyti.ms/3T5W05S

The Connections daily game shows a 4x4 grid of words

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