Republicans will maintain their slim majority in the House, surpassing the 218-member threshold and cementing GOP control in the House, Senate, and White House. Democrat Kirsten Engel conceded to Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) on Wednesday, pushing Republicans past the 218 votes needed to secure the House majority, according to projections from multiple networks. The Associated Press has […]

House Republican leaders are speaking to the press after holding their votes for leadership positions within the conference. Republicans are expected to retain their majority in the House of Representatives, but the Associated Press has not projected which party will have control of the lower chamber of Congress. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE […]

Phil Spencer just confirmed that Microsoft wants to release an Xbox handheld. He also said that the company is still working on an Xbox mobile store and exploring more studio acquisitions.

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We've been in Mexico City for almost seven weeks, our longest trip yet. I came here with two big items on my to-do list, both book-related: Get the Windows 11 Field Guide updated for Windows 11 version 24H2 and publish at least a preview of the new book I'm writing with my wife, Eternal Spring: Our Guide to Mexico City. And I can't say I've been successful with either, despite literally working on both projects every single day.

You've at least seen the progress I've made on the Field Guide: To date, I've published 28 chapter updates to the book since we got here, which I will admit is rather incredible. But here's what you probably don't know. Every one of those chapters includes new content, and while the amount of new content isn't always profound, some of those updates are quite good from a new material perspective.

Here's one example. I'm particularly happy with the work I've done with local accounts over the past few weeks. This involved resetting several of the PCs I have here, starting over from scratch with local account-only configurations to determine whether doing this will alleviate some of the enshittification in Windows 11, most notably the forced OneDrive Folder backup behavior. Most recently--two days ago, I guess, I reset my Surface Laptop 7, too, and am now using it this way. And ... so far, so good.

But even if this work doesn't "solve" the OneDrive Folder backup problem--and it kind of doesn't, since you could easily screw it up in any number of ways, for example by running a backup with Windows Backup--this was a good experience for me. It helped me dramatically expand the Local accounts and Device encryption chapters in the book, and I now fully understand what it means when Microsoft says that it "enables" device encryption by default in 24H2: This is both a dramatic change from before and no change at all, depending on how you configure the PC. (I'm working on an update to the Windows backup chapter now as a result.)

These book updates remind me of the security rabbit hole I went down at the end of 23H2: Microsoft had added passkey "management" support in Windows 11 version 23H2 and in trying to figure out what that meant, I learned a lot. One, the passkey management capabilities in Windows 11 are a joke. Two, passkey support in the Microsoft account is even more of a joke (is, in fact, half-assed). Three, that both of these things are getting better, though both have a long way to go. Four, that Microsoft had long ago based its support for online account sign-ins and Windows Hello on the FIDO-based foundations of passkeys, and now that passkeys are "real," it is making Windows 11 fully compliant with that as passkeys get portable. And there's more, but whatever. All I wanted to do was write a short new chapter for the book and I ended up learning more than I ever wanted to about online account security. It was worth it.

And that's what this October/November was like. A lot of work. Some output that ...

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Amazon is shutting down Freevee, its ad-supported video streaming platform formerly known as IMDb TV. All of its content is already available on Prime Video.

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Stardock today released DesktopGPT 1.0, its new AI app for the Windows desktop. DesktopGPT integrates with multiple LLMs.

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The Windows 11 Insider build 22749 is out on the Canary Channel, and it includes the same Narrator improvements that are also rolling out to non-Insiders with this month's Patch Tuesday updates.

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To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Warcraft franchise, Blizzard just surprised-dropped new Warcraft 1 and 2 remasters alongside a patch 2.0 for Warcraft 3: Reforged.

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One really great thing to do every day of the week by Megan Seling WEDNESDAY 11/13  

Secret SIFF Staff Benefit Screening!

(FILM/FUNDRAISER) Days after getting our souls ripped out and stomped on by more than 75 million Americans on November 5, SIFF had to break even more bad news: SIFF Cinema Egyptian will be closed for the foreseeable future due to a “significant pipe leak.” It happened Tuesday evening. I blame Trump for this, somehow. This sucks for moviegoers, of course, but it’s an even bigger blow to the workers whose future employment has been put into upheaval. Tonight, SIFF supporters have organized a super secret screening and fundraiser at Northwest Film Forum to raise funds for the staffers impacted by the closure. What movie? It’s a surprise! They promise it is “VERY good.” It’s free, but hopefully, you can kick at least a few bucks into the SIFF Cinema Workers Union Fundraiser on GoFundMe. And if you show your proof of donation at the concession stand, you get a free small popcorn! (Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave, 7 pm, free) MEGAN SELING

The Blood Brothers

(MUSIC) Like any fan of Seattle hardcore band the Blood Brothers, I have found myself at a show, pressed up against a wall of people, shouting the wrong lyrics to their songs. For instance, on their hit "USA NAILS," there's a hook where you think you're singing a cheer-style "one, one, and two!" but the lyrics are actually: "These pigs locked me up to see what color I'd rot into!" When I sat down to talk to Johnny Whitney, who fronts the band with fellow singer/screamer/guttural whisperer Jordan Blilie, he noted that plenty of lyrics websites list incorrect verses for Blood Brothers songs. "It's hilarious how wrong some of them are," Whitney said. "The lyrics on Spotify are not even close to what I'm actually saying. Just buy the fucking CD, and look it up. Come on, people." Read the full interview here. (The Showbox, 1426 First Ave, Nov 14-15, 8 pm, Thurs is all ages, Fri is 21+) SUZETTE SMITH

Babe Fest 2

(PARTY) During a time that feels both politically glum and literally glum outside, join your fellow babes to let loose in a sparkly sea of positive energy. DJ Wax Witch (the mastermind behind Seattle's girl-powered DJ series Babe Night) will host the second annual Babe Fest, featuring a therapeutic blend of '90s pop, Y2K dance, and Euro house bops. Fellow spinderellas SofiiaK, Abbie, Reverend Dollars, and Ten Billion Jules will join the fun in addition to live sets from friendship-focused bands Who Is She? and THEM (full disclosure: my sister is in this band, but I’d think they’re great even without blood relation, I promise!). Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Rain City Rock Camp, a local nonprofit that empowers creativity in femmes and gender-nonconforming individuals through music with sliding-scale rock camps and education. (Baba Yaga, 124 S Washington St, 7 pm, $15-$20, 21+) AUDREY VANN

World Toilet Day

(COMMUNITY) In honor of the United Nations' World Toilet Day on November 19, the Gates Discovery Center invites toilet users of all stripes for a day of activities and exhibits highlighting the importance of the porcelain throne. You can make your own "pooparium," a terrarium filled with biosolid compost, or stop by the water bar to see if you can taste the difference between tap, bottled, and filtered water. I think even the most stoic of us won't be able to resist giggling while playing poop-into-toilet-themed corn hole—and who doesn't need a laugh right now? (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center, 11 am-3 pm, free, all ages) SHANNON LUBETICH

STÖR

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(VISUAL ART) If you assume STÖR is a parody of a certain meatball-serving Swedish mega-retailer, you'd be right—but it's more than that, too. The labyrinthine Base Camp Studios project was imagined as an "immersive rebrand of how we experience, consume, and purchase art." That means you can explore and shop the STÖR space while contemplating the confluence of commerce and artistic production. Mary Anne Carter, Lilia Deering, and over 25 other participating artists have outfitted the installation with "surreal reinterpretations" of mass-produced home goods and decor. (Base Camp Studios, 1901 Third Ave, through Jan 10, $15 suggested donation) LINDSAY COSTELLO

Katie Gavin

(MUSIC) As a devoted stan of queer indie pop icons, Gayotic podcasters, and self-proclaimed "greatest band in the world" MUNA, I've enjoyed watching member Katie Gavin step into her solo side project. She cites Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple, Ani DiFranco, Tracy Chapman, Tori Amos, and Sarah McLachlan as influences on her debut album What a Relief, which was largely written on acoustic guitar over the course of seven years, and their raw honesty shines through on nostalgic '90s-tinged singles like "Aftertaste" (a sweet, woozy ode to the vulnerability of a nascent crush) and "Casual Drug Use" (a compassionate affirmation in the face of substance abuse issues, penned in the wake of a breakup in 2016). (Neumos, 925 E Pike St, 7 pm, $39-$45, all ages) JULIANNE BELL

Matty Matheson

(FOOD/BOOKS) You might already know the boisterous, tattooed, foul-mouthed Canadian chef Matty Matheson for his role as handyman Neil Fak on FX's The Bear (which he also executive produces) or for his joyfully chaotic cooking channel on YouTube. His latest cookbook Soups, Salads, Sandwiches involves all three of the holy comfort food triad, with recipes like crab congee, "Everyone's Mom's Macaroni and Tuna Salad," and Cubanos. Best of all, the book's commentary stays true to his signature raucous, jovial voice. He'll chat with Little Fat Boy food writer and photographer Frankie Gaw about the release. (Town Hall Seattle, 1119 Eighth Ave, 7:30 pm, $7-$139, all ages) JULIANNE BELL

It's good to have a record of the things you posted and when you posted it. On August 12 of this year, I tweeted this: "When the NYT makes Trump sound like a reasonable candidate that a sane person might vote for, remember this day." I included a screen shot of the front page of the NYT on Jan 7, 2021. One in three Trump voters still watch mainstream news, which follows the lead of the NYT, and if they had been straight with us, perhaps enough people who like Trump's style would have realized the danger, and voted in a conservative way, ie to conserve the Constitution. Because of how they covered it, we now get to re-run the 2016 experiment all over again.

But, as Heather Cox Richardson points out in Jon Stewart's weekly podcast (a must-listen) -- we have more experience too, and perhaps will know better how to deal with Trump and know that his bark is often worse than his bite. I have to say as the new reality sinks in, I'm not as scared as I was on Election Night last week or even Election Night in 2016. A lot of people will sell out this time who didn't before. But the problems of climate change have gotten worse in the intervening years, and people feel it in their bones, pocketbooks and fears. You think inflation was bad? This will be far worse and it's happening now, and nothing we can do at a human scale will make it go away.

We're dealing with a very unusual drought in the eastern US now. Fires are breaking out where we never used to have them. Yeah this shit is real, and even people who don't believe in science are feeling it.

As someone once said, you should never waste a good crisis. A lot of other people feel compelled to move. Unfortunately some are moving to the wrong place, as they always do. Making change isn't easy, but is possible, if you understand how people move. As they try to figure out what the Dem's failed at, that's it.

Skate to where the puck will be, not where it was, as another famous philosopher once said. And people don't listen to their friends, they listen to their competitors (which I said, sadly, but then put that fact to use to get various standards to fly by without debate). There is a method to human madness, in other words, imho.

Whenever you ask for something with Bluesky they tell you about how a user account is like a website, you just have to make it work a certain way, that some devs have mastered, and I guess I could too, but right now all my attention is focused on WordPress and getting it to work well with ActivityPub so my editor can get directly into the Mastodon network and possibly with Threads too.

But what about Bluesky which is growing like a weed now??

It might be easy for the right person.

1. Come up with an interface that makes it so that a WordPress blog is just a user on the Bluesky network.
2. They have a nice API, I've just spent a year implementing on top of it. I imagine for someone who knows both WordPress and Bluesky this might be a weekend project?
3. Do it, and blow our minds! There's a lot of content out there in WordPress and a lot of people publish on it.
4. And the best part of it is that it totally drives adoption of textcasting which is my not so hidden agenda. ????
5. And for the people who are starting to think it's only an ActivityPub thing, think again.

If you do this you might not win the Nobel Peace Prize but you will be Nerd of the Year in my book!

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The expansions are expected to be completed over the next 24 months, with phase 1 of the total expansion at Indri plant of malt and ethanol reaching completion in early 2025. At its Indri plant, the company is expanding its warehousing infrastructure to accommodate over 1 lakh barrels.

Wrangler has expanded its retail footprint in India with the inauguration of six new stores. Located in Ujjain, Goa, Indore, Bilaspur, Katihar, and Bareilly, these additions bring Wrangler's total store count to 58 across India.

Reliance's luxury beauty retail chain, Tira, opened its flagship store at Jio World Plaza in Mumbai. The store features 15 exclusive shop-in-shop boutiques of global beauty brands like Dior, Estée Lauder, and YSL. Customers can enjoy personalized shopping experiences, a beauty concierge service, and a café. The store also features a scent room with curated international fragrances.

Cooking oil prices in India rose significantly. Palm and sunflower oil prices increased. International prices surged due to production issues. India's demand for cooking oil remained high. The situation surprised the industry. FMCG companies faced pressure to increase prices.

India's quick commerce market is booming and is set to reach USD 40 billion by 2030. This surge is driven by consumer demand for fast deliveries, with 46% of consumers reducing their reliance on traditional Kirana shops. Quick commerce platforms are projected to capture 21% of total Kirana sales by 2024.

India's economic growth in the second half of this financial year will be driven by rural demand and government spending. The rural economy is gaining momentum. Consumer durables and non-durables are showing strong performance. The manufacturing sector is also exhibiting growth. However, there are signs of a slowdown in industrial growth.

Sales of personal luxury goods are projected to decline by 2% this year, marking the industry's weakest performance since the 2008-09 financial crisis. This downturn, attributed to price increases and economic uncertainty, has particularly impacted China, a key market for luxury brands. The shrinking customer base and shift towards higher price points have prompted concerns about the industry's recovery timeline.

Apparel exporter Gokaldas Exports posted an 18.77% rise in consolidated profit at Rs 28.16 crore for the quarter ended September 30, mainly led by exports. The company had posted a net profit of Rs 23.71 crore for the same quarter a year ago.

iPhone shipments in the third quarter of 2024 crossed 4 million units for the first time, driven by steep discounts, multiple financing options, and a strong demand for premium handsets during the festive season, said research firm IDC in a report released Wednesday.

The size of the deal is estimated at over Rs 1,300 crore. With the transaction, both Bharti and DMPL will receive shares of ATFL as consideration and will become public shareholders of ATFL post the transaction. Additionally, ATFL (through DMFPL) will acquire an exclusive, perpetual license for the Del Monte brand in India.

Operating revenue remained largely unchanged at Rs 1,430 crore compared to Rs 1,426 crore in FY23. The company, which secured its maiden fundraise last year, saw a 40% surge in employee benefit expenses at Rs 71 crore, while finance costs rose nearly 50% to Rs 29.5 crore. Total expenses increased to Rs 1,460 crore from Rs 1,432 crore in FY23.

In a blog post on Wednesday, the company said the new Amazon Haul storefront will mostly feature products that cost less than $10 and offer free delivery on orders over $25.

Driven by tier 2 and 3 cities, India's e-commerce sector registered a gross merchandise value (GMV) of approximately $14 billion (more than Rs 1.18 lakh crore) in this year's festive season, marking a 12 per cent growth over last year's festive period, a report said on Wednesday.

Texas indie-rock quartet Swimming With Bears reflects creativity and resilience on formidable anthem “Patient Disguise,” weaving pain and loneliness into an air of euphoria and vibrance.  Juxtaposing contrasting emotions with…

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Kendra Muecke from Kendra & the Bunnies is someone's muse. In her latest single, "Manic Pixie Nightmare," she takes a sledgehammer to a crazy pixie's dream girl. By refusing to…

UK rapper/songwriter/educator BREIS (pronounced breeze) returns with a new informative and enlightening single, "Gimme Dat" that breaks down the dynamics of the music industry. Backed by producer Soliheen's plucky synths…