11.2.2017

Houston Astros Win World Series.
The Houston Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game 7 to win the 2017 World Series (box score). Houston scored five runs in the first two innings - with center fielder George Springer hitting a home run for the fourth consecutive game, tying a record for most home runs in a World Series with five - while holding the Dodgers to six hits. Springer was awarded Most Valuable Player in the Series. Neither starting pitcher made it out of the third inning, and the teams combined to use eight relief pitchers - and though there was only one home run in Game 7, the two teams set a record for most home runs in a World Series at 25. It is the first championship in Houston's history, coming just months after Hurricane Harvey caused devastating flooding in the city. 

Obamacare Enrollment Opens to Price Hikes, Confusion.
The six-week signup window for insurance plans offered through the online Affordable Care Act marketplaces (also known as Obamacare) began yesterday, with many plans seeing large hikes in premiums. The most popular plans, known as 'Silver' tier, saw premiums rise an average of 34% from last year - though the number varies wildly from state to state, with Iowa seeing a 67% rise while Alaska saw a 22% decrease (breakdown here). That's an average of nearly $300 per month increase between 2015 and 2018. Oddly, because a subsidy for low and middle-income families that covers co-pays and deductibles is tied to the cost of silver plans, many may see decreased overall costs. In particular a Kaiser Family Foundation report found that certain consumers in over 1,500 counties across the country may be an after-subsidy cost of zero. The signup window runs through Dec. 15th. 

Opioid Commission Releases Recommendations.
A bipartisan White House panel released 56 separate recommendations to combat the nation's opioid epidemic yesterday. The report prioritized treatment, intervention, and education over increased jail or punishment, highlighting the need for a national network of drug courts and tighter restrictions on prescribers. The Center for Disease Control estimates that opioids - including prescription drugs like OxyContin, street drugs like heroin, and synthetics like fentanyl - kill over 90 Americans each day, with almost 500,000 potential deaths over the next decade. President Trump is expected to request funding for efforts to combat opioid abuse in the coming weeks. Read the full report here.
 

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> Duke, Michigan St, Arizona top college basketball AP Top 25 preseason poll (More)
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> Study identifies new approach to child tumors, blocks DNA repair mechanism in cancerous cells (More)
> International Trade Commission recommends up to 35% import tariff on solar modules, White House has 60 days to make final decision (More)
> Pilot study transfusing young blood into dementia patients reports early results, demonstrates safety of procedure (More)
 

> Facebook earnings surge, profits up 79%, revenue up 50% (More)
> Tesla pushes Model 3 delivery date, experiences largest quarterly loss, shares down 5% in after hours (More)
> New York Times misses revenue estimates - print decreases 20%, digital increases 11% - shares down 6% (More)
 

> Testimony says Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder may have lied under oath about knowledge of Flint water crises (More)
> Top NPR newsroom exec, Michael Oreskes, resigns over three separate harassment allegations (More)
> Suspect at large after killing three in "random" shooting at Denver Walmart (More)

Wired | Mark Frauenfelder. In early 2016, 7.4 Bitcoin was worth about 3,000 USD. In August of this year, those same 7.4 Bitcoin were worth around $30,000. If you’re a Bitcoin investor, this news should produce a smile, but for Mark Frauenfelder, the growth threw salt in his wound. Join Mark on his agonizing and thrilling quest to remember, or maybe find, his $30,000 pin.
 

Politico Magazine | Tim Alberta. What happens when you let an ex-Speaker of the House, with no more political concerns and a dash of bitterness, and let them talk freely on the world they left behind? Boehner gives a surprisingly uncensored - but still passionately conservative - interview over the course of nearly 20 hours. 

The number of US restaurants is rising at twice the rate of the general population.

The 25 most powerful women in politics across the globe in 2017.

The rate of babies being born before term in the US rose again for the third straight year.

Photos from the year The Atlantic was launched - in 1857.

STEM education fields having a bunch of open jobs is kind of a myth (NYT paywall).

Women are stressing out more than men over the state of American politics. 

The best true freshman on each college football team in the top 25.

Clickbait: Police show up at door of mother who offered to sell son for $12 on Twitter.

Historybook: Marie Antoinette born (1755); HBD James K. Polk (1795); HBD Warren G. Harding (1865); South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem assassinated (1963); Jimmy Carter defeats Gerald Ford (1976). 

"IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO FEAR THE PROSPECT OF FAILURE, BUT TO BE DETERMINED NOT TO FAIL."
-Jimmy Carter
 

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