Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 📺 A hands-on approach to AI
• 📈 Stocks soar following Election Day
• 🐊 Alligator-shaped Xbox

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.74-minute read (994 words).

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“Goodness is the only investment that never fails.”

–Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

As AI-generated images and videos flood the advertising industry, a growing number of major brands are turning to a decidedly old-school alternative: making commercials by hand.

Companies including Apple, Prada, Levi’s, and e.l.f. Beauty have recently embraced techniques like claymation, hand-drawn animation, and stop-motion to make their ads stand out from the AI-generated crowd, per a new WSJ report.

A hands-on approach to AI

The shift comes amid growing consumer skepticism towards the benefits of AI. And for studios specializing in handcrafted ads, business is booming:

• Oregon-based Stunt Puppet Pictures says it's been booked nonstop over the past year, to the point of turning down projects.
• Apartment D Films—the studio behind e.l.f. Beauty's new holiday ad with puppets wearing real makeup—says inbound inquiries have doubled over the past two years.

But there's a catch: AI can also imitate the painstaking process of making ads by hand. One viral Instagram video claiming to show a film crew using a 40-foot wave tank to destroy a miniature version of Miami attracted nearly 900 million views before being revealed as entirely AI-generated.

Zoom out: The resurgence of handmade ads reflects a broader consumer preference for human creativity. In a recent Canva/Harris Poll survey, 78% of consumers said they'd rather see ads made by people, even if AI could produce better ones.

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A 115-million-year-old dinosaur bone is the last place you'd expect to find traces of blood. But researchers in Brazil may have done just that.

According to a PNAS study published this week, scientists recently uncovered what they say is the strongest evidence yet of preserved dinosaur red blood cells.

Seeing red

Researchers examined a fossil belonging to Aratasaurus museunacionali, a theropod dinosaur who lived in current-day Brazil, and found tiny microscopic structures resembling red blood cells.

• Then, scientists conducted a series of tests that detected the presence of heme, a molecule that helps blood carry oxygen, alongside signs of the molecule’s breakdown over time.
• They also found evidence that certain minerals may have helped preserve heme structures over time.

Why it matters: If the discovery is confirmed, it would help uncover new clues about ancient dinosaur biology, including how their bodies transported oxygen and adapted to environments.

Researchers could also use similar techniques to recover other samples of ancient biological material that scientists didn’t think could have survived,

But…Not everyone is convinced. Some scientists say the structures don't sufficiently resemble red blood cells in dinosaurs' closest living relatives, and more testing is needed to confirm the findings.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 📈 US stocks rise across the board in first post-election trading day, as oil prices traded ~8% lower and the Dow delivered its biggest daily gain since April 2025. (S&P: +1.6% | Dow: +3.0% | Nasdaq: +1.4%)
• 🏥 CVS to split off its $117 billion business into two public companies by mid-2028; the move would separate ~9,000 retail pharmacies from CVS' insurance business and pharmacy benefit manager, marking one of the largest corporate splits in history; shares closed ~12% lower.
• 📊 Earnings corner: McDonald’s reports mixed quarterly results as US traffic fell, leading to a slight decline in domestic same-store sales; Uber reports better-than-expected revenue but missed expectations in its two key businesses, though shares close up ~5%; Qualcomm reports better-than-expected earnings but issues a weak forecast, sending shares down ~6% after-hours.

SPORTS, MEDIA, & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🏈 Baltimore Ravens are reportedly finalizing a trade to acquire QB Jacoby Brissett from the Arizona Cardinals after injuries to Lamar Jackson and backup Tyler Huntley.
• 🏆 Harrison Ford joins honorees for the Paley Center for Media’s Fall Gala, alongside Greg Berlanti, Goldie Hawn, and Melissa McCarthy.
• 🙏 John Frieda, legendary celebrity hair stylist who worked with Madonna, Princess Diana, Scarlett Johansson, Nicole Kidman, and more, died at 75.

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SCIENCE, SPACE, & EMERGING TECH

• 💉 Type 2 diabetes remission achieved by 54% of people under 45 after 6 months of an intensive low-calorie diet and exercise program, compared to 4% of people receiving standard care, new study finds.
• 🐦 Seabirds experience jet lag when crossing time zones, potentially throwing inexperienced birds hundreds of miles off course during long flight, per new Oxford study.
• 🔭 Nasa’s Swift Observatory reentered Earth’s atmosphere over the Indonesian island of Sumatra yesterday after 22 years in space, including a failed $30 million mission to boost it into higher orbit; NASA predicts most of the spacecraft burned up during reentry.

US, WORLD, & POLITICS

• 🇺🇲 Midterm election results as of last evening show Democrats leading the House by a 240-147 margin over Republicans, and also holding a 54-44 Senate advantage with races in AK and MS still too close to call; meanwhile, California’s proposed one-time billionaire wealth tax is on track for defeat, while Alaska’s measure to repeal ranked-choice voting is also on pace for defeat—though both are still too close to call.
• 💣 Hoax bomb threats prompt searches and diversions of flights across Europe on Tuesday; authorities find no explosives and report no injuries, with the threat's source still unknown.
• 💰 3M announces $7.35 billion payment over nine years to settle personal-injury claims from people exposed to PFAS (aka “forever chemicals”) in firefighting foam; settlement covers up to 120,000 plaintiffs, including those who developed several types of cancer.

☝️ Xbox unveiled the Xbox Series X-BITE, a one-of-a-kind gaming console housed inside an anatomically detailed, five-foot-long alligator replica. Created by animatronics specialists at the John Nolan Studio, the unusual build will be awarded to one lucky winner through a social media sweepstakes running through November 10.

🤔 Did you know? Betty Crocker never actually existed. The Washburn-Crosby Company created the fictional persona in 1921, and she went on to become one of the most recognizable names in American kitchens.

📰 Worth a read: A $19 bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich: What we’ve actually gained on the path to convenience

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• This Walmart is getting an Italian restaurant upgrade
• Are humans getting colder?
• The world’s first art exhibition dedicated exclusively to sausage dogs

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Yesterday we covered results from the 2026 midterm elections, which saw Democrats sweep the House and Senate as well as pick up several governor seats in a stronger-than-projected blue wave.

❓ Our question to you: Did you cast a ballot in the 2026 election?

• Yes: 91%
• No: 9%

+Note on sample size: We received 674 votes.

⏳ Time traveling 101: How to change your perception of time—and make life seem longer.

💤 Dreaming of success: Want to become a creative genius? Try this nap hack.

🧠 Conquer the dark: Why anxiety can feel worse at night, and what to do about it.

💼🚀 A 3-minute shortcut to leveling up your career…Join 310,000+ professional women reading The Assist — a 4x-weekly newsletter packed with actionable tips, resources, and insights to help you move forward at work. Subscribe free to The Assist.*

*A message from our partners

The world’s smallest international bridge, pictured above, connects which two neighboring western European countries?

(keep scrolling for the answer)

🏊‍♀️ Long-distance swimmer Catherine Breed recently became the first person ever to swim the entirety of the California coastline. The athlete completed her 900-mile swim on Monday after 111 days, arriving at California's Coronado Island to a crowd of loved ones and supporters.

The ~34-foot-long bridge connects Spain and Portugal.

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