Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 🤔 A significant number of Americans lie about their votes
• 🤖 Polish radio station replaces humans with AI
• 🐱 Welcome to “Black Cat November”

… and more.

🚀⏰ Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~4.83-minute read (1,287 words).

P.S. Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe here for free.

“You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do.”

–Henry Ford (1863-1947)

Who did you vote for? To many Americans, including half of Gen Z, that question has turned them into Jim Carrey in Liar Liar when talking to people close to them, according to a new Axios Vibes poll.

The survey, conducted by The Harris Poll, found 23% of all US voters say they’ve lied about their vote, with the vast majority of that figure attributed to younger generations.

• 48% of Gen Z and 38% of millennials say they’ve fibbed about who they voted for on at least one occasion, compared to 17% of Gen X and 6% of Baby Boomers.
• The phenomenon was somewhat evenly split among political parties, with 27% of Democrats, 24% of Republicans, and 20% of Independents saying they've lied about their voting.
• When it comes to gender, men (30%) were nearly twice as likely to say they lied about their vote compared to women (17%).

This pants-on-fire phenomenon has a simple explanation. According to John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll, the results are mainly influenced by two social trends:

1. Political polarization has become so toxic that many Americans now self-censor or lie to preserve personal relationships at home, work, or family gatherings.
2. Younger generations of Americans raised on smartphones are often conflict-averse in in-person political interactions, typically preferring to discuss such topics online.

Big picture: Political polarization has grown significantly across America in recent years. Since 2016, both Democrats and Republicans have increasingly come to view not just the opposing party in a negative light, but also the people in that party, per Pew data. Overall, one-third of US voters aren't close to some family members due to differing political beliefs, including 44% of Gen Z and 47% of millennials, the Axios Vibes survey found.

America is getting more geographically polarized, too. Since the 2020 election, Democrats who moved have chosen neighborhoods where Biden won by an average of 19 percentage points, while Republicans have chosen neighborhoods where Trump won by 19 points.

📊 Flash poll: Have you ever lied to someone close to you about your vote in an election?

• Yes
• No

Find out for sure with First To Worst, the game that challenges you to guess how other players rank a wide variety of topics…

• ☝️ Step 1 – THE RANKER secretly ranks five random things from 1 to 5.
• ✌️ Step 2 – As a team, the rest of the players now try to guess the exact order chosen by THE RANKER
• 3️⃣ Step 3 – THE RANKER reveals and the group scores 1 point for each match… but each wrong guess is a point against the group!
• 🏆 Guess more right than wrong to win the game and eternal bragging rights.

First To Worst is a fun and collaborative game to get to know those close to you even better than you thought. Includes After Dark Expansion for when you’re in the mood for a spicier experience.

Save 17% on First To Worst + Expansion here.

🏥 Autism diagnoses in the US have sharply increased over the past decade-plus, per a new study. The research, led by Kaiser Permanente scientists, found the diagnosis rate of autism spectrum disorder rose by 175% in the US between 2011-2022. Rates increased across all demographic groups, with the greatest relative increases reported in young adults, women, and children. The study’s authors say their findings likely reflect both increased screening for autism, as well as other potential factors that should be explored in future research.

🇺🇸🗳️ Trump holds a betting lead over Harris heading into the final pre-Election Day weekend. Trump is currently favored to beat Harris across the three main US-based political betting sites, with his lead slowly ticking upwards over the past month. The betting markets are more bullish on a Trump victory compared to recent polling data, which shows the race is essentially deadlocked on a national scale.

⚖️ #FreeYoungThug proponents are happy. The rapper yesterday accepted a plea deal that avoids more prison time, ending Georgia’s longest-ever criminal trial. He’s been jailed since May 2022 on charges related to leading an alleged street gang, Young Slime Life (YSL), whose members are accused of crimes including murder and armed robbery. Under the plea deal, which came after nearly two years at trial, a judge sentenced Young Thug to five years in prison, commuted to time served, and the next 15 years on probation – followed by an additional 20-year prison sentence that’ll be commuted if probation goes smoothly.

A Polish radio station’s attempt to replace humans with AI has short circuited.

Weeks after letting its human journalists go, Radio Krakow relaunched last week with AI-generated “presenters,” who were tasked with delivering news and other segments to listeners. Backlash immediately ensued.

• Over 23,000 people signed a petition calling for the station to end the experiment, protesting "the replacement of employees with artificial intelligence."
• Listeners say they found the AI delivery robotic and impersonal, lacking the nuance and emotional connection typically associated with human news anchors.

In response: The station's editor, Marcin Pulit, stated the move was intended to spark a debate about AI, which he felt it had successfully accomplished. He noted the experiment, initially planned for three months, was deemed pointless after just a week due to the volume of feedback and opinions collected. It's now been canceled.

🤖 Zoom out: In spite of the failed experiment by Radio Krakow, AI presenters are here to stay. Brands are increasingly turning to AI-generated social media influencers and models to promote their products, while Google recently created software that can turn uploaded content into a podcast hosted by human-looking AI avatars.

When you redesign clothing with the autism community to solve comfort problems, the result is cozy, fashionable, and sustainable…

• NoNetz clothing keeps you toasty but lets you breathe. Offers unmatched softness, yet enduring quality. Delivers snug warmth, but with anti-sweat breathability and zero itch.
• All materials are sustainably sourced, and produced with the highest standards of environmental and ethical practices. Clothing 3D-knitted on demand in NYC, to ensure unrivaled quality and zero waste.

Save 15% on the NoNetz Fall Collection with code DONUT15 here.

“I thought the number I heard was something like close to 200,000 Sharpies we’ve got to track down.”

Misspelled monikers are coming back to Starbucks. As part of new CEO Brian Niccol’s turnaround plan designed to harken back to its roots, the coffee chain is ordering hundreds of thousands of permanent markers so baristas can return to writing customer names on cups.

• Other changes coming to stores include simplified menus, as well as the return of ceramic mugs, condiment bars, and cozy furniture.

☕📉 Big picture: A challenging consumer environment, worsening customer experience, and rising competition have hurt Starbucks’ performance. Sales have fallen for three straight quarters.

Niccol, who’s still working on a comprehensive turnaround strategy, has said he’s focused on making the chain a “third place” again, referencing the concept of a place outside of the office or home where people meet to work or socialize. Per Niccol, getting there requires more personal touches – like having your name lovingly misspelled by hand.

• ☝️ Millions of Indians began celebrating Diwali, the annual Hindu festival of lights, by lighting a record 2.51 million clay oil lamps on the banks of the river Saryu at dusk on Wednesday.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

in partnership with Cornbread Hemp

• 💰 US markets fell in October (S&P: -1.0%; Dow: -1.3%; Nasdaq: -0.1%). | 🏡 Mortgage rates rose for a fifth straight week; the average 30-year fixed rate is 6.72%, per Freddie Mac.
• 🛻 Ford is pausing production of its F-150 Lightning pickup for several weeks to address high inventories and financial losses. | ✈️ Boeing and its striking machinists’ union agreed on a new negotiated offer; a ratification vote is set for Monday.
• 🍏 Apple reported quarterly results that beat on revenue and earnings; iPhone sales and overall sales both rose 6%. | 🖥️ Intel reported strong quarterly results; issued guidance that topped estimates; shares rose 7% in extended trading. | 📦 Amazon reported strong quarterly results powered by growth in its cloud and advertising units.

*From our partners: 😴🙌 USDA-certified organic CBD to help you sleep great… Cornbread Sleep Gummies contain valerian root, chamomile, lavender, and full-spectrum hemp flower extract to help you drift off and stay asleep. No melatonin. Save 20% on Cornbread CBD Sleep Gummies here.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 📺⚖️ Sony is suing CBS for alleged breach of contract, claiming that CBS undercut the value of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune to serve its own interests
• ⚽ UEFA, soccer’s governing body in Europe, pledged to invest $1.1 billion over the next six years to develop women’s soccer across the continent.
• 🎶🎮 Nintendo launched a new music streaming app featuring various soundtracks from franchises like Super Mario Bros., Pokémon, Legend of Zelda, and more. | 🎮 The Call of Duty franchise has sold over 500 million games, with the milestone achieved prior to last week’s release of Black Ops 6, Activision Blizzard revealed.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

in partnership with Armoire

• 🤖🗺️ Google announced plans to use generative AI to enhance its mapping activities across Google Maps, Google Earth, and Waze. | 🤖🔍 OpenAI launched ChatGPT Search, which lets users of its flagship chatbot search for timely information with in-line attribution to news publishers and other sources.
• 🏥 Obese teens who undergo weight-loss surgery tend to keep most of the weight off a decade later, and also avoid obesity-related conditions like type 2 diabetes and hypertension, per a new study.
• 🍷 Alcohol consumption among animals is more widespread than scientists currently assume, according to a new study.

*From our partners: 👗✨ LAST CHANCE to win an endless closet of designer brands… Armoire Clothing Rental is giving DONUT readers a chance to win a full year of their 4-item plan. Click here and take their style quiz to enter (winner chosen Nov. 4).

MISCELLANEOUS

• 🇪🇸 The death toll from this week’s massive flooding in Valencia, Spain, climbed to at least 158 people yesterday; an unknown number of people are still missing.
• 🗽🚸 New York City officially legalized jaywalking.
• 🇨🇳🏥 AstraZeneca said its China president is under investigation by Chinese authorities, in the latest example of government scrutiny over alleged wrongdoing by foreign businesses.

CLICKBAIT

• 🧛 Scientists reconstruct face of 400-year-old "vampire" buried with iron sickle across her neck.

🐈‍⬛📆 Stat of the Day: For some Americans, today marks the start of No Shave November (or other less family-friendly variants). But for many cat-lovers, the calendar has instead turned to “Black Cat November,” a growing movement aimed at debunking the persistent belief that black felines are bad news. Black cats experience the lowest adoption rates of any coat color, as well as the highest euthanasia rates, per a recent study that examined ~8,000 felines at an urban public shelter.

🤔 Did You Know? The state of Wisconsin produces more than half of all cranberries in the world, with 5% of their stock sold fresh and the rest made into sauce, juice, dried fruit, and other foods.

📰 Worth a Read: A Financier Penned a Crime Novel. Prosecutors Want to Know How Much Was Fiction → (Wall Street Journal)

We bring you the most unusual, off-the-wall and occasionally laugh-out-loud headlines from this week.

• Typing monkey would be unable to produce 'Hamlet' within the lifetime of the universe, study finds → (Phys.org)
• Gen Alpha keeps tripping and falling over their own Crocs, so schools are banning the shoes over safety concerns → (Fortune)
• Japanese village replaces young people with mannequins as population falls → (Sky News)
• Wisconsin Dad Drunkenly Buys 14 Tickets To Alabama Football Game… Ends Up Being Tickets For Alabama The Band → (Whiskey Riff)
• Wisconsin pizzeria apologizes after customers get high from pizzas accidentally contaminated with THC → (WFRV)

Believe it or not, Mitchell Rudy is not a professional dog walker. 

However, the canine-loving Canadian man is one of the core contributors behind the charitable organization BONK, which teamed up with Korean K9 Rescue for this exciting event👆 in September. 

• Mitchell is also now an official Guinness World Record holder after walking 38 dogs simultaneously for 0.6 miles, as part of an effort to promote the adoption of rescue dogs.

In just two minutes or less, find out how your news superpowers stack up against the team.

🏀 Small Tall fry: At 7 feet, 9 inches, Olivier Rioux is the world’s tallest teen and an intriguing basketball project.

💡 Explore: Ideas to fix the loneliness epidemic.

🍬 Pretty sweet: 20 leftover Halloween candy recipes to make the most of your stash.

🔬Curious about science? Go beyond the headlines and read sensational science stories without the sensationalism in the free Nautilus newsletter. Subscribe free.*

💪 Entrepreneurs unite: Inside Small Giants is a weekly newsletter showing the steps taken to make a start-up great, while small. Each week, they share what they’re doing to create a company that truly changes the game in our industry.*

*A message from our partners.

Below are three lists of ingredients. Your job is give us the completed dish they make.

☝️ Recipe #1:

• Olive oil
• Carrots
• Celery
• Garlic
• Onion
• Salt & pepper
• Thyme
• Bay leaf
• Chicken stock
• Chicken thighs
• Egg noodles
• Cannellini beans
• Apple cider vinegar
• Heavy cream
• Parsley

✌️ Recipe #2:

• Olive oil
• Multi-colored bell peppers
• Salt & pepper
• Ground beef
• Onion
• Garlic
• White rice
• Tomato sauce
• Water
• Balsamic vinegar
• Parsley
• Monterey Jack cheese

3️⃣ Recipe #3:

• Heavy cream
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs
• Egg yolks
• Sugar
• Salt
• Chopped almonds
• Strawberries
• Lemon juice

☝️ Recipe #1: Creamy chicken soup

✌️ Recipe #2: Unstuffed peppers

3️⃣ Recipe #3: Strawberries and cream semifreddo