JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1154

California voters approved a new congressional map, the most significant Democratic response yet to Trump’s push to redraw districts before 2026. The plan could tilt five U.S. House seats toward Democrats and was passed by public vote, sidelining the state’s commission. Trump’s redistricting drive has already produced GOP advantages in Texas (+5), Missouri (+1), North Carolina (+1), and potentially Ohio (+1–2), with Indiana, Kansas, Florida, and Louisiana weighing changes. Democrats have fewer avenues, though Utah may shift one seat, Virginia has begun a process for two or three, and lawsuits could reshape outcomes.

In a signature twist of A.J. Preller’s tenure, the Padres promoted special assistant and former reliever Craig Stammen to manager, replacing Mike Shildt, who resigned last month. Stammen, 42 by Opening Day, becomes San Diego’s 24th skipper and the sixth full-time manager under Preller, signing a three-year deal through 2028. Preller has discussed a potential extension with chairman John Seidler, with team sources citing momentum and a possible announcement near Stammen’s formal introduction. Stammen posted a 3.36 ERA over his final six MLB seasons and rejoined the club before the 2024 season as a special assistant in player development.

After Alex Ovechkin became the first NHL player to reach 900 career goals with a second period strike, Blues goalie Jordan Binnington was caught tucking the milestone puck into his pants. He later gave it to a linesman and said he always meant to return it, joking he basically had an assist on the turnover that led to the backhand finish. Binnington allowed four goals on 15 shots before being pulled. Ovechkin declined to comment; Capitals goalie Logan Thompson gave Binnington the benefit of the doubt. Binnington called Ovechkin’s play next level.

Duolingo shares plunged 27% after the language app issued lighter guidance while prioritizing user growth over near-term monetization. CEO Luis von Ahn said the company is shifting investment to long-term bets. For the quarter, bookings and adjusted EBITDA forecasts trailed estimates, and daily and monthly active users missed, though paid subscribers rose to 11.5 million. Duolingo rolled out new AI features to attract paying users. Results beat on revenue and bookings, with net income boosted by a $222.7 million one-time tax benefit. The company raised full-year revenue guidance as KeyBanc downgraded the stock.

California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 50, a Democratic-friendly redistricting plan, with about 64% of 8.3 million ballots cast. The maps, designed to unseat five GOP incumbents starting in 2026, could erase Republicans’ narrow House edge and stall President Trump’s agenda. The defeat ignited Republican infighting: Assemblyman Carl DeMaio urged state party chair Corrin Rankin to resign, and RNC member Shawn Steel blasted Arnold Schwarzenegger’s limited opposition. Rankin defended a late $11 million push and said Republicans filed a federal lawsuit challenging the measure. Backers, aided by $136 million and prominent Democrats, vastly outspent opponents’ roughly $58 million.

Goldman Sachs named 638 new managing directors, a roughly 5% increase over 2023’s class of 608, in one of Wall Street’s most watched promotions. CEO David Solomon and President John Waldron praised the cohort’s client focus and scale, noting the choices were extremely difficult. More than 6,000 interviews fed the firm’s cross-ruffing vetting. Over 70% come from revenue-generating units amid stronger dealmaking and trading. Women comprise 27% (172), fewer than last year. The class averages 12 years’ tenure, with 56% in the Americas and the rest across EMEA, Asia-Pacific, and India.

Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman announced a new team to build “humanist superintelligence,” saying it will be limited, contextual, and built to serve people. In a blog post, he stressed keeping humans “at the top of the food chain,” even as Microsoft and OpenAI head into fiercer AGI competition under a deal letting Microsoft pursue AGI independently and use OpenAI IP. Suleyman outlined three aims: an AI companion for learning and productivity, help for healthcare, and breakthroughs in clean energy, arguing for controllable systems that won’t open a Pandora’s Box.

Pebblebee is rolling out its Gen 5 Card and Clip trackers for Android Find Hub and Apple Find My, adding wireless charging to the ultra‑thin Card 5 and brighter LEDs and a louder alert to the Clip 5. The 1.8mm Card 5 is about 30% thinner, keeps 18‑month battery life, and ditches proprietary cables with Qi support. Clip 5 retains USB‑C and 12‑month life, plus a built‑in loop. Both add Link QR codes and limited‑time Evercolor options. No UWB, Bluetooth range to 500 feet. Available today for $34.99 each.

Senate leaders inched toward votes to end the shutdown as negotiators huddled again Thursday, eyeing a plan to pair a short-term stopgap with a bipartisan funding package and a set date for a vote on extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. But key rifts remain over the subsidies and how long the next stopgap should last, with Speaker Mike Johnson pushing January and Senate Republicans preferring a before Christmas deadline. Democrats, buoyed by recent election results, are wary of a separate health care vote. With airport staffing strains mounting, talks continued, timing of votes still uncertain.

YouTube has pushed a fresh wave of AI age verification, angering some. The system was announced in July, with checks starting in August and first hitting users in late September. Over the past 24 hours, users on Reddit report their accounts were restricted, requiring them to accept limits or verify they are 18 via an official ID, a selfie-based age estimate, or a credit card. Accounts flagged as underage face blocked age-restricted videos, non-personalized ads, default digital wellbeing reminders, privacy prompts when posting, fewer repetitive-content recommendations, private-by-default uploads, and limits on gifts in vertical live streams.