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News from November 1, 2025

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Influencer Starts ’Grueling’ Halloween Makeup Series in the Summer, Says Each Look Takes Up to 4 Hours (Exclusive)
Technology

Influencer Starts ’Grueling’ Halloween Makeup Series in the Summer, Says Each Look Takes Up to 4 Hours (Exclusive)

Natalie Violette loves Halloween. The makeup artist and influencer celebrates the holiday by posting a Halloween-inspired makeup look every day of October, recreating characters from famous movies and beloved TV shows. “I have always loved Halloween. I remember when I was younger, I would always make my mom do my makeup because I wanted to be like a certain character," she tells PEOPLE. "My love for Halloween inspired the series.” Violette, 27, has done the series for the last three years, recreating characters from A Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice, Coraline and Shrek, to name a few. As a self-taught makeup artist, Violette loves seeing how her skills have improved year after year. While some of her followers point out that she repeats some of the looks, Violette sees it more as a diary of her improvements. “I love doing the Other Mother from Coraline. She's one of my favorites," she says. "I've done this for the past three years now. Every year I did better than last year... because I'll make little tweaks with either the makeup or the costume, the hair. It’s fun to see myself do better." One of her favorite things about the series is the response online and watching people try to recreate her makeup. She still receives comments on years-old videos from people letting her know they based their Halloween costume on the look. The worst part, however, is “how time-consuming it is.” She not only has to plan out all 31 different characters and do the actual makeup, but also film and edit the videos. While filming, Violette has to apply the makeup in stages, adding in songs, transitions and lip-synching to trending audios and songs. “A lot of times I'll have to cancel plans. It’s grueling during this time of year, when I'm thinking I have to go get this done," she shares. "There's times when I'm doing my day and then I think, 'Oh, I have to stop. I have to go film my Halloween look because it's 31 days, 31 looks.' Even if you start early, it doesn't matter; days get away from you.” To have all the content ready on time, Violette starts preparing for the annual series during the summer. “In August, I made a list of what characters I would like to do. I usually do it depending on what's popular for the season or just classics," she says. "I usually do my favorite movies to get inspiration and things that I've seen on my timeline, which I think is cool and I'm inspired by.” “I'll start filming at the end of August, so I have them stockpiled because they can take some time, really, depending on the look. If I'm doing a full face paint, it could take me up to three, four hours. It really depends on the look,” Violette shares. While she has a few tried-and-true characters, Violette also takes recommendations from her nearly 4 million followers and people in her comments section. “I have a really good parasocial relationship with my followers. They inspire me a lot," she tells PEOPLE. "There's some comments where they say, ‘Do this.’ That wasn't even on my list, but I'm gonna remove this one and add this one." "There are times where I say I love this character and I'm gonna do it because I love it. Then there are other times where they do inspire me," Violette adds. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. While she is satisfied with how most of her looks turn out, Violette admits there are some her followers will never see. “I do it every single day, and there are trials and errors where I will do a whole entire makeup look, then I think, ‘I hate this,'" she says. "That's happened a couple times with this series. I've done full looks and I'm so unhappy with how this turned out, so I'll completely just trash it.” “I love and take so much pride in this series and I know it's a thing that people look forward to every year," she continues. "Even when something doesn’t work and I think, ‘Oh, that was a day wasted.’ At the same time, it wasn't because I'm still doing my thing and trying new techniques and learning. It's not a day wasted.” A good makeup look, she shares, comes down to “something that makes you happy” and a great “transformation.” “I think what makes a really good Halloween look is definitely full face paint and blending, and being super creative," Violette shares. "I love seeing a transformation, almost as if you can't even recognize the person." Her advice for those looking to do their own intricate makeup look is to “start early.” “If you're trying to do a crazy look for the night, definitely start early," she says. "Sometimes it could take a really long time. Do what you think looks best on you. A lot of the time, I will recreate a character, but I'll always add my specific spark to it. I always do a glam version. Always do what makes you feel comfortable and happy.”

Meredith Wilshere
Kathryn Newton Says “Big Little Lies ”Changed Her Life, Praises the All-Star Cast: ‘They’re Still My Friends’ (Exclusive)
Technology

Kathryn Newton Says “Big Little Lies ”Changed Her Life, Praises the All-Star Cast: ‘They’re Still My Friends’ (Exclusive)

It’s no lie: Kathryn Newton is ready for season 3 of Big Little Lies. Speaking with PEOPLE in an exclusive conversation at the 2025 WWD Honors in New York City on Tuesday, Oct. 28, the actress — who plays Abigail Carlson in the popular HBO series — discussed the recently confirmed upcoming season, as well as how the show has impacted her. “I can tease that I think it's happening — that’s all the people get to know,” Newton, 28, says. “And I won’t believe it until I’m on set, but I would be very excited to be reunited with those women. That show changed my life.” The Lisa Frankenstein star praised Big Little Lies' director, Jean-Marc Vallée, and the all-star cast, which included Reese Witherspoon, Zoë Kravitz, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley and Meryl Streep. “Working with Jean-Marc Vallée, I’ve just been trying to find that kind of dynamic with the director and other actors ever since,” Newton admits. “It opened a lot of doors — those women opened a lot of doors.” The Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania star still values the relationships she formed with the other actresses from Big Little Lies. “I’m still close with them, so that’s what the life-changing thing is,” she explains. “I was at a young age where you — you know when you make friends in middle school and then you drift apart and then you make your new friends in college? It’s kind of like I made friends with them in middle school but they’re still my friends.” Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Newton recently shared a piece of advice that Witherspoon, who played her TV mom Madeline Mackenzie in Big Little Lies, gave to her. “She said, ‘Always say 'hi' first.’ You know, when you see somebody at a party that you maybe went to high school with, just go say 'hi.' You break the ice,” Newton recalled to PEOPLE in May. Newton continued, “Everyone I’ve worked with has left a positive mark and makes me want to do that in the future — just lead by example.”

Brian Anthony Hernandez,Tabitha Parent
The Wolves And The Bees: AI Shows New Evolution
Technology

The Wolves And The Bees: AI Shows New Evolution

Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) Close-up Portrait in Winter What language does AI speak? Well, in America, most people unfamiliar with the actual industry might think that AI always speaks English. This is, of course, wildly simplistic. It does seem that most central efforts in many places focus on the English language: for instance, researchers have reported that many of the major projects from companies worldwide have yet to support any regional African languages. As for Chinese LLMs, a study team found an interesting context, writing: “Examining Chinese AI policy, model experiments, and technical reports, we find no sign of any consistent policy, either for or against, language diversity in China’s LLM development. This leaves a puzzling fact that while China regulates both the languages people use daily as well as language model development, they do not seem to have any policy on the languages in language models.” With that in mind, the authors note that Chinese systems tend to focus on either Mandarin Chinese, or English, or both. However, to some, all of this is missing the point, which is that we ultimately want AI to be speaking languages that are deeper, not made of words, but of data flows. Intelligence and Language “The question is: what makes us (humans) different (from other species?)” asks Abhishek Singh of the Camera Culture club at the MIT Media Lab in a recent TED talk. “It's not a bigger brain or sharper claws, it's language, and by language, I do not mean describing reality, but actually language for constructing reality.” MORE FOR YOU That language, he suggests, will be made of signals: vital sign signals from our bodies in real time, signals tracking our movement or facial expressions with colossal accuracy. Not words, in English or Mandarin, or any of the phoneme-based languages that we use to communicate with each other. In fact, you could suppose that most human-to-human communication isn’t just the words either, but has more to do with gestures, body language and those deeper, more data-streamed languages that AI will be able to use to its advantage. Species Communication: A Study Singh talks about comparing a “hive mentality” in bees to the communication theory of a higher-level species, like wolves. “Imagine a beehive,” he says, “a swirling city of 50,000 working together in perfect synchronicity. It's a massive cooperation, but with zero flexibility. Their cooperation is locked in their DNA. Tomorrow they can't wake up and decide to make maple instead of honey. This cooperation limits their capability to do interesting things at the same time.” As for the wolves… “This species can collaborate in a very heterogeneous and flexible manner,” Singh explains. “For example, they have different roles, like hunters (and) scouts … they can adapt their roles on the fly … because their cooperation is built (over) millions of years.” This discrepancy, Singh suggests, points to what it means to be intelligent, and moreover, to create intelligence, which seems to be where humans are in the beginning of the twenty-first century. AI and Humans “We have created this amazing species, intelligent agents for AI, and in many ways, they're like proto-humans,” Singh says. “Today, by equipping them with tools and resources, we are making them really powerful. They can now order your blood test, understand your medical data, even analyze a lot of your genomic information.” There’s one issue, Singh notes: the AI agents are not cooperative. “We need these AI agents to be able to work in a more reliable, trustworthy and collaborative manner,” he says. That’s a big job: see this Medium piece on AI agent coordination and how it works, with input from Christoph Riedl at Northeastern University. The Languages of Data “Your body is speaking so many different languages,” Singh says, explaining how a different form of data input would work. “Your (HR) variables are giving data in beats per minute. Your glucose monitor is recording data in milligrams per kilometer. And this is only about to get exponentially bigger and higher in volume. Think about the future with smart glasses: they'll be recording everything you eat, not just the food, but even the information you consume. You will also be leveraging multi-omics that will capture molecular information about you, or even continuous hormone monitors in the future, all this information, terabytes of data on a daily distribution.” All of this is a tall order. “No single powerful AI can take all this information and turn (it into something) about you,” Singh adds, “so what we need is this collaborative layer through which thousands and millions of AIs, equipped with different data sets and tools, can work with each other.” During his work on his Ph.D., Singh says, he was obsessed with a question that he puts this way: “How can we take different neural networks or machine learning models trained on entirely different data sets, and still be able to work with each of them, (so they can) not just coordinate but also improve each other?” he asks. One aspect is trust. Today, your data is fragmented, siloed and spread across multiple storage (locations),” Singh says. “With trustworthiness, you can allow the exchange of this information, not just raw data, but the key insights that matter, that's trustworthiness.” Building the Future Anyone can see these efforts building – just a decade or so after the HITECH push for electronic health records, we have federal government efforts to create a more holistic health tracking database. “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that 60 companies have signed on to work with the system and that they have pledged to ‘deliver results to the American people in the first quarter of 2026,’” writes Amanda Seitz for the Associated Press. But a lot of this work is going on in the private sector, with research teams like those Singh is involved in. “That's what we are building, this unified language that makes (systems) work together, just like how Lego (pieces) can be composed together to build everything,” Singh says. “And this could be a starting foundation for something much more important and exciting, which is programmable health.” The underlying idea here is powerful: that as we, in a sense, make AI in our own images, we give it license to use languages that are more intuitive to its work: not ours, which are made for sender-recipient transactions between two humans. “For 50,000 years, language has been our superpower,” Singh says. “Now we are giving it to AI, not to replace us, but to understand and optimize the most complex system we have ever encountered ourselves.” That’s weighty stuff, and speaks to how ALL AI systems may work in the future. They might not be restricted to a world language, whether English or Mandarin. Singh and these others show how these languages are fundamentally constrained, unlike, say, your real time heartbeat data, or the rustling of leaves on a large tree. These new languages will really open the box for LLMs to strut their stuff. Stay tuned. Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions

Contributor,John Werner
Steve Borthwick hails ‘ball of energy’ Henry Pollock after try-scoring impact in England win
Technology

Steve Borthwick hails ‘ball of energy’ Henry Pollock after try-scoring impact in England win

England head coach Steve Borthwick praised the energy that young gun Henry Pollock provides after the back row’s try-scoring impact off the bench in the 25-7 win over Australia. Pollock, making his first international appearance at Twickenham, scored his 3rd Test try just eight minutes after being introduced with the match in the balance against the Wallabies, setting up a final-quarter surge to victory. The 20-year-old toured with the British and Irish Lions in the summer as he continued a rapid rise having been playing for his nation’s Under 20s as recently as during the Six Nations. Having made his international bow off the bench in a big win over Wales, Pollock again made his presence felt as part of a huge impact from England’s replacements. And Borthwick hailed both the talents of the youngster and the depth his squad now possesses in the back row after the win. “Everybody's excited when Henry Pollock gets on the pitch because of he brings,” Borthwick said. “There's no doubt about that. He's probably the most excited person! “He is a ball of energy. I love having that character in the squad. I think we've got a great blend of personalities developing within the team. The senior leadership group have done a great job this week. “I think you can see the team developing. Another aspect that I thought was a big positive there was the last quarter. You can see the experience that's now developing within the team, the cohesion, the togetherness. There's a number of games we've won in that final quarter.” England face Fiji next week, with Borthwick unsure of the fitness of Freddie Steward after the full-back departed with a hand injury late on. They also face New Zealand and Argentina later in November.

Harry Latham-Coyle
GM Pranav V, Ganguly, and Pranesh start FIDE World Cup 2025 campaign with wins
Technology

GM Pranav V, Ganguly, and Pranesh start FIDE World Cup 2025 campaign with wins

Hyderabad: World Junior Champion GM Pranav V, GM Pranesh M, and the experienced GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly began their FIDE World Cup 2025 campaign with comfortable victories, while Women's World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh’s spirited fight wasn’t enough to salvage a draw in the first match of the opening round in Arpora on Saturday. Local favorite Leon Luke Mendonca was unable to convert his chances and settled for a draw against China’s Shixu B. Wang after 50 moves. Pranav, the highest-ranked Indian player in action on day 1 of the competition, defeated IM Ala Eddine Boulrens of Algeria. Ganguly controlled the middle game against GM Ahmad Ahmadzada of Azerbaijan to eke out a hard-fought win, while Pranesh defeated IM Satbek Akhmedinov of Kazakhstan in 48 moves. In their respective games, Pranav faced the Slav Defense and maintained control throughout to clinch the point. Ganguly opted for a Ruy Lopez against Ahmadzada and wrapped up the point in just 37 moves. The FIDE World Cup 2025 is being played as a single-elimination knockout tournament, with 206 players from 82 countries vying for the coveted Viswanathan Anand Cup, named after the Indian legend. With the top 50 players in the competition receiving a bye in the opening round, all eyes were on the next group of Indian players, particularly Divya, the only woman in the fray, and whether she could spring a surprise against the higher-rated GM Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis. Divya came under pressure as Stamatis outplayed her in the midgame, and after she blundered with a pawn exchange on the 17th move, salvaging half a point became a difficult task. To her credit, the 19-year-old didn’t give up and forced a rook-pawn ending despite time pressure. However, Stamatis always retained the upper hand with an advancing pawn on the b-file and ultimately forced the Indian player to resign after 41 moves. While Divya succumbed, GM Raunak Sadhwani survived a mistake against South African FM Daniel Barrish and settled for a draw in 56 moves. Among the foreign stars in the competition, Argentina’s Faustino Oro, the youngest player in Goa, held Brkic Ante with black pieces, while Turkey’s rising star GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus showed his brilliance by taking control of his opening match against Nagi Abugenda as early as the 10th move and then forcing him to resign seven moves later.

Telangana Today
Of the things going wrong at universities, this issue rarely makes the headlines
Technology

Of the things going wrong at universities, this issue rarely makes the headlines

Even while Australian universities have achieved extraordinary, world-leading research outcomes and remarkable rankings success, many students remain dissatisfied with their education. Government policy and market pressures have redefined what success means for many Australian universities, and this in turn has eroded their core mission of educating students. The most recent data from the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) on the annual Student Experience Survey (SES) presents a problematic picture. In 2023, undergraduate student ratings of satisfaction with the quality of the educational experience were 76.7 per cent across the sector. Postgraduate coursework satisfaction sat at 77.1 per cent. The figures show that nearly one in four students is dissatisfied. There are not many organisations that can sustain such levels of unhappiness for an extended period. Soon after I started as vice-chancellor of Western Sydney University in 2024, I convened an online webinar for our staff: to hear their views, answer their questions, and start developing a new strategy for the future of Western. The webinar attracted over a thousand people and was a spirited session. I then convened a similar event for our 50,000 students and the numbers were paltry, with only 25 turning up. Our students had sent us a clear message. We had to pivot to adopt their medium of communication, and this meant social media. We set up Instagram and TikTok live sessions that attracted over a thousand students. Student engagement was lively, with a lot of humour and great questions. It demonstrated the importance of engaging with our students in a space where they were happy to share their stories, including their struggles to afford food and their distress at the cost of their degrees. Interacting with our students on their terms is something I do as often as I can. I joke I am the first vice-chancellor in Australia on TikTok. This has taken me well out of my comfort zone, including having to do a headstand when I lost a bet. Social media is not an easy place for me, but for our students it is their civic space. My presence on social media forges connections that might otherwise prove difficult. I have had many students come up to say hello after recognising me as “that guy from TikTok”. Some then ask what I do at the university. They may not know me as their vice-chancellor (or even what a vice-chancellor is — something from Star Wars perhaps?), but social media has proved a great way to bridge the gap and start a conversation.

George Williams
Why Does The Date Of Thanksgiving Change Every Year? Here’s What To Know For 2025
Technology

Why Does The Date Of Thanksgiving Change Every Year? Here’s What To Know For 2025

Thanksgiving is one of the most celebrated holidays in the United States, a day when families gather, share a hearty meal, and express gratitude for the year gone by. This year, Thanksgiving falls on Thursday (November 27), as per Time and Date. The following day, Black Friday will mark the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. Harvest Holiday With Deep Roots Thanksgiving began as a harvest festival, celebrating food, survival, and community. Its origins trace back to 1621, when Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts, held a feast with the Wampanoag people to give thanks for a successful harvest. By the late 1600s, several New England communities observed annual days of gratitude. In 1789, George Washington declared the first national Thanksgiving, but it wasn’t until President Abraham Lincoln made it an official holiday in 1863 that Thanksgiving became a national tradition. When Is Thanksgiving Celebrated? The holiday always falls on the fourth Thursday of November, though the exact date changes each year, anywhere between November 22 and 28. The next earliest Thanksgiving will be in 2029, while the latest will occur in 2030. Thanksgiving Around World While Thanksgiving is deeply rooted in American history, similar harvest celebrations exist elsewhere. Canada celebrates on the second Monday of October, Liberia on the first Thursday of November, and Grenada and Saint Lucia have their own local versions of the holiday. Though known for its signature dishes – turkey, pumpkin pie, and cranberry sauce – Thanksgiving has come to symbolize togetherness and gratitude.

Dimple Singh
The great retirement showdown: Fixed annuities or CDs — which pays off bigger?
Technology

The great retirement showdown: Fixed annuities or CDs — which pays off bigger?

The great retirement showdown heats up: Why fixed annuities may finally beat CDs in 2025’s high-rate era Retirees are facing a tough choice. Fixed annuities promise higher returns over time. CDs are simple, safe, and predictable. Which one actually pays off bigger depends on your goals.A 5-year CD today offers around 4.5% interest. You lock in your money, and your return is guaranteed. Early withdrawals trigger penalties. Taxes hit your interest every year. For short-term goals, CDs are hard to beat. They are low risk, insured, and straightforward.Fixed annuities are different. You invest once and the money grows tax-deferred. Rates are often higher than CDs. Some offer lifetime income, ensuring you don’t outlive your savings. Early withdrawals can be costly, and your money is less liquid. But for long-term retirement, annuities often outperform CDs.Consider the timeline. If you need cash in a few years, CDs give certainty. If retirement is 10+ years away, fixed annuities give compounded growth and guaranteed income. Tax deferral alone can add thousands over a decade.Risk tolerance matters too. CDs are insured up to limits. Fixed annuities depend on the insurance company’s stability. Choose a reputable provider to minimize risk. Also, inflation can erode returns. Higher fixed annuity rates may help protect purchasing power better than CDs.Live EventsHere’s the kicker: lifetime income. CDs pay a lump sum at maturity. Annuities can pay a set monthly income for life. For retirees worried about outliving savings, this is a game-changer.Bottom line: for short-term security and simplicity, CDs are unbeatable. For long-term growth, tax benefits, and guaranteed retirement income, fixed annuities often pay off bigger. The right choice depends on how soon you need the money, your tax bracket, and your comfort with locking in funds.Savvy retirees are mixing both. Lock part of their portfolio in CDs for safety and use fixed annuities for long-term growth. That strategy balances liquidity, returns, and income security.The great retirement showdown isn’t about which is better universally. It’s about matching the product to your needs. Short-term, simple, low-risk: CDs win. Long-term, income-focused, tax-deferred growth: fixed annuities take the lead.With rates fluctuating, it pays to review your options yearly. Even a small difference in rate can mean thousands over time. Don’t just pick a product; pick the one that fits your timeline, risk comfort, and retirement goals.What exactly is a CD and how does it work?A certificate of deposit (CD) is one of the simplest ways to grow your money. You deposit a lump sum with a bank or credit union for a fixed period, usually from 1 to 5 years, and in return, the bank pays you a fixed interest rate. When the term ends, you get your original money plus the earned interest.The biggest advantage of a CD is safety. Your money is usually insured by the government, so you don’t have to worry about losing it. It’s also very predictable—you know exactly how much you’ll earn if you keep it until the end.However, there are a few drawbacks. Your money is essentially locked in, and withdrawing early can mean penalties. Also, the interest you earn is taxable in the year it’s paid, which can reduce the overall return if you’re in a higher tax bracket.For someone who wants a low-risk, straightforward option and isn’t worried about accessing the money immediately, a CD can be an excellent choice.What is a fixed annuity and why consider it?A fixed annuity is like a promise from an insurance company. You invest a lump sum (or sometimes smaller payments), and the company guarantees a certain return over time. Later, you can even convert it into a stream of income for life, which CDs cannot provide.One major advantage is tax deferral. Unlike CDs, where interest is taxed every year, money in a fixed annuity grows without taxes until you withdraw it. This can help your investment grow faster over the years.Fixed annuities also offer flexibility in retirement planning. You can decide to take your money as a lump sum, or choose guaranteed monthly income, ensuring you don’t outlive your savings. This is especially valuable if you worry about running out of money during retirement.But there are trade-offs. Early withdrawals can be expensive due to surrender charges, and your money is less liquid. You’re also relying on the insurance company’s financial strength, so it’s important to choose a reputable provider.How do CDs and fixed annuities compare side by side?When comparing CDs and fixed annuities, it’s helpful to look at a few key factors:safety and risk: CDs are extremely safe because your money is insured. Fixed annuities are generally safe, but they rely on the insurance company’s ability to pay.returns: CDs offer a fixed rate, which is usually lower than what a fixed annuity might give. Fixed annuities can sometimes offer higher guaranteed returns, especially if you commit for the long term.taxes: CD interest is taxed each year, reducing your take-home. Fixed annuities grow tax-deferred, letting your money compound faster until you withdraw it.liquidity: CDs are relatively more liquid. You can plan around the maturity date, though early withdrawal comes with penalties. Fixed annuities are less flexible, especially in the early years.income options: CDs provide a lump sum at the end, but no guaranteed income stream. Fixed annuities can give you monthly payments for life, which is a big plus for retirement planning.When might a fixed annuity pay off bigger?Fixed annuities often shine in long-term retirement planning. If you don’t need the money for 10, 15, or 20 years, your investment can grow tax-deferred, which can significantly increase your total return.They’re also ideal if you want a guaranteed income for life. This means you don’t have to worry about outliving your savings, which is a major concern for many retirees. The combination of higher rates and tax deferral can make an annuity more powerful than a CD in certain scenarios.A fixed annuity can also be beneficial if you are in a higher tax bracket now but expect to be in a lower bracket later. Deferring taxes until retirement can result in more money in your pocket.Finally, if your goal is long-term security and you are comfortable locking in your funds, a fixed annuity can often pay off bigger than a CD in terms of growth and peace of mind.When might a CD be a better choice?CDs are usually better for shorter-term goals or if you need quick access to your money. If you plan to use your funds within a few years, CDs are easier to manage and come without complicated contracts.They’re also great if you want simplicity and transparency. You know exactly how much you’ll earn, there are no hidden fees, and the risk is minimal.If you have concerns about an insurance company’s stability or don’t want to deal with long-term commitments, a CD is safer. It also allows for a predictable return without worrying about penalties beyond early withdrawal.CDs work well if you want a low-stress, guaranteed return over a short period, making them ideal for someone looking to park money safely while still earning interest.What should you ask before choosing?Before deciding between a CD and a fixed annuity, consider these questions:How soon will you need the money? Short term ⇒ CD; long term ⇒ annuity. What is your current tax situation, and how will it change in retirement? How important is liquidity? Can you leave the money untouched for years, or might you need access? Do you want lifetime income, or are you fine with a lump sum at maturity? What are the current interest rates, and how do they compare between CDs and annuities? How much risk are you willing to take on, including the risk of inflation? Which one pays off bigger?If you’re planning for short-term goals or want simplicity, a CD is often the better choice. It’s safe, predictable, and easy to manage.If your goal is long-term retirement income and you want tax-deferred growth, potentially higher returns, and guaranteed lifetime income, a fixed annuity can pay off bigger—if you stick with it and choose the right terms.The key is matching the product to your needs, timeline, and comfort level. Both can be useful tools, but the best choice depends on how you plan to use your money and what’s most important to you in retirement.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News onRetirement showdown fixed annuities versus CDsretirement incomelifetime incomeretirement planningfixed annuity vs cdbest retirement investmentguaranteed returnsretirement savings (Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onRetirement showdown fixed annuities versus CDsretirement incomelifetime incomeretirement planningfixed annuity vs cdbest retirement investmentguaranteed returnsretirement savings(Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates....moreless

Piyush Shukla
Hearts reaction: Another box ticked off, looking 'leggy', borderline suspensions, Kabore verdict
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Hearts reaction: Another box ticked off, looking 'leggy', borderline suspensions, Kabore verdict

Hearts boss Derek McInnes praised his side’s professionalism after ending the first quarter of the Scottish Premiership season unbeaten and with a nine-point lead after beating Dundee 4-0. McInnes was delighted with his side as they brushed aside a Dark Blues side that had taken points off of Rangers and Celtic this season with a commanding display at Tynecastle. Lawrence Shankland’s opener was followed by first Hearts goals for Landry Kabore (2) and Tomas Magnusson as the Jambos ran riot. McInnes said: “We’re delighted with it. We said the point at St Mirren (in midweek) would be a brilliant and important point if we won today, and that’s the way it has been. “A few weeks ago we set a challenge to players, ‘can we be above Celtic before we play them?’. And then ‘can we be top of the league after the first round of fixtures?’. “We’ve boxed off that little section now and we need to go again for the start of the next round. “It’s a good reference point for me in the sense of what can be done, and there are some difficult fixtures amongst that, some difficult challenges, and I feel as though the squad’s getting stronger. “We have a couple of borderline suspensions with Craig Halkett and Harry Milne, but we’re getting a few back.” Goals from Shankland and Kabore in the space of seven first-half minutes had the hosts 2-0 up by the interval, with Kabore adding a second before substitute Magnusson finished the scoring. McInnes added: “Once we got in front, and it was a brilliant goal from Lawrence, like all good teams I thought we never looked back from that. “We scored some good goals today and I’m delighted for big Landry to get off the mark, I thought he led the line brilliantly with Lawrence, and it was good to get the last goal from Tomas to finish off the game with a bit of polish. “We looked a wee bit leggy at times but we were in charge of the game, which is the most important thing.” Dundee boss Steven Pressley felt his side were in the game until Shankland’s 31st-minute opener, and conceded they were well turned over. He said: “We came here and had a genuine quiet belief around maybe getting a result here. We’ve demonstrated that against some of the best teams, that when we get it right we can be competitive. “I thought we started the game reasonably aggressively in the first 30 minutes, I didn’t think we gave up many opportunities and frustrated Hearts without causing them too many problems, apart from Cam Congreve’s effort. “We then lost a really poor goal and a second one quite quickly after that. One of the real disappointments for me is that we came into this game as the only side not to lose a goal from a corner kick, and we lost two today. “When you come to the top-of-the-table team, the one thing you can’t do is lose two goals from set plays. That’s really disappointing, because we really pride ourselves on that organisation.”

Ross McLeish
A Biologist Reveals 4 ‘Ultra-Valuable’ Goods Brought To Europe During The Age Of Exploration (Hint: You’ve Tasted All Of Them)
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A Biologist Reveals 4 ‘Ultra-Valuable’ Goods Brought To Europe During The Age Of Exploration (Hint: You’ve Tasted All Of Them)

When we think about the voyages of Christopher Columbus, we often think only about the effects they had on the New World. But, equally important was the transfer of goods from west to east. A biologist explains. The Columbian Exchange refers to the vast biological and ecological interchange set in motion after Christopher Columbus’ colonial conquest in 1492. As a result, the ships that returned to Europe from the Caribbean carried seeds, tubers and leaves that would reshape the global economy and European diet. From a biological perspective, these exchanges triggered one of the most profound shifts in ecological history. Plants that evolved in isolation for millions of years suddenly found themselves on new continents. In turn, they were subject to different soils, climates and pests than what their evolution prepared them for. Four of these plants proved to be among the most valuable, and each became integral to global civilization. Here’s the why and the how, according to records on the Columbian Exchange. Cacao (Theobroma cacao) is native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, and it may be the most biologically complex and culturally symbolic of all the exports that came out of the New World. Cacao trees are best known for their seed pods that, when fermented and roasted, yield cocoa solids and cocoa butter, better known as the foundations of chocolate. Long before European contact, Mayan and Aztec civilizations made use of cacao in ritual, and even as a currency. It’s believed that Columbus first encountered cacao beans during his fourth voyage in 1502, though he failed to grasp their value. Its potential was only truly recognized when Hernán Cortés — the Spanish conquistador whose expedition caused the fall of the Aztec Empire — brought cacao to Spain a few decades later. MORE FOR YOU Cacao’s greatest biological value is its chemical profile. The seeds are rich in theobromine, which is a stimulant chemically related to caffeine. What’s more notable, however, is that they’re also rife with potent antioxidants known as “flavonoids.” Recent research published in the Journal of Experimental Biology has shown that cacao flavonoids improve vascular function and cognitive performance. In time, what was once a sacred Mesoamerican beverage has since evolved into one of the world’s largest agricultural commodities. As a result, it has supported millions of smallholder farmers in West Africa, where the crop was later introduced, and continues to do so around the world. Few species illustrate the power of artificial selection as clearly as maize (Zea mays). As research from eLife explains, approximately 9,000 years ago, it was first domesticated from a wild grass called teosinte, in modern-day southern Mexico. Its journey to Europe began with Columbus, whose crew encountered it being cultivated throughout the Caribbean. When maize eventually made its way to Spain, in the early 1500s, its spread was rapid. First across the Mediterranean, and then into Africa and Asia. Its success was rooted in its genetic plasticity; maize is renowned for its ability to adapt to a wide range of climates and altitudes. In turn, maize thrived wherever it was planted — from the highlands of Peru to the savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. Maize’s biological structure explains this adaptability. Specifically, as the abovementioned study notes, maize has C4 photosynthetic pathways. This, in simple terms, is a more efficient form of photosynthesis in which CO2 is fixed into a four-carbon sugar. This allows maize to use carbon dioxide much more efficiently than C3 crops (like wheat or rice) particularly under high light and temperature conditions. This makes maize one of the most productive cereals on the planet. This has since been enhanced through selective breeding and, more recently, genetic modification. 3. Potatoes Contrary to popular belief, the potato (Solanum tuberosum) was unknown to Europe before the late 16th century. Potatoes were first domesticated in the Andean highlands of Peru and Bolivia, roughly 8,000 years ago. Thereafter, the Spanish encountered it while exploring the Inca Empire and brought tubers home aboard their returning ships. Nutritionally, as research notes, potatoes are extraordinary. They’re rich in carbohydrates, vitamin C and potassium, with an exceptionally high energy yield per hectare. And unlike grains, potatoes grow below ground, where they aren’t at the mercy of drought and frost. These factors are why, by the 18th century, the potato had become a staple across Europe. They supported population booms in countries like Ireland, Germany and Russia. Their high caloric density allowed smaller plots to feed entire families, which made them particularly transformative in terms of agricultural economies. Yet this dependence came with biological vulnerability. The infamous Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s — caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans — revealed the dangers of their low genetic diversity. Only a single strain of potato dominated European cultivation, which is what left the crop susceptible to disease. Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) is perhaps the most paradoxical of Columbus’s botanical legacies. Native to South America and the Caribbean, it was cultivated and ritualistically smoked by Indigenous peoples for centuries before European contact. When Columbus’s crew observed the practice on the island of Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic) they brought dried leaves and seeds back to Spain. Unsurprisingly, tobacco’s greatest chemical power lies in its nicotine content: the alkaloid that acts as both a stimulant and a potent neurotoxin. In small doses, nicotine triggers dopamine release in the brain, producing a sense of reward and alertness. But in large doses, tobacco is well-known for being a determinant of highly preventable morbidity. What few people know is that nicotine evolved as an insect deterrent — a natural defense mechanism. But from a human perspective, it became the foundation of one of the most profitable global industries ever created. By the 17th century, tobacco cultivation was fueling some colonial economies in their entirety, particularly in Virginia and the Caribbean. Ecologically, the tobacco plant’s success came from how easily propagatable it is, as well as its adaptability to varied soils. But, evidently, its physiological impact on humans has been anything but benign. By the 20th century, epidemiological studies had established the link between smoking and cancer. Evolutionarily, Columbus’s many voyages during the age of exploration was less an irreversible experiment in global ecology. Five centuries later, their legacy continues: in the chocolate bars we eat, the cornfields that blanket continents, the fries on our plates and the nicotine still traded worldwide. Does the idea of an “invasive species” instantly change your mood? Take the Connectedness to Nature Scale to see where you stand on this unique personality dimension. Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions

Contributor,Scott Travers
WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event Preview, Start Time, Odds And Where To Stream
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WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event Preview, Start Time, Odds And Where To Stream

CM Punk vs. Jey Uso on Saturday Night's Main Event from Salt Lake City, Utah. WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event emanates from Salt Lake City, Utah with four championship matches. Dominik Mysterio defends his Intercontinental Championship against Penta and Rusev. CM Punk faces Jey Uso for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Tiffany Stratton defends the WWE Women’s Championship against new heel Jade Cargill, and Cody Rhodes faces Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Championship. If Cody Rhodes is disqualified in any way, he loses the title. CM Punk and Jey Uso figures to be a critical match for WWE’s storytelling headed into WrestleMania season. Internet Wrestling Bots hate Jey Uso almost as much as real-life fans love him. Jimmy and Jey Uso have been feuding over Jey’s selfish decision to eliminate his twin brother en route to winning Raw’s Over-the-top Battle Royal last week. Whether it’s a CM Punk heel turn, a Jimmy Uso heel turn or even a Jey Uso heel turn, this is the least-predictable match for a myriad of reasons. WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event Match Card And Odds Dominik Mysterio (-2500) vs. Rusev (+500) vs. Penta (+500) | Triple Threat for WWE IC Title CM Punk (-400) vs. Jey Uso (+250) |WWE World Heavyweight Title Cody Rhodes (-550) vs. Drew McIntyre (+325) | WWE Title Tiffany Stratton (+600) vs. Jade Cargill (-1500) | WWE Women’s Title WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event Start Time And Where To Stream WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event XLI Date: Saturday, November 1, 2025 WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event XLI Start Time: 4:00 pm PST (7:00 pm EST) Where to Watch/Stream: Peacock MORE FOR YOU WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event Preview And Predictions Dominik Mysterio Vs. Rusev Vs. Penta Dominik Mysterio is quickly rising as WWE’s most lovable heel. Despite being aligned with a heel faction and continuing to lean into nefarious tactics to win his matches, Mysterio gets cheered just as much if not more than any babyface in the company. After sending the Grande Americanos to interfere in a match between Rusev and Penta on Raw, the double champion now finds himself defending the Intercontinental Championship against both Rusev and Penta. I see Dominik continuing his momentum by cheating his way to a win once again. Prediction: Dominik Mysterio def. Rusev and Penta Tiffany Stratton Vs. Jade Cargill Jade Cargill has tried time and again to win the WWE Women’s Championship, but she keeps coming up short. Now a newly minted heel, Jade Cargill will be closer to her AEW incarnation that took the wrestling world by storm in 2022, pun intended. As a more muscular woman with an impeccable physique and a great ability to talk trash, Cargill is better suited as a heel. It’s safe to say she hasn’t become the superstar WWE envisioned her as upon signing, but now feels like Cargill’s best shot to do just that. I think she will, and I think that begins tonight at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Prediction: Jade Cargill def. Tiffany Stratton Cody Rhodes Vs. Drew McIntyre Cody Rhodes has successfully defended his WWE Championship at every turn during a calm-before-the-storm period before WrestleMania season. Drew McIntyre, on the other hand, loses time and again and always seems to have a valid excuse for why he was screwed out of the title. While McIntyre has mastered the Bret Hart in 1997 act, there’s a reason people reference only one year. Drew McIntyre’s righteous heel act started in 2023, and is still going on strong with 2026 around the corner. It’s time for Drew McIntyre to finally cash in on his complaints, otherwise he risks becoming more of a punchline full of hot air in the eyes of the fans. Prediction: Drew McIntyre def. Cody Rhodes CM Punk Vs. Jey Uso CM Punk finds himself in his first world title match since losing the strap to Seth Rollins in a Money in the Bank cash in. Due to unforeseen circumstances, CM Punk is favored to be the next man up to carry the world title on Raw after Rollins’ legit shoulder injury. Jey Uso has added an edge to his character in the midst of a pseudo-feud with Jimmy Uso, who was one of the final entrants to be eliminated from Raw’s Over-the-top Battle Royal on October 20, 2025. With Jimmy Uso lurking in the wings, I expect CM Punk to somehow capitalize on the internal strife between Jimmy and Jey. Even if that means Punk turning heel himself. Prediction: CM Punk def. Jey Uso Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions

Alfred Konuwa,Contributor
Fulham 3-0 Wolves: Vitor Pereira under huge pressure after Craven Cottage calamity
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Fulham 3-0 Wolves: Vitor Pereira under huge pressure after Craven Cottage calamity

Winless Wolves slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Fulham to cast huge doubt over the future of boss Vitor Pereira. Strikes from Ryan Sessegnon and Harry Wilson, as well as Yerson Mosquera's own goal, kept Wanderers - who had Emmanuel Agbadou sent off in the first half - rooted to the foot of the Premier League. Their sorry return of just two points from their opening 10 matches is one point worse than at the same stage last season, when Pereira was parachuted in to save them from the drop. Now the Wolves hierarchy could be considering pressing the ejector button, with the Portuguese coach finding his position under increasing scrutiny after a calamitous defeat against a side who had lost their last four matches. Wolves actually began what already felt like a crucial game on the front foot, with Jean-Ricner Bellegarde cutting inside and forcing Bernd Leno into an early save. But the hosts took the lead with their first chance, with former Wolves striker Raul Jimenez the architect. Calvin Bassey's pass was cut out by Santi Bueno but only as far as Jimenez, whose first-time through-ball sent Sessegnon racing clear to fire under goalkeeper Sam Johnstone. Fulham's main threat was coming from their wingers, with Wilson firing an ambitious volley wide and then sending a low shot inches past the near post. On the other flank, we need to talk about Kevin. Fulham's Brazilian summer signing, making his first Premier League start, was giving Bueno a torrid afternoon, at one point almost shimmying the defender into submission before just running out of room to shoot. Wolves' task got distinctly more difficult 10 minutes before half-time when Agbadou hauled down Josh King and received a straight red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity. Yet the 10 men suddenly woke up and Fulham defender Kenny Tete survived a VAR penalty check after the ball brushed his hand, Toti Gomes just missed a low cross from Jorgen Strand Larsen and Ladislav Krejci's stoppage-time header was saved by Leno. Tete almost made an impact at the right end at the start of the second half. Urged to shoot by the Hammersmith End, the full-back let fly from 25 yards and was only denied by a flying save from Johnstone. Instead, Wilson doubled the lead on the hour with a superb left-footed curler into the far corner after Sander Berge's effort was deflected into his path. If that was poor defending, the next goal was downright comical as Sessegnon's low cross was missed by Johnstone and put into his own net by Mosquera. It capped another miserable display and a result which could have been even worse for Pereira had Fulham sub Samuel Chukwueze not been denied by a post late on.

Andy Sims
India vs South Africa: ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup final set to be a historic clash
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India vs South Africa: ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup final set to be a historic clash

Hyderabad: A new name will be engraved on the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup trophy on Sunday – and whether it is India or South Africa, it will mark a seismic moment in the history of the sport. Australia and England have previously dominated this tournament, winning it 11 times between them. But both were blown away in two matches that the women’s game may look back on as significant turning points. South Africa has been knocking on the door for some time. Wednesday marked their third straight ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup semi-final, while they have also contested the last two ICC Women’s T20 World Cup finals. However, the Proteas have found converting talent into trophies difficult on both the men’s and women’s sides – until the men became ICC World Test champions in June. The women arrive in Navi Mumbai blessed with a world-class team, forged over many years, led by superstar opening batter Laura Wolvaardt and backed up by the new ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup all-time wicket-taker, Marizanne Kapp. This is, they feel, their destiny. “I am very proud of the girls and the way we've been performing over the last couple of years,” Kapp said. “Not a lot of people believed in us. We’ve just been so blessed to have performed the way we have over the last couple of years. “I have to give a lot of credit to (head coach) Mandla Mashimbyi. I feel like since he's come on board, we have had a different outlook on the game. This team is like family. “Cricket isn't everything. Maybe I'm on this path for another reason, I don't know. But having these girls around, having our team management around, and then our families – especially if it doesn’t go our way – they’re always there, no matter what the outcome. “That's what's been really special for us. Just knowing I can go back to my family. But this is what we are here for, the Women’s Cricket World Cup. We have the chance to create history.” India also has their eye on a transformative victory. The host nation’s route to the final, especially their colossal win against Australia in the second semi-final, has captured the imagination of a cricket-adoring public. In the age of TikTok, it’s individuals who move the needle. While India has a roll call of cricketing icons, Jemimah Rodrigues might be one of the most important. Her match-winning 127 not out to beat Australia was remarkable, given both the pressure of the run-chase and the significance of the match. However, it pales into significance when compared to how she spoke candidly about mental health during the tournament. “I'll be very vulnerable here because I know someone watching this might be going through the same thing,” she said. “Nobody likes to talk about their weaknesses, but I was going through a lot of anxiety at the start of the tournament, and it was a lot. Before a few games, I used to call my mum and cry. “When you're going through anxiety, you just feel numb. You don't know what to do. You're trying to be yourself. “I'm very grateful for the people who believed in me when I couldn’t and were there for me and understood me because I couldn’t do this on my own.” With Harmanpreet Kaur, also an icon, steering the ship, there is a strong unity among the squad, and momentum is with them. “We want to play the moment and win that moment,” Rodrigues added. “We want to play the match and win the match, and whichever team comes, I think our reply would be the same. We would play with the same passion, same aggression. We play to win this match for India.”

Telangana Today
Baahubali The Epic Box Office Collection Day 2: Prabhas-SS Rajamouli Film Witnesses Major Drop On Saturday
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Baahubali The Epic Box Office Collection Day 2: Prabhas-SS Rajamouli Film Witnesses Major Drop On Saturday

SS Rajamouli’s directorial ventures, Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali: The Conclusion, are the most historical films ever made in Indian cinema. After a huge craze for the magnum opus, SS Rajamouli combined both the films and remastered it with the name Baahubali: The Epic. The makers released the film in theatres on October 31. As expected, the Prabhas-starrer received a solid response on day 1, but the film witnessed a major drop in its collection on day 2. Baahubali The Epic Box Office Collection Day 2 Update According to the early estimates shared by Sacnilk, Baahubali The Epic has earned Rs 7 crore on day 2. On Saturday, the film witnessed a big drop in its numbers. On the special paid preview day (October 30), the Prabhas film collected Rs 1.15 crore, while the first day turned out to be a good one for it. Baahubali The Epic minted Rs 9.65 crore on day 1. Sadly, on Saturday, the numbers dropped. After the first two days and paid preview, Baahubali The Epic collected Rs 17.80 crore. Let us tell you, the film ran in theatres with 51.31 percent occupancy in Telugu states, while the Hindi version had 12.87 percent. The Tamil version had 33.59 percent occupancy in theatres. Also Read : Baahubali The Epic Box Office Collection Day 1: Prabhas-SS Rajamouli Film Takes Impressive Start, Earns Rs 10.80 Crore Talking about Baahubali The Epic, the film is a re-edited version released only for fans because of their love for the magnum opus. It stars Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah Bhatia, Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj, Nassar and others in pivotal roles. Baahubali turned out to be a landmark film in Indian cinema. After its success, the pan-India films trend started in India. The new version runs for approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes, with select sequences trimmed to improve pacing. Stay tuned for more updates!

Sumit Rajguru
The Edmund Fitzgerald: Lessons In Courage And Community
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The Edmund Fitzgerald: Lessons In Courage And Community

A bright moon shone over the horizon near the Split Rock Lighthouse on November 10, 2019. It was lit to honor the lives of the 29 men that died aboard the Edmund Fitzgerald. Star Tribune via Getty Images Whenever the early days of November roll around – especially on those days when the sun is still shining and the skies are bright blue – my thoughts run to the day the Edmund Fitzgerald headed out of Duluth bound for one last run of the season to Lake Erie. It turned out to be the last voyage of “The Fitz” – as she was known – because she was hit by a ferocious storm that broke her in two and sent her to the bottom of Lake Superior with 29 sailors aboard. Now, fifty years after the sinking, John U. Bacon has brought the story of the Fitz to life again with a compelling book, The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald. In Bacon’s retelling, we learn much about the ship and her last sailing, but more about the men who captained and crewed her. It’s a rich story that illustrates the human side of those who make their living plying the Great Lakes as well as those who love them [Disclaimer: John U. Bacon is a friend.] The sinking David Schwab, a retired naval achitecture professor and oceanographer who researched weather on the fateful day of the sinking, said, "When the storm was at its worst, Edmund Fitzgerald got to the worst possible place, at the worst possible time." That single line sums up the tragedy of the ship’s passage across. MORE FOR YOU The weather was ferocious, with 100-mile-an-hour winds at times, churning up waves 30, 40, 50, and possibly 60 feet high that would rock and roll the ship, pitching her up and down and making forward progress treacherous. Her captain, Ernest McSorley, was revered on the Great Lakes, a captain’s captain who knew how to handle a ship in rough weather. But as one man (who had once spent a summer on The Fitz) put it, “How ironic that at the very end of McSorley’s career, he gets the worst storm he’s ever seen.” "We are holding our own," were the last words McSorley radioed to the Arthur M. Anderson, a laker just behind the Fitz. And then she went silent. The Anderson did make safety but valiantly turned around – because there were no available Coast Guard ships – to search for survivors. The Andersons' rescue attempt must be deemed heroic because they could have been lost as well, and, as Bacon points out, it is one thing to head straight into rough seas; it is another to try to turn about in pitching waves. But the Anderson did. The aftermath The Fitz was spotted on sonar within two weeks, and the following spring was located at over 500 feet of water, where its sailors remain entombed. Its bell was raised and today chimes on the anniversary of the ship's sinking. [And fifty years after its sinking, no freighters have been lost on the Great Lakes. Yes, weather reports are far more accurate and timely, but as Bacon points out, the memory of the Fitz keeps captains and sailors more cautious and vigilant as fierce storms arise, as they do with greater frequency.] The crew of the Fitz, the grandest laker of its era, was close-knit, looking out for one another on board the ship and sometimes off it. As Bacon notes, the crew's families did not know one another, but over time they did, gathering once a year for memorials and other family milestones. One woman, "Aunt Ruth" Hudson, whose son was lost in the sinking, lobbied Canadian authorities to declare the wreck (which lies in Canadian waters) a gravesite, keeping those who would seek to profit from exploiting the wreck away from its resting place. Gordon Lightfoot turned the tragedy into legend with his haunting song, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Its melody is based on an Irish dirge that Lightfoot had remembered from childhood. Lightfoot, a Canadian who had grown up on the Great Lakes, knew the dangers rough seas could generate. He researched news reports and worked hard on the lyrics. Lightfoot was unsure whether he wanted to record the son; it was so personal, and he did not want to appear disrespectful to the families of the lost sailors. He did record it, of course. The song’s lyrics dramatically underscore Lightfoot’s lyrics, the drama of the ship's final hours. Chilling, yes, and so reverential. In closing, here’s well-known verse of The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down/Of the big lake they call 'Gitche Gumee'. Superior, they said, never gives up her dead/When the gales of November come early! And now, thanks to Bacon's research, we can amend the line "Superior never gives up her dead," because the author has brought the story of the Fitz and its crew to life again. Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions

Contributor,John Baldoni
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