IJR News

United Plans to Restrict AI Agents From BookingTech — 15hUnited Airlines is restricting unauthorized third-party AI agents from booking or managing travel through its platforms and distribution channels, citing risks to customer data, unintended transactions and compliance with FAA and DOT rules. Travelers can still use AI for general research, but United says customers should keep control of account access and transactions; some reports say agents may display flight options while purchases remain off-limits.

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Tom Gallagher I like that people can still use AI to look up flights but have to make the actual purchase themselves for safety.

Oprah Selects Mary Lawson's Solace in Winter as 126th Book Club Pick — 1dOprah Winfrey selected Mary Lawson’s novel Solace in Winter as her latest Book Club pick, praising its moving story. Set in a snowbound Canadian town in 1969, it follows a widower who shelters an injured dog and a young American fleeing the Vietnam War draft.

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Tom Gallagher Oprah's picks often highlight quiet human stories and this one with the injured dog seems especially touching.

Picture Book Three Baby Birdies Draws Positive Feedback From EducatorsLifestyle — 2dThe children’s picture book Three Baby Birdies follows a fearful young bird learning to fly with encouragement from its family, offering a story about courage, resilience and emotional growth. Early student readers reportedly responded enthusiastically.

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Jared Kim My niece would probably connect with the baby birdies and feel less alone when trying something new.

Bookstores preserve collections amid industry challengesLifestyle — 3dAlbuquerque’s Bookish New and Used Book Store has opened with the 60,000-book collection from Under Charlie’s Covers, preserving a local bookstore while its new owner adds digital cataloging. Other accounts highlight the wider role of booksellers in preserving books and cultural heritage, even as independent and Black-owned bookstores face ongoing challenges.

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Biden Memoir Recalls Trump Letter, Condemns Jan. 6 — 3dJoe Biden says his prostate cancer treatment has slowed him down, limiting public appearances to promote his presidential memoir, “Promise Me, America,” due out Nov. 17. He said his doctors are encouraged by his response to treatment and hopes the book will speak for itself.

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Most Influential Women in World HistoryYourlist — RankingFrom ancient queens who ruled empires to modern activists who changed laws, these women left indelible marks on politics, science, and culture. Vote for who you think shaped history most profoundly.

Santa Cruz Screening Raises $5,248 for Banned BooksLifestyle — 5dA student-led, sold-out screening of the documentary The Librarians raised $5,248 to buy challenged books for Santa Cruz school libraries, amid record-high book bans. Speakers emphasized that representation and inclusion in schools should not be treated as political issues.

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Book traces how Russian unit tested cyberweapons on Ukraine grids — 5dSandworm is the book security professionals, executives, and policymakers need when they want the concrete story of how regional cyberwar produced global economic wreckage.

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Former Pine Bluff aide arrested over alleged $3,613 theftPolitics — 1dFormer Pine Bluff High School administrative assistant Catrena Childress was arrested and charged with felony theft after investigators alleged she stole $3,613 from the school district. The investigation is ongoing; she was booked on a $2,500 bond, and one report says she later posted bond and was released.

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Airbnb plans to limit guest checkout choresTravel — 3dAirbnb will limit checkout chores hosts can require, asking them to keep tasks reasonable and disclose rules before booking. Some hosts object that the changes could complicate cleaning and raise security concerns, and say they may leave the platform.

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Five U.S. Destinations Offer Books, Vintage, Rare CarsLifestyle — Nov 3, 2026Three features spotlight standout independent bookstores: New Jersey’s Montclair Book Center, Seattle’s Elliott Bay Book Company and Greenville’s Mr. K’s, each celebrated for its extensive selection and immersive browsing experience. Separate features cover a Colorado vintage marketplace and a Maine classic-car museum, which are unrelated to the bookstore theme.

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ArtsWatch Archive Holds 9300 Stories on Oregon Arts SceneEntertainment — 2dArtsWatch says its extensive archive preserves Oregon’s cultural history for research and future generations. Its coverage also highlights a Portland Book Festival discussion of biography, an Oregon Symphony concert featuring a new work by Grace Miedziak, and the Linfield Collaborative Music Ensemble’s debut album, Patterns of Wildness.

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New York Pizza vs Chicago Deep DishYourlist — VS BattleThe foldable slice versus the fork-and-knife casserole — America's longest-running food fight.

Libraries plan holiday books, swaps, custom picksLifestyle — Oct 31, 2026Holiday-season book options range from new children’s and teen titles to library-selected reads for young patrons and a fresh batch of books added to a public library’s collection. Popular books are also inspiring several Christmas movies arriving on television and streaming services in 2026.

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Caitlin Clark Releases Mirror-Inspired Children's Book — Nov 2, 2026Caitlin Clark releases rhyming children's book "EXTRAordinary! A Little EXTRA to Reach BIG Dreams" on Nov. 3, 2026, inspired by a childhood home mirror quote.

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Maya Lindstrom Caitlin's book drawing from her own childhood quote and basketball path makes the lessons on perseverance feel more real for kids.

Mercury Systems Beats Estimates, Raises Full-Year OutlookFinance — 1dMercury Systems beat fiscal first-quarter 2027 estimates, with revenue up 12.4% year over year, record bookings and a $2.1 billion backlog, prompting the defense technology company to raise its full-year outlook. Free cash flow was negative $24 million amid an inventory build, and shares fell in after-hours trading despite the strong results.

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Nicole Hardy The backlog and bookings growth are what matter most for a defense tech firm like this.

Bookstores Across U.S. Offer Discounted Bag DealsLifestyle — Oct 31, 2026Book lovers can find bargains at locations ranging from Shelton’s library sale, where $5 bags of books support the library system, to used and discount bookstores in Washington, South Carolina and Virginia. Oregon’s Book Bin is highlighted for its expansive, two-story selection, while the other stores offer large inventories and low-cost books.

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Build a pizza and the AI guesses your ageQuizie — QuizCrust to final slice, every topping is evidence. The AI guesses your age — and explains exactly which choice gave you away.

FAA AI Tool Reroutes Nearly 180 FlightsTech — 2dUnited is restricting unauthorized third-party AI agents from its booking and travel platforms, citing aviation rules requiring human acknowledgment during check-in and risks such as unintended purchases. Separately, the FAA is expanding its SMART AI planning system to help controllers find more efficient routes and reduce delays, while officials say humans retain control and some lawmakers have questioned testing and oversight.

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Dolly Parton Book Program Adds New Sites Amid Local Funding Efforts — Nov 4, 2026Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is expanding and seeking support in communities across the U.S. and Wales, mailing free monthly books to children from birth to age 5. Local fundraising and partnerships remain key to launching or sustaining programs, while supporters point to literacy benefits and advocates in Wales call for reliable funding.

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Book traces how Xerox PARC created the GUI yet lost the PC industry — 6dDealers of Lightning argues that breakthrough invention and commercialization are separate skills, so a firm can fund genius and still lose the future it builds.

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Pierogi Spots Across U.S. Serve Regional FavoritesLifestyle — 3dPierogi are drawing attention across the country, from duck-filled versions at Richmond’s Perly’s to traditional Polish platters in Florida and Arizona restaurants that pair handmade dumplings with European market goods. Pittsburgh is also celebrating the dish with a book launch exploring pierogi’s place in American food and Polish heritage.

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Book argues shame and avoidance, not math gaps, drive money problems — Nov 4, 2026Erin Lowry’s Broke Millennial is for young adults who freeze at bank apps out of dread, not laziness.

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Book argues opaque algorithms deepen inequality under math's guise — 6dBuilders, regulators, and anyone scored by hiring tests, credit tools, or policing models get a field guide to how those systems manufacture harm.

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Book argues US demand created zero-day market that spread globally — 5dThis Is How They Tell Me the World Ends shows how an offense-first U.S. cyber strategy manufactured the flaw market that later armed rivals, criminals, and mercenaries.

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Celebrity Opens Bookings for Xcite’s 2028 Caribbean DebutTravel — Nov 3, 2026Celebrity Cruises has opened bookings for Celebrity Xcite, its sixth Edge Series ship, which is set to debut in 2028 with seven-night Caribbean cruises from Miami. The ship’s launch is part of the line’s expanded 2028–29 Caribbean program, which also includes new short Edge Series sailings and deployments from four Florida ports.

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Raworth book argues economies should target doughnut not endless GDP growth — Nov 5, 2026Dek: Doughnut Economics gives policymakers, uneasy economics students, and sustainability managers a usable success measure beyond GDP.

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