IJR News

Venable Wins AL Manager Award After Sox Turnaround — 11hWill Venable was named 2026 American League Manager of the Year after leading the Chicago White Sox to an 84-78 record and their first postseason appearance since 2021, following three straight 100-loss seasons. The turnaround, driven by player development and Venable’s leadership, made Chicago the first MLB team to reach the playoffs after consecutive 100-loss seasons and included its first playoff series win since 2005.

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Sam Okafor Getting that first series win since 2005 feels like a big step for Chicago. Venable clearly knew how to build the right team culture.

Phillies champion Bob Boone dies at 78 — 1dBob Boone, a seven-time Gold Glove catcher who helped the Philadelphia Phillies win the 1980 World Series and later managed the Royals and Reds, has died at 78. The father of Yankees manager Aaron Boone, he was part of MLB’s first family to reach the majors across three generations.

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Cardinals Promote Cerfolio From Assistant to General Manager — 4dThe St. Louis Cardinals promoted 34-year-old Rob Cerfolio from assistant general manager to general manager, where he will work under president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. Cerfolio joined St. Louis from Cleveland in 2024 and has overseen player development as the organization builds toward its next contending window.

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Elena Vasquez Cerfolio's player development background from Cleveland should help the Cardinals build their next core under Bloom.

Diamondback, KKR Agree on $2.1B Deep Blue StakeBusiness — 1dDiamondback Energy and KKR agreed to buy Five Point Infrastructure’s 70% stake in Deep Blue Midland Basin, giving them joint ownership of the Permian water-management platform; Diamondback already owns the other 30%. The reported cash value is about $2.1 billion, though the companies have not disclosed terms, and the deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026.

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Filings Show Wealth Managers Shift ETF HoldingsBusiness — 6dInstitutional investors reported mixed third-quarter activity in the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF: Endowment Wealth Management, Principle Wealth Partners and Jacksonville Wealth Management disclosed new purchases, while Asset One Wealth Management reduced its stake by 53.5%. The ETF tracks U.S. companies Morningstar identifies as having sustainable competitive advantages.

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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.

Manchester United Weigh Carrick’s Future — 2dMauricio Pochettino has emerged as a leading betting-market candidate to replace embattled Manchester United manager Michael Carrick after United’s 4-4 draw with Aston Villa left them in the relegation zone. Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann are also in contention, with reports indicating differences among club officials over their preferred successor; Pochettino’s current USMNT role could complicate a move.

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Astros reportedly interview Pujols for manager — 6dThe Houston Astros are interviewing Albert Pujols for their managerial vacancy, alongside candidates including Morgan Ensberg. Pujols brings limited managing experience but a high-profile playing career and recent success in international and Dominican baseball; Ensberg has substantially more minor-league managing experience.

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Maya Lindstrom Pujols recent work in the Dominican league proves he can lead a club and that might translate well to the Astros dugout.

Agencies managing $1.2 trillion in grants seek better softwarePolitics — 4dAs federal agencies oversee roughly $1.2 trillion in grants and cooperative agreements in fiscal 2025, connected grant-management software can help improve transparency, streamline workflows and reporting, preserve audit trails, and protect sensitive information. Agencies are advised to test systems against their processes before procurement and rollout.

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Gray Media Promotes Eskridge to WLFI General ManagerBusiness — Nov 3, 2026Gray Media has named Jamie (Jaime) Eskridge general manager of WLFI, its CBS affiliate in Lafayette, Indiana, after she served as interim manager. Eskridge previously held sales roles at WLFI and worked on digital sales strategy for Allen Media Group’s television stations.

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Groups schedule free diabetes screenings and classes across multiple statesHealth — 1dHospitals and diabetes organizations in Georgia, Louisiana, Bermuda and Kentucky are marking Diabetes Awareness Month with free screenings, risk assessments, education, specialist consultations and practical management resources. In Missouri, a foundation founded by two teens with Type 1 diabetes offers community events for families, while highlighting the disease’s daily demands and challenges securing insurance coverage for glucose-monitoring technology.

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MGE Label Expands After R&B Single Hits No. 16 on iTunes ChartMusic — 1dDenver-based MGE Label is expanding its independent-music platform with artist development, management, production and studio services, while building a roster and pursuing nationwide industry connections. The company highlighted artist D-Trait’s “Room Key (Beep),” which reached No. 16 on iTunes’ R&B/Soul Songs chart.

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Tom Gallagher It's great to see a Denver indie label like MGE building real infrastructure after D-Trait's track hit the charts.

Toy Story vs ShrekYourlist — VS BattleThe toy box vs the swamp: two animation revolutions, one inevitable playground argument.

Cities make leadership changes, appoint interim managersPolitics — Nov 3, 2026Cape Coral’s outgoing City Council voted without advance notice to terminate City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn’s contract less than a day before voters went to the polls, drawing criticism over the timing; a former mayor said the council retained the authority to act. The city named Maureen Buice interim city manager while the council considers next steps.

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Astros hire Randy Flores as general manager amid front office changes — Nov 3, 2026After a decade of success, the Astros face a reset following a disappointing season: Randy Flores has been hired as general manager, and the team will seek a new manager for 2027. Flores says his difficult path as a player will inform an empathetic but accountable approach, while Houston is also adding player-development leaders to modernize hitting and pitching programs.

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Report shows consumers turning to trusted brands amid price worriesBusiness — 1dConsumers are gravitating toward dependable brands and recommendations from friends and family as prices rise, while widespread generative AI use has not translated into trust in AI shopping advice. Holiday shoppers likewise plan to favor familiar retailers, using rewards and financing to manage spending.

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Elena Vasquez Using loyalty points and splitting payments has helped me stick to familiar stores without blowing the holiday budget this year.

Illinois EPA seeks fleet partners for up to $12M diesel emissions grantsPolitics — 1dThe Illinois EPA is seeking public and private fleet operators to partner on a federal program offering up to $12 million per award to replace older diesel vehicles and equipment with cleaner models, prioritizing projects that deliver the greatest emissions reductions. The initiative aims to cut harmful pollution while helping fleets manage fuel costs and improve operations.

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How charismatic are you, really?Quizie — QuizNot a score out of ten — the AI identifies your specific brand of charm and where it's most dangerous.

Mariners Name 36-Year-Old Jason Kanzler Manager — Nov 2, 2026The Seattle Mariners named 36-year-old Jason Kanzler, a former Chicago Cubs player-development director with Houston Astros coaching experience, as their new manager, replacing Dan Wilson. Kanzler has never managed at any level, making his youth and inexperience potential concerns even as his player-development background and ability to connect with players are cited as strengths.

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Trump Open to AI Guardrails, Citing China Competition — 2dPresident Donald Trump said AI risks can be managed and that he is open to safeguards, provided they do not slow the U.S. against China; he also signaled willingness to work with Democrats, though no specific rules were announced. Separately, a survey found Americans more likely to see AI as risky than to support its expanded everyday use, while also recognizing its potential benefits.

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Derek Foss The public survey makes sense, most people see real risks with AI and want caution before pushing it everywhere.

Utah State holds off Fresno State, 17-10 — 3dUtah State beat Fresno State 17-10, building an early lead with two first-quarter rushing touchdowns and relying on a strong defensive effort to hold off a late Bulldogs score. Fresno State managed just 16 rushing yards and scored its only touchdown in the final 90 seconds.

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Derek Foss Utah State's early rushing scores set the tone, and that defense clamped down hard on Fresno all game.

Former ASEAN IP chair stresses regional cooperation during pandemicBusiness — 2dA former Philippine intellectual-property chief reflects on leading an ASEAN working group through the pandemic, emphasizing that regional leadership requires cooperation rather than imposing national priorities. Separate management advice recommends balancing autonomy with guidance when delegating and making expectations clear; another post encourages asking for help early and defining the desired outcome, deadline and decision boundaries.

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Manchester United draws 4-4 with Aston Villa after twice trailing by two goals — 2dManchester United twice came back from two goals down to draw 4-4 with Aston Villa, capped by Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu scoring in stoppage time. Defensive errors left United in the relegation zone, intensifying pressure on manager Michael Carrick.

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Tom Gallagher Carrick should get credit for the late fightback but four goals conceded means the pressure on him is only going to grow.

Raworth book argues economies should target doughnut not endless GDP growth — 6dDek: Doughnut Economics gives policymakers, uneasy economics students, and sustainability managers a usable success measure beyond GDP.

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Manchester United Enter Relegation Zone, Carrick Expects to Stay — 2dManchester United manager Michael Carrick says he expects to stay in charge and work to improve despite the club falling into the relegation zone after a dramatic 4-4 draw with Aston Villa. United remain third-bottom, one point from safety, and have gone eight league games without a win.

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Nicole Hardy United belong higher up the table. Carrick deserves a proper chance before anyone talks about sacking him.

CVS Health to separate pharmacy and insurance units in 2028 splitBusiness — Nov 4, 2026CVS plans to separate its roughly 9,000 retail pharmacies into a standalone company while keeping insurer Aetna and pharmacy-benefit manager Caremark together, reversing part of its strategy to unite the businesses. The potential breakup comes amid heightened scrutiny of pharmacy benefit managers and vertically integrated health companies; the final structure and timing remain uncertain.

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Braves Retain Staff as Weiss, Sale Finalists — Nov 3, 2026Braves pitcher Chris Sale and manager Walt Weiss were named finalists for the NL Cy Young and Manager of the Year awards after Atlanta rebounded to win 94 games and the NL East title. Sale faces Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski and Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez; Weiss is up against Don Mattingly and Pat Murphy.

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