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Today’s Big Story

Have You Tried Grokipedia?

xAI’s Wikipedia-like website offers a generous take on Musk’s worldview

Earlier in the week, Elon Musk unveiled “Grokipedia”, an online encyclopedia built entirely using AI-generated articles designed to take on Wikipedia, which Musk and his allies have claimed is biased and “woke.” The site resembles Wikipedia in style and format but offers very different entries to the popular online encyclopedia on many topics, including everything from “gender” to, well, “Elon Musk”.

Unfortunately for Musk, the site went down about an hour after launching before flickering back to life later in the evening. The project is the billionaire’s latest bid to develop AI systems that offer an alternative to what he considers left-leaning mainstream tools, write Washington Post tech reporters Will Oremus and Faiz Siddiqui. Despite once being a supporter of Wikipedia, Musk has publicly condemned what he considers the site’s leftward shift.

The project is Musk’s latest bid to harness Grok, the ChatGPT-like AI system developed by his company xAI, to offer right-leaning, freewheeling alternatives to popular mainstream tech tools. The Post says some Musk admirers greeted its debut with excitement Monday, while critics highlighted examples of articles that contained falsehoods or passages that copied Wikipedia verbatim.

But for entries tackling topics that jar with Musk’s personal worldview, many articles take on a remarkably different tone. Here, Grokipedia abruptly veers into hard-right talking points, factual inaccuracies, critiques of mainstream media, and unfounded conspiracy theories. The Verge says that at times, “Grokipedia is overtly racist and transphobic.”

Many GOP lawmakers in Congress and White House AI czar David Sacks, who slammed Wikipedia as “hopelessly biased,” are likely pleased. However, the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that operates Wikipedia, defended itself from those claims last month in a statement that said, “Wikipedia informs; it does not persuade.” Lauren Dickinson, a spokesperson for the Wikimedia Foundation, doubled down on those remarks, telling The Hill, “unlike newer projects, Wikipedia’s strengths are clear: it has transparent policies, rigorous volunteer oversight, and a strong culture of continuous improvement. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, written to inform billions of readers without promoting a particular point of view.” Have you given it a try yet?

Trump Goes Nuclear

The president orders tests of nuclear bombs after three-decade hiatus

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday night that the U.S. will resume testing nuclear weapons. In a post on Truth Social, he said that he ordered the Pentagon to “start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis” with Russia and China. “Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice!”

But it remained unclear whether Trump was referring to the testing of nuclear warheads or the missiles and other delivery systems that carry them. Trump’s post came shortly before a meeting in South Korea with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Later, in comments to reporters during his return flight to the U.S., Trump said the administration plans to issue an announcement with more detail on the tests. He declined to explain the reason for his move but said it didn’t relate to China.

The U.S. hasn’t conducted a nuclear test since 1992. Axios says that if Trump follows through on the decision to resume testing, it could reignite a superpower arms race. And while Trump alluded to testing by “other countries,” there have been no public reports of Russia or China conducting full-fledged nuclear weapons testing. The only country conducting major nuclear tests in recent years has been North Korea.

What a Federal Reserve Rate Cut Means for You

The Fed cut interest rates, but economists worry about central bankers “flying blind” about the job market

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved its second straight interest rate cut, though Chair Jerome Powell rattled markets when he threw doubt on whether another reduction is coming in December. Powell acknowledged the threats that officials see to the job market but also the risky nature of making further rate moves without a fuller picture of the economy. Stocks, which had been higher after the initial decision was released, turned lower on the chair’s comments. Major averages slowly came back during the session with reporters.

Economists welcomed the reduction, but acknowledged that the Fed essentially has been flying blind lately on economic data. Other than the consumer price index release last week, the government has suspended all data collection and reports, meaning such key measures as non-farm payrolls, retail sales and a plethora of other macro data is unavailable.

So what does this mean for your finances? While the rates consumers pay to borrow money aren’t directly linked to this rate, shifts affect what you pay for credit cards, auto loans, mortgages and other financial products. For savers, falling interest rates will slowly erode attractive yields currently on offer with certificates of deposit (CDs) and high-yield savings accounts. Auto loans are not expected to decline soon, but the cut will impact mortgages … gradually. And interest rates for credit cards are currently at an average of 20.01%, and the Fed’s rate cut may be slow to be felt by anyone carrying a large amount of credit card debt. That said, any reduction is positive news.

Blue Jays Cruise Past Dodgers in Game 5

Toronto rookie starter Trey Yesavage allowed just three hits with 12 strikeouts over seven innings

He’s only been in the majors for a little over a month but rookie starting pitcher Trey Yesavage has made quite a name for himself after a historic Game 5 performance to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to an exciting win over the Los Angeles Dodgers to take a commanding 3-2 series lead in the World Series. The former first round pick in the 2024 MLB draft had a masterful outing, finishing with 12 strikeouts, which broke Don Newcombe’s rookie record for the most in a World Series start, set in 1949.

On the very first pitch thrown by LA’s Blake Snell, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Davis Schneider homered to left field. Then, first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. launched a bomb to the same area of the stands. It was the first time in World Series history two players hit back-to-back home runs to open a game. Los Angeles was in a hole from the opening moments of the matchup, and it failed to ever get out of it in a 6-1 loss.

With his offense struggling through the first four games of this World Series—not to mention the better part of these entire playoffs—Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made relatively drastic changes to his lineup ahead of Wednesday's game. ESPN says the moves were to provide Shohei Ohtani with more RBI opportunities and more protection if the Blue Jays continue to pitch around him. However, it didn’t produce the results he was looking for … at least, not yet.

Myth: Pet Insurance Claims Are Too Slow

Myth: Pet insurance claims are too slow

Unlike in the past, most pet insurance claims are now super easy to process. Now, you can submit a claim right from an app and get the money deposited directly into your account within days. Many insurers even offer options for direct payment to the vet, reducing the out-of-pocket burden. Check out Money’s Best Pet Insurance list to find options with fast and painless claims processing.

See pet insurance plans.

Don’t be an enemy of yourself.