🐤 Final destination

Markets: Tensions between Russia and Ukraine put some downward pressure on the stock market early Tuesday, but those losses were generally regained by the time the closing bell rang. The S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite managed to move from negative to positive territory throughout the day, but the Dow Jones Industrial Average was slower to rebound, finishing down by a fraction of a percent.

Clash of the titans: The Boston Celtics might be the reigning NBA champs, but the Cleveland Cavaliers have been putting up some truly impressive stats this season. Before the undefeated Cavs traveled to Boston for last night’s game, analysts and fans alike were already analyzing how the matchup could change the trajectory of the young season. Despite Cleveland’s 15-0 season, its strong offense, and a roster led by shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, the Cavaliers came into the game against the 11-3 Celtics as 5.5-point underdogs.

On the road again: There’s just a little over a week left until Thanksgiving, and holiday travel plans could cause more than a few delays next week no matter your chosen mode of transportation. In total, the American Automobile Association predicts that about 80 million Americans will be traveling over Thanksgiving — or about 1.7 million more than last year. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday are anticipated to be the busiest days for flights, and the Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 18.3 million holiday travelers.

Listen closely: A subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited now includes a new perk. In the U.S., Canada, and United Kingdom, top-tier subscribers can download one free audiobook per month. The titles are available through Audible and could help Amazon compete in the growing audiobook sector against a huge rival. Spotify already offers free audiobook downloads to its Premium subscribers and even launched a separate plan entirely devoted to such content. Whichever way you go, it’s a pretty good time to be a fan of audiobooks.

Rescuers in the sky: Drones have become a much bigger part of our lives in recent years, whether as a way to capture stunning video footage or deliver packages faster than ever before. But one application could literally save your life. A growing number of local police agencies are utilizing drones to support first responders on the ground during a medical emergency or crime in progress. Now, America’s most populous city is getting in on the trend. The NYPD’s “Drone as First Responder” program is already underway in three boroughs.

You’ve probably seen listings in the past of the top-ranked places to retire, but you might not have given much thought to what all of these destinations seem to have in common. The hierarchy crosses geographic, political, and socioeconomic lines — but there’s one attribute that remains constant across all the top contenders.

Don’t worry, be happy

It might stand to reason that retirees, who are often living on fixed incomes, might gravitate toward some of the least expensive regions of the country. But the cost of living seems to take a backseat to quality of life, as the new U.S. News & World Report survey.

Happiness came out ahead in the list of most important factors for adults over the age of 45 considering where they’d like to spend their golden years. Affordability came in second place.

“What we found this year is retirees seek a destination that will not only stretch their dollar, but is also a place for enjoyment,” explained Dawn Bradbury, the magazine’s assistant managing editor. “This is why the Midwest and South dominate the top 25.”

In case you were wondering, here’s how the three best cities for retirees stacked up in this year’s list, starting at the top:

• Naples, Florida
• Virginia Beach, Virginia
• New York City, New York

The Florida factor

Not only did a Sunshine State city make its mark at the top of the list, but a whopping eight of the top 25 are in Florida — including three of the top 10.

“People love Florida, there’s no getting around that,” Bradbury asserted.

And even though the latest survey was conducted prior to a rough hurricane season for the state, it’s clear that Florida remains one of the most popular destinations for older Americans.

Warm weather, beaches, and entertainment all boost its happiness score.

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Expectations were high ahead of the boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. When it was over, however, the audience’s disappointment was palpable.

Not only were there fewer memorable moments than viewers hoped, but Netflix experienced some frustrating technical glitches while trying to stream the event live.

Believing the hype

The Tyson-Paul fight had been heavily promoted for months before the actual event, and a series of broadcast issues left countless fans feeling let down.

Of course, this wasn’t the first live event covered by streaming platforms. Netflix has experimented with live stand-up comedy, for example, with mixed reviews from audiences.

Now, the fight night mishap seems to be another mark against the streaming giant’s foray into live events. And since Netflix has long been the king of the streaming hill, some entertainment industry insiders are wondering if any of the major platforms can take on the considerable challenges of streaming content in real time to homes around the world.

Focusing on football

One of the notable previous issues with live streaming arose just over a year ago when YouTube began offering exclusive coverage of the NFL Sunday Ticket. Viewers quickly sounded the alarm after experiencing outages, buffering, and other interruptions that made action on the field all but impossible to follow.

And Netflix might soon be in the same boat if it doesn’t get a handle on the matter. There’s just over a month left until the platform hosts a Christmas Day Ravens-Texans game featuring a halftime performance by Beyonce. It’s bad enough to upset football fans, but Netflix definitely doesn’t want to be on the Beyhive’s bad side.

Despite the challenges, it’s clear that live coverage can be a moneymaker for streamers … as evidenced by a peak of 65 million streams during the Tyson-Paul match.

Social media platforms have come under considerable scrutiny in recent years over the negative impact they can have on the mental and emotional well-being of users. Instagram, in particular, has become a commonly cited potential danger to teens.

Now, the Meta-owned app says it’s doing something to help alleviate those concerns.

Refreshing the system

As you probably already know, the content you see on most major social media feeds isn’t random but rather dictated by algorithms that remain hidden and can change without notice.

That lack of transparency contributes to the belief many consumers have that social media companies care more about monetizing their users than protecting them.

In a blog post this week, however, Instagram announced a significant step that will at least give individuals some control over the algorithm’s impact. Essentially, the new feature allows users to reset their feed at any time and start fresh.

“We want to make sure everyone on Instagram — especially teens — has safe, positive, age-appropriate experiences and feels the time they’re spending on Instagram is valuable,” the company explained.

A work in progress

This isn’t the first step Instagram has taken in hopes of easing concerns about its algorithmic feed. The platform previously gave users an option to select “interested” or “not interested” on any piece of content in order to teach the algorithm about individual preferences.

During the recent election season, the company also put a halt on all recommendations of political content.

The algorithm reset appears to be the most significant step Instagram has taken to date, though, and seems to signal that the company is taking the criticism seriously.

“We want to give teens new ways to shape their Instagram experience so it can continue to reflect their passions and interests as they evolve,” Instagram added.