Stealing political signs has become much more risky

🕵🏼 Both sides are hiding AirTags on political signs: It’s to stop (and catch) thieves. Michigan detectives used one to track 72 stolen campaign signs … and then, they spent hours searching the wrong house. It wasn’t until they brought in the AirTag owner for a more precise location that they realized the signs were at a neighbor’s house, clearly visible through a window. People …

Headed for the U.S. Treasury. It’s the stolen proceeds from the Dark Web drug marketplace Silk Road, valued at $4.6 billion at current prices. It took four years for the government to establish ownership. Crazy twist: The agent who secured the money is sitting in jail.

He’s got big dreams … and nuts: The Optimus robots at Tesla’s big event last week aren’t as advanced as Elon wants you to think. A bunch of attendees posted videos asking the bots if they were human. One hesitantly replied, “Today, I am assisted by a human.” They all have different voices, too. At $20,000 to $30,000 a pop, the final product had better be fully automated. I’d like mine to sound like Sean Connery.

🚨 Bad apples? More like bad apps: In just one year, more than 200 malware-infected apps in the Google Play Store racked up millions of downloads. Many were disguised as tools or photography, personalization, productivity or lifestyle apps. Before you download an app, always check its reviews and beware of suspicious permissions, like a photo app asking for access to your messages.

Added to Social Security benefits in 2025. The max benefit will increase to $5,108 per month. FYI, if you get Supplemental Security Income, you’ll see two payments hit next month: Nov. 1 and Nov. 29.

Of explosives used to implode the Tropicana Las Vegas. The site of the former 23-story, 917,400-square-foot hotel is becoming a Major League Baseball stadium for the Oakland A’s, who are relocating. The controlled demolition used 22,000 lineal feet of detonating cord. Dang! Watch it happen here.

🦉 Owl that talent: A 10-year-old boy has racked up millions of views online for his spot-on bird calls. At a school talent show, he hooted like a great horned owl, honked like a Canada goose and gobbled like a wild turkey. He’s so good that he can fool bird ID apps! It’s no surprise when he grows up, he wants to be an ornithologist (bird expert). Isn’t that amazing?

A dozen drones flew over secure U.S. military locations. They zoomed over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, moved over the home base of the Navy’s SEAL Team Six and, finally, surveyed the world’s largest naval port (paywall link). U.S. officials don’t know where they came from or how to stop them. Ahem, China? These yours?

🚀 Touchdown complete: SpaceX nailed the upright landing of one of its massive Starship rockets. As it fell from the sky, thrusters slowed it down before it was caught by two “chopstick” arms attached to a giant metal tower. Why’s this a big deal? It’s a step toward reusable rockets. The video is incredible.

⚠️ Use Windows Enterprise software? There’s a critical vulnerability rated 9.8 out of 10 (really bad) in Microsoft Configuration Manager. CVE-2024-43468 is extremely dangerous, allowing hackers to take control of your system and network remotely. You can’t fix this with a normal patch; it requires an in-console update inside the Configuration Manager. Full steps here.