ASTS

The SETI Institute is explaining how astronomers can tell when a star has engulfed its own planets. Lithium, which can reveal such events, gradually disappears inside stars over time, but beryllium lasts much longer, offering a more durable chemical clue that rocky worlds may have been swallowed. Anne Rathsam walks through the stellar detective work in the institute's latest episode.

The Weather Channel has published a hurricane season maps tracker offering the latest forecasts, storm tracks and related updates in one place. The tracker lets viewers follow developing tropical systems and changing outlooks as the season progresses. The coverage is being promoted across the outlet's news platform, drawing attention from people monitoring current storm activity.

Adobe projects US online holiday sales will reach $275.1 billion this season, with traffic referred to retailers by AI tools such as chatbots and assistants expected to jump 130%. The forecast points to generative AI becoming a meaningful channel for product discovery and shopping recommendations. Retailers are watching closely as AI-driven referrals shift how consumers find deals and gifts during the holiday period.

Adobe predicts that traffic to US retail sites driven by generative AI tools will rise 130% during the upcoming holiday shopping season, compared with the same period last year. The forecast points to AI chatbots and assistants becoming a meaningful channel for shoppers researching products and finding deals, adding to how retailers plan for peak-season demand.

Oklahoma's agricultural economy is moving differently from the rest of the Federal Reserve's Tenth District, according to reporting from Lawton, Oklahoma. While farm conditions across the district's other states may be following one trend, Oklahoma's agricultural sector is showing a contrasting pattern, a difference drawing attention from readers tracking regional economic conditions and commodity markets.

Goldman Sachs chief economist Jan Hatzius forecasts that the Federal Reserve will likely deliver just one more interest rate increase, a 0.25% hike in December, with that step possibly cancelled if inflation keeps cooling. The call suggests the bank sees the tightening cycle nearing its end, and markets are weighing what an early pause would mean for stocks, bonds and borrowing costs.

The Times of India reports that fitness enthusiasts in India are increasingly spending lakhs of rupees on premium training, citing a rising market for high-end gyms, personal coaching and wearable technology aimed at smarter workouts. The piece frames this as a shift in how people spend on health and fitness, moving from basic memberships to data-driven, personalised training.

ListenWithUs, a service profiled by The New York Times, records and edits wedding-day audio into polished podcast episodes, letting couples capture vows, toasts and guest messages for later listening. The company's founder, Will Coley, is featured in the piece, which examines how couples are turning weddings into personal audio productions for family and friends.

North Korea announced it test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile, according to an AP News report. The launch comes as tensions on the Korean peninsula grow over blasts at border mines, which have raised concerns about renewed confrontation between the two Koreas. The missile test is being closely watched as a sign of escalating military activity in the region.

Two hosts have recorded podcast conversations with three political candidates in Newtown, Connecticut. The discussions, published by the local news outlet The Newtown Bee, give candidates a platform to present their views ahead of an election. Local audiences are being encouraged to listen to the episodes to inform their voting decisions.

Forecasts indicate a significant storm is heading toward the Middle East, with its approach coinciding with the ongoing war involving Iran. Weather systems of this scale can disrupt military operations, flights and daily life across the region, drawing attention to how conditions may complicate the conflict and affect civilians already facing upheaval.