New US Warplane, Alex Jones Bankruptcy, and Color of the Year

America's Newest Warplane

The US Air Force yesterday evening debuted America's first new nuclear stealth bomber in more than 30 years. The aircraft, known as the B-21 Raider, is part of the Pentagon's efforts to modernize all three pillars of its nuclear triad, consisting of nuclear missile submarines, land-based nuclear missiles, and nuclear-capable aircraft. The B-21 Raider is expected to make its first flight in 2023 and succeeds the B-2 Spirit, first presented in 1988. Watch the rollout here.

The public reveal comes days after the Department of Defense released its annual report on China, saying it poses the most consequential challenge to America's national security. China has more than 400 operational nuclear warheads and is on track to have 1,500 nuclear weapons by 2035. See an estimate of global warhead inventories here.

The Air Force plans to build 100 B-21 Raiders, with six currently in production, that can deploy either nuclear weapons or conventional bombs—with or without a crew. It's unclear how much 100 aircraft will actually cost; estimates suggest about $753M each. See a video comparing the B-2 and B-21 here.

Atlanta McDonald's employees help deliver customer's baby in restaurant. (More)

Chicago high school athletes donate 1,000 sweatshirts to students experiencing homelessness. (More) 

A 94-year-old former flight attendant stumbles upon a photo of herself from 1947 at an airport. (More)

... and a 95-year-old Rhode Island man wishes for holiday cards from the public after his wife's death. (More) 

Police officer delivers fifth baby in five years after responding to 911 call. (More)

Young man cleans road signs for free to improve safety and help community. (More)

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Bookkeeping

> US women's national soccer team to make $5.85M after men's 2022 World Cup win over Iran due to new collective bargaining agreement. The figure is nearly equal to the amount the women's team made from winning the last two women's World Cups. 
> Record-breaking 50.54 million birds in the US have died this year amid an avian flu outbreak.

Browse 

> Pantone's 2023 Color of the Year.

> Portraits of funny felines. 

> The cheapest five-star hotels in every US state.

> UNESCO adds French baguette to cultural heritage list. 

> The Big Apple is hiring a rat czar to fight vermin.  

Listen 

> This American Life: Stories of people who revisit their childhoods—and what they find and don't find. 

Watch 

> YouTube's most popular videos and creators in 2022. 

> Everyday fruits and veggies that have been selectively bred by humans.

> Dig into the construction of the Taj Mahal—a monument to eternal love.

Long Read 

> Death and the salesman: The 22-year-old selling human bones for a living.

> Tiny cheesemakers: The microbes shaping the flavor and texture of cheese.

Best of the Week: The most popular GIFs of 2022. 

Historybook: Novelist Robert Louis Stevenson dies (1894); Rock star Ozzy Osbourne born (1948); Actress Julianne Moore born (1960); First human heart transplant carried out (1967); Mikhail Gorbachev and George H.W. Bush declare end to Cold War (1989); Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks dies (2000).