Stuffed Acorn Squash with Wild Rice and Cranberries

World

• Türkiye and seven nations condemn Israel’s settlement policies Türkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE jointly denounced Israel’s continued expansion of settlements in occupied Palestinian territories, specifically rejecting the E1 plan east of East Jerusalem as illegal under international law. Source: Anadolu Agency.
• Trump says Iran is “still not ready” for the “right deal” amid tightening sanctions US President Donald Trump asserted that while Iran might want a deal, it is not prepared to make the correct one, as additional economic pressures are being applied. Source: Anadolu Agency.

United States

• AI agents become active control systems at Cloudflare Cloudflare is integrating AI into its software development lifecycle (SDLC), enforcing internal engineering standards through an AI-based control plane and agent tracing to manage code, configuration, and deployment. Source: The Art of CTO.
• Drone and missile attacks escalate in Ukraine Russian forces conducted a double-tap drone strike on a shopping mall, killing at least 15, and separate missile attacks near Kyiv killed 17. The UN warned that armed drones are escalating battlefield risks, including to aid workers. Source: The Art of CTO.

Technology

• Apple cuts over 200 roles in Siri and Vision Pro teams Bloomberg reports that Apple is reducing staff in immersive video, 3D video, and gaming teams as it shifts resources toward AI and new devices. Source: SpikePanel via Bloomberg.
• NVIDIA’s Vera Rubin systems reach Microsoft data centers Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirmed arrival of first production Vera Rubin units at Microsoft DCs, signaling accelerated AI infrastructure deployment. Source: SpikePanel via Microsoft/NVIDIA posts.

Science

• Colorado River water cuts announced Federal officials declared sharp water reductions over the next two years for three Western U.S. states, as supplies from the Colorado River continue to dwindle. Source: LA Post.
• Alfalfa sprout outbreak sickens 15 U.S. states Health authorities report a food-poisoning outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts has impacted individuals across 15 states. Source: LA Post.
• NASA sidesteps LINK mission extension Due to a commercial spacecraft attitude control issue, NASA and Katalyst Space announced that the LINK spacecraft will not boost or capture the agency’s satellite as originally planned. Source: NASA Science.

Entertainment

• ‘The Odyssey’ becomes highest-grossing R-rated film ever Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster has surpassed $1.35 billion globally, overtaking *Deadpool & Wolverine* as the top-grossing R-rated movie. Source: The Guardian.
• ‘Insidious’ franchise returns with new entry The long-dormant *Insidious* series is back with a new film titled *Insidious: Out of the Further* just three years after its last installment. Source: Us Weekly via News & Observer.
• Austrian film ‘Everytime’ wins top prize at Sarajevo Festival Director Sandra Wollner’s *Everytime*, previously honored at Cannes, earned the Heart of Sarajevo award for best narrative feature. Source: Daily Mail via Variety.

Stuffed Acorn Squash with Wild Rice and Cranberries

Delight in a flavorful combination of wild rice, cranberries, and spices, gently baked inside acorn squash. This dish is both savory and slightly sweet, perfect as a unique main course or a hearty side.

Ingredients

• 2 acorn squashes, halved and seeded
• 1 cup wild rice
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the acorn squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, rinse the wild rice under cold water. In a medium saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil, add the rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 45 minutes or until the rice is tender.
3. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent. Stir in the pecans, cranberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, cooking for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Combine the cooked wild rice with the cranberry and pecan mixture.
5. Remove the squash from the oven and turn the halves cut side up. Fill each half with the wild rice mixture.
6. Return filled squashes to the oven and bake an additional 10 minutes.
7. Serve warm and enjoy this cozy, autumn-inspired dish!