Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Spotify Wrapped reveals Bad Bunny as the platform's most-streamed global artist in 2025, dethroning Taylor Swift's two-year reign (More) | "The Joe Rogan Experience" is Spotify's most-listened-to podcast for fifth straight year (More)
> Matthew Perry's doctor is sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for selling ketamine to the late actor weeks before his fatal overdose (More)
> Germany selected to host UEFA Women's Euros in 2029, marking the nation's first major women's soccer tournament since the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup (More)
Science & Technology
> Waymo begins testing self-driving vehicles in Philadelphia and launches manned drives in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis to collect road data (More)
> Chemists synthesize a fungal compound with potential to fight diffuse midline glioma, an aggressive pediatric brain cancer that has few treatment options (More)
> NASA scientists find bioessential sugars and a gum-like material rich in oxygen and nitrogen in an asteroid sample, offering clues about how life’s molecular building blocks arrived on Earth (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.3%, Dow +0.9%, Nasdaq +0.2%) as weaker-than-expected private payrolls data spurs interest rate cut bets (More)
> Delta Air Lines reports this year's 43-day-long US government shutdown cost the airline an estimated $200M (More)
> OpenAI to acquire Neptune, a startup that builds monitoring and debugging tools used in training AI models; deal terms were not disclosed (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> President Donald Trump pardons Rep. Henry Cuellar (D, TX-28) and his wife, indicted last year on charges of receiving almost $600K in bribes from Mexican and Azerbaijani companies (More)
> House Oversight Committee releases 10 images, four videos taken in 2020 of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's two private islands (More, w/photo, video)
> European Commission proposes using over $150B in frozen Russian assets to fund reparations-style loan to Ukraine despite Belgium's concerns of Russian retaliation (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Apple Music unveils year-end charts; Bruno Mars and Rosé’s “APT.” takes the No. 1 spot across several categories, and Morgan Wallen leads all artists for most entries with 12 top-100 songs (More)
> Cannes-winning director Jafar Panahi sentenced in Iran to one year in prison and a two-year travel ban on propaganda charges while he's in New York City accepting Gotham Awards for “It Was Just an Accident," a film he illegally shot in Iran (More)
> International sports court rules Russian skiers and snowboarders can apply as neutral athletes for qualification events to the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, overturning ban imposed in February 2022 over Russia's invasion of Ukraine (More)
Science & Technology
> Samsung debuts its first trifold smartphone with 10-inch display, available in South Korea this month and in the US next year; Chinese company Huawei released trifold phones last year, and Apple is expected to debut a foldable iPhone next year (More)
> Researchers find shingles vaccine may slow progression of dementia, building on an earlier study that linked the vaccine to a lower risk of developing dementia (More)
> Terminally ill baby ants emit a chemical signal that prompts adult ants to kill them, helping protect the rest of the colony from infection (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close up (S&P 500 +0.3%, Dow +0.4%, Nasdaq +0.6%); bitcoin bounces back above $90K (More) | Madison Avenue, bubbles, post-work happy hours: Explore these topics and more in tomorrow's business and finance newsletter (Sign up)
> Prada Group finalizes purchase of Milan fashion rival Versace in nearly $1.4B cash deal (More) | Paramount, Netflix, and Comcast submit second-round bids for Warner Bros. Discovery, with Netflix submitting mostly all-cash offer (More)
> Nearly 203 million US consumers shopped from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, marking largest five-day turnout since 2017 when tracking began (More) | Online US shoppers spent record of roughly $44B across five-day period (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defends follow-up strike on alleged drug boat in September, saying he didn't see survivors in what he called "the fog of war" (More)
> Former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez is released from West Virginia prison after being pardoned by President Donald Trump over drug-trafficking charges (More) | Centrist candidate Salvador Nasralla takes slight lead in Honduras presidential election, as votes are counted by hand (More)
> Tennessee voters select Republican Army veteran Matt Van Epps to replace outgoing Rep. Mark Green (R, TN-7) in special election (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
A Light in the Dark
How bioluminescence works
Bioluminescence is the process by which an organism produces its own light due to a chemical reaction. It is sometimes mistaken for biofluorescence, the re-emission of absorbed light in a new color.
Though commonly associated with fireflies and glowworms, the phenomenon is rare in land species. By contrast, an estimated 75% of all ocean animals exhibit this ability themselves or through a symbiotic relationship with bioluminescent bacteria, which they use for self-defense, hunting food, mating, and communication.
The light comes from binding oxygen to one of several molecules called luciferin. Different species have different luciferin varieties, producing various types of oxyluciferin, a light-emitting molecule, in the reaction. The variety of oxyluciferin results in the variety of observed bioluminescent colors.
Scientists have used bioluminescent proteins to create tools to observe cellular biological activity and identify biochemical signals within cells for drug discovery.
... Read our full explainer on the phenomenon here.
Also, check out ...
> How humans have used bioluminescence as a military advantage. (More)
> See a photo gallery of bioluminescent creatures. (More)
> Watch shrimp escape predators by releasing bioluminescent chemicals. (More)
> Scientists and artists paired up to create art from bioluminescence. (More)
Rockefeller Center's Origin
Who are the Rockefellers?
The Rockefeller family is one of the wealthiest families in American history, with influential legacies in business, art, architecture, and philanthropy. John D. Rockefeller, born in 1839 into relatively modest circumstances, became the world’s first billionaire in 1916 after creating the first major business trust. By some accounts, he is still the richest man to have ever lived. Their cumulative net worth today is $10.3B.
The Rockefellers created the Standard Oil Company, which contributed to innovations in scaled business practices (namely, through trusts) amid the Industrial Revolution in the US, catalyzing a shift toward market centralization and monopoly. They've also financed American institutions such as New York City's Rockefeller Center, Colonial Williamsburg, and more.
Their modern-day influence mostly involves charitable giving to causes like higher education, the environment, and national parks. Their moneyed reputation has outlasted John D. Rockefeller himself: Taylor Swift, for instance, recently referenced the Standard Oil fortune in a popular song.
... Read our full write-up on the family here.
Also, check out ...
> See Rockefeller Center's Christmas trees since 1931. (More)
> The Rockefellers funded the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg. (More)
> How Standard Oil used vertical integration to grow their business. (More)
> John D. Rockefeller's father was a well-known con artist. (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
At least 128 people killed and over 8 arrested after Hong Kong apartment fire.
Hong Kong's anticorruption agency has arrested subcontractors, engineering consultants, and project managers in connection with a deadly fire at a high-rise apartment complex. Officials said the blaze, which began Wednesday afternoon and spread across seven towers, was likely ignited by flammable construction netting used during an ongoing renovation project.
Ukraine president's chief of staff resigns amid corruption probe.
Ukrainian anticorruption agencies raided the residence and reportedly the office of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, as part of a wider probe into a $100M energy sector corruption scandal. The raid has intensified political turmoil in Ukraine, with lawmakers demanding accountability amid pressure to address corruption as the government seeks continued Western support.
At least 321 people killed in Southeast Asia flooding and landslides.
Large parts of Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia have been drenched by cyclone-fueled torrential rain and a rare tropical storm in the Strait of Malacca, a roughly 560-mile-long stretch of water that connects the Indian and Pacific oceans. The floods have displaced tens of thousands of people.
Mystery foot suggests new early human relative.
Scientists conclude a roughly 3.4 million-year-old fossil found in Ethiopia belonged to a previously unknown ancient human relative. The foot has an opposable big toe, hinting the owner was a skilled climber who spent more time in trees than Lucy, another human relative from the same time and place. The finding raises questions about humans' direct ancestors and suggests evolution may not have been linear.
Ancient West Texas rock art influenced Mesoamerican cosmology.
Researchers have found that Indigenous people along the US-Mexico border created Pecos River-style rock art—vast, multicolored murals—that date back 6,000 years and span roughly 175 generations. They also identified recurring symbols and motifs that point to a shared "cosmovision," reflecting beliefs about the universe.
Judge dismisses Georgia election interference case against Trump and others.
Prosecutor Pete Skandalakis asked the judge to dismiss racketeering charges against President Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, and 17 others. He took over the case this month after his nonpartisan organization of Georgia prosecutors failed to find someone willing to replace Fani Willis, the original prosecutor who was disqualified from the case due to a romantic relationship with a prosecutor she had hired.
Olympic flame is lit for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. (w/photos)
The Olympic flame was lit in Greece Wednesday ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, running Feb. 4-22. When the flame reaches Italy Thursday, it will begin a nearly 7,500-mile, 63-day relay to Milan’s San Siro Stadium for the Feb. 6 opening ceremony. The flame is typically lit by capturing the sun’s rays with a concave mirror, but overcast skies forced officials to use a backup flame kindled during a rehearsal.
Explore the best resources we've found on the torch relay and Olympic Games here.
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Adorable Water Bears
What are tardigrades?
Tardigrades are microscopic animals best known for their survivability in extreme environments, including the vacuum of space, pressures six times greater than Earth’s deepest ocean trench, and temperatures ranging from about minus 270 to 150 degrees Celsius (or minus 454 to 302 degrees Fahrenheit). Nicknamed “water bears,” these creatures traverse using four pairs of stubby legs that end in claws or adhesive pads and are found in habitats with moist sediments, like lake bottoms (watch under a microscope).
Their resilience comes from their ability to undergo cryptobiosis, in which a tardigrade expels nearly all the water in its body and tucks itself into a dried-up cyst called a tun. During this process, protectant molecules—including Dsup, a protein that shields DNA from radiation—create a glass-like matrix to protect a tardigrade’s cells and reduce its metabolism by 99.99%. Even after decades, tardigrades in a tun state have been revived through rehydration.
Research is ongoing to identify applications of tardigrade-specific proteins, including using Dsup to protect healthy cells during radiotherapy cancer treatments.
... Read our full explainer on the tiny creatures here.
Also, check out ...
> A lunar probe’s crash landing may have spilled tardigrades on the moon. (More)
> Explore a gallery of tardigrades. (More)
> Oxygen and nutrients are circulated in tardigrade bodies through physical movement. (More)
> Ballistic experiments show that tardigrades are unlikely to be an alien species. (More)
Prosperous Lands
Real estate, 101
Real estate is an asset class that includes land or buildings, whether residential, commercial, or public. Roughly 66% of US households own real estate, and for the typical American homeowner, that property makes up roughly half of their household’s net worth.
Most of these homeowners (about 74% as of 2024) use a mortgage to finance their homes rather than paying for them in cash. The real estate industry encompasses a wide range of professionals, from house flippers to real estate agents. Real estate investment firms handle complex, large-scale projects such as commercial developments, and also partner with large corporate developers and investors.
The US housing market alone was worth a hefty sum of $55T as of September 2025. For context, the entire US stock market is worth roughly $62.2T.
... Read our full write-up on real estate here.
Also, check out ...
> Monaco is the world's most expensive real estate market. (More)
> The number of affordable homes built since 1970 has dropped 75%. (More)
> One theory suggests real estate markets follow 18-year cycles. (More)
> Why it's not straightforward to turn empty offices into apartments. (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Venezuela to deem Nobel Peace Prize winner fugitive if she leaves to accept award.
Venezuela's attorney general said opposition leader María Corina Machado will be considered a fugitive if she leaves hiding to collect her Nobel Peace Prize at a ceremony in Oslo, Norway, next month. Machado, who was awarded the honor last month for her efforts to promote democracy in Venezuela, faces accusations from the Maduro regime of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, and terrorism.
Drugmaker Eli Lilly hits $1T market value, first for a healthcare company.
The Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical company surpassed a $1T valuation during Friday morning trading, becoming the first healthcare company to join an elite group dominated by tech firms. Lilly's market value is more than double that of its next closest industry rival, Johnson & Johnson. The drugmaker’s growth has been driven largely by strong demand for its GLP-1 drugs, Mounjaro and Zepbound.
Saturn's rings to seemingly disappear in rare ring-plane crossing.
Less than 1% of Saturn's rings will be visible from Earth tonight, as the two planets align such that Saturn's rings face us edge-on. The rings will gradually appear wider in the coming months, reaching their greatest apparent width in late 2027. Tonight's illusion, observable with a backyard telescope, won't occur again until Oct. 15, 2038.
Ohio police officer acquitted in shooting death of pregnant Black mother.
A jury yesterday found Blendon Township officer Connor Grubb not guilty of murder and related charges in the 2023 shooting death of Ta'Kiya Young, a 21-year-old pregnant Black mother accused of shoplifting. Grubb faced a potential life sentence in prison if convicted. The attorney representing Young's family said he would continue pursuing a lawsuit against the township and its police chief.
US Rep. Eric Swalwell (D, CA-14) enters crowded California governor race.
The 45-year-old Democrat, who served as House manager for President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial, launched his gubernatorial campaign Thursday night on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Swalwell joins over half a dozen candidates seeking to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), including billionaire businessman Tom Steyer (D), who joined the race Wednesday. The election is set for Nov. 3, 2026.
Miss Mexico is crowned Miss Universe weeks after spurring walkout.
Mexico’s Fátima Bosch Fernández was crowned the 74th Miss Universe yesterday. The 25-year-old walked offstage during a sashing ceremony earlier this month after she stood up to a pageant organizer who criticized her for not joining promotional activities. Several contestants left the stage in solidarity. Separately, two judges resigned earlier this week, with one alleging a rigged competition.
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Metropolitan Museum of Art announces "Costume Art" as inaugural exhibition in Costume Institute's nearly 12,000-square-foot Condé M. Nast Galleries, opening May 2026; Met Gala dress code announcement expected in early 2026 (More)
> Post Malone, Lil Jon, and Jack White to headline NFL Thanksgiving halftime shows (More) | Influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul to fight former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in professional match streamed on Netflix Dec. 19 (More)
> Tom Cruise and Dolly Parton among lifetime achievement honorees at Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Governors Awards (More)
Science & Technology
> Jeff Bezos launches startup focused on AI applications in engineering and manufacturing; he will serve as co-CEO alongside former Google scientist (More)
> Report reveals National Institutes of Health funding cuts affected over 74,000 participants across 383 clinical trials from late February to mid-August; cuts disproportionately impacted infectious disease studies (More)
> Scientists build digital copy of mouse brain cortex with supercomputer, enabling them to simulate neurological diseases and test treatments virtually (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -0.9%, Dow -1.2%, Nasdaq -0.8%) as tech slumps weigh on markets; investors look ahead to delayed September jobs report, set for Thursday release (More)
> Novo Nordisk cuts direct-to-consumer prices for weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic to $349 per month for existing cash-paying patients on most doses; offers limited-time $199 monthly price to new cash-paying patients on lower doses (More)
> Ford partners with Amazon to sell certified used vehicles on the retail giant's auto marketplace, becoming second brand name to do so after Hyundai; initial rollout is in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Dallas (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> US House expected to vote today on whether to compel the Justice Department to release files related to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein (More) | UN Security Council approves US plan authorizing international stabilization force in Gaza (More)
> Federal agents say they have detained over 130 people in Charlotte, North Carolina, since Friday as part of an ongoing immigration crackdown; roughly 200 agents are due to be redeployed to New Orleans this upcoming weekend (More)
> Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk calls explosion on railway track 60 miles from Warsaw an "act of sabotage"; investigators have not publicly identified a suspect or motive behind the attack, which has disrupted aid delivery to Ukraine (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Americana folk singer-songwriter Todd Snider dies at age 59 after being hospitalized with pneumonia (More) | Seattle Seahawks safety and Pro Football Hall of Famer Kenny Easley dies at age 66 (More)
> Italy's Jannik Sinner tops Spain's Carlos Alcaraz to win ATP Finals title in Turin for second straight year, earning $5M prize (More)
> "Now You See Me 3" leads the box office, grossing $75.5M globally in its weekend debut, outpacing “The Running Man” (More)
Science & Technology
> NASA to launch Sentinel-6B, the next satellite in a multidecade effort to measure sea level rise across roughly 90% of Earth's oceans; launch window began around 12 am ET (More)
> Mouse study suggests hypertension can cause premature aging in certain brain cells much earlier than expected; may explain link between high blood pressure and increased risk of cognitive impairment (More)
> Researchers use world's fastest supercomputer, "El Capitan" at Livermore National Lab, to create database of 41 million protein folding structures in record-breaking time (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed Friday (S&P 500 -0.1%, Dow -0.7%, Nasdaq +0.1%), with the tech-heavy Nasdaq ending a three-day losing streak (More)
> Former Federal Reserve official Adriana Kugler stepped down in August following an ethics probe into trading violations, new report reveals; senior Fed officials are prohibited from trading individual stocks (More)
> Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway reports building a $4.9B stake in Google parent company Alphabet (More) | Everything we've learned about Warren Buffett (1440 Topics)
Politics & World Affairs
> US designates Venezuela's Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization while its most advanced aircraft carrier arrives in the Caribbean Sea; US military strikes another alleged drug trafficking boat (More)
> Chilean presidential election heads to a Dec. 14 runoff as the two candidates—communist Jeannette Jara and conservative José Antonio Kast—fail to secure more than 50% of the vote (More)
> Democratic Republic of the Congo and M23 rebels sign new peace deal framework in Qatar after earlier deal collapses this year (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Terrible Lizards
Dinosaurs, 101
Dinosaurs are terrestrial reptiles that lived on Earth during the Mesozoic Era, from about 245 million to 66 million years ago. While humans have encountered fossilized dinosaurs for millennia, they were not identified as a group of extinct creatures until 1842. This sparked an interest in fossil hunting that has led to the discovery of about 1,000 species as of 2025—though scientific models suggest that as many as 500,000 species may have existed.
Early dinosaurs' feather coats and ability to walk upright facilitated their adaptation to changing environments after two mass extinction events wiped out most other species, including their amphibious competitors. Research suggests dinosaurs exhibited many characteristics of modern-day animals, including herd-like social structures, varied diets, and visual and auditory communication.
The age of dinosaurs ended when an asteroid larger than Mount Everest struck Earth in what is now the Yucatán Peninsula, producing a mass extinction event endured by small nonavian dinosaurs that evolved into today's birds.
... Read our full explainer on dinosaurs here.
Also, check out ...
> Dinosaurs ranged from the size of chickens to multistory buildings. (More)
> Explore the origins of dinosaur names. (More)
> Dinosaur portrayals in film mistakenly limit them to only living in tropical climates. (More)
> Explore an interactive timeline and map of dinosaurs across the globe. (More)
The Firm
What is consulting?
Consulting is a broad industry focused on helping organizations solve a wide range of problems they lack the ability to address on their own, also known as professional services. These may include launching a new product, guiding large-scale organizational changes, or advising on critical business decisions around growth strategy, organizational structure, and digital transformation.
Consulting firms have a significant amount of influence, working with clients from Fortune 50 businesses to the federal government. But despite the global consulting industry’s size (it was valued at roughly $710B as of 2023), its inner workings can be opaque. Consulting firms’ clients and the problems they help solve are typically kept confidential, and their efforts are often largely invisible to the general public.
The “Big Three”—McKinsey, BCG, and Bain—and the accounting-focused “Big Four”—Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, and EY—consulting firms are often considered the world’s most prestigious and well-known consulting firms. They collectively made up about 20% of the global consulting market by revenue in 2023.
... Read our full write-up on consulting here.
Also, check out ...
> How McKinsey became one of the most powerful firms in the world. (More)
> Firms often work for both a company and its regulators simultaneously. (More)
> Critics argue US corporations are too dependent on the industry. (More)
> Consulting jobs are some of the most sought-after by Ivy grads. (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
New prosecutor takes on Georgia election interference case.
Veteran lawyer Pete Skandalakis will assume the case alleging President Donald Trump and others conspired to overturn his Georgia loss in the 2020 election. The original prosecutor, Fani Willis, was disqualified due to a romantic relationship with a special prosecutor she hired. Skandalakis, who heads the nonpartisan group tasked with replacing Willis, said he took the role after several other attorneys declined.
Separately, Trump called on the Justice Department to investigate prominent Democrats and financial institutions' ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The move comes after the House released thousands of emails from the Epstein estate, some of which referenced Trump. Read our previous write-up here.
Walmart CEO to retire, will be replaced by another company veteran.
Doug McMillon will step down Jan. 31 after over a decade at the helm. The 59-year-old, who began his Walmart career as a summer associate in high school, is credited with leading the retailer's expansion into e-commerce. Walmart's market cap grew from roughly $250B to over $800B under his leadership. John Furner, who heads Walmart’s US arm and also began as a store associate, will take over Feb. 1.
Scientists break record for oldest RNA sequencing with woolly mammoth remains.
The RNA came from a roughly 40,000-year-old woolly mammoth named Yuka, whose remains were preserved in Siberian permafrost. The sequencing is significant because RNA decays more quickly than DNA, yet it offers deeper insights into how animals lived. Yuka’s RNA, for example, revealed signs of stress, supporting earlier theories he died after a cave lion attack. The oldest RNA previously sequenced came from a 14,300-year-old wolf puppy.
Blue Origin rocket sends NASA's Mars satellites to space.
Jeff Bezos' company successfully launched a rocket carrying NASA spacecraft destined for Mars, and then successfully landed the rocket's booster for the first time. Bad weather foiled a first launch attempt Sunday, and strong solar activity—responsible for the auroras seen across the US—postponed a Wednesday attempt. Data collected by the spacecraft when they enter Mars' orbit in 2027 could offer insights into why the planet, once wet and warm, became dry and dusty.
Researchers overcome immune hurdle in pig-to-human transplants.
A genetically modified pig kidney survived for 61 days in a brain-dead man, a new record. During this period, researchers collected tissue, blood, and body fluid samples at a pace not possible in living patients. The data provided detailed insights into immune reactions to the transplant, enabling the first successful reversal of a pig organ rejection using a combination of federally approved drugs.
Bad Bunny wins album of the year at Latin Grammy Awards.
The Puerto Rican singer, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, won five of the 12 awards for which he was nominated ahead of his Super Bowl halftime performance in February. His sixth studio album, "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS," was named album of the year, marking the first time the 31-year-old took home a prize in one of the show's major categories. See the full list of winners here.
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games Day 1 to feature most-ever women's finals on a single day, including women's track and field 100-meter and triathlon (More) | View full schedule (More)
> NBA announces changes to 2026 NBA All-Star Game featuring two teams of US players and one team of international players (More) | Paul Skenes wins MLB Cy Young Award for best pitcher; Most Valuable Player announced tonight (More)
> Actor James Van Der Beek, 48, to auction "Dawson's Creek" memorabilia to help pay for his Stage 3 colorectal cancer treatments (More) | Singer Adele to make acting debut in movie by fashion mogul and filmmaker Tom Ford (More)
Science & Technology
> Intense solar storms foil second launch attempt of Blue Origin rocket carrying twin Mars orbiters for NASA; first attempt Sunday called off due to Earth weather (More)
> Neuroscientists change neural connections in brains of mice with Down syndrome; breakthrough could yield new treatments for neurodevelopmental disorders (More)
> Researchers discover Epstein-Barr virus can infect white blood cells and trigger lupus; finding could lead to better treatments for autoimmune disease (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.1%, Dow +0.7%, Nasdaq -0.3%); Dow closes at record high for second consecutive day (More) | October jobs and inflation reports unlikely to be released due to shutdown, White House says (More)
> Anthropic to spend $50B on US AI infrastructure, beginning with custom data centers in Texas and New York (More)
> Kim Kardashian's shapewear brand Skims valued at $5B after securing $225M in funding round led by Goldman Sachs (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Colombian military kills at least 19 people in rebel group accused of trafficking drugs; airstrikes come amid US military's ongoing campaign against narcotrafficking boats in the Caribbean (More)
> Ukrainian investigators raid home of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's former business partner, other top aides as part of $100M corruption investigation (More)
> Italian public prosecutor opens investigation into allegations Italian citizens paid large amounts to travel to Bosnia-Herzegovina and shoot at civilians (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> MLB reaches agreement with sportsbooks to cap bets on individual pitches at $200; news follows indictments of pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz (More) | Cristiano Ronaldo confirms 2026 World Cup will be his final tournament with Portugal (More)
> Sally Kirkland, Oscar-nominated actress best known for "Anna," dies at age 84 (More) | Four-time NBA All-Star Michael Ray Richardson, banned from league for drug use, dies at age 70 (More) | Jimmy Kimmel's bandleader Cleto Escobedo III dies at age 59 (More)
> "KPop Demon Hunters" ruled ineligible for British Academy Film Awards, or BAFTA Awards (More) | Pope Leo to host special Vatican audience Saturday with artists from across the film and TV industry (More)
Science & Technology
> Meta's chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, to depart company and launch his own AI startup; LeCun won the 2018 Turing Award, leaves amid Meta's push toward superintelligence (More) | What is superintelligence? (1440 Topics, w/video)
> Doctors demonstrate first remote, robot-assisted thrombectomy; a specialist in Scotland successfully removed a brain clot from a cadaver in Florida using a remotely guided robot (More)
> Use of GLP-1 weight loss drugs cuts risk of death in colon cancer patients by more than half over five years; drug may help reduce inflammation and other mechanisms that promote tumor growth (More) | The best resources we've found on semaglutides (1440 Topics)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.2%, Dow +1.2%, Nasdaq -0.3%); Dow closes at record high as CoreWeave (-16.3%) pulls down Nasdaq (More)
> SoftBank sells entire stake in Nvidia for $5.83B and part of its stake in T-Mobile for $9.17B; sales of shares reportedly will be used to help fund the Japanese firm's expected $30B investment in OpenAI (More)
> Sonder to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after Marriott International terminates licensing agreement with the short-term rentals and boutique hotel operator (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> US Navy's largest and most advanced aircraft carrier—the USS Gerald R. Ford—arrives in Caribbean amid tensions with Venezuela (More)
> Kansas county agrees to pay more than $3M over 2023 law enforcement raid on small-town weekly newspaper (More) | See previous write-up (More)
> At least 12 people killed, 27 wounded in Pakistan after suicide bombing attack outside a district court in Islamabad (More) | At least 20 dead in Turkish military plane crash in Georgia after taking off from Azerbaijan (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
