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Record Chill: Polar Plunge Persists in the Northeast as Low-Temperature Records Are Set (New York Times)
The Arctic blast brought a record low to New York City on Saturday, with 6 degrees recorded at Kennedy Airport. The previous record for that date at the airport was 7 degrees, set in 1993.
It was even colder on Sunday in northern New York, where the low temperature for the country was recorded at minus 34 degrees in Watertown, five miles east of Lake Ontario and 30 miles south of the Canadian border.
Trump's Blame Shift: ‘I Didn’t Make a Mistake,’ Trump Declines to Apologize for Racist Video of Obamas (New York Times)
President Trump posted a blatantly racist video clip portraying former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes, then deleted it after an outcry, including from members of his own party.
The video, which Trump shared in a late-night posting spree, drew widespread condemnation, including from the president’s own party.
Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina — the Senate’s only Black Republican and a close ally of Trump’s — wrote on X that he hoped the post was fake “because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The president should remove it.”
Trump tried to deflect blame, suggesting he had given the link to someone else to post. “I gave it to the people, generally they’d look at the whole thing but I guess somebody didn’t,” he told reporters. Still, Trump offered no contrition when pressed. “No, I didn’t make a mistake,” he said, according to the New York Times.
Across Trump’s administration, racist images and slogans have become common on official sites. The White House, Labor Department and Homeland Security Department have all promoted social media posts that echo white supremacist messaging.
Landslide Win in Japan: Markets Give Takaichi Benefit of Doubt as Stocks, Yen Climb (Bloomberg)
Japanese equities surged to fresh record highs on Monday after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s party achieved the biggest post-war victory for a single party in a general election.
Thailand Rally: Thai Assets Surge as Election Victory Signals Policy Continuity (Bloomberg)
Pressure Mounts: Spain’s Ruling Party Suffers Second Ballot Loss in Two Months (Bloomberg)
Stability Prevails: Portugal Picks Seguro as President, Beating Far-Right Leader (Bloomberg)
Socialist António José Seguro won the race to be Portugal’s president, defeating far-right challenger André Ventura in a runoff that reaffirmed the country’s tradition of consensus-driven leadership after a turbulent campaign.
Winter Blackout: Ukraine Makes Emergency Power Cuts After Russia's New Missile Strikes (Bloomberg)
Emergency power cuts were imposed across much of Ukraine on Saturday after Russian drone and missile attacks on major energy facilities, especially in the nation’s west, grid operator Ukrenergo said in a post on Telegram.
With temperatures across Ukraine remaining well below freezing, Russia is taking advantage of the harsh conditions to further strain the country’s war-damaged energy system, as its invasion nears the four-year mark that will be reached on Feb. 24.
UK Fallout: Keir Starmer’s UK Premiership Teeters on Brink as Key Aides Quit (Bloomberg)
Keir Starmer’s future is in the balance after a crisis over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington claimed the UK prime minister’s closest aide.
Morgan McSweeney quit as chief of staff on Sunday, saying he took “full responsibility” for his advice to hire the Labour veteran as US envoy, despite Mandelson’s known ties to the convicted pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. It isn’t lost on Starmer’s allies and opponents alike that the man who actually appointed Mandelson remains in post.
No. 10 officials were bracing for cabinet ministers to privately tell the premier to stand aside or threaten their resignations if he doesn’t, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke anonymously in order to be candid about the turmoil at the top of the Labour Party. One aide to a cabinet minister said it was 50-50 whether Starmer would last the week.
Crypto Favor: Binance Gives Trump Family’s Crypto Firm a Leg Up (New York Times)
World Liberty Financial, the Trump family’s crypto start-up, reached a major landmark last month. The total circulation of the company’s signature digital coin hit $5 billion, cementing its place as one of the world’s top cryptocurrencies.
Much of that success was down to an alliance with the crypto exchange Binance — founded by Changpeng Zhao, the billionaire mogul who was pardoned by President Trump last year.
As the world’s largest platform for trading digital coins, Binance has become a vital engine of the Trump family’s business over the past two months.
In October, Trump granted the pardon to Zhao, who spent four months in prison after he and the company pleaded guilty to money-laundering violations in 2023. Despite the felony record, Zhao was allowed to remain Binance’s majority shareholder, and his clemency could pave the way for the company to break into the US market, where it currently is not allowed to operate.
Climate Boost: Federal Judge Blocks Texas Law Targeting Critics of Fossil Fuels (New York Times)
A federal judge in Texas has struck down a law barring state agencies from investing in firms accused of boycotting fossil fuel companies. The 2021 law had become a model for similar measures around the country, as part of a larger push against the use of environmental principles in investing.
Ivy Cutoff: Pete Hegseth Severs Pentagon’s Academic Ties With Harvard University (Bloomberg)
The Defense Department said it is severing academic ties to Harvard University and ending professional military education fellowships, the latest blow to the university from the federal government.
Secretary Pete Hegseth, a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School, said in a post Friday night that attendance at the school no longer “meets the needs” of the Department or the military services and the Pentagon will discontinue graduate-level professional military education, fellowships and certificate programs at the Harvard Kennedy School starting in the next academic year.
Democracy Dies in Broad Daylight: Washington Post CEO Quits After Cuts That Led to Bezos Backlash (Bloomberg)
Washington Post Chief Executive Officer Will Lewis resigned, days after the newspaper laid off several hundred staffers in a move that triggered a backlash against billionaire owner Jeff Bezos.
Jeff D’Onofrio, a former Tumblr Inc. CEO who joined the Post last year as chief financial officer, is taking over as acting publisher and CEO effective immediately, with owner Jeff Bezos saying the outlet is headed for “an exciting and thriving next chapter.”
Pharma Flip: GLP-1 Pills Are Already Upending the Obesity-Drug Market (Bloomberg Opinion - Lisa Jarvis)
The pill version of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, a popular GLP-1, has been available in US pharmacies since January 5, with over 170,000 people taking the drug and 50,000 prescriptions being filled each week.
The arrival of oral GLP-1s is shaking up the obesity-drug market, giving patients more choices and potentially making it easier for people to stick with treatment over the long haul due to lower costs.
AI Comes to Autos: Apple Plans to Allow Outside Voice-Controlled AI Chatbots in CarPlay (Bloomberg)
Apple Inc. is preparing to allow voice-controlled artificial intelligence apps from other companies in CarPlay, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that will let users query AI chatbots through its vehicle interface for the first time.
The change marks a strategic shift for Apple, which until now has only allowed its own Siri assistant as a voice-control option within its popular vehicle infotainment software. With the move, AI providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic PBC and Alphabet Inc.’s Google will be able to release CarPlay versions of their apps that include a voice-control mode.
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Record Price Tag: NYC Private School Tuition Breaks $70,000 Milestone for Fall (Bloomberg)
Gambling Boom: Betting’s Rapid March Into the Mainstream (Axios)
What was once a fringe vice is fast becoming a mass-market habit — raising urgent questions about addiction, fairness and who should regulate the business of betting on almost anything.
Now, even news organizations, through visible partnerships, are hoping to "make our audience hooked on our news because they want to have an edge in their betting," Danny Funt of the Washington Post says.
Prediction markets, meanwhile, say they're providing a service. "If you're somebody that reads the news very closely and you may have an informed position or informed point of view, you can now express yourself on a position," Toni Gemayel, Coinbase's head of prediction markets, tells Axios.
NFL Victory: Seattle Seahawks Bully Drake Maye, New England Patriots in Dominant Super Bowl 60 Win (New York Times - The Athletic)
The Seattle Seahawks, who rode a dominant defense to their first Super Bowl title 12 years ago, did it again Sunday, suffocating the New England Patriots and quarterback Drake Maye in a decidedly defensive 29-13 win at Levi’s Stadium.
Egged on by a raucous, pro-Seattle crowd, the Seahawks sacked Maye six times and picked him off twice, one of which was returned 45 yards for a touchdown by defensive lineman Uchenna Nwosu. The Patriots did not score until the fourth quarter, and Seattle also forced a fumble.
Historic Halftime: Bad Bunny Joined by Lady Gaga in Star-Studded Super Bowl Half-Time Show (Bloomberg)
Bad Bunny was joined by pop superstar Lady Gaga in a vibrant Super Bowl half-time show performed almost entirely in Spanish.
The 31-year-old singer, also known as Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, shared the stage in Santa Clara, California, with a host of celebrities in a performance that celebrated his Puerto Rican heritage.
At various points, he was joined by Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga, who performed a salsa version of her Bruno Mars collaboration Die with a Smile. During the show, the stage even transformed into an altar as a couple tied the knot while Bad Bunny performed behind them.
He scaled powerlines and waved the Puerto Rican flag during his performance of Apagon, an apparent reference to the power outages his homeland suffered during Hurricane Maria.
Backup dancers flanked the rapper, waving the flags of Latin American countries, as well as the United States and Canada. As they marched behind him, the rapper recited the names of the nations while holding a football inscribed with the phrase "Together We Are America".
The show ended with fireworks, a huge Puerto Rican flag and a Jumbotron emblazoned with the words: "The only thing more powerful than hate is love."
The performance was the most-watched halftime show in Super Bowl history, drawing more than 135 million viewers, with praise pouring in almost immediately. Celebrities including Kacey Musgraves, Kerry Washington, Ben Stiller, John Mellencamp, Adam Sandler, and even Elmo took to social media to applaud Bad Bunny’s show, with many calling its message powerful, joyful and beautiful.
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