• ☝️ Walter White’s iconic home from Breaking Bad was listed for $4 million – almost 10x the median sale price in its Albuquerque zip code, per Zillow; analysts say the price reflects its pop culture significance and potential value if converted into an Airbnb or a museum.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 🏡 The US average 30-year mortgage rate was 6.93% this week, per Freddie Mac; it’s the highest level since July.
• 💼 Microsoft confirmed it's cutting a small percentage of jobs based on performance.
• 🤝 JCPenney merged with the parent company of Forever 21 to create a new company called Catalyst Brands. | ✈️ American Airlines is making a push to win back business travelers.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

in partnership with NoNetz

• 🧑‍⚖️📲 The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today in a case deciding whether the US government’s law forcing TikTok to sell its US operations or be banned on January 19 is unconstitutional.
• 🏈 College Football Playoff: #7 Notre Dame defeated #6 Penn State 27-24 thanks to a last-second field goal; #5 Texas faces #8 Ohio State tonight at 6:30 pm CT.
• 🤼👀 WWE Raw’s Netflix debut drew 2.6 million live + same-day viewers in the US, up from 2024’s average of 1.2 million viewers/episode and higher than any other Raw broadcast in five years. (Dive deeper: WWE enters its Netflix era)

*From our partners: 🙌😊 Stay cozy in the cold with NoNetz… Made from no-itch 100% merino wool sourced from sustainably-minded farms, NoNetz hats, fingerless gloves, and sweaters will be your new favs. Breathable yet toasty. Save 15% at NoNetz with code DONUT15.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🎙️🤖 Google is testing an experimental AI feature called Daily Listen that creates a personalized podcast using a user’s Search and Discover feed history.
• 🧊 An international scientific team says they’ve successfully drilled one of the oldest ice cores ever (1.2+ million years old).
• 📲 The Consumer Electronics Show ends this weekend. See the major announcements thus far.

MISCELLANEOUS

in partnership with Tuft & Needle

• 🔥 Wildfires in Los Angeles raged for the third straight day, with at least four ongoing blazes; the death toll stood at six as of last night, though that figure is expected to rise; economic losses from the blazes, which have destroyed 2,000+ structures, are estimated in the tens of billions of dollars.
• 🏛️🙏 Former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral was held in Washington, D.C., alongside a national day of mourning; all five living US Presidents were in attendance. | 🇱🇧 Lebanon’s Parliament elected General Joseph Aoun, the commander of the Lebanese armed forces, as the country's first president in two-plus years.
• ⚖️ The Supreme Court denied a request by President-elect Trump to block sentencing in his New York hush-money trial, in a 5-4 decision. (From the Left | From the Center | From the Right) | 🏫 A federal judge struck down the Biden administration’s Title IX rules that expanded discrimination protections for transgendered students in schools. (From the Left | From the Center | From the Right)

*From our partners: ✈️🌞 Going on a winter getaway?... Tuft & Needle’s Travel Pillow helps you catch much-needed Zzzs on planes, trains, or road trips. Includes a convenient pouch, 100-night trial, and hassle-free warranty. Save 15% sitewide at T&N with code DONUT15.

CLICKBAIT

• ⏱️🤔 Physicist claims to have solved the 'grandfather paradox,' making time travel (theoretically) possible.