• ☝️ A video of unknown origin that recently went viral on Chinese social media shows an intense mock battle between a robotic dog and an aerial drone, as the two shoot fireworks at each other.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 📊 US markets closed mixed (S&P: -0.3%; Dow: -0.5%; Nasdaq: +0.03%). | 📉 Reddit reported weaker-than-expected Q4 user numbers largely due to a Google algorithm change, per CEO Steve Huffman; shares fell 15% on the day.
• 📲 Payments on Zelle topped $1 trillion last year, the most ever for a peer-to-peer payment platform. | 🥤 Olipop, a prebiotic soda brand, was valued at $1.85 billion in its latest funding round.
• 🦉 Duo the Owl, language-learning platform Duolingo's iconic mascot, is dead, the company announced.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

in partnership with Paleovalley

• 🤘 The 2025 Rock And Roll Hall of Fame nominees are in; the list includes Mariah Carey, Phish, Cyndi Lauper, and Chubby Checker.
• 🤖 An AI-generated viral video showing multiple Jewish celebrities wearing an anti-Kanye T-shirt was made without the celebs’ permission, they say; Scarlett Johansson published a statement objecting to deepfake video, regardless of its intentions.
• 📱 Apple now lets users migrate purchases from an old Apple account to a newer one, though the process is fairly involved.

*From our partners: 🙌☕ Not your everyday coffee… Paleovalley’s Organic Coffee is polyphenol-rich and contains 8 different mushrooms to support brain function, memory, energy levels, and immunity. Delicious taste, and gentle on the gut. Save 30% on lifetime subscriptions or 20% on single purchases at Paleovalley.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🧠 The third known case of resistance to inherited Alzheimer’s disease was documented in a new study. | 💉🍺 The first randomized controlled trial on semaglutide and alcohol consumption found the strongest evidence yet that GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy can help curb alcohol cravings.
• ⚛️⚡ Physicists detected the highest-energy neutrino – a mysterious elementary particle with almost no mass – ever felt on Earth; the neutrino, discovered at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, had an estimated 220 quadrillion electron volts, or 100x more energy than any previously detected.
• 🐦🔦 Many birds-of-paradise species emit light through their plumage, likely to attract mates and act as camouflage, per a new study.

MISCELLANEOUS

in partnership with The Knowledge

• 🏫 US private schools’ average annual tuition rose ~7.4% to $49,284 last year, marking the highest increase in at least a decade.
• ✅ Tulsi Gabbard was confirmed as Director of National Intelligence in a 52-48 Senate vote mostly along party lines; Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for Health Secretary advanced to the full Senate, with a vote expected later this week.
• ⚖️ A federal judge allowed the Trump administration to move forward with its buyout offer to nearly all federal workers, rejecting an attempt by labor unions to stop its enforcement.

*From our partners: 🗞️🧠 Sharp news from sharp minds… Get crystal-clear news coverage in just five minutes daily with The Knowledge. They distill global events into stories that matter, with signature wit, commentary, and insight. Join 140k+ subscribers reading The Knowledge FREE today.

CLICKBAIT

• ☝️🧠 I’ve been studying the brain for 15 years. If you do just one thing for sharper memory, make it this.