Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 🎨 Banksy unmasked
• 🏦 Fed interest rate decision
• 🪐 Which planet floats in water?

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.81-minute read (1,014 words).

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"It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well."

–René Descartes (1596-1650)

For decades, the art world has played a global game of “Who is Banksy?”, as the elusive street artist built a major following off spray-painted stencils and a strict commitment to anonymity.

But that mystery may have finally been solved, according to a newly published Reuters investigation.

Let’s rewind: Banksy first emerged from the graffiti scenes of Bristol and London in the late ’90s and early ‘00s. His style was simple: clean stencils, heavy meaning, and zero explanation.

As his fame grew, so did the mystery, with Banksy works like Girl With Balloon and Love Is In The Air appearing overnight and turning city walls into multi-million-dollar conversation pieces.

Modern art’s big secret finally revealed

Reuters’ investigation points squarely to Robin Gunningham, a Bristol-born artist in his early 50s, as the man behind the spray can.

The evidence comes from old police reports, court filings tied to a 2000 New York arrest, and travel records that place him in Ukraine right when new Banksy murals popped up in 2022.

• At one point, Gunningham legally changed his name to “David Jones,” one of the most popular names in the UK.
• But with the same birthday and same paper trail, investigators connected the dots.

When asked for comment by Reuters, Banksy’s lawyer said the artist “does not accept that many of the details contained within your enquiry are correct,” without confirming or denying the report.

Looking ahead…While a mysterious identity has been a mainstay of Banksy’s appeal, experts say his unmasking could actually end up making his work more popular in the high-end art marketplace, which tends to reward clarity about artists.

But it’ll also complicate the logistics behind his art projects, which typically rely on Banksy’s anonymity to avoid vandalism charges.

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Gardyn Home is a smart indoor garden that grows up to 30 herbs, vegetables, and greens in just 2 square feet. Kelby, its AI master gardener, monitors your plants 24/7, automatically adjusts lighting and watering, and tells you exactly what they need to thrive — so instead of guessing, you're just following simple prompts.

It’s no secret video game graphics have come a long way from squinting at pixelated Mario on a tiny Game Boy screen.

But can graphics be… too good?

Nvidia doesn’t think so. The chipmaker this week unveiled DLSS 5, a new "neural rendering" technology designed to give video games a more cinematic look.

Up close and personal: DLSS 5 uses AI to generate ultra-detailed elements like hair, fabric, and skin, while also improving lighting, shadows, and in-game environments. The goal is to make gameplay look closer to a high-budget Hollywood movie than ever before.

Nvidia says major developers like Bethesda, Capcom, and Warner Bros. Games are already on board, signaling the tech could roll out quickly across big titles once it debuts this fall.

But it’s not all fun and games

Some players and industry pros say AI-generated graphics can feel overly polished or “soulless,” and argue the tech risks stripping away artistic intent. Nvidia maintains the feature is optional, but critics worry it could still become the industry standard.

Big picture: Pushback against AI in video games is growing among consumers, as more studios release titles with AI-generated art, characters, and dialogue.

Postal publisher Running With Scissors pulled an upcoming game after criticism over its use of AI-generated visuals. And the Game of the Year winner at the 2025 Indie Game Awards had its title rescinded after developer Sandfall Interactive said it used AI-generated images during development.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 🏦 Federal Reserve votes to hold interest rates steady at 3.5%-3.75% for a second straight meeting; in new projections, 12 of 19 Fed governors penciled in at least one rate cut this year.
• 📉 US stocks close down across the board yesterday following the Fed’s decision and new inflation data (S&P: -1.4% | Dow: -1.6% | Nasdaq: -1.5%).
• 🚢 President Trump temporarily waives requirements that only US ships can carry cargo between domestic ports; 60-day move is aimed at easing US access to fuel and supplies while the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🎬 Netflix’s Scooby-Doo live action series announces Mystery Gang cast members. | Disney announces Incredibles 3 and Lilo & Stitch 2 to release in summer 2028.
• 🏀 Men’s March Madness first round tips off this afternoon with a slate of 16 games.
• 🚨Taylor Frankie Paul, reality star from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and an upcoming Bachelorette season, under investigation for domestic violence claims filed by ex-boyfriend.

Most cold plunges demand a room, a renovation, or a backyard you're willing to give up. HomePlunge turns your existing bathtub into one instead.

No tanks, no chemicals, no constant maintenance. Just set the temperature and take the plunge.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🧬☄️ Ryugu asteroid sample contains all five key components of DNA, called nucleobases, new study reveals; findings indicate the building blocks of life—DNA and RNA—are widely dispersed through our solar system.
• 🦠 MIT researchers reveal how environmental bacteria work together as a team to break down biodegradable plastics; bacteria could be introduced into natural environments to reduce pollution.
• 🪶 Platypus fur contains small pigment structures that are hollow, a trait previously only seen in birds; it’s one of several oddities associated with the egg-laying mammal.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 📰 Civil rights leader Dolores Huerta confirms NY Times report that she and at least two others were sexually abused decades ago by labor icon César Chávez, who died in 1993. (Huerta’s statement | NYT gift link)
• 💥 Israeli forces kill Iranian intelligence minister Esmail Khatib in airstrike on Tehran, and also strike a natural gas processing facility in southwestern Iran.
• 🏛️ Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), President Trump’s nominee to replace Kristi Noem as Homeland Secretary, testified before Senate in confirmation hearing yesterday.

👆You’re looking at the “Black Strat,” the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction. The black 1969 Fender Stratocaster previously belonged to Pink Floyd’s lead guitarist David Gilmour, and was used on six of the band’s albums including The Dark Side of the Moon. The instrument sold to an unnamed buyer for $14.55 million earlier this month.

🤔 Did you know? Saturn is the only planet in our solar system that’s less dense than water, meaning it would theoretically float if placed inside a very big bathtub.

📰 Worth a read: Visualizing the seemingly magical science behind quantum computing

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• “Catch up culture” is ruining your friendships
• Why you should take a 10-minute 'thinking walk'
• The secret lives of six body doubles

Your secret weapon this allergy season… When pollen and spring air hit your lungs harder than expected, Nature’s Craft Organic Mullein Drops help support clearer breathing and respiratory health. Learn more here.

Yesterday we covered new research that shows growing AI adoption among employees across the US may be intensifying the modern workday, instead of easing it as many had hoped the technology would.

❓ Our question to you: To our working readers who use AI tools on the job: all things considered, has the technology made your overall workload easier or harder to manage?

• Easier: 49%
• Harder: 22%
• About the same: 29%

Click here to read some of the most thoughtful longform responses.

+Note on sample size: We received 385 votes and 43 longform responses.

🥱 Bored? Just press the Bored Button. Problem solved.

👀 Watch: How to make vinyl records, music’s highest-grossing format to this day.

🖨️ Fit to print: Thingiverse is one of the largest collections of free 3D-printing designs on the entire internet.

💰 Finances aren’t just math. Money Tips Money Hacks’ 3x weekly newsletter helps you master your money mindset, break emotional spending habits, and build lasting wealth one powerful shift at a time. Subscribe today.*

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Can you name the world’s largest landlocked country in terms of area?

💇❤️ Henry “Tribes” Amoloja runs a barbershop in Dallas called the Weighted Cape, which offers sensory-friendly haircuts to neurodivergent kids who may not be able to tolerate a traditional haircut. “It’s easily become the most fulfilling thing I’m doing in my career,” Harry says.

Kazakhstan

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