Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 🇬🇱 Breaking down the US-Greenland deal
• 🛰️ AI data centers in space
• 🗣️ Top Gen Alpha slang terms

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~4.21-minute read (1,119 words).

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"There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”

–Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

President Trump signed an agreement Tuesday with the prime ministers of Denmark and Greenland that will expand America’s military presence in Greenland, while also recognizing Danish sovereignty over the island and residents’ right to self-determination.

It follows months of trilateral negotiations which have focused on America’s military presence on the island, Greenland’s mineral resources, and keeping Russia and China from gaining a foothold in the Arctic, with US officials continuing to insist the island is necessary for national security.

What’s in the agreement?

This week’s deal builds on a 1951 defense pact that already gives the US broad military access to Greenland. Under the new terms:

• The US can expand operations at its existing Pituffik Space Base and establish two additional defense areas, and also “may establish additional defense areas in Greenland and strengthen its military operations or facilities.”
• America’s military is permitted total undersea access, the right to fly over and land aircraft anywhere across Greenland, and the access needed for President Trump’s planned Golden Dome missile-defense system.
• Non-NATO countries are restricted from establishing a military presence on Greenland, while the US essentially gains veto power over investments in “sensitive sectors” like critical minerals.

Meanwhile…Greenland retains its sovereignty while gaining more say over the US military presence, while local businesses will get preference for contracts tied to building and maintaining US defense areas.

The agreement also has no expiration date and would remain in place if Greenland becomes independent, with Greenland taking Denmark’s place in the security agreement and remaining part of NATO.

A good deal, but controversial approach

The final agreement has received support from US lawmakers across the political aisle, as well as leaders in Denmark and Greenland. But reactions have been mixed over the path the Trump admin took to reach this week’s deal.

Trump and other Republicans argue his pressure on Denmark and Greenland helped secure a stronger, long-term agreement that expands America’s military footprint in a key strategic territory, while also making it harder for adversaries to gain a foothold on the island.

On the flip side: Many Democratic lawmakers and analysts argue many or all of the deal’s terms were possible without months of threats by Trump to acquire Greenland for America. The note that the US already had broad military access under the 1951 agreement, while the US and Denmark signed a separate deal in 2023 giving US forces further access to three Danish air bases.

Looking ahead…Denmark and Greenland need to complete required parliamentary procedures before the agreement with the US is official, with the three governments also needing to hammer out the technical details for two new US defense areas in Greenland.

📊 Flash poll: How do you view the Trump admin’s approach to securing this week’s Greenland agreement?

• Necessary pressure for a good deal
• Too aggressive for a close ally
• Mixed feelings

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Here are five stats from this past week that made our team go “whoa.” Hopefully you will, too.

🎓🏆 MIT is America’s #1 college in the latest US News & World Report annual rankings, ending Princeton’s 15-year run at the top of the list.

🌐 US web traffic to ~100 of the top news sites fell to 47.6 million visits in July, down from a peak of 70+ million/month in 2024, when Google first introduced AI overviews within its search results.

⏱️ Lian Yunzhi, a 6-year-old Chinese girl, reportedly set a new Rubik’s Cube world record for women, solving a classic 3x3 cube in an average of 4.27 seconds across five attempts.

🐝 More than 800,000 bees worth tens of thousands of dollars are believed to have been stolen in Queensland, Australia, in recent weeks, with local experts saying the thief is likely an experienced beekeeper due to their sophisticated methods.

🤖 80% of Chinese residents use AI for personal purposes at least weekly, compared to 52% of Americans, per a Morgan Stanley survey published last week.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 🏘️ Average 30-year mortgage rates rise sharply yesterday to hit 7.45%, per Mortgage News Daily, up from around 7.0% last week; it comes as 30-year Treasury yield climbs to 5.48%, its highest rate since 2004, while benchmark US 10-year yield reaches 5.20%.
• 🇺🇸🇨🇳 US and China extend ongoing trade truce for two additional months through January 10 following high-level meeting; truce keeps US tariffs lower and rare earths flowing from China.
• 🎰 New York sues Polymarket over allegations that the prediction market is illegally running a gambling operation; it comes months after NY filed a similar lawsuit against rival prediction market Kalshi.

SPORTS, MEDIA, & ENTERTAINMENT

• ⚾ Cubs OF Pete Crow-Armstrong becomes seventh player in MLB history to join the 40 HR–40 SB club (45 & 40, respectively); the overwhelming NL MVP favorite is also the first NL player to break 10 WAR since Barry Bonds in 2004.
• 🎤 Macklemore announces upcoming Free Palestine Tour, with all proceeds to benefit humanitarian aid organizations. | 🎶 U2 to release first new album in nearly a decade, featuring a song with the final vocal recording of the late Dolly Parton.
• 🏆 America’s Got Talent crowns 16-year-old rock singer Nene Royal from Thailand as Season 21 winner.

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SCIENCE, SPACE, & EMERGING TECH

• 🌐 Google and SpaceX are set to launch first experimental satellite testing the idea of large-scale AI data centers in space, called Project Suncatcher.
• 🦇 Bats likely originated in Europe about 65 million years ago, rewriting previous scientific beliefs about the flying mammal’s origins, per new Nature study.
• 🤖 First tire-changing robot from San Francisco startup PitPro is now operating at a Canadian tire shop, with the ability to change all four tires in ~15 minutes.

US, WORLD, & POLITICS

• 🇺🇸🇨🇳 Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meet for high stakes talks at a highly anticipated White House state visit; both leaders discussed AI safety, Taiwan, the Iran war, the Russia-Ukraine war, and more.
• 📰 White House restores access to reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico after federal judge temporarily lifts Trump’s ban, ruling it was likely done without “constitutionally adequate due process.”
• ⛈️ Intense, multiday nor’easter expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds across the Northeast and along the East Coast starting this afternoon.

☝️ You’re looking at a long-lost painting by mid-century American Surrealist Gertrude Abercrombie, which was bought earlier this year for at an estate sale for just $30. The piece is now scheduled to be auctioned off next week with an estimated price tag of $250,000.

🤔 Did you know? Häagen-Dazs founders Reuben and Rose Mattus completely made up the name. They first came up with the meaningless gibberish in the Bronx around 1960 in an effort to sound Scandinavian and give their ice cream brand an upscale, imported feel.

📰 Worth a read: I went to war with a mourning dove. Then we became friends.

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• Top 24 Gen Alpha slang terms of 2026
• The 17 absolute best snacks at Trader Joe’s
• 100,000 fire ants combine to form a lifesaving raft (3 min video)

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How well did you pay attention this week? Find out here.

1. A $45 meal has an 18% tip added. What is the total bill?
2. A father is 36 years old and his son is 8. In how many years will the father be three times as old as his son?
3. A car travels the first 90 miles of a trip at 60 MPH, and the next 125 miles at 50 MPH. How long does the entire trip take?

(keep scrolling for the answer)

🎮 A 78-year-old grandma named Cath Bowie just earned a spot in the Guinness World Records books as the world’s oldest female Fortnite streamer.

1. $49.86
2. In six years (42 vs. 14)
3. 4 hours

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