’Tis the Season to Win An iPhone 13 Pro

Elf taught us that the best way to spread holiday cheer is singing loud for all to hear, but coming in a veryyyyyyy close second? Spreading news that combats sensationalism and division, of course.

• So in that spirit, we’re launching a contest where you can win a brand-new iPhone 13 Pro or a brand-new Wallet Slayer from our friends at Smartish just for spreading the word about our newsletter.

📱⚙️ How to win… Copy your unique link found below, then send it to anyone you think would like the DONUT – your aunt, cousins, Elon Musk, whomever. Every time a person signs up for the newsletter using your unique link, you’ll receive one entry (i.e, 3 referrals give you 3 entries, 15 gives you 15 entries, so-on and so-forth).

Once January rolls around, we’ll select six winners from all the entries at random – one for the iPhone Pro Grand Prize and five for the Runner-Up Prizes from Smartish.

Here’s your unique link to copy & send:

📝 One more thing to note: This monthlong giveaway is separate from our ambassador program, meaning each referral you rack up still counts towards these other awesome prizes.

The world needs a lot less divisive news and a lot more compassion – so grab your unique link and help us spread both.

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Semiconductors

Image: Samsung

🤔 Why it’s a big deal: “Increasing domestic production of semiconductor chips is critical for our national and economic security,” per U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

Semiconductors are used in everything from smartphones to missiles to ATMs, and production has long been trending towards Asian countries like Taiwan and China.

• Last year, the U.S. accounted for just 12% of world-wide production capacity – down from 37% in 1990.

📈 Zoom out: The chip market is a’booming, and companies are going all-in. The $17 billion project mentioned above is part of a $205 billion investment initiative by Samsung, with chip-making as a priority.

• TSMC has earmarked more than $100 billion over the next three years to build new chip factories in the U.S., and Intel has also unveiled more than $100 billion worth of semiconductor factory investments in the U.S. and Europe over the coming decade.

+In the know: The global chip shortage is expected to cost the auto industry more than $200 billion this year alone.

🎁  Apple filed a lawsuit yesterday against NSO Group, an Israeli cyberintelligence firm that sells software to government agencies and law enforcement enabling them to hack iPhones.

The 🔑 to Upgrading Your Wardrobe This Holiday Season...

… say it with us now: “Sub_Urban Riot.”

🤔 What’s Sub_Urban Riot?... A global clothing brand founded by two college friends at the beginning of one of the largest financial crises ever, so following rules and convention isn’t exactly their thing… but creating out-of-this-world outfits art masquerading as clothing definitely is.

• Translation: Expect a stylish, sustainable fit anchored in comfort – one that seamlessly operates from the gym to the grocery store.
• And to be frank, we expect nothing less from the brand that brought us the Kale sweatshirt (worn by Queen 🐝 herself), hilarious tees we’ve all seen on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and the Favorite Daughter design.

So whether your day consists of baking, errands, the club, or gym/tan/laundry, Sub_Urban Riot delivers the fit you need to get the job done and look good while doing it.

Use code DONUT and receive 30% off your order.

Be ready for anything this holiday with clothing from Sub_Urban Riot.

Image: Pew Research

The suspect accused of killing five people and injuring nearly 50 others after driving his SUV into a holiday parade in Waukesha, WI, on Sunday was charged with five counts of first-degree intentional homicide, the Wisconsin equivalent of murder (it'll probably end up being at least one more; a sixth person died from sustained injuries last night).

Police say the 39-year-old man, who has a history of arrests, was fleeing the scene of a domestic disturbance when he drove through the parade.

• He had two outstanding cases against him at the time – including one filed this month in which he’s accused of deliberately running down a woman with his vehicle. He was released on a $1,000 bond on Friday, per the AP.

Image: Pew Research

👆 Zoom out: The year-over-year increase in the U.S. murder rate in 2020 was the largest since at least 1905, according to CDC data published last month. This aligns with a separate calculation of the U.S. murder rate published by the FBI in September.

Homicides have continued to rise so far in 2021, albeit at a slower pace.

• Per the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice, the number of homicides during the first half of 2021 increased by 16% compared to the same period last year.
• Murder isn’t the only form of violent crime on the rise. FBI data shows the rate of aggravated assault rose nearly 12% between 2019 and 2020, though rates of rape and robbery – the other two violent crimes – declined.

America’s Head Is In the Clouds

Image: Jim Brandenberg/Minden Pictures

🛩️ How it works: The science behind the premise is simple – certain clouds contain large amounts of “supercooled liquid” water, which exists in a liquid state at temperatures below freezing. Adding certain particles promotes ice crystal formation, which theoretically results in more snowfall than normal.

• Power companies hire aircraft to fly across the cloud tops of winter storms and drop flares that emit those special particals, potentially resulting in thousands of additional megawatt hours of hydropower in the spring when the snow melts.

✋ Yes, but… Until recently, almost all scientific research on the subject has failed to meet key thresholds for statistical significance (meaning researchers were unable to say for sure whether the extra snowfall was produced by chance).

❄️ The bottom line: In 2017, federal scientists teamed up with a consortium of universities and Idaho Power to launch a first-of-its-kind experiment called SNOWIE.

• The results, published last year in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, were unambiguous: Cloud seeding works.

Images: Facebook

Before Naomi Pascal’s adoptive parents picked her up in Ethiopia, they sent her a small stuffed bear to comfort her until they arrived.

• The little bear “Teddy” became Naomi’s best friend, travelling with her from Ethiopia to the U.S. and accompanying her on countless family trips over the following years.

💔 At a loss… Naomi was absolutely heartbroken after Teddy went missing on the Hidden Lake Trail in Glacier National Park in fall of 2020.

• Miraculously, a family friend noticed a small bear sitting in a park ranger’s vehicle in the same park nearly a year later and realized it was Naomi’s missing Teddy.

The two were reunited soon after thanks to some friendly park rangers.

What's the official currency of China?

A) Renminbi
B) Yen
C) Rupee
D) Yuan

(keep scrolling for the answer)

From now through January, every person that signs up using your unique link will count towards our iPhone 13 Pro giveaway AND these dope prizes. 👇

Simply:

1. Copy your unique referral link below.
2. Post said link on social media, drop it in your group chat, shout it from the rooftops, etc.
3. Watch the rewards roll in.

No link found!

A) Renminbi

Renminbi refers to the general name for the Chinese currency, while yuan is the name of a unit of that currency.

• It's similar to the difference between "sterling" and "pounds" in Britain. Technically, you can’t say that something costs “15 sterling” – instead, it costs "15 pounds sterling," or simply "15 pounds."