Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 🚦 NYC congestion pricing
• 🤖 AI social media profiles
• 🤔 Phone or toilet seat. Which is dirtier?

… and more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~4.26-minute read (1,134 words).

Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe here for free.

"One who wants a rose must respect the thorn."

–Persian proverb

The majority of New York City drivers now have to pay $9 to enter the busiest part of Manhattan during peak hours, under a controversial first-in-the-nation congestion pricing law that took effect early Sunday morning.

The toll program, which has been in the works for nearly two decades, applies to all of Manhattan south of 60th Street. It features a discounted overnight rate of $2.25, as well as a 50% discount available to people who earn less than $50,000/year. The rates for trucks and buses are higher – up to $21.60.

How we got here: The most recent push for congestion pricing in the Big Apple began under former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo amid a crisis in subway service several years ago.

• Cuomo’s tolling plan was set to take effect in June 2024. But weeks before the start date, Governor Kathy Hochul delayed its implementation, saying the tolls could hurt the city’s economy and impose too much hardship on poorer New Yorkers.
• Hochul later revived the congestion pricing plan in mid-November at a discounted rate of $9 during peak hours, compared to $15 previously.

The arguments: Many transportation, business, and civic leaders, as well as subway and bus riders, argue the congestion pricing plan is an effective way to reduce heavy traffic in Manhattan, raise billions of dollars for the city’s aging transit system, and encourage motorists to adopt more eco-friendly mass transit alternatives.

• But many lawmakers from both parties, along with suburban commuters and residents, strongly oppose the congestion pricing plan, arguing it’ll do little to reduce traffic while punishing drivers who lack other travel options.
• Some critics also frame the tolling plan as a money-grab by New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a state agency with a history of financial problems.

Looking ahead…The congestion plan currently faces an uncertain future. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and the New York City teachers union have both sued to stop the plan, while President-elect Trump has promised to rescind its federal approval.

📊 Flash poll: Do you support New York City’s new congestion pricing plan?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure/other

With thousands of 5-star reviews, Nuts.com provides unmatched variety and quality for any taste.

• 🥜 Nuts & seeds freshly harvested and boasting strong nutritional profiles
• 🍫 A huge selection of chocolates, candy, and sweets to satisfy any sweet tooth
• 🍌 Specialty dried fruits perfect for snacking or ingredients for gourmet cooking
• ☕ Coffee and teas sourced from the world’s best regions, crafted to perfection to ensure flavor and freshness

New customers can save 20% and get free shipping on orders over $59 for a limited time.

Add some flavor to your new year with Nuts.com.

In a Financial Times interview published last week, Meta VP of Generative AI Connor Hayes shed new light on the tech giant’s plan to fill its platforms with AI-generated profiles in a bid to fill its apps with more bots make its apps “more entertaining and engaging.”

• Per Hayes, the AI profiles will essentially function in a similar way to human users. They’ll have bios and profile pics, and can post AI-generated content and interact with human users.

It was already happening

In the days following Hayes’ interview, viral social media posts drew attention to a series of existing AI-generated profiles on Facebook and Instagram initially created by Meta in September 2023. These profiles had blue verified check marks, and were labeled as “AI managed by Meta.”

• These include characters like Brian, “everybody’s grandpa;” Carter, a “relationship coach” whose bio encouraged users to DM for advice; and Liv, a “proud Black queer momma of 2 & truth-teller” who routinely posted AI-generated photos of her “kids.”
• Many of their posts appeared similar to the AI spam that’s become prevalent in some corners of Facebook (think: Shrimp Jesus), as 404 Media noted.

We hardly knew ye: On Friday, Meta deleted all the older AI profiles in question👆, saying they “were managed by humans and were part of an early experiment we did with AI characters."

👀 Looking ahead…According to Hayes, Meta will likely become more “proactive” about surfacing AI-generated content to users over time.

At 7 pm CT tonight, WWE Raw will make its Netflix debut.

It’ll be the first time the longest-running weekly episodic series on TV – debut: January 11, 1993 – will appear exclusively on streaming, following a 10-year, $5 billion deal signed with Netflix last January.

A new Attitude Era

Unfettered by network TV restrictions, where content doesn’t need to be cut to fit time constraints, Raw is now expected to have a longer runtime (three hours instead of two). Ads will also appear on the ring mat, which embattled former chairman Vince McMahon had long opposed.

Mo’ money, mo’ eyeballs: Raw’s switch to Netflix, with its 280+ million global subscribers (~85 million in the US), is worth more money to the WWE (~2x its previous deal). It’s also expected to yield higher viewership numbers, similar to how Drive to Survive boosted interest in F1.

• In addition to Raw in the US, the streamer will carry all WWE shows overseas (including Smackdown), as well as premium live events like WrestleMania.

😋 Zoom out: Since signing the WWE deal, Netflix has been gobbling up live-event broadcast rights like a sports-focused Pac-Man. The streamer most recently secured the exclusive US media rights to the 2027 and 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cups.

If you’re battling inconsistent energy, bloating, and sluggish digestion, there’s a simple solution: Pique’s Pu’er Teas. Its an ancient brew crafted through fermentation, a process that enhances its health benefits.

• 🦠 Gut Health: Living probiotics and prebiotics restore balance to your microbiome, improving digestion and metabolism.
• 💪 Immunity: Powerful antioxidants like catechins and polyphenols help your immune system stay resilient.
• 🔋 Energy & Focus: Gently caffeinated for the perfect lift without energy spikes or crashes.

It’s like kombucha, but better – no sugar, just pure, concentrated nutrients from 250-year-old wild-harvested tea trees.

Save 20% on the Pu’er Tea Bundle + get a free starter kit at Pique Life.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

in partnership with Tuft & Needle

• 📉 US markets fell last week (S&P: -0.5%; Dow: -0.6%; Nasdaq: -0.5%). | 📈 Rivian shares had their best day in history on Friday (+25%) after the EV-maker revealed 2024 production and delivery numbers. | 🚗 GM and Ford both reported their best annual US sales since 2019; shares rose 0.8% and 2.4% on the day, respectively.
• 🚫 President Biden blocked Japan’s Nippon Steel from acquiring US Steel for ~$15 billion; Nippon has indicated it'll sue to preserve the deal.
• 🏦 Credit Suisse’s ties to Nazis in WWII ran deeper than the bank has let on, per recently unearthed documents reported on by the Wall Street Journal.

*From our partners: 🛡️🛏️ Protect your investment with Tuft & Needle’s Mattress Protector. It’s machine washable, waterproof, and mimics the comfort and softness of T&N mattresses. Try it risk-free for 100 nights and get a hassle-free warranty. Shop Tuft & Needle.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🙏 Jeff Baena, 47, an indie filmmaker married to actress Aubrey Plaza, was found dead at a Los Angeles home.
• 🏆 The 82nd Golden Globes took place last night. See highlights + the full list of winners.
• 🏈 The NFL wrapped up its regular season over the weekend; see the full playoff picture here.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

in partnership with Commons

• 🌬️🦇 A handful of bat species migrate ~1,000 miles each spring by “surfing” on strong winds from storm fronts, per a new study published in Science.
• 💉 The use of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy rose ~10% in 2024, per insurance claims data provided to Axios by health analytics company PurpleLab.
• 🦖👣 Scientists in the UK discovered a “dinosaur highway” containing ~200 tracks dating back 166 million years; it’s the country’s largest dino footprint site.

*From our partners: 🥕 Is eating plant-based one of your New Year's resolutions? Earn rewards from the Commons app for eating at vegan/vegetarian restaurants and supporting vegan nonprofits with their January Challenge. Learn more here.

MISCELLANEOUS

• 🌨️ An ongoing winter storm is forecast to bring the heaviest snowfall and coldest temps in a decade-plus to parts of the US; through Friday, 234 million Americans in 40+ states could see temperatures at or below 32°F, per WeatherBell Analytics.
• 🌐⚖️ The Biden admin’s net neutrality laws were struck down by a federal appeals court. | 🧑‍⚖️ President-elect Trump’s sentencing in his New York hush-money case will take place on January 10; the presiding judge indicated Trump won’t face jail time.
• 🏛️ Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) narrowly won a vote to remain House Speaker in the newly elected chamber. (From the Left | From the Center | From the Right)

Monday: Four-year anniversary of the January 6 Capitol riots; Congress certifies 2024 election results

Tuesday: The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicks off in Vegas

Wednesday: National JoyGerms Day

Thursday: Official state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter, who died last week at 100

Friday: Supreme Court hears arguments over Congress’ TikTok sale-or-ban law, which takes effect January 20

🍿 Stat of the Day: After a Barbenheimer-filled 2023 that signaled Americans were willing to go to theaters to see original movies again, Hollywood has reverted back to that one buddy of yours who always plays Madden in Franchise Mode.

Nine of the 10 highest-grossing movies in the US last year were sequels, the NY Times reports. The 10th was Wicked – not technically a sequel, but not exactly original either (it was based on an adaptation of a Broadway play, which itself is based on a book that’s based on another book that inspired The Wizard of Oz).

Up next in 2025 (which also appears to have a case of sequelitis): new installments in the Jurassic World, Mission: Impossible, and Avatar franchises.

🤔 Did You Know? The average cell phone carries ~10x more bacteria than most toilet seats, per a 2017 study from the University of Arizona (brb, grabbing a Lysol wipe).

📰 Worth a Read: One Man’s Attempt to Get a Perfect 850 Credit Score → (Wall Street Journal)

☝️ Deep, a UK-based ocean-exploration startup, plans to send humans to test its new underwater Sentinel habitat sometime in Q1 2025; Sentinel, which aims to fully launch in 2027, will enable scientists to live on the seafloor at depths up to 650+ feet for months at a time.

+Clickbait: From immortality to ugly people: predictions about 2025 from 100 years ago.

On Friday, we covered how on New Year’s Day, seven hours apart, America experienced a pair of seemingly isolated public attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas that killed and injured dozens of bystanders.

❓ Our question to you: Do you have any thoughts on the two New Year's Day attacks?

• “There seems to be a growing trend of active or discharged military persons committing these violent acts. It seems justified to say that more mental health support and attentive care is needed for those in the military and those released into society.”
• “​​I don’t think they should be lumped together. The Vegas incident doesn’t appear connected to terrorists, and was less devastating than the Queens shooting that no one is talking about that also happened on New Year’s Day. All three are sad but only two resulted in people being killed. The Vegas incident is also odd because I’m pretty sure a Green Beret knows how to cause much more damage than he did. “
• “I think this highlights the poor care we offer our military veterans after they return, and also calls for us as a country to come together to grieve the loss of those impacted by these events.”

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

+Note on sample size: We received 206 longform responses.

Jesse Dufton is an avid climber. Last month, he scaled El Matador, a 500-foot rock face in Wyoming. He claimed it was his hardest climb yet.

Oh – did we mention that he's blind?

⛰️ Jesse was born with a degenerative eye condition called cone-rod dystrophy. At 39 years old, he only has a small amount of light perception left. His climbs are completed by trusting his other senses and relying on his wife, Molly, to guide him from the ground below.

Jesse is now the first blind climber ever to successfully summit El Matador. His journey is documented in the newly released Climbing Blind II.

Guess the definitions of the following Greek/Latin root words.

1. Bon
2. Carcin
3. Chlor
4. Du
5. Exo

Working your way towards those AirPods? The $100 gift card? Good news – prizes stack, so when you’re emailed to claim your prizes, you don’t have to wait! Hit reply for more info or with any questions🍩✌️.

1. Bon = Good (e.g., bonus)
2. Carcin = Cancer (carcinogen)
3. Chlor = Green (chlorophyll)
4. Du = Two (dual)
5. Exo = Outside (exoskeleton)