Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 📡 China’s energy “Manhattan Project”
• 🥉 Olympic medals are getting rusty
• 🚫 The campaign to ban complaining

… and more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.89-minute read (1,035 words).

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

–Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

Chinese scientists recently announced an ambitious plan to build a 0.6-mile-wide solar power station in space, which aims to beam a massive amount of energy back to Earth via microwaves – kind of like a more peaceful version of the Death Star.

The project’s timeline has yet to be released by Chinese officials, who are comparing the effort to building the Three Gorges Dam – the world’s largest hydroelectric project – at an altitude 22,370 miles above Earth.

• When complete, the energy collected by the station each year would be equivalent to the total amount of oil that can be extracted from the Earth, according to renowned Chinese rocket scientist Long Lehao.

Why use space-based solar power? The benefits are simple: it allows for a higher collection of the Sun’s energy due to lack of atmosphere, as well the potential for 24-hour solar power. And recent developments in key technical areas – like lightweight solar panels, wireless energy transmission, and space robotics – have made the prospect more achievable.

But, similar to Jian Yang’s Not Hot Dog app, there are still a few obstacles to overcome before widespread adoption.

• Thus far, scientists experimenting with microwave technology across long distances have only been able to transmit enough energy to power a handful of LED light bulbs.
• Another major obstacle is getting the pieces of a massive solar power station into space – which China aims to address with a new Long March-9 reusable super-heavy rocket, also intended to take Chinese astronauts to the Moon.

⚡ Zoom out: Nearly all of the top global superpowers – including the US, UK, EU, Russia, India, and Japan – are currently working towards space-based solar power stations, in what many experts refer to as the “Manhattan Projects of the energy sector.”

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It’s been less than 200 days since the Paris Olympics ended, and its medals – designed by Chaumet, a subsidiary of LVMH, the French luxury conglomerate behind brands like Hennessy and Louis Vuitton – are already resembling the undercarriage of an abandoned Oldsmobile.

In recent weeks, Olympic medalists have posted pictures on social media showcasing their deterioration. More than 100 athletes already requested replacements, according to the NY Times. The International Olympic Committee apologized and promised to honor the replacement requests.

Passing the buck

LVMH, the highest-profile sponsor of the Paris Olympics ($163 million), declined to comment, claiming Chaumet just designed the medals.

Monnaie de Paris, the centuries-old French mint that produced the medals, blamed the problem on a technical issue related to defective varnish it used to prevent oxidation; the varnish’s formula was weakened after being changed to conform to recent EU regulations banning the use of chromium trioxide, a toxic chemical used to stop metal from rusting, according to La Lettre, a French industry newspaper.

📈 The news isn’t hurting LVMH. The purveyor of high fashion this week overtook Danish pharma giant Novo Nordisk to reclaim its spot as Europe’s largest company.

The Golden Raspberry Awards nominees were released yesterday morning, with Joker: Folie à Deux leading the pack with seven nominations. The Razzies, founded in 1981, famously celebrate recognize the worst Hollywood films and performances of the year.

On the ballot: Borderlands, Madame Web, Megalopolis, and Reagan trailed Joker: Folie à Deux, with six nominations apiece. Unfrosted landed four nods, while The Crow nabbed two.

• “Worst actor” nominees include Joaquin Phoenix, Cate Blanchett, Lady Gaga, and Jon Voight, who was nominated for his performances in a “near record” four films in one year. We’re not sure if he should feel flattered or offended.

Who decides on the “worst?” Nominations are determined by a group of ~1,200 voters, each of whom have paid either an annual fee of $40 or a lifetime membership fee of $500. The larger Razzies base will now vote on winners, which will be announced March 1, the day before the actual Academy Awards.

Speaking of: This year’s Academy Award nominations will be announced this morning, after being delayed due to the Los Angeles fires.

🎥 In other film news: The 2025 Sundance Film Festival kicks off today in Park City, Utah.

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BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 📈 US markets rose across the board (S&P: +0.6%; Dow: +0.3%; Nasdaq: +1.3%). | 📺 Netflix shares rose 13% to reach an all-time high in intraday trading; the movement follows announced subscription price hikes and a strong Q4 earnings report.
• 🤖 Stargate, a partnership between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, plans to invest up to $500 billion into AI infrastructure in the US, President Trump announced yesterday; Elon Musk later wrote on X that two of the companies don’t have enough capital to follow through on their pledges.
• 💰 Some family offices are paying exec assistants up to $190,000/year, as the demand for talent spikes.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

in partnership with Going

• 📰 Prince Harry will receive a $12+ million settlement from Rupert Murdoch's UK newspaper group (who, as part of the deal, is also admitting wrongdoing); Harry alleged the papers had illegally obtained private info about him from 1996–2011. | 📰 CNN is reportedly planning to lay off hundreds of employees this week; NBC News is also reportedly planning layoffs this week (though smaller than CNN).
• ⚖️ Chris Brown filed a $500 million defamation suit against Warner Bros. Discovery; the suit is related to sexual assault claims made in a docuseries titled: Chris Brown: A History of Violence. | ⚖️ A$AP Rocky rejected a plea deal in his Hollywood assault case; his trial kicked off this week.
• 🤔 MrBeast is reportedly in talks with investment groups seeking to make a bid to acquire TikTok.

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SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🏃🤖 Humans vs. robots: An upcoming half-marathon in Beijing will feature 12,000 human runners racing alongside dozens of bipedal, humanoid robots from 20+ companies.
• 🌭🧠 Eating more red meat – especially processed red meat like bacon and hot dogs – is associated with worse mental cognition and a higher chance of developing dementia, per a new study.
• ⚛️⚡ South Carolina’s state-owned utility company is seeking to restart construction on a pair of nuclear reactors that were put on hold in 2017, in an effort to meet AI-fueled energy demand.

MISCELLANEOUS

in partnership with Super Greens

• 🔥 LA fires update: A new, fast-spreading blaze called the Hughes Fire has burnt 10,000+ acres since sparking early yesterday, prompting new evacuation orders in northern LA County; red-flag fire warnings are in effect through tonight across LA and Ventura Counties due to high winds.
• 🛍️ The California “queenpin” who ran an organized retail crime ring that stole millions worth of beauty products from Ulta, Sephora, and others was ordered to pay back $3 million to the retailers.
• ⚖️ Four additional Democratic-led states are suing to stop President Trump’s new executive order seeking to eliminate birthright citizenship for unauthorized immigrants; all 22 states with a Democratic AG are now suing over the order. (From the Left | From the Center | From the Right)

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A new campaign in the Netherlands is preaching the value of abstinence – but instead of alcohol, it's targeting a different type of whine.

Belgian activist Isabelle Gonnissen, who launched a 30 Days Without Complaining challenge in her home country seven years ago, officially brought the movement to the Netherlands this week on Blue Monday, aka the northern hemisphere’s most depressing day of the year.

• The challenge was inspired by Gonnissen’s observation that Westerners are a lot better at complaining than other countries, despite typically not having as much to complain about.
• Participants can self-police their own progress via a “complaint barometer.” The most common topics are centered around traffic, work, and not getting refunds, per Gonnissen.

☝️ ❄️ Polar vortex update: Millions of Americans remained under cold weather advisories yesterday; nationwide, at least 10 deaths have been reported due to the cold and winter storm, which contributed to 5,500 canceled or delayed flights on Wednesday.

🤔 Did You Know? The first known use of “OMG” can be found in a 1917 letter to Winston Churchill – though the term didn’t gain widespread popularity until the Internet Age.

📰 Worth a Read: How corn syrup took over America.

🖱 Clickbait: The Best and Worst Airlines of 2024

Yesterday, we covered a series of immigration-related executive orders signed by President Trump hours after being sworn into office on Monday.

❓ Our question to you: In general, how do you feel about President Trump’s new immigration-related executive orders?

• 👍 Support: 39%
• 👎 Oppose: 45%
• ↔️ Neutral: 8%
• 🤷‍♀️ Unsure/other: 8%

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

+Note on sample size: We received 2,962 votes and 327 longform responses.

🎨 California-based watercolor artist Jordan Heber typically charges $350-400 for a painting commission. This month, however, she’s painting LA homes that have burned down as a keepsake for the families – completely free of charge.

💪 In 2020, high schooler Mary Maloney was in a trampoline accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down. Four years later, Mary is learning to walk again with the help of the first FDA-approved exoskeleton for brain injury, stroke, and spinal cord injury patients. She’s nearly reached 1,000 steps.

🥲 Who’s chopping onions? Check out this WaPo interview with 100-year-old Jack Webber about how to find meaning at all stages of life. From enjoying the little things to giving back to others, there’s a little something for everyone.

Which US state, pictured above, has the longest border with Canada?

Alaska