Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 🌍 Board of Peace
• 🏈 Super Bowl recap
• 🤔 Seeing the afterlife?

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.51-minute read (933 words).

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

“The more you are grateful for what you have, the more you will have to be grateful for.”

–Hilary "Zig" Ziglar (1926-2012)

The Trump admin is reportedly planning to hold the first meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington, D.C. later this month, following the group’s official launch at the recent World Economic Forum.

What is the Board of Peace?

The multinational group was established by the Trump admin after the most recent Israel-Hamas ceasefire in October, and received authorization from the UN Security Council to oversee the ceasefire and work on Gaza’s post-war reconstruction.

• Its 27-member board includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Hungary, Argentina, Pakistan, Turkey, and Qatar.
• While countries are not required to contribute financially to join, Trump says permanent members must commit at least $1 billion to fund the group’s initiatives.
• President Trump is designated as chairman for life and holds veto power over some BoP decisions.
• Trump is also the only person who can invite states to become members, revoke countries’ membership, and appoint his own successor.

Its scope has recently grown beyond Gaza. While the original idea for the Board of Peace was to focus on war-torn Gaza’s reconstruction, its official charter signed by members last month envisions a broader role for the group.

• It calls for the board to “secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict,” not just in Gaza.
• The charter also calls to work as “a more nimble and effective international peace-building body,” signaling displeasure with the current UN-based global system.

Not everyone is on board (pun intended)

Some US allies, including many countries in Europe, have rejected invitations to join the Board of Peace, while Trump also withdrew Canada’s invitation following a recent spat with PM Mark Carney over tariffs.

• European diplomats have cited concerns with Trump’s extensive powers as leader and the Board of Peace’s broad scope.
• Some experts and critics also argue that Trump is trying to create an alternative to the UN Security Council where only he has the power to make crucial decisions.

Looking ahead…One of the primary objectives of the Board of Peace’s upcoming summit in Washington is to raise funds for Gaza’s reconstruction, according to multiple reports.

📊 Flash poll: In general, do you support or oppose the new US-led Board of Peace?

• Support
• Oppose
• Unsure/other

That Cartier bracelet or gold Rolex sitting in your drawer? It's likely worth far more than a year ago. With strong buyer demand and record market prices, waiting could mean leaving real money behind. Worthy connects you with professional buyers to reveal your piece's true market value with no pressure to sell.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 🚗 Stellantis announces $26.5 billion in charges as Jeep maker scales back its EV ambitions; it marks the biggest in a series of similar EV writedowns at Ford, GM, and Volkswagen.
• 📰 Will Lewis, the Washington Post’s CEO and publisher, resigns three days after the newspaper laid off about one-third of its staff.
• 💊 Hims and Hers ends plans to launch a cheaper knockoff version of the weight-loss pill Wegovy; move follows legal threats from Novo Nordisk and the FDA.

*Disclaimer: Hims & Hers is a paying sponsor of DONUT Press Media

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🏈 Super Bowl LX: The Seattle Seahawks defeat the New England Patriots 29-13 to win their second Super Bowl in franchise history; Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III is named Super Bowl MVP. | See the highlights from Bad Bunny’s halftime show.
• 🎿 Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn crashed seconds into her downhill run yesterday and was airlifted off the course with a fractured leg; Vonn was competing on a torn ACL.
• 🎬 Paul Thomas Anderson wins top prize at the Directors Guild of America Awards for One Battle After Another. | 🙏 Brad Arnold, founder and lead singer of 3 Doors Down, dies at 47 following a battle with cancer.

MTE actually sticks. It’s energy that starts with your sleep, flows through your gut, and sparks your brain. That steadies your nerves and keeps you moving, even when life won’t slow down.

It’s the kind of upgrade you feel from the inside out. Quiet, steady, every day.

For anyone tired of caffeine crashes or temporary boosts that fade… MTE is different. It’s a foundation, not just a jolt.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🧲 Scientists discover new type of magnetism in atomically thin 2D materials; discovery helps advance the field of magnetic data storage.
• 🪲 Rove beetles can steal pheromones from ants to disguise themselves and hide inside the safety of ant colonies—but if the beetles leave, they’ll be dead in less than a day, new research reveals.
• 🏥 CDC reports 733 confirmed measles cases across the US so far in 2026; figure is over 4x higher than the annual average of 180 cases from 2000-2024.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 🥶 Nearly 80 million Americans across the East Coast were under winter weather warnings this weekend due to historically frigid temperatures.
• 🇯🇵 Japan’s governing coalition wins a supermajority in the lower house following new snap elections; the right-leaning coalition, led by PM Sanae Takaichi, now has enough seats to override Japan’s upper house, where it lacks a majority.
• 📲 President Trump posts, then deletes, a video on Truth Social that includes a ~2-second clip near the end depicting the Obamas as apes; the ~1-minute-long video promoted false claims that the 2020 election was rigged; Trump said he “just looked at the first part” of the video, and declined to apologize.

👆 You’re looking at some of the winners from the Close-Up Photographer of the Year Contest, which featured submissions across a range of categories including underwater, invertebrates, insects, and fungi. A picture of the internal structure of a cauliflower soft coral (top left) taken by Ross Gudgeon earned this year’s top spot.

🤔 Did you know? Some teenagers can grow 4-5 inches in a year during a growth spurt, but the fastest growth humans ever experience happens much earlier: some babies add nearly a foot of height per year from birth through late infanthood (~18 months).

📰 Worth a read: These patients saw what comes after death. Should we believe them?

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• This is why it’s so hard to find a job right now
• You can spot the ISS from Earth—here’s how
• How to calm down when the world won’t

Glow-up secret or hormone reset?... When hormones are off, energy and skin feel it. Nature’s Craft DIM Complex balances and energizes from the inside out with one daily capsule. Learn more here.

On Friday, we covered a series of new reports that show America’s job market is off to a rough start in 2026, with the data coming as American consumers remain pessimistic about the US economy even though GDP growth remains strong.

❓ Our question to you: To all our readers in the workforce: How would you rate the current job market in your respective industry?

• Excellent: 8%
• Pretty good: 13%
• Average: 22%
• Pretty bad: 38%
• Terrible: 19%

❓ Follow-up question: In which industry do you work? (Most common responses listed)

• Excellent: Healthcare; Aviation; Education
• Pretty good: Manufacturing; Construction; Engineering
• Average: Financial services; Medical sales; Insurance
• Pretty bad: Tech; Human resources; Higher education
• Terrible: Management; Education; Tech

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

+Note on sample size: We received 543 votes and 66 longform responses.

Monday: National Football Hangover Day

Tuesday: Coca-Cola, Ford, Spotify all report earnings

Wednesday: Shutdown-delayed January jobs report set for release

Thursday: Team USA men’s hockey Olympic opener vs. Latvia; women’s Olympic halfpipe final

Friday: Consumer Price Index for January; Wuthering Heights hits theaters; men’s Olympic halfpipe final

+Over the weekend: Valentine’s Day is on Saturday

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

1. Auto
2. Ego
3. Rhin
4. Scend
5. Tars

⛳️ 67-year-old Patrick Duke just sank his first hole-in-one nearly eight years after picking up golf. The kicker? The amputee made the 120-yard shot with only one arm.

1. Auto = Self (e.g., automatic)
2. Ego = Self (egocentric)
3. Rhin = Nose (rhinoplasty)
4. Scend = Climb (ascend, descend)
5. Tars = Ankle (tarsal)

Advertise with us: Want to reach other smart and inquisitive readers like you? Become a DONUT partner here.