Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 🏥 TrumpRx
• 🤖 AI content overload
• 📺 Ranking the Super Bowl ads

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.79-minute read (1,007 words).

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“Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.”

–Lao Tzu (6th century B.C.)

The White House late last week announced the launch of “TrumpRx”, a new government-run website designed to help Americans buy cheaper prescription drugs by eliminating the middlemen.

The site is part of the White House’s broader effort to show progress on affordability, as many Americans continue to feel squeezed by stubbornly high inflation that extends to healthcare costs.

How it works

TrumpRx doesn’t sell drugs directly. Instead, it serves as a search portal where users can enter the name of a medication or condition to see the lowest available drug prices offered directly by manufacturers, with lower cash prices negotiated by the federal gov’t.

• Upon selecting a medication, users are either routed to the drugmaker’s purchasing site or given coupon codes to use at participating pharmacies, with a valid prescription required for purchase.
• Manufacturers ship medications directly to patients, bypassing traditional pharmacy benefit managers, though insurance coverage typically can’t be applied at checkout.

But savings aren’t guaranteed

Some experts warn that buying medications through TrumpRx may be more expensive for Americans with strong insurance coverage, as purchases typically can’t be combined with insurance or applied toward deductibles.

Additionally, nearly half of the drugs listed on TrumpRx (20 out of 43) have a cheaper generic version available via other DTC sites like GoodRx or CostPlusDrugs, according to Anna Kaltenboeck, a drug pricing expert and president of Verdant Research.

Big picture: TrumpRx represents an attempt by the White House to ease public frustration with the US healthcare system, which has reached historic highs. Nearly a quarter of Americans (23%) say the healthcare system is in a “state of crisis,” the worst rating in Gallup polling history dating back to 1994, while an additional 47% of Americans say it has “major problems.”

In San Rafael, Argentina, the Vendimia honors women chosen to represent their region at harvest. Nine Queens pays tribute to a rare distinction, nine national harvest queens earned over decades.

This first U.S. release has just arrived and is reserved for early supporters. Priced at $20 per bottle, these wines deliver balance and character typically found at far higher price points.

Companies accepting written submissions from the internet are essentially running an all-you-can-eat buffet for AI-generated content, according to a recent series of reports and data.

The issue: Institutions across the country have reported struggles dealing with an overwhelming amount of AI-generated text submissions.

A few examples:

• Newspapers and academic journals are being flooded with AI-generated letters to the editor.
• Lawmakers struggle to discern between human- and AI-written emails from purported constituents.
• Scientific conferences are seeing a rise of AI-made ‘sloppy’ research papers, especially in subjects relating to AI (an ironic twist).
• Courthouses and lawyers report an increase in AI-generated filings and legal advice.
• Social media sites are inundated with AI posts from bots and spammers.

AI generated content is also being overwhelmingly produced in music, education, investigative journalism, and hiring.

Institutions are responding in a few ways. Some have slammed the door shut on submissions altogether, at least temporarily. Others are fighting fire with fire and using AI tools to screen writing submissions, moderate content, review job applications, grade assignments, and administer exams—though AI-detection software is notoriously unreliable.

Looking ahead…Analysts say the influx of AI-generated content—and the arms race to develop systems that can identify such content—is poised to continue for the foreseeable future as generative AI tools continue to improve.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 👕 Eddie Bauer LLC files for bankruptcy for the third time in just over two decades; the retailer says it will conduct a sales process, and wind down its US/Canadian operations if a sale can’t be reached.
• 🛒 Grocery giant Kroger names ex-Walmart executive Greg Foran as its new CEO; Kroger shares rose ~6% in pre-market trading on the news.
• 🏘️ President Trump’s proposed ban on Wall Street investors purchasing single-family homes has reportedly run into resistance from lawmakers in Congress.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🚨 TODAY co-host Savannah Guthrie and siblings issue new public appeal for help in the search for their presumed kidnapped 84-year-old mother, who disappeared 10 days ago; they also pledge to pay a reported $6 million bitcoin ransom.
• 🏅 Winter Olympics: Team USA women’s hockey cruises to third straight victory, while the American mixed doubles curling team advanced to their first-ever gold medal match.
• 🏈 North Dakota State, a powerhouse football team in the FCS, will reportedly pay $17 million to join the Mountain West Conference as a football-only FBS member starting this season.

Sometimes it’s not the food, it’s what your gut is holding on to.

Activated charcoal is used to bind to compounds in your digestive tract and carry them out, which is why it can help people feel lighter and less discomfort.

Nature’s Craft Activated Charcoal can help if your bloating feels out of control and random—users report feeling the difference after just one week.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🤖🚕 Waymo unveils new generative AI platform, called the Waymo World Model, which creates “hyper-realistic” simulated 3D environments allowing self-driving systems to train virtually.
• 🪐 Scientists demonstrate existence of first known subsurface lava tube on Venus, per new Nature Communications study based on decades-old data.
• 🏃 While exercise is beneficial in many ways for health, it’s not an effective way to lose weight on its own compared to other methods, according to new research.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 🏫 San Francisco teachers go on strike for the first time since 1979 following failed negotiations on a new contract; the move closes schools for ~50,000 students with no end date in sight.
• 🙊 Ghislaine Maxwell invokes her 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination and declines to answer questions in deposition as part of House committee probe; Maxwell is serving 20 years in prison for sex trafficking crimes related to Epstein.
• 🌎 Cuba’s gov’t says international airlines can no longer refuel there due to fuel shortages, dealing a major blow to the island nation’s important tourism industry; it comes after President Trump threatened tariffs on any country that supplies Cuba with oil amid his campaign to replace its communist gov’t.

👆 A rare bus-sized jellyfish was captured on video 820 feet below the surface by a recent deep sea exploration off Argentina's coast. The species, known as a giant phantom jelly, can measure up to 36 feet long.

🤔 Did you know? Playing high-level chess causes players to burn calories at an athletic rate, with competitors losing an average of ~2 lbs/day. In an example from 2019, 21-year-old Russian grandmaster Mikhail Antipov burned 560 calories in two hours of sitting and playing chess, roughly equivalent to what Roger Federer would burn in one hour of singles tennis.

📰 Worth a read: How to think like a detective

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• The 2026 Super Bowl ads, ranked
• 4 times drinking coffee was illegal—or even punishable by death
• How much protein do you actually need each day?

Home decor isn’t one size fits all… Your home doesn’t need trends to feel cohesive. ArtToFrames offers quality frames to match your taste and highlight memories, priced for every budget. Save 10% at ArtToFrames with code DONUT25.

Yesterday we covered the Trump admin’s new Board of Peace, which was initially established to oversee the ceasefire and work on Gaza’s post-war reconstruction, but envisions a broader role that potentially rivals the UN on the global stage, based on its charter signed by 27 members.

❓ Our question to you: In general, do you support or oppose the new US-led Board of Peace?

• Support: 27%
• Oppose: 64%
• Unsure/other: 9%

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

+Note on sample size: We received 561 votes and 153 longform responses.

❓ Trivia: What’s the only letter that does not appear in the periodic table of chemical element symbols?

🎓 True or false?… Most delegates signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

🐷 A Portland man unexpectedly found himself homeless with two pets in tow: a dog and a 250-pound pig. Soon after, Portland Fire & Rescue’s Community Health Assess and Treat (CHAT) team stepped in to help him get back on his feet and find a forever sanctuary home for his not-so-little porker..  

❓ Trivia: The letter ‘J’

🎓 T/F: False; most delegates signed on August 2, 1776.

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