đ Dream of getting away from it all? Then a tiny red house on the moon might be your dream abode. Unfortunately for you, the house is probably too small â unless youâre a hamster. Artist Mikael Genbergâs miniature âMoonhouseâ lifted off aboard SpaceXâs Falcon 9 rocket, and will be deposited on its new lunar front yard by the Tenacious lunar rover â making it the first art exhibit and, technically, building on the moon.
đ§ On the pod:Skiers are losing confidence in Vail Resorts.
NEWS FLASH
đĽ Good as gold? Several Paris Olympians have noticed that their medals are fading faster than their memories of the Eiffel Tower. Itâs been 100+ days since the Summer Olympics ended, and 100+ athletes have already asked for their medals to be replaced due to rusting and tarnishing. Designed by luxury jewelry company Chaumet, each medal took 15 days to complete in collaboration with Franceâs mint. After investigating, the mint determined that the varnish used to protect the medals from oxidation was defective â the mint had recently changed the secret formula to conform to EU regulations banning chromium trioxide, a toxic chemical.
đ¤ Goldman Sachs staffers are getting a new co-worker: GS AI. The bank released the new generative AI assistant to ~10k bankers, traders, and asset managers, with plans to make the tool available to all knowledge workers by year-end. While the tool will initially help employees with tasks like proofreading emails or translating code into different languages, itâs intended to eventually mimic an experienced Goldman employee, performing more complex tasks with little human oversight. Surely nobody will lose their job as a result.
đ° You thought billionaires were extreme? Just wait for the trillionaires. Five individuals are expected to hit $1T+ in wealth within the next decade, according to Oxfamâs inequality report. Elon Musk â the worldâs richest person, with $430B+ â is set to surpass the trillion-dollar mark in under five years. Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison, and Bernard Arnault are estimated to follow shortly behind. Last year was kind to the worldâs billionaires: The group grew by 200+ people to 2.77k, and their collective wealth increased by $2.1T, 3x faster than the year prior.
MORE NEWS TO KNOW
Samsung Unpacked streams at 10am PT today. The company is expected to discuss its latest Galaxy AI offerings and launch its much-hyped Galaxy S25 line of smartphones (spoiler: it'll have a nice camera).
French AI firm Mistral is eyeing an IPO, per CEO Arthur Mensch. Mistral specializes in LLMs, and is valued at an estimated ~$6B.
Johnson & Johnsonâs Spravato has received FDA approval as a standalone treatment for treatment-resistant depression in adults. The nasal spray earned $780m in the first nine months of 2024, and J&J expects sales to grow to $1B-$5B annually.
SEIZE THE YEAR
Stop loafing. Start achieving.
Wait a second⌠Wasnât this supposed to be your year? Or was that last year?
Trick question: Itâs every year. Take Jesse Itzlerâs super refreshing worksheet to hit the âresetâ button in your brain, and explore new ways to dominate in life.
We bet youâve never seen the words ârefreshingâ and âworksheetâ in the same sentence. And we really mean it. Give yourself one good hour.
Why some cities are losing their local meteorologists
You probably remember watching your local meteorologist gesticulate in front of a green screen, revealing the likelihood of a snow day, rained-out game, or perfect beach trip. But will future generations?
Allen Media Group, which operates 27 news stations across 21 US markets, is cutting costs via a partnership with The Weather Channel, which it acquired for $300m in 2018 â and which has also reduced staff.
Instead of each station using dedicated local meteorologists, viewers will get weather info from a team in Atlanta, which Allen claims will offer improved forecasting and graphic capabilities and 24/7 coverage opportunities.
Some of Allenâs meteorologists will become part of the new plan, but several have announced that theyâve been laid off.
Is this better?
In local news, bigger isnât always better. Experts say local meteorologists are crucial for weather reporting, especially natural disasters â which, BTW, are increasing â because:
People trust their familiar faces
They know how to pronounce local town names and places
They understand a regionâs unique geography and microclimate
And although meteorologists have faced increasing harassment from climate-change skeptics and those who mistrust news, people do still tune in.
A 2024 Pew Research Center survey found that 90% of US adults watch local news to get weather info.
Recent wildfires in the Los Angeles area saw local news stations garnering 2x-3x their typical audience numbers, per Nielsen data.
A Change.org petition to restore the jobs of Mississippi meteorologists affected by Allenâs decision has received 33k+ signatures.
So, whatâs a meteorologist to do?
There are other career avenues in the growing weather forecasting market, especially as new technologies â cloud seeding, EVs, drones, etc. â develop.
But as far as presenting the weather, James Spann, a TV meteorologist since 1978, said he feels âpositiveâ about the industry, though admits itâs changed as younger generations reject linear TV.
He envisions a new model that includes meteorologists building their own brands on social media platforms, like TikTokâŚ
⌠which sounds weird â but who doesnât love this guy who sneaks song lyrics into weather reports? Donât have TikTok? Hereâs one on YouTube.
TikTokâs unexpected AI savior? Perplexity wants to buy the app.
January might not be the only dry month: The alcohol industry is facing a drought as Americans sober up.
NEWSWORTHY NUMBER
How much you could earn if hired to drive Plantersâ 26-foot-long NUTmobile. Three people will be hired to drive the peanut-shaped vehicle around the US from June 2025 to June 2026. Benefits include health insurance, a 401(k), travel expenses, and meal stipends, plus getting to helm a truly iconic vehicle that weâre sure will make you lots of friends. Applicants must have a college degree and valid driverâs license, and submit by Feb. 14.
AROUND THE WEB
đ On this day: In 1998, former math professor Ted Kaczynski â AKA the Unabomber â pleaded guilty to a series of package bombings. He died in prison in June 2023.
đ ICYMI: The Webby Awards deadline has been extended. Submit your best work by Friday, Feb. 7.
đ¨đ´ Thatâs cool: The Colombian national anthem, as sung by the nationâs birds, amphibians, and mammals.
