Good morning. It’s Monday, December 16th, the day we all gear up for the week ahead with a cup of whatever beverage fuels you. Anyway, here’s some history for you: on this day in 1773, American colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians tossed 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor to protest a dumb tax. This little act of rebellion helped spark the American Revolution and, you know, independence. No biggie.

Also, speaking of things that changed the world—Avatar premiered on this day in 2009. If you somehow managed to avoid it for the past decade, now’s your chance to finally watch both parts.

Now, let’s get to today’s stories. From some serious tech news to a few surprises, we’ve got the stuff you actually want to read.

Today’s topics:

• New York-to-London hyperloop-style tunnel

• People who shaped science in 2024

• Flying United? AirTag your luggage

• xAI launches Grok-2 AI chatbot

  and more…

Stocks ended Friday in a holding pattern, despite Broadcom (AVGO) soaring to record highs on its AI-powered sales forecast. Looks like even a chip giant’s big win couldn’t wake the market from its nap.

The S&P 500 finished flat, the Nasdaq inched up 0.1%, and the Dow did its usual contrarian thing, slipping 0.1%. Broadcom may be shouting “AI to the moon,” but the rest of Wall Street clearly missed the memo.

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Musk claims he can build a £16 billion tunnel for "1000 times less". Elon Musk is back with another bold claim, saying The Boring Company could build a New York-to-London hyperloop-style tunnel for “1000 times less” than the proposed $20 trillion cost. Known for his budget-friendly projects like the Las Vegas Loop, Musk insists his company can make futuristic transit affordable. The idea is to use magnetic-levitation trains in a vacuum tube to cut travel time to just 54 minutes. While the speed sounds impressive, the project still faces huge costs, engineering hurdles, and environmental concerns.

Fartcoin goes from joke to $700M. Yes, it’s called Fartcoin, and yes, it’s completely useless. But somehow, it’s tripled in value over the past week, reaching a market cap of $700 million—about the same as Office Depot or Guess jeans. The memecoin craze, fueled by the recent Bitcoin surge following Trump’s victory, is back with a bang. While some traders are riding high on their gains, others are diving headfirst into the pure speculation of it all, hoping to make a quick fortune. The joke’s on everyone—except the ones cashing out.

Congress orders Apple and Google to ditch TikTok by January. Congress just gave Apple and Google an ultimatum—ditch TikTok by January 19 or face massive fines. In a letter sent on Friday, lawmakers reminded the tech giants that keeping TikTok around after the deadline would break the law. TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has 233 days to find a buyer. If they don’t, Apple and Google will have to pull the app from their stores or risk some seriously hefty fines. 

Amtrak’s New Trains: Faster, Fancier, and Less Bumpy

Amtrak’s new high-speed electric trains are coming next spring, making your D.C. to Boston ride smoother and faster. These trains are quieter, more aerodynamic, and use less electricity than the old Acela models. They’ve got USB outlets, winged headrests for some space, and extra cars for more passengers.

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Musk’s xAI launches Grok-2 AI chatbot for free. Elon Musk’s xAI is giving users on the social media platform X free access to its new Grok-2 AI chatbot. Premium and Premium+ users still get priority access and higher usage limits, of course. After weeks of quiet testing, Grok-2 is now available for everyone to try.

Nature’s 10: the people who shaped science in 2024. This year’s Nature’s 10 honors remarkable people shaping science and technology, from a fraud buster to a nuclear clock maker and a virus hunter. The list highlights major developments in science and medicine, showcasing how researchers are changing the world. 

United Airlines is now the first airline to let you share your luggage location with customer service agents through the United app for faster bag recovery. So, if you’re flying United this holiday season, toss an AirTag in your bag for that little extra peace of mind.

Money Mess? Fix it with FINMATEX

Sick of being financially clueless? FINMATEX app cracks the code to crushing your financial goals. Track, save, invest—no lectures, no fluff, just results. Fix your wallet. Download now for iOS and Google Play

18-Year-Old Gukesh Dommaraju Becomes Youngest Chess World Champion

Indian teen Gukesh Dommaraju, 18, just made history by beating defending champion Ding Liren of China to become the youngest chess world champion. With a score of 7.5 points to Liren's 6.5, Dommaraju broke Garry Kasparov's record of winning the title at 22.

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Best Geminid meteor shower photos of 2024. Despite the nearly full moon, the Geminid meteor shower 2024 still wowed us with bright, colorful meteors. Here are the best photos from around the world.

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TikTok of the day: watch here

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