Good morning. It’s February 5, and once upon a time, this was the last month of the year. The Romans took one look at February and said, “Yeah, let’s just end it here.” But no—we had to get fancy with the Gregorian calendar instead.

As you shiver through another Wednesday, pretending to enjoy the “crisp air” outside, remember that at least every day brings us one step closer to daylight after 5 PM. Stay warm, stay sane, and enjoy today’s stories—because if we can’t have spring yet, at least we can have something interesting to read.

• California teases independence, but don’t bet on it

• Space race: humans chase glory, robots deliver

• Vanguard slashes fees, investors save big

• Opera Air: a browser that enforces vibes

• X survives, but debt keeps suffocating

• London’s rickshaws face rules, finally

  and more…

Wall Street wrapped up Tuesday on a high note, thanks to Big Tech flexing its muscles—because who needs a diversified economy when you have a handful of trillion-dollar companies running the show? Investors were busy dissecting China’s knee-jerk response to Trump's latest round of tariffs, bracing for the next episode of this never-ending trade spat.

Meanwhile, fresh job data dropped, revealing that job openings in December took a steeper dive than expected. Traders are clinging to every labor market wobble, hoping it nudges the Fed closer to those ever-elusive rate cuts—because nothing says "healthy economy" like rooting for economic weakness.

By the numbers, the Dow inched up 0.3%, the S&P 500 climbed 0.7%, and the Nasdaq, ever the drama queen, rebounded 1.4% after its rough Monday.

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X: Broke, But Not Quite Dead

Elon’s Twitter—sorry, X—is still making money, just not enough to escape its crushing debt. Despite a holiday revenue boost and a small election-year bump, X’s earnings barely cover the $1.2 billion in annual interest payments Musk saddled it with. Banks that helped finance Musk’s Twitter takeover are now looking to offload that debt, and their reports suggest X made zero profit in 2024. Even after gutting 80% of staff and slashing costs, revenue remains “unimpressive,” according to Musk himself. 

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Vanguard’s biggest fee cut ever. Vanguard just made investing even cheaper, cutting fees on 87 funds and saving investors $350 million this year. The biggest fee drop in its history slashes costs by an average of 20% per share class. CEO Salim Ramji is patting himself on the back, saying it’s all about keeping more money in investors’ pockets. Stocks, bonds, and commodities funds are all getting price cuts, including ETFs managing billions. 

Trump wants a sovereign wealth fund. Trump just signed an order to create a U.S. sovereign wealth fund, sending the internet into a meltdown. Typically, these funds belong to wealthy, resource-rich nations like Norway, China, and the Middle Eastern emirates. The U.S. is now joining the club. The funding source remains vague. Trump previously suggested using tariff proceeds, but no specifics were provided. One proposed move includes taking a stake in TikTok, either through an actual investment or pressuring Beijing to hand it over to avoid a 10% tariff hike announced Friday.

Bitcoin tanks as Trump tariffs shake markets. Bitcoin plunged to a three-week low, hitting $91,441.89 overnight before crawling back to $95,730.35—still down 6.2% for the day. Ether got hit even harder, shedding nearly 25% since Friday in its worst three-day drop since 2022. Blame Trump’s new tariffs, which rattled investors and sparked a market-wide selloff. 

California might try to break up with America. A new petition could put “Calexit” on the 2028 ballot, asking voters if California should ditch the U.S. and go solo. To make it happen, campaigners need over half a million signatures by July 2025. With its massive economy and population, California isn’t exactly a lightweight. Supporters say Trump’s 2016 win proved the state doesn’t belong, while Texas Republicans have been pushing their own exit plan. Will it actually happen? Probably not. But California loves a good drama.

Opera’s New Browser Wants You to Chill

Opera just launched Opera Air, a browser designed to stop you from doomscrolling yourself into oblivion. It comes with break reminders, breathing exercises, and soothing soundscapes—because apparently, we need software to remind us to touch grass. With a sleek, semi-transparent design and a floating mindfulness sidebar, Air offers binaural beats, ambient sounds, and focus music to keep your brain from melting. 

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Future of space travel: robots vs. astronauts. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe just flew closer to the Sun than anything before—without a single human on board. Autonomous spacecraft and AI-driven robots are now handling deep-space missions, leading scientists to question whether human astronauts are even necessary. Experts argue that robots go farther, cost less, and don’t complain about 1,000°C heat. Some, like Astronomer Royal Martin Rees, say taxpayer money shouldn’t fund human space travel at all. But for others, human exploration is about prestige, discovery, and proving that people—not just machines—belong among the stars.

DeepSeek: AI with a censorship filter. DeepSeek’s AI just shot to the top of the charts, shaking up the tech world and making Silicon Valley nervous. But users quickly realized this chatbot comes with built-in censorship straight from Beijing’s playbook. Ask about Tiananmen Square, and the bot starts to answer before erasing its response and suggesting math instead. In Chinese, it won’t even bother—just a quick apology and a dodge. While it handles everyday topics like its Western rivals, anything sensitive gets the Great Firewall treatment. DeepSeek is yet another reminder that “free” AI isn’t always free—at least, not when it comes to information.

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Spirit’s New Dress Code

Spirit Airlines, known for its budget prices and bold passenger experiences, now has a dress code. As of Jan. 22, 2025, no more see-through outfits, exposed bits, or offensive body art. Oh, and you must wear shoes—apparently, that needed to be clarified. Break the rules, and you might get kicked off your $19 flight.

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The great whale fart incident. Britain’s Royal Navy thought they’d caught Russian spies sneaking around their nukes. Nope—just a whale with digestive issues. After a frantic search, military experts confirmed the “suspicious sounds” were nothing more than two well-timed underwater farts. World-class defense, defeated by a gassy sea mammal.

Pornhub blocks more states. Florida and South Carolina just got hit with a Pornhub block, joining a growing list of states trying (and failing) to shut it down. Meanwhile, Tennessee’s ban is on pause due to a lawsuit, but don’t get too excited yet. Of course, anyone with a Wi-Fi signal and half a brain knows VPNs exist, making this whole crackdown about as effective as a glass door on a submarine.

The Sims turns 25. Back in the ‘90s, Will Wright pitched The Sims as a “virtual dollhouse,” and his bosses weren’t impressed. Who would want to micromanage fake people’s lives? Turns out, everyone. Now, 25 years later, The Sims is one of the best-selling games ever, with a cult-like fanbase of Simmers still obsessed. The Sims 4 alone has 85 million players across 18 languages—because controlling tiny digital people is the ultimate guilty pleasure.

2025 Grammy Awards winners. Beyoncé led the night with 11 nominations and walked away with Album of the Year for “Cowboy Carter”, plus Best Country Album and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “II Most Wanted” with Miley Cyrus. Yes, Beyoncé is now a country queen. Kendrick Lamar owned the night with five wins, including Record and Song of the Year for his Drake diss track, “Not Like Us.” Sierra Ferrell grabbed four awards, while Charli XCX, St. Vincent, and Bey each took home three. Chappell Roan won Best New Artist, and the internet is still processing all of it.

London’s party rickshaws get a reality check. London’s infamous neon-lit, ABBA-blasting rickshaws are finally getting a rulebook. Since the ‘90s, these chaotic pedal-powered taxis have clogged up streets, overcharged clueless tourists, and turned central London into a fluorescent traffic jam. Transport for London (TfL) has had enough. They’re pushing for new rules: drivers will need a license, insurance, and actual safety checks. No more made-up fares, random price gouging, or blasting Mamma Mia at full volume.

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TikTok of the day: watch here