Good morning. It’s January 8—Elvis Presley and Stephen Hawking were both born today. One rewrote physics, the other rewrote music. Both left us in awe.

Elvis rocked the stage, Hawking rocked our understanding of the universe—and both did it their own way. So, as you go through Wednesday, channel a little of their energy: shake things up, question everything, and remember—life’s better when it’s a little absurd.

Today’s topics:

• Woven City: Toyota’s $10 billion experiment in future living

• Samsung’s AI-powered fridges keep track of what’s inside

• The MTA is retiring old orange-and-yellow subway cars

• US banned medical debt from credit reports

• ChatGPT pricing is about to change

  and more…

Tuesday was a reality check for U.S. stocks, as early optimism gave way to a collective slide. After boasting its best three-day start to a year since 2009, the Nasdaq pulled a dramatic 1.9% retreat—perhaps the tech darlings needed a nap. The S&P 500 slipped 1.1%, and the Dow, after much indecision, ended 0.4% lower, shedding 178 points like it was loose change. Meanwhile, Nvidia, fresh off its AI-fueled high, decided to "weigh the data" like the rest of Wall Street and came back down to Earth. Turns out, New Year’s momentum has a short shelf life.

_____

US Wipes Medical Debt from Credit Reports

Biden’s team is going out with a bang — banning medical debt from credit reports just before leaving office. The move erases $49 billion in unpaid bills from the records of 15 million Americans. Banks and data companies aren’t happy, but the administration pushed it through anyway. 

_____

Toyota’s $10 billion sci-fi city is almost open for business. Woven City, Toyota’s $10 billion experiment in future living, is almost ready to welcome its first batch of human guinea pigs — sorry, residents. Built on an old car factory site in Japan, this “living laboratory” will see employees move in by fall 2025 to test everything from self-driving cars to smart homes and robots. Toyota says it’s not just a city. It’s a playground for inventors to try out their wildest ideas on real people, all in the name of progress.

New York’s new rule: baby on board, boss pays the fare. Starting now, New York employers must give pregnant workers at least 20 hours of paid medical leave for prenatal care. Gov. Kathy Hochul says it’s the first law of its kind in the U.S. — classic New York move. Private sector workers can use the time for pregnancy-related checkups, fertility treatments, and all the other doctor visits that come with making a human. Basically, companies have no choice but to support their employees’ baby-making plans.

Nvidia Drops a $3,000 AI Supercomputer for Your Desk

Nvidia announced Project Digits, a personal AI supercomputer launching in May. Powered by the GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip, it can handle AI models with up to 200 billion parameters. All that processing power now fits on a desk and plugs into a regular outlet. Starting price is $3,000. It looks like a Mac Mini but can run models that could probably take over the world. 

_____

Samsung’s smart fridge now spies on your groceries. Samsung is rolling out AI-powered fridges that keep track of what’s inside—because apparently, opening the door to check is too much work. Their new Bespoke models use fancy cameras to track what you add or take out. The AI recognizes 37 basic items (apples, carrots, the usual) and nags you to restock when you’re running low. Basically, your fridge is now your personal grocery manager. Let’s hope it doesn’t start judging your midnight snacks.

ChatGPT pricing was a guess and is about to change. OpenAI slapped a $20 price tag on ChatGPT after users laughed at their $42 option. No research, no strategy — just a vibes-based economy. Now they’re thinking pay-as-you-go. CEO Sam Altman says people love the idea. One thing’s clear: no time-based pricing. “We’re not doing AOL,” Altman added. Bless.

Qualcomm wants AI in your cheap laptop. Qualcomm’s new chips will shove AI into $600 personal computers. The Snapdragon X Platform — with an 8-core Oryon processor, graphics, and an AI chip — will run Microsoft’s Copilot+ software. Dell and Lenovo plan to roll out laptops with this tech by early 2025. So, budget laptops will soon be smarter than some people.

When Beyoncé Gets Paid, So Could You

JKBX (pronounced “Jukebox”) lets you invest in royalty shares tied to real revenue streams. This isn’t crypto or real estate—it’s the songs people stream, hum, and love every day.

You can potentially earn quarterly income as music royalties flow from platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and TikTok.

What’s unique? Music doesn’t crash. It just plays.

Add a New Note to Your Portfolio

Visit www.jkbx.com/legal/offering-circulars for important Reg A disclosures. This content is not investment advice, nor is it an offer of securities. All investments involve risk and may result in loss.

Norway’s Breaking Up with Petrol. For Good.

Nine out of 10 cars sold in Norway are fully electric. By next year, petrol cars will be the minority on their roads. First country to pull that off. Of course, they’re doing it with oil money. Ironic? Absolutely. Meanwhile, diesel cars are stubbornly sticking around like that one guest who won’t leave. Give it a few years — Norway’s got this.

_____

Portland’s airport ditches chains for local legends. PDX’s new terminal is a love letter to Portland. Every shop and restaurant is now 100% local. Even better, PDX keeps street pricing. No airport markups.

NYC’s iconic orange subway seats are getting the boot. The MTA is retiring those orange-and-yellow subway cars that have been rattling through New York for decades. By 2025, they’ll be replaced by shiny new R211 trains as part of the agency’s fancy new capital plan, “The Future Rides with Us.” Turns out, the old cars are over 40 years old and break down six times more than the newer models. No wonder they’re getting kicked to the curb.

Golden Globes: who won and got roasted. “The Brutalist” and “Emilia Pérez” took top film awards at the Golden Globes. Demi Moore made a comeback, winning for playing an actress desperate to stay young. On the TV side, “Shōgun” won big. Jean Smart grabbed another trophy for “Hacks,” and Jeremy Allen White got one for “The Bear.” Sebastian Stan showed range, winning for playing both a disfigured man and young Donald Trump. Host Nikki Glaser roasted everyone — Chalamet’s mustache, Diddy’s legal mess, and celebs on Ozempic. Nobody was safe.

_____

TikTok of the day: watch here