NYC May Finally See Some Snow

Good morning and happy Friday! The King is back. Well, sort of. Elvis Presley is the latest artist to get the artificial intelligence and hologram treatment, joining ABBA, Kiss and others. The Elvis Evolution show will debut in London this November with stops in Berlin, Las Vegas and Tokyo scheduled to follow. Have a great weekend!

In Today’s Brief

• Iowa: One dead after school shooting

• Iran: Islamic State takes credit for attacks

• Ramaswamy: Stock sale for campaign

• Semiconductors: White House boost

• NFL: Final week of regular season

... and more

First time reading? Sign up here

Top Tips

1) Let it snow in New York?

A lengthy snow drought could end in parts of the Northeast this weekend.

• What (hasn't) happened: It has been almost two years since New York and Philadelphia experienced snowfall of an inch or greater. The same goes for Baltimore and Washington. But a noreaster headed for the region could snap those streaks.

• The forecast: Meteorologists expect Baltimore and Washington will receive little, if any, snow before the storm shifts to rain. The same goes for Philadelphia. But New York is expected to see snow starting on Saturday night. Forecasters say the Big Apple and surrounding areas could see between 1 and 6 inches of snow. Boston should get around 4-8 inches.

• Big picture: Any precipitation along the I-95 corridor could snarl traffic for millions. The storm could impact roads, as well as Amtrak and regional airports. Flight cancelations and delays are a particular concern at the start of the work week.

2) Biden wastes no time sounding Trump alarm

President Joe Biden is not pulling any punches as he begins his reelection year.

• What happened: Biden released a new ad yesterday that his campaign said highlights the threat to democracy presented former President Donald Trump and some of his supporters. The ad includes audio of Biden saying, “there is something dangerous happening in America.”

• The response: Biden’s ad was released ahead of a speech today in Pennsylvania. The president is expected to hit Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and tie in nearby Valley Forge, where the Continental Army spent a winter during the Revolutionary War.

• Big picture: Biden has characterized Trump as a threat to democracy before. But he spent much of last year optimistically touting the country’s economic state while making the case for a second term. This recent approach suggests both presumptive nominees could campaign on dark themes and heavy issues the entire year.

3) AI could definitely maybe kill us all

Experts believe there is a slight chance that artificial intelligence could cause human extinction.

• What happened: A recent study surveyed almost 3K AI researchers. Fifty-eight percent of participants said there is a 5% chance that advanced AI could cause future catastrophes, including the destruction of mankind.

• The response: People should not panic just yet. One of the study's authors said readers should not fixate on the exact percentage published. AI experts also have an inconsistent track record for making accurate predictions about the technology.

• Big picture: Experts say it will be some time before AI has the capabilities of humans. Analysts have said more focus should be on curbing current threats, such as how governments can abuse the technology. But some are calling for AI research to be paused.

In partnership with Hear.com

German engineering at its finest.

In a groundbreaking development, German entrepreneurs Dr. Marco Vietor and Paul Crusius have unveiled a virtually invisible hearing aid that is taking the US by storm. It’s called Horizon by hear.com. Bluetooth-enabled, audiologist-backed, and smaller than a coffee bean. Start your no-risk trial today by clicking here.

Please support our sponsors!

Quick Tips

U.S. News

• A student was killed and five people were injured in a shooting at an Iowa high school. The alleged shooter died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot; police said an improvised explosive device was disarmed at the school (More)

• House Democrats said former President Donald Trump’s businesses made almost $8M from foreign countries when he was in office. China was the leading spender at Trump properties with $5.5M (More)

• Statehouses nationwide faced unfounded bomb threats for a second straight day. Other government buildings were also threatened (More)

World News

• Islamic State claimed responsibility for explosions that killed over 100 people and wounded almost 300 in Iran on Wednesday. The Sunni militant group has carried out past attacks in the country (More)

• United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expects to call for a general election in the second half of 2024. His ruling Conservative Party trails the opposition Labour Party by double-digits in recent polls (More)

• Houthi rebels launched an armed unmanned surface vessel in the Red Sea, according to the U.S. Navy. It’s the first time the Yemeni militants have that type of drone during the Gaza war; it comes after the U.S. threatened the group with direct airstrikes (More)

Campaign News

• Vivek Ramaswamy sold $33M in personal stock to fund his presidential campaign. The controversial businessman is a distant fourth in GOP primary polls (More)

• Trump will visit the Teamsters' national headquarters later this month in a bid to earn their endorsement. The former president already had a private meeting with the labor union's leader (More)

• A group of Illinois voters have asked the state’s board of elections to remove Trump from its ballot on 14th Amendment grounds. The former president is already appealing ballot bans in Colorado and Maine (More)

Business & Markets

• Major indexes closed mixed yesterday. The Nasdaq continued its recent skid with a fifth straight day of losses (Dow +0.03%, Nasdaq -0.56%, S&P 500 -0.34%).

• The Biden Administration will send $162M to Arizona-based Microchip Technology to support domestic computer chip production. The funds will be directed to enhance two existing factories (More)

• Carrefour has pulled PepsiCo products from its grocery stores in four European companies. The retailer blames manufacturer price increases (More)

Entertainment & Sports

• The NFL regular season will conclude this weekend. There are five playoff spots and four division titles that will be determined after Week 18 (More)

• Britney Spears denied rumors she is working on a new album. The pop star said she will never return to the music industry in an Instagram post (More)

• Rage Against The Machine has broken up. Again. Drummer Brad Wilk said the rock band has ended its third stint and will no longer perform together (More)

Quick Hitters

• Feel Good: A dog in Washington state is a hero. Lucy, a three-year-old Australian Shepherd/Labrador mix, woke her owners up at 3 a.m. with a loud bark they said they had never heard before. And for good reason -- a workshop across the street was engulfed in wild flames. The early warning allowed firefighters to contain the blaze.

• Take Note: Verizon has agreed to pay out $100M to customers to settle a class-action lawsuit related to data fees. Eligible parties can get about $100 if they file by a mid-April deadline.

• New Idea: Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have invented a flexible ultrasound bra insert. They say it will screen for breast cancer between regular screenings and may be able to save 12M lives annually with early detection.

• Big Bummer: Guam's time zone is 20 hours ahead of Hawaii but just seven hours away by plane. So United Airlines had a great idea: Leave Guam on New Year's Day, land in Honolulu on New Year's Eve and celebrate a second time! Only one problem: The flight was delayed over six hours and arrived in Hawaii after midnight.

• Life Hack: You have decided to get in better shape this year. Great! But where do you start? Here is a month-by-month guide that will help get you going and allow you to continually grow on your fitness journey.

Watch This

The upcoming season of MTV’s Jersey Shore: Family Reunion will include a monumental occasion: The first face-to-face meeting between ex-flames Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola and Ronnie Ortiz-Magro in years.

Links

• A man says he was injured when a toilet exploded at Dunkin’ 💥

• Collecting rare books is a hobby that could make you money 📖

• Romanticism is expected to be an interior design trend this year 🛋️

• George Santos has accused someone else of scamming people 🤔

• The foreign foods and products that should come to America 🇺🇸 

• Kim Jong Un's daughter may be North Korea's next dictator 🇰🇵

• Singles mix business and pleasure, use LinkedIn as a dating app 🥰

• MIT’s president is facing renewed calls for her resignation 🏫

• Residents pay the most, least property taxes in these states 💵

• A cruise ship the length of three football fields will soon set sail 🛳️ 

Looking Ahead …

Awards Season is here. The Golden Globes are Sunday in Los Angeles, beginning the two-month march to the Academy Awards. The Globes are under new ownership; Dick Clark Productions and Eldridge Industries took control after the Hollywood Foreign Press Association disbanded amid myriad controversies. Comedian Jo Koy will host the event.

Question of the Day

Yesterday’s results:

Are you hoping for snow this weekend?

• No (62%)

• Yes (38%)