Good morning. It's Tuesday, Feb. 16, and millions of people from Texas to the Midwest are in the grip of an arctic blast. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Fat Tuesday

Revelers across the globe celebrate a subdued Mardi Gras today, the final day before the Christian fasting and religious observance period of Lent begins.

New Orleans, home to the best-known Fat Tuesday festivities in the US, has canceled nearly all formal events. Bars have been temporarily shut down, including outdoor and to-go service, and a number of main streets will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians after dusk. Some of the city's iconic krewes—Mardi Gras-focused social clubs (see 101)—have scheduled socially distant alternatives, while the many parades have been replaced by float houses (see photos). About 1.4 million people visited New Orleans during the same time period last year; the city is expected to miss out on up to $1B in economic activity.

Less than 30 cases of COVID-19 had been reported by last year's Mardi Gras festivities (the actual case count was likely much higher) and experts believe the celebrations contributed to an early phase of rapid transmission in the US.  

Texas on Ice

A frigid winter storm and historically low temperatures left at least two people dead and more than 4 million people in Texas without power yesterday, as the state's power system struggled to keep up with the demand for electric-based heating. Rolling blackouts were instituted as roughly half of the state's wind power was taken offline due to frozen turbines in West Texas.

The arctic blast is part of a larger system that has placed more than 150 million people under winter weather advisories across 25 states. A Minnesota weather station hit minus 38 degrees yesterday morning, while temperatures in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, fell to minus 28 degrees. Forecasters predict more than 50 million people could experience subzero temperatures as the pattern moves through the Midwest and into the Northeast in the following days. 

See detailed forecasts for across the country here.

Google Plays Ball

Google struck a deal yesterday to compensate Australian news corporation Seven West Media for use of its content. The announcement comes as lawmakers consider legislation requiring large tech companies like Google and Facebook to pay news outlets for snippets of content that appear in their search results and news feeds. 

Proponents of the legislation say the use of news links, though limited, redirects online traffic from news sites to large platforms, allowing companies like Google and Facebook to reap windfalls in advertising dollars without generating original news content.

The proposed law has become a proxy ($$, Wired) for the broader decline of the traditional news industry. In Australia, print media has seen a 75% decline in advertising revenue since 2005, while Google (53%) and Facebook (28%) now account for more than 80% of all online advertising spend in the country. The two companies have threatened to leave Australia if the bill is passed. 

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LET'S TALK ABOUT COKE

Ah, Coca-Cola. Truly a fan-favorite, it's been stocking our fridges as long as we can remember with that cola flavor we all know so well. But did you know a 12oz can of Coca-Cola has 39g of sugar? Worse yet, if you turn in the Diet Coke direction, you're stuck with artificial sweeteners like aspartame.

We really can't win, huh? Well, not until now. OLIPOP's Vintage Cola combines the unbelievably good cola flavor you know and love with actual health benefits. That's right; we're talking prebiotics, plant fiber, and botanicals to support your microbiome and promote digestive health. Better yet, each can of Vintage Cola has just 2g of sugar—that's 95% less than its Coca-Cola counterpart, and none of the questionable artificial sweeteners.

Do yourself a favor and check out OLIPOP today for the instant-hit that is Vintage Cola, or any of their other delicious flavors like Classic Root Beer and Strawberry Vanilla (it tastes just like a strawberry creme saver but with only 2g of sugar!). But you don't have to take our word for it: With their money-back guarantee, OLIPOP will give you a 100% refund if you don't like something purchased through their site, no questions asked. Head on over and use code 1440MEDIA to take 20% off all products and free shipping sitewide.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> Oprah Winfrey lands wide-ranging interview (March 7, 8pm ET, CBS) with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, their first since stepping back from royal roles (More)

> Vincent Jackson, three-time NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver, found dead at 38 in Florida hotel room (More) | Ari Gold, pioneering LGBTQ musician, dies at 47 after battle with leukemia (More) | Johnny Pacheco, nine-time Grammy-nominated salsa music icon, dies at 85 (More) 

> Country artist Morgan Wallen's album "Dangerous" remains No. 1 on Billboard charts for fifth week, despite controversy after video emerged two weeks ago of Wallen using racial slur (More)

Science & Technology

Brought to you by Lustre

> Dr. Anthony Fauci awarded $1M prize for his role in COVID-19 response and vaccine efforts; six others awarded under Tel Aviv University in Israel's annual Dan David Prize (More)

> New theory suggests the asteroid responsible for causing the extinction of the dinosaurs was pulled from the distant Oort comet cloud by Jupiter's gravity, and was broken up by the sun before a fragment hit Earth (More)

> Scientists unexpectedly find a group of sponges and barnacles living underneath an Antarctic ice shelf; location was hundreds of miles from known nutrient sources, suggesting Antarctic life is more adaptable than previously thought (More)

From our partners: Find Amazon overwhelming? Here’s a free tool that does extensive product research for you—from reviews to prices—so you always get the best product at the best price. Start saving time and money. Get Lustre here for free.

Business & Markets

> Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala becomes first woman and African to lead the World Trade Organization (More) | What does the WTO do? (More)

> Norway’s sovereign wealth fund—one of world’s largest investors with $1.3T invested in more than 9,000 stocks—wants companies to have a minimum of 30% female representation on their boards (More)

> Social media platform Parler resurfaces with new independent web hosting; app was banned from Apple and Google app stores and was dropped by Amazon Web Services hosting in January (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> The United Kingdom begins requiring visitors traveling from 33 COVID-19 hot spot countries to undergo 10-day quarantine in hotels; travelers must foot the $2,400 bill (More) | US reports 486,325 total COVID-19 deaths, with 989 deaths yesterday; see averages (More) | More than 38 million people have received at least one vaccine dose (More)

> House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, CA-12) reveals plans to launch a 9/11 commission-style investigation into the origins of the Jan. 6 storming of the US Capitol (More)

> Indian government sparks backlash after the arrest of Disha Ravi, a well-known activist; officials accuse Ravi of helping develop a Google doc that provided resources for the ongoing farmers' protests gripping the country (More)

IN-DEPTH

The Algebra of Wealth

No Mercy/No Malice | Scott Galloway. Only half of all millennials earn more than their parents, a rate that has steadily declined since 1940. Here, well-known New York University professor Scott Galloway lays out a simple method to think about how to build wealth. (Read)

Australia's Flesh-Eating Disease 

BBC Future | Harriet Constable. Cases of Buruli ulcer—an infectious disease that leads to painless open wounds on the skin—have more than quadrupled in southern Australia in recent years. Despite the surge, the bacteria, and how it's transmitted to humans, largely remains a mystery. (Read)

NOT YOUR AVERAGE SPARKLING WATER

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ETCETERA

The lingering legacy of the Tuskegee experiments.

Measuring the world's worst rush hour cities.

Explore the world's radio stations from your couch.