Cartel Chaos, Weight-Loss Drugs, and a Newsroom Betrayal

 Need To Know 

Cartel Chaos Erupts

At least 73 people, including 25 members of Mexico’s National Guard, have been killed in a wave of violence after Mexican authorities killed drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes—known as “El Mencho”—during a shootout Sunday.

Oseguera Cervantes was among the most-wanted fugitives in the US and Mexico for leading the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico’s fastest-growing criminal networks and a major supplier of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to the US. Authorities reportedly used American intelligence to narrow in on his location and followed one of his romantic partners to his hideout in Jalisco. Mexico’s security chief said soldiers also killed at least another 34 suspected criminals across Jalisco and neighboring Michoacan Sunday. The cartel responded by setting fire to vehicles and blocking roads across Mexico, prompting airlines to cancel flights, ride shares to suspend services, and schools to close yesterday. 

As of this writing, the US State Department continues to advise Americans in Puerto Vallarta and surrounding areas to remain in place.  

State of the Union

President Donald Trump will deliver his State of the Union address tonight; the annual speech has traditionally been used to outline the president's agenda and recap accomplishments. The speech comes against the backdrop of last week’s Supreme Court decision to eliminate much of his tariff policy as well as tensions with Iran and a crackdown on migration.

Trump is expected to acknowledge the high court’s tariff ruling and his subsequent decision to impose a blanket 15% tariff on goods entering the US. That policy goes into effect today and is scheduled to last for 150 days (see winners and losers here). Trump may also discuss immigration and foreign policy, following last month's capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and a US military buildup in the Middle East amid nuclear negotiations with Iran. Explore facts and figures on the US here.

The address will be aired on major networks beginning at 9 pm ET. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will provide the Democratic response. See our favorite resources on the history of the president's address here.

Weight-Loss Drug Race

Shares of Novo Nordisk dropped roughly 16% yesterday after its experimental obesity drug CagriSema fell short of efficacy expectations in a late-stage clinical trial, underperforming against Eli Lilly's Zepbound in weight-loss results. Patients taking CagriSema lost an average of 23% of their body weight over 84 weeks, compared with a 25.5% reduction observed with Zepbound. 

Novo Nordisk is the maker of Ozempic, a diabetes medication that helped catalyze growth in the obesity drug market. Ozempic and CagriSema contain semaglutide (see our overview) that mimics a gut hormone called GLP-1 to help control appetite, slow digestion, and manage blood sugar. CagriSema adds another hormone, cagrilintide, to further curb hunger. In contrast, Eli Lilly's Zepbound contains tirzepatide, which mimics both GLP-1 and GIP to affect appetite and metabolism. See the differences here. 

Separately, Eli Lilly announced yesterday Zepbound is now available in a single pen with four doses, or about a month's supply.

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> "Fashion is Art" announced as 2026 Met Gala theme (More) | AMC Theatres  attendance drops nearly 10% year-over-year in last quarter of 2025, despite release of blockbusters such as “Avatar: Fire & Ash” and “Wicked: For Good" (More) 

> Nick Reiner pleads not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in December stabbing death of his parents, director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner (More) 

> American skier Lindsey Vonn says surgery saved her from leg amputation after Olympic accident (More) | Two-time WNBA champion Kara Braxton dies at age 43 in a solo car crash (More) 

Science & Technology

> Anthropic unveils the AI Fluency Index, detailing 11 traits capturing how people interact with AI; metrics can be used to track adoption and uptake over time (More) 

> Supreme Court agrees to review whether federal law blocks Boulder County, Colorado, from pursuing state-law climate lawsuit against oil companies after the Colorado Supreme Court allowed the case to proceed (More) 

> Iron Age grave site discovered in northern Serbia reveals evidence of a 2,800-year-old mass killing; 40 of more than 77 victims were younger than 12 years old (More) 

🦎 Burmese pythons, zebra mussels, and more: Today's 1440 Science & Tech newsletter digs into the spread and impact of invasive species. We're also learning about tornado science, asteroids, and more. Join 130,000+ science enthusiasts here!

Business & Markets

> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -1.0%, Dow -1.7%, Nasdaq -1.1%) amid AI and trade uncertainty (More) 

> European Parliament halts ratification process of sweeping trade deal with the US after President Donald Trump threatens 15% global tariffs (More) | FedEx sues Trump administration for tariff refund after Supreme Court's Friday ruling (More) 

> US average 30-year fixed mortgage rate falls to 5.99%, matching the lowest level since 2022 (More) 

Politics & World Affairs

> Ukraine and Russia mark four years of large-scale war today after peace talks ended last week without a breakthrough (More) | What we learned about the history of the conflict (More)

> London police arrest former UK ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson on suspicion of misconduct in office; Mandelson has been the subject of an investigation into his ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein (More) 

> Federal judge permanently blocks the release of special counsel Jack Smith's report into President Donald Trump's handling of classified information (More) 

In-Depth

> Newsroom Betrayal

The Walrus | Jon Tattrie. After his death, a beloved newsroom legend was revealed to have fabricated much of his identity, hiding his real name, background, and even a past tied to fraud. The shock forced colleagues to confront how a trusted journalist lived a decadeslong double life inside the profession of truth. (Read) 

> The Cloud Conundrum

Quanta | Charlie Wood. Scientists are turning to AI to solve one of climate science's biggest mysteries: clouds. They pose uncertainty in forecasts because they can both cool and warm the planet, yet are too small and complex to model. (Read)  

Dog abandoned at the airport finds forever home. 

How college majors have changed since 1970.

Why Olympians were given stuffed animals.

Man searches for skiers captured on vintage camera film. 

What's the difference between a protein bar and a candy bar?

From Jessica to Tyler, these are the most millennial baby names. 

See why ancient people believed milk was basically blood. 

How do you know when to stop scratching an itch? 

Clickbait: He accidentally built a 7,000-robot army. 

Historybook: Marbury v. Madison establishes principle of judicial review in the US (1803); Nike cofounder Phil Knight born (1938); Steve Jobs born (1955); "Hidden Figures" NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson dies (2020); Russia begins full-scale invasion of Ukraine (2022).