Good morning. It's Wednesday, Feb. 4, and we're covering a long-awaited leadership change, dapper dogs at America's second-longest-running sporting event, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4.6 million insatiably curious readers. Sign up here.
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The House voted 217-214 yesterday to pass a $1.2T government spending package, ending a partial shutdown that began Saturday. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law.
The agreement funds several major agencies through September and the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 13. Democrats will now seek to negotiate reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection—two agencies involved in the deaths of US citizens in Minnesota last month. Democrats are pushing for a uniform code of conduct and requirements that agents wear body cameras, remain unmasked on duty, and obtain warrants to conduct a raid, among other changes. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R, LA-4) has reportedly rejected most of these bids. See key takeaways on the standoff here.
The shutdown impacted fewer agencies than a broader shutdown last year—the longest in US history. See photos from that shutdown here. |
The Walt Disney Co. has named longtime parks executive Josh D’Amaro as its next chief executive officer, concluding a multiyear search to succeed Bob Iger. Iger will remain a senior adviser and board member until retiring at the end of the year.
D’Amaro, 54, joined Disney in 1998 after beginning his career in finance at Gillette. He has led Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort and now chairs Disney Experiences, which oversees the company's global theme parks, cruise line, resorts, and licensing, including a partnership with Epic Games. The unit generated $36.2B in revenue in fiscal 2025. He directed a 10-year, $60B expansion of parks and cruises and advanced plans for a new resort in Abu Dhabi, Disney’s first in the Middle East.
D’Amaro will be Disney’s ninth CEO in its more than 100-year history, overseeing about 231,000 employees. Dana Walden, who was also a contender, will assume the new role of president and chief creative officer.
Explore our favorite resources on Disney's history and cultural impact here. |
Westminster Winner Crowned |
Penny the Doberman Pinscher was crowned best in show yesterday at the 2026 Westminster Kennel Club dog competition—the second-longest continuously held sporting event in the US (behind the Kentucky Derby) and now in its 150th year.
More than 3,000 pooches competed at Madison Square Garden for best of breed before advancing to group judging. Seven finalists ultimately vied for best in show: Penny the Doberman Pinscher (working group); Zaida the Afghan Hound (hound group); Cota the Chesapeake Bay Retriever (sporting group), who won the runner-up prize; Wager the Smooth Fox Terrier (terrier group); Cookie the Maltese (toy group); JJ the Lhasa Apso (nonsporting group); and Graham the Old English Sheepdog (herding group). See photos of the finalists here and what it takes to become a winner here.
The prestigious competition began in 1877, when a group of dog enthusiasts who met at Manhattan’s Westminster Hotel organized a showcase for hunting dogs. Learn what's changed—and what hasn't—over the decades here. |
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In partnership with Timeline |
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A Scientific Breakthrough in Human Aging |
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Feeling tired or moving slower can feel like an unavoidable part of getting older. But it doesn't have to be. In fact, long before you notice the changes on the outside, your cells are already working harder to keep up.
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Developed over more than 18 years, Mitopure® supports the renewal of aging mitochondria and helps generate new, healthier ones. By improving cellular function at the source, Mitopure has been shown to boost cellular energy and muscle strength — even without changes to exercise routines. The best part? You can try Mitopure for 40% off while supplies last. |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> Olympic Winter Games begin today with curling, alpine skiing, and luge; opening ceremony set for Friday (More, w/schedule) | Skier Lindsey Vonn plans to compete in Winter Games despite ruptured ACL (More) | New York City and Nashville among six US cities to host 2028 LA Olympics soccer (More) |
> CBS pulls Peter Attia "60 Minutes" segment after the newly announced contributor is named over 1,800 times in the new Jeffrey Epstein files (More) |
> Chuck Negron, a founding member and the lead singer of Three Dog Night, dies at age 83 following a heart failure diagnosis (More) |
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> World Health Organization researchers find nearly 40% of new cancer cases in 2022 were preventable; study examined 36 cancer types across 185 countries (More, w/charts) |
> Endangered Asian elephant born at Smithsonian’s National Zoo for the first time in nearly 25 years after a 21-month pregnancy (More) |
> NASA delays Artemis II mission—the first crewed lunar flight in over 53 years—after fueling test reveals hydrogen leaks; agency now eying March launch (More) |
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In partnership with NexQloud |
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Meta’s Building a Manhattan-Sized Data Center |
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> US stock markets close down (S&P 500 -0.8%, Dow -0.3%, Nasdaq -1.4%) as technology shares broadly fall (More) | Bitcoin falls over 6% in one day to below $73K, its lowest price in nearly 16 months (More) |
> Walmart surpasses $1T in market capitalization, becoming the first traditional retailer to reach the milestone as e-commerce drives growth (More) |
> PayPal ousts CEO Alex Chriss, taps current HP CEO Enrique Lores; shares close down 20.3% after weaker-than-expected 2026 profit forecast (More) | Novo Nordisk shares fall 14.6% upon warning of 5% to 13% sales decline from 2025 levels (More) |
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> US fighter jet shoots down Iranian drone approaching USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier; US-flagged tanker evades armed Iranian boats attempting to board the ship (More) |
> Vietnamese military has been preparing for the possibility of US intervention in the country and a resulting domestic uprising, according to internal documents (More) |
> French prosecutors summon Elon Musk, raid X offices as part of investigation into child abuse images and deepfakes on Grok chatbot (More) | Spain announces plan to introduce social media ban on kids under age 16, joining Australia (More) |
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In partnership with Timeline |
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Aging Doesn’t Have to Mean Feeling Older |
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Historybook: George Washington elected first president of the US (1789); Aviation innovator Charles Lindbergh born (1902); Rosa Parks born (1913); Feminist Betty Friedan is born (1921); Facebook launches (2004); Actor and playwright Ossie Davis dies (2005). |
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"The only way for a woman, as for a man, to find herself, to know herself as a person, is by creative work of her own." |
- Betty Friedan, in "The Feminine Mystique" |
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