Good morning. It's Friday, Jan. 24, and we're covering the fight against a new fire in Los Angeles, nominations for the year's best films, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here.
As always, send us feedback at [email protected]. |
|
|
|
Firefighters made progress on the fast-spreading Hughes Fire in northwest Los Angeles County yesterday despite continued strong gusts in the area. Growth in the fire near Castaic Lake was halted after the blaze scorched over 10,000 acres in less than 24 hours Wednesday. Its rapid pace had prompted evacuation orders or warnings for over 50,000 residents near Santa Clarita, though most had returned to their homes by yesterday. It was 36% contained as of this writing.
The Hughes Fire's quick spread made it the third-largest fire in the region after the twin Palisades and Eaton fires claimed 28 lives and burned more than 40,000 acres earlier this month (see damage map). Impacted communities of those fires, which include dozens of celebrities, have begun the process of rebuilding, with the costs of the fires estimated to be $50B, including an estimated $350M in LA infrastructure.
Ash blown from burn scars prompted air quality alerts in much of the region. Several smaller fires have erupted in the area, including the Sepulveda and Laguna fires, which have been halted by thousands of prepositioned first responders. See current fire map here. |
Nominations for the 97th Academy Awards were announced yesterday, led by Jacques Audiard's "Emilia Pérez," with a record-breaking 13 nominations for a non-English-language film. The Spanish-language musical about a transgender drug lord in Mexico received nods for best picture, best director, and acting categories. "The Brutalist" and "Wicked" followed with 10 nominations each, and "A Complete Unknown" and "Conclave" with eight nominations each.
Karla Sofía Gascón makes history as the first openly transgender actress nominated in an acting category for her role in "Emilia Pérez." Adrien Brody received a nomination for best actor for his portrayal of a Holocaust survivor who emigrates to America post-World War II in Brady Corbet’s epic "The Brutalist." See all nominations here.
The nominations were announced after being delayed twice due to the wildfires that affected Southern California. The 97th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for March 2 and will be hosted by Conan O'Brien.
See snubs and surprises here, and see the Muppet version of each best picture nominee here. |
Assassination Files Released |
The remaining classified files related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy will be made public in the near future, following an executive order from President Donald Trump yesterday. Government documents pertaining to the 1968 assassinations of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. will also be reviewed for eventual release.
Congress mandated in 1992 that files related to the killing of the country's 35th president be declassified by 2017. That deadline was missed, and files—many with numerous redactions—have been released in batches over the past seven years. Officials have said 97% of more than 5 million documents related to JFK's assassination have been made available to date (search archives).
The assassination has spurred numerous conspiracy theories over the decades, in part because the motives of the shooter, Lee Harvey Oswald, were never publicly determined. Separately, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—Trump's nominee for health secretary—has suggested the CIA may have played a role in the deaths of his uncle and father. |
|
|
|
|
In partnership with Fatty15 |
Surprising Nutrient Has Lead Longevity Role |
A recent study published in Nutrients shows that a little-known fatty acid, called C15:0, has remarkable benefits that are intended to enhance longevity in humans. In addition to physically strengthening cells against age-related breakdown, the study surprisingly showed that C15:0’s 36 cellular benefits outperformed rapamycin, a leading longevity compound.
A decade of Navy-funded research has resulted in fatty15 as a pure, bioavailable, science-backed, patented, and award-winning C15:0 supplement to slow aging and meaningfully protect long-term health, including metabolic, heart, and liver health.
Give your body a longevity boost with fatty15 and use code “1440” to get an additional 15% off! |
Please support our sponsors! |
|
|
|
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> NFL playoffs continue Sunday with the Philadelphia Eagles taking on the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship (3 pm ET, Fox) and the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship (6:30 pm ET, CBS) (More) | Grammy-winning singer SZA to join Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl halftime show (More) |
> Song recorded for Tina Turner's iconic "Private Dancer" album, which was previously presumed lost, is rediscovered and will be released on the 40th anniversary edition of the album (More) |
> American Madison Keys upsets No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek to advance to her first Australian Open final; No. 19 seed Keys will take on No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka in the final (More) |
|
> Carmaker Subaru fixes software bug that allowed hackers to unlock and start millions of vehicles via the company's internet network; security flaw also exposed a year's worth of location history (More) |
> Study reveals how mushroom coral—a free-standing type of coral, not attached to rocks—actively moves toward light; discovery reveals previously unknown mechanics of the organism (More) |
> Personalized mini-organs allow researchers to more rapidly test and develop drugs for rare diseases; specimens are grown from patients' blood cells into functional tissue (More) |
|
> US stock markets close up (S&P 500 +0.5%, Dow +0.9%, Nasdaq +0.2%); S&P 500 nabs new record as President Donald Trump calls for lower interest rates and oil prices in Davos remarks (More) | Nikola shares close down nearly 28% on report of EV maker's potential sale (More) |
> Purdue Pharma and Sackler family, behind the maker of OxyContin, reach $7.4B settlement with 15 states over opioid crisis (More) | UnitedHealthcare names company veteran Tim Noel as CEO after fatal shooting of Brian Thompson (More) |
> CNN lays off around 6% of its workforce, or about 200 jobs, as it shifts to digital and prepares to launch a streaming service (More) | Adidas plans to cut up to 500 jobs at its German headquarters (More) |
💸 All about US currency: The next edition of 1440 Business & Finance takes a deep dive into our physical currency—everything from the history of the paper dollar to why some coins have those ridges on their sides. Sign up here for free! |
|
In partnership with Motley Fool Money |
|
|
|
> Pete Hegseth's bid for defense secretary heads to full Senate vote today (More) | CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed by Senate (More) | Judge temporarily halts executive order to end birthright citizenship (More) |
> Italy's top court upholds Amanda Knox's slander conviction for falsely accusing innocent man of murdering her roommate in 2007 (More) | UK teen sentenced to 52 years in prison for fatally stabbing three girls at a dance class last year (More) |
> Thailand begins recognizing same-sex marriages, becoming third place in Asia to do so after Taiwan and Nepal (More) | See where same-sex unions are legal (More) |
|
> There Are No Pure Cultures
Aeon | Inanna Hamati-Ataya. Globalization is often cited as a novel concept, but exchanges between different cultures have been observable throughout human history and essential to the evolution of society. (Read)
> Dissecting the Strange Phenomenon of Laughter
Sapiens | Kirsten Bell. Laughter possesses the unique ability to delight, unite, and even disturb—but what causes the distinction between reactions? An anthropologist reflects on laughter’s history and what it can mean in different contexts. (Read) |
> Workshopping a Renaissance Artist
Art Uncovered | Staff. Creating the masterpieces that adorn sites like the Sistine Chapel required an intense apprenticeship process—sometimes lasting years—helping artists like Michelangelo and Botticelli reach their maestro status. (Watch)
>The Power of Fire
Ologies | Alie Ward. Researchers weigh in on the topic of fire ecology, explaining what fires consist of, how hot they burn, and their cultural significance to certain communities. (Listen) |
|
In partnership with Fatty15 |
Please support our sponsors! |
|
|
"Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse." |
|
Why 1440? The printing press was invented around the year 1440, spreading knowledge to the masses and changing the course of history. More facts: In every day, there are 1,440 minutes. We’re here to make each one count. |
1440 Media 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 1212 Chicago, IL 60654
Copyright © 2025, 1440 Media, All rights reserved. |
|
|
|
|
|
