Good morning. It's Thursday, Feb. 5, and we're covering US-Iran negotiations, SNL's British spinoff, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4.6 million insatiably curious readers. Sign up here. |
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🇺🇸 Civics Thursday—As America gears up for its semiquincentennial (its 250th birthday), we're releasing new pages on 1440 Topics exploring all the things you need to know to be a good citizen. Scroll down for the latest batch, including pages on the National Mall, the history of the US Congress, and more! |
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Representatives from the US and Iran will meet overnight in Muscat, Oman (10 am Friday local time) for rare face-to-face talks. White House envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner are expected to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, among others.
US-Iran tensions have escalated in recent weeks amid Iran’s crackdown on protests last month. Senior Iranian officials estimate the death toll at 30,000 people or more within 48 hours—a pace seen in the September 1941 Nazi massacre at Babyn Yar. The US has sought to negotiate with Iran on two tracks: multilateral talks over Iran’s human rights violations, missile program, and support for militant groups, as well as bilateral nuclear negotiations. The delegations were scheduled to meet in Istanbul; however, Iran recently pushed to relocate talks to Oman and limit the scope to direct nuclear talks.
The meeting comes days after alleged Iranian attempts to target a US-flagged ship and aircraft carrier. |
The Washington Post yesterday announced it is laying off one-third of its staff, reportedly over 300 people. The Jeff Bezos-owned paper will enact changes, including restructuring its local news division, scaling back foreign coverage, and eliminating the sports desk.
The layoffs come days after the Post cut Olympics coverage from over a dozen journalists to four. The 148-year-old paper, which played a pivotal role in uncovering the 1970s Watergate scandal (w/video), has undergone multiple rounds of layoffs and buyouts since Bezos bought it for $250M in 2013. Under the Amazon founder’s leadership, the Post has also ended presidential endorsements, adopted a more conservative approach to its opinion section, and introduced AI-powered search.
Meanwhile, longtime competitor The New York Times has more than doubled its staff over the past decade and yesterday reported $802.3M in 2025 fourth-quarter revenue, up 10.4% from 2024. As a private company, the Post does not have to share revenue, but reports suggest it lost about $100M in 2024. |
UK broadcaster Sky released a premiere date yesterday for the British version of “Saturday Night Live.” The six-episode series will debut March 21 and feature 11 cast members, including sitcom actors, comedians, and contestants from British game show “Taskmaster.” See cast photo here.
“Saturday Night Live” has been on air since 1975 (see history). Since 1993, there have been over a dozen international spinoffs, including in Brazil, Egypt, France, Poland, and South Korea. Most have not lasted more than two years; South Korea’s has lasted the longest after a hiatus from 2017 to 2021. SNL creator Lorne Michaels will serve as executive producer for the UK spinoff, which—like the original version—will feature a live studio audience, topical sketches, celebrity hosts, and musical guests. The show will be adapted with “a British lens,” per Sky.
Research suggests British humor tends to be more ironic and dry than American humor, which tends to be more direct. See a poll exploring differences here. |
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This Metal’s up 122% in the Last 12 Months |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> NBC taps sportscaster Mary Carillo to cohost Olympic Opening Ceremony coverage as search continues for "Today" coanchor Savannah Guthrie's mother (More) | Guthrie and siblings release video plea to potential kidnapper (More) |
> Author-vlogger brothers Hank and John Green turn educational media company, Complexly, into a nonprofit to keep content free and advertiser-independent (More) |
> Mickey Lolich, former Detroit Tigers pitcher and 1968 World Series MVP, dies at age 85; Lolich is the last pitcher to earn three complete-game wins in a World Series (More) |
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In partnership with Motley Fool Money |
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> Amazon makes AI-powered voice assistant, Alexa+, widely available in the US; Alexa+ can take actions on a user's behalf, like ordering an Uber ride (More) |
> Researchers identify DNA marker that helps malaria-carrying mosquitoes survive insecticide exposure, paving the way for better management strategies (More) |
> Snakes can go without food for months due to loss of the ghrelin gene, which regulates appetite and signals the body to burn fat, according to an analysis of 112 reptile species' genomes (More) |
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> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 -0.5%, Dow +0.5%, Nasdaq -1.5%) (More) | AMD shares fall 17% in worst day since 2017 after disappointing guidance (More) |
> Alphabet tops earnings estimates, forecasts larger-than-expected increase in AI spending (More) | Uber shares slide on earnings miss; announces new CFO and plans to expand robotaxi service to Houston, Hong Kong, Madrid, and Zurich (More) |
> Texas Instruments to acquire chip designer Silicon Laboratories in deal valued at $7.5B, including cash and debt (More) |
🏈 What we learned about two iconic companies: Ahead of Super Bowl LX, today's 1440 Business & Finance newsletter takes a look at two of the Big Game's perennial sponsors—Budweiser and Nike. We'll also dig into the economics behind coupons and much more. Sign up by 8:30 am ET today to receive it in your inbox! |
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> Border czar Tom Homan says 700 immigration officers will leave Minnesota immediately (More) | Supreme Court allows California to use redistricted map for 2026 midterm elections; redrawn map is expected to favor Democrats (More) |
> Russia and Ukraine begin US-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi, the second round of negotiations since last month; sticking points include borders, control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant currently in Russian-occupied territory (More) |
> Would-be assassin Ryan Routh is sentenced to life in prison after September 2024 attempt to kill President Donald Trump on his Florida golf course (More) |
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> A Haunting in Brooklyn
Psyche | Kathleen Donohoe. At 25, the author sees her grandpa's ghost. At 52, she revisits the memory and imagines herself as a ghost, exploring how perception and midlife reflection shape the way we understand life, loss, and the uncanny. (Read) |
> The Rock to Understanding Life
SciShow | Staff. Shungite is one of the oldest rocks made almost entirely of carbon, with one deposit dating back roughly 2 billion years. It's key to understanding how microscopic life may have evolved—and may be used to help with construction and water filtration. (Watch) |
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In partnership with EnergyX |
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Lithium demand’s fueling a modern-day gold rush. Essential for EVs, robots, and AI, Elon Musk said it best: “Do you like minting money? Well, the lithium business is for you.”
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1440 Topics: Civics Thursday |
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In celebration of America's 250th birthday, each week we're sharing what we've learned about topics we should all know to become better citizens:
> Explore the best resources we found on Washington, DC's National Mall, from an architectural walking tour to the period when sheep grazed the expansive space.
> With the ever-evolving balance of powers, learn about how the US Congress functions and its role among the three coequal branches of government.
> From George Washington's original address in 1790 (delivered in New York City) to FDR's famous World War II speech, see what we learned researching the State of the Union.
What is 1440 Topics? A continuously updated ecosystem where we curate the best evergreen resources we've found on thousands of topics for you to explore. Have a suggestion for our Civics section? Let us know here. |
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Clickbait: The secret to happiness may have been solved 65 years ago.
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Historybook: Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island, arrives in Boston (1631); Baseball legend Hank Aaron born (1934); English actress Charlotte Rampling born (1946); Apollo 14 astronauts land on the moon (1971); Brazilian football player Neymar born (1992); Medgar Evers’ murderer convicted after 30 years (1994); President Donald Trump acquitted in his first impeachment trial (2020). |
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"On the return trip home, gazing through 240,000 miles of space toward the stars and the planet from which I had come, I suddenly experienced the universe as intelligent, loving, harmonious.." |
- Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell, in "The Way of the Explorer" |
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Behind the Name. In 1440, the printing press sparked a knowledge revolution. We carry that spirit forward, cutting through the noise and algorithm-driven feeds, to bring fact-driven knowledge to everyone.
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*Disclosure: Energy Exploration Technologies, Inc. (“EnergyX”) has engaged 1440 Media to publish this communication in connection with EnergyX’s ongoing Regulation A offering. 1440 Media has been paid in cash and may receive additional compensation. 1440 Media and/or its affiliates do not currently hold securities of EnergyX.
This compensation and any current or future ownership interest could create a conflict of interest. Please consider this disclosure alongside EnergyX’s offering materials. EnergyX’s Regulation A offering has been qualified by the SEC. Offers and sales may be made only by means of the qualified offering circular. Before investing, carefully review the offering circular, including the risk factors. The offering circular is available at invest.energyx.com/.
Under Regulation A+, a company has the ability to change its share price by up to 20%, without requalifying the offering with the SEC. |
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