Good morning. It's Thursday, March 12, and we're covering the release of emergency oil reserves, a discovery on how bees survive winter, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4.7 million insatiably curious readers. Sign up here.
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🇺🇸 Civics Thursday—Few topics shape law and politics in the United States more than immigration. This week, we built out pages on the history of US immigration, birthright citizenship, and the H-1B skilled worker visa. Scroll down for more! |
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The International Energy Agency, a coalition of 32 nations including the US, agreed yesterday to release a record 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves to ease disruptions caused by the Iran war.
The move comes amid escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, which normally transports about 20% of the world’s oil. Tehran claimed responsibility for at least one of three attacks on commercial vessels in and around the strait yesterday, while the US military said it attacked 16 Iranian mine-laying ships near the channel Tuesday. Oil flow through the strait has fallen to less than 10% of prewar levels (see visual), sending gasoline prices up roughly 20% for US consumers. The IEA's 400 million-barrel release—over 22% of its stockpile—is about how much oil typically passes through the strait every 20 days.
Since its founding in 1974, the energy watchdog has tapped its reserves five other times. The previous record release was about 182.7 million barrels in 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. |
Queen bumblebees are able to breathe underwater while hibernating, a study revealed yesterday. The physical mechanism behind this process is yet to be fully understood.
Queens are the only colony members that survive winter, spending six to nine months in a hibernating state called diapause. Their shallow burrows tend to become waterlogged, and in a 2024 study, a researcher studying the impact of pesticides accidentally discovered bees can survive while totally submerged. To examine this phenomenon, scientists placed bees underwater in refrigerated conditions for up to eight days. They noticed the bees were producing small amounts of carbon dioxide.
Researchers suspect the bees may have a physical gill—a thin layer of air surrounding them, enabling small amounts of oxygen intake and the release of carbon dioxide. While diapausing, the bees lower their metabolism by 99%, reducing energy intake needs. Even so, lactate accumulated, indicating the bees were supplementing with anaerobic respiration (as humans do during intense activity).
Learn more about bees and other pollinators here. |
At least two people were killed and several others were wounded this week amid severe weather spanning Texas to Michigan. More than 18 million people were under a tornado watch as of this writing, with conditions expected to ease today.
Tornadoes are columns of rotating air formed by wind shear, when wind rapidly changes speed and direction with height, trapping air and circulating it horizontally (see 101). There is no national tornado season as there is with Atlantic hurricanes. Twisters typically form in the presence of thunderstorms in the afternoon and early evening. Tuesday saw as many as a dozen storms in Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Indiana, and Illinois—located in the US’ so-called Tornado Alley. Several were nighttime tornadoes, which tend to occur less frequently but may be deadlier, in part due to low visibility.
The storms came after at least eight people were killed in tornadoes last week. See previous write-up here. |
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In partnership with RAD Intel |
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Early AI Opp: $10M-$220M, Price changes 3/12 |
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Most AI headlines focus on chips and models. The second wave is brands streamlining workflows so ideas move faster, decisions get tighter, and spend is easier to defend. RAD Intel is built for that shift, applying its intelligence layer to marketing execution where budgets and outcomes meet.
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15,000 investors have already participated including operators from Google, Meta and Amazon. The company remains private, with Nasdaq ticker reserved: $RADI. Shares are $0.85 for now, with a pre-scheduled share price change on March 12 at 11:59pm PT. Invest at $0.85 per share before 3/12.* |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> Iran's soccer team will not compete in the 2026 World Cup, according to the nation's sports minister; the decision comes after President Donald Trump reportedly said the team was welcome to play (More) |
> Barbra Streisand to receive honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival in May for her work across theater and film (More) | Quentin Tarantino's first stage play—a comedy set in 1830s Europe—to debut in London's West End early next year (More) |
> Team USA wins three gold medals in Paralympic cross-country skiing events; eight-time Paralympian Oksana Masters secures 22nd career medal (More) |
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> Anthropic forms think tank to address threats AI poses to society amid dispute with federal government over AI use in warfare (More) | Meta unveils four in-house AI chips as it seeks to reduce reliance on Nvidia and AMD (More) |
> Scientists engineer biodegradable nanoparticles that teach the immune system to find and kill disease-causing cells, a feat that could improve cancer and autoimmune disease treatments (More) |
> Aging gastrointestinal tracts create molecules that weaken gut-brain connection, causing cognitive decline, according to study on mice; hormonal treatments reverse memory deficits (More) | Our best resources on the gut microbiome (1440 Topics) |
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> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 -0.1%, Dow -0.6%, Nasdaq +0.1%) (More) | Consumer prices rise 2.4% in February, matching January's increase; experts anticipate a sharper rise in March due to the war in Iran (More) |
> Oracle shares rise 9.2% on strong third quarter earnings report and reassurance the company will not raise additional debt to fund AI projects (More) | Rivian spinoff Mind Robotics raises $500M to build industrial AI-powered robots (More) |
> President Donald Trump says the US will build first domestic oil refinery in nearly 50 years, with a $300B investment from India's largest privately held energy company; the refinery will be located in Texas (More) |
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In partnership with RAD Intel |
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Early AI Opp: $10M-$220M Growth, Invest by 3/12 |
RAD Intel is still $0.85/share, with a scheduled share price change TONIGHT, March 12 at 11:59pm PT.
Momentum speaks for itself: 2x YOY sales growth. Multiple recurring 7-figure enterprise contracts and 5,000%+ valuation increase over 5 years. Plus, they’ve already reserved their Nasdaq ticker: $RADI.
15,000 investors are in already, including insiders from Google, Meta, YouTube, and Amazon. Backed by multiple Fidelity funds and selected by Adobe Design Fund. Lock-in shares at $0.85 before 11:59PM PT tonight.* |
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> Preliminary inquiry from the Pentagon finds a US strike was responsible for bombing an Iranian school for girls, relied on outdated targeting information (More) |
> Members of the UK's House of Lords drop objection to the ousting of 92 remaining aristocrats who inherited their positions; dukes, earls, and viscounts are expected to be ejected from the legislative upper chamber within weeks (More) |
> Department of Homeland Security restores Global Entry at US airports; the agency had suspended the program amid ongoing partial shutdown (More) |
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> Why Are Stoplights Red?
Be Smart | Staff. The color scheme of traffic lights wasn't chosen because red travels farther through fog. Instead, it emerged accidentally from railroad safety rules, an exploding gas traffic light, and even primate color vision. (Watch) |
> The Baggage We Bring to Work
WorkLife | Adam Grant. Psychotherapist Esther Perel examines how the relational baggage we carry—and whether we're task- or relationship-oriented—can shape how we collaborate, take risks, and build workplace cultures. (Listen) |
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In partnership with RAD Intel |
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March 12 Deadline: Lock in $0.85/Share |
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The second wave of AI is about execution. RAD Intel helps teams tighten targeting, creator selection, and paid media decisions before budgets move. They saw 2× sales contract growth in 2025 and multiple recurring 7-figure enterprise contracts secured. Plus, 15,000 investors and they were selected by Adobe Design Fund.
Shares are just $0.85, for now. Don’t miss this window, lock in at $0.85 today. Share price changes 3/12 at 11:59pm PT.* |
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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 key topics that help you stay informed and participate in the world around you:
> The US went from very few immigration laws at its founding to one of the more complicated migration systems in the world today. Learn how it developed with our topic page on American immigration history.
> Explore a concept rare outside the Americas, though central to the post-Civil War United States. Here's what we found on birthright citizenship.
> Learn about the often-debated program that has brought hundreds of thousands of skilled workers to the US each year, with the best resources on the H-1B visa.
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: First goats, then puppies—now snake yoga.
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Historybook: Writer and author Jack Kerouac born (1922); Mahatma Gandhi begins 200-mile protest march against British salt tax (1930); Actress and singer Liza Minnelli born (1946); Jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker dies (1955).
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"You’ve got to learn your instrument. Then you practice, practice, practice. And then when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail." |
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*Disclosure: This is a paid advertisement for RAD Intel made pursuant to Regulation A+ offering and involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. The valuation is set by the Company and there is currently no public market for the Company's Common Stock. Nasdaq ticker “RADI” has been reserved by RAD Intel and any potential listing is subject to future regulatory approval and market conditions. Please read the offering circular and related risks at invest.radintel.ai. |
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