Shutdown Deadline, Artificial Lungs, and the Best of January

 Need To Know 

Midnight Funding Deadline

Senate Democrats and the White House struck a deal yesterday that could fund a large portion of the government through September. A spending bill must pass in the Senate and House before midnight today to avert a partial government shutdown. 

The deal would separate Department of Homeland Security funding from the broader spending package, which includes increased funding for cancer research, air traffic controllers, and the military. Homeland Security would be funded at current levels until Feb. 13, as lawmakers continue negotiating restrictions on the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Democrats outlined a series of demands after two Americans were fatally shot in Minneapolis this month, including requiring agents to remove face masks, obtain arrest warrants, and be subject to a uniform code of conduct.

Last year’s record 43-day government shutdown—driven by a fight over expiring healthcare subsidies—ended after a small group of Democrats reached an agreement with Republicans to fund the government through today.

Iranian Crackdown Continues

Iranian authorities have arrested multiple doctors and medical workers accused of treating wounded anti-government protesters, according to human rights groups. The arrests come amid a sweeping government crackdown on nationwide unrest that activists say has killed thousands.

Doctors and nurses have reported large numbers of patients with gunshot wounds and say security forces have removed some injured protesters from emergency wards. The EU yesterday designated Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization, and a US-based activist agency says it has verified more than 6,000 deaths, with over 17,000 additional cases under investigation. The Iranian government acknowledged over 3,000 dead.

The news comes as Israeli and Saudi defense and intelligence officials met in Washington to discuss options on Iran—Israeli representatives were expected to share Iran-related intelligence, while Saudi officials were expected to press to avoid a wider war and urge de-escalation. The US has expanded its military presence in the region, but it remains unclear whether it will use force.

Artificial Lungs Prevail

A man survived 48 hours without lungs using an artificial system until he was well enough to receive a double transplant. The landmark procedure took place nearly three years ago, with the patient since developing good function with his donated lungs.

In 2023, the 33-year-old developed flu, pneumonia, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. In severe cases, ARDS is treated with life support to give patients time to fight infection. In this case, however, the patient’s heart stopped, his lungs were melting, and his kidneys had begun to fail. Surgeons at Northwestern Memorial Hospital decided to remove both lungs and use a four-component “total artificial lung” system to drain, filter, and return oxygenated blood to the patient’s heart at a responsive flow rate.

Dr. Ankit Bharat, who designed the system, hopes it can be used in similar cases of severe ARDS, which impacts a portion of the roughly 190,000 US cases per year.

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka advances to fourth straight Australian Open women's final Saturday, where she will face No. 5 Elena Rybakina (More) | Boxer Gervonta Davis arrested after two-week search spurred by alleged assault on ex-girlfriend (More) 

> "Inception" and "Clueless" among 25 films added to National Film Registry by Library of Congress for cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance (More, w/full list) 

> Shakira sets record for highest-grossing Latin artist tour after "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran" earns $421.6M across 86 shows (More) | Grammy-winning musician Wynton Marsalis to step down as Lincoln Center jazz director after nearly 40 years (More)

✍🏿 What we learned about Langston Hughes: Tomorrow's 1440 Society & Culture newsletter explores the life of the famed writer and poet who was a driving force in the Harlem Renaissance. Join 130,000+ cultural aficionados to get it in your inbox! 

Science & Technology

> Google rolls out Project Genie, an AI tool enabling users to build interactive worlds from photos, prompts (More) | San Francisco jury finds ex-Google engineer guilty of sharing proprietary Google AI information with tech companies in China (More)

> Polar bears gain weight in the Arctic Norwegian archipelago despite a warming climate, suggesting they are shifting their diets to land-based prey, such as reindeer and walruses, as shrinking ice cover makes seal hunting more difficult (More) 

> Scientists discover potentially habitable planet roughly 146 light-years from Earth, four times closer than the next best planet in a habitable zone; surface temperature may be below minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit (More) 

Business & Markets

> US stock markets close down (S&P 500 -0.1%, Dow -0.1%, Nasdaq -0.7%) as Microsoft shares fall 10% over AI spending concerns (More) | Southwest shares rise the most since 1978 after predicting quadruple profit growth this year (More) 

> Apple acquires Israeli AI audio startup Q.ai, reportedly for roughly $2B, making it Apple's second-largest acquisition in history (More) | Apple tops Q1 earnings estimates, sees 16% annual sales growth amid increased iPhone demand (More) 

> Investment giant Fidelity launches dollar-pegged stablecoin on Ethereum, dubbed the Fidelity Digital Dollar (More) | How do stablecoins work? (1440 Topics)

Politics & World Affairs

> Border czar Tom Homan plans to draw down ICE operations in Minnesota, calls for local government's cooperation (More) | Justice Department charges suspect who targeted Rep. Ilhan Omar (D, MN-5) at a town hall; substance in syringe identified as apple cider vinegar (More) | Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) says ICE ended operations in the state (More)

> At least 60 people died in winter storms across the US (More) | Bomb cyclone expected to hit parts of the East Coast this weekend (More) | See 101 (More)

> Pakistan, Thailand, and Malaysia screen for Nipah virus at airports after cases are reported in India (More)

In-Depth

> How Fire Turned From Friend to Foe

1440 Explores | Sony Kassam. A planet that learned to burn. A century of fire suppression. A warming world primed to ignite. With help from fire historian Stephen Pyne, our editor-in-chief traces how humans transformed fire from a life-giving tool into a global threat. (Listen: Apple | Spotify | YouTube)  

PS: Sign up here for updates on our flagship podcast. 

> The Everglades' First Martyr

Bitter Southerner | Mike Kane. Walk in the footsteps of Guy Bradley, one of the nation's first game wardens, whose 1905 murder inspired a series of laws helping to bring Florida's bird populations back from the brink of extinction. (Read) 

> What's Civilization Without Alcohol?

The Future Market | Mike Lee. American revolutionaries plotted the Boston Tea Party at the Green Dragon Tavern, and the rise of Nazism has been linked to beer hall culture in Munich. This Dry January, reflect on what we gain and lose when society drinks less. (Read) 

> Evaluating Escalator Etiquette

Half as Interesting | Staff. It's customary to walk on one side of the escalator and stand on the other. But mathematical analyses suggest it may be more efficient for everyone to just stand. (Watch) 

Editor's note: More than 12 million monthly clicks can't be wrong. Here are the most popular stories we ran in January. Enjoy!

(1/21/26) What are peanut butter-style pay raises? 

(1/9/26) Eight ideas for improving life in retirement. 

(1/20/26) Cat drags plastic tub up the stairs—then rides it down. (w/video)

(1/26/26) Ranking America's most and least healthy states.

(1/15/26) Should you stop putting restaurant lemons in water?

(1/6/26) Ten frugal living tips from the 1950s.

(1/5/26) Predictions of "Black Swan" events in 2026.

(1/16/26) Why Americans resist dressing well on planes.

(1/28/26) What that extra coffee cup hole is for.

(1/26/26) How to avoid spam calls.

(1/26/26) TSA's top 10 most unusual finds from 2025.

(1/23/26) What happened to hotel rooms' bathroom doors?

Clickbait: Why we experience false memories.

Historybook: American flag maker Betsy Ross dies (1836); Franklin D. Roosevelt born (1882); Mahatma Gandhi assassinated (1948); The Beatles give their last public performance (1969); 14 killed on Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland (1972).