Good morning. It's Saturday, Jan. 3, and in this weekend edition, we're covering an electric vehicle power shift, a rare free-floating planet, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4.5 million insatiably curious readers. Sign up here.
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China’s BYD has overtaken Tesla as the world’s top electric vehicle seller. Elon Musk’s Austin-based company yesterday reported selling 1.64 million EVs last year, roughly 9% fewer than in 2024. BYD, meanwhile, delivered approximately 2.26 million EVs in 2025, a nearly 28% year-over-year increase.
BYD, which began as a rechargeable battery manufacturer in the 1990s, surpassed Volkswagen as China’s bestselling car brand in 2023. The Shenzhen-based automaker has recently expanded its sales outside China as well; the UK is its largest international market, with year-over-year sales surging 880% in September. Tariffs exceeding 100% effectively bar BYD cars from the US, where overall EV sales in November fell over 40% from a year earlier. Tesla, which remains America’s largest EV maker, reported a 16% year-over-year decline in fourth-quarter sales.
The US sales slowdown follows the Sept. 30 expiration of federal EV tax credits. Tesla's third-quarter sales rose 29% from the prior quarter as consumers rushed to beat the deadline. Tesla shares fell 2.6% yesterday, after rising 18.6% in 2025.
Explore what we've learned researching Tesla and electric vehicles. |
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In partnership with Pendulum |
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Swiss bar fire likely started by sparklers on champagne bottles.
Investigators say they assume a deadly New Year's Eve blaze at Le Constellation bar in the Crans-Montana ski resort in Switzerland likely began when sparklers attached to champagne bottles burned too close to the ceiling. Investigators are looking into whether foam on the ceiling—designed to muffle sound—complied with regulations. The fire killed 40 people and injured 119 others. See our previous write-up here. |
Saudi forces strike UAE-backed separatists in southern Yemen.
Saudi warplanes struck Southern Transitional Council forces in an effort to take over the separatist party's camp in the Hadhramaut governorate. The STC, which advocates for southern Yemen's succession from the rest of the nation, moved into Yemen's Hadramout and Mahra governorates last month, pushing out Saudi-affiliated forces and seizing an oil-rich region. The strike reportedly killed 20 STC fighters. |
Zelenskyy appoints new chief of staff following corruption scandal.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has named Gen. Kyrylo Budanov as his new chief of staff. Budanov, 39, had led Ukraine's military intelligence agency since 2020. The appointment comes after Zelenskyy dismissed his previous chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, following a raid on his house by anti-corruption officials as part of an investigation into a $100M energy sector corruption scandal.
Separately, Russia said a Ukrainian drone strike on a café and hotel in a Russian-occupied village killed 27 people on New Year's Eve. Kyiv denies attacking civilians. |
Researchers recreate lung with single stem cell, advancing personalized medicine.
Scientists recreated a human lung on a plastic chip using stem cells from a single human donor for the first time. Unlike earlier lung-on-chip models that mixed cell sources, this model can better mirror an individual’s lung function and disease progression. Researchers could develop patient-specific chips to study how infections such as tuberculosis interact with genetic mutations and evaluate potential treatments. |
Saturn-sized free-floating planet first to have its mass measured.
Astronomers have confirmed the existence of a rare free-floating planet about 9,950 light-years from Earth that does not orbit a star, also known as a rogue planet. Using a technique called gravitational microlensing, scientists were, for the first time, able to directly measure the mass of such a planet, finding it to be roughly Saturn-sized and about 70 times larger than Earth. |
Venus Williams, 45, to play in Australian Open for first time in 5 years.
The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion is set to be the oldest female to play in the Australian Open main draw after receiving a wild-card entry yesterday. Williams first starred in the tournament in 1998 at age 17, defeating her younger sister, Serena, in the second round before losing in the quarterfinals. Venus finished as a runner-up at the Australian Open in 2003 and 2017, losing to Serena in the finals both times. |
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Off-duty police officer saves a choking baby, about two weeks after another officer did the same. (More) |
Reddit community helps a couple find an emergency room doctor who likely saved the husband's life by performing CPR at an airport baggage claim. (More, via Reddit) |
Siblings, 8 and 14, jump into action to save their school bus driver suffering a medical emergency. (More, w/video) |
Travel writer Rick Steves buys a hygiene center that provides facilities and support for people experiencing homelessness for $2.25M, saving it from closure. (More) |
Entrepreneur donates $16.2K to her high school, decades after school administrators awarded her the same amount to help her attend college. (More) |
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In partnership with SmartAsset |
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The Top 10 Wealth Management Firms of 2025 |
Whether you're looking for help with retirement, wealth management, or tax planning, the US is home to thousands of advisors that can potentially meet your specific needs. SmartAsset ranked the top 10 wealth management firms in the US based on AUM, fees, and more.
SmartAsset's no-cost tool will match you with vetted fiduciary advisors, obligated to work in your best financial interest. The criteria for the matching tool differs from the methodology for the list above and you may not be matched with the advisor firms mentioned in the article.
See the list of top wealth management firms. |
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Today, we're sharing a story from reader Dawn G. in El Paso, Texas.
"My dog passed away and I was in a waiting room at a vet clinic. I was sad and crying, and I knew I was making others uncomfortable. A beautiful lady walked in with her daughter's dog; she was dropping it off at doggie day care. She made eye contact with me and said, 'Are you OK?' I started crying even more. She walked up to me and put her arms around me and said, 'You're not OK.' It was so kind and unconditionally loving. I felt her genuine kindness. She left and I was still there crying.
"Twenty minutes later, she came back in and handed me a dog paw charm that said, 'No longer by my side, but always in my heart.' She said she had been carrying it for 20 years since her dog passed and she knew I needed it now. I told her I would cherish it until I saw someone who needed it more than me."
What act(s) of kindness did you experience this week? Tell us here. |
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Introducing: 1440 Health & Medicine |
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Dear readers,
We have some exciting news! Coming soon, we'll be launching the next in our weekly deep-dive emails, 1440 Health & Medicine.
This series complements our Daily Digest—instead of focusing on news, we'll deliver evergreen and foundational knowledge to help you better navigate our ever-evolving world. Topics will range from the science of goosebumps and aging to innovations like CRISPR, mRNA vaccines, and more. Helmed by award-winning health and science journalist Dina Fine Maron, we'll provide you with important context and background and point you to resources that will pique your curiosity and allow you to delight your friends and neighbors!
Join the waitlist here and keep an eye out for the first edition early next year. Have a topic you want to see covered? Email it to us at [email protected]. |
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Bookkeeping
> 150 mph, 640 feet, and 2.6 miles: The tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster in the world opened this week at Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia.
> $3.88M: How much an original "Star Wars" movie poster sold for at auction, dethroning Darth Vader's lightsaber as the most valuable franchise memorabilia.
Browse
> Could sushi be the modern child's chicken tender?
> American Kennel Club welcomes three new dog breeds.
> The best-paying jobs for your Myers-Briggs type.
> Matisse in Chicago, Cartier in Melbourne, and 17 other 2026 exhibitions.
Listen
> Is manifesting wishful thinking or a scientific strategy?
Watch
> The machine that makes the microchips that power tech.
> James Cameron dissects a new "Avatar" scene.
> What short-form video does to our brains.
Long Read
> Pinning down the moment "rock" became "classic rock." (w/data)
> Serving the rich, famous, and powerful at Balthazar in the 1990s.
> When you die, give your body back to Earth—a case for natural burials.
Most Clicked This Week: Why the New Year's Eve ball will drop twice this year in Times Square.
Historybook: "The Lord of the Rings" author JRR Tolkien born (1892); Alaska becomes the 49th US state (1959); The US cuts diplomatic ties with Cuba (1961); Apple is incorporated (1977); Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega surrenders to the US (1990). |
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"All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost." |
- JRR Tolkien, from "The Fellowship of the Ring" |
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