Trump Inauguration, Ohio State, and Contagious Urination

In partnership with

Trump Swears In

Donald Trump, 78, was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States at the Capitol Rotunda yesterday, officially beginning his second nonconsecutive term. JD Vance, 40, became the third-youngest vice president in US history. Watch Trump's inaugural address here, or read the transcript here.

Trump's inauguration is the first to feature foreign leaders in attendance, including Argentine President Javier Milei, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni. Notable tech leaders, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg, also attended. Carrie Underwood sang "America the Beautiful," while opera tenor Christopher Macchio sang the national anthem. See photos here.

Trump also signed a round of executive orders, including suspending the US TikTok ban for 75 days, withdrawing from the Paris climate treaty again, and revoking 78 Biden-era executive actions. He also pardoned about 1,500 defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the US Capitol and commuted six defendants' sentences. Learn how executive orders work here.

Separately, Joe Biden preemptively pardoned his family members, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and others, as his last act as president to guard them from potential politically motivated investigations.  

O-H-I-O

The Ohio State Buckeyes won the College Football Playoff National Championship last night, beating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish by a score of 34-23. The win is the program’s ninth title and its first since 2014.

Ohio State largely controlled the first half of the game, building a 31-7 lead through the middle of the third quarter. Notre Dame, led by two touchdowns from receiver Jaden Greathouse, cut the deficit to eight with four minutes to go before Ohio State iced the game with a field goal. 

The victory capped a cathartic turn of fortune for the Buckeyes, who lost twice, including dropping the regular-season finale for the fourth straight year, to rival Michigan. Entering the inaugural 12-team playoff as a No. 8 seed, Ohio State beat No. 9 Tennessee, No. 1 Oregon, and No. 5 Texas, each by double digits to reach the championship. As many as 16 players from the senior-laden team are projected to be selected in this year’s NFL draft.

See photos from the celebration here, along with way-too-early rankings for next season. 

Frigid Air Grips US 

A massive Arctic blast is delivering the coldest temperatures of the winter season to much of the US, while Gulf Coast and Southeast states face a rare winter storm. The National Weather Service warns this could be the coldest air in several years, with nearly all Lower 48 states—except for South Florida—seeing freezing temperatures.

Nearly 300 million Americans are set to experience below-average temperatures, with some areas seeing temperatures drop up to 45 degrees below normal and wind chills as low as minus 55 degrees. Around 30 million people from Texas to northern Florida and the Carolinas may face an unusual mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. Up to 10 inches of snow is possible in typically milder areas. See detailed forecasts for across the US here (w/clickable map). 

The culprit is a shift in the polar vortex—a mass of low-pressure, cold air that rotates above the Earth's polar regions. A weakened polar jet stream changes wind patterns and temporarily brings Arctic air southward (see the science).

In partnership with Pendulum

Here’s How To Hack Your Metabolism

In partnership with Pendulum

This 4-in-1 Probiotic Does It All

There’s no such thing as a magic pill, but a science-backed, doctor formulated probiotic that helps you maintain a healthy weight by improving your metabolism* and boosting your digestive health? That exists—and it’s called Pendulum Metabolic Daily.

Made with Akkermansia muciniphila (which improves gut health and reduces cravings), this 4-in-1 daily probiotic improves metabolic, gut, digestive, and immune health. Save 20% on your first month of membership when you try Metabolic Daily(discount auto-applied at checkout). 

*Based on preclinical studies

Please support our sponsors!