Winter Storm, Oscar Nods, and Mr. Potato Beef

 Need To Know 

Weekend Winter Storm

About half the US population is in the path (w/map) of a winter storm, starting today in Texas and reaching the Northeast by Sunday. A potentially record-breaking cold snap is forecast to follow, with frigid temperatures lingering into next week for millions.

Meteorologists warn damage could rival that of a hurricane, with heavy ice threatening power lines as people contend with subfreezing temperatures. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) was among several governors to proactively declare emergencies yesterday; a Texas power grid failure during a 2021 winter storm caused over 200 deaths. Parts of Oklahoma could see over a foot of snow as the system brings ice and sleet to Jackson, Mississippi, which has no city-owned snowplows. Meanwhile, wind chills could plunge as low as minus 35 degrees in Chicago and Des Moines, Iowa, today, prompting school closures. 

A shift in the polar vortex, fueled by relatively warmer Arctic temperatures, is colliding with moisture from off California and the US' southern coast to create these severe conditions. 

Trump 'Debanking' Suit

President Donald Trump sued JPMorgan Chase and its CEO, Jamie Dimon, yesterday for at least $5B in damages. He accused the bank of illegally terminating his accounts for political reasons. 

In February 2021, Trump said he was notified that several of his personal and professional accounts would be closed two months later. Trump also accused Dimon of placing his name and businesses on a financial blacklist, resulting in reputational harm. Trump accused the bank of taking these steps for political purposes (the decision would have come weeks after the Jan. 6 storming of the US Capitol). JPMorgan Chase maintains it does not close accounts for political reasons.

Trump issued an executive order in August aimed at directing regulators to target debanking. In December, a government report found nine banks restricted services for exposure to reputational harm, including companies in the oil and gas and adult entertainment industries.

See Trump’s legal fights with media outlets here.

Oscar Nominations

Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards were announced yesterday, led by “Sinners” with a record-breaking 16 nods. The 1930s-set vampire epic, which grossed $368M globally, is followed by “One Battle After Another” with 13.

They join a best picture lineup that includes “Frankenstein,” “Bugonia,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “Sentimental Value,” “Train Dreams,” “F1,” and “The Secret Agent.” Warner Bros. led with 30 nominations, with indie studio Neon and Netflix next with 18 each. Best actor contenders include 30-year-old Timothée Chalamet (“Marty Supreme”), one of the youngest men to have received three acting nods, while best actress nominees include 37-year-old Emma Stone (“Bugonia”), the youngest woman with seven. Steven Spielberg (“Hamnet”) earned a record 14th best picture nomination as an individual producer. This year also marks the first recognition of casting directors.

The ceremony airs March 15 on ABC and Hulu, with Conan O’Brien hosting for the second time. See all nominations here and snubs and surprises here.

🎦 Also ... Tomorrow's 1440 Society & Culture newsletter takes a look at the history of the Academy Awards, from the biggest controversies, to the exile of Charlie Chaplin, to an overview on the selectors. Join 130,000+ readers here!

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> Over 700 artists and creators, including Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, join campaign against using human-created, copyrighted works to train AI tools without permission (More) 

> The Eagles' 1976 album "Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975" becomes the bestselling album of all time in the US, selling over 40 million units (More) 

> Olympic flame passes through Venice on its way to Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games (More) | "Heated Rivalry" series stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie selected as Olympic torchbearers (More) 

Science & Technology

> Google to offer personalized responses via AI-powered search tool by tapping into users' Gmail and Google Photos (More) | Spotify launches AI-powered playlist generator, enabling users to curate music based on feelings and memories (More)

> Exhaled breath carries markers of disease-linked bacteria in the gut microbiome, opening the door to breath-based diagnosis of asthma and other conditions (More) | Explore the best resources we found on the gut microbiome (1440 Topics)

> Modern-day kangaroos' ancestors—which could weigh up to roughly 550 pounds—may have been able to hop in short bursts; finding challenges previous studies suggesting their ankles could not withstand hopping (More) 

Business & Markets

> US stock markets close up (S&P 500 +0.6%, Dow +0.6%, Nasdaq +1.0%), extending Wednesday's rally after the US reverses European tariff threat over Greenland (More) | The US and China formally approve deal transferring control of TikTok’s US operations to joint venture led by US investors (More)  

> Personal consumption expenditures price index rose 2.8% year over year in November, staying above Federal Reserve's 2% target (More) | US economy grew 4.4% year over year from July through September—the fastest pace in two years, per revised government data (More) 

> Cryptocurrency custodian BitGo shares jump 25% intraday before closing up roughly 3% in NYSE debut, valuing the firm around $2.1B; marks first major crypto initial public offering this year (More) 

Politics & World Affairs

> Federal judge refuses to approve Justice Department charges against former CNN journalist Don Lemon for covering immigration-related protests inside a Minnesota church (More) 

> Former special counsel Jack Smith says President Donald Trump was responsible for Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol in testimony before the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee (More) 

> Homicide rate in the US dropped more than 20% last year, according to a new report, potentially the lowest murder rate since 1900 (More) | See the report (More)

In-Depth

> Engineering Taste 

Be Smart | Staff. You may never eat chips the same way after stepping into a laboratory in Austin, Texas, with one of the roughly 500 certified flavorists. Discover how molecules become tastes, perceived uniquely by every palate. (Watch) 

> Manipulate Microbes, Live Longer

The Walrus | B. Brett Finlay and Jessica M. Finlay. We try to biologically reverse time with supplements, skin creams, fad diets, and more. But the elixir of life might be found in over 3.5 billion-year-old microbes. (Read) 

> The Death of Pop Culture

WSJ | Ben Fritz. Americans—across political, racial, and geographic divides—used to be bonded by common entertainment: "I Love Lucy," "Jurassic Park," and "M*A*S*H." Now, we all look at feeds personalized by algorithms. Are we losing a common language? (Read)

> How 911 Dispatchers Work 

Insider | Staff. For over a decade, Ricardo Martinez II was the first voice people heard during dangerous, scary moments. He shares how he kept them calm—and stayed calm himself. (Watch) 

Why does snow look white?

See this year's best picture nominees as Muppets.

What happened to hotel rooms' bathroom doors?

The mystery behind Mona Lisa's eyebrows. (w/video)

Eighty questions to consider that aren't "How are you?"

Robot hand moves like Thing from "The Addams Family."

Burglary alarm at bank triggered by intruding deer.

Student protests AI art by eating it.

Clickbait: Rhode Island's Mr. Potato beef.

Historybook: American statesman John Hancock born (1737); The US and Vietnam reach peace settlement (1973); Athlete, artist, and activist Paul Robeson dies (1976); Salvador Dalí dies (1989); Madeleine Albright becomes first US female secretary of state (1997).