City of Ash

Good morning, Core crew!

You're in the right place if you're hungry for updates (and maybe a budget-friendly snack). Today, we're exploring Los Angeles's unrelenting wildfires and the fast-food deals redefining cheap eats. Let's get started!

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The pulse of today, in just minutes:

It's been days now—and these wildfires refuse to give up. More than 10,000 structures in Los Angeles have been destroyed by fires from Pacific Palisades to Altadena. At least 10 people have died, and new fires like the Kenneth Fire keep forcing mass evacuations in places that should be safe. Firefighters face a horrifying twist with these record-fast fires: empty hydrants in high-elevation spots.

Plus, hurricane-force winds ground firefighting aircraft and ignite beach houses, downtown blocks, and anything else in their path. The roads are clogged with abandoned cars, and 400,000 people are powerless. Even iconic landmarks (Hollywood Bowl, anyone?) barely escaped. It's rewriting what "fire season" means for LA—right now, it's all year, all-consuming, and nowhere near over.

Bonus: Here's a list of resources for LA wildfire victims, a wildfire tracker map, live updates, and a wildfire forecast.

Clock is Ticking

Get ready for a digital cliffhanger: The Supreme Court will decide whether TikTok's 170 million U.S. users must say goodbye. ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, faces an outright ban on January 19 unless it sells its U.S. branch. The Biden administration says Beijing could use the app to mine data and sway American opinion. The TikTok legal team and content creators say it's an overreach trampling free speech.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is urging the court to delay a decision until he's in office so he can broker a deal. In Trump's view, the best resolution is a political one, not a full shutdown that could wreck thousands of jobs. There's a big hearing coming up, and 170 million scrollers are at stake, so this could change social media forever. Buckle up.

Dark Side of the LED

If you've been squinting at oncoming traffic lately, you're not alone—modern car headlights are brightening up, and not everyone likes it. There's a scrappy Reddit community where drivers complain about "light cannon" SUVs. In the name of "better visibility," headlight makers exploit a gap in auto regulations.

The result? NHTSA admits headlight complaints on dark roads and highways are the most common. Regulators failed to adjust rules for advanced LED systems, leading to an "arms race" in brightness. It's clear: we're in for more laser-like beams until someone figures out how to align them properly. Keep those sunglasses handy, even at night.

Deals on Deals

If you've been craving fast food, you're in luck. Many big names, from McDonald's and Dunkin' to Subway and KFC, have revamped their menus with fresh deals. Think "McValue" combos, $5 breakfast wraps, and meal-of-the-day specials priced to compete. This is a way to get inflation-weary diners back at a time when fast-food sales are notoriously slow.

But are these retooled menus really a steal? With prices rising for everything from chicken to coffee beans, the question is whether $5 bowls and $7 "Luxe Cravings" boxes will last. Investors and hungry customers will see if these revamped deals have the staying power to shape fast food's future. Bon appétit—on a budget!

💡 Core Wisdom

📸 Lens to Life

Pictures of the Palisades Fire burning part of Los Angeles.

🧮 Core Count: 80

Lifespan of flamingos in years.

🗓️ Flashback:

49 BC - Upon crossing the Rubicon, Julius Caesar utters "Alea iacta est" (the die has been cast), marking the beginning of the civil war.

1475 - Stephen III of Moldavia defeats the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Vaslui.

1776 - The "Common Sense" pamphlet by Thomas Paine is published advocating American independence.

1946 - In London, the UN General Assembly meets for the first time.

1967 - The first African American elected to the US Senate was Republican Edward W. Brooke of Massachusetts.

1999 - HBO premieres "The Sopranos", starring James Gandolfini as mobster Tony Soprano.

I'm glad we could get together here. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Fatih Taskiran