Fire Meets the Stars

Hello there, curious minds of The Core!

Ready for today's quick rundown of news that's weirder, wilder, and (I promise) way more interesting than whatever's on your social feed? Perfect—because there's much to see here, from runaway wildfires in LA to a robot army crushing 1.6 million pounds of lemons. "Wait, what?! " Let's dive right in!

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Unpacking the day’s core stories for you:

Remember the "Paradise to Inferno" story we ran about Palisades? Brace yourself: Five raging fires just destroyed more than 1,000 buildings, claimed at least five lives, and forced 130,000 people to flee their homes. Hollywood Hills is now on fire, burning block after block from Pacific Palisades to Pasadena and threatening some of LA's most iconic landmarks. The Palisades Fire alone destroyed over 17,000 acres, while Santa Ana winds sent embers soaring.

There's been a power outage that's left 300,000 residents stranded on Sunset Boulevard or trekking out on foot to escape gridlock. Hollywood stars like Billy Crystal, Mandy Moore, and Paris Hilton have lost their homes—proof that even a red-carpet ZIP code won't protect you. It's not over yet: strong winds could fan more hotspots. The city of stars has become a city of smoke. Stay safe, LA. We're pulling for you.

Bonus: Wildfire tracker map, live updates, and wind forecast.

Multi-Way Tug-of-War

So, about Greenland potentially becoming a U.S. state? Yes, Greenland can vote for full independence someday—but it's not signing up to be America's fifty-somethingth star. That hasn't stopped President-elect Donald Trump from pushing it, though. He even refused to rule out "military or economic" options if Denmark won't budge.

In addition to Greenland, Trump says the Panama Canal is crucial for "economic security," despite Panama's insistence that their canal isn't for sale. The Danish king even tweaked his coat of arms to give Greenland's polar bear a bigger spotlight—almost like a regal “Hands off!" statement. Even though tensions may not be at a boiling point, 2025 is already kicking off with some icy—and fiery—diplomatic standoffs.

Taste the Future

Yes, that "litter box with facial recognition" is real, and yes, it's as absurd (and oddly fascinating) as it sounds. But hey, that's the magic of CES 2025, where inventors show off everything from coffee-cooling robo-kitties (seriously) to salt-amplifying spoons for ramen slurping. Ultimate mash-up of "Wow, that's brilliant" and "Please tell me I'm dreaming.”

In a world where your watch can control your TV and your phone can charge in a toaster, maybe we shouldn't be so shocked. Yet every year, CES manages to out-weird itself. I can't wait to see us all wooed by hologram cubes and ear-cleaning headphones simultaneously. So go ahead, dive into the cringe-meets-cool extravaganza, and get ready to say, "Hey, Alexa, ask my robot to blow on my soup.” Because the future (apparently) is now.

Lemonade 2.0

When life gives you 1.6 million pounds of lemons... build a giant robot army? Picture a 190,000-square-foot facility loaded with driverless forklifts and robotic arms. That's Chick-fil-A's Bay Center Foods in California, where citrus meets sci-fi. The result? Around 10,000 hours of labor are saved daily, plus fewer finger injuries. Besides squeezing juice, these bots collect lemon oil for cosmetics, creating a new revenue stream. Next time you drink lemonade, you'll know it's made with conveyor belts, cameras, and mechanical arms. Welcome to the future—now with extra pulp!

💡 Core Wisdom

📸 Lens to Life

Scenes of dramatic wildfires in Southern California.

🧮 Core Count: 25,000

Your average number of blinks per day.

🗓️ Flashback:

1431 - The trial of Joan of Arc begins in Rouen, France, where the English occupation government was based.

1839 - Louis Daguerre demonstrates the daguerreotype photographic process to the French Academy of Sciences.

2002 - Michael Jackson receives an Artist of the Century award at the 29th American Music Awards.

2007 - Apple CEO Steve Jobs announces the iPhone.

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

Fatih Taskiran