High-Stakes Showdown

Good morning, info-hungry explorers!

I hope you're having a great day! There's something for everyone in today's lineup, from unexpected twists to madcap heists. Whether you're sipping coffee, commuting, or sneaking a peek at work, I've got you covered. Ready to find out just how wild the world got overnight? Let's do this!

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Today’s world, simplified for you:

I guess threatening tariffs on coffee and cut flowers did the trick. After Petro blocked two U.S. military planes with deportees from landing, Trump slammed Colombia with 25% tariffs (soon to be 50%) and visa bans. Petro's response? More tariffs, more drama, with both leaders trading jabs on social media. But overnight, the White House announced the impasse was over: Colombia had agreed to let U.S. military flights in if deportees were treated with "dignity."

Put on ice—for now. However, Colombian officials still have to wait until the first batch of deportees arrives, showing how quickly "special allies" can get caught up in tariffs.

Bonus: Take a look at Colombia's Trade & Investment data and learn about tariffs.

Back to Ruins

It was like a human tide turning overnight: Under the uneasy Gaza cease-fire, 200,000 Palestinians flooded back north in two hours with suitcases on their heads and rickety carts in tow. During nearly 15 months of Israeli blockade, northern Gaza was a battered ghost town. Families are now trudging home to find bullet-riddled walls or rubble where they once lived.

The fragile truce still teeters: Israel and Hamas have traded fresh accusations even as civilians reclaim neighborhoods. Hope and heartbreak collide after months of isolation on Gaza's broken streets.

Gone in a Flash

Holy museum heist, Batman! Under cover of darkness, thieves broke into the Drents Museum in the Netherlands and stole treasures—including a 2,500-year-old gold helmet from Romania. Before dawn, the robbers left a burnt-out getaway car behind them and fled.

It's like Ocean's Eleven with a historical twist—only real. Now Dutch police (and Interpol) are looking for the thieves while shell-shocked museum staff mourn the theft.

Battle of the Birds

Prepare for Super Bowl LIX on February 9 (6:30 p.m. ET, FOX). Let's talk Chiefs (out for a mind-blowing three-peat) vs Eagles (out for sweet revenge after losing Super Bowl LVII). Philly just stomped the Commanders, scoring 55 points behind Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley. Meanwhile, the Chiefs won 32-29, thanks to Patrick Mahomes.

Now they'll meet in New Orleans' Caesars Superdome, where Kendrick Lamar and SZA will rock halftime. You're not stoked? Check your pulse. It might be the juiciest rematch ever.

💡 Core Wisdom

📸 Lens to Life

Here's Tim Easley's lunar photography.

🗓️ Flashback:

1820 - The Russian Antarctic expedition led by Mikhail Lazarev and Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen discovered Antarctica.

1924 - Vladimir Lenin is placed in a Mausoleum in Red Square, Moscow.

1944 - After 880 days and more than 2 million deaths, the Soviets lifted the Leningrad siege.

1945 - Soviet forces liberate Polish concentration camps Auschwitz and Birkenau—now commemorated as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

1973—The Paris Peace Accords were signed by US Secretary of State William P. Rogers, (North) Vietnam Minister for Foreign Affairs Nguyen Duy Trinh, Republic of South Vietnam Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Thị Bình, and Republic of Vietnam Minister for Foreign Affairs Trần Văn Lắm, ending the longest war in American history and the draft.

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

Fatih Taskiran