In DeepS***

Hey there, Core fam!

Here's another quick ride through the day's most curious headlines. Get ready for a mix of weird, wonderful, and everything in between. Make sure you check out our new "et cetera" picks. Let's jump in!

• First-time reader? Join 10K+ curious readers in our community.

• Please don't keep us a secret: Tell your friends (copy URL here)

• I always welcome your feedback at [email protected] or just hit reply.

Today’s world, simplified for you:

Remember when we told you about DeepSeek's new "R1" model—five days before everyone else freaked out? Turns out we weren't kidding: as soon as this scrappy Chinese AI startup showed off its "reasoning" chatbot, tech stocks went haywire.

Nvidia alone lost 17% (erasing around $600 billion in market value), while the S&P 500 fell 1.5%. Meanwhile, DeepSeek's mobile app rose to No. 1 on the iPhone charts, making people wonder if all those billions went to waste. Consider this your heads-up: The new kid from China could rewrite the AI rules.

Les Misérables

Speaking of AI, how about a "sovereign AI" that showcases French elegance? Watch it confuse cow eggs with atomic bombs. Oops. This is exactly what happened with Lucie, the government-backed chatbot pulled offline moments after it became hysterical.

The poor thing couldn't even do 5 x (3+2) without giving every answer except 25. Lucie's team admits they "launched too soon" in the "Long live the revolution!" vibe. Lesson learned: Practice your math before telling the world you're its next digital treasure.

Hitting the Brakes

Brace yourselves for another jolt from the new Trump administration: In a memo, the White House budget office froze all federal grants and loans except Social Security and Medicare to align taxpayer dollars. Policymakers, universities, nonprofits, and local governments are in crisis mode because this "temporary pause" could snarl billions (even trillions) of funding.

While the administration says it's just "reviewing priorities," critics see a power grab by Team Trump—and a very rough road ahead. Right now, the word "chaos" seems about right. No one really knows how long or how extensive this pause will last.

Bonus: Keeping track of Trump's executive orders.

Can’t Beat It

How about that “Michael” biopic with Jaafar Jackson (directed by Antoine Fuqua)? Apparently, producers found a legal settlement banning all depictions of the Chandler family (a cornerstone of the 1993 abuse accusations). Expect massive script rewrites, reshoots, and a $150 million budget.

The film was already pushed back to October 2025, and this new twist doesn't help. There is still hope for the show, but Jackson's legacy seems to be facing yet another "thriller" twist.

💬 Et cetera

Beetle Brawl: Who knew two tiny warriors could steal the top prize—and our hearts?

Quack Attack: Imagine getting laid off by email...with a cartoon duck to lighten the mood.

Grill & Spill: Finding a giant python in your propane grill is one way to spice up a BBQ.

Robo-Boogie: Even robot dogs can dance, especially when there's fresh snow to groove in.

💡 Core Wisdom

📸 Lens to Life

Photos from LensCulture's Emerging Talent Awards 2024.

🧮 Core Count: 900,000,000,000

The amount of USD Americans spend on goods from Mexico and Canada.

🗓️ Flashback:

1807 - London's Pall Mall became the first street to be lit by gaslights.

1813 - British publisher Thomas Egerton publishes Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice."

1819 - Stamford Raffles lands in Singapore as a British colonial officer.

1933 - The name "Pakistan" is coined by Choudhry Rahmat Ali that Muslims in the Indian subcontinent use to push for a Muslim homeland in South Asia.

1985 - Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and other pop stars record "We Are the World" for charity.

1986 - Challenger explodes 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all 7 crew members, including Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space.

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

Fatih Taskiran