It's Time for a Reset

Hello there, curious minds of The Core!

It's time to stir your curiosity with a handful of fresh stories—no fuss, no frills. Let's see what the world's been cooking up today. Let’s get started!

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Your guide to today’s essentials begins here:

Do you feel like we're at a crossroads? McDonald's just rolled back its diversity targets, citing a Supreme Court ruling. Canada's Justin Trudeau is stepping down with an "It's time for a reset!" message to everyone tired of the status quo.

In addition, the U.S. Congress quietly confirmed Donald Trump's victory—no angry mobs or riot gear this time. Everything points to one big takeaway: we're entering a whole new phase. The next chapter is either thrilling or unsettling, depending on where you stand—but you can bet it won't be boring.

Brace Yourself

It seems Mother Nature isn't done with us yet—fresh rounds of snow and ice are hitting the South and beyond while the polar vortex sticks around like an uninvited guest. Snowfalls in Kansas and Missouri and unexpected flurries have turned the roads into skating rinks, and flight cancellations are rising.

From the Gulf Coast up through the Mid-Atlantic, frosty winds will last until next week. Areas usually untouched by the deep freeze—think Florida and southern Texas—are now bracing for bone-chilling lows. Make sure you pack an extra layer (or three) and stock up on hot cocoa if you're going out. This storm's got a few more surprises in store.

Bonus: Live updates, photos, and more details about the winter storm.

High-Stakes Tech Clash

Another geopolitical bombshell just landed; the U.S. labeled Tencent and CATL "Chinese military companies." In addition to roiling investors, it signals a further unraveling of ties between two of the world's biggest economies. Both Tencent and CATL deny having any connection to China's military modernization efforts.

So what's at stake? The blacklist could shake up supply chains and push American companies away from Beijing-backed tech. Also, it fuels a raging tech rivalry, stoking the possibility of further decoupling. With President-elect Donald Trump getting ready to start a second term, it's anyone's guess if this tough line gets even tougher—or if cooler heads might prevail somewhere down the road.

Sip at Your Own Risk

Once, paper straws seemed like the perfect solution to plastic pollution. Sadly, research shows they contain PFAS (aka "forever chemicals"), which is used to make pans nonstick and fabrics water-resistant. So, instead of feeling like an eco-warrior, you might just be sipping on something that hurts the environment.

Stainless steel straws are squeaky clean, contain no PFAS, are fully recyclable, and can be reused for a long time. Even better, you can skip straws altogether when you can. Even though it's not the news we wanted, we can now sip smarter.

💡 Core Wisdom

📸 Lens to Life

Here are the best trail camera wildlife pics of the year.

🧮 Core Count: 10,000,000,000

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🗓️ Flashback:

1610 - Galileo Galilei discovers Jupiter's first three moons: Io, Europa, and Ganymede.

1714 - The typewriter patented by Henry Mill (built years later)

1953 - U.S. President Harry Truman announced the American development of the hydrogen bomb.

1954 - A machine translation system is demonstrated at IBM's New York headquarters in the Georgetown-IBM experiment.

1999 - President Bill Clinton's Impeachment trial begins in the US Senate after the House voted to impeach him for lying about his affair with Monica Lewinsky.

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

Fatih Taskiran