The Gulf (of America)

Good morning, core explorers!

Ready for another ride through world-shaking phone calls, mafia crackdowns straight out of a Scorsese flick, and new twists? Grab your coffee—because, trust us, it’s a doozy out there. Let’s jump right in.

• First-time reader? Join 12K+ 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.

Everything worth knowing right now:

Hey, if you've ever looked at a map and wondered when the Gulf of Mexico became...The Gulf of America, congratulations, you've stumbled into our new reality. Google quietly updated its U.S.-based Maps to reflect the rename (Mexicans get the old name, because obviously), and Apple jumped on board, too.

They also took Pride off their calendar ("Not sustainable," they say) and yanked other cultural holidays. If you're typing "impeach Trump," forget autocomplete—Google hush-hushed that removal. Maps, digital diaries, and even search suggestions are being remade to match a new presidential playbook. Start your day by checking what reality your phone is bringing you because normal might've been changed.

Peace or Pipe Dream?

After months of tense stalemates, the war in Ukraine just took a sudden turn—at least in the headlines. President Trump revealed he had a "lengthy and highly productive" call with Vladimir Putin, announcing plans to begin negotiations. Meanwhile, Trump's defense chief, Pete Hegseth, rattled NATO by suggesting the United States would pull back from Europe.

Ukraine's President Zelensky said no one wants peace more than Kyiv and that Ukraine shouldn't be left out. Many European officials worry about a rushed deal that could give Russia chunks of occupied territory or keep Ukraine out of NATO. So, are we heading toward an honest peace or a "buddy movie" cameo with Trump and Putin? Stand by, folks—the script changes by the hour in this global soap opera.

Corleone 2.0

Well, it looks like the mafia in Sicily isn't quite ready to fade into The Godfather's closing credits. Palermo cops arrested 150 (some sources say 160) suspected mobsters during the biggest crackdown in nearly 20 years, echoing the "Cosa Nostra" headlines of the 1980s and 1990s.

This crowd has group chats with handles like “Spiderman,” “Bear,” and “Robert De Niro”—a modern mafia indeed. Investigators say they’re even trying to revive the classic cupola (the boss-of-bosses structure that once terrorized Italy). Conclusion? It's still big and shadowy but definitely not unstoppable—and the local seafood cartels might want to watch their mussels.

Rest in Pizarrón

Duolingo’s green feathery friend just flew the coop—permanently. That’s right, folks, your procrastination buddy (and relentless lesson reminder) has been rebranded, which gives us “Wait, what?” vibes.

While brands everywhere are throwing memorial tweets like confetti, Dua Lipa got a random mention in the mix. Are we expecting a new cowboy hat bird? A funeral-themed subscription tier? Stay tuned—apparently, more revelations land today, and I guess we'll find out if we all need to switch to Babbel or something.

💬 Beyond the Core

Write to Me: 𝒴ℴ𝓊 𝒸𝒶𝓃 ℊℯ𝓃ℯ𝓇𝒶𝓉ℯ, 𝒸ℴ𝓅𝓎, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓅𝒶𝓈𝓉ℯ 𝓉ℯ𝓍𝓉 𝒾𝓃 𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝒸ℴℴ𝓁 𝒻ℴ𝓃𝓉𝓈 ℴ𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓈𝒾𝓉ℯ.

Deep Ban: Scarlett Johansson wants to ban deepfakes after this video goes viral.

Smells Like Teen Spirit: Domino's released a pepperoni-themed perfume for Valentine's Day.

💡 Core Wisdom

📸 Lens to Life

This collection of owl photos will make you swoon.

🧮 Core Count: 280

The number of Belgian chocolate companies.

.🗓️ Flashback:

1258 - The Abbasid Caliphate was destroyed by the Mongols, with tens of thousands slaughtered, ending the Islamic Golden Age.

1601 - The first British East India Company voyage left London on the "Red Dragon, " led by James Lancaster.

1689 - The Parliament of England adopted the Bill of Rights, which established Parliament's rights and limited the Crown's power.

1942 - Operation Sea Lion, Germany's invasion of England, is canceled by Adolf Hitler.

1945 - The Allied forces began bombing Dresden, resulting in a devastating firestorm that killed over 22,000 people.

1960 - France becomes the fourth nuclear nation with the explosion of its first bomb, a 70-kiloton "Gerboise Bleue."

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

Fatih Taskiran