JEFF BEZOS SENDS GAYLE KING AND KATY PERRY TO SPACE. For the first time since 1963, an all-female crew is heading to space. Blue Origin’s NS-31 mission will feature six trailblazers, including astronaut Amanda Nguyen, journalist Gayle King, and pop icon Katy Perry.
—> WHO’S ON BOARD?
🔹 Aisha Bowe – Former NASA rocket scientist turned STEM advocate.
🔹 Amanda Nguyen – Bioastronautics researcher and Nobel Peace Prize nominee.
🔹 Gayle King – Award-winning journalist and co-host of CBS Mornings.
🔹 Katy Perry – Pop superstar and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
🔹 Kerianne Flynn – Nonprofit leader and documentary producer.
🔹 Lauren Sánchez – Pilot, journalist, and Vice Chair of the Bezos Earth Fund.
—> WHY IT MATTERS:
🚀 This is New Shepard’s 11th human spaceflight, marking 52 people flown past the Kármán line—the internationally recognized boundary of space.
🌍 Sánchez, who played a key role in assembling the mission, says the flight is about perspective, empowerment, and inspiring the next generation of explorers.
✨ Katy Perry hopes her mission will encourage her daughter and young dreamers to "reach for the stars, literally and figuratively."
—> MEET THE FUTURE:
With commercial space tourism on the rise, missions like NS-31 are reshaping access to space. Will all-female crews become more common? Will more artists and journalists bring space stories back to Earth? The countdown is on. 🚀🌌
Source: Blue Origin.
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FUTURES
MARKETS SLIDE AS AI HYPE COOLS U.S. stocks took a hit Thursday as Wall Street’s AI-fueled rally lost steam. The S&P 500 dropped 1.6%, wiping out most of its post-election gains, while the Nasdaq tumbled 2.8%. The Dow held up better, falling just 193 points (-0.4%).
—> AI STOCKS STUMBLE: Nvidia plunged 8.5% despite a strong earnings report, dragging the market down with it.
CRYPTO
CRYPTO SLIDE: BITCOIN EYES $70K AS MARKETS BRACE FOR IMPACT. The crypto market is bleeding out, with Bitcoin sinking further as inflation fears and tariff threats rattle investors. Bitcoin has now tumbled nearly 20% from its post-inauguration highs, and some analysts see $70K as the next stop.
—> WHAT’S DRIVING THE DROP?
🔻 Inflation red flags – Hot economic data has shattered hopes for near-term Fed rate cuts.
🔻 Stock market selloff – The Nasdaq is down 7%, with chipmakers leading the plunge after Nvidia’s earnings report failed to spark another rally.
🔻 Trump’s tariff war – New levies on Mexico, Canada, and China start next week, injecting uncertainty into global trade and risk assets.
—> WHY $70K MATTERS: Hedge fund manager Quinn Thompson of Lekker Capital says Bitcoin’s momentum is broken, and without new bullish catalysts, $70K is a likely downside target by the end of March. The warning? Investors have been lulled into complacency, forgetting that bear markets are real.
—> MEET THE FUTURE: This isn’t the crypto bull run of 2021. Macro forces are taking control, and Bitcoin’s ability to hold above $70K could be the ultimate stress test. If it breaks lower, expect more liquidations, more panic, and a serious reality check for risk-on traders. 🚨📉
Source: CoinDesk.
SPACE
SPACEX LAUNCHES 23 MORE STARLINK SATELLITES—SKY’S GETTING CROWDED. SpaceX just launched another batch of Starlink satellites from Florida, adding to its ever-growing mega-constellation beaming internet across the planet. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off, deployed the satellites, and landed safely—because at this point, SpaceX makes rocket landings look easy.
—> WHY IT MATTERS: Starlink is reshaping global internet access, bringing high-speed connections to remote areas, disaster zones, and even military operations. But with thousands of satellites already in orbit, concerns over space traffic and potential collisions are rising.
—> WHAT’S NEXT: SpaceX isn’t stopping—more launches are planned, and competitors like Amazon’s Kuiper are racing to keep up. Meanwhile, regulators are eyeing rules to prevent low-Earth orbit from turning into a high-tech junkyard. 🚀
Source: Space.com.
QUANTUM // ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
XAI VS. CHATGPT—MUSK’S AI WAR HEATS UP. Elon Musk’s Grok 3 just dropped, and xAI is making a serious play to challenge OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The new model was built from the ground up on a custom-built GPU cluster, and Musk says it’s now competing at the top tier of AI intelligence.
—> WHY IT MATTERS: OpenAI has dominated the AI chatbot space, but Grok 3 is Musk’s answer to ChatGPT’s lead. With a completely new architecture and the ability to reflect on its own mistakes, Grok 3 aims to be more logically consistent than ChatGPT and other rival models.
—> WHAT’S NEXT: xAI isn’t slowing down—Musk says Grok 4 is coming soon, and it’ll be "next level." Meanwhile, the AI wars are heating up as every major tech giant scrambles for dominance in the next generation of artificial intelligence.
Source: Fast Company
GEOPOLITICS
TRUMP HITS CHINA WITH NEW TARIFFS OVER FENTANYL TRADE. The U.S. is doubling down on its trade war with China. Starting Tuesday, an additional 10% tariff will hit Chinese imports, part of President Trump’s strategy to pressure Beijing over its role in the fentanyl crisis. The move follows an earlier 10% hike this month, bringing the total extra tariffs to 20%.
—> THE BIGGER PICTURE:
🔹 Mexico & Canada on notice – Trump is still threatening 25% tariffs on U.S. neighbors, saying they haven’t done enough to stop drug smuggling.
🔹 Retaliation coming? – China slapped back after the first round of tariffs, and more countermeasures are expected.
🔹 Fentanyl crackdown = tariff relief? – The White House says Trump wants to see overdose deaths drop before easing trade pressure.
—> WHY IT MATTERS: These tariffs aren’t just about trade—they’re a high-stakes move to force action on fentanyl, which kills 240 Americans a day. With supply chains still recovering and China unlikely to back down, the economic and diplomatic fallout could be massive.
—> MEET THE FUTURE: With North American negotiations stalling and China bracing for another trade war round, expect global markets, supply chains, and geopolitical tensions to shift fast. The big question? Can tariffs really curb fentanyl production—or just raise prices for American consumers? 💰🔥
ONE MORE THING
GRANNY PODS? MORE LIKE GEN Z BUNKERS. Last week we told you about Granny-bot. This week, we give you the “Granny pod” — a backyard home makeover home trend that candidly we think is going to be put in reverse. We think "granny pods" are now the go-to solution for adult kids who refuse to move out.
Originally designed as backyard mini-homes for aging parents, these prefab units come with kitchens, bathrooms, and even voice-activated tech for remote caregiving. But let's be real—this is what desperate parents will build for their boomerang kids who can’t afford rent.
—> THE SETUP: These 400-square-foot+ units come wired with medical alert systems (or, you know, high-speed internet for gaming).
—> REALITY CHECK: With housing prices out of control, interest rates high, and wages stagnant, expect a lot more Gen Z and millennials "granny podding" in their parents’ backyards. Is this the suburbia of the future—where parents never really become empty nesters? 🏡
Source: Country Living.
With gratitude,
Kev
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