Greetings! Happy National Opposite Day to those celebrating.

Let’s get into today’s top stories.

Imagine this. You open your phone to an alert. It says, “you spent $236,000,000 more this month than you did last month.”

If you were the top bidder at Sotheby’s fall auctions, it could be reality.

Sounds crazy, right? But when the ultra-wealthy spend staggering amounts on blue-chip art, it’s not just for decoration.

The scarcity of these treasured artworks has helped drive their prices, in exceptional cases, to thin-air heights, without moving in lockstep with other asset classes.

The contemporary and post war segments have even outpaced the S&P 500 overall since 1995.*

Now, over 70,000 people have invested $1.2 billion+ across 500 iconic artworks featuring Banksy, Basquiat, Picasso, and more.

How? You don’t need Medici money to invest in multimillion dollar artworks with Masterworks.

Thousands of members have gotten annualized net returns like 14.6%, 17.6%, and 17.8% from 26 sales to date.

Explore offerings

_{*Based on Masterworks data. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. Important Reg A disclosures: masterworks.com/cd}

🇫🇷 France detains shadow-tanker captain after a Mediterranean seizure. French authorities detained a 58-year-old Indian captain after seizing the tanker Grinch off Fos-sur-Mer. The ship is suspected of operating in Russia’s “shadow fleet,” moving oil around sanctions. Prosecutors in Marseille opened a probe for sanction-busting and possible document fraud. Investigators say the vessel sailed from Murmansk before the stop. European officials estimate the shadow fleet now tops 400 ships. The crackdown targets the logistics, not just the crude. Shipping insurers and flag registries are now part of the battlefield. Russia calls enforcement piracy, Europe calls it policy. The sea stays calm, the rules do not. The captain became the first domino.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom pitches “British FBI” as unified, single national force. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government wants one agency to run complex investigations across England and Wales. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the plan would merge national capabilities into a new National Police Service. The model aims to centralize terrorism, organized crime, cybercrime, and child exploitation cases. Britain’s current system has 43 local forces, each with uneven resources. Supporters argue criminals already operate nationally, so policing should too. Critics fear a power-grab with fewer local checks. The National Crime Agency (NCA) would likely see missions reshuffled. Ministers say accountability will tighten, not loosen. Parliament will have to swallow the wiring diagram. Starmer is selling “efficiency” with a siren behind it.

🎬 Suspect arrested after alleged assault against Rep. Maxwell Frost. House Representative Maxwell Frost (D-FL) said he was punched at a Sundance Film Festival event in Park City, Utah. Police arrested Christian Joel Young, 28, and booked him into jail. Frost said the man allegedly yelled that President Donald Trump would deport him. The incident happened at a private gathering tied to the festival’s industry circuit. Authorities cited security staff who helped detain the suspect. Frost, a first-term lawmaker, called it political violence with a party invite. Organizers now face questions about screening and guardrails. Sundance is already loud, but not like this. The case moves from red carpet to courtroom. The festival’s spotlight now points at a mugshot.

🎿 Mikaela Shiffrin wins slalom and seals a record ninth discipline crown. Mikaela Shiffrin won the final slalom before the Olympics and locked up her ninth season slalom title. She finished 1.67 seconds ahead of the field and made it look routine anyway. The victory gave her a 288-point lead in the discipline standings with two races left. It was also her seventh slalom win in eight tries this season. Shiffrin now owns 108 World Cup wins, including 71 in slalom. Rivals are racing for second while she races history. The Olympics arrive with her form already stamped. She called the win a confidence boost, not a finish line. Coaches see timing, not luck. The record is the headline, the consistency is the story.

🏈 Darnold lifts Seahawks past Rams and into Super Bowl LX. Sam Darnold threw three touchdowns as the Seattle Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams 31-27. Second-year coach Mike Macdonald rode a late fourth-down stop like a closing argument. Cornerback Devon Witherspoon broke up Matthew Stafford’s pass at the Seattle 6 with 4:59 left. Stafford still threw for 374 yards and three scores, but errors piled up. A muffed punt by Xavier Smith flipped momentum into points. Darnold hit Jake Bobo for a 17-yard touchdown to stretch the lead. He finished 25-of-36 for 346 yards with zero turnovers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba posted 153 receiving yards on 10 catches. Seattle punched a ticket to its fourth Super Bowl. Next up is a rematch with New England.

🧊 Patriots survive snow and slip past Broncos for 12th SB trip. Drake Maye ran New England through the storm and into the Super Bowl with a 10-7 win in Denver. The 23-year-old scored the only Patriots touchdown on a 6-yard keeper. He threw for 86 yards, but rushed for 65 and controlled the mess. Coach Mike Vrabel is already in the Super Bowl in year one. Denver started Jarrett Stidham with Bo Nix sidelined after ankle surgery. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez sealed it with a late interception. The Broncos’ lone touchdown came on Courtland Sutton’s 6-yard catch. New England’s defense treated the snow like home-field advantage. The score was ugly, the result was clean. Super Bowl LX is Patriots vs Seahawks.

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That’s all for today!

Much obliged and many thanks for reading and sharing today’s newsletter.

See you tomorrow!