Greetings! Happy National Brownie Day to those celebrating.

Let’s get into today’s top stories.

This is the easiest way for a busy person wanting to learn AI in as little time as possible:

Sign up to start learning.

🌊 Earthquake rattles Hokkaido and triggers tsunami alerts. A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off northern Japan near Hokkaido on Monday. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported tsunami waves of about 0.7 meters at several ports. Officials said at least 23 people were injured, mostly by falling objects and broken glass. Thousands of homes briefly lost power while utilities checked lines and substations. Bullet trains and flights paused for inspections as factories and schools evacuated workers and students. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ordered a rapid survey but said nuclear plants showed no problems. Seismologists warned of days of aftershocks, underscoring Japan's constant seismic risk.

🕊️ Post-Assad Syria faces a long, uncertain healing. A year after President Bashar Assad fled Syria, the country is trying to heal. Transitional authorities in Damascus manage an economy with inflation and joblessness. The United Nations (UN) estimates war killed hundreds of thousands and displaced over half the population. In districts once hit by barrel bombs, residents walk past rows of rebuilt and ruined apartments. Families scour grave sites and archives for missing relatives as courts address torture claims. Aid groups say electricity, water and health care are unreliable outside a few cities. For many Syrians, exile feels safer than trusting that this fragile calm will hold.

🌾 Trump rolls out $12B farm aid as trade hits bite. President Donald Trump announced a $12B aid package for farmers hurt by his trade war with China. Agriculture officials say the plan will send direct payments and buy surplus soybeans and pork. Money will come from an existing stabilization fund, avoiding a new vote in Congress. Farm groups welcome the checks but warn that they cannot quickly rebuild lost export markets. Critics argue the program pays growers to tolerate a policy that hurts them. Some lawmakers question whether other industries will now demand similar rescues. Trump insists that temporary pain is necessary to win what he calls fairer trade.

🏛️ Jasmine Crockett jumps into Texas Senate brawl. Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett launched a Senate bid to unseat Republican John Cornyn in Texas. The Dallas civil rights attorney gained national attention through combative House hearings. Her decision followed former Rep. Colin Allred's choice to seek a House return instead. Crockett will face state Rep. James Talarico in a March 2026 primary. Cornyn confronts his own primary challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Democrats need four net seats for a majority and treat Texas as a long-shot pickup. The GOP portrays Crockett as radical, while supporters argue her blunt style can energize new voters.

🎬 Paramount crashes Netflix’s $72B Warner party. Paramount Global ($PARA) launched a hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery ($WBD), challenging Netflix's ($NFLX) earlier $72B agreement. The new offer values Warner at $74.4B, according to a securities filing. Ellison says a combined studio would better compete in streaming and film. Filings say the bid includes more cash than Netflix's proposal. Financing would come partly from sovereign wealth funds in three Gulf states: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. An investment firm run by Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, is also backing the deal. Trump has signaled discomfort with Netflix's plan, raising questions over how his administration might treat either takeover.

📉 Wall Street eases off the summit, eyes rates again. Stocks pulled back from record highs as investors reconsidered how quickly interest rates might fall, and the supply of next-gen AI chips available to hyperscalers. Major indexes, including the Standard and Poor's 500 (S&P 500), slipped less than 1%. Treasury yields inched higher after mixed data from China and the American labor market. Traders still expect the Federal Reserve (Fed) to cut rates next year but now anticipate fewer moves. Energy and bank shares lagged after strong recent gains. Some tech names fared better, cushioning the drop. News that International Business Machines ($IBM) will buy Confluent ($CFLT) in an $11B deal highlighted how valuable infrastructure has become.

Help better understand our audience. Take this 1-minute survey here so we can provide our community with the best content, news, and stories that matter to you most.

Feel free to reply with your feedback. PM reads and responds to every email. :)

That’s all for today!

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

See you tomorrow!