Greetings! Happy National 311 Day to those celebrating.

Let’s get into today’s top stories.

🇬🇧 Britain boots hereditary nobles from Parliament after 700 years. Britain’s Parliament voted to remove hereditary aristocrats from the unelected House of Lords. The House of Lords dropped objections after the House of Commons passed the bill. Government minister Nick Thomas-Symonds called hereditary seats “archaic and undemocratic.” He argued merit should matter more than bloodlines and old titles. The chamber still scrutinizes laws, but critics call it bloated and outdated. It has more than 800 members, making it the world’s second-largest legislature after China’s National People’s Congress. For centuries it was dominated by noblemen and bishops, with life peers added later. About 1 in 10 members are still hereditary peers. Peter Mandelson’s recent resignation after scrutiny over Jeffrey Epstein ties revived reform pressure. The change is constitutional housekeeping with a sharp edge.

🇮🇷 War damage to Iran’s heritage sites triggers international alarm. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) verified damage at multiple Iranian cultural sites. It said Golestan Palace in Tehran was hit by debris and shock waves after strikes nearby. UNESCO also confirmed damage at Chehel Sotoun palace in Isfahan. It verified harm to Masjed-e Jāme, described as the country’s oldest Friday mosque. Damage was also recorded near the Khorramabad Valley, a prehistoric cave complex. UNESCO noted evidence of human occupation there dating to 63,000 B.C. Iran and Lebanon asked UNESCO to add more sites to enhanced protection. UNESCO said it had shared coordinates with parties to help avoid damage. United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric warned modern wars punish civilians and priceless heritage alike. Identity, tourism, and memory are all taking hits at once.

🚧 Stryker reports cyberattack that disrupted global networks. Stryker ($SYK) said a cyberattack disrupted its global networks on Wednesday. The company said it saw no sign of ransomware or malware. It said it believes the incident is contained. Stryker said the attack hit its Microsoft ($MSFT) programs. The Wall Street Journal reported the Iran-affiliated Handala hacker group’s logo appeared on some login pages. Stryker told regulators the full scope of business impact is not yet known. It also said the timeline for full restoration is unclear. Stryker is based in Portage, Michigan, and makes products from artificial joints to hospital beds. It reported more than $25B revenue in 2025 and says it has 56,000 employees worldwide. Advisor Alexander Leslie said targeting health care manufacturing creates outsized ripple effects.

🪙 States rush to set rounding rules as pennies disappear. States are writing new rules for cash payments as pennies get scarcer. President Donald Trump announced an end to penny production last year, calling it wasteful. The United States Mint said it cost 3.7¢ to make each penny in 2024. Treasury says roughly 114B pennies remain in circulation for “as long as possible.” It also says pennies must still be accepted as payment. Lawmakers are leaning on symmetrical rounding to the nearest nickel. Totals ending in 1, 2, 6, or 7 cents round down for cash. Totals ending in 3, 4, 8, or 9 cents round up. Indiana Governor Mike Braun signed a bill this month, then lawmakers moved to make rounding optional. The penny may linger, but the math is already changing.

🎰 Utah takes on Kalshi and Polymarket in a high-stakes clash. Utah is moving to restrict prediction markets, despite its long anti-gambling tradition. Governor Spencer Cox said the state has no casinos, lotteries, or racetracks for betting. Cox called prediction markets “a casino in the pocket of every single American.” The bill targets platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket that sell event-outcome contracts. Cox said he will sign it, setting a state-versus-federal collision. Kalshi already sued Utah and points to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as its regulator. The CFTC argues states cannot ban the products based on moral objections. The story says Kalshi and Polymarket were each estimated at $20B after recent fundraising. It also says Kalshi saw more than $1B in Super Bowl trading volume. The fight is about gambling definitions, but it will shape what counts as “finance” online.

🌪️ Tornadoes kill 2 in Indiana and flatten blocks in Illinois. Major storms spawned tornadoes that killed at least two people in northwest Indiana. The Newton County Coroner said Edward L. Kozlowski, 89, and Arlene Kozlowski, 84, died in Lake Village. The coroner said blunt force trauma appeared to be the cause. An autopsy was scheduled for Friday, officials said. The storms also leveled buildings in Kankakee, Illinois. The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Chicago said one supercell produced at least four tornadoes. Crews were still assessing the number and strength of tornadoes. Another round of rain, hail, and strong winds moved through the region Wednesday. Parts of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio remained under a tornado watch. The Midwest keeps learning the same lesson in fresh debris.

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That’s all for today!

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