Greetings! Happy Ratification Day to those celebrating.

Let’s get into today’s top stories.

Most people treat this stretch of the year as dead time. But builders like you know it’s actually prime time. And with beehiiv powering your content, world domination is truly in sight.

On beehiiv, you can launch your website in minutes with the AI Web Builder, publish a professional newsletter with ease, and even tap into huge earnings with the beehiiv Ad Network. It’s everything you need to create, grow, and monetize in one place.

In fact, we’re so hyped about what you’ll create, we’re giving you 30% off your first three months with code BIG30. So forget about taking a break. It’s time for a break-through.

Start building for 30% off today.

🌍 Visa processing pause hits 75 countries. The State Department will pause immigrant-visa processing for citizens of 75 countries starting Jan 21. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it targets applicants likely to need public assistance. The list includes Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Somalia, plus many states across Africa and Latin America. Officials tied it to November guidance widening “public charge” screening for permanent entry. Tourist and business visas still move, but consular staff must interrogate finances more. Travel demand could surge ahead of 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics in the United States, benefits tests with passport stamps at the end.

🇮🇷 Iran hints at rapid trials and executions. Iranian officials signaled fast trials and executions for over 18,000 detainees from protests. Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei said punishment must be quick to “have the same effect.” Activists at the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) estimated 2,586 deaths, including 2,417 protesters. A funeral honored about 100 security members as posters of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei filled Tehran. Revolutionary Guard chief Mohammad Pakpour blamed the United States and Israel without evidence. President Donald Trump warned hangings would bring “very strong action.” With the internet throttled and Starlink terminals spreading, the crackdown is a war on witnesses.

📶 Verizon outage knocks phones into “SOS” mode. Verizon Communications ($VZ) said an outage disrupted calls, texts and data for customers nationwide. Reports spiked around 1 pm Eastern, and Downdetector peaked near 175K submissions. Some phones showed “SOS” instead of signal bars, and home internet users complained too. Verizon said engineers worked the issue and declared service “fully restored” by Tuesday evening. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires major providers to report significant failures. For small businesses, a few dead hours can mean missed orders and stalled payments. Modern life runs on invisible infrastructure.

🧾 Affordable Care Act sign-ups dip as subsidies expire. New federal data show fewer Americans are choosing Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans this year. Roughly 800K fewer people have selected coverage, about a 4% dip from last year’s pace. Sign-ups sit near 23M, after topping 24M in recent years. Enhanced tax credits expired Jan 1, and the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) says average premiums could more than double. The House passed a 3-year subsidy extension, while the Senate hunts compromise. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) put the cost near $81B over a decade. Economist Robert Kaestner warned 2M more people may go uninsured, at least briefly.

💰 Gates Foundation goes bigger, then trims staff. The Gates Foundation set a record $9B budget for 2026, doubling down on global health. Co-chair Bill Gates said it still plans to spend $200B over 20 years, then close in 2045. Chief executive Mark Suzman said staffing could drop by up to 500 roles by 2030. That trims a workforce of about 2,375 people today. Leaders also capped operating costs at $1.25B, roughly 14% of the budget. The new spending tops last year’s $8.7B and boosts vaccines, polio work and women’s health. It is philanthropy on a diet, but with a bigger checkbook.

💳 Bilt joins the 10% credit-card rate zeitgeist. Bilt unveiled three revamped credit cards with a 10% introductory annual percentage rate (APR) for 12 months. Chief executive Ankur Jain said the cap answers bipartisan calls to cool credit costs. Bilt says 1 in 4 landlords accept its rent-linked payments, creating a built-in funnel. After the promo year, rates can run above 20%, so the bargain has a fuse. Its partnership with Wells Fargo ($WFC) ends in February after reports it lost about $10M a month. The lineup runs from a no-fee Blue to a $495 Palladium with travel credits.

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!