Mario Nawfal

ZELENSKYY ON LEX FRIDMAN’S PODCAST Lex Fridman just wrapped a 3+ hour conversation with Ukrainian President @ZelenskyyUa. The episode drops Monday—mark your calendars. Source: @lexfridman

MEET HADES, THE NEW EEL FROM YOUR NIGHTMARES Scientists accidentally discovered a new moray eel, Uropterygius Hades, that hates sunlight and loves mud. Found in river mouths across Asia, this dark brown, burrow-happy eel uses smell and taste—not sight—to navigate. Why name it after the god of the underworld? Because it looks like it pays rent there. Also, it’s as dark and moody as a teenager who just discovered metal music. Thanks to DNA testing and its goth aesthetic, Hades now officially joins the ~230 species of moray eels. Good luck sleeping tonight. Source: Popular Science

WHAT HAPPENED TO HOOD ORNAMENTS? They got canceled. Pointy mascots = pedestrian hazards. Fancy chrome? Bad for aerodynamics. And thieves? They turned them into trophies. Now, only Rolls-Royce and Bentley keep the dream alive—with retractable ornaments, because theft-proof is the new classy. The rest of us? Stuck with boring badge logos. Thanks, thieves. Source: Popular Science

🇺🇸NASA WANTS TO BRING MARS DIRT TO EARTH—BUT IT’S NOT CHEAP NASA’s Perseverance rover has been scooping up Mars dirt, and now they’re planning a mission to bring it back to Earth by the 2030s. Why? To study it and maybe find clues about life on Mars! But here’s the catch: it’ll cost $11 billion, and NASA’s budget isn’t exactly overflowing. Plus, some “minor technical issues” are causing delays. Still, if anyone can pull off the ultimate space delivery, it’s NASA. Mars secrets? They’re coming home... we hope. Source: NASA

🚨🇬🇧UK ARRESTS SKYROCKET FOR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS IN 2024: FREE SPEECH UNDER FIRE In 2024, the UK arrested over 100 reported people for social media posts, with charges ranging from “grossly offensive” content to incitement during protests. Critics are calling it a full-scale assault on free speech. Jordan Parlour, 28, was sentenced to 20 months for a Facebook post about asylum seeker hotels. Tyler Kay, 26, got 38 months for suggesting arson on similar facilities. Even Lee Dunn, 51, was jailed for “offensive” comments deemed harmful to public order. Recently, a veteran was arrested for "causing anxiety" with his social media posts... This crackdown is sparking outrage, with activists slamming the government for silencing dissent under the guise of public safety. What happened to free speech in a democracy? Sources: BBC, Sky News

🇪🇺 EUROPE BUILDS IRON DOMES WHILE THE UK SIPS ITS TEA... Poland is spending €37B on tanks, drones, and even its own “Iron Dome.” The Baltic states are digging trenches and laying mines. Finland? Fortified and ready. And the UK? Tossing out £500M in military gear and napping under the “1,700km duvet” of NATO allies, hoping Russia won’t notice. With a defense review delayed until summer, Britain’s strategy seems to be: “Let someone else handle it.” Source: The Independent

Don't give them any ideas @BasedMikeLee ...

🚨DEBUNKED: CLAIMS OF MANIPUR MILITANTS USING STARLINK DEVICES Reports claiming militants in Manipur are using Elon's Starlink devices to bypass internet shutdowns are false. @elonmusk: “Starlink satellite beams are turned off over India and were never on in the first place.” While a device with a Starlink logo was seized, it likely originated from Myanmar, where Starlink also does not officially operate. Source: Hindustan Times, X

Wow...

🇫🇷FRENCH TELCO HATES ON ELON… BUT SECRETLY USED STARLINK! After Cyclone Chido wrecked Mayotte, a French island, telecom company Orange trashed Elon Musk’s Starlink, calling it “inferior.” But surprise! Orange actually used Starlink’s satellites to bring internet back to the island after the storm. While Starlink helped locals reconnect, Orange tried to downplay it and take the credit. I'm shocked... Source: POLITICO

BEST WIRELESS HEADPHONES: CHOOSE WISELY, LISTEN LOUDLY From Sony’s WH-1000XM5 with 30-hour battery life and talk-sensing tech to Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra that cancels everything but your thoughts, these headphones are the gold standard. Need noise-canceling earbuds? Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds will silence a jet engine—or your roommate’s bad playlist. Apple fans, the AirPods Pro 2 have stellar noise canceling and a “find my buds” feature for when you inevitably lose one. Budget option? Soundpeats Capsule3 Pro+ punches above its price class with epic sound and solid noise canceling. Your ears deserve the best. What’s your pick? Source: WIRED

🚨🇬🇧ELON CALLS FOR KING TO DISSOLVE PARLIAMENT OVER GROOMING GANGS Elon is demanding accountability, urging King Charles to dissolve Parliament after the UK government rejected a full inquiry into grooming gangs. He called the scandal “state-sponsored evil” and accused Keir Starmer of failing victims during his time as CPS chief. With one post, Elon’s done more for justice than UK leaders have in years. Source: Hindustan Times

🚨 NYC’S “MOST FREQUENT STABBER” STRIKES AGAIN! Jamar Banks, 52, with 53 prior arrests and a thing for turnstiles, is now wanted for 2 subway stabbings this week. Known to haunt the No. 2 and No. 5 lines, Banks reportedly carries a giant knife and an even bigger rap sheet. Riders, keep your eyes peeled—and your backs too. Source: NY Post

🇺🇸WALTER ISAACSON: ELON CARES ABOUT HUMANITY "Elon Musk isn't motivated by money or power. He deeply cares about humanity." t.co/S2HJy5uLw4

ELECTRIC CARS: SAVING LIVES AND BILLIONS Switching to EVs could save the U.S. up to $188 billion in health costs by 2050, says a University of Toronto study. Cleaner air means fewer hospital visits and healthier communities—especially in areas hit hardest by pollution. But there’s a catch: EVs need clean energy. Burning dirty fuels could cut those savings by $71 billion. Want to help your wallet and your lungs? Go electric—and maybe walk or bike a little more while you’re at it. Source: The Cool Down

🚨 Lawsuit Filed: NOPD Accused of Negligence After 14 deaths in the New Year’s Day attack, a lawsuit claims the New Orleans Police Dept failed to use barriers that could’ve stopped the suspect. t.co/foqkYs6YD3

AI Evolution is happening before our eyes.... What will 2025 bring? t.co/6axoAQgqwZ

OIL PORTS, MEET YOUR WATERY DOOM Rising seas are set to swamp major oil hubs like Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura and the U.S.’s Houston—because irony loves a good punchline. Fossil fuel burning caused this, and now it’s coming for the ports themselves. By 2070, 13 of the world’s busiest oil ports could be seriously damaged by just 1 meter of sea level rise. Together, they handle 20% of global oil exports. Maybe they can export snorkels next? Building seawalls might buy time, but spoiler: you can’t outpace rising tides forever. Time to go renewable, or sink trying. Source: The Guardian

🇺🇸 Why Is George Soros Receiving the Medal of Freedom? Apparently, bankrolling political chaos and rewriting democracy with a checkbook counts as “extraordinary contributions” now. The Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, has gone to figures like MLK, Mother Teresa, and Rosa Parks—now it’s Soros’ turn. From funding progressive pet projects to stirring global controversy, Soros’ influence is as undeniable as it is divisive. Medal-worthy? Depends on your definition of freedom. Source: BBC

MEDITERRANEAN DIET: BOOSTING YOUR BRAIN, ONE BITE AT A TIME Skip the drive-thru and grab the olive oil—Tulane researchers say the Mediterranean diet literally feeds your brain. In a study on rats (aka tiny lab scholars), this diet boosted beneficial gut bacteria, improved memory, and even made them better at mazes. Meanwhile, the Western diet left their gut microbiomes looking like a junkyard. Key stats: +4 types of “good” gut bacteria with better memory. -5 types of “bad” bacteria linked to cognitive struggles. And yes, lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, too. The secret sauce? Olive oil, fish, fiber, and fewer Big Macs. Your gut bugs (and GPA) will thank you. Source: Tulane University

Grok generated a headline for Biden giving the Medal of Freedom to SOROS and HILLARY... "Diverse Group..." t.co/gA9v79B4fT

🚨🇺🇸D.C. ON LOCKDOWN FOR JANUARY EVENTS 3 major security events are hitting D.C. in 15 days: electoral certification, Jimmy Carter’s state funeral, and Trump’s inauguration. Officials are calling it "unprecedented." Fences surround the Capitol, 4,000 extra officers are on the way, and 500 National Guard troops are on standby. Protests? Expect tens of thousands, from the People’s March to anti-Trump demonstrations. The city is prepared for peace, but memories of Jan. 6 linger. Capitol Police Chief Manger: “We’re on high alert." Source: WaPo

🌕 THE MOON HAD A MAGNETIC FIELD?! WHO KNEW? The moon’s magnetic field stuck around way longer than anyone thought—like a party guest who won’t leave. Rocks from China’s Chang’e-5 mission show the field was still kicking 2 billion years ago, even if it was pretty weak. This ancient “magnetic bubble” may have blocked solar radiation and helped the moon hold onto water. Basically, it was the moon’s last attempt at being cool before giving up entirely. The moon was hotter and more active than we imagined—kind of like your older sibling in high school. Source: SCMP

SEXISM AGES WOMEN’S BRAINS BY 9 YEARS—IT’S SCIENCE, NOT HYPERBOLE For context, sexism didn’t spare men either—researchers found up to 6 years of cognitive decline in states with high sexism levels, possibly due to their mothers’ stress. Living in sexist states—think Alabama, Mississippi, and Wyoming—accelerates cognitive decline in women by the equivalent of 9 years of brain aging, says a new study of 21,000 people. Structural sexism factors include pay gaps, limited reproductive rights, and fewer women in positions of power. Black women face even worse outcomes, with shorter telomeres and weakened immune systems linked to racism and sexism overlap. Meanwhile, Connecticut, Vermont, and Rhode Island topped the “less sexist” list. Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

🇬🇧Multiculturalism is a disaster when it protects rapists over victims. Hundreds of thousands of children's lives were destroyed because leaders covered it up.

🚨🇦🇷VENEZUELA’S OPPOSITION LEADER GONZÁLEZ AND MILEI MEET AT CASA ROSADA, ARGENTINA Venezuela’s Edmundo González meets with Argentina’s Milei in a show of solidarity. González: “Thank you to Argentina for supporting the millions of Venezuelans who voted for change and democracy.” Source: @ConVzlaComando

🚨🇦🇷MILEI AND GONZÁLEZ GREET VENEZUELANS IN ARGENTINA Venezuela’s Edmundo González and Milei greeted a crowd of Venezuelans from Casa Rosada’s balcony. t.co/4tOr038QMy

🚨🇦🇷BREAKING: MILEI MEETS VENEZUELA’S OPPOSITION LEADER GONZÁLEZ Milei and Edmundo González met at Argentina’s Presidential Palace today. Milei: “We are doing what the cause of liberty demands—nothing more, nothing less.” t.co/0bjd1XNNTS

🚨HAMAS RELEASES VIDEO OF HOSTAGE LIRI ALBAG Hamas has released a new video showing Liri Albag, a 19-year-old Israeli soldier, alive after over 450 days in captivity. Albag was abducted during the October 7 attack at the Nahal Oz post, along with 6 others. This video, like previous ones, is seen by Israel as psychological warfare, with officials condemning it as another tactic of exploitation by Hamas. Albag remains in captivity with 4 others, while one hostage was rescued, and another recovered dead. Source: Times of Israel

🚨FILMMAKER JEFF BAENA, HUSBAND OF AUBREY PLAZA, DEAD AT 47 BY SUICIDE Jeff Baena, director of Life After Beth and husband to actress Aubrey Plaza, was found dead at his LA home. Law enforcement confirmed the 47-year-old’s death as a suicide. Baena and Plaza, who wed in 2021 after a decade of dating, kept their relationship private. Baena, a Miami native and NYU film graduate, was celebrated for his creative work, including The Little Hours. He is survived by Plaza, his parents, and siblings. Source: NY Post