Researchers revealed on Tuesday (yep, Valentine’s Day) that a birth control pill for men is yielding promising results in the lab. Because of the unique way it would prevent pregnancy, this pill could become the first legit contraception alternative to vasectomies and condoms for men.

How it works: The new pill, developed by Weill Cornell Medical scientists, temporarily immobilizes sperm by blocking a protein called soluble adenylyl cyclase, or “sAC,” that triggers sperm to swim to an egg. In the lab, the pill successfully prevented male mice from siring baby mice (aka “pinkies,” fun mouse fact) for a couple of hours—though they hope to extend that window to a day or two. Up next: tests on rabbits, which apparently WooHoo kind of like humans.

It’s like Viagra, but for preventing pregnancy

That’s a big deal for getting it approved by the FDA. The fact that this experimental birth control pill wears off over time makes it similar to two pills that are already on the market, Viagra and Cialis.

Like those ED treatments, the sperm-stunning pill also has short-term side effects—which represents a vast improvement over other pill experiments.

• Previous attempts at developing a birth control pill for men required them to take hormonal medications for months to prevent sperm from being formed in the first place.
• Long-term use of these pills caused ongoing side effects—like acne, weight gain, and mood swings—that lasted for months after stopping use of the pill.

If your eyes just rolled to the back of your head—yep, those are the exact same side effects women experience from taking hormonal birth control. But, from the FDA’s perspective, the risk of side effects from hormonal birth control are far less than the risks involved in a pregnancy for women.

Looking ahead…the Weill Cornell researchers who are developing the new pill seem confident: They already formed a company, Sacyl Pharmaceuticals, to produce it.—JW

Feds probe United Airlines near-disaster. That flight path you see above is not how a takeoff is supposed to go. But that’s what happened to a United flight that left Maui in December—after climbing in normal fashion for about a minute, it dove to within 800 feet of the Pacific Ocean before regaining altitude. The public didn’t know of this until The Air Current published an article about the incident on Sunday, and now the National Transportation Safety Board has begun a formal review.

US offers explanation for UFOs. The three unidentified objects recently shot down by the US military weren’t sent by aliens, and they probably weren’t spy balloons, either, the Biden administration claimed. Instead, they could have just been balloons “tied to some commercial or benign purpose,” John Kirby of the National Security Council said. We also learned that the first missile strike intended to bring down an object over Lake Huron on Sunday missed its target, but the second one hit. Not surprised the jets threw incomplete passes…

BFPD: That stands for “big freakin’ plane deal,” because Air India, Boeing, and Airbus just linked up for the largest commercial aircraft deal in history. The airline placed an order for 250 Airbus planes and 220 Boeing jets in a bid to win back Indian passengers who’ve increasingly chosen Gulf carriers like Emirates and Qatar Airways to crisscross the globe. It’s unclear how much these 470 planes will cost Air India, since manufacturers typically offer heavy discounts from list prices.

Pharrell Williams has finally escaped from the shadow of Big Hat to become the creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, the world’s biggest luxury brand. The music producer, streetwear entrepreneur, and costar of that Maggie Rogers NYU video will fill the role previously held by Virgil Abloh, the first Black American to lead design at a European luxury house, who died in 2021.

The appointment extends Pharrell’s already considerable fashion resume: He’s the founder of streetwear labels Billionaire Boys Club and IceCream, and he’s collaborated with companies like Adidas, Chanel, and Moncler. Williams’s first collection for LV will debut during the Paris men’s fashion week this June.

By hiring big names and celebs, Louis Vuitton parent company LVMH has charted a different course from competitors like Kering, which recently tapped a little-known Italian designer for the creative director position at Gucci.

Looking ahead…Louis Vuitton hopes that Williams will help juice its incredible growth run. Four years ago, the company became the first luxury brand to break $10 billion in sales and has doubled that figure since. That’s helped make LVMH Europe’s most valuable company and its owner, Bernard Arnault, the world’s richest person.—MK

Staying single is almost as much of a drain on your checking account as it is on your parents’ patience. According to a Zillow report released ahead of Valentine’s Day, single people in the US pay $7,000 more in rent annually in what’s known as a “singles tax.” Conversely, a couple living together can save $14,000 a year on average by splitting the rent.

Zillow’s analysis looked at folks living alone in one-bedroom apartments, and its findings varied greatly by region: Lone New Yorkers bear the highest singles tax of $19,500, while the singles premium is cheapest in Cleveland and Detroit at $4,387 and $4,483, respectively.

Does “single” mean “broke”?

Research shows that young married couples typically have a higher net worth, at least in part because they’re able to pool their rent savings and potentially use them for a down payment on a home. But don’t despair if you’re as single as Fleabag: Finding a roommate can offset some of the financial burden of chronic singlehood.

Zoom out: A hot rental market is straining Americans’ budgets more than it has in the past, with a growing number of US adults living alone: The share of one-person households has more than doubled since 1960 to 28% in 2021.—SK

Super Bowl stats: FanDuel said it was accepting 50,000 bets per minute at its peak during the Super Bowl, and throughout the game averaged 2 million active users. Over on the broadcast side, Sunday’s Super Bowl was the third-most watched TV show of all time, drawing 113 million viewers. That’s a slight uptick in viewership from the year before.

Quote: “I’m not going to be that guy.”

Actor Idris Elba quashed speculation that he will be the next James Bond after Daniel Craig. Instead of playing 007, Elba said he’s focused on his role as detective John Luther. “That’s who I am,” he said.

Read: Why is every character suddenly an “antihero” now? (Polygon)

Academia doesn’t have to be stuffy. This paper dissects the second verse of Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” from the lens of a criminal procedure professor.

A virtual Vermeer tour: Stephen Fry explains what makes this Dutch painter so special.

Miss Ted Lasso? The coach, CGI-generated Roy Kent, and the rest of the gang are coming back on March 15. Here’s the new teaser for Season 3.

Robo-cocktails: This is what happens when AI models play bartender.

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Word Search: Today’s puzzle features the cutest li’l Funko Pop figurines you’ve ever seen. Check it out.

Thanks for flagging

Canada’s iconic maple leaf flag made its official debut on this day in 1965. But it’s not the only country whose flag is just red and white. Can you name the countries with the following red-and-white flags?

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Ready, set, recruit: Join HR Brew and Duolingo on March 2 for a virtual event about the future of recruiting. Learn more.