Trump Verdict Looms, Caitlin Clark, and Bad Breath Science

Good morning. It's Friday, Feb. 16, and we're covering a highly anticipated ruling in New York, a record-breaking night in Iowa, and much more. First time reading? Sign up here.

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Science & Technology

In partnership with Knightscope

> OpenAI unveils text-to-video platform known as Sora, which turns AI prompts into realistic footage with complex details up to one minute long (More)

> Rising US suicide rate has been driven by increased access to potent opioids and decreased social safety net, large-scale analysis finds; roughly 50,000 Americans died by suicide in 2023 (More)

> Undeciphered wooden tablets provide evidence of a written language among the Indigenous culture on Easter Island prior to the first arrival of Europeans (More) | What are the Rongorongo tablets? (More)

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Business & Markets

> US stock markets close up (S&P 500 +0.6%, Dow +0.9%, Nasdaq +0.3%); S&P 500 closes at another record high (More) | Shares of AI companies, including Arm Holdings, rally after Nvidia discloses stakes in them Wednesday; comes a day after Nvidia exceeds Alphabet in market value (More)

> US retail sales fell 0.8% month-over-month in January, a larger-than-expected drop and down from a 0.4% gain in December (More) | Average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rises to 6.77%, the highest in 10 weeks (More) | The US eases restrictions on banking giant Wells Fargo following 2016 scandal (More) 

> Japan officially enters a recession, slips to fourth behind Germany on list of world's largest economies (More) | The UK slips into a recession after latest data show economy failed to grow for two consecutive quarters (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> Israeli forces advance into Nasser Hospital in the Gaza city of Khan Younis, reportedly searching for the remains of hostages (More) | Death toll from Israeli airstrike in neighboring Lebanon rises to 10 civilians, three Hezbollah fighters (More)

> Former FBI informant, said to be at center of tip alleging illicit foreign business dealings by President Joe Biden and son Hunter Biden, reportedly arrested for lying to federal officials (More)

> Greece becomes first Orthodox Christian country to legalize same-sex marriage, provide parental rights for same-sex couples (More)

In-Depth

> The Untold Story of Truth

Smithsonian | Cynthia Greenlee. A penetrating look at the life of abolitionist hero Sojourner Truth clarifies the record around the Dutch-speaking, New York-born former slave and visionary preacher. (Read)

> India's YouTube Election

Rest of World | Yashraj Sharma. Ahead of elections this year, YouTube has become the primary mode for political messaging in the world's largest democracy, where even Prime Minister Narendra Modi identifies as a "YouTuber." (Read)

> Auto-Mated

WUNC Radio | Paige Miranda, Anita Rao. (Podcast) What is it like to date an AI companion? Hear the real stories from people who've romanced a robot as well as from the experts designing them. (Listen)

> A Day at the Roman Colosseum

Tasting History | Max Miller. See what it was really like to be a spectator in one of the world's greatest amphitheaters, from the kinds of concessions available to the special cushions you had to bring yourself. (Watch)

Scientists uncover the origin of bad breath.

Mixologists resurrect a 3,000-year-old drink.

AI's newest target—British bedbugs.

Dubai debuts the world's largest cantilever building.

The search for an ancient planet at the center of Earth. (via YouTube)

Falling maggots force Delta flight to turn around.

Divers discover the remains of a famous Lake Superior shipwreck.

Ten animals with superpower-like abilities.

Clickbait: Undercover Care Bear makes a drug bust (w/video).

Historybook: Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun's burial chamber is unsealed (1923); Fidel Castro becomes prime minister of Cuba (1959); Tennis great John McEnroe born (1959); Actress Elizabeth Olsen born (1989); Musician The Weeknd born (1990).

"The important thing is to learn a lesson every time you lose."

- John McEnroe

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