TechCrunch (techcrunch.com)

• Bye-bye corporate conglomerates. Hello personal conglomerates.
• Meet the new European unicorns of 2026
• Waymo reportedly raising a $16B funding round
• SpaceX seeks federal approval to launch 1 million solar-powered satellite data centers
• Nvidia CEO pushes back against report that his company’s $100B OpenAI investment has stalled
• HomeBoost’s app will show you where to save on your utility bills
• a16z partner Kofi Ampadu to leave firm after TxO program pause
• A peek inside Physical Intelligence, the startup building Silicon Valley’s buzziest robot brains

NPR News (www.npr.org)

• Swiss Alpine bar fire claims 41st victim, an 18-year-old Swiss national
• Alcaraz beats Djokovic to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam
• In the world's driest desert, Chile freezes its future to protect plants
• At a clown school near Paris, failure is the lesson
• Iran's supreme leader warns any US attack would spark 'regional war'
• Minnesota citizens detained by ICE are left rattled, even weeks later
• Gaza border crossing buzzes with activity after years of near-complete closure
• Democrat Taylor Rehmet wins a reliably Republican Texas state Senate seat, stunning GOP

NYT Front Page (www.nytimes.com)

• Democratic Upset in Deep Red Texas District Rattles Republicans
• They Said They Weren’t Close to Epstein. New Documents Show Otherwise.
• This Hasidic Reporter Has a Few Questions for Mayor Mamdani
• Winter Storm Hits the Carolinas, Bringing Dangerous Ice and Snow
• Woman Says Tal Alexander Assaulted Her When She Was 13 Years Old
• The Secret to Marriage Equality: Baby Formula
• The White House Is the Crisis
• At a Grammys Light on Drama, All Eyes Will Be on Bad Bunny

Mashable (mashable.com)

• OnlyFans might sell majority stake to investment firm Architect Capital
• 30+ unique Valentines Day gifts for men: Smart, cute, and practical ideas hell be psyched about
• How to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics online for free
• How to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics: streaming guide
• Act fast — a 1TB MacBook Pro for under $450 won’t last long
• Don’t count your old PC out — give it a refresh with this $10 Windows 11 Pro license
• Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on February 1
• Hurdle hints and answers for February 1, 2026

Washington Post Politics (www.washingtonpost.com)

• In Texas, Democrats narrow GOP’s U.S. House majority, win upset in state Senate
• Mayors look at Minneapolis with concern and wonder: Is my city next?
• Judge ordered 5-year-old released, but data shows ICE is detaining more kids
• Why a Minnesota child’s family doesn’t want ICE to deport her murderer
• DOJ misconduct complaint against D.C. federal judge dismissed
• Judge denies Minnesota’s request for immediate end to immigration crackdown
• Democrats to shake up primary map, as 12 states vie to be among the first
• Trump wants to build a 250-foot-tall arch, dwarfing the Lincoln Memorial

Reddit News (www.reddit.com)

• Jeffrey Epstein sent $75,000 to Lord Mandelson linked accounts, documents appear to show.
• Leftist and liberal gun groups are seeing a rush of new members
• Melania director Brett Ratner pictured cuddling woman in Epstein files
• Committing serious crimes can now lead to loss of Belgian nationality
• Reports indicate that the IRGC is removing injured protesters from hospital beds for detention and possible execution. Photos and videos emerging from Iran show dead protesters with medical equipment still attached, many appearing to have been shot in the head or chest at close range.
• Reports of ‘possible biological lab’ prompt police, FBI search of east Las Vegas home
• US authorities reportedly investigate claims that Meta can read encrypted WhatsApp messages
• Israeli strikes kill over 30 in Gaza, health ministry says, in deadliest day in months

The Verge (www.theverge.com)

• This tiny pocket-friendly e-reader is packed with frustration and potential
• I don’t hate the robot barista like I thought I would
• Antigravity’s 360-degree A1 drone is 15 percent off
• The telephoto is the only phone camera that really matters
• Nvidia CEO denies he’s ‘unhappy’ with OpenAI
• “No more Minnesota nice, Minneapolis will strike”
• SpaceX wants to put 1 million solar-powered data centers into orbit
• The AirPods 4 and Google’s 4K streamer are just two of this week’s best deals

Techmeme (www.techmeme.com)

• Inside Physical Intelligence, a startup co-founded by Stripe veteran Lachy Groom that is building general-purpose robotics foundation models and has raised $1B+ (Connie Loizos/TechCrunch)
• A look at iOS 26's call-screening feature, which some compare to an executive assistant filter unwanted calls, as others complain it makes people hard to reach (Andrew Zucker/Wall Street Journal)
• Chinese government funding is backing traditional Chinese medicine providers to adopt AI for drug discovery, clinical diagnostics, acupuncture robots, and more (Nicole Fan/Rest of World)
• A look at China's "genius class" system, which picks ~100K gifted teens annually for elite science-focused schooling; its alumni span ByteDance, PDD, and more (Zijing Wu/Financial Times)
• Anthropic positions itself as the AI sector's superego, but it's caught between the pressures to be safe, fast, and rigorous while being commercially successful (Matteo Wong/The Atlantic)
• Sources: Alibaba has delivered more than 100K units of the Zhenwu 810E, an ASIC for AI training and inference, surpassing those of its domestic rival Cambricon (Ann Cao/South China Morning Post)
• A researcher says an exposed Moltbook database could have let anyone take control of AI agents on the site and post anything; the database has now been closed (Matthew Gault/404 Media)
• OpenAI says it is asking select advertisers to commit at least $200K as it rolls out beta ads on ChatGPT; two sources say their firms were pitched lower amounts (Trishla Ostwal/Adweek)

CNN Top Stories (www.cnn.com)

• Taxes are due tomorrow. Here's how to file for an extension
• 50+ products to make your life easier and our planet cleaner
• A head-to-toe guide of how men should dress this spring, and where they should shop
• 42 of the most useful travel products you can buy on Amazon
• The 7 best high-yield savings accounts of April 2023
• Russia is 'going backwards' in equipment and deploying post WWII-era tanks, according to Western officials
• Bidets save you money and reduce waste — we tested the best options out there
• Composting is an easy way to reduce food waste. Here's how to do it

BBC Top Stories (www.bbc.co.uk)

• Twelve killed by Russian strike near bus in Ukraine, official says
• Harry Styles and Anthony Joshua among UK's top taxpayers
• Epstein sent $75,000 to accounts linked to Mandelson, files suggest
• New Pictures Appear to Show Andrew in Epstein Files
• Major incident after fire breaks out at hospital
• Charlotte Cadden chosen as Tory by-election candidate
• French tech giant Capgemini to sell US subsidiary working for ICE
• Watch: Burglars raid jewellers in daytime break-in

WSJ Technology (www.wsj.com)

• AI’s Fundraising Frenzy Continues
• Why I’m Getting a Home Battery Backup Before the Next Outage
• Why I’m Getting a Home Battery Backup Before the Next Outage
• The AI Boom Is Coming for Apple’s Profit Margins
• The AI Boom Is Coming for Apple’s Profit Margins
• ‘Spy Sheikh’ Bought Secret Stake in Trump Company
• The $100 Billion Megadeal Between OpenAI and Nvidia Is on Ice
• The $100 Billion Megadeal Between OpenAI and Nvidia Is on Ice

Reuters (www.reuters.com)

• S&P 500 closes nominally higher amid COVID-19 spikes, muted data
• Pelosi says Trump 'ethically unfit' for presidency, will continue oversight
• Trump unfit to be U.S. president, Democrat Pelosi, conservative Bolton agree
• World stock markets slip on second wave virus fears, safe-havens rise
• Tesla wants to start building a new U.S. vehicle plant this summer
• Trump pledges new list of conservative Supreme Court contenders
• Atlanta officer says he is not 'state's witness' in Rayshard Brooks case
• Facebook takes down Trump ads over 'organized hate' policy

Sweepsy (www.sweepsy.com)

• VGW Founder & CEO Laurence Escalante Faces Criminal Charges in Australia, Taking Leave Of Absence
• Louisiana Pre-Files Bill To Classify Offering Sweeps Casinos As Racketeering
• After Amendment, Virginia Bill Legalizing iGaming & Banning Sweeps Clears First Committee
• Hawaii Introduces Bill That Could Raise Questions For Sweeps Casinos
• VGW, SGLA Testify Against Sweeps Ban Bill In Maryland Senate
• Judiciary Committee Amends, Approves Mississippi Sweeps Ban Bill
• Fliff Changes Look Of Purchase Options In Fliff Cash Mode
• Iowa Bill Paving Way For Sweeps Cease-And-Desists Set For Jan. 29 Hearing

Bloomberg Market News (bloomberg.com)

• Saudi Oil-Supply Hikes Power Best Economic Growth Since 2022
• OPEC+ on Track to Ratify March Output Pause, Delegates Say
• NCC Said in Talks to Sell Industry Unit to CRH-Heidelberg Group
• India Cuts Taxes to Boost Rare Earth Processing to Counter China
• India Proposes New Incentives to Boost Municipal Bond Market
• India Seeks Diaspora Capital as Foreign Funds Pull Out of Local Stocks
• Saudi Stocks Slide Most Since June on Geopolitics, Gold Retreat
• India Extends Import Tax Waivers on Nuclear Equipment Until 2035