Good Morning! Today’s edition is 980 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Starbucks shakes up policies

• Orange Cream Coke

• Delta’s new planes

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Big Story

DeepSeek Disrupts AI World

A Chinese company is making waves in the artificial intelligence world.

• DeepSeek launched its R1 model last week. Some experts say DeepSeek’s machine learning model is as good as ChatGPT, and it only spent $6 million to develop it. In comparison, US companies are on track to invest $1 trillion in AI in the coming years.

• The company’s program uses a method called "inference-time computing," which means it only uses the parts of its AI model that it needs for each question, saving money and computing power.

• Word of DeepSeek’s cost-efficient functionality quickly spread to Wall Street, tanking stock prices for AI tech companies. Nvidia, which makes special chips for AI, saw its stock fall 16%. Other chip shares also shrank, dragging down the Nasdaq by 3.2%.

• DeepSeek was #1 on Apple’s App Store over the weekend, but experts don’t believe the service will catch on with major US businesses because of security risks. Yesterday, the company had to limit signups after being hit with a large-scale cyberattack.

Big Story

Palestinians Return to Gaza

Many Palestinians are returning to their homes in northern Gaza after months of living in temporary shelters.

• Officials say more than 300,000 people have already made their way back to Gaza City and the northern part of Gaza.

• Their homecoming is happening after 15 months of violence between Israel and Hamas. Palestinians can return to northern Gaza, but they must be unarmed, and security checks are being conducted by Egyptian personnel and a private US security firm. Israeli troops are simultaneously withdrawing from the enclave.

• The return, which had been delayed during the weekend, continued after Hamas agreed to release three Israeli hostages this week. Hamas has also provided a list showing that 25 out of 33 hostages scheduled to be released in the first phase of the agreement are alive.

• About 650,000 Palestinians were forced to leave northern Gaza during the war. Much of Gaza has been destroyed, and returning residents will need at least 135,000 tents and shelters as they try to rebuild their lives and homes.

Big Story

Starbucks Shake Up

Starbucks is implementing major changes across its US locations to boost store traffic and enhance the customer experience.

• The new Coffeehouse Code of Conduct restricts café, patio, and restroom use to customers only, replacing the 2018 open-door policy. The code bans harassment, drug use, outside alcohol, and disruptive behavior.

• There is also a new complimentary refill program for customers who order beverages "for here" in a ceramic mug, glass, or clean personal cup. The program offers free refills of hot brewed coffee, iced coffee, and hot or iced tea during the same visit.

• To improve service efficiency, Starbucks has restored self-service condiment bars across all locations. The stations, which were removed during the pandemic, will have creamers, milk, and sweeteners.

Quick Stories

US News

• The US and Colombia averted a trade war after Colombia agreed to accept military flights carrying deported migrants, leading the US to withdraw its threats of tariffs and sanctions. (More)

• A 3.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Maine's coast near York Harbor on Monday morning, causing noticeable shaking across several New England states. (More)

• A group of Quaker congregations is suing the Department of Homeland Security after it lifted a longstanding policy that had restricted immigration enforcement at locations like churches, schools, and hospitals. (More)

World

• New Zealand has revised its visitor visa regulations to allow tourists to work remotely during their stays. It hopes the move attracts digital nomads and strengthens the nation's tourism industry and economy. (More)

• Nepal is raising Mount Everest climbing permits from $11,000 to $15,000, marking the first fee increase in nearly a decade for the world's highest peak. (More)

• A preliminary investigation of last month's Jeju Air crash in South Korea revealed duck remains in both engines, suggesting a bird strike may have contributed to the disaster that claimed 179 lives. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed mixed on Monday (S&P -1.46%, Nasdaq -3.07%, Dow +0.65%). Fears of an AI stock bubble popping drove the S&P and Nasdaq down sharply. (More)

• Coca-Cola is launching Orange Cream flavored Coke in regular and zero sugar varieties next month, aiming to tap into nostalgia with its newest flavor combination. (More)

• Bitcoin's value dropped below $100,000 on Monday morning, falling from its previous $110,000 level, amid predictions from BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes of a potential decline to around $70,000. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Lady Gaga has announced that her seventh studio album, previously known as "LG7," will be titled "Mayhem" and released on March 7. (More)

• The University of Florida has concluded its four-month Title IX investigation of men's basketball coach Todd Golden, finding no evidence to support allegations of sexual exploitation, harassment, and stalking. (More)

• Mac McClung will attempt to become the first three-time NBA slam dunk contest winner as he competes against Spurs rookie Stephon Castle, Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis, and Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• A colossal iceberg known as A23a, comparable in size to Rhode Island, is drifting toward South Georgia Island near Antarctica. It could disrupt penguin feeding patterns if it hits near the wildlife sanctuary. (More)

• Scientists at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa have discovered that Hawaii’s two most active volcanoes, Kīlauea and Maunaloa, share a magma source. (More)

• A new study reveals that men who experienced childhood trauma show changes in their sperm DNA's activity patterns, though the genetic code itself remains unchanged. (More)

Extra Credit

✈️ Check out the interior of Delta’s new planes.

💵 The median annual pay of every US state. 

⛄️ Historic photos of snowmen.

🐕️ Do dogs actually watch TV?