Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,065 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Tibet’s major earthquake

• House passes Laken Riley Act

• Best 25 spring travel spots

First-time reader? Sign up here!

Big Story

Medical Debt Pulled From Credit Reports

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) finalized a rule that removes $49 billion in medical debt from being included in credit reports

• The change aims to help 15 million Americans improve their credit scores and make it easier for people to get loans. The rule will also stop lenders from using medical information when making decisions.

• Those who have medical debt on their credit reports may see their credit scores increase by an average of 20 points, according to the CFPB. It said the rule will also increase the approval of affordable mortgages every year by about 22,000.

• Vice President Harris also announced that over $1 billion in medical debt has been canceled for 750,000 Americans in certain states. An additional $7 billion may be eliminated for 3 million more people through the American Rescue Plan Act by 2026.

Big Story

Tibet Earthquake

A powerful earthquake measuring 7.1 in magnitude hit western China’s Tibet region and northeastern Nepal, killing at least 126 people and injuring 188.

• The quake damaged over 1,000 homes, with rubble covering streets and trapping many people. Nearby, Mount Everest and Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, also felt the tremors. The earthquake’s shallow depth increased its destructive impact.

• The quake's epicenter was in Tibet’s Tingri county, near the India-Eurasia tectonic plate boundary, a region prone to strong earthquakes. The high-altitude area is home to about 6,900 people and is part of China but has longstanding political tensions with Beijing.

• Around 150 aftershocks shook the region, and Mount Everest’s scenic zone on the Chinese side was closed. The area has experienced 10 significant earthquakes over the past century.

Big Story

Tesla Investigation

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating 2.6 million Tesla vehicles in the US due to crashes involving the Actually Smart Summon feature.

• The summon feature lets users move their cars remotely using a smartphone app. Reports say the cars failed to detect obstacles like posts and parked vehicles, leading to four crashes, including a fatal one in 2023. Users also struggled to stop the cars in time using the app.

• NHTSA is evaluating the safety of Actually Smart Summon, focusing on its speed limits, use on public roads, and how well it handles unexpected situations. In late 2023, Tesla recalled over two million vehicles to add safeguards to its Autopilot system, but NHTSA is still examining if those changes are enough.

• The probe adds to growing concerns about Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance systems as the company aims to expand into self-driving technology and robotaxis.

Quick Stories

US News

• The House passed its first bill of 2025, the Laken Riley Act. It requires the detention of undocumented immigrants arrested for specific non-violent crimes like theft. The bill passed 264-159, with 48 Democrats siding with Republicans voting for it. (More)

• President-elect Donald Trump said he won’t rule out using military force to secure US control over the Panama Canal and Greenland, citing their importance to economic and national security. (More)

• Firefighters in Los Angeles are battling the rapidly spreading Palisades Fire, which burned over 200 acres of dry brush in the Pacific Palisades area. Strong winds across Southern California are fueling the wildfire and destructive gusts are forecasted to last days. (More)

World

• The Central Archives of the Special Jurisdiction (CABR) in the Netherlands has published online the names of over 400,000 individuals suspected of collaborating with the Nazis during their occupation of the country from 1940 to 1945. (More)

• The Damascus airport welcomed its first international commercial flight since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad. Many passengers were Syrian nationals returning home after more than a decade. (More)

• At least nine workers are trapped in a coal mine in Assam, India after water from a nearby unused mine flooded the area. Rescue efforts are underway to reach the miners who are 300 feet below ground. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed lower on Tuesday (S&P -1.11%, Nasdaq -1.89%, Dow -0.42%). Stocks reacted negatively to data that showed faster-than-expected growth in the services industry, which could postpone further Federal Reserve rate cuts. (More)

• Getty Images is acquiring Shutterstock in a $3.7 billion merger, combining their visual content portfolios. Getty hopes to counter AI-generated imagery by offering a more diverse selection of still images, videos, music, 3D, and other media. (More)

• President-elect Donald Trump announced a $20 billion foreign investment for building data centers in the US, with backing from Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani. The project will begin with a "first phase" in Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• No. 8 Florida dominated No. 1 Tennessee 73-43 in men’s college basketball. It was Tennessee's first loss of the season and the first time in Florida's program history defeating a top-ranked team at home. (More)

• The National Women’s Soccer League will kick off its 12th season on March 14th, 2025. The season will feature 190 games, with playoffs culminating in a new champion being crowned on November 22nd. (More)

• The Las Vegas Raiders fired head coach Antonio Pierce after his first full season in which the team finished 4-13. Limited owner Tom Brady is expected to be a part of a collaborative committee that will help owner Mark Davis pick a new head coach. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine shows that taking doxycycline within 72 hours after sex reduced the risk of chlamydia by 79%, syphilis by 80%, and gonorrhea by 12%. (More)

• NASA is revising its Mars sample retrieval methods after current plans ballooned to $11 billion and a 2040 arrival date. Instead, the agency has asked industry and other partners for a proposal to get samples back to Earth by the 2030s. (More)

• Louisiana has reported the first US death from H5N1 bird flu, involving a patient hospitalized with severe illness. Since 2024, 66 human cases have been confirmed in the US, with 67 total since 2022. (More)

Extra Credit

🗽 The top 20 countries where the most immigrants come from.

🏖️ The 25 best travel destinations this spring.

➗ The textbook that helped Benjamin Franklin pass math.

⛄️ A guide to pain-free snow shoveling.