Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,070 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Food recalls mount up

• Moscow assassination

• Phone-free February

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Big Story

Trade War Postponed

The US struck deals with Mexico and Canada to put tariffs on hold for a month.

• President Trump recently announced plans to put heavy taxes (tariffs) on goods from Canada and Mexico. The tariffs would have started this morning, with a 25% tax on most goods and 10% on energy products.

• Mexico's President Sheinbaum promised to send 10,000 troops to their border to help stop drug trafficking, while the US agreed to help prevent guns from reaching Mexican drug cartels. Canada's Prime Minister Trudeau agreed to add more border security staff and spend hundreds of millions of dollars to fight the spread of fentanyl.

• If the tariffs had gone into effect, they could have caused serious problems for all three countries. Economists warned that Mexico and Canada might have fallen into recession while Americans would have suffered higher prices on groceries, cars, gas, and more.

• Ten percent tariffs on China are still scheduled to go into effect as of this writing.

Big Story

Year of Food Recalls

Food recalls have been growing over the last few months.

• Food recalls are becoming more common, with the CDC estimating that foodborne illnesses affect about 48 million Americans each year - that's about 91 people getting sick every minute.

• Recently, the FDA increased the risk level of several recalls, including Walmart's Marketside broccoli, some Costco eggs, and certain Lay's potato chips, to their highest warning level (Class I), meaning these products could cause serious health problems.

• The rise in food recalls is partly because more people are buying ready-to-eat foods and prepackaged meals. According to a food safety expert from Northeastern University, another factor is the growing global food supply chain.

• The FDA has issued 22 recalls in 2025 already. See the full list here.

Big Story

Climate Risks vs. Property Values

A new study shows that climate disasters could cause property values to drop by $1.47 trillion due to rising insurance costs and people moving away from risky areas.

• The report predicts that by 2055, more than 55 million Americans will move to areas that are safer from climate risks. This includes 5.2 million people moving in 2025 alone. The cities that will likely see the biggest insurance cost increases are Miami, Jacksonville, Tampa, New Orleans, and Sacramento.

• The study found that homes in riskier parts of these cities are already increasing in value more slowly than similar homes in safer areas. Some northern states, from Montana to Wisconsin and parts of the East, might gain population because they're more protected from climate risks.

• The research combines several different studies and models to make these predictions. However, there are some important limitations to consider. The study doesn't account for things like improved building codes or sea walls that could protect coastal areas from flooding. It also doesn't include inflation or other market forces that could affect housing prices.

Quick Stories

US News

• Federal employee unions filed a lawsuit opposing Elon Musk's team getting access to a Treasury system that controls trillions of dollars in payments. This follows Secretary Bessent approving Musk-allied officials to access the system. (More)

• Thousands marched in Los Angeles to protest planned mass deportations, with demonstrators starting at LA's Olvera Street before moving to City Hall. Protesters blocked the major freeway, U.S. 101, causing traffic jams in both directions. (More)

• The Education Department launched antisemitism investigations at five universities, including Columbia and UC Berkeley. Trump promised stricter penalties than Biden's administration and ordered deportation of foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian protests. (More)

World

• A pro-Russian paramilitary leader from Ukraine, Armen Sargsyan, died after an explosion at a Moscow apartment building. The blast injured his bodyguard and others. Sargsyan was airlifted to a hospital but didn't survive. (More)

• A car bomb in Syria's northern city of Manbij killed at least 20 people, including 14 women, with 15 others wounded. This is the second attack in three days and the deadliest since the Bashar al-Assad regime was overthrown in December. (More)

• Heavy rainfall in northern Queensland, Australia, has killed one woman and forced thousands to evacuate. Officials are calling it potentially the worst flooding in 60 years. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed lower on Monday (S&P -0.76%, Nasdaq -1.20%, Dow -0.28%). Stocks rebounded after Trump said 25% tariffs against Canada and Mexico would be paused for one month. (More)

• Vanguard announced its largest-ever fee cut, slicing costs by an average of 20% across 87 funds. This change will save investors approximately $350 million in 2025 and reinforce its position as one of the cheapest options for investors. (More)

• Palantir's stock jumped 22% after reporting stronger earnings than expected. It recorded $828 million in revenue vs $776 million that analysts predicted.  (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Beyoncé announced her "Cowboy Carter" tour schedule following her Grammy win for album of the year. The tour spans 22 shows, starting with four nights in Los Angeles before visiting major US and European cities. (More)

• NFL star Myles Garrett, the league's Defensive Player of the Year, has asked the Cleveland Browns to trade him. In his announcement, he explained he wants to compete for a Super Bowl after the team's 3-14 season. (More)

• Federal investigators examining NBA betting scandals discovered the same gambling ring placed suspicious bets against three college basketball teams: North Carolina A&T, Mississippi Valley State, and Eastern Michigan.

  (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Uganda launched the world's first vaccine trial for the Sudan strain of Ebola, working with the WHO and other partners. Researchers prepared the groundbreaking trial in just 4 days after the outbreak was confirmed on Jan. 30. (More)

• A new study shows apes can help humans find hidden treats, proving they understand when others lack knowledge and will cooperate to share information. This challenges previous beliefs that only humans possess this social awareness. (More)

• Electric pulses from implants that stimulate the vagus nerve could revolutionize treatment for autoimmune diseases like arthritis, Crohn's, and MS. This method might reduce reliance on expensive immunosuppressant drugs that increase infection risk. (More)

Extra Credit

🏈 Why the Super Bowl uses Roman numerals.

👷‍♂️ Europe’s most in-demand jobs based on online listings. 

📱 Can you survive phone-free February?

🕶️ Joe Biden signs with a talent agency.