Nuclear Treaty, Winter Olympics, & Big Mac Index

News without the noise

Adam Rogers
February 06, 2026

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The New Start nuclear treaty between the United States and Russia expired Thursday, marking the first time in more than 50 years that the world's two largest nuclear powers face no binding limits on their arsenals. The two countries control more than 80% of the world's nuclear warheads.
The treaty was signed in 2010 in Prague by then-presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev. It limited each side to 1,550 deployed strategic warheads, a 30% reduction from previous limits. President Biden extended it for five years in 2021, but President Trump did not follow up on Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal to extend it for another year.
Russia said it is "no longer bound by any obligations" under the treaty and is ready to take "decisive countermeasures" if its security is threatened. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump wants any new agreement to include China, whose nuclear arsenal is growing rapidly.

The 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony takes place today at 2 p.m. Eastern at Milan's San Siro stadium, with Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli performing. Competition runs February 4-22 across Italy, with 116 gold medals awarded in 16 sports.
These will be the most spread-out Winter Games in history. The two primary venues are Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, 250 miles apart by road, with three additional mountain clusters for competition. The closing ceremony will be held in Verona, 100 miles east of Milan.
Key storylines include Lindsey Vonn, 41, competing in Alpine skiing despite rupturing her ACL last week. Fellow Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin is also competing, along with freestyle skier Eileen Gu and snowboarder Chloe Kim. NHL players return to Olympic ice for the first time since 2014, while ski mountaineering makes its Olympic debut.

Bitcoin, often called "digital gold," fell below $61,000 Thursday to its lowest level since November 2024, down almost 30% this week alone. The cryptocurrency has declined nearly 46% since peaking above $126,000 in early October.
Large institutional investors who previously bought bitcoin are now selling. Investment funds that purchased 46,000 bitcoin last year are now selling in 2026, according to CryptoQuant. More than $2 billion in cryptocurrency holdings have been sold this week as falling prices triggered automatic sales.
Bitcoin has underperformed dramatically compared to actual gold, falling 40% over the past year while gold surged 61%. Other cryptocurrencies are also declining sharply: Ether dropped 33% this week, and Solana reached a two-year low.

Congress saved the 9/11 health program by fully funding it through 2040, preventing a multibillion-dollar shortfall that would have cut care for 150,000 survivors and first responders. (More)

Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy, 84, has been missing for five days after vanishing from her Arizona home, where blood was found and her doorbell camera mysteriously disconnected at 2 am Sunday. (More)

Hillary Clinton challenged Republicans to hold a public Epstein hearing instead of the closed deposition she agreed to, saying "let's stop the games" and demanding transparency "cameras on." (More)

Sudan's famine crisis spread to two more Darfur towns with 53% child malnutrition rates, as paramilitary forces attacked and killed 22 people at a hospital. (More)

Xi told Trump that Taiwan is "the most important issue" in US-China relations during Wednesday's call, threatening a firm response to any American support for the island's independence. (More)

Cuba's president offered US negotiations "without pressure" as the island faces economic crisis after losing Venezuelan oil in December, leaving it struggling with fuel and electricity shortages. (More)

US stock markets closed lower on Thursday (S&P -1.23%, Nasdaq -1.59%, Dow -1.20%). Investors continued to take a risk-off stance, selling technology stocks. (More)

Pizza Hut is closing 250 struggling US stores as Yum Brands explores selling the chain, whose American sales dropped 5% last year compared to rival Domino's 2.7% growth. (More)

Novo Nordisk threatened to sue Hims & Hers for launching a $49 Wegovy pill copycat that crashed both companies' stocks 7%. (More)

Matthew Stafford won the NFL's closest MVP race since 2003, Myles Garrett's record 23 sacks earned Defensive Player of the Year, Mike Vrabel won Coach of the Year, and Christian McCaffrey was Comeback Player of the Year. (More)

Team USA's World Baseball Classic roster features two-time MVP Aaron Judge, Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, and retired Clayton Kershaw making one final appearance. (More)

The NBA trade deadline saw Giannis and Ja Morant stay put while James Harden joined Cleveland, Anthony Davis moved to Washington, and the Bulls and Grizzlies launched significant rebuilds. (More)

Scientists developed a flu-prevention nasal spray that proved safe in human trials and showed antibody levels 4,600 times higher in nasal tissue than IV methods, potentially offering broader protection than traditional vaccines. (More)

NASA astronauts can bring smartphones to space for the first time, starting with next week's ISS mission and the Artemis II moon flight. (More)

Scientists off Argentina discovered the world's largest Bathelia coral reef, 28 suspected new species, and unexpected deep-sea finds, including a whale carcass ecosystem and a mysterious Korean VHS tape. (More)

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