China triggered a meltdown in the artificial intelligence arms race. Monday's big sell-off in markets was driven by China's release of its Artificial Intelligence platform, DeepSeek. Many call this a modern "Sputnik" moment for U.S. tech because China is undermining America's perceived lead in artificial intelligence. President Trump referred to the situation as a "wake-up call." Nvidia, an AI industry leader, lost nearly $600 billion valuation in the panicked sell-off. The world waits for America's response. Read more.

• Senate Democrats were stunned by the retirement of Michigan Senator Gary Peters. The ink on that announcement had not even dried before former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg floated he was considering running for the seat in 2026. Donald Trump won Michigan in 2024, but Republicans narrowly lost the Senate race. This will be a hotly contested race in the upcoming midterms. Read more.
• Donald Trump ordered a freeze on all federal grants and loans. The White House says they are examining all federal spending. In a memo on the move, a Trump official said, "Marxist equity ... green new deal social engineering policies [are] a waste of taxpayer dollars." Democrats fired back that Congress had already approved the funding, likely setting up another legal battle. Read more.
• Microsoft is in talks to purchase TikTok. Trump announced a potential deal as the White House looks for a way to keep TikTok viable in the United States and prevent a shutdown. Other possible partners for a deal include Oracle. Microsoft already owns LinkedIn. China has rebuffed any attempts to loosen its grip on TikTok so far. Read more.

U.S. News: 

• Today is the 39th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion. People published memories of the day. Read more.
• Google Maps is renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America for U.S. users. The leader in map services will also alter other names issued by Trump's executive orders. Read more.
• A J6 man pardoned by Trump was shot and killed by Indiana police during a traffic stop. Police claim he was resisting arrest. Read more.
• ICE raids are hitting New York as illegal immigrants with outstanding warrants for violent crimes are targeted. Read more.
• Earthquakes shook both sides of the continental U.S. Scientists registered a 4.2 magnitude earthquake in Boise, Idaho. A few hours earlier, Maine and the Northeast got shaken by a 3.8 earthquake. Read more.
• Hawaii's Kilauea volcano began a 7th eruption episode, pouring "toxic gas" and "Pele's hair" hundreds of feet into the sky. The volcano started these eruptions in December. Read more.

Pop Culture News

• CNN's Jim Acosta is leaving the network. The journalist made his name opposing Trump during his first term. Read more.
• Anthony Mackie angered Marvel fans after saying the new Captain America 'represents a lot of different things,' but America isn't one of them. Read more.

What I'm reading...

• Young Voters Didn't Want All the Abortion Harris Was Selling. Kristian Hawkins does a deep dive into the data. Read more.
• Trump's Fight Against Online Censorship Quickly Goes Global. Ending BigTech censorship is just getting started. Read more.