Good Morning. Wall Street owns 25% of Atlanta's rental homes. Trump just moved to block future purchases. Will it survive legal challenges?

We also share Huberman’s best tip to focus on work, Plato's Symposium, and how to escape if you fall into icy waters (forwarded this email? Join 523k readers).

President Trump announced Wednesday he will ban large institutional investors from buying single-family homes, the administration's first major housing move. Congressional approval may be required. "People live in homes, not corporations," Trump posted.

Institutional investors (explained) own roughly 2-3% of U.S. homes but hold significant shares in Sunbelt markets (25% of Atlanta rentals, 18% in Charlotte). Home prices rose 50% since 2019. Investor purchases peaked at 25% of sales in 2022.

Legal implementation faces constitutional challenges and would need exemptions for new construction. Shares of Invitation Homes fell 6% while American Homes 4 Rent dropped 4%. Existing investors retain their hundreds of thousands of current properties.

US forces seized Russian-flagged tanker Marinera in the Atlantic Wednesday with UK military support. The vessel, linked to Venezuela, Iran, and Hezbollah, was escorted by a Russian submarine. Defense Secretary John Healey confirmed UK involvement.

The tanker, formerly Bella 1, evaded US blockade near Venezuela for two weeks. Crew repainted a Russian flag on the hull and changed names. The ship began its journey in Iran bound for Venezuelan oil.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said seizures of sanctioned Venezuelan tankers will continue. "The president when he speaks, he means it," Hegseth stated. Captured crew faces potential prosecution in United States (WSJ).

Lego unveiled its Smart Brick at CES 2026, marking its biggest push into connected play. The 2x4 brick contains a 4.1mm chip, speaker, and LED lights that sense motion and interact wirelessly with other Smart Bricks and Minifigures through BrickNet.

Smart Tags and Minifigures contain digital IDs that tell bricks how to behave. Three Star Wars sets launch March 1, priced $70-$160, ranging from 473 to 962 pieces. Pre-orders begin January 9.

The bricks communicate via Bluetooth without apps or internet. Batteries last years between charges, with wireless charging on shared pads. The system represents Lego's most significant integration of connected technology into traditional building blocks (see video).

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Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled new Dietary Guidelines for Americans Wednesday, introducing an upside-down food pyramid that prioritizes protein and healthy fats over grains (see image).

The guidelines mark the first time the federal government calls out ultra-processed foods by name. The new framework encourages full-fat dairy, red meat at every meal, and eliminates all added sugars.

Kennedy claimed previous guidelines "misled" Americans to protect corporate profits (Jordan Peterson talks Food Pyramid scam). Protein recommendations increase to 1.2-1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight daily, substantially higher than previous standards.

Read article.

If you have trouble focusing on work, Dr. Andrew Huberman says it could be from overstimulation between work sessions. "Your brain is still working with the sensory imputs from before," he explains. "One thing I've been doing before I prepare to do any work is try and make myself as bored as possible." He removes sensory input before starting work to make the actual work more stimulating by comparison.

Video clip.

▲ ICE Officer kills 37-year-old Minneapolis driver during immigration crackdown, claims self-defense as hundreds protest

▲ Texas A&M bans Plato's Symposium from philosophy course, gives professor one day to comply or change courses | Read Plato here

▲ Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang accepts California's 5% billionaire tax while other wealthy residents threaten to leave | Larry Page exits

▲ AI Recycling sorts 60 tons hourly for valuable commodities as Trump's 50% aluminum tariff drives scrap metal demand

▲ Nick Reiner's attorney withdraws from case charging 32-year-old with murdering director parents Rob and Michele

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