Good Morning. Tonight, millions will watch Alex Honnold scale a 1,667-foot skyscraper with no safety equipment whatsoever.
Plus, the “debanking of conservatives,” finding your year-defining event, and the best paying jobs of 2026 (forwarded this email? Join 523k readers).
TOP STORY TODAY
Honnold Climbs Live
Professional climber Alex Honnold will ascend Taipei 101's 1,667 feet without ropes or protective equipment in his signature free-solo style. Netflix will broadcast the feat live (with a 10-second delay, just in case) at 8pm ET. The 101-floor skyscraper features eight "bamboo box" segments, with 64 middle floors presenting the most difficult overhanging sections.
Honnold, famous for scaling Yosemite's El Capitan without ropes (documented in "Free Solo"), has trained for months and consulted with French climber Alain Robert, who scaled the building with ropes in 2004. Production company Plimsoll assembled safety measures including suspended camera operators, weather forecasters, and emergency exit points throughout the building.
The announcement sparked debate about broadcasting high-risk activities, particularly regarding Honnold's influence on young climbers. Media ethics director Subbu Vincent emphasized the importance of the broadcast delay to immediately stop streaming if problems arise. Trailer here.
Trump Sues JPMorgan
President Trump filed a $5 billion lawsuit Thursday against JPMorgan Chase and CEO Jamie Dimon in Miami-Dade County court. The suit alleges the bank improperly closed Trump family business accounts in 2021 for political reasons following the January 6 Capitol riot.
Trump claims JPMorgan told him in February 2021 to remove millions within 60 days, then blacklisted him from wealth management services. The president previously ordered federal regulators to investigate banks over alleged "debanking" of conservatives. Trump also sued Capital One in 2024 over similar account closures.
JPMorgan denies the allegations, stating it closes accounts only for legal and regulatory reasons, not political views. The bank says it supports changing regulations that force such closures. Trump reported difficulty finding replacement banking after JPMorgan, later turning to cryptocurrency ventures that generated significant profits.
Sinners Leads Oscars
"Sinners," a vampire film set in the American South, received a record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations Thursday, surpassing the previous 14-nomination record held by "All About Eve," "Titanic," and "La La Land." Warner Bros. produced both "Sinners" and "One Battle After Another" (13 nominations). Full list of nominees here.
Warner Bros. rebounded from early 2025 box office failures after executives Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy faced potential removal for risky spending. "Sinners" became a commercial success, while "One Battle After Another" failed to recoup its $135 million budget despite awards recognition. Netflix earned 18 nominations across multiple films.
The 2026 ceremony airs March 15 on ABC with Conan O'Brien hosting. Ten films compete for best picture including "Frankenstein," "Hamnet," and "Marty Supreme." The Academy introduced a new casting director category, with five inaugural nominees recognized. Best actor frontrunners include Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio.
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TODAY’S LIFE ADVICE
Misogi: Finding One Big Year Defining Event
Jesse Itzler's Misogi concept: Once a year, do something so physically and mentally demanding that you're genuinely uncertain whether you can complete it. The challenge should have roughly a 50% success rate in your mind, such as:
The power isn't just the accomplishment of the year-defining activity. It's recalibrating your sense of what's possible, which bleeds into every area of life.
Key principles:
Epic and memorable - defines your year
No death risk, but legitimate difficulty
Minimal cost preferred
Once it's over, it's over
👉 Do you have a “misogi” for 2026? Reply and let us know.
Optimize Your Workspace
Andrew Huberman explains how to optimize your workspace for maximum productivity, focus, and creativity by manipulating environmental variables like lighting, visual field placement, ceiling height, and sound. The episode covers the neuroscience of how physical workspace affects brain chemistry and cognitive performance, providing actionable protocols for different types of work throughout the day.
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▲ Scarlett Johansson leads 700-plus artists condemning AI companies for unauthorized use of copyrighted work as theft
▲ Olympic flame travels Venice's Grand Canal on traditional boats heading to Milan Cortina Winter Games opening February 6
Fun Links
The best paying jobs in 2026 [List]
Hormozi’s meets Tony Robbins [Video]
Most romantic hotels in US [List]
Year-round “house burping” [Blog]
2026 Razzie award nominees [Blog]