Good Morning. America's best Winter Olympics ever almost didn't happen. Here's what flipped it in the final week.
We also share the “art of wayfinding,” Ring’s 1984 foreshadowing, and record winter storm in Northeast (forwarded this email? Join 523K readers).
TOP STORY TODAY
Twelve Gold Medals
Team USA finished the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics with a record 12 gold medals (WSJ), placing second overall behind Norway's 18 golds. The haul surpassed every American Winter Games performance since 2006, driven by a strong final week after a slow start.
Key victories included Mikaela Shiffrin in alpine skiing, Alysa Liu in figure skating, Elana Meyers Taylor in monobob, and both the men's and women's hockey teams winning gold. Women's events accounted for more American golds than men's for the sixth straight Summer or Winter Olympics.
The result marks a high point for American winter sports infrastructure, with the U.S. fielding its largest-ever Olympic delegation of 232 athletes, 115 of whom were women.
Private Credit Cracks
Shares in major private credit firms, including Blue Owl Capital, Apollo, Ares, and Blackstone, dropped sharply after Blue Owl changed withdrawal rules for one of its funds. The firm shifted from fixed quarterly redemptions to discretionary ones, limiting how much investors can reclaim each quarter (NYT).
The sell-off renewed broader concerns about the sector, which grew rapidly in recent years with limited regulatory oversight. Analysts have warned that an economic downturn could expose risky loans, while private credit funds' heavy exposure to enterprise software companies adds additional pressure amid AI-driven disruption.
Some market observers suggest the declines may signal early stress in a sector increasingly marketed to retail investors through semi-liquid fund vehicles that allow managers to restrict withdrawals during volatility.
Cute Dog Causes Chaos
A Ring Super Bowl ad sparked widespread backlash after critics argued it normalized mass surveillance under the guise of finding lost pets. Days later, Ring canceled its data-sharing partnership with license-plate tracking firm Flock Security, though its law enforcement data-sharing program remains active.
The controversy reflects broader public concern over converging surveillance technologies. Meta is developing facial-recognition features for its smart glasses that could identify anyone tagged in Facebook photos. Microsoft faced similar backlash in 2024 over a feature that continuously screenshotted user activity, later scaling it back after user protests.
Privacy advocates note that public pushback has produced measurable results, pointing to Ring and Microsoft reversals as evidence that consumer pressure can influence corporate surveillance practices.
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TODAY’S LIFE ADVICE
Rethink Your Life Plan
Most people treat life like a GPS route, meaning a straight line from A to B. Stanford's Dave Evans says that's the wrong approach entirely.
His alternative: wayfinding.
Stop waiting for clarity before acting
Run small experiments and gather real data
Diversify your meaning beyond achievement and impact
The biggest trap? Believing fulfillment means becoming everything you could possibly be. That's a guaranteed path to dissatisfaction.
Instead, aim to be fully alive right now. Your destination reveals itself through motion, not analysis.
Free Weights vs. Machines
Short-term studies make machines look just as effective. They're not — at least not long-term.
▶ Free weights adapt to your body. Machines force your body to adapt to them, which creates dysfunction over time.
A few principles that actually matter:
Slow, controlled reps (4-2-2 tempo) cut injury risk dramatically
Full range of motion builds more muscle for almost everyone
Steady-state cardio beats HIIT for sustainability
Master the basics before chasing intensity.
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▲ Peter Attia resigns from CBS News after Epstein files reveal correspondence with the disgraced financier
▲ Bafta controversy erupts after Tourette's activist shouts N-word at ceremony, drawing condemnation from Jamie Foxx
▲ Biden cancer treatment progresses as allies express worry over aggressive prostate cancer diagnosed last year
▲ Viral report triggers Dow 822-point drop as AI "intelligence crisis" scenario rattles white-collar sector stocks
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