Caracal Daily | Feb. 9

WATCHING TODAY:

1. Europe needs 65 million electric vehicle chargers by 2035: Bloomberg reports a report from EY and Eurelectric calls for $134 billion in infrastructure investment.

2. Forget T-shirts and tote bags. NFTs are the hot new campaign swag. Politico reports consultants are launching NFT platforms to help clients cash in on the boom and engage with voters after the technology exploded in popularity last year.

3. Hedonism is overrated – to make the best of life there must be pain says this Yale professor: The Guardian reports the most satisfying lives are those which involve challenge, fear, and struggle, says psychologist Paul Bloom.

4. OK, WTF are wordcels and shape rotators? Matthew Gault writes knowing what shape rotators and wordcels are will make you significantly dumber.

5. How Olympians embraced mental health after Biles showed the way: NYT reports Simone Biles’s public struggles gave other Olympians tacit permission to share their vulnerabilities. Some of them have.

Caracal Daily | Feb. 8

WATCHING TODAY:

1. If Vladimir Putin does decide on war in Ukraine, few Russians will be expecting it: Economist reports the propaganda machine has not yet been switched on.

2. Bengals, Rams, and Bitcoin: Crypto ads invade the Super Bowl: WSJ reports crypto companies strive to be household names, spending millions of dollars on sports broadcast sponsorships.

3. Peter Thiel to exit Meta’s board to support Trump-aligned candidates: NYT reports the tech billionaire, who has been on the board of the company formerly known as Facebook since 2005, is backing numerous politicians in the midterm elections.

4. Canada court silences protesters' horns, police seize fuel: Reuters reports police in Canada's national capital have seized thousands of liters of fuel and removed an oil tanker as part of a crackdown to end days-long protest against the government's health measures, police said on Monday.

5. Senegal: A nation celebrates after AFCON victory: DW reports Senegal has clinched its first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title after missing out on two previous occasions. Fans were quick to share their joy and the nation has even declared a public holiday to celebrate the win.

Caracal Daily | Feb. 7

WATCHING TODAY:

1. Symbol of stability: Queen Elizabeth marks 70 years as monarch: CSM reports Queen Elizabeth II has always provided a sense of constancy to her people through changing times – from the Suez Crisis to the 2005 London attacks, Brexit, and the pandemic. Britain’s longest-reigning monarch will mark 70 years as queen, on Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022.

2. After crypto’s cold winter, expect springtime for Web3: Niall Ferguson opines long-run financial history suggests that negative interest rates are not unusual and that DeFi is a bona fide revolution.

3. ‘Taking the voters out of the equation’: How the parties are killing competition: NYT reports the number of competitive House districts is dropping, as both Republicans and Democrats use redistricting to draw themselves into safe seats.

4. You can’t simply decide to be a different person: Amanda Mull writes forming new habits isn’t impossible, but it’s much easier for some people than others.

5. ESPN: Days before 50th birthday, surfing great Kelly Slater wins Billabong Pro Pipeline in Hawai'i