Happy Sunday, if you live on the east coast US and haven’t looked outside, now is a solid time to do so.
Snow
In the lead‑up to the January 25, 2026 snowstorm, one of the more striking scenes unfolded not in the streets but inside grocery stores. Lines wrapped through entire locations and customers waited outside before opening as shelves, particularly in the freezer sections, were stripped bare by D.C. shoppers scrambling to prepare, with some visiting multiple stores after finding essentials out of stock. Meanwhile, similar panic buying rippled across the country as people emptied shelves in response to fear‑driven storm prep behavior, leaving many stores barren well before the first snow arrived.
The Bigger Picture:
Everyone tried to grab basics at the same time before the storm (not some dramatic survival instinct)
The long lines and empty aisles across cities were really just the usual pre‑snow rush that was amplified by social media posts of bare shelves
The chaos at places like the Philadelphia Trader Joe’s was less a sign of crisis and more a reminder that big storms turn grocery shopping into a shared annoyance everyone ends up dealing with
SUPER BOWL LX
After the Seattle Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams, the 2026 Super Bowl, officially Super Bowl LX, will take place on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, featuring a matchup between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC and streaming on Peacock. The event will include a halftime performance by Bad Bunny, marking his first time headlining the show. There is speculation whether the Patriots will bring strike again since the last time in 2014 against Seattle or the Sam Darnold will lead the Seahawks to their second Super Bowl Victory
Players to watch for: Drake Maye, Sam Darnold, AJ Barner, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Christian Gonzalez, Stefon Diggs
The Bigger Picture:
The game marks a rematch of the two teams’ dramatic Super Bowl XLIX meeting, a high‑profile rivalry on the big stage.
Bad Bunny’s halftime show creates drama and controversy while Charlie Puth makes an appearance to sing the anthem
Hosting the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium for the second time underscores the venue’s growing profile and the NFL’s continued investment in West Coast markets.
Social Buzz:
What people are talking about right now:
Australia’s under-16 social media ban sparks global debate
The “2016” trend resurfaces across social media via trends, music and Instagram filters
Protests in Chicago continue after federal agents shot a man in Minneapolis
Economy: By the Numbers
Trade Deficit: Dropped 39% in October to $29.4B, the lowest level since 2009, driven by a sharp pullback in imports and a surge in export value.
Exports: Up 2.6%, with gold shipments accounting for nearly 90% of the increase
Imports: Down 3.2%, largely because pharmaceutical companies slowed purchases after heavy pre‑tariff stockpiling earlier in the year.
Jobs: The labor market showed steady momentum with December payrolls up +50K and unemployment holding at 4.4%.
Markets
S&P 500: 6,921.46 (▲ 0.01%)
Dow: 49,266.11 (▲ 0.55%)
Nasdaq: 23,480.02 (▼ 0.44%)
Rates: The 10‑Year Treasury rose to 4.183% (+4 bps). Economists widely expect two Fed rate cuts by summer as inflation cools.
AI Investment: Venture capital funding for AI‑first startups hit $4.8B in December, signaling continued aggressive investment even amid broader tech caution.
Consumer Spending: Holiday retail exceeded expectations, with experiences outperforming goods as consumers favored travel, events, and services over traditional gift purchases.
that’s all for this week, catch the next one on sunday
Until next time,
the bigger picture
“zoom out, see what matters”
