80: In an event marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad, a Soviet victory over the Nazis, Putin tried to cast the war in Ukraine in historical and moral terms. "We are again being threatened by German Leopard tanks,” he said, referring to Berlin’s recent decision to send the heavy machinery to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Kyiv says Moscow is amassing 500,000 troops in preparation for an offensive.
1.4 billion: While COVID was bad for most, it was very good for drug makers. As demand for vaccines dries up globally, drug manufacturers have so far failed to pay back $1.4 billion in advance payments for jabs made through the COVAX facility, which aimed to supply vaccines to poor countries. While some refunds have been issued directly, negotiations are ongoing.
500,000: At least 500,000 people across south-central parts of the US were left without electricity Thursday as a “deep freeze” made its way towards the northeast. The national weather service called these “once-in-a-generation” conditions and warned that exposure could lead to frostbite within 10 minutes.
5: The Australian government has taken the now-deceased British Queen Elizabeth II’s face off the $5 bill and said it will not be putting the new monarch on the next batch of notes. King Charles III, who has reportedly always felt a little insecure about his royal role, has been snubbed in favor of representatives from the Indigenous community.
2026 is a tipping point year. The biggest source of global instability won’t be China, Russia, Iran, or the ~60 conflicts burning across the planet – the most since World War II. It will be the United States.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia were once on the same side in Yemen, but no longer. The split has exposed a larger regional rift between the two oil-rich, Gulf powers.
Walmart’s $350 billion commitment to American manufacturing means two-thirds of the products we buy come straight from our backyard to yours. From New Jersey hot sauce to grills made in Tennessee, Walmart is stocking the shelves with products rooted in local communities. The impact? Over 750,000 American jobs - putting more people to work and keeping communities strong. Learn more here.
Is Venezuela entering a real transition or just a more volatile phase of strongman politics? In GZERO’s 2026 Top Risks livestream, Risa Grais-Targow, Director for Latin America at Eurasia Group, examines Delcy Rodríguez’s role as Venezuela's interim president after Nicolás Maduro.