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Here’s your must-read news this morning:

I’ve got all the details for you, so let’s dive in.

— Josh

MARKETS

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Market Roundup

🏦 Economy

  • Editor’s Pick: Trump announced a trade deal with India cutting tariffs to 18%, with Modi committing to buy over $500 billion in U.S. goods. (INV)

  • Trump said Congress is close to a resolution on government funding. (RTS)

  • U.S. manufacturing activity expanded in January at the fastest pace since 2022. (BBG)

  • A look at how Kevin Warsh’s decade working with billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller shaped his view on being data-driven and flexible. (WSJ)

📈 Hot Stock Picks

  • Editor’s Pick: Insider Money spotlighted 10 AI stocks gaining attention on Wall Street. (IM)

  • Motley Fool flagged three high‑yield dividend stocks, including Enterprise Products Partners, aimed at boosting income in 2026. (MF)

  • MarketBeat’s latest top 5 stocks backed by analysts and big institutions include Ally Financial and others. (MB)

  • Baskin Wealth Management's Barry Schwartz highlighted his top stock ideas, favoring large‑cap names like MSCI. (BBG)

🏢 Industry

  • Editor’s Pick: Palantir reported a blockbuster Q4 2025, with revenue up about 70% YoY to ~$1.4 billion, beating expectations. (WSJ)

  • China is banning hidden/retractable car door handles over safety concerns. (NBC)

  • Epstein bragged about a "wild" dinner with Mark Zuckerberg and Reid Hoffman in unsealed 2015 email. (NYP)

  • Wall Street hotshot sued by his own mom listed guinea pigs in bankruptcy assets. (FBN)

🛢️ Energy & Commodities

  • Editor’s Pick: Trump announced a $12 billion critical minerals stockpile initiative to reduce U.S. reliance on Chinese supplies of rare earths. (MIN)

  • U.S. natural gas futures plunged 25.7% to $3.237/MMBtu—the biggest daily drop since 1995—after forecasts turned warmer. (BBG)

  • Gold posted its biggest daily jump since November 2008, surging 5.5% to $4,921/oz after rebounding from a $4,403/oz low. (RTS)

🌕 Crypto

  • Editor’s Pick: Inside the White House talks between crypto firms and banks on stablecoin rewards. (TB)

  • Trump denied knowing about a reported $500 million Abu Dhabi royal investment tied to World Liberty Financial. (CT)

  • Billionaire Barry Silbert called the selloff a “gift from the crypto gods,” saying leverage and weak tokens are being flushed ahead of a major capital rotation into crypto. (X)

  • Elon Musk's xAI is hiring crypto specialists to train its AI models. (CD)

TECH

(Credit: SpaceX)

Tech Roundup

🧠 AI

  • ⭐ Editor’s Pick: OpenAI announced its new Codex Mac app that lets developers run multiple AI agents and manage long‑running coding tasks from a single command center. (ZDNT)

  • OpenAI is unsatisfied with some of Nvidia’s AI chips—especially for inference work—and has been exploring alternatives like AMD. (RTS)

  • The Moltbook creator sees a future where every human has a bot that creates content on their own platforms. (BI)

  • NBCUniversal is testing AI agents to automate ad sales during a live NFL game. (DD)

  • Anthropic teamed up with the Allen Institute and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to embed its Claude AI tools into cutting‑edge scientific research. (ANT)

🤖 Robots

  • ⭐ Editor’s Pick: A video went viral of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic shaking hands with a robot. (GT)

  • Therapy robots are successfully helping autistic children improve social and communication skills through interactive, anxiety‑reducing lessons. (NT)

  • A report details how "superhero” robots aim to transform labor-intensive vegetable growing in the U.S. (HD)

  • British scientists created a soft, jelly-like robot that can rapidly change shape and move when controlled by external electric fields. (RTS)

💰Venture Capital

  • ⭐ Editor’s Pick: Thrive Holdings invested $100 million into AI‑powered IT services Shield Technology Partners, a company it helped start. (BBG)

  • Health AI startup Biorce closed a $52 million Series A, led by DST Global Partners. (TEU)

  • Seattle‑based fusion startup Avalanche Energy raised $29 million in new funding led by RA Capital Management. (TFN)

  • Startup Synthpop raised $15 million in a Series A to build AI agents that automate healthcare insurance admin workflows. (AX)

FREEDOM

(Credit: Brock Sorensen/Palantir)

Freedom Roundup

🏛️ Policy & Culture

  • Editor’s Pick: French authorities raided X’s Paris offices and summoned Elon Musk over a cybercrime probe into algorithm bias. (CBS)

  • Turning Point USA unveiled its alternative Super Bowl halftime show lineup with Kid Rock. (FOX)

  • Christian investors with $4 billion launched 38 proposals urging major companies to abandon “woke” policies and refocus on shareholder value. (FBN)

  • An Arizona State University professor asked the Arizona Supreme Court to revive his lawsuit challenging mandatory DEI training. (CF)

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DISCLAIMER: The CAPITAL newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or professional advice. Readers should conduct their own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The CAPITAL newsletter and its owner and operator, Josh Caplan, are not liable for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on this information. The CAPITAL newsletter is solely owned and independently operated by Josh Caplan, separate from any employer affiliations.

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