Based on multiple news reports, conservative populist Laura Fernández of the Sovereign People's Party won Costa Rica's presidential election with 48.3% of the vote, avoiding a runoff and succeeding outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves. Fernández pledged to focus on Costa Rica's development and economic growth, while her closest challenger, Álvaro Ramos, conceded and promised a constructive opposition.

Based on multiple news reports, conservative populist Laura Fernández of the Sovereign People's Party won Costa Rica's presidential election with 48.3% of the vote, avoiding a runoff and succeeding outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves. Fernández pledged to focus on Costa Rica's development and economic growth, while her closest challenger, Álvaro Ramos, conceded and promised a constructive opposition.

Synthesizing information from multiple sources, the fintech world sees Kalder's CEO facing fraud charges, while the energy sector experiences a $26 billion Devon Energy-Coterra Energy merger. Simultaneously, Waymo secures $16 billion for robotaxi expansion amid rapid EV market growth, and Palantir's stock surges following strong quarterly results and the company's bold claim of market dominance in AI software.

Synthesizing information from multiple sources, the fintech world sees Kalder's CEO facing fraud charges, while the energy sector experiences a $26 billion Devon Energy-Coterra Energy merger. Simultaneously, Waymo secures $16 billion for robotaxi expansion amid rapid EV market growth, and Palantir's stock surges following strong quarterly results and the company's bold claim of market dominance in AI software.

Multiple news reports indicate that since March, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has utilized AI tools from Palantir and Credal AI to screen grants, applications, and job descriptions for potential noncompliance with former President Trump's executive orders related to gender ideology and DEI initiatives within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). These AI systems flag potentially non-compliant content for review by ACF staff, with Palantir having earned over $35 million from HHS during Trump's second term and Credal AI receiving approximately $750,000 for their GenAI platform.

Multiple news reports indicate that since March, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has utilized AI tools from Palantir and Credal AI to screen grants, applications, and job descriptions for potential noncompliance with former President Trump's executive orders related to gender ideology and DEI initiatives within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). These AI systems flag potentially non-compliant content for review by ACF staff, with Palantir having earned over $35 million from HHS during Trump's second term and Credal AI receiving approximately $750,000 for their GenAI platform.

Fintech CEO Gökçe Güven, founder of rewards platform Kalder and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, faces federal charges including securities and wire fraud related to a $7 million seed round. The DOJ alleges Güven misled investors by inflating client lists and revenue projections, impacting the burgeoning fintech sector and raising concerns about due diligence in venture capital. Kalder, which aims to help companies monetize rewards programs through affiliate sales, claimed partnerships with major organizations like Godiva and IATA.

Fintech CEO Gökçe Güven, founder of rewards platform Kalder and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, faces federal charges including securities and wire fraud related to a $7 million seed round. The DOJ alleges Güven misled investors by inflating client lists and revenue projections, impacting the burgeoning fintech sector and raising concerns about due diligence in venture capital. Kalder, which aims to help companies monetize rewards programs through affiliate sales, claimed partnerships with major organizations like Godiva and IATA.

Waymo secured $16 billion in funding, led by Dragoneer Investment Group, to expand its robotaxi service to 20 new cities and overseas markets, valuing the company at $126 billion. This investment, a significant increase from the $5.6 billion raised in 2024 at a $45 billion valuation, will be used to grow Waymo's fleet of over 2,500 vehicles and potentially disrupt the global transportation market. The funding round included new investors like Sequoia Capital and DST Global, signaling strong market confidence in Waymo's autonomous vehicle technology.

Waymo secured $16 billion in funding, led by Dragoneer Investment Group, to expand its robotaxi service to 20 new cities and overseas markets, valuing the company at $126 billion. This investment, a significant increase from the $5.6 billion raised in 2024 at a $45 billion valuation, will be used to grow Waymo's fleet of over 2,500 vehicles and potentially disrupt the global transportation market. The funding round included new investors like Sequoia Capital and DST Global, signaling strong market confidence in Waymo's autonomous vehicle technology.

Multiple news sources report that SpaceX is acquiring Elon Musk's AI startup, xAI (creator of the Grok chatbot), to integrate AI with its space, internet, and media ventures, following Tesla's recent $2 billion investment in xAI despite shareholder concerns. The merger aims to create an "innovation engine" combining various resources, though the specific terms of the deal remain undisclosed, and xAI has faced scrutiny over its AI image generation features.

Multiple news sources report that SpaceX is acquiring Elon Musk's AI startup, xAI (creator of the Grok chatbot), to integrate AI with its space, internet, and media ventures, following Tesla's recent $2 billion investment in xAI despite shareholder concerns. The merger aims to create an "innovation engine" combining various resources, though the specific terms of the deal remain undisclosed, and xAI has faced scrutiny over its AI image generation features.

Multiple news sources report that newly released Department of Justice documents reveal Elon Musk's correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein, including Musk's request for an invitation to Epstein's island, contradicting Musk's previous denials of any interest in visiting. While Musk hasn't been accused of wrongdoing, experts suggest these revelations could jeopardize his plans to merge SpaceX with xAI and take the combined company public, especially given his attempts to downplay the extent of his communication with Epstein.

Multiple news sources report that newly released Department of Justice documents reveal Elon Musk's correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein, including Musk's request for an invitation to Epstein's island, contradicting Musk's previous denials of any interest in visiting. While Musk hasn't been accused of wrongdoing, experts suggest these revelations could jeopardize his plans to merge SpaceX with xAI and take the combined company public, especially given his attempts to downplay the extent of his communication with Epstein.

Drawing from multiple news sources, recent global events include the concerning disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, escalating geopolitical tensions with explosions in Iran and a Ukrainian blackout, and a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's visa freeze. Domestically, the housing market remains sluggish despite potential slight mortgage rate decreases, while entertainment sees surprising success with the "Melania" documentary and renewals for NBC shows, alongside a promising lineup of new book releases in February.

Drawing from multiple news sources, recent global events include the concerning disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, escalating geopolitical tensions with explosions in Iran and a Ukrainian blackout, and a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's visa freeze. Domestically, the housing market remains sluggish despite potential slight mortgage rate decreases, while entertainment sees surprising success with the "Melania" documentary and renewals for NBC shows, alongside a promising lineup of new book releases in February.

Multiple news sources report that a Democrat flipped a Texas State Senate seat, narrowing the House Republican majority to a precarious one-vote margin, creating challenges for Speaker Mike Johnson as the House attempts to navigate a government shutdown and upcoming funding votes. While some downplay the impact, the slim majority necessitates near-unanimous Republican support to pass legislation, further complicated by a large number of House members heading for the exit.

Multiple news sources report that a Democrat flipped a Texas State Senate seat, narrowing the House Republican majority to a precarious one-vote margin, creating challenges for Speaker Mike Johnson as the House attempts to navigate a government shutdown and upcoming funding votes. While some downplay the impact, the slim majority necessitates near-unanimous Republican support to pass legislation, further complicated by a large number of House members heading for the exit.

Multiple news sources report that a 22-year-old Australian woman died after her backpack became entangled in a ski lift at the Tsugaike Mountain Resort in Japan; she was suspended in midair, suffered a heart attack, and later died in the hospital. The resort has issued an apology, launched an investigation into the incident, and is cooperating with police while reviewing safety procedures to prevent future occurrences.

Multiple news sources report that a 22-year-old Australian woman died after her backpack became entangled in a ski lift at the Tsugaike Mountain Resort in Japan; she was suspended in midair, suffered a heart attack, and later died in the hospital. The resort has issued an apology, launched an investigation into the incident, and is cooperating with police while reviewing safety procedures to prevent future occurrences.

Multiple news sources report that US citizens and immigrant rights groups have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration's suspension of immigrant visa processing for 75 countries, arguing it's an unlawful and discriminatory nationality-based ban based on false claims about immigrants relying on public welfare. The lawsuit alleges the administration's policy violates legal immigration processes and relies on unsupported claims about immigrants becoming public charges.

Multiple news sources report that US citizens and immigrant rights groups have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration's suspension of immigrant visa processing for 75 countries, arguing it's an unlawful and discriminatory nationality-based ban based on false claims about immigrants relying on public welfare. The lawsuit alleges the administration's policy violates legal immigration processes and relies on unsupported claims about immigrants becoming public charges.

Multiple news sources report on diverse developments, including Square Enix's release of "Dragon Quest VII Reimagined," a remake aimed at new players, and the controversy surrounding Meta's closure of VR studios, impacting users of the fitness game Supernatural. Additionally, there's renewed interest in M83's early post-rock album "Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts" and John Romero's reunion with id Software's founding members to revisit their early first-person adventure game, Catacomb 3D.

Multiple news sources report on diverse developments, including Square Enix's release of "Dragon Quest VII Reimagined," a remake aimed at new players, and the controversy surrounding Meta's closure of VR studios, impacting users of the fitness game Supernatural. Additionally, there's renewed interest in M83's early post-rock album "Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts" and John Romero's reunion with id Software's founding members to revisit their early first-person adventure game, Catacomb 3D.