Nova Newsletter
January 16, 2025
☕ Good morning. 1,794 words for you today - 10-minute read.
The Spotlight
1. U.S. Seizes Sixth Venezuela-Linked Oil Tanker
Motor Tanker Veronica is seized in the Caribbean by U.S. Coast Guard tactical team, Jan. 15, 2026.
U.S. forces have seized the Motor Tanker Veronica in the Caribbean Sea, marking the sixth tanker intercepted in a campaign against sanctioned vessels tied to Venezuela.
Takeaways
The seizure was carried out without incident by U.S. Marines, sailors and a Coast Guard team.
The tanker was allegedly operating in defiance of a U.S. quarantine on sanctioned ships.
The action is part of Operation Southern Spear, a broader enforcement effort in the region.
Seizures aim to pressure Venezuela’s oil trade amid U.S. sanctions and geopolitical tension.
The operation was launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.
Officials say the move reinforces the message that only legally coordinated oil shipments will be permitted to leave Venezuelan waters.
The interception comes as U.S. strategy in the region intensifies following recent actions against Venezuela’s leadership and energy infrastructure. Read More
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2. Israel To Honor Charlie Kirk With Antisemitism Award
Israel will posthumously honor Charlie Kirk at a major Jerusalem conference for his work combating antisemitism, four months after his assassination in the U.S.
Takeaways
Kirk will receive an award at the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in late January.
The event is hosted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and includes international pro-Israel leaders.
Netanyahu has praised Kirk as a “lion-hearted friend” of Israel and a defender of Judeo-Christian values.
Kirk’s legacy remains contested, with past comments drawing accusations of antisemitism.
The conference marks Israel’s second annual government-led gathering focused on antisemitism and Holocaust denial.
Kirk, a Turning Point USA co-founder, was a vocal supporter of Israel and urged American conservatives and Christians to back the country.
However, some of his remarks on Jewish influence in media and philanthropy sparked criticism, and he later acknowledged tensions within conservative support for Israel.
The award highlights Israel’s alignment with Kirk’s activism while underscoring debates over his rhetoric. Read More
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3. Verizon Offers Credits After Hours Long Nationwide Outage
Verizon Logo
Verizon says it will issue $20 bill credits after a hourslong wireless outage disrupted calls and texts for thousands of customers across the U.S.
Takeaways
Verizon acknowledged it failed to meet customer expectations and called the credit a gesture of accountability.
The outage lasted several hours Wednesday and was fully resolved by late evening.
No evidence of a cyberattack, according to law enforcement sources.
At its peak, more than 178,000 customers reported service disruptions.
Customers reported phones stuck in “SOS” mode, with the heaviest impact in New York City, Atlanta, Charlotte and Houston. Some users were unable to reach 911, prompting emergency advisories from local officials.
Down detector showed reports falling steadily by midafternoon as Verizon worked to restore service. The company has not publicly confirmed the exact cause.
Law enforcement sources said the outage was triggered by a server failure in New Jersey, not malicious activity.
The incident adds pressure on carriers as reliability and emergency access face renewed scrutiny. Read More
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Last Time the Market Was This Expensive, Investors Waited 14 Years to Break Even
In 1999, the S&P 500 peaked. Then it took 14 years to gradually recover by 2013.
Today? Goldman Sachs sounds crazy forecasting 3% returns for 2024 to 2034.
But we’re currently seeing the highest price for the S&P 500 compared to earnings since the dot-com boom.
So, maybe that’s why they’re not alone; Vanguard projects about 5%.
In fact, now just about everything seems priced near all time highs. Equities, gold, crypto, etc.
But billionaires have long diversified a slice of their portfolios with one asset class that is poised to rebound.
It’s post war and contemporary art.
Sounds crazy, but over 70,000 investors have followed suit since 2019—with Masterworks.
You can invest in shares of artworks featuring Banksy, Basquiat, Picasso, and more.
24 exits later, results speak for themselves: net annualized returns like 14.6%, 17.6%, and 17.8%.*
My subscribers can skip the waitlist.
*Investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. Important Reg A disclosures: masterworks.com/cd.
Quick Headlines
Patrick Sison/AP
National enrollment in Affordable Care Act plans fell to 22.8 million this month after a bipartisan budget deal allowed enhanced pandemic-era tax credits to expire. Federal data shows a 114% average premium spike for subsidized households as Congress remains deadlocked over a three-year extension following the historic government shutdown. Read More
Elon Musk’s xAI announced Wednesday it will geoblock Grok’s image-editing features in regions where the creation of nonconsensual sexually explicit material is illegal. The move follows bans in Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as a California state investigation into the AI chatbot's "spicy mode" being used to harass women and children with deepfake imagery. Read More
The remains of 32 Cuban military officers arrived in Havana Thursday after they were killed defending Nicolas Maduro during a January 3 U.S. special forces raid. Thousands lined the streets as President Miguel Díaz-Canel received the fallen "martyrs," while the Trump administration continues to threaten an end to vital oil shipments unless a new regional deal is reached. Read More
French and German troops arrived in Nuuk Thursday to support Denmark following a "fundamental disagreement" with President Trump over the island's future. The deployment signals European unity against a potential U.S. takeover while a new working group attempts to address Arctic security. Read More
Initial unemployment filings fell by 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 198,000 last week, defying economist forecasts of 215,000. Despite the drop, the labor market remains in a "holding pattern" with sluggish hiring as businesses navigate trade uncertainty and high AI investment. Read More
FBI agents searched the Virginia home of reporter Hannah Natanson Wednesday, seizing her phone and laptops in an aggressive leak investigation linked to a Pentagon contractor. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated the warrant targeted the unauthorized receipt of national defense secrets regarding a "foreign country," though the Post maintains Natanson the paper’s "federal government whisperer" is not the focus of the probe. Read More
Deep Dive
4. U.S. Freezes Immigrant Visas for 75 Countries
The Trump administration will pause new immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, citing concerns that migrants from those nations rely on public assistance at what officials call unacceptable rates.
Takeaways
75 countries affected: The freeze spans Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Americas, including U.S. allies and popular tourist destinations.
Policy rationale: The State Department said the pause will remain until it can ensure new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.
Scope limits: Tourist visas are not affected, and current immigrant visas remain valid.
Part of broader crackdown: The move follows the pause of diversity visas and increased scrutiny of green cards issued under the Biden administration.
Enforcement backdrop: The U.S. revoked over 100,000 visas in 2025, including student, worker, and tourist visas tied to overstays or criminal offenses.
The visa freeze, set to begin Jan. 21, reflects the administration’s expanding effort to reshape legal immigration around economic self sufficiency. Officials argue the measure protects taxpayers, while critics say it risks undermining long standing diplomatic and economic ties.
The affected list includes countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Thailand, underscoring how widely the policy reaches beyond traditional migration flashpoints.
The administration has also signaled a retroactive review of green cards, with USCIS Director Joseph Edlow ordering a “full scale, rigorous reexamination” of permanent residency approvals from countries of concern.
While green card holders face a five year wait for many federal benefits, including Medicaid and SNAP, economists and immigration advocates note that most immigrants contribute more in taxes over time than they receive in aid.
The freeze marks another step in the administration’s push toward restrictive, enforcement driven immigration policy, with global ripple effects likely to follow. Read More
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On Our Radar
Getty Images
Spotify will raise the price of its U.S. Premium subscription to $12.99 per month starting in February, its second increase since 2024.
Takeaways
The U.S. price rises from $11.99 to $12.99, effective next month.
Spotify last raised U.S. prices in July 2024.
The company says higher prices reflect added value and better support for artists.
The move comes amid a major push into video podcasts and creator monetization.
Spotify said the increase will help fund improvements as it expands video partnerships, including select podcasts with Netflix, and broadens payouts through its Spotify Partner Program.
The company reported 281 million paying subscribers worldwide and a 28% jump in operating profit in its latest quarter, even as ad revenue declined.
Leadership has also shifted, with Daniel Ek now executive chairman and two co-CEOs running day-to-day operations.
The bet: subscribers will accept higher prices as Spotify leans further into video and creator-driven growth. Read More
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6. Harry Styles Announces Fourth Solo Album Release
Harry Styles revealed his fourth solo album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, set for release March 6, ending a four-year gap since Harry’s House.
Takeaways
The album follows a global teaser campaign featuring cryptic billboards and fan messages.
It is produced by Kid Harpoon, who worked on all of Styles’ previous records.
No track list or single has been released yet, but merch bundles crashed his web store.
The album arrives after the 2024 death of former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne.
The artwork shows Styles beneath a disco ball, signaling a possible stylistic shift while retaining familiar collaborators. Industry buzz points to potential residencies in New York and Manchester, though nothing is confirmed.
Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally follows the critically and commercially dominant Harry’s House, which won Album of the Year at the 2023 Grammys.
The comeback positions Styles for another major pop cycle in a reshaped global music landscape. Read More
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8. 🎉 This day in history
Superman Comic Strip
On This Day – January 16
Superman Newspaper Comic Strip Debuts, 1939 – The newspaper comic strip featuring Superman makes its debut, cementing the Man of Steel as a cultural icon and helping propel comic books and superheroes into mainstream American popular culture.
Warning of Pearl Harbor Attack Issued, 1941 – U.S. Vice Admiral Patrick Bellinger issues a warning predicting a potential assault on Pearl Harbor, highlighting intelligence concerns shortly before the Japanese attack later that year.
Stephen Curry Makes NBA Three-Point History, 2019 – Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry becomes the first player in NBA history to make eight or more three-point field goals in three consecutive games, hitting 9 of 17 from beyond the arc in a 147–140 win over New Orleans as the teams combine for a league-record 43 three-pointers.
9. Poll
Life Hack of the day
🍓 ❄️ Don’t Wash Strawberries before Putting in Fridge
Want your strawberries to last longer in the fridge? Don’t wash them until you’re ready to eat. Washing before storing adds moisture, which can speed up mold growth. Keep them dry in a container or produce bag to stay fresh and flavorful.
That’s your morning brief. Now go show someone how smart you are. 🧠
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