What's your number, cucumber?

Growing up in the ’70s you knew all your best pals' numbers by heart. A kid can only remember so much though and if you needed to give your granny a ring, you relied on one of these beauties.

We’ve come so far now that the idea of a physical phone index seems wild. What’s even more crazy is that we barely use our smartphones as phones. Last year, the world spent a staggering 2.4 trillion hours using their phones for social media!

Guess who’s still waiting by the phone ;)

(Love nostalgia? Play today’s trivia below for a chance to win a $25 Amazon eGift Card!)

It’s unclear how serious President Trump is about imposing 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Though he maintains he intends to do so, he initially promised it on his first day in office, and has since moved the date back to Feb. 1.

However, with unprecedented support and momentum to start off his second term, President Trump may very well be serious about his trade agenda, begging the question: how would tariffs impact prices for American consumers?

The United States imported $87 billion and $34 billion worth of automobiles from Mexico and Canada last year, respectively, and another $64 billion in auto parts from Mexico, where a great deal of American companies have relocated their manufacturing operations in order to save on labor costs. Should tariffs be enacted, prices would rise on cars and car parts.

America imported $97 billion worth of oil from Canada last year. According to Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, 25% tariffs on Canadian oil would likely cause gas prices to rise between 25 cents and 75 cents per gallon.

With the popularity of GLP-1-based drugs like Ozempic and WeGovy skyrocketing, plenty of consumers are turning to yogurt as a means of obtaining their nutrients while trying to continue losing weight.

Danone’s—maker of Oikos and other popular yogurt brands—has seen its sales trend sharply upwards as the use of GLP-1 drugs has also grown considerably in recent years.

“We do believe that this is not a fad,” Rafael Acevedo, president of yogurt at Danone North America, said in an interview with Food Dive. “This is a trend that is here to stay.”

In response, Danone’s has launched marketing plans steering into the trend, advertising directly to those consuming yogurt to meet the nutritional requirements of being on a GLP-1 drug.

According to Acevedo, Yogurt consumption is three times higher in American households that have someone taking a GLP-1 drug.

Protein is among the most important nutrients recommended to those looking to lean out, making it no surprise that among Danone’s’ yogurt brands, Oikos—which is marketed as high in protein content—is enjoying the biggest bump, making a 40% jump in sales in 2024, according to data provided by Danone’s.

Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 successfully completed its 11th test flight, reaching a sustained speed of 728 mph, or Mach 0.95, just barely shy of the speed of sound.

The Jan. 10 flight took place at an altitude of 29,481 feet, an important milestone given the speed and pressure it was able to withstand. If it’s approved for commercial flight, it will only fly at higher altitudes where the air is much thinner, relieving the pressure that Boom now knows its aircraft is able to endure.

A date is yet to be set for its 12th—and final—test flight, as Boom’s aerospace engineers continue to review data and make sure another isn’t needed before taking the XB-1 supersonic for the first time. 🤯

"The second half of our test campaign is all about expanding XB-1's envelope incrementally in altitude, air speed, and Mach number until we inevitably make that sonic boom," said Nick Sheryka, ​chief flight test engineer for the XB-1 at Boom Supersonic.

"But why not just go supersonic on the next flight? It's important to remember that XB-1 is not a drone; there's a human pilot inside that cockpit.”

There are plenty of scientific mysteries on little old Earth these days, but it’s never a bad idea to look up and realize how little we know about everything.

Take, for example, the fast radio burst (FRB) detected in an 11.3-billion-year-old galaxy that’s 2 billion lightyears away from us. Named FEB 20240209A, two studies published the other day about it in The Astrophysical Journal Letters are redefining the common understanding of where these signals come from.

FRBs are massive expulsions of radio wave energy previously thought to emanate from the center of young galaxies in the midst of rapid star formation. FRB 20240209A came from the outer edges of an ancient galaxy on its last legs.

“The prevailing theory is that FRBs come from magnetars (neutron stars with strong magnetospheres) formed through core-collapse supernovae,” Tarraneh Eftekhari of Northwestern University, who participated in both studies, said in a university statement.

“That doesn’t appear to be the case here. While young, massive stars end their lives as core-collapse supernovae, we don’t see any evidence of young stars in this galaxy. Thanks to this new discovery, a picture is emerging that shows not all FRBs come from young stars. Maybe there is a subpopulation of FRBs that are associated with older systems.”

One to One: John & Yoko will officially hit IMAX movie theaters on April 11, before airing and streaming on HBO and Max, respectively, some time later this year, according to a report from Deadline.

The film chronicles the 18 months between 1971 and 1973 that the star-crossed lovers lived in New York’s Greenwich Village. It includes previously unseen footage of John and Yoko, along with restored video of Lennon’s Aug. 30, 1972 concerts at Madison Square Garden, the final two full-length concerts he would ultimately play.

“I am personally thrilled to be back with the Magnolia and HBO teams to be giving One to One: John & Yoko the ambitious theatrical release that I always dreamed of for this film,” said documentary filmmaker, Kevin Macdonald.

“This is a movie about music and love and politics and about immersing yourself in the year of 1972—a period in time that feels uncannily like the world we are currently inhabiting. And more than anything else I’m grateful to Sean Lennon and Mercury Studios for entrusting the incredible One to One concert to me.”

You probably spent a bunch of your Friday nights (and coin 😅 ) at the movies back in the ’80s. And good on you! It was a great time for cinema 😎 

Whether you saw them all or not, surely you remember the Oscar winning classics from the decade. Or do you? Film buff or casual movie-goer, find out with today’s trivia and receive a nomination for a $25 Amazon eGift card ;)

Winner will be notified Monday afternoon. Keep an eye on your inbox!*

Have a great weekend Staker!

Today’s issue written by Michael Cowan, Joey Cowan, and Maureen Norman.


*SEE FULL STAKE TRIVIA CONTEST RULES HERE.