Sunday, February 16, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1968, the first 9-1-1 call in America was made as a test by the Alabama House speaker to a special rotary phone at the Haleyville, AL., police station, where it was answered: "Hello?"

If you have a coffee can full of old pennies tucked away in your attic, now might be a good time for a closer inspection. President Trump's recent decision to halt production of one-cent coins will save more than $85 million, but it could increase the value of the older coins dramatically. Check out this list of the rarest pennies, some of which are worth millions.

We're sponsored today by BOXABL, offering an investment opportunity in a new building technology changing the way we build homes.

Israeli-American Among Hostages Released by Hamas

The last living Israeli-American hostage was among the three men released by Hamas on Saturday.

Hamas released Sagui Dekel Chen, 36, according to the Israeli Defense Forces. All three men were abducted during the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, from Kibbutz Nir Oz near the border with Gaza, where they lived.

Dekel-Chen embraced his wife in a heartwarming video taken Saturday following his release. She gave birth to their third daughter two months after he was seized.

As of Saturday, 19 Israeli and five Thai hostages have been released from Gaza, and more than 1,000 Palestinians have been released from Israeli detention. Hamas killed around 1,200 Israelis and took nearly 250 people captive.

NTSB Details Potential Causes of Deadly Air Collision

The crew of the Army helicopter that collided with an American Airlines jet near Washington, D.C. may have had inaccurate altitude readings in the moments before the crash, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The recording from the Black Hawk helicopter cockpit also suggested an incomplete radio transmission may have left the crew without critical positioning information just before the crash, in which all 67 aboard the two aircraft were killed.

The Black Hawk crew may have never heard the words "pass behind the" during the transmission from the controller because the helicopter's microphone key was depressed.

Aircraft from all branches of the military have been involved in fatal crashes in the past five years.

Thousands of Probationary Federal Workers Fired

Thousands of recently hired federal workers were fired this week as the Trump administration escalated efforts to cut the federal workforce.

The Office of Personnel Management, which serves as a human resources department for the federal government, declined to say how many probationary workers, who generally have less than one year on the job, have so far been dismissed.

The cuts include nearly 1,300 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly one-tenth of the agency's workforce. Employees have also been released from the Departments of Energy, Education, the Interior, Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, and more.

Nearly 75,000 federal workers have already accepted a resignation buyout that includes payment through September 30, as the administration pursues strategies to cut the civilian workforce of 2.3 million people.

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Top Homebuilder Invests in Industry Disruptor

You must be doing something right if the biggest names in your industry take an interest.

That's the story with BOXABL. The company has gained the attention of investors like D.R. Horton with a business model that brings assembly lines to new home construction. Where traditional homes take over 7 months to build, BOXABL factories can mass produce their signature Casita home in nearly four hours – plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and all. No wonder 190,000+ potential buyers already reserved one*. And they're just getting started.

Now, everyday investors can join them too. When BOXABL last opened a Reg A investment opportunity, they maxed out the $75M limit. Become an investor for just $0.80/share.**

➤ Team USA men's hockey took down Canada 3-1 last night in a 4 Nations Face-Off game that started with a bang: the Montreal crowd booed during The Star-Spangled Banner, and there were three fights in the game's first nine seconds. (More)

➤ World No. 1 ranked men’s tennis player Jannick Sinner has been banned from competitions for three months after the discovery of his illegal anabolic steroid usage. (More)

➤ Colorado Buffaloes two-way star and 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter will be listed as a defensive back at the 2025 NFL combine. Hunter is still expected to play some snaps on offense in the NFL, but not in a full-time role. (More)

Today's White House section is brought to you by:

➤ A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily lift a USAID funding freeze that shut down U.S. foreign aid around the world. (More)

➤ Photos show that a framed copy of the New York Post's cover of President Trump's 2023 mug shot in the Fulton County Jail in Georgia hangs on a wall just outside the Oval Office. (More)

➤ The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), said Friday that it found $1.9 billion that was misplaced by the Biden administration. The funds were from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and have been recovered. (More)

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➤ Up to 48M Americans get sick from food annually—but Energous' wireless power network (WPN) solutions can help. They empower IoT devices such as sensors and tags that can enable better temperature tracking, ensuring fresher food. The company's even partnering with a multinational retailer. Become an Energous shareholder while you can.

This is a paid advertisement for Energous' Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.energous.com for additional information on the company and the risks factors to the offering.

Weekly Market Report Previous Week

▲	NASDAQ Natl. Assoc. of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations	20,026.77	1.82%
▲	SPX S&P 500	6,114.63	1.13%
▲	DJI Dow Jones Industrial Average	44,546.08	0.34%
▲	BTC Bitcoin	$97,508.97	1.05%
▲	GOLD Per Ounce	$2,883.60	0.68%

➤ Energy giant Chevron will lay off 15%-20% of its workers, the majority occurring before the end of 2026. The company's global headcount was more than 40,200 at the end of 2023. (More)

➤ Retail sales slipped 0.9% in January, indicating a potential weakening in economic growth in the first quarter, according to a Commerce Department report Friday. (More)

➤ Dell shares rose about 4% Friday following a report from Bloomberg that Elon Musk's startup xAI was preparing an agreement to buy $5 billion in artificial intelligence servers from the hardware maker. (More)

Ladies and Gentlemen: our most-clicked stories of the week. Enjoy!

➤ A list of outdated baby boomer phrases that the Gen Z generation would prefer never to hear again topped our most-clicked list this week. (See List)

➤ Pennies are being phased out, but there are at least a dozen highly collectible 1-cent pieces with values up to $2.4 million (See Pennies)

➤ Vacations can be done frugally or lavishly, depending on your budget. Here are 10 of the least expensive travel destinations vs. 10 of the most expensive. (See Destinations)

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A Monster Plan for Homebuilding

It won't emerge from the sea, but a planned monster-sized factory could shake the nearly $5T global housing market.

The company behind it, BOXABL, uses assembly lines to build homes in ~4 hours. With traditional homes taking 7+ months to build, this innovation has already earned 190,000+ reservations* from potential buyers. BOXABL even gained the attention of investors like D.R. Horton. Now they're planning BOXZILLA, a billion-dollar factory that could be the industry's largest, most advanced ever.

Invest today for $0.80/share.*

**This is a paid advertisement for Boxabl's Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at https://www.boxabl.com/invest/ * Reservations represents a non-binding indication of interest to purchase as Casita. A reservation does not require purchase of a Casita and there is no assurance of how many will result in actual purchases.

➤ A new analysis of PIN codes shows that the most commonly used four-number sets are extremely popular and easy for hackers to guess. (See List of 50 Most Common PINs)

➤ The past isn't gone, it's just gotten very hard to find. But diligent explorers have scoured the Internet to locate fascinating objects from the 20th century that are still around today. (See Photos)

➤ Explainer: How Scientific American magazine turned from publishing highly respected science articles into an outlet for left-wing social-justice activism. (See Details)

➤ Here are 15 of the most famous and scenic locations on Earth as photographed from space. (See Photos)

➤ In-depth: If you have trouble sleeping, the problem might lie in how your brain's little blue dot is functioning. (See Details)

➤ Many major American cities started with different names. Atlanta was first called Terminus, and Orlando bore the name Jernigan. Do you know any of these others? (See List)

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➤ Your bathroom deserves better than just 'functional.' Remodel Your Home helps you create a space that's luxurious, relaxing, and totally YOU. From sleek showers to modern vanities, we'll help you design a bathroom where you actually want to spend time. And with up to 20% off, why wait to start your dream remodel?