Thursday☕️

23 Jan 2025 — 5 min read

Economics & Markets:

Yesterday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced plans for Saudi Arabia to invest $600 billion in the United States over the next few years. The investment is expected to target sectors such as technology, energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing, aiming to expand trade and strengthen economic ties between the two nations. This represents one of the largest foreign investment commitments to the U.S. economy.

The decision highlights Saudi Arabia’s focus on deepening its economic relationship with the United States. This also reflects the significant confidence in the U.S. economy’s future growth and stability, with expectations that the investment will create opportunities for both countries and support broader economic collaboration in key industries.
Yesterday’s U.S. stock market:

Geopolitics & Military Activity:

Yesterday, January 22, the Trump administration re-designated Yemen’s Houthi group, also known as Ansar Allah, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). This decision reverses the 2021 move by the Biden administration, which had removed the designation to allow for humanitarian aid to reach Yemen more easily. By reapplying the FTO label, the U.S. aims to increase pressure on the Houthis, limiting their access to financial and material resources.

The United States has been conducting frequent airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, including weapon depots and command centers. However, the Houthis have proven difficult to defeat due to their decentralized structure. Unlike traditional militant groups with a clear leader and chain of command, the Houthis operate as a network of smaller, independent units.
This makes it harder to dismantle the organization through military strikes alone, as there is no single leader or headquarters to target. Their resilience is further bolstered by external support, including backing from Iran, as well as their deep roots in local communities. The re-designation signals an escalation in U.S. efforts to counter the group.

Environment & Weather:

Yesterday, January 22, the Hughes Fire broke out near Castaic Lake in northern Los Angeles County, California, rapidly growing to nearly 10,000 acres due to strong Santa Ana winds and dry conditions. The wildfire has forced the evacuation of over 31,000 residents in nearby communities, including Castaic and Santa Clarita. Fire crews have been working tirelessly to contain the blaze, but as of now, it remains at 0%-3% containment.

The Hughes Fire adds to an already challenging wildfire season in the region, where other active fires have devastated large areas of Southern California. The cumulative destruction has left the landscape vulnerable, creating ideal conditions for fires to spread even further. This ongoing cycle of wildfires has strained firefighting resources and disrupted the lives of hundreds of thousands of residents.
While rain is forecasted later in the week, potentially aiding containment efforts, there are concerns about secondary disasters like mudslides and flooding in fire-damaged areas. The Hughes Fire underscores the relentless nature of California’s wildfire crisis and the increasing challenges posed by environmental conditions.

Science & Technology:

On January 20, 2025, China’s Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) achieved a new milestone by maintaining high-temperature plasma in a steady-state for 1,066 seconds, or nearly 18 minutes. This surpasses its previous record of 403 seconds set in 2023. Located in Hefei, China, EAST is designed to replicate the process of nuclear fusion, where light atomic nuclei combine to form heavier ones, releasing energy in a manner similar to the sun.

Nuclear fusion is viewed as a promising energy source due to its potential to generate large amounts of energy without greenhouse gas emissions or significant long-term radioactive waste. However, sustaining the extreme heat and pressure required for fusion is a major technical challenge. EAST’s recent achievement represents progress in understanding how to stabilize plasma for extended periods, an essential step toward the development of fusion power plants. While practical fusion energy is still not a reality, these advancements contribute to the global effort to explore fusion as a sustainable energy source.

Earth Intelligence Update:

As Earth Intelligence evolves, we are planning a next-generation research facility on Florida’s west coast. This facility will host the Earth Intelligence System and future technologies while advancing computational power by integrating quantum computing with traditional data center technologies.
We are seeking the following experts, developers, and potential partners to turn this vision into reality: data center developers, energy providers & experts, nuclear energy experts, quantum computing developers, and consultants specializing in energy management, advanced cooling systems, and hybrid-cloud infrastructure.

It’s a massive swing, and highly unlikely to work, but if it works, it will change everything. If you are or know any of the experts listed above, we encourage you to email us at earthintelligence@earthintel.news

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