Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the importance of allies leaning in rather than back. In Georgia, police arrested an opposition leader during mass demonstrations, with pro-Western Coalition for Change Party sharing footage of authorities dragging Nika Gvaramia. Despite this, thousands of demonstrators continued to flood the streets for the seventh consecutive night as they protested their pro-Russian government's decision to suspend EU negotiations. Over 300 protesters have been detained.

Power Outages in Cuba

Millions of Cubans are once again without electricity due to a major power plant failure. As the sun rose over Havana, the buildings remained dark, marking the third massive blackout in just over six weeks. Frequent smaller outages have also been a problem, mostly caused by fuel shortages and the country's aging infrastructure. The minister of energy assures that power will be fully restored by tomorrow.

Optimism in the Economy

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell offered optimism, stating that the economy is in remarkable shape. This led to stocks reaching record highs across the board. The Dow Jones industrial average soared more than 300 points, finishing above 45000 for the first time ever. The Nasdaq added 1.3 percent to set its own record, and the S&P 500 also reached an all-time high.

Spotify Wrapped 2023

It's that time of the year again when Spotify releases its annual top artists and listening trends. This has become a cultural phenomenon, and this year, it's clear that women dominated the charts. Eight of the top 10 most-streamed albums worldwide were by female artists, and Taylor Swift unsurprisingly snagged the top album spot. In the US, the most-streamed song was "Espresso" by Sabrina Carpenter. Joe Rogan again had the number one most-listened-to podcast for the fourth year in a row.