Good morning readers. Talk about overstating your accomplishments. Yesterday, Lyft's rollercoaster ride hit a peak then plummeted as CFO Erin Brewer dropped a bombshell on an earnings call, revealing a major error in their report. The original report stated Lyft grew 500 basis points, or 5%, for 2024. The actual increase? A mere 50 basis points, or 0.5%.

Womp womp.

Despite momentarily soaring over 60%, Lyft's stock nosedived, shedding a staggering $2 billion in market cap. But things might actually be on the up and up as CEO David Risher highlighted record annual ridership with a 26% increase in rides and a 10% rise in active riders in the fourth quarter.

Let’s jump into today’s storylines.

In today’s digest:

• ChatGPT can remember everything you told it

• Headline Hustle: Indonesia heads to the voting polls to vote for new president, Republicans impeach Homeland Security Secretary, Bezos offloads $4 billion worth of Amazon stock in four days

• Flight attendants across the nation are fighting for fair pay

• Pulse Points: What’s Trending

AI

OpenAI is giving ChatGPT memory

OpenAI is rolling out a feature for ChatGPT that's about to make our chatbot convos more memorable — literally.

The company has released a new feature that allows users to direct ChatGPT to retain specific information from past conversations or to forget details altogether, ushering in a new era of personalized interactions. From remembering your favorite pizza toppings to your coding language of choice, the possibilities are as endless as the topics you can discuss.

But it's not all fun and games

OpenAI has big plans for this feature beyond casual chitchat.

• Businesses are eyeing the memory feature with interest, envisioning tailored customer interactions and streamlined workflows.

• The chatbot can seamlessly adapt to a company's formatting preferences or recall key project details from previous exchanges. It's a tantalizing prospect, albeit one that requires careful navigation of ethical waters.

Cue the ethical quandaries. Thankfully, OpenAI isn't leaving us to fend for ourselves. The company’s pre-emptive strike against privacy concerns involves a "forget me not—actually, please do" approach, enabling users to engage in amnesiac conversations with a Temporary Chat feature. It's a nod to the delicate dance between innovation and integrity, promising a tailored AI experience without the baggage of data misuse hanging over users' heads.

Looking ahead…as we watch ChatGPT flex its new memory muscles, it's clear that the future of AI is not just about smarter machines, but about creating tools that understand us better than we understand ourselves—without spilling our secrets. In the world of AI, it seems, forgetfulness is a virtue. But memory, when managed right, is a superpower.

Headline Hustle

🇮🇩 Indonesia heads to the polls to elect their new president. Indonesia's 200 million voters are casting their ballots across 800,000 polling stations to elect a new president, national representatives, and local legislators. Defense Minister Probowo Subianto leads the polls, aiming to succeed President Joko Widodo. The election's outcome could shape Indonesia's democracy and its economic trajectory, including plans to move the capital. Concerns linger over Probowo's past military ties and potential impact on democratic norms. Regardless of the winner, economic reforms initiated by Jokowi are expected to continue, though challenges loom, according to analysts.

👋 Republicans take a second shot at impeaching Homeland Security Secretary. The Republican-led House impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, citing intentional violation of immigration laws and obstruction of congressional oversight. The slim 214-213 margin sets the stage for a Senate trial, where Mayorkas is likely to be acquitted by the Democratic majority. President Biden condemned the impeachment as partisan, while the Department of Homeland Security dismissed it as baseless. The vote, marred by absences and GOP strategy, reflects ongoing tensions over border security and immigration policies.

💰️ Jeff Bezos offloads $4 billion of Amazon stock in four days. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos swiftly capitalized on the company's early-year surge by selling 24 million shares, totaling over $4 billion. This move, disclosed shortly after announcing intentions to divest up to 50 million shares, marks Bezos's first stock sale since 2021. While the exact motive remains undisclosed, Bezos's relocation from Washington to tax-free Florida potentially shields him from a hefty $288 million capital gains tax, hinting at a strategic financial maneuver. The sale comes amidst debate over Washington's controversial 7% capital gains tax, prompting discussions about tax policies and billionaire migrations.

AIRLINES

Pilots got their payday. Now flight attendants want theirs

As the sun rises over U.S. airports, a different kind of gathering is taking flight. United, American, and Southwest flight attendants, among others, are swapping service carts for picket signs, advocating for a long-overdue upgrade in their working conditions and wages.

This isn't just a flash in the cabin

It's a calculated move following the hefty paychecks pilots and other aviation labor groups have landed recently. Despite being the friendly faces ensuring our safety and comfort mid-air, flight attendants, with an average yearly income of $67,000, are seeing their paychecks flatline while living costs and job demands skyrocket.

The heart of their turbulence? Unpaid pre-flight work.

• The meticulous boarding procedures and ground duties that ensure a smooth takeoff are often uncompensated.

• Given the sky-high stress levels and critical responsibilities shouldered by these professionals, especially highlighted during the pandemic, the call for fair compensation is louder than ever.

Though whispers of strikes flutter through the air, the intricate dance of airline labor contracts and federal oversight keeps the threat grounded. But the winds of change might be stirring; unions are in heated negotiations, with some flight attendants ready to vote for strike action if talks with airlines don't ascend to satisfying altitudes.

In the grand scheme: This movement isn't just about flight attendants; it's a signal flare for labor rights nationwide. As they champion their cause, flight attendants are charting a course for fair treatment and recognition across industries, proving that in the quest for justice, sometimes you have to fly against the wind.

SNIPPETS

Pulse Points

• Instacart announced a 7% workforce reduction, about 250 employees, amid a restructuring as its fourth-quarter earnings met analysts' revenue estimates, leading to a 5% drop in shares in extended trading.

• Penn Entertainment will acquire market access in New York for its sports betting platform, ESPN Bet, by paying Wynn Resorts $25 million, positioning itself as a new competitor in the nation's largest sports betting market.

• Airbnb reported higher-than-expected fourth-quarter revenue and provided a positive outlook for the upcoming quarter.

• Paramount Global announced layoffs of hundreds of staffers to cut costs and boost revenue, despite recent record-breaking advertising sales and a high-rated Super Bowl telecast on its CBS network.

• Jenny Cavnar becomes the first woman in Major League Baseball history to be the primary play-by-play voice of a major team, calling most of the Oakland Athletics' games this season for NBC Sports California.

• Walmart is negotiating to acquire smart TV manufacturer Vizio for over $2 billion to expand its advertising business and create more opportunities for ad sales and product promotions.

• Airbnb is phasing out cleaning fees to achieve more transparent pricing for its listings.

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