Morning Brew Daily

Episode: Winter Storm Causes Travel Chaos & US TikTok Deal Finalized
Hosts: Neal Freyman & Toby Howell
Date: January 26, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode tackles a trio of headline-dominating stories: the nationwide chaos caused by Winter Storm Fern, the economic and technological implications surrounding the rise of "vibe coding" and generative AI-powered app creation, and the much-anticipated resolution to the US government’s long standoff over TikTok’s American operations. The hosts also lighten the mood with their “Winners of the Weekend” segment, featuring an astonishing urban free solo climb, and briefly preview the upcoming week in business and sports.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Minneapolis Shooting and Political Fallout

[00:57-02:13]

• The episode begins with news of federal agents fatally shooting Alex Preddy, an ICU nurse, in Minneapolis, amid already heightened tensions due to a previous killing by an ICE officer.
• Corporate leaders, including from Target and UnitedHealth, sign a letter demanding de-escalation; major pro sports teams add their voices.
• This unrest significantly raises the odds of a government shutdown. What was expected to be a routine Senate funding bill (including for DHS) now appears doomed due to Democratic backlash, with shutdown odds jumping dramatically from 11% to 76% in prediction markets (Kalshi).

Quote:

“Videos from the scene, which spread all over social media, contradicted the government's initial claims that Preddy was a domestic terrorist.” – Neal [01:19]

2. Winter Storm Fern – An Unprecedented National Disruption

[02:13-08:00]

• Winter Storm Fern affects over 200 million people across 40 states, creating the worst single day of US air travel since the pandemic's start.
• Power outages hit more than 820,000 homes/businesses, particularly in the South; travel is crippled, with 11,000+ flight cancellations and widespread snow – rare even in major East Coast cities.
• Regional infrastructure disparities become clear:
  • Southern cities like Nashville invest in snowplows (“Dolly Plowton”) but are still woefully under-resourced compared to northern cities.
  • In the north, high-tech solutions (e.g., PlowNYC and Toronto's PlowTO) let residents track snow removal in real time.
• Natural gas usage surges, causing a 70% spike in price futures as demand strains the grid, especially in Texas – which, thanks to post-2021 weatherization, fares better this time.

Memorable Moment:

“The only state that looked like it was totally spared looked to be Florida, which of course Florida is spared.” – Toby [04:16]

Quote:

“They equipped garbage trucks with snowplows and these things were just cooking down the road, just blowing snow everywhere.” – Toby [08:00]

Note: The hosts joke about the demise of “snow days” for kids due to remote learning infrastructure ([08:26]).

3. The Rise of “Vibe Coding” and a New App Rush

[08:26-13:24]

• The duo dive into a boom in “vibe coding”: non-coders using AI agents (notably Anthropic's Claude Coding) to create fully functional apps with simple language prompts.
• App releases are up 60% year-over-year and, according to investors and technologists, this could trigger a new entrepreneurial wave akin to the PC revolution.
• Wall Street feels the effects:
  • Giants like Salesforce, Adobe, and ServiceNow down over 30% year-over-year due to competitive pressures.
  • Critique: While the tech democratizes entry-level development, security and scalability challenges remain – “you’re not going to vibe code Salesforce.” (Neal [12:15])
• Broader impact: In-house development becomes easier for companies, threatening existing SaaS margins as clients build features themselves.

Quote:

“The Bill Gateses and the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world are right now, they’re teenagers...who are, instead of doing their homework on a remote day, actually vibe coding new apps.” – Neal [10:26]

Quote:

“You can just use English to code instead of using coding languages to code.” – Neal [11:08]

4. Winner of the Weekend: ByteDance and the TikTok-US Deal

[17:01-20:45]

• ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, emerges victorious as a US version of TikTok is finalized.
  • U.S. TikTok will have majority American ownership (Oracle, Silver Lake, MGX) and secure US user data on Oracle’s cloud, audited by third parties.
  • Key point: ByteDance retains the core algorithm and “manages global product interoperability,” a significant loophole allowing ongoing Chinese influence.
• Concerns loom:
  • Creators already report possible algorithmic “shifts” and increased censorship.
  • Ultimate accountability for data and security issues now transfers to Oracle, making future missteps a local issue rather than an international one.

Quote:

“TikTok’s algorithm, considered the crown jewel of its entire business, will still belong to ByteDance, which is going to license it to the US TikTok.” – Neal [17:53]
“Now the buck stops with Oracle, which maybe is more annoying than just having TikTok be this Chinese owned entity…” – Toby [19:07]

• TikTok faces both unprecedented financial success ($50B profit in 2025) and questions about long-term user loyalty, with observers noting that Instagram and YouTube may now better support creator ecosystems.

Quote:

“I think TikTok, even though it’s been saved through this years, needs to figure out where it stands in the ecosystem...” – Neal [20:34]

5. Winner of the Weekend: Alex Honnold’s Taipei Skyscraper Climb

[21:19-26:04]

• Free solo climber Alex Honnold’s (of “Free Solo” fame) daring ascent of the 1,667ft Taipei 101 building, broadcast semi-live by Netflix.
  • The feat is perilous but, climbers suggest, technically less demanding for Honnold compared to his mountain ascents.
  • Beautiful TV moments: Honnold pauses mid-climb to try (unsuccessfully) to high-five kids glued to their phones; waves to his wife on the 60th floor; uses Tool to keep pace.
  • The media exposes the payoff disparity: Honnold’s mid-six-figure payout vs. the $90M given to influencer-boxer Jake Paul for a Netflix bout.

Quote:

“He took a break to wave to his wife too, who is watching indoors on the 60th floor...” – Toby [22:27]
“Normies were like, ‘Holy moly, this is the most impressive thing I’ve ever seen,’ and then people were kind of posting some clips from Free Solo once again and going, ‘You guys don’t even understand. Like, this was a 1 in the difficulty scale compared to a 10 for El Capitan.’” – Toby [25:35]

6. The Week Ahead: Markets, Tech, and Super Bowl

[26:04-30:13]

• Major financial week:
  • The Fed convenes Wednesday amid drama around chair Jerome Powell (under criminal investigation), with no change in interest rates expected – political pressure, not policy, is center stage.
  • Big tech earnings: Apple, Meta, Tesla, and Microsoft all reporting. Watch for AI app impacts on Meta revenues, Apple’s Gemini-powered Siri, competition from Anthropic's Claude for Excel.
• IRS begins accepting 2025 returns, with average refunds up $1,000 thanks to the GOP tax bill.
• Super Bowl preview: Patriots vs. Seahawks, a repeat of 2015. Toby shares the “papal effect”—the Seahawks reach the Super Bowl as a No. 1 seed every time a new Pope is elected since 2005.
• Fun fact: This will be the third time both head coaches are named Mike.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On government shutdown risk:

  “Odds of a partial shutdown went from 11% before Saturday to 76% last night.” – Neal [02:06]

• On Vibe Coding’s impact:

  “You’re giving coding tools to people who did not know how to code earlier...” – Neal [10:50] “It actually has reduced the... normal language barrier as well, which is fascinating...” – Toby [11:33]

• On TikTok deal:

  “The algorithmic integrity of the US app is going to be paramount to keeping US users intact because that’s what got them hooked in the first place.” – Toby [18:35]

• On Alex Honnold’s climb:

  “What makes the whole climb even more baffling was how little he was paid in context to how impressive the feat was.” – Toby [22:51]

Timestamps to Key Segments

• Minneapolis shooting/Corporate reaction: 00:57–02:13
• Winter Storm Fern & Infrastructure: 02:13–08:00
• Vibe Coding & AI App Boom: 08:26–13:24
• TikTok-US Deal Analysis: 17:01–20:45
• Alex Honnold’s Skyscraper Climb: 21:19–26:04
• Week Ahead in Business & Super Bowl: 26:04–30:13

This episode is packed with sharp observations, humor, and expert insights into business, technology, and culture in rapidly shifting times—perfect for listeners who want to stay one step ahead.