Inflation Rises Unexpectedly, Musk To Withdraw Bid If OpenAI Remains Nonprofit, and China Establishes Planetary Defense Force

Sienna discusses China's establishment of a planetary defense force, which includes a new team focused on monitoring asteroids and developing early warning systems. The country has postponed its asteroid deflection mission targeting Asteroid 2015 XF261 to 2027, planning to use a dual spacecraft approach with a Long March 3B rocket. The observer spacecraft will map the asteroid for 3 to 6 months before a kinetic impact alters its trajectory, with post-impact observations lasting up to 12 months. China has also activated the Northern Hemisphere's largest time-domain survey facility, the 2.5-meter Wide Field Survey Telescope, to track near-Earth objects, and plans to enhance threat assessment with the Compound Eye, a network of 25 radar antennas, starting next year. The roadmap includes cataloging 90 near-Earth asteroids larger than 140 meters by 2035 and establishing a constellation of six satellites for early warning. As a member of the International Asteroid Warning Network since 2018, China collaborates with global observatories, building on NASA's successful DART test to improve global asteroid defense capabilities.

The Consumer Price Index report reveals inflation at 3% year-over-year in January 2025, exceeding the expected 2.9%. Monthly prices rose by 0.5%, the highest increase since August 2023, with core inflation at 0.4% monthly and 3.3% annually. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicates no immediate plans to cut interest rates, leading analysts to predict prolonged higher rates. Market reactions include a decline in S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 futures, alongside a rise in Treasury yields and the US dollar reaching a three-month high. Notably, egg prices surged 15.2% monthly due to avian flu outbreaks.

Elon Musk threatens to withdraw his $97.4 billion bid for OpenAI's nonprofit division if the organization continues its transition to for-profit status. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman dismisses Musk's offer, leading Musk to label him a "swindler" amid ongoing legal disputes that could last until 2027. Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI, left in 2018 after failed negotiations over control and equity. The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI has strayed from its mission by allowing Microsoft to influence its board. OpenAI's board rejects Musk's bid, claiming it disrupts their funding round with SoftBank.