Good Morning!

It's Tuesday, February 17, 2026, and in today’s edition of Rise & Recap, we look at:

• AI might be playing a bigger hand in your pay raise than you think!

• This smart underwear could track when you fart!

• Are you “clear coding” in your dating life?

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Top headlines

SPILL THE NEWS

US News

US-Iran Set To Meet In Geneva

Iran’s Foreign Minister met with IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi on Monday ahead of a second round of nuclear talks with the US in Geneva on Tuesday. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard began naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz, warning sailors of a possible live-fire exercise. 

The US has dispatched additional aircraft carriers to the region. Iran signaled potential compromise on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. US President Donald Trump said he would be indirectly involved in the talks, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized preference for negotiated outcomes.

Jobs

AI Might Be Deciding Your Next Pay Raise

A Resume Builder survey of 1,342 US managers found 60% use AI tools to make personnel decisions, including raises, promotions, and layoffs. ChatGPT was the most cited tool, followed by Microsoft’s Copilot and Google’s Gemini. Two-thirds of managers using AI reported no training in people management, raising legal and ethical concerns. Can you really trust AI with promotions?

Experts like Stacie Haller and John McCarthy warned AI lacks empathy and judgment, while companies like Workday emphasize keeping a human in the loop. Lawmakers, including California State Sen. Jerry McNerney, have proposed legislation limiting AI-driven employment decisions. Here’s how AI can help you negotiate your next pay rise.

200+ AI Side Hustles to Start Right Now

While you were debating if AI would take your job, other people started using it to print money. Seriously.

That's not hyperbole. People are literally using ChatGPT to write Etsy descriptions that convert 3x better. Claude to build entire SaaS products without coding. Midjourney to create designs clients pay thousands for.

The Hustle found 200+ ways regular humans are turning AI into income. Subscribe to The Hustle for the full guide and unlock daily business intel that's actually interesting.

Start making AI money

Economy

How Grocery Prices Changed Since Trump Took Office

Since President Donald Trump took office in 2025, average grocery prices have shown mixed trends. Egg prices, a common inflation indicator, have dropped 30% from their spring 2025 peak. In contrast, orange juice is up 28% and ground beef 15% since January 2025. Prices for pork, bacon, and chicken have also risen. 

NBC News tracks grocery costs using data from NIQ, which collects nationwide checkout prices from grocery stores, drugstores, warehouse clubs, dollar stores, and military commissaries. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly CPI provides additional context for broader food price trends.

In the know

DON’T MISS

🖼️ If you thought the Louvre crisis was over, it just keeps getting worse. 

🩲 A smart underwear is here — to track when you fart.

🥦 The way you cook them decides whether veggies lose or gain key nutrients.

💰 For real, would you pay $1 million to learn how to life longer in life?

🏨 Hyatt’s Executive Chairman Tom Pritzker steps down over Epstein ties; this skin care brand founder is under scrutiny too.

💻 ‘Clear coding’ might be your way out of feeling stuck in dating life.

🍓 You might not be what you eat but your sexual wellness is … the foods for better bedroom experience.

👞 ‘School shoes’ are all over the offices. How’d this trend even become corporate core!

🕊️ Civil rights icon Jesse Jackson dies at 84, family announces.

💔 Where the love disappears?These are the states with the highest divorce rates.

Health & Wellness

FOR YOUR WELLBEING

🌙 If you're consistently wide awake at 3 am (believe us, you’re far from the only one), experts say these small things you do might be the real culprit. Yes, late-night scrolling is one. 

⚕️ Doctors warn that a popular “healthy” habit can actually backfire after 50, triggering some serious risks instead of the weight loss you were expecting. 

🔥 Data says over 75% of people are experiencing burnout — yet it remains widely misunderstood as simple laziness and not deep exhaustion that a weekend away won’t fix. Here’s some mythbusting.

👩‍🦰 Women are not feeling it anymore. Turns out empathy isn’t gendered at all — and the findings are changing how we think about masculinity.

Fashion & Beauty

BEYOND THE MIRROR

💇‍♀️ If you’re tired of limp hair, take a page out of Selena Gomez’s book. This bubble bob is a bit of a miracle, giving you the look of thick and fluffy hair without needing a 20-minute blowout. 

👠 Another style resurrection from the 2010s is hitting the streets — except this time it’s a sleek and actually walkable alternative to the stiletto.

💅 There’s a reason we always go back to a classic red mani — it's the easiest way to look put together, as long as you pick a shade that complements your skin tone. 

🧥 Bored with the “less is more” advice? The runways have a new solution: wear everything at once, and be the maximalist you were always meant to be. But do the layering the right way.

Hollywood

THE FAME FRAME

🕊️ Actor Robert Duvall, known for roles in ‘The Godfather’ and ‘Apocalypse Now’, passed away at 95. 

😢 Ray J performs with bleeding eyes and a chest patch weeks after revealing he only has one year to live. 

📺 FCC clears the air on Bad Bunny’s halftime show, confirming that the performance didn't actually break any indecency rules.  

💔 Have Cardi B and Stefon Diggs called it quits? The rapper says this.

Interactive

WEIGH IN

Companies are learning that marketing now requires more than appealing to humans — AI chatbots are the new gatekeepers. Athenahealth spent six months publishing 250,000 words of highly targeted content to ensure chatbots cite them correctly, while agencies and startups are helping brands optimize for AI queries. Experts warn that first-mover advantage is short, chatbots can pull outdated info, and even a single negative post can impact results. Firms must monitor, update, and flood platforms like Reddit, LinkedIn, and Quora with precise information to influence what these systems output.

“Let your ambition be louder than your doubt.” 

— Rihanna