Tiny Norway, Massive Medal Count: The System Behind Olympic Dominance

Written By Guest User

Plus: ICE Will Be Funded, But Not TSA As Govt. Shutdown Set To Begin At Midnight

Good afternoon,

Before we get to the news, here’s a taste of what we’re up to this weekend in our weekly Cheers To The Freakin’ Weekend section:

What We’re Watching:

What We’re Reading:

What We’re Eating:

  • Mosh & Jill: Tea and soup — feel better, y’all ❤️‍🩹

  • Sari: Giant Cinnamon Roll from Loser’s Eating House ~NYC

  • Lauren: Lutèce ~Washington, D.C.

Mo News Team

🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

Govt. Shutdown ⏰ Part III: What Could Be Impacted During Third Shutdown In 4 Months

The federal government appears headed toward its third shutdown in four months tonight at midnight. This one will be the smallest yet, impacting only part of the Department of Homeland Security, but will still effect tens of millions of Americans.

  • At the center of the standoff is Democrats’ push for reforms to immigration enforcement within DHS. However, funding for ICE and other immigration enforcement agencies is secure — and actually increased by billions of dollars last year after the passage of Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill.

    • About two weeks ago, lawmakers passed only a short-term DHS funding extension following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal law enforcement in Minnesota. The extension was meant to give Republicans and Democrats time to negotiate broader reforms to ICE — but major disagreements remain.

Democrats are still pushing for 10 guardrails. They include body cameras, bans on agents wearing masks, and the use of judicial warrants before entering private property. Republicans say many of those proposals are nonstarters.

Both the House and Senate are currently out of session, but lawmakers could be called back within 24 to 48 hours if a deal is reached. Don’t hold your breath.

THE EFFECT YOU COULD FEEL
Most TSA agents would continue working — but without pay. Again.

  • REWIND: The biggest concern for travelers this weekend is a repeat of the 43-day shutdown late last year, when TSA staffing shortages led to longer security lines, amid widespread flight issues.

    • Unlike in past shutdowns, air traffic controllers will not be directly affected this time because lawmakers have already funded the Department of Transportation.

Most of the federal government remains funded through September.

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🚨 ONE THING WE DUG DEEPER INTO

Why Norway & Italy Are Dominating The 2026 Winter Olympics

We’re halfway through the 2026 Winter Olympics, and Norway continues to dominate with eight gold medals and 18 medals total. Italy is trailing close behind with six gold medals, then the U.S. with four.

  • This year’s Games are not an outlier: Norway has finished near the top of the Winter Olympic medal table for decades. At the 2022 Winter Olympics they set an all-time record for gold medals won at a single Winter Games; in 2018, they set the current record with a total 39 medals won.

This led us to wonder: what about Norway — a tiny country of less than 6 million people — has made it such a powerhouse of Winter Olympic athletes? Spoiler alert: it’s not just the cold weather.

LEADING FACTORS FOR LEADING ATHLETES

  • Participation: By age 25, about 93% of Norwegians have played an organized sport, leaders of Norway’s sports system told the New York Times. That creates an enormous talent pool even with a small population.

    • By comparison, only two-thirds of Americans report playing a sport before age 18.

  • Funding: Norway’s oil wealth has made it one of the richest nations and helped fund coaching, equipment, training centers, and athlete support systems starting in the 1980s. That investment built a pipeline that runs from youth sports all the way to Olympic level competition.

    • And, if you gamble in Norway, two-thirds of casino revenue goes to sports teams.

  • Philosophy: Less difficult to quantify are the cultural influences. Keeping score is often discouraged in sports until about age 13. The goal is to keep as many kids playing as possible, including late bloomers, instead of cutting them early.

  • Social systems: Because many families have stable and shorter work hours, parents often have time to volunteer coach, drive kids to practice, and support youth athletics.

And sure, Norway is a cold country, so it makes sense they have better opportunities to hone their skills in winter sports. But what does that say about Finland or Denmark?

via GIS software company Esri

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
We’re also tracking Italy — the 2026 Winter Olympics host — which is tied with Norway as of Friday for most overall medals at 18. The country of nearly 60 million people seems to be outperforming itself — it placed 10th in the medal count during the 2022 Winter Games.

  • That’s not surprising: Data shows countries almost always win more medals when they host the Games.

  • Host nations benefit from home crowds, less travel fatigue, familiar food and training environments, and sometimes even larger team sizes or events tailored to sports they already dominate.

⏳ THE SPEED READ

🚨NATION

  • Trump administration reapproves weedkiller linked to crop damage and health concerns (MO NEWS)

  • Judge dismisses charges against men accused of assaulting ICE officer in Minneapolis shooting case (AP)

  • North Carolina teen who killed brother and 4 neighbors in 2022 attack sentenced to life without parole (NBC)

  • Trump sends second aircraft carrier to Gulf amid Iran threats (AXIOS)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

  • Dubai’s DP World replaces CEO after Epstein links emerge (CNBC)

  • Bangladesh’s BNP wins big in first election since Gen Z uprising, son of former ruler set to become prime minister (CNN)

  • German Chancellor Merz says US leadership ‘lost,’ calls for repair of relations (THE HILL)

  • Police visited home of Canada school shooting suspect multiple times over mental health concerns (GUARDIAN)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

  • S&P 500 bounces after light inflation data, but still heads for weekly loss: Live updates (CNBC)

  • ​​Amazon scraps partnership with surveillance company after Super Bowl ad backlash (AP)

  • Wendy’s will continue closing hundreds of stores through mid-2026 (CNN)

  • Musk labels Anthropic as ‘misanthropic and evil’ (THE HILL)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

  • James Van Der Beek’s $2 Million GoFundMe support has been ‘a light’ for his family and friends (PEOPLE)

  • Ukrainian skeleton athlete’s DQ appeal denied by CAS (ESPN)

  • ‘It’s over for us’: release of new AI video generator Seedance 2.0 spooks Hollywood (GUARDIAN)

  • NBA fines multiple teams for sitting healthy players (NBC)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… Valentine’s Day is a little more expensive this year for chocolate lovers. 💔

Because of global cocoa bean supply shortages – which caused the price of cocoa to skyrocket in 2025 – chocolates on the shelves will cost more than you might be used to.

Good news, though! Cocoa prices have fallen back to more normal levels, meaning V-Day 2027 will hopefully be a bit sweeter for your loved ones and your wallet. 🤞

Guest User
Next

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