Happy Friday Everyone! Today’s newsletter: 935 words…3.5 mins

🗞 Today’s Edition: President signs the OBBB, July 4th Hotdog GOAT, Independence Day Trivia, France Pokes Holes in Migrant Boats, Saudi-Trump Backchannel, Boeing Bags $2.8B Space Force Deal… & much more!

🚨 Watch For:

American Independence Edition

🎂 To commemorate 249 years of American Independence, here are some fun and lesser-known trivia gems:

📜 Only John Hancock actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The other 55 signers added their names later.

🇺🇸 The real “Independence Day” was July 2. Congress voted for independence on July 2, and John Adams thought that would be the day celebrated for generations—he even refused to attend July 4th events in protest.

🇬🇧 British troops taunted rebels by playing “Yankee Doodle,” a song originally written to mock colonial soldiers. Americans? They embraced it and made it their anthem. Peak reverse trolling.

🦃 Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey as the national bird. He called the bald eagle “a bird of bad moral character.” Thankfully, he was outvoted in favor of the bald eagle (we sure dodged that bullet 😮‍💨)

🗽 Angry patriots in 1776 New York ripped down a massive statue of King George III… melted the lead… and made it into bullets. Recycling, Revolutionary-style.

🔢 The average age of the signers was 45, with the youngest just 26 and Benjamin Franklin the oldest at 70.

And last but not the least:

✍ After signing the Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers didn’t just drop the quill—they dropped serious coin at City Tavern in Philly.

📜 Surviving records show:

💰 Total damage? £89.4.0—or about $18,000 today. Basically, the Founders signed America into existence… then blacked out like it was senior spring break.

Geopolitics Decoded In 3 Moves

🇫🇷 🛟 France Pokes Holes Migrant Boats

🔪 In a dramatic shift, French cops, armed with knives, punctured migrant dinghies at sea for the first time—forcing dozens to wade back to shore near Boulogne.

🇬🇧 🤝 UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper hailed it as proof of Anglo-French cooperation and Macron’s summit next week will test if this is strategy or PR.

🌊Why it matters: France and the UK are overwhelmed—and stuck. Slashing dinghies means nothing until they fix asylum laws and choke off smuggler pipelines at the source.

Saudi-Trump Backchannel

Saudi defense chief Khalid bin Salman ‘secretly’ met Trump in D.C. to push Iran de-escalation and Middle East peace.

Talks covered:

✅ Gaza ceasefire and return of hostages

✅ Looming defense deal

✅ Path to Israel-Saudi normalization

Insider buzz: “Progress and optimism” as Trump eyes Abraham Accords 2.0.

💡 Why it matters: A Saudi-Israel deal would not only be a groundbreaking historic moment; it would also redraw the Middle East power map setting the stage for a lasting peace.

🗽 Wall Street’s watching—defense stocks and Gulf oil moves could follow.

🇳🇱 Dutch parliament votes for Wilders' 'strictest asylum law ever'

⚡ Dutch MPs passed Geert Wilders’ strictest asylum crackdown—

🤔 The Irony: The Government collapsed in June due to a dispute over Wilder’s asylum laws. New elections in October.

💡 Why it matters: Europe’s asylum fight is escalating—fast—and leaders are betting strict laws will calm angry electorates.

Political Drama From DC To NYC

🇺🇸 President Trump signs the One Big Beautiful Bill

🫡 President Trump marked July 4th with symbolism and statecraft. Alongside First Lady Melania, the President stood for the anthem and saluted a fly-past over the White House - which included the very same B2 bombers that just struck Iran.

🦅 Bottom Line: This highlights Trump’s legislative win and military posture—framing Independence Day as a moment of national strength as he ushers in ”America’s Golden Age”.

🌭🇺🇸 Joey Chestnut Reclaims Hot Dog Throne at Coney Island

The Wiener King - aka GOAT - is back. After missing last year over a vegan sausage spat, Joey Chestnut devoured 70.5 hot dogs to reclaim the Mustard Belt for a record 17th time.

💡 Why it matters: America runs on spectacle—and Chestnut stuffing his face is the most patriotic thing you’ll see today.

Tech Wars, Crypto Chaos, and AI’s Black Mirror Moments

🛰 Boeing Bags $2.8B to Secure Space for U.S. Nukes

Boeing locked in a Space Force deal to build next-gen satellites guarding America’s nuclear command lines. The ESS constellation promises jam-proof, hack-proof comms for the President and military brass—even during global chaos. First delivery by 2031

💡 Why it matters: Space is now the front line—and nukes need WiFi too.

🍿 Apple’s “F1” Wins Box Office, But AI Still Laps Siri

While F1 revved up Apple’s services biz ($155M debut), WWDC’s AI rollout sputtered—delaying Siri’s ChatGPT-level upgrade to 2026. Cupertino may outsource to Anthropic/OpenAI, a rare admission its in-house models can’t compete.

💲 Wall Street whispers Apple’s “privacy-first” dogma is now its AI Achilles’ heel

Because World Leaders Beg To Be Dragged