Happy Wednesday Everyone! Today’s newsletter: 1,322 words…4.9 mins
🗞 Today’s Edition: Tsunami & Oprah, India, China & Trump Tariffs, Powell Sticks To His Guns, NYC’s Luxury Skyline, Zuck on Superintelligence, JPMorgan + Coinbase … & much more!
🚨 Watch For: Wall Street gears up for Aug. 1st tariff deadline
đź“śTHE HIGHLIGHT
One killer insight to stash in your back pocket
Main: Japan’s coastline; Inset: Hawaii’s traffic gridlock
🚨Earthquake Chaos + Tsunami Panic… And Why Oprah Trended
One of the most powerful quakes ever recorded—an 8.8 magnitude monster—rocked Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula early Wednesday, triggering tsunami waves that hit parts of Russia, Japan, Hawaii, Alaska, and the U.S. West Coast.
🇷🇺 Russia:
Buildings swayed, power out, and tsunami waves up to 16ft slammed coastal towns.
In Petropavlovsk, glass shattered and surgeons held steady mid-operation.
A volcano erupted nearby for dramatic bonus points.
🏯 Japan: Evacuated nearly 2 million, fearing a repeat of 2011. Waves hit Hokkaido, and rooftop shelters filled up fast.
🇺🇸 Alaska and California:
The Aleutian Islands went into full panic mode. Sirens screamed as Unalaska and St. Paul emptied. Waves were modest—under 1.5ft—but the fear was real.
Entire coastline from the Mexico border to British Columbia was placed under tsunami advisory. Surfers ditched boards and beach towns cleared. Waves stayed under 1ft, but tension lingered all night.
Hawaii: It got real. With waves reaching 5ft in Maui, shelters packed, highways gridlocked, and flights cancelled.
Plot twist: Oprah under fire
As residents scrambled to escape the chaos on Maui, sharp controversy erupted online and in the media.
Oprah Winfrey was accused by locals of refusing to open access to her private inland road between Wailea and Kula, which could have eased the deadly gridlock.
Social media blew up with "Open the road, Oprah!" demands.
Oprah’s reps fired back fast—law enforcement had opened the road at officials’ request, managing traffic for safety.
Still, the initial accusations added to the panic—and the sense of frustration among fleeing locals.
đź’ˇTsunami advisories are still in place and affected regions continue to warn that the threat may continue for over 24 hours, urging vigilance especially near coastlines.
♟️THE CHESSBOARD
Geopolitics Decoded In 3 Moves
📉 Trump Slaps 25% Tariff on India—Plus a Mystery “Penalty”
In one quick move, President Trump called India a “friend” while simultaneously imposing 25% tariffs on Indian imports. Bonus slap: An unspecified penalty for buying Russian arms and oil.
The move follows stalled US-India trade talks ahead of the Aug 1 deadline citing India’s "obnoxious" trade barriers & railing against its Russian energy/military purchases.
India resists US pressure on farm access (tariffs up to 50% on U.S. apples/corn) stating agriculture is a sensitive sector for India and that its farmers will remain “well protected.”
Delhi has called the tariffs "disappointing" while remaining "optimistic" for a deal.
💡 Why it matters: Trump’s move not only risks derailing months of trade talks aimed at reducing the $45.8B U.S. trade deficit - whilst testing the limits of an age-old friendship; but also raises a very important question: Does the United States have a right to dictate the foreign policy of other countries?
🇺🇸 🇨🇳 Trump’s China Tariff Truce Teeters
U.S.–China trade talks in Stockholm ended without a deal to extend the current tariff pause—set to expire Aug. 12. If Trump doesn’t sign off on an extension, tariffs on Chinese goods could jump from 30% back to 125%—or higher; and Beijing says they’re ready to slap back.
🧨 Hot Mess Highlights:
China’s export controls on critical rare earth minerals—key for U.S. tech and defense industries.
Sales of dual-use technology to Russia, fueling Moscow’s military capabilities amid Ukraine conflict.
Beijing’s continued purchase of Iranian oil, despite U.S. sanctions.
Fate of the controversial TikTok sale, which has stalled amid security concerns.
💲 Why it matters: This isn’t détente—it’s a ticking timebomb with trillions in trade at stake. With tensions escalating, both nations risk plunging into a prolonged, damaging trade war just as global growth falters.
🇦🇺 YouTube Joins Australia’s Under-16 Ban
Australia is expanding its world-first under-16 social media ban to include YouTube, starting December 2025.
📵 Kids can still watch, but can't create accounts or engage.
🔍 The reversal follows data showing 37% of kids 10–15 encountered harm on YouTube—more than any other platform.
The Penalty: YouTube (owned by Alphabet) risks $33M (A$50M) fines for non-compliance.
YouTube calls the move disappointing—but YouTube Kids stays exempt.
💡 Why it matters: Australia’s expanded ban sets a global precedent for regulating kids’ online access—forcing platforms to choose between compliance and legal battles. Watch for copycat laws in the UK and EU.
đź—˝THE EMPIRE FILES
Political Drama From DC To NYC
The iconic Billionaire’s Row in the Big Apple as seen from Central Park
🏛 Fed Defies Trump With Rate Hold
9-2 Split Decision: The Fed held rates at 4.25%-4.5%, ignoring Trump’s demands for aggressive cuts. Two dissenting governors (Bowman, Waller) pushed for easing—the first multi-dissent since 1993.
Trump has repeatedly attacked Powell as "too late" calling for 3-point cuts to help housing and debt costs.
The Fed insists it’s data-dependent, not political
Powell acknowledged that the labor market remains robust even while inflation remains elevated.
Markets still bet on a September cut, but strong Q2 GDP (3% growth) gives the Fed cover to wait.
đź’ˇ Why it matters: President Trump's losing an important economic lever as the Fed proves Wall Street answers to Powell, not Pennsylvania Ave.
🏙️ Billionaires’ Row Heads West
Lincoln Square is the latest battleground in NYC’s luxury tower war. Developers plan a new “supertall” up to 1,200 ft on West 66th Street — rivaling Midtown’s Billionaires’ Row.
📍One tower by Extell is already nearing completion at 775 feet and units listing up to $85M—with pools, bowling lanes, and pickleball courts.
The Gripe?
Locals fear a “Central Dark” effect — long shadows over Central Park
No affordable housing is mandated due to special zoning from ABC’s former studio site
Critics say the ultra-luxe projects cater to foreign billionaires, not New Yorkers
Policy Paradox: Developers cite $1B+ land costs and 1993 zoning rules as forcing ultra-luxury builds.
"When property taxes climb 8% annually and rent-stabilization shrinks supply, only billionaires pencil out,"
⚡ Bottom Line: The real villain? City hall's math—where frozen rents meet spiraling taxes, making middle-class housing economically impossible without subsidies. Developers are simply playing the hand dealt.
🤖 CODES & POWER
Tech Wars, Crypto Chaos, and AI’s Black Mirror Moments
đź’ł J.P. Morgan x Coinbase: Crypto Just Went Prime Time
Chase cardholders can soon fund Coinbase wallets, redeem points for USDC, and directly link bank accounts—marking a major TradFi x DeFi hookup.
The deal lets Coinbase bypass Plaid’s fees—escalating tensions between banks and fintechs over customer data access.
Coinbase stock? Up 50% this year and now part of the S&P 500. The mainstream moment is here.
⚡ Bottom Line: JPMorgan is hedging its bets as federal crypto laws ease and rivals like BNY dive deeper into custody services. The $4T crypto market’s glow-up is now too big for Wall Street to ignore.
🤖 Zuck's Superintelligence... Not So Open Anymore?
Meta’s next-gen AI models might not be open source after all. In a new letter, Zuckerberg flagged “safety concerns” as a reason to limit what gets released — a major shift from Meta’s Llama playbook.
🧠Why it matters: Meta once led the charge for open AI. Now, after pouring $14B+ into AGI and forming Meta Superintelligence Labs, it’s eyeing closed models to beat GPT-4 — and monetize AI via AR glasses and VR headsets, not API sales.
📎 Translation: Open source ain’t the default anymore.
đź“ş FUN FACTS & TRIVIA
Left: Grace Kelly (Princess Grace) with her Hermes bag, followed by her husband Prince Rainier of Monaco; Right: Princess Grace with her daughter and her favorite bag.
The “Kelly” Bag
The Hermès bag was one of Grace Kelly’s favorites. At one point, she famously used it to shield her pregnancy from the paparazzi. The brand later renamed it the "Kelly Bag", now a luxury icon.
đź’€ THE ROAST
Because World Leaders Beg To Be Dragged
Federal Judge Orders Sydney Sweeney To Gain 100 Pounds And Get One Of Those Butch Haircuts buff.ly/7RIAiQA
— #The Babylon Bee (#@TheBabylonBee)
9:05 PM • Jul 29, 2025