Happy Thursday Everyone! Today’s newsletter: 1,075 words…4 mins
🗞 Today’s Edition: Columbia To Pay $220M, Thailand-Cambodia at War, Spotify X Netflix, Estonia’s Robinhood, Devil Wears Prada 2, Ukraine Protests… & much more!
🚨 Watch For:
Day 2 of Russia-Ukraine Talks in Istanbul
U.S.-EU trade deal to be announced shortly
📜THE HIGHLIGHT
One killer insight to stash in your back pocket
Main: Columbia University campus encampment; Inset (Clockwise from top-left): American and Jewish-American students standing in solidarity with Israel; NYPD in riot gear entering Hamilton Hall building that was under siege - through a window; Protester destroying school property; Protesters securing the perimeter of the Hamilton Hall building as their compatriots took janitors hostage inside.
🗽 Columbia’s $220M Reckoning: The Ivy, the Intifada, and the Trump Takeover
🎓 Columbia University just became ground zero in the war on antisemitism. The school agreed to a $220M legal settlement and federal receivership after months of chaos. Education Sec. Linda McMahon calls it a “Monumental Victory” on CNBC.
What started as protests, quickly turned into encampments, riots, a building takeover and holding janitors hostage - prompting the NYPD to step in.
Jewish students said they were locked out of classrooms, harassed, doxxed, and physically threatened on campus and told they had “no place here”.
Jewish Prof. Shai Davidai’s access card was deactivated and was denied entry on campus in 2024.
🇺🇸 Enter the Feds
After freezing $400M in research funding, the DOJ forced Columbia into a consent decree—making it the first Ivy under Title VI control —a legal leash forcing it to end antisemitic harassment and scrub controversial DEI policies. Translation: comply or lose everything.
🚫 What’s changing:
Race-based DEI policies, gone
Protestor mask bans, in
Gender ID rules rolled back
Foreign radicalism flagged for expulsion
Middle East studies put under review
📉 The Fallout:
University leadership is in chaos (three presidents in 12 months), donor calls are nuclear and critics raise alarm bells over the government withholding federal funding for research, as a means to quell campus unrest.
🔥 Ripple effect:
Yale, Harvard, Stanford—they’re next.
🎯 Bottom line:
Columbia’s saga isn’t just about antisemitism. It marks a new chapter in campus politics—it’s a a test case in how universities confront chaos—and who really holds the power when the stakes get federal.
♟️THE CHESSBOARD
Geopolitics Decoded In 3 Moves
Ukrainians protest with homemade cardboard signs to emphasize this is a grassroots movement; unaligned with activism for any political party - usually symbolized by mass pre-printed posters and placards.
🇺🇦 Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption U-Turn Sparks Mass Protests
Thousands defy martial law across Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, and Odesa in Ukraine’s largest protests since Russia’s invasion, to oppose a new law that puts two key anti-corruption agencies (NABU & SAPO), under presidential control.
Zelenskyy reasons the move was to root out Russian infiltration and streamline investigations, but critics call it a “power grab” that risks EU membership.
Even Ursula von der Leyen threw shade. The Telegraph went full savage and said he should resign.
Zelensky is now promising a new bill to restore agency independence—but with Parliament on recess, pressure’s mounting.
🇰🇭🇹🇭 Cambodia–Thailand Clash Turns Deadly
Violence erupted at the Prasat Ta Muen Thom temple as Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged fire — Thailand launched rare F-16 airstrikes.
💣 Trigger: Land mine blasts maiming Thai soldiers; Thailand blames Russian-made mines, Cambodia denies it.
Both sides expelled ambassadors.
The temple lies in a disputed zone near Preah Vihear, ruled Cambodia’s in 1962 by the ICJ.
Reported injuries among both soldiers and civilians, with artillery shells striking homes and triggering mass evacuations.
💡 Why it matters: Southeast Asia’s most volatile border is now rearming, just as tensions rise in the South China Sea between Taiwan and China.
🕌 Saudi Arabia Drops $6.4B in Syria—Rebuild or Power Grab?
Saudi Arabia just pledged $6.4B to rebuild war-torn Syria—its biggest flex yet in backing interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The funds: Real estate, telecom, and cyber, with big names like STC, Elm, and Cipher involved.
💡 Context: Syria’s still volatile post-Assad, and Riyadh’s bet looks less like aid—and more like a power-play for regional clout.
Syria also signed a $7B power deal with Qatar and an $800M deal with UAE-based port company in recent months.
🔍 Bottom Line: Sharaa’s gain = Iran’s loss. And yes, U.S. energy firms are circling too.
🗽THE EMPIRE FILES
Political Drama From DC To NYC
Left to Right: Meryl Streep; filming in an office in Midtown; Anne Hathaway making a heart-hand gesture to fans after politely asking them to remain quiet during the filming.
🕵️♂️ Ghislaine Maxwell Meets with Top DOJ Official
Convicted Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell is meeting with Deputy AG Todd Blanche—Trump’s ex-defense lawyer—inside a Florida courthouse.
Blanche says he’s probing what Maxwell knows about other alleged abusers.
🍿 Drama Gets Spicy: The Epstein files still haven’t been released, WSJ alleges Trump’s name reportedly appears in them and AG Pam Bondi just suffered a medical emergency amid the high-stakes fallout.
💡 Bottom Line: The Hill’s watching. So is the public.
👠 Devil Wears Prada 2 Takes Over NYC
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is officially strutting through NYC — and fans are losing it!
Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep were spotted filming scenes in the Meatpacking District, turning cobblestone streets into a high-fashion frenzy.
Crowds swarmed for a glimpse of the duo back in character, with Hathaway in sky-high heels and Streep's Miranda Priestly stare on point. At one point Anne and Meryl waved at the crowds from their set, drawing loud cheers.
💃 Bottom Line: Vogue? Shaking. Miranda Priestly’s Starbucks order? Delivered. The streets of Manhattan haven’t seen this much glam chaos since 2006.
🤖 CODES & POWER
Tech Wars, Crypto Chaos, and AI’s Black Mirror Moments
🎮 Spotify x Netflix = In-App Gaming
Spotify teams up with Netflix ahead of Happy Gilmore 2’s July 25 release, to launch a golf mini-game. Users can play three virtual holes, unlock movie Easter eggs, and stream a curated “happy” playlist.
Developed with MiK Studio, the collab isn't just promoting Adam Sandler's sequel - it's testing Spotify’s audio gaming's potential.
The Play: Convert passive listeners into engaged gamers, collect behavioral data, and potentially challenge Apple's ecosystem playbook.
⚡ Bottom Line: Without native gaming infrastructure, this feels more like branded content than a serious pivot. But if engagement spikes, expect more Hollywood collabs.
📲 Estonia’s tech titans are backing a Robinhood rival
Estonia’s tech titans are rallying behind Lightyear, a commission-free investing app gunning for Robinhood’s crown in Europe.
The startup raised $23M (led by NordicNinja) and launched new AI tools like “Why Did It Move” to explain stock spikes.
Founded by ex-Wise execs, it’s now in 25 countries and plotting crypto features. Backers include Bolt’s CEO, Wise’s co-founder, and a Skype OG.
⚡ Bottom line: Europe’s “self-driving money” moment just hit warp speed.
📺 FUN FACTS & TRIVIA
Bill Gates’ First Program Was a Tic-Tac-Toe Game
At 13, Gates coded a tic-tac-toe game on his school’s computer—using punched cards. His next project? A class-scheduling app that conveniently placed him in all-girls classes.
Bonus: Gates was arrested in 1977 for speeding and driving without a license. The mugshot? Priceless.
💀 THE ROAST
Because World Leaders Beg To Be Dragged
