Happy Wednesday Everyone! Today’s newsletter: 1,084 words…4.0 mins
🗞 Today’s Edition: Historic Trade Deal, German Spy Roaches, China’s Micro-Drama, Kohberger’s Fate Sealed, Macrons vs Owens, AI influencers, Meme Stocks 3.0… & much more!
🚨 Watch For:
Round 3 of Russia-Ukraine Talks from July 23rd-24th at Istanbul, Turkey
U.S.-EU trade deal to be announced shortly
📜THE HIGHLIGHT
One killer insight to stash in your back pocket
Prime Minister Ishiba with President Trump at the Oval Office
🏯Tokyo Drift: Japan's $550B Trade Pact Ends with a Plot Twist
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is calling it quits after his ruling coalition got smoked in the upper house elections. His exit—less than a year into his term—is fueling a fast-moving power scramble in Tokyo.
But Ishiba’s not leaving without signing the guest book: He cut a massive $550B trade deal with the US.
President Trump hails it as “the largest TRADE DEAL in history with Japan”.
👋 Tariffs: Japanese cars will now face 15%, not 25%.
💰 Investment: Japan will funnel billions into US factories creating hundreds of thousands of jobs.
🍚 Market access: Japan opens up to US cars, rice & agri goods.
Markets cheered, the Dow popped over 200 points and Nikkei reversed course to rise over 9%.
Bonus deal: Trump revealed a joint Japan-US Alaska LNG venture, part of the broader trade package. It’s pitched as energy security gold—shorter routes, fewer strings—but Japan’s still cautious. At $44B, the project isn’t exactly a bargain.
🔍 Bottom line: Ishiba’s going out with a bang, not a whimper—signing a historic deal that could reshape global trade... and set the next PM up for either glory or chaos.
♟️THE CHESSBOARD
Geopolitics Decoded In 3 Moves
Left: Candace Owens; Right: President Macron & First Lady Brigitte
🇫🇷 The Real Housewives: Versailles Edition
⚖ French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte are suing U.S. right-wing commentator Candace Owens in Delaware for defamation. The lawsuit claims Owens repeatedly spread false claims that Brigitte is transgender—alleging Macron married her while she was still “a man named Jean-Michel.”
Owens even turned the conspiracy into merch, podcast episodes, and a YouTube series.
💬 Macron’s lawyers call it “a campaign of hate.”
🎙️ Owens replied: “See you in court. I’m not backing down.”
👀 Zoom out: Owens isn’t alone—conspiracies about Brigitte’s gender have circulated in French circles since 2021. The Macrons also filed a case against two French reporters for the same. They were acquitted.
Why it matters: Theis sets up a global test on whether American free speech protections can shield influencers for defamation and Owens is betting U.S. courts will have her back.
🇷🇺 🇺🇦 Russia–Ukraine Round 3: Deadline Drama in Istanbul
Round 3 of the Russia-Ukraine talks officially commenced after opening statements by Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan. These are the first talks in 7+ weeks amid Trump’s looming 50-day deadline and “severe tariff” threats.
Team Ukraine led by Rustem Umerov, is pushing for a immediate ceasefire, security guarantees, no military caps.
Team Russia led by Vladimir Medinsky (who arrived sporting a “Team Putin” shirt), demands Ukrainian troops pullback from 4 regions.
Kremlin says talks are “extremely challenging” and Zelensky’s asking for a 1:1 with Putin; but Vlad is ghosting for now.
⚡ Bottom Line: Ukraine wants a ceasefire, Russia wants capitulation and Trump just entered the chat with a tariff-shaped hammer.
🪳 German Spy Roaches & AI Robots
🇩🇪 Germany is reshaping the battlefield—one cockroach at a time. A military startup - Swarm Biotactics is turning live cockroaches (yes, really!) into AI-controlled spies with sensor "backpacks” - new nightmare unlocked…
Key Features:
Cameras, neural stimulators, GPS and microphones
Can move autonomously or be remote-controlled
Harder to detect than robots—can swarm hostile zones for recon or rescue missions
These bio-drones are backed by €13M in funding. Startups like Helsing ($12B val.) and ARX Robotics are also deploying autonomous drones and retrofit kits for battlefield vehicles.
🔥 Why it matters: With defense spending hitting €162B by 2029, Germany’s betting big on AI warfare - Terminator style.
🗽THE EMPIRE FILES
Political Drama From DC To NYC
Times Square Cowboy got it wrong too; Inset: AI influencer Mia Zelu at Wimbledon
🤖 The Rise of AI Influencers:
NY Post’s Times Square quiz revealed 68% of people can’t spot AI-generated influencers—like "Mia Zelu" (168K IG followers) who fooled thousands with her Wimbledon pics.
Not a single person correctly spotted all six real vs. AI models
🎭 Real vs. Fake Whiplash: Brazilian influencer Gessica (19.5M followers) was nearly barred from re-entering Brazil—immigration thought her passport photo didn’t match her "too-perfect" IG posts.
💰 Some AI creations rake in $10K monthly by promoting legit brands, while real influencers like Swedish TikTok star Dina get mistaken for bots.
🫠 The takeaway? We’re cooked.
⚖ Kohberger’s Fate Sealed: Refuses To Explain Horrific Slaughter
Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to four life terms without parole for the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students. He pleaded guilty earlier this month, dodging the death penalty.
Families made gut-wrenching impact statements. The judge called it a “senseless act of evil.” Kohberger? Silent—offering only, “I respectfully decline.”
💔 Raw Courtroom Scenes: Judge Hippler condemned his "unfathomable evil," while victims’ families swung between fury and forgiveness.
A Painful Chapter Ends: The sentencing closes a 3-year saga—but leaves the "why" unanswered.
🤖 CODES & POWER
Tech Wars, Crypto Chaos, and AI’s Black Mirror Moments
🧢 Meme Stocks 3.0: Donuts & Dying Cameras
GoPro (+15%) and Krispy Kreme (+5%) just got meme’d. Retail traders on WallStreetBets pumped the two penny stocks—ditching OpenDoor like last season’s fav.
Why? Cheap price tags, high short interest and pure YOLO vibes (“YOLO DNUT” is an actual post…really).
🔼 The surge comes as the S&P 500 hits fresh highs and junk stocks rally off hopes for rate cuts, solid GDP, and tariffs not nuking the economy. GameStop déjà vu? Almost.
🇨🇳 China’s Micro-Dramas Are Taking Over Hollywood
China’s $7B micro-drama industry—episodes under 2 minutes, packed with cliffhangers—now rivals its box office revenue.
Platforms like ReelShort and DramaBox dominate U.S. downloads, leveraging addictive, soap-opera-on-crack storytelling.
Vertical Dominance: Fueled by Douyin and Kuaishou, the vertical soap-opera-on-steroids format is gaining traction globally - monetized faster than Netflix ($700M in Q1)
⚡ Their edge? Instant emotional payoff. Addictive. Bingeable. Brutally efficient.
📺 FUN FACTS & TRIVIA
The Astor Ballroom; Inset: Mr. William McAllister and Mrs. Caroline Astor
‘The Four Hundred’ List
In the Gilded Age, Caroline (Schermerhorn) Astor - aka - the Mrs. Astor, decided only 400 people could fit in her ballroom. So she, along with her friend Ward McAllister literally published a list of “those who mattered”, called The Four Hundred.
Prerequisites for inclusion? Those who came from families with at least 3 generations of wealth and people who would feel at ease in grand ballrooms.
Translation: If you weren’t on the list? New-money trash.
💀 THE ROAST
Because World Leaders Beg To Be Dragged
