China versus the Mittelstand

China Is Devastating the Last Stronghold of German Industry
https://www.wsj.com/economy/china-is-devastating-the-last-stronghold-of-german-industry-c7a98514
Midsize companies that employ millions of workers are now shedding jobs and relocating overseas to cut costs. 

AI Spending War

Will Someone Finally Blink in the AI Spending War?
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/will-someone-finally-blink-in-the-ai-spending-war-0f59aa60
If Meta does rent out excess compute, it could signal that big tech has overbuilt. 

Philosophy Major in the Age of AI

The Revenge of the Philosophy Majors
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/05/business/philosophy-majors-ai-jobs.html
A.I. labs are hiring contrarian, chin-stroking, finger-steepling sages. Who’s underemployed now? 

World's Most Livable Cities - 2026

The world’s most livable city for 2026 has been revealed
https://www.cnn.com/travel/worlds-most-liveable-city-2026
1. Copenhagen, Denmark
2. Vienna, Austria
3. Melbourne, Australia
4. Sydney, Australia
5. Zurich, Switzerland
6. Geneva, Switzerland
7. Osaka, Japan
8. Adelaide, Australia
9. Vancouver, Canada
10. Tokyo, Japan 

Global Currency Agreements

A new Plaza Accord for global currencies wouldn’t work
https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/06/30/a-new-plaza-accord-for-global-currencies-wouldnt-work
The conditions and will for a deal are not what they were in 1985.  

Role of Stablecoins

Are stablecoins money?
https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/07/02/are-stablecoins-money
Policymakers’ job is to make them safe as well as useful. 

Stablecoins Are Private Money. That’s Why They’re a Risk to the Economy.
https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/stablecoins-are-private-money-thats-why-theyre-a-risk-to-the-economy-d3498171
Financial innovations often lead to upheaval and instability. Despite new regulations, those risks persist with stablecoins. 

Is the Stablecoin Economy Structurally Sound?
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/stablecoins-tokenization-blockchain-safety-reliability-cant-be-assumed-by-neha-narula-2026-03
If stablecoins and tokenized assets become systemically important, blockchains will become a form of systemically important infrastructure. But this shift will bring new risks, because not all blockchains are created equal, and they have largely avoided the degree of scrutiny the public expects of critical infrastructure.

EM Trends and Developments

Brazilians are going gaga for Chinese brands
https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2026/07/02/brazilians-are-going-gaga-for-chinese-brands
They think China has better tech than America.
 
Africa’s new middle class is putting down roots in the suburbs
https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/07/02/africas-new-middle-class-is-putting-down-roots-in-the-suburbs
For a glimpse of the continent’s future, visit the edges of its burgeoning cities.