China's Rise on the Geopolitical Stage

A Newly Confident China Is Jockeying for More Global Clout as Trump Pulls Back
https://www.wsj.com/world/china/a-newly-confident-china-is-jockeying-for-more-global-clout-as-trump-pulls-back-5cc3be4e
Feeling empowered after a clash over trade, Beijing looks to exploit America’s inward turn.
 
Russia strengthens financial ties to China with first renminbi bond
https://www.ft.com/content/92b1b3f2-055c-42fb-b2da-ee774873ae7b 

Green Energy Trade-Offs

Europe’s Green Energy Rush Slashed Emissions—and Crippled the Economy
https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/europes-green-energy-rush-slashed-emissionsand-crippled-the-economy-e65a1a07
The aggressive push to cut fossil fuels brought an unwelcome twist: dramatically higher electricity costs that are hobbling industry. 

Related:

Top Journal Retracts Study Predicting Catastrophic Climate Toll

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/business/economy/study-climate-damage-retracted.html

Emerging Asia

Vietnam Ascendant | The Infinite Explorer with Hannah Fry
https://youtu.be/sSlqqsz_16I
 
How South Korea Made Its Mark on the Globe | The Infinite Explorer with Hannah Fry
https://youtu.be/8g6Y-dQ556A 

Majoring in AI

College Students Flock to a New Major: A.I.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/01/technology/college-computer-science-ai-boom.html
At M.I.T., a new program called “artificial intelligence and decision-making” is now the second-most-popular undergraduate major. 

Related:

Fearing AI job losses, some young workers in Britain shift towards skilled trades
https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/fearing-ai-job-losses-some-young-workers-britain-shift-towards-skilled-trades-2025-12-02/

The AGI Hype

How AGI became the most consequential conspiracy theory of our time
https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/10/30/1127057/agi-conspiracy-theory-artifcial-general-intelligence/
The idea that machines will be as smart as—or smarter than—humans has hijacked an entire industry. But look closely and you’ll see it’s a myth that persists for many of the same reasons conspiracies do. 

US Economy: AI Boom versus Tariff Shock

America’s Tariffs Jolted the Global Economy. Its AI Spending Is Helping Save It.
https://www.wsj.com/economy/trade/americas-tariffs-jolted-the-global-economy-its-ai-spending-is-helping-save-it-9be60ee0
Economists predicted a global shock from Trump’s tariffs, but some are now revising their global growth predictions upward. 

Related:

The Inequality Story Isn’t What You’ve Heard. Meet the Pac-Man Economy.
https://www.barrons.com/articles/the-inequality-story-isnt-what-youve-heard-meet-the-pac-man-economy-729b794b

RTO versus WFH

Young Workers, Eyeing Their Careers, Learn to Embrace the Office
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/01/business/young-workers-office.html
Remote work means less training and opportunity for advancement, especially for younger workers, research suggests. Some are getting the message.