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Good day valued readers,

We hope this week's carefully curated selection of news finds you well. In this edition, we cover the latest developments across investing, finance, crypto, AI, and other topics to help you stay informed.

As always, our goal is to provide you with a professional, unbiased roundup of noteworthy news to augment your understanding of what's happening in the world. We take pride in hand-selecting articles from trustworthy sources across a diverse range of industries.

Please enjoy this week's newsletter. We're grateful for the opportunity to share these insights with you and look forward to continuing to be a valuable resource.

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Investing and Finance

Welcome to this week's economic and market roundup, where uncertainty seems to be the prevailing theme. The job market is showing signs of weakness, with another report confirming this trend and raising concerns about high interest rates. Despite this, some companies are still thriving, with Ferrari lifting its full-year guidance and Apple reporting strong revenues, particularly in its services business and iPad sales. However, the tech sector isn't immune to challenges, as evidenced by Intel's announcement of workforce cuts and a quarterly guidance miss.

In China, yields have hit record lows as investors defy central bank warnings, adding another layer of complexity to the global economic picture. On a more personal note, there's an intriguing story of someone who managed to retire comfortably on $100,000, though it comes with a caveat about risk tolerance. The broader economic landscape continues to cause unease, with new signs of a weakening economy heightening concerns about high interest rates.

This sentiment is reflected in the stock market, where European stocks have slid 2.5%, extending losses after a weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs report. Even Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has made moves, halving its stake in Apple. In the energy sector, ExxonMobil posted revenue and profit increases on its highest production since merger. As we navigate these turbulent times, it's worth noting that market downturns are unavoidable, but there are strategies to make the most of them. Stay tuned as we delve deeper into these stories and more in this week's newsletter.

1. The Job Market Is Weakening, Says Yet Another Report - Read more

2. Ferrari Lifts Full-Year Guidance on Q2 Shipment Growth - Read more

3. Apple revenues rise on strong services business and iPad sales - Read more

4. Intel to cut 15% of workforce, reports quarterly guidance miss - Read more

5. Chinese yields hit record lows as investors defy central bank warnings - Read more

6. I retired comfortably on $100,000, so it’s not a myth – if you can handle the risk - Read more

7. New Signs of Weakening Economy Heighten Concerns About High Interest Rates - Read more

8. Europe stocks slide 2.5%, extending losses after weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs report - Read more

9. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway halves stake in Apple - Read more

10. ExxonMobil Posts Revenue, Profit Increases on Highest Production Since Merger - Read more

11. Live news: European shares and US futures fall sharply - Read more

12. Why Stocks Just Had Their Most Volatile Two Weeks in Over a Year - Read more

13. Market Downturns Are Unavoidable - Here's What You Can Do To Make The Most Of This One - Read more

14. Dow drops 800 points, Nasdaq craters 6% in global market rout: Live updates - Read more

15. Some Things I Don’t Want When I Grow Up - Read more

16. Google loses US antitrust case over search dominance - Read more

17. Stock Volatility Jumps to Highest Since Covid Pandemic as Selloff Deepens - Read more

18. Bank Stocks Slump as Fears About US Economy Intensify - Read more

Crypto News

Welcome to this week's crypto and blockchain newsletter, where we explore the latest developments in this dynamic sector. Coinbase, a major player in the cryptocurrency exchange space, has reported $1.4 billion in Q2 revenue, citing improving regulatory clarity as a positive factor. Meanwhile, MicroStrategy continues its bullish stance on Bitcoin, increasing its holdings to an impressive 226,500 BTC and introducing a new Bitcoin yield metric. In a significant move for the XRP ecosystem, Ripple has announced plans to allocate $10 million to tokenized U.S. Treasury Bills on the XRP Ledger.

The blockchain landscape is expanding with the Lava Network launching its public mainnet and airdropping 55 million tokens to early adopters. However, regulatory challenges persist, as evidenced by Bybit's decision to exit the French market in response to new EU crypto regulations. In the ongoing Ethereum vs. Solana debate, Solana has made headlines by surpassing Ethereum in trading volumes. Speaking of Ethereum, the selling spree appears to be slowing down, with an 80% drop in ETH outflows, although Jump Crypto has unstaked $315 million worth of ETH, which is now headed to exchanges.

Looking at the broader crypto ecosystem, a Galaxy Research report suggests that most Bitcoin Layer-2 networks may not survive in the long term. Despite Coinbase's solid earnings, analysts warn that low trading volumes and potential Federal Reserve headwinds could impact its performance. Lastly, even as the crypto market experiences a downturn, DeFi giant Aave has managed to generate $6 million in revenue, demonstrating the resilience of certain projects in challenging market conditions.

1. Coinbase Posts $1.4 Billion in Q2 Revenue, Claims Improving ‘Regulatory Clarity’ - Read more

2. MicroStrategy raises holdings to 226,500 bitcoin, introduces BTC yield metric - Read more

3. Ripple to Allocate $10M to Tokenized U.S. Treasury Bills on XRP Ledger - Read more

4. Lava Network launches public mainnet and airdrops 55 million tokens - Read more

5. Bybit to Exit From France’s Market as EU’s Crypto Regulation Takes Hold - Read more

6. Solana surpasses Ethereum in volumes - Read more

7. Ethereum selling spree ‘almost over’ with 80% ETH outflow drop - Read more

8. Jump Crypto unstakes $315M of ETH, now headed to exchanges - Read more

9. Most Bitcoin Layer-2 Networks Won’t Survive: Galaxy Research - Read more

10. Coinbase's 'Solid' Earnings May Get Derailed by Low Volume, Fed Headwinds, Analysts Say - Read more

11. Defi Giant Aave Rakes in $6M in Revenue as Crypto Market Plunges - Read more

Artificial Intelligence

Welcome to this week's tech and AI newsletter, where we explore the cutting-edge developments shaping our digital future. The AI boom continues to dominate headlines, with varying impacts across the tech industry. While Nvidia has seen unprecedented growth, not all semiconductor firms are reaping the same benefits from the AI revolution. In a surprising turn of events, Microsoft has declared OpenAI a competitor in AI and search, signaling a shift in their relationship.

GitHub is pushing the boundaries of AI in software development with the introduction of GitHub Models, a new generation of AI engineers. Meanwhile, Meta's ambitions in AI are growing, with Mark Zuckerberg announcing that training Llama 4 will require 10 times more computing power than its predecessor. On the regulatory front, the world's first major AI law has come into force, carrying significant implications for U.S. tech giants. As AI continues to evolve, there's a growing demand for AI-skilled workers, who are becoming the new hot commodity in the job market.

In an interesting development, the NSA is working on an AI tool to help industry optimize cyberdefense testing. The medical field is also seeing AI breakthroughs, with a robot performing the first ever fully autonomous dental surgery on a live patient. As the AI race heats up, Google is making strategic moves by hiring top talent from startup Character.AI and signing a licensing deal. However, not all news is positive, as Britain cancels $1.7 billion of computing projects, potentially setting back its global AI ambitions.

Lastly, in a fascinating intersection of AI and space exploration, scientists are proposing to send artificial intelligence to aliens for real-time communication, pushing the boundaries of our technological imagination.

1. Reddit CEO says Microsoft refuses to negotiate with Reddit to scrape its data - Read more

2. Why not all semiconductor firms are benefitting from the AI boom like Nvidia has - Read more

3. Microsoft says OpenAI is now a competitor in AI and search - Read more

4. Introducing GitHub Models: A new generation of AI engineers building on GitHub - Read more

5. Zuckerberg says Meta will need 10x more computing power to train Llama 4 than Llama 3 - Read more

6. World’s first major AI law enters into force - here’s what it means for U.S. tech giants - Read more

7. To Lead in AI, the US Needs a Silicon Revolution - Read more

8. AI-Skilled Workers Are The New, Hot, In-Demand Professionals - Read more

9. New NSA-powered AI tool would help industry optimize cyberdefense testing - Read more

10. Robot Performs First Ever Fully Autonomous Dental Surgery on Live Patient - Read more

11. Google hires top talent from startup Character.AI, signs licensing deal - Read more

12. Britain cancels $1.7 billion of computing projects in setback for global AI ambitions - Read more

13. Fully-automatic robot dentist performs world's first human procedure - Read more

14. Scientists Suggest Sending Artificial Intelligence To Aliens For Real-Time Communication - Read more

Top Article Picks this week

Welcome to this week's eclectic newsletter, where we explore a diverse range of topics that shape our world and challenge our perspectives. We kick off with a thought-provoking question: Can we save the planet by shrinking the economy? This ties into broader discussions about sustainability and economic models. On a more personal level, we delve into the intriguing world of couples who run their families like corporations, offering a unique take on household management.

The media landscape is ever-evolving, and we examine how the internet has changed news, as humorously observed by The Onion. In a surprising twist, we meet the rich kids who want to give away all their money, challenging our assumptions about wealth and philanthropy. For those struggling with time management, we offer insights on making time with someone who's bad at it. We also challenge conventional wisdom in writing, as Kazuo Ishiguro declares "Write what you know" the stupidest advice he's ever heard.

On a practical note, we explore outdoor skills that aren't as complicated as they seem, including how to start a fire. The newsletter also touches on current controversies, such as YouTube star MrBeast's recent challenges, and examines the tech elite's growing distrust of traditional media. From the science of mental imagery to the evolution of work culture among Gen Z, we cover a wide array of fascinating topics that promise to expand your knowledge and spark your curiosity.

1. Can We Save the Planet by Shrinking the Economy? (Reading time: 20 min) - Read here

2. The Couples Who Run Their Families Like A Corporation (Reading time: 5 min) - Read here

3. How the internet changed news, according to The Onion (Reading time: 12 min) - Read here

4. Meet the Rich Kids Who Want to Give Away All Their Money (Reading time: 20 min) - Read here

5. How to Make Time With Someone Bad at Making Time (Reading time: 5 min) - Read here

6. Kazuo Ishiguro: ‘Write What You Know’ is the Stupidest Thing I’ve Ever Heard (Reading time: 6 min) - Read here

7. How to Start a Fire, Plus 15 Other Outdoor Skills That Aren’t Complicated (Reading time: 3 min) - Read here

8. MrBeast, YouTube’s $700M star, is caught in a swirl of controversies (Reading time: 5 min) - Read here

9. Tech elites hate the media. So they're taking a page from Fox News. (Reading time: 14 min) - Read here

10. Why I Finally Quit Spotify (Reading time: 7 min) - Read here

11. What Happens in a Mind That Can’t ‘See’ Mental Images (Reading time: 10 min) - Read here

12. ‘Slay, Serve, Survive’: How Gen Z Is Rewriting the Rules of Work (Reading time: 5 min) - Read here

13. Five Ways Hiking Is Good for You (Reading time: 10 min) - Read here

14. Mystery of Why Humans Die Around 80 May Finally Be Solved (Reading time: 3 min) - Read here

15. When Men Started to Obsess Over Six-Packs (Reading time: 6 min) - Read here

16. 17 Micro-Workouts That Will Change Your Life – Even if You’re Stuck in the Office (Reading time: 10 min) - Read here

17. Physics Is Pointing Inexorably to Mind (Reading time: 6 min) - Read here

18. What Kind of Emotions Do Animals Feel? (Reading time: 10 min) - Read here

19. You can (and should) stop charging your phone when it hits 80 percent (Reading time: 3 min) - Read here

20. Why mosquitos bite some people more than others, explained (Reading time: 2 min) - Read here

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Book of the week

Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace" stands as a monumental achievement in world literature, brilliantly capturing the sweeping panorama of Russian society during the Napoleonic era. This epic novel, beautifully translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, weaves together the lives of unforgettable characters against the backdrop of history, philosophy, and human nature. At its core, the story follows three main characters: the soul-searching Pierre Bezukhov, the ambitious Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, and the vivacious Natasha Rostov, each grappling with their own desires, duties, and destinies.

Tolstoy's narrative mastery shines as he seamlessly intertwines intimate personal dramas with grand historical events, creating a rich tapestry that explores the human condition in times of peace and war. The author's keen observations on society, politics, and military strategy provide a compelling portrait of 19th-century Russia, while his profound insights into the human psyche resonate across time and cultures. Pevear and Volokhonsky's translation breathes new life into Tolstoy's prose, preserving the author's distinctive style and rhythm while making the text accessible to modern readers.

The novel's scope is truly epic, encompassing both the minutiae of everyday life and the grand sweep of history, as it follows its characters through love, loss, war, and peace. Tolstoy's ability to create complex, multi-dimensional characters allows readers to empathize with their struggles and triumphs, making the novel deeply engaging despite its considerable length. The battle scenes are described with gripping realism, while the philosophical discussions add depth and intellectual stimulation to the narrative.

"War and Peace" is not merely a historical novel, but a profound exploration of free will, determinism, and the forces that shape human destiny. Tolstoy's themes of love, death, and the search for meaning in life remain as relevant today as they were when the book was first published. This edition, at 1296 pages, may seem daunting, but the richness of the story and the beauty of the writing make it a rewarding and unforgettable reading experience. For those willing to embark on this literary journey, "War and Peace" offers a deeply moving, thought-provoking, and ultimately transformative encounter with one of the greatest works of fiction ever written.

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