Volkswagen can develop and produce new electric vehicles (EVs) in China for half the cost of doing the same work in its native Germany, the company says, citing mature EV supply chains, easier access to batteries, lower labor costs, and shortened timelines from design through production.
ECONOMIC UPDATE – MARKET OVERVIEW
One of the latest on an economic downside in the U.S. is the Apartment List report showing that the median rent for apartments in what used to be “The Land of Opportunity,” fell 1 percent last month from October, and is down for the fourth month in a row.
FINANCIAL FRANKENSTEINISM: BUILDING A SCORCHED-EARTH ECONOMY
So, now THE Wall St. SUPERBANK J P Morgan has now jumped on the S&P 500 8K for 2026 bandwagon.
U.S. ECONOMY IS NOW DEPENDENT ON AI SPENDING
Investment in artificial intelligence (AI) programs and infrastructure accounted for as much as half the U.S.’s economic expansion during this year’s first half, according to The Wall Street Journal. At the same time, investments in AI-related stocks have soared in value, vastly multiplying the household wealth of many Americans.
DOOM VS. OPTIMISM CONTINUES AS AGI AND ASI LOOM
A bestselling book predicting that creation of Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) would result in a wipe out of the human race has provoked an upcoming release by a leading AI computer scientist.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: GENOCIDE IN GAZA CONTINUES, DESPITE SO-CALLED CEASEFIRE
Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues, despite the U.S.-backed ceasefire, as the Israelis continue to inflict conditions on the Palestinian population that are “calculated to bring about their physical destruction,” Amnesty International said in a new report.
TRUMP PARDONS FORMER PRESIDENT OF HONDURAS WHO PARTNERED WITH TOP DRUG TRAFFICKERS, WHILE BOMBING ALLEGED DRUG BOATS IN THE CARIBBEAN
Just as President Donald Trump’s Pentagon carries out airstrikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean –calling passengers “narcoterrorists,” he granted a pardon for Juan Orlando Hernández, the former Honduran president who worked with the biggest drug traffickers and once allegedly bragged that he was so efficient at allowing cocaine into the U.S., he would be able to “stuff the drugs right up the noses of the gringos.”
Global Economy
SPOTLIGHT: BIGS GETTING BIGGER
The Trump administration’s laissez-faire attitude toward major mergers and acquisitions has persuaded a growing number of companies “to take a shot at deals that merge direct competitors,” The Wall Street Journal reported after talking with executives, investment bankers, and lawyers in the field.
SPOTLIGHT: CHINA’S AUTO INDUSTRY’S RISE TO DOMINANCE
Volkswagen can develop and produce new electric vehicles (EVs) in China for half the cost of doing the same work in its native Germany, the company says, citing mature EV supply chains, easier access to batteries, lower labor costs, and shortened timelines from design through production.
DUTCH BANK FIRES 20 PERCENT OF ITS STAFF
Dutch lender ABN Amro, with two acquisitions in progress, will dump 5,200 of its current staff as part of a campaign by new CEO Marguerite Berard to cut costs and increase profits.
The Israel War
GAZA DEATH
The death toll inside Gaza reached 70,112 Palestinians—mainly women and children—and 170,986 injuries as Israel continues to violate the 11 October ceasefire brokered by the U.S.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: GENOCIDE IN GAZA CONTINUES, DESPITE SO-CALLED CEASEFIRE
Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues, despite the U.S.-backed ceasefire, as the Israelis continue to inflict conditions on the Palestinian population that are “calculated to bring about their physical destruction,” Amnesty International said in a new report.
ISRAEL HAS LAUNCHED NEARLY 700 STRIKES ON LEBANON DURING SO-CALLED CEASEFIRE
The IDF has launched 669 airstrikes on Lebanon since the so-called ceasefire went into effect last November, claiming that the country has not done enough to uproot Hezbollah’s positions in the southern region, a claim that has been outright rejected by Beirut.
Trends in AI
INSURANCE COMPANIES SAY “NO THANKS” TO AI RISK COVERAGE
AIG, Great American, and WR Berkely are among the major insurers asking regulators to allow them to refuse to insure against risks that might arise from the use of AI agents and chatbots.
AI-COORDINATED SATELLITES MAP MAJOR CANADIAN LITHIUM DEPOSIT
A satellite swarm teamed with AI has found a lithium deposit in Quebec to be larger than first thought.
CHATBOTS’ COMMON FLAW IS AN OPEN DOOR TO HACKERS
Microsoft researchers have uncovered a flaw in leading chatbots that can give hackers free access to conversations between you and your digital friend.
Hi-Tech Science
GRAPHENE MAKES TOUGH PLASTIC LIGHTER, STRONGER
Polypropylene is one of the most common molded plastics. It’s widespread in the auto industry, where it’s stamped into a variety of shapes for car parts.
YOUR BRAIN’S FIVE STAGES OF LIFE
Analyzing MRI scans from more than 3,800 people ranging in age from newly born to their 90s, researchers at the University of Cambridge have found our brains go through five distinct stages as we grow and age.
HUMANOID ROBOTS WILL PATROL CHINA’S BORDER
China will deploy human-shaped robots at its border crossing with Vietnam south of Guangxi, the South China Post reported.
