Here are 25 talking points for better conversation at cocktails from news of the past week.
1. Greece declared a state of emergency in Santorini after a 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck on Wednesday, the strongest in days of near-constant tremors.
2. France + UAE could spend "€30 to €50 billion" ($31 to 52 billion at current exchange rates) to build an AI campus.
3. Australia bans DeepSeek on government devices.
4. Norway is nearing 100% of the goal for all-electric cars.
5. JD Vance will attend the AI Action Summit in France and the Munich Security Conference next week on their first trip abroad as Vice President.
6. Donald Trump offers to build a $100m ballroom at the White House.
7. Lara Trump will host a new primetime show on Fox News called 'My View with Lara Trump.'
8. QOTW 1: @NancyMace: Let’s turn Gaza into Mar-A-Lago
9. The Palisades + Eaton fires are officially over.
10. In Naples in 1781, one in every 37 people was a monk.
11. Tesla's sales plummet across Europe: Registrations in Germany fall 59% amid a consumer backlash against Elon Musk's political activism.
12. QOTW 2: "Don't be a dick." -- Elon Musk, responding to Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) for saying he would subpoena Musk to testify before Congress.
13. California State University is becoming the first AI-powered university system, with ChatGPT Edu being rolled out to 460,000 students and over 63,000 staff and faculty.
14. The NHS will use artificial intelligence to screen 700,000 women for breast cancer as part of a world-leading trial this year.
15. SoftBank + OpenAI to set up AI joint venture in Japan:
16. Ford lost $5 billion on its EV business in 2024.
17. The proposed Nissan + Honda merger collapsed.
18. Billabong + Roxy + Volcom are among 120 stores closing as Liberated Brands files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
19. Eggs: The Waffle House has added a temporary surcharge of 50 cents per egg amid rising egg prices caused by the bird flu outbreak.
20. HOTW: The Times: Suffering from 'Zoom fatigue'? You may be sick of your own face
21. Spotify's monthly active users rose to 675 million in the fourth quarter.
22. Juliette Binoche will preside over the 2025 Cannes Film Festival jury.
23. NFL proposes an 18-game season.
24. Super Trump: Donald Trump will become the first sitting US president to attend the Super Bowl.
25. Major League Baseball fired umpire Pat Hoberg for sports gambling violations.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
