25 talking points for better conversation at cocktails from news of the past week.

1. In Germany, more and more people between the ages of 30 and 49 with children and young professionals between the ages of 25 and 29 have been moving to the countryside since 2017.

2. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to visit Washington next week.

3. The European Parliament is looking to expand - it will take the number of seats from 705 to 720 between 2024 and 2029.

4. The City of Los Angeles has a bigger population than fourteen US states.

5. The Democratic Republic of Congo has 43% of the world's cobalt deposits.

6. China refines 70% of the world's cobalt.

7. Half of Ethiopia's population of 120 million live without power.

8. China overtook Germany in 2022 and Japan in the first half of this year as the world's largest car exporter.

9. Mexico surpassed China as the US's largest trade partner.

10. Ron DeSantis says the odds of Donald Trump winning the presidency if convicted are 'close to zero.'

11. QOTW #1: "Politicians from one-party states never learn broadness. They speak only Party Language to Party Folk. They aren't forced to develop policy mastery, only party dynamics. They rely on personal charm but are superficial." -- Peggy Noonan

12. QOTW #2: "Elections aren't an event, but a process." -- Karl Rove

13. The White House is expected to release an executive order on AI this year.

14. The Mortgage Bankers Association reports US mortgage demand dropped to the lowest level in 27 years.

15. Caesars paid ransom after suffering a cyberattack.

16. McDonald's is removing its self-serve soda machines at its US restaurants.

17. Venice wants to combat 'overtourism' with a new €5 entrance fee.

18. USA Today is hiring a Taylor Swift reporter.

19. Alexander McQueen designer Sarah Burton quits after two decades.

20. Lockheed Martin, the American defense contractor, is entering the streetwear business.

21. The 'Poor Things' takes the top prize at the Venice Film Festival.

22. Antidepressant users per 1,000 people in the US: 110

23. Paul Pogba was suspended after testing positive for testosterone.

24. The Dartmouth men's basketball players file the National Labor Relations Board petition to unionize.

25. The NFL extends the deal for London games through 2029.

Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc