J.D. Capelouto

Yeah the former TikTokers are having a moment! Addison Rae's album is good

Tradpop summer: US political vibe shift hits music charts Compared to 2024, the US music charts feel safer and more traditional, amid a broader cultural and political narrative shift toward conservative ideals.

Wrote about Alex Warren, Benson Boone, and how "tradpop" fits into this cultural/political moment, one year after brat summer www.semafor.com/article/06/2...

how it feels to check out a book from the library

get me to God's country

High-ranking German conservative: EU should consider 0% tariffs on US Jens Spahn offers clues to how the likely incoming German administration will approach Trump’s tariff threats.

Spahn also floated buying more US arms and LNG to address a massive trade surplus -- more clues into how the next German government could approach transatlantic ties: www.semafor.com/article/02/1...

Scoop: Jens Spahn, a high-ranking member of Germany's CDU party who will likely be part of the next government, thinks 0% tariffs on US goods should be on the table in future trade negotiations with Trump.

"If you start negotiating, you always can find a deal." @semafor.com

Semafor Flagship The daily global news briefing you can trust.

I promise we also write about very serious things, sign up for free: www.semafor.com/newsletters/...

some of my favorite puns we've crafted recently

TikTok crisis leads to unlikely ‘cyberspace bridge’ between US and China | Semafor For now, the influx of Americans to Chinese app Xiaohongshu has inspired a rare direct cultural exchange, but it could lead to scrutiny from both countries.

www.semafor.com/article/01/1...

memes are transcending language on Xiaohongshu, which is apparently not super thrilled about an influx of US users:

Season 2 had some non-competition reality stars that were great at the game, you need to watch next

But if you DO watch every reality show, it's magical

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau announces resignation | Semafor A once-feted scion of Canadian politics, Trudeau’s resignation comes amid intensified political headwinds.

he's out www.semafor.com/article/01/0...

Germany's liberals are divided over the proposed Milei- and Musk-ification of the party (via @table.media)

in last night's @semafor.com Media newsletter: The world's first martial law declaration motivated by YouTube algorithm??

The best ‘best of’ lists to sum up 2024 | Semafor From product designs to scathing book reviews, here are some of the best ‘best of 2024’ lists.

Overwhelmed with "best of 2024" lists? boy do I have a list for you www.semafor.com/article/12/2...

let's check in on the r/drones subreddit shall we

The leader of every main BRICS country is a septuagenarian

A screenshot of the linked FT article reads: Employees quoted government handbooks from the 1930s and 1960s, and were unable to answer direct questions about their duties, nor explain why decisions had been made. “The problems piled up, and they let them be,” he said. “They do not see themselves as responsible.” One man introduced himself as the head of the public relations department, which he said included “international co-operation” as well as a division for “festival and events management”. Asked what this division did exactly, the civil servant answered, “flags”. “There’s a department for flags?” Ghazal asked incredulously. “Yes, when foreign dignitaries come, we put up a lot of flags,” he said. “We hang them from the poles. It’s a big job.”

Another victorious rebel group discovers the horrors of bureaucracy as they prepare to govern:
www.ft.com/content/7efc...

Turmoil in Damascus, tensions in Doha | Semafor A revolution in Syria was buffeted by fast-moving discussions in Qatar, where the broader fallout of the country’s civil war was all too plain to see.

"Will the weeks, months, or years ahead bring utopia? No. Will tyranny return? Perhaps. Could it be more brutal than what we’ve endured? Unimaginable."
www.semafor.com/article/12/0...

happy birthday frank

Nayib Bukele and Donald Trump celebrate Bitcoin reaching $100K | Semafor The 16-year-old digital asset has experienced a meteoric rise this year, prompting celebration among crypto enthusiasts globally.

Bitcoin is legal tender in El Salvador, where the government's holdings apparently total $603M www.semafor.com/article/12/0...

친윤 "고독한 尹, 오죽했으면" "말벗 해줘야"…의총서 결사옹위 의원총회에서 윤석열 대통령 탈당 주장에 적극 반박 "당 지도부 대통령 빨리 만나 의중 파악해야" 주문도 지난 밤 윤석열 대통령의 비상계엄 선포를 두고 국민의힘 의원들 간 갈등의 골이 깊어지고 있다. 친한(친한동훈)계 의원들을 중심으로 윤 대통령의 탈당 요구가

A pro-Yoon lawmaker in South Korea: The president "was lonely" and needs "a friend to talk to": www.news1.kr/politics/ass...

Thinking about the time South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol serenaded Joe Biden with a cover of “American Pie” at the White House last year

uh

Last year Tina Turner lowered taxes for everyone in the small town of Stäfa, Switzerland by buying a 70M-Franc estate.

The government had a windfall in property gains tax revenue and was able to lower the tax rate <3 https://www.derbund.ch/tina-turner-beschert-staefa-tiefere-steuern-906384285433

The Philippines Swifties deserve the world (and an Eras Tour show) https://www.semafor.com/article/05/22/2023/taylor-swift-fans-in-the-philippines-put-on-their-own-eras-tour

"Bitch, I've never seen a donor list in my life. Is the party supposed to help you fundraise?" https://www.semafor.com/article/05/19/2023/megan-hunt-doesnt-want-to-be-your-democratic-hero

Megan Hunt doesn’t want to be your Democratic hero. She just wants to protect her trans son. The iconoclastic state legislator spent three months filibustering a bill to ban gender-affirming care for minors. She talked to Semafor about her work and the too-easy cable news story surrounding it.

🟡NEW: Megan Hunt doesn’t want to be your Democratic hero. She just wants to protect her trans son.

@meganhunt.bsky.social talks to @daveweigel.bsky.social in the latest edition of Semafor Americana

completely forgot that Trump canceled a trip to Denmark in 2019 because the Danish PM apparently refused to discuss selling Greenland https://www.semafor.com/article/05/17/2023/biden-cancels-papua-new-guinea-australia-trip