Hey there,

It’s Priyanka, and I’ve got some fun news! We just got featured in the App Store’s Top Charts, so our little corner of the internet is growing fast. If this is your first time here, welcome to your new favorite weekly cheat sheet on what’s actually happening, so you’re never stuck just nodding along in conversations again. And to the regulars, huge thanks for sticking around 🫶

This week, everyone’s busy pointing fingers over nukes, a guy proposed to ChatGPT, billionaires are collecting kids like Pokémon cards (100+ and counting), and ice baths turned out to be the enemy of your waistline.

NGL, it’s a strange, unsettling mix, but perfect for sparking your weekend dinner conversations. Let’s jump right in.

👊 Can’t They Just Go 1v1?

The Israel-Iran conflict continues this week with everyone's favorite topic: who has nuclear bombs and who's making them. Israel, sitting on an estimated 90 nukes, has spent 25 years insisting Iran is building nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Tulsi Gabbard and the IAEA both say Iran suspended its weapons program in 2003. The math isn't mathing, so we mapped out exactly which nine countries actually have nukes.

America is “trying” to play referee, but diplomatic norms are officially dead. Trump will decide whether to attack in 2 weeks. Turkey's Erdogan called Netanyahu worse than Hitler, Putin's threatening Germany with WW3, and everyone's choosing sides.

Even Netanyahu admits he’s suffering personally: his son’s wedding has been delayed twice due to the ongoing conflict.

Meanwhile, violence keeps escalating: Israel vows more strikes on Iranian government targets after hitting missile launch sites that killed an Iranian commander. Tehran refuses to negotiate with the Trump administration and fired a massive missile salvo back at Israel, striking near the Microsoft office. Israeli troops stormed multiple West Bank towns, issuing evacuations as Iran threatens to hit Israeli news channel.

The internet, as usual, has the most grounded take: "Can't they just go 1v1 and leave the rest of us out of it?" Which, honestly, is valid.

💸 Silicon Valley's New Side Hustle: Warfare

The timing is either incredibly suspicious or Silicon Valley just has amazing market instincts. Within 48 hours of the Israel-Iran conflict escalating, OpenAI secured a $200M Pentagon deal for defense AI, and Spotify's Daniel Ek invested €600M in German defense company Helsing. Add Anthropic's classified military operations work, and we're watching Silicon Valley's new obsession: warfare as a business model.

🍼 100 Kids and 1 Trust Fund

In "rich people doing rich people things" news: Telegram founder Pavel Durov revealed he's fathered 100+ kids (six naturally, 100+ via sperm donation across 12 countries). He also plans to leave them his $13.9B fortune… with one tiny catch: they can’t access any of it for 30 years, because he wants them to “build themselves up alone.”

Small Talk Gold: This Weekend's Edition

• This guy proposed to ChatGPT before the mother of his child…

• Fake it till you make it? This Redditor’s fake bachelor's degree earned him a job and two promotions.

• Trump's latest target is somehow... Juneteenth, threatening to cancel it because America has "too many non-working holidays."

• Drake lost more money gambling last month than most people will see in a lifetime, then posted about it like it's inspirational content. Obviously, people are not having it. 

• Planning that Paris trip this weekend? The Louvre workers are on strike because there are too many of us trying to see the art.

• Even with $100 million offers Meta can't buy talent from OpenAI or convince Ilya Sutskever to sell his company.

• Ayee, another massive breach of our data? So cute, so casual, so exposed. 

• Doctors say don’t trust the fries-and-cola migraine cure, but hey, if TikTok says it works, who are we to argue?

• Would you show up to a dinner where you don’t know anyone or what’s being served? 100 people just did.

• An Australian TikToker hired a PI to unmask her anonymous haters and now knows where they live, what tattoos they have, and their tax numbers because #urnotanonymous apparently.

• Save your weekend ice bath money because science just proved it might be making you eat more instead of burning fat.

Twitter tweet

And that’s a wrap on this week. Stay informed, stay witty, and never underestimate the power of a well-timed “Did you hear about…?” 

See you soon!

The Volv Team

Hey there,

There are two types of conversations happening right now: actual children are running businesses better than most adults I know, while grown men are offering $100 million salaries and still getting rejected. Cosmic justice? Maybe.

Either way, we’ve got a lot to cover and not many hours left until we all collectively log off.

The pre-dinner download for skipping the awkward “wait, what happened?

⚠️ One Survivor, and the Years of Warnings

You definitely heard about the heartbreaking Air India crash that killed 241 people. But now we know more about why one passenger survived. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was in seat 11A, next to an emergency exit — not the statistically safest spot (rear middle usually is), but close enough to escape the wreckage.

Now it turns out the Boeing 787 Dreamliner had been flagged for safety issues last year by a whistleblower who later died by suicide. And a former Air India crew member says the same plane had known mechanical problems for years, but kept flying due to a shortage of spares.

📰 After Curfew, What’s Next for LA?

Despite deploying troops over Governor Newsom's objections, Trump is now taking credit for LA's "de-escalation," claiming the city would be "burning to the ground" without his intervention. But this may just be the warm-up: "No Kings" protests are scheduled Saturday in over 1,800 cities nationwide, potentially becoming the largest single-day anti-Trump rally since his second term began. 

🚨 The Middle East Conflict That's Minting Money for Defense Companies

The Middle East exploded into conflict again, and markets are reacting predictably. Israel launched airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear program, killing senior military commanders. Iran fired back with over 100 drones. Wall Street's immediate reaction? Defense contractors surged.

💬 Drop These Trends at Dinner and Watch Everyone Nod

• Gen Z’s unplugging from Instagram by… plugging in a BlackBerry! 

• Starbucks is trialing a sugar-free protein foam latte because apparently, even cold brew needs gains.

• Zuck’s calling it a hunt for the “LeBron James of AI,” but even with up to $100M in salaries, top researchers are rejecting him.

• Forget lemonade stands. Gen Alpha is flipping fits and streaming games, with 47% already making money before they can drive.

• Nothing says "I'm a visionary leader" quite like delegating your personality to an AI that immediately starts spreading misinformation about basic company functions.

@hardmoneyguy

2025 Blackberry phone

🙈 Collabs We Didn’t See Coming

• BarbieGPT is here! Mattel is partnering with OpenAI to create AI-powered toys as their answer to sagging sales, which means AI isn't just haunting your workplace, it's coming for your kid's dollhouse, too.

Twitter tweet

That's your guide to sounding informed without admitting you're as confused as everyone else.

Stay curious, and remember: if the news feels overwhelming, there's always a BlackBerry waiting for you on eBay.

The Volv Team

Hey, it's Priyanka here!

Writing from SXSW London, where the theme wasn't officially "we're all drowning in content," but might as well have been. 

Everyone from NPR to Wikipedia is grappling with information saturation. But Hamish McKenzie of Substack stood out with a refreshingly sincere take: what if platforms stopped chasing scale and started supporting real relationships between writers and readers? Perfect timing too, since Substack just announced 50+ writers are now millionaires.

Anyway, too much content, too little time. The weekend’s here. So here’s your cheat sheet for the weekend conversations!

💔 The Messiest Breakup of the Century

If you're confused about the Trump-Musk drama, don't blame yourself. This breakup played out like your high school's power couple melting down across multiple social platforms. So here's the rundown: 

Musk called Trump's spending bill a "disgusting abomination," Trump threatened to cut his government contracts, Musk fired back, claiming Trump would've lost without him. Then it got unhinged: Trump said he "asked Musk to leave," Musk promoted impeachment posts and Epstein allegations, and somewhere in between, Tesla lost $152 billion in a single day because apparently the stock market treats their relationship status as economic policy.

Best convo starter? They're destroying each other over the exact fiscal irresponsibility Musk was hired to prevent.

Twitter tweet

🧬 Build-A-Baby Workshop Opens for Business

A startup called Nucleus Genomics just launched a $6K service that lets IVF parents rank embryos by IQ, height, and eye color like they're customizing a Sim. The 25-year-old founder who dropped out of college raised $14M to let parents "name your embryos and leave notes on the ones you like." 

Twitter tweet

🤖 If Your Tech Bro Friend Won't Shut Up About AI...

• AI might be better at therapy than humans, according to new research, but maybe don't trauma-dump into ChatGPT just yet. OpenAI was court-ordered to save every chat, including the "deleted" ones. 

• Apple’s also been very generous with your push data, handing it to governments worldwide.

• Also, this weekend, check on your Gen Z friends - they're getting hit from all sides. A YC-backed startup just raised millions while posting unpaid internships, and LinkedIn's Chief Economist warns AI is eliminating entry-level jobs.

Twitter tweet

• And because apparently the robots are sexist too, Women now face 3x higher risk of losing jobs to AI.

💬 More News to Drop in Conversations

• If you’re flying solo, airlines like United and Delta now charge you extra for not having a travel buddy. Cute!

• Hollywood discovered TikTok soap operas and is bankrolling werewolf love stories.

• Haribo accidentally created cannabis gummies, prompting supermarket recalls and turning the internet into desperate candy hunters.

• Kylie Jenner opened up about her boob job, making her surgeon the internet's newest celebrity.

• Dating apps are desperately copying Hinge as they discover that real connections sell! 

• Fashion girlies, start your bidding wars! Jane Birkin’s original Birkin bag is up for auction. So is Princess Diana’s wardrobe. 

• Airbnb’s CEO went to school with Barack Obama. Just a little ✨fact✨ for your next dinner party.

• Gen Z parents say reading to kids is... boring. They’d rather watch Ms. Rachel.

That's your cheat sheet for sounding impossibly well-informed over weekend conversations. Use these conversation starters responsibly and don't forget to unwind for a bit!

The Volv Team

Hey fam! I’ve got a major update for everyone today.

Since founding Volv, I’ve always felt like there was a lack of community on the app. And, as y’all know, half the joy of seeing something viral and funny on socials is checking the comments for the LOLs. So, after a lot of requests from users, we’ve finally launched comments!

Our team is super happy with the fantastic responses so far—and yes, we have the receipts. Check them out.

I hope you’ll throw in your two cents, too, and not miss out on the hub of real-time reactions, hilarious takes, and heated debates that Volv Comments is primed to be.

If you don’t see comments, please update the app. If you don’t have Volv yet, what are you doing…

Moving on to the big stories this week.

🏠 In Trump-merica

• The 50501 movement—“50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement” is taking over

• Married women could lose the vote in the US

• This pro-vegan ‘death cult’ with ex-Google employees has been out there murdering people across state lines. Their leader was just arrested.

• Americans could get $5,000 back after all the DOGE savings… yes please!

• Elon Musk is NOT part of DOGE, White House says... but he’s apparently getting paid $8 million a day?!

🌎 Globetrotting

• Delta airplane crashed and flipped UPSIDE DOWN in Toronto—but everyone miraculously survived. Here’s how.

• Who will be the next Pope?

• Iran vows attack on Israel

• Wild theory suggests President Macron’s wife is actually his dad... (I’ll let you figure out if this one’s true, LOL)

• Should we be worried? Odds of this ‘city-killer’ asteroid hitting Earth keeps rising

🦾 What tech and finance bros are reading

• Elon Musk launched the “smartest AI on earth” this week—and here’s what people think

• ‘Uber for armed guards’ app rides high after CEO assassination

• OpenAI’s Mira Murati just launched a rival AI app

• Is Y Combinator losing its edge? Some say it’s an identity crisis

• Spotify-backed AI marketing startup hits $1.2 billion

• There’s a hot new theory about Bitcoin creator’s true identity

• Elon Musk’s X valuation is back at $44 billion—the same price he paid for it in 2022

🎙️ Culture vulture need-to-knows

• Millennial and Boomer men investing in ‘Timothee Chalamet jawlines’ to fit in with the kids

• Blake Lively’s reaction to Ryan Reynolds’ ‘joke’ at ‘SNL 50’ celebration is getting a lot of attention

• Coming soon: Nike X Kim Kardashian

• Stores are quietly removing plus-size clothing for some reason

• Gen Z is rejecting middle management

That’s all for now, see you next week!

This newsletter was edited by Ishita Sen. 

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Hey!

Full disclosure - I'm not exactly a football fan, but when the Super Bowl turns into the biggest plot twist of 2025, we've got to talk about it. Let's dive into this wild ride and all the other chaos that made headlines this week.

🌎 Global Chess Moves

President Donald Trump vowed to end the Gaza ceasefire if Hamas rejects his terms. He’s also going full real estate mogul on Gaza, saying he would "cherish" it. Meanwhile, India’s PM Modi is dodging terrorist threats and Africa is literally splitting into two. Not today, but in 50 million years we might casually get a sixth ocean. Meanwhile, in a cartographic twist, Americans are now staring at the ‘Gulf of America’ - and people have a lot to say about it.

🤖  Tech Drama

The Musk-Altman showdown is peak entertainment and classic tech power struggle. Elon Musk was trying to buy OpenAI for $97.4 billion, so Altman clapped back offering $9.74B for X. Speaking of Musk, NASA just confirmed it is teaming up with SpaceX to hunt for water in space, which is groundbreaking!

Big Tech now has its sights on Augmented Reality (AR), with some even claiming it will replace smartphones.

Reddit is exposing VCs and everyone’s loving it. Meanwhile, Google's quietly deleting Black History Month and Pride holidays from its calendar for..."sustainability." Feels a little sus.

📈 Stocks on fire rn

• Pinterest skyrocketed by 18%

• Coca-Cola climbed 3% despite facing boycotts

• Nancy Pelosi’s latest bet on Tempus AI: Up 113% in 3 weeks!!!

• Tesla investors are feeling the burn. Down 16% this month

• Musk's wallet: Lost $86B since December

🪩 Celeb chaos

Kanye's going full “YAYDOLF YITLER…” and promoted a Swastika t-shirt during the Super Bowl. But Shopify quickly took his store down to put an end to the madness. 

To make things crazier, an insider spilled that Andrew Garfield is dating Demi Moore and everyone is convinced Ariana Grande is secretly married!

On the business side, Jacquemus just entered the beauty chat and Michael Kors called out high fashion red-carpet moments “ridiculous.” 

🗞️ Wait What?:

• Netflix wants to turn your binge-watching into binge-listening with video podcasts

• $250K sex parties are on the rise

• After the Grammys chaos, suddenly, everyone wants to be Bianca 

• Armpit fetish is trending (don’t ask..just read)

• Women enslaved on a horrifying human egg farm in Georgia recovered

• This woman literally broke herself in half attempting the latest viral trend

That’s it, see you next Wednesday!

This newsletter was edited by Shreya Bhattacharya. 

There’s a reason 400,000 professionals read this daily.

Join The AI Report, trusted by 400,000+ professionals at Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI. Get daily insights, tools, and strategies to master practical AI skills that drive results.

Sign up now for free and work smarter, not harder.

Hey!

Priyanka here with a snapshot of everything happening in the world right now—and it’s a LOT. With the whirlwind of breaking news, don't forget to check out the fascinating headlines you may have missed this week!

🌎 Around the world

The world is reeling from the threat of a new trade war with the US—Canada, Mexico, China, and Europe all appear to be in the kill zone. Sure, Trump’s paused on some plans, but the chaos could completely rewrite trade dynamics worldwide. Global markets can barely keep up, but experts think one country could emerge the clear winner by literally doing nothing in this scenario: the UK. And the biggest loser of Trump’s tariffs? His right-hand man, Elon Musk.

Oh, and Trump also said the US could “take over” the Gaza Strip after meeting with Israeli PM Netanyahu, which has rattled the global community.

🏠 In Trump-merica

Trump does not want Palestinians returning to “unlucky” Gaza. His plan? The US will “own it” and be responsible for “dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs.”

He has signed an order to create a new sovereign wealth fund for the US, à la Norway or Saudi Arabia, which he says could “buy TikTok.” So, that’s fun.

The general idea is to reduce the federal government to its bare bones as the US prepares to “take over” everything—be it Gaza or TikTok. And DOGE is working on slimming down federal agencies. Besides everything else that’s happening, Elon Musk has also reportedly taken control of the inner workings of the US government (locking out actual employees).

🦾 In tech

A new way to ‘get rich’: Gen Z has been obsessed with is this ‘copy trading’ app, Dub. Yes, teenagers want to “copy” the way people like Nancy Pelosi manage their portfolios to start making millions.

DeepSeek has countries banning it and senators proposing 20-year prison sentences for users. Turns out, it isn’t even as “low-cost” as everyone thought it was?! Sam Altman is still getting incessantly mocked for saying DeepSeek copied OpenAI, as people point out that his company was built by “stealing literally the entire internet.” The irony is real!

China strikes again this week with buzzworthy AI coming from TikTok’s parent ByteDance. Omnihuman-1 can render lifelike videos from a single image and audio as reference—this fake clip of Taylor Swift singing in Japanese shows that the possibilities are endless.

Twitter tweet

🎙️ If pop culture is your jam

...then you already know about all the big Grammy updates. But what you might not know is that it reignited a viral conspiracy about celebs being “forced” to praise and talk up Beyoncé every chance they get.

Kanye and his wife Bianca Censori also turned the drama up several notches when she showed up in a ‘nudefit’ on the red carpet that had people calling for her arrest. Rumors are flying about his “controlling” behavior as Bianca keeps making headlines in barely-there outfits. It has apparently led to Ye losing out on a $20 million gig. Was it worth it?

🗞️ Interesting headlines that caught my eye:

• The first 'approved' iPhone porn app is making waves

• Spotify reports first-ever full year of profit since it launched in 2008

• Lay’s potato chip can cause “death,” FDA warns

• Tarot reader predicts DC plane crash—social media fully freaks out

• One word that explains why the world feels so off nowadays

• We're obsessed with looking like donuts—this could make Hailey Bieber a billionaire

• Gen Z is ditching Botox for 'prejuvenation'

That’s it, see you next Wednesday!

This newsletter was edited by Ishita Sen. 

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Hey guys,

It’s Priyanka.

I’m sure you have already overdosed on DeepSeek news this week (doing ChatGPT-level magic 95% cheaper, wild!). But when you zoom out, there's an even bigger story here - Asia is flipping Silicon Valley's entire playbook. Think champagne tech at beer prices. I’m diving into that today, plus some other wild stories you definitely missed this week. Let's go!

Champagne Tech at Beer Prices

Eastern innovation meeting Western ambition at a fraction of the cost

India landed on the Moon for less than it cost to make “Interstellar.” Let that sink in. At $75 million, their Chandrayaan-3 mission cost a fraction of what NASA plans to spend on its lunar rover. This isn’t just about space – it’s the latest tremor in a seismic shift rattling Silicon Valley’s foundations.

While the West’s AI fever dream sent NVIDIA past the trillion-dollar mark and turned tech stocks into lottery tickets, China quietly rewrote the rules of the game. Plot twist: AI supremacy isn’t about who has the biggest valuation – it’s about who can deliver champagne results on a beer budget.

Sure, “Made in China” still makes you think of cheap plastic goods and knock-off handbags. But the reality is BYD is making Tesla break a sweat, and now DeepSeek is offering AI capabilities at prices that make OpenAI look like a luxury brand. We’re talking $0.14 per million tokens versus OpenAI’s $15. When a former Intel CEO is opting for China’s alternative, you know the tectonic plates of tech are shifting.

The irony? Silicon Valley spent decades outsourcing to Asia for cost savings, and now they are being beaten at their own game for the same reason. Did they really not see this coming? As a “frugal startup founder,” I agree with it. Snapchat couldn’t believe what we built that too “on a shoestring of a budget” while they were using all their might on the same problem (which is they invested in us).

Even Trump – yes, Trump – called DeepSeek “a wake-up call for America.” The East isn’t just manufacturing anymore; they’re innovating at warp speed without the cushy budgets Silicon Valley got drunk on. The price war isn’t coming – it’s here. The question isn’t if the tech landscape will change but how many billion-dollar blindspots we’ll discover along the way.

🗞️ Interesting headlines from the week

1. Bill proposes fining men $10,000 for ejaculating, goes viral

2. Panicked celebrities are now buying ‘cancel culture’ insurance

3. Iran: Instead of deporting Palestinians, send Israelis to Greenland

4. Alibaba claims its latest AI surpasses DeepSeek’s... and now experts think the flurry of Chinese AI models is a ‘coordinated psyop.’

5. SpaceX’s Starlink is coming to iPhones

6. 200 companies sign up for a permanent four-day work week

7. Gen Z is now canceling ‘Call Her Daddy’

8. Fashion critics slam Jacquemus for being ‘Alaïa on a budget.’ Also critics are calling Dior’s couture show a flop.

9. Most British Gen Zs believe a dictator should rule the UK

10. Starbucks has pissed off the internet

11. There’s a new ‘spray for depression’–and people have thoughts

12. Bathhouses are trying to become the new social clubs

That’s it for now. See y’all next week!

This newsletter was edited by Ishita Sen

Hey fam, Priyanka here.

Just two days after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president, it already feels like the world’s been hit by a whirlwind: the ‘Gulf of Mexico’ is now ‘Gulf of America,’ Trump is already being sued by 18 states and 2 cities for blocking birthright citizenship, he’s leaving the WHO, and KKK flyers urging immigrants to “leave now” are now popping up…

But, out of everything going on right now, there’s one thing that’s I’ve been really intrigued by—let’s get into it.

🤳 Elon and Zuck Are Breaking the Internet (Literally) 

For a while, it was just Elon. He bought Twitter (now X), ripped out the verification system, and declared it a free-speech playground. Chaos followed—fake news, bots, hate speech. But now? Things have gone nuclear.

Welcome to the Holy Trinity of Social Media Chaos: Elon, Zuck, Trump.

Zuck Playing Catch-Up

It wasn’t enough for Mark Zuckerberg to clone every app that gets attention—now he’s cloning Elon’s moves too.

Last week

Zuck decided to follow in Musk’s footsteps and remove all checks and balances across Meta platforms. You have definitely seen a video of the Hollywood sign burning during the LA fires, right? Completely fake and AI-generated. From my feed I could tell that 5M+ people have seen it with thousands believing it was real because… comments.

((Oh, and while fake news thrives, the irony…. our Volv Instagram—which didn’t share lies —is still banned. It’s been 4 months now for “violating community guidelines.” We’ve given up waiting and appealing and we just started over. New handle, same mission— follow now! 🙏 ))

In the last 24 hours

• Searching “Democrats” on Instagram now gives no results. None.

• JD Vance and POTUS? Magically in everyone’s follows. Remember Apple dropping U2 into our iTunes. Yeah, same energy.

The result? People are frustrated. Some are talking about leaving Meta entirely.

Here’s the problem

A LOT of people, sadly, get their news from social media. This chaos makes me think of Hannah Arendt’s “banality of evil.” It’s not the big, in-your-face lies that get us—it’s the slow drip of little ones, over and over, until they start to feel like the truth. And now, with Elon, Zuck, and Trump steering billions of feeds, it’s terrifying.

Shameless plug 🔌 but we’re literally on a mission building Volv for this reason to let you scroll like it’s Insta but trust what you’re reading. Real news, viral trends, juicy stories—without questioning if the Hollywood sign is on fire. We’re not here to save the world. Just bringing a little sanity to the chaos.

🗞️ Interesting headlines you don’t want to miss

1. Meta is working on an AirPods rival

2. The top S&P 500 stock of 2024 returned 340.5%—it wasn’t Nvidia

3. The biggest book release in 15 years is happening—it’s the most-anticipated title since ‘Harry Potter’

4. The internet believes Covid vaccine made women’s boobs bigger

5. $500,000 pay, predictable hours—this is now America’s ‘it’ job

6. Were the wildfires started on purpose for the SmartLA 2028 agenda?

7. Elon Musk gives Nazi salutes at Trump rally. The Internet reacts.

8. Scientists create drink that gets you tipsy without alcohol

9. The Bible has been turned into a ‘The Office’-style sitcom

10. TikTok girlies are dissolving their fillers—and looking younger for it

That’s all for now. Here’s hoping we don’t go insane before I write to you next week!

This newsletter was edited by Ishita Sen

Hey, it’s Priyanka!

Two weeks into 2025, and wow, we’re already neck-deep in tense headlines. While we’re still shaking off the holiday hangover, here are the two biggest stories shaking up the year so far:

🤳 #TiktokBan Drama 🤳

January 19 is D-Day for TikTok in the US—the Supreme Court seems ready to either ban or force a sale. Their reason? They believe TikTok poses a “national security threat.” But wait—plot twists abound!

• Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary jumped in with a buyout offer.

• Elon Musk is rumored to be in talks with China, though TikTok called it “pure fiction.”

• Even MrBeast’s eyeing the app!

Meanwhile, TikTok users are in full survival mode:

• Some are bidding an ironic goodbye to their “Chinese spies”

• Others are doubling down, joining Xiaohongshu (China’s TikTok twin) just to troll the US government. Fun fact: Chinese users are welcoming the #TikTokRefugees with open arms—and asking for English homework help!

All jokes aside, if the ban goes through this is what you can expect on Jan 19th.

👨‍🚒 LA fires: Disaster and Conspiracies strike

Wildfires that began in Palisades have scorched 23,000+ acres, claimed 24 lives, and displaced thousands. The devastation is one of the worst in US history—but it’s also igniting acts of solidarity.

• Celebs like Beyoncé have donated millions, while climate activist Leo DiCaprio fled in his gas-guzzling private jet (ouch).

• Mexico, Canada, and even Ukraine are sending firefighters to help.

🧨 Conspiracy theories? Oh, they’re spreading faster than the flames:

• Some celebrities blame arsonists, not climate change.

• SmartLA 2028? Rumor has it the fires were planned to clear space for futuristic projects.

• Insurance scams? Many accuse companies of bailing on wildfire-prone homes.

• Even Diddy’s somehow in the mix.

As LA struggles to recover, the wildfire crisis reminds us how climate change and chaos often go hand-in-hand.

‼️ Oddly 2025: Headlines you can’t miss

• iPhone’s thinnest model is coming

• Mark Zuckerberg 3.0 wants more “masculine energy” in companies

• Gaza ceasefire offers hope to Palestinians

• OpenAI is building robots—China’s already ahead

• The world’s biggest penis by country revealed (yep).

• Get tipsy without alcohol—it’s a thing now

• A surgeon caught cancer from a patient (first-ever)

• Women gearing up for robot partners—welcome to the future

That’s it for today. See you next week when Trump is President again!

This newsletter was edited by Aritra Dutta Gupta

Hey everyone!

2025 is here, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that the future loves to keep us guessing. The world? Full of surprises. Us? Always finding new ways to shock ourselves. Case in point: when we ask people what they want to read versus what they actually spend hours clicking on. Spoiler alert: it’s wildly different.

Before we dive into whatever twists and turns 2025 has in store, here’s a little treat: a look back at the stories that had everyone hooked last year. From the bizarre to the fascinating to the downright opportunistic. Don’t worry—we’ve filtered out the mass shootings, natural disasters, wars, and politics. No bad vibes here 🧘‍♀️

🎁 And because we love to surprise you too, here’s something special to start the year right: use code NYVOLV to access a free month of Volv Premium! Your 2025 glow-up can’t start with a blank brain. Don’t snooze on us—get your smart on with our app Volv.

 🔝 2024’s Biggest Stories
_{The recap you didn’t know you needed to start off the New Year}

1. ‘World War III has already begun,’ warns JPMorgan Chase. This was surprisingly or unsurprisingly the top read article on Volv! And you didn’t just stop there with WW3…

2. Germany preparing for Russia to start World War III. Leaked files and countless reports over the last year have hinted at something big happening soon.

3. Nvidia stock a ‘generational opportunity’. What a year this company has had and can have? 

4. Can Kamala Harris still win? This was 5 days after the election, when Trump had basically won. You all were either hoping for a different result or questioning if the results could still change..

5. OpenAI is making millions, and losing billions. This story about OpenAI being on the cusp of bankruptcy keeps coming up every few months. That's really wild, if you think about it. Everyone's using ChatGPT, but the company, even with $200 Pro subscriptions, is still losing money.
   

6. Chinese lab creates mutant Covid strain with a 100% kill streak. This reflects a kind of post-Covid trauma that has everybody obsessing over the next big pandemic (the latest ‘favorite,’ so to speak, is HMPV) and whether it is going to emerge from a lab in China.
   

7. Not-so-fun fact: Hitler was once TIME’s ‘Man of the Year.’ An eye-opener for people on what TIME magazine really aims to do with its iconic issue every year.
   

8. New ‘exercise pill’ could replace physical benefits of working out. Why put in the hours at the gym when a pill can do the trick?
   

9. Google claims to prove multiple universes exist. And wouldn’t that be great news for all the superhero movies and their dismal box office runs.
   

10. Epstein kept secret sex tapes of several high-profile people. This years-old scandal continues to captivate people. Although Diddy might give Epstein a run for his money after everything’s said and done...

11. ‘If you invade us, you're gay:’ Sweden's bizarre tactic against Russia. This article reflects our current zeitgeist—history is having a moment, defeating genres like politics in sales right now.
    

12. Here’s a haunting fact for when you board your next flight: 300 Boeing planes have a flaw that could cause them to explode in mid-air.
    

13. AstraZeneca admits its coronavirus vaccine can cause rare blood clots… and they wonder why more people are trending anti-vax nowadays, smh.
    

14. Want to join one of the Ivies? Call this guy. He had a 100% success rate in 2021.
    

15. No year is complete without sex or data on how people are doing the deed. Holy f*ck: Grindr Unwrapped reveals the sex position of the year.
    

16. Trump wants Canada to become America's 51st state. This got more interest than his plans to “buy” Greenland and control the Panama Canal.

To stay updated on stories like this in real time, check out the latest stories on the Volv app—we’ve got tons of fun stuff. And a lot more in store this year!

Hope this list helps you draft your 2025 Bingo Cards! We’ll be calling out everything noteworthy through the year at Volv Concierge. If you or your friends haven’t signed up yet, now is a great time to start.

See y’all next week!

Priyanka 

This newsletter was edited by Ishita Sen. 

Hey everyone, Priyanka here.

I’m back with a whirlwind tour of 2024’s top trends so stay tuned! But first, a quick news recap with the top things you need to know...

🏠 In the US

• Mystery drones are swarming the East Coast. 5,000+ tips have called in car-sized devices in the sky, which even shut down a military airbase. The FBI is stumped, but the White House insists the crisis is “solved.” Hmm…

• Luigi Mangione has been indicted for the first-degree murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO but remains the internet’s heartthrob— 40% of young Americans say the CEO’s killing is “acceptable.” Hollywood is already making 3 documentaries about it.

🌎 Around the world

• Germany’s government collapsed - the same month as the French government. Europe’s stability? On shaky ground. And that’s bad news.

• Ukraine assassinated Russia’s top nuclear chief marking a turning point in the war. Here’s how their vast spy network took him out.

• A ceasefire in Gaza is apparently “days away.” Feels like I’ve heard this one before several times but here’s hoping.

🤯 Tech tidings

• Google’s latest breakthrough proves that the multiverse exists— Marvel must be thrilled!

• A much-needed explainer on why Elon Musk and Sam Altman are beefing over ‘AI dictatorship.’

📉 Markets brief

• The Dow is on its longest losing streak in 50 years. Should you be concerned?

• Nvidia is falling deeper into correction territory —AI darlings aren’t invincible after all.

🔁 Fashion’s great reshuffle

• The industry’s most coveted position has been filled as Chanel brings Matthieu Blazy on board.

• Louise Trotter’s in at Bottega Veneta becoming Kering’s sole female creative director, which will appease those calling out the company.

• John Galliano is stepping down at Maison Margiela after a stellar decade.

 🔝 2024’s Defining Trends
_{Need a snapshot of the year’s vibe? Here’s the ultimate recap:}

Global: World War III is the top trend and it should come as no surprise, what with geopolitical ‘polycrisis’ erupting across the globe. From JPMorgan stoking fears to “leaked” files from Russia and Germany—the signs are everywhere.

Fashion: Quiet luxury peaked early, and what followed was decidedly loud. The ‘mob wife aesthetic’ was a step away from ‘girlhood,’ blowing us away with big fur coats, flashy jewelry, and animal prints.

The ‘loudness’ continued with the unapologetic return of Y2K fashion. From near-extinct brands like Abercrombie rising from the dead to indie sleaze and the return of the toxic ‘thinspo’ mindset—the 90s made itself felt this year.

Tech bro chic was another top trend—nobody saw Mark Zuckerberg’s big fashion moment coming. The internet gave him a chain (it’s giving mob boss) and a fake beard and made him “cool.” Of course, he has his own fashion brand now and is making strategic power moves with his clothes. What a year for Zuck!

Pop culture: Recession pop is back, because everyone is struggling financially. Think of all the dance-pop music Charli XCX and Chappell Roan produced this year. Every musician on the planet announced a ‘concert tour,’ and we’re inundated with horror stories of Gen Z’s concert etiquette—somebody threw a bracelet at Billie Eilish just last week.

Also Drake v. Kendrick shook the hiphop world, but the biggest rap battle of the year made very little in revenue.

Internet culture: ‘Tomato girl’ and ‘glazed donut’ skin were just vibe trends—influencer-driven micro trends—what truly dominated the zeitgeist was Brat. “Kamala Harris is Brat,” Charli XCX famously declared. Harris’ decisive defeat then sealed the fate of the lime green movement, as people finally started paying attention to the other telling trend staring us in the face—Tradwives.

The culture, moving on from ‘brats’ and ‘girlbosses,’ is putting a higher premium on traditional gender roles and marriage (mob-wife, trad-wife, bye bye ‘girlies’… see the pattern there?). This return to more conservative values was perhaps a clue that predicted Trump’s victory in November.

The ‘very demure, very mindful’ trend only confirmed this shift, celebrating a well-behaved, reserved woman, but you know where else people have been more mindful? In the sheets.

Lifestyle: Gone are the days of wild, boozy bachelorettes, hen parties are all wellness retreats now. TikTok’s obsession with ‘mindfulness’ bled over into 2024’s top porn trends, too, as ‘mindful pleasure’ resonated across demographics.

The conservative bent that’s everywhere right now made itself felt in the top sex position (missionary) and fetish (abstinence). Overall, people sought more authentic experiences. The general malaise with swiping fatigue also saw a return of speed dating and old-school matchmaking.

US news: Facts are dead, and vibes rule everything: from politics to pop culture. Following these trends, Harris made ‘vibeocracy’ the keystone of her campaign, but lost.

The blow highlighted another big trend in the US: Podcast bros scoring a win over mainstream media this year, with Joe Rogan largely credited as kingmaker after Donald Trump became president again.

Harris was a ‘brat’ but lost, and the manosphere gained momentum, but so did the radical feminist 4B movement—women are committing to no sex, dating, marriage, or babies to ‘punish’ men in response to rising misogyny and the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Will this change America? I guess we’ll find out next year.

Markets: The crypto bros in your life might have told you already, but Bitcoin finally surpassed $100,000 this year. However, the fears of fraud are also growing—just look at Hawh Tuah’s disastrous crypto launch. Word is, memecoins will crush crypto as Moo Deng and Fartcoins steal the limelight… as long as they have our attention.

And there you have it—the biggest trends of the year, all in one place. Hope it gives you the closure you need!

That’s it from me for this year. See you all again in 2025!

Happy holidays ❤️

This newsletter was edited by Ishita Sen. 

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Hey, fam. Shannon here, and wow, it’s been a wild week. Before we get into the news, I’ve got some pro tips for the holiday gifting procrastinators among us, so stay tuned!

🌎 Around the world

The French government collapsed, but you wouldn’t know it amidst all the fanfare with the Notre Dame reopening. Trump was back on the world stage as global leaders convened for the iconic moment. The restoration of the 860-year-old cathedral after a devastating fire 5 years ago has been mind-blowing—thousands of artisans revived construction methods not used for centuries to make it happen. Truly amazing to watch!

In more world news, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was overthrown. Viral videos show the public looting his residence filled with luxury cars, expensive art, and Louis Vuitton. The unrest goes back to 2011 and involves a civil war in which millions of lives were lost. People razed his statues and set his dad’s tomb on fire as he fled to Moscow.

🏠 Home front

The ‘main character’ this week? Luigi Mangione, the guy who allegedly murdered UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. He shot a man in broad daylight, but has the internet’s heart and is being hailed a “hero” by many frustrated with the US healthcare system for supposedly delivering long overdue vigilante justice. Everyone’s picking apart his leaked manifesto and views online. Even Luigi from Mario Kart is getting second-hand attention because there’s SO much merch dedicated to this guy.

It’s been insane, but his backstory—as a 26-year-old former Ivy League student spiraling after a “traumatic” back surgery—is slowly coming out… and, of course, users on Polymarket is betting on it. I’m sure there will be more to this new kind of “fandom” emerging around him, so watch this space.

🎙️ So much happening in pop culture

Jay-Z has been accused of raping a teenager alongside Diddy while an unnamed female celebrity watched the whole thing. The details are unbelievable, and Beyonce is being dragged into it. Jay-Z has alleged blackmail, a “saga” to extort millions from him—and called for the victim’s identity to be made public.

Taylor Swift has made a whopping $2 BILLION from the Eras Tour. She also became the world’s best boss after handing out “life-changing” bonuses going up to $100,000 each to those who worked for her, totaling around $197 million.

With so much going on, the Golden Globes nominations’ snubs and surprises have become an afterthought. The pop stars dominated: Ariana Grande got her first nod, while Selena Gomez-starrer, ‘Emilia Perez,’ broke all kinds of records with 10 nominations. ‘The Bear’ leads in TV with 5, no surprises there.

🎁 The Volv Holiday Gift Guide

Need some inspo for the holiday season? We’ve got you covered.

Skincare and beauty:

1. For a red light therapy treat, I highly recommend the HigherDOSE Face Mask - it’s the perfect rejuvenating tool.

2. Rhodes’ Blush and Peptide Lip Treatment are TikTok favorites this year, and for good reason. They are perfect stocking stuffers.

3. For girlfriends, GHD’s Straightener is amazing.

4. The Kitsch Satin Curling Set is a great heatless alternative.

5. If you want to gift perfume, the Terre d’Hermès Parfum is timeless.

Home:

1. An Aesop hand wash is the perfect gift for couples or for a friend who’s just moved into a new apartment.

2. Byredo’s Woods candle is one of my favorites and will definitely bring a hygge vibe to a room.

3. For a friend who loves fashion and loves coffee table books, I would gift Peter Lindbergh: Azzedine Alaïa. 

4. A great Secret Santa gift: We’re Not Really Strangers card game —a holiday must-have.

5. For the sci-fi reader friend in your life, this complete Dune series would make a perfect gift: Frank Herbert’s Dune 6-Book Boxed Set. 

Tech

1. For your coffee fiend friend, a Cometeer Electric Kettle ensures the perfect temperature for every cup of coffee. I recently visited Bacha Coffee in Marrakesh and had no idea you could buy their coffee online, so I would definitely pair it with Bacha’s Marrakech Morning Coffee.

2. I bought a Crosley Record Player myself; it’s a great starter record player. 

3. I’ve been looking for the perfect pair of noise-canceling headphones, and this Bose pair is apparently amazing.

Aaaand, that’s it for this week! Hope the Concierge gift guide serves you well.

Talk to y’all soon.

This newsletter was edited by Ishita Sen. 

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Hey everyone, Priyanka here. I’ve been sick for days now but I really hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving!

🏠 Home ground

Food coma may be a given, but family holidays can be somewhat stressful. Just look at President Biden, who for years said he wouldn't do it, but immediately caved and pardoned his son Hunter after spending Thanksgiving him... and pissed off everyone in the country.

A woman in Ohio was actually arrested for killing and eating a cat… making America wonder if Trump was right all along?

🌎 Around the world

Israel and Hezbollah finally agreed on a US-brokered ceasefire, but what little hope of peace it brought was immediately extinguished when the pact was breached within days. Both sides have exchanged fire since then, and of course, lives have been lost.

South Korea, which became a democracy only in the 1980s and is still haunted by memories of past dictatorships, got really close to being under military rule again. President Yoon cited vague, 'anti-state' forces in his dramatic, late-night move, sending troops to surround parliament. However, lawmakers bypassed army vehicles and helicopters, scaled buildings to get in, and decisively struck down the President's declaration. The scenes were wild, but hey, martial law was lifted within 6 hours.

🦾 In tech news

If you're still googling things, you're officially old—and that’s a big problem for Google. The kids are just using AI now, including Mark Zuckerberg, who's publicly sung praises of his Meta AI, but is secretly a ChatGPT guy. OpenAI, ftw!

Tech giants are slowly being overthrown: Google might be forced to break up with Chrome, and TikTok will soon give Amazon a run for its money. TikTok Shop scored big on Black Friday—we're talking 30,000 livestreams and a whopping $100 million in US sales. Live shopping might actually become a thing in America, thanks to TikTok branching out into ecommerce.

🎙️ If pop culture is your jam

Beyonce has been crowned the greatest pop star of the 21st century—and it's proving to be a tough pill to swallow for Swifties.

Another interesting trend: Celebs have moved on from beauty lines and are getting into the beverage business—boozy and otherwise. Tom Holland has unveiled his non-alcoholic Beero, and now 'Call Her Daddy' host Alex Cooper is getting ready to pitch us her vodka brand.

🗞️ Interesting headlines that caught my eye:

• How Warren Buffett has managed to best Big Tech

• Fashion, the world’s third-most wealthiest industry, is minting billionaires 

• America’s new favorite side hustle is NOT what you'd expect

• Music v. movies: Which is more valuable? There is a clear winner.

• 'Met Gala' for world's most elite nepo babies just happened—it was extravagant af!

👍👎 What’s trending?

What’s in: Hungry perfumes + ketchup weddings + $300 donuts with edible diamonds + Bibles, apparently

What’s out: Situationships (nanoships are taking their place) + the Kardashian effect 

The end of the year is almost here, which can only mean one thing—’tis Spotify Wrapped season. If you didn’t desperately hack the app to make your top artists less embarrassing, you’re already one step behind.

At Volv, we have our own version, of course, an ‘Expose’ of your reading habits that will shake you to your core. Stay tuned! We’ll be in touch 😉

This newsletter was edited by Ishita Sen. 

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Hey, fam. Shannon here, back with this week’s lowdown. But before we get to the news...

🗞️ Here are some interesting headlines:

• Parents are hosting sex watch parties for their kids

• The world’s richest man built the healthcare system to keep you sick

• Gen Z’s new ‘it’ career is putting skin in the game

• TikTok outs ‘pedophile’ teachers scandal after years of coverup

• Leonardo DiCaprio reveals why he doesn’t date women over 25

• WATCH: YouTuber says she smokes her dead dad’s ashes

👍👎 What’s trending?

What’s in: Pillow menus + AI giving haircuts + watching influencers starve + Trump 2.0 aesthetic

What’s out: Suburbs + well-fitting jackets + draft beer

🥊 What’s happening in pop culture and sports?

One Direction has, in a way, reunited, but nobody wanted it to happen this way. A sobbing Harry Styles was spotted joining his ex-bandmates at Liam Payne’s funeral—among the first mourners to arrive.

The world is bidding farewell to the King of Clay: Rafael Nadal has officially played his last tennis match, ending a mindblowing 23-year career. However, Mike Tyson’s big fight with Jake Paul got the most attention in sports this week. It had wild moments (see: a bitch slap, a $250,000 offer for porn, Netflix flailing, was it staged?), and Tyson’s loss was seen as “another Trump win.” Tyson and Paul walked away with $20 million and $40 million each, but the real winner? Elon Musk’s X.

Gotta say, the fight came at a great time for X, which has been going through a massive X-odus, if you will. All the ‘Twitter alternatives’ have had a great week: Bluesky hit 20 million users, Mastodon is also doing well. WHY are people leaving in droves? Musk’s refusal to leave Trump’s side and acting as ‘co-president’ might have something to do with it. And if you haven’t seen the Elonia memes yet, what rock are you living under?

🏠 Home turf

Trump’s cabinet picks have been a major point of contention and endless inspiration for memes, culminating, as these things do, in a ‘Saturday Night Live’ sketch. The guy Obama described as a ‘snake oil salesman’ will lead Obamacare and affect the lives of 150 million Americans. Even Tiger King has offered to join in on the fun.

All kidding aside, the President-elect’s pick for Attorney General is getting the most heat right now, with claims that Matt Gaetz participated in several “drug-fueled orgies.” Hackers have gotten involved, too, but what they’re going to do with the info is still unclear.

Meanwhile, Kamala Harris is STILL asking for donations—raising $1 billion was clearly not enough as rumors swirl about Oprah lying about not getting paid by the Harris campaign.

🌎 World affairs

TWO ominous headlines about World War III breaking out—both Germany and Russia are prepping for it. The US has okayed Ukraine to use missiles deep inside Russia—things could only escalate from here. Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israel PM Netanyahu is offering a $5 million reward for each hostage safely returned...

Everyone’s clearly on edge, but you know what else is taking over the world? Celebrity lookalike contests. We’ve seen several already: Timothée Chalamet, Paul Mescal, Jeremy Allen White, and Dev Patel. Here’s why everyone is obsessed. But with the late John F Kennedy getting the same treatment, some people are already over it.

That’s all for today. If somebody is still sending you this newsletter, you’ve got to get your own—sign up over here. Also, your feedback is really important to us, so please take a moment to share your thoughts.

This newsletter was edited by Ishita Sen. 

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Hey everyone,

It’s Priyanka, back with the most interesting trends and headlines now that we’re one week into Trump 2.0.

🗞️ Immediate reactions post Trump’s win:

• People are still pushing for Kamala to be president BEFORE Trump takes office.

• BlueAnon conspiracy theories are exploding.

• Women are boycotting sex and men (adopting the 4B movement from South Korea).

• Crisis hotlines have seen a whopping 700% spike after Trump’s win.

• 'Your body, our choice' attacks from alt-right figures are on the rise. But, follow up: The guy who started it has been doxxed. Karma? This has also sparked a ‘revenge trend’ of women apparently poisoning men’s drinks.

• Men are tracking their periods (yes, you’re reading that right) to defeat Project 2025.

• White women are wearing blue bracelets to show they didn’t vote for Trump—that’s getting mixed reactions too…

• Wealthy boomers are fleeing Trump’s America in droves—here’s where they are headed. Meanwhile, others online are obsessed with a 4-year ‘skip ahead’ cruise that will let those who can afford it escape whatever the rest of us have in store.

• Fans want to know who influencers voted for, and they’re hitting unfollow when their favorite creators are staying silent (Sofia Richie and others have lost thousands of followers).

🏛️ Trump has been hard-launching his Cabinet picks this week. No shortage of bizarre headlines there, here’s what you need to know:

• A new Department of Government Efficiency (yup, “DOGE”) is in the cards, to be helmed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. That’s two people doing one person’s job (efficient?) And it’s getting brutally roasted.

• Some wild picks: ‘Dog-killer’ governor for Homeland Security chief, and the US’s new Defense Secretary hasn’t “washed his hands in 10 years.”

• What Trump’s pick for Israel envoy means for the Gaza war.

• He’s planning a firing squad for ‘woke’ generals in the military.

• Aaand, he’s already eyeing an unprecedented THIRD term as POTUS.

🌎 Moving on to world affairs

• The election was a loss for Palestinians—not just because Trump won.

• Russia is already playing mind games on the next US president. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is rushing to send ‘every dollar’ to Ukraine before Trump is back in the White House. But Ukraine’s NATO membership might get delayed for 20 years.

📈 What the markets are saying:

• Dogecoin heads for the moon after the US government gets new “DOGE” department.

• Bitcoin holders are celebrating as BTC is breaking record highs every day: over $90k today and only 11% away from the historic $100k mark.

• Wall Street can't keep calm over all the possible mergers in 2025.

• Tesla is now worth more than the rest of the car industry combined, thanks to Musk cozying up to Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

👍👎 Beyond elections… what’s trending?

What’s in: 5,000-year-old skincare + Alt-right fashion + military-style dating + astrology for your stocks

What’s out: Love songs + video-first media + Pop stardom

Lastly, People magazine’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ reveal this year is being called the “second-worst Tuesday-night decision” since November 5—basically the election has become a frame of reference for everything right now.

If somebody sent you this newsletter, head over here to get your own. Also, you feedback is extremely valuable to us, please take a moment to share!

See y’all soon.

This newsletter was edited by Ishita Sen. 

Hey everyone, Shannon here and I’ve got all the need-to-know election updates.

Donald Trump is going to be president again.

It’s a historic comeback, done only once before by Grover Cleveland in 1892. Trump, who will be the oldest US president, has single-handedly stopped a woman from getting into the Oval Office TWICE now...

The general wisdom before Election Day was that his political career was over, but Trump staged a roaring comeback nobody saw coming. And, this time, it wasn’t even close… He lost the 2016 popular vote to Hillary Clinton by nearly 3 million votes, but he’s eviscerated Harris across demographics—Latino and Black men and even suburban white women. Ironically, the group that the oldest president-elect seemed to lose ground with were older voters.

What’s even crazier is that a LOT of people heading for the polls didn’t even know Biden had dropped out. That tells you all you need to know about our information ecosystem right now. Experts are still speculating about what Donald Trump’s revenge will look like, but you know who’s super happy? The markets. US stocks, Elon Musk’s Tesla, banks, and Bitcoin are all soaring.

The pro-abortion coalition everyone was expecting didn’t do enough, and the economy seemed the top issue on voters’ minds.

🗳️ Some more election headlines to look at:

1. America wants Trump—no ifs or buts

2. Republicans take Senate majority and eye unified power with Trump

3. Californians are planning to flee the country

4. The world reacts to a second Trump term

5. Trump proved the Simpsons wrong

6. The ‘manosphere’ has won

What will Trump 2.0 be like? He’s revealed who his first call as president will be. And you can basically bid goodbye to Trump’s legal cases. With regard to his policies, we’ve been doing deep dives so you can get some insight into his positions on immigration, climate change, the economy, healthcare, abortion rights, gun reform, crime, education, and LGBTQ+ rights.

We’ll be back next week with more on how MAGA will reshape life in America. For now, let’s wrap things up with something light.

👍👎 What’s trending

Because the trends stop for no one.

What’s in: Your ‘winter arc’ + the Orient Express + throning (because dating is just about clout now) + sleep ‘chronotypes’ (are you a wolf or a dolphin?)

What’s out: Adulting (at least in fashion) + humans designing cars (because dogs are taking over) + painful high heels

If you received this newsletter from someone you know, you can to sign up here. Please take a moment and give us your feedback here.

This newsletter was edited by Ishita Sen. 

Hey fam, Priyanka here.

Liam Payne’s sudden death at 31 has shocked the world. The grief is palpable, especially on TikTok, where fans shared reactions to finding out about his death in real-time (fitting for a fandom that was a force in shaping the internet as we know it). Zayn Malik has postponed his tour, while Simon Cowell, credited with putting One Direction together, is also taking a step back. The blame game is on, with Payne’s bandmates and ex-girlfriends getting a ton of hate, even as reports roll in about what was really going on (we know pink cocaine was involved).

Israel has just confirmed that Hashem Safieddine, the likely Hezbollah successor, was killed in an earlier airstrike. The top echelons of Hezbollah and Hamas have almost entirely been eliminated. Just a few days ago, Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar’s death was confirmed. You’d think eliminating the architect of the October 7 attack would mitigate some tensions, but nobody’s slowing down. Hopes of peace are growing more faint by the day.

With just two weeks to go until Election Day, polls show Donald Trump closing in on Kamala Harris’ lead. The race is neck-and-neck and sure to have a nail-biting finish. Meanwhile, Elon Musk is giving away $1 million daily to lucky voters in swing states, but it’s potentially illegal, and somebody could go to prison...

More lawsuits against Diddy are coming to light. One case concerning the drug rape of a 13-year-old mentioned two celebrities alongside Diddy, while another name dropped Nicki Minaj. More reports allege the signature baby oil he used was laced with date rape drugs. We’re only starting to peel back how feral Diddy’s parties actually used to be.

Anyway. Back to some interesting articles that caught my eye.

👍👎 What’s trending

What’s in: Dry tripping + crappy cameras + butlers + men into makeup 

What’s out: Asparagus water + smashburgers (yes, already) + cigarettes + vapes too

📈 Headlines you need to read

• Nvidia stock is a ‘generational opportunity’

• Influencers are working as business consultants and making big money

• Twitter’s ex-CEO Parag Agarwal just went public with his startup, while OpenAI veteran Mira Murati is also fundraising for hers

• The best innovations have nothing to do with tech. Just ask Cartier.

• Throat cancer is becoming an epidemic—and oral sex may be why

• The stock market party is over

• Parents are now buying bulletproof backpacks for their children

• This camera is designed only to capture your poop

For more interesting, 9-second reads, get Volv (it’s free).

🗞️ Trump v. Harris on climate change

A series of hurricanes has refocused the lens on the climate crisis, which has taken a back seat compared to issues like abortion and inflation in the 2024 election cycle. It isn’t going anywhere, though, and it’s getting worse, making now a good time as any to compare Harris and Trump’s starkly different policies on the climate crisis. Let's take a look:

Kamala Harris:

1. Calls climate change an existential threat caused by humans amid increasing drought, floods, hurricanes, and sea level rise.

2. As DA, created a unit to address environmental crimes affecting San Francisco’s poorest residents. Also prosecuted corporations like Exxon and Volkswagen for environmental violations as California AG.

3. As Senator, cosponsored the progressive Green New Deal, calling for an overhaul of the economy from fossil fuels to clean technology.

4. As a 2020 presidential candidate, released a $10T climate plan calling for a ‘climate pollution fee,’ among other things.

5. As VP, helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act—the largest infusion of government money ($375B) to cut gas emissions in half by 2030. Also helped provide hundreds of billions in subsidies and tax credits for electric cars and clean-energy tech and home projects.

6. Pushed for the US rejoining the Paris Agreement, crucial for future generations.

7. Announced over $1B in grants for states to address flooding and extreme heat.

8. She’s weaving climate change into foreign relations, announcing a $3 billion to help developing nations to adapt to climate challenges at the UN climate summit.

9. Helped US manufacturers create over 250,000 clean energy jobs last year. Also advocates for environmental justice to aid disadvantaged communities facing climate impacts

10. Initially supported a fracking ban (injecting water and chemicals underground at high pressure to extract difficult-to-access oil or gas), but doesn’t anymore in 2024.

11. Adversarial to the oil and gas industry, but touted the US’s “largest increase in domestic oil production in history” as a way to not rely on foreign oil.

12. She’s outlined “fundamental freedoms” in her 2024 campaign, including the freedom to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live free from the pollution that fuels the climate crisis.

Donald Trump:

1. Trump rejects climate science: he’s “not a great believer in man-made climate change” and has called global warming a “hoax.”

2. As President, aggressively targeted and rolled back more than 125 climate rules and policies. He also curtailed the EPA and required the words “climate change” be removed from its website.

3. Pulled the US out of the 2015 Paris Agreement, has pledged to do so again if elected in 2024.

4. The US became the world’s largest oil producer when he was president in 2018.

5. Blamed forest mismanagement for wildfires and not climate change, a claim debunked by scientists.

6. Claims EV manufacturing will destroy jobs in the auto industry, but he’s okay for a “very small slice” of cars being electric, thanks to Elon Musk.

7. Still plans to roll back Biden-era EV policies and end subsidies to increase energy efficient light bulbs, stoves, dishwashers, and showerheads.

8. If elected, he plans to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, the most far-reaching climate law in history.

9. Project 2025, the conservative plan for a second Trump term, aims to gut the National Weather Service and several other organizations. The focus is deregulation.

10. Believes climate spending is a “money grab” for environmental groups that will ship American jobs to other countries. Instead, he pledges a return to fossil fuels: “Drill, baby, drill.”

11. Would speed up approval of natural gas terminals “on my very first day back.”

12. Wants “energy dominance” for the US with the world’s cheapest energy by increasing oil drilling on public lands and even in the Arctic, and offering tax breaks to oil, gas, and coal producers.

Aaand, that’s a wrap! Please take a moment and tell us what you think about the work we’ve been doing here.

If you received this newsletter from someone you know, you can go here to sign up.

This newsletter was edited by Ishita Sen. 

Hey, fam. Shannon here, and I’m back with a lowdown on this week’s big events.

Lufthansa, Germany’s #1 airline, has to pay a record fine for banning hundreds of Jewish passengers from boarding in a reprehensible ‘anti-Semitic’ incident—this one is really WW2-coded. They’ve now created a first-of-its-kind training program to address the world’s oldest hatred...

Moving on to less upsetting news: SpaceX made history as it ‘caught’ a part of its rocket with giant ‘mechazilla’ arms. We’re now one step closer to fully reusable rockets, which has everyone really excited about future Moon missions. Elon Musk’s great week went awry with Tesla’s big launch — a sneak peek at the Cybercab and Robovan (copied from ‘I, Robot’) and humanoid Optimus bots (controlled by humans) failed to impress. Here’s a look at the BIZARRE takes it inspired. Investors weren’t pleased either, and Musk’s net worth took a $15 billion hit.

It’s clearly Halloween because Gen Z just brought another brand back from the dead. Victoria’s Secret, which had lost its way for a while, attempted a red-hot return with Bella and Gigi Hadid, Kate Moss, and Cher... but then got slammed as “the most boring show ever.” Even the crowd noise was fake, smh.

A rare foray into the sports section here, but Roland-Garros king Rafael Nadal is stepping away from tennis. The sports world is truly losing one of the greats.

Cleanup from hurricanes Helene and Milton is still ongoing, but the deluge of stories coming out of it is so much more than just casualties and ways to help: chemtrail conspiracies, influencers turning the storm into ‘content,’ fake AI images, and so on. With the hurricane becoming clickbait, the future of news on social is not looking very reliable. (That’s why you need Volv to keep tabs on stuff, tbh).

The hurricanes could even swing the US election this year, which brings me to the guide I’ve prepared this week—a much-needed look at where Trump and Harris stand on crime. Before we get into that, though, here are the articles that caught my eye.

👍👎 What’s trending

What’s in: Faceless influencers (with perfect nails, ofc!) + Free Blockbuster + Chicken wine + Smelling like cigs + Skirt over jeans + Earplugs

What’s out: ‘Tupping’ leftovers + Luxury watches (finance bros are over them) + Vinyl + Passwords

📈 Headlines you need to read

• Why your favorite TV shows now take FOREVER to return

• World’s best-known mineral water is swimming with poop

• This interviewer has made ‘calling out celebs’ like Anne Hathaway her brand—but who’s really at fault?

• The Sabrina Carpenter curse is wrecking sports worldwide

• This low-budget film making viewers puke has beaten ‘Joker 2’ to #1

🗞️ Trump v. Harris on crime

Very few American voters rank crime as their most important concern in 2024, but Trump and Harris are taking the issue seriously, albeit with very different approaches. Trump (perhaps ironically, given the many legal cases against him) presents himself as the law-and-order candidate and links the issue with illegal immigration. Harris is relying on her history as a prosecutor, while attempting to toe the line as a progressive politician.

Kamala Harris, the prosecutor:

1. As DA, she prosecuted child sexual assault cases and introduced programs for first-time offenders, focusing on housing, job training, and substance abuse treatment.

2. As DA, she opposed the death penalty, drawing backlash, but later expressed regret over capital punishment cases as AG.

3. As California AG, she implemented bias training for police and expanded public access to criminal justice data.

4. Supported prosecuting parents of truant children but later regretted its impact on Black families.

5. As Senator, she voted for the First Step Act to reduce prison sentences and allow early release but called for more reforms.

6. In 2019, introduced a bill to federally decriminalize marijuana, citing racial disparities in arrests— a shift from her previous opposition.

7. As Vice President, supported police accountability measures and public safety reforms, including bans on chokeholds and no-knock warrants.

8. Advocates for increased police funding and community intervention, emphasizing they can coexist.

9. Supported the Safer Communities Act to reduce gun violence with red flag laws and background checks, focusing on prevention.

10. In her 2024 campaign, she aims to reinstate the assault weapons ban, expand background checks, support red flag laws, and invest in law enforcement training.

11. Also seeks to fix the immigration system and address the opioid and fentanyl crisis.

Tough-on-crime Trump:

1. Consistently supported police and harsh sentencing throughout his career.

2. Known as the “law-and-order candidate” in 2016, advocating for the death penalty for drug traffickers and mass murderers.

3. Oversaw 13 federal executions in his last seven months—more than any president since FDR.

4. Signed the First Step Act in 2018 to reduce federal prison populations but later distanced himself from it due to voter backlash.

5. Blocked criminal justice reforms, including efforts to end prison privatization.

6. Created a 2018 council to focus on rehabilitation and reducing recidivism, addressing mental health, training, and substance abuse.

7. His 2020 Operation Legend led to over 6,000 arrests to combat violent crime.

8. Supported using the National Guard during 2020 protests and maintains this stance in 2024.

9. Proposed reinstating “stop and frisk,” a controversial and unconstitutional policing method.

10. Pledged to combat “migrant crime” and gang violence, despite studies showing no higher crime rates among immigrants.

11. Indicated willingness to pardon Jan 6 insurrection participants; commuted over 90 sentences and pardoned 140+, including controversial beneficiaries linked to him.

12. GOP’s Project 2025 aligns with his platform, supporting the death penalty, tough drug prosecutions, and minimum sentences for violent crimes.

That’s all for today. I can’t stress how much your feedback means to us. Please take a moment and tell us what you think!

If you received this newsletter from someone you know, you can go here to sign up.

This newsletter was edited by Ishita Sen. 

Hey guys,

Priyanka here.

The Israel-Hamas war is officially a year old now, and we’ve been following its trajectory as it spilled beyond Gaza and into Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, and Syria. Gaza’s been absolutely flattened; Israel’s military marked the ‘anniversary’ with a tally of the targets it bombed and how many they lost. It’s hard to imagine how much worse it will get, but it sure seems like everyone’s losing.

In the US, with less than a month left until Election Day, Trump’s “close relationship” with Putin is under scrutiny. And everyone had LOTS to say about Kamala Harris going on the Call Her Daddy podcast (here’s why it was great for her). It seems like a great time to compare their policies on education, so I’ll be doing a deep dive into that. Stay tuned.

The Diddy scandal isn’t going anywhere, either, with claims of a secret underground tunnel from his home to the Playboy Mansion being the talk of the town this week. Everyone’s saying Beyoncé and Jay-Z might be the next to fall, with the Blu Cantrell conspiracy coming to light. Did Jay-Z sabotage rival R&B artists to elevate Beyoncé? The story is wild!

Just as I was about to send this out, the Met Gala 2025 theme was revealed. Fashion’s biggest night will be back, nay “black,” in no time.

👍👎 What’s trending

What’s in: Superfan focus groups, wine bars (for the vibes), bagmaxxing
What’s out: Hyperpop, DIY, Brazilian wax (it's ruining sex), dupes

• This black card lets influencers pay with content

• You’re not watching TV, it’s actually watching YOU — here’s the scary truth

• This startup disappeared after raising $170 million — everyone’s confused about what’s going on

• TikTok is swiping left on ‘ugly’ people and suppressing them

• Zara’s website is annoying, confusing, and surprisingly genius

• Gear up — it’s time to create (your brand) cinematic universe

📌 Tips from building Volv:

Publicity is key, especially in the early stages. It boosts your credibility, increases brand awareness, and attracts new customers. For us, mentions in Forbes and Business Insider have been game changers. A friend recently suggested I try HARO (Help a Reporter Out) to connect with journalists, but honestly, it didn’t live up to the hype—it’s not what it used to be since it was bought out. Instead, I found Pressflow, a startup offering real-time journalist requests, and it’s FREE! (Not sponsored, just a great tool for getting the right media exposure).

🗞️ Comparing Trump and Harris’ education policies

Donald Trump’s policies on Education:

1. He proposes to shut down the Department of Education. He said, “We will move everything back to the states, where it belongs.”

2. He believes the states would do a better job at lower costs. However, dismantling the DOE would be a complex process.

3. He wants to give parents control, calling for a ‘Parents Bill of Rights.’ He wants parents to have control over hiring and firing school principals. 

4. He also wants to make it easier to fire ‘bad’ teachers by ending tenure protections and rewarding ‘better’ ones with merit-based pay.

5. He backs universal school choice programs, which would allow a student’s allotment of public school funds to be transferred to non-public schools — including private, religious, and homeschooling.

6. He supports the right to pray and read the Bible in school.

7. His platform promotes patriotism within the curriculum, which should focus on “America’s Founding Principles” and “fundamentals like Reading, History, Science, and Math.”

8. He wants to defund schools with programs that feature “critical race theory, gender ideology or other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content.”

9. He would overturn new Title IX protections against gender and sex-based discrimination.

10. He has previously suggested eliminating the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and cutting funding to the Pell Grant.

11. He wants to create the American Academy, a free university endowed with “billions of dollars that we will collect by taxing, fining, and suing excessively large private university endowments.”

Kamala Harris’ policies on Education:

1. She has criticized Trump for wanting to shut down the DOE — “We are not going to let him eliminate the Department of Education that funds our public schools.”

2. Her platform is against diverting funds from public education and weakening public schools.

3. She previously proposed closing the “teacher pay gap.”

4. She has spoken out against book bans and restrictions on LGBTQ+ books.

5. She is opposed to attempts to limit how race is taught in schools. 

6. The Biden-Harris administration helped expand Title IX protections for gender and sex-based discrimination — protecting LGBTQ+ students.

7. She is opposed to laws denying transgender students access to bathrooms matching their gender identity.

8. While she supports trans rights, she has not taken a stance on transgender students in sports.

9. The Biden-Harris administration has forgiven billions in student debt for millions.

10. Her platform promises she will work to end the “unreasonable burden of student loan debt and fight to make higher education more affordable.”

11. The Biden-Harris administration has increased the maximum Pell Grant award by its highest amount in over a decade.

And that’s a wrap. We appreciate you sticking with us and we would love to hear from you! Please give us your feedback here.

If somebody shared this newsletter with you, this is where you need to go to sign up. See y’all soon.

This newsletter was edited by Ishita Sen. 

Hey everyone. Shannon here with this week’s newsletter edition. Videos from the night of Iran’s attack on Israel are still making the rounds. Nearly 200 missiles rained down, several of them penetrating Israel’s famed Iron Dome defense. This was Iran’s “retaliatory” attack on Israel for killing top Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, and now Israeli PM Netanyahu has sworn that Iran “will pay” for their “big mistake.”

On home ground, we had the vice presidential debate this week. The big takeaway? How “civilized” it was... because JD Vance and Tim Walz disagreed but were nice to each other. No shortage of “weird” headlines, though, with Vance’s ‘eyeliner‘ and tie in the spotlight and a clarification that, no, Walz is not friends with school shooters.

In pop culture news, the Diddy scandal is not dying down. Instead, we seem to be on the brink of something big: 120 new accusers have come forward, with one saying Diddy “drugged her with ketamine, raped and bit her.” Many powerful people could be exposed.

Lastly, we lost a Hollywood stalwart, Maggie Smith, who died at 89. A heartbroken ‘Harry Potter’ fandom noted that Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore passed away exactly one year apart.

Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled programming: I’ve got some great stories this week and a deep dive looking at Harris and Trump’s approach to LGBTQ+ issues.

👍👎 What’s trending

What’s in: Ballet bodies + freemium friends + Boo baskets!
What’s out: Big boobs + quiet luxury + 'fun pants' + condoms

📈 Headlines that caught my eye:

• European nepo babies learn what to do with all their money at these ‘events’

• Naomi Campbell raised money for kids as UN envoy—and spent it on luxury spas!

• Gen Z girls are being ‘virgin shamed’

• The guy who designed the first iPhone is now building the ‘iPhone of AI’

• Nudity, sex, peeing... Is this the most X-rated show on TV?

• ‘It’s brilliant!’: A nurse’s solution to gun violence is going viral

📌 Tips from building Volv:

Building a startup is hard, and as founders, you have to do everything in your power to make it work… which includes recording yourself on camera and making TikToks to promote the company. Being on camera does not come naturally, and I’m definitely 1,000% outside of my comfort zone, so we would appreciate any support! Here is our founder TikTok profile; we’d appreciate the love. 

✨ Vibe of the week

I’m only a few chapters into this book, and it’s already such a fun read! 

🗞️ Let’s take a look at Trump’s and Harris’ positions on LGBTQ+ issues

Kamala Harris leads the most pro-LGBTQ+ administration in US history, while Donald Trump has been branded the most anti-LGBTQ+ president to date. Here’s some much-needed clarity on their records.

Kamala Harris’ position

1. Harris is progressive and supports LGBTQ+ issues, but there are some early blemishes in her record.

2. As San Francisco DA and California AG, she officiated same-sex marriages as early as 2004 under a short-lived license and prosecuted hate crimes. She also refused to defend California’s ban on marriage equality and actively fought for its repeal.

3. Denied gender-affirming care to a trans inmate and prosecuted sex workers, which included many trans individuals. She has since pivoted to more progressive positions.

4. As US Senator, she cosponsored the Equality Act, promoting comprehensive protections without discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

5. As Vice President, Harris is part of the administration that signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law.

6. Regularly speaks out against violence and discrimination faced by trans individuals.

7. Advocated for mental health resources and protection from discrimination for at-risk, LGBTQ+ youth in schools. Supports measures to ban conversion therapy nationwide.

8. Supports legislation aimed at reducing LGBTQ+ youth suicide rates and engages directly with LGBTQ+ communities to address their concerns.

9. Appointed numerous LGBTQ+ individuals to key positions, improving queer representation in government.

10. Expressed support for decriminalizing sex work, directly addressing criticism over her early record on the issue.

11. Actively opposes book bans and their impact on LGBTQ+ narratives in education.

12. As president, she intends to champion LGBTQ+ rights, promoting equality in healthcare, housing, and employment.

Donald Trump’s LGBTQ+ Rights Record

1. Trump prioritizes “religious freedom” over LGBTQ+ rights.

2. Initially voiced support for LGBTQ+ rights before running for president but shifted to a more conservative stance afterward.

3. Launched a campaign to decriminalize homosexuality globally, but this was largely inconsistent with his domestic policies.

4. Instituted a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military and removed healthcare protections for LGBTQ+ people, rolling back Obama-era policies of inclusion.

5. Showed support for “religious freedom” arguments allowing conversion therapy practices and businesses to deny services to same-sex couples.

6. Appointed judges and Supreme Court justices with anti-LGBTQ+  records, which is seen as a threat to LGBTQ+  rights.

7. Rolled back guidelines in schools that allowed students to use bathrooms and participate in sports based on their gender identity.

8. Rescinded protections against bullying for LGBTQ+ youth, despite rising mental health crisis among LGBTQ+ youth during his presidency.

9. His stance on “parental rights” pushed conservative states to ban books, particularly ones discussing sexual orientation and gender identity.

10. Activists blame Trump’s rhetoric of intolerance as one of the reasons LGBTQ+ individuals were targeted. Hate crimes increased during his time in office.

11. Since leaving office, he’s continued to push an anti-trans agenda, particularly around trans women’s participation in sports. Trump emphasizes “protecting women’s sports” from “radical gender ideology.”

12. If elected again, he plans to further entrench anti-LGBTQ+ policies under Project 2025.

That’s all for today. If someone sent you this newsletter, you can sign up here. I’d love to hear your thoughts on our newsletter, so please do share it with us.

This newsletter was edited by Ishita Sen.