🌎 Crowned Juul

DRC and M23 rebel group make peace after 10 years of conflict

The agreement comes after widespread violence just months earlier. Last week, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group signed a declaration of principles on Saturday in Qatar, laying the groundwork for a permanent ceasefire.

Restoring peace

This agreement marks the end of more than a decade of fighting between the two groups, whose conflict stems from the Congo War, a regional crisis responsible for over 6 million deaths and the displacement of millions (see overview).

Earlier this year, violence erupted when M23 forces raided the Congolese cities of Goma and Bukavu:

• The conflict left more than 7,000 people dead and displaced over 7 million, marking one of the deadliest periods in the DRC's recent history.

The declaration of principles represents the rebels’ first direct commitment to peace, and a final deal is expected to be signed by August 18. The new pact outlines several key steps toward peace:

• It includes a prisoner exchange, the restoration of government authority in rebel-held areas (including Goma), and the safe return of displaced residents.

While the tone is hopeful, issues persist: M23 says it will maintain central governance and Rwanda is accused of backing the rebels, profiting from mineral smuggling. Analysts warn peace will remain fragile without addressing trust, troop withdrawals, and accountability.

What’s in the $9 billion federal spending cut?

A little review never hurt anybody. President Trump signed a US House-passed bill that will rescind $9 billion in federal funding to public broadcasting and foreign aid programs, marking a step forward in Trump’s budget policy.

So, what's in the $9B package?

It’s mostly comprised of cuts to foreign aid, rolling back nearly $8 billion across global aid programs, including those aimed at disease prevention, emergency relief, and international peacekeeping operations.

• However, after bipartisan backlash, $400 million for HIV/AIDS prevention was reinstated.

It also eliminates $1.1 billion previously set aside for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which distributes more than 70% of its funds to over 1,500 local media stations.

• The package is not likely to affect platforms like NPR and PBS, as they only get around 1% of their funding from the federal government.

• Local public broadcast stations, however, will bear the brunt of the cuts, with some losing up to 50% of their funding.

It’s a rare move: The House passed the bill just ahead of Friday’s midnight deadline, marking the first time since 1999 that Congress has approved a president’s request to cancel previously authorized discretionary spending.

FDA allows Juul to continue selling e-cigarettes in the US

The progenitor of teen vaping is back on the streets. The FDA authorized Juul to continue selling its e-cigarettes on the US market last week, a complete reversal of its 2022 ban and a major win for the vaping giant.

Reversing course

The decision comes after three years of a complete ban on Juul products in the US, with the FDA now concluding that Juul’s products offer a “less harmful” alternative to traditional cigarettes. As part of the authorization:

• Juul can now begin selling its menthol and tobacco-flavored refillable cartridges in the US.

• Products that were deemed to target younger audiences, like fruit and candy flavors, will continue to be banned.

The FDA’s approval didn’t come without controversy. Since Juul’s 2015 debut, its fruity nicotine pods helped drive a dramatic rise in teen vaping—from 220,000 high school users in 2011 to 3.1 million by 2018 (see study).

• In 2022, the company agreed to pay $440 million to settle allegations it had intentionally marketed to youth.

• Those allegations, along with health concerns, ultimately led to Juul’s products being banned by the FDA in 2022.

Now, the agency concluded that the benefits for adult smokers trying to quit combustible cigarettes outweigh the potential public health risks, including those posed to youth exposure.

Fall from grace: Juul once dominated the US vaping scene with a 70% market share back in 2018, a figue that has since fallen to 18%, trailing behind newer rivals like Vuse and Geek Bar.

Watch a video on Juul’s rise and fall here.

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Delta is using AI to set the maximum price you’re willing to pay

Did Delta’s CEO mean to say this out loud? Delta annouced it will be moving away from traditional pricing, instead using a personalized AI system that adjusts ticket prices based on how much it thinks each customer is willing to pay.

Sky-high prices

During a recent earnings call, Delta CEO Glen Hauenstein described AI as a “super‑analyst” working around the clock to predict the maximum price each traveller will pay, and noted early tests led to “amazingly favorable unit revenues.”

Shortly after, the Atlanta-based airline said that AI will soon be taking a forefront role:

• Currently, AI sets ~3% of Delta’s ticket prices, but the airline wants it to increase to 20% by the end of the year.

Hauenstein described the initiative as a “full reengineering” of pricing and said the ultimate goal is to have every single ticket price set by AI during its multiyear rollout.

Is this legal? Critics claim the move is predatory pricing, accusing the airline of extracting maximum fares based on personal data. Delta responded that all fares are still publicly filed, and it uses “trip-related factors” like how early travellers tend to buy tickets—but specifics on its safeguards remain vague.

Chess might just be the next biggest Esport

Maybe chess players will get to sit at the cool kids' table now. For the first time ever, professional chess players will compete for a massive $1.5 million prize pool at the Esports World Cup (ESC) in Saudi Arabia on July 31, as competitive chess continually becomes more mainstream.

But chess isn’t an Esport… right?

While technically true, its registration at the ESC marks its entry as a competitive online sport at a time when more grand masters seem to be playing online than over the board (looking at you, Hikaru).

• Chess.com, the largest online chess platform in the world, teamed up with the ESC back in April, enlisting Magnus Carlsen (the world #1 and arguably the GOAT) as a global ambassador.

• Pro Esports teams poached some of the world’s best players, including Carlsen, Nakamura, Firouzja, Caruana, and others, to try and win the championship.

The move brings online chess into the esports scene and showcases it on a stage alongside Fortnite, Valorant, and more. Once a game that rarely produced millionaires, chess has entered a new era:

• Sixteen players will compete for a $1.5 million prize pool, a typical sum in today’s international pro chess scene.

• The fast-paced format gives each player just 10 minutes per game, making blunders more likely (even among the world’s best).

It marks a shift in chess’s evolution, as the fast-paced format blends traditional strategy with some added spectacle, aiming to appeal to the esports crowd and engage a new generation of fans.

Chess is finally paying off… Last year’s FIDE championship handed out the largest purse in chess with $2.5 million in winnings, while stars like Carlsen and Gukesh are pulling in millions from tournament wins.

FAST FACTS
Catch up on this week’s weird news

Orca Offer: Researchers documented 34 instances where wild orcas deliberately offered gifts of food to humans, including fish, seabirds, seal pups, seaweed, and turtles, even pausing to watch their reactions.

HR Nightmare: Astronomer CEO Andy Byron officially resigned after a viral “kiss cam” moment with HR chief Kristin Cabot at a Coldplay concert prompted an internal investigation and board review.

Beach Ban: North Korea has banned foreign tourists from entering its new mega beach resort, just days after welcoming a small group of Russians, citing concerns over staged appearances.

Huge Hole: Astronomers have detected the largest black hole merger ever observed, using gravitational waves to confirm a collision that formed a single black hole about 225 times the mass of the sun.

Rude Rodents: Ground squirrels are wreaking havoc in a South Dakota city—burrowing under sidewalks, malls, and even the Air Force base—with officials calling it a “nearly impossible battle” to control their booming population.