🌎 Shock & Awe

France sees nationwide protests after new PM elected

They do know a thing or two about revolutions. French President Emmanuel Macron deployed 80,000 police officers as massive anti-government protests erupted across France over the country’s rising debt.

What’s going on?

The timing of the protests align with a major political shift in the country, as Sébastien Lecornu began his first day as prime minister, becoming France’s fifth prime minister since 2022.

Lecornu assumed his role just a day after parliament removed his predecessor, François Bayrou:

• Bayrou’s firing marked the second collapse of President Emmanuel Macron’s government in nine months and comes at a time when the government is struggling to rein in its nearly $4 trillion in debt.

Bayrou was getting pretty unpopular: The “Block Everything” protests originated online this summer, fueled by anger at Bayrou’s $51 billion public spending cut proposal, which included the elimination of public holidays and nearly $6 billion in healthcare spending.

Widespread opposition

While concerns over the nation’s growing debt and spending cuts are the main driver behind the protests, the government’s broader instability certainly hasn’t tamed frustrations:

• Roads were blocked, barricades were set ablaze, trash cans and vehicles were torched, some public transit was disrupted, and electrical cables were severed, cutting off internet in some areas.

• Roughly 175,000 people participated in over 800 separate protests, resulting in more than 450 arrests, according to France’s Interior Ministry.

The government claimed the protests "failed to block the country" entirely, though the demonstrations were widespread enough to create a serious challenge for the new PM from day one.

Looking forward: Analysts warn the fast-moving protests could destabilize an already fragile government, and with protesters organizing through social media, Macron and Lecornu are left with limited room to maneuver.

FBI offers $100K reward amid manhunt for Charlie Kirk’s assassin

The situation is still evolving. Just a day after the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University, the FBI has released photos of the alleged suspect and new details regarding the investigation.

Kirk, aged 31, was the cofounder of the conservative student organization Turning Point USA and maintained a YouTube channel with over three million subscribers. He is survived by his wife, Erika Kirk, and two young children, aged one and three. Learn more here.

What are the new developments?

Yesterday, the FBI released two images (see above) of a “person of interest” tied to the investigation into Wednesday’s fatal on-stage shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.

With the release, authorities also gave new information regarding the case:

• After the shooting, a high-powered bolt-action rifle (an older Mauser .30-06) was found wrapped in a towel, in a wooded area near the scene.

• Three unspent cartridges were recovered alongside the weapon, reportedly marked with “transgender and anti-fascist” messages, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The FBI has gathered forensic evidence, including footwear impressions, a palm print, forearm prints, and more. These are currently being analyzed in conjunction with the rifle and surveillance footage.

Tip line: The agency set up a digital tip line (access here) asking the public to share any relevant photos, videos, or other information. There is a $100,000 reward for any tips leading to the identification or arrest of the shooter.

What about the shooter?

The person of interest is believed to be “college-age” and blended in with the crowd on campus. They were last seen wearing dark clothing, sunglasses, and a baseball cap.

Video surveillance shows the suspect arriving at the campus around 11:52 am, moving through stairwells to a roof, firing the shot at about 12:20 pm, then fleeing off campus into a nearby neighborhood (see full timeline).

• According to a university spokesperson, Charlie Kirk was struck from roughly 200 yards away from a rooftop building on campus (watch video analysis).

As of writing, no suspect is in custody. Two people were initially detained, but both were released after law enforcement determined they had no connection to the shooting. This is an ongoing investigation; click here for live updates.

Politically, the event has drawn strong reactions. Utah’s governor called the shooting a “political assassination,” and prominent political figures, both Republicans and Democrats, have blamed intensified rhetoric for contributing to an increase in political violence.

This company just came out of the AI boom on top

Apparently, the way to win with AI is to scale with it. Oracle, a database software company, announced this week that it secured hundreds of billions of dollars worth of AI contracts, sending its market value straight up.

Bringing the boom

Shares of Oracle $ORCL ( ▼ 1.71% ) climbed as much as 43% in early trading on Wednesday, ultimately closing up 36%, marking the company’s largest one-day gain in over 30 years. But why are investors so pleased?

• Oracle says its latest cloud deals could bring in $455 billion over the next few years, which is four times last year’s total.

• Because of those deals, the company expects its cloud infrastructure revenue to soar from $10 billion to $144 billion within the next five years.

The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI alone will drive most of Oracle’s massive haul, shelling out $300 billion over five years for the company’s cloud computing services.

However, if OpenAI doesn’t do well… neither will Oracle. The WSJ noted OpenAI’s current revenue is less than a fifth of what it would owe Oracle each year under the contract, so Oracle’s future largely hinges on ChatGPT keeping its rocket-speed growth going.

But that doesn’t matter if you’re made of gold. After Oracle’s stock skyrocketed, co-founder and chairman Larry Ellison became the world’s richest person for a short time, eclipsing Elon Musk. It was the largest single-day increase in wealth Bloomberg has ever recorded.

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US students’ math and reading scores drop to new record low

Might be time to put down the GPT. Students across the US are increasingly struggling to keep up in science, math, and reading, continuing a years-long trend, according to newly released data.

The Nation’s Report Card

The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also affectionately known as the Nation’s Report Card, has arrived, and the results aren’t very pretty.

Science scores for eighth graders took a hit:

• Only 31% reached the “Proficient” mark, while a staggering 38% fell below “Basic”, the highest rate since the test began.

• Overall, scores dropped four points since 2019.

Meanwhile, math and reading were a struggle for twelfth graders:

• Just 22% of seniors hit “Proficient” levels in math and 35% did so in reading, while record highs fell below “Basic” (45% in math, 32% in reading).

• Only one-third of seniors were determined to be ready for college-level work by the end of the year.

The decrease in scores was seen across nearly all student performance levels, with students at the lower end of performance seeing particularly sharp declines. Only the students in the top 10% didn’t see any fall-offs.

How do we help? The solution seems to be falling between party lines, as some Republican leaders point to state control and local solutions, while left-leaning advocates are pushing for more federal support.

Apple has unveiled its new “awe-dropping” line of iPhones

Apple’s thinnest iPhone yet is sure to fit snugly in the crack next to your driver’s seat. The highly anticipated event allowed the tech giant to flex its aluminum muscles as it showed off four new iPhone models, along with a whole host of upgrades for its devices.

What’s new?

The new iPhones mark Apple’s first major iPhone redesign in years, with the whole lineup getting a fresh look, including the standard iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and, most notably, the ultra-thin iPhone Air.

• The Air is just 5.6 millimeters thick (almost 30% slimmer than the iPhone 16), Apple’s thinnest phone ever.

• Its battery is expected to be smaller than last year’s iPhones, and while its processor beats the standard iPhone 17, it trails the 17 Pro models and lacks a true telephoto lens.

What about the rest of the lineup? All of the new iPhones will come with a new aluminum unibody design, improved battery life, enhanced memory security, and a distinctive “plateau” camera bump.

• The Pro and Pro Max will use Apple’s new A19 Pro chips, while the regular iPhone 17 features the robust A19 chip.

• New wearables got introduced, like the Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3, SE 3, and AirPods Pro 3. New features like enhanced health sensors, satellite connectivity, and even live translation will come standard.

Price points and pre-orders? The Air will cost you $999, which awkwardly puts it just $200 pricier than the regular iPhone 17 but only $100 cheaper than the Pro. Pre-orders for the new line start September 12, with general availability beginning September 19 in most regions.

Catch up on this week’s weird news

 > Pokémon cards have seen a monthly cumulative return of roughly 3,821% since 2004, beating out traditional indexes like the S&P 500, which jumped 483% over the same period.

 > Roblox, which boasts almost 40 million daily users under the age of 13, has announced plans to launch its own TikTok-style app in a bid to lure new users to the video game platform.

 > NATO holds talks after Poland and allies shoot down Russian drones, marking the first time NATO planes have engaged potential threats in allied airspace.

 > Singer D4vd is cooperating with authorities after a decomposed body was discovered in a car registered to him at an impound lot in Los Angeles.

 > Mark Zuckerberg, an Indiana bankruptcy lawyer, is suing Mark Zuckerberg. The lawyer accused Meta of breaching the contract after suspending his Facebook page for “impersonating a celebrity.”