Amex has announced its “biggest-ever investment” in the Platinum Card

Today’s topics

• Amex Redesigns the Platinum Card Experience

• Amazon’s Prime Day Becomes a Four-Day Shopping Marathon

• Zuckerberg Is Spending Billions to Poach OpenAI Talent

• SpaceX’s Starship Explodes in Massive Fireball

• Toy Story 5: This Time, the iPad’s the Bad Guy

  and more…

Amex Redesigns the Platinum Card Experience

American Express just unveiled its biggest Platinum Card investment yet. CEO Steve Squeri is aiming to win over more millennials and Gen Zers by giving the card a major glow-up later this summer or early fall. While details are still under wraps, expect more luxury brand perks and enhanced versions of the benefits users already love. Translation: fancier rewards, flashier marketing. And it’s working—Gen Z and millennials now account for 75% of new premium cardholders, swiping freely and showing surprisingly strong credit. Turns out, racking up points on oat lattes builds loyalty. With a 98% retention rate, once you justify that $695 annual fee, there’s no going back.

Trump Launches $499 “T1” Phone with Bold Branding

Trump is officially in the phone game. The Trump Organization just unveiled Trump Mobile, featuring a $499 gold-colored smartphone dubbed the “T1,” complete with an American flag engraving and heavy doses of brand ego. The accompanying 47 Plan — priced at $47.45/month — is a nod to Trump’s presidential ambitions and includes unlimited talk, text, and data, plus roadside assistance and a “Telehealth and Pharmacy Benefit” that feels more like merch than medicine. As expected, Trump didn’t actually design the phone — it’s another classic licensing move. Just like the sneakers, Bibles, and steaks, the strategy remains the same: slap the Trump name on it, and let the cash roll in.

Amazon’s Prime Day Becomes a Four-Day Shopping Marathon

Amazon just turned its iconic Prime Day into a four-day spree — because two days of impulse shopping apparently weren’t enough. From July 8–11, Prime members will have even more time to scroll endlessly, abandon carts, and eventually give in. It’s the first time Amazon has extended Prime Day since 2017, and this year they’re throwing in daily themed “Big Deals” to keep your shopping cravings on a tight schedule. Expect markdowns on everything from forgotten fitness gadgets to still-in-the-box smart tech. AI tools will now help track your deals — or, more realistically, upsell you with algorithmic precision.

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Zuckerberg Is Spending Billions to Poach OpenAI Talent

Meta reportedly offered $100 million bonuses to lure OpenAI’s top talent — but according to Sam Altman, the “best people” stayed right where they were. The subtext? No one’s eager to join Zuckerberg’s midlife AI makeover. Meta’s current approach: mimic OpenAI, delay its own models, and drop $14 billion on startups like Scale AI to look like it's in the game. Altman didn’t hold back, pointing out that chasing competitors’ castoffs doesn’t build culture — it breeds chaos with better lighting. Zuck’s AI ambitions are massive, but the energy still screams Facebook 2012.

DeepL Claims It Can Translate the Entire Internet in Just 18 Days

German startup DeepL just turned up the flex, boasting it can now translate the whole internet in 18 days — a massive leap from the previous 194 — thanks to Nvidia’s latest powerhouse hardware. With access to a DGX SuperPOD (which sounds like a sci-fi villain’s hideout but is actually a server stack loaded with cutting-edge Grace Blackwell chips), DeepL is pushing AI translation into overdrive. It’s Google Translate’s worst nightmare, turbocharged. The goal? Smarter models that might finally get context right. While DeepL powers up, Nvidia is busy selling these silicon beasts to every startup that isn’t Microsoft or Amazon — hoping someone builds the next AI unicorn before the buzzwords dry up.

SpaceX’s Starship Explodes in Massive Fireball

During preparations for its 10th test flight on the evening of June 18, SpaceX’s Starship prototype (Ship 36) erupted into a massive fireball at their Starbase facility in Texas.

The explosion occurred around 11 p.m. local time and burned for approximately two hours. Thankfully, no one was injured, and cleanup and safety protocols are underway

Read more 

Space Force Taps SpaceX for Classified MILNET Satcom Network

The U.S. Space Force is working with SpaceX—under the direction of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)—to deploy a new government-owned but contractor-operated satellite network named MILNET.

Positioned in low‑Earth orbit, MILNET will help build a “hybrid mesh” that integrates commercial and military communications satellites 

Read more

Record Decline in Earth’s Reflective Clouds Heightens Climate Crisis

New research from NASA and collaborating universities shows a significant decline in Earth’s reflective cloud cover, especially in high-latitude regions—with losses of 1.5% to 3% per decade over the past 24 years. This reduction means less sunlight is being reflected back into space, amplifying global warming and pushing temperatures to record highs in 2023–2024. Scientists emphasize the urgent need for continued satellite monitoring—though such missions may face threats from aged equipment and proposed federal budget cuts. Read more

Supreme Court Sets Boundaries on EPA Lawsuits

The U.S. Supreme Court has clarified when legal challenges to EPA actions on air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions must be filed—either in local federal appeals courts or the specialized Washington DC circuit. This landmark decision will significantly influence future litigation surrounding the EPA’s regulatory reach. Read more

EPA Reconsiders Ban on Chrysotile Asbestos

The EPA has announced a review of the Biden-era ban on chrysotile asbestos—the last form still legally used in the U.S.—over the next 30 months. Critics argue this move prioritizes industry interests over public health, as asbestos is a known carcinogen linked to mesothelioma.  Read more

Lakers Sold in Record-Breaking $10 Billion Deal

The Los Angeles Lakers have been sold by the Buss family to Dodgers part-owner Mark Walter in a landmark transaction worth approximately $10 billion—making it the most valuable sports team sale in U.S. history.. This move signals a major shift in NBA franchise ownership dynamics.

Read more

Toy Story 5: This Time, the iPad’s the Bad Guy

Pixar’s back to squeeze every last nostalgic serotonin hit with Toy Story 5, coming in 2026. But this time, the villain isn’t a creepy toy hoarder or existential dread in a box — it’s Lily Pad, a smug, sentient tablet determined to steal Bonnie’s attention like every dopamine-fueled screen since 2012. Pixar just dropped promo art showing Lily Pad side-eyeing the OG toys she’s about to replace. This isn’t just about playtime anymore — it’s a full-on showdown between plastic and pixels. And yes, your childhood heroes are fighting to stay relevant. Again.

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