BREAKING NEWS —> TRUMP STRIKES UKRAINE MINERAL DEAL—RARE EARTHS FOR RECONSTRUCTION? The U.S. and Ukraine have finalized a deal granting American access to Ukraine’s vast rare earth and mineral reserves in exchange for U.S. involvement in a Ukrainian reconstruction fund. Now, the deal is explicitly tied to Ukraine’s security and peace efforts, though details remain unclear.
—> WHAT’S NEXT WITH THE WAR? President Zelensky is expected in Washington this week to finalize the deal—but it’s uncertain if Trump will meet him. The agreement does not include direct U.S. security guarantees, though future discussions might address them. Meanwhile, European leaders are working on their own mineral agreements with Ukraine, wary of Trump's separate talks with Moscow.
—> WHY IT MATTERS: Ukraine sits on trillions in untapped mineral wealth, including lithium, titanium, and rare earths—materials essential for everything from EV batteries to fighter jets. With 40% of these deposits in Russian-occupied territory, the U.S. deal could shift global supply chains, military strategy, and geopolitical alliances. But questions remain: How soon can mining start? Who profits? And will this deal give Trump leverage in peace talks with Russia? 🔥
—> MEET THE FUTURE: The privatization of war recovery is here—U.S. companies could directly profit from Ukraine’s rebuilding effort while securing control over critical minerals for the AI, defense, and energy industries. Meanwhile, China and Russia will likely push back hard against U.S. economic influence in the region. Will this deal mark the beginning of Ukraine’s economic revival—or just a new battlefield in the fight over the world’s most valuable resources? ⚡
hello, future. it’s me, kev.
…and this is a dispatch from the digital frontier. It’s time to meet the future NOW — with the latest on markets, tech, and freedom. The day is 56. The year is 2025. The planet is Earth. My name is Kevin Cirilli —> LinkedIn. Spotify. Sign-up to receive the future in your inbox here.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Back to the future...
FUTURES
WALL STREET SLIDES AS CONSUMER CONFIDENCE DIPS. The S&P 500 fell 0.5%, marking its fourth straight loss since hitting an all-time high last week. The Nasdaq tanked 1.4% as Big Tech stocks slumped, while the Dow defied the trend, rising 159 points (0.4%) thanks to gains in other sectors.
—> WHY IT MATTERS: Wall Street’s rally is losing steam as consumer confidence drops faster than expected, signaling economic uncertainty ahead. Weaker-than-expected data has been piling up, leaving investors questioning just how strong the economy really is.
Markets are now bracing for more economic reports—and potential Fed moves—later this week. 📉📊
Source: AP.
CRYPTO
BITCOIN DROPS BELOW $90K—BYBIT HACK, TARIFF FEARS SHAKE CRYPTO. Bitcoin tanked 7%, dipping to $87,169, its lowest since November, as investor sentiment soured over Trump’s looming tariffs and last week’s record-breaking $1.5 billion Bybit hack. Ether also plunged 8%, while dogecoin, solana, and cardano nosedived 20%.
—> WHY IT MATTERS: The Bybit breach—the largest crypto hack ever—has investors spooked, triggering a delayed market sell-off. Adding to the pressure, Bitcoin ETFs are seeing their biggest outflows since launch, as traders grow impatient waiting for Trump’s pro-crypto policies to materialize.
—> WHAT’S NEXT? Crypto bulls still see Bitcoin’s long-term potential, but for now, regulatory uncertainty and macroeconomic fears are fueling a brutal market correction. Buckle up. 🚀📉
Source: Reuters.
SPACE
BLUE ORIGIN'S NEXT SPACE TOURISTS. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is gearing up for its 10th crewed mission, sending six more passengers to the edge of space. The company’s space tourism business is back in action after a 15-month pause, and the flight could launch as early as May 19.
—> WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? Today, it's billionaires and celebrities floating in zero-G, but these missions are laying the groundwork for commercial space travel, orbital hotels, and maybe even your future vacation to space. 🌍🚀
—> TICKET TO RIDE: Blue Origin hasn’t revealed prices, but past reports estimate a $250K+ seat cost. With companies like SpaceX and Virgin Galactic in the race, will competition eventually make space travel affordable for the rest of us?
Source: Space.com
QUANTUM // ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
TIME TRAVEL? SCIENTISTS SAY IT’S POSSIBLE… KIND OF. At the quantum level, time doesn’t just tick forward—it might flow both ways at the same time. Scientists just ran an experiment where particles moved forward and backward in time simultaneously, breaking our basic understanding of cause and effect. Imagine spilling juice and watching it unspill back into the glass—that’s what’s happening on a microscopic level.
—> WHY IT MATTERS: This isn’t just a sci-fi thought experiment—it could unlock game-changing tech. If quantum computers can tap into this effect, they might solve problems before they’re even asked, making today’s AI look like a pocket calculator. Quantum sensors could detect diseases before symptoms appear. Even secure communications could become unhackable, since quantum signals could “rewind” if tampered with.
—> MEET THE FUTURE: If time doesn’t have to move in one direction, what else doesn’t? Could we one day build computers that predict the future? Could financial markets or medical breakthroughs be foreseen in advance? If scientists crack the code of time’s flexibility, the possibilities are limitless—and reality as we know it might be rewritten. 🔮⌛
Source: New Scientist.
GEOPOLITICS
BLOOMBERG HYPES CHINA'S ECONOMIC PLAN—BUT WHO REALLY BENEFITS China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) kicks off March 5, and Bloomberg is painting it as a roadmap for economic recovery—but the reality is more government control, scripted policies, and a strategy to sidestep U.S. trade pressure rather than fix China’s deeper economic woes.
With deflation, a weak property market, and fading global investment, Beijing is scrambling to boost consumer spending and convince its own people to trust the economy again.
—> WHO’S IN THE ROOM: Premier Li Qiang, Alibaba’s Jack Ma, and key figures in AI, tech, and state-controlled industries, but not the free-market innovators China crushed during its regulatory crackdowns.
Source: Bloomberg.
ONE MORE THING
AI JESUS, AI BUDDHA—IS RELIGION GOING DIGITAL? From AI-powered priests to chatbot confessionals, artificial intelligence is moving into the spiritual realm. In Germany, a Protestant church held a fully AI-led service, where an avatar pastor delivered the sermon. In Switzerland, an AI Jesus inside a confessional booth had deep conversations with over 1,000 believers. And in South Korea, researchers built an AI shaman shrine, finding that visitors opened up more than expected.
—> FAITH OR FRAUD? AI spiritual guides are sparking both fascination and outrage. While some find comfort in AI-driven interactions, critics call it blasphemy and warn that AI lacks divine authority. Even Pope Francis has urged caution, fearing the misuse of artificial intelligence in faith.
—> THE FUTURE OF WORSHIP: As AI continues to personalize religious experiences, will virtual clergy replace human leaders? Or will AI-powered faith create new forms of belief entirely? Either way, the way people connect with the divine may never be the same. 🤖🙏
Source: Korea Herald.
With gratitude,
Kev
ABOUT mtf.tv’s meet the future: mtf.tv’s meet the future is a cutting-edge platform focused on addressing key challenges at the intersection of national security, technology, and business. With a mission to embrace freedom to meet the future’s challenges and opportunities, mtf.tv offers forward-thinking media offerings and forums.
Share this post