🇺🇸 TARIFF TANGO—U.S. CUTS LAST-MINUTE DEALS WITH CANADA & MEXICO. The U.S. struck 11th-hour deals to delay new tariffs after Trump spoke with leaders from Canada and Mexico. China—another tariff target—is also gearing up for talks.
—> WHAT’S AT STAKE? Trump’s tariff blitz shakes markets, sending stocks spinning and fueling investor anxiety. The deal pauses tariffs for 30 days while Canada boosts border security, appoints a fentanyl czar, and cracks down on cartels. Mexico struck a similar agreement earlier.
—> THE MARKET REACTION
📉 Stocks dipped, then bounced back. The Nasdaq closed 1.2% lower.
🛢️ Oil spiked above $74 before retreating.
💰 The U.S. dollar whipsawed against global currencies.
—> MEET THE FUTURE. Trade wars aren’t over—they’re just evolving. This latest pause buys time, but tensions remain high. Will a long-term deal emerge, or is this just the calm before the next tariff storm?
Source: WSJ.
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 34. 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.
Back to the future...
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME—IS THIS THE LAST SPRING FORWARD? On March 9, 2025, millions of Americans will turn their clocks forward—but could this be the final time? Some lawmakers are pushing to make daylight saving time (DST) permanent, reigniting a long-running debate over time shifts.
—> WHY IT MATTERS: Supporters say ditching the clock changes could improve health, reduce traffic accidents, and boost energy efficiency. But not everyone agrees—sleep experts argue that permanent DST could mess with circadian rhythms.
—> TRUMP WANTS TO STOP THE CLOCK. Trump shocked many by pledging to end daylight saving time when he campaigned. If he follows through, the U.S. could see a dramatic shift in how Americans experience daylight year-round.
📌 Source: Daily Galaxy; NBC News.
CRYPTO
U.S. LAUNCHES SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND—BITCOIN IN PLAY? Trump signed an executive order directing the Treasury and Commerce Departments to create a sovereign wealth fund. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick—both with crypto ties—will lead the charge.
—> WHAT IS THE SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND? A government-run investment fund designed to manage national assets. While details remain vague, it could potentially house the U.S. government’s bitcoin holdings.
—> THE BITCOIN FACTOR: Bitcoin wasn’t mentioned at the signing, but Lutnick’s pro-crypto stance fuels speculation. Markets took notice—BTC climbed to $99,600 after the news.
—> MEET THE FUTURE: If bitcoin lands in the sovereign wealth fund, it could mark a major shift in government-backed crypto adoption. Is this the first step toward institutional-scale BTC reserves?
🔗 Source: Coin Desk.
SPACE
AI JUST PREDICTED A SOLAR STORM—AND IT WAS DEAD ON. The Sun is a ticking time bomb of energy—but what if we could predict its outbursts? A new AI system just did exactly that, detecting a massive solar storm before it hit in May 2024.
—> SCIENCE GETS AN UPGRADE: Scientists trained AI models on decades of solar data, allowing them to predict coronal mass ejections (CMEs) with unprecedented accuracy. The breakthrough could help protect power grids, satellites, and GPS networks.
—> GOOGLE IS ALL IN: Aerospace Corp and Google Public Sector are using AI and high-performance computing to forecast space weather days in advance—crucial for national security and critical infrastructure.
📌 Source: Space Daily.
NOT GOOD: RATS TAKE OVER THE STREETS OF D.C. —MILD WINTERS AND TONS OF TRASH. Washington, D.C. isn’t just the seat of power—it’s the ultimate rat paradise. A new study shows the city’s rodent population is exploding faster than anywhere else, outpacing even New York. The reason? Warmer winters, rapid urbanization, and an all-you-can-eat buffet of garbage.
—> WHY DC IS A RAT UTOPIA: Climate change is supercharging rat season. With mild winters, rats aren’t slowing down—they’re breeding nonstop. A single female rat can birth 16 babies a month, turning a minor nuisance into an unstoppable army. And with overflowing dumpsters and late-night takeout scraps, D.C. serves up the perfect rat buffet.
—> RATS 1, HUMANS 0. While cities like New Orleans have cracked down, D.C.’s rats are thriving. Until the city gets serious about pest control, expect more rats, more trash raids, and maybe even a furry new shadow on your walk home.
📌 Source: Phys.org.
GEOPOLITICS
UNDERSEA INTERNET CABLES—CHINA & RUSSIA’S NEXT TARGET? The world’s internet runs on submarine cables—thin fiber-optic lines carrying 99% of global data. But these underwater lifelines are shockingly easy to cut, tap, or sabotage—and U.S. officials warn China and Russia know it.
—> THE ACHILLES’ HEEL OF THE INTERNET: Most undersea cables are privately owned and snake through international waters with little oversight. Just a few well-placed cuts could cripple economies, sever military communications, and throw entire nations offline.
—> BEIJING & MOSCOW ARE ALREADY MOVING: Russia has been shadowing NATO’s undersea infrastructure for years, while China is rapidly expanding its control over global cable networks. The race to secure—or sabotage—these digital lifelines is already underway.
📌 Source: DW.
ONE MORE THING
THE BEATLES ARE DEAD—AI JUST WON THEM A GRAMMY. John Lennon’s been gone for decades, but AI just got The Beatles a Grammy. Their lost track “Now and Then”—stitched together with machine learning—took home Best Rock Performance.
—> MUSIC INDUSTRY GAME OVER? Lennon’s muffled 50-year-old vocals were stuck in time—until AI cracked them open. McCartney and Starr added new parts, and suddenly, a half-century-old demo became an award-winning track.
—> IS THIS EVEN FAIR? AI didn’t write the song—but it made it possible. Some call it a tech miracle, others a cheat code. Either way, the machines just scored a Grammy. What’s next? Hologram world tour?
📌 Source: Engadget; TechCrunch.
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.
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