What's Good Wednesdays
January 14, 2026
Read: “The Sense of an Ending” by Julian Barnes for a lovely trip down someone else’s memory lane. I read the book on a rainy Saturday afternoon and was captivated by the simple story about an old man reflecting on his life, friends, and a stolen diary. The prose is striking. – Riley
Watch:The African Cup of Nations. The continent’s biggest soccer tournament reaches its climax over the coming days, with today’s two semi-finals involving some big hitters: Senegal face Egypt, and Nigeria play Morocco later on. The successors of each match will play each other in the final. Come for the football, and stay for the wonderful nicknames: Egypt are known as the “Pharaohs,” of course, while Senegal’s team are referred to as “The Lions of Teranga.” Good luck against them! – Zac
Watch: “Retirement Plan.” This short animated film turns a man’s tidy list of future ambitions into a softly brutal reckoning with time. Director John Kelly’s minimalist animation and dry humor expose the quiet lie at the heart of “later.” It’s concise, clever, and quietly devastating. – Natalie W.
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A new US regulatory framework sets clear rules for stablecoins, defining issuer responsibilities and laying the groundwork for consistent federal and state oversight. With guardrails in place, stablecoins are shifting from crypto experiment to payment infrastructure. Explore the stablecoin framework with Bank of America Institute.
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Tools and Weapons – A special edition on the AI Diffusion Report, with Juan Lavista Ferres
Jan 13, 2026
In this special edition of Tools and Weapons, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith sits down with Juan Lavista Ferres, Chief Data Scientist and Director of the AI for Good Lab, to unpack the most striking insights from Microsoft’s newly released AI Diffusion Report. Their conversation explores the growing reach of generative AI, the accelerating pace of technological progress, and what this moment means for societies and economies around the world. The discussion examines how generative AI is spreading globally, and why the speed of diffusion will determine who benefits most. Together, they highlight countries leading the charge, including the UAE, Singapore, and South Korea, and explore the rise of models such as China’s DeepSeek across parts of Africa, offering a clear-eyed look at how AI adoption is reshaping global power, opportunity, and impact. Subscribe and find new episodes of Tools and Weapons wherever you listen to podcasts.
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Latin American Affairs Qiu Xiaoqi meet at the Miraflores Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 2, 2026.
Marcelo Garcia/Miraflores Palace/Handout via REUTERS
Venezuela was supposed to repay its loans from China with oil. The US blockade on Venezuela’s crude industry means that Beijing won’t see any that oil it is owed – at least for the time being.
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