A.M. Edition for July 7. President Trump threatens additional 10% tariffs on countries that align with the Brics group of emerging economies. WSJ deputy editor Quentin Webb says it kicks off a crucial week for trade ahead of a Wednesday deadline for dozens of countries to strike a deal with Washington. Plus, the search for survivors in Central Texas continues after flash floods on Friday killed at least 82 people. And Tesla investors question Elon Musk’s plans to form a new political party and send the stock tumbling in pre-market trade. Luke Vargas hosts.
“Fierce Aunties” by author Laurel Goodluck (Mandan, Hidatsa, Tsimshian) is a colorful, enthusiastic celebration of the Indigenous women we need in our lives. Goodluck’s children’s book explores the many ways women provide support for the young people who look up to them. Another writer, Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve (Sicangu and Ponca), also explores the power of relatives in her young readers chapter book, “The Summer of the Bone Horses.” The book is also an homage to her late brother by telling an interesting piece of his story on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in the late 1940s. Among the awards won by the long-time children’s book author and educator is the National Humanities Medal. Both books are illustrated by the talented artist Steph Littlebird (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde). We’ll hear from all three women about their work.
California fire season is off to a dangerous start, with experts warning of a severe year ahead. A California man is indicted for sharing a hit list with a white supremacist terror group. Nordstrom announces it will close its Santa Monica store after 15 years, amid concerns over safety. And the L.A. City Council approves a $425 million plan to use “mansion tax” funds for affordable housing and homelessness programs.
More than half of all Americans have used artificial intelligence tools recently, according to a study published by Silicon Valley venture capital firm Menlo Ventures. And one in five people use it daily. Marketplace’s Nova Safo spoke with Amy Wu Martin, a partner at Menlo Ventures, to learn how they’re using it in their day-to-day lives.
Last week, when Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, announced a $16 million settlement with President Trump over editing of a segment of “60 Minutes,” many of the network’s journalists were furious.
The deal also raised questions about the independence of CBS’s journalism, and how much news organizations could be cowed by threats from the president going forward.
David Enrich, an investigations editor at The Times, takes us inside the settlement, and Lowell Bergman, a former CBS producer and investigative journalist at The Times, reminds us that the network has been in a similar situation before and discusses why this time may be different.
First, Edgar Sandoval, who is on the ground in Texas, explains what is happening in the wake of the flooding.
Guest:
Edgar Sandoval, a reporter for The New York Times covering Texas.
David Enrich, a deputy investigations editor for The New York Times.
Lowell Bergman, a journalist and former producer for CBS’s “60 Minutes.”
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Flash floods in Texas sweep have killed 70+ Texas, including dozens of children. Families are asking if warnings could have been delivered sooner. And the White House, fresh off a legislative victory, sets a deadline for trade deals.
Episode overview:
Bernard Laurendeau has a mission: to stop African business leaders from asking for "patient capital." The Ethiopian-French management consultant, now operating from Tokyo, believes this standard pitch fundamentally misunderstands how global investment works and fails African markets.
It's a contrarian stance from someone who's spent 15 years advising Fortune 50 clients and building institutions across three continents. After co-founding Arifpay, Ethiopia's first licensed Payment System Operator, and serving as senior advisor to Ethiopia's jobs creation commission, Laurendeau has repositioned himself in Japan's corporate heartland with Laurendeau & Associates and Enkopa Lab.
From his Tokyo base, Laurendeau delivers what he calls "execution horsepower" to both African governments and Japanese corporations seeking African market entry. His client portfolio spans Google and Cisco to UAE's Ministry of Finance, applying strategic frameworks honed at BNP Paribas to emerging market challenges.
Key insights:
- On financial sovereignty: Despite supporting fintech innovation, Laurendeau advocates fiercely for African countries maintaining control over their financial services infrastructure.
- On Japanese business culture: Japanese organisations bring uncompromising quality standards to everything—"there's no such thing as downgrading." Whilst this limits their market share compared to Chinese competitors offering multiple price points, it creates superior knowledge transfer opportunities for African partners.
- On data-driven decisions: Investors don't want to "think long-term"—they want confidence in their decisions. Laurendeau's experience with big data analytics in Silicon Valley informs his approach to providing real-time, actionable intelligence rather than outdated World Bank reports.
- On innovation vs infrastructure: African entrepreneurs risk becoming "lazy" by chasing trendy technologies whilst neglecting "boring" fundamentals
- On institutional building: African countries need people willing to do "Gov-preneurship": embedding with governments to build policies, institutions, and strategic frameworks. Most leaders are "lonely" and welcome diaspora expertise, contrary to corruption narratives.
- On execution over ideology: Management consulting in emerging markets requires output orientation, not retainer relationships. Clients want expert advice immediately, not consultant armies producing fancy acronyms and quadrant analyses.
Notable moments:
1. Why Laurendeau switched from mechanical and aerospace engineering (ENSTA France, Georgia Tech) to management consulting after realising security clearance barriers would limit his US career prospects
2. His observation that at Africa-focused investment conferences in Japan, "people were talking about Africa...with no Africans in the room"
3. Reflections on Arifpay achieving profitability and dividend distribution, proving African fintech could build sustainable, high-performing teams rapidly
4. His frank assessment that young Africans show more "thirst" for knowledge and change than their counterparts in developed economies, despite having fewer resources
The contrarian take:
Laurendeau's most provocative insight challenges the "patient capital" narrative that dominates African investment discourse. Rather than asking investors to adopt longer time horizons, he argues African markets should provide the confidence and data quality that enables rapid decision-making.
Image credit: Enkopa Lab
In the 5th century BC, the Greek world found itself in the middle of one of its greatest wars. This wasn’t one of their existential conflicts against the Persians; this was a war of Greeks against Greeks.
An alliance of city-states led by Athens fought a coalition led by Sparta for control of the Greek world.
Over nearly 30 years, the two city-states fought for supremacy, leaving a lasting impact on the Greek world.
Learn more about the Peloponnesian War, its causes, and its resolution on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
Thanks for making The Daily Signal Podcast your trusted source for the day’s top news. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode.
