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Top Headlines
LA Protests ICE
Thousands of protesters blocked the 101 Freeway and torched self-driving cars Sunday as demonstrations against Trump's immigration crackdown exploded into LA's most violent unrest in years. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets while National Guard troops protected federal buildings, marking the first deployment without governor approval in decades.
The chaos erupted after federal agents arrested over 100 immigrants across LA's fashion district and Home Depot parking lots, prompting three days of escalating protests. Governor Gavin Newsom demanded Trump remove the 300 Guard troops, calling their deployment a serious breach of state sovereignty as protesters shattered LAPD headquarters windows. Trump’s first 100 days with ICE.
Trump responded on Truth Social demanding masked protesters be arrested, threatening active duty Marines from Camp Pendleton if violence continues. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth placed Marines on high alert while Democratic officials including Kamala Harris condemned the military deployment as designed to provoke chaos and spread panic. Newsom says California will sue Trump over National Guard.
College Athlete Payday
Federal Judge Claudia Wilken approved the $2.8 billion House settlement Friday, clearing schools to pay athletes up to $20.5 million annually starting next month. The landmark ruling demolishes college athletics' century-old amateur model after Arizona State swimmer Grant House sued the NCAA five years ago.
The seismic shift affects 1,100 NCAA member schools and 500,000 athletes, with $2.7 billion flowing to former players previously barred from revenue sharing. Football and basketball stars at major programs emerge as winners, while walk-ons face elimination as schools impose roster limits to afford massive payouts.
The agreement strips NCAA oversight and empowers the Big Four conferences controlling the College Football Playoff's financial engine. Though the judge initially halted approval over eliminated walk-ons, a compromise allows cut players to return as "Designated Student-Athletes" without counting against new roster limits. Ultimately, most think this is bad for the athletes.
Walmart Drone Expansion
Wing and Walmart are expanding drone delivery to 100 new stores across Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa after completing over 150,000 deliveries since 2021. The Alphabet-owned company's drones can carry up to five pounds and deliver orders within 30 minutes, covering everything from groceries to household goods for customers within six miles of participating stores.
The partnership currently operates at 15 stores in northwest Arkansas and Dallas-Fort Worth, with drones cruising at 65 mph and completing 12-mile round trips using tethers to drop packages on front lawns. Wing's new Autoloader stations let employees load orders in parking lots while drones grab them dynamically without returning to base, streamlining the delivery network (see more).
Walmart calls drone delivery a key part of redefining retail as companies pitch electric aircraft reducing polluting truck deliveries for last-mile logistics. Wing has completed over 450,000 residential deliveries since 2012 and also partners with DoorDash in Dallas and Charlotte, positioning drones as the future of convenient shopping. How does drone delivery work?
Win Better
Stack Small Wins
Retired Navy SEAL Jocko Willink reveals why tiny daily improvements create exponential life changes through a phenomenon he calls the "1% daily compound effect." His insight: "Each positive experience is self-reinforcing—it tells you a story about the sort of person you are."
The psychological mechanism builds unstoppable momentum as good habits reveal more good habits, creating confidence that becomes part of your identity. His breakthrough observation: people starting at similar places end up with vastly different outcomes based on these microscopic daily choices.
Willink's morning discipline philosophy proves the point: "If you wake up early, work out, get work done before arriving at the office, those donuts become irrelevant—you just make better decisions all day." The reverse creates downward spirals where bad morning choices make every subsequent temptation harder to resist.
His stark reminder: "You can't get back what you skip today. Rome didn't fall in a day, but it crumbled bit by bit." Stop waiting for motivation—start stacking tiny wins that compound into extraordinary results. Full episode here. Clip here.
Best Podcast
Learn why walking 10,000 steps beats running marathons for living longer. Mark Sisson (Primal Kitchen founder) reveals the shocking truth after his elite marathon career destroyed his health despite Olympic-level fitness. His breakthrough discovery: walking triggers fat-burning, reduces inflammation, and builds sustainable energy without the joint damage and stress hormones that plague runners. Full episode.
Market Pulse
> GOP braces for bold cuts with $9B foreign aid and public broadcasting vote this week as first major DOGE test (More).
> Shein India expansion targets 1,000 suppliers and global sales of India-made clothes within year amid US-China trade tensions (More).
> Cybertruck becomes symbol of Tesla's struggles with disappointing 40K sales amid political backlash and manufacturing problems (More).
> Pig butchering marketplace exposed as Cambodia's Huione allegedly facilitated $28B in scam transactions before shutdown (More).
> US-China trade tensions resurface over semiconductors, rare earths, and student visas ahead of London talks Monday (More).
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