YouTube — 2026-04-28#

Watch First#

Applied History Today | Hoover Institution is a phenomenal, multi-hour masterclass featuring Niall Ferguson and John Bew on how history isn’t just an academic pursuit, but a critical tool for pattern recognition and geopolitical prediction. It perfectly bridges the gap between historical scholarship and real-world policymaking, making a compelling case for why governments need an “applied history” approach to navigate modern crises.

Highlights by Theme#

News & Business#

For a superb breakdown of China’s currency dynamics, check out 人民币疯涨，为什么？背后有什么秘密？ · 小Lin说. The host clearly unpacks why the RMB has been surging against the dollar—pointing to a massive trade surplus and capital repatriation—while brilliantly explaining the macro “impossible trinity” the PBOC is navigating. On the leadership front, Stop Trying to Fit In | Former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein · CNBC International offers a candid look at Blankfein’s journey from Brooklyn public housing to the top of Wall Street, highlighting how shedding his chip on his shoulder helped him navigate the 2008 financial crisis. Finally, a quick hit from the Financial Times, White-collar prosecutions have fallen further under Trump 2.0 | FT #shorts · Financial Times, notes that white-collar crime enforcement has plummeted to a 40-year low, forcing defense lawyers to pivot to civil work.

Learning & Ideas#

The most intellectually rigorous piece today is Defending Taiwan: A Strategy To Prevent War With China | Hoover Institution, where Ike Freyman provides a clear-eyed assessment of how to deter China in the “gray zone” and makes a fascinating argument for gradual, allied economic re-industrialization over sudden decoupling. Complementing this geopolitical theme, the Chinese-language deep dive 袁Sir聊美国选举与外交：为了选票，总统外交有多拼命？ #lifeano漫聊 260428 · LIFEANO CLUB traces the history of how US presidents manipulate foreign policy for electoral gain, drawing sharp parallels to current US-Iran tensions. For those interested in the humanities, Historical Thinking And Democratic Citizenship | Hoover Institution offers a great defense of why historical education is essential for democratic citizenship, teaching students empathy, agency, and how to abandon binary thinking.

Tech & AI#

The business of AI is looking slightly turbulent, as detailed in OpenAI爆雷！四大科技财报前瞻！市场要来跌一波？Bloom Energy还能投资吗？ · 美投侃新闻, which covers OpenAI’s internal struggles to meet revenue targets and justify its staggering compute costs. A follow-up video from the same creator, 滞胀风暴要来了！微软在下一盘棋？AI红利八成还没来！ · 美投侃新闻, unpacks a massive strategic pivot: Microsoft modifying its 7-year agreement with OpenAI to drop IP exclusivity, signaling a loosening of their once-ironclad partnership. Meanwhile, physical AI is getting the spotlight in The Humanoid Robot Boom · Bloomberg Originals, which explores the billions flowing into humanoid robotics backed by giants like NVIDIA and Tesla.

Everything Else#

For an obsession-driven engineering story, Inside the Obsessive Race to Make a Four-Ounce Running Shoe · The Wall Street Journal profiles Adidas’s absurdly light 3.4-ounce marathon shoe, weighing less than a deck of cards. If you need an entrepreneurial palate cleanser, We Started A Burrito Spot In A Home Depot Parking Lot – It Brings In $2.3 Million/Year · CNBC Make It tells the ridiculously satisfying story of a couple who turned a Home Depot shed into a multi-million dollar breakfast burrito empire. Lastly, 30樓拍《駭客任務》都是來真的？演員一眼就能認出自己的經典代表作？Ft.基努李維、卡麥蓉狄亞、麥特波莫｜名人專訪｜GQ Taiwan · GQ Taiwan is a fun, nostalgic watch featuring Keanu Reeves and Cameron Diaz reminiscing over the practical stunts in their most iconic films.