YouTube — 2026-06-28#

Watch First#

The most captivating watch today is Uncovering The Secret Lives of Forest Elephants | BBC Earth by BBC Earth, which explores how these elusive creatures gather at a mineral-rich clearing in the Congo Basin. It reveals complex social networks and deep-frequency communication styles that challenge everything we thought we knew about them, while highlighting the severe risks they face from poachers.

Highlights by Theme#

News & Business#

On the business front, CNBC explores a looming crisis in Why Analysts Say The Auto Industry Is Heading For Demographic Cliff, arguing that slowing population growth and expensive tech features mean a permanent structural decline in car sales. It is a sobering look at how fewer young people getting licenses could drastically and permanently reshape the global vehicle market by 2040. Meanwhile, CNBC’s Inside The Rise And Fall Of Kohl’s charts how the once-beloved retailer alienated its middle-American customer base by playing with its inventory and losing its core identity, though a turnaround might finally be underway under new leadership.

Learning & Ideas#

For a deep dive into American civic identity, the Hoover Institution offers The Civic Profile: What Kind Of Citizens Are We? | Hoover Institution, detailing a new non-judgmental self-assessment tool that measures individuals’ civic knowledge, values, and engagement. The panel discussion highlights how moving away from pure political ideology toward nuanced personal values can foster better civic education and discourse. On a lighter note, TED’s short What was your favorite toy growing up? #TEDTalks examines Barbie’s 65-year relevance, arguing that the doll has continuously evolved to reflect the changing professional and cultural possibilities kids see for their futures.

Tech & AI#

The Wall Street Journal’s This $8.6B AI Startup Is Betting It Can Make Any Car Self-Driving | WSJ highlights Wayve, a London startup bucking the hybrid-model trend to pioneer an “end-to-end” embodied AI approach for autonomous vehicles. For a more artistic take, David Szauder’s TED talk Welcome to My AI Surrealist World | David Szauder | TED shows how he blends AI with human humor and dance to create a surreal digital theater of “Earthlings”. Finally, a quick hit from GQ Taiwan, 現在正是半導體的超級循環？, questions whether massive AI data center construction is driving an endless semiconductor supercycle or setting up a sudden supply crash.

Everything Else#

In a surprising twist, The New York Times makes a compelling case in The Most Successful Documentary Series in History that the Jackass franchise isn’t just crude slapstick, but a fascinating 25-year longitudinal study of positive, supportive male friendship. For Taiwanese pop culture fans, GQ Taiwan’s retrospective 張孝全回顧《誰是被害者》… is an excellent, candid interview where actor Joseph Chang breaks down his classic roles and the physical and emotional toll of his rawest performances.