A daring heist in Paris.
Fear returns to the markets.
KFC anyone?
Markets
PAST WEEK | YEAR-SO-FAR | |
|---|---|---|
Nasdaq | +0.4% | +17.6% |
S&P500 | +0.5% | +13.6% |
MSCI Emerging Markets | +1.7% | +29.7% |
Bitcoin* | -4.3% | +16.5% |
Ethereum* | -2.6% | +19.9% |
Stock of the week: | +36.1% | +49.5% |
Crypto of the week: | +19.1% | +0.1% |
*Source: CoinGecko.com As of 6:15PM October 19, 2025
World news
Top news stories of the past week
1) Louvre looted: A gang of thieves carried out a daring daylight raid on Paris’ Louvre Museum, stealing nine “priceless” jewels, including a 19th-century crown belonging to Empress Eugenie, which was later found broken nearby. Using a mechanical ladder and small chainsaws, the masked suspects accessed a first-floor window, smashed display cases, and escaped on mopeds within minutes of the museum opening. No one was injured, but the Louvre was evacuated and remained closed as police launched a manhunt. Does anyone have eyes on Danny Ocean?
2) Extreme fear is back: CNN’s “Fear & Greed Index” just touched “Extreme Fear” for the first time since April 2025. Why? People are worried the trade war chaos from earlier this year is back, after Trump threatened 100% additional tariffs on China. Last time this happened the stock market didn’t hit a local bottom for four months…
3) Shutdown continues: The U.S. government shutdown is in its third week with little progress. Hundreds of thousands of workers have been furloughed, but more controversially, over 4,000 workers have been laid off. A federal judge said it wasn’t legal, but the administration sent the notices first. Let’s hope this gets sorted soon, for everyone’s sake.
Top WEIRD stories of the past week
1) A Chinese crypto exchange tried to lighten a record $18 billion liquidation by offering KFC meal vouchers to the biggest losers. You can’t buy the dip…but at least you can dip your extra crispy chicken.
2) Customers of the sneaker brand On have filed a class action lawsuit claiming that several of its “Cloud” models emit a loud, embarrassing squeak with every step and that the company refused to offer refunds. Sneakers..more like Squeakers amiright.🤣😂😑 I’m sorry.
3) Off the coast of Santa Cruz, California, a notorious sea otter - nicknamed Otter 841 (catchy) - has reportedly resurfaced, once again hijacking surfboards and harassing surfers. Look at me, I am the surfer now (the sea otter probably).
Chart
You like charts? Graphs? Ya you do
Solar is cool! Production has been increasing year over year, really taking off in 2025. China is the largest producer and it’s not even close. They added over twice as much capacity as all other countries combined, just in the first half of 2025.
Personal Finance
Financial Booster
Let’s take it back to the fundamentals.
With unemployment ticking up and the federal government shutdown, now is a PERFECT time to revisit your emergency fund.
An emergency fund is money you set aside to cover unexpected expenses, including loss of income if you get laid off. Anxiety-inducting, I know! But this is important.
Emergency funds should cover three to six months of your expenses - enough time to cover costs while you get back on your feet.
What should you hold your emergency fund in? Bitcoin? Penny stocks? S&P500?
No! Super stable assets - like a high interest savings account OR money market funds.
If you need help setting up an Emergency Fund, check out Fulfilled! It’ll show you how to build an emergency fund that also protects against inflation!
Music
Banger of the week
Most important thing
Meme? Nah. Art.
