Snooze your illusion
Bulgaria’s government collapses following a wave of youth-driven protests. / The Wall Street Journal [$]
The White House wants Ukraine to withdraw from the eastern Donetsk region and create a "special economic zone." / The Guardian
One of Zelenskyy’s advisors says the zone would require both Ukrainian and Russian forces to pull back from the front line. / Le Monde
NATO’s chief says Europe needs to prepare for a Russian invasion. “We must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents or great-grandparents endured.” / BBC News
In the DR Congo, M23 and other armed combatants are using sexual violence as a war weapon. / Reuters
Related: Recent news from across the continent. / This Week in Africa
The Trump administration is creating a new militarized zone in Southern California. / The Associated Press
“China is unified because they have one vote, that's President Xi.” Trump wishes he had more authoritarian rule. / NPR
Leading AI models analyze Trump’s communications: “This is defensive grandiosity written by someone who experiences criticism as existential threat.” / Mediaite
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Shopping mall owners are hopeful about the arrival of Netflix House installations. / Bloomberg CityLab
David Ellison’s $108 billion bid for Warner Bros. bid pits him against Netflix “and echoes Rupert Murdoch.” / Forbes
The future of HBO is said to depend on how much (or how little) CNN is worth. / Business Insider
Unrelated: Even rats view “the Asahi illusion” as unusually bright. / Futility Closet
In California, Ford tries to compete with BYD and other Chinese carmakers by setting up a secret skunkworks. / The New York Times [$]
Liv Taylor: Heritage automakers’ new cars are more often about design than engineering. / dezeen
In case you missed it yesterday, we just announced the titles competing in our 22nd Tournament of Books, presented by Field Notes. / The Tournament of Books, Field Notes
See also: What does it take to turn South Korea's mandatory military service into a literary retreat? / Asterisk Magazine
Stephan Kunze rounds up the year’s best ambient albums. / zensounds
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