Greetings, loved ones. The post-holiday blur is now very much over and the year has begun for real.

There’s been plenty of news to go along with it, and we wouldn’t blame you for feeling a little overwhelmed.

Luckily for you, we’ve been chronically online on your behalf, so we can get you up to speed on what’s been happening in the world.

So sit back, relax and get stuck into the news you need to know, delivered to you via carefully crafted and curated memes.

⏰ Today's reading time is 6 minutes.

Quote of the Week

Elon Musk, who is giving racist Facebook uncles and professional gamers a run for their money in being chronically online, took a break from shitposting his busy schedule to criticise Reform UK leader Nigel Farage this week, saying he was not fit to lead the party.

This spat comes hot on the heels of reports that Musk was considering throwing $100m Reform’s way—though it seems that he may not be getting the wallet out just yet.

The change is likely down to Farage refusing to support local wingnut and anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson, who is currently serving an 18 month sentence for contempt of court and whose release has been supported by Musk on X.

Given that Farage is looking to build Reform UK into a mainstream political party and that Robinson is responsible for the quote below, you can understand why he’s not keen to be associated:

When he wasn’t fawning over Robinson, Musk spent the rest of the week calling for a national inquiry into grooming gangs in the UK and attacking the Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was the head prosecutor at the time of the scandal.

What he failed to mention however, were any of the recommendations that have already been suggested by the official investigation into the scandal, none of which have been implemented as actual policy as of yet, despite having been put forward back in 2022.

Justin Trudeau resigns as Prime Minister of Canada after 9 years in office

Canada’s favourite nepo-baby and Aladdin impersonator Justin Trudeau resigned as Prime Minister on Tuesday, bowing to mounting pressure from within his Liberal Party.

Citing internal divisions and personal unpopularity, Trudeau said he would remain in office until the Liberals select a new leader.

Trudeau’s leadership began with sweeping promises of progressivism, including gender equality in his cabinet, indigenous reconciliation, and legalisation of cannabis. However, his latter tenure was marred by scandals, public backlash to pandemic restrictions, and soaring living costs, leaving his approval rating at a dismal 22%.

His resignation follows the abrupt departure of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and the loss of support from allied parties, as well as mounting criticism from opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, who dismissed the move as a “face swap” by the Liberals.

The Conservatives, who haven’t won an election since 2011, will be licking their lips at the prospect of an election later in the year.

Spain achieves record job growth in 2024 with lowest unemployment in 17 Years

In 2024, Spain emerged as a standout performer in the EU, adding 502,000 jobs, reaching record-high Social Security affiliations, and reducing unemployment to its lowest level in 17 years.

This remarkable growth, underpinned by public investment, labor reforms, and a thriving immigrant workforce, stands in sharp contrast to its continental neighbors—most notably Germany, which saw its economy shrink for a second consecutive year.

Critics point to risks like high public debt, reliance on tourism, and a prevalence of short-term contracts.

Yet, Spain’s strategic approach has fostered economic resilience, positioning it as a rare outlier of robust growth in a European landscape struggling to match the pace of other developed economies.

Meta shelves fact-checking in favour of X-style community notes

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has unveiled sweeping changes to content moderation, replacing third-party fact-checking with user-generated "community notes," akin to Elon Musk's approach on X.

The decision aligns with President-elect Donald Trump’s calls for less restrictive platforms, with Trump praising the move as a direct result of his pressure.

Zuckerberg framed the change as a commitment to "free expression," while relocating Meta's moderation team from California to Texas in pursuit of what he described as a more impartial environment.

Critics, however, see it as an attempt to curry favor with the incoming administration, warning it risks legitimizing disinformation and undermining trust in Meta's platforms.

The impact on advertisers remains uncertain. X’s global ad revenue plummeted by over 50% during Elon Musk's first year, according to eMarketer, raising concerns about whether Meta could face similar fallout.

While users often champion the idea of free speech, eMarketer estimates X has lost over 10% of its U.S. user base since Musk’s takeover, suggesting the reality of unfiltered platforms may not match the appeal of the concept.

Trump threatens Nato, Hamas, Greenland, Panama and Canada in press conference

Trump gave the mother of all press conferences this week, starting off talking about a new $20 billion investment in U.S. data centers but quickly veering off on a (very on brand) tangent of a incendiary statements.

He demanded NATO members increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, threatened forceful annexations of Greenland and the Panama Canal, and warned Hamas to release hostages before his inauguration, promising “all hell will break loose” if they don’t.

Trump also blamed President Biden for “breaking a deal” with Russia, and implied Putin is eager to meet him after January 20. He also floated economic coercion to make Canada the 51st state and hinted at pardoning January 6 rioters.

Strangely, the Greenland issue seems to have picked up the most steam in the aftermath, as his son Donald Jr visited the 50,000 strong island a few days later for a coincidental reconnaissance mission “day trip”.

The Danish government has since responded, shrugging off Trump’s comments and reiterating that Greenland will remain constitutionally part of Denmark, as it has been since 1953.

The Greenland question is a sticky one for Denmark, whose prime minister officially apologised only recently for spearheading a 1950s social experiment which saw Inuit children from Greenland removed from their families to be re-educated as "model Danes".

Yikes.

Last week, Greenland's leader said the territory should free itself from "the shackles of colonialism."

🍻Half Pints

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Memes of the Week

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