Weekly Notes, 030.
July 30, 2025
👋 Readers, this is 30 straight weeks of Weekly Notes!
In the spirit of turning this into a travel blog, I’m back from NYC after experiencing the worst JFK tarmac delay ever (7+ hours of taxi time due to weather, ultimately resulting in a crew time-out, only to return to the gate with the flight being cancelled). EWR and LGA are becoming more appealing options, but I can’t seem to shake my history with flying JFK direct (from the west) on Delta.
Back to my notes.
Headlines this week are trade deals and AI action. The Trump Administration is cooking (as the cool kids are saying these days). A global re-ordering is an understatement as it relates to the US taking strategic actions to achieve economic and national security dominance.
Below, you’ll find directly sourced links to information that I’ve been consuming since last week and using to get smarter on issues of interest.
I hope these weekly notes are useful and would appreciate any feedback you might have.
Interesting issues and news across the US economic and national security landscape.
Analysis: Historic trade deals with Japan and the EU are bringing more certainty to markets, disproving conventional thinking amongst experts, and lighting up the scoreboard on the Trump side. Artificial Intelligence is the next strategic course, and America has a solid plan to accelerate innovation and win as a national security imperative. The Cartel business continues to experience maximum pressure, and Putin’s window is closing to negotiate an end to the war with Ukraine before more sanctions set in.
Here are eight (8) links sourced directly from the White House, the US Department of the Treasury, Congressional committees, and the media.
Fact Sheet: The United States and European Union Reach Massive Trade Deal
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Promotes the Export of American AI Technologies
Treasury Sanctions Clandestine IT Worker Network Funding the DPRK’s Weapons Programs
Treasury Sanctions Venezuelan Cartel Headed by Maduro
Chairman Hill and Bipartisan Delegation Meet with Mexican President Sheinbaum
Trump shortens Ukraine ceasefire-or-sanctions ultimatum for Putin
Interesting issues and news across finance, technology, risk, regulation, and financial crime.
Analysis: Legislators are introducing and advancing bills focused on financial services and combating illicit finance. An interesting merger between Pinnacle and Synovus was announced, and a big bank says some fintech can be taxing.
Here are four (4) links sourced directly from Congressional members and committees, financial services companies, and the media.
Financial Services Committee Advances 16 Bills, Reauthorizes Monetary Policy Task Force
Pinnacle Financial Partners and Synovus to Combine to Create the Southeast Growth Champion
JPMorgan says fintech middlemen like Plaid are 'massively taxing' its systems with unnecessary pings
Interesting reports.
Project Hertha: identifying financial crime patterns in real-time retail payment systems
Interesting charts of the week.
