MERIDYTH: Can we please talk about Elon Musk? We’ve now got the richest man in the world setting his sights onto global politics - most recently in the UK and Germany. While the X/Twitter takeover hasn’t been a commercial success, it’s been a very shrewd and clever tool in his arsenal, giving global conservative politics a commanding voice. So how much can Musk’s influence infiltrate across the globe?

ALISTER: 53% of Brits say he has a negative impact on politics, while 12% say it’s been positive. But that could easily change in favour of Musk. He’s gotten a taste of some serious global power (and ketamine), bolstered by his inclusion into Trump’s circle. He keeps amplifying fake news and his ties with Russia and China only seem to deepen.

MERIDYTH: He’s an extremely intelligent man and I feel like he’s been playing the long game to take over the world. With his Starlink satellites, Musk also holds the keys to an incredible amount of data transmission - both personal and government. So combine that with his vast fortune, no wonder politicians are tempted to yield to his agenda.

ALISTER: He’s been leveraging different political groups for his own gain — from supporting UK parties in an effort to veto laws to engaging with far-right German political parties that support his business practices. On a hopeful note, it seems like people are starting to get wise to his games. Some MAGA and Reform UK leaders are already raising some red flags, saying that Musk’s agenda isn’t aligned with theirs.

MERIDYTH: I’m never buying a Tesla.

🇬🇧 No squabble required

🚨 Finally! Jail time for deepfakes. It’s already against the law to share (or threaten to share) sexually explicit, digitally faked visuals or audio. And now, the gov’t is finally cracking down and prosecuting those who also create the deepfake content!

🏥 Dissecting the NHS waiting list. There’s a new plan to reduce the 7.5 million NHS backlog. Treatment outside of hospitals will be more accessible. Patients will be offered a choice in where they’re treated. And a cooperative deal has been struck with the private sector to support procedures. This plan looks like it could be a healthy start to the new year.

💸 It wasn’t me. Former PM Liz Truss (the one where a head of lettuce outlasted her) has had enough of being blamed for the crashed UK economy. She’s sent the current PM a cease and desist notice, while placing the blame instead on Labour, Bank of England, and the media establishment for the economic crisis.

🏦 Don’t bank on it. Lloyds Banking Group will cut costs by allowing customers to use any bank within its network, which includes Halifax and Bank of Scotland. This has led to fears of branch closures and job losses. And with the Post Office, who also offer banking services, set to close branches, underserved communities may be hit the hardest.

🌎️ The rest of the world… according to us

🚒 La La Land on fire. Los Angeles has been fighting one of the worst wild fires ever seen… and it’s still going! JPMorgan predicts total economic losses to be $50 billion. Insured losses could surpass $20 billion, making it the costliest wildfire in U.S. history. Thousands have seen their homes destroyed, including celebs like Paris Hilton, Jeff Bridges, Adam Brody & wife Leighton Meester.

🇺🇸 First Presidential Felon. Despite pleas to the Supreme Court to intervene, Trump’s sentencing went ahead last Friday in his NY criminal conviction. His sentence, which was predicted — unconditional discharge. While it means no jail time, it does formalise his label as a felon, a first for a U.S. President.

🇨🇦 Oh, Canada. It’s not been an easy few months for our northern friends across the pond. Their Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is stepping down after nine years. The U.S. is threatening to “economically” annex them, as well as apply new trade tariffs. Despite that and in true Canadian goodwill, they’ve still sent firefighters and equipment to help with the LA fires.

🍎 Part of your ‘5 A Day’

☕️ Morning cup of Joe for the heart. Coffee drinkers have a lower risk of heart disease, but only if you drink coffee in the morning. All-day coffee drinkers don’t have any additional benefits over the clean-living, non-coffee addicts.

💩 Wash your hands!!! The norovirus is in full swing with an uptick in cases. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, and fever. Hand sanitisers are not effective with the norovirus. I repeat, NOT effective. So make sure you wash your hands while singing “Happy Birthday” all the way through.

💉 Ozempic Crackdown. It seems people have been lying about their weight to get an online prescription for the weight-loss jab. So now, online pharmacies in the UK are implementing stricter checks, such as video calls and full body photos, before prescribing.

🧦 The odd sock

🔍️ If you can’t beat ‘em, just copy ‘em. Microsoft’s Bing just can’t find the love. It’s top search term for years has been “Google” (from people trying to get to Google) and it’s finally gotten under their skin. So now, Bing has updated its results page to trick you into thinking you’re already there!

🤖 What, like it’s hard? (to quote Elle Woods) A tech savvy individual created an AI bot to write bespoke CVs and cover letters, applying to 1,000 jobs over night. And it’s resulted in 50 interviews! Now, he just needs to create a lifelike video AI to handle all of his Teams meetings with HR. 😅

⭐️ Recommendations

from Meridyth

I admit it, I’m a full nerd and a geek. So when it’s time for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), I salivate over the cool new tech that I can’t afford. But my real guilty pleasure is reading about the oddest tech on display.

Willo AutoFlo+: For kids who hate brushing their teeth, this system even puts the toothpaste on for them. Then all they need to do is put the mouthguard-like device in their mouth, as water flows around and the brushes do their job. Even it weren’t $249, as a mom, this is just lazy parenting IMO and a hard pass for me.

Nékojita FuFu: This adorable little cat will perch on your mug or next to your plate and blow air to cool down whatever you’re eating or drinking. Completely unnecessary, but just on cuteness alone, I’d totally buy it when it becomes available.

AeroCat Tower: Literally building on its Aero Tower air purifier, LG have added a seat for your feline friend. As someone who’s horribly allergic to cats, while I appreciate the sentiment… WTF?!?!?

🤣 What do you meme? 

Shrinkage

It was that time of year again, confusing any tourist looking for Big Ben but perhaps finding its little brother instead. 🫢 😉 Yesterday was the annual No Trousers Tube Ride. Even in near freezing temperatures, the “cheeky” laugh seemed to be too alluring to keep exhibitionists away.

londra_sera

View more on Instagram

And to answer your question, neither Alister nor I participated. Remember? We had no plans this weekend. 😅

Whew, you made it!

How goes your New Year resolutions? Terrible? Us too. But at least we can commiserate together next week for another squabble!

Alister & Meridyth