This Week in Review☕️: From Fast Food to Fast Fixes | Why Every CEO Is Talking Hormones Now | Blackstone exits TikTok deal | Retro pricing to bring back customers | Apple to launch foldable iPhones |
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Quick Bites:
Big Tech 📱: Blackstone exits TikTok deal.
Blackstone has reportedly backed out of the investor group trying to buy TikTok, according to Reuters.
Which means… TikTok is still technically owned by ByteDance (China-based), and still under US government pressure to sell or be banned again.
i.e The app that taught us to contour, side-eye in sync, and overshare in 15 seconds or less? Still in hot af water.
🤔 Why did Blackstone exit?
No official reason, has been given but all signs point to the US–China tension level: maximum spicy 🌶️.
Trade drama is stalling progress. Negotiations are dwindling. And billion-dollar deals don’t exactly thrive when both countries are in a “who the f**k is going to blink first” mood.
Blackstone: “We’re out.”
Everyone else at the table: visible sweating
ByteDance: “So… can we circle back in Q4?”
⏳ What now?
ByteDance has until mid-September to find a new buyer or restructure TikTok’s US presence- or risk the app getting banned again.
Meanwhile, TikTok’s quietly working on a US-only version of the app, which sounds a lot like a TikTok.. but with more firewalls, fewer legal headaches, and probably way too many disclaimers about data storage.
Our Thoughts💡: This is how we’re seeing the big picture here guys:
- America wants TikTok to be “domestically controlled.”
- China doesn’t love the idea of giving up control of its most viral export.
- Investors are playing dodgeball with one of the most-watched tech deals of the year.
- Meanwhile, Gen Z just wants to post GRWMs without a geopolitical meltdown in the background
Health 💊 : Weight-loss drug could be a game-changer for women with common hormonal disorder, CNBC reports.
Okay, so let’s talk about what wasn’t expected:
Women with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) are starting to see improvements in their symptoms after using GLP-1 medications– yep, like Wegovy and Ozempic that are usually prescribed for weight loss.
Too poor for Ozempic but too indisciplined for strict diet and exercise. Is there a secret third option?????
PS. If we ever do manage to go on Ozempic, it won’t be to lose weight but because the inevitable class action lawsuit is gonna pay out like CRAZY
🧬 Wait, what are GLP-1s and drugs like Ozempic again?
GLP-1s are glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (a mouthful, we know) that help regulate blood sugar and appetite.
They’ve been extremely successful for treating Type 2 diabetes and obesity- and now they might be accidentally helping millions of women with PCOS.
And no, this isn’t a one-off TikTok testimonial. Multiple women have reported more regular periods, less bloating, improved insulin response, and even reduced pain– all without the usual hormonal side-effects.
Medical community for years:
“Try birth control and lose weight.”
GLP-1s in 2025:
“Hold my Ozempic pen.”
👀 But here’s the catch:
- These meds are not officially approved for PCOS.
- There’s no long-term data yet to explain exactly why they seem to help- though PCOS is often linked to insulin resistance, and that’s where GLP-1s work
- Some doctors are cautiously optimistic. Others are wary of the hype until more research comes in.
Food🍔: Restaurants embrace retro pricing to bring back customers.
$0.67 Burgers and 1980s Prices? Restaurants Are Throwing It Way Back to Keep You Eating Out (because vibes are way cheaper than rent)
If you’ve noticed your favorite fast-food chain suddenly feeling like a time machine, you’re not wrong. In a bid to lure budget-conscious customers back through their doors, restaurants are turning to retro-style pricing and nostalgic throwback menus.
McDonald’s, White Castle, and others are serving deals that look suspiciously like they’re from 1973.
🍔 67-cent sliders?
🥤 Old-school milkshake promos?
✨ T-shirts that say “I Survived the Dollar Menu”?
According to Nation’s Restaurant News, the trend is catching on fast.
Fast-casual chains are leaning hard into the comfort-food-meets-recession-core aesthetic, and local spots are jumping in too, creating “throwback menus” with pricing and dishes to match.
Meanwhile, searches for “cheap eats” on Yelp jumped 21% from January to March this year compared to the same time last year- proving that we’re all just one effing overpriced oat milk latte away from downloading a coupon app.
Our Thoughts💡: Reality check:
-Your skincare might cost $84 but your dinner could be $2.67.
-The only “happy meal” we’re interested in is the one that doesn’t destroy our credit score with HSBC
-Nostalgia is officially a business model- and this time, it comes with fries.
Culture 📞 : Apple’s first foldable iPhone is coming in 2026.
(Yes, we’re finally folding iPhones now. Welcome to 2026)
So, Apple is reportedly dropping its first-ever foldable phone next year but unlike its usual “first-of-its-kind, life-will-never-be-the-same”energy, this one’s… kinda playing catch-up.
According to Bloomberg, the device won’t be breaking new ground the way the original iPhone or Apple Watch did because Samsung already did it.. Several times FYI.
📱 So What’s Actually New?
Apple’s foldable will likely feature a Samsung-made OLED display and mimic the book-style phone format that’s already booming- especially in China.
The newness here isn’t in the tech (we’ve seenfoldables), it’s in the branding power. Apple could repackage sliced bread and people would still line up at midnight.
So even if this foldable iPhone isn’t a technical first, it’s expected to be a massive commercial win, because:
- It’s Apple.
- We all love the idea of a phone that opens like a diary full of bad decisions.
- Samsung walked so Apple could launch it on a white stage with a $2K price tag and call it “innovation”
💥 Meanwhile… Samsung’s Already on Device #3
While Apple teases its folding moment to the public, Samsung just quietly launched three new devices in the foldable category.
Long story short:
- Foldable iPhone? Coming 2026.
- Original? Not exactly.
- Overhyped? Absolutely.
- Will we still want one? Unfortunately, yes.
Quicker Bites:
- Bitcoin surged past $120,000 amid surprising US regulatory support and market calm.
- The Weeknd and Shakira are headlining Global Citizen Festival in NYC to support Amazon and energy access.
- IMF signals upward revision for global growth but warns lingering trade tensions could derail progress.
- UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves refuses to rule out a wealth tax, even as borrowing hits £20.7 billion in June.
- Mass protests erupted in France against pension reforms and AI-driven job cuts.
- China launched its first fully autonomous cargo ship, marking a significant leap in maritime AI tech.
- Japan’s upper-house election shook the ruling party, casting fresh doubts on its fiscal policy path.
- Dozens of countries called for an end to the war in Gaza, amplifying global pressure amid ongoing conflict
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