This Week in Review☕: Global restaurants bet big on animal meat | Trump announces 50% tariffs on India | Companies boycott foreign goods | Ford invests in EVs to outshine Chinese makers | Travel surge
Quick Bites:
Health🍗: Restaurants bet big on protein.
Protein isn’t just for gym bros anymore- it’s the new normal and apparently, it now comes with a salted caramel mocha drizzle 🍯
Global coffee chains like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts are the latest to now start offering protein-packed add-ons to all their drinks and food.
The trend has fueled a protein takeover in grocery store aisles, from protein-packed Eggo waffles ( bc umm who doesn’t want their childhood breakfast to feel like a post-leg-day snack?) to Khloe Kardashian’s viral “Khloud” protein popcorn, CNBC reports.
Just had some plain yoghurt with protein powder in it for breakfast, and not only is it high in protein and very filling, it’s also disgusting 🤢
It’s a strategic move at a time when consumers are pulling back on spending but still want to feel like they’re investing in their health.
According to CNBC:
-One-third of consumers now say they prefer a high-protein diet– that’s up 24% since 2022
Meanwhile, nearly 30% of US restaurants now highlight protein counts right on their menus. And that number is projected to grow over 10% by 2029.
i.e We’re heading toward a future where even your dessert menu will remind you how many grams of protein are in the cheesecake 📝
-Chains like Chick-fil-A, Panda Express and Dutch Brows are jumping on the bandwagon
-Experts predicts that by 2029, more than 40% of eateries will highlight protein on their menus
“Protein is one of those things that’s never been vilified, because no one’s ever said that eating too much protein can be bad for you.”
In the short term, consuming more protein than your body needs likely won’t cause health issues, but in the long term, it could cause kidney problems, a nutritionist says.
The recommended daily amount of protein intake varies by body weight but is roughly 46 grams for women and 56 grams for men, according to the CDC.
Our Thoughts💡:
Eating 100gm of protein a day but we don’t lift so it going straight to our brain. Just remembered how to do long division 🤓
PS. A guy at our local cafe is shaking his protein shake and this woman poked her head around the corner and said “Do I hear margaritass?”… umm no Janet, it’s 9 am 🙄
World Trade 💰 : Trump announces a 50% tariff on Indian goods and threatened secondary sanctions over its continued oil trade with Russia.
From McDonald’s and Coca-Cola to Amazon and Apple, US-based multinationals are facing calls for a boycott in India as business executives and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s supporters stoke anti-American sentiment to protest against US tariffs, Reuters reports.
Us trying to calculate how a tariff on steel turns into $10 cornflakes 🤔
India, now the world’s most populous nation, has become a dream playground for American brands.
The country’s swelling class of affluent shoppers is fueling rapid expansion, with labels racing to plant their flags in malls and high streets.
For many consumers, these international names aren’t just products- they’re status upgrades. Buying them feels less like a transaction and more like announcing, “Look, Ma, I’ve made it.”
In hindsight, the bond between President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seemed unbreakable before the US slapped India with the highest tariff rates it imposed anywhere in the world.
Top US Tariff Targets (under Trump):
-Steel and aluminum imports received heavy tariffs, impacting Indian exporters.
-India lost key exemptions and had to pay up to 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum.
India’s Counter-Move:
-Imposed additional duties on US goods (~25% on almonds, among others)
-Targeted items included peanuts, lentinus mushrooms, motorcycles– and yes, even whisky.
Strategic & Political Impacts:
-Moves were seen by both sides as negotiating leverage- Trump used tariffs as a bargaining chip; India aimed to protect its domestic industries.
-The back-and-forth spotlighted a shifting US trade doctrine: tariffs as a first resort, not last resort.
Work 💻 : Moms want to take a break from their career.
Women who leave their jobs after becoming parents may do so because of child care or stress, but those aren’t the most common reasons.
More than 8 out of 10 stay-at-home moms in a recent survey wanted more time with their kids, TIME magazine reports.
Key Highlights on why mothers scale back their careers, according to the survey conducted by “Mother Untitled”:
- Mothers want to spend more time with their kids
- Not wanting to miss milestones or witness their children’s development
- Child care is too expensive
Moms want more flexibility but also acceptance of “downshifting”, TIME reports.
It’s high time we normalize moms taking a break from their careers and have a viable path to return.
Automotive 🚗 : Ford invests $5 billion in new EV push.
Ford just pulled a “new year, new me” move for its EV business. The goal? Stop losing money, destroy Chinese EV makers, and win back the OG cool kid table in the auto world.
Key Highlights:
- $5 billion investment to develop a brand-new lineup of lower-cost EVs.
- $2 billion to overhaul Ford’s factory in Louisville, Kentucky
- $3 billion for a new battery plant in Marshall, Michigan, construction starting next year.. For those living under a rock the past 5 years: this is CRUCIAL bc batteries are the avocado toast of the EV world- can’t make the product without them 🥑🥑🥑
- 4,000 jobs will be created due to these two projects.. Or as LinkedIn calls it: “Exciting career opportunities in sustainable transportation.”
Why this matters:
- This is a “tremendous pivot” from Ford’s earlier EV strategy, which was basically just turning existing gas models into electric versions (like putting oat milk in your regular latte- it’s fine, but not groundbreaking 💡)
- Now, they’re starting fresh, designing EVs from scratch to be more affordable and competitive against Chinese automakers,who’ve been branded as the “cheap + good” EVs.
Quicker Bites:
- A 200‑year‑old sword of Maratha ruler Raghuji Bhonsle is set to return to India on August 18- an emotional chapter in reclaiming lost cultural heritage.
- At the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, two Jewish comedians had shows canceled due to tensions related to the Israel–Hamas conflict, prompting debates about free speech and arts funding ethics.
- Multiple countries, including South Korea, North Korea, India, Congo, Bahrain, and Liechtenstein, share August 15 as a day of national or cultural significance- highlighting global celebrations of identity and independence.
- Global outrage surges after an Israeli strike in Gaza kills Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al‑Sharif and several colleagues.
- Trump-era “command capitalism” takes shape as US firms Nvidia and AMD must give 15% of specific sales to the government to keep selling chips to China.
- Markets rally as the US and China extend their tariff truce by 90 days, easing the most recent global trade tensions.
Business Eye 
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