OVERWORLD:
-Chinese influencers ball so hard that the government bans them-

ONE BETWEEN:
-Super shoes are taking over-

THE DEPTHS:
-Don’t forget this-

“I like fish and water, I’m a bear.”
— Young Thug

✦DISCOVERY PICKS✦

▶️ YouTube:
Tay-K - The Race (But It's 1960s' Soul)

👽 Reddit:
Confused ants create a suicide sect

✖️ X:
Why you begin to start hating any music made after you're 35.

❓
Mystery link.

Fear the flex police

Chinese influencers are balling so hard they’re getting banned

Remember when Jay-Z said: "Ball so hard motherfuckers wanna fine me."

That’s basically what's going on in China right now — flexing on the internet is officially a legal offense there.

Recently, an influencer known as “China’s Kim Kardashian” vanished from the internet, along with several other profiles.

His (China’s Kim K is a dude) name is Wang Hongquanxing, and he’s got a Floyd Mayweather-tier habit of flexing jewelry and clothes worth millions on his 4.3 million followers on Douyin.

Here's the deal, quickly explained:

✦China’s got an inequality problem✦

In 2022, the income disparity between China's richest and poorest urban households was the widest since 1985. The richest 20% earn 6.3 times more than the poorest 20%, according to official data.

To combat this, China argues they’re regulating media confusing poor Chinese households with unrealistic money ideals.

As mentioned, this isn’t that new: In 2021, streamer Yin Shihang was banned for 630 years after earning $7 million from products during a fake engagement stream.

✦Haters n' fans✦

The crackdown has received mixed reactions, obviously. As with any influencer, Wang is found annoying by many. But he’s also highly praised for his charity work.

But that’s beside the point. The real question is if these influencers have real economic sway. Government critics argue no.

The government is obviously on the yes side of that. Weibo, with 600 million active users, posted a list of bannable behaviors:

• Displaying luxury cars or expensive houses as marketing gimmicks.

• Uploading images of large amounts of cash or people tossing banknotes.

• Exaggerating earnings claims, such as earning "millions in a month."

• Hyping "second-generation households," referring to wealth inherited from parents.

• Filming minors using luxury goods to attract traffic.

• Emphasizing class discrimination and stoking discontent among poorer audiences.

✦QUICK HITS✦

✦Business & Tech✦

President Biden has quadrupled tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles to 100%. These tariffs aim to shield American jobs and national security. But still, while Chinese EVs retail for as low as $10,000 in other markets, they could still be more affordable than some American models even with tariffs.

Another one: Iyo, is the new debutant in the AI device market. Unlike its competitors, the Ai Pin and Rabbit R1, Iyo leverages the successful Bluetooth earbud form factor, offering advanced AI features integrated into premium headphones. It’ll be out this winter and is priced at $599 for Wi-Fi and $699 for cellular versions.

Elon Musk's xAI raised $6 billion to launch products, build infrastructure, and advance R&D. Funders include Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, and Prince Al Waleed bin Talal. Musk plans a new supercomputer for Grok by 2025, amid fierce competition and hefty AI investment from tech giants.

Fuuuuck: Median home prices in the US have soared nearly 30% since 2019, hitting $420,000, and mortgage rates have doubled from 3% to around 7%. These rising costs have led to widespread frustration and pessimism, fueling political dissatisfaction as the upcoming election looms.

✦Fashion & Culture✦

It’s finally time: The only existing copy of Wu-Tang Clan’s album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin will be publicly presented at Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) from June 15 to June 24. Purchased by NFT collective PleasrDAO, the album will be played daily at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tickets are free but limited. Sign up for MONA’s mailing list for details.

Saint Laurent Productions' latest film "Emilia Perez" triumphed at the Cannes Film Festival, winning a joint best actress prize for its ensemble cast—Adriana Paz, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, and Zoe Saldana—and the third-place jury prize for director Jacques Audiard.

Billie Eilish's third studio album, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, debuts at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 339,000 equivalent album units. This marks her biggest week yet, including 191,000 in album sales and 193.93 million on-demand streams. Taylor Swift remains at No. 1, with Morgan Wallen, Gunna, and Future also in the top 5.

✦Hmm… Interesting✦

Sad: Mexico is so hot that monkeys are falling to to their death from trees. 138 deaths were reported between May 4 and May 21. High temperatures, reaching over 43°C (109°F), led to symptoms of dehydration and heat stroke. Conservationists are devastated, and efforts are ongoing to protect these vulnerable monkeys from further harm.

Cozy 1-minute-read: Productivity

Big read for your big brain: Last hours of an organ donor

Hardware: Controlling the Taylor Swift Eras Tour wristbands with Flipper Zero

Play this: Guess the house price by the photo.

ONE 

BETWEEN

Comfort, or an excuse for looking taller?

Super shoes are taking over

Have you noticed the amount of fat-sole running shoes flooding the market?

That’s cause the post-pandemic shopper’s new god of worship is comfort, especially as they return to the office.

Super shoes, designed for maximum performance in races, feature thick layers of light foam and rigid plates, often carbon fiber. Despite their race-centric design, these shoes have also attracted everyday wearers.

This new appetite for cushioned shoes has propelled companies like On, Hoka, New Balance, and Under Armour into fierce competition for supremacy in the bulky running shoe market.

Research wins the competition: These companies hire scientists who test and refine foam compounds from chemical companies better known for their work with plexiglass, NASA, or car seats.

For these sneaker companies, balling out on advanced research has its rewards. Hoka's success story is remarkable, growing from $352 million in sales in 2020 to $1.8 billion by March 31, 2023. Damn.

THE DEPTHS

Design pioneer

Don’t forget this revolutionary magazine

Emigre is awesome. It has the same breath of California cool as Apple, which makes sense — It's from California and was launched in 1984, the same year as the Macintosh.

From 1984 until 2005, Emigre shaped much of the conversation around visual communication, graphic design, typography, and design criticism.

Emigre was the brainchild of Rudy VanderLans, a visionary editor and art director, and Zuzana Licko, an innovative type designer.

This duo transformed the magazine into a pioneering platform for digital layouts and typeface designs, leading to the creation of Emigre Fonts in 1985. These typefaces became a hallmark of Emigre, propelling it to the forefront of digital typography.

Just so you get how ahead of their time they were, in this 1986 issue they show some emoji-like pictograms:

✦Typography, with a message✦

The magazine's early issues focused on émigré (expat) artists, exploring themes of boundaries, international culture, and alienation. This dynamic is what captured the attention of designers worldwide.

And the content was good: Emigre's innovative use of Macintosh computers and experimental layouts cemented its influence on early digital-era graphic design.

All of the art on this page is made with pixels and bits:

✦Controversy and praise✦

The magazine's embrace of Postmodern design sparked both admiration and controversy. Zuzana Licko's famous statement, "You read best what you read most," ignited the "Legibility Wars," challenging conventional notions of what’s considered legible.

Despite the controversy, Emigre's contributions were recognized, with Licko and VanderLans receiving AGIA medals and a solo exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

In 2007, the Museum of Modern Art in New York showcased all 69 issues in the "Digitally Mastered" exhibition, solidifying Emigre's legacy as a revolutionary force in graphic design.