Brexit & Other Dirty Words
Plus: A centrist wins Romania, San Francisco’s kvetchocracy & your new favorite kid’s book, “Where’s Elon?”
After a nasty, public breakup, Great Britain and the E.U. are looking at getting back together—or at least admitting they can just be friends for the sake of the greater good. The E.U. and the U.K. announced a new cooperation deal that boosts collaboration, especially in security, in light of Russia’s actions in Ukraine and Donald Trump’s return.
But here’s my question: British leaders and pundits have argued that Brexit is SUPER unpopular. If that’s the case, why did a leader like Nigel Farage, the former leader of the Brexit Party, win his election earlier this month? Well, voters are disappointed with the snail's pace on issues like the NHS, cost of living, trade, and the Brexit-related fallout that happened on the Labour Party’s watch. Further, they’re cautious about criticizing Farage, knowing it will alienate former “leave” voters.
Welcome to the Gist List—a news roundup, interesting things you should know, and my thoughts leading up to today’s podcast episode.
Here’s what’s on my mind:
🇩🇪 Is Fred Merz maybe confused with the French?
🇷🇴 A centrist wins a highly contested election.
🍭 The country’s last-place candy maker won’t take orders from no one!
😶🌫️ Where has Elon Musk and his LEGO-shaped head gone?
🛍️ The kvetchocracy is ruling shopping in San Francisco.
The Gist List
A nation of slackers? Why Friedrich Merz wants Germans to work more (Financial Times) 🔒
Fred Merz is cracking the whip on the Germans, who have apparently adopted an aversion to work that can only be described as…French-like. While more Germans than ever are working, average hours per worker are at an all-time low—Germany has the shortest average working hours among OECD nations. This is mainly due to a rise in part-time work, especially among women. This is a problem because the worker’s economy is hurtling towards a cliff in the next 10 years. Nine percent of the older population is set to retire, threatening more severe labor shortages, especially in sectors like healthcare and engineering.
Merz’s coalition is trying to encourage younger generations to work longer hours and retire later, which, if he appeals to Gen Z the way he appeals to women, he’s in for an uphill battle.
Pro-EU moderate Nicușor Dan wins Romanian presidential election stunner (Politico EU)
It’s an election that has everything: drama, Russian interference, and claims from the loser that it was unfair. Sadly, no Cyber Ninjas were employed, given that this was the Romanian election. Romania elected centrist independent Nicușor Dan as president in a surprising win over hard-right populist George Simion. Simion and his party tried to cast doubt on the election results, alleging fraud and threatening protests, but their claims were widely dismissed and quickly abandoned due to Dan’s clear, 8-point margin of victory.
But wait, there's more! Because what's a modern election without a dash of Russian meddling? Romania’s Constitutional Court canceled the first attempt at an election where the frontrunner was the ultra-nationalistic, Putin-friendly Călin Georgescu.
Dum Dums Lollipops Stands by Bright Dyes, Despite RFK Jr.’s Push (Bloomberg)
The most popular candy of 1965 is here to tell you, much like your Vietnam War vet neighbor, that they will NOT let the government tell them what to do. With the government pressuring food companies to switch from artificial dyes to natural colors by 2027, the Spangler Candy Company, which makes Dum Dums, is holding out, citing the weird flavors of natural dyes and consumer aversion to things like beetle wings. (Who would have thought that beetles and beets would be unpopular flavors?) Of course, Spangler and other food manufacturers are skeptical for good reason. For now, there aren’t any official regulations mandating the removal of artificial dyes, and these natural dyes can introduce new allergens into their recipes.
Of course, this leaves the big question we’re all asking: When was the last time you ate a Dum Dum? Maybe I did last time I was at the bank? It’s not exactly the type of treat you crave and make a special trip to the bodega for, so I’m not sure I’ll notice if it has a slight tomato-y note once the dyes are replaced.
Why has Elon Musk disappeared from the spotlight? (Politico)
Elon Musk’s departure from DOGE has people playing Where’s Waldo with the square-headed billionaire. He’s disappeared from the president’s Truth Social posts, his emails have stopped name-checking him, and he’s not even getting mentioned in White House briefings.
Elon Musk’s reputation has become such a political liability for Republicans, with polling showing his favorability dropping below even that of Donald Trump’s. He’s become such an albatross that Democrats have capitalized on Musk’s unpopularity, particularly in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, where they tied the conservative candidate to Musk.
Where is he now? We can’t say for sure, but we imagine he’s about as welcome at the White House as he is with Trump and Vance in this photo:
The Nordstrom follies: How bad laws and whiny neighbors are slowing SF’s comeback (San Francisco Standard)
After a rough few years, businesses are slowly starting to creep back into San Francisco. Nordstrom’s flagship store closed a few years ago, causing concern in the city’s retail decline, but now they want to come back with Nordstrom Local, a 1,648-square-foot store that offers pickup for online orders, a showroom and alteration services. It would offer convenience AND help revitalize the derelict shopping centers.
Sounds like a great idea, right? According to the neighbors and some clumsy city regulations, what the Standard calls the kvetchocracy, no. Here’s a taste of what Nordstrom is facing:
Kvetching from the neighbors who are worried about double parking and not having enough local flavor in the area.
Kvetching from the San Francisco Planning Commission, which has laws requiring chain stores with 11+ global locations to get special permits, making openings slow and expensive.
Considering that the proposed retail space has been vacant since before the pandemic, it seems to make more sense to fill it with anything. Regardless of what they put there, there’s always a risk of double parking.
Yesterday on the show: The Science of Injury-Free Athletic Performance
Henry Abbott joins to discuss Ballistic: The New Science of Injury-Free Athletic Performance, spotlighting insights from Dr. Marcus Elliott—not just about elite training, but how something as basic as learning to land can change careers and prevent lifelong injury.
There’s more where that came from. Listen to The Gist, and upgrade to Pesca Plus for the ad-free version.
Have a story you want us to talk about or an opinion you want to share? Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com or share your thoughts in the comments. We might give you a shoutout in our next newsletter or on the air.