The Daily TLDR
Saturday, December 13, 2025

Why Trump is Building Up Forces Near Venezuela
The Trump administration has dramatically increased its military presence in the Caribbean, deploying an aircraft carrier and conducting lethal strikes on alleged drug boats, ostensibly to curb drug flow and remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
TheEconomist - December 13, 2025

Fed's Next Steps: Rate Cuts, AI's Impact, and Maintaining Independence
Former Council of Economic Advisers chair Glenn Hubbard discusses the recent Fed rate cut, questioning its necessity given the outlook for stronger GDP growth, and analyzes the profound implications of AI on productivity and monetary policy.
markets - December 13, 2025

South Korea's 'Insane' College Entrance Exam (Suneung) and its National Impact
South Korea's grueling Suneung college entrance exam, particularly the English section, has become so difficult that its administering chief resigned, sparking a national debate on the extreme pressure placed on students. Professor Jun Kia, a Korean linguistics expert at Oxford, explains why the exam is so competitive and how it affects the entire nation.
BBCNews - December 13, 2025

US Veteran Deportation Controversy: Secretary Noem Confronted in Congressional Hearing
During a heated congressional hearing, the US Homeland Security Secretary was confronted about the deportation of Sejun Park, a combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient, challenging her assertion that no military veterans had been deported.
dwnews - December 12, 2025

Flexible AI Computing: Solving the Energy Crisis for the AI Revolution
The rapid growth of AI data centers is straining the aging power grid, but AI itself could offer the solution by becoming a flexible and cooperative energy consumer.
TED - December 12, 2025