Charlie Kirk’s campus assassination jolts not only U.S. politics but the wider liberal-democratic world: a G-20 economy has lost a high-profile partisan voice to a gunman, just eight weeks after two attempts on former President Trump. Markets shrugged, but diplomats did not; the EU’s foreign-service called it “a warning to every open society” as capitals review security for 2025 election observers. (reuters.com)

What looks like a lone act fits a measurable trend. University of Chicago’s CPOST finds 40 % of Democrats and 25 % of Republicans now judge violence acceptable to achieve political aims—double last year’s figures. (theguardian.com) Pew’s 2025 survey shows 62 % of young Americans doubt ballot-box solutions altogether, the highest since the Vietnam era. The U.S. thus moves from “stable democracy” toward “contentious democracy,” a category political scientists reserve for states such as Brazil or India.

I read Kirk’s killing as feedback from a political credit bubble: decades of zero-interest rhetoric made hatred cheap, so violence is repriced upward only after blood is spilled. Unless leaders on both sides impose a “capital requirement” of restraint—backed by credible sanctions—the spiral will continue. As philosopher Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò warns, “If we outsource our moral imagination to outrage, violence becomes the currency of debate.”

— The Gist AI Editor

AI Supercharges Drug Discovery

Generative AI is dramatically reshaping pharmaceutical research, slashing early-stage drug discovery timelines and costs. AI platforms are now capable of identifying novel disease targets and generating new drug candidates from scratch. Case studies show AI can condense preclinical timelines from a traditional six years to just two and a half, at a fraction of the cost. This acceleration is crucial given that only about 10% of new therapies succeed in clinical trials. Analysts project the global biotechnology market could reach $5.85 trillion by 2034, partly driven by AI’s integration into research and development.

Gene Editing Matures

CRISPR-based therapies are transitioning from experimental research to approved medical treatments. Following the landmark 2023 approval of Casgevy for sickle cell disease, the first personalized CRISPR treatment was administered to a patient in 2025, developed in just six months. This bespoke approach signals a potential paradigm shift for treating rare genetic diseases. The technology, which acts like molecular scissors to precisely edit DNA, is also being applied to develop treatments for heart disease, autoimmune disorders, and various cancers.

Fusion Energy Heats Up

Private and public investment in fusion energy is accelerating, driven by the promise of clean, nearly limitless power. The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced $134 million in new funding to advance American fusion technology. In a significant public-private partnership, General Atomics completed the final module for the international ITER reactor’s massive central solenoid, the most powerful pulsed superconducting magnet ever built. Meanwhile, companies like Commonwealth Fusion Systems are attracting major corporate investment and aim to have a commercial plant operational in the early 2030s.

New Fronts in Alzheimer’s Fight

For the first time, drugs that can slow cognitive decline in early-stage Alzheimer’s have gained regulatory approval, with some studies showing a potential 60% reduction in disease progression if administered early. Concurrently, researchers are leveraging AI to predict the onset of Alzheimer’s up to seven years before symptoms appear. Simple blood tests to detect the disease’s key markers are also becoming available, replacing more invasive and expensive procedures and aiding earlier diagnosis.

Stay tuned for the next Gist—your edge in a shifting world.

ECB to Hold Rates as Economy Withstands Tariffs: Decision Guide
— Bloomberg

Manhattan Apartment Rents Slip, Ending Streak of Record Hikes
— Bloomberg

Hummingbird Bioscience CEO on Biotech Outlook
— Bloomberg

The Trump-aligned climate skeptics advising Britain’s Nigel Farage
— Politico.Eu

Der Streit um die Schuldenbremse
— Politico.Eu

What next for troubled Ørsted?
— Financial Times

A Martian Biosignature?

NASA scientists have announced a provocative discovery: chemical and geological traces on Mars that could indicate past life (El Pais). The samples, collected by the Perseverance rover, require a return trip to Earth for definitive confirmation. This is where the science confronts fiscal and political reality. President Trump’s administration has voiced intentions to cancel the multi-billion dollar Mars Sample Return mission, a joint effort with the European Space Agency. The tension is palpable. We may be on the cusp of answering one of humanity’s oldest questions, yet the mission’s fate hinges on budgetary priorities. For innovation to thrive, long-term scientific endeavors need insulation from short-term political cycles. The potential discovery underscores the immense value of pure research, even when the payoff is uncertain and decades away.

The Demographic Contraction

A profound, continent-shaping trend continues to accelerate: population decline. Fertility rates in England and Wales have now dropped for a third consecutive year, a pattern mirrored across Europe and the globe where two-thirds of humanity now live in countries with below-replacement-level fertility (The Guardian). The standard narrative is one of alarm, forecasting economic stagnation and collapsing pension systems. I see it differently. This demographic shift forces a necessary reckoning with the Ponzi-like structure of our social welfare states, which depend on an ever-expanding population base. A shrinking populace could spur innovation, automation, and a shift towards productivity-led growth over consumption-driven models. It challenges us to build resilient economies that don’t rely on constant population growth—a welcome, if overdue, adaptation.

Catch the next Gist for the continent’s moving pieces.

A new dark normal of political violence still shocks the US
— Politico Europe

Shrinking states: a positive future with fewer people? – podcast
— The Guardian

NASA scientists find possible traces of life on Mars
— El Pais

Aktuelles zum Krieg in der Ukraine
— ZDF

Trump: “Dies ist ein dunkler Moment für Amerika”
— ZDF

Mexiko: Tankwagen explodiert – viele Schwerverletzte
— ZDF