the friday brief
3 things that matter
1) east asia's diplomatic recalibration
south korean president lee jae-myung visits china this weekend for his second meeting with xi jinping in two months—an unusually short interval signaling beijing's interest in drawing seoul closer. the backdrop is structural: washington's protectionist trade posture has accelerated strategic hedging across export-dependent economies. this isn't rupture—south korea maintains its u.s. alliance—but it is recalibration, as supply-chain continuity and regional stability increasingly demand diplomatic flexibility.
2) the return-to-office reckoning
amazon's five-day mandate took effect this week, joined by nbcuniversal, paramount skydance, and instagram implementing strict in-office requirements through early 2026. early indicators include rising commuter volumes, employee attrition at the strictest firms, and renewed pressure on urban office markets still below pre-2020 capacity. the question isn't whether mandates are happening—it's whether companies can retain talent as workers prioritize flexibility in their next roles.
3) markets hold gold as inflation hedge
gold closed 2025 up 65%—its strongest annual gain in over four decades—and remains elevated near $4,400 per ounce. drivers are cumulative: persistent services inflation, tariff uncertainty, and central bank buying that has pushed institutional holdings to 20% of official reserves. the shift is clear: stagflation is no longer treated as outlier risk but as baseline scenario planning for 2026.
1 thing to know
the medicaid funding fight continues
a federal appeals court lifted an injunction on december 30, allowing trump administration medicaid funding restrictions to take effect in 22 states and d.c. while legal challenges proceed. the policy cuts federal medicaid reimbursements to certain healthcare providers if they received over $800,000 in medicaid funding in 2023. planned parenthood reports that nearly half its patients rely on medicaid for care including contraception, cancer screenings, std testing, and routine preventive medicine. the result is a healthcare landscape increasingly determined by state lines rather than federal baseline standards. at least eight states have already directed their own funds to offset the losses.
1 thing to try
commute curation for the five-day week
with mandatory return-to-office schedules taking effect this week, try treating your commute as contained ritual rather than transition time. choose one substantive podcast or audiobook and listen start to finish—no multitasking, no inbox checking. research indicates that anticipatory work stress elevates cortisol before the workday begins, narrowing attention and depleting executive function. a structured listening practice creates cognitive boundary between home and office, allowing you to arrive with attention intact rather than already depleted.
