Pyongyang 3x brighter in 5 years
Satellite imagery shows Pyongyang is three times brighter at night than it was five years ago, reflecting significant economic growth.
Where this was said
Xi Jinping Visits North Korea Amid Surprising Economic Boom
At 42:20 · chapter starts 41:58
Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first trip to Pyongyang in seven years, with the summit shrouded in secrecy. But the run-up coverage is full of revelations: recent visitors to North Korea describe landing to find Chinese electric vehicles everywhere, rideshare apps, new restaurants including pizza joints, and a general buzz of economic activity. Satellite imagery from both The Times and the Wall Street Journal shows Pyongyang is three times brighter at night than five years ago, with full parking lots and active oil facilities. The Wall Street Journal and a South Korean think tank identify the driver: North Korean arms sales to Russia generating more than $10 billion from late 2023 through 2025, alongside deploying 16,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russian forces — a third of whom were killed or wounded [1] — Tommy Vietor "Visitors to Pyongyang are reporting Chinese electric vehicles, rideshare apps, and pizza restaurants. Satellite imagery shows the capital i…" 41:20 . Kim has also profited from state-backed cryptocurrency theft and hacking. Tommy acknowledges that if ordinary North Koreans have more food, that's genuinely good, but notes that repression has intensified — Kim is executing people for distributing South Korean TV shows — and the economic benefits are heavily concentrated in Pyongyang.
North Korea arms sales to Russia: $10B+
A South Korean think tank found that North Korean arms sales to Russia generated more than $10 billion from late 2023 through 2025, against a GDP of only ~$27 billion.
North Korea deployed 16,000 soldiers to Russia
North Korea deployed 16,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russian forces, with a third reportedly killed or wounded.
Kim Jong Un: 50 assembled nuclear warheads
Kim Jong Un is believed to have at least 50 assembled nuclear warheads, components for nearly 100 more, and the capacity to build a dozen or more per year.
Ben Rhodes: US Sanctions Have Failed — North Korea Is Proof
North Korea is thriving despite years of US sanctions. Ben Rhodes argues this is the inevitable result of America over-sanctioning so many countries that they've created an entirely parallel trade system — trading in crypto, bartering, and evading the dollar — effectively nullifying US financial pressure.
Similar snapshots
Media: 90% negative coverage 10 years ago
Kalanick estimates that a decade ago, 90% of media coverage of tech business was negative, treating companies like political targets.
Largest crime drop since 1937
2024–2025 marked the single largest decrease in violent crime and murder in the US since 1937.
Violent crime down 9% in 2024–25
From 2024 to 2025, violent crime decreased 9%, property crime decreased 12.4%, and motor vehicle theft decreased 23%.
Ebony Alert went into effect January 1, 2024
California's Ebony Alert Program, designed for the swift recovery of missing Black youth and women, officially went into effect on January 1, 2024.
UK tourist ETA costs $20 to apply
Andrew Santino discovered that American tourists now need to pay $20 to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK, starting January 2025.
Kay Classman, 28, posed as a 16-year-old student
Kay Classman, a 28-year-old woman, was arrested for repeatedly enrolling in a Bronx high school posing as a 16-year-old student across multiple school districts.
16% of Americans: 9/11 inside job
A poll around 2011 found that 16% of Americans believed 9/11 was an inside job, illustrating how viral misinformation had already embedded itself in public opinion before social media peaked.
$300K debate offer to Candace Owens
Andrew Wilson offered Candace Owens $300,000 to debate her Charlie Kirk conspiracy theory, but she refused.
Only 11 killed by Israeli pager bombs
According to the podcast, only 11 people were killed by the coordinated Israeli pager attack on Hezbollah operatives, despite widespread detonations.
