🥊 “Fight Club” — Paramount’s $7.7B UFC deal. Nvidia’s export tax. Fazit’s $40M face glitter. + Instant Ramen.

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Best One Yet | Episode: “Fight Club” — August 12, 2025

Hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell of Nick & Jack Studios

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Introduction

In this vibrant and insightful episode of "The Best One Yet," hosts Jack and Nick delve into three major pop-business stories that are shaping the current landscape. From groundbreaking deals in the sports entertainment industry to innovative corporate strategies and viral beauty trends, this episode is packed with engaging discussions and valuable insights. Below is a detailed summary capturing all the key points, notable quotes, and the overarching conclusions drawn by the hosts.

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1. Paramount’s $7.7 Billion UFC Deal: Transforming the Fight Entertainment Landscape

Overview:
Jack and Nick kick off the episode with an in-depth analysis of Paramount’s monumental $7.7 billion acquisition of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). This strategic move not only secures Paramount’s position in the sports entertainment sector but also marks the end of the traditional pay-per-view (PPV) model for UFC events.

Key Points:

• Deal Details: Paramount has acquired the UFC rights for seven years, investing approximately $1.1 billion annually.
• Impact on PPV: This acquisition signifies the end of the PPV model for UFC, as all events will now be exclusively available on Paramount’s streaming platform.
• Market Comparison: The deal positions UFC’s TV rights on par with major leagues like the NHL and MLB, although still trailing behind the NFL’s colossal contracts.
• Strategic Benefits: Paramount gains access to UFC’s substantial fan base of 100 million Americans, enhancing its content offering and subscriber appeal.
• Future Prospects: With Paramount’s extensive media assets, including CBS and Paramount Studios, the company is well-equipped to dominate the streaming space, although Jack humorously notes they still need top-tier engineering talent to maximize their potential.

Notable Quotes:

• Nick (17:12): “The Ultimate Fighting Championship is now more valuable than one of the four major American sports.”
• Jack (19:35): “Paramount now has everything needed to win television. Except the engineers.”

Insights:

• The transition from PPV to streaming reflects broader industry trends towards subscription-based models.
• Paramount’s aggressive investment underscores the growing importance of diversified content in capturing and retaining subscribers.
• The deal may set a precedent for other sports and entertainment sectors to follow suit, potentially reshaping how live events are monetized.

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2. Nvidia’s Export Tax: A Precursor to AI Taxation?

Overview:
The second story explores the unprecedented agreement between Nvidia, AMD, and the U.S. government involving a new form of export tax. This deal has significant implications for the tech industry and may pave the way for future AI-specific taxation policies.

Key Points:

• The Deal: Nvidia and AMD have agreed to pay the U.S. government 15% of their revenue from China sales, a groundbreaking form of export tax.
• Rationale: This measure is seen as a response to national security concerns that initially restricted chip exports to China.
• Market Implications: Despite initial resistance, both companies accepted the tax to maintain their presence in the lucrative Chinese market.
• Potential for AI Tax: Jack and Nick discuss how this export tax could be a stepping stone towards implementing an AI tax, aimed at mitigating job displacement caused by automation and AI advancements.
• Economic Impact: A proposed 5% AI tax could fund initiatives like universal basic income (UBI), addressing potential unemployment resulting from AI-driven productivity gains.

Notable Quotes:

• Nick (06:08): “You're paying to play. So to make this clear, it would be the first time a company has agreed to pay the government in exchange for permission to export their products abroad.”
• Jack (08:23): “American companies have pretty much stopped hiring the last few months, and AI definitely has something to do with that.”

Insights:

• The export tax signifies a shift in how governments may regulate and monetize advanced technologies.
• This agreement illustrates the delicate balance between national security interests and the economic benefits of international trade.
• The concept of an AI tax introduces a novel approach to addressing the societal impacts of technological disruption, emphasizing proactive fiscal policies to support affected populations.

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3. Fazit’s $40 Million Face Glitter Surge: Harnessing Virality for Explosive Growth

Overview:
The final story highlights Fazit’s remarkable growth following a viral moment when Taylor Swift wore their face glitter patches. Jack and Nick dissect how Fazit effectively capitalized on this sudden exposure to scale their business exponentially.

Key Points:

• Viral Moment: Taylor Swift unknowingly promoted Fazit by wearing their glitter patches during a Chiefs game, leading to a massive surge in sales.
• Sales Impact: Within 48 hours, Fazit experienced a 3,500% increase in sales, skyrocketing from $3 million to $10 million, and is now on track to reach $40 million in revenue.
• Viral Strategy: Fazit’s success is attributed to their proactive "viral emergency kit," which included sending samples to influencers and having plans in place to handle increased demand.
• Brand Strategy: By creating easy-to-use, temporary glitter patches, Fazit tapped into the booming trend of customizable and maintainable beauty products.
• Future Plans: Despite interest from private equity, Fazit’s co-founders are committed to bootstrapping the company, maintaining control to preserve their unique brand identity focused on fun and glamour.

Notable Quotes:

• Jack (09:44): “Fazeit Sparkle patches are now the star of every musical fest you're going to.”
• Nick (12:02): “Within 48 hours of Taylor wearing them, sales surged 3,500% past a million bucks for the first time, Fazit was tracking.”
• Jack (12:58): “Every brand needs a vek. A viral emergency kit.”

Insights:

• Fazit’s experience underscores the critical importance of preparedness in leveraging unexpected viral moments for sustained growth.
• Their approach demonstrates how strategic influencer partnerships and rapid response capabilities can transform fleeting publicity into long-term business success.
• Fazit’s decision to bootstrap despite lucrative offers highlights the value of maintaining brand integrity and strategic control during periods of rapid expansion.

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Conclusion

In this episode of "The Best One Yet," Jack and Nick provide a comprehensive and engaging analysis of three pivotal stories in the business world. From transformative deals in the sports entertainment industry to innovative corporate taxation strategies and the viral success of a beauty startup, the hosts offer valuable insights into the mechanisms driving these phenomena. Their discussions not only inform but also inspire listeners to consider the broader implications of these trends on the future of business and technology.

Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a sports fan, or someone intrigued by viral marketing strategies, this episode delivers rich content that is both informative and entertaining. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of how these major developments could shape the business landscape in the coming years.

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For those who haven’t listened to the episode yet, this summary provides a clear and comprehensive overview of the discussions without delving into the advertisements, intros, or outros. To explore these topics in greater depth, consider listening to the full episode on your preferred podcast platform.

Transcript

[Nick]

This is Nick.

[Jack]

This is Jack.

[Nick]

It's Tuesday, t boy. Tuesday, August 12th, and today's pod is the best one yet. This is a T Boy.

[Jack]

The top three pop business news stories you need to know today.

[Nick]

Hey, can I celebrate a little? Jack win here today as well, man? Always. Okay, here we go. Jack. Yetis put together a Get Ready with me video where he explains ETFs while putting on makeup. I'm sorry, skincare.

[Jack]

Yeah, people seem to be picking up.

[Nick]

What I'm putting down. It seems like they are. I'm picking it up. I'm picking it up. Yetis, we threw that GRWM on our TikTok. Check it out. In the meantime, Jack, three fantastic stories for today's T boy.

[Jack]

For our first story, our two biggest chip makers, Nvidia and amd, just signed an unprecedented deal with the United States government.

[Nick]

But what this news is really about is an AI tax, the first ever AI tax.

[Jack]

For our second story, it's fosit. Fosit's face glitter startup saw sales surge after Taylor Swift wore Sparkles to a Chiefs game.

[Nick]

The lesson from Fozzit, every brand needs a v e K, a virality emerg.

[Jack]

And our third and final story, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is ending. Pay per views. It's all streamable now on Paramount.

[Nick]

And the Octagon is huge. 100 million Americans are now fans of the UFC.

[Jack]

But Yetis, before we hit that wonderful mix of stories.

[Nick]

Fantastic mix of stories. Love the mix today, Jack.

[Jack]

Hang on a sec while I get ready with my five step skincare. No, that's only on TikTok. Yetis, yesterday we asked you the biggest trivia question in the universe. Actually.

[Nick]

Yeah. When astronauts are in outer space, what is the most popular dinner option that they eat?

[Jack]

Is it hamburgers, peanut butter pizza, or instant ramen?

[Nick]

Well, the answer is. Drumroll, please. Instant ramen. The Japanese noodle soup. Most of you actually got that wrong.

[Jack]

I want to point out it's specifically cup noodle instant ramen. That's the brand that made ramen noodles go viral.

[Nick]

Get this, Americans. We now eat more instant ramen than we do McDonald's Happy Meals.

[Jack]

But Nick and I found the origin of ramen noodles. Yeah, and it's in the rubble of post World War II Japan.

[Nick]

An enterprising young man named Momofuku invented the ramen noodle to feed his hungry nation.

[Jack]

But instant ramen is actually a deeply ironic subject for our weekly show. The Best idea yet.

[Nick]

Yeah, it is, Jack, because this food has actually powered most businesses. We cover on the show.

[Jack]

Think about it. Nearly every startup at point is so tight on cash that their co founders.

[Nick]

Eat Ramen is the only meal that extends your cash Runway by years, instant.

[Jack]

Ramen has fueled a thousand unicorns.

[Nick]

And it's filled a million sophomore students stomachs as well.

[Jack]

And you can learn how instant Ramen took over the planet on this week's.

[Nick]

T. Diy and you'll meet the Japanese visionary who turned it from a late night snack into a global food empire.

[Jack]

So, Yetis, check out the best idea yet. We got a link, as always in this episode description.

[Nick]

But in the meantime, Jack, we got three fantastic stories for today's pod. What do you say we serve them up?

[Jack]

Let's hit'. Em.

[Nick]

Heat' em up, baby.

[Unknown]

Fifteen years before this song, two boys from the Northeast met in the dorm. They had an idea to cause a cultural storm. It's the best one yet. But the best is the norm. Jack. Nick, that's it. I don't even think they need to practice. 50%. That's a fat tip. T Boy City on your atlas. If you know, you know. Cause we read to go. We can't wait no more.

[Nick]

So just start the show, Start the show, Start the show. First, a quick word from our sponsor.

[Jack]

Airbnb.

[Nick]

Yetis. Our show actually started as a side hustle over 10 years ago. It began in secret outside of our bank jobs.

[Jack]

We were worried we'd get fired, so we didn't tell our bosses and we even left our names off the website.

[Nick]

Now that was our side hustle, a media startup. But there are other side hustles that are a lot less risky than that.

[Jack]

And that have 0% chance of getting you fired. Like being a host.

[Nick]

Airbnb in this economy, it's a fun and rewarding way to make money off the thing you're already paying for your house or your apartment.

[Jack]

I've hosted two previous apartments and my current chalet on Airbnb.

[Nick]

And when no one's using it, why not welcome a family, a couple that just got engaged?

[Jack]

You already have an Airbnb. You just didn't realize it yet.

[Nick]

Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host and now a word from our sponsor, Netsuite.

[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

How to pivot fast if your revenues are at least in the seven figures. Download the free ebook Navigating Global Trade. 3 insights for [e-mail] tboy for our first story, America's two biggest chip makers, Nvidia and AMD, just agreed to an unprecedented export deal. 15% of their China sales are gonna go to the US government.

[Jack]

We think this brand new type of tax could be training wheels for an even bigger brand new tax, an AI tax.

[Nick]

But yetis first, let's talk about Nvidia and amd. The Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal of the chip industry, ORA or Jack. Also, I've heard some people refer to them as the Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie of the chip industry.

[Jack]

Well, they're both pretty rich right now. These are the two largest and most advanced chip companies in America and they're gonna pay the US government 15% of whatever revenue they make in China.

[Nick]

That's the headline. And that is huge. Now, critics call this another case of Trump extorting business.

[Jack]

Companies can only do their thing in this economy if they do it Trump's way.

[Nick]

You can only export your product to China if you give government 15% of your revenue.

[Jack]

So why would Nvidia agree to this? Well, China's a huge market.

[Nick]

Huge.

[Jack]

So the alternative is nothing. They're happy to pay 15% in order to play there.

[Nick]

They're paying to play. So to make this clear, it would be the first time a company has agreed to pay the government in exchange for permission to export their products abroad.

[Jack]

It's the monetization of trade policy. Not based on rules, based on make me an offer and I'll decide.

[Nick]

And Al, one thing we should point out about this huge new deal is the reason chip exports to China were restricted in the in the first place. What was it, Jack?

[Jack]

National security.

[Nick]

That's right. So this deal kind of ignores that initial reason.

[Jack]

Actually, Nick, this deal still forbids Blackwell, Nvidia's most advanced chip. But Trump said he's open to including that chip as well as part of a bigger US China trade deal.

[Nick]

But besties, here's what we found fascinating about this story. Another way to look at this deal is that it's a brand new type of tax and America has a really interesting track record when it comes to.

[Jack]

New taxes in 1943. Let's go back to FDR. Sarah, Nick, hit me. Jack, America's Income tax became the envy of the developed world.

[Nick]

Yeah, it was basically like a sneaky economic accelerator.

[Jack]

Here's why. Taxes are necessary for every nation, but people universally hate and resist giving up their money to the government.

[Nick]

Uh, remember the Boston Tea Party? It began the Revolutionary war, but in.

[Jack]

1943, Congress forced America's companies to withhold taxes before they even hit their employees bank accounts.

[Nick]

This is basically Psychonomics 101. Citizens are way less resistant to a tax if it was money they never got in the first place.

[Jack]

The key was the withholding. That's what made taxes way more doable.

[Nick]

In America, anyone can charge a tax. You have to withhold the tax.

[Jack]

Similarly, this Nvidia China deal is really a new form of tax, an export tax, something America and the world has never done before.

[Nick]

Now, Yetis, if this export tax starts a trend like withholding income taxes did back in the 1940s, then trade among nations will decline even more.

[Jack]

But speaking of new taxes. Nick.

[Nick]

Yes, Jack?

[Jack]

We got a takeaway.

[Nick]

So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies who are everyone affected by AI?

[Jack]

This Nvidia export tax is training wheels for an AI tax.

[Nick]

Yeti's AI is coming fast and it is coming furious. There is huge opportunity, but also huge potential cost to jobs.

[Jack]

American companies have pretty much stopped hiring the last few months, and AI definitely has something to do with that.

[Nick]

So here's what we're if AI causes high unemployment like some think it will, the government will have to do something to make up for it.

[Jack]

Something big, probably. And one simple and appealing option would be to tax AI companies and distribute the revenue to citizens.

[Nick]

Picture this. Imagine a 5% tax on every dollar of revenue associated with AI to fund a universal basic income.

[Jack]

Ubiquitous. Like the government gives $2,000 a month to every American because the world of AI is so crazy.

[Nick]

And the biggest companies benefiting from AI are the biggest 10 companies in the world.

[Jack]

And we can't just Let the biggest 10 companies in the world take all.

[Nick]

The spoils of AI well, this new corporate tax on Nvidia, the number one company in AI, it could be the precursor to exactly this.

[Jack]

This could be training wheels for the first ever AI tax.

[Nick]

For our second story, Fazeit. These sparkling makeup patches had a Taylor Swift moment, and sales surged to 40 million bucks.

[Jack]

Fazeit shows us why every brand today needs a vek. A viral emergency kit.

[Nick]

All right, Jack, how about we set the scene here? Yetis, you're 29 years old, you live in Florida, and you're doing A heated yoga class on a Monday night in a cold October cold in Florida.

[Jack]

Poor scene setting. Man, you know how soft those Floridians are, Jack. All right, she gets out of class and there's 31 unread messages on her phone.

[Nick]

Turn on the football game fast. Taylor Swift is wearing your business on her face.

[Jack]

Shut up. Did you say Taylor Swift? Yeah. She was wearing my product on national tv.

[Nick]

True story. Aliette is the co founder of Fazeit and this happened to her. She happens to make patches that you put on your face for glittery freckles.

[Jack]

Faze It Sparkle patches are now the star of every musical fest you're going to.

[Nick]

Basically, they make your cheeks look like a Lisa Frank sticker book.

[Jack]

They're adult facial flair. They're instant glam.

[Nick]

Now to sprinkle on some context here. Glitter is historically an engineering challenge because plastic glitter is very hard to clean off your face.

[Jack]

As one stand up comedian put it, glitter is the herpes of craft supplies.

[Nick]

It's hard to get rid of. So instead you'd apply Phase it kind of like a fake tattoo. It's easy to clean off or it falls off after three days.

[Jack]

And the business model of Faze it, which makes these sparkling patches is a lot like Star Face, the pimple patch company we covered on the pod.

[Nick]

That's right. But the use case isn't for acne. It's really for attending live events and looking glam.

[Jack]

Actually, Fazit does cover patches for skin issues you're embarrassed about, like pimples too. That's true.

[Nick]

Which reminds us that suddenly this has become a booming category for teens. Sparkling things you put on your face.

[Jack]

To cover up blemishes. I wish I had it when I had face acne.

[Nick]

But besties. How about we go back to that viral moment we started the story with? Taylor Swift was wearing Fazit on her face to see her boyfriend's football game in Kansas City.

[Jack]

The problem for Fazit is that there was no Fazit branding anywhere on the screen. So news articles showcasing Taylor Swift's sparkles didn't mention the brand. She was wearing Fazit.

[Nick]

So the co founders had to email each and every reporter. Actually, they didn't have to, but they did. They basically said, hi, it's usually we're the product, it's me.

[Jack]

After the online articles and social media posts got updated with a Fazit mention, sales began sparkling.

[Nick]

Get this. Within 48 hours of Taylor wearing them, sales surged 3,500% past a million bucks for the first time, Fazit was tracking.

[Jack]

To hit $3 million of annual sales, but ended up with 10 million.

[Nick]

Oh, and one year later, they're now on pace for $40 million in revenue.

[Jack]

And now private equity is calling. They want to inject Wall street money.

[Nick]

To this glitter business because nothing's more glamorous than a dude in a suit from midtown Manhattan giving you a check.

[Jack]

Talk about a culture clash.

[Nick]

But so far, the two co founders who own 97% of this business, they ain't budging. They're gonna bootstrap this puppy.

[Jack]

Bootstrap it to the moon. And their perspective is that the rest of the beauty industry is just too serious.

[Nick]

Yeah, SPF, chemical, this and that. 42 step skincare routines.

[Jack]

So instead of serious, they're doing sparkles.

[Nick]

And that's their competitive advantage. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Fazeit?

[Jack]

Every brand needs a vek. A viral emergency kit.

[Nick]

Now, Yetis, there is one detail we didn't tell you. Fazit actually spent six months targeting Taylor Swift before it went viral, hoping she would wear the sparkles.

[Jack]

They knew it would blow up the business. So they sent samples to Sabrina Carpenter.

[Nick]

Who was Taylor's opening act.

[Jack]

They sent samples to chiefs football players.

[Nick]

Wags, their wives and girlfriends, and even.

[Jack]

To Taylor's lawyers, longtime makeup artist.

[Nick]

The key is that they only needed one to work. And eventually it did. Their hard work paid off.

[Jack]

But what's more interesting to us, this should have been 15 seconds of fame for FASA.

[Nick]

That is what we found fascinating. How did they get one moment to turn into a full year sales surge to 40 million bucks? That hasn't even stopped.

[Jack]

Here's how they prepared for Virality when it happened. They didn't run out of materials and they even had plans to catch the momentum and take it even further.

[Nick]

For example, they jumped on their first opportunity of a collab. They did a version with Elf Beauty that got them even more awareness.

[Jack]

And then they set up pop up stores outside of the locations of the rest of the eras tour to sell to the Swifties directly.

[Nick]

Besties. Virality doesn't matter if you can't capitalize on it. But Fazeit had a Virality emergency kit. Now, a quick word from our sponsor.

[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For our third and final story, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is ending pay per View forever. They're now streamable only on Paramount Trivia.

[Jack]

UFC is now more valuable than one of the four major American sports. Which is it?

[Nick]

I know the answer. I'm not proud of it. I'm not happy about it. But yetis, do you subscribe to Paramount Plus?

[Jack]

Unless you're a Yellowstone superfan like my in laws, the answer is probably no.

[Nick]

Jack, can you sprinkle on some context.

[Jack]

As to why Paramount just finished their merger with Skydance and the whole company is now Run by David Ellison, who.

[Nick]

Is the son of Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle and big time billionaire.

[Jack]

David Ellison paid $8 billion to acquire Paramount. And even for a Nepo baby. Yeah, that's a lot of money, Nick.

[Nick]

At that level, you gotta ask. Really nicely. Really nicely.

[Jack]

And with cable dying, he needed something big to turn his new company into a must subscribe network.

[Nick]

Yeah, that wasn't just for Dud and family members out west.

[Jack]

Which led to the big announcement on Monday. David Allison and Paramount are buying the rights to all UFC fights for the next seven years.

[Nick]

The Ultimate Fighting Championship. And honestly, besties, we could have predicted this, right?

[Jack]

Jack Ellison was seen in April sitting ringside with Donald Trump and the CEOs of UFC and their parent company TKO.

[Nick]

We think they weren't just talking about body slams over there.

[Jack]

Paramount is now in the octagon, literally.

[Nick]

Is Brad Pitt part of this deal, Jack? Or is that a different fight club?

[Jack]

Very nicely done. I see what you did there, but.

[Nick]

Yetis, here's what we find fascinating about this story. Paramount is paying 7.7 billion bucks over seven years, pegging UFC's US TV rights at 1.1 billion bucks a year.

[Jack]

Compared to the other sports, that's not bad. This is more than the NHL's TV deal in both the United States and Canada.

[Nick]

You didn't need to mention the Canada part, first of all. Second of all, hockey prices itself so that everyone can enjoy it. They're not trying to be jerks and overpriced.

[Jack]

That's admirable. I just think this is a big moment for the UFC. They're on par with MLB's TV deal.

[Nick]

Although we should point out this pales in comparison to pigskin, doesn't it, Jack?

[Jack]

Yeah, 1.1 billion a year. That's 112 of what the NFL commands.

[Nick]

But still, UFC is getting Paramount's money and paramount is getting UFC's fans.

[Jack]

Which UFC claims is 100 million Americans.

[Nick]

Yeah, basically like a quarter of the country.

[Jack]

Now another big note is that this deal knocks out once and for all the pay per view business model.

[Nick]

Yeah, we would say that pay per view has been put in a chokehold, but nope, they're not getting out of this thing.

[Jack]

Tko, the parent company of both WWE and ufc, has signed deals in the last week with both ESPN and Paramount.

[Nick]

Now, in the past, the biggest wrestling and MMA fights, they were pay per view. There was a huge price tag if you wanted to watch a single fight.

[Jack]

But those are dead now. WrestleMania, Royal Rumble and SummerSlam, those are included at no extra charge on ESPN.

[Nick]

And UFC's twice per year pay per view profit puppy, usually around 100 bucks an event, now is included in Paramount.

[Jack]

So with the swoop of the pen, fresh after the acquisition, Paramount owns UFC on television and killed pay per view. Sorry. They pinned pay per view into submission and pay per view tapped out.

[Nick]

So, Jack, what's the first rule of Fight Club? Give us a takeaway. Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at the Ultimate Fighting Championship?

[Jack]

Paramount now has everything needed to win television. Except the engineers.

[Nick]

Yetis, let's get ready to rumble. Paramount, which remains publicly traded post Skydance acquisition. They want to win, they're spending big.

[Jack]

And they have most of the pieces in place.

[Nick]

For example, Paramount owns cbs, a famous broadcast and cable channel.

[Jack]

They also own Paramount, the famous studio with movies and television.

[Nick]

And most interestingly, they also have just poached an 18 year veteran of Netflix to head their content. The mother of streaming. Cindy Holland.

[Jack]

Cindy Holland is a legend. Her resume includes House of Cards, Orange Is the New Black, the Crown, and Queen's gambit, like Netflix is huge in a big part, thanks to Cindy.

[Nick]

But here's the key to win in streaming. You don't just need great distribution and great content. You need great tech.

[Jack]

You need the homepage of your app to be equally as engaging and as personalized as TikTok is.

[Nick]

So, besties, Paramount is in it to win it. But the last ingredient to media success is a big one. Engineers. Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us for T Boy Tuesday.

[Jack]

Nvidia and AMD are paying a new type of tax, 15% of whatever they sell to China.

[Nick]

And this could be the precursor to an AI tax to fund universal basic income.

[Jack]

For our second story, it's Fazeit. It's on track to do 40 million in sales this year. The big moment was Taylor Swift wearing those sparkle patches, but they were ready for it.

[Nick]

Fazeit had a virality emergency kit.

[Jack]

And our third and final story. Paramount just got the TV rights to the UFC for seven years and they're ending the pay per view model.

[Nick]

Paramount, they got everything now to win in tv. Except the engineers.

[Jack]

But yetis, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today.

[Nick]

Jack, what would you like on your tacos?

[Jack]

Oh, boy, I see what you're getting.

[Nick]

At, because Trump just extended a pause on China tariffs for another 90 days.

[Jack]

With Trump, some deadlines are actual deadlines, others are just dates on a calendar.

[Nick]

So we're all kind of learning it's best to ignore the deadlines, just wait until or if things are actually effective.

[Jack]

The whole world gave a sigh of relief yesterday as the US and China those tariffs are the most costly of all.

[Nick]

And second, Ford still believes in electric vehicles. They just announced their biggest plan yet to build the next Model t. They're.

[Jack]

Investing $2 billion for a new plant in Kentucky to build their lowest priced electric car yet.

[Nick]

30,000 bucks, which Ford says is the same price as the Model T, their very first car adjusted for inflation.

[Jack]

And finally, Chapel Ron's song that references Saskatchewan that drove huge interest in traveling to Saskatchewan.

[Nick]

No joke, this was Saskatchewan's viral moment up in Canada. 50,000 interactions on their social media pages that usually don't get many social media interactions.

[Jack]

The Tourism Saskatchewan CEO said that being referenced in Chapel Roan song was like a gift from heaven.

[Nick]

Hopefully they can harness the virality like fazit. Now time for the best fact yet. This one sent in by Aaron McConnell from lovely Mission Viejo, California.

[Jack]

Aaron remembers that story we did a few months back about Trader Joe's because each Trader Joe's has local paintings like hidden within the store.

[Nick]

Well, it turns out Bass Pro Shops also has a side hustle in painted artwork as well.

[Jack]

Each store features a unique mural that depicts the iconic local destinations of the region.

[Nick]

Each Bass Pro Shops is basically hand painted by local artists.

[Jack]

Not basically. Totally. Yeah, yeah.

[Nick]

Like this is like the WPA of the New Deal Jack putting local artists to work for the public good.

[Jack]

It's like the ccc, the Civilian Conservation Corps showing off America's outdoors.

[Nick]

Bass Pro Shops is the Sistine Chapel of catch and release.

[Jack]

And you can literally catch a fish and release it in the store.

[Nick]

It's a thing. It's a thing. Yetis, you look fantastic today. And if you are chowing down in some noodles that took you 60 seconds to heat up, we know what you should do while you enjoy them.

[Jack]

Check out our full 45 minute episode on the untold origin story of Instant Ramen.

[Nick]

There's a great story of the name Cup Noodle and why they let out the off or the of and why.

[Jack]

They let out the S too.

[Nick]

Yeah, yeah, true, they didn't make it a plural, but you'll have to hear that on the show.

[Jack]

We got a link in the episode description to our other show, the best idea yet.

[Nick]

In the meantime, Jack and I got a jammy egg we gotta cut open. We'll see you there. And before we go, a Happy Birthday to YETI Derek Netto over in Queens New York.

[Jack]

And happy birthday to Bobby Nalestra in.

[Nick]

Palm Coast, Florida and Rich Roll and Aaron Wall. Happy first year wedding anniversary just outside Boston.

[Jack]

Happy second anniversary to Laura and Nate.

[Nick]

In San Francisco and to the Tennessee electric cooperatives. These 15 volunteer linemen just completed a project giving power to two remote villages in Guatemala. Thank you so much for your work.

[Jack]

And congratulations to Ada Siang and John Healy in Los Angeles on that big book launch.

[Nick]

Today they're breaking into New Hollywood. Literally. And that's the title of the book.

[Jack]

And to anyone else celebrating something today, make it a T, boy.

[Nick]

Celebrate the wins.

[Jack]

This is Jack. I own stock at Netflix and Ford. If you like the best one yet, you can listen ad free right now by joining Wondery and the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

[Nick]

Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.

[Jack]

And before you go, tell us a little bit about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey we want to.

[Nick]

Get to know you.

[D]

In the summer of 1925, a small Tennessee town became the battleground for the fight between science and faith in America's public schools. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, host of Wondery's podcast, American Historytellers. We take you to the events, times and people that shaped America and Americans, our values, our struggles and our dreams. In our latest series, when a young science teacher agrees to participate in a test case orchestrated by the ACLU to challenge Tennessee's ban on teaching evolution, he lands in the center of a raucous spectacle, the infamous Scopes Monkey Trial. Legendary attorneys Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan face off in a sweltering Tennessee courtroom as the world watches fundamentalist Christianity clash with modern science, setting the stage for battles over education and religious freedom for decades to come. Follow American Historytellers on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad free and be the first to binge the newest season only on Wondery. Join Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial.