Good morning, friends!

Some people’s memories are often triggered by a familiar scent — maybe they smell a flower that transports them back to their grandmother’s garden when they were five, or the whiff of a fragrant perfume immediately reminds them of hugging their best friend goodbye.

For me, though, those strong memories have always been triggered by sound. When I hear a song I used to listen to as a child, it sends me right back there.

And when I was a kid in Bulgaria, there was always music playing in the background. My dad, who was staunchly pro-America and anti-communism, would often play American hits from the ’80s and ’90s. Very rarely do I remember listening to Bulgarian music. But there was one band that broke through — their sound was impossible to ignore, their lyrics too powerful to forget.

A rock band named B.T.R. emerged during Bulgaria’s post-communist transition — a time of massive upheaval, economic instability, and national identity crisis. Their music, full of passion and urgency, became the soundtrack to a country trying to find itself. They even gained international recognition, performing with the likes of Iron Maiden, Scorpions, and Uriah Heep.

Right now, B.T.R. is on a world tour, and they played in New York City on Thursday. My husband and I went. And when they performed one of their most iconic songs, “Salvation,” it hit me harder than I expected.

I had never really internalized the lyrics until I heard them live. The raw emotion, the pain, the hope — it all poured through the music. The song is about struggle, resilience, and the human search for redemption during impossible times. It spoke to a generation that grew up in the aftermath of a collapsing system, trying to make sense of a broken world and dreaming of something better.

These lyrics are a poetic cry of despair:

Why don’t the stars shine anymore?
Why has the sun gone out too?
I lost everything completely — only my soul remains.
I want nothing now, only to save it.

It reminded me that music often reflects the state of people’s true feelings. Even when a corrupt government is saying one thing — that everything is fine, that the future is bright — the music tells a different story. A more honest one. In times of upheaval, music often reaches the truth faster than the media ever can.

In this packed venue thousands of miles from where I was born, it made me remember why my parents chose to leave their friends, family, and familiar life in Bulgaria: It was to move to a country that still believed in hope.

And now, 25 years after we made the move to the U.S, I stood there listening to the very band that had created art in the midst of collapse — offering a flicker of hope to anyone willing to hear it.

— Polina

PROFILES.

— The crypto billionaire funding a private space station [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]
— The comedian sharing more of himself
— The most powerful producer working in theater
— The search engine trying to disrupt itself
— The $2 billion kids’ brand

PEOPLE TO KNOW.

The crypto billionaire funding a private space station: Crypto billionaire Jed McCaleb, known for Mt. Gox and XRP, is now betting big on space — pledging up to $1 billion of his fortune to fund Vast Space, a startup aiming to build the world’s first private space station. Despite no background in aerospace, McCaleb has partnered with SpaceX and hired a veteran CEO to launch Vast’s first station, Haven-1, by 2026. His bold move is driven by a long-term vision of off-Earth living and a high-stakes bid to win a critical NASA contract. As he puts it, “It could all fail — but someone has to try.” (Bloomberg; alternate link)

“He’s one of the top 10 most important crypto founders, even though nobody really knows him.”

The comedian sharing more of himself: Everybody’s Live is John Mulaney’s unpredictable new Netflix show, a chaotic mix of live calls, surreal sketches, and deeply personal moments. It’s a reflection of Mulaney himself — newly a dad, evolving as a performer, and embracing the weird, messy charm of a show that’s “great, but not good.” With guests like Joan Baez and Richard Kind, it’s less about buzz and more about building a world entirely his own. (New York Magazine; alternate link)

“Whether something’s good or people like it is so ephemeral. If they could possibly predict it with data, they’d have more hits.”

The most powerful producer working in theater: Sonia Friedman is one of theater’s most powerful producers, with hits like Harry Potter and Merrily We Roll Along and more than 300 shows to her name. Despite her success, she’s sounding the alarm on rising costs and lack of accessibility in the industry. Now, she’s teaming up with Hugh Jackman on a new venture, Together, to create intimate, affordable productions. Passionate and relentless, Friedman is reshaping theater with both heart and hustle. (The New York Times; alternate link)

“I don’t want the writer to write what I want — I want the writer to write something that I didn’t know I needed.”

COMPANIES TO WATCH.

The search engine trying to disrupt itself: Google once passed on building a chatbot-powered search experience — only to watch OpenAI’s ChatGPT take that exact idea and shake up the internet. Now, with AI Overviews and the upcoming “AI Mode,” Google is scrambling to reinvent its crown jewel, Search, while trying not to destroy the ad-driven empire it built. Under new leadership from Elizabeth Reid, Google is pushing bold changes, but publishers are already feeling the pain as traffic drops and AI-generated content floods the web. As Google moves to become an ever-present, all-knowing assistant, critics fear the internet is becoming less human and less open. (Bloomberg; alternate link)

“Something they told us in that meeting was to never expect to go back to our old levels of traffic, because search has changed.”

The $2 billion kids’ brand: If you’re a parent of toddlers, you know Bluey. The Australian animated series has become a global sensation — breaking streaming records, inspiring immersive experiences, and teaching both kids and adults emotional intelligence and connection. With its relatable, loving parents and real-life scenarios, Bluey is being compared to Taylor Swift for its rare, cross-generational appeal. As one fan puts it, Bluey isn’t just for kids — it’s a parenting manual wrapped in joyful, seven-minute episodes. (The Hollywood Reporter)

“It’s taught me more about parenting than any books I’ve read or professionals whose brains I’ve picked.”

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