Hump day recommendations 12/20/2022

Watch: Letterman meets Zelensky. In a special episode of his Netflix show, available for streaming, America’s iconic late-night chat show host and goofball comedian David Letterman traveled to Kyiv for an interview with former goofball-comedian-turned-wartime-leader Volodymyr Zelensky for an interview that’s funny, poignant, thoughtful, inspirational, and unforgettable. Air raid sirens and passing metro trains provide the soundtrack. Here’s a clip: My Next Guest. — Willis

Visit: Esslingen, Germany. Brimming with half-timbered houses and gothic steeples, this small town near Stuttgart offers the perfect backdrop for an enchanting medieval holiday market that runs from around Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve every year. Bring your taler (euros) and good cheer to enjoy gluhwein, stockbrot, rote wurst, candle dipping, and endless stalls with woolen-garbed traders who sell everything from ceramics and leather-bound journals to medieval-style clothes and pendants. Before leaving, visit Kessler Sekt off the market square for a few sips of Deutschland’s very first sparkling wine — Georg Christian von Kessler learned the trade from Madame Cliquot herself. — Tracy

Read: The Escape Artist. Ellie Wiesel. Oskar Schindler. Anne Frank. We all know these names and the role they played in shaping our understanding of the Holoaust. Reading about Rudolf Vrba (born Walter Rosenberg), the first person to successfully escape Auschwitz and make it out of Poland, I couldn’t believe that this man — a real maverick and a hero — wasn’t more widely known. This book, written by British journalist Jonathan Freedland, documents Vrba’s unreal journey. — Gabrielle

More from GZERO Media

People gather outside the National Assembly after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, in Seoul, South Korea, on Dec. 4, 2024.
REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon

In an unexpected, late-night speech on Tuesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, banning all political activity, taking control of all media, and suspending parliament. For all of a few hours, it turned out.

- YouTube

Ian Bremmer's Quick Take: President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea deciding to suddenly declare emergency martial law, announcing together with the military all political activities prohibited. All media now under state control. No strikes, demonstrations allowed. Ian Bremmer breaks down the reason for this decision in this Quick Take.

Proud Source Water became a Walmart supplier in 2021. Today, their team has grown 50%, and they're the largest employer in Mackay, ID. When local suppliers work with Walmart, their business can grow. In fact, two-thirds of Walmart's product spend is on products made, grown, or assembled in America. By working with Walmart, local businesses like Proud Source Water can reach more customers, hire more people, and help their communities thrive. Explore the positive impact of Walmart's $350 billion investment in US manufacturing.

Supporters of Hamas wave their green flags during a celebration marking the 35th anniversary of the founding of Hamas in Gaza City in December 2022.
Yousef Masoud / SOPA Images/Sipa USA via Reuters

Fatah and Hamas are reportedly close to a deal on a post-war government for Gaza, marking a potential end to Hamas’ 17-year rule. The agreement would establish a committee of 12-15 politically unaligned technocrats with authority over issues of the economy, education, health, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction.

Globally, one in five people identify as neurodivergent, an umbrella term that refers to variances in how the brain processes information. A new collaborative study between Microsoft and Ernst & Young reveals insights into how AI-powered tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot are transforming experiences for the neurodiverse in the workplace. The study involving over 300 neurodivergent or disabled employees found that 91% consider Copilot helpful for communication, 85% believe it creates a more inclusive workplace, and 76% say it aids their work performance. This study is part of Microsoft’s ongoing work to increase understanding of how Copilot and other Microsoft tools can improve the workplace. Read more here.

US President Joe Biden shakes hands with Angolan President João Lourenço at the Presidential Palace in Luanda, Angola, on Dec. 3, 2024.
REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

With seven weeks left as US president, Joe Biden was in Angola on Tuesday to meet with President João Lourenço. It's the very first visit of a US president to this former Portuguese colony.

Courtesy of Midjourney

Throughout Joe Biden’s presidency, the Commerce Department has gradually tightened its chokehold on China’s access to semiconductors needed to access, train, and build artificial intelligence. It just announced its “strongest controls ever," prompting China to respond in kind with restrictions of its own that send a signal to President-elect Donald Trump.