WeekWise LXXV
#75 WW: How Is the New Pope Selected?, LaLiga’s Internet Blocks Spark Censorship Debate, and 60% of Coachella’s Attendees Used Debt to Finance Their Purchase.
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I'm Adolfo Güell, and every week, I spend countless hours selecting curated content—whether it's posts, news, or podcasts—centered around my passions: technology, macroeconomics, innovation, and more. This newsletter is my way of sharing the top-notch content I've come across.
I hope this weekly newsletter introduces you to exciting new content and talented creators.
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This Monday, Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88, marking the end of a historic papacy. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first from Latin America, and the first non-European pontiff in over 1,200 years. His death follows years of declining health and came just days after Easter, a symbolic moment for the Catholic Church and its 1.3 billion followers around the world.
Now, the Church enters a period known as “sede vacante”—Latin for “the seat being vacant”—which officially begins the process of selecting the next pope.
How the Next Pope Will Be Chosen
In the coming days, the College of Cardinals will travel to the Vatican to take part in a conclave, a highly secretive process that takes place inside the Sistine Chapel. Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote, and around 120 are expected to participate.
The conclave involves a series of paper ballots—up to four per day—until a candidate receives a two-thirds majority. After each round, smoke is released through a chimney on the roof of the chapel: black smoke means no decision; white smoke signals that a new pope has been chosen.
Once a candidate is selected and accepts the role, he chooses a papal name, and the Church’s senior cardinal deacon announces: "Habemus Papam" ("We have a pope") to the crowds in St. Peter’s Square. Moments later, the new pope appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to deliver his first blessing.
The conclave is expected to begin within 15 to 20 days of Pope Francis's death, allowing time for mourning and for all voting cardinals to arrive in Rome. In the meantime, Catholics across the world reflect on Francis’s legacy and await the Church’s next chapter.
Sources: Pope Francis has died aged 88, Vatican confirms [Business Insider], Electing a new pope: What happens next and what is a papal conclave? [ABC News] & How a New Pope Is Chosen—and Who It Could Be [TIME]
In an effort to combat unauthorized football streaming, LaLiga has obtained a court order allowing the blocking of IP addresses associated with illegal content. However, this enforcement has led to the unintended consequence of legitimate websites becoming inaccessible in Spain.
Vercel, a cloud platform hosting numerous websites, reported that its infrastructure was affected by these blocks. Legitimate businesses and services, including news outlets and startups, found their websites inaccessible due to shared IP addresses being blocked.
The core issue arises from the method of enforcement. Instead of targeting specific domains or content, entire IP addresses are being blocked, failing to distinguish between infringing and non-infringing services. This approach has led to collateral damage across the internet.
The situation has sparked a debate about the balance between combating piracy and preserving open internet access. While LaLiga aims to protect its broadcasting rights, the current enforcement strategy raises concerns about overreach and the unintended consequences for lawful internet users and businesses.
As discussions continue, stakeholders are calling for more nuanced and targeted approaches to address piracy without compromising the accessibility and integrity of the broader internet ecosystem.
Sources: Update on Spain and LaLiga blocks of the internet [Vercel] & LaLiga accuses Cloudflare of “knowingly protecting” piracy sites [Broadcast]
This year, approximately 60% of Coachella tickets were purchased using Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) solutions, highlighting the growing popularity of installment-based financing even for non-essential, high-ticket purchases like music festivals. With general admission passes starting at $599, many attendees opted to spread out payments over several months.
This trend reflects a broader pattern in American consumer behavior, where debt is increasingly normalized—even for leisure spending. U.S. household debt hit an all-time high of $18.04 trillion by the end of 2024, with credit card debt alone reaching $1.21 trillion, up $45 billion from the previous quarter. Flexible payment options like BNPL, often marketed with little to no interest and minimal credit checks, are part of what's fueling this rise.
While BNPL services offer convenience and affordability in the short term, they also raise concerns about overextension and long-term financial health, especially among younger consumers. Experts warn that the ease of access can lead to impulse buying and accumulating liabilities that become hard to track and manage.
As these services expand into every corner of retail—from festivals to fast fashion—this trend serves as a reminder that debt culture in the U.S. is evolving, not disappearing.
Sources: Buy Now, Pay Later Is How 60% of Coachella Tickets Were Bought This Year [Observer] & US Household Debt Hits Record High: What's Driving the Surge and Are Americans Struggling to Repay? [Economic Times]
Some other reads I enjoyed…
China and European Union in talks to abolish EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles [BRICS News on X]
Larry Fink’s 2025 Annual Chairman’s Letter to Investors [BlackRock]
The US budget deficit dropped $76 billion year-over-year in March, to $161 billion, the lowest in 5 years [The Kobeissi Letter on X]
A new UBI experiment has come out [Crémieux on X]
ChatGPT Hits 1 Billion Users? ‘Doubled In Just Weeks’ Says OpenAI CEO [Forbes]
In 2024, the EU over-qualification rate was 21.3% [EU Eurostat on X]
Figma confidentially files for much awaited US IPO after $20 billion Adobe deal collapse [Reuters]
[PODCAST] Ben Lamm on The Joe Rogan Experience