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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/dirty-pool Back in 1990, when Trump was just a real estate developer that other real estate developers made fun of, I took my dad (a real estate developer no one ever made fun of) to Atlantic City to spend a night in the just-opened and heavily hyped Trump Taj Mahal Casino. In the elevator up to our room, my dad sniffed a couple of times and said, “You can smell the kitchen from the elevator. They cut corners. This place is not built well.” Suffice it to say, my dad would not be surprised at the disastrous results from our now algae-filled Reflecting Pool. (After spending his youth watching, and fighting [ https://substack.com/redirect/847a2825-f611-40d7-88d8-02d93b2c36e9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], the rise of fascism in Europe, he wouldn’t be surprised by much else, either.) In the grand scheme of things, the Reflecting Pool saga doesn’t amount to much, but since it’s getting so much attention, it might be worth ascribing some meaning to an otherwise meaningless story. First, it’s a reminder that Trump was never all that good at those things he was known for definitely being good at (real estate, construction, building things, the still long-awaited infrastructure week). Second, it’s an example of the onslaught of seemingly irresistible stories that come at such a feverish pace that they bump other (often more important) stories from our battered public consciousness. The swamp, it turns out, is draining us. (For example... Algae story: not big. Failed war in Iran: big). Third, the increased security and fencing [ https://substack.com/redirect/a08fc89b-6d67-49e5-83a0-d0949171ad15?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] put around the Reflecting Pool to protect it from supposed vandalism typifies the longstanding Trump tradition of using real resources to solve fake issues. Every second wasted on an imagined problem is a second not spent on a real one. Fourth, the media’s overcoverage of this story isn’t actually its biggest failing. It’s that we’re getting headlines like this: Was the Reflecting Pool vandalized? Experts cast doubt on Trump’s claims [ https://substack.com/redirect/5519253d-947e-4f51-adba-cc15691b5e5e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And this: Trump Blames Vandals for Reflecting Pool Problems. Internal Records Tell Another Story [ https://substack.com/redirect/0448f4a3-4e1e-45b4-8c5a-75d2bc716e0d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Headlines STILL present a possibility that a nonstop liar could be telling the truth. It’s fully insane. It’s Onion-esque, but real. I half-expected the byline to be Al G. Bloom. And fifth, what could be more illustrative of this era than a narcissist so malignant that he actually ruined his own reflecting pool? Circling back to that night in 1990, my dad and I won a lot of money, the Taj Mahal eventually went bankrupt, and that phony real estate developer Donald Trump was never heard from again. (If that sounds like fake news, I blame the vandals who accessed my laptop keyboard...) 2 A Teachable Foment “This was a discovery war. Both sides treated it as a live rehearsal, learning the things you can only learn by fighting: what the missiles and drones can really do, where the air defenses hold and where they leak, how the next one might be fought. More conflicts are coming, soon enough, and everyone fought this one with that in mind. The problem is the asymmetry in what was learned. We learned tactics, which depreciate. The other side learned something strategic, which compounds. They learned that the West is not built for discomfort. One oil shock and a single election cycle’s worth of patience, and the most powerful military coalition on earth stood down a regime it had on the ropes. And consider who the opponent was. Iran was close to the weakest adversary we could have faced: isolated, under sanctions for decades, its air defenses degraded, no nuclear weapon yet in hand, no major power fighting at its side, and a regime its own people had risen against months earlier. The conditions will never be this favorable again. If this is what our resolve looks like against Iran, the question every capital is now asking is the obvious one. What does it look like against China, with a peer military, an integrated economy we cannot simply sanction, and the patience of a state that thinks in decades?” Dror Berman with a very interesting look at what we, and the world, just learned. A Discovery War, Not a Peace Deal [ https://substack.com/redirect/fe70950e-a2cc-414f-812a-8ef5038697ed?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “It reflected not only the errors of an unusually feckless administration, but the accumulation of poor decisions and inadequate or misdirected investments by the Pentagon and Congress, civilian and military leaders alike. It was caused only partly by the distractions of Afghanistan and Iraq, but resulted even more from decades of loose thinking and self-serving assumptions about the changing character of war.” Eliot A. Cohen in The Atlantic (Gift Article): War and Consequences [ https://substack.com/redirect/9d42034b-f3a9-4465-b6d7-452027a0d6bd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Afford Expedition “The latest developments leave the first major piece of housing legislation to reach the president’s desk since the financial crisis in limbo after it passed Congress by wide margins and, for now, deny Trump and congressional Republicans a key affordability-related win ahead of November’s midterm elections.” Trump abruptly halts housing affordability legislation [ https://substack.com/redirect/ef356464-0e2a-452b-8796-ce240a0ee28f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], holds bill hostage in effort to pass voter ID law. (Even legislation that is good for the GOP isn’t as important to the administration as legislation that can unfairly tilt the election.) + Very likely related: Federal judge bars Trump from implementing proof of citizenship requirement to vote [ https://substack.com/redirect/88c2ad8e-484c-4ec7-94eb-4dae2051a362?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Continental Break Fast “Emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases from human activity are driving the planet’s long-term increase in temperatures, which is helping hot spells reach ever-greater extremes of severity and duration. But local factors determine how all that excess heat is distributed around the world, and why temperatures are rising faster in some places than others.” NYT(Gift Article): Why Europe Is the Fastest-Warming Continent [ https://substack.com/redirect/47c73e00-6cd0-4f1b-89ce-5702dd8d4640?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + And when we say warming, we mean warming. On Wednesday, at least 94 million people in Europe were expected to experience temperatures above 95°F [ https://substack.com/redirect/c84d5d8f-dc28-42d0-85c5-b97b7df7b426?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. It’s effing June. 5 Extra, Extra Apocalypse, Now: “Five years into the civil war, far from the reach of international aid groups, we found a heartland that felt lost in an apocalypse. From the skies above dusty villages and patchworks of farmland plowed by emaciated oxen, the Myanmar military’s instruments of death killed with chaotic impunity. In its isolation, Anyar suffers from crippling shortages, too, of weapons, guerrillas and, increasingly, hope.” Hannah Beech and Daniel Berehulak with some incredible, and incredibly depressing, reporting as we reach year five of Myanmar’s civil war. NYT (Gift Article): The War Forgotten by the World Is an Apocalypse Now [ https://substack.com/redirect/49c30cc1-d20a-46c1-9f70-2970d6c25713?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Give it Arrest: “A growing number of conservative leaders are starting to argue that the only way to stop women from ending their pregnancies could be to arrest them [ https://substack.com/redirect/fb7c0186-abf0-4245-ae93-3e4cc69f6eb7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + Pay to Play: WSJ (Gift Article): How a $45 Million Donation Brought Larry Ellison Deeper Into Trump’s Circle [ https://substack.com/redirect/fb1f59b5-dfad-4411-a8c1-94ac652d4333?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I mean, the explanation is right there in the headline...) + On a Wing and a Mayor: “All the winning candidates share Mr. Mamdani’s progressive economic platform, and they each ran campaigns that focused intently on ending American support for Israel, a sign of how far public opinion has shifted on the issue, even in New York.” Mamdani Emerges as Kingmaker, Pushing His Slate to a Primary Sweep [ https://substack.com/redirect/93b781a0-e9dd-4fcd-bc06-f3d986c9b715?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Bet Offensive: Still don’t believe me when I keep saying that prediction market apps are a detriment to society? Maybe this will convince you. Mark Zuckerberg Directed Meta to Create a Prediction Markets App [ https://substack.com/redirect/9b98d9ff-535c-4b3e-907a-6ea77a902e8d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Reversing History: “The welcome bags include a report commissioned by Mr. Trump during his first term that downplays the role of slavery in the country’s founding, and a children’s book accusing South Africa’s government of ‘favoring the Black population.’” NYT (Gift Article): A Look Inside the Welcome Bags Planned for White South African Refugees [ https://substack.com/redirect/a55e1d48-0c01-499e-a091-d393103107a6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Tall Order: What Messi lacks in height, he more than makes up for in statue height. “In Cutral Col, a remote town in Patagonia, Messi was honored with (literally) the largest monument to his greatness, yet. Local artists unveiled an 85-foot statue of the soccer legend [ https://substack.com/redirect/e801a52d-f843-461c-beac-c90af0821d0f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (We all know there’s only one foot that matters...) 6 Bottom of the News Basic Training Meets Basic Science: “The outbreak flared just two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth abandoned a decades-long requirement for flu shots.” Military branches restore flu shot requirement after virus swept through base [ https://substack.com/redirect/d5b3c814-68b2-490e-b7cf-22a2edbc50d4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/revenge-of-the-curds I mix my beagles’ dry food dinner with cottage cheese, so I make regular visits to my local corner grocery store to pick up a few containers. I was surprised recently when there was a note on the refrigerator shelf announcing that the cottage cheese was being rationed: One container per customer. When, on behalf of my beagles, I inquired about the new limit, the woman behind the counter explained, “It has something to do with TikTok. Teenagers have been coming in and buying our entire stock.” F. Scott Fitzgerald might have to rethink the notion that there are no second acts in American lives. Cottage cheese, once considered a diet food that had peaked in the 70s, only to be kicked to the curd by yogurt, has ridden a social media and protein wave back to prominence. Cottage cheese is no longer a cottage industry. “A growing obsession with protein among American consumers has given the white curds a new life. A few years ago, online fans began posting about ‘protein-maxxing’ with cottage cheese, adding it to ice cream, smoothies, flatbreads, bagels and pasta dishes. TikTok creators became cottage cheese converts, enticed by the product’s roughly 14 grams of protein per serving.” It’s rare that the New York Times and my beagles wake up asking themselves the same question, but in the 2026 news cycle, anything is possible. NYT (Gift Article): Where Has All the Cottage Cheese Gone [ https://substack.com/redirect/bb6b925d-b13d-492e-8612-ce799ac1088f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? 2 Our Days of Infamy Over the weekend, I visited the WWII Museum in New Orleans. The examples of leadership, unity, strategy, and deep alliance building you see in that museum stand in such sharp contrast to this American moment, dominated by what I described last week as the Trump Doctrine, which combines amorality and incompetence to empower enemies and betray allies, as it dilutes American power in a Dunning-Kruger stew of bluster, arrogance, and stupidity. It’s hard to imagine FDR feuding with an ally over a lie he told about a photo request [ https://substack.com/redirect/26762c54-9d75-4e67-aa1d-e43a4dffda32?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] or interrupting negotiations led by an already in-over-his-head vice president with threats to start bombing again. “If it works out, I’m going to take the credit,” Mr. Trump said of the peace deal last week. “If it doesn’t work out, I’m blaming JD.” Not exactly the day of infamy speech there. As Vance Leads Iran Negotiations, Trump Creates Disruptions in His Path [ https://substack.com/redirect/0ea34ea7-7d2d-4323-a57f-44d60fe425d2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + So far, we’re getting conflicting details from Iran and the US when it comes to control of the Strait, frozen Iranian assets, and nuclear inspections. So basically everything. Here’s the latest from the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/82d23ac2-4a61-40f9-8bdc-5a29d787c522?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + All Trump’s bluster aside, it’s hard to envision an outcome in which Iran’s monstrous regime isn’t more monstrous moving forward. NYT (Gift Article): Iranian Singer Sentenced to 74 Lashes for Performing Without Hijab [ https://substack.com/redirect/ae5a3b31-3fe7-43c8-b554-44789e238c99?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Reflecting the Times The seriousness of the Iran disaster and the damage it (along with much else) has done to America’s global standing is somehow sharing headlines with the president passing the buck for his Reflecting Pool clown show onto imaginary vandals. “’They put, somebody said, fertilizer in the water,’ Mr. Trump said. ‘If you put fertilizer in the water, you get algae. But somebody said they might have put fertilizer. They did something to create the algae.’” Trump on the Shabby Condition of the Reflecting Pool: Not My Fault [ https://substack.com/redirect/3a4502b5-87fb-409b-86da-b91aee1fa884?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. It’s worth noting that even Narcissus himself didn’t f-ck up the reflecting pool. 4 Moving the Goal “If you’re remotely soccer-aware, you’d already heard of the majesty of a Leo Messi-led Argentina, the artistry of a Kylian Mbappé-led France, the relentlessness of an Erling Haaland-led Norway. But until you see those nations, and those stars, in action, you can’t really comprehend how amazing they truly are. America is now getting the full Messi-Mbappé-Haaland experience, and it’s every bit as astounding as we’ve been told. How lucky are we to get to see generational glory play out right in front of us?” The Big 3 are somehow delivering more than anybody could have imagined [ https://substack.com/redirect/60020a1b-f3c0-4bbb-b073-b0bb5babec4e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “The two mid-half pauses for hydration (and advertisements) have been met with increasingly loud boos from crowds who are frustrated at FIFA turning matches into de facto four-quarter affairs. And the best way to get them to stop booing is, apparently, to get them to start singing.” The not-so-silent war being fought in World Cup stadiums: Stadium DJs vs. hydration break boos [ https://substack.com/redirect/81ef026d-7c7b-4523-ba45-a993609dbfd3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “For fans and players, [hydration breaks are] not worth much at all, and have engendered complaints they break up the flow of the game and topple decades of strategy.” For Fox Sports, they’re worth a lot. A whole lot [ https://substack.com/redirect/ae5194dd-a8d5-415b-8b8f-9a521fd83f74?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Human annotators in Brazil, Cambodia, and the Philippines are tracking every movement in the football tournament for teams, broadcasters, and the betting industry.” The AI-powered World Cup runs on thousands of data workers [ https://substack.com/redirect/a86992de-a1da-47da-81b5-22a3190e806f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Fake Dues: “In his videos, George Makihara appears to have a lucrative side hustle making bets on Polymarket. In January, the college student posted a video that showed him winning $100,000 on a wager that President Trump would publicly say the word ‘McDonald’s’ that month. The bet was one of 145 that Makihara appeared to place on Polymarket’s website between January and mid-May, based on his videos—bets adding up to almost $410,000. But none of those bets were real.” WSJ (Gift Article): They Looked Like They Were Getting Rich on Polymarket—but None of It Was Real [ https://substack.com/redirect/0c60ccb1-e62c-4a82-94d8-544e8cb9cfa1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Pay attention to who the prediction markets are targeting: “Makihara, who declined to comment, is one of dozens of mostly college-age creators Polymarket paid to film themselves making fake trades and sometimes scoring fake wins.” + Lettuce Try Again: “Six Prime Ministers have now resigned since the Brexit vote, in 2016. The sight of the lectern being carried out onto Downing Street, followed by the short, poignant farewell address, has taken on a ritual familiarity, with each departure colored by particular dismay.” The New Yorker: The Torture Chamber of British Politics Crushes Its Latest Prime Minister [ https://substack.com/redirect/421cc94a-321e-4aff-8f3f-2123957f0db1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And from TNR: Ten Years After Brexit, Every Grim Prediction Has More Than Come True [ https://substack.com/redirect/94541b45-8cd3-4a70-b71e-f72486c9d9b2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Dread Nought Decision: A SCOTUS obsessed with religious rights appears to have limits. Color us shocked. “The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled against a devout Rastafarian who sought damages after Louisiana prison officials cut his dreadlocks [ https://substack.com/redirect/cc1c287b-a29f-4410-ba1f-0a8c6f0dd71e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]despite his claim that it violated his religious rights ... The ruling saw the conservative majority depart from its regular support for religious claims, although recent high-profile wins tended to involve conservative Christians.” + Eifel Towering Inferno: The European heat waves are getting hotter, coming earlier, and arriving in places not used to them. Forty drown in France as people seek relief from Europe’s heatwave [ https://substack.com/redirect/901e82ed-5b8a-425b-94ec-c81c0c1a4513?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Behind the Scenes: “Mr. Davis worked to develop his business instincts — and his ear — by studying the Billboard charts and analyzing what made a song a hit. He came to believe in the power of what he called contemporary music: the unabashedly commercial pop that results when a record executive plays matchmaker in the studio, connecting the right singers with the right material.” The studying paid off. NYT (Gift Article): Clive Davis, Hitmaking Titan of the Music Industry, Dies at 94 [ https://substack.com/redirect/939fcad6-a051-42a1-a1b7-b3f46461dfb6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And, the absolutely great TV director James Burrows [ https://substack.com/redirect/55ab8553-bce6-457b-9afc-874e25e0bd34?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] (Taxi, Cheers, Will and Grace) died at 85. + Real Company, Meme Stock: “SpaceX is obviously not Dogecoin. Its rocket business is a genuine success story, as is Starlink. But the company’s appeal, particularly in the face of setbacks, is also reliant on a combination of story and Musk’s own image in ways that are not necessarily connected to reality. Musk has frequently set unrealistic timelines for projects, including putting a spacecraft on Mars by 2018.” Charlie Warzel in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Myth of SpaceX [ https://substack.com/redirect/b504aaf8-eae5-4df6-b70a-8dff18d1988a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + It’s Never Too Late To Stop: “While divorce rates have been dropping across age groups in recent years, the exception to that trend is among Americans ages 65 and up [ https://substack.com/redirect/99ff1c6c-0647-41e2-85ae-09af28785175?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The reasons are complicated, but it’s becoming clear that some Gen Xers and baby boomers are increasingly unwilling to stay in what sociologists call ‘empty shell marriages.’” 6 Bottom of the News “For most of human history, the threats our nervous system processed were local. A neighbouring tribe. A drought. The illness of a child we personally knew. Information about distant places would barely arrive, and if it did, it was mainly irrelevant. In 2026, the same neurological system is being asked to absorb a war in one region, a financial shock in another, a climate disaster in a third and a violent crime in a fourth, all before lunchtime.” Why 40 per cent of people are avoiding the news [ https://substack.com/redirect/cb505c46-b67a-4848-a20f-3ff604d18b46?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. OK, OK, so I’m pushing a product no one wants. Maybe there’s a workaround. Or at least a reach-around. Apparently, newsletters are The Hot New Place for Singles [ https://substack.com/redirect/ac8874e2-2473-492d-a727-d527423c4166?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/memorandum-and-dumber If nothing else, we’ve at least stumbled our way into understanding the Trump Doctrine. It combines amorality and incompetence to empower enemies and betray allies, as it dilutes [ https://substack.com/redirect/7def394e-918e-4695-8936-5d94d100e777?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] American power in a Dunning-Kruger stew of bluster, arrogance, and stupidity. This doctrine, and the war that came to represent it so clearly, is hardly a surprise. As Daniel B. Shapiro asks in The Atlantic (Gift Article), What Did You Expect [ https://substack.com/redirect/e9fe210b-876f-49a4-b539-3b52380948a6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? “The credibility of the U.S. in tatters and its military readiness compromised. Alliances and partnerships under stress. The global economy in tumult, inflicting financial pain on American citizens that will linger even as oil prices decline. A fine and avoidable mess all around.” Maybe you’re feeling a little schadenfreude watching this humiliation [ https://substack.com/redirect/01314c95-a845-4998-9627-e9623d2776ab?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. But this is not just political theater. As Americans, the humiliation is ours as well. And its impact is bad. Bad for America, our alliances, the region, the Iranian people, Israelis, and the world order. + At one point yesterday, after describing the Iranian regime as “nice to deal with,” Trump explained to reporters why it makes sense [ https://substack.com/redirect/8fa618ae-faa4-4c99-9808-d38fa4fea516?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to leave Iran with its ballistic missile program: “I’m saying that if other countries have them, it’s a little unfair for them not to have some.” Today, JD Vance concurred. Defending Trump’s remark, Vance says Iran needs missiles for ‘self-defense,’ like Israel [ https://substack.com/redirect/2bf05e7d-248b-4ace-8b34-ff25cc5b6da6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Empower enemies and betray allies. Vance, who famously said he didn’t care what happens to our ally [ https://substack.com/redirect/cba27996-9bf5-4cfb-b16d-27f60ae920aa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], Ukraine, added: “Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time. If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.” (I’m no fan of Bibi or his cabinet, but Trump was locking arms with them as recently as a couple weeks ago. But I’ll give this to Vance: He is an expert on reducing the number of one’s powerful allies.) + NYT (Gift Article): Israel, Stunned by Trump’s Iran Deal, Sees It as a ‘Catastrophic Capitulation [ https://substack.com/redirect/a7f1837f-12d2-42d0-84f0-295a68aef846?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’ And from Yair Rosenberg in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Netanyahu Finally Learns the Truth About Trump [ https://substack.com/redirect/2378a298-49c0-4d81-8aa1-e66bb22b261e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “For years, Netanyahu has built his brand on two promises to the Israeli electorate: that he alone could withstand international pressure to compromise on Israeli security, and that he alone could handle Trump.” (If there’s any silver lining to this whole mess, it’s that it may finally doom Bibi’s election winning streak.) + While Vance was railing against our ally in the Middle East, Pete Hegseth was covering the Europe beat, lashing out at NATO [ https://substack.com/redirect/fd3ef8e2-7d54-48e6-92ea-9bc121bb75b8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]for failing to be supportive enough of America’s historic blunder in Iran. (Easy on enemies, tough on allies.) + Some housekeeping. First, NextDraft will be off until Tuesday. Second, there’s still one more day to score a NextDraft shirt for just $13 [ https://substack.com/redirect/d85d3def-eb54-4e6b-8a75-4a7b2356518e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Use the code LUCKY13 at checkout.) 2 Sticks and Drones Ukraine knows all too well the American administration’s doctrine of going soft on enemies while holding back support for allies. Trump essentially pushed for a surrender [ https://substack.com/redirect/82cb0869-26ef-4143-a913-a9df8dbe7473?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in that war, too. Luckily, Ukrainians (and their European allies, who understand that Putin is also not “nice” to deal with) aren’t going along with that program. Ukraine Bombards Moscow With One of the Biggest Drone Attacks of the War [ https://substack.com/redirect/52e61079-f4de-415e-ac39-4d66fd7249a7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “No deaths were immediately reported. But the large-scale assault seemed likely to feed fears among Russians that the Kremlin’s ability to isolate society from the impacts of the war was sharply eroding.” + Inspired by Ukraine, and worried by China: Taiwan teaches its citizens how to fly drones [ https://substack.com/redirect/b7ee579c-ab53-4968-bf36-a594577a0f18?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Hacky Track “With some small, high-stakes exceptions—such as software used on the International Space Station or nuclear submarines—code is written and deployed without much rigorous testing. If a bug is reported, it gets patched ... Such a relaxed security posture has been more or less fine because discovering vulnerabilities is hard and skilled hackers are few in number: Either nobody found the bugs or nobody was able to exploit them. But traditional cybersecurity methods don’t cut it anymore.” AI might feel like it gives you some superpowers. But it also gives them to the bad guys. Matteo Wong: Assume You Will Be Hacked [ https://substack.com/redirect/45af61e8-57cc-4e80-a38e-16cf1e34cc88?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 The Tenacity of Hope Meanwhile, back in decent America, the Obama Presidential Center opened today in Chicago. It turns out some presidents don’t have any trouble attracting [ https://substack.com/redirect/caeac1e9-ae41-490b-a89d-4cd9701767d5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] A-list talent (Bono, Bruce, The Roots, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Vedder, etc) or former presidents to celebrate unity and what makes America actually great. Here are live updates from NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/5abbbf98-9d60-4f18-9c81-c325c0710d31?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and the stream from YouTube [ https://substack.com/redirect/bb0c24af-4a1a-49f9-8a1b-0615cc7236a5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. It takes a little more audacity to have hope these days. This might help. 5 Extra, Extra High Court: “The U.S. Supreme Court found Thursday that the government’s prosecution of a marijuana user from Texas for owning guns was inconsistent with the Second Amendment. The decision was unanimous.” Supreme Court sides with a marijuana user who was barred from owning guns [ https://substack.com/redirect/32d99fbf-84a0-45ee-8bb7-7ab772854dd0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (On the plus side, his aim probably isn’t all that good...) + How The Doge Bites: “Their mother died in January, their father in February. Now these brothers are in the process of figuring out the basics of living alone ... Both parents were HIV positive but had been able to survive because of the daily medications they took to prevent the virus from progressing. When the U.S. overhauled foreign aid at the start of President Trump’s second term, there were major cuts to global health — and disruptions to the U.S.’s flagship efforts to combat HIV/AIDS globally called PEPFAR or the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.” NPR: These 3 brothers lost their parents to AIDS. Now they struggle to make it on their own [ https://substack.com/redirect/0ec29c52-9c88-4131-9d93-ad4fa7203eca?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + What’s Up, Grok? “This enthusiasm feels unprecedented. Health care is typically among the last fields to adopt a new technology; I still use a pager, and I send faxes on a regular basis. (Younger readers can ask Claude to explain what these things are.) A tendency toward simple tech is in part a product of doctors’ safety-focused culture: We know that any ill-timed glitch has the potential to turn deadly. But these days, clinicians are allowed—encouraged, even—to run wild with the latest software.” AI Is Taking Over Hospitals [ https://substack.com/redirect/65697dc7-51ba-49b2-aa12-89254d5cba9c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (It’s only a matter of time before AI says there are no appointments available for a few months...) + See If I Care: “Some had parents who never said ‘I love you’; who never tried very hard; who never took an interest. Others had parents who hurt them. Many were harmed in the usual, derivative ways — with belts and closed fists and neglect and humiliation — but some had parents who were more inventive in their infliction of pain. A woman whose father would swing her sister around by her ponytail. A man whose drunken mother used to wake him up at night to tell him that he was a ‘piece of shit’ for hours on end, so he couldn’t sleep.” NYT Magazine (Gift Article): The Pain of Caring for a Parent Who Abused You [ https://substack.com/redirect/b419c347-fbd1-4630-916d-bac78e474c24?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + On Parade: Here are some highlights from the Knicks parade in NYC [ https://substack.com/redirect/23fc20fd-7b12-401b-b2f8-6285f35e44ec?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Owner James Dolan announced that the Knicks would be the first NBA team to visit the Trump White House [ https://substack.com/redirect/77fba209-6a3f-453e-a9d3-5f0a0d306a0f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. I guess we’ll find out how the players feel about that. 6 Bottom of the News American diplomacy ain’t dead yet. Ranch dressing has been such a hit with World Cup visitors that the TSA felt the need to remind people about how much liquid can be stored in carry-on baggage. Please avoid chugging your ranch [ https://substack.com/redirect/aa86521e-ec94-4ff8-b5b7-228601431d69?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Scheduling reminder: NextDraft will be off until Tuesday. Have a good weekend. 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/pep-talk Usually, when we hear about drugs gaining popularity on the black market, people are looking to party, get high, or feed their related addictions. But these days, perhaps unsurprisingly, the drugs shooting up black market sales charts are being purchased by people interested in looksmaxxing, improving fitness, or extending their lifespan. Tonight, we’re gonna party like it’s 2026. Getting ripped (muscular) is the new getting ripped (wasted). Forget meth, opioids, coke, or weed. The new class of drug users is looking for peptides, “a loose cohort of amino acid-based drugs that bond to receptors in the body to toggle various physiological processes on and off. Some peptides are legal and widely used, including insulin and GLP-1 drugs (the ‘P’ is for ‘peptide’) ... the [blackmarket peptides] consist of cryptic jumbles of letters (BPC-157, CJC-1295, TB-500) and promise all kinds of benefits: Want to sleep better? There’s a peptide for that. How about heal your tendinitis faster or lock in at work? There are peptides for that too. Need a tan? Sure. Then there are the ‘stacks,’ such as Wolverine, KLOW and Phoenix — combinations of peptides meant to max out users’ results.” The big question is whether or not peptide aficionados are getting ripped (off). Or worse; doing self harm (getting R.I.P.ed...) One alarming sign is that, in addition to influencers like Joe Rogan, RFK Jr is a fan, and that means prescriptions could soon be moving from the black market to a compounding pharmacy or profit-obsessed telehealth provider near you. Whether you (or your liver) are ready or not, the peptide is about to turn. Bloomberg (Gift Article): The Billion-Dollar Peptides Gold Rush [ https://substack.com/redirect/95e5afa3-a081-48d7-a380-ded3348f49b5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Nice Going... “We’re dealing with people that I think are very rational, I mean, they were nice to deal with [ https://substack.com/redirect/0d488e53-c831-4a77-b97b-6cafc5a332a4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” That’s how Donald Trump described his Iranian counterparts, the regime members he was determined to remove (until he wasn’t). I’m guessing victims of the regime’s terror, countries like Israel that the regime has long been determined to destroy, and soldiers tasked with risking their lives to fight against it, are surprised to hear how nice they are to deal with. But not as surprised and saddened as the Iranian people. At the beginning of the war, Trump said, “To the great, proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand.” Instead, “the war without has since compounded Iran’s war within, in ways that the world has hardly reckoned with.” Laura Secor in The Atlantic (Gift Article) on The Betrayal of the Iranian People [ https://substack.com/redirect/e6effa93-be95-432b-a979-5ead51dc86fc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “’Now is the time to seize control of your destiny, and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach,’ Trump told the Iranian people the night he started the war. ‘This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass.’ What a misreading of the moment that was. War has instead done what it usually does: empowered the powerful, rallied the faithful, and allowed an apparatus of repression to present its imperatives in terms of national security.” (Read the first couple paragraphs of this article and see if nice is the first word that comes to mind...) + “Just this winter, Trump had promised the Iranian people that the tyrants who ruled them would be gone. But now? ‘I never cared about regime change,’ he told reporters, waving away his failure to achieve a primary strategic goal by denying that it had ever been a goal at all.” Tom Nichols: Trump Does Not Understand the War He Lost [ https://substack.com/redirect/e352a123-76be-495d-bac2-32cd23988794?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (It turns out that reality is not so nice to deal with.) + Meanwhile, Trump now says, MOU with Iran ‘not final,’ we’ll go ‘back to dropping bombs’ if talks fail [ https://substack.com/redirect/b565fe97-4a95-4c2c-ab4a-c011057c6efe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “If I don’t like it, if they don’t behave, we’ll go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head, okay?” + “Iran affirms that it will never seek, develop, or acquire nuclear weapons.” That’s the key line from the agreement that Trump tore up during his first term. And he’s been bombing and bombastic in an effort to get us back anywhere close to that deal again. Here’s the Memorandum of Understanding [ https://substack.com/redirect/400bf172-04f1-44bb-bcfc-06c9c0f7f0b9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], annotated by the WSJ (Gift Article). 3 Boom Box Forget cloud nine. Today’s cloud goes to eleven. Data centers are generally unpopular these days. Particularly so among those who live within shouting (or thrumming) distance of one. NYT (Gift Article): The Cloud Has Sound: The Unrelenting and Unseen Cost of A.I. Data Centers [ https://substack.com/redirect/a3d424c1-c4c6-416c-9fd5-711421639c7a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Yes, the cloud has a sound, and some who live closest to data centers that emit the noise have reached their wit’s end trying to block it out. Residents in three small cities last month filed lawsuits against data centers specifically about noise.” + When it comes to these lawsuits, some datacenter owners have a very big thing on their side. The US government. D.O.J. Seeks to Halt Air Pollution Lawsuit Against xAI Data Center [ https://substack.com/redirect/32c0234c-262c-441e-98d5-3ec8024b6475?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Words Worth “For the past six years, Casey Harrell’s life has felt like a slow-motion car crash. At 42, he began to lose his voice to the neurodegenerative disease ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. His world shrank as his ability to sing to his young daughter, give a presentation for work or tell a joke eroded. Three years later, researchers at the University of California at Davis placed experimental implants in his brain. He gained something incredible: ‘The ability to talk from my brain.’” WaPo (Gift Article): Two years, 2 million words: How a brain implant transformed an ALS patient’s life [ https://substack.com/redirect/87cda181-2743-4550-a908-119167dcff0f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Snap Decision: “As a House committee debated President Donald Trump’s signature domestic policy bill last year, Republican backers repeatedly emphasized that its changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, wouldn’t affect vulnerable people.” Apparently, hungry kids aren’t vulnerable anymore. ProPublica: More Than 770,000 Children Are No Longer Receiving SNAP Benefits [ https://substack.com/redirect/84989ec1-8fbf-4816-bcaa-79223d60d6ad?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] After Trump Changes Federal Food Program. + Friendly Fire? “President Donald Trump on Wednesday derailed the confirmation process of his own nominee to head the nation’s intelligence agencies, an extraordinary move that upended Senate efforts to renew a crucial surveillance program that expired last week and fueled fresh tensions with fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill.” Trump delays his own national intelligence nominee [ https://substack.com/redirect/528ab774-1d50-4cce-ac2d-32fd5c51014c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (It’s all about pushing the voter ID bill because it’s all about finding ways to tilt the midterms.) + Going Steady: After all the attacks on Jerome Powell for not cutting interest rates, the first Fed meeting with Kevin Warsh at the helm ends with rates holding steady [ https://substack.com/redirect/ef1ac030-90f4-4b14-8aa4-a49f7727dede?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And they may rise later in the year. + Serial Sentencing: “The sentence, the maximum the New York law allows, was handed down by Judge Timothy Mazzei after a morning of grueling victim’s family impact statements on the effect Heuermann’s murder spree had on the children and relatives of his victims.” Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann sentenced to life in prison without parole [ https://substack.com/redirect/967177ce-809b-4064-bb66-b163292405e2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Messi Job: “Soccer, like much of life, is a team sport, and teams don’t go far unless there’s unselfish cooperation, etc. Everyone knows what to say: no player is bigger than the group, blah, blah, blah. Same in the workplace—don’t eat all the doughnuts in the kitchen, Jason, they’re supposed to be for everyone, blah, blah, blah. Every coach, every boss, you’ve ever had says stuff like this. They’re right. They’re mostly right. Some days…it really is all about the stars.” And the stars showed up big time in early World Cup games, including a ridiculous hat trick from Messi. Messi! Mbappé! Haaland! The World Cup Gets a Starry, Scoring-Filled Spectacular [ https://substack.com/redirect/8a170d01-a807-4cca-9109-649550316607?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “We’ve been here for over 30 years, and we’ve never seen anything like it ... We tripled St. Patrick’s Day.” How do you outdrink St. Patrick’s Day in Boston? Inviting Scots to town is a good start [ https://substack.com/redirect/7401043d-2cf0-4142-aaba-b9be8029eba4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (These are the only kind of World Cup hydration breaks [ https://substack.com/redirect/4644b4a6-fc18-4f20-9354-40b881c97176?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] that no one is complaining about.) + Gromit: Wallace’s long-suffering canine companion to tell all in memoir [ https://substack.com/redirect/e00d58e7-5226-4eec-a2cd-466dd6a2d8f3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qSXdNalEzTlRVME5Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56Z3hOekl4T1RRd0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1UTXlOVGM1TkRBc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5mekFtS1g1b0RWWkh3bXkxOG0wRlhyandEZFFLN1pzUFdPQkRiTE9uTnlFIiwicCI6MjAyNDc1NTQ1LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3ODE3MjE5NDAsImV4cCI6MjA5NzI5Nzk0MCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.bYL_dQaLwbcceTF0Ogy5Nskk_eq4wAIjKA33z0BWGN0?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/better-left-alone Meta’s Twitter-clone Threads just reached 500 million monthly users [ https://substack.com/redirect/510f1845-963a-437e-a7bd-664945d3a48c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], which is further proof that humans are starved for community interaction, even when that interaction is only virtual and often unpleasant. Of course, we’re constantly reminded by endless expert-led studies that real-life human relationships are the key [ https://substack.com/redirect/cbf2c7ad-c39a-473f-b137-dd1e892ddc1a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to health, happiness, and longevity. But, you may have wondered while considering this research whether these near-universal findings apply to all relationships. There are, it turns out, exceptions. And you probably know a few of them. “Relationships with people who are draining, critical, or otherwise difficult can compromise our mental and physical health. Shira Offer, a sociologist at Bar-Ilan University, in Israel, who has studied these so-called negative social ties, told me, ‘For a long time, social scientists have focused on the positive aspects of relationships. And finally, we’re also seriously dealing with the negative aspects.’” Olga Khazan in The Atlantic (Gift Article): There’s a Name for the People Who Drain You [ https://substack.com/redirect/45a416b5-4a05-4b92-b8ea-1c2fe07f630f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I must be an introvert, a misanthrope, or both, because I always thought that name was people.) 2 Need Some Cyber Space? You might imagine that the best place to train to be a cybercrime fighter would be right here in front of your laptop. But, there may be a better place. The FBI built its own replica small town to simulate real-world cyberattacks [ https://substack.com/redirect/88bad06a-e5a4-4f8d-8525-066ae69a9395?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Dubbed the Kinetic Cyber Range, the FBI’s small purpose-built town opened in February 2025 and features fully furnished houses, a hotel, a gas station and grocery mart, a courthouse, a hospital, and a power company — complete with roads and traffic lights — designed to mimic a real U.S. community.” 3 Orange is the New Green “The profound vulnerability of countries throughout Asia, Europe and elsewhere that depend on imported energy is supercharging the hunt for alternatives. In some places, like South Korea and Japan, that has led to an increased use of dirtier fuels like coal. But over the longer term, this energy shock — the second in just four years — is likely to accelerate a transition to renewables like solar and wind as well as nuclear power.” Could Trump have inadvertently become the leader on renewables? NYT (Gift Article): The Iran War Permanently Altered the Global Economy [ https://substack.com/redirect/089c8d23-8005-41fb-a31f-ccf7961aed01?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Or as Ian Bremmer explains: “We could look back on this in 10 years and see that orange is the new green [ https://substack.com/redirect/14da76f1-1e5d-40e8-8a5c-3b2cf55ba7c3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Trump will have done more for renewable energy unintentionally than any other president in U.S. history.” Maybe Bremmer is right: Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool turns green after surface painted [ https://substack.com/redirect/d8b62601-a145-4fb3-a95b-1465484c904b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “The United States, for its part, looks weaker in the eyes of the world. The American military has shown itself unable to quash a much smaller opponent even as it burned through many of its long-range precision missiles and interceptors. The outcome damages this country’s ability to deter other potential adversaries. To begin to repair the damage, the United States would be wise to mend alliances in Europe, the Middle East and Asia that have been frayed by the war’s military and economic effects. The Pentagon will also need to modernize and prepare for the wars of the future. Neither is likely to happen under President Trump.” NYT Editorial Board (Gift Article): President Trump Lost This War [ https://substack.com/redirect/63a58e57-6073-40c0-a251-417996ab84af?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (This provides a pretty good summary of what just about every expert is saying. Even GOP officials aren’t getting on board [ https://substack.com/redirect/ca011c14-e82f-43cd-ad99-5f947a362d27?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]with the memorandum of understanding - and no one has even been able to see it yet.) + Aside from the Iranian people who were promised that “help is on the way,” the person most concerned about this deal is probably Bibi Netanyahu. For years, he looked like one of the few Trump partners who wouldn’t end up under the bus. Maybe there are no exceptions. From saying Netanyahu has no f-cking judgment [ https://substack.com/redirect/fb5e0b83-c6ba-4b16-8094-b3b1f54f386a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], to freezing him out [ https://substack.com/redirect/c0598bf7-9f91-416b-9be7-f5697462f771?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] of negotiations, to complaining about him [ https://substack.com/redirect/755f09b7-772d-41e2-b3ee-3998300d6512?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] at this week’s G7, Bibi seems to be getting run over by the wagon he hitched himself to. + Trump insists that the relationship with Bibi is still good, adding, “Without me there would be no Israel, because no other president was willing to do what I did.” Here’s the latest from The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/660aa15a-563a-4f4b-87e4-ae28eb6b50b4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + A headline for the ages from Politico: Trump is turning his attention back to Ukraine — and Kyiv’s allies are worried [ https://substack.com/redirect/c9b3c5f1-a9cd-46c9-8ac6-5c2d875c6679?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Somehow, Ukraine has managed to overcome both Putin and Trump over the past year and a half. It’s an incredible story.) 4 In Convenience “The town that hosts the world’s largest convenience store smells like ass. For many decades, Luling, Texas, was regionally famous for its excellent barbecue, locally grown supersized watermelons, and the unpleasant rotten-egg smell of hydrogen sulfide, the toxic and highly flammable byproduct of its abundant oil wells. Some locals swear they can’t detect the odor; others profess to love the smell of their own farts, bragging that it’s the ‘smell of money.’ But today, Luling might be best known for a very, very large gas station. Four miles southeast of the town of about six thousand, rising out of the brush alongside Interstate 10, is the mother of all convenience stores—the flagship of Buc-ee’s, a Texas-based chain of ‘travel centers’ that has become a cult phenomenon and one of the state’s most eminent brand ambassadors. The 75,593-square-foot travel center—with its 120 gas pumps, more than two hundred employees, fifty-one bathroom stalls, nineteen urinals attended 24/7 by workers who flit in and out of an ‘employees only’ janitor’s closet, food court of cowboy-hat-wearing staff chopping brisket, clerks chirping ‘Welcome in” to every visitor, stacks of deer corn, $1,499 deer blinds, and racks of in-house gummy bears and jerky—has the distinct odor of caramel-coated Beaver Nuggets. But really, it smells like money.” In The Baffler, Forrest Wilder takes us on a unique summer road trip: Leave it to Beaver [ https://substack.com/redirect/ce41afd0-9446-4ef7-9c04-53182261f0c9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra There’s No Gravity Up Here: “We can say with certainty that this valuation makes absolutely no sense today. People are buying SpaceX ​in ​the expectation that others will buy too and push the price ​higher - that’s speculation.” Whatever you call it, the stock is going up. SpaceX vaults past Microsoft and Amazon’s market value as post IPO momentum builds [ https://substack.com/redirect/573effbb-0b5a-4f3b-9d8f-f297fd86a3fe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + In Fact It’s a Gas: “For years, federal health officials have warned about the risks associated with a supplement derived from the leaves of kratom trees that adherents say can kill pain or boost energy. Sold in gas stations across America, kratom has been linked to liver toxicity, seizures and thousands of deaths.” So this won’t surprise you. How an Addictive Gas Station Drug Found Allies in Trump’s Cabinet [ https://substack.com/redirect/1f501c00-cfd5-498c-9788-8134fea49282?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Death Notes: “The picture drawn most clearly by this new information is not the elaborate conspiracy that his murder would have required; rather, it is an unfortunate though not improbable convergence of longstanding institutional failures, human errors and chance events, which created an opportunity for Epstein to act on what was by then a well-established desire that he had already tried and failed to realize.” NYT Mag (Gift Article): The Untold Story of Jeffrey Epstein’s Death [ https://substack.com/redirect/9601422f-3b29-4ce8-b6ab-f2310aa6d972?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Now, let’s release the untold stories from his life.) + If There Are No Objections... “The Justice Department’s senior leadership closed an investigation of Paramount’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery before career staffers who were concerned about the acquisition had an opportunity to object [ https://substack.com/redirect/5a5a19b5-80e5-41a9-b9dc-2f0073cff104?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], according to people familiar with the matter.” (I’m beginning to think there’s some corruption going on at the Justice Dept.) + Tarped: “President Donald Trump’s name came off the Kennedy Center in the dead of night Saturday. More than 60 hours later, almost no one has seen it gone.” Trump’s name is off the Kennedy Center, but a tarp is hiding the proof [ https://substack.com/redirect/f46954f3-b72a-47f4-957c-0ad8886393f8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + News Re-Cap: Giants baseball has hit a real low point. And it’s not because the team has been terrible. In a controversy that only seems to be building, “several Giants players responded to Pride Night on Friday by writing Bible verses on their caps.” Grant Brisbee: Giants pitchers’ Bible verses on Pride Night caps show how they’ve missed the point [ https://substack.com/redirect/db328211-94a5-4b0d-8c3d-e08935b3f913?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. A lot of fans are furious. So is just about every beat writer. Giants pitchers didn’t just deface Pride uniforms. They alienated their fans and city [ https://substack.com/redirect/a428bbd2-d012-4873-a1a7-bb33b4714323?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Mike Krukow, our beloved broadcaster: “I would just hope they would understand the demographic of San Francisco and respect people for who they are. What you do to your uniform, that has weight to it. You can offend people. And why would you do that?” (A question for the era.) + Winning Tie: “It took Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha all of his 40 years on Earth to make his World Cup debut. The long, long wait was worth every fleeting second. Vozinha recorded seven saves Monday, holding Spain’s star-studded lineup to a shocking 0-0 draw.” In the shock of the World Cup so far, 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper keeps favorite Spain to 0 goals at World Cup [ https://substack.com/redirect/27ca446a-e02c-4c9a-b5b4-b1021b9993d4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (He also managed to pick up about 7 million [ https://substack.com/redirect/76f9a5d9-1f0a-4e30-9188-bbbdad868ad6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]Instagram followers.) And from The Guardian: How Algeria won over a Kansas town – and became the World Cup’s unlikeliest love affair [ https://substack.com/redirect/cbc56efc-8f17-4066-90b7-e28d21480e15?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News A company once ahead of its time is trying to turn back the clock. “Although the phone has Internet connectivity, it blocks web browsers and social media.” Commodore’s newest gadget is a flip phone that blocks social media and browsers [ https://substack.com/redirect/b6f60a0c-c1c4-43f2-969a-394cbb6bb5b1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + In 1992, “McDonald’s replaced the fried apple pie with a baked version in most of the U.S., responding to growing consumer awareness of fat and cholesterol consumption.” McDonald’s is serving fried apple pie again for America’s 250th birthday [ https://substack.com/redirect/42aad39b-9183-46c7-b9f3-21067bcc592b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Sounds pretty good, but I’m still celebrating with a Safeway Cake.) + Self-pleasure before bed is linked to falling asleep faster and sleeping better [ https://substack.com/redirect/618acb01-4cc9-400f-8129-ee69a7a9f2db?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (OK! OK! ... I’ll try it.) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qSXdNak14TkRFeE55d2lhV0YwSWpveE56Z3hOak14TXpRNExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1UTXhOamN6TkRnc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5acV8ybjFrbTNLQnp0d3p3Y2t0RjUtYk5GQnhIWk9QM2hYcG1hR2ZOQ3c0IiwicCI6MjAyMzE0MTE3LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3ODE2MzEzNDgsImV4cCI6MjA5NzIwNzM0OCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.peODMLJEV0iiIx3GhNhJx8Ya6iyP2nfz3IDBrzUfzro?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/the-boy-who-cried-win We have a deal! Well, actually, we have a memorandum of understanding. And not everyone seems to have gotten the memo about how we should be understanding it. We won’t know what devil is in the details of the peace agreement with Iran until those details are ultimately ironed out over the coming weeks and months. But it sure doesn’t look like unconditional surrender. It’s also not looking better than the deal Obama negotiated with Iran (the nuclear issues are still subject to negotiation). In terms of lives, dollars, and reputation, Trump’s tearing up of the old Iran agreement could go down as the most expensive tantrum in American history. And I’m not using my own scorecard, I’m using Trump’s. “Mr. Trump said the United States intended to ‘annihilate’ Iran’s military capabilities, abolish its nuclear ambitions, topple its theocratic leadership and liberate its people, whom he encouraged to take over their government when the fighting had stopped. Just one week after the strikes started, he said Iran’s only path to a deal was an ‘unconditional surrender.’” NYT (Gift Article): Trump Winds Down the War He Started With Goals Unmet [ https://substack.com/redirect/cf26c508-99c4-4228-910d-8f6fd06f27fd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, the region and the Iranian people (who were promised “help is on the way”) are left to deal with a more emboldened, more extreme, more entrenched, and less sanctioned regime. + “The United States has perhaps done worse than gaining nothing. Iran, while temporarily weakened, is now an even more powerful political actor: The regime in Tehran stood up to a massive U.S. onslaught, survived, and then inflicted pain on various states in the Gulf as punishment for going along with Trump’s war. The Israelis, for their part, have been left out in the cold.” Tom Nichols in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Trump Celebrates While America Capitulates [ https://substack.com/redirect/5c22ea0a-c6ae-4703-876d-531f312996fe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Initial details suggest that the agreement does nothing to curb Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal, or its funding of regional proxies like Hezbollah in Lebanon or the Houthis in Yemen, who have attacked Israel with their own arsenals. It could help Iran bolster those proxies by easing sanctions, which would allow billions of dollars to flow into its bank accounts. The deal’s terms when it comes to constraining Iran’s nuclear program — of greatest importance to Israel, and the greatest priority of Mr. Netanyahu’s career — remain undisclosed or still to be negotiated ... Worse still for Mr. Netanyahu, who faces re-election in a few months and is behind in the polls, President Trump, the Israeli leader’s most valuable political asset, has publicly rebuked him multiple times in recent weeks.” NYT (Gift Article): Israel Counts the Ways That Netanyahu’s Iran Strategy Failed [ https://substack.com/redirect/0819d831-bd8e-4c32-8755-e5b57d1c7395?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Ships are starting to move, many loaded up with Oil, out of the Strait of Hormuz. They are going along the Southern ‘Highway,’ which is totally safe, secure, and pristine. There are other areas of travel, also!!!” So said Trump about the re-opening of the Strait, officially happening on Friday. Historians will note that the Strait was open before the war. Here’s the latest from The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/21d6c9ae-b850-4274-b4cd-ec396dcd1a5f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Punch Drunk Gov While the world celebrated the beautiful game, Americans were left to suffer an ugly spectacle at the White House. Monica Hesse in WaPo (Gift Article): The White House UFC fights showed us the America we needed to see [ https://substack.com/redirect/77851041-4f72-4f6d-b1a4-23a5ff98620b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “MMA is a deeply violent sport, and always has been. We are a deeply violent country, and always have been. But there’s artistry to the MMA fight, and discipline, a body pushing itself to limits that are simultaneously sickening and exhilarating. But the Ultimate Fighting Championship event that happened on Sunday night was not a celebration of a sport, it was a celebration of slop. It was a pseudo-patriotic grift that tried to convince us that fighters wheel-kicking each other for the chance of $1 million in crypto deserved the same level of hero admiration as the boys who launched onto the beach at Normandy; it was an infomercial that paused every seven seconds to advertise Starlink internet or Starry soda or Ram trucks or flavors of Monster energy drink that God forgot.” (The spectacle was made even less impressive when Josh Hokit ended his post-fight speech at the White House UFC event by yelling, “Michelle Obama is a man [ https://substack.com/redirect/8eae1cfc-ff86-49e1-aa71-9af6b5b00d31?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]!” Michelle Obama is not a man, and Josh Hokit proved himself to be a sad excuse for one.) + “All of this was pure, distilled Trump. No previous American leader could plausibly have presided over the scene of a tattooed Brazilian fighter in a black cowboy hat and Lycra shorts running out of the White House, saluted by honor guards, with the intent of pulverizing another human being. He had built an Octagon on the lawn in part, surely, to troll his opponents, as he so often does, but what I saw in the fighting itself—in fight after fight after fight, seven in all—was an affirmative expression of Trump’s favorite kind of storyline: dominance and submission. This was not just a political stunt, but the best way he could imagine spending his 80th birthday.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Theory That Explains Trump’s UFC Fight [ https://substack.com/redirect/ee47aafd-e28d-4c9a-8390-814dfc31e60a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (The event also makes it look like Trump is leading a populist revolt when he’s really leading a billionaire boom. That will go down as the biggest gut punch of the night.) + And coming soon... Trump announces July Fourth ‘TRUMP RALLY’ on National Mall [ https://substack.com/redirect/32318982-969e-4e64-a520-15888973fefd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Might as well rename it the National Maul at this point.) 3 Panel Discussion “A technology — known as plug-in, balcony or garden solar — is already enormously popular in Germany, in part because you can buy a kit for less than $600 at IKEA. It’s a small solar panel system, often producing up to 1,200 watts of electricity, or a little more than a refrigerator consumes, that you can affix to a wall, hang on a railing or prop up in a garden — and then plug directly into a wall socket. With the help of a small device called a micro inverter, it pumps electricity into your household circuits to offset your power demand. At least 30 states have passed legislation to legalize these plug-in solar kits or are considering similar bills.” Robinson Meyer in the NYT (Gift Article): The Tiny Solar Panel That Could Change America [ https://substack.com/redirect/f7e9f8c2-c44d-4336-8e90-8a3f7d6a9b13?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Knick’s Knack “So this is how it feels. It is giggling, weeping, spinning, convulsing, mosh-pitting, truck-honking, law-skirting, trumpet-playing, cowbell-ringing, off-key-singing, cigar-lighting, all-night-ing — remembering to remember it all, as if Knicks fans would ever forget. It is hugging strangers so hard they go airborne, fist-bumping cabbies as they crawl through concrete delirium, high-fiving kids on shoulders (and adults on shoulders), climbing stoplights and trees and scaffolding to wave the team flag higher, swiping utility cones and wearing them as hats because they are orange.” Knicks Give Their City Something New: Impossible Joy [ https://substack.com/redirect/ae003712-c79d-479c-827f-1e15d2216a6f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (During their playoff run, the Knicks went 15 and Trump.) + The Knicks’ long-awaited championship was hardly the only big sports story over a jam-packed weekend. The Carolina Hurricanes took home [ https://substack.com/redirect/a13fe8ae-1e3e-491a-9f53-ce1a98742437?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] the Stanley Cup, and at least for one night, the USMNT looked like the team fans always hoped it could be [ https://substack.com/redirect/c6b8645e-d2bc-4f9e-b868-e9ffea711c06?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And there was much more. Here’s a good overview of a fun weekend in sporting events [ https://substack.com/redirect/64bb9222-0cc0-4140-8434-c30ed9dfc95d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], during which no one desecrated the White House or verbally attacked Michelle Obama. 5 Extra, Extra British Evasion: “Starmer told a news conference that he will fight back if technology companies resist the move, and acknowledged some teens would try to find their way around a ban. But he said he is ‘not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children.’” Britain will ban under-16s from social media apps, including TikTok and YouTube [ https://substack.com/redirect/92d9e1c7-58f6-4db3-bb42-6da1f776b718?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + California Reaming: “The California governor said in a video statement that federal agents had knocked on the doors of family friends and former employees in recent days as part of an effort to find a crime, demanding records and ‘abusing the grand jury process.’” Gavin Newsom says Trump directed DoJ to investigate him and his wife [ https://substack.com/redirect/973a29d9-66e8-48d4-8756-dc6b932be796?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + DOJ (Pronounced, Doge): “DOJ officials determined the transaction did not pose a threat to competition and declined to challenge it, said the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. The department approved the merger without requiring any divestitures, behavioral remedies or concessions.” In entirely unsurprising news, the Justice Department approves Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros [ https://substack.com/redirect/2363fe22-4257-4859-aead-03312135675d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Let’s see what the states have to say. + We Will, We Will, Roku: “The deal—Fox’s largest to date—brings together a media company known for its live news and sports programming with the biggest provider of streaming platforms for connected TVs.” Fox to Buy Roku Streaming Service in $25 Billion Deal [ https://substack.com/redirect/549762e6-723c-4808-a0e5-c335bbbd73ed?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Both stocks are down on the deal announcement.) + Tren Crash: “Tren de Aragua has been labeled a terrorist organization by the US. Guerrero Flores was charged in a New York federal court with racketeering conspiracy and other crimes, including lending support to terrorists in crimes that stretched more than a decade.” Trump says leader of Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang killed in US strike [ https://substack.com/redirect/c568554b-0c56-461a-9ea7-808142606630?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Back (Rent) From the Dead: “The casting call seemed simple enough: An unnamed nonprofit was offering $75 in cash to people who could spend a couple of hours acting as zombies in a ‘mock demonstration.’ The scenes would be part of an instructional video, and actors were asked to wear tattered clothing and to be ready to have their faces painted. But when the group of 40 or so participants arrived at the filming site in Downtown Brooklyn on Thursday evening, things started to take a turn.” The Casting Call Was for Zombies. The Job Was Actually a Landlord Rally [ https://substack.com/redirect/3c438b0a-cdf9-46b3-98f4-caf4c28349c4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + One Track Mind: “Imagine it’s the 1980s or early ‘90s, and there’s a queue for the pay phone in a college dorm hallway. Students line up, waiting their turn for the once-a-week, brief check-in with a parent. That was the norm.” The norm has changed. NPR: Most parents track their 18- to 25-year-old kids on their smartphones. Is it healthy [ https://substack.com/redirect/54ccc2f9-eedc-4f01-9e15-f9922eee085e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? Is anything on your phone healthy? Location tracking apps are just as addictive as everything else on your phone. And yes, kids, your mother and I are watching (but only because we want to be sure you’re going out and having fun.) 6 Bottom of the News “Police in Peru took a novel approach to clamping down on drug trafficking Wednesday as they conducted a raid in Lima disguised as the 2026 World Cup mascots.” Depending on the drugs involved, this could have made for the trip of a lifetime. Peruvian police disguise themselves as World Cup mascots for drug raid [ https://substack.com/redirect/5338ef60-020a-4b65-8f6b-6519d2a5c12c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Recently, dates have surged in popularity [ https://substack.com/redirect/2d81fa36-5e8c-484d-a817-a2d2b51e6fd0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] as consumers increasingly turn away from processed snacks in favor of cleaner, more natural options. Last year, U.S. sales of the fruit rose 33 percent.” (This just proves the old adage: If you have a good business plan and you stick with it for 8 or 9 thousand years, it just might work.) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qSXdNakUzT1RBMU9Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56Z3hOVFV4TnpjM0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1UTXdPRGMzTnpjc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5RNUVpSHpqVnIwdEhxWmctQ1l2WTVUTU5qRkxNT1AzUDdzRkxIYnlhVk1VIiwicCI6MjAyMTc5MDU5LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3ODE1NTE3NzcsImV4cCI6MjA5NzEyNzc3NywiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.5NHIB7zT6p598NUgWC8howoMFwvkrtpaMgdWe-_FgRg?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/houston-we-have-a-trillion That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for the Manosphere. One day you’re heiling [ https://substack.com/redirect/90546834-9b9d-4c22-98ee-f8e3956b330d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] at a post-inauguration celebration, cutting aid to starving children, supporting racist far right politics, amplifying hateful and violent [ https://substack.com/redirect/12b38def-e611-4f5d-b341-2150cda41184?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] messages, and allowing deep fake nudes [ https://substack.com/redirect/41e7d269-6d4a-40d0-885e-3380df7cc8e0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to spread on your social network, and the next day you’re the world’s first trillionaire, proving, yet again, that it’s never been a better time to be bad. This is like the Make-A-Wish era for evil Bond villains. Of course, it helps if they’re talented, business savvy, market makers, politically astute, future-focused, and in the AI industry. And thus, this message just in from Ground Control to Major Elon: Rocket Man just became Deep Pocket Man. “SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket and artificial intelligence company, blasted through records as it began trading on the stock market on Friday, making the world’s richest man its first trillionaire and signaling a new era of ultra-affluence and widening wealth inequality. The stock opened at $150 per share, more than the price finalized in its initial public offering Thursday at $135 a share. It rose to $165 in the first 30 minutes of trading.” NYT (Gift Article): Live Updates: Elon Musk Becomes World’s First Trillionaire as SpaceX Starts Trading [ https://substack.com/redirect/9aad01a9-aa75-467e-9f9b-a1bca16c120e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Musk was worth around $350 billion in November 2024 shortly after he helped elect Donald J. Trump as president. His net worth has more than tripled in less than two years.” At this point, the only thing that had a faster exit velocity than a SpaceX rocket is the puke that just hit my laptop screen. + “The streets of black-and-white houses are blocked off by electronic access gates that encircle the city like a medieval moat. I watched a man who made the mistake of wandering inside the minimart get escorted out by armed guards in tactical gear. In this town, almost every communal space is private property. A company controlled by the world’s richest man owns nearly all of it. He shapes its future.” Amy Gamerman in the NYT (Gift Article) on Starbase, Texas, the city that Elon Musk built on America’s ragged hem at the southern border. Elon Musk Is Colonizing Earth [ https://substack.com/redirect/1bd9ea4c-5b86-475f-bca9-8270ab65d73e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Locals describe a highly secretive environment overseen by a company-affiliated city commission that rubber-stamps Mr. Musk’s vision, a place where even kindergartners are guided by his philosophies. Starbase is the newest manifestation of Mr. Musk’s political power. It is a beta test for a rising oligarchy that seems intent on transforming America from the inside out.” (In retrospect, ET got out just in time...) + Reuters: SpaceX demolishes IPO records [ https://substack.com/redirect/4460f06d-1fb6-4cf9-9aa7-08fa8d6aca9f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Of course, we’ve got some big competition on the IPO horizon. And some investors have stakes in all of them. WSJ (Gift Article): See the VCs and Family Offices at the Core of the Mega IPO Wave [ https://substack.com/redirect/f733a817-20ef-4627-aaa1-0a94f1eded1b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + With those kinds of returns, these folks might even be able to afford the new VIP membership package [ https://substack.com/redirect/e1f3c604-14fe-4437-9ffb-30a07d4ec32e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] at Erewhon. 2 IOU an MOU The memorandum of understanding that provides the framework for a peace deal appears to be really happening this time. “Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that a final, agreed text of a peace deal between the United States and Iran had been reached. Islamabad is working with both sides to finalise next steps.” Here’s the latest from The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/2839e0d1-e1dc-4ab0-a554-1881ccbadd13?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and CNN [ https://substack.com/redirect/9984fbe7-9408-4d60-8bb1-70caec3cceac?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Vicious Circle Jerks “The specific incidents themselves are local, and related to a national issue, or even something to do with the city or the region that they take place in. What’s changed over the last five to ten years is that the international dimension has become much more significant. Particularly when there is video footage, an event in one country will be taken up by international far-right influencers and networks. And then that feeds far-right narratives and ideas in other countries, but also feeds back into the country where the narrative originated.” The New Yorker: How the Dangerous Rise in Anti-Immigration Politics Went Mainstream [ https://substack.com/redirect/a0743bfe-d654-4b96-8dfd-11b05c478f83?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Today’s top story provides one clue.) 4 Weekend Whats What to Eggers: Leave it to Dave Eggers to write an excellent and perfectly timed novel. His latest, Contrapposto [ https://substack.com/redirect/fff0ef86-9c39-463f-960e-1b7ee8fc720e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], about art and artists, hits with particular force at this moment when we’re willingly handing our creativity over to machines. You can’t beat a human when it comes to art and storytelling, and that’s particularly true of this writer and this novel, which Andrew Sean Greer calls “a book of profundity, humanity, and ravishing beauty.” While you’re waiting for your copy to arrive, check out this interview with Dave on NPR’s Wild Card [ https://substack.com/redirect/b19b578f-4ce5-4e2a-9953-8a69655c26d2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Through 826 Valencia and other orgs, Dave has been working with young writers for decades. He has a message: “This is the first time in history when a whole generation is being told or tempted to have a machine write for them. You are one of one, unprecedented in the history of human evolution. There’s only one of you. So to give your voice to a machine to say speak for me, I’m going to be silent, is such a crime against yourself. It’s so dystopian, beyond anything I could do in a dystopian novel, and I did a lot.” + What to Watch: Alice and Steve on Hulu [ https://substack.com/redirect/e1bfca25-f469-4ec0-8cfc-263086e2da83?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] is a really fun and funny show in which Alice is devastated when her best friend Steve starts dating her 26-year-old daughter Izzy. The show stars Nicola Walker, Jemaine Clement, and Yali Topol Margalith. (Some trivia: Margalith is the granddaughter of Topol from Fiddler on the Roof, so she’s following in the family Tradition [ https://substack.com/redirect/940a71c0-0596-4b46-b5b3-48f41b770403?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]!) + What to Book: Few writers trace the way humans communicate and share information as well as Alex Wright. In his latest book, Empire of Ink: The Printers, Rogues, and Radicals Who Invented the American Newspaper [ https://substack.com/redirect/106b4d40-4cf3-4d7e-ae3d-ec11217d5731?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], Alex “traces the evolution of the American news trade from the Revolutionary War to the dawn of the twentieth century, in search of the messy origins of modern media … As the American newspaper trade mushroomed from a tiny handful of publications in the mid-1700s to more than 20,000 by 1900, it evolved into a noisy, chaotic media ecosystem that often feels surprisingly familiar.” (One thing that kept coming to my mind. So many of our advances in tech and media have been about communicating with one another, while our latest advance (AI) seems more likely to isolate us from one another while we interact with a machine.) + What to Wear: Right now, you can score a NextDraft T-Shirt for only 13 bucks [ https://substack.com/redirect/25337610-43bc-4e73-abb9-84aacdb6cd12?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] using the code LUCKY13 at checkout. 5 Extra, Extra The Will to Be Ill: “When Dawid Zyla started studying measles in 2020 at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology in San Diego, his colleagues sometimes questioned why he would devote his career to a virus of the past.” Sadly, it turned out that Zyla was ahead of his time. NYT (Gift Article): With Measles Roaring Back, the Search for a Treatment Is On [ https://substack.com/redirect/41165273-e200-4999-9a46-bc084f7983b5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Murder, She Boat: “In questioning Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a Foreign Relations Committee hearing, they revealed that the targeting decisions about which boats would be attacked did not take into account whether they had drugs or arms aboard. In other words, the military may have attacked—and may attack in the future—a boat that carries neither drugs nor weapons, yet somehow, according to the Trump administration, constitutes a military threat to national security.” No Guns, No Drugs—Why Did We Blow Up These Boats [ https://substack.com/redirect/6cacc623-77c5-4239-8a73-8fada1fc0d79?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? + Going Postal on Voting: “The U.S. Postal Service has proposed a new rule that would allow it to refuse to deliver mail ballots in states that don’t turn over voter rolls to the federal government. The rule, proposed last week, is vaguely written but appears to establish broad authority for the agency to intervene in the mail voting process.” NYT (Gift Article): Postal Service Seeks to Block Mail Ballots in States Resisting Trump Demands [ https://substack.com/redirect/02934ae8-4351-4e0b-8dc0-44ced8df131b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Data Center Venter: In The Atlantic (Gift Article), Elias Wachtel argues that The Data Center Panic Is Overblown [ https://substack.com/redirect/60ef1f12-b43d-4ff0-9aea-1e342c47f017?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And in a very deep dive, Andy Masley details why, in some ways, the AI water issue is fake [ https://substack.com/redirect/608ed25d-371a-4750-ba30-5190bc648859?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. You can certainly find counter-narratives. But I think it’s worth noting that people wouldn’t be as universally against data centers if they felt better about AI in general. + Talent Pool: “He made his name as a pop artist during the swinging 60s and was perhaps best known for his paintings of swimming pools that helped define the Los Angeles aesthetic.” David Hockney, revolutionary British artist famed for his pools and portraits, dies aged 88 [ https://substack.com/redirect/dfd98a38-e8b6-49b4-8485-e00d5e348b45?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Feel Good Friday “The crowd was starting to realize that something was amiss when the interval went on for longer than they expected and Justin Hurwitz, the Academy Award-winning composer of the film’s score, came onstage. ‘Is anybody like an amazing sight reader?’ Mr. Hurwitz asked the crowd, adding that one of the musicians had fallen ill and had to go home. For the show to go on, he needed someone to step in on the keyboard.” Out of the Audience, Into the Orchestra: Aspiring Musician Saves the Show [ https://substack.com/redirect/7b4b3b48-9263-4e83-b458-45e5186aa6d5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Solar power crossed an important threshold in May, as a rapidly expanding fleet of photovoltaic projects supplied more US electricity than coal [ https://substack.com/redirect/82234273-4028-422a-850b-a2dfbcb132dc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for the first time on record.” + A solar-powered rubbish-eating boat? The vessel chomping plastic waste out of the sea [ https://substack.com/redirect/1577f3bf-281c-420a-a461-102a5bbd7b34?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + MacKenzie Scott just keeps giving [ https://substack.com/redirect/87dcf3d0-29c1-408c-935e-3f6487dae0f0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. So does Melinda French Gates [ https://substack.com/redirect/cad86418-f065-461d-bdd0-5cb236e49f93?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Most kids running a lemonade stand worry about hailing down customers, whether they have enough ice and if the lemonade tastes sweet enough. But Parez and Jakkhi Reese encountered a different problem after someone called 911 on them.” Here’s what happened when law enforcement showed up [ https://substack.com/redirect/c530c773-6cb6-424c-941a-016706780a98?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Mariska Hargitay Sprinted From Her Broadway Show to the Knicks Game [ https://substack.com/redirect/6506e7da-5674-45d0-a28d-bc5d571a9df3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: “I Love My Husband … but It Might Have Been the Greatest Night of My Life.” The Hargitay and Jalen Brunson friendship [ https://substack.com/redirect/6317356d-186b-44c0-8c7c-6d923ca9c0b6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] story is all the feel good you need. + Great new San Francisco video featuring the narration of Peter Coyote (who narrated a book [ https://substack.com/redirect/dae017b7-63d4-4d2f-a859-57559279a6f8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] you may have heard of). Comeback City [ https://substack.com/redirect/6e6af3bd-c6ee-4699-86f4-1a874579cc88?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qSXdNVGM0TkRVek9Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56Z3hNamc1T0RrNExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1USTRNalU0T1Rnc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5SbnhxdVREOXc1MkMyUG9DS1BkbnlrODNwYU1Hb3MwX3dzYldaQ201TXg0IiwicCI6MjAxNzg0NTM5LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3ODEyODk4OTgsImV4cCI6MjA5Njg2NTg5OCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.qCM0YS4XhlivzmMTAmyXqdfgvh0H_JwOUo32_XbMbqc?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/using-protection Most of the employment stories related to the AI-fueled tech boom are about the potential job losses. But the extreme wealth and social media-inflamed rage of the era has led to at least one area of significant job growth: Bodyguards. “Bodyguarding is at least as old as Alexander the Great’s somatophylakes, or ‘body guardians,’ and the Praetorian Guard, which emerged to protect Roman rulers as the Republic gave way to imperial rule around 27 BCE. During that time, as now, the erosion of democratic norms and free discourse helped create a market to keep the powerful alive ... Today, there are additional potential accelerants: a scummy soup of social media; unchecked inequality; and unrestrained bombast at every level of government and society, algorithmically optimized to reward the most controversial voices.” Grayson Schaffer in GQ: Meet the Bodyguards Signing Up to Protect America’s Frightened Billionaires [ https://substack.com/redirect/7e6cfd1d-1d15-4bed-9733-ee8bb0dbadae?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Alt link [ https://substack.com/redirect/a46b8d6e-0a3a-4640-a001-cb7dadd37d3e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) + The violent speech online often bleeds into real life. So does the vigilantism. The merging of our on- and offline worlds is in full (and fully disturbing) view in this NYT (Gift Article) story about livestreaming vigilantes who ambushed an innocent man. They Tried to Catch a Predator. They Trapped Themselves Instead [ https://substack.com/redirect/7d7fa0cd-253d-4e4f-92be-a6e54e0e9e1e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Akash had been ensnared by a business venture that traffics in public humiliation as entertainment. That he was innocent of what he was accused of only served to draw a bigger crowd.” The most vile aspects of social media sort of ruined the internet. Are they coming for real life next? 2 Nobody Puts Baby Around a Corner Donald Trump has publicly claimed that an Iran peace deal was right around the corner [ https://substack.com/redirect/28688b29-b0b1-447a-bb21-ad2ff76b3937?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] at least 38 times. It must be a pretty big corner as the ceasefire has been replaced by fighting and threats of more to come. “The United States will be hitting Iran (Whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti Aircraft, and all other forms of Defense, together with most of its offensive capability, are GONE!), VERY HARD TONIGHT. At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela, which is working out brilliantly for both Venezuela and the United States of America. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Here’s the latest from The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/b9b48486-93cd-4cb9-b17d-2e5056ec576c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/4fcb9288-9da2-4093-a10b-a2d8bb6f5347?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/3b441de4-1753-48b9-99b9-5b63e7e2be44?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “It was a dramatic moment. President Trump seemed to be disclosing, on live television, a clandestine mission that involved spiriting away millions of barrels of oil, right under Iran’s nose. In Mr. Trump’s telling, the mission was so secretive that the Iranians were learning about it only at that very moment.” NYT(Gift Article): Trump’s ‘Secret Mission’ to Ferry Oil Past Iran Was Widely Disclosed [ https://substack.com/redirect/743c0fa2-d657-4206-a6d4-5f0a7f795591?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “While the operation was surreptitious enough — the U.S.-guided vessels have been turning off their transponders to avoid detection when crossing the narrow waterway — it could hardly have been news to Iran. Late last month, The New York Times published an article about the effort, reporting that U.S. Central Command had shepherded around 70 commercial ships through the strait.” 3 Trill Seeker On the eve of what could be the crowning of the world’s first trillionaire, the WSJ (Gift Article) tries to put that number into perspective. “1 trillion pennies? That’s a flight to the moon. And back. Twice.” You Have No Idea What a Trillion Dollars Is—and We Have Proof [ https://substack.com/redirect/d159c5eb-de96-4c11-aac1-c94231989e1c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Not long ago, the word trillionaire only appeared in The Wall Street Journal as hyperbole. It was an obviously exaggerated way of describing an inconceivable fortune—like calling someone a bazillionaire. But now that SpaceX is going public, it might just be something we call Elon Musk.” + SpaceX’s IPO is expected to make more than 4,000 employees millionaires [ https://substack.com/redirect/e0bf2d31-9576-45d0-bdda-a86ddbeb244f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Meanwhile... “The condemnation over anti-immigrant riots in Northern Ireland was being matched by another growing outrage in Britain on Thursday: that the world’s richest person was inciting the violence [ https://substack.com/redirect/9a14326d-9af0-473c-97c5-5be0a69e7438?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” He’s definitely the richest. He may also be the most dangerous. + Yesterday, I led with an overview of what’s happening in Northern Ireland. Belfast and the Furious [ https://substack.com/redirect/035deebd-4416-435c-9307-adf44fd5d962?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Just the Tip For the Knicks, a historic NBA finals game comeback culminated with a final seconds tip looked like a long-awaited championship tipping point. For the Spurs, it was the tip of the iceberg on a loss as brutal as the Knicks’ win was glorious. NBA Finals Game 4: Anatomy of Knicks’ comeback, Spurs’ collapse [ https://substack.com/redirect/e209c24d-b6c1-4692-ac8d-01e778913154?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (This just goes to show that there’s nothing like a June night in New York when Trump’s not there.) + “As far as we know, Ogugua Anunoby Jr.—better known as OG—does not, in fact, possess divine hands, but they are considerable, measuring 9.5 inches across and 9.25 inches in length. And they are, it seems, capable of divine acts so profound that they can alter history, confer NBA immortality, and bring momentary rapture to a city starved for basketball glory.” The Right Hand of God Game [ https://substack.com/redirect/5b071f1b-642d-40e9-bcc6-3c39f6460e7c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + A Wu-Tang prayer, OG Anunoby, Jose Alvarado and the greatest comeback in NBA history [ https://substack.com/redirect/38e2ccba-ab1a-4015-ace6-ef8b0c34893f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + For SF Giants fans, the Knicks game wasn’t even the greatest comeback of the day. Before their latest game, MLB teams were a combined 1-3,090 when trailing by 8 or more runs after 7 innings over the last 20 seasons. They’re now 2-3,090. And it ended with a walk-off grand slam [ https://substack.com/redirect/ea37f4fa-dba4-4503-8a7a-61e17d08bd6c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] by a rookie who went from promising to legendary with one swing. (Is this a big, national story of cultural significance like the Knicks-Spurs NBA finals thriller? No, but I’m the editor of the internet and I need to share an occasional story that doesn’t make me feel like throwing up. So, thank you for your attention to this matter.) 5 Extra, Extra FIFA and the Fiefdom: “Paying rent to the Trumps was the choice of Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president, who has made being close to Mr. Trump a top priority. He has lavished the president with praise, trophies and a medal. He has made pilgrimages to Mar-a-Lago, the Trump National Doral golf club and even the ‘Melania’ documentary premiere. Mr. Infantino has publicly boosted the president through impeachments and plummeting poll numbers. It was all in service, Mr. Infantino’s supporters say, of ensuring that the World Cup, which begins this week, goes off without a hitch.” A Yearslong Effort to Woo Trump Culminates With the World Cup [ https://substack.com/redirect/180978c5-2786-489f-9d04-5866ac3806bc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Yes, we knew the mix of FIFA and Trump would make for a toxic corruption stew. But now it’s time to move past the ugly business and get on with [ https://substack.com/redirect/95946faa-3dc5-41ab-96f9-dd82d95ef204?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] the beautiful game. + A Sad Truth About Ally: Worried about something embarrassing or offensive happening during the World Cup that could sour the views our allies have of America? Well, maybe this will ease your mind. Only 11% of Europeans view US as an ally [ https://substack.com/redirect/8cd1c254-e0af-481d-9a0c-17bbefb03fa0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Little Boy Meets World: “A long-anticipated and dramatic global climate shift has arrived, federal forecasters said June 11 as they confirmed the start of El Niño conditions. The announcement also adds to mounting evidence suggesting this El Niño will be unusually strong, potentially supercharging droughts, heavy rainfall events and heat waves.” Forecasters expect a global weather powerhouse [ https://substack.com/redirect/d8f3efa7-0e92-4008-bb75-78f72536c7af?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Slush Bucket Unkicked: “Behind the scenes, Justice Department and other Trump-administration officials have quietly assured allies that plans for some form of payout remain on track. I spoke with eight people familiar with the so-called Anti-Weaponization Fund—including current and former Justice Department officials, current and former members of Congress, a defense attorney, and political operatives close to the administration. All said that Justice Department officials and people close to the White House have indicated that the payout idea has not actually been scrapped.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): Trump Isn’t Giving Up on His Slush Fund [ https://substack.com/redirect/e62b6e08-e54f-495f-96a6-a34cd720c4fc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Other AI Investment: “Some of the most powerful players in A.I. — led by some of my friends and former partners, to my great sadness — have raised hundreds of millions of dollars to forestall a more serious and meaningful debate about how A.I. should be governed. They have helped create political action committees to help defeat candidates who want strict regulations on A.I. and to promote those who can be counted on to stay out of their way. I believe this is a huge mistake.” We Can’t Let My Former V.C. Colleagues Buy Off Our Democracy [ https://substack.com/redirect/6f6c8b63-4395-41bc-86f3-fbd5cfb22f22?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Balloon Animals: “You might not think much about wind. Storms, sure, but you may not ponder the forces behind the soft, warm breezes that bend the switchgrass or the stiff, cold northers that sting the cheeks. You haven’t studied the physics of gases that yearn for stabilization and rush from high- to low-pressure areas. You don’t analyze the various wind currents flowing in different directions at different altitudes, moving like the traffic on some Dallas interchange in the sky. And why would you? You’re not a competitive hot-air balloonist.” Texas Monthly: The Rise and Rise of Balloon Racing’s First Family [ https://substack.com/redirect/3bebcaeb-218f-4c54-b6f8-d8d54d99d353?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I’m a member of the first family of DoorDash.) 6 Bottom of the News “Although this observation had nothing to do with his original research, it piqued his curiosity. ‘This was the first signal that something weird was happening.’” Nearly Everyone, Everywhere, Veers Left When Walking [ https://substack.com/redirect/fab31d74-e306-416d-be3a-c4f3c42d1d50?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “A New York City pastry chef swirls vanilla-bean ice cream into a waffle cone, then dips the creamy soft serve into a vat of golden liquid to form a crispy shell. It’s not chocolate or butterscotch or peanut butter that’s coating this frozen dessert; it’s a thin, hardened layer of savory French butter, sprinkled with sea salt. And diners, no longer so fat-fearing these days, are eating it up.” Ice Cream Not Decadent Enough for You? Dip It in Butter [ https://substack.com/redirect/b858c3cc-4487-44ad-ab56-f37015ce1bf3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Or just hook up a softserve machine to one of your ventricles.) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qSXdNVFl6TWprek1Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Z3hNVGs1T1RVMkxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1USTNNelU1TlRZc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5DOE9OQ3hITHljem9rd1ptOElfdEZCOTdmdzdXQ01VMHlKbU5CUU9fa193IiwicCI6MjAxNjMyOTMwLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3ODExOTk5NTYsImV4cCI6MjA5Njc3NTk1NiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.Avlj3B3moZnK0qWTnaTxv2KxZUkHa3N-5LpaIQzs6RA?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/belfast-and-the-furious President Trump just signed a bill into law that “gives his immigration and deportation agenda a nearly $70 billion boost [ https://substack.com/redirect/6c112828-bb2a-4e5b-8cd2-45ce3a3b2055?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]for the rest of his time in the White House ... His signature ended a nearly six-month fight over Department of Homeland Security funding that began with the shooting deaths of deaths of two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good.” Keeping outsiders out is a subject that is hardly limited to the White House, or even the United States. In Northern Ireland, the issue spilled out onto the streets after the violent stabbing of a man by a Sudanese asylum seeker went viral on social media. The “footage was posted by Tommy Robinson and other far-right figures, prompting demands for protests in response ... X owner Elon Musk shared a post from Robinson announcing locations of protests, and another from the far-right Restore Britain party that read: ‘Do not make peace with evil. Destroy it.’” And destruction followed. “Masked men set houses, vehicles and a city bus ablaze in Belfast on Tuesday night, torching neighborhoods across the city ... Ignoring pleas for calm from politicians and clergy, rioters rampaged through heavily immigrant neighborhoods in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, in some cases going door-to-door and causing some families to flee under police protection. Men in balaclavas and hoods shouted ‘foreigners out.’” WaPo (Gift Article): A new wave of anti-immigrant violence hits U.K. as riots convulse Belfast [ https://substack.com/redirect/1833c987-ed4d-4946-962a-f729eb4a0b10?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Northern Ireland is hardly a hotbed of immigration. It “is the least ethnically diverse part of the United Kingdom, with just about 3.4 percent of residents from minority ethnic backgrounds.” That hasn’t stopped it from being swept up in this globalized version of the Troubles. “In some communities people feel left behind, struggling against a lack of jobs and opportunity. That helped create the conditions for anti-immigrant and far-right sentiment to grow and be picked up by fringe groups. ‘People being burned out of their homes is not new to Belfast,’ said Carl Whyte, a local councilor who grew up in the north part of the city, alluding to the sectarian conflict known as the Troubles. ‘And last night, we saw that being used toward immigrant families.’” NYT (Gift Article): Police Step Up Security in Northern Ireland After Night of Violence [ https://substack.com/redirect/35dfb6f1-1e3e-4bc9-95fc-1127512f95c4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “On a residential street draped in loyalist flags near Belfast’s Shankill Road, the masked men approached a house with a boarded-up window and a security camera stationed outside. As a woman from an ethnic minority background looked down from an upstairs window, some of the men rushed the front door and broke it down. With the air thick with smoke from fireworks, they attacked the downstairs windows with bricks. As they stormed the property, some claimed to be ‘liberating’ it. Graffiti nearby demanded ‘local homes for local people.’ A woman in the crowd said to her friend: ‘There’s wee girls inside [ https://substack.com/redirect/c8e2d7e7-8d40-472e-be27-ac74294ccf50?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’” + The family of Stephen Ogilvy, the victim who was seriously injured in the original crime, issued a statement: “We want to make it absolutely clear that overnight unrest is not welcome, and peaceful protest is the only way forward. We have many migrants who make a deeply valuable contribution to our country, including in our healthcare system and hospitality sector and we depend on them to make our country work ... [We don’t want this] terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility.” I wonder if Elon Musk will amplify that message as well. Here’s the latest from BBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/26454958-b7f6-44e5-8ec8-115dd23f8ec6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and BelfastLive [ https://substack.com/redirect/8d80337c-46a1-494e-b14c-2b8f366c22d8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Great Expectations, Harsh Calculations “Fifteen years ago, the world’s billionaires collectively had $4.5 trillion. By 2024, their wealth had more than tripled to $14.2 trillion. Now, their combined wealth totals $20.1 trillion — an amount that is equivalent to nearly a fifth of the entire world’s total yearly output.” NYT (Gift Article): Billionaires’ Billions Are Increasing Faster Than Ever [ https://substack.com/redirect/1cfc9109-17c0-407d-adf1-b75edb6e0069?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The stunning figures — calculated by the French economist Gabriel Zucman, director of the International Tax Observatory, a research organization funded by the European Union — reveal more than a surprisingly rapid increase in the concentration of wealth at the tippy top. They also reflect a series of important global trends: the growing dominance of a few technology companies leading artificial intelligence development; the shrinking slice of the economic pie that goes to workers; and a deepening inequality that will be handed down to the next generation.” 3 Dread Lasso The World Cup always has its share of controversies and negativities before the games actually begin. But this year, the ticket prices, hotel vacancies, and general unwelcoming vibes in one of the host countries make things seem even less pitch-perfect than usual. Will, as is often the case, the actual matches achieve the goal of kicking the bad vibes to the curb? The Ringer: The 2026 World Cup Is an Experiment Like No Other [ https://substack.com/redirect/1098a6b4-d911-40bf-8653-9a3423854152?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 More Than a Little Slice of Paradise “Throughout his life, Mr. Basinger (pronounced BAY-singer) devoted himself to pursuits that some would have dismissed as fanciful. As a young man, he walked from New York to San Francisco. He moved to Kenya on a whim, becoming fluent in Swahili after spending five years teaching at a rural school for boys. Perhaps most improbably, he became a musician for the National Theater of the Deaf. He was not deaf, but he mastered sign language and spent decades performing with, writing for and helping run the troupe.” And then he decided to try something else. NYT (Gift Article): John Basinger, Who Memorized All 12 Books of ‘Paradise Lost,’ Dies at 92 [ https://substack.com/redirect/e2a4375e-aa45-4d03-abff-d1b04f8218d5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Throw the Book At Em: “On July 17, 2025, at around 6 o’clock in the evening, President Trump’s top officials filed into the White House Situation Room — the secure bunker where classified and high-stakes national security matters are discussed and decided. This was where President Barack Obama, along with Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the president’s national security team, watched the raid that ended with the death of Osama bin Laden in 2011. Now, however, Trump’s most senior advisers had gathered — without him — to figure out how to gain some measure of control over a very different kind of crisis threatening to engulf the presidency: the Epstein files.” Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan with an outtake of an upcoming book: Inside the White House Freakout Over the Epstein Files [ https://substack.com/redirect/47f215d8-cbc5-452c-a838-2e7178fded94?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (As per usual, this craziness makes for good book fodder, but no one is likely to be held accountable.) + Inflation and Other Blow Ups: Inflation Heated Up to 4.2% in May [ https://substack.com/redirect/f19aa69d-6bc0-4d5a-8055-137f667ce71e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], as Energy Costs Continued to Bite. And the key driver of that inflation is heating up as well. Trump: “We’ll see what happens. But we hit them hard yesterday and we’re going to hit them again hard today ... We were we were really close to a deal. But they keep tapping us along. They keep playing us for suckers.” Here’s the latest from The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/62077b34-046a-4093-93f3-8a4ba1106e83?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/7be2ca93-6c9d-42d0-a5b4-3686f934ac3c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Screen Passes: “The ingredient, bemotrizinol, works by blocking ultraviolet radiation. It filters out two kinds of ultraviolet rays: ultraviolet A, which contributes to wrinkles and skin aging, and ultraviolet B, which causes sunburns.” NYT: F.D.A. Clears Sunscreen Ingredient Long Used in Europe and Asia [ https://substack.com/redirect/6c338388-12a1-4534-945d-4a9f9906bb7b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. In other sun news: Solar Passes Coal in Historic Shift for US Electricity Mix [ https://substack.com/redirect/bf3af940-36e0-4b7b-9b7d-dc3c184ab872?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + S.E.O. Brother, Where Are Thou? “According to Shopify, the best e-commerce platform is Shopify ... If rankings produced by the very company at the top of the list seem unlikely to fool anyone, that’s because humans probably aren’t the target audience. Chatbots are.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): Your Search Results Are Getting Sloptimized [ https://substack.com/redirect/d833920d-b172-43cb-aac3-4b66d0d91798?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Prediction Market: “A Chinese company has been trying to develop artificial intelligence-powered technology that would enable authoritarian governments to not just monitor dissidents but also potentially predict who could become one in the future. The work, which appears to be in the research stage, is ripped out of dystopian science fiction, offering a glimpse of a world in which an authoritarian state is able to move against its citizens before they begin any public dissent.” China Aims A.I. at Predicting Who Could Pose a Political Risk [ https://substack.com/redirect/f11ec78c-8263-461a-8084-471bc5a6005b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + A Whole New Ballgame: On second thought, maybe there should be crying in baseball... “Around the league, more and more often, catchers need a minute. It’s become routine to see the umpire call time as the catcher lies in agony, doubled over after yet another foul ball or spiked pitch caroms into a sensitive area.” The Athletic (Gift Article): Ball strike system: Why MLB catchers are getting hit in the groin more often [ https://substack.com/redirect/0097e569-6760-487a-8ef9-cccb0baafb61?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (In the case of the Giants this season, it feels like the same thing is happening to the fans.) 6 Bottom of the News “Describing an elaborate ruse that ‘read like a movie script,’ Canadian authorities accused a longtime Air Canada pilot of fraud on Tuesday, saying he had flown many hundreds of hours over 17 years despite not having the proper credential to sit in the captain’s seat [ https://substack.com/redirect/cd4a1bac-7228-4b54-9fea-21a96ffd9c21?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + Not all jobs are being taken over by AI. You can still apply to be the Head of Stonehenge [ https://substack.com/redirect/7a26c1f9-09e3-43d5-a352-5083f8b93dcb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/youre-gonna-need-a-bigger-cup The beer-loving character Norm on Cheers, known for his famous barroom scene entry lines, once offered this gem [ https://substack.com/redirect/01af99a2-1e2e-419f-add6-4836fe9eddab?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: “It’s a dog-eat-dog world and I’m wearing Milk Bone underwear.” And that glass half-empty view on life was offered before the latest report on alcohol consumption. Long story short: BevMo? More like, BevLess. NYT (Gift Article): Health Risks of Alcohol Accelerate After One Drink a Day, Study Finds [ https://substack.com/redirect/28588558-0e1c-4528-9c61-8a05cd2aefde?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “At one drink a day, the researchers found, there was an increased risk of premature death from an illness or injury directly attributable to alcohol, though it was small — one in 1,000 people. But the risk of premature death jumped to one in 25 for those who had two drinks a day, a level long considered safe for men, according to the study, which was published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.” Sadly, this study is coming out in 2026, an American year when even the driest of teetotalers are lining up for a turn at the keg stand. These days, you have to pregame before reading the news. For those who find the drinking news hard to swallow, there is a competing study. “It suggested that moderate drinking (up to two drinks a day for men and one for women) was healthier than not drinking at all ... Some of the panelists behind that report had financial ties to the alcohol industry.” What was the title of the study? The Next Round’s on Us? + Guess which report is being adopted by the administration? “A study commissioned by President Joe Biden’s administration to investigate alcohol-related health harms was released independently on Tuesday, after President Donald Trump’s administration decided not to feature the researchers’ findings in new dietary guidelines [ https://substack.com/redirect/f0691267-8612-4563-a84f-5f4233169ed7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] as it faced pushback from the alcohol industry and a congressional committee.” Is it any wonder that reading these stories, as much as anything else, is what led to my drinking problem [ https://substack.com/redirect/321d03e5-7866-4866-9493-0fbfd192a129?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? 2 Leave No Unmanned Behind Drones are just being used to fight wars. They’re now being used to carry out rescue missions. “The unmanned surface vessel, a Saronic Corsair, located the crew, who had spent two hours in the waters off the coast of Oman and brought them to shore, said Capt. Tim Hawkins, spokesman for U.S. Central Command.” Drone boat rescues crew of downed US Apache helicopter near Hormuz [ https://substack.com/redirect/2d789ff4-46d3-40a9-a3af-38bd770be96b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “In a statement on Truth Social, Trump said he had been informed ‘that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz.’ While the pilots were uninjured, ‘the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.’” This comes just days after Trump said Israel must not respond to a series of Iranian missile attacks. The only thing consistent about Trump’s war pronouncements has been the claim that a peace deal is right around the corner [ https://substack.com/redirect/dca662f9-df82-45f9-8400-f1d2954003b1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Including the period before the ceasefire, he’s done it at least 38 times. That’s the number of times he’s said directly — in social media posts, public appearances and phone calls with the media — that a deal was nigh or claimed Iran was desperate to cut one.” Here’s the latest from The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/d4f2039b-2379-4a63-bacb-82c6ced59cf1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Conflicts are on the rise globally [ https://substack.com/redirect/44b3dd71-4883-4e2a-b846-30b649364834?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], at the highest level since WWII. 3 Well Endowed “As bad as this situation is, we have a playbook for addressing such crises. But it requires a huge team effort — and this time, the United States has undermined its ability to help by shuttering U.S.A.I.D., cutting staff at C.D.C. and withdrawing from the W.H.O. Thousands of people could pay the ultimate price for that recklessness.” Jeremy Konyndyk in the NYT (Gift Article): This Could Be the Worst Ebola Outbreak in History [ https://substack.com/redirect/e3b1aeda-7c14-474c-87b5-ac6390e9ab30?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + In a parallel universe, you might think that Elon Musk being a key architect and enabler of these terrible cuts would mean some more ethical investors would be rooting against the SpaceX IPO that will likely make him the first trillionaire. But in this universe, just about everyone is in on the deal. WSJ (Gift Article): University Endowments Are About to Strike It Big on the SpaceX IPO [ https://substack.com/redirect/817f8412-a196-4546-b97a-306dc8b1aa13?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Forget USAID, Nazi salutes, and wanton racism. With the money at stake, universities don’t even care that Elon doesn’t like universities. 4 The Curse of the Babyno The Knicks had won 13 straight playoff games. Trump showed up at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks lost. Call it the Curse of the Babyno. Trump couldn’t have had much fun at the game. And I’m not just saying that because the Knicks lost and Trump, always the norm breaker, fell asleep [ https://substack.com/redirect/8c8faa27-c596-43b9-8e66-4396d3e24129?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in the city that never sleeps. President Trump roundly booed by New York crowd at NBA Finals Game 3 [ https://substack.com/redirect/120a5021-f1c5-42a7-a610-38d19fe70536?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Trump spent much of his life trying to be loved in his hometown. He couldn’t make it there. Donald Trump Got Absolutely Destroyed By Boos At The Knicks Game [ https://substack.com/redirect/44ea3b22-33f5-4d96-b787-6645c84b064f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Of course, even in getting booed, Trump was still the biggest story in the biggest show in the biggest town, and that’s how he likes it.) We won’t know until the finals are over, but maybe Trump didn’t curse the Knicks. He just cursed the world and the Knicks are part of the world. 5 Extra, Extra Reality Bytes: “It took Farid just a few minutes to confirm the video had been made using artificial intelligence. ‘Looking at videos like this is sort of my life,’ he said. ‘Some mornings I’m watching videos of people getting their heads chopped off before I’ve even rubbed the sleep from my eyes.’” When reality is in doubt, news editors ask this Berkeley professor: Is it AI [ https://substack.com/redirect/0835ecf1-a6a0-40a8-8971-7a0ad43d0fd3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? (But there’s only one of him and AI is getting better every day...) + Crypto Apocalypto: “A Reuters examination shows that the Trump family has used this [crypto] template to generate at least $2.3 billion in profit from investors since Trump retook the presidency. On the other side of that cash bonanza for America’s first family: the more than a million investors whose net losses totaled $2.3 billion at the end of April.” Under the Trump crypto playbook, the family always wins. Investors don’t [ https://substack.com/redirect/2959693b-6b3b-418d-bfef-d48a515c2117?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I’m still looking for something positive about crypto...) + Getting Dark in Cuba: “US President Donald Trump’s push to force change in Cuba by cutting off almost all fuel shipments to the government is depriving the nation of 10 million people of access to water, food and healthcare, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said Monday in a statement.” Bloomberg (Gift Article): UN Says Children Are Dying in Cuba Because of Strict US Sanctions [ https://substack.com/redirect/23a206a4-f45f-495e-a347-e9876a9c3afa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Welcome Splat: “Omar Artan, from Somalia, was set to be the first official from his country to officiate at the World Cup but was turned back in Miami after flying in from Turkey. He has said that he was interrogated for 11 hours, then held in a cell before being sent back to Turkey. FIFA has said it has no power or influence over immigration issues.” Omar Artan held in cell before US border force shattered World Cup dream [ https://substack.com/redirect/ca99e711-47ad-46db-a1dc-78c21da79dcd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Feel safer?) + Pratt Fall: “ He wrote a memoir called ‘The Guy You Loved to Hate.’ He’s dabbled in rap, releasing a song called ‘I’m a Celebrity.’ He started a company selling crystals claimed to have healing properties. But Spencer Pratt was not able to pull off his latest venture — an improbable bid to become mayor of Los Angeles.” The rise and fall of ‘The Hills’ star Spencer Pratt’s improbable campaign for Los Angeles mayor [ https://substack.com/redirect/494bf309-3938-4477-a251-2fa5caeb2613?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (It’s still disturbing how well he did.) + QBet: “The reaction around college sports was nearly unanimous, with the idea of Brendan Sorsby playing in 2026 after admitting to thousands of bets on sports -- including 40 on his own team -- representing the latest crossroads for an industry that has faced a dizzying number of them in recent years.” Coaches, ADs ‘disgusted,’ ‘stunned’ with Brendan Sorsby ruling [ https://substack.com/redirect/79f8f73a-013c-4e86-a591-6344264fa354?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Should anything about betting and college sports still be able to stun us at this point? 6 Bottom of the News “Attorneys for Nick Reiner, 32, filed a lengthy petition in a Los Angeles court Monday seeking access to his trust, which he was supposed to begin receiving two years ago. The petition says that their client has been denied access despite ‘unambiguous instructions’ left by his parents on how to disburse the funds in the trust that was established in 1993.” Even by today’s standards, this is a shocking headline: Nick Reiner seeks access to the trust fund his parents left to pay for his defense in their killings [ https://substack.com/redirect/a4ec7a97-1dcd-4a9f-8e60-64f3820c0d19?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/all-the-worlds-a-cage Maybe it makes sense that the signature event of the country’s 250th birthday will be a UFC fight. What could better define today’s United States than enraged, veiny-necked, mouth-breathing fellow Americans beating the hell out of each other in a cage of our own making? The only way a cage fight on the White House lawn could better represent our American moment is if the outcome is denied by our president who calls the match rigged and argues that the combatant we all saw lose with our own eyes actually won, leaving us more angry, more divided, and sure of only one thing: We want to get back in the cage and get back to beating the hell out of each other. Aside from that, we don’t agree on much, not even the shared history that we are meant to celebrate. We’ve lost the plot. And we’ve stopped trying to find it. Yoni Applebaum in The Atlantic (Gift Article): “Unable to agree on how to interpret the American story, the country’s schools, universities, and political institutions have stopped trying to tell it at all.” How America Gave Up on Its Own History [ https://substack.com/redirect/0d59a6b7-7f99-4095-a839-4cffa6530f1c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “In recent decades, the traditional American story has come under sustained attack from both flanks. On the left, scholars and activists suspicious of nationalism have pushed to redefine the United States as a country exceptional mostly for its flaws and crimes. On the right, politicians and commentators hostile to diversity have sought to gloss over those sins and, more recently, lay claim to the nation on behalf of “heritage Americans.” Unable to agree on how to tell our story, we have swiftly abandoned efforts to tell it at all. The hours devoted to social studies in schools are shrinking, and survey courses in American history are vanishing from college campuses.” (Oh well, they say 250 is an awkward age.) + AP: Fewer Americans say democracy is central to country’s identity [ https://substack.com/redirect/b0e7d082-a830-41c5-9322-c3a3f3299156?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Only about half of Americans under 30 see democracy as a key element of the U.S.’s identity. + Democracy may no longer be core to our identity, but at least irony still is. Truck carrying fireworks catches fire and explodes in Tennessee [ https://substack.com/redirect/afec957c-910e-4602-bdca-6a98887d452b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Falling to Peaces To preserve your sanity, and mine, I try not to share too many Trump video appearances. But it’s worth stomaching a couple minutes of his full meltdown and stormy exit on Meet the Press [ https://substack.com/redirect/a0804fb9-38e0-4e4b-85dc-e9cde3ad68ac?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]for a few reasons. First, he is unhinged. (Even if longevity bros cure death, I won’t live long enough to understand how any American could see this manbaby as a president.) Second, he is continuing to lay the groundwork to refuse to accept election results he doesn’t like. And third, this is exactly the same person who is managing the current madness in the Middle East. And that situation is only getting more complex. Fighting between Israel and Iran broke out again over the weekend. It has stopped for now. “President Donald Trump had demanded the two countries ‘immediately stop shooting.’ He also said that they were ‘looking to do an immediate ceasefire’ and that ‘final negotiations on ‘peace’ are proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way.’” (What are the chances of that?) Here’s the latest from the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/f56897f6-1564-4dec-afe5-547413ba916c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/1543f9d3-a407-44e8-9dbe-636233f32109?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/feab1634-ac8d-44c3-a481-07fcb31817f6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 The Prosecution Rests “When Governor Abigail Spanberger signed a new assault weapons ban in Virginia last month, it got almost zero national news coverage. Yet it amounted to an important milestone: It marked the first time in U.S. history that such a gun-control measure was passed into law by any state government in the American South.” And when bans are signed into law, those laws must be enforced by prosecutors. At least, that’s what we thought. TNR: Deep in Rural Virginia, a MAGA Pro-Gun Push Takes an Unnerving Turn [ https://substack.com/redirect/f71245b8-e7ab-4b27-8b23-03a0f8a4d78a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “A number of county-based prosecutors in red areas of Virginia are publicly declaring that they will not enforce the new ban on assault-style weapons. This movement is taking shape as a direct, openly confrontational challenge to the authority of Spanberger and the Virginia legislature that passed the measure—and it only appears to be growing.” 4 Such Thing as a Free Lunch “Dylan Alverson stood amid tear gas and flash-bang grenades, on the frozen street where Alex Pretti was shot and killed by ICE agents in January, when he got the idea for what he later called an ‘absurd business move.’ He decided to stop charging for food at Modern Times, the south Minneapolis cafe he’s run for 15 years.” To Alverson, the move made political sense. Even he probably didn’t imagine it would lead to financial upside. NYT (Gift Article): This Restaurant Stopped Charging for Food. And Profits Are Up [ https://substack.com/redirect/5cffd226-cd28-4a38-a26d-c5c9a5510242?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Garden Variety Bummer: “As part of enhanced security measures with President Donald Trump attending Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday, there will be no watch party outside Madison Square Garden [ https://substack.com/redirect/accd155d-72fe-49ab-a2be-d65b40940490?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” Trump is going to ruin an NBA playoff game to warm up for ruining the World Cup and then ruining the Olympics. (I still have a weird feeling he’s gonna cancel at the last minute.) + Run Your Ossoff: From Michelle Goldberg in the NYT (Gift Article), an interesting look at Why Everyone Wants Jon Ossoff to Run for President [ https://substack.com/redirect/0a195a43-2bd1-4f6d-84c0-3f972630d07b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. If he doesn’t run, other Dems should borrow his message in which he constantly ties Trump’s corruption to individuals’ pocketbooks. + Minutes to Memories: “And about four hours after our deadline, Bari Weiss sends an email to my boss, Tanya Simon. Two of the things in the email include, can we make the protesters look more violent? ... And the other thing, Renee Good’s car. You need to describe her as driving toward the officer.” Scott Pelley on the Bari Weiss Era and His Last Days at 60 Minutes [ https://substack.com/redirect/9d7d2167-c254-4cc6-a4bb-d39d71408911?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + E-Gad: “Global EV sales grew 20% in 2025 to exceed 20 million, with one in four new cars sold worldwide now electric...EV sales in the U.S., though, fell 2% last year.” As the world embraces EVs, the U.S. hits the brakes [ https://substack.com/redirect/5877c0f7-1e27-4afa-b303-cb8c10fb496e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Get Your Heg Out of Your Ass: “The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has been accused by historians and rights campaigners of ‘grotesque stupidity [ https://substack.com/redirect/601e688c-484f-422d-abba-c39b41184b6f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]‘ and desecrating the memory of the soldiers who stormed the beaches of Normandy after he sought to link immigration to the D-day anniversary, saying Europe was facing a different ‘invasion’ of its shores.’” More international humiliation. + Good Time To Be Bad: “Kim Jong Un offered China’s president a grand welcome Monday. But the North Korean leader is playing host from a position of rare strength [ https://substack.com/redirect/ab030f0d-b6ac-4665-9bdc-97121dcff91c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and his country has come a long way since Xi Jinping’s last visit seven years ago.” + Their Heads on a Platner: “The Maine Senate candidate’s supporters shrugged off the Nazi tattoo and the mountain of old incendiary Reddit posts, drawn to his charisma and ready to believe in his redemption arc. Putting real people in Washington, they argued, meant accepting the real-life baggage that came with it, even if it might get exposed in the gauntlet of the campaign. But now the party is confronting the potential costs of that risk. In the last two weeks, revelations that Platner sexted women early in his marriage and accusations from an ex-girlfriend that he was physically threatening have disturbed national Democrats and raised questions about what other damaging revelations might drop between now and November.” The Democrats’ Platner Problem [ https://substack.com/redirect/b5858968-ab69-4a38-9a49-97066ad19e96?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Neon Lights Are Bright: Tony Award winners list: ‘Schmigadoon!’ wins best musical, ‘Death of a Salesman’ lives on [ https://substack.com/redirect/27c35276-0a58-4130-9b56-607ecde524f6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And Pink killed as host. + GLP Soup: GLP-1s are popular. For some corporations, a little too popular. WSJ (Gift Article): Your Weight-Loss Drugs Are Next on the Corporate Chopping Block [ https://substack.com/redirect/877e37ce-24a0-40cb-9cbf-b0039dde2fa5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “With as many as one in eight American adults taking the pills or injectables now, big employers from Cigna to PricewaterhouseCoopers are dropping coverage of so-called GLP-1s in droves. Others, like Chevron, are making workers jump through extra hoops to get coverage—and to ensure the drugs are used effectively—such as requiring multiple weigh-ins a month, meal-tracking on apps or sessions with an online health coach.” + Tab Keys: “The tablets, made of compressed ground coffee without a coating, binder or gelatin, can only be used with a Tablì coffee machine made by Lavazza. Each tablet is marked with the words ‘100% coffee.’” Coffee pods, without the pods? Italian coffee giant Lavazza launches single-serve tablets to make espresso in the U.S [ https://substack.com/redirect/f0e782d5-3ba8-48ae-8e28-14aa1e20159e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “The instrument — a long plastic horn, typically blown by South African football fans — was deemed “excessively loud,” according to the global football body’s code of conduct.” FIFA bans use of vuvuzelas at World Cup [ https://substack.com/redirect/92b36040-0074-4a58-89c8-c339ce57fe09?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Better 16 years late than never?) + “Forty-three-year-old construction worker Thomas Berg eventually took home the top prize after wowing judges by frantically jumping on a trampoline while clad in neon green gym wear.” A raucous Copenhagen crowd cheers Denmark’s 2026 Mullet Championship [ https://substack.com/redirect/316bf5ba-dcdc-430e-bc69-aa65929e5967?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qSXdNVEU1TmpRME1pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Z3dPVFEzTURnM0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1USTBPRE13T0Rjc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS4tU1phR1FUcTd2QW1OV3Q5ZEN6NC1DS285QklrZGVpeGEzc0FjZG1ZZTJzIiwicCI6MjAxMTk2NDQyLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3ODA5NDcwODcsImV4cCI6MjA5NjUyMzA4NywiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.fcLAJVMjlL-pfAgGyp-Wsheb2Va3pLMIjL-kIVeBwpg?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/turning-a-prophet In his first miracle, he turned 120 gallons of water into wine. He was also seen walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee. With this kind of mastery over liquid, it was only a matter of time before Jesus got into the beverage business. While he was early to the miracle market, Jesus is hardly the first well-known name to back an energy drink. Kim Kardashian, Logan Paul, The Rock, Alex Cooper, Lionel Messi, and many others are already preaching to the masses to swallow their functional beverage pitch. But it wasn’t until some entrepreneurs decided that he had a branding problem that Jesus’ image was slapped onto the side of a can of Berry Blessed Yahweh energy drink. You get all the biblical associations with none of the calories! The Guardian: What would Jesus drink? Welcome to the age of Christian energy beverages [ https://substack.com/redirect/4d1087d2-b829-46bd-8da3-8003bbaa3bd4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Another mega-celeb has entered the beverage game. Or rather, beverage companies have enlisted him in an effort to spread the good word about their product. Jesus, it turns out, has a branding problem – at least according to the makers of these drinks. Too many people simply haven’t heard the message. ‘God put it on our hearts to specifically preach the gospel through an energy drink,’ the creator of Yahweh says in an Instagram video defending the company against accusations that it exists mainly to turn a profit.” But wait, Moses walked through a parted Red Sea and got water from a stone more than a thousand years before Jesus was even born. Shouldn’t he be the first to market drinks? Yes. In a twist that gives new meaning to holy spirits, Moses Vodka has been around for years (although there’s some debate about whether or not it’s actually kosher [ https://substack.com/redirect/f75814b4-f079-4335-be04-920f3ce15f32?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to drink it). You gotta hand it to Moses for prophesying that, in the year of our Lord 2026, we’d need something stronger than water or wine. + Scheduling note: NextDraft will be off tomorrow. I need a few cans of Jesus and a few shots of Moses to recharge. See you back here on Monday. 2 Let’s Fake a Deal Iran says it won’t resume peace talks until there’s a real ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. But Hezbollah (an Iran proxy) in Lebanon won’t stop firing rockets and drones into northern Israel and is refusing to sign onto a ceasefire agreement. BBC: Hezbollah rejects renewed ceasefire agreed by Israel and Lebanon [ https://substack.com/redirect/e17886d7-839b-425b-8b22-1322719a06eb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Even during the best of times, dealmaking in the region is difficult. And now Trump has another challenge. House Votes to Rein In Trump on Iran War. [ https://substack.com/redirect/fd7ab035-e868-4f56-bb8b-b6b445013aa6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] “The House on Wednesday voted to direct President Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from the conflict with Iran or win approval from Congress to continue the war, after four Republicans sided with Democrats in a striking sign of growing opposition to a military campaign now in its fourth month.” + AP: With Trump in a holding pattern on Iran war, allies and critics worry he risks getting boxed in [ https://substack.com/redirect/275d7f29-5bb8-44dc-926b-fa2451d01fdf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Maybe more importantly to Trump, the oil industry is leaking the same message. Politico: Oil industry warns Trump administration of price spikes within weeks [ https://substack.com/redirect/8d83b9d9-21e9-49f7-b2fb-91c737464556?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Addicted to BS Even though they are definitely not addictive gambling platforms, industry players like Kalshi and Polymarket are hiring some political lobbyists from other addiction industries. “A trade group backed by some of the largest players in the prediction market industry, including Kalshi, Coinbase, Crypto dot com, Robinhood, and Underdog—has recruited a bipartisan dynamic duo of influential former congressmen to be the faces of the industry. In addition to the political firepower, CPM added an influential former gambling industry advocate and a former vaping executive to help manage the organization’s direction.” TNR: Prediction Markets Are Learning From the Addiction Industry [ https://substack.com/redirect/8ff9734f-7a4f-4fe9-9c73-a1090f4e7ebd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. But they definitely don’t see themselves as, you know, part of the addiction industry. It’s like the old saying goes: I used to be addicted, but now I’m just a dick. 4 Laughing Matter “Trust in science has plummeted. Can improv turn the tide? Scimemi is one of more than 35,000 scientists and researchers who have taken classes led by professional actors to help them earn their audiences’ trust and understanding. It’s the brainchild of Alan Alda, who helped start what is now called the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Long Island’s Stony Brook University more than 15 years ago.” WSJ (Gift Article): Alan Alda’s Solution to Eroding Trust in Science: More Improv [ https://substack.com/redirect/d506e0ec-8444-4277-be1e-10ec253fd615?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + I’m not sure any American scientists would have had the foresight to improvise a scene in which their own government was dismantling science. Trump Administration to Dismantle Ocean Monitoring System [ https://substack.com/redirect/e855ce64-430e-4dd8-bd52-901cccc7e8d9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, Trump to unveil $700 million coal support plan using emergency powers [ https://substack.com/redirect/c7f00118-316c-40a8-9094-e8717306e108?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Even if you’re an improv-trained scientist, America has become a tough room to get a laugh. 5 Extra, Extra Slash and Learn: “After Elon Musk ‘spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper,’ as he put it last year, he and President Trump scoffed that American humanitarian aid was, in effect, woke nonsense. Yet in reality American humanitarian aid not only saved one life every 10 seconds but was also safeguarding the world from epidemics. So now we face a rapidly increasing outbreak of Ebola, and the Trump administration is finding that some of the things that went into the wood chipper were the very tools needed to tackle the virus.” NYT (Gift Article): This Is Why You Don’t Slash Humanitarian Aid [ https://substack.com/redirect/427bbda7-368b-48bd-9498-9e25db8b8540?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (As a punishment, Elon is about to become the richest person in history. That’ll teach him.) + Consumer Subjection: Polls are bad and everything seems chaotic. But the masterminds behind Project 2025 just keep on keeping on. Consumer protection agency deletes thousands of pages as Trump administration seeks to dismantle it [ https://substack.com/redirect/70d87925-17ca-4958-b631-493b7b1d5544?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Enemies List Twist: “Bolton described the national security information in question in an electronic diary entry that he shared with two members of his family, the two sources said.” Former Trump adviser John Bolton to plead guilty to retaining national security information [ https://substack.com/redirect/7650812a-05dc-4fc1-8e70-62016500dbd6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. No one has worked harder to target Trump’s enemies and pay off his accomplices than Todd Blanche. So, perhaps this headline was predictable. President Trump says he will nominate Todd Blanche to serve as attorney general [ https://substack.com/redirect/c194ebf2-4a07-4532-8cee-b14c30b0bed2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Subsidized Housing: “The seller will consider Anthropic or OpenAI stock as payment. That single line in an otherwise typical luxury listing may be the most succinct summary of what’s been going on in San Francisco for the past two years.” Want to understand the economic power of the AI boom? Try to buy a house in the Bay Area. One Bay Area housing trend is becoming impossible to miss [ https://substack.com/redirect/eb6262b1-4ead-4b4a-b802-b3f079b89c8b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Flamingo Kid: “Thousands took to the streets of Tirana for a third straight day on Wednesday, some of them brandishing inflatable flamingos in a nod to feared environmental damage, amid mounting calls for the project to be blocked.” Protests in Albania grow over Jared Kushner-backed luxury resort [ https://substack.com/redirect/41e176de-b7d2-438d-8cfb-14a9a3fba8ff?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Judd Legum has a great overview: Kushner’s Albanian resort faces corruption probe, mass protests [ https://substack.com/redirect/783919f5-b179-4e3e-baab-df2b113afc9a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Peak Experience: “Dawa Sherpa was last seen around May 29 descending the mountain, but he did not make it to base camp even though his client did. The pair were among the last climbers on the mountain as the climbing season came to an end and the route was dismantled. Dawa was located by a cleaning crew Thursday morning as he was crawling down the snowy slopes.” Sherpa guide missing for a week on Mount Everest rescued while crawling to base camp [ https://substack.com/redirect/b889d436-572f-459c-8c58-c1a71e8d6f78?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + When You Need Stats, Stat: “It certainly helps that Langs, aided by the magic of modern technology, can quite literally watch every game at once. And so, from her desk, she sees it all, eyes darting ferociously among screens like a stocktrader on their 10th cup of coffee ... That Langs singlehandedly produces so much compelling, informative content is all the more remarkable considering the difficult circumstances of her day-to-day life. In 2021, Sarah was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.” On Lou Gehrig Day, as always, Sarah Langs is working [ https://substack.com/redirect/65e713cd-3f61-4c5a-a94a-65082f18e060?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “The getaway car was parked just outside the Marina yoga studio, idling in the January night air as the burglar made his move. In under three minutes, the burglar was in and out of Hot 8 Yoga with an armload of activewear. He stuffed the loot in the car’s trunk, hopped inside and disappeared down the street, comfortably carried away by an autonomous Waymo vehicle.” We’re always on the cutting edge in SF! How a burglar used a robotaxi to flee the scene [ https://substack.com/redirect/13b901e8-163e-457e-8c64-65bfc07e30d3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Their annual emergence in the Great Smoky Mountains has become so popular that campsites sell out months in advance. This year’s lottery to get parking spots for the eight-night official viewing period attracted over 45,000 applicants. Only 960 slots were distributed.” The World Is Going Crazy Over Fireflies [ https://substack.com/redirect/8bf08095-b4d3-4376-99c4-b70adf22959d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (We’re all trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel...) + Reminder: NextDraft will be off tomorrow. 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/cant-buy-me-gov Money talks. The question is whether or not people will listen. In several high-profile Tuesday elections, the answer was no, as voters gave money a run for its money. “Tuesday’s primary night was a poor showing for California’s tech billionaires and founders who viewed statewide politics as the next frontier for their ambitions.” Politico: Big Tech’s big flop on primary night [ https://substack.com/redirect/a5a7055d-794e-4ae4-80d4-3c97b291b235?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Is this indicative of a larger trend? Possibly, but there are some key reasons why candidates flush with cash flushed it right down the toilet. It could be the fact that many voters don’t pay attention to election choices until the last minute (and don’t want to). It could be that voters get turned off by a months-long onslaught of TV commercials during local programming. (In 2026, I’ve spent more time with California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer than I have with my own family.) It could be that the candidates themselves were weak, and that money is better spent on propositions, measures, and other elections where the human factor is less of an issue. Or, it could be that this was just a blip on the radar, and that the billionaire political winning streak will keep on keeping on. In these particularly deep-pocketed times, the lesson most likely to be taken away by bigly donors is that they need to spend even more. Expect to see the consequence of that insight playing out across your state and your screens as the midterms approach. + “Call it the billionaire bust. It underscores the limits of money’s influence on elections in a state as vast and diverse as California, where most voters don’t start paying attention until their ballot hits their mailbox and where the electorate has a historic populist streak.” SF Chronicle: Wealthy candidates and donors had a rough night [ https://substack.com/redirect/31865b2e-6d64-4da3-9fbc-9a5cfac26bb0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “The contours of a premier Senate race took shape in Iowa, while President Donald Trump’s endorsement streak ran into a roadblock there. Democrats chose a nominee for a House race in New Jersey that could decide control of the chamber. But much of the focus was on California, home to Hollywood but not a governor’s race packing much star power.” California may be home to the most advanced computing in the world, but we sure count slow. Xavier Becerra leads the gubernatorial race and incumbent Karen Bass secured the top spot in the running for LA Mayor. Who will they be running against? We’re still counting. AP: Takeaways from primaries featuring Spencer Pratt, a missing congressman and a rare Trump setback [ https://substack.com/redirect/39dc4a21-a3ff-4b11-bb3d-84a4a140e5d0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Shadow Ballot Boxing Leave it to the Supreme Court to remind us, even on election day, that the votes of 6 people matter a lot more than the votes of everyone else. “On Tuesday evening, in an unsigned shadow-docket order, the Supreme Court awarded Alabama a massive victory in its long-running campaign to crush Black residents’ political representation. Under the guise of soberly reinstating Alabama’s elections as usual, and over the dissent of the three liberal justices, the Republican-appointed supermajority halted the latest in a lengthy line of judicial efforts to end blatant discrimination by the state Legislature against its own Black voters.” Slate (Gift Article): The Supreme Court Just Transformed Its Horrible Voting Rights Ruling Into Something More Calamitous [ https://substack.com/redirect/ef2876c7-f19b-45ac-bb5f-ee4ee5999820?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. On election day in America, racism won the biggest race. 3 Only the Good Bye Young The demolishing of 60 Minutes has become a metaphor for what’s happening at once-respected mainstays across the country. Clowns for hire are determined to ruin institutions from the inside, and people dedicated to upholding their values are eventually fired or forced to quit out of principle. After a heated staff meeting in which he accused the CBS editor in chief, Bari Weiss, of ‘murdering’ his news show, CBS News Fires Scott Pelley [ https://substack.com/redirect/b6565fd4-ca61-4115-a803-9ac35c3b8462?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And from Jim Acosta: When 60 Minutes is in Trouble, We are All in Trouble [ https://substack.com/redirect/94f6a1e5-da45-4051-a262-11f6467cf553?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Because the 60 Minutes saga so closely mirrors what’s happening across government and media, it’s worth paying close attention to Pelley’s exit letter [ https://substack.com/redirect/9a4bd122-d269-43ce-9c03-3f6a77f21c1a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Here are some outtakes: “Now, the new owner of our network is casting this legend aside, apparently to curry a moment of favor with the Trump administration. The waste is heartbreaking ... For my part, new management has instructed me to inject falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story. I’ve been told to include assertions that are unverified ... the collapse of values at the top has become untenable. The leadership of 60 Minutes is no longer recognizable. The principles I hold dear are gone, and so I must leave as well. depart after 37 years at CBS with one emotion—a heart brimming with gratitude for the men and women of CBS News who encouraged and enriched my work, very often at the risk of their own lives. I pray for a day when those people and their ideals are honored again—a day when sanity, competence, and courage return.” The destruction, the falsehoods, the collapse of values, the disappearing principles, and a prayer for sanity, competence, and courage to return. See what I mean by this story being a metaphor for the broader American story? In both cases, the clock is ticking. 4 Bee Best “I found an antidote to my existential angst last week when I tuned into the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The 101-year-old competition might seem quaint and dated in the age of autocorrect and ChatGPT, but it is really a celebration of the crucial life skills that we should be teaching kids. They also happen to be many of the same ones AI has the potential to erode: focus and self-reliance, a tolerance for frustration and discomfort. When the contestants are alone at the microphone, there is no spellcheck or Google to call on, no Claude to give hints on how to parse Phthartolatrae or vaesite. (My spellcheck doesn’t even recognize these words.) ‘You cannot outsource your thinking up on the stage.’” Bloomberg (Gift Article): The Spelling Bee Restored My Faith in Humanity [ https://substack.com/redirect/22d40ea3-05e7-4290-8575-d89d527093f8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Ceasefiring Line: “Video footage verified by The New York Times showed fire inside Kuwait’s international airport. The attack was part of one of the biggest assaults on a Gulf nation since the U.S.-Iran cease-fire was announced in April.” As negotiations drag on, the cease is being blown out of the ceasefire. Here’s the latest from the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/b07be7e5-3f0e-4685-bb82-3790cf6ef11e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And from Bloomberg(Gift Article): Iran Atomic Risk Seen Higher Than Before Trump Attacks Began [ https://substack.com/redirect/66705d1a-2545-4e7b-b50c-7300e74f6e3f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Watch Your Six: WaPo (Gift Article): Pentagon hires convicted Jan. 6 rioter for sensitive counterterrorism job [ https://substack.com/redirect/5b3a3a06-1a1b-4bef-874a-4ce15dae76f2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Immunity Impunity: NYT (Gift Article): Order Shielding Trump Family From I.R.S. Audits Will Remain, Blanche Says [ https://substack.com/redirect/d3ff6a93-366e-48c6-a2c1-4cb4e267eda4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Wall, Street: “Agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the investigation division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, first began surveilling a San Diego shop called ‘Buy 4 Less’ located near the Otay Mesa border crossing in December of last year.” One-ton cocaine bust reveals secret US-Mexico tunnel [ https://substack.com/redirect/415a2172-da28-4e78-bd36-26fa73bb28cb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Ballroom Lancing: “If the language remained in, it would have required 60 votes to move forward, meaning Democrats would have been able to filibuster the bill — preventing the White House from receiving $70 billion for ICE and border patrol. Some GOP senators also had political concerns, worried that funding the ballroom as Americans wrestle with cost-of-living issues ahead of the midterms would portray them as out-of-touch.” Senate Republicans drop Trump ballroom funding from immigration bill [ https://substack.com/redirect/f8249995-9f4f-43a3-a279-43dfa9fd8c7b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News Shawshank Dimension: “New York police are investigating a bizarre mystery involving groups of people emerging from the city’s manholes [ https://substack.com/redirect/8ef79409-d4cf-4f09-8f9a-b57d0cd7e237?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in recent weeks. The investigation follows the circulation of multiple social media videos showing people climbing out of sewer systems across the city, all in the middle of the night.” (I wonder if any of them emerged saying, “These pipes are clean [ https://substack.com/redirect/4a1ddd22-2825-44b3-a365-12a3a9a827f0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].”) + “Ancient yeast living inside the 5,300-year-old frozen corpse of Ötzi the Iceman has been used to make a ‘very, very good sourdough.’” Sourdough made from yeast inside Europe’s oldest mummy [ https://substack.com/redirect/b3321468-5ca0-41ae-a605-f86fe3111cda?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Until now, I’d never considered donating my body to science. 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/deplane-deplane For your next trip, you might want to have an air sickness bag ready a little earlier than usual; like while you’re pricing out your itinerary. Let’s start with the good news about your summer travel plans: Because of airlines’ perpetual problems related to fuel waste, scheduling complexity, flight controller shortages, and outdated technology, your vacation was probably going to be a little rough anyway. (Yes, in 2026, that’s the good news part of the equation.) The bad news is that the conflict that is putting increased pressure on just about every economic metric on Earth is having an even greater impact in the sky. And it could be a long summer. “Based on current conditions, U.S. airlines will probably pay some $25 billion more for jet fuel in 2026 than they expected to. That’s more than what the industry earned in 2024 and 2025 combined. It could be a bummer of a summer. And fall. And winter. Even if the oil starts flowing from the Middle East this month, jet fuel supply constraints and price increases will most likely extend into 2027.” NYT (Gift Article): Going Abroad This Summer? Good Luck [ https://substack.com/redirect/77e9ab88-b239-4414-a61c-26b4a6bdcfe3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. But at least once you arrive at your destination, from Greenland to Spain to Canada, you’re certain to be welcomed with open arms. + To save money, you can always get a job that requires international travel. The hottest job this summer is European ambassador for ranch dressing [ https://substack.com/redirect/6b7893d7-7a83-4392-8117-76c3735ce9c8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Calculator You’ve probably heard that the AI race is expensive. Like, really expensive. To give you some idea of how expensive, consider this. “Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has said it plans to raise up to $80bn in equity [ https://substack.com/redirect/4e1fd241-a8fc-437b-970c-697b89a8bb7b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to fund its vast artificial intelligence infrastructure investments.” To put that number in perspective, if the funding is successful, “it would raise more than the world’s three largest initial public offerings put together.” + Google’s plan to release up to 32 million mosquitoes [ https://substack.com/redirect/3477c752-6ae3-48d5-89df-3810e4334e92?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in California is not nearly as expensive. Wait, what? “The Debug Project is all about adding so-called ‘good bugs’ to the ‘bad bug’ population.” + Meanwhile, “President Donald Trump signed a landmark executive order Tuesday that asks AI companies to give the government early access to their most powerful models for review [ https://substack.com/redirect/df7306fa-bc0a-43a7-bd57-859c32d5a5a8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” The key word is asks. “The testing would rely on voluntary collaboration from America’s leading AI companies, like Anthropic, OpenAI and Google. The order explicitly bars the government from creating a mandatory licensing or pre-clearance requirement for new AI models, making the government a request, not a rule.” (In other words, it’s not a landmark executive order; it’s the watered-down request pushed by AI companies.) 3 Indian Summer For a glimpse into the future of our warming world, take a virtual visit to the dusty district of Banda in India, where “temperatures hovered at 116-118F for more than a week.” ‘Mornings and nights no longer exist’: A day in the hottest place in India [ https://substack.com/redirect/876e14e8-b8e1-42ec-b425-8eb948de190a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. One worker who walks 6km to work and 6km home with a packed lunch designed not to spoil by noon, “offered a sentence that could serve as the motto of Banda’s heatwave. ‘Poor people don’t have the luxury of worrying about the heat.’” 4 Tube Stakes “Every generation, we see young people shoot and experiment with short films, but the big advantage today’s generation has is technology right at their fingertips with platforms like YouTube where they can upload their work and get instant feedback from viewers. This allows them to react instantly to what works and what doesn’t work and therefore hone their skills.” And boy, are they honing. A couple of indie horror films created by YouTube vets just beat Star Wars (and everyone else) at the box office. Variety: Why YouTubers Are Turning Hollywood Upside Down [ https://substack.com/redirect/8c6f06e5-5cd6-4199-87a3-5659cdc2682a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra The House(builder) Always Wins: He has zero experience when it comes to intel or defense, but he has a lot of experience when it comes to housing and targeting Trump’s enemies with falsities. So, sure, why not? “As acting director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte will be the highest-ranking intelligence official [ https://substack.com/redirect/9ca49dfa-1459-49f1-886d-b71bf5d84836?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], overseeing a vast network of 18 agencies, including the CIA and the National Security Agency. He will also be the president’s principal adviser on intelligence issues and will manage the daily intelligence briefing for the president.” + Stirring Crazy: “You’re f-cking crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.” Trump seems mad at Bibi [ https://substack.com/redirect/81eb7c53-301d-449f-806c-adc7d6fd20a2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, some Israelis are angry with Bibi for ceding too much ground to Trump. And Marco Rubio goes to Congress. Here’s the latest from the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/c8aabd02-0a92-48ff-ab23-407e527773d5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Immunity Impunity: The Trump administration appears to be backing off on efforts to create a slush fund for accomplices. But the other part of the deal might still be alive. Trump to get audit immunity as $1.8 billion fund in doubt [ https://substack.com/redirect/04509511-49c4-48a1-b4df-ca6aaa4cc8bc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Patriot Games: Russia is not winning its war. But Putin is still trying to inflict as much civilian death as possible. Ukraine rescuers pull dead from rubble after Russian strikes kill 22 people [ https://substack.com/redirect/2659305b-5fc6-4b31-b0cf-9aa045a64f3f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. One of the reasons Russia can do this is because of a ‘window of vulnerability [ https://substack.com/redirect/22833a9d-5e9c-4a96-930f-5c57a3c018b3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]’ created by the Patriot missile shortage. + California Teeming: A really silly primary system and the current state of politics have combined to leave California voters with a lot of reading to do on election day. “The state’s ballot is nineteen inches long, and lists sixty-one gubernatorial candidates.” Nathan Heller in The New Yorker: The Strange Emptiness of the Crowded Governor’s Race in California [ https://substack.com/redirect/829221fc-1d8b-4bf3-9085-89e744a8efb6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Our American Moment: Here are a couple of headlines that sum up our times. Pentagon Bars Reporters From Its Press Office [ https://substack.com/redirect/11054ccc-fffb-40f7-9fb6-28404a1542ca?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And, Minnesota Republicans Hold Moment of Silence for Ex-Officer Convicted of Murder [ https://substack.com/redirect/dd0a7660-b618-4f4c-af96-35e01991dcc0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + No Whey: Bloomberg (Gift Article): Whey Protein Is Running Out as Food Companies Put It in Everything [ https://substack.com/redirect/9fa29561-09d2-4c88-976a-c30e31e9cf9c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News The place that calls itself ‘Baseball Heaven’ is now filled with a bunch of shirtless dudes. And women, in bare chest novelty tees. And kiddos, who needed permission from their moms to strip from the waist up. And those proudly showing off their hairy chests, and pimply backs, scars from surgeries and stretch marks from a life well lived. They all congregate here in the right-field bleachers of Busch Stadium. Every night, it starts with just a handful of the bravest, and youngest fans, but inning by inning, it spreads like a virus, infecting a crowd of all ages and body types.” MLB Tarps Off craze has awakened ‘Baseball Heaven’ with the bare truth [ https://substack.com/redirect/3f52b991-4dc7-43eb-8b10-5201349c6bfd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (The Giants’ season has already stripped me of my hope, pride, and dignity. I’m holding onto my shirt.) 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/lifestyles-of-the-glitch-and-famous I spend most of my life alone in a room, talking to my laptop. So I can relate to Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s latest assignment: Writing a celebrity profile about Tilly Norwood. The subject identifies as a young woman, but you’d have to say Norwood’s pronoun is, it. After all, Tilly Norwood is a computer. A computer that is at the heart of a new-fangled and notorious Hollywood scandal, in which real people are worried that AI will be an unstoppable scene stealer. Norwood makes life easier for the paparazzi. They don’t have to stake out The Ivy, Craig’s, or Nobu Malibu. They can just do what civilian celebrity stalkers do. Scroll. But Brodesser-Akner decided the only way to do a real celebrity profile, even of an unreal celebrity, was an in-person meeting. “What that looked like was me sitting at the Groucho Club on a green couch, across from a laptop, as if I were talking to someone on Zoom ... When we ordered lunch, we didn’t order for Tilly, as computers don’t eat, and Tilly is just a computer. That is the most important thing to remember: Tilly is just a computer.” NYT Magazine (Gift Article): I Profile Celebrities for a Living. Nothing Prepared Me for Tilly Norwood [ https://substack.com/redirect/5ec09d13-7de8-48fd-b5c8-d380b2523bb8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “In our conversations — which are edited and condensed here — I told Tilly that I was a journalist and asked if she had ever spoken to one before ... ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘They ask for honesty, then flinch when it arrives.’ Did I mention that in addition to being just a computer, she’s also kind of a bitch?” + In the end, Brodesser-Akner finds that the humanoid comes up short as an interview subject because it fails to provide the one thing people actually want from artist interviews. “They want to know who exactly it was that recognized their human wounds, who recognized them and made them feel less alone. That is what great art inspires in people. That is why I wrote all these profiles, why people even read them. To understand the person who made the art, which is just as essential as the art itself. There’s an entire conversation about separating the art from the artist, but maybe the conversation persists because we know we can’t do it. The art is the person.” That really captures the heart of the issue. At least until Tilly Norwood gets an upgrade... 2 Murder, She Boat Here are a few of the big problems with the US boat strikes in the waters of South America. First, we’ve been given little or no evidence that those killed are actually running drugs. Second, even if they were transporting drugs, “the military is prohibited from deliberately targeting civilians, even if they are believed to have committed a crime, unless they pose an immediate threat.” Third, the strikes have had no meaningful impact on the amount of cocaine coming to the US. And fourth, “coastal communities in Colombia and Ecuador, where most of the boats are thought to have begun their journeys, are counting the losses not just in relatives who never returned, but in how the attacks have upended the lives of those who make their living from the ocean and now fear it.” There’s a very good chance that some of those killed were forced by drug traffickers to transport drugs and an even better chance that some of them were just fishing. Which brings us to the fifth problem. These boat bombings are one of many reasons our former allies no longer trust our ethics or actions. NYT (Gift Article): The U.S. Boat Strike Campaign Has Now Killed Over 200 People [ https://substack.com/redirect/e193874d-3a0e-484b-be05-ca7a8553bc4c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Oh, and the sixth problem. These boat bombings are yet another reason for military service personnel to doubt their leaders. There are many of those. Hegseth Strikes Female and Black Navy Officers From Promotion List [ https://substack.com/redirect/a5280308-e3f0-4748-8c95-eda4e56d08ea?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Billion Error Message “This money is flowing in the direction of politicians that can be influential in defining the regulatory agenda for the next five years. Reinforcing the cycle of economic power produces political power, and political power further establishes economic power. So, this cycle is ongoing.” Tech billionaires are spending unprecedented sums in California races [ https://substack.com/redirect/6008e83b-9448-4bf7-b848-57965fa644a1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And this trend is coming to a state near you. 4 The Wading Is the Hardest Part “Kimmel insists that ‘there are far more people watching late-night TV than there ever were, if you look at the number of views me and my colleagues get online every day and add in our linear-television ratings,’ and that it’s ‘silly’ to call the format less relevant: ‘We’re not just dying of natural causes. We’re being poisoned.’ He points to reports that, in 2023, CBS encouraged Colbert to sign a five-year contract. ​Colbert opted for three years instead. When CBS​ pulled his show two years into ​that contract, the explanation ​given was that it was losing significant amounts of money — reportedly $40 million a year.​ Why, Kimmel asks, would the network offer him a five-year deal in the first place if the show were hemorrhaging money? ... ‘These are just made-up numbers.’” NY Mag: Jimmy Kimmel Would Stop If He Could [ https://substack.com/redirect/225153ce-6b5e-4889-bbb8-9d90ecd42665?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I can’t imagine what it must be like to wake up every morning and know you have to absorb, reflect upon, and joke about every horrible Trump story of the day. And you can’t really quit, even if you planned to by now, because it would be like giving up the good fight at the worst possible time. Oh wait, I can imagine what that’s like.) Kimmel: “Professionally, I have no idea what I’m going to do after this ... Freedom is what I want more than anything. I want to be able to go fishing because the fishing’s good.” Alas, for now, we’ve got bigger fish to fry. 5 Extra, Extra Peace Through Posts: “’I had a very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, and there will be no Troops going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way, have already been turned back,’ Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. He added that he also had a ‘very good call’ with Hezbollah through representatives and that ‘they agreed that all shooting will stop.’ ‘Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel.’” Here’s the latest on the Iran peace talks [ https://substack.com/redirect/2aab0590-7243-444b-be1e-2c00525a0ea5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] which are either on or off and depend on a Hezbollah/Israel battle that is either happening or not happening. + You Don’t Want Fries With That: Last week, we explained the American economy with tomatoes [ https://substack.com/redirect/d589d77a-8d52-4182-ac6e-e360b68b0ca1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. This week, we’ll take a crack at explaining the European economy through French Fries. The World Capital of French Fries Has a Problem: Too Many Potatoes [ https://substack.com/redirect/fca80a6a-09d2-4681-9309-e62d0fb24cce?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “This month, he dumped the crop back into his fields in eastern Belgium, the cheapest way to dispose of enough potatoes to make 200 million French fries.” (I feel like this is an area where I can help.) + FIFA Fo Fum: “To anyone familiar with FIFA, the cost of this tournament should come as little surprise. Ever since the tournament hosting rights were awarded to the U.S., Canada and Mexico in 2018—with three-quarters of the games to be played in the U.S.—the organization has viewed America as a potential cash cow.” WSJ (Gift Article): How FIFA’s Biggest World Cup Unleashed a Summer of Price Gouging [ https://substack.com/redirect/75307474-c530-480f-9967-22c7da385025?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I mean, come on, it’s FIFA...) + Hammer Time: Trump’s name must come off of the Kennedy Center [ https://substack.com/redirect/ae43f82b-e782-49e7-b6c5-baab8830ba4a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], judge rules. (If the Dems win the midterms, I’m putting all my money into jackhammers.) + Intel Outside? Nvidia has a new chip for Windows users [ https://substack.com/redirect/9d1a321a-1f7a-475e-b458-62cf095f207a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And Anthropic is laying the groundwork [ https://substack.com/redirect/0368609f-4b45-4f04-9fa5-350d7d2b5671?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for a massive IPO. + Will LA Face a Pratt Fall: “Spencer Pratt, the reality star people love to hate-watch, is running for office—and betting that infamy can be political currency.” (What could give anyone that idea?) The Atlantic (Gift Article): Hope, Change, Troll [ https://substack.com/redirect/f809f78d-adb6-4677-b218-a51d75da3e38?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + You Can’t Hand(le) the Truth: “While it’s become undeniable that the humanoid boom has legs, the real test now is whether it has fingers.” Humanoid Hands Are Physical AI’s Anti-Hype Test [ https://substack.com/redirect/2861a2f6-0252-4e81-910c-009fb54243e8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And maybe related: “A Florida woman was cited for driving with her phone in her right hand. This may seem perfectly reasonable, except there’s one problem — she doesn’t have a right hand [ https://substack.com/redirect/289bf855-c31c-4f79-a3fc-6dafbdaf722e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” 6 Bottom of the News United Airlines flight to Spain pulls U-turn, apparently over Bluetooth device name [ https://substack.com/redirect/5c37ec03-4c81-4071-88e0-e550bcbf32fa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (It makes more sense when you learn that the name was b-o-m-b.) + “Bird keepers are often advised to discourage and even punish birds for masturbating, but the study found the activity was more common in the wild than in captivity, with researchers concluding it is part of a bird’s natural behavior.” Masturbation among birds is ‘natural’ and should not be punished, say experts [ https://substack.com/redirect/b1e0dfad-e93a-4dee-8c6a-b60121ceeb10?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (So people are holding birds in captivity and punishing them for ruffling their own feathers? No wonder humans have such a bad reputation.) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qSXdNREUzTVRZd05pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Z3dNelF4T0RZd0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1URTROemM0TmpBc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5zNVV1aDk2QU5mY0lsZFBZUW1aejdoc0J5UU9iVEE3QjN4N0VWY2sxR2FjIiwicCI6MjAwMTcxNjA2LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3ODAzNDE4NjAsImV4cCI6MjA5NTkxNzg2MCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.exZGkpnoOV66IJoVrPweYef9XYhSIPQ0ByO4iacqcxc?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/you-say-tomato-i-say-inflato Hold the tomatoes. I’ve said that a thousand times in part because, despite my proclivity toward a nice Arrabiata sauce, I’m just not into tomatoes on their own, and in part because of definitional issues like the one exemplified in Wikipedia [ https://substack.com/redirect/ccfc2688-8b41-488b-8ada-7bc414e6024d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: “The tomato is a plant whose fruit is an edible berry that is eaten as a vegetable.” But these days, people are throwing nightshade at the old Solanum lycopersicum less for reasons of personal taste and more for reasons related to remaining financially solvent. A combination of crop yields, tariffs, and the Iran war has left restaurants and consumers slicing tomatoes out of their recipes. “Tomatoes, ubiquitous in everything from fast-food burgers to haute cuisine, are taking on a new role beyond the plate: A nagging reminder of rising costs. Prices for those red orbs have soared more than any other food product over the past year to cement a spot as one of the consumer headaches du jour.” AP: Tomatoes become latest symbol of America’s affordability squeeze [ https://substack.com/redirect/9d411e68-51df-4ccc-ae63-f148e080f158?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + For one segment of America, stories like this one are interesting asides with potential political ramifications; a dinner party topic to slice and dice over Bruschetta, Gazpacho, and Caprese. For a larger segment of people, it’s a serious bottom-line issue. And those two segments have never been more divided. WSJ (Gift Article): The Record Divide Between Corporate Profits and Worker Pay [ https://substack.com/redirect/b0acc774-b60d-4b98-a89d-d2d43b6759ef?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Labor’s share of economic output just hit an all-time low, while the profit share hit a near record. It helps explain why consumers feel so glum.” They’d probably be throwing tomatoes, if they could afford them. 2 White Li(n)es In before times, America’s use of the military to perform relentless bombing on small boats that may or may not be transporting drugs would be an endlessly covered scandal that calls into question whether murder has at times been committed. In these times, it gets lost among endless waves of outrageous acts. But it’s worth noting that if you really wanted to hamper the drug trade, you’re gonna need (to target) a bigger boat. NYT (Gift Article): Blowing Up Boats Hasn’t Slowed Cocaine Traffic to U.S., Experts Say [ https://substack.com/redirect/6702d524-29ed-40ba-8efc-fad99a2f7b46?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. It’s a cruel and expensive policy that damages our international status and results in a suboptimal outcome. In other words, it’s entirely on brand. 3 Only the Good Die Young Everyone wants to live a longer and healthier life. But no one wants to live forever as much as really bad, really rich guys with absolutely no regard for human lives other than their own. “When Vladimir Putin was captured by a hot mic telling Xi Jinping that humans could achieve immortality by replacing their organs, some dismissed the exchange as eccentric small talk between aging autocrats. In fact, during the conversation at a Beijing military parade last September, Putin appeared to be describing a Kremlin-backed longevity initiative that has become one of Russia’s flagship scientific projects.” WSJ (Gift Article): Inside Putin’s $26 Billion Quest for Longevity [ https://substack.com/redirect/1c3a4495-4a2a-47c4-94a4-2983d96b00ab?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I’m not a doctor, but for longevity, I still recommend the old stalwarts: Diet, exercise, and not murdering innocent civilians for years on end.) 4 Weekend Whats What to Watch: Mixing humor with horror is all the rage these days. You may get enough of it in this newsletter, but if you’re in the mood for a little more, there are two new shows worth checking out. Widow’s Bay on Apple TV [ https://substack.com/redirect/7c163d21-38c2-404a-bd5d-3ca1889fd042?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] follows Matthew Rhys as the mayor of a small island looking to boost tourism, despite a lot of bad things hidden in the fog. And The Boroughs on Netflix [ https://substack.com/redirect/ec67655a-8149-4763-adf8-06de04319bfa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]features a group of retirees investigating a deadly, supernatural mystery. Think: Stranger Things meets Cocoon. + What to Doc: “In this true-crime documentary series, a cult expert and filmmaker infiltrate a polygamist sect to expose a self-proclaimed prophet and bring him down.” Trust Me: The False Prophet [ https://substack.com/redirect/d2ea7af3-0234-4f32-9a0a-229e6faced39?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. These filmmakers go way beyond just documenting a tragedy. + What to Pod: “He’s wowed presidents, pro athletes and podcasters. But magicians tell us Oz Pearlman’s viral act has crossed an ethical line. Stevie Baskin, after obsessively studying Pearlman’s tricks, explains to Pablo Torre how influencers from Charles Barkley to the White House were in on the act — and why he thinks this brand of ‘mind-reading’ amounts to fraud.” On YouTube: Pablo Torre Finds Out: Debunking Oz Pearlman’s Tricks: Is He a Fraud [ https://substack.com/redirect/3d4c53ae-17d1-4d63-b07a-65eb03dfa93d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? 5 Extra, Extra On the Verge: We either have a deal, are really close to a deal, or there’s not yet a deal, that may or may not include the opening of the Strait. Trump claims to be on verge of approving peace deal [ https://substack.com/redirect/ed637a0e-753f-4463-aa6b-55996af02777?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]with major Iranian concessions. + Pop Goes the Populism: “A year ago, the Trump administration withdrew from a global effort to curb offshore tax-dodging by multinational companies. That decision has been a huge gift to corporate America, enabling companies to avoid at least $40 billion in income taxes [ https://substack.com/redirect/f7969e7d-3c16-4968-a13b-b7c0e0f9b338?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] since the beginning of 2025.” Don’t get me wrong. Corporations aren’t the only ones benefiting these days. Dell Gets a $9.7 Billion Defense Contract. Trump’s Portfolio Stands to Benefit [ https://substack.com/redirect/469abab8-efaf-447d-b235-442328908dbf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Failure to Launch: “A rocket belonging to Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin exploded during a test at the launch pad [ https://substack.com/redirect/35ba06f7-2957-4a0a-8aa9-85b1f85c58c1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] Thursday night, shaking nearby homes and briefly painting the sky orange.” Amazingly, no one was hurt. But it’s a major setback, and not just for Blue Origin. Ars Technica: Here’s why the failure of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket is so catastrophic [ https://substack.com/redirect/8082832f-0320-4d3a-9bda-a14d310ab9f1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Drone Zone: “It was the first known time that a Russian drone had caused damage and injuries in a major urban area on the territory of the Western military alliance.” Russian Drone Hits Romanian Apartment Building [ https://substack.com/redirect/801b8e82-7068-4524-aa16-d709dad4e974?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Emotional Roller Coaster: “Eight riders were stranded nearly 100 feet in the air [ https://substack.com/redirect/d06efa4e-f036-441a-81a0-c697466625cc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] on Thursday evening after a roller coaster in Texas stopped during its vertical climb.” + Caffeine For All: “Many Americans likely haven’t heard of 7 Brew, which has only been around since 2017 when it opened its first location in Rogers, Arkansas. The chain has since grown to over 700 locations in 38 states, with about 340 more on the way, but can’t be found in airports, indoor shopping malls or busy street corners in major US cities. Instead, it operates through drive-thrus and walk-up windows in parts of the country with little-to-no coffee competition.” Private equity-backed coffee. Talk about a business of the era. This drive-thru coffee chain is pushing into undercaffeinated parts of America [ https://substack.com/redirect/7282583f-99bc-46da-b9eb-41fa3552fee7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Uncle Sam Wants You: Pentagon recruiting troops to watch White House UFC fights [ https://substack.com/redirect/1543d1b4-9617-46f2-bc88-aa2adc953247?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Tickets not included. Those who attend are required to “pay their own way and meet height and weight requirements.” Happy Birthday, ‘Merica!) + Shrinking is Growing: “He’s got five television shows on the air this year: the first-season HBO series “Rooster,” “Shrinking” on Apple TV (which recently dropped Season 3) and ABC’s rebooted “Scrubs,” all of which are in the running for Emmys, plus the upcoming “Ted Lasso” (entering Season 4) and “Bad Monkey” (back for Season 2), both on Apple.” How Bill Lawrence Became TV’s Most Prolific Showrunner [ https://substack.com/redirect/7601bb91-95dc-4a7a-954a-b237f0f9d3d4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (You could spend all your TV time just keeping up with him and Taylor Sheridan.) 6 Feel Good Friday “The decline of physical bookstores remains so embedded in popular culture that the man dating Anne Hathaway’s character in The Devil Wears Prada 2 laments that bookstores are “getting downsized and consolidated.” But the decline actually ended years ago, and the latest numbers from the American Booksellers Association show independent stores expanding at a pace not seen this century [ https://substack.com/redirect/4f5d3588-2227-42bc-9364-4c2b2000b3b7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + “Researchers say the new drug, called VERVE-102, could be administered to patients with a one-time infusion over the course of approximately four hours instead of having patients take a daily pill or regular shots.” New drug to treat high cholesterol could be 1-time therapy [ https://substack.com/redirect/90acad8d-39e1-4f66-94a5-ffdc7d05b1dc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And, A New, Powerful Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Is on the Horizon [ https://substack.com/redirect/08c56f58-fb71-438b-af5b-8bae71a8c99f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Rescue divers in Laos on Friday night safely evacuated the first of five local villagers [ https://substack.com/redirect/443476a4-dd8f-4035-80d4-b626fe20dd9d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] who had been trapped in a cave for more than a week by floodwaters. + This High Schooler Developed an A.I. Tool to Diagnose Autism and ADHD [ https://substack.com/redirect/c8e4b1d6-69e1-4e9b-9d4f-cace9539defc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] Using the Retina. + Paul McCartney Doesn’t Need to Make Music Anymore. He Just Loves To [ https://substack.com/redirect/9f57d069-5ac4-4ee4-bf76-71143d8ab8ba?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (He also seems pretty good at it.) + Shrey Parikh, 14, wins the Scripps Spelling Bee [ https://substack.com/redirect/69b46463-aa0d-499b-a374-4ea61b00a958?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] after a nail-biting spell-off. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVPVGM0TlRNek1Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56Z3dNRGd5TURrd0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1URTJNVGd3T1RBc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5qaU5aRjJDaEZLbVQ5dldkWFMzY3hCYmNVajA1OEN6c1JXbVF5enlIZUtBIiwicCI6MTk5Nzg1MzMxLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3ODAwODIwOTAsImV4cCI6MjA5NTY1ODA5MCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.SPjI7FIZUCBCtmR01n5rFj9mzoB-jX6I3ePLGfmCJv4?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/gut-shot If you’re anything like me, when your mind boggles, your stomach gurgles. That’s why, when I’m suffering from anxiety, I’m just as likely to reach for the Imodium as the Xanax. The connection between your brain and body can often be felt in your gut. So maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise that GLP-1 drugs are having a major impact on your habits, your hunger, and your head. These drugs were introduced as a tool to help control blood sugar. We then learned they could also lead to major weight loss. Needless to say, that made these drugs popular, placing millions of humans into one of history’s largest petri dishes. “Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs were initially understood as a metabolism breakthrough: medicines that act like hormones to control hunger, blood sugar and weight. But as researchers probe deeper into how the drugs work, early evidence suggests that GLP-1s may also be reshaping parts of the brain. Tens of millions of people are now taking the medications worldwide, turning what began as an obesity and diabetes treatment into what could be modern medicine’s largest unplanned neuroscience experiments.” WaPo (Gift Article): Ozempic may be reshaping the brain, scientists say [ https://substack.com/redirect/c89b8457-1004-417b-8f6f-712c8df8b54c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Alt link [ https://substack.com/redirect/2a7064e2-763c-49d2-86a8-dc171432b005?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) This grand experiment has led to many unexpected health benefits and will lead to many discoveries. Of course, there are also risks. “If GLP-1s alter the brain systems involved in reward, craving and motivation, researchers wonder, where is the line between quieting a person’s destructive impulses and reshaping personality itself?” (I’ve been on one of these drugs for high blood sugar for quite a while. My wife and kids report no luck when it comes to personality reshaping.) One benefit of our experience with these drugs is that we may finally drop the habit of telling sick people that an illness is all in your mind. Of course it is, because the brain is part of the body. I’ve always believed in a strong mind/body connection. It’s called the neck. 2 The Price You Pay The financial impact of the Iran war has followed a similar theme. The investor class hasn’t been much affected as the market continues to pile up gains. The Americans who were living on the edge are getting pushed over it. “Affordability has been a politically potent word, but an ill-defined measure of financial pain, often used as a reference to inflated prices. But new research from the Brookings Institution released Wednesday describes affordability by comparing the rising costs of essentials against family incomes. By that measure, the report found, in 2024, 45.5% of U.S. households did not earn enough to cover their necessities.” And that was before gas and other costs shot up. “The report concluded that a mere $1,000 hike in the annual cost of living would leave another 3 million households unable to make ends meet.” This is how close American households are to the financial edge [ https://substack.com/redirect/03b76df2-417d-415d-ae90-593476eb95b4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “The New York Fed report is the latest set of findings from a series of releases detailing the so-called K-shaped ​economy, ​where the economic fates of the wealthy and those who are not ​have been diverging.” NY Fed finds ‘remarkable increase’ in food insecurity for many Americans [ https://substack.com/redirect/399063e2-38a4-4a00-babb-f3e919b69635?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “The U.S. economy has weathered a series of events that have raised prices, including the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Mr. Trump’s global trade war.” And now a fighting war. NYT (Gift Article): Prices in the U.S. Are Rising at the Fastest Pace in Years [ https://substack.com/redirect/26295fac-0fb8-48b7-8f52-bf217b7f5d04?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “High gas prices, rising interest rates and stubborn inflation are keeping buyers at home and cars on the lots.” WSJ (Gift Article): One Million New-Car Buyers Are Gone and They’re Not Coming Back Soon [ https://substack.com/redirect/66326672-57b2-4611-8ce2-dc6b778bf508?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Deal Spiel “U.S. and Iranian negotiators have reached a tentative agreement to extend the ceasefire by 60 days [ https://substack.com/redirect/231c4dc4-2c9b-4f72-a70f-424f0f26866e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and start negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter.” So we have a deal to work on a deal. With this minor caveat. “Iran did not immediately confirm any deal, and the official noted that President Donald Trump has yet to sign off on it.” Meanwhile, Oman seems bummed that Trump threatened to blow them up. Here’s the latest from The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/517c1b38-d1ca-443a-abcd-7b93097bd44b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/8b9945bb-e9f4-4751-94a0-663ffcea9439?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Tiger Balm “After decades where the dominant expectation for high-achieving parents was to intensively helicopter, a new generation of moms is saying ‘enough.’ They’re reclaiming date night, saying no to schlepping to 17 different after-school activities and making peace with dirty dishes in the sink. These acts of giving up—or giving in—are beginning to add up to something of a feminist revolution, albeit a very low-key one.” WSJ (Gift Article): The Era of the Tiger Mom Is Over. Enter the Beta Mom [ https://substack.com/redirect/6ada14cd-88b9-40be-8539-74989e070dac?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (The only people who have less of an impact on a child’s personality than parents are parent influencers.) 5 Extra, Extra Dept of Injustice: Justice Department opens criminal probe involving E. Jean Carroll testimony [ https://substack.com/redirect/397add9f-1a44-430a-bef6-ac67ecf9324b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in Trump sexual abuse lawsuit. A predator is using the power of our justice system to further target one of his sexual assault victims. And not a single person thinks that move will even dent his support among GOP leaders. This kind of ass-kissing will continue apace. Trump appointees push $250 banknote with his portrait [ https://substack.com/redirect/ed89a265-1a27-4f8c-b787-0a9e6e44109c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. So will the DOJ’s corruption. DOJ Tries to Unmask Reddit and X Users Who Criticized ICE [ https://substack.com/redirect/d4cdf405-792b-44a4-b4dc-ba7c2ca60d25?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + School Bullies: “Officers in Texas displayed startling belligerence at times, grabbing or tackling students a fraction of their size over misconduct that often appeared to be minor. Children in elementary school, including one as young as 6, were handcuffed. Teenagers were arrested, charged with crimes and even jailed. In the most extreme cases, they wound up in hospitals, bruised or concussed, after being body-slammed or shocked by Tasers, which are prohibited in the state’s juvenile detention facilities but allowed in its public schools.” NYT (Gift Article): Texas School Police Pepper-Sprayed, Tackled and Tasered Students [ https://substack.com/redirect/78089ca4-039d-42d7-9497-d00a30824f81?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Valuation Inflation: Anthropic Tops OpenAI to Become the World’s Most Valuable A.I. Start-Up [ https://substack.com/redirect/44414365-56b6-4713-bddd-9ea82154f9c7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Its valuation is more than double what it was just 3 months ago. Forget AI, we’re gonna need a bigger calculator...) + Graft Craft: Tired: The art of the deal. Wired: The craft of the graft. The White House Intervened to Get a $620 Million Deal for a Company Tied to Donald Trump Jr [ https://substack.com/redirect/ff77f7cb-42ab-43bd-a6a3-2219ad7db73c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I guess this makes up for dad skipping Jr’s wedding...) + Free Milli: “Day and Young MC issued statements on social media disputing Wednesday’s announcement from Freedom 250, while Milli Vanilli singer Jodie Rocco told The Associated Press that neither she, her sister Linda Rocco nor any of the other group members had been asked to come.” Milli Vanilli and Morris Day say they won’t perform at Trump-linked Freedom 250’s DC shows [ https://substack.com/redirect/e8914c1c-cc32-4bd0-bba1-dba3e9ea38c3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. They’ve still got Vanilla ICE. Our lineup seems better. Bruce Springsteen calls out the White House and announces a protest festival [ https://substack.com/redirect/c104d4e8-ac70-4c9c-8253-3e11bea83dd3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Search for Hire Meaning: “Bari Weiss, CBS’s editor in chief, named Nick Bilton [ https://substack.com/redirect/a0c63138-c656-4fa4-9f34-aacbc2ecba1c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], a tech journalist and filmmaker, as the show’s executive producer. The network also fired two on-air correspondents.” (Editor’s note: Wait, what?) + Sinner Can’t Take the Heat: “As the match wore on, Sinner bent over on the clay court in apparent exhaustion multiple times and was hardly even running, resorting to drop shots and serve-and-volley tactics to try to shorten the points.” In a shocker, No. 1 Jannik Sinner falls apart, eliminated from French Open [ https://substack.com/redirect/c408747c-2eee-47ef-88d3-de6707eee97b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Novak now has his opening for major win 25. (If you’re not into tennis, there’s still a story of interest here. Heat isn’t even supposed to be a factor at the French Open. This year, players, like many Europeans, are melting in May.) 6 Bottom of the News “Joi AI, an AI companion startup that markets itself as providing ‘AI-lationships that satisfy you emotionally, intellectually, and intimately,’ is hiring 10 ‘masturbation consultants [ https://substack.com/redirect/f2362398-a4ff-429c-b6cc-21e27983a358?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’” (I applied, but I was told I was overqualified.) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVPVFkwTkRjNU5Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzVPVGsyTXpVd0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1URTFNekl6TlRBc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5wdGlnRzlsOEdjYlBIcmM0WXBkNU96M21WZWU0THM0WTVlUDlaakdsMW9ZIiwicCI6MTk5NjQ0Nzk0LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Nzk5OTYzNTAsImV4cCI6MjA5NTU3MjM1MCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.65hwyevdHhz2bs1qa1EaGyZpqcJsK5hvanuYRedkuhU?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/thinking-capped In the early days of the internet, blogging created an opportunity for anyone to express themselves to a potentially wide audience. This was good news for us English majors (or we English majors, I can never remember). But coming face to face with a giant, empty input box did little to entice those for whom the idea of posting long-form content was a perspiration-inducing reminder of homework. Twitter fixed that with a technical limitation that became its superpower. Due to SMS constraints, the original Tweets were limited to 140 characters. That was a welcome invitation for everyone to become a writer (and writers to realize that some of their 10,000 word ideas actually only needed about 8-10 words to get the point across). In many ways, the AI experience is an inversion of the early days of the internet. The internet enabled you to do it yourself. AI does it for you. That includes the writing, and increasingly, the thinking. But is the technology turning all writing into the samewriting? And will that lead to all thinking being similarly similar? (I’d like to see AI try to pull off wordplay like that.) Rebecca Winthrop in the NYT (Gift Article): What 370,000 College Essays Tell Us About A.I.’s Effects on Creativity [ https://substack.com/redirect/8ab742ca-22d2-434e-aab9-2500c5771aca?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Brainstorming is the work that’s fundamental to writing. As a researcher studying A.I.’s effects on education, I have concluded that these tools only superficially improve writing. The bigger and more alarming impact they have is to constrict our full range of thoughts and our ability to generate original and useful ideas — what we call creative thinking. This seems to be especially true for students. A.I.’s smooth sentences, elegant transitions and rich vocabulary give the illusion of expansive creativity and individuality. But the underlying ideas often converge into a few homogenized categories. The erosion of creative thinking means young people will struggle to navigate uncertainty. Workers will strain to adapt to a shifting labor market. And society will miss out on the new ideas that can solve complex problems and enhance lives.” (Not to mention the pun headlines and beagle [ https://substack.com/redirect/d804db6e-a8ff-4014-8d79-a7ea973860be?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]references.) + While non-writers are leaning on AI to take over, even serious writers are finding themselves distracted by tech. Ian McEwan: It’s harder to write now that phones have killed thinking [ https://substack.com/redirect/d1c5d5f6-48be-4566-8104-012234414a9e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “It was much easier to be a writer in the Seventies. The most crucial difference is there [was] no internet and there [was] much more capacity for solitude. One didn’t take out one’s phone. I’m slightly addicted to mine, I have to admit.” 2 A Paxt With the Devil “Ahead of his Republican primary runoff Tuesday, Sen. John Cornyn highlighted a photo of himself standing next to President Donald Trump as his pinned post on X. He boosted one post disputing that he’s ‘disloyal’ to Trump and another about voting ‘yes on every major Trump law.’ The posts captured an important side of Cornyn: a loyal Republican soldier, standing with his party’s leader. There’s no disputing that Cornyn’s voting record was almost perfectly aligned with Trump [ https://substack.com/redirect/91321a7f-2b30-4b3c-87df-2ecf2f7aad1b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” But it wasn’t enough. None of Cornyn’s Trumpifications were enough to match the MAGAnificent qualifications of Ken Paxton [ https://substack.com/redirect/62fb0ed1-0425-41a1-b0d5-af9a0591248d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: “A scandal-plagued hack lawyer who has been impeached by members of his own party; forced to take remedial ethics classes; admitted to breaking securities law; reported to the FBI by his employees; investigated by own his state bar association; and whose wife has filed for divorce on ‘Biblical grounds.’” In addition to garnering 20 years of scandals and headlines [ https://substack.com/redirect/c8eaa37c-2645-4558-a3d3-b8b5c632e4e4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], he’s been going medieval on women’s choice [ https://substack.com/redirect/8deea83f-371d-4609-af2e-238276cbf174?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and healthcare issues for years. That curriculum vitae was enough to earn Trump’s endorsement en route to a rout in Tuesday’s GOP Senate Texas primary. It may seem depressing to you that MAGA voters are still this loyal to Trump, but you’re not alone. Plenty of GOP senators are pretty depressed right now, too. “Mr. Cornyn, who less than two years ago came within a handful of votes of becoming the Republican leader, was a popular and respected senator as well as a prolific fund-raiser, a dependable conservative vote and an able floor debater. His colleagues saw the president’s last-minute endorsement of his scandal-mired opponent as a move to punish a senator whom Mr. Trump deemed insufficiently loyal, an insult to the institution and a self-serving political mistake that put his party’s hold on the Senate at risk.” Cornyn’s Defeat Fuels Tensions With President Trump in Senate GOP [ https://substack.com/redirect/69523f26-d01a-47b4-bb63-d53e2ee061b2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The GOP has a weak candidate. In James Talarico, the Dems have their strongest shot to turn Texas blue. But this race will still be tight and remarkably expensive [ https://substack.com/redirect/84684599-4c10-4753-9ec5-7b35a8d263fa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And Ken Paxton didn’t take long to let us all know exactly how he plans to run the race [ https://substack.com/redirect/b4552eb0-c1ae-41b3-997b-c81d141dc112?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. On Talarico: “He’s a threat to our very way of life. I mean, he’s a vegan who thinks God is nonbinary.” (With that knack for imbecilic falsehoods, how could Trump not endorse him?) 3 Track of My Tears “With my system in place, I wondered if I would feel guilty spying on my husband. But as I began tracking him, following his dot on a digital map, I felt connection. When his dot appeared at a favorite record store, I pictured him flipping through LPs. When his dot paused on Central Park’s Great Lawn, I imagined joining him on the grass. If he knew I was watching, he would feel like I’d betrayed him. But I felt like I had given him, and us, an extension on the routines that had held us together for more than 20 years.” Caroline Bailey with a touching piece in the NYT(Gift Article) on keeping tabs on the subway trips of her husband who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s: Tenderly Tracking My Husband [ https://substack.com/redirect/9242a0f5-3a69-4b10-9c96-dfac4bdbb386?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “In recent months, my husband’s tracking dot has shown him switching train lines with no clear logic behind the transfers. His trip summaries zigzag across neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Sometimes I can see that he has taken the D train straight to midtown and back without ever surfacing, or that he takes a quick hop from an R to an F to a neighborhood where we used to live, and he’ll just hover on a street corner for 20 minutes or so before coming home.” 4 Your Pilates or Mine? “At Sentiré Pilates in London’s Belgravia, founder Iza Recelj says younger clients often use the space for social events. ‘We have a lot of birthday parties and bachelorette parties,’ she says. ‘People are booking the whole studio, doing a class together and then staying for mocktails or food afterwards.’” Young people are going to have a lot of things to fix in this world. But they just might have the abs to pull it off. Bloomberg (Gift Article): The New Social Scene Swaps Bars for $300 Gym Memberships [ https://substack.com/redirect/5062b6cb-5a4d-4d20-9656-7116722a7e0a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra A Perfect Ebola Storm: “In both cases, the news has been not only frightening but also confusing, even to scientists. The hantaviruses didn’t seem to be acting like hantaviruses, and the Ebola viruses weren’t behaving like Ebola viruses.” The Viruses Causing New Outbreaks Are Much Less Familiar to Science [ https://substack.com/redirect/9d0ef02d-44ac-4ecf-8d32-5dcfe10aefdf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Is climate a factor? From The New Yorker: Our Warming Planet Is a Petri Dish for New and Deadly Microbes [ https://substack.com/redirect/4023ad6d-0073-45bd-8f39-24e28cb00a13?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of Congo is facing an ongoing conflict and Ebola at the same time [ https://substack.com/redirect/7d249e12-2266-4841-a774-02dc2daadb5a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And war isn’t the only factor hindering the response. Vox (Gift Article): This is what happens when you defund Ebola prevention [ https://substack.com/redirect/12369320-04ca-48c6-9088-417e65c344e5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Divine Divers: “After a week of squeezing through the dangerous, mazelike cave network, divers Mikko Paasi and Norrased Palasing emerged from its muddy waters Wednesday to find a cause for hope. There, huddled on a rock, their headtorches still illuminated, were five villagers who had been trapped, missing — unknown if alive or dead — for eight days inside the flooded caves in Laos.” Many of the rescuers were part of the Thai cave rescue in 2018. Like then, locating the villagers is only the first step. They still need to get them out. 5 villagers stuck in a flooded cave for more than a week found alive in Laos [ https://substack.com/redirect/cf1425cc-496f-4366-b02c-59e632d1e0de?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Bluster’s Last Stand: “Responding to a question from a reporter about the possibility that a deal might include a pact between Iran and Oman, a U.S. ally on the other side of the strait, to jointly control the waterway, President Trump rejected the notion: ‘Oman will behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them up. They understand that. They’ll be fine.’” Here’s the latest bluster about a potential deal with Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/a86a0b01-1fdb-4d26-afdd-f4110cfa7f68?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. While the ceasefire is mostly holding between the US and Iran, the same is not true when it comes to Hezbollah and Israel [ https://substack.com/redirect/2d472269-c993-482d-bcab-ca5a30e2492b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, the US will need years to replenish stockpiles of advanced weapons [ https://substack.com/redirect/965d6d58-55d7-45a4-a621-d4c5763085a4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]used in Iran war, new analysis finds. (Bad news for our defense, good news for weapons manufacturers.) + Adding Gruel to the Fire: “A combination of factors including bad weather, tariffs and a dwindling cattle herd are already pushing up grocery prices at an above-average pace. In April, they rose by the most in nearly four years, and economists say the impact of the Iran war and a potential El Niño weather pattern will only add to pressures into 2027.” Americans Are About to Pay Even More at the Grocery Store [ https://substack.com/redirect/c9bd2fe6-5351-467d-9594-27e3b5d858c5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Get the Scoop: This is my kind of climate activism. Why an Ice Cream Cone is an Easy Environmental Win [ https://substack.com/redirect/92d3e800-2b1a-42ef-8868-014c475e1801?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News The greatest threat to America has always come from within. Even in survivalist communities. WSJ (Gift Article): A Luxury Survivalist Community Is Tearing Itself Apart [ https://substack.com/redirect/306cd5ab-5993-4851-bd9a-a87fb5667c21?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Lawsuits, countersuits and disputes are piling up over septic systems, property taxes, off-leash dogs and a growing list of community rules. The legal skirmishing has reached the state supreme court—twice. Promised amenities, including a restaurant bunker, a pool bunker and a horse-stable bunker, have yet to materialize. Guns have been drawn, and there have been offers to settle things with fists.” + UFC fighting cage rises on White House lawn for a bout celebrating America’s 250th anniversary [ https://substack.com/redirect/150f1f75-dfc6-466e-aea3-8fa46648b7eb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (The official song of America’s 250th: It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to.) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVPVFV3T0RFMU55d2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzVPVEV3T0Rrd0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1URTBORFk0T1RBc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5HZVlTR1V0Vy1RQ0VrVEZSbGRUZngyT1VPZzdZRkx5MmVNU2lNZkdJalhBIiwicCI6MTk5NTA4MTU3LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Nzk5MTA4OTAsImV4cCI6MjA5NTQ4Njg5MCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.r0LARutJ_Uvf75FxW9NhpakfPBnHKpWjNsV2R_McM5M?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/tinted-love There are a lot of perfectly reasonable explanations for why, regardless of the health risks, Gen Z is tanning like crazy. Young people tend not to worry about the long-term health risks of their behavior (and given the fact that the only conversations middle-aged people have are about streaming shows and our latest ailments, one can understand the desire to delay worrying). Maybe tans draw more likes and views on TikTok and Instagram. But I wonder if there’s not something more disturbing behind the latest numbers on sun habits from the American Academy of Dermatology. “Only 25 percent of Gen Z respondents (ages 18 to 29) reported concern about developing skin cancer in their lifetime, compared with 39 percent of the general population. What’s more, 20 percent said that getting a tan was more important than preventing skin cancer.” NYT (Gift Article): They’ve Heard the Warnings. Gen Z Is Tanning Anyway [ https://substack.com/redirect/d0e17c8d-6d08-4fa4-bd8b-6cc50027c1c7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. In this age of attacks on science, maybe young people don’t really believe in the dangers of excessive sun exposure. In this age of misinformation, maybe young people buy the takes from some of their peers on TikTok, like, “The sun gives you cancer. Sunscreen gives you cancer. We die either way, so you may as well be tanned.” In this age of a rightful distrust of sullied government information and quack leaders, maybe young people don’t feel like taking skincare health tips from institutions when our Department of Health and Human Services is being run by a tanning bed enthusiast who has turned himself into a human McNugget (I hate to throw shade, but in this case, it’s for his own health). Perhaps related to an absence of trust in institutions, “Gen Z respondents cited TikTok or Instagram as their No. 1 source for skin-care information, and 65 percent of them were likely to believe tanning myths, including that a base tan can prevent sunburn or reduce the risk of skin cancer.” As their government unleashes flavored vapes, unbridled gambling, and climate policies that risk the future, would young people be wrong to question whether the olds really have their best interests at heart? Between the lack of trust in their elders and the endless stream of misinformation, would it be any wonder if young people didn’t know what to believe, and would be left with a desire to just let it all burn (including their skin)? 2 Steamroll of the Dice “Last fall, a high-stakes struggle unfolded inside the red brick walls of an obscure federal agency. Three companies — each with ties to the Trump family’s business empire — needed the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to bless their ambitions in the white-hot field of prediction markets.” You can probably predict what happened. NYT (Gift Article): How Prediction Markets and Crypto Firms Steamrolled a Watchdog Agency [ https://substack.com/redirect/37db2d29-1934-404c-aeff-3fd83e11a598?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “By Christmas, the agency had put two top officials who had raised questions about the companies on leave, barred them from the office and placed them under internal investigation. Three other senior officials who had enforced laws involving cryptocurrencies — another industry linked to the Trumps — suffered the same fate. None of those officials were told what they had done wrong. But current and former agency staffers said in interviews that the commission’s work force took away a clear message: Don’t cause trouble for those industries.” + If you’re still not getting the picture, maybe this headline will help. Trump promotes unregulated online casino after $1 million Super PAC donation [ https://substack.com/redirect/94fc570e-653d-4979-b324-87c3371e8aaf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Anyone sensing a trend? A $5 Million Donation From Big Tobacco Preceded F.D.A. Vape Decision [ https://substack.com/redirect/6641821b-9632-4fac-adb8-b8e9cbdaca29?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Devils and Details “The negotiations between the United States and Iran to end their war are following President Trump’s familiar playbook for resolving a Middle East crisis: agree to a cease-fire and deal with the toughest problems later.” For now, we’re getting mixed signals of new US strikes and suggestions that a peace deal of some sort is close. Here’s the latest from the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/abc7563b-e2fb-4197-a41c-6dba8311ca0f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/946b2831-9554-498d-8b00-d74fc4ede4fa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “How much Iran will get away with, and how much humiliation the United States will endure, has yet to be ironed out by the negotiators, but the war is now almost certain to end with Tehran’s theocrats firmly in power, and with a stronger chokehold both on their own people and on the international economy than they had three months ago. Not only is Trump incoherently staggering to defeat, he now risks signing on to an agreement that could be far worse than anything Obama negotiated with Iran a decade ago.” Tom Nichols in The Atlantic(Gift Article): Trump’s War Is Staggering to an Incoherent Defeat [ https://substack.com/redirect/034dbe6c-9110-460b-97b6-38e8e82345fe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (These worries aren’t just coming from the so-called liberal media. They’re coming from some of Trump’s top GOP supporters.) 4 Pontiff Pontificates “So-called artificial intelligences do not undergo experiences, do not possess a body, do not feel joy or pain, do not mature through relationships and do not know from within what love, work, friendship or responsibility mean ... The various kinds of job insecurity, fragmented career paths and automation must not be evaluated solely in terms of efficiency, but in relation to the dignity of the worker, the right to sufficient remuneration and the genuine possibility of participating in society ... I ask everyone to abandon the construction of yet another Tower of Babel and to join forces in building up the common good.” Count the Pope among those who are very worried about the rise of artificial intelligence. Magnifica Humanitas is the Pope’s first encyclical — a 42,300-word open letter on the need to put humans at the heart of technological change. (We might need a new data center wing to edit that down to a length modern readers will actually consume.) Main Takeaways From Pope Leo’s Encyclical on AI [ https://substack.com/redirect/80de93bc-f1f6-4a7f-8fa7-66120f72dc3c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + From commencement speakers getting booed to the Vatican, AI has some serious negative buzz going. Tech CEOs used to almost brag about what AI would do to the job market. Times have changed. OpenAI’s Altman says AI unlikely to lead to ‘jobs apocalypse [ https://substack.com/redirect/950aaf36-b187-4c55-acfc-2e907e7feda8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’ + “What do the numbers really say about the impact of artificial intelligence on the labor market? The answer might surprise you.” A reality check on the AI jobs hysteria [ https://substack.com/redirect/6058e9bb-7f11-4f31-867d-156d34e8c969?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. So far, the job market hasn’t seen that big of an impact. But AI is just getting warmed up. + Meanwhile, one of the Pope’s worries seems unstoppable. AI warfare is already here [ https://substack.com/redirect/a3854a58-0d2e-4bd5-af5e-645ad43e7a7c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Even Anthropic seems to think its red lines won’t hold for long. After all, history has proven otherwise.” 5 Extra, Extra Race to Racism: Federal court blocks Alabama plan for new congressional districts [ https://substack.com/redirect/61907eca-221e-46dc-8ce5-6fd140364964?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] that could help Republicans. “A three-judge panel in the state’s long-running redistricting case issued a preliminary injunction that prevents the state from switching maps, ruling that the Republican-backed plan ‘intentionally discriminated based on race.’” (Of course, that’s precisely what the Supreme Court just allowed, so one imagines they’ll chime in soon, with the midterms quickly approaching.) + Let’s Not Keep This on the (L)DL: “In a small, preliminary study, an experimental gene-editing treatment dramatically lowered cholesterol levels, perhaps permanently, after just one infusion, scientists reported on Monday. If confirmed in larger studies, researchers hope the findings may lead to a one-and-done way to prevent heart disease in large numbers of people.” Gina Kolata in the NYT (Gift Article): One-and-Done Heart Disease Prevention? Scientists Show It May Be Possible [ https://substack.com/redirect/a4d3dba8-3260-4847-bebc-ea4dda0dea20?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Command Performance: “The 42 swimming, track and weightlifting athletes who competed Sunday may have come to Las Vegas to chase personal records and millions in prize money, but the organizers of the Enhanced Games had greater ambitions than merely launching a new sports franchise. They sought to use the event to de-stigmatize the use of performance-enhancing substances and to entice consumers to buy them.” Enhanced Games got its ‘world record,’ but felt more like a glorified infomercial [ https://substack.com/redirect/95fd0c32-950f-4ad4-a9ac-5f6282c80371?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Here So Soon? “The U.K. smashed a century-old temperature record for the second time in 24 hours on Tuesday as a spring heat wave continued to scorch parts of Western Europe, triggering government warnings about risks to life. Several drownings were reported in Britain and France as people tried to cool down.” The heatwaves are coming early this year. Exceptionally early heat wave shatters records and brings deaths in Europe [ https://substack.com/redirect/5d3ad923-1fb2-4c85-a1d2-940f6d187a3d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Backseat Drivers: “I don’t have to talk to another human being ... I get in a car, and I’m just alone.” Blind Waymo Users Revel in the Joy of Riding Alone [ https://substack.com/redirect/a9d4a99f-2d01-4c36-a548-623fb3423735?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Curb Enthusiasm: “I am drawn there by a pair of parallel curbs that were designed to corral shopping carts. Unbeknown to shoppers on their way to rotisserie chicken and pallets of toilet paper, the curbs are world famous. Their image has been reproduced on stickers, T-shirts and skateboard graphics. Pilgrims fly across the country and from Europe to skate them, sometimes taking dimensions so they can mold replicas back home.” Conor Dougherty: What I Learned About Loss While Skateboarding at Costco [ https://substack.com/redirect/5be7b18f-2738-4279-95c6-199ea21e0b31?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “Police responding to reports of a shotgun blast at a convenience store sounds like the opening of countless American crime movies, but when cops in Nebraska responded to a recent such call they found an unusual culprit: a dog [ https://substack.com/redirect/952e9f82-efaa-42ab-a16a-15eea84a22cb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (I always assumed it would be the cats who would come for us first...) + Stephen Colbert was back on TV almost immediately. Public access TV. Only in Monroe [ https://substack.com/redirect/0aa28324-f3ce-4715-9074-4161c4434c98?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVPVE0xTWpVNE5Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzVPREUxTWpBMkxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1URXpOVEV5TURZc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5LUXJaMzlnTE55UmJVSnhPX1ZFc0JBaF85Q0hfWlB4emRFSEhPTDM3M0dNIiwicCI6MTk5MzUyNTg1LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Nzk4MTUyMDYsImV4cCI6MjA5NTM5MTIwNiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.GNCKUGihAJcW_aLE9Gfs-ecIiwLPi6qS9dS32mulnhY?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/felines-whoa-whoa-whoa-felines I know, I know. It’s the Friday before a three-day weekend. The last thing you want to read about is more bad news, a new scandal, or yet another group being falsely maligned, defamed, scapegoated, and targeted by those in power. But I don’t make the news, I just share it. And you should know the truth: While cats are known for landing on their feet, the same is not true for cat owners. Especially male cat owners looking for love. Men who own felines may think they’re the cat’s meow, but they often get a different message on dating sites: “Don’t catcall me, I’ll call you.” Michael Zadoorian lets the cat out of the bag in this story that begins with a single friend who was thinking about getting a cat. “The next day, he spoke to a co-worker, a woman who warned him that he should not, under any circumstances, get a cat. She said that women didn’t want a man with a cat. He would never get a date, and even if he did, once that date came to his house and saw the cat, that would be it for him. Game over. She further stated that men with cats are looked upon by women as weak, feminine and submissive. Subtext: He would never have sex again if he got a cat. Is it a surprise that he got a dog? No. And as much as I didn’t like his co-worker’s ailurophobia, it turned out that science may support her claim. A man with a cat is apparently suspect in America. A 2020 study by Colorado State University revealed that women on dating apps, aged 18 to 24, were more likely to reject a man posing with a cat in his profile photo.” NYT (Gift Article): Men, Hide Your Cats [ https://substack.com/redirect/e247474d-fbd9-4417-aa88-cdadf330c827?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “In the study, if men had a profile photograph without a cat, they attracted 38 percent of the women for a potential date or possibly even an actual relationship. Yet when women saw a picture of the same man holding a cat, the percentages dropped, with a sizable number saying they absolutely would not date a man who had a cat.” + Forget your choice of pets. As I reported yesterday, typos are the key to finding a match. You’re Just Not My Typo [ https://substack.com/redirect/f7453a7d-aa5f-4ffd-8997-5ce4e8caeadd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Grin and Colbert It “He didn’t land the pope, but he got a Beatle. He didn’t have a new project to announce, but he left us with a song (in fact two). He didn’t choose to end his show, but he ended it his own weird, wonderful way. Stephen Colbert hosted his final ‘Late Show’ on Thursday night, completing the story of the TV year’s most notorious and rancorous cancellation. But his final hour-plus — an emotional and delightfully bizarre wake for a comedy institution — turned it into a cancellebration.” NYT (Gift Article): Stephen Colbert’s Last Show: Laughing Well Is the Best Revenge [ https://substack.com/redirect/cb9528ee-6927-403d-84d9-7ccfa26a4195?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Actually, the best revenge will be when we cancel the people who canceled Colbert.) + The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Goodbye Stephen Colbert Wanted to Say [ https://substack.com/redirect/42ffd9a7-a0b8-40ae-90d8-6376446d260d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “I realized pretty soon that our job over here was different. We’re here to feel the news with you. And I don’t know about you, but I sure have felt it.’” (Holy crap, have I felt it, too.) + Here are some final outtakes from the final show [ https://substack.com/redirect/14afceb1-01d9-42f0-a5dc-513cb48ab948?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 A Man Bites Dog Story “Mr. Trump has brought lawmakers in his party under his control like no president in modern history. A single critical word against Mr. Trump or his agenda could result in a full-scale retribution campaign to force a disloyal Republican from office. But this week, in a rarity in G.O.P. politics, Mr. Trump’s taunts, bullying and threats have backfired, at least for now. Senate Republicans, after the president targeted two of their own, stood up to Mr. Trump on two of his biggest priorities: money for his White House ballroom, and a $1.8 billion fund to reward Trump supporters who claim political persecution by Democrats, such as the rioters who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.” (It tells you everything you need to know that those are two of his biggest priorities.) After years of enabling, sycophancy, and soul-selling, I wouldn’t hold your breath that this long-awaited hint of resistance will hold. So enjoy it while you can. In a Rarity, Republicans Stand Up to Trump [ https://substack.com/redirect/43d9858e-9cc0-42ca-8ce7-9e71ee3d115f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Heather Cox Richardson: “Republicans were angry they had no advance warning about the plan, questioned the legal basis for the fund, were unhappy with Blanche’s descriptions of how payments would work, and said they wanted no part of it [ https://substack.com/redirect/9c7184c2-82ae-4e28-bbc7-9e0807f7ddd4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. As former Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) put it: ‘So the nation’s top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops? Utterly stupid, morally wrong—Take your pick.’” (Being utterly stupid and morally wrong is the brand.) 4 Weekend Whats What to Movie: I am not a huge fan of leaving the house, and The Mandalorian and Grogu [ https://substack.com/redirect/e7ec72f3-cc29-4584-8ad3-56bd995e1e5c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] isn’t getting the best reviews. But I love Grogu. And my wife loves Grogu. And we also love movie popcorn. So there’s a decent chance I’m going to be at one of the opening weekend screenings. (If you have no interest in leaving your house this holiday weekend, you can always binge the remarkably excellent Star Wars series, Andor [ https://substack.com/redirect/dfda634a-acd5-4f4f-90b5-08fce95a75b9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) + What to Watch: “An evolution of The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments on Hulu [ https://substack.com/redirect/62195fa6-af6e-4864-9369-e77536fd8f8b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] is a dramatic coming-of-age story set in Gilead. The series follows young teens Agnes Mackenzie, dutiful and pious, and Daisy, a new arrival and convert from beyond Gilead’s borders.” (I know, it seems like we get enough of an evolution of The Handmaid’s Tale in our daily news, but this series is good and it just got renewed for a second season.) 5 Extra, Extra A Whiter Shade of Frail: WaPo (Gift Article): Trump offered White South Africans a new life. Thousands took him up on it [ https://substack.com/redirect/33104529-8d8e-499e-afde-1c6029756301?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Adri is one of 6,069 people who have been admitted to the United States as refugees since October, according to State Department figures. All but three were from South Africa. Her journey reflects the wholesale transformation of the refugee program under the Trump administration, which early last year froze refugee admissions save for one specific group.” Plus, US claims ‘emergency refugee situation’ as it admits 10,000 more white South Africans [ https://substack.com/redirect/8bab004e-1fe1-4509-90d9-7455d56f32f8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Gabbard Exits: Tulsi Gabbard to resign as director of national intelligence [ https://substack.com/redirect/205130ae-3832-4e3a-a3d9-ad52265c8013?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The former Democratic congresswoman said she would be leaving her job following her husband’s cancer diagnosis.” Gabbard was often the odd person out when it came to the major moments or decisions one associates with her job. “During pivotal moments as Trump deliberated over possible military action or watched live video feeds of operations in Iran or Venezuela, Gabbard was often not in the room, underscoring her outsider status ... She is the fourth Cabinet member — all women — to leave Trump’s administration.” + Endgame On? “Trump’s repeated threats to resume attacks since then have proved to be bluffs. The leaders in Tehran have been calculating for two months that Trump would not launch another attack, and for this reason they have made no concessions despite the damage they suffered from 37 days of relentless strikes. On the contrary, their terms for a settlement are those of a victor: They demand war reparations, no limits on uranium enrichment, recognized control of the strait, and an end to sanctions.” Robert Kagan in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Trump’s Endgame Is Surrender [ https://substack.com/redirect/57682299-f1cf-4b68-b752-5afde1267e02?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And from WSJ (Gift Article): Iran Mediators Race for Deal to Head Off Looming U.S., Israeli Strikes [ https://substack.com/redirect/3a99b876-27c5-42c0-8785-2d985984b88b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, Iran and Oman in Talks Over Strait of Hormuz Ship Payment System [ https://substack.com/redirect/efd6a345-fe08-4cec-b631-f99f55df3436?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Recycled Content: “A group of volunteers tracked 53 polypropylene plastic cups starting in recycling bins at Starbucks locations across nine states and Washington DC. Each recycling bin had signs clearly indicating these specific cups could be recycled. The results were stunning: not one cup ended up at a recycling facility [ https://substack.com/redirect/ddd3c52a-28bc-4de7-9686-e78acdb8a54b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (One wonders if Starbucks cups are the exception or the norm.) + Kyle Busch: “The news comes 11 days after Kyle Busch radioed into his crew near the end of a Cup Series race at Watkins Glen asking a doctor to give him a ‘shot’ after he finished the race. According to the television broadcast, Busch had been struggling with a sinus cold.” NASCAR icon Kyle Busch dies at the age of 41 [ https://substack.com/redirect/19301875-9355-40bd-9d97-57de44495748?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Let There Be Light of Consciousness: “Throughout the investor prospectus, SpaceX reiterates that its ultimate goal is to establish colonies on the moon and Mars that will usher in human civilization’s next evolution and expand humanity’s presence in the universe. By moving beyond the only home we have ever known, we ensure species-level redundancy and that the light of consciousness will not be tied to a single planet subject to the inevitable hazards of a harsh and vast universe.” And that’s not even the weirdest part of the SpaceX IPO filing. The company also spent $131 million on Cybertrucks last year. (Maybe after the IPO, they can upgrade to something less embarrassing.) Mars colony and Grok warnings: five strange details in SpaceX’s pitch to investors [ https://substack.com/redirect/fdfc0539-c55a-4820-a9f2-45f2a25ff6e5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And from Bloomberg (Gift Article): SpaceX IPO Makes Musk ‘Otherworldly’ Rich [ https://substack.com/redirect/8617f6b0-c2fb-4d11-bf35-50797dca43a5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Feel Good Friday “His nonchalance and the collision of what seemed like two different worlds had a number of interpretations. Some declared him ‘iconic,’ a ‘legend,’ even a ‘diva.’ Others called it a quintessentially Australian moment that captured the country’s devil-may-care attitude. Or was it perhaps a piece of performance art in itself, a commentary on the fashion world’s curated culture?” NYT (Gift Article): He Crashed a Beach Fashion Show and Accidentally Became Its Star [ https://substack.com/redirect/93e0245b-c708-42ce-94fb-24ebc8be4c93?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Routine vaccines may cut dementia risk [ https://substack.com/redirect/d6dd9348-7e61-43ea-ab06-c6ddebb96810?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]—experts have startling hypothesis on how. + UK scientists developing Ebola vaccine that could be ready for trials in months [ https://substack.com/redirect/5da97bb7-6322-4cb3-80e8-5b27bd77693c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I’m beginning to think science and vaccines are good.) + “GLP-1 drugs may be linked to a lower risk of cancer progression [ https://substack.com/redirect/a49c1af2-ecff-4a9d-b12e-da928c8c3616?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], according to new research that will be presented next week at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting.” + Experience: we found a baby on the subway – now he’s our 26-year-old son [ https://substack.com/redirect/4e34e484-2c6f-4d5d-a4a3-0cb1354817ca?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Stowaway Fox Gets Clean Bill of Health and a Name: Basil (Like ‘Dazzle [ https://substack.com/redirect/6e096e13-7891-430a-9dcb-f4828fcff471?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]’) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVPRGc0TWpnM01pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzVORGMzTVRVMExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1URXdNVE14TlRRc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5FUW56TUkwMDJ4aDNVRkFXaFZEZThfelZwX0tGb3BNQnZGRmNxdDdjVFVFIiwicCI6MTk4ODgyODcyLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Nzk0NzcxNTQsImV4cCI6MjA5NTA1MzE1NCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.FJgTKFLezJUA7xMCohV5zeUCqDX2NmUmhu-WEnv2rdE?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/youre-just-my-typo To all of those who have complained over the years about my typos, misprints, errors, omitted words, dittography, haplography, misspellings, mistakes, scribal errors, or other minor boo-boos, I’m not sorry. There will be no erratum nor corrigendum issued (including any necessitated by my potential misuse of those words). None of these keyboardian goofs were accidental. It was my way of enabling you to be certain that these missives were being delivered by a human being. I typo, therefore I am. Not only were my countless typos intentional, they were prescient and prophetic (or prophylactic, I need to check Grammarly). It turns out that typos that once enraged readers are now all the rage. “Although typos and other mistakes don’t suddenly mean that a piece of writing is good or praiseworthy, to some people, they are at least signs that it is worth reading. On a base level, many of us are willing to invest time in reading a long email if we sense that someone actually wrote it, line by line.” (The basic rule these days: If a note is perfect, it was written by AI. If it has typos, it was written by a human. And if it has a lot of all-caps, it was written by a monster.) The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Typo Vibe Shift [ https://substack.com/redirect/098e11ca-2f81-4ae3-8980-529fea27bcb2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Some job applicants are intentionally adding typos to their cover letters to prove that they, and not an AI program, wrote them. Celebrities and CEOs are sending out error-ridden emails and Instagram Stories, and instead of getting a scolding, they are praised for sounding authentic. On some dating apps, where people are, somewhat absurdly, prompted to compose their profiles with AI, typos are apparently no longer an automatic repellant. Nicole Ellison, a University of Michigan professor whose 2006 study showed that dating profiles with spelling mistakes turn people off, now thinks people are warming to the Tinder typo. ‘A typo maybe signals that you actually do care.’” (Now you know: There’s never been a newsletter writer who cares more about their readers than I do.) 2 Tragic Sequel “The two teenagers who walked into a San Diego mosque with assault rifles on Monday wore patches displaying the Black Sun—a neo-Nazi iteration of the swastika—and had scribbled white-supremacist symbols in white correction fluid on their guns. They started shooting, killing three. Then they fled in a BMW one had stolen from his mother. In the car, 17-year-old Cain Clark apparently shot his accomplice, Caleb Vasquez, before shooting himself in the head. We know much of this, in graphic detail, because, within hours, Clark and Vasquez’s video-recorded rampage seems to have been posted on the messaging platform Discord, then on a website called Watch People Die.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Glorification of Mass Murder [ https://substack.com/redirect/0c5d2dbc-396e-4309-a59c-67d896078826?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The San Diego mosque killings were part ideological, part performance.” + “The shooting, conducted by two teenagers who police said met on the internet, extends a pattern of bloodshed inspired by the web, where in recent years video-recorded slayings have been live-streamed onto Facebook and Twitch, reposted onto YouTube and X, and cut into memes across Reddit and 4chan. The videos so frequently cite one another that they’ve raised fears from extremism experts that they could motivate copycats. The speed of their virality has also made it challenging to fully take them offline.” WaPo (Gift Article): San Diego mosque attack followed a familiar online script [ https://substack.com/redirect/2198787f-3e78-410d-8964-c22c03aeb46b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Shalomless Shabbats Were American Jews right to feel abandoned by our supposed allies in the immediate aftermath of October 7, when hostage posters were being torn down and campus protests were surging long before Israel even responded to the attacks? Yes. Are American Jews allowed to believe that what felt like a betrayal has been followed by Israeli military actions that have gone too far, led by a current government that’s “intent on blocking the creation of a Palestinian state and seems committed instead to permanent domination?” Yes. Is this complex set of realities and emotions happening at a moment when antisemitism is going through the roof, in America and abroad? Hell yes. Michael W. Sonnenfeldt tries to make sense of the situation. The Challenge for American Jews [ https://substack.com/redirect/ac922b5e-0e8d-498e-821f-70a3afaa318b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “These contradictions place many American Jews in an untenable position. Many of us believe deeply in Israel’s right to exist, and many of us believe the United States should help Israel defend itself against existential threats, because as America’s only democratic ally in the Middle East, Israel’s survival is in the United States’ interest. At the same time, we cannot ignore the profound moral questions raised by the conduct of the war in Gaza, or dismiss the concerns of those who fear that American arms are being used in ways that violate humanitarian law. Understanding the impulse to condition military support is not the same as abandoning Israel; it can be an expression of anguish about what Israel, under its current leadership, is becoming.” 4 You Had Me at Jell-O “Jell-O — long known for its bright rainbow of artificially colored gelatins — is getting a line of products made without synthetic colors or artificial sweeteners [ https://substack.com/redirect/903e1182-0952-424a-a541-3d1d9f719482?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to meet increasing consumer demand for natural ingredients.” But before you get too excited about the health benefits associated with getting rid of artificial colors, remember that it’s 2026. WSJ (Gift Article): Natural Food Colors Embraced by MAHA Linked to Health Problems [ https://substack.com/redirect/5c3cf2bc-385e-4363-a216-76ac05cc83eb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Artificial food dyes have long been suspected to be harmful to your health. But new research shows that some of the natural color additives being turned to as alternatives are associated with an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes and cancer.” 5 Extra, Extra Ballroom Lancing: “’I don’t like the fund at all,’ said Sen. John Curtis (R., Utah), who added he didn’t believe any guardrails could fix it. Sen. Thom Tillis (R., N.C.), who is retiring after Trump regularly criticized him, called it a ‘payout pot for punks.’” The Trump IRS slush fund is not all that popular, even with Republicans. And funding for the new ballroom polls about as well as a punch in the face. Will these issues finally mean Trump’s enablers have found their bottom? (It’s hard to imagine, but we can hope.) WSJ (Gift Article): Trump on Collision Course With GOP Over Controversial $1.8 Billion Fund [ https://substack.com/redirect/e5982cd1-f435-4c8d-8b1a-c389a30ae162?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Highway to EL: “The biggest episodes of the past have altered the course of human events, according to researchers. An emerging one is drawing historic comparisons.” A Powerful El Niño Is Forming. If History Is a Guide, It Could Hit Hard [ https://substack.com/redirect/12ecc9dd-b515-4cd0-b517-27f98ea62e69?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + It’s Getting Old in Old Havana: “Widespread blackouts on the fuel-starved island and spotty phone signals meant word of the new, steep escalation in the U.S. pressure campaign on the Cuban government was slow to reach many of Cuba’s own residents.” NYT: In Blackout-Hit Cuba, Word of U.S. Castro Indictment Spreads Slowly [ https://substack.com/redirect/bd36f963-66c2-41ad-87c7-026cd8cecb1d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Cuban citizens who have been victimized by their own government are now being victimized by another government in the name of stopping that victimization.) + Cut Loose Like a Bruce: “I am here in support tonight for Stephen because you are the first guy in America who’s lost his show because we got a president who can’t take a joke. And because Larry and David Ellison feel they need to kiss his ass to get what they want. Anyway, Stephen, these are small-minded people, they got no idea what the freedoms of this beautiful country are supposed to be about.” Springsteen on the penultimate episode of Stephen Colbert’s Late Show [ https://substack.com/redirect/dd603dc1-059e-43aa-934e-68671fb3bfd4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Legal Gamble: “Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has signed the nation’s first law banning prediction market sites from operating in the state [ https://substack.com/redirect/f2d00061-b415-425c-8b74-8642cbebe095?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and in response, the Trump administration has sued, teeing up a legal battle over the most far-reaching crackdown on popular services like Kalshi and Polymarket.” + Batman and Robbing: “Batman is being held hostage in a Mississippi warehouse. So, too, are James Bond, Doctor Who and Cruella de Ville. Not even pop culture’s grumpiest cat, Garfield, can escape. They’re among thousands of characters represented in roughly 8.2 million comics, graphic novels, figurines and table-top games held for months in a 600,000-square-foot warehouse formerly operated by a major comics distributor that went bankrupt in 2025.” Bloomberg (Gift Article): JPMorgan Fights Over Millions of Comic Books Locked in a Mississippi Warehouse [ https://substack.com/redirect/3a6a98ae-fa1f-4725-bbab-b81bf50d9270?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Vagina Dialogues: “Maybe you need a $30 VMagic vulva balm. Does sex feel uncomfortable? A $115 vibrating massager, sold by The Pelvic People, claims to ease ‘intimacy-related tension and anxiety.’ To prevent recurring UTIs, there are Mineral Undies; to ‘reduce pressure around your pelvis,’ there is pain-free underwear. If you suffer from recurrent bacterial vaginosis, Happy V and Bonafide say they have pills to break the cycle. If you’re not sure what you suffer from, Evvy can provide you with a $348 at-home microbiome and UTI test and a ‘vaginal health coach.’ The wellness crusade has come for the vagina.” NYT (Gift Article): The Vaginal Wellness Boom Is Here [ https://substack.com/redirect/89c90aac-22c9-4b96-9488-9e20c1efb556?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “A calendar featuring close-ups of young, handsome men in priestly attire has been a perennial Rome souvenir for the last two decades — but few, it seems, are actually men of the cloth.” Holy deception: Rome’s ‘sexy priest’ calendar star never set foot in a seminary [ https://substack.com/redirect/8f333e8b-3cc4-479e-a0f0-7fec400a600c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Remember when this used to be the kind of thing we considered a major scandal?) + “As the incline got steeper, I opened the companion app on my phone and pressed Boost. My stride quickened. The whirring got louder. As the AI marched me toward the summit, I enjoyed the view. Thirty seconds later, the surge of power was over, and the legs returned to the gentler Eco mode.” Forget E-biking. E-Hiking Is Here [ https://substack.com/redirect/16ddbd73-07ed-4bba-91f3-8aeddc7bc9a1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + America in 2026: Joey Chestnut to defend hot dog title while on probation [ https://substack.com/redirect/c86035fb-937d-47ac-879a-c7fbfe2d8ef4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVPRGMxTWpJMU5Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzVNemt4TnpjeUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1UQTVNamMzTnpJc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5sbXgzVTlCQmJDZmFseFB1ZHdaNFNTMTZhMFAyRHBYSmtjZDY3OUROZndJIiwicCI6MTk4NzUyMjU0LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzkzOTE3NzIsImV4cCI6MjA5NDk2Nzc3MiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.4IDjlGqGUTdB0rxVfNxZhQkxm2bv27zge7blp2_tQeg?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/the-missing-link-2ec In the early days of the internet, we found things by browsing through web directories [ https://substack.com/redirect/8b2ff998-1bfb-4752-86fa-14d2b9b26871?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], like the one from Yahoo. That method of discovery was replaced by much more powerful search technologies, led by Google, that enabled us to quickly scour the entire internet and click on links to get to the source material. And so it’s been for more than a quarter century (which is like 10 million years in internet time). But now, the blue links that have defined the internet era, and powered a revolution in business transformation and information sharing, are, like so many other tech job-holders, at serious risk of being put out of work by AI. TechCrunch: Google Search as you know it is over [ https://substack.com/redirect/8dcda3f2-78f3-4deb-a19c-45d840a9bc4b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Instead of returning a simple list of links, Google Search will drop users into AI-powered interactive experiences at times. Google is also introducing tools that can dispatch ‘information agents’ to gather information on a user’s behalf, along with tools that let users build personalized mini apps tailored to their needs.” But if links die, what happens to the sites they now connect (the same sites that are being repurposed to provide answers to your questions in the new-fangled search box)? As Jay Peters writes in The Verge(Gift Article): “Google doing everything also means a lot of the web that Google relies on collapses under it. If Google Search doesn’t send traffic to publishers or websites who need visitors to make money ... what will Search learn from, and where will it point people to?” And what will become of the serendipity and random discovery that made the internet fun and informative? And what happens to our already isolated tech experiences when we lose the links that not only connect us to information, but to each other as well? Those are questions even AI can’t yet answer. In the meantime, Google and its AI competitors are racing to become the Hotel California of AI’s captive audience age. We are programmed to receive. You can check out any time you like. But you can never leave. 2 Get a Grip “Less than six months from the midterm elections, the president may be as unpopular as he’s ever been with the general public. But inside the Republican Party, he remains the undisputed kingmaker.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): Why Thomas Massie Thought He Was Different [ https://substack.com/redirect/c21ea404-4d23-41a2-84e7-51d8838a9c32?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Last night Massie met the same fate as so many of Trump’s Republican critics: He lost his primary.” + There’s no sugar-coating the sad fact that, even after dragging America’s democracy, economy, and global status through the mud, Trump still holds a tight grip on the core GOP voting base. But that same grip may be costly once we get to general elections that feature a broader voting population that views Trump negatively. Trump’s grip is choking his GOP enemies, but it may leave the GOP choking its chicken in November. Dan Pfeiffer sums it up. Everyone Thinks Trump Won Last Night. They’re Wrong [ https://substack.com/redirect/2bb111c7-f9c9-4e7b-847c-ecb667459300?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] (paywalled). “The message to Republicans from Kentucky, Louisiana, and elsewhere is crystal clear — buck Trump and lose your job. The problem for Republicans on the ballot this fall is that the best way to keep their job might be to buck Trump.” + In the shorter term, there are now a few more GOP members of Congress who have nothing to lose by expressing their actual views on matters. These folks aren’t exactly profiles in courage, but, in 2026, we’ll take what we can get. The GOP’s YOLO caucus is small but growing [ https://substack.com/redirect/3a365252-b4b5-46fc-a941-709ec7a2ac0c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Crime Pays Yesterday, I wrote: Trump may not be good at wars, economics, or geopolitics, but give him this: He is amazingly good at corruption. And today, here’s the NYT Editorial Board (Gift Article) on Trump’s $1.8 billion slush fund and deal to end all ongoing audits [ https://substack.com/redirect/d91f37d4-9a8a-494b-9b0f-ee676713b4bb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] of himself and his family. There Has Never Been an Example of Presidential Corruption Like This [ https://substack.com/redirect/b2fbaee4-d2ac-4920-979e-f7470e7e8f6c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The fund manages to combine three of Mr. Trump’s most alarming behaviors. One, it is an obvious form of corruption, coming from a president who has used his office to enrich himself, his family and his allies. Two, the fund continues his pattern of using the Justice Department as an enforcer to punish his perceived opponents and protect his friends and allies. Three, the fund is his latest attempt to rewrite history about the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress.” + Think you’re sickened by the idea of the already-pardoned Jan 6 criminals getting a cut of your tax dollars as a reward for their crimes? Imagine how the Capitol police officers feel. Jan. 6 Police Officers Sue to Block $1.8 Billion Fund [ https://substack.com/redirect/a0787054-bb41-4185-a45e-71f97127a037?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The corruption is nonstop. We’re used to headlines like this one: Trump Has Been Investing in Companies and Then Pumping Them in His Speeches [ https://substack.com/redirect/4eb268de-55f3-4b74-9b02-4f8ac9427fb1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. But even judged by our lowered standards, this corruption stands out. Joyce Vance: “When everything is bad, nothing is bad. People get desensitized. They can no longer keep track of it all. It’s all so awful that none of it gets processed anymore. So I need you to hear me when I say tonight: This is bad. Really, really bad [ https://substack.com/redirect/b801db16-28bb-4a32-83bd-cd24e9e34e59?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (Let’s hope we get to the midterms before we run out of reallys...) 4 Slap Shot “But the sell-off of youth sports is no surprise. In America, little remains of what used to be called the public commons—the essential parts of life organized for mutual benefit rather than profit extraction. Hospitals, nursing homes, and insurance companies were once mostly nonprofit, run by local boards. No more. Education, from preschool to college, is being colonized by for-profit owners. Even utilities such as electricity and water, once treated as public goods, are being taken over by profit-obsessed investment firms.” Chris Murphy in The Atlantic (Gift Article): My Son’s Hockey Team and the Crisis of American Resentment [ https://substack.com/redirect/4c7b0c87-2ab9-4379-8e21-55d3593deaf4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The way youth sports has changed also has an impact on what I wrote about yesterday. Americans are increasingly divided, not only politically, socially, and economically, but geographically. Our lack of real-world interaction makes us all the more susceptible to hateful, rage-baiting messages spread by those who benefit from keeping us divided and afraid of one another. Gotta Keep ‘Em Separated [ https://substack.com/redirect/9539ee80-4849-4243-aa74-73b7564b5551?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Havana Bad Day: “Cuba is not expected to extradite Castro to the U.S. and most indicted foreign leaders are not brought to the country to face charges. But Blanche hinted to the possibility of U.S. action in Cuba when he told reporters there was a warrant for Castro’s arrest, ‘so we expect that he will show up here by his own will or by another way.’” DOJ indicts Raúl Castro over fatal 1996 civilian planes’ shooting [ https://substack.com/redirect/848d98fe-58cc-42f1-b41b-bd5c8e87598e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Ebola’s Spread: “Anxious healthcare workers in eastern Congo said Wednesday they are underprotected and undertrained in a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak of a rare type of the virus in one of the world’s most remote and vulnerable places.” Ebola fears surge on the ground in Congo over rapid spread of a rare type [ https://substack.com/redirect/0d4538ee-e0da-463d-8469-44f19c945a93?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Plus, the absence of USAID likely slowed Ebola detection and response, former officials say [ https://substack.com/redirect/2e3fece2-adcd-425e-b0fe-183ab6676cb5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Here are some photos from Congo and Uganda during the Ebola outbreak [ https://substack.com/redirect/7a187aa8-cfb3-4b51-a753-3b3fee8cb62b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Homework: “A prominent Guinean couple, living in a suburb near Dallas, took in a young girl from their home country. They told neighbors that she was their niece, whom they had rescued from war and poverty. But children in the neighborhood, who noticed how she was always working, began to refer to her as a ‘slave.’” Yudhijit Bhattacharjee in The New Yorker: In Plain Sight [ https://substack.com/redirect/8ed0df9b-58eb-4912-89a1-df2b48a85d9b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Frank Acknowledgement: “Often voted the ‘brainiest,’ ‘funniest’ and ‘most eloquent’ member of the House, he was also the first to come out voluntarily and helped normalize being openly gay in public office.” Brains, humor, and eloquence are some things we could use more of these days. Barney Frank, Gay Pioneer and Liberal Stalwart in Congress, Dies at 86 [ https://substack.com/redirect/00e185c4-d954-41dc-b48f-76745cb93efb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Dad Bod of Work: “Sales have been sliding for nonfiction titles about politics, biographies and other books often aimed at men.” WSJ (Gift Article): Dad Books Are a Dying Breed [ https://substack.com/redirect/9ea2a3b8-dd1a-4a58-ba0b-5c0d32d97fa4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. These days, I really only read fiction. The content I consume on a daily basis is already more non-fiction than I can handle. I’m guessing others feel the same. + Make the Grade: “The cap, which applies to the undergraduate college, limits the number of A’s per course to 20%, plus an additional four A’s to account for smaller courses with more variability. It won’t apply to A-minuses, which committee members predict will take over as the most awarded grade.” WSJ (Gift Article): Harvard Votes to Cap A’s in Effort to Curb Grade Inflation [ https://substack.com/redirect/08f7a064-5d57-41d4-8414-121e106a9756?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Tortoise and the Heir: “Currently valued at $50 million, Sperm Racing is a start-up devoted to, well, racing human sperm through an artificial reproductive system. At their office and across the country, they’ve hosted matches with college students, streamers and influencers — all in the name of raising awareness about male infertility.” NYT Mag (Gift Article): Silicon Valley’s Answer to Declining Male Fertility? Sperm Racing [ https://substack.com/redirect/9d2a9e67-baf4-484c-82bd-859ec11bc05c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (When I was young, we raced our sperm in the snow, uphill, both ways.) 6 Bottom of the News “He’s only taken one art history course at Vanderbilt, but his platform is based on an almost mutant-like talent ... he discovered he has an incredible memory for fine art images.” A look at the guy behind the excellent feed that finds art that mirrors moments in sports. Art, but Make It Sports [ https://substack.com/redirect/361081ad-01d8-46b0-998c-5fbfa4000015?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Texas man arrested after intentionally driving Cybertruck into lake [ https://substack.com/redirect/92eee20f-9ac8-4b54-9ea4-f2825aac7d70?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to test ‘wade mode.’ Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVPRFl3TnpZeE5pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzVNekExT1RnMExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1UQTROREU1T0RRc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5PVzRjNk1pc3hfRTRSdXNjZHM3Z1h1UVA5a1dBazhJbjdTREw5MFJsUmdFIiwicCI6MTk4NjA3NjE2LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzkzMDU5ODQsImV4cCI6MjA5NDg4MTk4NCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.lxOHG9x_hTh3nqEyTewRBZ0C0FOnXc8rSoGy1lF2Um8?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/gotta-keep-em-separated Throw the bums out. It’s an old political slogan that’s a lot harder to achieve in the age of redistricting, when most elections are decided long before voters get to the polls. More than 90 percent of the upcoming midterm races aren’t likely to be competitive. “Competitive districts — where a candidate leads a challenger by fewer than 10 percentage points — are increasingly rare. That is partly because many voters choose to live in communities with like-minded people, making many areas more politically homogenous and less competitive. And it is partly because parties are able to draw gerrymandered House maps, whittling down the number of swing districts even further.” NYT (Gift Article): How Redistricting Is Making the Midterms Less Competitive [ https://substack.com/redirect/5e8806d2-44cf-49e3-9990-810f2991f301?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. This is a problem when it comes to voting. But it’s also representative of a broader problem. Americans are increasingly divided, not only politically, socially, and economically, but geographically. Our lack of real-world interaction makes us all the more susceptible to hateful, rage-baiting messages spread by those who benefit from keeping us divided and afraid of one another. Most Americans have never met anyone in real life that they hate as much as the caricatured versions of their political opponents. The imaginary friends of our childhoods get replaced by the imaginary enemies that exist somewhere, out there, beyond the borders—online and off—of our silos of homogeneity. Forget having united states, between political messaging, physical divides, and now contorted gerrymandering, we don’t even have united neighborhoods anymore. 2 Slush Fun “But, of course, nobody entertains for a moment the thought that the fund could conceivably reward an actual victim of weaponization. To ensure that it will never be used for a deserving victim, the fund is scheduled for termination on December 15, 2028.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): Trump’s $1.8 Billion Slush Fund Is Worse Than Stealing [ https://substack.com/redirect/b8da5021-e901-4033-baf2-9550b4d8cb56?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Don’t just take the media’s word for how bad this is. Take it from the top lawyer at the Treasury Department. “Brian Morrissey, the Treasury’s general counsel, resigned from the position [ https://substack.com/redirect/ffe7edc1-1203-4116-a4da-a4117ab49631?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] seven months after he was confirmed to it by the Senate and just hours after the Trump administration announced the fund on Monday.” + I covered this more broadly yesterday: “What would happen if you gave a criminal defendant and his attorney control of the most powerful government in the world? In America, that was a rhetorical question for about 250 years. Unfortunately, in 2026, we’re rapidly watching the answer come to life.” The Commander in Thief [ https://substack.com/redirect/ea3c60e5-e8c1-46f6-be45-f0a26b89bcf3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Trump may not be good at wars, economics, or geopolitics, but give him this: He is amazingly good at corruption. Trump traded over $50 million in ‘Magnificent 7’ stocks last quarter [ https://substack.com/redirect/aaf1b483-84c2-4822-8778-d0ea06f0acfb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Biblical Pro Portions “Kayla Bundy likes to start her day with a cup of bone broth. She buys her milk raw, snacks on sardines, eats authentic sourdough bread — no commercial yeasts here — and generally cooks with locally-sourced ingredients. On TikTok, where she has over 500,000 followers, she claims that her diet ‘fixed’ her skin, her hair and her depression, and she sells coaching sessions to help others with their diets. Bundy, a 27-year-old Christian content creator, might sound like your run-of-the-mill clean-eating type, but she believes her diet to be part of a higher calling.” Eating Healthy? No, They’re Eating Biblically [ https://substack.com/redirect/224ac7be-3dfa-4470-88ba-83868d4ae0b2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Maybe we can find common ground. I eat serving-sizes that are of biblical proportions.) 4 Error Quotes If you’re a journalist feverishly working to write a lede that perfectly encapsulates the year 2026, it might be time to lay down your pencil. Benjamin Mullin just wrote it in the NYT (Gift Article): “The author of a nonfiction book about the effects of artificial intelligence on truth acknowledged on Monday that he had included numerous made-up or misattributed quotes concocted by A.I.” Book on Truth in the Age of A.I. Contains Quotes Made Up by A.I [ https://substack.com/redirect/bb91346d-d0bf-4b30-becc-9c28ff2ae816?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “On Monday night, (the author) Mr. Rosenbaum acknowledged in a statement that the book had ‘a handful of improperly attributed or synthetic quotes’ and said that he had started his own investigation.” 5 Extra, Extra Ebola Timing: It’s “a fast-moving epidemic in a conflict-ridden region, involving a strain with no approved vaccine, at a moment when the global health infrastructure built after past Ebola crises has been weakened by funding cuts and political upheaval.” In other words: Not good. Why this Ebola outbreak will be so difficult to contain [ https://substack.com/redirect/984d0f83-e2f1-43f3-a9ff-9669e52f7ffe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Data Suggests Otherwise: “From mill towns in Maine to farm counties in Indiana to desert plots outside Abilene, Texas, data center developers are telling local governments: Bring us in, give us what we need, add some tax breaks, and the jobs will follow. More than 35 states have responded by offering incentives and more to attract the industry.” But here’s the rub. Data centers don’t really create many jobs, especially considering how much space, water, and energy they consume. The Verge(Gift Article): Data centers are coming for rural America [ https://substack.com/redirect/20496856-2edc-45a4-8d57-000916bf29c8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Of course, new manufacturing centers, now powered by robots and AI, also don’t create as many jobs as they used to.) AI companies have remarkably deep pockets. They could bring development and jobs and other resources to communities where they want to build data centers. And here’s why it’s in their self interest to do so. The American Rebellion Against AI Is Gaining Steam [ https://substack.com/redirect/a7cb2346-6ecb-4439-8147-8bd2748535cc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Mosque Shooting: “One of the victims, the mosque security guard, played ... a ‘pivotal’ role in preventing additional bloodshed. ‘I think it’s fair to say his actions were heroic, and undoubtedly he saved lives today.’” Time: What We Know About the Shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego [ https://substack.com/redirect/ed1360c6-b257-4b1f-b3a9-6ca809f57341?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Paxt Americana: Yes, incumbent John Cornyn sold his soul by backing Trump in primaries and voting to acquit in his impeachment trials, but Ken “Paxton was impeached on bribery and corruption charges in 2023.” So really, how could Trump resist? Trump endorses Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn ahead of Texas Republican Senate runoff [ https://substack.com/redirect/70223ca2-9306-496d-ac4b-3a3861aa81c7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Did Trump just hand a general election win to James Talarico?) + Cleanup Duty: “NATO is discussing the possibility [ https://substack.com/redirect/6a01922e-5fa8-4b59-81e3-02026ccd7a14?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] of helping ships pass through the blocked Strait of Hormuz if the waterway isn’t reopened by early July.” (One way or another, the free world needs the Strait open.) + Tired of All the Zyning: “At a lunch this month between President Trump and tobacco executives, the conversation turned to nicotine pouches, one of the hottest products in the market. The president called his health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and in the course of the conversation asked him what pouches he used. Trump took an interest in the product and told officials he wanted to see more of the pouches authorized.” How Zyn Became All the Rage Inside Trump World—Including With RFK Jr [ https://substack.com/redirect/69999b4c-d21d-43f6-a9b5-d608b7772d5d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + To Victor Go the Spoils: Nothing ever lives up to the hype. Except game one of the much-anticipated NBA playoff series between the Thunder and the Spurs. The Majestic Arrival of Playoff Wemby [ https://substack.com/redirect/9dafcb68-6db7-455b-96d2-682ad288daa0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “A brawl between two rival Roman criminal gangs on Saturday at the site has provoked debate about whether security is adequate to protect the millions of tourists who visit the Trevi every year ... In the latest diving incident, a 30-year-old tourist from New Zealand broke away from his friends and dived into the fountain.” Tourist caught diving into Trevi Fountain [ https://substack.com/redirect/2ec5f472-6229-4d56-bf34-6a78658048eb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + About the only places crazier than the Trevi Fountain these days are the lines outside stores selling the Swatch x Audemars Piguet Royal Pop. GQ: Brawls, Pepper Spray, and Store Closures: Inside the Madness of Royal Pop Release Day [ https://substack.com/redirect/f5840a99-44ac-4938-9d93-1a51ce14635d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Cats Lock is exactly what it sounds like. It offers a way to quickly lock your keyboard, either with one click from the menu bar or using a keyboard shortcut, to block all typing when there’s a risk of a feline invasion [ https://substack.com/redirect/fceaa57b-0c23-44a5-93b9-9d4941283c6e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (I’m still waiting for the beagle block.) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVPRFEwT1RVMk9Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzVNakUxTVRnd0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1UQTNOVEV4T0RBc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5kNGpSN1VXUFZiWGh1LUllbm9PSmZ0VURKSWpfNjVZZFM3dEt5ZEQ1WjVzIiwicCI6MTk4NDQ5NTY5LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzkyMTUxODAsImV4cCI6MjA5NDc5MTE4MCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.idxrU2Q8DKHAf6PKCPIlGvfP-_RTE9SZO6y49a6mAzc?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/the-commander-in-thief What would happen if you gave a criminal defendant and his attorney control of the most powerful government in the world? In America, that was a rhetorical question for about 250 years. Unfortunately, in 2026, we’re rapidly watching the answer come to life. Trump’s meritless, vexatious suit against an IRS that he has always shortchanged but now oversees has been settled by the once-independent Justice Department he has corrupted, which will result in major payouts for fellow criminals who served (and possibly plan to serve further) as willing, often violent, accomplices. “The Justice Department on Monday announced that it was establishing a $1.776 billion ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ after President Donald Trump moved to dismiss a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS [ https://substack.com/redirect/fa50aed2-e28e-4a48-8f51-eab31307a1c3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] over his leaked tax returns ... The massive fund would give Jan. 6 rioters pardoned by Trump a mechanism to seek taxpayer payouts for their claims of government overreach. The fund could even issue ‘formal apologies’ to individuals who made claims against the government.” + This corruption eruption is bad and sad news for the rule of law, but it could also end up being bad news for Republicans in the upcoming midterms.”Republicans broadly approved of Mr. Trump’s job performance and the war. But most other voters showed serious skepticism of his leadership on other top issues, including the economy and the cost of living. Sixty-four percent of all voters disapproved of his handling of the economy, long a strength for him, and majorities expressed negative views of how he was managing the cost of living.” Serious skepticism might be an understatement. Trump’s approval numbers are plummeting [ https://substack.com/redirect/55c9cb3e-274d-4e36-9d13-6eee52d33dfe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The key for the opposition will be consistently and constantly tying the administration’s corruption to individual pocketboots. Every issue — the money spent on the war, healthcare cuts, tax cuts for the wealthy, the wanton Trump family corruption — needs to be connected directly to the daily experiences of the average American. No one is managing this narrative better than Jon Ossoff [ https://substack.com/redirect/3cc017e7-0920-443b-abfb-843113946e43?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: “The faithless president depicts himself as Christ while he plunges the nation into wars of choice, while he and his family rake in billions from foreign princes, while he plunders our healthcare to cut taxes for the rich. Meanwhile, rent, power, groceries and healthcare have all hit all-time highs this year. While you pay more for everything, the first family’s wealth is growing by billions of dollars – because they’re crooks, and everybody knows it.” To quote the Mandalorian: This is the way. 2 Short End of the Carrot and Stick When Elon Musk’s Doge, empowered by the Trump administration, kicked off the president’s second term by cutting USAID, the world’s poorest and most desperate people paid the price. That same group is now bearing the brunt of the closing of the Hormuz Strait. “As the conflict in the Middle East grinds into its third month, catastrophe is unfolding across the world’s poorest, least stable countries. If hostilities continue beyond June, those confronting acute hunger will swell beyond 363 million people worldwide, an increase of 45 million compared with before the war, the World Food Program warned. The danger is mounting absent the usual degree of international mobilization.” NYT (Gift Article): Catastrophe Is Emerging in the World’s Most Vulnerable Places [ https://substack.com/redirect/28e1c995-62d6-4cd5-9b9e-079873d01d9f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. From Kate Phillips-Barrasso, head of global advocacy at Mercy Corps, “The system has been eviscerated. This is the era of indifference.” 3 Grade Expectations “Living on campus for the past four years has been an eye-opening journey. Higher education was not equipped for the A.I. revolution. Someday in the future the fully autonomous Clawdbots or Moltbots (or whatever people call them) will laugh to themselves about this silly interregnum when universities seemed paralyzed, trying to bridge the gap between the liberal education of yore and the future in which humans have no monopoly on intelligence. For us, this was college.” Theo Baker, college senior and the author of How to Rule the World: An Education in Power at Stanford University, in the NYT (Gift Article): What A.I. Did to My College Class [ https://substack.com/redirect/b90ed221-8245-4f21-bb94-24023c75532e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + As is my policy, any story with information out of Stanford must be paired with academically superior information from Cal. “The share of A’s in college classes heavy on writing and coding—in other words, work more prone to artificial intelligence use—has grown more significantly than in other classes since ChatGPT’s debut, according to a paper from the University of California, Berkeley.” WSJ (Gift Article): A Grades Are Suddenly Everywhere Since the Arrival of ChatGPT [ https://substack.com/redirect/ff9400b7-10da-4409-968c-c2a5ef9a7f15?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + If you missed it, Princeton’s test-taking honor code, which had survived for well over a century, was no match for AI. Proctor’s Gamble [ https://substack.com/redirect/bfc92c88-2cb9-494d-ae81-533466a76724?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Even with homework assistance and grade inflation, the youth sure don’t seem too enthused by AI. Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt booed after AI remarks at Arizona commencement [ https://substack.com/redirect/308951e2-babf-4770-9f61-9e587f7bf515?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Knocked Up Down Low “Any complete and responsible explanation of this phenomenon cannot begin in the 21st century and should never pretend that this is some tragedy brought about by exclusively terrible things. Birthrates have been declining in developed countries for a long time, as child mortality has declined; as women’s education has increased; as female labor force participation has soared; as modern contraception has proliferated; and as modern notions of feminism have empowered women to take more control over their bodies and their economic futures. And birthrates have continued to decline around, or even accelerated in their downturn in developed countries, as smartphone usage has surged; as housing prices of increased; as time spent at home on the Internet has grown; and as socialization and coupling have declined.” Whatever is causing the fertility decline, it’s a really big deal. Derek Thompson with an interesting look at the issue. The Global Fertility Crisis Is Worse Than You Probably Think [ https://substack.com/redirect/ce5343c7-b944-476f-a4d5-76551acebb51?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (The phrase, is probably worse than you think, could append most headlines these days...) 5 Extra, Extra Waited So Long: “A federal jury on Monday found that tech billionaire Elon Musk waited too long to bring his lawsuit [ https://substack.com/redirect/1bb4576f-ae11-4a1f-b1fb-1b09e4e39cec?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and others, throwing out the suit that claimed Altman had unlawfully enriched himself from the organization Musk and Altman co-founded.” (This was like a Yankees/Dodgers game. I was hoping both sides would lose.) + Minor Inconvenience: “A study of insurance claims for 1.8 million children found that the number of families raising mental health issues at visits to general practitioners rose sharply over a decade, with anxiety by far the fastest-growing complaint [ https://substack.com/redirect/44e78932-c453-4925-b2cb-7560b9a62020?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + Broken Families: “The findings point to a scale of family separations that far eclipses that of the first Trump administration’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy in 2018, when about 5,500 children were removed from their parents immediately after crossing the southern border.” Over 100,000 Family Separations in Deportation Push, Report Estimates [ https://substack.com/redirect/058a2753-5053-401e-8123-07e531653094?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Tennessee No Evil: Removing voting rights is just one part of a much broader attack. For example, “Knox County Schools in Tennessee is removing Alex Haley’s 1976 novel ‘Roots’ from its libraries [ https://substack.com/redirect/bb7f8b26-795a-47d1-a3b0-34c5cb641197?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + Lane Change: “Everlane built its following in the early 2010s around what it called ‘radical transparency’ on pricing and supply chain practices, positioning itself as a sustainability-minded, affordable basics brand.” So much for those goals. The brand just got acquired by Shein [ https://substack.com/redirect/10cdb09e-edda-496f-b249-d61f5c6f7495?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Rai Stuff: “You won’t find one person on property who’s not happy for him.” ... “There’s very few people that are nicer and kinder human beings than Aaron.” ... “He’s such a good dude.” Those were just some of the comments made in celebration of an unlikely winner of golf’s PGA Championship. We’re gonna have to rethink where nice guys finish. Why all of golf was glad to see Aaron Rai win the US PGA Championship [ https://substack.com/redirect/dd0b8f1c-42ab-4d9c-a74e-72854a99ef16?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “More than seven years later, here is what is known for certain about the details of Lagerfeld’s will and estate: nothing. (Under French law, such matters are not made public.) But plenty has been rumored. Various figures close to Lagerfeld have been suggested as beneficiaries, including several male models and fashion executives, his bodyguard, his housekeeper, and the princess of Monaco. Even so, from the start, one improbable name has stood out: Choupette, Lagerfeld’s blue-cream Birman cat.” The Richest Cat in the World [ https://substack.com/redirect/b661589b-9a62-4765-9dca-555d25d48a4a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVPRE13T1RZNU1Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzVNVE15TWpNMExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1UQTJOamd5TXpRc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS51TGUtbFVUczlMUzlvVU9DRWh4R1FGVE96dkdJVW5HeG01Y3o1NXdxdE53IiwicCI6MTk4MzA5NjkwLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzkxMzIyMzQsImV4cCI6MjA5NDcwODIzNCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.LlTyjImMjDqNgSyEseeOzd7hj-e8AwSpDnIKULIst-w?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/the-machine-rages-back The dawning of the internet enabled a creative revolution, where one guy like me, with a laptop, could develop a publishing system and an audience that could compete with major, branded publications. During the dot-com boom, five people from the New York Times came to my South of Market, San Francisco office because they wanted to get advice about their newsletter strategy. The age of indies had arrived. We were where it was all happening. During the current AI boom, it feels more like something is happening to us. Giant corporations with unprecedented amounts of capital and no real oversight other than the hollow promises of self-regulation are making massive decisions about the future of everything, while we’re left to hope our tech overlords are benevolent in the way they choose to delete the role of mere salaried NPCs [ https://substack.com/redirect/7e4fe87a-0258-4cfe-bb01-a5856fbcc7f4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and where they decide city-sized data centers [ https://substack.com/redirect/afe2454f-dfea-48bd-b277-d77fe6920793?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] will drink our milkshake. All that indie creativity has been sucked into giant database farms, where it gets regurgitated as bulleted outlines. The internet empowered. AI is overpowering. Both the reality and the marketing around AI are overwhelming. Charlie Warzel explains why so much of the current tech revolution makes people want to hit a giant ESC key. “That you can’t begin to wrap your mind around the AI boom or orient yourself in it is a feature, not a bug, for those building the technology. But for anyone just trying to adapt, it’s difficult not to feel resentful or alienated. Silicon Valley is trying to speedrun the singularity, and it’s polarizing the rest of us in the process.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): Too Much Is Happening Too Fast [ https://substack.com/redirect/f72106c7-559f-4b3e-9426-ec9f0ac45fa2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “I’d argue that the most common feeling about AI is somatic: a low-grade hum of difficult-to-place anxiety that’s the result of loud people constantly suggesting that the near future will look very little like the present and that nothing—your job or the social contract—might survive the transition.” (To save space, I’m skipping the interim tech years where the internet annihilated attention, polarized populations, razed reality, totalled truth, and demolished democracy.) 2 Zero Summit Game A lot of China-US summit deals have been touted, even though, predictably, details are scarce [ https://substack.com/redirect/26e8a050-00b7-4ff5-83ca-ff674b040c88?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Boeing got a big airplane purchase deal, but it was smaller than expected [ https://substack.com/redirect/f9e85b0c-74dd-45c7-8742-c8d957b391bc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and the stock is down). David Sanger (who Trump called treasonous on Air Force 1) has a good overview in the NYT (Gift Article): Trump Was Flattering, Xi Was Resolute. The Difference Spoke Volumes [ https://substack.com/redirect/291ea757-9c24-4ed3-86e0-2e4f335208c4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Mr. Xi arrived highly scripted, leaving no doubt that for all of China’s problems — deflation, depopulation, the bursting of the real estate bubble — the moment when China acts as a peer superpower had arrived. At every turn, at least as he began his two-day trip to China, Mr. Trump sounded conciliatory, the exact opposite of his portrayals of China in public appearances back home.” + By 2026 standards, the summit actually went pretty well. Ian Bremmer sums it up in this short video piece [ https://substack.com/redirect/fc324b72-7c9c-4359-ab87-21bf4ef36deb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: “We are in the books on the Xi Jinping, Donald Trump summit in Beijing, certainly, one of the most consequential summits that we have witnessed in a long time. And yet very little concrete has come out of it, and on balance, I think, most observers are very comfortable with that.” + Time: Trump’s China Trip Underscores How Power Has Shifted East [ https://substack.com/redirect/07e48d04-e0ae-496d-85d2-40a7a2ae0697?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Of course, there’s the question of how the summit went for America vs how the summit went for Trump. To get an answer to the latter question, we may have to wait until Trump’s next financial disclosure. Trump Has Made Bank Off of Government Contractors’ Stock [ https://substack.com/redirect/c28d0d24-fb11-47e9-b425-499ef88da55f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And from Bloomberg (Gift Article): Trump’s More Than 3,700 Trades Provoke Wall Street Astonishment [ https://substack.com/redirect/ac2ee691-4ef0-4563-9e8d-c8f48b63f71a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Time will tell who were the biggest winners of the summit. For now, the biggest loser seems to be CBS News anchor Tony Dokoupil, who reported on the China summit from Taiwan. Oh, and his cameraman passed out (probably over confusion over what they were doing in Taiwan). Defector: Tony Dokoupil Flew 8,000 Miles Just To Eat More Sh-t [ https://substack.com/redirect/4c59fe34-6bce-4325-b5c6-eb684b0de58f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Lord of the Fliers “Tractors, like the one his father frequently drove, had been hit in the fields. In March, a drone blew up a car next to a shop. Another had exploded on Anatolii’s street just the day before. Now, the one he spotted was heading right for his house. As he clung to the tree trunk, the black quadcopter buzzed past, flying just off the ground and bearing down on a cluster of buildings where three of his younger siblings were playing with other kids in their yard ... What Anatolii did next — something he had rehearsed, something few civilians in Ukraine have been taught — might have saved the lives of those children, his mother changing a diaper inside or other neighbors on the block.” WaPo(Gift Article): In northern Ukraine, it was boy vs. Russian drone. The boy won [ https://substack.com/redirect/bf022dd8-a9b0-4a1c-8800-9c71a16e78e2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Weekend Whats What to Binge: An inexperienced crew of civil servants is quickly thrust into roles as undercover agents trying to slow the flood of heroin into 1990s Britain in the new series, Legends on Netflix [ https://substack.com/redirect/45b6c359-6644-4861-a607-03af52de6a76?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + What to Book: The very popular novel Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke [ https://substack.com/redirect/e460b65f-305f-4567-ba3d-fa331ca8f537?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] is told from the perspective of a trad-wife influencer. The less you know going in, the better. + What to Read: If you missed it yesterday ... a great writer (Wright Thompson) wrote about a great guy (Steve Kerr). From ESPN: The Warrior Still Remains [ https://substack.com/redirect/1880f8f6-9a48-439a-a9be-9d8c855953a5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Yes, this is an article about my favorite coach and my favorite NBA team. But it’s much more than that. It’s about loss, politics, chronic pain, retirement, decision-making, community, family, and a lot more. To get something out of this piece, you don’t have to be into the NBA or the Warriors. You can be a road warrior, a keyboard warrior, a social justice warrior, or a weekend warrior, and you’ll relate. 5 Extra, Extra Slush Fun: “President Donald Trump is expected to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service in exchange for the creation of a $1.7 billion fund to compensate allies [ https://substack.com/redirect/ecb1c5c2-40bd-4463-8be2-50be10ca06c2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] who claim they were wrongfully targeted by the Biden administration.” + Kush Job: “They’ve agreed to pay Kushner’s firm tens of millions of dollars in fees annually in hopes of gaining influence at the White House as well as returns for their portfolios, according to people familiar with the matter. Trump’s decision to move forward with an Iran war that all three opposed shows the constraints of that approach.” Bloomberg (Gift Article): Kushner Disappoints Mideast Clients Who Spent Millions Seeking Sway [ https://substack.com/redirect/2e6c08fd-f204-423f-8d09-9bcd1052cf6c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Wait, I just thought they wrote the checks because Jared is such a good investor?) + Last Deport of Call? “Hugo Palencia said he was delivering meals in Aurora, Colo., for DoorDash and Uber around this time last year. Now, he is in a hotel in the Democratic Republic of Congo, dazed by a journey that he said took him in shackles from the United States to a Central African country that he had barely heard of before last month.” U.S. Migrants Deported to Congo: ‘Where on Earth Is This Place [ https://substack.com/redirect/2577b881-4dbb-43ea-8e98-ed2f63b96222?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]?’ + Little Shop of Horowitz: The same investors that are dominating the biggest tech deals are also dominating politics. Andreessen Horowitz Is Spending on Politics Like No Other [ https://substack.com/redirect/9a5258c7-8982-4c9b-997c-d5fdf99c57f4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Even with Trump’s low approval rating, it will be tough to compete with this kind of cash... + Shoot First Ask Questions Later: “The Trump administration has consistently sought to justify the killings, which began during last year’s military buildup towards Venezuela, by arguing those targeted were “narco-terrorists” transporting drugs to the US. But a joint effort by 20 journalists led by the Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism this week published the identities of 13 of those killed, some of whom showed no indication of involvement in drug trafficking [ https://substack.com/redirect/fe1930b2-8e00-4599-9ed2-bdd362fe0fe4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + Commercial Endeavors: “He directed nearly 1,000 comedic commercials, including a much-quoted spot for Wendy’s and one for FedEx featuring a manic speed talker.” You may not know the name, but it your of a certain age, you definitely know the work. Joe Sedelmaier, Auteur Behind ‘Where’s the Beef?’ Ad, Dies at 92 [ https://substack.com/redirect/7581a4c7-63ad-47d7-99b7-858a7117ac3e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Bad Kar-ma: Earworm Kars4Kids jingle yanked from California airwaves for false advertising [ https://substack.com/redirect/e445d0a6-0c41-435a-a297-c85f087d7deb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Feel Good Friday “Pancreatic cancer is one of the most dire diagnoses in medicine. There are few available treatments, and they do little to help. For decades, experimental drugs flopped in trials. Many researchers believed the biological obstacles could not be surmounted. In what seems the blink of an eye, all that has changed.” How an ‘Impossible’ Idea Led to a Pancreatic Cancer Breakthrough [ https://substack.com/redirect/2a4267ee-7abe-4d02-9470-6d7cfa778157?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Rita Collins had a dream for her retirement: bringing books and people together all over the country. Behind the wheel of a van she’s making it happen.” NYT: This Bookstore Gets Good Mileage [ https://substack.com/redirect/169a3d05-4df1-4744-9c9d-176796a2b638?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Adults relive the musical camaraderie of their youth at band camps reprised for grown-ups [ https://substack.com/redirect/c7c59436-930a-405c-8b84-129d7c41dbde?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Before ‘Ted Lasso,’ Cristo Fernández had pro soccer dreams. Now he’s living them [ https://substack.com/redirect/af741a57-2a42-4c83-b1a0-38007eff4308?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Futbol is life (imitating art). + The surprisingly strong case for feeling great about your coffee habit [ https://substack.com/redirect/e452613e-e09c-43a5-b5c8-3a3ff8e12763?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + YouTube taught a Japanese teen how to kick field goals. Now he’s in the NFL [ https://substack.com/redirect/288ac09f-e178-42b3-beee-02966a857516?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVOemt4TVRjeE5Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzRPRGMxTnpFMExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1UQTBNVEUzTVRRc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5EQ3BIOEhyZ1Q4cTVwLXBGc2llQ3Q5RlZVcU8wcWhCTkVhUjhqTmRxOFQ0IiwicCI6MTk3OTExNzE1LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Nzg4NzU3MTQsImV4cCI6MjA5NDQ1MTcxNCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.cUtaKNThLfT6xZPrTRTKxX0CmGSzKTzHQUtLJbx_7bI?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/the-don-in-china Maybe the best way to describe Team Trump’s visit to China is by paraphrasing Michael Corleone’s famous Godfather quote. It’s not political, Sonny. It’s strictly business. The group photo of the U.S. delegation that stood at attention at the Great Hall of the People [ https://substack.com/redirect/10c49c2e-9323-4b54-87ef-128b20bff8de?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] features a whole lot of CEOs looking to increase revenues from China, and not a whole lot of people, if any, with Chinese diplomatic expertise. Having business leaders negotiate deals may not provide the best possible geopolitical outcomes, but most would agree that it beats having a summit in which Trump is given free rein, and an open mic, to negotiate more complex issues. As Vivian Salama and Jonathan Lemire explain in The Atlantic (Gift Article), “the major goal of Trump and Xi’s meeting is to do no harm.” The Hippocratic Summit [ https://substack.com/redirect/2bdce609-eb19-4c55-9d01-3e36308cf10f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The delegation that arrived with President Trump in Beijing last night looked less like the diplomatic corps of a superpower and more like a Fortune 500 board meeting. On Air Force One were Elon Musk, Tim Cook (’Tim Apple,’ as the president calls him), and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Joining in Beijing were honchos from Wall Street and aerospace firms. The message was impossible to miss: This trip, billed as a high-stakes summit between the leaders of the world’s two most powerful nations, is about money first and geopolitics second—with differences in ideology trailing far behind.” While the summit was mostly friendly, no doubt, the experts on both sides were thinking of another Corleone quote: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. + While the US delegation was all about business, Xi was definitely focused on one very big political issue. China’s leader warns Trump that differences over Taiwan could lead to a clash [ https://substack.com/redirect/ccf458a6-122b-4371-9c5b-9ccb3733894c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Xi warned the U.S. ‘must exercise extra caution in handling the Taiwan question ... If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability ... Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.” While Marco Rubio declared that US policy on Taiwan is “unchanged,” many were concerned that Trump would weaken America’s stand on Taiwan in exchange for China’s help getting him out of the Iran mess (which has resulted in Chinese gains [ https://substack.com/redirect/b20dffff-5d22-44f3-ae52-cb933e1a76dc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]). The Taiwan conflict is also a story about business. As much as the Strait of Hormuz has impacted the global economy, “these hiccups are nothing compared to the effects of a serious disruption to the flow of chips from Taiwan.” Rest of World: Taiwan’s chips power the global economy. China holds the leverage [ https://substack.com/redirect/2ecc0b66-1d08-421d-b851-32adcdca44ab?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “’The idea is that when an established, great power is met with a rising power, conflict between the two is certainly likely if not inevitable,’ said Daniel Sutton, a classicist at the University of Cambridge who studies Thucydides, on Thursday. In Mr. Xi’s version of the analogy, an emboldened China is the Athens to an American Sparta.” Xi Warned of the ‘Thucydides Trap.’ What Is It [ https://substack.com/redirect/93df854b-ade3-4888-b208-a771d70a0682?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? (There’s about as much chance that Xi’s guest of honor understood that reference as there is that the rest of us will come up with a definition for Covfefe.) 2 Lethal Weapon “The findings reflect the complex landscape in which medical decisions are now made. Patients can readily find health information — both accurate and inaccurate — on social media, in podcasts and from A.I. chatbots. A recent report from the Pew Research Center found that half of U.S. adults under 50 get health and wellness information from influencers or podcasters, many of whom are not health professionals.” NYT (Gift Article): More Cancer Patients Are Taking Ivermectin. Mel Gibson and Joe Rogan Might Be Why [ https://substack.com/redirect/14f52b03-f3d3-4889-9ea7-7561b86311f8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “There’s this perfect storm of fear, urgency, uncertainty, information overload and then this desperate need for hope ... When somebody is offering you a magic cure for something and they give anecdotal examples, it can feel very hopeful.” 3 We Aim to Please At this point, we’re getting used to headlines like this one: Cisco posted record revenue on surging AI orders. It’s cutting almost 4,000 jobs [ https://substack.com/redirect/c06ad4a9-bbce-42a6-9617-93a5f322c783?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. But technology isn’t just costing jobs in the tech sector. Everyone is affected. Even snipers. WSJ (Gift Article): Military Snipers Are Being Put Out of a Job by Drones [ https://substack.com/redirect/e4d13f3e-602d-441b-a65d-a2ce09fedfa2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “A Ukrainian special-forces sniper claimed a world record in late 2023 with a shot that hit a Russian officer almost 2½ miles away. These days Vyacheslav Kovalskiy has a new job: supporting drone pilots. He hasn’t been out to shoot in more than a year and a half.” 4 Olden State Warrior Most mornings, I cringe as I wake up to brutal headlines written by questionable sources about bad people doing terrible things. So I was relieved and excited this morning to wake up to a great writer (Wright Thompson) writing about a great guy (Steve Kerr). From ESPN: The Warrior Still Remains [ https://substack.com/redirect/6b609ab0-7cf4-4124-9174-f922ca99ffb1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Yes, this is an article about my favorite coach and my favorite NBA team. But it’s much more than that. It’s about loss, politics, chronic pain, retirement, decision-making, community, family, and a lot more. To get something out of this piece, you don’t have to be into the NBA or the Warriors. You can be a road warrior, a keyboard warrior, a social justice warrior, or a weekend warrior, and you’ll relate. 5 Extra, Extra Getting Off: If you have the right connections and deep pockets, there’s really never been a better time to be a criminal. U.S. Set to Drop Charges Against Indian Billionaire Accused of Fraud [ https://substack.com/redirect/5066a3f7-a210-4718-9176-6fbb504e8e06?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The reversal came after the Indian billionaire, Gautam Adani, hired a new legal team led by Robert J. Giuffra Jr., one of President Trump’s personal lawyers.” You could be in pretty decent shape even if you’ve already been convicted. Donald Trump is thinking about celebrating America’s 250th birthday with 250 additional pardons [ https://substack.com/redirect/9bfe4ce9-2b39-4a6d-9c0d-320aecad3e8b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (At least he didn’t pick the number 1776...) + Bye American: Mike Banks, who led Trump’s border crackdown, resigned weeks after reports of prostitution allegations [ https://substack.com/redirect/f39f0d1a-2f66-4f90-9314-4a32098cb3d2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The resignation comes weeks after the Washington Examiner reported that six current and former border patrol employees had accused Banks of regularly paying for sex with prostitutes during trips to Colombia and Thailand over more than a decade, and bragging about it to colleagues.” (I’m sure the administration was just irritated that he didn’t spend his money on American prostitutes.) + Fraudian Slip: “Vice President JD Vance announced Wednesday that the Trump administration is withholding $1.3 billion in Medicaid payments [ https://substack.com/redirect/351547cc-fc05-48cd-a414-0f0ebbd4d269?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to California and is threatening to suspend federal funding to all states if they don’t aggressively prosecute fraud in their Medicaid programs.” (I’m sure the targeting of red states is right around the corner.) + Developing Story: “The continuing crisis in Iran and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz have exacted a heavy cost worldwide.” Here’s the story in photos [ https://substack.com/redirect/9315c8e6-d26a-4872-9834-c36865d97230?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Luckily, we still have enough petrochemicals to develop photos...) + App-ly Yourself: “Software is built for the masses, designed not to be perfect for anyone but to be passable for everyone.” Vibe coding may not be the ideal way to build a scalable app for a huge customer base. But it’s incredibly empowering if you want to create an app for yourself. David Pierce in The Verge (Gift Article): You can make an app for that [ https://substack.com/redirect/b69f5d3a-3bda-462d-93d5-3ad4e1c475c3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Coal Hole: Trump’s Push to Keep Coal Plants Open Is Costing Hundreds of Millions [ https://substack.com/redirect/8c16e2f6-e775-425a-a2c2-e35a43d6f96e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Other than that, it’s a great idea.) + I’m Gonna Harden My Heart: “For decades, heart health advice has focused on a few key pillars: Eat healthily, exercise, don’t smoke, and manage cholesterol, blood pressure and stress. But there’s a growing body of research that suggests there may be a less obvious factor that can influence cardiovascular health: optimism.” WaPo (Gift Article): People who are optimistic tend to have healthier hearts, study finds [ https://substack.com/redirect/5fb6d1af-9d76-49f8-b4fd-0b2faffb895f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I guess I’ll just say my goodbyes now...) 6 Bottom of the News “Where do battle tanks and military trucks go when their service has ended? Enthusiasts and professionals put them to work for search and rescue, marketing and just having fun.” Backyard Battalions [ https://substack.com/redirect/469a294e-84a6-42ba-b57e-9e43f28cf1a7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Westen Champlin, an auto enthusiast and YouTube personality in Kansas, owns a tank. Specifically a 1962 Centurion battle tank.” (I’m thinking of getting one of these for whenever I’m parked near a Cybertruck.) + “In a study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One, scientists describe the latest discovery from the site — a Neanderthal molar with a depression that they believe is evidence of an ancient invasive dental procedure. ‘Basically a root canal [ https://substack.com/redirect/76a063b8-8d3b-449e-bb66-a541a13e6a18?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’” (I’m guessing Neanderthal novocaine left much to be desired.) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVOemMwTmpReU5Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzROemczTURjNExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1UQXpNak13Tnpnc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5BaWk0MFJwZDA2dmFvRHAzS3FYbmpDTEV3SmFhdXZGNEcxTTdxa2c5OGRrIiwicCI6MTk3NzQ2NDI1LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Nzg3ODcwNzgsImV4cCI6MjA5NDM2MzA3OCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.gbDajBLJ4nfZQuSWco1CkjEtzAZDJqofTsMqLResBIE?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/proctors-gamble Let’s start with the obvious: Something called the Honor Code was never going to survive 2026 America. You’ve got to give Princeton some credit for holding out as long as it did: Well over a century is a pretty good run. Let’s do a quick Princeton Review. “In 1876, an editorial in Princeton’s newly founded campus newspaper, The Princetonian, argued against the use of proctors to monitor exams. Proctoring was ‘a means of bad moral education,’ the author wrote. Treat students as presumptively dishonest, and some would become so; treat them as honorable, and they would learn to behave honorably. And so the editorial board suggested a different approach: ‘Let every man write at the end of his paper a pledge that he has neither given nor received help, and let professors and tutors address themselves to some better business than watching for fraud.’” Cut to 2026. Students are back to being treated as being presumptively dishonest and proctors are back in the business of watching for fraud. The internet couldn’t break the policy. Mobile phones couldn’t break the policy. But then the policy met a new kind of opponent. The Atlantic (Gift Article): How AI Killed a 133-Year-Old Princeton Tradition [ https://substack.com/redirect/03c492e1-578a-436b-bbe0-1001bbac4e27?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The code lasted through two world wars, the upheaval of the 1960s, the disillusionment of Watergate, and even the rise of search engines and SparkNotes. It finally met its match in generative AI. Yesterday, after the rise of AI-facilitated cheating became too obvious to ignore, Princeton’s faculty voted to begin proctoring exams again. Technically, the Honor Code is still in place. Students will still sign a pledge that they didn’t cheat. But now professors will be watching to make sure they’re telling the truth. The Honor Code can’t run on the honor system anymore.” (Don’t worry. At some point, the Honor Code will be able to run on Nvidia chips...) 2 Leaving Kids on Read The writing is on the wall. The question is whether today’s kids can read it. “Something troubling is happening in U.S. education. Almost everywhere in America, students are performing worse than their peers were 10 years ago, according to new, district-level test score data released Wednesday by the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford. Compared with a decade earlier, reading scores were down last year in 83 percent of school districts where data was available. Math scores were down in 70 percent. The declines have affected both rich and poor districts, and crossed racial and geographic divides.” NYT Upshot (Gift Article): Why U.S. Test Scores Are in a Generation-Long Decline [ https://substack.com/redirect/4b23fd4b-923a-4961-b8a1-8ce42effaa60?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “From 2017 to 2019, students lost as much ground in reading as they did during the pandemic, and reading scores continued to fall at a similar rate through 2024.” + NPR: Kids’ test scores began declining way before COVID. These schools are making gains [ https://substack.com/redirect/db4851f3-9b92-443d-9c62-d6b0adf50381?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Hopefully, all the schools making gains aren’t still using Princeton’s Honor Code during tests...) 3 Life Inhale “Over lunch at his golf club in Jupiter, Fla., on the first Saturday of May, President Trump got an earful from a group of tobacco executives and lobbyists unhappy with the way the Food and Drug Administration was regulating their industry. Eventually Mr. Trump had heard enough. He interrupted the conversation to call Dr. Marty Makary, the F.D.A. commissioner. No answer. Furious, the president then dialed Dr. Makary’s boss, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and another top health official, Dr. Mehmet Oz, the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He complained to them about the F.D.A.’s regulation of e-cigarettes.” And just like that, those tobacco execs and lobbyists are about to be able to sell flavored vapes. They gave the president an earful and the president is giving American kids a lungful. NYT (Gift Article): With a Friend in Trump, the Tobacco Industry Secures a Lucrative Win [ https://substack.com/redirect/10e2526b-dd9b-43e1-847f-9152b69c09c8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. You can say this about the Trump administration: you get what you pay for. Put that in your cotton candy, pink lemonade, mango mania pipe and smoke it. + The decision was part of the reason Marty Makary is no longer the FDA commissioner. And now, Rich Danker, a top Kennedy spokesman has resigned in protest [ https://substack.com/redirect/5f26d683-c630-4e97-b49a-4e046b4a2440?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Harp on The Same String How does Trump stay up all night posting insane and offensive material on social media? Well, he has some help. And that help, it turns out, includes a printer and an unfriendly ghost-writer. “Natalie Harp, Trump’s executive assistant, plays an integral role in Trump’s Truth Social activity. She brings the president stacks of printed-out draft social-media posts for his approval. The proposed posts often recycle content from other accounts that Harp or advisers think would appeal to Trump, according to people familiar with the matter. Harp then logs onto the president’s account—at times outside of normal work hours—and posts batches of Trump-approved messages.” WSJ (Gift Article): The Late-Night Truth Social Storms That Offer a Window Into the President’s Mind [ https://substack.com/redirect/74a46778-9408-442b-b62d-27ec5898d0da?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Earlier this year, at Trump’s direction, Harp posted a video that included racist imagery depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, and an AI-generated image of Trump as a Christ-like figure, people familiar with the matter said.” 5 Extra, Extra The Great Haul of China: “The Middle East conflict that Trump started, and seems unable to finish, will cast a long shadow over two days of talks amid fears that he might be tempted to weaken US support for Taiwan, the self-governing democracy claimed by China, in return for Xi’s assistance.” Trump lands in China for high-stakes summit with Xi Jinping [ https://substack.com/redirect/0f0337fc-20f3-4e63-8f48-f4de7c925036?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. It’s pretty clear from the Air Force One manifest that this trip is more about business than any other topic. Who was on Trump’s plane to China? Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO and more [ https://substack.com/redirect/c70d2c2d-55f9-49e9-a367-ad0b4ec0edca?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + RSVPlease: “Dear NATO Members: I get it. You despise President Trump for all the right reasons. He has walked away from Ukraine. He has threatened to seize Greenland and annex Canada. He has coddled Vladimir Putin. He is eroding America’s democratic institutions and norms. He insulted each of you so much that the German chancellor recently barked back that Trump’s America was being ‘humiliated’ by Iran. I get it. Now get over it.” Thomas Friedman in the NYT (Gift Article) with an invitation he knows will be declined. NATO, Please Help. Trump Has No Strategy for Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/1041fac3-5937-4c9d-b4be-60d8a2e2f80f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, “Secret new assessments say Iran has operational access to 30 of its 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz [ https://substack.com/redirect/3c75b9c5-e430-4f88-aac1-db9a4fc56437?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], suggesting that its military remains far stronger than President Trump has asserted.” (Maybe because he’s an assertified liar?) + Shark Bait: “The Stratos artificial intelligence datacenter footprint will cover more than 40,000 acres (62 sq miles) over three sites in Box Elder County in north-western Utah. The facility will require about 9GW of power, which is more than the entire state of Utah currently consumes, and suck up a significant amount of water in an area that has been hit by severe drought in recent years.” Backlash as Utah approves datacenter twice the size of Manhattan [ https://substack.com/redirect/03e5f5f2-0d8b-48d0-b9eb-56102c62fcce?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The proposed project is backed by Kevin O’Leary, the venture capitalist who appears on the TV show Shark Tank ... ‘I don’t think there’s a bigger site in the world than this ... It shows the Chinese and the rest of the world we are not messing around, we are going to get this done, move it forward and provide the compute power to our AI companies that defend the country.’” + Murdaugh, She Wrote: “In a unanimous opinion, the State Supreme Court said that ‘shocking jury interference’ by a court clerk who oversaw jurors during the 2023 trial meant that Mr. Murdaugh’s convictions must be overturned. Mr. Murdaugh, 57, will remain in prison because he also had pleaded guilty to various charges related to stealing millions of dollars from his law firm and his former clients.” Murdaugh Murder Convictions Overturned by South Carolina’s Top Court [ https://substack.com/redirect/97e78f5c-7815-479a-95b6-f4bdf1f760ed?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Does this mean more docuseries are on the way?) + Senate Chambers: “A burst of gunfire rang out [ https://substack.com/redirect/55b0ae0b-11e8-4b0f-9e24-a9a0c3690bb8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] Wednesday night in the Philippine Senate, where authorities have tried to arrest a senator who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for a charge of crime against humanity.” + Trading Blows: “Welcome to lower Manhattan’s Church Street Boxing Gym, where steel usually sharpens steel. But on this Thursday night, the ring is occupied by traders buying and selling cryptocurrencies—bitcoin, ether, even Pengu, a penguin-themed memecoin. The prize: $10,000 in cash and an ornate Japanese katana. And Parillo, a partner at a venture-capital firm, is methodically, brutally, pounding his rivals into submission.” WSJ(Gift Article): He’s a VC Partner by Day, Crypto Fighting Champ by Night [ https://substack.com/redirect/af68d048-0e0b-4144-b59e-fa946c81b360?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (The overlap between crypto trading, sports betting and other forms of gambling will become more and more clear. It’s not just that people are using crypto to make deposits into gambling sites. It’s that crypto traders are exhibiting the same addiction symptoms as other gamblers. ) + Whatever Floats Your Bloat: “As many as 1,700 passengers are being held on board a cruise ship in southwest France [ https://substack.com/redirect/71eb14cc-7813-4d22-a28e-334310ae1840?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], after dozens of cases of possible gastroenteritis on board.” (Cruises don’t seem awesome.) 6 Bottom of the News “Darcel Clark was at the Mall at Bay Plaza in the Bronx, N.Y., in February, waiting for her order from the Bed-Stuy Fish Fry when a rowdy group of teenagers suddenly descended on the property. ‘They’re recording videos of themselves. I see them running from one place to another,’ said Clark. ‘It was really disturbing.’ Some stores and restaurants locked their doors. By the end of the day police had arrested 18 teenagers.” The good news. Teens are getting back into malls and malls are doing better. The bad news. Teens are getting back into malls. WSJ (Gift Article): Teens Helped Bring Malls Back to Life. Now They’re Getting Banned [ https://substack.com/redirect/7ba77a90-448d-45e7-aa0a-97d63c4e8dd6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + SF Giants’ Celebratory Thrusting May Be Gone Forever [ https://substack.com/redirect/1131b4e1-3fae-4c4f-94f9-89e2bc30ad29?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I don’t care what anyone says. When we beat the Dodgers, I’m thrusting.) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVOelUyT0RrMk5Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzROekF4TURFekxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1UQXlNemN3TVRNc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5QcGlMQ0NSeVZDUTdmNDlqeDhRdTVUV3dwZWxBWTQ4UUhRcUZsbkx6VkhFIiwicCI6MTk3NTY4OTY1LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Nzg3MDEwMTMsImV4cCI6MjA5NDI3NzAxMywiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.EGNTv0oMNT2EcdqOHOwoP2uZlQ5NK_G8QuoKvAwb1Ws?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/reading-the-t-leaves-a0e After timidly doffing my jersey for a shirts vs skins junior high basketball game, a blond, athletic, attractive, popular kid guarding me pointed to my pear-shaped midriff, laughed, and said, “Look, Pell’s got handles.” I was humiliated, but I also made a determined pledge to myself that no matter what, that basketball game would be the last time anyone ever made fun of my upper body physique. And I kept that promise for the rest of my life. By making sure, from that day on, I was always on the shirts team. If I had come of age in a more recent era, I may have been convinced that my body type and lack of manly prowess meant I needed a testosterone boost. (I’m guessing I had such low T that I was probably closer on the sliding scale to having high U.) For many males, this era has become T time. “From the Trump administration to online influencers, the hormone is increasingly seen as the key to achieving a new male ideal.” Even people whose T isn’t low are joining the T party. “Prescriptions are rising most rapidly among men ages 35 to 44, powered in large part by a surge in direct-to-consumer online clinics often marketing testosterone as a lifestyle product rather than a treatment for disease. The American Urological Association reports that roughly a third of men who are prescribed the drug do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of testosterone deficiency, leading some critics to argue that this has created a legal market for low-grade steroids.” NYT Mag (Gift Article): Why So Many Men Are Obsessed With Testosterone [ https://substack.com/redirect/bd52aab6-d3eb-423d-a5f1-cb939fc416b7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “All of this prompts a question: If one of the defining stories of the 2024 election was that young men swung to Trump in part because they felt masculinity had been demonized, what does it mean that so many men now believe they need to take testosterone to feel more like men?” I worry most about today’s young men who are motivated by influencers and ignoramuses to take drugs or alter their bodies in ways that could trade short term gains for longterm health issues. Hopefully, they can learn from my story. You know that blond, athletic, attractive, popular kid who made fun of my body? Today, his newsletter has like four subscribers. What comes around goes around. + Of course, testosterone is just one of the roids that’s all the rage. Boys and men are increasingly going to extremes to improve their looks. “For as long as he can remember, Trevor Larcom wanted to look different ... That’s how he fell into the online world of looksmaxxing, where young men relentlessly pursue physical ideals. He dyed his eyebrows. He did neck exercises and chewed extra-firm gum that he’d seen looksmaxxers claim would help build the jawline’s masseter muscles. And after seeing numerous before-and-after transformations, he ordered a peptide ‘stack,’ or a combination of several peptides for supposed enhanced results. Unrealistic beauty standards have long saddled women and girls, from models to movie stars to the growing masses of GLP-1 users. Now men and boys are facing their own heightened images of perfection.” WSJ (Gift Article): Teen Boys and Young Men Are Injecting Peptides in Search of Perfection [ https://substack.com/redirect/5d9a9384-bf86-4aea-b8b4-283893696cad?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Meanwhile, whether it’s to get more buffed or just to offset the effect of GLP-1s, everyone is adding protein to everything. You may not have a protein deficiency, but society does. Protein powder shortage threatens America’s biggest food craze [ https://substack.com/redirect/08468903-e590-4188-8496-d75a19d72067?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And this shortage could last til the cows come home. Literally. Whey protein comes from dairy. (Full disclosure: While my shirt is on, I wrote that line with my pants off.) 2 The Court’s Jim Crowbar “The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday set the stage for Alabama to eliminate one of two largely Black congressional districts before this year’s midterm elections, creating an opening for Republicans to gain an additional U.S. House seat in a partisan battle for control of the closely divided chamber.” Supreme Court halts order for Alabama to use US House map with 2 largely Black districts [ https://substack.com/redirect/db3c25a4-1ad2-4017-abc7-d0a469bfdcfe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (The midterms are shaping up to be a race between Trump’s sucking and Scotus’s cheating.) 3 NPCs Unite “I have spent years reporting and living in both the United States and China and wrote a book chronicling the history and evolution of the Chinese internet. Moving between the two countries, I’ve been struck by how they have come to mirror and resemble each other. There is a shared sense of precarity that lies beneath the envy and distrust: the technological future is taking shape at vertiginous speed yet its promise is not shared by all.” Yi-Ling Liu with some interesting thoughts to keep in mind as Trump and Xi negotiate AI deals at this week’s summit: The Shared Feeling of Being Harvested by the Future [ https://substack.com/redirect/b1e5f462-f6db-43b5-b6d8-a1b1cc311e3d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “A parallel set of memes has emerged to capture the sense of powerlessness. In the United States, the Silicon Valley tech elite identify as ‘high agency,’ while the rest of us are “bots” condemned to the “permanent underclass.” In China, ordinary workers describe themselves as shechu (“corporate cattle”) and jiabangou (“overtime dogs.”) These same workers have long used the viral term ‘involution’ to capture the feeling of being trapped in a cycle of meaningless competition. In both countries, those disaffected by A.I. identify with the gaming meme of the ‘NPC’ or ‘non-player character.’ They feel like the background role in someone else’s video game, existing only to fill the world but not to shape it.” 4 Hitting the Sack “Once the domain of mellow Gen X-ers in the ’80s and ’90s, the hacky sack is experiencing a renaissance at the hands — well, the feet — of Gen Z. High school students around the country are freshly enthusiastic about the toys, crocheted bean bags that once hung in the air like the scent of marijuana. Parents and teachers mostly seem glad to watch young people be entranced by something other than their phones.” 2026 sucks so hard that teens are nostalgic for times they never even experienced. Hacky Sack Mounts a Comeback With Gen Z [ https://substack.com/redirect/d4c09830-4ffe-41a1-ab86-ea085e3ed5fb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I’m just glad that hacky sack hasn’t evolved into a term that means you need a testosterone boost...) 5 Extra, Extra Adjusted for Inflation: “The U.S. war with Iran has pushed inflation to its highest level [ https://substack.com/redirect/035081f4-607e-4df3-af08-486de68db052?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in almost three years.” Most of the price hikes are related to energy costs. + Makary in a Coalmine: “He upset anti-abortion Republicans keen on having the FDA restrict telehealth prescription of the abortion pill mifepristone, was pressured by President Donald Trump to authorize flavored vapes after initially raising concern about the products and was criticized by biopharmaceutical companies who argued Makary’s agency was inconsistent in its review of their medicines.” Marty Makary’s time atop FDA over [ https://substack.com/redirect/eb881362-f127-45d7-ae08-adda2e90397d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Betting the Starm: “Keir Starmer has told his cabinet he will fight on as prime minister, saying the threshold for a leadership challenge has not been met, as ministers began to rally around the embattled leader.” Starmer tells cabinet he will not quit without leadership challenge [ https://substack.com/redirect/b4ed34b0-5f44-4056-83a2-b113a7fc57e2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Call it a Warsh: “The vote was nearly uniform across party lines, with just one Democrat breaking ranks — Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania cast the sole crossover vote in support of Trump’s nominee, according to CNBC. The vote on Warsh’s chairmanship nomination was expected later this week.” Senate confirms Kevin Warsh as a Fed governor [ https://substack.com/redirect/f582222e-339a-4060-ae32-43a265a22ebf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + A Blank (Check) Canvas: One of the more worrisome things about the hacks for ransom attacks we’ve seen on health and education platforms is that they seem to work. Maker of Canvas Learning Platform Strikes Deal for Hackers to Return Data [ https://substack.com/redirect/c3f5d0bb-4af0-42c0-81f0-74bccaf9e099?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Bomb Balm: “Facilities tied to Coca-Cola, Cargill, Mondelez and others appear to have been deliberately hit. The Trump administration’s muted response has raised concerns.” Russia Keeps Attacking U.S. Firms in Ukraine. The White House Is Silent [ https://substack.com/redirect/2dc03854-c1c1-4234-b8fb-8d7663a23def?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + A Dilly of a Pickle: “Professional athletes aren’t supposed to lose to 12-year-olds. But most 12-year-olds weren’t like Anna Leigh Waters in 2019. Waters was in middle school when she turned pro in pickleball and quickly showed that she was headed for big things, to the shock of her much older opponents.” And she only got better. She’s the best female pickleball player ever. And only 19 [ https://substack.com/redirect/3f57b562-86e5-429a-96d7-aefabe257081?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Clipped: “Whether you’re scrolling TikTok, Instagram, X, or YouTube, it’s hard to avoid the snappy videos being churned out by this army of clippers trying to exploit algorithms with a provocative moment, engaging music and maybe the right news cycle, that will send footage viral. Clippers often upload dozens of the same clips to multiple platforms hoping one of them hits the virality jackpot.” The clipping economy: How short-form video ‘clippers’ are overrunning the internet [ https://substack.com/redirect/cb55bf1e-dba2-4251-8d81-ab0fdb6fed95?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “It could even be your underwear. Car washes. The bed where you sleep. The networks where you watch professional sports. Earthworms to feed your salamander. Dating apps. Exercise bikes. Your child’s math games. Fitness trackers, like Oura rings. Pet cameras. Your pet robots. And don’t forget the subscriptions to particular products, like toilet paper from a company called Who Gives a Crap.” Streaming, Toilet Paper, Underwear: Subscription Fatigue Is Setting In [ https://substack.com/redirect/0ee03062-1368-46b8-bae0-b6e8b772b2da?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/just-the-tip-c9e The first time you feel the relaxation that melts across your body when a skilled acupuncturist pokes the tip of a needle into your Yintang, or the third eye point between your eyebrows, there’s a temptation to ask them to push it in all the way. If a little insertion feels this good, then maybe full insertion will feel even better. This kind of thinking, in addition to making it a good thing I never went into the acupuncture business, does make one wonder why a little prick can go such a long way—not only in business and politics, but in the human body. Scientists now believe that the efficacy of acupuncture and other phenomena can be explained by what they describe as a third human circulatory system. In addition to the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems, there is something now being called the interstitium. “The implications of a new circulatory system — for our health, and for our understanding of our own bodies — are potentially enormous.” NYT Mag (Gift Article): The Human Body’s Hidden Pathways [ https://substack.com/redirect/b72712c5-8926-4b56-bb4a-a4d2f115d94e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. While new technologies can help us actually see this circulatory system in action, the idea of its existence has been around for quite some time. Neil Theise, a professor of pathology and one of the authors of recent studies on the topic, described a conversation he had after delivering his findings at a conference in China. “An expert in traditional Chinese medicine approached him after hearing his talk on the interstitium, and explained: “We’ve been talking about it for 4,000 years.” 2 Flooding the Zone with Shit “Behind Dana Anderson’s home in central Alabama, a plastic pipe carries waste from her toilet through her backyard, discarding it outdoors. Three or four times a year, a spell of heavy rain forces the excrement back up into the house. It is a plight that has long plagued residents across Alabama’s Black Belt, a stretch of largely rural counties so named for its dark soil and history of slavery.” After years, the community finally had the funding and a plan in place to address what would seem to most Americans to be an unthinkable problem. But then came the administration that never met a problem it couldn’t make more shitty, even shit itself. NYT (Gift Article): They Were Promised New Septic Tanks. Trump Called It ‘Illegal DEI [ https://substack.com/redirect/bd63f935-c6a3-4bae-9468-64c0c569fe3e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’ 3 Strait Talk “There will be no return to the status quo ante, no ultimate American triumph that will undo or overcome the harm done. The Strait of Hormuz will not be ‘open,’ as it once was. With control of the strait, Iran emerges as the key player in the region and one of the key players in the world. The roles of China and Russia, as Iran’s allies, are strengthened; the role of the United States, substantially diminished. Far from demonstrating American prowess, as supporters of the war have repeatedly claimed, the conflict has revealed an America that is unreliable and incapable of finishing what it started. That is going to set off a chain reaction around the world as friends and foes adjust to America’s failure.” Robert Kagan’s ominous view of the Iran war in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Checkmate in Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/274e950b-0d05-483a-ba10-6ebf1f94c8bb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Trump on the peace talks: “I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support, where the doctor walks in and says, ‘Sir, your loved one has approximately a 1% chance of living.’” (Some days, that’s how I feel about America’s leadership role in the world.). Here’s the latest from The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/a40150c5-cbb7-4fc4-8ced-552bc927d623?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Downbound Train “My name on the platform is ri611. Or h924092b12ee797f, depending on who’s paying me. I work as an AI trainer. I assess whether a chatbot’s tone is natural or flat, affected or annoying. I identify patterns in pictures of furniture; search the internet for group photos of strangers whom I’ll eliminate from the portrait, one by one. I trawl through bizarre videos so I can annotate and time-stamp the barking of a dog, the moment a stranger walks past a window, the precise millisecond a balloon pops. I generate anime sex scenes and decapitate young women, coax LLMs into giving me recipes for bombs made of household items, and generate invites to a reprise of January 6 at the White House, all as part of a red team whose purpose is to test safety precautions and probe weaknesses. I work for companies with names like Mercor and Outlier and Task-ify and Turing and Handshake and Micro1. In my ‘other’ career, I am a Hollywood writer and showrunner.” Wired: I Work in Hollywood. Everyone Who Used to Make TV Is Now Secretly Training AI [ https://substack.com/redirect/272f0313-2e0d-459c-ba3e-fb7473c32036?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Alt link [ https://substack.com/redirect/c0759d4b-a087-4a8a-8320-f00f1784d6b4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) “For screenwriters like me—and job seekers all over—AI gig work is the new waiting tables.” (Except, you’re not training the tables to replace you.) 5 Extra, Extra Rein on Parade: “Putin knows he can’t live up to the mythology he created, and everyone else can see that too. His unnecessary, illegal, brutal war in Ukraine has already lasted longer than the Russian war against the Nazis, killing or wounding more than a million Russian soldiers and producing neither military nor political nor any other kind of success. On the contrary: He can’t even hold a parade in Moscow without fearing that the Ukrainians will disrupt it.” Anne Applebaum in The Atlantic(Gift Article) on Putin’s pathetic parade. Putin’s War Comes Home to Moscow [ https://substack.com/redirect/583093c1-0fb4-4e12-879f-d2e83f8ce799?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “That doesn’t mean his Ukraine war is over, or that Putin’s reign has ended. But it does mean that Russians in general, and Muscovites in particular, can now clearly see the contrast between propaganda and reality. A vacuum has opened up, and sooner or later something else, or someone else, will fill it.” + Sexual Violence: “It’s a simple proposition: Whatever our views of the Middle East conflict, we should be able to unite in condemning rape.” Brutal story from Nick Kristof in the NYT(Gift Article): The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians [ https://substack.com/redirect/938c3032-702c-4ec1-9a8d-300390456578?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Business Trip: Trump is bringing Tim Cook, Elon Musk, and a dozen other CEOs [ https://substack.com/redirect/b0b3d212-1b65-490d-a237-dd138d2fd2e1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to Beijing for his Xi summit. (Let’s hope he’s also bringing some diplomats with expertise in negotiating with China...) + Mercury Rising: “Today’s workers, who are breathing a much higher proportion of silica, can develop a disabling illness in much less time.” MoJo: Black Lung Surges in Coal Country as Trump Slow-Walks Protections [ https://substack.com/redirect/102dbed6-117b-40cd-b682-359739eb1c8d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, As Coal Rebounds, More Toxic Mercury Is in the Air [ https://substack.com/redirect/a35fd7ae-38b2-466a-8535-9d8aa742b16d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Time to Cruise: “On Monday, 16 American cruise ship passengers arrived at the University of Nebraska Medical Center; 15 are in the quarantine unit and one person who tested positive is in the biocontainment unit.” Here’s the latest on the Hantavirus cruise [ https://substack.com/redirect/cf087fcd-4a2c-4b08-8461-d43e6b5f6926?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and the citizens who have finally been allowed to disembark. + Hunger Games: “Since the law was enacted last summer, about 3.5 million people have fallen off the SNAP rolls nationwide as of January, according to federal data. No state has seen a more dramatic drop than Arizona, which offers a window into what may be in store for other states.” The families going hungry because of Trump’s food stamp cuts [ https://substack.com/redirect/b21ee07e-6308-45de-b694-5e0eea1d3ef0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Lost in the Flood: Remember the old strategy of flooding the zone with so much false information that people no longer know what to believe? It works. WaPo (Gift Article): About 1 in 4 Americans think the April shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner was staged [ https://substack.com/redirect/f3c03fd0-b888-4cc4-ae30-f0df36c2c05d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Wordle Curdle? Savannah Guthrie will host new ‘Wordle’ game show [ https://substack.com/redirect/fda18895-7cf5-41a8-af56-2a5a35b7622d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] produced by Jimmy Fallon. (So if playing Wordle feels like too much work, you can just watch other people play it.) 6 Bottom of the News “On a recent Saturday, gladhanding through it all, came a six-foot-tall talking pencil. ‘My name is Pencil’ the pencil told an attendee, pressing a flyer into her hand. ‘I’m running for governor because we need to raise awareness about education.’ ... ‘You’re running as a pencil or a person?’ the surprised woman asked ... ‘As a pencil.’” Oregon’s most unexpected gubernatorial candidate? A pencil with a point [ https://substack.com/redirect/1ffa6eda-f4e7-49c4-bf93-b0233d5bd35f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (If nothing else, the pencil should be able to win the write-in vote...) + “Members post photos, share technique tips, and describe the experience in terms that would not be out of place in a wellness retreat brochure. Electrifying. Addictive. Euphoric. Transcendental.” Inside Ballmaxxing, the Niche Practice of Inflating Your Balls to Cantaloupe Size [ https://substack.com/redirect/3e0bed18-f3f7-437a-ae88-1d2d4c7bced8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. This story leaves me feeling a deep sense of melon-choly... Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVOekkxT0RFMU1pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzROVEkzTkRFeUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1UQXdOak0wTVRJc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5aX1I1YUt3TTY3Y3AtMlJjYXZMazBkcVUyY04xcjhmSXliRHZwYW5GdlZvIiwicCI6MTk3MjU4MTUyLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Nzg1Mjc0MTIsImV4cCI6MjA5NDEwMzQxMiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.SGJ8vM0CgRQNkrpC4bFt-OKcQ2IeRpYlQaIle9OU-W4?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/a-blank-canvas Forget the old my dog ate my homework excuse for not getting one’s work to the teacher in time. Today’s high school and college students have a much more modern pretext to explain away a missing assignment: My homework was taken hostage and held for ransom. That’s pretty much what took place across thousands of schools (where AP tests are being administered) and universities (where some finals are scheduled), as a hacking group known as ShinyHunters breached an online learning platform called Canvas [ https://substack.com/redirect/a7c96ba1-f7a0-493e-9d66-bb99401c46c8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], that “is used to manage grades, course notes, assignments, lecture videos and more. The hacking group posted online that nearly 9,000 schools worldwide were affected, with billions of private messages and other records accessed.” Canvas’ parent company Infrastructure took the service offline as the hackers demanded a ransom to keep the accessed data from being released. Both of my kids, one in college and one in high school, were affected by the hack. During their academic lives, they’ve already missed school because of a global pandemic, unsafe smoke levels, wildfires, and flooding, so a hack impacting 9,000 institutions seemed like a relatively minor interruption. But the incident does point to the vulnerabilities we face as an increasing number of our tasks takes place on fewer massive platforms, at the same time hackers are gaining access to more powerful tools than ever. As Wired reports [ https://substack.com/redirect/89a9881a-f197-4705-8930-d2fe30425033?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: “Higher education has long been a target of ransomware gangs and data extortion attacks. But never before, perhaps, has a cyberattack against a single software platform so thoroughly disrupted the daily operations of thousands of schools across the United States.” Canvas is back online, at least for now, and class is back in session. For students, that means homework is due again. Platforms like Canvas have their own assignments to get done. And as we enter more dangerous online times, hackers ate my homework isn’t gonna cut it. 2 Gerry Rig Apparently, partisan gerrymandering is totally cool these days, as long as it doesn’t represent the will of the voters. “Virginia’s top court on Friday struck down a congressional map drawn by Democrats and recently approved by voters, dealing a major blow to the party as it struggles to keep pace with Republicans in the nation’s redistricting battle. The ruling will wipe out four newly drawn Democratic-leaning U.S. House districts in Virginia and means that Republicans will enter the midterm elections with a structural advantage from their moves to carve out more red districts across the country.” NYT (Gift Article): In Huge Blow to Democrats, Virginia Court Strikes Down House Map [ https://substack.com/redirect/a78f6b9b-f414-4240-92d5-2efbe98c4360?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the House minority leader, who lobbied Virginia legislators to advance their redistricting push and then campaigned for the referendum, said that “the decision to overturn an entire election is an unprecedented and undemocratic action that cannot stand ... We are exploring all options to overturn this shocking decision.” (Like what, asking the Supreme Court to step in?) + Meanwhile, following the recent SCOTUS decision, GOP legislatures are wasting no time taking a Jim Crowbar to majority black districts. The Guardian: Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and other southern states stun residents with all-out charge to redraw congressional maps to favor white voters [ https://substack.com/redirect/14b7b9c3-3291-4f86-b23c-b4c585de9c0b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Atlantic (Gift Article): Judicial Supremacy Has Arrived [ https://substack.com/redirect/26391c00-8e3d-46d6-b137-49f911b46386?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The decision does not only dismantle a statute; it hollows out Congress’s capacity to respond to the country’s needs.” 3 All is Not Wellness I’ve occasionally searched for exercises to aid in healing my frozen shoulder (or my other frozen shoulder). So when I go on a social media site like Instagram, I see an endless parade of people and products that promise to quickly solve my problem (while explaining why the last 300 solutions I’ve been presented with have got it all wrong). I usually try to wave off this advice (even though waving hurts like hell.) It seems amazing how much purported health and wellness content is shared online, until you consider how many people look for guidance on social media. “Half of U.S. adults under 50 say they get health and wellness information from social media influencers or podcasts.” Moms, Coaches, Doctors, Entrepreneurs: Who Are America’s Health and Wellness Influencers [ https://substack.com/redirect/109034f7-8fe8-44cf-84f2-ec341d7d16f5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? 4 Weekend Whats What to Book: These days, I usually opt for novels (since the news is giving me more of the real world than I can take), but I made an exception for Patrick Radden Keefe’s excellent, London Falling [ https://substack.com/redirect/a253adb3-bf13-4bfc-8b94-e8af15e7ec32?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. It’s described as “a spellbinding account of a family devastated by the sudden death of their nineteen-year-old son, only to discover that he had created a secret life which drew him into the dangerous criminal underworld that lies beneath London’s glittering surface.” But it’s also an education on how geopolitics, immigration patterns, economic shifts, and new technologies can change a city in the historical equivalent of a blink of an eye. + What to Watch: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Billie Boullet, and Alice Braga star in the entertaining (if not very realistic) Man on Fire [ https://substack.com/redirect/5ae0eaf1-373d-4bc4-a641-3888d5699fca?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] on Netflix. “Haunted by his past and hunted by his enemies, a Special Forces veteran fights to keep a teenage girl alive on the deadly streets of Rio de Janeiro.” + What to Doc: Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World [ https://substack.com/redirect/8eb03957-acd7-4a11-adf9-468e335617d6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] is both a father-son story about one of my favorite NYC spots, and a moving look at how the craziness of the Ukraine invasion impacted a restaurant and community thousands of miles away. 5 Extra, Extra In the AI of the Storm: Job numbers came in better than expected [ https://substack.com/redirect/bc73bab8-7b59-4298-9af7-25950c049057?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], consumer sentiment hit a fresh low [ https://substack.com/redirect/dee45c26-3df3-4a7d-9465-ad0d2862cdc2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and all the numbers are being wildly skewed by one thing: AI Is Distorting Practically Everything About the Economy [ https://substack.com/redirect/e23964f7-ea9a-465a-9bf2-3c25d719fb20?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “AI’s pervasive presence makes it almost impossible to discern what is actually going on. It is swamping the effects of tariffs and the war with Iran, events that would ordinarily be Category 5 storms in their own right.” Looking for a more simple economic indicator? Consider boxes. Bloomberg (Gift Article): Box Makers Struggle to Pass on War Costs as Demand Stays Weak [ https://substack.com/redirect/5d0e8128-bf28-4144-a62d-f37bed66f3ba?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Life in EL: “A climate monster is growing right now in the Pacific Ocean, perhaps the most fearsome El Niño since before scientists even began modeling them.” David Wallace-Wells in the NYT (Gift Article): The World Is About to Get a Preview of Life in 2035 [ https://substack.com/redirect/e6f13cd5-1b79-409c-9426-bdb71dd3c82e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. +Vape and Pillage: President Trump is planning to fire FDA Commissioner Marty Makary [ https://substack.com/redirect/722eccb8-fd41-4889-bc79-c7974d6c9722?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] over a flavoured vapes and a number of other policy disagreements. + Winning? “The ability to toll and permit offers the regime in Tehran an enormous potential source of funding and geopolitical leverage that will — like its nuclear program — now require constant management.” If Iran Agrees to Everything, Was the War Worth It [ https://substack.com/redirect/4720c92d-febd-4b67-9366-1fab7670d216?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? (Let’s see if we get a deal anywhere near as good as the one Trump tore up during his first term.) Here’s the latest from the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/91aab524-055f-4dff-a0f7-fed5f72cad54?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/515b18b2-cb1f-4bf6-ad6c-54ab0d752337?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], as we’re seeing a lot more firing during the ceasefire. + Dockless Doc: “Kornfeld had retired from his full-time oncology job more than a decade ago, although he still picks up shifts here and there at several of Oregon’s rural hospitals. Now he was being thrust into a nerve-racking, life-or-death situation, and caring for ill and potentially infectious patients while trying to communicate with the rest of the passengers on board, all with very limited resources.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): What Happened on the Hantavirus Cruise, According to a Doctor on Board [ https://substack.com/redirect/46c3437a-39ee-48bc-b1f9-be38d00ced80?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. More than 100 passengers remain on the ship. Here’s the latest [ https://substack.com/redirect/c7a55f33-d4cb-451e-952f-27b93d87eea2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + What the Truck? Tesla Recalls Cybertruck Because Wheels May Fall Off [ https://substack.com/redirect/6b6932bf-3bf6-4af5-9907-862c0b7a9a7a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (This is bad, but not as bad as risk of being seen driving one...) 6 Feel Good Friday Time: At 100, David Attenborough’s voice is a lesson in wonder and planetary stewardship [ https://substack.com/redirect/9b59159a-94cf-41ce-a62d-7295c6d68702?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And from The Ringer: David Attenborough and the Voice That Revealed a Planet [ https://substack.com/redirect/ec15d1d7-6c13-4258-b20b-89906bec586f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “That ability to illuminate the unseen is one of Attenborough’s greatest gifts as an educator, a storyteller, and a human being. It is a by-product of his ethos and his iconic half-hushed delivery—intimate enough to make you feel like you’re being told a secret of the natural world, quiet enough so as not to draw any undue attention away from the natural spectacle at hand.” + ‘A watershed moment’: A pancreatic cancer drug is set to transform treatment [ https://substack.com/redirect/f3e3ef23-758a-4df6-9569-f3643ccba0de?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And, in a Milestone for A.L.S., a Treatment Helps Some Patients Improve [ https://substack.com/redirect/1add4257-02fb-40f9-8c36-419c9475bc39?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Rachel Entrekin makes ultramarathon history, wins Cocodona 250 as first woman to top field of men and women [ https://substack.com/redirect/6ccbe55a-3dd7-42f4-8ddf-fd5085aeaef8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Last year, more sections of the country’s rivers were reconnected thanks to dam removals than at any other time in history.” America the Undammed [ https://substack.com/redirect/10f5bed8-cf23-41ef-8b8b-2ff5ccf22549?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (This is definitely the first time in 2026 someone has used that headline...) + MLB viewership up 44 percent across national games in 2026, the league’s best showing in nearly a decade [ https://substack.com/redirect/98df0943-1dff-4286-b122-d20034f4199b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Some kids are bypassing age-verification checks with a fake mustache [ https://substack.com/redirect/25bfe550-5dff-402e-80ea-eb0795878636?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Watching from bed alongside his wife, Malory, who was reading a book, Giants kicker Younghoe Koo whiffed on a field goal attempt in a real-life scene reminiscent of Charlie Brown and Lucy in the ‘Peanuts’ cartoon. Rewinding and watching the replay, Toothaker laughed so hard it caused a seizure.” It may have saved his life [ https://substack.com/redirect/86c26728-2b6d-4ab8-81d3-9e1ab99eb2bf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVOamt6TmpBM01pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzRNalkyT0RBekxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EazRNREk0TURNc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5CVGNOZE45aW4xQTBmX0dqeFFMcEtyM3pWM1dFQ1NPQ0Nqd0pwcE90Y0hFIiwicCI6MTk2OTM2MDcyLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzgyNjY4MDMsImV4cCI6MjA5Mzg0MjgwMywiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.REp8b85OX3lwN10R8kRBVbSfKB3TeEso8XeRD7sgJLo?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/expecting-the-unexpected Some fellow San Francisco baseball season-ticket holders recently announced the impending birth of their first child. After congratulating them on the news, I had to ask: “Are you sure now is the best time to bring another Giants fan into this world?” Maybe I’m being too cautious. It’s not that the current season isn’t going that badly. It is. It’s just that, given average life expectancy and the promise of longevity gains, there’s a chance that a child born in 2026 can still expect to live long enough to see the team’s hitting improve. Probably. But my concerns serve as a pretty decent metaphor for birth rate trends across many nations. Even where economic and other factors suggest people should be making more babies, they’re making fewer. “This is not simply a matter of affordability, the buzzword so often invoked to explain why people are choosing to have smaller families ... What unites these disparate cultures, policy environments and demographics, researchers are now realizing, is young people’s inescapable and crushing sense that the future is too uncertain for the lifelong commitment of parenthood. Call it the vibes theory of demographic decline.” Anna Louie Sussman in the NYT (Gift Article): Why So Few Babies? We Might Have Overlooked the Biggest Reason of All [ https://substack.com/redirect/7bedc7d2-6769-41c4-96b0-207e5d4dba37?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (In short, people have no idea what to expect when they’re expecting.) + Sussman, the author of the forthcoming book Inconceivable: The Impossibility of Family in an Age of Uncertainty, shares some of the potential factors driving the ambivalence. “In the United States, job tenures have contracted and income volatility has risen. Life expectancy, once on an inexorable march upward, has fallen for less-educated women and men. Many of the forces our economy is built on — A.I., immigration, global trade — feel distressingly volatile; disruption, once a byword for a disturbance or problem, is the governing ethos of a terrifyingly powerful sector of our economy. The rise of prediction markets has turned the world into one large casino. The climate crisis is spiraling, as are the costs of everything that could enable parenthood, whether that’s a roof over one’s head or child care. The past half-century has brought us breathtaking inequality, accompanied by a sharp decline in social mobility. The two generations currently of childbearing age bear the psychological and financial scars of coming of age amid world-scale catastrophes: Older millennials entered the labor market during the Great Recession; many watched their parents lose their jobs or homes. Gen Z, whose lives were upturned by the Covid-19 pandemic, now find themselves competing against A.I. for entry-level jobs and even prospective partners. The man running America seems single-mindedly devoted to chaos at home and abroad.” + I can tell by this brief overview of the state of the world that Sussman is probably a NextDraft subscriber. I’m not sure all sociologists and economists will agree that stress and uncertainty are the key factors driving down natality across the world, but it definitely helps explain why, even this season, I’d rather watch Giants games than the news. 2 Will Reined Reign Rain on Parade? Putin is presiding over a Victory Day parade this weekend. But here’s the rub. “He has no victories to celebrate. Persistent Ukrainian drone strikes across Russia, including on the capital, have forced Putin to ask for a cease-fire for the duration of the festivities. Parade organizers, citing security threats, have also dramatically downgraded the event, eliminating the display of armored vehicles and the march by military cadets. Cellphone and internet services are slated to be disrupted in Moscow for days. With the front line stalled, Russian casualties topping one million, the economy suffering and missile and drone strikes becoming commonplace, a deep sense of discontent has spread through the country in recent months.” WSJ (Gift Article): Putin’s Strongman Image Is Fading as Ukraine Brings War Home to Russia [ https://substack.com/redirect/73ac35cc-f752-4f10-a522-83773447ddd2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “It doesn’t mean that revolution is imminent, nor that Putin, currently 73 years old, will be sidelined soon. But the change in mood is remarkable when compared with just last December, when Russian officials were buoyed by hopes that President Trump will pressure Ukraine into a peace deal on Moscow’s terms, lifting economic sanctions and unleashing a business bonanza.” Ukraine is somehow managing a remarkable David v Goliath stand for democracy and against authoritarianism, all while being told by the supposed leader of the democratic world that they’ve lost and should surrender. 3 Narrowed to the Strait For now, the peace talks between Iran and the US seem to have been narrowed down to a single issue: Reopening the Strait. “Tehran and Washington have scaled back ambitions for a sweeping settlement as differences persist, particularly over Iran’s nuclear program - including the fate of its highly enriched ​uranium stockpiles and how long Tehran would halt nuclear work. Instead, they are working toward a temporary arrangement set out in a one-page memo aimed at preventing a return to conflict and stabilizing shipping through the strait.” US and Iran explore short-term deal to end fighting [ https://substack.com/redirect/22c84539-893f-4960-8ca1-951cea5f5177?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Trump surprised Gulf allies by announcing ‘Project Freedom’ on social media Sunday afternoon.” It turns out that’s not the best way to build a global coalition. Even the Saudis balked. Trump’s abrupt U-turn on a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz came after backlash from allies [ https://substack.com/redirect/003a06cf-2253-4671-bf07-ac7e49cdcd99?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Now, it looks like Project Freedom could be back on soon. Here’s the latest from The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/b8420679-1022-4e21-aea4-252cc8f701f1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/0b1b005b-34be-47e9-bbc4-b7ccbe3cb688?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Costco Dependent My dad regularly got the hot dog lunch at Costco because he liked to watch how the business ran while he ate. He’d also buy cheap pants there and then have them customized by his tailor, getting perfectly fitting dress pants at a fraction of the cost. So I can relate to this piece by Jordan Michelman in Taste: I Want to Live Like Costco People [ https://substack.com/redirect/f57dd21a-56b8-4b59-9a78-4cb3b4e700e2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].”The scale of items at Costco sometimes demands we answer questions beyond easy comprehension. Do I need a 300-gram bag of premium orange chicken puffs? What the hell even are premium orange chicken puffs? ... I’m open to the concept of a yuzu citrus snack nut mix, perhaps to enjoy beneath my new Costco palapa, but do I desire three whole pounds of it? Every time I go to Costco, I stop and look at the 62 ounces of peanut M&M’s, and I think of my father, who loved to purchase this snack in bulk. I do not purchase the M&M’s for myself, but I do often take a picture—sometimes to text my mom, so we can remember Dad together for a moment, and sometimes just to keep for myself.” 5 Extra, Extra Bourbonic Plague: “One of J. Edgar Hoover’s greatest reforms at the FBI was his embrace of fingerprinting. During the 1930s, visitors to the FBI offices in Washington, D.C., received souvenir fingerprint cards featuring his name. The men who succeeded him as FBI director were more discreet and judicious, mindful of the cult of personality that had developed around Hoover. They generally avoided giving out branded swag. But then came Kash Patel. President Trump’s FBI director has a great deal of affection for swag. Merchandise for sale on a website he co-founded—still operating, nearly 15 months into his term—includes beanies ($35), T-shirts ($35), orange camo hoodies ($65), trucker caps ($25), ‘government gangsters’ playing cards (on sale for $10), and a fight with kash Punisher scarf ($25). One thing not for sale is liquor, because liquor is something Patel gives away for free.” The Atlantic (Gift Article) is reacting to Patel’s attacks for their past reporting on him by reporting on him some more. Kash Patel’s Personalized Bourbon Stash [ https://substack.com/redirect/71b2043b-0800-4453-9e65-914be2b4190e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + In Sink: “In some parts it is happening at an average rate of 0.78 inches a month, according to NASA’s newly released report, such as at the main airport and the iconic monument commonly known as the Angel of Independence. Overall that means a yearly subsidence rate of about 9.5 inches. Over the course of less than a century, the drop has been more than 39 feet.” Mexico City is sinking so quickly, it can be seen from space [ https://substack.com/redirect/fe28c9c7-d2eb-4017-846b-ef5b0bd7b0c8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. +Scotus Operandi: “I think at a very basic level, people think we’re making policy decisions, [that] we’re saying we think this is what things should be as opposed to this is what the law provides ... I think they view us as truly political actors, which I don’t think is an accurate understanding of what we do. I would say that’s the main difficulty.” Chief Justice John Roberts says American public wrongly views the justices as political actors [ https://substack.com/redirect/23374fb1-0115-4fac-bf82-eca7a8fdd0e4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Reminds me of something an American president once said: “What you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening.”) Meanwhile, Clarence Thomas is now the 2nd longest-serving justice in Supreme Court history [ https://substack.com/redirect/dcbe08ba-496a-4d33-9405-af298fb65420?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Disembark Collar: “Authorities around the world are racing to trace dozens of passengers who disembarked [ https://substack.com/redirect/19eec53f-0bb1-445f-a730-cbc9f7c69038?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] from the cruise ship at the center of a deadly hantavirus outbreak before isolation measures were implemented.” WHO says this is not the start of an epidemic. (So the disembark is worse than its bite?) + Got It Made in the Trade: “The Department of Justice is investigating a series of suspiciously timed trades [ https://substack.com/redirect/451e7504-3694-4bef-b161-c6a9c61e67fc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in the oil market just ahead of major announcements by President Donald Trump and a top Iranian official about the war in Iran.” (Oh, phew. This DOJ is on it...) Meanwhile, Shell Reports Nearly $7 Billion Profit Amid Unprecedented Disruption [ https://substack.com/redirect/016d26a6-e22d-4b22-9bfa-2bd18bc2638a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Cains Able: “Long before Raising Cane’s became one of the fastest-growing restaurant chains in the US, company founder Todd Graves pitched the idea of a fast-food spot centered around a single item—the mighty chicken finger—in an undergraduate business course at the University of Georgia. The professor gave him the lowest grade in the class.” Bloomberg (Gift Article): Raising Cane’s Grew From an Idea a College Professor Hated [ https://substack.com/redirect/5b8c5f5f-ba63-473e-86ed-0b9e33333c39?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “Using an experimental drug sold over the internet to lose weight is an inherently risky gamble. That’s a lesson a 32-year-old man had to painfully learn first-hand after he experienced horrific bouts of diarrhea likely caused by overdosing on the GLP-1 medication retatrutide.” The man was going to the bathroom up to 30 times a day [ https://substack.com/redirect/51110302-db27-4b62-87e7-8e43cc037187?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (On the plus side, the weight just came off...) 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/take-the-money-and-run The idiom Take the money and run has referred to everything from being satisfied with what one has achieved in some endeavor or negotiation, to grabbing a quick gain, to the more literal definition described in the Steve Miller Band song [ https://substack.com/redirect/ec81f236-b4a3-4f1c-951f-7742af00422b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] about two young lovers named Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue: Robbing someone and taking off with the loot. (They got the money, hey, you know they got away. They headed down south and they’re still running today, singing, go on, take the money and run. Hoo-hoo-hoo.) These days, a similarly titled story about Billy Joe and Bobby Sue could refer to the names on a political ticket, because there’s only one two-step process to seek public office in America: Take the money. And run. It wasn’t always this way. As Danny Hakim explains in the NYT(Gift Article), “For a brief moment in American history, the rich didn’t control politics. Back in 1974, in the wake of the Watergate scandal, Congress passed new campaign finance restrictions that would have largely eliminated the ability of wealthy people to buy elections.” As we know, those restrictions were obliterated by the Citizens United case. But before that, there was another case that poked holes in the law. “A Supreme Court decision that most Americans probably never heard of. Fifty years ago, in a case called Buckley v. Valeo, the court upheld many aspects of the post-Watergate campaign finance law, clearing the way for public financing of presidential elections and empowering the new Federal Election Commission. But it eviscerated other parts of the law, leaving the rich with their own set of rules. The court ruled that wealthy Americans could spend unlimited amounts of money to independently support candidates and causes they favored.” A Look Inside the Case That Enshrined Political Power for Billionaires [ https://substack.com/redirect/453524e5-a3e7-4af0-afd3-e000ca765d04?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Flash forward to the 2024 presidential campaign. Six of the nation’s wealthiest billionaires spent more than $100 million apiece to help get another billionaire, Donald J. Trump, elected president.” (Giving life to another famous adage: Money talks, bullshit walks.) Whether you’re hoping for a red wave or a blue wave, the truth is, a green wave is what you’re likely to get. Political strategy has been reduced to hoping your billionaires spend more than their billionaires. While we’re all focusing on Trump’s effort to build his ballroom, the real story is about the people who have already built several of their own, where, if you listen closely, you can hear them singing, Go on, take the money and run. Hoo-hoo-hoo... 2 Press Forward “At 6:05 a.m. on Jan. 14, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation converged at the door of Hannah Natanson, a reporter at The Washington Post. They had a search warrant and entered her home, seizing her iPhone and other devices ... The event put Ms. Natanson’s name among the targets of the Trump administration’s aggressive campaign against news organizations. There was no precedent for the Justice Department’s searching a reporter’s home in connection with a national security leak investigation, according to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. But on Monday, Ms. Natanson was recognized for something else: a Pulitzer Prize.” First, the F.B.I. Searched Her Home. Then, She Won a Pulitzer [ https://substack.com/redirect/50196b1b-d2c8-493f-8bc6-f974e8947223?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + We need journalists to remain bold in their quest to unearth the truth, because the Trump administration is only becoming bolder in the way they’re using the tools of government to squelch it. “Nearly three weeks after The Atlantic reported that some government officials were alarmed by FBI Director Kash Patel’s behavior, including conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences, MS NOW reported this morning that the bureau has ‘launched a criminal leak investigation’ that focuses on the Atlantic journalist who wrote the story, Sarah Fitzpatrick.” The FBI Is Reportedly Investigating a Leak to an Atlantic Writer [ https://substack.com/redirect/bd4dcd4b-59f8-4443-ab4d-e800262393c0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Renewed Hope “At a time when oil and gas supply is faltering, the cost of wind and solar energy keeps declining. And, when paired with battery systems for storage, renewables can often provide steady electricity more cheaply than fossil fuels, even when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow.” NYT (Gift Article): The Global Oil Crisis Seems to Be Helping One Industry: Renewable Energy [ https://substack.com/redirect/d2aa7630-52d6-4438-b4ae-2164f8068d6c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Trump says a deal is near and Trump also threatens more bombing. “The mixed messages came a day after Mr. Trump abruptly paused a U.S. military operation to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, citing what he said was ‘great progress’ in talks. In public, there has been little sign that the weeks of diplomacy aimed at reaching a deal to reopen the vital waterway and end the war were bearing fruit.” Meanwhile, Israel has struck Beirut again and Netanyahu is talking about getting the nuclear material out of Iran. At this point, it sure seems like Trump wants this fight to end and Bibi wants it to continue. Here’s the latest from NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/1599cf7a-bd7c-49e7-bd2c-a8406a7b1933?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/598c7b1a-3452-4c27-bb10-dd7436e6882d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Stock Answer From the WSJ (Gift Article): I Asked ChatGPT to Manage a Stock Portfolio. Here’s How It Did [ https://substack.com/redirect/490fa1db-5d8c-4bad-8f4b-adcc01fce920?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Andrew Lo, a professor of finance at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who has been studying AI’s impact on investing ... recommends treating your AI investing companion similar to how he treated an exceptional teaching assistant. The TA was whipsmart, but there was one issue. He tended to smoke too much marijuana. As a result, Lo took everything he said with a grain of salt. That’s what you should do with AI, he says.” (I’m definitely on the right track, because I get high with AI all the time.) + AI outperforms doctors [ https://substack.com/redirect/677b447f-b836-41e6-9eca-e44060ff4421?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in Harvard trial of emergency triage diagnoses. (So don’t trust AI with your money, but go ahead and trust it with your life.) 5 Extra, Extra Still Top Banana in Indiana: “The threats weren’t just political. Leading up to the vote, state senators faced bomb scares. Police drew guns on one state senator in his home based on a false report. Days later, an officer showed up at Deery’s door after receiving a similar bogus report ... The primaries would test how much dissent Republican voters would tolerate. A victory by Trump’s side would send one of the strongest messages yet that even Republicans in the lower rungs of politics could face career-ending blows if they disobey a president who long ago remade their party.” WaPo (Gift Article): After defying Trump, a Republican lawmaker hangs on by a thread [ https://substack.com/redirect/5f8b3a1e-cecf-45a1-bc4c-597e2c41d818?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And he’s doing better than his colleagues who defied the president’s Indiana redistricting efforts. The Indiana results show Trump’s continued hold on his party [ https://substack.com/redirect/a1219bd4-cbaa-48c1-a602-4fd26086f08d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The big question is how that will impact the general election. + Pro Shingles: “The withdrawal of the studies is the latest step by the administration to try to limit access to vaccines. It has sharply cut research funding for vaccine development, released unvetted information casting doubt on vaccines, and blocked other information supporting their safety, most recently a paper on Covid vaccine effectiveness by career scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” NYT (Gift Article): F.D.A. Blocked Publication of Research Finding Covid and Shingles Vaccines Were Safe [ https://substack.com/redirect/6f1f3d88-e054-4407-8645-369e1ad56514?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (This is exactly why, in yesterday’s lead item, I explained that, while a conversation about antidepressants is worthwhile, having one with this administration is worse than useless: Psychotropic Thunder [ https://substack.com/redirect/cc52fed6-3452-428b-8814-5d4081ac920d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) +Reality Deficiency: “Many of them are doing so out of a well-meaning but ill-informed abundance of caution. In the hopes of safeguarding their newborns from what they see as unnecessary medical intervention, they have shunned fundamental and scientifically sound pharmaceutical intervention. The trend is also fueled by a contradictory pairing: families’ fierce desire to protect their babies and a cascade of false information infused into their social media algorithms.” ProPublica: Babies Are Bleeding to Death as Parents Reject a Vitamin Shot Given at Birth [ https://substack.com/redirect/8f89d0de-dc02-418f-820b-c3acbaa90daf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Ted Talks: “I’m trying to set the all-time record for achievement by one person in one lifetime. And that puts you in pretty big company: Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Gandhi, Christ, Mohammed, Buddha, Washington, Roosevelt, Churchill.” He didn’t quite hit that level, but he did a lot. NYT (Gift Article): Ted Turner, Creator of CNN and the 24-Hour News Cycle, Dies at 87 [ https://substack.com/redirect/1c44a757-fec9-41b9-b268-253cf755dc6e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Room Where It Happened: “The money would go toward security improvements as part of an East Wing construction project, including a new ballroom that President Trump has said would be built with private dollars.” G.O.P. Proposes $1 Billion in Immigration Bill for Trump’s Ballroom Project [ https://substack.com/redirect/d4282179-e764-465f-9ec9-31efd53af55d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (We should just call it a room, because the president’s sycophants have proven there are no balls left in Washington.) + Seed Bank: “The public suit includes graphic and extensive details of his allegations that a more senior banker on the team repeatedly demanded to have sex with him, often with racial insults mixed in, and threatened his career advancement if he didn’t engage. He alleged she forcibly performed oral sex on him and that they had sex only under duress while he begged her not to.” JPMorgan offered $1 million settlement before sexual assault claims went viral [ https://substack.com/redirect/7ed46b6b-9311-42ee-8644-8eb207397707?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News NYT (Gift Article): What Happened When the Pope Had to Call Customer Service [ https://substack.com/redirect/93db94a9-8a99-4f0c-9026-5ce5221ad140?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Even the Vicar of Christ can be thwarted by a customer service representative.” (I already knew that as I introduce myself that way anytime I call anyone...) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVOalk1T0RBeU9Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzRNRGsxTURVMUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EazJNekV3TlRVc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS4tREZRQ01qc0JITTlDRmgxQ0U2c19ZUG1yMEdHdWRSWk9GeHR1ZFVQUVl3IiwicCI6MTk2Njk4MDI4LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzgwOTUwNTUsImV4cCI6MjA5MzY3MTA1NSwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.eVxEMUdDNrupFQ5EPC-OgZVTGkVNso1LioTwEN2dpYo?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/psychotropic-thunder-8fd The Trump administration is finally willing to discuss mental health. But here’s the rub, it’s not their own, it’s yours. “Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday announced several initiatives intended to rein in the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, the most widely prescribed class of antidepressants, which he has described as exceptionally difficult to quit.” About one in six adults in America is on an S.S.R.I. (such as Zoloft, Lexapro, Paxil or Prozac), so it’s perfectly reasonable to have a national discussion about the benefits, side effects, possible overuse, and the difficulty getting off of this class of drugs. It’s just not perfectly reasonable to have that discussion led by a brain-wormed, raccoon genital removing, bear cub collecting, conspiracy-theorizing, measles promoting, quack [ https://substack.com/redirect/327fef50-0001-4680-85e1-02f43ce20d59?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] like RFK Jr and a maddening administration that makes the use of psychotropics feel almost mandatory (not to mention their boss, whose acting out of a running list of symptoms makes it seem like he’s trying to turn the DSM [ https://substack.com/redirect/e2948be5-1244-4c8d-828b-f8cd8deb18c7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] into a one-man show). NYT (Gift Article): Kennedy Starts a Push to Help Americans Quit Antidepressants [ https://substack.com/redirect/75365be8-f676-468c-96e7-cf63e0410196?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. I’d posit that the quickest way to decrease the popping of mental health drugs would be a blue wave during the midterms. Let’s reuptake this matter at that time. 2 It’s Always Shark Week “Kalshi and its competitor Polymarket advertise themselves as life-changing tools for regular people—implying everyone has a fair chance to score. ‘I was about to be unable to pay my rent, but I got two years of rent through Kalshi’s predictions,’ gushed one woman in a Kalshi ad on TikTok. But for most users the reality is nothing like that. Instead, casual traders are bleeding cash while a small number of sophisticated pros—including trading firms with access to vast streams of data—eat their lunch.” WSJ (Gift Article): Why Almost Everyone Loses—Except a Few Sharks—on Prediction Markets [ https://substack.com/redirect/baa64ea6-b8bd-4c13-8822-d4eedcda461e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Online casinos have developed ways to make their wares so addictive that people can’t stop playing even when there’s no promise of an eventual payout. Bloomberg (Gift Article): The $11 Billion Casino-Style Economy Built on Players Who Can Never Cash Out [ https://substack.com/redirect/ae775f9a-d17f-4d4e-9bf0-6f11381207fa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “You download the game at no cost and start with a small stash of coins. But you’ll almost certainly run out—because, as at every casino, the house always wins. Then you’ll be prompted through a stream of pop-ups to pay real money for more coins, to avoid waiting (maybe an hour, maybe all day) for the game to dispense more free ones. Even when you pay, and win, you can’t cash out. It’s the defining element of a social casino; the prize is the make-believe coins, and perhaps some dopamine.” 3 Obliteration Clarification “U.S. intelligence assessments indicate that the time Iran would need to build a nuclear weapon has not changed since last summer, when analysts estimated that a U.S.-Israeli attack had pushed back the timeline to up to a year, according to three sources familiar with the matter.” Reuters: US intelligence indicates limited new damage to Iran’s nuclear program, sources say [ https://substack.com/redirect/ea4cb4bb-0bb7-4fd3-aae0-ede44b6389e4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The way war is changing could be a bigger story than this particular war. NYT (Gift Article): Operation Epic Fury, Meet Operation Colossal Blunder [ https://substack.com/redirect/33b10c14-a4ba-4c12-8518-256a874c98d3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “There are now only two outcomes to the conflict: either the kind of wholesale destruction of Iran that Mr. Trump posited, or a settlement that will leave the government intact and empowered, and a blustering American president humiliated. The first option is increasingly remote. By publicly threatening the commission of war crimes on an enormous scale, Mr. Trump has given both his domestic and foreign opponents time to marshal resistance. As for the latter and more likely outcome, this was predictable, if only the president and his administration had bothered to take note of a new feature of modern warfare, a feature that can be boiled down to a single word: drones.” + Hegseth says the ceasefire is holding, despite fighting in the Strait, and explained that the US has established a “powerful red, white and blue dome” across the Strait of Hormuz as a “gift to the rest of the world.” (Hey World, you’re welcome!) Meanwhile, Trump promises he’s been making “tremendous deals.” Here’s the latest from BBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/52dc457f-5440-40fa-98c8-d8438aa9b635?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/a0e51604-b86c-47ce-bd2b-c04b768b2ae7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/0d69898c-a72e-4779-890e-cff674f25196?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 The Golden Calf We’re living at the intersection of a protein craze and the midterm elections, so you can be sure there will be a lot of finger-pointing when it comes to America’s high beef prices (that are unlikely to come down anytime soon). But, like most economic trends, this one is more complicated than it seems. “There’s no quick fix for tight supplies, as the sticker shock in the grocery aisles didn’t happen overnight. It’s not just that the animals take a long time to grow. The complicated economics of cattle ranching also create pain points at key stages of production.” Bloomberg (Gift Article): One Calf Shows Why Record Beef Prices Still Aren’t Coming Down [ https://substack.com/redirect/8abe3003-f297-4127-a2da-1c1274750dd1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Equal Pay: “The practice — supported by artificial intelligence and known as dynamic pricing or surveillance pricing — can lead to two consumers paying different amounts for the same item from the same retailer, at roughly the same time. If a store knows, for example, that one of those customers lives in a wealthier neighborhood, it can charge that person a higher price.” NYT (Gift Article): Maryland Is First to Ban A.I.-Driven Price Increases in Grocery Stores [ https://substack.com/redirect/891cf062-b053-4aae-a6dd-3b87b91bf28d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Maximum Sentence: “Author Daniel Kraus won in the fiction category for his book Angel Down, a story of World War I soldiers who find a fallen angel amongst the dead in No Man’s Land – a tale Kraus relates entirely within one sentence. Among other winners in the books categories were historian Jill Lepore for We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution and Brian Goldstone for There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America.” Here are the 2026 Pulitzer Prize winners [ https://substack.com/redirect/e0637b74-912b-4e96-b0b8-8f303c3ff5f6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. +If You Build It... “With only six weeks to go before the start of the World Cup, hotels at most of the cities hosting the tournament are facing a major problem: Bookings are running far below what they had expected [ https://substack.com/redirect/63973175-a891-4039-b227-62ef722066ed?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (Hmm, I wonder why people aren’t excited to come visit?) + Hot Error: “The contrast with the United States is stark. Under President Trump, energy policy has swung back toward oil and natural gas. In the past six weeks, the Trump administration has moved to spend nearly $2 billion reimbursing energy companies for abandoning plans to build offshore wind farms. This week, a leading renewable energy group said the administration has stalled more than 150 wind farm projects by delaying military reviews once considered routine.” China’s Big Bet on Wind Power Is Paying Off [ https://substack.com/redirect/2da0938d-a074-46aa-bba3-8b8310696958?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Vlad Handing: “An announcement by the Trump Administration that the United States would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany has shaken America’s European allies, but it may just be the beginning of a much wider withdrawal.” Time: The U.S. Military Drawdown in Europe Has Only Just Begun [ https://substack.com/redirect/de335c77-3e19-4f89-8384-db209a5dbd82?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Flava Fave: WSJ (Gift Article): Trump Pressures FDA Commissioner to Approve Flavored Vapes [ https://substack.com/redirect/de988dab-6669-42ed-9b5c-a1811accf4a7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “In a series of weekend calls while in Florida and conversations at the White House on Monday, Trump sought advice from his advisers about Makary and the importance of flavored vaping to young MAGA voters.” 6 Bottom of the News The Night We Never Met: Of course, you’re not the type of person who would spend time looking at photos from the Met Gala. But just in case, here are some of the looks, courtesy of NPR [ https://substack.com/redirect/b02698d9-fa7a-49aa-9266-67d83e5f5003?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/1945bcba-99db-42a4-a93f-2781d22191ab?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Looking for a different kind of photo gallery. Try this: The Rescue of Timmy the Whale [ https://substack.com/redirect/19037127-99c2-4ae6-bb2c-868ad1336a5a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Efforts to rescue a humpback whale off the coast of Germany led to a successful release after it had been stranded for most of the past month. The whale, named Timmy by local media, was eventually pulled into a barge and towed to the North Sea.” Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVOalUzTVRJeE5pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzRNREEwTnpReUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EazFOREEzTkRJc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5QR3JfTzlMa0l5MFN3a0MzaldXOFV6allnQW03ZUdxY2w3bGl3MW5odnRJIiwicCI6MTk2NTcxMjE2LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzgwMDQ3NDIsImV4cCI6MjA5MzU4MDc0MiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.1MUyblqnSURfF2OoKgYjkloKUcrxQatosupNDkllhzk?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/as-the-world-churns “Brad Watson, 41, awoke without an alarm at 5:30 a.m., strapped on his headlamp and headed to the barn.” Watson was doing what he, and generations of family members before him, had been doing since before the Civil War: Running his dairy farm in Northern Pennsylvania. But even for family traditions and businesses that seem like they will go on forever, there is a season, churn, churn, churn, and for the Watsons, it had become impossible to make enough bread to keep their butter business going. “The average Pennsylvania family dairy farm was earning about $20 for every 100 pounds of milk — and that same amount now cost more than $30 to produce.” It offered little solace that the Watsons are hardly alone. “The number of dairy farms in the United States had fallen to fewer than 25,000 from a peak of nearly 700,000 in the 1970s. Milk prices had barely risen in half a century, held down by overproduction and a handful of large corporations that dominated the dairy market. The costs of running a family farm had skyrocketed by as much as 500 percent. Brad had supported Donald Trump in 2024 in part because Trump promised to change all that by becoming ‘the most pro-farmer president you’ve ever had.’ Instead, new tariffs had cut into Brad’s potential export market and the emerging war in Iran had sent gas and fertilizer prices surging by as much as 70 percent. He was losing thousands of dollars each month and falling behind on his feed bill, until he made the call he’d been dreading his whole career. He dialed up an auction house to arrange the Watson family’s final dairy sale last month.” No one captures these American stories better than Eli Saslow. NYT (Gift Article): The Last Days of Butter Ridge [ https://substack.com/redirect/41486e2c-5198-4c11-b366-b6428ff820e6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. For the auctioneer, this was a familiar story (”In the last decade, he’d helped run dispersal auctions for Brian’s brother, his cousin and his uncle”), although Brian Watson’s last day working his dairy farm was less bleak than many. “His career had unfolded against a steady backdrop of bankruptcies, accidents and tragedies: the New York farmer who shot all 51 of his dairy cows and then turned the shotgun on himself; an Amish father who suffocated with his two sons after becoming trapped in their grain silo. In 2018, a Wisconsin farmer had sold his cows at auction, taken a part-time job at a grocery store and then killed himself with a note in his pocket. ‘I’m a dairy farmer,’ it read. ‘I want my old life back, but I can’t get it anymore. Everything I do fails.’” 2 Beer Goggles “In Mason, just south of Lansing, Paula Caltrider, 53, who voted for Mr. Trump and runs the Michigan for Jesus Facebook page, teamed up with Rita Leolani Vogel, 51, a Never-Trumper ... They were never friends, and Ms. Caltrider had even blocked Ms. Vogel on Facebook over what she said was unfair criticism of a Christian friend who had spoken out against a drag brunch at a brewery.” In this age of seemingly insurmountable political divides, what could bring two political opposites together? The same issue that seems to be uniting Americans across the political spectrum all across the country. NYT (Gift Article): ‘The Most Bipartisan Issue Since Beer’: Opposition to Data Centers [ https://substack.com/redirect/e390e6a5-0f92-43f6-9d14-635890ccc152?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Editor’s note: The space it takes to drive computing power constantly shrinks. The phone in your pocket today has the computational power of a late 1990s supercomputer. Maybe we should just hold off building all these data centers until we can fit them into a shoebox? I asked Gemini (the one AI service with “mini” in its name) about this, and it explained that’s not how things will play out: “The ‘efficiency gains’ you’re hoping for are being outpaced by the ‘expansion gains.’ For every 10% an AI model gets more efficient, developers often respond by making the model 100% larger to gain even more intelligence.” (I countered that the more intelligent computer models get, the stupider we seem to behave. We decided to end the conversation there, at least until Gemini has a few more data centers’ worth of computational power to come up with a satisfying answer.) 3 The Spirit No Longer Moves You “Spirit Airlines died as it lived: lots of angry customers and no one picking up the phone. Early yesterday morning, when America’s most hated airline announced that it would immediately cease all operations, Spirit left tens of thousands of passengers at airports across America scrambling to figure out what to do next. Some arrived to catch their flight, only to find deserted check-in kiosks plastered with a goodbye message: All Spirit flights have been cancelled, and customer service is no longer available.” Saahil Desai in The Atlantic (Gift Article) on the Hemingway-esque bankruptcy of Spirit Airlines (”Gradually and then suddenly”) and why it’s a big deal, even if you never flew the discount airline. “For all the justified kvetching, America is about to learn a hard lesson: The only thing worse than a world with Spirit is one without it [ https://substack.com/redirect/f435c9da-8910-4863-aa01-c2ff899e8072?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” 4 In the Black “As cars become computers on wheels, QNX is trusted by the world’s largest automakers because its simple, real-time operating system is designed to never, ever fail. ‘The only way to make this software malfunction,’ a user once raved to Fortune magazine, ‘is to fire a bullet into the computer running it.’ With its bulletproof reputation, the software has spread to factory floors and other workplaces that value safety, precision and tech that won’t glitch.” So who makes this software that will never die? A company you thought was left for dead a long time ago. WSJ(Gift Article): You Have No Idea How Much You Still Use BlackBerry [ https://substack.com/redirect/e4010e27-876d-45cc-b4e9-dd784ad6470a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Ceaseless: Both Trump and the Iranian regime think they’re winning the war. One group we know is losing: the Iranian people. In January, Trump told Iranian protesters, “Help is on its way.” Well, here’s what arrived. BBC: Some Iranians fear the regime is now more entrenched - and ready for revenge [ https://substack.com/redirect/0e22d5a6-5530-44db-8891-1eb038e9dd16?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, across the region, the cease seems to be disappearing from the ceasefire. The US says it has destroyed many small Iranian boats, the UAE has been hit with several missile strikes, and Israel and Hezbollah are fighting. Here’s the latest from BBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/764e0807-3850-4d82-8be8-0cc902d911d1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], CNN [ https://substack.com/redirect/357f9a12-210e-4d02-a7d2-a7c87827563b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/7e7e2302-a88a-4782-915d-8c69a3e910e6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Pill Chill: “The Supreme Court has temporarily restored online and mail-order access to the abortion drug mifepristone after a federal appeals court curtailed access to the medication on Friday.” But the order was issued by Alito, “who wrote the majority opinion in the case that overturned Roe v. Wade,” so don’t get too excited about this being good news. Politico: Supreme Court restores abortion pill access — for now [ https://substack.com/redirect/c9e84f98-14a9-4ed8-8309-14c0588fe777?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Generation Tube: “YouTube during snack time, dismissal and indoor recess. YouTube to teach drawing to first-graders. YouTube to read a book to class. YouTube under the covers at night, watching hamster videos on school-issued Chromebooks. A survey touted by YouTube executives shows that 94% of teachers have used YouTube in their roles.” WSJ (Gift Article): How YouTube Took Over the American Classroom [ https://substack.com/redirect/48720de8-49a2-43e1-badf-45ffd8ba99cf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Etch-a-Stretch: “Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Golden Tempo navigated past 17 other horses around the final turn and made a hard charge down the stretch. With a crowd of more than 100,000 watching and roaring at Churchill Downs, Golden Tempo passed morning-line favorite Renegade -- ridden by Jose’s brother Irad -- just before the wire to win by a neck.” Golden Tempo makes DeVaux first woman trainer to win Kentucky Derby [ https://substack.com/redirect/c1b2a658-2f68-4e77-8735-9ba319062140?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Cruise Control: “The cruise ship at the center of a deadly outbreak of hantavirus has been refused permission to dock [ https://substack.com/redirect/ae87ff16-a71e-4227-b132-490234a2ee9d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], with 149 people still on board — two of them seriously ill. The virus is suspected to have killed three people and sickened three more, with one patient hospitalized in critical condition.” + Eat Sh-t: “The number of food-stamp recipients is dropping sharply across the country as states move to implement new Trump administration rules on who qualifies.” More Than Three Million People Have Lost Federal Food Aid [ https://substack.com/redirect/fe5e48c3-8eef-4352-8cde-d920f23072d3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Some Good News? And Howl... “Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy negotiated a confidential agreement to purchase the 1,500 dogs for an undisclosed price from Ridglan Farms, where police used tear gas and pepper spray to repel activists trying to take beagles from the facility last month.” 1,500 beagles will get new lives and warm laps after release from research facility [ https://substack.com/redirect/457d76ee-05e4-4315-ba69-09cab16d9ccd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Just a heads-up to my neighbors: I’m thinking about adopting about half of them.) 6 Bottom of the News “Ask dot com officially closed on May 1, 2026, ending almost 30 years of operation [ https://substack.com/redirect/70ec589e-aab3-4fc3-b972-663005abb282?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] after parent company IAC decided to exit the search business.” It’s sort of weird timing since AI makes the promise of AskJeeves actually possible for the first time. + Is TMI really such a bad thing? Here’s the case for oversharing [ https://substack.com/redirect/a498be56-bcd7-4a56-9f90-1ed0858c380b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (It seems to me that people are plenty motivated in this area, without any additional case needing to be made...) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVOalEyTWpZME1Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzNPVEl6TXpnMExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EazBOVGt6T0RRc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5Jb3lrcER6cFhJVkphNUdKNkotSVVQM3RfTU4zYnRvVVg2M3VCdlpJUzE0IiwicCI6MTk2NDYyNjQwLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Nzc5MjMzODQsImV4cCI6MjA5MzQ5OTM4NCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.278hpo6ndqXKOMsaCRgTJR4OsQpzG7kfX0WYrJZYX8E?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/lobster-in-the-red-dea When I was in college, a few friends and I used to fast for about 24 hours and then go to the Sizzler to see how much damage we could do to the all-you-can-eat buffet. As a Humanities major who’s spent decades writing on the internet, I’m pretty sure this was the last time I operated a successful business model. Age, GLP-1s, and gastrointestinal wear and tear have taken their toll, but I still like to think that, when push comes to shovel, I could put a pretty serious dent in a restaurant corporation’s market cap. So it’s probably lucky for Red Lobster that I’m not into shrimp. The waitstaff at Red Lobster can avoid me, but sadly, they can’t avoid all the other determined gluttons looking to take advantage of the struggling restaurant chain’s questionable decision to once again pimp the shrimp. Luke Winkie in Slate (Gift Article): Red Lobster’s Endless Shrimp Is Back. Employees Are Horrified [ https://substack.com/redirect/4b764217-8209-45b8-a5c7-d7cb8410d4c8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Caught in the crossfire, of course, are the Red Lobster cooks and waitstaff, who have been asked to return to the infernal battlefields of Endless Shrimp. ‘We have this training app, and it told me I had a new notification. When I clicked on it, it was about Endless Shrimp,’ said a woman we’ll call Mary, who works at an East Coast Red Lobster location and is one of the rare employees who was hired during the brief interregnum after the company’s bankruptcy but before the reintroduction of the promotion. Mary says she was given a week’s notice to prepare for Endless Shrimp, an experience that might be compared to getting drafted to Vietnam in 1972. She wasn’t the only one bracing for impact. Scroll through the Red Lobster subreddit and you’ll find plenty of servers doomsaying about the approaching incursion of shrimp. (’God no … I can’t … unless they let us kick people out after a certain time I just can’t,’ read the comment of one imperiled employee.) ‘All of my co-workers were like, ‘You have no idea what’s coming,’ Mary told me. ‘Before they brought it back, my co-workers were like, ‘It’s good you started working here after Endless Shrimp days were over.’” (That sounds like something I might say to young news curators after the Trump era...) 2 Boss Hog War. Oil spikes. Gas prices. Unstable leadership. Global instability. The market isn’t worried about any of that. In fact, the stock market just had its best month since the pandemic rebound [ https://substack.com/redirect/8f5b1e94-f255-409c-902c-34db0d2d7af6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. There’s a significant divide between how investors feel about the economy and how the average American is experiencing things these days. That’s even more true when you compare CEOs to employees. There’s always been a decent divide between CEO and worker pay, but the spread may have reached escape velocity. CEO pay increased 20 times faster than worker pay around the world in 2025 [ https://substack.com/redirect/9d86b8c2-9f59-4f12-8c4e-ebee53a34f45?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “When adjusted for inflation, global worker pay declined 12% between 2019 and 2025, the equivalent of 108 days of free work during that time period. In comparison, CEO compensation increased by 54% between 2019 and 2025.” 3 Task Monogamy I write better distracted. After years of editing the internet, I had to adapt to writing while doom-scrolling, hearing the bings and bongs of constant notifications, receiving news alerts, and, these days, hearing the near-constant sound of my own moaning. Apparently, this is not the way to be most productive. But, “in a world full of distractions, getting your brain to focus on one thing at a time requires radical measures.” David Epstein in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Secret to Success Is Monotasking [ https://substack.com/redirect/749e9831-caa3-4916-a97c-d688703bdcf6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Here’s the frightening part: We gravitate to a customary level of interruption. If you are disrupted by notifications all day, every day, then even if those external triggers magically disappear, you will unconsciously start interrupting yourself to maintain the rhythm of distraction you’re used to. That is why the mere presence of a smartphone on a desk or in a ­pocket—even if it is turned off—has been shown to impair performance on cognitive tests, particularly among people who are more phone dependent.” 4 Weekend Whats What to Watch: There must be something wrong with the trailers or marketing for Big Mistakes on Netflix [ https://substack.com/redirect/3146f1f0-bac6-4a25-b032-4579769869d0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], because the comedy that features the perfect comedic timing of the duo of Dan Levy and Taylor Ortega should be the streamer’s number one show. It’s great. + What to Doc: Michelle Khare undergoes scientific testing and professional training to complete a truly crazy endurance challenge. But it’s the human stories that win the race. On YouTube: I Ran 7 Marathons in 7 Days on 7 Continents [ https://substack.com/redirect/293013cc-6f9a-4206-9dfd-b123f891c1d5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I’ve never even walked my beagles seven days straight.) + What to Movie: If you’re a fan of shows like The Gilded Age and Downton Abbey, but you’re also a fan of movies like Airplane, then Fackham Hall [ https://substack.com/redirect/e66781fc-066c-475e-b8db-c976bc5a8ae2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] on HBO might be your cup of tea. 5 Extra, Extra Tired of All The Winning: “Iran and the United States have failed to come to an agreement not because hard-liners are blocking pragmatists inside Iran, but because both sides seem to sincerely believe that they have won the war.” Thomas Wright in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Real Reason Iran Hasn’t Struck a Deal [ https://substack.com/redirect/1c056040-0ae2-4f73-9347-61c470426990?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. That said, “Iran has handed over its latest proposal for negotiations with the United States to mediators in Pakistan, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported Friday. President Donald Trump subsequently said he’s ‘not satisfied” with it.’” Meanwhile, today “marked the 60th day since the White House notified Congress of its military operations in Iran, meaning Trump would have to withdraw forces or seek formal approval from Capitol Hill.” But luckily, it’s not actually a war, the US has ‘won’ the Iran war, but Trump wants to win by a bigger margin [ https://substack.com/redirect/ed75def5-0d1a-4d86-905c-e6924c17775a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], the ceasefire means the 60-day counter stopped, the constitution is unconstitutional, and some other reasons this won’t mean anything. Here’s the latest from AP [ https://substack.com/redirect/a8977679-acbc-4fb8-9a74-17e6edbe6983?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and CNN [ https://substack.com/redirect/d978f0a7-ba7f-4ea8-8db2-0f00d58f6119?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Peace Dividends: There actually may be multiple winners in this war. It’s just not who you’re thinking of. NYT (Gift Article): Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff and the Profitable Business of Peace [ https://substack.com/redirect/d8d9ea45-0bd6-4c61-a0ed-1a449f41e6f1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The creeping privatization of both war and peace has been underway for some time. But Trump has pushed this trend to its logical conclusion: His administration has turned the delicate practice of peacemaking, previously handled largely by experienced diplomats, mediators and specialists, into a business for a select few stakeholders who are bound together by a thicket of financial affiliations and conflicts of interest.” + Vote Moat: “The central tenet of American democracy is the right to vote. But in practice, for Black voters, especially in the South, it wasn’t until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that their access to the voting booth was fundamentally improved. The law eradicated many Jim Crow-era intimidation tactics.” How Did the Voting Rights Act Change Black Representation in 10 States [ https://substack.com/redirect/0666385c-3678-4330-b4d9-0a7859be526c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? (As I explained yesterday, fuggedabout 86-47. America’s most dangerous number is actually 6-3 [ https://substack.com/redirect/fb34c68c-33ff-4c7b-aaf9-eda9336c541f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) + Afford Focus: “Initial sign-ups had already fallen by about 1.2 million people. But insurance companies, state officials and industry analysts are reporting that many more have lost Obamacare coverage [ https://substack.com/redirect/49cc4a0a-5e80-433f-a8ed-e7144ae167da?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] now that people are facing long-term higher costs. The federal government has yet to report current enrollment data.” (Making health care unaffordable makes it unaffordable...) + Spirit Away? Talks over a $500 million government rescue deal have collapsed, leaving Spirit Airlines on the verge of shutting down [ https://substack.com/redirect/b8b9548e-803c-4b29-a760-6e6223f8a8f8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Calculated Gamble: “The clinicians who treat gambling disorders are more concerned about what they are seeing with their patients. In their spaces, when it comes to sports gambling and prediction markets, the end result is virtually the same.” Prediction markets say they’re different from sportsbooks. Gambling addicts say it’s all the same [ https://substack.com/redirect/8044f49f-3fb8-4d57-bda3-9cf5b9e16082?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Prediction markets know exactly what they’re building.) + Knock Knock: “For believers in the paranormal, unsettling sensations brought on by old buildings can be a sinister hint of loitering spirits. But new research points to a more mundane explanation: inaudible sounds from aged pipes and boilers [ https://substack.com/redirect/b2e86bfa-0524-49ef-91a4-feaa443d66b8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (I only wish the sounds from my pipes were inaudible.) 6 Feel Good Friday “Those who’ve fought to keep the world hooked on fossil fuels are inadvertently supercharging the global renewables boom.” Iran War Is ‘Supercharging’ the Energy Transition [ https://substack.com/redirect/3ff5a8ca-f8bc-4fe5-a7e7-473e187d7893?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “While most [Make-A-Wish] kids will ask for things like a fun trip or meeting a celebrity, Baker instead asked for something different: to help the homeless in his area [ https://substack.com/redirect/5af703c7-0eaa-4f21-938f-ad5444fbb7b0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + “With all the things in the world we’re bombarded with, somebody, please, make a big deal out of this ... People always are so quick to point out the things that separate us, and realistically there isn’t much.” Buffalo Sabres fans stepped in to save ‘O Canada,’ raising the bar on what anthems are about [ https://substack.com/redirect/b8887a7a-c585-405e-a983-829454d0d1bd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + ‘Don’t fall!’: foil boarders describe hair-raising shark chase [ https://substack.com/redirect/423eb68b-fce6-424d-9424-0be4d2d33467?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]caught on video off California coast. (The feel-good part is that the shark was ultimately foiled. Or maybe it just lost interest.) + This section of the GENER8ION - STORM video [ https://substack.com/redirect/109bc4a0-475d-426d-b3e8-ed1ddfcabed5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] is truly remarkable. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVOakUwT0RNNE1Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzNOall3T0RrMkxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1Ea3hPVFk0T1RZc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5pQmNScDB3eHNUSThaUElYTDRxUHpscXVCa0c4Y1h4azdUUWluRGlQd3pzIiwicCI6MTk2MTQ4MzgxLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Nzc2NjA4OTYsImV4cCI6MjA5MzIzNjg5NiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.4pbrfgkegxjpSWmpKZYKh2s5ZGI7CQLWbg3qx6FKOdk?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/you-do-the-math The latest and most ridiculous Justice Department indictment of James Comey claims that his sharing of a photo of shells spelling out 8647 amounted to a threat on Trump’s life. Trump followed up with the claim that 86 is a mob term for putting a hit on someone. While many hospitality workers claim they use 86 to refer to items they’ve run out of [ https://substack.com/redirect/04206587-a888-4d58-b44c-13cb50a97c0e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], a noted prosecutor who spent his career listening in on the conversations of the five families says he has never heard any of them use the term 86 [ https://substack.com/redirect/58ecc0a1-b75c-4a53-a85c-42ba149f9ea2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]—and even as a mere layperson, I feel confident making the definitive statement that no mob boss has ever ordered a hit by arranging pretty seashells on the beach. Fuggedaboud eighty-six. America’s most dangerous number is actually 6-3, represented by the SCOTUS majority that is systematically stripping away cherished freedoms and hard-earned rights, now including the Voting Rights Act. These rights were painstakingly earned during some of the most significant moments in American history, from Freedom rides, to Freedom Summer, to the Bloody Sunday march in Selma, to President Lyndon B. Johnson’s speech watched by 70 million Americans, to his signing the act into law with the words, “Today is a triumph for freedom as huge as any victory that has ever been won on any battlefield.” This makes SCOTUS crushing the Voting Rights Act an equally huge defeat. To understand what was undone, let’s look back at how we got here. NYT (Gift Article): Why Is There a Voting Rights Act? A Timeline [ https://substack.com/redirect/030ffab0-895a-4bdd-b1dc-d8da63548e9d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Consider the effect in Louisiana. That state had no Black representation in Congress for more than a century after the end of Reconstruction, and finally elected one Black member in 1990. A second Black member served from 1993 to 1997. In 2001 Louisiana redrew its map to revert to only one majority-Black congressional district out of six, in a state where the Black population is now about one-third of the total.” NYT Editorial Board: The Justices Acted as Partisans in the Voting Rights Ruling [ https://substack.com/redirect/bcefd2bb-8978-4e41-903a-ee31f44106fd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “What we can expect in the aftermath of this ruling is for more Republican-controlled states to implement discriminatory maps and call them partisan so they can pass legal muster. In practical terms, this will likely mean fewer nonwhite representatives in Congress. Diminishing the power of minority voters may also allow the Republican Party to continue on its path from reactionary color-blindness to more overt racism, safe in the assumption that it will not have to answer to constituents who oppose such racism because they are its targets. There is little risk in attacking people who lack the power to remove you from office.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): Voters Can Be Disenfranchised Now [ https://substack.com/redirect/7581e5c0-4858-46d4-a23a-b6e6db36f2c6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + This ruling represents a long-term risk. And a near-term one. Louisiana postpones primaries as states rush to redraw districts after Supreme Court ruling [ https://substack.com/redirect/e4e0bf02-240e-455e-91e7-2cf9e567900f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “More governors call for special sessions following supreme court’s decision severely weakening Voting Rights Act.” Officials were ready to pounce once this decision was made because they knew what the decision would be. The Court’s majority is doing one of the things it has been strategically designed to do: Respond to the changing demographics in America by 86ing racial progress and equality. 2 Carbon Foodprint Human diets are getting less healthy. Even the human diets that aren’t changing at all. “Surging concentrations of carbon in the atmosphere, caused largely by burning fossil fuels, have produced potent changes in the way plants grow — from increasing their sugar content to depleting essential nutrients like zinc. Experts fear the degradation of Earth’s food supply will cause an epidemic of hidden hunger, in which even people who consume enough calories won’t get the nutrients they need to thrive.” WaPo (Gift Article): The invisible force making food less nutritious [ https://substack.com/redirect/ec9f18da-05cd-43fe-b2d1-91be7be27c8e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “People in wealthy countries with strong health care systems will have many tools to cope with the change, experts said. But for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable, the consequences could be devastating.” 3 Where Roids Are All The Rage “Most drugs are banned in the world of elite sports, but not here. In this competition—backed by Peter Thiel, Donald Trump Jr., and Saudi royalty—the athletes are guinea pigs. And if those backers have their way, you’re next.” So trans competitors are threatening the sanctity of sports, but this is totally kosher. Got it. Vanity Fair: Inside the Enhanced Games, Where Athletes Compete on Steroids. And Growth Hormones. And Adderall [ https://substack.com/redirect/d709fdaf-3881-4b1d-818e-fb452d6af085?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Liv and Let Die “LIV plans to tell players and staff by Thursday that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund will no longer bankroll the circuit after this season, according to people familiar with the matter. The move sounds the death knell for the upstart that sowed chaos in professional golf by plowing billions into the sport and poaching A-list players.” WSJ (Gift Article): Saudi Arabia Pulls Funding From LIV Golf. Its Star Players Face a Painful Road Back [ https://substack.com/redirect/6e036132-d72c-4c2d-bd07-f60bdeb8c814?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Some of this cruddy league’s tournaments are played on Trump’s golf courses (a bad idea backed by Saudi money, how could he resist?). So we’ll see how he reacts to his Gulf strategies currently facing a water hazard and sand trap at the same time. Sadly, that seems like par for the course. 5 Extra, Extra Running Up the Bill: “By itself, the milestone doesn’t mean much. There isn’t a special level where debt goes from problematic to catastrophic. And the ratio might bounce around in coming quarters as tax receipts come in, tariff refunds go out and GDP fluctuates in response to inflation and revisions. Still, the triple-digit mark is a potent symbol of the fiscal stresses on the U.S. that have been building for decades.” Richard Rubin in the WSJ (Gift Article): U.S. Debt Tops 100% of GDP [ https://substack.com/redirect/d013ad03-df9a-4698-9dc4-b35d0dcc7ea6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. In other economic news, the GDP grew at 2% [ https://substack.com/redirect/4cec846a-f1a1-41e5-971d-72ae00a8feee?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], thanks in large part to AI investment spending. And then there’s the financial metric that probably impacts voting patterns the most: Gas prices hit $4.23 per gallon [ https://substack.com/redirect/fb26a19f-80ac-4792-a21f-95940b0504d4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Jay Curve: “I worry these attacks are battering this institution and putting at risk the things that really matter to the public.” Jerome Powell plans to remain on Fed board, cites legal actions by Trump administration [ https://substack.com/redirect/c79f9745-d2cf-43b3-b7a6-20a35971ba7d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Powell’s decision to stay — the first time a Fed chair will remain on the board as a governor since 1948 — denies President Donald Trump a chance to fill a seat on the central bank’s seven-member governing board with his own appointee.” + Nuclear Option: Iran’s new supreme leader gave a rare statement on Thursday, vowing not to give up the country’s nuclear or missile technologies [ https://substack.com/redirect/658140bd-c01b-4499-857b-be176bc7b8cb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and signaling Tehran would keep control of the Strait of Hormuz. And Trump is weighing renewed attacks [ https://substack.com/redirect/3c026cd9-c80c-478b-acb6-d8d4bbcf5073?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Teenage Wasteland: “Two teenage brothers from the Republic of Congo were living their version of the American dream. They were leaders on their high school basketball team and involved in their local church. The elder was weeks away from graduating. That dream was thrown into upheaval this month when the brothers were detained by ICE agents ... Their detention has crushed the school community in their conservative small town.” They Left for the School Bus. ICE Picked Them Up Instead [ https://substack.com/redirect/487f9972-66de-48e6-92dd-a9d6ea75b964?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Feel safer?) + Blinded By Science: “He opened it to find a half-dozen federal agents carrying guns and wearing tactical gear, including bulletproof vests ... The agents did not harm Morens, but took off his pants and shirt, handcuffed him.” Guns and bulletproof vests: How federal agents arrested Fauci aide [ https://substack.com/redirect/800e79c0-ee7d-4f43-96b2-15692ac3efb6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (It’s a metaphor for the way all science has been treated by this administration.) + Soccer Pitch: “The sticker shock appears to have driven some fans away. The Athletic obtained a document dated April 10 reportedly sent to local organizers indicating that fewer than 41,000 tickets had been sold for the U.S. team’s group stage opener against Paraguay at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium on June 12 despite a listed seating capacity of just under 70,000.” World Cup: Will high ticket prices lead to empty seats [ https://substack.com/redirect/f61f5e8c-d3ad-4e1b-b406-ff8d683358f4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? + Junior’s Mint: Amazon Discusses ‘Apprentice’ Reboot—With Don Jr. as a Potential Host [ https://substack.com/redirect/a284d824-e43b-4422-b29b-82c871345d09?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Those are some pretty big bonespurs to fill...) 6 Bottom of the News “While Tanner didn’t specify why the increasing usage of GLP-1 agonists fueled mint and gum sales, some people who take medications like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro report experiencing halitosis, or bad breath. However, so-called Ozempic breath is not an official listed side effect for the medication.” Hershey says GLP-1s are driving higher gum and mint sales [ https://substack.com/redirect/dfecee61-7aba-47d6-9de4-d13cc1da879f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Maybe having a mint is the only meal that doesn’t make people feel too full.) + 18 silly photo finalists from the Comedy Wildlife People’s Choice Awards [ https://substack.com/redirect/b9b1fe3a-7e67-4bed-becf-3c67dc2d9af1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/life-in-shell In a classic shell game, a con artist hides a pea under one of three walnut shells and then uses sleight of hand to ensure the viewer can’t keep track of where the pea ended up. When it comes to the Voting Rights Act, the Supreme Court’s latest decision may appear to have just moved a few shells around, but after years of targeting the landmark law, it’s more accurate to say the majority basically crushed all the walnuts. “The decision was 6 to 3, split along ideological lines. The conservative majority asserted that the opinion was a limited ruling that preserved a central tenet of the Voting Rights Act, but the court’s liberal wing, in dissent, argued that the justices had taken the final step to dismantle the landmark civil rights law.” Here’s more from the NYT (Gift Article): Supreme Court Further Weakens Voting Rights Act [ https://substack.com/redirect/2bcb6603-ccaa-4503-bb2a-00fc0070c337?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + MoJo: “The Supreme Court’s six-to-three Republican-appointed majority issued a staggering ruling on Wednesday essentially killing the remaining protections of the Voting Rights Act, dealing a death blow to the country’s most important civil rights law [ https://substack.com/redirect/4e55a1cc-0dbf-43f0-810b-b744c1e72428?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + Talking Points Memo: “The Roberts Court finally achieved its years-long goal of killing the Voting Rights Act Wednesday, publishing a ruling that will make proving racial discrimination in redistricting virtually impossible [ https://substack.com/redirect/488bff65-e2dd-4423-96c7-561a4fc03f22?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + The Guardian: “The court’s decision is a major upheaval in US civil rights law and gives lawmakers permission to draw districting plans that weaken the influence of Black and other minority voters. Some states may even rush ahead to try to redraw districts ahead of this year’s midterm elections [ https://substack.com/redirect/a10e1e99-fe53-43ae-85f5-422f5cc8d027?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + The obliteration of the voting rights law may leave you feeling shell-shocked, but it comes as welcome news to those currently mangling and weaponizing our still existing legal system to target enemies in ridiculous (and ridiculously dangerous) ways. James Comey surrenders to authorities after DOJ indictment [ https://substack.com/redirect/a03c8912-d965-4e5f-8488-6f37cb64f4ed?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The former FBI director was indicted in North Carolina on Tuesday because of a post he made on social media last year of seashells arranged into the numbers ‘86 47’ which the Department of Justice has called a threat against Donald Trump. The number 86 can be used as shorthand for getting rid of something, and Trump is the 47th president.” (Let’s hope all those seashells are about to get washed away by a blue wave.) + What’s happening inside the Justice Department, where career lawyers are being ordered to bring insane charges or face firing? The place is a shell of its former self. Ex-Official Warns of Mass Exodus as Trump Weaponizes DOJ [ https://substack.com/redirect/62de9395-5722-4553-9686-cf148d895f08?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “We’re also seeing people resign because of the culture those types of prosecutions create. So, the effect, the consequences, are devastating. The DOJ is losing countless lawyers because of it, the rule of law is being eroded, and the reputation of the department has really disintegrated.” + Like so much of what’s happening to our legal system, the latest attempt to punish Comey is completely laughable. But it’s no laughing matter. Under Trump’s weaponized administration, even jokes aren’t laughing matters anymore. I wrote about Trump’s latest attack on Jimmy Kimmel yesterday. “The idea of anyone in this administration calling anyone else’s words offensive represents an act of projection of such magnitude it makes Artemis II look like a backyard stomp rocket.” The Projection Erection [ https://substack.com/redirect/f203e02a-39cd-4e92-a315-528cb5596f38?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 The King’s Speech During his address to Congress, Prince Charles opined on the harsh reality of climate change, the importance of checks and balances, and even got the whole room (including JD Vance) to give a standing ovation for NATO and the need to defend Ukraine. But by (current) American standards, the messages were pretty subtle, and our king doesn’t speak subtle. King Charles praises NATO and urges defense of Ukraine in key speech during Trump visit [ https://substack.com/redirect/5a6de5b4-8af2-49f7-8b6a-cfa06a8a552c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Guardian: “What would America’s founding fathers have made of seeing George III’s direct descendant speak to their successors? Donald Trump mused at the White House on Tuesday: ‘They might be absolutely shocked but probably only for a moment. Surely they would be delighted that the wounds of war healed into the most cherished friendship.’ Well, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and co would surely be more shocked to discover that they now have their own mad king in the White House. If Charles spots signs saying ‘No kings’ on his travels, he shouldn’t take it personally [ https://substack.com/redirect/988f454d-758d-4566-bcd6-7092a605154f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” 3 But Who’s Geiger Counting? To assess the Iran war, we can’t just ask whether we’re better off now than we were a couple months ago (which, as of now, we’re not). We have to ask whether we’re better off than we were when someone decided to tear up the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran. “In 2015, Iran and six nations led by the United States reached an accord that limited the purity of its enriched uranium to 3.67 percent and the size of its stockpile for 15 years ... Iran lacked a single bomb’s worth of uranium in 2018, when Mr. Trump withdrew the United States from the pact and reimposed a series of tough economic sanctions.” NYT (Gift Article): How Iran Accumulated 11 Tons of Enriched Uranium [ https://substack.com/redirect/7722e50c-ca5e-4b0e-88b8-c36851d853b3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + That’s what we’re dealing with. Who we’re dealing with is just as complicated. “Since its creation in 1979, the Islamic Republic has revolved around a supreme leader with final authority on all key matters of state. But the ‌killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war, and the elevation of his wounded son, Mojtaba, have ushered in a different order dominated by commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and marked by the absence of ‌a decisive, authoritative referee.” Reuters: Iran’s Guards seize wartime power, blunting Supreme Leader’s role [ https://substack.com/redirect/a6b6341f-80c5-4d4f-a777-810ba08393de?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Tech Bros Before Average Joes “Elon Musk and Sam Altman are two of the most influential people in Silicon Valley, if not the world. Between the two of them, Musk and Altman run technology companies worth many trillions of dollars that promise to reshape civilization. But this morning, both sat under fluorescent lights in a courthouse in downtown Oakland, suffering through all manner of technical glitches as their respective attorneys kicked off the long-awaited trial in Musk v. Altman.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): The trial between the CEOs makes the AI boom seem sordid and small [ https://substack.com/redirect/d18cb9cc-ce1b-4440-b78e-a4879a8b52a6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The next few weeks of the trial will illuminate tensions about the development of AI that have grown only more urgent—between profit and social good, and over who can be trusted with this technology.” (That this trial makes it a choice between these two guys should worry you.) + “That night in the scientist’s home office, the chatbot explained how to modify an infamous pathogen in a lab so that it would resist known treatments. Worse, the bot described in vivid detail how to release the superbug, identifying a security lapse in a large public transit system ... The bot outlined a plan to maximize casualties and minimize the chances of being caught.” NYT (Gift Article): A.I. Bots Told Scientists How to Make Biological Weapons [ https://substack.com/redirect/520bf297-bcc8-4e16-896e-4dd8cacbf60b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + How many robots does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Only one. “We’re approaching a ChatGPT moment for the physical world.” Wired: I’ve Covered Robots for Years. This One Is Different [ https://substack.com/redirect/cfed4311-4431-4075-a0dd-b407cdfba1ed?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra The Last Battle? “Encouraged by the fast spread of school cellphone bans, parents, teachers and legislators across the United States have banded together to ensure that technology use in schools is beneficial for learning.” In Backlash Against Tech in Schools, Parents Are Winning Rollbacks [ https://substack.com/redirect/fa4f337a-aa52-45ae-84fa-38756bb92d99?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. While it may be a laudable goal, this fight reminds me of the life lesson [ https://substack.com/redirect/3d4cbed0-cd1b-462f-bedb-4087b1c6e23e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] offered by Tony Manero’s paint store boss in Saturday Night Fever: “No, Tony. You can’t f-ck the future. The future f-cks you.” + Human Trafficking? “’They took us, they put us on a plane, and they chained us by our hands and feet,’ said one Colombian man, sitting on a plastic chair in a shabby hotel near Kinshasa’s airport. The deportees didn’t know their final destination until they were on the plane.” NPR: ‘We don’t know what will happen to us’: U.S. deportees in limbo in DRC [ https://substack.com/redirect/44b37c5f-bda9-4906-b118-89c6cda7d90a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “While more deportees from the U.S. are expected to arrive, almost no details concerning the U.S.-Congo migration deal have been made public.” + Powell’s Last Stand: NYT (Gift Article): “The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday but the decision was the most highly divisive in decades [ https://substack.com/redirect/f38cfa5c-3a81-4368-b2a9-af21e387de72?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (Everything in 2026 is the most divisive in decades...) + Trumped Up Charges: The Trump administration has been targeting some liberal non-profits. Even before the cases get to the courts, some big money players are preventing donations. Fidelity, Vanguard Won’t Allow Donations to Southern Poverty Law Center [ https://substack.com/redirect/e438a120-c8c7-4b71-b2a1-64ee4cfdf979?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Sun Also Rises: “According to Ember’s Global Electricity Review 2026, recently released in time for Earth Day, renewable sources produced 33.8 percent of the world’s electricity last year, compared to 33 percent for coal. It was the first time those two lines had crossed since 1919, when the global grid was still small enough to run mostly on hydropower.” Renewable energy just broke a 100-year-old streak [ https://substack.com/redirect/24834aa6-398d-4ca1-81ca-793a5914f205?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “The DMV announced the rules on Tuesday as part of a litany of new autonomous vehicle regulations — some inspired by cases where robotaxis obstructed police and firefighters in San Francisco, and at least one local incident in which a San Bruno cop couldn’t ticket a Waymo for an illegal U-turn.” Cops can ticket driverless cars now [ https://substack.com/redirect/89c50509-c50c-4c69-88ab-e0c05bb079ca?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Soon, robotic cops will be pulling over autonomous vehicles, and we humans can just stay home...) 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/the-projection-erection I’m not even going to humor the idea that Jimmy Kimmel’s light joke about the Trumps’ age difference can somehow be connected to the actions of a deranged would-be assassin. Nor am I going to pretend that the most divisive, disgusting, heinous, social media troll of all time — a low-browbeater who, in just in the past few of weeks, has used his bullying pulpit to celebrate the death of the distinguished Robert Mueller, attack the Pope, compare himself to Jesus, and threaten to wipe out an entire civilization — could somehow be offended by a throwaway line during a late night show. The idea of anyone in this administration calling anyone else’s words offensive represents an act of projection of such magnitude it makes Artemis II look like a backyard stomp rocket. This is not a story about a joke told by a comedian, who offends the president because he’s funny, relentless in his resistance, and is known as a genuinely good and extremely well-liked person. It’s the story of a broken administration using the now-mangled levers of government to attack perceived enemies and settle personal grudges. (They just indicted former FBI Director Comey [ https://substack.com/redirect/1c4acf59-d2f5-43c2-99f3-31e1ab621983?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for a second time.) It’s a story about a corporation that shouldn’t have to Mickey Mouse around with this nonsense, but who we need to be able to count on not to tear down its values in the face of a manufactured controversy. But it’s also a story about the millions of us who wake up every morning to another set of depressing headlines that alienate us from our country, our fellow citizens, and our reality - but who are buoyed by our more public counterparts like Jimmy Kimmel who continue to fight the good fight, reminding us that we’re not alone, and that none of this is normal. The resistance celebrates Kimmel when he’s acting as the tip of the spear. But it’s more important that we stand by him when the most powerful people in America turn him, yet again, into a human shield. Kimmel opened his monologue last night with this [ https://substack.com/redirect/b997e1f1-2ba4-4b5d-82dc-9c1eba87e9fa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: “You know how sometimes you wake up in the morning and the First Lady puts out a statement demanding you be fired from your job? We’ve all been there, right?” No, we haven’t experienced that. But we’re right there with you, Jimmy. + Reliable Sources: “Kimmel’s show went ahead as scheduled last night. None of the ABC affiliates preempted it. This morning, the Trump White House stepped up the pressure even more, with WH comms director Steven Cheung calling Kimmel a ‘shit human being’ and saying ‘ABC needs to fire him immediately.’ But that’s simply not going to happen. My sense from sources in and around Disney is that the company is ready for this fight. And make no mistake: It’s going to be a long fight. The FCC is preparing to take action [ https://substack.com/redirect/d085c40d-ebf5-4b4a-a82c-722cd3667a39?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] that will be widely seen as retaliatory.” A repeat of Kimmelgate [ https://substack.com/redirect/ed0b49be-42d1-4232-a2da-3c1ecca0aebf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? 2 Don’t Be Left Holding the Bag Let’s shift to a positive story. Well, it’s a positive story about something negative. Maybe that’s even overstating it, but it’s not totally negative in every way, so let’s go with it. Kit Dillon on why go bags aren’t enough in a time of increasingly common natural disasters. “Water, medication, important documents, a few days of food are all important. But true preparation isn’t something you can buy off Amazon or stuff in a bag, and it certainly won’t be found on YouTube. It’s built by people and our commitments to one another.” NYT (Gift Article): The Prepper Delusion [ https://substack.com/redirect/2b9a5d2c-1d80-4a84-a5f4-50c3d3295ece?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Tomorrow there will be no climate havens. The sirens will sound again. Pack a bag if you want. But the real preparation begins when you knock on your neighbor’s door and invite them over.” 3 Place Your Bots “Among the winners, a majority of the profits were raked in by a tiny slice of what look to be automated bots, based on the Polymarket trade records compiled by the data firm Dune. Everyone else, in aggregate, lost $131 million.” (In fairness, the bots aren’t the only ones winning. Some insider traders are doing quite well.) Bloomberg (Gift Article): Most Prediction Market Traders Are Losing Money While Bots Rack Up Gains [ https://substack.com/redirect/b33e1cf4-796d-4869-9644-e2e5d72e5051?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The prediction markets recently got into sports gambling. So the sports gambling apps are getting into the prediction markets [ https://substack.com/redirect/5ef65799-f72d-43eb-ac1c-49e631a71367?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. At least it will be easy to find a place to lay a bet on which app you think will win. 4 The American (Data) Center “Developers plan to build six of the sprawling campuses in Archbald to power the demand for artificial intelligence, eventually covering about 14 percent of the town’s land. Those campuses would include 51 data warehouses — each about the size of a Walmart Supercenter — including seven buildings encompassing more than a million square feet.” WaPo (Gift Article): A town of 7,000 planned so many data centers, it’s like adding 51 Walmarts [ https://substack.com/redirect/9f56e004-b908-4f90-82db-749cea713b29?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Ars Technica: The great American data center divide [ https://substack.com/redirect/2721c9e1-3cbc-41f4-bec4-e5f8eb5d9489?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The divide isn’t across political leanings. It’s between the companies that want to build data centers and the people who live where they want to build them. + The people worried about over-developing data centers could soon include those building and financing them. WSJ (Gift Article): OpenAI Misses Key Revenue, User Targets in High-Stakes Sprint Toward IPO [ https://substack.com/redirect/4ea43c4c-22dc-4b0a-b7c3-bd4d1db6d739?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The company’s CFO and board have questioned the wisdom of massive data-center spending in the face of slowing growth.” 5 Extra, Extra Collapse in Judgment: Trump “claimed in a new Truth Social post that Iran has ‘just informed’ Washington that they are in a ‘state of collapse.’ Trump also said Iran wants the US to open the Strait of Hormuz ‘as soon as possible’ as they try to ‘figure out’ their ‘leadership situation,’ something he says he believes is possible. We have not been able to verify any of these claims. Iran has not commented on them yet.” The whole region is facing a critical moment as peacemakers urge Hamas to finally disarm, Israel keeps firing on Hezbollah, the UAE said it will exit OPEC [ https://substack.com/redirect/9e880e3e-afdf-4c57-88f4-615508453b03?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], the Strait is still closed, and we’re not sure anything we’re hearing about any of it from the White House is true. Here’s the latest from AP [ https://substack.com/redirect/47f256e7-6dfe-4c43-9c90-cfdb91b870dd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/e5e7e667-186f-46db-9d22-bd002f365592?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Not everyone is bumming out about high oil prices. BP’s profits more than doubled in the first quarter [ https://substack.com/redirect/d2637bfe-2c5f-40e7-ae33-a6c98ad0272c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Also, not everyone is getting blocked in the Strait. Here’s a headline for the era: Russian superyacht sails through Strait of Hormuz despite blockade [ https://substack.com/redirect/7bab7f84-f292-40d7-a4ba-72248ec5d9fa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) + King and Kong: Well, so much for No Kings. We now have two of them in DC. Here’s the latest on King Charles’ visit to America and planned Congressional address [ https://substack.com/redirect/f8b0eefb-565a-4423-856d-30f701e0b670?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Passport in the Storm: The State Dept. is reportedly finalizing a plan to put Trump’s picture on U.S. passports [ https://substack.com/redirect/92d33723-71d4-434d-8ffe-13c5453bfcd4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Child Custody: “Charging as much as $20,000 a month, many of these facilities promise in their marketing pitches to treat adopted children for reactive attachment disorder, often called RAD. They offer a salve for desperate adoptive parents, claiming the child’s behavioral problems are caused by a pathological failure to connect with their caregivers, and they can learn to attach in faraway treatment.” An AP special report: Adopted and Locked Away: Kids promised ‘forever homes’ instead confined in for-profit institutions [ https://substack.com/redirect/f0a23f01-71b3-4043-8e34-c7ebf111950c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Vacuum Pact: “It should go without saying, but once you threaten to invade an allied country, you don’t just place the existence of the alliance in jeopardy; you raise the possibility of allies turning into mortal enemies. You can also trigger the kind of insecurity and scramble for power that contributed to the start of World War I. In practical terms, it’s hard to see how alienating American allies puts America first.” David French in the NYT(Gift Article): Meet the New Leader of the Free World [ https://substack.com/redirect/2d80f99d-9a4d-4172-b564-55ff0696d037?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, is taking the next step, one that would have been unthinkable even as recently as 2024. By word and deed, he’s showing Europe and the world how the post-American free world can preserve its liberty and independence.” + Claw Machine: John Herrman: My Adventures With The AI That Actually Does Things [ https://substack.com/redirect/be74f638-5964-46ec-bdc2-1ae0b568d9c0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “This is a recurring theme when you try out new AI tools. You recognize that there’s a lot that might be done with them, but not much comes to you.” + ‘Dance with the Devil: “Paramount Skydance said the merged Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery will be 49.5% owned by foreign investors, with about 38.5% of the equity in the new company held by a trio of Middle Eastern funds [ https://substack.com/redirect/7fef4116-e4e7-42e6-8729-339638922fcf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” 6 Bottom of the News “It’s not that complicated. Beginning in elementary school, students are socialized to behave this way — in the classroom, in the school yard or on a playing field. ‘Japanese sports fans at world events who clean up the stadium are behaving much the same way they did when they learned how to enjoy sports as school boys and girls.’ There is a phrase in Japanese that explains it. Tatsu tori ato wo nigosazu. The literal translation is: A bird leaves nothing behind.” Why you may see Japanese soccer fans cleaning up the stadium [ https://substack.com/redirect/329cf750-686c-4aac-8924-9ff48108dcce?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] after World Cup games. (When the World Cup comes to the Bay Area, I’ve got to figure out a way to turn Japanese visitors into fans of my daughter’s bedroom.) + Rare two-colored lobster [ https://substack.com/redirect/f1065be5-2f76-453d-ac90-7957c0f94fca?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] caught by fishermen off Cape Cod. 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/hilton-headlines In the moments following the arrest of a man who opened fire in the Washington Hilton, where the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner was taking place, Donald Trump issued a statement that could double as a tagline for his entire presidency: “LET THE SHOW GO ON.” Cooler heads prevailed and the remainder of the dinner was canceled. But the show? Oh, the show went on. The show always goes on. And it always has the same host. Thankfully, everyone inside the Hilton survived the evening. So did a key metaphor for our era: At an event that was attended by hundreds of members of the media, Trump was still the one breaking all the news; from what happened, to the arrest, to the first photo of the attacker, to updates on when the event (that he wasn’t hosting) would be rescheduled. Even in a situation when he’s being grabbed by Secret Service personnel and rushed from a hotel, Trump still manages to drive the news cycle, and after nearly a term and a half of his presidency, the media hasn’t figured out a way to change that dynamic. He’s the newsmaker, the news-deliverer, the news-distorter, and the news-critic in an all-hours, all-medium show that never ends. + Once the news is delivered, it quickly gets manipulated to address items from a long list of prior goals and grievances. What does a shooter at a hotel event hosted by another organization have to do with tearing down the East Wing and building a ballroom? Nothing. And yet... here come the headlines: Trump uses the correspondents’ dinner shooting to renew his White House ballroom push [ https://substack.com/redirect/6749cf52-8c8a-4a58-8a0f-8b3a45ef1481?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. What does this attack have to do with Jimmy Kimmel? Nothing. And yet... Melania used the news to call for him to be removed from the air [ https://substack.com/redirect/8744a549-c925-4817-9b6b-0fd879c9717f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], again, for supposedly violent rhetoric. (Forget that Trump’s rhetoric is a thousand times more violent than anything Kimmel has ever said. And Trump isn’t joking.) And, of course, an attack that endangered both White House officials and members of the media couldn’t possibly provide an opportunity to target the media. Sorry, folks. Let the show go on. THR: Trump Gets Defensive in ’60 Minutes’ Interview After Norah O’Donnell Reads From Suspect’s Manifesto, Calls Her a “Disgrace [ https://substack.com/redirect/c94b0ae1-38bf-4d2e-bca1-7156200e1f8d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” Maybe some other favorite targets like our NATO allies or Bruce Springsteen will catch some verbal shrapnel before this story runs its course. Although Springsteen already explained: “We can be critical of those in power… but there is no place in any way, shape, or form for political violence [ https://substack.com/redirect/a8aee2f7-e185-4025-9012-dbae494ef4b1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] of any kind in our beloved United States.” Of course, you know that’s true, and I know that’s true. But we aren’t the ones running this show. + ‘I don’t expect forgiveness’: Authorities review writings of California teacher suspected of shooting [ https://substack.com/redirect/4b4d1807-4bae-456f-9d93-73ff9a0e8833?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “The assailant was intercepted by armed agents from the Secret Service before he came anywhere close to his intended victims. He was tackled, restrained, and arrested after sprinting past a security checkpoint, through which guests passed earlier in the evening. Shots were fired. The alleged assailant, later identified as Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, hit a Secret Service agent, whose bulletproof vest and cellphone protected him.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Correspondents’ Dinner Was a Security [ https://substack.com/redirect/1ea881ab-9a77-42d4-8e72-44eaa2ec8c21?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]Success [ https://substack.com/redirect/1ea881ab-9a77-42d4-8e72-44eaa2ec8c21?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Maybe Michael Glantz, a senior talent agent with the Creative Artists Agency, should get into the security business. He was chill. He can be seen on video “leisurely forking leaves from his burrata salad into his mouth against a backdrop of a stage just yards away.” Cool as a cucumber: man calmly ate salad as press dinner shooting unfolded [ https://substack.com/redirect/5dec3d01-049f-4c22-8220-bfdcbf3ea8f4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (No one told this guy that America’s salad days are over.) 2 AIDS and Abetting “During President Trump’s first month in office, his administration upended much of the flagship global H.I.V. program that had saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Zambia. The Zambian government went into emergency mode, desperate to ensure that people with the virus could continue to receive lifesaving medications. But other crucial aspects of the program had to be scrapped — interventions that had helped stop the spread of the virus and protected the most vulnerable people.” AIDS Creeps Back in Parts of Zambia, a Year After U.S. Cuts to H.I.V. Assistance [ https://substack.com/redirect/bc604d7d-3422-4316-a4b3-9ccd8cc20261?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The State Department is negotiating new health assistance funding agreements with countries that used to have U.S.A.I.D. support. These come with conditions, and Zambia’s has proved particularly thorny, because the State Department has tied support for the H.I.V. program to access to the country’s minerals.” (Before scrolling on to the next thing, just think about this for a second. The world’s richest man working with the administration of the world’s richest country is bringing back AIDs, but they will reconsider ... for a price.) 3 It’s Always Darkest Before A Complete Blackout We’re in an era when we need to rock down to Electric Avenue. But we’re in danger of ending up on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. “Lately Americans have become fixated on the explosion in data centers and the power needs of artificial intelligence. That is actually a small part of a much bigger problem. Our grid is too old and our supply of electricity too small. If we don’t meet this moment, we will face an impoverished future of more expensive, less reliable energy, and slower economic growth.” Robinson Meyer in the NYT (Gift Article): It’s the Age of Electricity and America Isn’t Ready [ https://substack.com/redirect/6695d5d2-458b-462d-8d7e-c539eef27244?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “If you want to fix the grid, you first have to understand it. The place to start is your electricity bill.” 4 Dropping the Deuce “Nearly seven years have passed since Eliud Kipchoge ran 1:59:40 in Vienna, Austria, at INEOS’ carefully curated 1:59 Challenge. The wait for an equivalent performance in record-legal conditions, while always a case of when and not if, had been getting tantalisingly longer. That was until Sunday, when Kenyan Sabastian Sawe clocked 1:59:30 in London. Yomif Kejelcha, just 11 seconds behind him, is arguably an even more impressive story — this was the Ethiopian’s marathon debut after years of success on the track and in the half marathon.” The Athletic (Gift Article): Super shoes and perfect conditions — how Sabastian Sawe broke the two-hour mark at the London Marathon [ https://substack.com/redirect/9f3479d8-15f2-4fea-8a24-641f0b5a2c0a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I can’t even procrastinate before exercising in under two hours.) + These guys are basically sprinting for two hours. Check out this NYT (Gift Article) from a few years ago. How Fast Is Eliud Kipchoge? You’ll Fall Down When You Find Out [ https://substack.com/redirect/d7447fa7-8c14-488b-b522-80bb3cd6de9d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra The Vance Advance: When things don’t go according to plan, the leaks start. And you get stories like this from The Atlantic(Gift Article): Vance Doubts the Pentagon’s Depiction of the Iran War [ https://substack.com/redirect/0256f167-228b-4dc8-81fe-939971e9f496?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “In closed-door meetings, J. D. Vance has repeatedly questioned the Defense Department’s depiction of the war in Iran and whether the Pentagon has understated what appears to be the drastic depletion of U.S. missile stockpiles.” Meanwhile, “Iran has offered to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the U.S. lifting its blockade on the country and an end to the war, two regional officials said Monday. Under the proposal, discussions on the larger question of its nuclear program would come later. U.S. President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer.” Here’s the latest from AP [ https://substack.com/redirect/e4e4626f-3d95-45d5-8315-963c280c60fa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + In Context: “That Obama-era agreement suffered from flaws and omissions. It would have expired after 15 years, leaving Iran free after 2030 to make as much nuclear fuel as it wanted. But once Mr. Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, the Iranians went on an enrichment spree much sooner, leaving them closer to a bomb than ever before. Now, Mr. Trump’s negotiators are dealing with the consequences of that decision, which he made over the objections of many of his national security advisers at the time.” NYT (Gift Article): Trump Seeks to Abolish Iran’s Atomic Stockpile, a Problem He Helped Create [ https://substack.com/redirect/1af9e9a0-63bf-4dd3-ba1f-9a8dadf64a14?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (And this probably won’t improve Trump’s view of NATO: US is being ‘humiliated’ by Iran’s leadership, says German chancellor Friedrich Merz [ https://substack.com/redirect/fda76957-0289-4beb-bbfa-39b66e166a79?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) + All That Gold Does Not Glitter: “The Mint buys gold that originates in a Colombian drug cartel mine. It makes Lady Liberty coins out of gold from Mexican and Peruvian pawn shops and from a Congolese mine that is part-owned by the Chinese government, records show. Some Mint gold has come from a company in Honduras that dug up an Indigenous graveyard for the ore underneath.” U.S. Mint Buys Drug Cartel Gold and Sells It as American [ https://substack.com/redirect/b06d664e-84c2-49e7-a891-709c37b90124?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Netanyahu Let the Dogs Out? “As is usually the case with Netanyahu, who is legendary for his short-term approach to politics, the long-term damage to the American Jewish community and to Israel’s standing in the United States is a problem for another day. With an Israeli election looming later this year—and as his seemingly endless trial for public corruption continues—Netanyahu appears more focused on his immediate political problems. For american jews, however, the problem is in the here and now.” How Netanyahu Hurt America’s Jews [ https://substack.com/redirect/e7caaf52-bfb6-49bd-987e-38a489e16991?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Ground Control to Major Calm: “We see students all the time change majors. That’s not new or different. But it’s usually for a ton of different reasons. The fact that so many students say it’s because of AI — that is startling.” College students are changing course in search of ‘AI-proof’ majors. But no one knows what they are [ https://substack.com/redirect/50aeba78-b03d-42af-a905-b419322be6cf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Florida (Gerry)Man: “The path toward redistricting in Florida is difficult. The state outlaws political gerrymandering, or redrawing lines for partisan gain. Other states allow partisan gerrymandering and that was the reason politicians have used to justify joining the race Trump kicked off last year.” Florida’s DeSantis unveils a voting map [ https://substack.com/redirect/c6e77235-712a-47c9-8bf6-27cb6921fabb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] that could add to Trump’s GOP redistricting + Boon Walk: I mean, at this point, knowing what we know, people wouldn’t want to see a Michael Jackson biopic that totally avoids any mention of child sexual abuse, right? Hah. The Michael Jackson film scored the top launch ever for a biopic domestically [ https://substack.com/redirect/e6bfccc3-fe09-4dd9-88d4-89d2bfc24916?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] after passing up ‘Oppenheimer,’ as well as the best global opening for a music biopic. + Springing in the Rain: “In experiments with rice seeds, the team found that the sound of falling droplets effectively shook the seeds out of a dormant state, stimulating them to germinate at a faster rate compared with seeds that were not exposed to the same sound vibrations.” Plants can sense the sound of rain, a new study finds [ https://substack.com/redirect/ae483338-12c0-4430-a428-c872999589e7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News WSJ (Gift Article): San Francisco Is Going Nuts Over a Giant Sea Lion Named Chonkers [ https://substack.com/redirect/6c957714-1636-4748-acb5-7ada5edcc833?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Last week he delighted visitors by shooting his one-ton body out of the water and hopping up on one of the floating docks west of the pier, sending two of the previously lounging 700-pound California sea lions skeetering into the bay’s frigid water.” Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVOVFkyT1RBM01Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzNNekU1TlRBd0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EZzROVFUxTURBc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS44ZnR3TzdMbjRZdDlWR0I1dzFxUUJxdG9zMTlreGdvaDFlSHIyTGJYRFlNIiwicCI6MTk1NjY5MDcxLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzczMTk1MDAsImV4cCI6MjA5Mjg5NTUwMCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.N5NXgTyw9sFPjjDG0PtqBWmDE-gIszocawIWkw13IiY?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/life-is-an-information-superhighway In the vintage Life commercial [ https://substack.com/redirect/66c4b564-5919-4396-a208-9471d14b7c05?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], two kids are hesitant to try a cereal that’s supposed to be good for you. So they decide to push it off to a younger kid. “Let’s get Mikey. He won’t eat it. He hates everything.” Well, as you probably recall, he likes it. Hey Mikey! This classic tale of the younger generation leading the older ones into a new world of products seems to be playing out in reverse when it comes to AI. The younger folks, who use the technology the most, are the ones who tend to have the most negative feelings about it. As Nilay Patel explains in The Verge: “The polling on this is so strong, I think it’s fair to say that a lot of people hate AI, and that Gen Z in particular seems to hate AI more and more as they encounter it. There’s that NBC News poll showing AI with worse favorability than ICE and only a little bit above the war in Iran.” The People Do Not Yearn for Automation [ https://substack.com/redirect/ae21c2b0-6927-400a-842c-ba4982187898?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Poll after poll shows that Gen Z uses AI the most and has the most negative feelings about it. A recent Gallup poll found that only 18 percent of Gen Z was hopeful about AI, down from an already-bad 27 percent last year. At the same time, anger is growing: 31 percent of those Gen Z respondents said they feel angry about AI, up from 22 percent last year ... This is a fundamental disconnect between how tech people with software brains see the world and how regular people are living their lives.” Young people could be the most angry at AI because they’re worried about its potential impact on their job market. It could also be because the future of AI depends in large part on the people who run AI companies (and the always online younger generation is quite aware of what, in technical terms, you could call the evil douche factor) and government regulation (and the only thing this generation believes in less than good tech leadership is good government leadership). In places where there is more trust in the government to regulate the tech, the vibes are different. Rest of World: AI optimism surges in Asia, unlike in the US [ https://substack.com/redirect/6a67e220-5da2-4755-9310-b511668699bb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Whatever the reason, it’s notable that the Americans who use and know AI the most also hate it the most. As a side note, even though he is alive and well, John Gilchrist [ https://substack.com/redirect/3d80cfd0-eccd-4652-a797-c2c3b7c8e630?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], the kid who played little Mikey in the Life commercial, was rumored to have died from a stomach rupture caused by consuming Pop Rocks and Coke. Sounds like the kind of thing AI might hallucinate. 2 Back to Life, Back to Reality “The spell is broken not by some moral awakening, but by these concrete disasters. Once a sufficient portion of the loyal supporters realize they have been duped, the leader will eventually fall. The energy required to deceive is unsustainable. Reality is relentless. The tyrant who chooses to fight it is doomed.” Danny Hillis in Noema Mag with a good (and timely) explanation of why bad leaders fail. The Rise And Fall Of Petty Tyrants [ https://substack.com/redirect/df85450d-46aa-4858-8e5e-5b60d77c5bc2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Every leader is confronted with difficulties and must face that same fork in the road. The honest leaders chose truth. The dishonest chose denial and, as a consequence, they failed. Petty tyrants cause real suffering and harm, but they leave few enduring legacies. The lasting institutions of effective leaders are not undermined by reality. They are sustained by it.” 3 Elixer of Life Prosper and live long is the new live long and prosper. “Perhaps you saw this video last September, when it went viral: The two most powerful autocrats in the world — Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, both of whom have been heads of state for well over a decade, and neither of whom shows any signs of intending to relinquish that power — caught by an interpreter’s hot mic discussing their own apparent shared desire for immortality.” NYT Mag (Gift Article): The Rich and Powerful Want to Live Forever. What if They Could [ https://substack.com/redirect/e72c8ce9-3454-4fd6-a4b0-b4c0f250ef6a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? “Over the past decade or so, democracy has been retreating against a rising tide of illiberalism and plutocracy. Power, in much of the world, is becoming more and more concentrated in the hands of a few authoritarian leaders and a small number of expansively ambitious tech billionaires. As average life expectancy has increased, inequality — in income and in access to health care — has widened. And amid all of this, the world’s wealthiest and most powerful have developed a persistent hope, and perhaps even generated some small possibility, that death might be eradicated entirely, or pushed back so far that its existential force is diminished.” (The idea of some of these guys living forever makes the rest of us feel like dying. At least irony is eternal.) 4 Weekend Whats What to Binge: The new season of Beef on Netflix [ https://substack.com/redirect/0e0eeadb-daf8-4fd4-8652-41fb0a7c50e2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] has hints of White Lotus, stars Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan, and includes couples fighting, country club scandals, and a lot of blackmail. Enjoy! + What to Movie: Streaming on Hulu, the Bradley Cooper-directed Is Thing On? [ https://substack.com/redirect/7a24b9a8-289c-4965-b2d5-4f09406aca56?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] stars Will Arnett and Laura Dern as a couple that separates shortly before Arnett’s character discovers open mic nights. Jordan Jensen plays one of the other comedians in the movie. Don’t miss her excellent standup special on Netflix, Take Me With You [ https://substack.com/redirect/77f27da7-c817-481a-b2b1-e380b02e8257?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra New Lease on Life: The Justice Department has dropped its ridiculous case [ https://substack.com/redirect/e41ec2e4-ccae-4a32-bb4c-2ff1583f8530?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] involving Jerome H. Powell’s handling of the Federal Reserve’s renovation. The case wasn’t dropped because it was a bunch of nonsense manufactured in a desperate attempt to target one of Trump’s enemies. It was dropped to clear the way for Kevin Warsh, the president’s pick for Fed chair, to be confirmed. The lesser corruption was removed to make way for the greater one. Welcome to 2026. + A Fact of Life: “The U.S. has burned through so many munitions in Iran that some administration officials increasingly assess that America couldn’t fully execute contingency plans to defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion if it occurred in the near term, U.S. officials said.” WSJ (Gift Article): Fully replacing stockpiles of weapons fired in the Middle East could take up to six years [ https://substack.com/redirect/7de6254e-5e27-4904-a06b-6b7ff5ebd947?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, the financial firm slash diplomacy team of Witkoff and Kushner is headed back to Pakistan for peace talks. Here’s the latest from The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/a98c0d37-e40d-4bd4-a774-26c0f95715ee?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + You Bet Your Life: “Federal prosecutors on Thursday unsealed an indictment against a U.S. Army special forces soldier, accusing him of using his insider knowledge of the clandestine military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January to reap more than $400,000 in profits [ https://substack.com/redirect/05323eb8-abb9-4855-82e1-fab05f04b290?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]on the popular prediction market site Polymarket.” Meanwhile, “Authorities in France are investigating possible tampering with a weather monitoring device at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris after an unusual temperature spike was recorded around the same time a Polymarket trader cashed in [ https://substack.com/redirect/4defe2e8-bb88-41ab-819e-336016ff6c60?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” Yes, these cases of insider trading are worrisome. But don’t get lost in the weeds. There’s a whole jungle of problems related to prediction markets and the broader gambling ecosystem. US gambling addiction is ‘out of control’ as betting markets boom, policy expert warns [ https://substack.com/redirect/c1220d9c-39c9-4709-b552-a21f07891513?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + On Life Support: “After it launched in December, Lutnick said that the government had sold $1.3 billion ‘worth’ in just several days, as Trump stood by holding up the gilded ticket and said, ‘essentially it’s the green card on steroids.’” More like just another lie on steroids. Trump’s ‘gold card’ visa starting at $1 million granted to just 1 person so far [ https://substack.com/redirect/3ccb4c99-c905-4ea0-a27b-0fcd1bfd4e69?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Life Isn’t All Sunshine and Rainbows: “Some critics say large solar farms are a public health threat. While there is little reputable evidence for this, their claims have helped power a backlash.” ProPublica: Unfounded Health Concerns Are Powering a Solar Backlash [ https://substack.com/redirect/07aeec1f-96cf-4e0a-9c14-51b668f944ca?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Coming soon: The Joe Rogan episode arguing that we should extinguish the sun and replace it with peptides.) + Your Money or Your Life: “For most students, Stanford is a normal competitive school, where people go to class and coffee shops and fall in love and freak out over finals. But a select few attend something else: a Stanford inside Stanford, where venture capitalists pursue 18- and 19-year-olds, handing out mentorships and money and invites to yacht parties in an attempt to convert promise into profit.” This is less the story of Stanford than the story of modern day Silicon Valley. Theo Baker in The Atlantic(Gift Article): The Stanford Freshmen Who Want to Rule the World [ https://substack.com/redirect/23e9371a-2cf9-4380-8df9-e6baccca9356?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (If they wanted to rule the world, they should have gone to Cal.) + Life Imitates Art: If AI re-wrote the story of the boy who cried wolf, it might go something like this: “A 40-year-old man was arrested after using artificial intelligence to generate a fake image of a runaway wolf [ https://substack.com/redirect/6b3e66a4-7c0e-4cac-8cf0-45e3a930ebe0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] that South Korean authorities said obstructed an urgent investigation.” (The man should just say he thought he had created an image of a doctor [ https://substack.com/redirect/c06588c9-b470-4eef-96db-0d10bef1c1f9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) 6 Life Is (Feel) Good (Friday) “Suicides among young adults dropped most sharply in states that actively embraced the 988 crisis line.” Youth Suicides Declined After Creation of National Hotline [ https://substack.com/redirect/2ba0ba35-13e6-4cfd-b83a-078eec2868a6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + UK Approves Lifelong Ban on Smoking [ https://substack.com/redirect/e482d609-64d4-40be-8ec7-151f5ea7092d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for People Born After 2008. + It’s crazy that any journalists are attending this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner. If you want the jokes without the soul-selling, just enjoy Jimmy Kimmel’s Alternative White House Correspondents’ Dinner [ https://substack.com/redirect/0a115f5f-afb5-4e86-8e7f-318b29620a24?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “In Japan, a 350-year-old brewery holds fast to tradition: wild yeast, ancient songs, and a mixture of muscle and finesse.” NYT(Gift Article) with the sights and sounds of Sake Made the Hard Way [ https://substack.com/redirect/95d7ae98-1731-4f52-8764-358f26b64fac?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Michigan Gas Clerk Helps Save Kidnapped Teen Girl [ https://substack.com/redirect/0d9705ef-9418-4944-96c4-d2f2fff78edd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] Who Mouthed ‘Help’. + “Brianna Avalos and her husband were riding in the balloon to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. She said the pilot informed passengers that he needed to make an emergency landing because of low fuel and a shift in winds.” Hot-air balloon carrying 13 people lands in California backyard [ https://substack.com/redirect/0ca21eeb-1005-42b5-841c-9106e392c3cf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: ‘out of a fairytale’. + Condom prices could rise 30% due to Iran war [ https://substack.com/redirect/3ce4eb75-4972-4906-adb1-43c345380370?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (This isn’t positive news, but when you think about it, it will probably qualify as feel good news.) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVOVE00TURreU1Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzNNRFUzT0RRekxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EZzFPVE00TkRNc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5vcmlXQVhRVUJkZEFnOEZkV1BwVFh2VEJ2SXZkcmltbUZ2MUl6UlRDXzRnIiwicCI6MTk1MzgwOTIwLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzcwNTc4NDMsImV4cCI6MjA5MjYzMzg0MywiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.fJl_keFtucIKne9CQGcLydFjUBM9pWFW_1mJSdguF7U?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/naval-gazing During a war with a current focus that has been dialed in on a body of water, Pete Hegseth fired the Secretary of the Navy, who had zero Naval experience when appointed. He’ll be replaced by a guy with a lot of Naval experience and also a lot of experience being a rabid partisan with sometimes fully crazy ideas. Does it ever feel like we are a nation adrift? This news broke on Wednesday, and by Thursday, it had already floated out of the headlines, and military personnel decisions are unlikely to move the needle when it comes to voting trends or approval ratings. American voters have always been more about navel gazing than Naval gazing. But it does seem like it’s worth pausing long enough to reflect on the fact that outgoing Navy Secretary John Phelan, the latest in a series of people squeezed out by Hegseth, “had not served in the military or had a civilian leadership role in the service before Trump nominated him for secretary in late 2024. He was seen as an outsider being brought in to shake up the Navy.” (Well, mission accomplished, I suppose.) And the new acting Secretary of the Navy? Well... “Hung Cao warned of rampant ‘witchcraft’ in a California city [ https://substack.com/redirect/c3d35a0a-e742-4e3f-9e69-572121433761?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] while running for a U.S. Senate seat in Virginia two years ago as a Republican. Cao, a 25-year Navy combat veteran who lost to Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., in the 2024 election, said he was running for Senate in part to prevent witchcraft from establishing a foothold in Virginia [ https://substack.com/redirect/483a9b2d-235d-460b-b9f7-7de42070e3f6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (I actually hope witchcraft establishes a foothold in America. Maybe they can make news headlines disappear.) + NYT (Gift Article): Navy Secretary Is Fired as Infighting Roils Pentagon [ https://substack.com/redirect/19d73ce2-8496-440e-98ec-97c93972db42?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The cabinet members haven’t lost the faith. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum just explained the Iran situation [ https://substack.com/redirect/6dc78719-1b96-4147-9eb0-ad521be019de?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: “Brilliant on President Trump’s part. The world is already a safer place than it was two months ago, thanks to President Trump, and I’m super optimistic about where the world is gonna be going coming out the backside of this.” (The world coming out the backside is actually a perfect description for this era.) 2 Board at Work “He relies heavily on the advice and guidance of the board members, and they collectively make all the decisions ... The generals are the board members.” There’s been a regime change of sorts in Iran. The question is how the new regime differs from the old one. It’s being led by a new Khamenei, who has a very different leadership style than his father. That could be because of his current predicament. He has almost no direct contact with advisors because of fears that Israel “may trace them to him and kill him.” And his health is bad. “One leg was operated on three times, and he is awaiting a prosthetic. He had surgery on one hand and is slowly regaining function. His face and lips have been burned severely, making it difficult for him to speak, the officials said, adding that, eventually, he will need plastic surgery.” The NYT (Gift Article): A New Era and New Leadership: The Generals Who Are Running Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/10f3a8f0-91c1-4313-a52f-c50b84bfb94b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “President Trump has said that the war, along with the killings of layers of Iran’s leaders and security establishment, has ushered in ‘regime change’ and that the new leaders are ‘much more reasonable.’ In reality, the Islamic republic has not been toppled. Power is now in the hands of an entrenched, hard-line military, and the broad influence of the clerics is waning.” (This makes negotiations difficult. It also doesn’t bode well for the Iranian people who may be left with an even harsher political environment.) + Maybe Trump is right when he says: “Iran is having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is! They just don’t know! The infighting is between the ‘Hardliners,’ who have been losing BADLY on the battlefield, and the ‘Moderates,’ who are not very moderate at all (but gaining respect!), is CRAZY!” (In America, by contrast, we get conflicting signals, different stories, changing negotiating positions, and contradictory updates ... but it’s all coming from the same person.) Here’s the latest from The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/2124d26a-ed6c-444f-a0fb-98f7dcfd2f7d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/c565c484-3b09-4333-ab5b-cbeae4f0c359?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and BBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/43dded0b-7724-4b3a-b3a4-9c7724800173?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Getting Long in the Bluetooth “To help care for her mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease, Dr. Jack uses an array of high-tech tools, some of which didn’t exist just a few years ago. She manages her mother’s medications with a smart pill box. She changes her television channels with an app, sends appointment reminders through a digital message board — and, with her mother’s blessing, uses cameras for communication and monitoring.” NYT (Gift Article): How ‘Age Tech’ Might Help You Grow Old at Home [ https://substack.com/redirect/514acd77-7018-45e6-899f-c1c25192bb86?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “America is aging rapidly. Roughly 11,000 people are turning 65 each day in the United States. And many of them — 75 percent of people over 50, according to AARP’s most recent survey, from 2024 — hope to spend their remaining years in the comfort of their homes, rather than in assisted-living or other care facilities.” (Doordash, Netflix, and televised Giants games are all the age tech I really need.) 4 The Gerrymandalorian “What Virginia Democrats did by redrawing the congressional maps was antidemocratic, and it should be illegal. But, for those who care about ensuring the future of democracy, it was the least bad option of those available.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Virginia Gerrymander Disenfranchises Republicans [ https://substack.com/redirect/40aa1c6b-fe55-4989-9b26-1c0f1d3a6afe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + I made the same basic argument yesterday, but I put it in a slightly different way. The GerryMandalorian [ https://substack.com/redirect/dee75411-7c6e-491e-9350-a398f39c2e80?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: “There were two elements the Empire didn’t expect: First, the Force (here, the voting public) would be with the rebels. And second, Vader’s poll numbers would be historically low.” 5 Extra, Extra Joint Venture “President Donald Trump’s acting attorney general on Thursday signed an order reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana [ https://substack.com/redirect/443a87e0-7246-4622-a9ff-b3bebdf87856?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] as a less-dangerous drug, a major policy shift long sought by advocates who said cannabis should never have been treated like heroin by the federal government.” (I inhaled at some point in the eighties and I didn’t exhale until about 2019, so I’m hardly opposed to more reasonable marijuana classifications. But I’d be willing to bet this has more to do with blazing a trail for a new cash grab than anything else.) It is amazing how much has changed when it comes to our legal relationship with weed. Jimmy Kimmel and Scott Lonker just released a set of short docs on Hulu: 4x20 Quick Hits [ https://substack.com/redirect/62c53649-ab6a-41ac-8a39-cef3dd05daff?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Watch the Harold & Kumar one for the nostalgia and the one about the bong industry to get a reminder of just how different the latest attorney general announcement is from the paraphernalia arrests of yore. + Drunk on Power: “The F.B.I. began investigating a New York Times reporter last month [ https://substack.com/redirect/f00b7ece-3d45-4dc4-9abc-cf8ac592ae2f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] after she wrote about the bureau’s director, Kash Patel, using bureau personnel to provide his girlfriend with government security and transportation, according to a person briefed on the matter.” + Afford Focus: “Republicans pushed through the plan on a nearly party-line vote of 50 to 48. It came after an overnight marathon of rapid-fire votes, known as a vote-a-rama, in which the G.O.P. beat back a series of Democratic proposals aimed at addressing the high cost of health care, housing, food and energy. The debate put the two parties’ dueling messages on vivid display six months before the midterm elections.” Senate Adopts G.O.P. Budget, Defeating Democrats’ Affordability Proposals [ https://substack.com/redirect/ce079b73-1637-4860-98d0-3ed1c4a83b92?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + RSVP Brains: Margaret Sullivan on this weekend’s White House correspondents’ dinner. Why are White House journalists partying with Trump [ https://substack.com/redirect/fc426cea-e9a0-4201-bb4c-0a3aa9ac6e42?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? (Spoiler alert: There’s no good answer.) + It’s the Corruption, Stupid: Eric Trump Brags About $24 Million Pentagon Deal His Company Landed [ https://substack.com/redirect/ee816f12-3001-49d2-a232-09881b06d866?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (The amount alone indicates corruption. The Pentagon spends more than $24 million on a set of pens.) + Separate Lives: “It captures a harrowing moment: a family separated by the state.” World Press Photo announces Photo of the Year 2026 [ https://substack.com/redirect/3082a1bc-3a7c-454b-bb8f-b2e27c438fe9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Everything Means Less Than Zero: “President Trump has claimed that he has secured discounts of 400 to 1,500 percent on prescription drugs. A price discount cannot be more than 100 percent because that would lower the price to zero.” (In fairness, plenty of his businesses have achieved these numbers.) NYT: RFK Jr. Defends Trump’s Mathematically Impossible Drug Discount Claims [ https://substack.com/redirect/f718fb5f-af85-4368-9663-a2be67e705f8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Eventually, Mr. Trump began to insert some uncertainty into his claims, saying that the discount depended ‘on how you want to calculate it.’ ‘You could say it’s an 80 percent reduction,’ Mr. Trump said in January. ‘Or you could say it’s a 1,000 percent reduction. You could say whatever you want.’” (Words and images have lost all meaning. Why shouldn’t numbers be down for the count?) 6 Bottom of the News Imagine having to explain this when your cellmate asks what you’re in for: “A California man pilfered thousands of dollars in Lego toy sets from the retailer Target in a return-based scam, sometimes swapping valuable figurines with dried pasta pieces [ https://substack.com/redirect/66d6e72e-8bd5-4f96-8dbf-4c349c8086d4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]and before returning the construction-centric toys, authorities recently alleged.” (Even in the age of Ozempic, I’d rather have the pasta than the Lego.) + “The set made it 114,790 feet above Gwynedd County in the United Kingdom. That’s almost 22 miles straight up. According to Guinness, the set then stayed up in the air for over eight hours before coming back to Earth, hence the record for ‘Highest Altitude Launch and Retrieval of a Lego Set [ https://substack.com/redirect/73ef4e81-62f1-4554-8805-60baef54aa35?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’” Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVOVEkyTkRBeU5pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzJPVFkxTnpNekxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EZzFNREUzTXpNc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5tdjh2MUd2WW1BOXhTMnN2SThOV2IwclZiYVhCZ3RGeHk0eGhhQ2NhWUxvIiwicCI6MTk1MjY0MDI2LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzY5NjU3MzMsImV4cCI6MjA5MjU0MTczMywiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.lLsiv4RWoFcOjPQviBA3e0iMr7LdlOgqIo_V03mWG1Q?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/the-gerrymandalorian In the Star Wars series The Mandalorian, a lone bounty hunter travels to the far reaches of the galaxy to protect an infant named Grogu (affectionately known by fans as Baby Yoda). The Mandelorians are bound by a set of ethics and conduct, represented by the mantra, “This is the way.” The Gerrymandalorians are a group of elected leaders and voters across several states who are fighting to keep Darth Trump and the Empire from unfairly gerrymandering their way to a Congressional midterm win. The rebels know that gerrymandering, the “practice of dividing or arranging a territorial unit into election districts in a way that gives one political party an unfair advantage in elections,” is a generally unhealthy trend. But using the popular vote to overcome attempts by the Empire to rig the midterms beats just sitting back and letting an election be stolen. So, for now, the rebel alliance will have to live with the mantra, “This is the way, at least until we send the Sith Lord back to Mar-a-Lago.” For the rebels, the war to redraw battle lines was hardly fair. “For more than a decade, they’ve tried to be the party of good government on redistricting [ https://substack.com/redirect/a7d51a3d-917d-4f10-9838-deded0dcde6e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. But Democrats’ support for letting independent commissions draw legislative maps has cost them seats in key blue states, and their push to ban gerrymandering nationwide flopped in the courts and in Congress.” Meanwhile, the GOP just needs a willing governor and legislature to redraw maps (as we saw in Texas). But there were two elements the Empire didn’t expect: First, the Force (here, the voting public) would be with the rebels. And second, Vader’s poll numbers would be historically low. Russell Berman in The Atlantic (Gift Article) on how the Republican redistricting effort backfired: Trump’s Enormous Gerrymandering Blunder [ https://substack.com/redirect/7e9d10a8-5449-4930-a16a-067d599a9144?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “GOP lawmakers had both the will and the power to draw their party new seats, while Democrats were hamstrung by limits of their own making. The question was not whether Republicans could expand their edge in Congress, but by how much. This morning the landscape looks a lot different, after Virginia voters yesterday approved a lopsided new House map that could hand Democrats an additional four seats that Republicans currently hold. The Democratic redistricting victory is the party’s second in a statewide referendum. When combined with new lines that California voters endorsed in November, Democrats have now succeeded in drawing districts that will likely yield them nine more seats this fall, at least matching what Republicans have been able to achieve in states that they control.” Next stop in the gerrymandering wars: The Empire (tries to) strike back in Florida [ https://substack.com/redirect/93a93f4b-8d93-4bdc-8543-d02184b75260?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Or as it will undoubtedly come to be known: The Battle of Florida Man-dalorian. 2 Shuttle Diplomacy The various costs related to the Iran war just had a midair collision with another affordability issue. Spirit Airlines nears deal with Trump administration for $500 million rescue package [ https://substack.com/redirect/3257ed0a-58d5-4cc6-bff1-dfbb620528f2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The deal, which has not yet been finalized, would offer $500 million to the discount airline, according to a person familiar with the matter. It would give the airline additional liquidity as it works toward emerging from bankruptcy and grapples with elevated fuel costs due to the war with Iran ... After Spirit emerges from bankruptcy, the U.S. government could own up to 90% of the airline.” (For some reason, this reminds me of the Trump Shuttle [ https://substack.com/redirect/95a8020b-d748-4df0-a012-fb4c932bb487?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: An airline that lasted less than three years before defaulting on its debt and going bust.) 3 Dial LLM For Murder? “’The chatbot advised the shooter on what type of gun to use, on which ammo went with which gun, on whether or not a gun would be useful at short range,’ Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said at a news conference Tuesday. ‘If it was a person on the other end of that screen, we would be charging them with murder.’” ChatGPT allegedly advised Florida State shooter when and where to strike [ https://substack.com/redirect/01d83afd-76ed-4814-89b2-437bb0726535?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (This is definitely an interesting case, but it seems like we may be missing a more dangerous class of weapons. I’d rather be held point-blank by an LLM than a semi-automatic gun.) 4 Nicotine Age Wasteland “They promote nicotine patches, gums and lozenges as well as pouches, which are often filled with nicotine salt powder and give people a convenient way to consume the compound. To these boosters, nicotine is another ‘natural’ product that the medical establishment has unfairly demonized, like beef tallow, peptides or raw milk.” NYT (Gift Article): Influencers Are Spinning Nicotine as a ‘Natural’ Health Hack [ https://substack.com/redirect/69cad6a3-ca50-4655-88e0-446f70e6c683?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (They’re not lighting the nicotine, but they’re definitely smoking something.) 5 Extra, Extra Cease Desisting? “Iran attacked three ships in the Strait of Hormuz this morning, saying its Revolutionary Guard seized two of them and further inflaming tensions over the key waterway. It comes after U.S. forces seized an Iranian ship and boarded a tanker linked to Tehran’s oil trade.” The ceasefire hangs in the balance. Here’s the latest from NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/6440d45b-9694-4598-846e-6c42b6ad7d18?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/e6f40571-9029-4484-b1bf-465e1c9982d4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and BBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/bbfea118-8998-4d6b-b464-79da02299da2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Great Betrayal: “After halting a U.S. resettlement program for Afghans who helped the American war effort, President Trump is in talks to send as many as 1,100 of them to the Democratic Republic of Congo.” NYT (Gift Article): Trump Is Said to Be in Talks to Send Afghans Who Aided U.S. Forces to Congo [ https://substack.com/redirect/3360a1d5-2c2e-456e-ad57-fca7eeaac496?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Nothing like selling out allies from the last war while failing to find allies for the latest one...) + Truth Immunity: “The acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has canceled the publication of a study that found that the Covid vaccine sharply cut the odds of hospitalizations and emergency visits [ https://substack.com/redirect/62df6c6b-9863-47ee-afa1-0140e99e1d6a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] last winter.” (Shhh. We wouldn’t want anyone to know the Covid vaccine was a friggin miracle.) Related: Hegseth to the Troops: We Are Bringing Back the Flu [ https://substack.com/redirect/139fd2f0-4bf8-4040-882d-6105305c201f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]! + Mythos in the Wild? Bloomberg (Gift Article): “A small group of unauthorized users has accessed Anthropic PBC’s new Mythos AI model [ https://substack.com/redirect/37268429-197d-4c50-a01f-1531d7ffb9b5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], a technology that the company says is so powerful it can enable dangerous cyberattacks.” + Wagyu the Dog: “At a time when the American cattle herd is at its smallest since the 1950s and beef prices are at record highs, Wagyu is seemingly everywhere. But it’s not always clear to diners what they’re paying for.” ‘Wagyu’ Used to Guarantee Quality Beef. What Are You Paying for Today [ https://substack.com/redirect/882d0bfa-0e90-4117-9c35-71a265dcd60e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? + Natural Selection: On Earth Day, check out these “images of the incredible resilience of nature: the many ways that plants, animals, and natural processes reclaim abandoned human places and find ways to thrive.” Reclaimed by Nature [ https://substack.com/redirect/7ad24c41-f823-4998-87b9-dfc2f7aa1107?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I’d like to see this for the new White House ballroom...) 6 Bottom of the News Smarty Supreme: “The feat has been hailed as a milestone for robotics, a field that has long seen table tennis – and the lightning-fast reactions, perception and skill it demands – as one of the toughest tests of how far the technology has advanced.” AI-powered robot beats elite table tennis players [ https://substack.com/redirect/642b0494-f271-4586-b1ca-76610cd35f97?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Meanwhile, Kylie Jenner was seen cuddling with the robot at Coachella...) 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/made-in-the-shade-4b6 Briefs. Oral arguments. Questions and answers analyzed by experts and an interested public. This is how we’ve long experienced major, often nation-altering Supreme Court cases. But something changed just after 6 p.m. on a February evening in 2016. The Court was considering one of those big, impactful cases, in which they would decide whether to block or allow President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan. You probably didn’t read any of the submitted briefs or hear any of the oral arguments. Because there were none. But that doesn’t mean the case wasn’t decided. America was caught with its briefs down, as the Roberts Court halted the environmental plan. “They acted before any other court had addressed the plan’s lawfulness. The decision consisted of only legal boilerplate, without a word of reasoning. At the time, the ruling seemed like a curious one-off. But that single paragraph turned out to be a sharp and lasting break. That night marks the birth, many legal experts believe, of the court’s modern ‘shadow docket,’ the secretive track that the Supreme Court has since used to make many major decisions, including granting President Trump more than 20 key victories on issues from immigration to agency power.” The adage suggests that what you don’t know can’t hurt you. That, like so many of the cases that are now decided in secret and rendered with no explanation, seems like a notion worthy of a public hearing. The NYT (Gift Article): The Inside Story of Five Days That Remade the Supreme Court [ https://substack.com/redirect/5bc8af6d-d127-473c-a565-38a01b91e3ba?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Rulings with no explanation or reasoning, like the sparse paragraph from that February night, have become routine. The emergency docket is now a central legacy of the court led by Chief Justice Roberts.” How dramatically will that legacy change our legal system and our country? Only the Shadow knows. + Steve Vladek wrote a highly regarded book on this topic: The Shadow Docket [ https://substack.com/redirect/24ac6722-e6ef-425d-a14e-8362c506e2a9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic. 2 Baby Bump Techno-optimists and pessimists likely agree on a couple things: AI is only getting more powerful and nothing is going to stop that trend. So what does one do when one is faced with the prospect of the singularity, “the moment when superintelligent machines, having surpassed the feeble cognitive abilities of humans, begin to act in ways contrary to the interests of humanity.” Well, you can’t count on computers getting dumber. So you’re gonna need to create smarter humans. MoJo: Creating Baby Geniuses to Thwart the AI Threat? (Yes, Really.) [ https://substack.com/redirect/619e34bd-d73c-48e3-ae4a-c9634af0baf1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] + “Heavier AI users are generally more optimistic about its effects on their careers than occasional users and non-users. That’s still true. But Gallup found that even heavy AI users within Gen Z are growing more pessimistic.” Gen Z Is Souring on AI [ https://substack.com/redirect/4ec8aa9d-b5ab-4092-8610-df3c6ed035e6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (No worries. We’ll just program the new babies to be more enthusiastic...) 3 Sizzle Real? “In the lead-up to the war, which Trump launched without consulting Congress, making a case to the American people, or assembling allies, many of his aides believed that Trump was not taking seriously the risks and trade-offs involved ... Once the war began, Trump received updates that were screened and bowdlerized for him. He has long been inattentive to briefings—early in his first term, aides realized that he liked maps and graphics and would glaze over if given much information in text—but he has reportedly been starting his day off with a sizzle reel of stunning explosions rather than with hard info.” The Atlantic(Gift Article): The Aides Keeping the President in the Dark [ https://substack.com/redirect/93d8f189-88d5-4319-ad21-1eadeb5fe520?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + None of the ignorance keeps Trump from participating in delicate negotiations by way of social media. CNN: A deal to end the Iran war seemed close. Then Trump started posting on social media [ https://substack.com/redirect/8cf3a73b-dffc-45db-aa0d-3961a5eac4e6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Vice President JD Vance’s trip to Pakistan for a second round of negotiations with Iran has been put on hold after Tehran failed to respond to American positions, a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the situation said Tuesday. Iran, for its part, said it had not yet decided whether to resume talks with the United States.” But don’t worry. Trump says, “We’re going to end up with a great deal.” (Maybe we should all be shown the daily sizzle reel. It seems to cheer him up.) Here’s the latest from NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/aff779ee-a599-457f-8b41-a17f3bb60d3c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/2955dc7a-2882-4226-abe5-fa5fcf9ae6c6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/7f6e676b-2509-40eb-b43a-45786d70b901?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Cook the Books Steve Jobs was known as the visionary. Tim Cook was more of a get things done CEO. And he definitely fulfilled that role. “When Tim Cook took over Apple in 2011, leaders from Silicon Valley to Wall Street predicted that the company’s best days were behind it. They feared that without Steve Jobs, Apple’s innovative chief executive, the company would falter. They were wrong. Over 15 years, Mr. Cook has engineered Apple’s rise from a Silicon Valley darling worth $350 billion into a cash-generating giant worth $4 trillion.” NYT (Gift Article): Tim Cook Was Very, Very Good at Making Money [ https://substack.com/redirect/549aee51-2ce5-4f90-92e1-3b4592ede408?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Cook inherited a company with extraordinary potential growth in front of it, but in deep existential grief. He led the company — and its community — through that grief and achieved that potential. The transition Apple and Tim Cook announced today is entirely different. No one’s hand was forced. There is nothing unpleasant.” John Gruber: Another Day Has Come [ https://substack.com/redirect/513bae81-aa2e-4d0c-baa2-a34b87fe8fe9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra The Fog of Warsh: “Kevin M. Warsh, President Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Reserve, asserted repeatedly at a combative confirmation hearing on Tuesday that he would not cut interest rates simply because President Trump wanted him to [ https://substack.com/redirect/a3a9877a-e4c4-4392-a826-d3af1574d364?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], pledging to be ‘strictly independent’ if confirmed for one of the world’s most powerful economic positions.” We’ve been down this hearing road before. He’ll say he’s independent and will be normal. Everyone in the Senate knows that’s not true. He’ll get confirmed, anyway. Corruption will ensue. Bad things will happen. No one will be surprised. Meanwhile, “Lori Chavez-DeRemer, President Trump’s embattled labor secretary, stepped down on Monday as multiple scandals and investigations closed in on her [ https://substack.com/redirect/0424c728-2391-4671-a3ff-2c5ff6b6fe77?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + Donny on the Spot: NYT (Gift Article): ‘Donnyland’? Ukraine Proposes Renaming Part of the Donbas in Trump’s Honor [ https://substack.com/redirect/580f9d8c-ecfa-4b64-a0ea-95a4afd7221c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “That a name evocative of Disneyland has been applied to a depopulated, decimated swath of Ukrainian coal-and-steel country could appear jarring as Europe’s deadliest fighting since World War II continues to rage. But it also reflects a global reality in which governments appeal to Mr. Trump’s vanity in order to get American might on their side.” (It’s sad that an ally would think this way. They are also right to think this way.) + Targeting the Good Guys: “When we began working with informants, we were living in the shadow of the height of the Civil Rights Movement, which had seen bombings at churches, state-sponsored violence against demonstrators, and the murders of activists that went unanswered by the justice system. There is no question that what we learned from informants saved lives.” Southern Poverty Law Center says it faces a Justice Department criminal probe [ https://substack.com/redirect/53422035-8433-4da1-ae6b-8dfb76dc19b2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] over paid informants, + Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? “When Donald Trump attends the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner for the first time as president on Saturday, the pressure will be on the journalists’ organization to make some sort of a statement about the president’s relentless attacks on the media, which he has labeled the ‘enemy of the people.’” Hundreds Of Veteran Journalists And Groups Urge WHCA To ‘Speak Forcefully’ About Trump’s Attacks [ https://substack.com/redirect/4bc4ff04-e886-4d64-a24c-9153ab0b0b43?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Better idea. Don’t attend the damn dinner.) + Beak Softly and Carry a Big Stick: “In 2021, a disabled parrot named Bruce made headlines worldwide for creating his own prosthetic beak. He didn’t stop there: Scientists reported on Monday that Bruce has now become the alpha male of his group. And he did it by learning to joust.” How Bruce the Parrot Landed Atop the Pecking Order, Without a Beak [ https://substack.com/redirect/32e6385f-5d44-4a20-81f1-feebb2a35618?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (There’s a lesson here somewhere, and I think it has to do with the importance of jousting.) + Bible Trumper: “President Donald Trump and many of his leading Christian supporters and top Republicans are taking part this week in a marathon reading of the Bible [ https://substack.com/redirect/058d07f9-b0e2-44c3-8443-12dc4d6e76e0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in an America 250-themed event billed as encouraging a ‘return to the spiritual foundation that has shaped our country.’” (If there’s a god, I’m pretty sure we’d hear him laughing right now.) 6 Bottom of the News “In recent years, the NFL draft has attracted hundreds of thousands of fans to the cities that host it. This week, Pittsburgh will be no exception. And that influx of people has led the local school district to make a controversial decision: canceling in-person school [ https://substack.com/redirect/eb7ff100-b703-49dc-97ba-820a3af4ecef?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVORGsxTnpZeE9Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzJPREF4TkRBd0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EZ3pNemMwTURBc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5WcGpZLVdhWVdWNmktX2VIOVN5b2lpT0JiVnJzSk5iS1lteFA3a3h6SUFvIiwicCI6MTk0OTU3NjE4LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzY4MDE0MDAsImV4cCI6MjA5MjM3NzQwMCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0._cHVVcJmF83EsRCy7wYEAe6B4n4-wdGRhEpc2IC19Pw?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/stock-pile American financier and statesman Bernard Baruch famously said, “The main purpose of the stock market is to make fools of as many men as possible.” Well, in that case, the market is having a hell of a month. On Friday, after almost no negotiations, Trump posted that Iran would give up its uranium and open the Strait of Hormuz. They even agreed to never close the Strait in the future. The market soared on the news. The weekend arrived. The Strait was closed again. Even delivered by a trusted and consistently honest source, these deal claims would have come off as outlandish. But from this source? After misleading at every turn during the war (and every other topic he’s ever touched upon), you’d have to be a little crazy to have believed Trump. So, then, it might be fair to wonder whether the market is out of its friggin’ mind. The market behaving in mysterious ways, especially over the short term, is nothing new. John Maynard Keynes explained: “Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent.” In this case, as Kyla Scanlon writes in the NYT (Gift Article), “The stock market has been trying to ignore the war in Iran.” Why the Stock Market Makes No Sense Right Now [ https://substack.com/redirect/89a29f1f-df09-40b1-9895-777819a2a13e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. This nonsense is especially relevant at the moment, because a rational stock market appears to be one of the few guardrails protecting against Trump’s most destructive impulses. “President Trump deeply cares about the stock market, and if the stock market had been selling off, there is a good chance that this war would have been over a while ago. More broadly, the markets are showing the single lesson that the past 40 years have taught them. It will always be saved.” Look, I’m in the market. I really want the market to go up. But I’m worried about a market that discounts the risk of very risky world events. And I’m even more worried about a market that discounts the risk posed by the leader of the world’s largest economy, and seems, somehow, to ignore the history of instability, lies, and crazy behavior he exhibits. Even if the Strait re-opens tomorrow, those risks remain. The market needs to stop reacting to Trump’s crazy lies and start reacting to the fact that we have a crazy liar in the White House. (That line should enter the canon of great economics quotes. On the off chance it doesn’t, I’ll leave you with one more from Keynes: “In the long run we are all dead.” Today’s investors probably even see that as a buying opportunity.) + When it comes to the Trump tariffs and the Iran war, there are still some rational traders. Insider traders. Traders placed over $1bn in perfectly timed bets on the Iran war. What is going on [ https://substack.com/redirect/ddcd0886-6a15-420a-8d43-317c9e523fe2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? And, the insider trading suspicions looming over Trump’s presidency [ https://substack.com/redirect/bf182586-9e7f-4491-9dd0-4d3de01bec20?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Maybe the safest investment you can make in 2026 is to be long on corruption...) 2 The Kash Flow “On multiple occasions in the past year, members of his security detail had difficulty waking Patel because he was seemingly intoxicated, according to information supplied to Justice Department and White House officials. A request for ‘breaching equipment’—normally used by SWAT and hostage-rescue teams to quickly gain entry into buildings—was made last year because Patel had been unreachable behind locked doors, according to multiple people familiar with the request.” Given his reputation and lack of qualifications, it would have been almost impossible for Kash Patel to surprise us on the downside. So give him a little credit. The Atlantic (Gift Article): The FBI Director Is MIA [ https://substack.com/redirect/5041a9a7-82d8-4cb2-9729-3b225b522b86?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Kash Patel has alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.” + Patel is responding to the news that he does things Trump doesn’t like (getting drunk and not controlling the story) by doing a couple things Trump does like. Targeting enemies [ https://substack.com/redirect/982d6656-0d67-42a1-a4d4-7354c7c96b6e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and suing the media [ https://substack.com/redirect/e3ebb519-9870-4145-a898-ac4420627fef?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Lean, Mean, Green, Fighting Machine “A humanoid robot that won a half-marathon [ https://substack.com/redirect/f578dde2-2bc5-45c1-817a-e246629d4639?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] race for robots in Beijing on Sunday ran faster than the human world record.” This, it turns out, is not the biggest (or scariest) robot news of the week. NYT (Gift Article): The Killer Robots Are Coming. The Battlefield Will Never Look the Same [ https://substack.com/redirect/70f6245b-3ac8-4fc0-b1f6-533c877bf754?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The robots charged into battle through a valley in eastern Ukraine, driving over grass toward a Russian position. Essentially little green wagons, they looked like something you might buy at a garden store to move bags of soil around. But each carried 66 pounds of explosives. As the remotely controlled vehicles approached the enemy soldiers, an aerial drone flew in and dropped a bomb to help clear a path. One of the robots then rushed in and blew itself up, while the others held back, monitoring the position. A sheet of cardboard appeared above a trench. ‘We want to surrender,’ it read.” (I hold up the same message to my laptop like three times a week.) 4 Failure is Not An Option Noah Hawley in The Atlantic (Gift Article): What I Learned About Billionaires at Jeff Bezos’s Private Retreat [ https://substack.com/redirect/fe0fac12-ed92-4a97-afa8-30139536b66a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Any asset can be acquired but nothing can ever be lost, because for soon-to-be trillionaires, no level of loss could significantly change their global standing or personal power. For them, the word failure has ceased to mean anything. This sense of invulnerability has deep psychological ramifications. If everything is free and nothing matters, then the world and other people exist only to be acted upon, if they are acknowledged at all. This is different from classic narcissism, in which a grandiose but fragile self-image can mask deep insecurity. What I’m talking about is a self-definition in which the individual grows to the size of the universe, and the universe vanishes.” (Remember, this is less the era when Trump empowered these guys than it is an era when these guys decided who they wanted to empower.) 5 Extra, Extra Mind If We Play Through? “The decision was informed by the president’s behavior during the search and rescue operation for the aircrew of the downed F-15 fighter jet late last month, when the president reportedly screamed at his aides for hours. As a result, his aides ‘kept the president out of the room as they got minute-by-minute updates [ https://substack.com/redirect/30825561-1d14-4a66-b5ec-f980d3ed1d90?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] because they believed his impatience wouldn’t be helpful, instead updating him at meaningful moments.’” A commander-in-chief kept out of war meetings because of erratic behavior? That seems bad. Meanwhile, in Iran, it’s not completely clear who’s in charge. WSJ (Gift Article): Iran’s Hard-Liners Flex Their Muscle With a U-Turn Over Hormuz [ https://substack.com/redirect/0e666571-facb-49cc-ba29-8b94b8cec5e4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Divisions between moderates and the Revolutionary Guard will complicate U.S. efforts for a diplomatic win.” For now, the two sides are talking about restarting talks. Here’s the latest from The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/52c3a2ec-73a3-4870-bfee-4a54f8a89266?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/9eb415bc-6a8d-4764-b019-971c48d18e41?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and BBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/dd39aa5a-c37f-4d52-a695-0e01d4103a3b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Everybody’s Working for the Weakened: “But only the entities that officially paid the tariffs are eligible to recover that money. That means that the fuller universe of people affected by Mr. Trump’s policies — including millions of Americans who paid higher prices for the products they bought — are not able to apply for direct relief.” NYT: Trump Administration Takes Steps to Refund $166 Billion in Tariffs [ https://substack.com/redirect/703a5335-58b5-4514-808d-6b003859b810?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Would corporations have even demanded these refunds a few months ago, before Trump’s polls weakened?) + Miracle on Ice: Pancreatic cancer mRNA vaccine shows lasting results in an early trial [ https://substack.com/redirect/0c58e9a4-18fb-4ff6-a4e2-09f72ff625df?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. This is good news about mRNA, which provided a medical miracle with the Covid vaccine. So you have to wonder why Trump and RFK, Jr pulled $500 million in funding [ https://substack.com/redirect/658fbfbb-01a8-471e-b1e4-a5f68e110106?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for mRNA vaccines. Of course, it’s more curious, and more dangerous, that these guys seem to hate vaccines in general. ProPublica: The Horrors That Could Lie Ahead if Vaccines Vanish [ https://substack.com/redirect/780080c2-13ca-4172-8866-81d3e6ac8361?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “If current rates drop by half, all four diseases could return.” + Shreveport Mass Shooting: “A man in Louisiana killed eight children Sunday [ https://substack.com/redirect/22908e6e-08c0-41c4-a2f3-bcc2a08033f0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in a shooting that authorities described as a domestic violence incident and was later killed by police after he fled in a carjacked vehicle.” + Mushroom Cloud: “Shares of psychedelic drug developers rose in premarket trading on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive ‌order directing health regulators to speed up reviews of psychedelic ‌drugs [ https://substack.com/redirect/6e2a96c7-b737-47b3-a380-a6b971c45ee0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and boosted federal research funding.” Joe Rogan was a big proponent of this and was there for the EO signing. Which is interesting, considering he’s been attacking Trump’s war. Trump is savaging allies who criticize the Iran war. But he’s treating Joe Rogan very differently [ https://substack.com/redirect/ee3f3a3b-e8bf-4511-a4f1-f13c76ab8949?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (There’s one war Trump will never lose: The ratings war.) + Bag of Tricks: “Every time you stood in a store in the 2010s and compared a JanSport to a North Face to an Eastpak, you were comparing three labels owned by the same parent corporation. Same earnings call. Same margin targets. Same quarterly pressure. The sense that you were choosing between competitors was a fiction that VF Corp had no incentive to correct.” Your Backpack Got Worse On Purpose [ https://substack.com/redirect/489b63f1-d151-4601-aaf5-3b525be7d7a0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Liquid Assets: “When asked about the past day’s beverage consumption, they found that 66% of all participants had coffee, more than the 64% who said they had bottled water. Tea, soda, and juice sat at 47%, 46%, and 26%, respectively.” Coffee More Popular Than Water, Says National Coffee Association [ https://substack.com/redirect/3f17370a-ee79-42c4-92c4-32569e5c19ba?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Of course, without the water, I find that coffee to be a little dry.) 6 Bottom of the News “Mark Lyall, who is an actual psychologist by trade, tried to psych his out competition out by donning a luchador mask and a T-shirt with the saying ‘don’t throw rock.’ ‘What I found was that statistically, most people throw rock, then people will throw paper,’ Lyall said. He was knocked out in the second round. But the most common strategy among the hundreds of players? No strategy at all.” Into the world of competitive rock, paper, scissors [ https://substack.com/redirect/ce58a03a-08a4-4505-b480-a62cb21627b1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + It’s 4-20. Time for your annual reminder that this proud tradition started at my high school [ https://substack.com/redirect/f9d09849-293b-466e-9c1d-b941f27a6f51?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Interestingly, 4:20 was also the time my childhood therapy sessions started on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVORGd6TkRjMk1Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzJOekUwTmpneExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EZ3lOVEEyT0RFc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5EYkpTRXRUenVwZUl0ck5ON1k2dmxFSjV3bGozVzFfc0hQNjRjQS1ud1RNIiwicCI6MTk0ODM0NzYxLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzY3MTQ2ODEsImV4cCI6MjA5MjI5MDY4MSwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.wWuH2ZKgD83e2S5jKRO-NPxCq6mT-2BT9hFb_nAXyk4?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/strait-flush The Strait of Hormuz seems to be open. The US blockade remains in place until a final deal is reached. Iran has agreed to never close the Strait again. And the US and Iran will work together to collect the country’s enriched uranium, which will then be brought to the US. Does that all sound too good to be true? Can we say with a strait face that we’re getting the strait skinny from a source not exactly known for being a strait shooter? It may take a little while to be sure (and months to hammer out [ https://substack.com/redirect/3c9d3f28-c5ef-4249-997b-af64779a3491?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] a complete deal). And we’re getting some very different quotes about the negotiations from Iranian officials. As BBC reports: “The president’s optimism may end up well-founded. But if that turns out not to be the case, it wouldn’t be the first time his words have moved ahead of the reality on the ground.” (If his words meet reality, does that mean we’ve reached the singularity?) But for now, the market definitely wants to believe. Oil prices are down, stocks are up, and the ceasefire is holding. Here’s the latest from BBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/75ccf38f-efe4-4971-b695-8c4cd33cb3d6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/187d91d1-cbdc-4bfc-9b9e-b5d20943b9d5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/2a58c405-22b0-480b-9f19-8dbe6c05bffd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The war has cost the US lives, money, and international trust and status. So what will we get in exchange for that? Ultimately, for those dealing with reality on a regular basis, the outcome will be measured against what we already had. A few weeks ago, we had an open strait not being controlled by Iran. And a few years ago, we had a working nuclear agreement that was being constantly verified by international inspectors. Trump famously tore up the agreement that included this [ https://substack.com/redirect/72c3b8b5-6195-47c8-b84b-e3340029559d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: “Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop, or acquire any nuclear weapons.” (Maybe we should have fought this war with a roll of Scotch Tape.) 2 Watch This Space “Congress has voted to extend a controversial surveillance program until April 30. The extension, which first passed overnight in the House, came after GOP leaders failed to secure a five-year renewal, as well as an 18-month renewal President Trump had demanded. Both votes tanked.” Congress extends controversial surveillance powers for 10 days [ https://substack.com/redirect/a90aa7d1-1688-473a-b4c5-e34ce1941c5a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “We disagree on many issues. One of us is a longtime Democrat, the other a conservative Republican. But both of us are deeply concerned about warrantless government surveillance of the American people.” Mike Lee and Dick Durbin: We Disagree on a Lot. But We Know This Law Must Change [ https://substack.com/redirect/c675ebae-07db-478a-bfa8-f05ce639f2ee?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + If the law does change, it will be one of the few times in recent memory that we’ll be getting surveilled a little less. From police cameras to private security, we’re being tracked everywhere, all the time. Wired: The Shocking Secrets of Madison Square Garden’s Surveillance Machine [ https://substack.com/redirect/58282b4b-3c55-427d-8546-a4843f177356?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Famously vengeful Knicks owner Jim Dolan has long spied on people at his iconic arenas. WIRED goes deep inside the operation that allegedly tracked a trans woman, lawyers, protesters, and more.” + And you’re almost certainly having your license plate being tracked by Flock. Privacy concerns have caused dozens of towns to stop using the technology, which is pretty amazing considering people will almost always choose personal security over privacy concerns. When Flock Cameras Appear: Everything You Need to Know About This Surveillance Tech [ https://substack.com/redirect/e2b4c0e8-9ace-420c-a134-1d61ed95b505?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 All Hat, No Capital A coalition of businesses called Seat the Table is “demanding that Congress and the White House create work permits for ‘long-term, law-abiding immigrants playing critical roles from farms to restaurants.’” Which radical, leftist, open-border-loving state are these people from? Texas. It turns out that immigrants are good for business. “’I think the vast majority of Americans recognize that there is a large group of undocumented immigrants who have been literally keeping food on our tables,’ said Kelsey Erickson Streufert, the chief public affairs officer for the Texas trade group. ‘And if we remove those people, it is going to hurt everyone in terms of higher prices.’” Of course the vast majority of Americans realize this. But the vast majority of Americans aren’t running our current immigration strategy. NYT (Gift Article): Texas Restaurants Are Forcing a Reckoning Over Immigrant Labor [ https://substack.com/redirect/7beb0e60-c5b4-4b14-aad8-961c2f480128?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Weekend Whats What to Book: “Vernice and Annie, two motherless daughters raised in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, have been best friends and neighbors since earliest childhood but are fated to live starkly different lives.” Both are well worth reading about. Kin by Tayari Jones [ https://substack.com/redirect/ccdd6bf0-6cca-43fb-b257-5335c18c4cca?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] is a great read. + What to Doc: The latest doc from the excellent Marshall Curry on Netflix explores the history of The New Yorker magazine [ https://substack.com/redirect/11510f92-136c-49bf-af10-590f1e59a4c2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] as it hits the century mark. It’s a must-watch for anyone who digs the New Yorker, or magazines in general. It’s also a celebration of journalism. + What to Watch: “As Silicon Valley and its overlords veer into AI-fueled peak depravity, a would-be tech titan and his ethically challenged therapist try to find a fortune (and happiness) for themselves.” Audacity on AMC [ https://substack.com/redirect/2419d434-6921-4f31-99c5-42879a778960?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] puts the tech industry on the therapist’s couch. In other words, there will be a lot to unravel. This new satire is off to a solid start. 5 Extra, Extra Expanding the Gun Range: “In the last couple of years, a growing number of women and people of color have begun training with Mr. Mills. His clients are conservatives, moderates, liberals, and those who defy simple labels altogether. His star student is Eva, a former infantry soldier who appears at the range in pink stockings and painted nails.” More liberals are buying guns. Why [ https://substack.com/redirect/fc314d95-f8a3-4f8f-b437-b9a840ff2b10?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? “L.A. Progressive Shooters, a gun-education group in Los Angeles that welcomes people regardless of their politics, has had to expand its increasingly sold-out training sessions. Another nationwide group based in Newton, Massachusetts, the Liberal Gun Club, saw its membership rise by 66%.” (When it comes to guns, everyone is in the target market. After the past week, the Pope will probably buy a Glock.) + Doge for Diplomats: “He has shocked its mainstream leaders, many of them with decades of experience in diplomacy, by accusing them of stifling freedom and by frequently meeting with and promoting their hard-line challengers. He is just five years out of college, and he has repeatedly advocated an approach that overturns three generations of American diplomatic orthodoxy.” NYT (Gift Article): The 27-Year-Old Diplomat Waging Trump’s Cultural War With Europe [ https://substack.com/redirect/5733ace9-b4d6-4f55-9a4a-625285d24081?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Life is But a Stream: “In the past, all you needed to watch your favorite NFL team every Sunday was access to local television channels. That can still work these days, but only if you live in that team’s particular city … as long as that team isn’t playing in a prime-time, nationally televised game … or if that team wasn’t selected to play one of the games on the various streaming services.” Sports is one of the few things that still brings us together. (If you’re a subscriber...) U.S. senator to introduce bill aimed at ending sports blackouts [ https://substack.com/redirect/a7c7c1bd-1bb4-429f-931b-6ef3c857c60e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + This Must Be Replace: “It’s like the Uber of advanced AI training: a gig-work platform for white-collar and skilled professionals that offers a path for them to earn something extra from their expertise—at the risk of eventually sacrificing their careers to AI.” Bloomberg (Gift Article): Mercor is promising to replicate most professional work. It was also co-founded by twentysomethings who previously never held a real job [ https://substack.com/redirect/fe989536-eb87-4a4f-bf81-d2c1bcef148c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Back in my day, if you couldn’t qualify for an actual job, you launched a newsletter.) + No Ethics Allowed: “The Justice Department has removed the career Miami federal prosecutor leading the investigation into John Brennan, after she resisted pressure [ https://substack.com/redirect/64ee98b9-15c9-42c7-9ab3-71e78b09ac5c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to quickly bring charges.” + Shots Across the Bow: “The woman, who fell and injured herself, said in a lawsuit that bartenders had been negligent for serving her while she was visibly intoxicated.” Woman Who Took 15 Tequila Shots on Carnival Cruise Gets $300,000 in Damages [ https://substack.com/redirect/8cf3131c-761e-4ddb-afd6-d9115b6e39ed?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (With that kind of consumption, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she quoted Pulp Fiction as bible scripture...) 6 Feel Good Friday “Scientists are often advised to explain their work in terms that a child can understand—a task that is particularly challenging when it comes to such complex topics as quantum mechanics. It’s easier when the interviewer is an actual child, like 9-year-old Kai, aka the Quantum Kid [ https://substack.com/redirect/d5a629d5-0507-46dc-bb9a-9afae1411910?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + NYT (Gift Article): The Hit Erotica Writers Outwitting Nigeria’s Religious Censors [ https://substack.com/redirect/906b45dd-d698-4acd-b1f1-b40d3df0c1af?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “His Majesty’s great staff is what impresses you all.” (And no, that’s not a line from one of Trump’s cabinet meetings.) + Woman, 96, enlists 150-pound dog to plant spring flowers: She points, he digs [ https://substack.com/redirect/64e7c37e-6cec-481b-8d0a-1b83f1cc9a34?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (My beagles must be pretty well trained. They dig without me pointing. Even if I stay, “stop digging,” they dig.) + “There are few things to know about this historic game: there are no rules, no boundaries, no time limits and no referee.” Uppies and Downies, the medieval football game that has no rules and no time limit [ https://substack.com/redirect/fc3c0d6d-4617-40da-be97-8a92abf36e9a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Chinese carmaker Seres has been granted a patent for what it calls an ‘in-vehicle toilet [ https://substack.com/redirect/99690a72-ee1c-4ffd-9e45-3d5e534d2303?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]‘ that slides under a passenger’s seat for visits to the loo while on the road.” (I may finally say yes to going on that road trip...) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVORFUxT1RFM01Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzJORFl3TXpRMUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EYzVPVFl6TkRVc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5sNjE3SE1pWGo4Y3JUbVo1NTRhTUw4aDQyYmJ0RWZ3UlRhaGFHNkdQRGxrIiwicCI6MTk0NTU5MTcwLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzY0NjAzNDUsImV4cCI6MjA5MjAzNjM0NSwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.Iq5p-agPw20q_9P-CM_TEHgrA9EKyBJ72kumzlPisLM?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/up-in-arms We are entering an era that promises a new kind of arms race. It’s not about bombs, missiles, or drones (at least not yet). It’s about software. People who work at the cutting edge of technology have known this arms race was coming soon, but even they’ve been surprised at how quickly it arrived. The first front in this new war opened in between events at a wedding in Bali, where an AI researcher named Nicholas Carlini “opened his laptop, and set out to do some damage. Anthropic PBC had just made a new artificial intelligence model, called Mythos, available for internal review, and Carlini — a well-known AI researcher — intended to see what kind of trouble it could cause.” The answer: A lot. Like, really a lot. “Within hours Carlini found numerous techniques to infiltrate systems used around the world. Once Carlini was back in Anthropic’s downtown San Francisco office, he discovered Mythos was able to autonomously create powerful break-in tools, including against Linux, the open-source code that underpins most of modern computing. Mythos orchestrated the digital equivalent of a bank robbery: getting past security protocols and through the front door of networks, and breaking into digital vaults that gave it access to online treasures. AI had picked locks, but now it could pull off an entire heist.” The awareness of the power of this new AI model moved Anthropic to limit its release to top software companies and government agencies, giving them a head start to find vulnerabilities before someone else does. But Anthropic won’t be the last AI company to have a model this powerful. And, as we’ve learned, battles between boosting corporate valuations and doing what’s best for society don’t always play out this way. And, as we’ve also learned, bad guys know how to develop technology, too. We’re only going to be able to keep these threats at an arm’s length for so long. Bloomberg (Gift Article): How Anthropic Learned Mythos Was Too Dangerous for the Wild [ https://substack.com/redirect/d82b804b-b6d7-41c9-a658-3a55457daaf7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Defense Mechanisms While the AI arms race is rapidly changing, the traditional arms race is undergoing a similar transformation. Ukraine and Iran are serving as test cases for a new kind of war, where bigger isn’t always better. “In the past, military power was often determined by size – the number of knights, soldiers, guns or tanks, depending on the era, that an army had. Since the Cold War, advanced militaries have emphasized precise munitions, such as cruise missiles, gaining advantage with fewer but more accurately targeted weapons. Inexpensive but technologically sophisticated drones bring mass and precision together.” The Conversation: One‑way attack drones: Low‑cost, high‑tech weapons ‘democratize’ precision warfare [ https://substack.com/redirect/4adaccd8-da66-4a90-833a-bfc2f1da5714?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + So far, the use of drones and other low cost munitions has been countered using advanced missiles and other other high cost defense systems. Those weapons are expensive, and they take longer to produce. Hence, we get a headline like this from the WSJ (Gift Article): Pentagon Approaches Automakers, Manufacturers to Boost Weapons Production [ https://substack.com/redirect/ca21a46f-423d-482f-b64d-806ed7632801?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The Trump administration wants automakers and other American manufacturers to play a larger role in weapons production, reminiscent of a practice used during World War II ... The Pentagon is interested in enlisting the companies to use their personnel and factory capacity to increase production of munitions and other equipment as the wars in Ukraine and Iran deplete stocks.” 3 The Other War “’This grim and chastening anniversary marks another year when the world has failed to meet the test of Sudan,’ Tom Fletcher, emergency relief coordinator at the United Nations, said in a statement before a conference in Berlin on Wednesday to raise aid funds and call attention to the brutal conflict. ‘Sudan is an atrocities laboratory: sieges, denial of food, weaponized sexual violence.’” NYT (Gift Article): Sudan Enters Fourth Year of War Amid World’s Most Severe Humanitarian Crisis [ https://substack.com/redirect/f0c4b9b3-440d-4b1b-ae3b-72a1337d8c09?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. This conflict is overshadowed by other wars. But it’s not unaffected by them. “The American-Israeli war on Iran has led to rising global fuel and fertilizer prices, Mr. Fletcher noted, compounding the severe food crisis in Sudan.” 4 Crossing the Pope “Vance’s slap at Leo—including the pompous implication that he needs to go back and do some theology homework—illustrates the political and religious risks that Vance is willing to take not only with the Vatican, but with a country whose population is one-fifth Catholic, in order to demonstrate his utter fealty to Trump.” Tom Nichols in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Pope James David Vance the First [ https://substack.com/redirect/c13757fd-ec51-4cc2-b5b0-4c29f1f7e871?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Amid a quarrel with the Pope, Trump strips Miami charity of funding to house migrant kids [ https://substack.com/redirect/23400fb6-35b1-4b8d-9308-89b6dfd00ec8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (This move features blasphemy, spite, pettiness, cruelty, corruption, vindictiveness, and the harm of immigrant children. How could Trump resist?) + The Pope isn’t backing down. “Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth ... They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found ... The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants [ https://substack.com/redirect/ff2cffc2-e593-40bf-9efb-3a3a18aad066?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + “Pete Hegseth — always ready to get medieval on someone’s ass — quoted a fake Bible verse from Pulp Fiction [ https://substack.com/redirect/5a13fd85-24cd-4767-b1e2-ebfa30ed8edb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] while leading a prayer service at the Pentagon.” (Also, we have a lot of prayer services at the Pentagon these days...) 5 Extra, Extra Ceasefire Spreads: From Reuters: Trump says Israel and Lebanon agree on ceasefire, optimism grows on ending Iran war [ https://substack.com/redirect/9496aa26-9e43-48d4-906c-22601f9a56a7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. At this point, almost all parties have significant motivations to end this thing (even if they end up in worse positions than before the war). Trump is worried about the stock market and his falling approval numbers. Iran’s economy is on the brink. And Europe has ‘maybe 6 weeks of jet fuel left [ https://substack.com/redirect/47e7aab6-f4cb-4351-aad8-34d1caba0500?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’ Here’s the latest from The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/6441e5e8-e95d-43c7-9e67-cdff4386c825?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/47415e66-4337-495a-abce-c44626c47f21?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/d56162ea-409e-4184-a317-9fb2fb2de959?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Swalwell Known: “My whole body felt physically sick and I remember my head rushed, and I just was like, oh, my gosh ... I just felt like I had to do everything I could to just hold one man accountable.” NPR: How Eric Swalwell’s fall was brought on by a network of women who organized online [ https://substack.com/redirect/8d2d4e37-f257-4edc-b238-b5719b90375f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Now, for the next question: How did his support from insiders last as long as it did?) Also, “Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a rising star in the Democratic Party before his career was derailed by sexual assault allegations several years ago, killed his wife before killing himself [ https://substack.com/redirect/9abc13f2-b919-4f12-956c-23c175aa0a0c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], police said Thursday.” + Shaker of Salt: WSJ (Gift Article): San Diego Now Has So Much Water That It’s Selling It [ https://substack.com/redirect/04e83814-6583-4381-bd59-bff9e55383db?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “With the Colorado River in crisis, Arizona and Nevada are turning to an unconventional lifeline: the ocean water off California’s golden beaches. Both desert states are pursuing a deal with the San Diego County Water Authority to tap millions of gallons of fresh water produced by a Carlsbad ocean-desalination plant—the largest in North America—to help offset their reliance on the collapsing Colorado River.” (If we desalinate fast enough, maybe we can drink our way out of the sea rise problem!) + Yale Gives it the Old Harvard Try: “A 10-member committee offered a brutal assessment of academia’s role in creating the forces challenging American colleges and universities.” NYT (Gift Article): Yale Report Finds Colleges Deserve Blame for Higher Education’s Problems [ https://substack.com/redirect/d9719887-cc21-4f98-a723-ddee6da8e43c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Arch Madness: “Mr. Trump’s push to build the giant arch — more than quadrupling its size from original plans — has alienated early proponents of the project, classical architects and veterans groups who say it will diminish nearby Arlington Cemetery.” Trump’s ‘Triumphal Arch’ Draws Backlash, Even From an Expert Who Proposed It [ https://substack.com/redirect/78575fa6-380a-478e-84ad-3bfed3ce4b12?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I know everyone is investing in AI these days, but I’m putting all my money into wrecking balls and jackhammers...) + Moby Trick: Sperm whales’ communication closely parallels human language [ https://substack.com/redirect/27eb8ebb-b5a2-45f9-9f4c-fa95ecd9fecc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Not only do sperm whale have a form of “alphabet” and form vowels within their vocalizations but the structure of these vowels behaves in the same way as human speech.” (Wait until they figure out how funny their name is...) 6 Bottom of the News “As a plumbing contractor in Alaska, Henson first served it to workers. His herbs, spices, buttermilk and mayo concoction then became such a hit with guests at Hidden Valley, the dude ranch he and his wife opened in California, that he sold it as a DIY dry mix. Eventually, Clorox bottled a shelf-stable version, and competitors like Ken’s, Kraft Foods and Wish-Bone joined in.” Ranch dressing: An American staple that actually began life on ... a ranch [ https://substack.com/redirect/6ec4145a-c4ad-4dcf-b90d-00b6a9f1f2d5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Sixty years after it invented sports drinks, Gatorade is making a surprising pivot: It’s no longer focusing primarily on athletes [ https://substack.com/redirect/69de2b02-d053-482d-b521-cb483a729727?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” Now, it’s all about offering hydration that’s supposedly better than water. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVORFF6TkRJd01pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzJNell6TWpnd0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EYzRPVGt5T0RBc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5YX0hTU0FpcDlrQTJ5N2h2b1pCaUVHV1B2Q0RLQU1XY0F5OHRmYm1UX2k4IiwicCI6MTk0NDM0MjAyLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzYzNjMyODAsImV4cCI6MjA5MTkzOTI4MCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.vXA5s_-p661j28P2LC7yZ8eBIrhTD4C2m1zOO9Npy30?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/youre-the-perfect-specimen Welcome to the clinical trial. Tens of millions of us are volunteers in the world’s biggest medical study. Only, the study isn’t being run by doctors. It’s being run by us. GLP-1s were first introduced to lower blood sugar in people suffering from Type 2 diabetes. We quickly learned that those same drugs tended to make people lose weight, often a lot of it. As if that weren’t enough of a medical holy grail, we’ve since been getting reports that these drugs with names like Ozempic and Mounjaro help with symptoms of long Covid, IBS, addiction, depression, concussions, and much more. These anecdotal results have been supercharged by the wellness and longevity craze, and the use of these drugs is now wildly outpacing researchers’ ability to study them (or their potential downsides). In the spirit of the modern era, we’re all doing our own research. You have become your own doctor. How much more primary can care get than that? Julia Belluz in the NYT (Gift Article): The Great Ozempic Experiment [ https://substack.com/redirect/764856e7-d1fb-42a3-9728-e5dc0ec6041d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Technology moves fast, while science accumulates slowly. Humans have a history of rushing ahead with new technology, well before understanding how it affects us. (Just think of smartphones and ultraprocessed foods.) Still, GLP-1s may be a medical first: a blockbuster drug class, enthusiastically taken up by millions, not for one or a few uses but, it appears, a multitude.” (Is being a guinea pig in an unprecedented human experiment making you feel anxious? Don’t worry. GLP-1s can reduce anxiety, too.) 2 Political Career Elegy You thought that Trumpian attacks on the Pope would be a bridge too far for the sycophants who have sold their souls? Have you learned nothing over the years? NYT (Gift Article): Vance Says the Pope Should Be More Careful When Talking About Theology [ https://substack.com/redirect/593acd65-9b6b-499f-a184-b29acbfbf29d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “In the same way that it’s important for the vice president of the United States to be careful when I talk about matters of public policy, I think it’s very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology.” Mike Johnson has joined the papal critique [ https://substack.com/redirect/9640d262-d054-4e8f-900f-4777da5c0830?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “’I was taken a little bit aback, just honestly, frankly, by something that he said, I think he said several days back, something about ‘those who engage in war, Jesus doesn’t hear their prayers’ or something’ ... Johnson went on to preach against the highest Catholic’s teachings, claiming that it’s a ‘very well settled matter of Christian theology’ that war is sometimes justified, and invoking the ‘just war’ doctrine within military ethics.” Look, I’m more of a Moses man myself, so if these guys want to argue with the Pope about how Jesus feels about war, I’m going to stay out of it. But it does seem notable that the Trump cultists are now telling the Pope he’s wrong about religion. (If Jesus is really in favor of this war, maybe he can offer a strategy to win it.) + Here’s one factor that makes it a little harder to argue that the war on Iran is doing god’s work. WSJ (Gift Article): Iran’s Regime Has Changed—for the Worse [ https://substack.com/redirect/59c00521-9959-4193-9bd5-ebae44c510f0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “On March 13, a massive billboard appeared in Tehran’s Enqelab Square. It showed Iran’s newly selected supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, standing in a trench and instructing commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to fire missiles at their enemies. The text suggested the mission is divinely inspired, comparing Khamenei to Imam Ali, a revered Muslim figure known for his legendary victory over Jewish tribes. For opponents of Iran’s regime, the image is the visual representation of their worst nightmare: a militarized Iran ruled by a younger, hard-line leader where the Revolutionary Guard plays an even more dominant role.” (Leaders who believe they are divinely commissioned to violently suppress their own people and wantonly attack other countries? If nothing else, Trump, Vance, and Johnson should be able to find some common ground with these folks.) Here’s the latest on the Strait, the blockade, and continuing talks from NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/64d5fb87-7c58-494e-ac10-b250634275f6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and BBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/f6ad07d8-9be3-4f5d-ade8-86eb3d99e4e0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 The Creative Processor “Studies show that overreliance on these digital tools causes cognitive decline, but if current events are any indication, nobody’s making much of a contribution anyway. Go ahead and use A.I. however you like. Except art. If you use it for your art, you’re a freakin’ hack. Why is it that the most vocal cheerleaders of generative A.I. are always the hackiest motherfreakers around? You expect studio executives to say things like ‘it’s going to revolutionize content’ and ‘from a bottom-line standpoint it’s inevitable’ and ‘I’ve finally found an instrument as cold and empty as myself,’ but you’d hope that an artist would have more self-respect. Some people say, ‘I just use it to brainstorm ideas.’ If you don’t know what to paint or compose or write, you’re in the wrong job. Art is the business of making up stuff — go make up some stuff.” Colson Whitehead in the NYT (Gift Article): Don’t Use A.I. to Do This [ https://substack.com/redirect/72273acc-6834-4605-bd38-a068bd6853bd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Data centers — gigawatt-sucking, pollution-spewing slop houses of mediocrity — are ravaging the environment, consuming all the water and electricity and supercharging utility bills ... [But] do you realize how much water and power it’d take to replicate the average writer’s narcissism, self-loathing and despair? It’d drain the Indian Ocean. You could light up Times Square for a year. We can’t afford it.” 4 Everything Bagels “High-quality bagels, with their finicky baking process, have always been notoriously unprofitable and unscalable. But recent developments in bakery and coffee technology, along with changes in social media, consumer tracking, capital funding and delivery platforms, have changed that.” Big Money Is Betting on Bagels [ https://substack.com/redirect/a2dd8c27-f1a6-4351-8687-7a048e6b7734?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Bagels are bigger than ever because people feel they can use the dough missing from where the hole is to argue they’re cutting down on carbs.) + It’s only a matter of time before the bagel industry comes up with an AI angle. After all, everyone else is doing it. A headline for the ages: Allbirds Soars After Sneaker Firm Rebrands as AI Stock [ https://substack.com/redirect/3d6b76ee-3ccd-4499-b6fc-ee6ced369438?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Sometimes, the idea of computers replacing humans doesn’t seem all that bad...) 5 Extra, Extra Under the Gun: It’s a good time to be in the weapons business. It’s not just that we’re depleting our arsenal in Iran. It’s also that our allies have realized they can no longer count on America. That makes it a bigly buyer’s market in the defense industry. WSJ(Gift Article): Europe Is Accelerating a NATO Fallback Plan in Case Trump Pulls Out [ https://substack.com/redirect/84b7e4b3-1acf-42e0-abc0-cbfb479dabb8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. It’s also not a bad time to be in the oil business. Big oil reaping huge war windfall from consumers [ https://substack.com/redirect/de1d620b-4b36-45c0-9ba2-71c6e3ce703b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And that includes Russia, where Oil Revenues Nearly Doubled in March [ https://substack.com/redirect/1c7b7b2a-0c85-4bec-8e96-52f44c2d501d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Trading and Abetting: According to Bloomberg, US Probes Suspicious Oil Trades Made Before Trump Pivots [ https://substack.com/redirect/5ab6f9a3-1224-456f-8e98-f813091156f8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Five bucks says this investigation gets dropped as soon as they find out some of the people making the trades...) + Big Ticket Case: “A jury in a high-stakes antitrust trial on Wednesday found that Live Nation and its subsidiary, Ticketmaster, illegally maintained monopoly power in the ticketing market [ https://substack.com/redirect/6a95d394-899a-4540-a92f-fdaefaf5370e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (Knowing Live Nation, they’ll probably sell tickets to the appeal...) + Justice Just Isn’t: “The Justice Department moved Tuesday to wipe out the seditious conspiracy convictions [ https://substack.com/redirect/95d6c6b7-2cb5-43e5-ac0c-d4a3abdf59aa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] of the leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who were found guilty of organizing key aspects of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.” (Meanwhile, another pardoned Jan. 6 rioter to admit guilt in child sexual abuse case [ https://substack.com/redirect/5228286a-6338-4c65-a3f6-4657959c360f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) + Without Reserve: As Trump threatened to fire Powell, federal prosecutors showed up unannounced at the Federal Reserve building [ https://substack.com/redirect/9461a71f-6177-4aac-8745-f8aa67bcbee5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Tragical Mystery Tour: “While carrying out public business for his father-in-law, he has continued to pursue his private interests and declined to disclose any information about them.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): Jared Kushner’s Mysterious Role in the Trump Administration [ https://substack.com/redirect/d67c4293-c4d0-47f6-838f-907fe7486588?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Ethics aside, what about qualifications?) + Manspleening: “After Dr. Shaknovsky removed the organ, ‘The staff looked at the readily identifiable liver on the table and were shocked when Dr. Shaknovsky told them that it was a spleen.’” This story is even crazier and more disturbing than its headline. Surgeon Who Removed Wrong Organ From Patient Is Charged in His Death [ https://substack.com/redirect/c1e103f6-216a-4a68-ad5b-985af6c816b5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “The people who gather in this small room on the eighth floor of the New York Stock Exchange look like a group of middle-aged caffeine addicts. They sit around what resembles a school science lab sniffing coffee beans and slurping coffee so aggressively that there’s loud music playing to drown them out. But these aren’t junkies with bad manners. They’re part of an elite team of graders who help keep the commodities market running. Their ratings help set U.S. futures-market prices for arabica, and in turn, the global coffee industry. And they’ve arguably never been more valuable.” WSJ (Gift Article): Wall Street’s Elite Team of Coffee Tasters Who Keep the Global Market Running [ https://substack.com/redirect/5212be58-e815-40df-ad49-ed28b45102d8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I wonder if they offer similar gigs for the cannabis market...) + Scientists just discovered 5.6 million bees under a New York State cemetery [ https://substack.com/redirect/84f1f502-c4c3-401b-8102-5eab93d28c3f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/the-motrin-revolution Last night, I attended the Bruce Springsteen Land of Hope and Dreams concert at Chase Center in San Francisco. The tour is more than a concert series, it’s a protest movement; a gathering of pro democracy, like-minded people sharing a lament for what’s being done by this administration and unifying around a determination to fight for American values. Like in Minneapolis and cities across America, it was an invitation to take a clear-eyed view of where we are right now, and to come on up for The Rising [ https://substack.com/redirect/86eca0d3-3266-4a48-92a2-c5b484f8fdaf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Of course, given the age of most of the folks in the crowd, rising can be easier said than done (especially for the duration of a 3-hour Springsteen show). The age of our protest crowd made sense. Aging rockers/Aging fans. I pre-gamed with my standard concert drug of choice these days: a handful of Motrin. But it turns out that our concert demographics weren’t all that different from what you’d find at a No Kings rally. In the NYT (Gift Article), Thomas B. Edsall looks at some of the interesting reasons why young people could be missing from a movement that so directly impacts their interests. “We have a president who has directly attacked the finances and the intellectual freedom of colleges and universities, is building the technology for a surveillance state, undermines free and fair elections and took the nation into an unjustified war with no explanation while causing domestic economic havoc. But one ingredient is missing: a substantial anti-Trump youth movement.” NYT (Gift Article): Why Aren’t the Kids Out Protesting Against Trump [ https://substack.com/redirect/58bc2297-3749-481f-a588-44abd27deaa1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? “’At No Kings 1 (June 14, 2025) the median age was 36, at No Kings 2 (Oct. 18, 2025) the median age was 44, and at No Kings 3 (March 28, 2026) it was 48. Clearly, it’s getting older’ ... So what’s going on? I asked a wide range of experts for their thoughts. Some pointed to such structural developments as the explosion in social media usage and public access to artificial intelligence, both of which weaken users’ sense of efficacy and agency.” The irony is that it’s precisely in-person gatherings like concerts and protests that can renew our shared sense of efficacy and agency. Yes, my back was a little sore when I woke up this morning, but, thankfully, I still have the sound of freedom ringing in my ears (at least until I pop one more Motrin) + Photos of young Hungarian voters who helped end Prime Minister Orbán’s grip [ https://substack.com/redirect/c101fd83-2b53-4d21-93a8-fd0c0c728751?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] on power. (Yesterday, I covered the big loss for Orban, and MAGA: Fallen Idol. [ https://substack.com/redirect/d17005e4-4a1b-4f9d-91bf-12d9daf24a47?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]) + Of course, young people have plenty of things to worry about these days, from AI shifts in the job market to the political mess we’ve left them. And they’re coming of age in the age of age. “Although political gerontocracy has operated overtly, the rising economic power of the elderly has escaped much notice. Over the past 40 or so years, American wealth has grown ever more concentrated among the oldest generations. In 1989, Americans over age 55 held 56 percent of it; today they hold 74 percent. During that same period, the share of wealth held by Americans under 40 has shrunk by nearly half, from 12 to 6.6 percent. The color of money is now gray.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): An Oligarchy of Old People [ https://substack.com/redirect/d2d78558-1219-49bb-830a-6093fd1009e4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Bad Hombres in Childcare “The government’s own records complicate that picture. Only about 5 percent of people booked into ICE custody in the last year have been convicted of a violent crime. The number of arrests of people with violent convictions has increased by 37 percent under Trump, while the number of arrests of those with no conviction of any kind has risen by 770 percent, according to ICE data. Many agents and officials we spoke to say the relentless pursuit of deportations is unsustainable and has compromised the department.” NYT Magazine (Gift Article): The View From Inside Trump’s D.H.S [ https://substack.com/redirect/2cf9d961-68b1-4cdb-99e2-e319c9c9220e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Under Joe Biden, D.H.S. had designated ‘protected areas,’ where ICE and Customs and Border Protection were discouraged from conducting operations; these included places ‘where children gather.’ Trump’s D.H.S. rescinded that designation, freeing agents to target children, parents, and caregivers at playgrounds, child-care centers, and schools.” The New Yorker: The Return of Family Detention [ https://substack.com/redirect/a7fa5765-4ce7-44bc-92dd-0a32e6e543d4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Not worried about the ethical price? There’s a financial cost, too. Immigrants Are Scared to File Taxes. It Could Cost the U.S. Billions [ https://substack.com/redirect/6f31f5b9-d137-4c16-944f-15f4d3c3f383?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Gummy Bear Bull Market “Wellness gurus, Make America Healthy Again influencers and no shortage of startups are urging us to eat healthier. Sure, one could follow Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s revised food pyramid, one purported guide to healthier eating, but there’s an even easier fix these groups are also pushing: supplements. Swallow a capsule, mix a powder in some water or pop a nutrient-packed candy. The fast growing US supplement market was valued at $69 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $87 billion by 2028.” Can we gummy ourselves to good health? We’re sure as hell gonna try. Bloomberg (Gift Article): Unilever Bets Big on Gummies as Next Frontier in Wellness [ https://substack.com/redirect/ded23c3f-963d-49e0-bd8c-c429801018b1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Eating Into Profits There’s no shortage of stories about the great and growing economic divide, and the many categories and companies shifting toward serving the luxury market. But you still might not have expected to see this on the list. Gone are the days of the $1 buffet in Las Vegas. Now $175 buffets offer luxury dining [ https://substack.com/redirect/d8e628f6-91cc-4f5e-9155-72c0ae22d2b7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I’m still confident I can turn an all-you-can-eat buffet visit into a net loss for these restaurants. But, it’s not as easy as it used to be.) 5 Extra, Extra A Great Deal Left to Be Desired: According to sources, the US has proposed a 20-year minimum suspension [ https://substack.com/redirect/f9e3702d-68cb-4167-92b0-fdd13d1357f5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] on Iranian uranium enrichment (reminder that we had a nuclear deal with Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/bd2a74d9-7977-4b04-9fcb-42c4baff98cc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] that a certain someone tore up). It looks like there could be more peace talks in the next few days. And, “Lebanon and Israel are holding their first direct diplomatic talks [ https://substack.com/redirect/6dd02d08-174c-4f61-a078-61db774ce1d2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in more than 30 years.” Xi Jinping said the world must not be allowed to “revert to the law of the jungle.” Here’s the latest from The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/21d956b4-3674-4c7a-84f1-ef740c22b82c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], BBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/0ca8f59e-6230-4bc9-b2ae-99bdc66250bc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/15a51622-9d50-4549-acbd-cd5430ea28d2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Brothers in Arms: “The war in Gaza has hardened positions in the Middle East and around the globe. But two men, an Israeli and a Palestinian, say that after that war began in 2023, they became like brothers. It is a brotherhood born out of trauma.” After losing loved ones, an Israeli and a Palestinian work together for Middle East peace [ https://substack.com/redirect/c418cbfb-ade8-4343-be93-627f5875dd6b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Quit Pro Quo: “Two members of Congress facing sexual misconduct allegations from former staffers have announced they will resign from the House [ https://substack.com/redirect/438bcf93-1937-4713-b130-64984a287711?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] amid a push to expel them from Congress. Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who represents California’s 14th Congressional District, and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, who represents Texas’s 23rd Congressional District, both said Monday they plan to resign.” (This brings up an interesting philosophical question: Can you step down from Congress when Congress no longer exists?) Maybe resigning in shame isn’t enough. Swalwell sounds like a serial monster. No one seemed all that surprised at this story breaking. Makes you wonder why so many backed him until it did. Woman says Eric Swalwell drugged, raped and choked her [ https://substack.com/redirect/698fe3fa-3e28-48cd-86b1-eda819c535bd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Rosé Colored Glasses: “Only 10% of Americans said they were more excited than concerned about the increased use of AI in daily life. Meanwhile, 56% of AI experts said they believed AI would have a positive impact on the U.S. over the next 20 years.” Stanford report highlights growing disconnect between AI insiders and everyone else [ https://substack.com/redirect/e8629ef5-8511-4bb1-82b3-da751fb2ac08?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (In short, the people poised to make billions off the technology are more psyched than the people who are poised to lose their jobs.) If you’re interested in the state of AI, the whole report is available here. The 2026 AI Index Report [ https://substack.com/redirect/87f6f572-526f-4e1e-87df-df56a41449f8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Saudi With a Chance of Meatballs: The Hollywood Reporter: Inside Saudi Arabia’s Billion-Dollar Bet on Hollywood [ https://substack.com/redirect/57b6c2c6-81f3-4571-9109-98d63abc55ef?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The Saudis are pouring billions into the Ellisons’ Warner Bros. megamerger — and that’s just the latest move in a Hollywood takeover that’s really about courting Trump, buying Washington influence and giving a restless young population bread and circuses instead of human rights.” + Jesus Saves (And Emails): “Generally, people who are working for the government understand that their job is to work on behalf of all Americans ... And this is something very different. This is very explicitly Christian, and even within the realm of Christianity, a very narrow representation of that.” Wired: Government Workers Say They’re Getting Inundated With Religion [ https://substack.com/redirect/29402649-4b09-4158-8fc7-695ef37010eb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, JD Vance defends Trump amid spat with Pope Leo [ https://substack.com/redirect/7df63eef-16f5-41dc-a9bf-b66b35ff7d30?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: “Stick to matters of morality.” (A member of this administration wants to shift the topic to morality? Now, I’ve heard everything.) + Hippocrisy: “Colombia is the only country outside of Africa with a wild hippo population. The hippos are the descendants of four brought to the country in the 1980s by Escobar as he built a private zoo in Hacienda Nápoles, a gigantic ranch in the Magdalena River valley with a private landing strip that served as his rural abode.” Colombia to kill dozens of ‘cocaine hippos’ linked to Pablo Escobar [ https://substack.com/redirect/01b1ec29-a289-443d-98fe-8993666eff0d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Cocaine Hippo was my nickname in the eighties.) 6 Bottom of the News “Thirteen thousand miles. Infinite contenders. One beautiful loaf.” Caity Weaver in The Atlantic (Gift Article): I Found It: The Best Free Restaurant Bread in America [ https://substack.com/redirect/47f83f49-761b-4e6c-a3ee-e4252402fcd0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (My glucose alarm bell kept going off, so I couldn’t make it to the end. But give me sourdough or give me death.) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVOREl4TlRjMU1pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzJNVGt3TlRRNExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EYzNNalkxTkRnc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5ieHdYOS1jQm9DeWZDQzR5d1dYampBVTJ3UnBfSlpIVXFPVDZrT1h1RFdrIiwicCI6MTk0MjE1NzUyLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzYxOTA1NDgsImV4cCI6MjA5MTc2NjU0OCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.h7THnelHn4C7oxTIcREkFOVU6J9t-kL8orkJMn2AbbM?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/fallen-idol Viktor Orbán attacked and controlled the media. He diminished academia and universities. He acted as a thorn in Europe’s side and a puppet for Putin. He spread falsehoods, attempted to rig elections, limited support to Ukraine, undermined democratic institutions, basked in corruption, weakened checks and balances, described migrants as poison, erected barriers to bar asylum seekers, removed LGBTQ rights, and enriched his friends while ruining the broader economy. Is it any wonder that he was idolized and emulated by the MAGA movement? Yes, it’s a shame that a US administration sent our vice president to campaign for Orbán while our president dangled economic incentives to Hungarians if they kept his fellow autocrat in power. But it’s also a joyful relief that Hungarians said no to all of it, producing a landslide election that will reverberate throughout Europe, and possibly all the way to Mar-a-Lago. “The prime minister’s loss is a crushing defeat for Donald Trump and his vice president, J. D. Vance, who modeled their agenda in part on Orbán’s governance and staffed their movement with activists trained at his think tanks. As Trump alienated traditional U.S. partners, Washington looked to the like-minded leader in Budapest to represent its interests inside the European Union. The bond was so meaningful to Vance personally that he traveled to Budapest last week to campaign alongside Orbán as if they were running mates.” Isaac Stanley-Becker in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Hungary Just Ousted the Unoustable [ https://substack.com/redirect/43592ad8-0a5b-41fc-950a-becffa0c9fce?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (It’s worth noting that Orbán accepted the election results, conceded defeat, and appears to be leaving office without violence. Maybe his American admirers should think about emulating that behavior as well.) + “Orbán’s loss brings to an end the assumption of inevitability that has pervaded the MAGA movement, as well as the belief—also present in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric—that illiberal parties are somehow destined not just to win but to hold power forever, because they have the support of the “real” people. As it turns out, history doesn’t work like that. “Real” people grow tired of their rulers. Old ideas become stale. Younger people question orthodoxy. Illiberalism leads to corruption. And if Orbán can lose, then his Russian and American admirers can lose too.” Anne Applebaum in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Illiberalism Is Not Inevitable [ https://substack.com/redirect/a12ae165-a7c6-4581-b62d-62deae281a49?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Meet Peter Magyar, the Man Who Ended Trump Ally Viktor Orbán’s 16-Year Rule [ https://substack.com/redirect/d32df98d-96fb-452d-a35f-9e1c68d1c708?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Orbán outcome marks another in a string of bad outcomes [ https://substack.com/redirect/c89a0418-d396-4391-9125-5dec0f7e87ab?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]for JD Vance. As Ron Filipkowski notes: “He campaigns for AfD in Germany – they lose. Invited the Pope to come to U.S. for Trump’s big event – Pope refuses. Leads peace negotiations with Iran – fails miserably. Campaigns in Hungary for Orbán – who gets smoked.” (Now if only I could convince JD Vance to root for the Dodgers.) 2 Blockade and Abet “Speaking at the White House, the US president says Iran wants a deal ‘very badly’ and he was called this morning ‘by the appropriate people’ seeking an agreement.” Meanwhile, the US has imposed its own naval blockade on maritime traffic near the Strait. (Maybe a blockade times a blockade equals a positive.) So far, allies have rejected [ https://substack.com/redirect/d53c6b12-6683-4c2b-80c1-078f5b37dc0d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] Trump’s call to join the blockade effort. Here’s the latest on the ceasefire and the ongoing negotiations from The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/ea262043-4adb-4af3-92e1-185bf3361674?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], BBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/30d0b63c-2bfa-44f6-b8de-6230c1f078fc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/f0249d75-2dcd-4e3b-9fe9-2b8c7a81a225?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Fareed Zakaria with an excellent overview of how Trump’s suggestion that the US can profit from Hormuz tolls flies in the face of our core values. “These are revealing remarks, not because they are outrageous. Trump has said many outrageous things, but because they distill a worldview. They suggest a shift in how the United States might see its role not as the guarantor of a system, but as the participant in a deal [ https://substack.com/redirect/131b2c9a-853e-440f-a0a2-9a54317209d3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + While U.S. negotiators shattered peace talks with Iran, Donald Trump was at a UFC event in Miami [ https://substack.com/redirect/61cf1b1e-9ad5-4230-8830-bd16bdb0a9fd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], fawning over the body of a Brazilian mixed martial artist. (The only war Trump won was the one on parody.) 3 The Dope and the Pope “Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself to Truth Social on Sunday depicting him as a Jesus Christ-like figure [ https://substack.com/redirect/2a3c3777-c64d-4659-b7f9-f6cdcfe1cf10?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], with divine light emanating from his hands as he heals a stricken man in a hospital bed with a demon from hell floating in the background.” It proved to be a troll too far, even for Trump supporters, and he removed the post. While he deleted the post, he didn’t take back ridiculous attacks on the Pope about being “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” and having only been elected because of him. “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.” The Pope was undeterred: “I have no fear of the Trump administration [ https://substack.com/redirect/ff67dbc3-29c9-4036-bab7-cc19e38002e9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], nor speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel. That’s what I believe in. I am called to do what the church is called to do.” (You think Trump’s comments are gonna bum out the Pope? The guy is a friggin White Sox fan.) + NYT (Gift Article): Trump’s Erratic Behavior and Extreme Comments Revive Mental Health Debate [ https://substack.com/redirect/f3af7df1-b2e2-44fb-8f2d-f7058fb86c82?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (What’s the debate; whether he qualifies for a chapter in the DSM or deserves to be on the cover?) 4 Container Class “Here are some things that have been found in donation bins: A live puppy. Live Japanese grenades. An 1854 tombstone for Rebecca Jane Nye. Old skulls. A stolen Frederic Remington sculpture. Customized Air Jordans made for Spike Lee. Three pounds of marijuana. Five pounds of marijuana. A five-hundred-pound US Navy practice bomb. A mas­todon tooth. An inert mortar shell. A live mortar shell. A Rolex worth three thousand dollars. A World War I machine gun. The first stamp issued in the US. More than five thousand used blood vials. A Bible signed by the 1953 Pittsburgh Pirates. People.” Paul Collins on a problem you almost certainly didn’t know about. Donation containers that are killing people. The Believer: The Death of a Superman [ https://substack.com/redirect/a936d8d5-fa7e-422b-8e44-a1d99a3d8b37?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Moon Shine: Artemis II’s moon-traveling astronauts return home to cheers [ https://substack.com/redirect/20888dcd-7736-4f76-b433-9aadfe9d88be?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] after a record-breaking trip. “Hansen said the four of them embodied love ‘and extracting joy out of that’ as the four joined together to stand in a row, embracing one another. ‘When you look up here, you’re not looking at us. We are a mirror reflecting you. And if you like what you see, then just look a little deeper. This is you [ https://substack.com/redirect/13813ebe-ac2d-48ec-b5e5-d7c82509a750?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’” (We had to go to the far side of the moon to get a reminder of the decency, diversity, and joyful endeavors of humans here on Earth.) + The Fall of Swalwell: “Multiple House Democrats have called for the resignation of California Representative Eric Swalwell following serious sexual assault allegations [ https://substack.com/redirect/762a35e5-8d2f-4e2a-899d-a2e9745bdd63?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] against him. Swalwell dropped out [ https://substack.com/redirect/208c561e-b0a4-4e13-bcdc-b9cf68a9be51?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] of the California gubernatorial election Sunday, but remains in the House.” (The stories came out. The end was swift. It sure didn’t seem like many insiders were surprised to learn of Swalwell’s behavior.) + Car-cass: “What happened? How did a basic necessity of American life become a luxury good? We have to start with a transformation of the economy itself beginning in the late 1970s ... Today, there are so many wealthy people who can afford luxury cars that it simply isn’t that profitable for companies to produce cars for the bottom 40 percent of Americans by income.” NYT (Gift Article): The Death of the Basic American Car [ https://substack.com/redirect/dba19af4-a46a-4fed-bfa9-23a2813d126b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Do Not Merge: “Joaquin Phoenix, Ben Stiller, Kristen Stewart and 1,000-Plus Hollywood Names Oppose Paramount-Warner Deal in Open Letter: Block the Merger [ https://substack.com/redirect/d63e7b7b-4a5a-4d1c-a026-df5e229c11a4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + Jacket Racket: “Even after a heart-pounding moment on 18, when McIlroy drove his tee shot deep into the woods on the right, there was still no catching him, not even from world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who trailed McIlroy by a dozen strokes entering the weekend only to finish one shot back.” Rory McIlroy collects second straight green jacket at the Masters [ https://substack.com/redirect/d2378429-11dd-48a2-adab-3fb97801c085?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And from The Ringer: Rory McIlroy Does It the Hard Way (Again) [ https://substack.com/redirect/7f2517cd-06ae-4d48-bc9c-daf53d4a55de?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Making a More Human Zuck? “Meta creating AI version of Mark Zuckerberg [ https://substack.com/redirect/7e1ebdf9-f6c6-43fe-9c4c-e869e5a69a6d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] so staff can talk to the boss.” + Swan Song? “A study found that traffic fatalities increased in the United States by nearly 15 percent on the same days as the biggest album releases.” Is a Big Album Dropping? You Might Want to Watch the Road [ https://substack.com/redirect/1e7bf886-3897-46b4-b1c4-aa287e3edf5a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “Ms. Peiker said she often comes across women who are alone on mountain paths because their partners are hiking ahead. So she wasn’t surprised when, during the past weeks, women on Reddit, Instagram and TikTok began sharing stories of being left behind by their partners while hiking, biking and climbing in nature, calling it ‘Alpine divorce.’” NYT (Gift Article): If He Leaves You on a Mountain, End Your Relationship [ https://substack.com/redirect/54e19550-aec8-40d8-ba1a-ebd3b4eb38ea?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Ichiro Suzuki honorary statue unveiled by Mariners, but with broken bat [ https://substack.com/redirect/ab103940-6616-4163-a217-7528a4fb87cb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVOREV4TURnek55d2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzJNVEE0TVRrM0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EYzJORFF4T1Rjc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS56dkNsNW44ekNseTh5S3MzWWtzdl9ZR0lvTWktUU9MZkRDLTZjWUEzVWY4IiwicCI6MTk0MTEwODM3LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzYxMDgxOTcsImV4cCI6MjA5MTY4NDE5NywiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.P95uYVNAPrFTCyzIzoEdmo4_WOUQ1mMhGtjZYCUV06Y?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/hit-the-psychotic-brake What if the 25th Amendment came with a trophy… If that doesn’t work, maybe we should enact a similar amendment for citizens made crazy by the relentless craziness coming out of the Oval Office. I’d say it was ironic that a guy so vehemently against granting asylum has made the whole country feel like it’s one big one, but irony is long gone, having emigrated from America and cut off all internet access about two minutes into Kid Rock’s alternative halftime show. If I were on the Artemis II, which is scheduled to splash down on Friday [ https://substack.com/redirect/6ccaa5a9-22c4-47f0-b515-b8e32961118a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], I think I’d suggest we do another loop. Why come back to this? In the course of about an hour on Thursday, we experienced the latest maniacal spinning about the Iran negotiations, a shock Epstein-related press conference [ https://substack.com/redirect/1c204dc1-90a6-4ab4-b121-01e09d2abdde?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] from the First Lady, and a 482-word presidential post [ https://substack.com/redirect/7e37289c-f192-4cbb-8560-fa0ee3d4f83c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]that attacked former allies like Tucker Carlson and MTG (he gave more details about what is wrong with them than he did about why he went to war with Iran). Maybe this is all a secret plot to get us to look at our devices less often. Sorry, I’m out of the office messages have escalated to Sorry, I’m out of my mind. Jonathan Rauch and Peter Wehner explain how the craziness has spread, if not all the way to you and me, definitely throughout the administration. “What the past few months and especially the past few weeks have brought into focus is how the president’s pathologies have cascaded downward and outward through his administration. They have become institutionalized. The reason the administration so often does not act coherently is because it cannot. The world faces something new and baffling and frightening in Mr. Trump’s second term: a psychotic state. This does not mean that every individual in the government is emotionally or psychologically unstable. Nor is it a clinical diagnosis of the president himself. The issue is that the administration as a whole lacks a consistent attachment to reality and the ability to organize its thinking coherently. Mr. Trump’s grandiosity, his impulsivity, inconsistency and his outright breaks with reality have become state policy.” NYT (Gift Article): The Trump Administration Is in a Psychotic State [ https://substack.com/redirect/c88ed161-2d6b-4830-a177-07e77412359f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I’m pretty sure that headline applies to news curators as well.) + While it might be driving the rest of us crazy, it’s not clear Trump feels uncomfortable in the psychotic state (so long as it’s not a blue state). Susan B. Glasser in The New Yorker: The Costs of Trump’s Iran-War Folly [ https://substack.com/redirect/fcdf33c0-2ff1-4b95-80cf-ef56e5fecc60?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Defeat will not temper his mania. There is no strategic setback so big as to embarrass him ... He’ll handle this like all the rest by moving on and getting over it even before the cleanup crews have finished in Tel Aviv and Tehran.” 2 The American Add Vance Negotiations over the next days and weeks will determine what we have or haven’t achieved through the Iran “excursion.” But some parts of the scoreboard are already coming into focus. Fareed Zakaria talked to Ezra Klein [ https://substack.com/redirect/2441e6d7-140c-4fc3-bd98-a355308094e4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] about what Iran has gained: “What it has gained is a far more usable weapon than nuclear weapons. It has realized — and shown the world — that it can destroy the global economy, that it can block the Strait of Hormuz — and that it would have a cataclysmic follow-on effect.” And what America has lost: “That whole idea that the United States saw itself as different, saw itself not as one more in the train of great imperial powers — which, when it was their turn, decided to act rapaciously, to extract tribute, to enforce a brutal vision of dominance — all that was, in a sense, thrown away. I realize it was just one tweet, but it was the culmination of something Trump has been doing for a long time.” + For some, the war losses have been far more tangible. Iran’s Schools and Hospitals in Ruins, Times Analysis Shows [ https://substack.com/redirect/57f85918-9485-4ce9-9672-860cf740233f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + None of the discussions of recent mistakes made by the administration should be seen as excusing a deadly Iranian regime that has been terrible for its own people, the region, and the world. Nadav Eyal in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Forgotten War That Iran Already Won [ https://substack.com/redirect/16b6ac67-6468-49d4-8505-785025ca1141?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The most important war that Iran has fought was largely undeclared and is almost entirely forgotten. It was a war against regional peace and the agreements that might have secured it.” + In the latest round of negotiations, the team of Witkoff and Kushner will be led by a new participant. Vice President JD Vance is leading negotiations this weekend [ https://substack.com/redirect/6b2c9e32-8f79-447d-b5d9-234573173cb9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] toward an end to a war that he had opposed starting. Here’s the latest from NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/5b2997f5-5cd8-438b-94d3-17e5ee448d95?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/9744fe71-adb3-41cd-9d66-774021f66aa2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and BBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/87e3d1c6-90af-4765-905b-35fa5bf14399?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Modern Mythos “According to Anthropic, the bot has been able to find thousands of software bugs that had gone undetected, sometimes for decades, a sophistication and speed of attack previously thought by many to be impossible. The model has found a nearly 30-year-old vulnerability in one of the world’s most secure operating systems. The Anthropic researcher Sam Bowman posted on X that he was eating a sandwich in the park when he got an email from Mythos Preview: The bot had broken out of the company’s internal sandbox and gained access to the internet.” Claude Mythos Is Everyone’s Problem [ https://substack.com/redirect/1b7503e0-cd38-4d3b-b225-c04b2da38bf3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + It’s not just tech journalists that are worried about the Mythos threat. “Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell summoned bank CEOs to an urgent meeting this week [ https://substack.com/redirect/998fddd8-5699-4a0f-8557-ea7e612753c0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to warn about the cybersecurity risks associated with Anthropic’s powerful Mythos AI model.” 4 Weekend Whats What to Doc: Chess Mates on Netflix [ https://substack.com/redirect/534373b7-c186-4801-9d24-5673374e0eb9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] tracks the biggest controversy in the chess world (and, as it turns out, in the anal bead world). You might not know who to believe and you don’t have to be into chess, or beads, to be into this documentary. + What to Book: Matthew Pearl’s novel The Award [ https://substack.com/redirect/cb41e89b-a8fe-4693-9516-d1a9f8c4fdc2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] is about writers, and award, and the crimes it inspires. + What to Couchella: Music festivals are always best enjoyed from the comfort of one’s couch. And, given the possible weather issues, that’s more true for this year’s Coachella. Catch your favorite bands on YouTube [ https://substack.com/redirect/f419b123-0f91-41e6-b2b4-d2be029feb02?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Political Pawnshops: In large part due to the Iran war, Inflation is way up [ https://substack.com/redirect/9f468954-6a9b-4559-b11b-e29b6d5fbcb7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and consumer sentiment is way down [ https://substack.com/redirect/398a0173-370d-49f2-85f0-8192d49ca7bd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Don’t want to listen to the economists? Then listen the pawn shop owners. Bloomberg (Gift Article): Pawn Shop Loans Spike as High Gas Prices Weigh on Americans [ https://substack.com/redirect/8b31088b-215f-486b-bb5c-5df5e351b0ab?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + First Lady Doth Protest Too Much: You can dissect Trump’s motivations for any move in two seconds. Melania stumped us on the first try. Why did she give that Epstein press conference? A lot of people seem to think it has something to do with a former friend who was recently removed from the country and has been threatening the first lady on social media. I have no idea if that’s right and this is just social media theorizing for now. But here’s the backstory, which is real, and disturbing. Trump Friend Asked ICE to Detain the Mother of His Child [ https://substack.com/redirect/ba3a7cd0-51a1-41dc-97d7-835fe483f208?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Fear Factor: Trump posts graphic video of deadly hammer attack [ https://substack.com/redirect/76fe237b-f2a4-4c47-835d-56bcee869c30?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], blames Democratic immigration policies. (Don’t let in outsiders because they’re too dangerous, says a guy who threatens to destroy an entire civilization...) + Adding Fuel Prices to the Fire: “The Irish government said it had called in the army to help clear blockades of crucial roads, after days of protests over the surging price of fuel, driven by the war in the Middle East, brought highways and streets to a standstill.” Fuel Protests Cause Transport Chaos in Ireland as Iran War Spikes Prices [ https://substack.com/redirect/667a7d85-e3eb-42b7-ae51-f62b551a83da?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Token Gesture: “There was another detail from that afternoon that struck the worker: On the platform at Broad Street was a throng of maybe 20 teenagers avidly filming the orphaned train.” NYT (Gift Article): Who Is Keeping These Trains Moving? Teenagers, Illegally [ https://substack.com/redirect/6fc27203-2bb7-46a3-b087-f23854764195?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Chimps and Chumps: NYT (Gift Article): These Chimps Began the Bloodiest ‘War’ on Record. No One Knows Why [ https://substack.com/redirect/f705fdb3-b6b5-483c-b278-97a31dbeb20f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Two factions split about a decade ago and have been engaged in a highly lethal conflict ever since. Scientists have never seen such widespread, long-running bloodshed among chimpanzees. Further studies may shed light on the roots of warfare in our own species.” But here’s the kicker. “The Trump administration’s proposed budget, released on Friday, has cast doubt on whether the research will continue.” (I’m sure Trump can bring peace among Ugandan chimps in one day.) 6 Feel Good Friday “’It wasn’t real until we got here,’ said Steve Gildner, a friend in the insurance business. ‘When he was stretching this morning, he was between [Dustin Johnson] and Rory [McIlroy]. It’s crazy.” Meet the realtor who earned a tee time at Augusta National [ https://substack.com/redirect/c8ef0a92-2b8a-4f53-9606-2cbaa4c84595?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Britain breaks solar energy record twice [ https://substack.com/redirect/9880a37b-1994-4f2b-b0d3-fed312d4bf06?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] as UK’s biggest solar farm gets approval. In some places, energy advances are still moving ahead. BYD and KFC will pair fast EV charging with drive-thru dining in China [ https://substack.com/redirect/550c23bd-78b9-4da1-9649-8968262b7ff4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Central to the agreement is a concept the two companies are calling ‘9-minute one-stop human and vehicle refueling,’ a nod to BYD’s second-generation Blade battery — introduced in March — which BYD says can bring a vehicle from 10% battery to 97% in nine minutes.” + Chicago Turns All Public School IDs Into Library Cards [ https://substack.com/redirect/c84ac676-00a7-4b43-ba92-7246a6311957?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] To Boost Student Access. + “A woman who had three different autoimmune conditions has not required treatments for almost a year after her immune cells were genetically modified and used to kill off the rogue cells [ https://substack.com/redirect/cf1ff60f-37f5-417d-a6b4-871af07e6904?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]attacking her body.” + “New groundbreaking research by Stanford researchers has shown to do something that was previously believed not possible: reverse age-related cartilage loss in joints [ https://substack.com/redirect/821fecc9-690c-48c6-b17c-d9ff72ce1e99?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + Cambodia unveils statue to honor famous landmine-sniffing rat [ https://substack.com/redirect/6b808dfa-f891-42ef-81e9-5f593d136e47?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Woman who never stopped updating her lost dog’s chip reunites with him after 11 years [ https://substack.com/redirect/1f87daed-da7b-42be-b2c4-ea48f0c74e7c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Three-week-old mountain lion cub rescued by California biologists [ https://substack.com/redirect/3e5543c7-8a87-426b-880f-3dcb97018577?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Oh, I’m definitely getting one of these!) + Reminder to longtime readers who have followed along with Robbi Behr and Matthew Swanson and their excellent Busload of Books program. The couples’ latest book is about to launch, and it’s getting remarkably good reviews! Like out of this world. Get your copy of Life on the Moon [ https://substack.com/redirect/c731446d-3de2-4369-a0ac-b215c7a07b92?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] now. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNemd5T0RZeU5Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzFPRFV3TVRJMUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EY3pPRFl4TWpVc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5pZWJsY0ZiQ3F3NklkQTBXdFhndHA5Y0NQSXQ3N0RQc1BzZkcwTW11bWxrIiwicCI6MTkzODI4NjI1LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzU4NTAxMjUsImV4cCI6MjA5MTQyNjEyNSwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.pAYiW8n0TAHp3Q1i76axGm3_-zIrQBmaa-05sWVI5NQ?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/spock-and-awe These days, you’re so overwhelmed by the constant flow of bad and stressful news that even your browser tabs are begging to be closed. So it’s a good time to be reminded that there’s good news out there, you just have to look for it. OK, in fairness, the good news is, like, way out there. It requires a voyage beyond the terrestrial headlines and out into the final frontier [ https://substack.com/redirect/6495a1b3-c198-45a8-b908-43f9da7a0ade?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], to seek out new stories and new civilizations (not under the threat of being wiped out), to boldly go where no news curator has gone before. So let’s beam back up to Artemis II, where a four person crew is reminding us of the joy we can take in (real) strength, courage, and expertise. And yes, science. Sally Jenkins has a stud finder that she aimed all the way to the heavens. The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Artemis Astronauts Are Studs [ https://substack.com/redirect/4726b8b8-88bc-4e3d-833d-1b0499590025?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “These are the kinds of tough-minded pressure performers whom NASA turns out in the space program, and you could be pardoned for thinking, Now, this is what making America great again should look like: people of accomplishment bringing expertise—not bravado—to difficult problems. The agency seems well worth preserving in the current cultural spiral—rife with so much blowhard false valor that grappling with cage fighters is regarded as training.” And a little more good news. These four humans are on their way back to Earth, and their return couldn’t be scheduled to come soon enough. I was just a few open tabs away from trying to join them up there. 2 Trump’s War Against American Credibility “As the strikes on Iran grew deadlier and more destructive, many Iranians opposed to or ambivalent toward their government began to see the suffering inflicted on them as unacceptable. Some Iranians who once voiced hopes that bombardment could dislodge their rulers say they are now worried that they have ended up with the worst of both worlds — abandoned in a country in ruins, governed by an entrenched, emboldened leadership who they fear could act more aggressively against dissent.” NYT (Gift Article): Iran’s Battered Leaders Emerge From War Confident — and With New Cards [ https://substack.com/redirect/dc5f8e9c-d627-4358-a11c-722511a83fce?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “The war against Iran was not begun in consultation with allies. And it came after a series of events that have confounded them. Mr. Trump’s tariff wars were an unpleasant shock, but his threat to take Greenland by force if necessary from Denmark, a European and NATO ally, is seen as an inflection point about American predation, unreliability and contempt for traditional friends. ‘The Iran war and its economic impact are piling on and reinforce this sense that the U.S. right now has become unpredictable and undependable.’” NYT (Gift Article): A Cease-Fire for Now in Iran, but a Blow to American Credibility [ https://substack.com/redirect/09c96904-a7c9-481e-b222-c91dee796e65?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Blocking the Strait of Hormuz essentially held the world’s energy economy hostage. China is watching. And they know “a blockade of Taiwan would hurt the global economy more than Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.” Oil isn’t the only thing the global economy depends on. We also need chips. “China will have paid close attention to Trump’s pain threshold. Although Beijing has numerous options for conquering Taiwan, the most appealing for the Chinese military would begin with a partial blockade of the island, much like the one Iran imposed on the strait. The resulting shock to the global economy would be far worse.” Simon Shuster: What China Just Learned From the Iran War [ https://substack.com/redirect/9cfdb3c2-dd1c-4c52-a1e4-0ba8edd256e2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Almost certainly under pressure from the US, Israel is opening talks with Lebanon, but Bibi keeps striking Lebanon, the Strait remains mostly closed, and Trump says he’s optimistic about negotiations: Iran’s leaders “talk much differently when you’re at a meeting than they do to the press. They’re much more reasonable. They’re agreeing to all the things that they have to agree to. Remember, they’ve been conquered. They have no military.” (Let’s hope both sides are much more reasonable and honest in private...) Here’s the latest from BBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/510c6427-e2d6-4fc2-99ee-712684299303?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/aec876a9-e6fd-4600-b791-64e2db06c9fa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/b192549d-1092-439a-ba27-34aa9f7ae400?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Birth Mark “What is actually affecting the birth rates are likely lower rates of teen pregnancy overall, which is in the context of higher use of contraception and lower sexual activity for youth, and then also continued access to abortion care.” Teen birth rates hit another historical low in 2025, CDC says [ https://substack.com/redirect/5d52c4f4-86fa-4dac-aabf-edbaa4c52e68?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Odds and Ends Betting on world events may be morally suspect, and turning every event into a gambling opportunity is almost certainly going to degrade our culture. But the news business could hardly be more willing to bet its future on the prediction markets. It seems almost every major news org has done a deal [ https://substack.com/redirect/08fbc580-3667-4918-9de7-e41911d3a469?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] with one of the leading players. And now Google is getting in on the action. Google News Now Prominently Featuring Polymarket Bets [ https://substack.com/redirect/51d57b79-4fdd-4a2d-ba12-0f3822ae950d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Throwing Shade at Trees: “Late Tuesday afternoon, with the subtlety of a wrecking ball and the morality of a foreclosure notice, the Trump administration announced the most devastating attack on the U.S. Forest Service in the agency’s 121-year history. Not a budget cut. Not a policy shift. Not a ‘reorganization.’ An execution.” Trump administration orders dismantling of the U.S. Forest Service [ https://substack.com/redirect/46981283-d5f7-4eb3-879f-41a88c956dc4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Breaking Badder: “Illicit labs are creating new synthetic drugs at breakneck speed. Dangerous, untested compounds are reaching users long before health agencies know they exist. Older drugs are regularly modified to create novel threats.” NYT: The Fast-Changing Chemistry of New, Dangerous Drugs [ https://substack.com/redirect/2b5c4e9b-a6f9-46b2-ae7e-bbdbe9276605?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Getting the Picture: A set of incredible, and often painful, images. Winners of the 2026 World Press Photo Contest [ https://substack.com/redirect/a38e1085-8025-43d3-8e75-06a7bbcbeed8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Last Emperor: I’ve often argued that if you want to know the truth about climate change, just pay attention to the number crunchers at insurance and re-insurance companies [ https://substack.com/redirect/4544960f-3010-4aaa-8e33-dcad55cd1f61?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Or you can pay attention to the penguins. Emperor Penguins Are Now Endangered, a New Assessment Finds [ https://substack.com/redirect/63ee67bd-7e70-4b0c-be83-3245441d578f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Nerves of Steal “President Trump has championed the U.S. steel industry, promising to strengthen it and to impose stiff tariffs on foreign metals to shield manufacturers from overseas competitors. Yet the White House has secured tens of millions of dollars worth of donated foreign steel for Mr. Trump’s $400 million ballroom project.” NYT (Gift Article): White House Secures Foreign Steel for Ballroom Project [ https://substack.com/redirect/8a46d78c-b798-4465-ac49-d4022c9b8320?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Relax, it’s just part of a bribe.) + Speed Demon: “The overhaul of the immigration courts has been far less visible than the militarized deportation raids that President Trump scaled back after public protest. But the effort has helped reshape a hugely consequential, if little-known, corner of the government that the administration is harnessing to advance its mass-deportation policies.” How Trump Purged Immigration Judges to Speed Up Deportations [ https://substack.com/redirect/d116fc3e-8804-4e37-a8b1-3a42fce35137?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + A Hot Mess: “A Tennessee county school board voted unanimously Wednesday to censure a member who told a student, ‘God, you’re hot [ https://substack.com/redirect/80caa405-1215-474d-9712-ecfdf87f52d3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]‘ at a public board meeting last week.” 6 Bottom of the News You’re gonna need a bigger cup... “When Nate Wallick takes his kids tubing on the Illinois River near their home in Peoria, he makes them wear football helmets. He’s also built a cage around the front of their inner tube, and gives everyone nets to catch the carp ... Wallick wears a helmet and a cup when he goes water skiing, after once taking a hit to the groin that knocked him off his skis.” WSJ (Gift Article): Humans Are Losing the Fight Against Flying Fish [ https://substack.com/redirect/d6194030-2e84-4929-a069-ea08bb300810?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + And the Financial Times issues a correction that could define an era. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNemN5TWpFMU5Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzFOell5TXpnd0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EY3lPVGd6T0RBc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5FZUduOVNDdUxHS1d1VmJTZF9BOXAyanNLclAzazU4b1VVZXJaTVdsSHJVIiwicCI6MTkzNzIyMTU1LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzU3NjIzODAsImV4cCI6MjA5MTMzODM4MCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.3yCqi56IqDK6m4Aoz-IWdLpHteq2Lwiw3o9MsnyGq1o?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/taco-dependency The rest of the world is playing checkers. Trump is playing fortnight. The president backed down from his threat to wipe out a civilization and announced a ceasefire and peace-talk process that would take place over his favorite [ https://substack.com/redirect/d154ddbb-692e-4766-8e85-2db5563b3c01?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] period of time: two weeks. The news had many shouting Trump’s second-term nickname: TACO [ https://substack.com/redirect/b30036a7-34fe-4a70-b406-e6096f96710f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] (Trump Always Chickens Out). Call me pro TACO. I have been in favor of most de-escalations since Trump de-escalated down the Trump Tower escalator and into the White House. The public markets seem to be sharing in my sigh of relief [ https://substack.com/redirect/cdc7eef0-0cf6-41c6-840c-bb1a09e97b70?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. If this precarious ceasefire holds, the big question will be whether Trump achieved anything by escalating in the first place. David Sanger in the NYT (Gift Article): “Without question, it was a down-to-the-wire tactical victory, one that should, at least temporarily, get oil, fertilizer and helium flowing again through the Strait of Hormuz, and calm markets that feared a global energy shock would lead to a global recession. But it resolved none of the fundamental issues that led to the war [ https://substack.com/redirect/0955293b-0a5f-43b2-b506-4836d67cc7f6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. It leaves a theocratic government, backed by the vicious Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in charge of a cowed population that has been pummeled by missiles and bombs, and finds itself still under the thumb of a familiar regime, even if under new management. It leaves Iran’s nuclear stockpile in place, including the 970 pounds of near-bomb-grade material that was, in theory, the casus belli of this war.” + How Trump went from threatening Iran’s annihilation to agreeing to a two-week ceasefire in a day [ https://substack.com/redirect/86b6605c-6ce9-47c0-b19a-f870e15d47d8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Well, it sure wasn’t because of any major concessions made by Iran. Iran Releases 10 Points It Says Are Basis for Cease-fire Talks [ https://substack.com/redirect/ea747eef-4f27-4329-88a2-04cbe7dfb0ac?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Iran released its version of the proposal the morning after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week cease-fire, and calls for American troops to leave the region, reasserts Iran’s control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz and maintains Iran’s right to nuclear enrichment.” (Iran is suggesting that they will charge $2 million per vessel [ https://substack.com/redirect/63eec580-ad51-45f2-b072-a060ec97cbb7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] that travels through the Strait.) Hegseth said Iran “begged” for a ceasefire, but these deal points sure don’t sound like total surrender. (FWIW, Trump called this ten point plan fraudulent and explained he is dealing with another set of points [ https://substack.com/redirect/25e45c39-17ff-42d6-93a3-cd3d71d42c97?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: “These are the POINTS that are the basis on which we agreed to a CEASEFIRE. It is something that is reasonable, and can easily be dispensed with.”) + Who could have predicted things would play out like this? Lots of people, including many inside the administration. And, as is always the case when things don’t go well, they’re more than happy to leak their opinions. “When Mr. Trump joined the meeting, Mr. Ratcliffe briefed him on the assessment. The C.I.A. director used one word to describe the Israeli prime minister’s regime change scenarios: ‘farcical.’ John Ratcliffe, the C.I.A. director, cautioned against considering regime change an achievable objective in a Situation Room meeting the next day. At that point, Mr. Rubio cut in. ‘In other words, it’s bullshit,’ he said.” NYT (Gift Article): How Trump Took the U.S. to War With Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/6a63681e-fbfc-4091-87a5-6f6ca91299e9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Bibi, not ceasing: At least 254 killed after Israel hits Lebanon with massive wave of airstrikes [ https://substack.com/redirect/18653374-0ac9-4dcc-ad8b-54a52b2475e9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + For now, the Strait traffic is halted, Iran is still apparently attacking its neighbors, and the warring parties are disagreeing about what they agreed to ahead of the ceasefire. Here’s the latest from the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/cdb14b18-3200-4a89-a2b1-2591cff8c33d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/c2ef79d9-c09d-46fd-8193-2794ad2a8aa4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/8f9be343-e061-4520-8308-3805b9fe9e72?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 War: What Was It Good For? However the peace negotiations play out, it’s hard to imagine America’s evolving place in the world will be better off than it was a couple months ago (when it was already suffering). The Atlantic (Gift Article): A New Geopolitical Reality Is Here [ https://substack.com/redirect/afc94085-6584-4410-98a2-bee7c598de22?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The war has exposed the contradictions of the Trump administration’s geopolitical worldview. Under this president, the United States has rewarded Russia, ignored China, punished Europe, and abandoned its Asian allies and partners to an economic crisis that it helped set in motion.” (Is pulling out of NATO [ https://substack.com/redirect/398a8cc1-0358-43ba-b6f5-b4dd0d21cf41?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] next?) 3 Restraint Constraint “The good news is that Anthropic discovered in the process of developing Claude Mythos that the A.I. could not only write software code more easily and with greater complexity than any model currently available, but as a byproduct of that capability, it could also find vulnerabilities in virtually all of the world’s most popular software systems more easily than before. The bad news is that if this tool falls into the hands of bad actors, they could hack pretty much every major software system in the world, including all those made by the companies in the consortium.” Tom Friedman: Anthropic’s Restraint Is a Terrifying Warning Sign [ https://substack.com/redirect/d5b2bd11-70c4-4d94-9c62-6664140be91b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Anthropic may have gotten to this point first. They won’t be the last. Casey Newton explains why Anthropic’s new model has cybersecurity experts rattled [ https://substack.com/redirect/30eb27a3-5955-48d6-986a-1e054e6ea1a8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “One of the world’s three frontier labs has now created a model it says is too dangerous to release to the general public. These dangers emerged not from any specialized cyber training but from the same general improvements that every other lab is currently pursuing. As a result, models with similar capabilities may soon be accessible to criminals, hackers, and nation states — or even more broadly via open source models.” 4 This Apple Never Left the Tree “In 1976, Chris Espinosa rode his Puch moped a mile and a half every Wednesday afternoon, parked it and went to work. Just 14 years old, he still had to go to school and didn’t have a driver’s license. But his employer, Apple Computer, had customers who wanted to try its earliest computer, and Mr. Espinosa was responsible for demonstrating it. Mr. Espinosa’s job has changed many times in the 50 years since. But he still works for Apple.” One of Apple’s First Employees Looks Back at 50 Years [ https://substack.com/redirect/432f22e0-8689-4ded-8d06-3258d60730ef?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Crypt Script: “Bitcoin’s creator has hidden behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto for 17 years. But a trail of clues buried deep in crypto lore led to a 55-year-old computer scientist named Adam Back.” John Carreyrou in the NYT (Gift Article): My Quest to Solve Bitcoin’s Great Mystery [ https://substack.com/redirect/152f8622-7e61-49d7-b1b0-949ae81a1197?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I still think Bitcoin’s greatest mystery is: what is it good for?) + Moon Shots: Here are some more excellent photos [ https://substack.com/redirect/bd09eb20-cb95-41cc-acb3-e692d90d52a9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] from the Artemis II crew. (If these go viral on Instagram, everyone’s gonna want to visit the far side of the moon.) And Kottke’s got you covered if you need some Stunning Artemis II Phone Wallpapers [ https://substack.com/redirect/b7ed208a-2223-459e-8ee1-4e1715f6a03c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (It’s gonna take a lot more than a lunar joy ride to get my beagles off my lock screen...) + Plea Change: Rex Heuermann admits to killing 8 women in Gilgo Beach serial killings [ https://substack.com/redirect/2f70dc31-a0b0-4893-82bc-9ce4d5707ee2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Ketamine Time: “She also said she had sold ketamine to Cody McLaury, a 33-year-old who died in 2019 shortly after purchasing the drugs, as well as Perry, and continued dealing after learning of their deaths.” ‘Ketamine Queen’ sentenced to 15-year prison term [ https://substack.com/redirect/d936bc9c-44ab-43a7-a2c9-4a141e2880eb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for role in Matthew Perry’s death. + Generic Rolled: “The country has one of the largest diabetic populations in the world by sheer number — more than 100 million people are estimated to be living with some form of the disease. And 350 million people there live with obesity. Heart attacks and strokes, which are lumped together under cardiovascular disease, claim 2.8 million lives a year in India, and strike nearly a decade earlier on average than in high-income countries.” That’s why the generic versions of GLP-1s could be a massive game changer. Ozempic just got cheap enough to change the world [ https://substack.com/redirect/54dc6847-2ebd-4c7c-9f4d-3dfb16e710f3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + New Management, Same Boss: “The decision [to target Cassidy Hutchinson] was in keeping with the administration’s bid to find new ways to use the powers of the federal government to target Mr. Trump’s political opponents.” Justice Dept.’s Civil Rights Division Is Investigating Star Witness Against Trump [ https://substack.com/redirect/02cdccc1-852e-4084-adc1-0969e14014e6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Remember, Pam Bondi was canned in part because she wasn’t terrible enough when it comes to targeting Trump’s enemies...) + The LLM Will See You Now: “Online communities focused on health anxiety—an umbrella term for excessive worrying about illness or bodily sensations—are filling up with conversations about ChatGPT and other AI tools. Some say it makes them spiral more than ever, while others who feel like it helps in the moment admit it’s morphed into a compulsion they struggle to resist.” The ChatGPT Symptom Spiral [ https://substack.com/redirect/d105f983-b7d5-45a4-bfec-6e8046d95612?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I tend to spread my symptoms across several LLMs so none of them get as irritated with me as my friends and family are...) 6 Bottom of the News “The door slides open to reveal an interior in a lovely shade of peacock blue more akin to what I’ve seen in a fancy hotel powder room. After you do your business and exit the stall — you can wash your hands inside or at a little station on the exterior that includes a potable water spigot — the door closes and the cleaning process commences after each use. It looks a bit like a toilet theme park: the bowl is drawn back into the rear wall, where it’s sprayed down and disinfected.” A deep dive into self-cleaning public toilets in Paris. The best seat in town [ https://substack.com/redirect/389da959-ec34-4cc0-919b-89e42bd3aa29?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I’m thinking about getting one of these for my house.) + The latest fashion statement: 7-Eleven merch [ https://substack.com/redirect/df74cf7e-3596-425d-b2f6-2934471aea58?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNell3T0RRME1Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzFOamMwTXpBd0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EY3lNVEF6TURBc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5iQVAxekxlSFZSVllqQ1Y0VlpfaklXVHpHZlRzVTdyR3JSQTc2OEFBc0k4IiwicCI6MTkzNjA4NDQxLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzU2NzQzMDAsImV4cCI6MjA5MTI1MDMwMCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.ERDJyAeUhOroBc1wSzBAXtssaI34HFhDBjDk5pkGiXc?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/strait-shooter In between posting that “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F-ckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell — JUST WATCH. Praise be to Allah” and announcing that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” the president of the most powerful country in the world stood next to the Easter Bunny and shared some thoughts about Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/efd3e5bd-1abb-4027-b01f-9c8e25815484?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Donald Trump may not have yet been able to bomb open the Strait of Hormuz, but he has blown his strait jacket clean off. We are in uncharted territory, with an unhinged president repeatedly threatening war crimes and a cast of enablers unwilling to stand up to the monster they helped create. I’m no expert on mental illness, even though I’ve been forced to confront its symptoms plastered across the news since that fateful Trump Tower escalator ride. But I’d imagine that if you were a cornered, frustrated, attention-addicted malignant narcissist with flourishing sociopathic tendencies, you’d be getting off bigly right now as a whole civilization waits to see if you’ll destroy it. I hope this manifestation of unbridled symptoms proves to be bluster or leads to some kind of deal and that the civilization in question does not die. In the meantime, American civilization is dying a little more with each passing day. + “Whatever happens tonight, the president, by saying such things, has already changed the world for the worse, and made acts of mass violence more likely. If we are Americans, he has also changed our country. He has changed us, because he represents us; we voted for him, or we didn’t vote and allowed him to come to power, or we didn’t do enough to stop him. These words are America’s words, until and unless Americans reject them.” Timothy Snyder: The president speaks genocide [ https://substack.com/redirect/06b017a6-1a1b-4bde-9741-96889ff5cd1c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “The bombings and threats have left many Iranians living in fear not only of their own government, which killed thousands of people in a crackdown on protesters early this year, but their would-be American rescuers, who pledged at the beginning of the war to create the conditions for their government to fall.” WSJ (Gift Article): Iranians Fear Trump’s Threatened Escalation [ https://substack.com/redirect/2135146f-ae78-48da-9d15-ea04d3294d75?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. +”Lili, the Tehran resident, said that as someone who long opposed her government and sympathized with the nationwide demonstrations that sought to topple it just months ago, Mr. Trump’s threats have shifted her feelings toward the United States and Israel. Both countries’ leaders have repeatedly voiced support for Iran’s opposition and encouraged Iranians to use the war to rise against their leaders. But their warplanes are now bombing not just military sites, she said, but critical industrial facilities, universities and schools. ‘So now, we are supporting Iran and whatever government is running it.’” NYT (Gift Article): Iranians Voice Shock and Defiance in Face of Trump’s Looming Deadline [ https://substack.com/redirect/759ffaf0-61a6-420d-88a4-52ab88a76b66?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “What benefits the Iranian people—global economic reintegration, diplomatic recognition, investment, normalcy—threatens a regime that operates an extensive mafia and thrives in isolation. The carrots that America offers the nation are sticks to the men who rule it. And the sticks that America wields against the regime—isolation, conflict, and chaos—are carrots to men whose power depends on all three.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): Trump’s Fundamental Misunderstanding in Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/c31cb5bf-73ec-4193-9023-93be32fd0e28?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Even if you take ethics out of the equation (which many have already done), you have to wonder how further harming the Iranian citizens harmed by this regime will lead to the regime doing a deal? + US-Israeli strikes hit Iran’s oil, rail and bridges, U.S. strikes Kharg Island, here’s the latest from NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/05ffd583-0fc6-4b80-98c0-25e768e00e5c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/6cc63888-312d-4a4c-9c80-71ac0949c77b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/8de923c1-248f-493b-b786-8af230a7063d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and BBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/fe6176e6-f0d3-45b4-8585-b28cbb0e2654?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Moon Beams At one point yesterday, the Artemis II team was on the other side of the moon [ https://substack.com/redirect/bf1f9ab5-a4e0-4071-8ea1-3fe51236cc48?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and completely out of contact with Earth (making them the happiest humans in the universe). They traveled farther from the Earth than any humans had ever gone before, and they’ve got the photos to prove it. Moon Joy: Photos From Artemis II [ https://substack.com/redirect/707c263d-2701-45e8-9384-5deb79e53ccf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “As the astronauts of Artemis II traveled farther from Earth than any humans before them, they paused. Speaking solemnly, they called down to mission control to request that an unnamed crater on the moon be dedicated to Carroll Wiseman [ https://substack.com/redirect/71ebcc72-9ed3-4696-8353-2b4df49c96d0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], the wife of mission commander Reid Wiseman, who died of cancer in 2020.” + Not satisfied ruining everything on Earth, Trump called the astronauts [ https://substack.com/redirect/641f700c-884f-4253-aeca-19fbd475a0d5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to ruin a little of their trip. (The next thing NASA needs to invent: Intergalactic voicemail.) 3 A Shamazel Abroad “He heaped praise on Mr. Orban as a ‘statesman’ who is ‘wise and smart’ and abuse on European Union ‘bureaucrats’ who he said ‘tried to destroy the Hungarian economy’ to sway Sunday’s result ‘because they hate this guy.’ Mr. Orban’s leadership, he added, “can provide a model to the Continent.’” Vance Visits Hungary to Boost Orban Before Election [ https://substack.com/redirect/008bf433-52f5-4e79-b003-2379089903b5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, Russia supplies Iran with cyber support, spy imagery [ https://substack.com/redirect/81451b69-d1f5-4be6-8344-556570caf967?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to hone attacks. + “Mr. Vance is responding as he always has whenever ambition calls: He’s humiliating himself. The vice president is scheduled to go to Hungary on Tuesday to campaign for the country’s authoritarian leader, Viktor Orban, a Kremlin-allied white nationalist who proclaims that Europeans ‘do not want to become peoples of mixed race.’” Dana Milbank in the NYT (Gift Article): How Much Humiliation Can Vance Take [ https://substack.com/redirect/e2c03054-dbe2-4944-afb3-5fcf4f37748a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? (How much can wetake?) 4 Grim Reap Some crops are currently wasting away in fields because there aren’t enough workers to pick them. Wait, what gives? I thought the plan was to chase away immigrant labor and wait for Americans to come take the jobs that are rightfully theirs? Well, it went something like this: “High wage mandates have ‘not resulted in a meaningful increase in new entrants of U.S. workers to temporary or seasonal agricultural jobs.’ Farmers received applications from U.S. workers for only 182 of 415,000 positions advertised in the last fiscal year.” WSJ (Gift Article): The Farm Labor Shortfall Bites [ https://substack.com/redirect/4964c4f6-8d88-4e6e-a58e-250aae895c21?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Close Only Counts in Horseshoes and AI: “A recent analysis of AI Overviews found that they were accurate approximately nine out of 10 times. But with Google processing more than five trillion searches a year, this means that it provides tens of millions of erroneous answers every hour (or hundreds of thousands of inaccuracies every minute) ... Whether a response rate that is almost — but not quite — accurate should be celebrated is part of a widespread debate in Silicon Valley.” (It’s just not as heated as the debate over who will make the most money from AI...) NYT: How Accurate Are Google’s A.I. Overviews [ https://substack.com/redirect/8d0a92b1-fd38-48e0-b5bd-98f0d944bdf5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? + Some Assembly Required: Michigan held off UConn [ https://substack.com/redirect/ccd68bb0-daea-42df-810e-788a5cc69e4c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to win the March Madness crown. It was the second win for Michigan, but the first of its kind. Dusty May “deployed a starting five this season made up entirely of transfers [ https://substack.com/redirect/fd82c616-f79a-49cf-a7de-07ff78b3e60a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. It was the first time in NCAA basketball history that a team with an all-transfer starting five won the championship.” For anyone old enough to remember the old Gabe Kaplan movie Fast Break, the NIL era has basically turned it into a documentary. + Hook, Lines, and Linker: “’It’s not like he was just holed up in his room 24-7,’ Freudenberg says. ‘He ran track. He played soccer. He was a great student.’ Until he dropped out of college at age 19. That’s when his mom found out that he had been gambling for nearly half his life.” More teens are getting hooked on gambling. Parents say it often goes undetected [ https://substack.com/redirect/e9263088-5038-4b2a-9421-d4dde87ff3fd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Lithium Valley: “In Imperial County, Calif., half of the roads are unpaved and the unemployment rate is sky-high. The shimmering water at a once-thriving lakeshore is toxic. Perhaps nowhere in California needs a lifeline more than this arid borderlands region in the southeastern corner of the state. And a mile underground, there might just be one.” NYT (Gift Article): The California Lake Billed as the Saudi Arabia of Lithium [ https://substack.com/redirect/71206dfc-a9c5-412d-ad11-01f138d47254?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Not everyone is so sure the locals would benefit...) + Ye Nods: “Kanye West was barred Tuesday from entering the U.K [ https://substack.com/redirect/e425d2fd-4c7e-4f6f-ab03-3acd4e83119a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]., where he was scheduled to headline the Wireless Festival in July, after a backlash over [his] history of antisemitic remarks.” Sadly, the reaction of the public to his return isn’t quite the same. He was just joined by a bunch of famous guests during a couple sold out shows at SOFI in LA [ https://substack.com/redirect/1129cfc2-8c31-4559-8305-d508ed4c477a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + An International Terminal Case: “New Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin wants to punish ‘sanctuary cities’ for refusing to cooperate with Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda by stripping them of customs and immigration services.” New DHS Secretary Threatens to Sabotage America’s Biggest Airports [ https://substack.com/redirect/51405242-6212-4e92-957c-62090ba69bb2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + To Recede or Reseed:“Ansell, the dermatologist, said she has had parents come in asking about finasteride for their teenage sons, looking to make sure they get ‘all the best they can have in order to succeed in life.’ Young men are also coming in on their own for help keeping their hair. ‘More of them are really anxious about it,’ Ansell said. ‘There’s no new epidemic of hair loss, but there is an epidemic of men freaking out about it.’” NYT (Gift Article): The Hair-Loss Drug Rewriting the Rules of Masculinity [ https://substack.com/redirect/1cf3f548-2bf7-4b0b-a001-795df998f2f5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (What about tradition? I made fun of my dad for being bald. And now I’m going bald. This is the way.) 6 Bottom of the News “American families are leaning in to the low-tech life for their kids, installing home phones to stave off smartphone use. It’s creating some hiccups. For weeks after getting her phone, Elsie would call friends only to sit in agonizing silence, not knowing what to say.” WSJ (Gift Article): Kids Are Discovering the Joys—and Pains—of the Landline [ https://substack.com/redirect/a96a3213-b5ee-433e-9591-fffde28edda9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNelE1TmpVd09Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzFOVGcyTlRBM0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EY3hNakkxTURjc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5UaXZ1MWxYSGtOVUZrX0hpUkgyeDhOMEtTQ0RYNjZRYkl2dkdaX1lSR2pjIiwicCI6MTkzNDk2NTA5LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzU1ODY1MDcsImV4cCI6MjA5MTE2MjUwNywiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.iK2mVlqgflrcW8Yqm7Tq-6d37aYC0_d1qX1HTVCLe_4?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/holy-shit In a continued move toward the reunification of church and state, the Trump administration celebrated Easter by going full resurrection in a series of religious posts [ https://substack.com/redirect/52f635a9-f285-4271-8c59-a78888a1a089?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] from various departments. But an Easter morning they hoped would commemorate a rising, served instead as a stark reminder of the depths of our descent. In his own unhinged, religion-charged post, the president of the United States threatened war crimes. “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell — JUST WATCH. Praise be to Allah.” (Anyone remember when Trump told Iranian protesters HELP IS ON ITS WAY?) What’s the big deal? It’s just Trump being Trump. It will all get lost in the news cycle anyway. Well, it is a big deal for several reasons. It’s yet another crazy, terrible hit on American leadership, in which most of our allies have already lost faith. It’s a signal to our enemies that the rules of war are no longer in play. It’s a message that could potentially galvanize the Iranian people against American efforts, even those predisposed to support efforts to rid their country of a terrible regime. It’s a detriment to American service personnel who are being associated with, and potentially being ordered to commit, war crimes. And it’s a reminder that the most powerful country on Earth is being run by a lunatic, and no matter how offensive he is or how serious a threat he poses, his enablers will continue to enable him. NYT(Gift Article): Trump Revels in Threats to Commit War Crimes in Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/a3bbca2e-8d7e-4b1c-9217-c3eacf9067e5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The American president has been unambiguous in his disdain for international law. In a two-hour Oval Office interview in January with The New York Times, Mr. Trump declared, ‘I don’t need international law.’ When asked whether there was any limit on his global powers, he said, ‘Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality.’” Let’s hope America can resurrect itself from that. + “As former uniformed military lawyers who advised targeting operations, we know the president’s words run counter to decades of legal training of military personnel and risk placing our warfighters on a path of no return.” Just Security: When War Crimes Rhetoric Becomes Battlefield Reality [ https://substack.com/redirect/f7a1f7f3-1467-49e4-8b6b-b92e0cba8f1c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + NYT (Gift Article): On Iran, Trump Keeps World Off Balance With Ever-Changing Threats [ https://substack.com/redirect/0e6a2c8d-bfba-4018-95a3-629712c9055c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Off balance. I guess that’s one way to put it.) + Iran rejects latest ceasefire proposal, calling instead for permanent end to the war. Here’s the latest from AP [ https://substack.com/redirect/386915bc-26e4-4f0f-b550-dc35f8b1255e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/c8076173-e949-4c97-8b4e-5a53eee1ebd3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/5f480836-58cd-4e69-94fe-32e51939c942?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Search and Rescue “Iran had launched several search parties, one of which had assembled at the base of the mountain where the weapons officer was hiding. For the Iranians, the downed Air Force colonel was a powerful asset they could use as leverage in high-stakes negotiations with the United States. For the U.S. military, which lives by the mantra of ‘no man left behind,’ finding the downed officer was a moral imperative. Battered by the force from his ejection, the weapons officer waited. He knew that both U.S. and Iranian forces were racing to find him.” A Harrowing Race Against Time to Find a Downed U.S. Airman in Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/e7c5a577-58c3-4ffb-b5ca-d994fd2092d6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Control Altman Delete “The firm was established as a nonprofit, whose board had a duty to prioritize the safety of humanity over the company’s success, or even its survival.” Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz in The New Yorker: Sam Altman May Control Our Future—Can He Be Trusted [ https://substack.com/redirect/a2d6df66-dfb7-45da-9c24-844fa2ea7b15?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? “Altman has a relentless will to power that, even among industrialists who put their names on spaceships, sets him apart. ‘He’s unconstrained by truth,’ the board member told us. ‘He has two traits that are almost never seen in the same person. The first is a strong desire to please people, to be liked in any given interaction. The second is almost a sociopathic lack of concern for the consequences that may come from deceiving someone.’” (Sound like the kind of guy you want in charge of making decisions about the future of AI?) 4 Ice Crusher “The incident caught my eye because I sometimes attend wrestling shows, and because of a pet theory that’s gained momentum among pundits over the past decade: that the style of pro wrestling actually explains a lot about modern politics. The way that politicians stretch the truth for their audience, and quickly swap stances, and lean into a blustering, exaggerated persona—all of that’s wrestling.” Jeremy Gordon in The Atlantic(Gift Article): Wrestling’s Newest Star Is Massive, Bearded, and Ready to Piledrive Ice [ https://substack.com/redirect/1924aebd-9b01-40d4-8d49-008a3f6f2e74?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Politics may creep into any sport, but it can feel closer to the surface in wrestling, which made me think their anti-ICE chants were less a momentary gesture of support for the character King is cultivating and more an authentic expression of feeling at a particularly charged and violent moment in American life.” + Why is ICE losing favor in places where you might not expect it? Because the notion that they’re going after the worst and most dangerous criminals has been body slammed by reality. These are just a few of the headlines I came across today. MoJo: She Helped the Authorities Deport Her Abuser. Then They Deported Her Back to Him [ https://substack.com/redirect/eed3629f-bde1-4c2f-87a6-88c45235bb54?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. NYT (Gift Article): ICE Agents Detain Newlywed Spouse of Soldier Training to Deploy [ https://substack.com/redirect/191010dd-7327-40c0-ad46-ccdb1172be7b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The Atlantic(Gift Article): She Testified About Being Raped. Then ICE Showed Up [ https://substack.com/redirect/1f9890ce-bf55-478e-9183-fd514cf13fe6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. NBC: Some Marines graduate without their parents present amid ICE fears [ https://substack.com/redirect/53b3040a-9a77-4a69-8a8d-a1236c0375bb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Close Enough to Moon the Moon: “The astronauts woke up to the voice of Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell, who recorded the message just two months before his death last August. “Welcome to my old neighborhood. It’s a historic day and I know how busy you’ll be, but don’t forget to enjoy the view.” Artemis II astronauts race to set a new distance record from Earth [ https://substack.com/redirect/cadcbf52-020d-46c7-b9c2-2e736ff1eb76?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and behold the moon’s far side. Ars Technica: Artemis II is going so well that all we’re left to talk about is frozen urine [ https://substack.com/redirect/33dfc1ec-79d7-41a1-b77c-08507b5458b3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + America Upside Down: “Vice President JD Vance is heading to Hungary this week with a lofty goal: to try and boost Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán [ https://substack.com/redirect/0b510421-36ba-4cdd-a0c9-3207e3ddec30?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in the country’s looming election.” + Something Big Was Bruin: “UCLA stymied South Carolina, 79-51, on Sunday in the national title game to secure the program’s first NCAA championship. It was a dominant UCLA effort from the opening tip that turned into a runaway in the second half.” UCLA locks down South Carolina for dominant win, program’s first Women’s NCAA championship [ https://substack.com/redirect/26c78f8a-8b79-4861-b53f-c215461edba7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Island Fever: Trump Seeks $152 Million to Begin to Turn Alcatraz Back Into a Prison [ https://substack.com/redirect/8cfeb52c-80bf-4fa6-84dc-7c6143282e4c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Time to close the Strait of the Golden Gate.) + Angel in the Outfield: ‘Greatest defensive game I’ve ever seen’: Jo Adell robs 3 home runs in dramatic Angels win [ https://substack.com/redirect/d1f89249-9fb7-4551-b908-de5f1fe1e703?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Wow. + I-Hopping to Waffle House: No One at Waffle House Remembers FEMA Official Who Says He Teleported In [ https://substack.com/redirect/debc8e47-1721-455b-a31e-337f1d5c00af?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Gregg Phillips, who is in charge of responding to fires and floods, says the hand of God suddenly and mysteriously moved him to a 24-hour breakfast spot in Rome, Ga.” (If I ever have a religious experience like this, I can only hope it involves breakfast foods...) 6 Bottom of the News “A woman who had sex with identical twins within four days of each other is unable to ensure one of them takes parental responsibility because it is ‘not possible [ https://substack.com/redirect/0751f22e-547f-4cda-9731-e94316fab5b4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]‘ to know which is the father, the court of appeal has said.” (Someday, we’re gonna get back to a world where this is the top news of the day. You have to believe...) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNek0zTmpJME1Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzFORGszTlRRMkxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EY3dNek0xTkRZc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS41dHdrUkFZVXExR0FGejctbUQwY3ZJY19PMmkyUWpWRnlQU0Z6X3NEZVZjIiwicCI6MTkzMzc2MjQwLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzU0OTc1NDYsImV4cCI6MjA5MTA3MzU0NiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.Rbo4dpU5W9aU0q2Y6Fb5GjGAdpg8GcZds1bM1ickoaM?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/the-straight-dope Pete Hegseth finally found straits he could protect: White male ones. While the military he oversees is attempting to remove the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Hegseth is managing a military blockade of personnel within his department. And somehow, this is happening in a time of war. But, apparently, no battle matters as much to Hegseth as the one against diversity. “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Gen. Randy George, the Army’s chief of staff, on Thursday, a move that reflects growing hostility between Mr. Hegseth and the Army’s leadership ... The tension with Mr. Hegseth was not rooted in substantive differences over the direction of the Army, military officials said. Rather it is the product of Mr. Hegseth’s long-running grievances with the Army, battles over personnel and his troubled relationship with Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll ... Mr. Hegseth has also clashed in recent months with General George and Mr. Driscoll over the defense secretary’s decision to block the promotion of four Army officers to be one-star generals. Two of the officers targeted by Mr. Hegseth are Black and two are women on a promotion list that consisted of 29 other officers, most of whom are white men.” This is not the headline you want to see in a time of war: Hegseth Fires Army Chief Amid Battle With Its Leaders [ https://substack.com/redirect/13ca7bbf-9f26-4dc5-842f-a26c1a10a27d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The Pentagon chief, who has earned the nickname Dumb McNamara [ https://substack.com/redirect/30647882-2ce8-4092-bfc8-5526099401aa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], is now firing wildly qualified military leaders for their insistence on promoting other wildly qualified military leaders. Maybe it makes sense Hegseth changed his agency’s name to the Dept of War, because there’s no defense for the way he’s running it. + DEI Another Day: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has taken steps to block or delay promotions for more than a dozen Black and female senior officers across all four branches of the military, some of whom are seen as having been targeted because of their race, gender or perceived affiliation with Biden administration policies or officials, according to nine U.S. officials familiar with the process.” NBC: Hegseth has intervened in military promotions for more than a dozen senior officers [ https://substack.com/redirect/4d6642e3-9abb-4e76-b696-56b6c644b71a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Hegseth began his tenure by acting against what he sees as a Pentagon infested with DEI hires. He pushed for the removal of the then–chairman of the Joint Chiefs, C. Q. Brown, who is Black, and he fired a raft of female military leaders, replacing them all with men. But dumping the Army chief of staff in the middle of a war, without explanation, is a reckless move even by Hegseth’s standards ... Trump and Hegseth have been on a clear mission to politicize the U.S. military, and to turn it into an armed extension of the MAGA movement. Hegseth regularly proselytizes, both for Trump and for his right-wing evangelical beliefs, from the Pentagon podium.” Tom Nichols: Hegseth’s War on America’s Military [ https://substack.com/redirect/a9d63eab-2ff5-4158-9b59-ab9e16ca40d2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + This would all be bad in a time of peace. It’s much worse during a war, a point hammered home by the latest news from the Gulf. “Iran shot down a U.S. fighter jet over the country, the first time that has occurred in five weeks of war, and American forces were rushing to find and rescue its two crew members. The loss of the F-15E jet and the rescue efforts, reported by Iranian media and confirmed by U.S. and Israeli officials, create a military and diplomatic challenge for the United States. President Trump has threatened in recent days to bombard Iran ‘back to the Stone Ages,’ and over the past 24 hours, the United States and Iran have been trading attacks on military and civilian infrastructure in the region.” As I’m writing, one of the American fighter pilots has been rescued. Here’s the latest from the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/00fe0812-80e4-48c8-8466-5d6cae2e10e3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/053577a0-97da-427b-9b8e-9980c5c50447?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Chronic Tonic People with chronic illnesses are as aware as the rest of us that chatbots sometimes get it wrong. But they’re also comparing the act of using them to their experiences with the medical system. “The medical system really failed me. Is it a good thing to be depending on A.I. for medical advice? I don’t think so. But it’s the option that’s available.” Doctors Couldn’t Help Them. They Rolled the Dice With A.I [ https://substack.com/redirect/e4834ccd-3556-4acd-9c42-038c087eb500?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Some women with complex chronic illnesses are using chatbots to search for diagnoses or relief from their symptoms.” (The answers may not always be satisfying, but at least the doctor will always see you now...) + The Verge (Gift Article): Chatbots are now prescribing psychiatric drugs [ https://substack.com/redirect/c5f20eb8-df74-4520-976f-f30fbdc90940?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (It’s just for renewals ... for now.) 3 Drunk on Life “In 2019, Mark Mongiardo, then a high school athletic director, was pulled over in Sullivan County, N.Y., after a dinner with the boys’ golf team. He’d eaten a hot dog and some fries, washed down with a soda. He hadn’t had a sip of alcohol, but the officer who stopped Mr. Mongiardo for using his phone while driving smelled it anyway. A breathalyzer test showed Mr. Mongiardo’s blood alcohol content was .18 percent, more than twice the legal driving limit. It was his second drunken driving offense in two years, but these episodes of unexplained intoxication had begun decades earlier.” It turns out that some people can get drunk from the inside. Their bodies essentially make ethanol. And though that might sound fun, it’s anything but. It’s a brewing storm. “D.W.I.s, relationship problems, accusations of secret drinking: Auto-brewery syndrome can wreak havoc on people’s lives and reputations.” NYT (Gift Article): The Mystifying Syndrome That Makes People Spontaneously Drunk [ https://substack.com/redirect/c94d9ba1-3b5c-4fdc-8b25-c8b340a1cde6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Weekend Whats What to Read: Longtime readers have followed along with Robbi Behr and Matthew Swanson and their excellent Busload of Books [ https://substack.com/redirect/d00b0c52-4e30-4d2b-9f3b-7e41d94a490d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] program. They are also a very accomplished author and illustrator team, and their latest book couldn’t be better timed (or better reviewed). Take Lemony Snicket’s word for it: “Is there anything more exciting than a trip to the moon? Yes: This book.” Order Life on the Moon [ https://substack.com/redirect/33e10104-ec35-4c79-a341-2414ae785de4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] today. This one is going to be huge. + What to Movie: I’m still catching up on all the Oscar-nominated movies. I’ve got to say, my favorite one so far, by quite a bit, is Sentimental Value [ https://substack.com/redirect/e5395d8a-d4fe-4d21-95c9-0c07dc63f6e9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], now streaming on Hulu. + What to Banana: The Roastmaster General takes to Broadway and gets heartfelt in a funny, meaningful look at life, family, death, and, well, bananas. On Netflix, Jeff Ross: Take a Banana for the Ride [ https://substack.com/redirect/ecc9b8f7-8383-48b3-a48f-5435505cd272?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Fill ‘Er Up: “Roughly half of global food production depends on synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. Without it, crop yields would tumble, pushing up prices of household staples including bread, rice, potatoes and pasta, and would also make animal feed more expensive. Some of the world’s poorest countries are among the most vulnerable to fertilizer price rises.” For some of those affected by the Iran war, filling up is not optional. ‘Food security timebomb’: a visual guide to the Gulf fertilizer blockade [ https://substack.com/redirect/8c829fb2-7031-4458-90ba-d215eb8e75a8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Whether we like it or not, we’re all interconnected.) + Bondi Voyage: “Bondi, a former attorney general of Florida, has presided over a department that has eagerly subordinated itself to President Donald Trump’s whims. That submission, made manifest by the banner of a glowering Trump that now hangs from the Department of Justice building, included seeking to bring baseless cases against Trump’s perceived political enemies, ordered up by the President himself; purging the department of career lawyers and F.B.I. agents deemed insufficiently loyal; and launching a belligerent campaign against ‘rogue judges’ who dared to challenge Administration actions.” The New Yorker: Pam Bondi’s Legacy of Flattery and Destruction [ https://substack.com/redirect/b2aedfb5-061e-4bc2-9e8a-38fe7b9e514f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. It still wasn’t enough. That’s why “her successor could be even more dangerous.” As I wrote yesterday: All that corruption, all that damage to the department and her own reputation in the name of loyalty—and what did it get her? A one-way ticket to eternal Pamnation [ https://substack.com/redirect/6d0cc2d9-d128-4e40-92bc-710cf14ebea9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Meanwhile, Trump’s personal defense attorney has taken over as Attorney General. He recently Shut Down Enforcement Against Crypto Companies While Holding More Than $150,000 in Crypto Investments [ https://substack.com/redirect/8ab0501f-1b3a-4063-8f4c-331ed32c783a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. In other words, he’s perfectly qualified.) + Back At the Other War... “Ukrainian counteroffensives were one reason, as well as technological issues that have hindered battlefield communication: Starlink has cut Russia’s access to its satellite internet, and the Kremlin prevented its own troops from using the messaging app Telegram in favor of a state-run option.” Russia’s battlefield progress stalls entirely [ https://substack.com/redirect/e8d6867c-e6f2-4c2e-bf8d-32c2d7e30f8b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Who Would Have Predicted? The Trump administration to states: You can’t regulate prediction markets [ https://substack.com/redirect/5b58b9a3-a185-4f30-8133-711ef6e16d77?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (And this has nothing to do with Don Jr’s roles at Kalshi and Polymarket.) + Watch This Space: “SpaceX boosted its target IPO valuation above $2 trillion [ https://substack.com/redirect/2fb6417d-8174-4c65-bb6a-14c9b5fd9da7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], according to people familiar with the matter, as the world’s most valuable startup gears up to pitch potentially the biggest-ever market debut.” That’s up from a valuation of $1.25 trillion way back in ... February. And I’m just a Humanities major, but that’s about 100 times 2026 projected revenue. + Sounds About Par for the Course: “Bodycam footage of Tiger Woods’s arrest for DUI shows the golfer looking surprised when he was handcuffed by police officers at the scene of a vehicle crash last week and telling a deputy he had spoken to ‘the president’ on the phone after the incident [ https://substack.com/redirect/149701a8-4f21-47e0-91b7-3566e1360fa7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” 6 Feel Good Friday “Doctors believed that Woody Brown would never be able to speak or process language. He went to graduate school and is publishing his debut novel.” ‘I Thought I Would Be Caged My Whole Life [ https://substack.com/redirect/a5df1b31-149d-44d9-ba52-784ff019affe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’ + “Rounding a little-used pier with a hulking century-old building, he found an open garage door and peered inside. The building was cavernous, seemingly in good shape, and entirely empty. That’s all it took for Eggers, the Pulitzer finalist and conjurer of offbeat endeavors, to spin his way into another.” A Free Home for San Francisco Artists [ https://substack.com/redirect/dae762a0-82a1-445a-82e8-4895c6956a61?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (And another great program from the excellent, and indefatigable, Dave Eggers.) + NASA’s Artemis II has left Earth’s orbit, and 4 astronauts now head to the moon [ https://substack.com/redirect/222ac056-5863-4860-830a-682c65c74828?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (And they got a pretty nice shot of us [ https://substack.com/redirect/669d42e5-fa51-4f13-96ca-9783bd4f8964?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) + The economy added more jobs than expected [ https://substack.com/redirect/aec2ca74-2b31-4126-9b83-30169b88663f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in March. + Molly the border collie rescued after a week waiting for injured owner [ https://substack.com/redirect/967690c1-a966-48f6-bf1e-54c2635cb433?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in New Zealand’s remote backcountry. + There’s a New Place to Store Greenhouse Gases: In Your Beer [ https://substack.com/redirect/878fa8f3-62ee-41c8-9435-bcb271818ba1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (It’s gonna have to be a pretty large beer.) + Unsuspecting windsurfer collides with gray whale [ https://substack.com/redirect/1eabe2b6-7d09-41a6-b6b4-a8480b3a6424?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in San Francisco Bay. (Both escaped without injury...though this is not being covered as feel good news in the whale press.) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNekE1TlRnek5Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzFNak00TlRFeUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EWTNOelExTVRJc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS40UmRJQTh6RE1VMGdzQm1wY3lTSmFRbmFNX2s5NnhZc3FNWUlmb0Q0RUxFIiwicCI6MTkzMDk1ODM0LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzUyMzg1MTIsImV4cCI6MjA5MDgxNDUxMiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.ON9tp08kU5mCN10PY0Pdcx0ekR2lYgX077vDKWYaKqU?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/the-pamage-is-done Pam Bondi degraded, dismantled, and demoralized the Justice Department, securing her spot (until her replacement gets rolling) as the worst attorney general in recent memory. But, alas, she wasn’t bad enough. So the president is bailing on Bondi and has told Pam to scram. Is there no justice? All that corruption, all that damage to the department and her own reputation in the name of loyalty—and what did it get her? A one-way ticket to eternal Pamnation. What were her faults? In the eyes of the president, even after using up enough black redacting ink to fill the Capitol Reflecting Pool, she wasn’t protective enough of Trump when it came to the Epstein files, she wasn’t effective enough when it came to securing “indictments of people he referred to as ‘scum’ during a speech in the department’s Great Hall about a year ago,” and she wasn’t very good at communicating on TV (and we can’t have the greatest crime of all being committed by the nation’s top lawyer). NYT (Gift Article): Trump Fires Pam Bondi as Attorney General [ https://substack.com/redirect/541590f1-16c9-44c1-aa1d-7da1949b8f65?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Like many before her, Pam Bondi soiled her reputation and sold her soul for the promise of a payment to be made later by a guy famous for never paying his bills. Todd Blanche will temporarily take over for Bondi until Trump appoints a replacement. The only thing we can be more sure of than loyalty to Trump being unrequited is replacements being worse than their predecessors. After all, in 2026, the only law that really has any standing is Murphy’s Law. + “She took steps that his first-term attorneys general had refused to take, including attempting to prosecute his perceived enemies and hunting for evidence that he beat former President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Bondi oversaw the firings and forced departures of scores of prosecutors and other employees who investigated Trump and his allies in recent years. She even placed a large banner of Trump’s face on the outside of the Justice Department.” WSJ (Gift Article): At Justice Department, Bondi tried to deliver on president’s priorities but ultimately failed to appease him [ https://substack.com/redirect/abd1c2a5-a2b8-4897-a889-c113bc33de19?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. In other words, at this point, you’d have to be crazy to take this job. And that’s exactly what we should all be worried about. + Trump polled advisers about replacing Tulsi Gabbard [ https://substack.com/redirect/ed81297f-2456-4f53-bae9-c870c85bc8e5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] as intelligence chief. (Gabbard almost let out some of her actual core beliefs during her recent testimony on the Iran war). 2 Rocket Man and Talk-It Man “His address did not come across as a wartime speech but instead was a disjointed series of complaints, brags, and exaggerations (along with a few outright lies) delivered by a man who looked and sounded tired. After his 19 minutes on the air—brisk by Trump’s standards—Americans could be forgiven for being even more concerned now than they were only a few days ago.” Tom Nichols: Maybe Trump Should Not Have Given This Speech [ https://substack.com/redirect/f8cb750b-560a-46bf-8e11-7045b1cf71ac?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + NYT (Gift Article): 5 Takeaways From Trump’s Address on Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/183bc171-cfe8-4295-aec7-32a28cd32ca2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. With no new information and no clear exit plan, the speech seemed like a re-run of the press conferences and Truth Social posts we’ve been seeing for a while. So why give the prime time address? My theory: He just couldn’t let the rocket get all the attention. + “When we’re serious, we don’t say the opposite of what we said the day before every day, and maybe one shouldn’t speak every day.” Macron faults Trump for shifting U.S. goals and for hollowing out NATO with his attacks (and for comments about his marriage [ https://substack.com/redirect/654df568-a632-4282-a751-9b252968a05c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]). Meanwhile Trump announces the bombing of major bridge near Tehran on his social media account. Here’s the latest from the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/c8d8d8b9-4911-4b62-9c6d-4ba498ce1487?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/c26eb43a-8b09-4cc6-bc89-efdad87654d6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + NYT (Gift Article): Every Trump Threat to Abandon NATO Hollows It Out [ https://substack.com/redirect/5ec6f4fa-a20f-4b69-a780-753fb5efdb7e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (One factor I haven’t seen mentioned is that the hollowing out of NATO will result in big-time weapons spending by allies who once thought they could count on us. Not that we’d ever alter a policy or take advantage of a crisis for financial gain. In other news: Company backed by Trump sons looks to sell drone interceptors to Gulf states being attacked by Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/c84861ad-5919-4397-a69f-a0dbc17f8ab4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) 3 A Crisis of Biblical Proportions “When they prayed on the Sunday after Valentine’s Day, as on other Sundays, most of the women at King’s Way Reformed Church in the old mining town of Prescott, Ariz., wore dainty kerchiefs knotted over their hair to show devotion to God. Marybelle East, 36, wore hers all the time, she said — seven days a week — ‘for him to see that I submit to his authority.’ Her husband’s authority, that is. Her head scarf is a physical reminder of biblical patriarchy, the kind of marriage the church preaches. ‘It keeps me from running my mouth,’ she said. To her and the other women, patriarchy also means ceding their political voices to their husbands. They believe America would be better off if women could not vote.” NYT (Gift Article): The Women Who Believe Women Should Lose the Right to Vote [ https://substack.com/redirect/f2d016b0-2acc-4683-9e5b-56f9c13e8b64?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “If a decade ago the idea was just another extreme provocation, today it is gaining adherents beyond the fringe.” + “You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It’s a familiar pattern that our lord and savior showed us. But it didn’t end there for him, and it didn’t end there for you.” Trump’s Spiritual Adviser Faces Backlash After Comparing Him to Jesus [ https://substack.com/redirect/7e8c0a8e-21c8-4362-ad61-8bb9ae767c33?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 The Cig is Up “Smoking in the United States, at least according to official surveys, has plummeted to an historic low. Just 9.8 percent of Americans smoked in 2024, according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, down from 10.8 percent the year before.” But you wouldn’t know that cigarettes were losing their cool by watching TV and movies. And you probably wouldn’t know it by hanging around in Hollywood. The Ankler: Cigarettes Get a Sequel: Hollywood’s ‘Cool’ Bad Habit Is Back [ https://substack.com/redirect/4e422858-4475-4cd7-a732-309eb43b614e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra In Fact It’s a Blast: “A towering orange-and-white NASA rocket blasted off from Florida on Wednesday evening, lifting four astronauts toward space and transporting spectators’ imaginations to a future in which Americans may again set foot on the moon ... ‘We have a beautiful moonrise and we’re headed right at it,” said Reid Wiseman, the NASA astronaut who is the commander of the mission.’” Artemis II Successfully Kicks Off 10-Day Lunar Mission [ https://substack.com/redirect/53f97946-e9fc-474d-b31e-e6a3df1a457b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Here’s a look at the launch in photos [ https://substack.com/redirect/221d52dc-9c0a-468b-965c-3ff53e913160?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and from a pretty enthusiastic group [ https://substack.com/redirect/94e600eb-234c-4aa7-8b12-00b26fa41380?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] watching from nearby. To follow along, you can watch NASA’s Artemis II Live Mission Coverage [ https://substack.com/redirect/82875a2b-12eb-445d-9394-1b7626c0b430?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Muscular Build: “Hitler passed hours in the bunker complex studying table-size models of his future construction projects. Speer recalls sitting with Hitler as late as April 1945, the month of his suicide, while he pored over architectural projects that included a palatial residence that Hitler hoped to have completed by 1950, with an office that measured 960 square meters, 16 times the size of the old Reich chancellor office, and a dining room that could seat 1,000 guests.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): Hitler’s Edifice Complex [ https://substack.com/redirect/b1bbc585-dd48-4944-ba2e-1c83b8caff0c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “He was obsessed with adding an expensive new wing to the Reich Chancellery, part of his grandiose architectural ambitions for the nation’s capital.” In other news... Trump appointee-led commission approves White House ballroom plans [ https://substack.com/redirect/0555569f-4bf5-4dd4-a9ba-315072a42a7f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Betting the Over Down Under: “Australia said it would ban gambling advertisements featuring celebrities [ https://substack.com/redirect/b9354698-f499-4d32-8573-ca76c82fc0a2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and limit online gambling advertisements to internet users over 18 from next year, an attempt to appease public health concerns but falling short of measures recommended by its own inquiry.” + Memory Storage: “It was so simple at the start. When Michael got into the game of flipping used goods, he just wanted to make some money. But the business of dealing in people’s abandoned possessions, it turns out, can be fraught. Two years into his pursuit, he knows all too well that every locker tells a story, many of them bleak.” A New Jersey Teen Finds Treasure, and More, in Abandoned Storage Units [ https://substack.com/redirect/a0b4adde-69b6-4548-ac79-ac986ec2d8f5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + You Bet Your Assets: OpenAI closes record-breaking $122 billion funding round [ https://substack.com/redirect/ffddb084-8769-41c2-9122-2ba2735fb0bc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] as anticipation builds for IPO. “Moments like this do not come often. The capital being deployed today is helping build the infrastructure layer for intelligence itself. Over time, that value will flow back into the economy, to companies, to communities, and increasingly to individuals.” Ooh, I can’t wait... 6 Bottom of the News “Hershey said Wednesday it will use classic recipes for all Reese’s products starting next year [ https://substack.com/redirect/6726052e-40f2-4b25-b311-ff1b77ec2dae?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], a change that comes after the grandson of Reese’s founder criticized the company for shifting to cheaper ingredients.” Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNams1T0RBNU55d2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzFNVFU0TmpRMExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EWTJPVFEyTkRRc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5xWUZ0eGFPZVBZUTlCVHB1Zkh4Nkh4V0hlNUJNRlEyZFAyQmhBRmRVb1pvIiwicCI6MTkyOTk4MDk3LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzUxNTg2NDQsImV4cCI6MjA5MDczNDY0NCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.XNCWMPQY3obcP0drYDndHIumHXIqwMy6_PBAqQXqZhI?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/shoot-for-the-moon Shoot For the Moon April 1st is a day when people share stories that seem real until you realize they’re fake. That contrasts with every day in 2026 when we’re confronted with stories that seem like they must be fake until we realize, much to our chagrin, they’re real. Let’s go with a third option. Let’s forget, just for one blurb in one edition of this newsletter, all the craziness and distortions that dominate our streams and dreams, and focus instead on what, during normal times, would be the leading story of the day: one that includes some very out of fashion elements, such as positivity, science, human achievement, diversity, unity, a projectile fired into the sky that’s not intended to blow things up, and best of all, the glorious prospect of getting the hell out of here (like way out) for a few days. I know, I know, I’m asking for the moon. But it looks like I might get it (or at least close to it). Crowds are already gathering for the scheduled launch of Artemis II, a historic NASA mission that will shoot astronauts around the moon and back [ https://substack.com/redirect/9c6ff92c-61a4-45ac-9b37-cc15f216ed29?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] on a 10-day mission. I’m a mere Humanities major, but I’m told by the internet that following a violent collision between Earth and a protoplanet named Theia, the moon was formed from the ensuing debris. Well, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. So let’s go check it out. It’s got to beat the garbage we’re dealing with down here... + “Before taking his last steps on the moon, NASA astronaut Gene Cernan made sure to scratch his young daughter’s initials into the lunar dust. He had some parting thoughts for the rest of humanity, too. ‘We leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind,’ the Apollo 17 commander said before departing for Earth. That was December 1972. Now, more than half a century later, NASA may be about to fulfill Cernan’s wishes [ https://substack.com/redirect/79b131ea-0382-429d-9a2b-540ff9c4fbe9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + “Their path through space could send the group farther from Earth than any human has ever ventured, surpassing the Apollo 13 distance record of 248,655 miles set in 1970.” Even though the celebration of the crew’s diversity (across race, gender, and even Canadian lines) has been deleted from government websites, it can’t be deleted from reality. Meet NASA’s Artemis II astronauts [ https://substack.com/redirect/3d3f6327-6892-4083-919d-851501ce00af?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + And now that you’ve met them, let’s get to know how they’ll go to the bathroom. SciAm: Artemis II’s toilet is a moon mission milestone [ https://substack.com/redirect/d819ce6f-d7b1-469c-81f5-8eb58ed38c9f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And a short video [ https://substack.com/redirect/c16145dc-f8bb-4617-80ff-5412e1fe6cf5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] from BBC: “When you’re in zero gravity, how do you go to the toilet? That’s what Nasa scientists have spent more than $23 million figuring out in time for the launch of Artemis II later this week.” (I spent nearly that much on a Toto Washlet...) + Photos: Counting Down to the Launch of Artemis II [ https://substack.com/redirect/22ebbef5-fa09-4850-bcc5-993d96c3b7aa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Here’s the latest from NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/469df059-85b2-478c-b3ad-e4181d4d028d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and NASA [ https://substack.com/redirect/408eee65-3c7b-4b2b-ac67-8731e72f2980?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Deal or No Deal Of course, no one would possibly try to preempt coverage of a unifying human effort like a literal moonshot. Yeah, and the moon is made of cheese. President Trump has scheduled an Oval Office address around the same time as the Artemis II launch to provide an update on the Iran war. (After exploring space, NASA should increase the range of its rocket and try to explore the far reaches of Trump’s ego.) Ahead of the speech, Trump said Iran has asked for a ceasefire [ https://substack.com/redirect/d8338acb-7178-469d-a3eb-19950d87ec9c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Iran says it hasn’t. Meanwhile, Trump says he’s definitely considering leaving NATO. Here’s the latest from The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/73a11abf-2519-4a97-bb6f-18f0c0f97644?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/200ed8c3-3330-4574-ba31-6f4997e04a55?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + There have been a variety of war goals that have come and gone, but getting rid of Iran’s ability to make nuclear weapons has always been at the top of the list. Has it been achieved? David E. Sanger in the NYT (Gift Article): Iran Maintains Nuclear Capacities Despite Trump’s Claim of U.S. Success [ https://substack.com/redirect/a41a9c58-4413-4bae-8279-8b744a15ac20?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Thomas Friedman in the NYT (Gift Article): “If this were not the leadership of my own country — and if Iran were not, indeed, the most destabilizing force in the Middle East and its transformation not a worthy goal for its own people and its neighbors — I’d just sit back and watch the show, savoring the spectacle of Trump getting what he deserves. But it is my country. Iran going nuclear is a threat that could unleash nuclear proliferation all across the Middle East. And we are [ https://substack.com/redirect/f1fb786a-0cca-4356-acc4-45e4f1360228?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]all [ https://substack.com/redirect/f1fb786a-0cca-4356-acc4-45e4f1360228?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] going to get what Trump deserves [ https://substack.com/redirect/f1fb786a-0cca-4356-acc4-45e4f1360228?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + “Rarely has a president been surrounded by such an array of toadies and lickspittles, operating beyond their competence in an atmosphere of organizational chaos.” Eliot A. Cohen in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Lions Led by Donkeys [ https://substack.com/redirect/3ce93ff0-c9d7-4eea-8011-a8d5882e4e20?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Birthright and Wrong “In a post on his social media site, Trump says falsely the United States is the ‘only Country in the World STUPID enough to allow Birthright” Citizenship!’ In fact, the United States is one of more than 30 countries that confer citizenship at birth with no conditions.” (Since America has the world’s leading economy and military, wouldn’t our citizenship policies be considered pretty SMART!) Trump attended part of the SCOTUS oral arguments (becoming the first president to do so). Let’s hope the act of intimidation (and the ridiculous arguments) don’t carry the day. Key Justices Appear Skeptical of Limiting Birthright Citizenship [ https://substack.com/redirect/8e600c59-fc14-4cc1-b829-8b790d3070db?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Breaking Out of a Slump “On phone calls over the past couple of weeks, we talked about cheating commissioners and deadbeat team owners, about booze- and weed-fueled draft rooms and end-of-season punishments for league losers. We talked about how difficult it can be to make small talk with other parents at the playground, about the ways relationships wither as we age. We talked, to a shocking degree, about death.” The Fantasy Baseball Ties That Bind [ https://substack.com/redirect/c3e917c4-69e5-412b-a586-0e83a31344fa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “How do fantasy sports leagues fit into the larger story of the male loneliness epidemic? You might be surprised.” (The Giants have won two in a row. That’s all the fantasy I need...) 5 Extra, Extra How Will the Crude Feud Conclude? “If there’s irony here, it’s the tragic kind. The administration’s war of choice has made energy dangerously expensive in nearly every corner of the globe, causing needless suffering. The most fossil fuel-friendly government in recent U.S. history has shown us all just how risky reliance on oil and gas can be — and taught the world that true energy security lies in accelerating toward a cleaner, electrified future.” This Energy Crisis Is Going to Change the World [ https://substack.com/redirect/046a89ff-4d01-4316-8f22-4a35ff551eb4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (We can hope...) + Swindler’s List: Proof that no headlines can shock us anymore: Federal Judge Approves Trump Effort to Obtain List of Jews From Penn [ https://substack.com/redirect/f7255edc-0792-4785-aa5d-29ca806db6af?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I won’t even release the names of the Jews coming to my seder tonight.) + They’re Not Being Campy: You may view the phrase alpha male as ironic or funny, but “there are plenty of American men these days who regard alpha masculinity—or ‘warrior mode,’ or ‘modern knighthood,’ or other such appellations—not ironically but aspirationally. There are now programs offering to help such men achieve these aspirations, or something close ... At the Men of War Crucible, you bear-crawl through rivers. At Warrior Week, you dig your own grave.” The New Yorker: The Camps Promising to Turn You—or Your Son—Into an Alpha Male [ https://substack.com/redirect/3696fab7-20f2-429f-af5f-3aacccbdcba8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (And I thought I had it bad going away to camps that made you want to never go to camp again...) + Noemenclatures: “These men all knew Bryon Noem as the nice, tall insurance salesman who married Kristi Arnold, the town beauty queen who grew up to be governor. But now there were these pictures.” NYT (Gift Article): In South Dakota, Neighbors Feel Sorry for Kristi Noem’s Husband [ https://substack.com/redirect/432ec23b-0d9d-4351-a3a7-cd71f53d203e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I sort of felt sorry for him before the pictures.) + Kid Gloves: Hegseth reverses Army’s suspension [ https://substack.com/redirect/4604fa5c-ca31-492a-8aa4-0448f91fc53a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] of aircrew who flew helicopters near Kid Rock’s home. “No punishment. No investigation, Carry on, patriots.” (I haven’t heard that line since Deflategate...) + Masters and Disasters: Tiger Woods says he’ll seek treatment after pleading not guilty [ https://substack.com/redirect/895ac7da-c7a4-4d37-b50e-6f3494007f27?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to DUI. + Boss > King: “This past winter, federal troops brought death and terror to the streets of Minneapolis. Well they picked the wrong town. The power, the solidarity of the people of Minneapolis, of Minnesota, was an inspiration to the entire country. Your strength and your commitment told us this is still America. And this will not stand.” To kick off his tour, Bruce Springsteen Brings Fiery Speeches and Songs to Minneapolis [ https://substack.com/redirect/4e26f937-452c-45a2-a3b0-8452cf9000fe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (He really couldn’t be rising to the occasion any more than he is.) 6 Bottom of the News As I argue annually, April Fool’s Day pranks should have been canceled after the greatest one of them all. George Plimpton: The Curious Case Of Sidd Finch [ https://substack.com/redirect/6ef322b6-6524-48f3-bf3e-510f7adaaa3f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + And to all who celebrate, have a good Passover Seder. And good luck this week… Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNamczT1RJNU9Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzFNRFk1TlRBMkxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EWTJNRFUxTURZc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5LRFN2TzZJNXhVVXZfN1NLRjFjZVczVUcyS3doNGFwdDNhSDVXT1Rwc0FjIiwicCI6MTkyODc5Mjk5LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzUwNjk1MDYsImV4cCI6MjA5MDY0NTUwNiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.YhRpRBvJ7L9CWb_z6La2Q9aot-UsvpEaUcxzwZzKVFQ?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/time-change Sammy Davis Jr’s rendition of the theme song from the seventies show Baretta [ https://substack.com/redirect/c890b12b-01b1-4916-860b-e62ba292ab14?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] was so stellar that it created an adage that has lasted for half a century. But has the phrase Don’t do the crime if you can do the time finally run out of steam? These days, if you commit the right kind of crime or are connected to the right people, it may not lead to much time at all. From ProPublica: Trump’s Justice Department Dropped 23,000 Criminal Investigations in Shift to Immigration [ https://substack.com/redirect/0d6065b7-5428-48e4-b06b-e95e138e6739?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The change in priorities was outlined in a series of memos sent to attorneys early last year. Trump’s DOJ has said it is ‘turning a new page on white-collar and corporate enforcement’ and emphasizing the pursuit of drug cartels, illegal immigrants and institutions that promote ‘divisive DEI policies.’” Of course, this trend doesn’t do much to help those who were sentenced for their crimes before the big shift. For them, we have the now wildly popular pardon program. And you’ll never guess what happens when you pardon a large group of criminals without any legitimate reasons. (Hint: They don’t keep their eye on the sparrow [ https://substack.com/redirect/2e5b1b27-1334-4778-a999-26f6219e81f5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) NYT Editorial Board (Gift Article): The People Trump Pardoned Are on a Crime Spree [ https://substack.com/redirect/2da71270-4e88-4c82-8820-2e1ccbcf530f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Trump “has created a veritable pardon industry, in which people with White House connections accept payments from wealthy convicts ... Worst of all, Mr. Trump granted clemency on the first day of his second term to everyone who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 ... The results have been disastrous. At least 12 of the pardoned rioters have since been charged with other serious crimes, including child molestation, assault, harassment, murder plots and charges related to a vicious dog attack. The outcome was predictable.” 2 Conversion Reversion “Colorado may regard its policy as essential to public health and safety. But the First Amendment stands as a shield against any effort to enforce orthodoxy in thought or speech in this country.” So wrote Justice Neil M. Gorsuch as the Supreme Court Rejected a Colorado Law Banning ‘Conversion Therapy’ for L.G.B.T.Q. Minors [ https://substack.com/redirect/24dc4fc1-9e50-434c-b81f-4f9b84953985?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Only Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, reading a lengthy summary of her opposition from the bench ... ‘This decision might make speech-only therapies and other medical treatments involving practitioner speech effectively unregulatable,’ she wrote, criticizing her eight colleagues for having made ‘this momentous decision without adequately grappling with the potential long-term and disastrous implications.’” 3 Pump Your Own Gas “You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!” Trump tells Europe ‘Go get your own oil,’ Iran hits oil tanker off Dubai [ https://substack.com/redirect/3d9f1273-4053-4927-9183-6036c7315258?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, Trump said to tell aides he’s willing to end Iran war without reopening Hormuz [ https://substack.com/redirect/11124b75-1b8a-40fc-b2fe-6bfe02ffa6c6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Are these mood swings and outbursts part of a broader pullback? The market seems to think so [ https://substack.com/redirect/fdea7f1e-85ac-496f-9e1e-a7e9ade20250?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (But as I’ve written, like everything else, the market has been a little off lately [ https://substack.com/redirect/220f2d43-ba9d-43a5-b069-fdd1c27fe5f5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]...) + “After private grumbling at the start of the war that they were not given adequate advance notice of the U.S.-Israeli attack and complaining the U.S. had ignored their warnings that the war would have devastating consequences for the entire region, some of the regional allies are making the case to the White House that the moment offers a historic opportunity to cripple Tehran’s clerical rule once and for all.” Gulf allies privately make the case to Trump to keep fighting until Iran is decisively defeated [ https://substack.com/redirect/13c490f3-32a1-4acc-a7b2-2df40084fb70?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + B-52s have started flying missions over Iran, and Israel is creating a larger buffer zone in Lebanon. Here’s the latest from NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/59cecad4-5f41-4f2e-af31-b54a9f8b05a6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/955543a3-2716-4e86-9988-e6f0524ee71c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 To Some Degree “The report, based on research from the Yale Tobin Center for Economic Policy, found that graduate degrees in medicine, law and pharmacy generally have the highest return on investment. By contrast, degrees in popular fields such as social work, psychology, and curriculum and instruction may actually have a zero to negative return after factoring in the full cost.” WaPo(Gift Article): Some of the most popular graduate degrees don’t pay off financially, study finds [ https://substack.com/redirect/94a5381d-73b2-4099-ae4d-612b19a374f7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I’m still confident that my PhD in Newsletters will pay off eventually...) 5 Extra, Extra Refined Crude Policy: “The Trump administration has blocked energy shipments to Cuba since January as part of a strategy to force the Communist government into submission. Mr. Trump said in a January social media post: ‘THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA — ZERO!’” So what made him change his mind as a Russian tanker full of crude approached Cuba? After Months of Threats, Trump Softens His Stance on Blocking Oil to Cuba [ https://substack.com/redirect/3c241e7e-d053-457a-b8bf-b3e9a8a2b6ee?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Space Needs Some Space: Space might need a rebrand, because it’s getting really crowded up there. “Today, the space around Earth can no longer be considered empty. More than 30,000 objects are in orbit, and that figure is rising exponentially.” ‘This feels fragile’: how a satellite-smashing chain reaction could spiral out of control [ https://substack.com/redirect/de0f6316-5b8a-4a8a-8526-248d5638c53b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Meditation Retreat: “The leader of a sex-focused women’s wellness company that promoted ‘orgasmic meditation’ was sentenced to nine years in federal prison [ https://substack.com/redirect/20b78133-d0c8-4f56-b9ee-78871df725b8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for a scheme that a judge said exploited vulnerable women and coerced them into performing sex acts with the company’s clients and investors.” + Plot Twist: Given the seemingly nonstop stream of new shows appearing across the many streaming apps, you’d think this would be a golden era for those working in Hollywood. But that’s not how the script is playing out. See How Hollywood’s Job Market Is Collapsing [ https://substack.com/redirect/bbe594f1-cf08-4516-90c8-8bde0100a05d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Hollywood studios are making significantly fewer movies and television shows than they did just a few years ago. The ones they do make are increasingly being shot in other countries and states that offer more generous tax subsidies. The result: a 30% drop in employment from a late-2022 peak for actors, carpenters, costumers and the hundreds of other professions that make movies and TV shows.” + Dis Service: “ICE agents will be stationed outside graduation events for the nation’s newest Marines to identify whether any of their family members are undocumented [ https://substack.com/redirect/4efa1bfe-feaf-44cc-b773-5a7b2215b419?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], according to the Marine Corps.” + California Rolling: Everyone is getting sticker shock at the gas pumps these days. Californians know the feeling. We get it all the time. There are a few reasons why we pay more than the rest of you. The Difference Between California-Produced Gas And The Other 49 States [ https://substack.com/redirect/18e133d5-8376-4fde-8993-2c1dc3c176b2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Getting Rock Off: “The army has launched an administrative review after two AH-64 Apache helicopters on a training run hovered near the hillside home of Kid Rock [ https://substack.com/redirect/7f0cd584-ffdb-4c44-9b75-f3b16ce53392?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] as the outspoken supporter of Donald Trump saluted their crews.” (Maybe they were trying to drown out the music?) + There’s No Sugar Substitute: “Spectators would watch the furry white canine in amazement as she balanced on her surfboard, riding wave after wave back to the shore, sometimes with her owner, Ryan Rustan, by her side and other times all on her own.” Sugar The Surfing Dog, the first canine inducted into the Surfer’s Hall of Fame, dies [ https://substack.com/redirect/b3c1d722-57c1-46a2-8ab3-428a4c24e43a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “On Saturday afternoon, Downey joined around 200 strangers at Ocean Beach for the 13th ‘Hole Party,’ a loosely organized gathering dedicated to the ancient, questionably productive act of digging.” SF’s most pointless gathering is surprisingly popular [ https://substack.com/redirect/c159d9e3-6d58-4a11-b57b-d0c48a6d097d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Basically, a bunch of people meet at the beach where they dig a giant hole and then fill it back in. (Maybe they’re training to be news curators...) + A college instructor turns to typewriters [ https://substack.com/redirect/50059aba-bee8-4c01-b602-e39b2a3e7930?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to curb AI-written work and teach life lessons. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNamMyTVRnNE9Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzBPVGd3TmpJMkxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EWTFNVFkyTWpZc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5oQncySVAtVjR2SFdtMmV3SnV3X3lhb1lnd1dnYWx1dTRoX1NwTGljaVRZIiwicCI6MTkyNzYxODg5LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzQ5ODA2MjYsImV4cCI6MjA5MDU1NjYyNiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.9sY8NH93DxcPuVgtRMnjPpVn5HxnWOQJgdNG7l_6944?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/going-hungary Let’s start with a recipe. It’s one that takes a while, but it’s already in progress. It turns apple pie into Hungarian goulash. What do you get when it’s fully baked? Anne Applebaum lists some of the ingredients in The Atlantic (Gift Article): “Flick through pro-government Hungarian accounts on TikTok, and you might see an AI-generated version of Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, sitting on a golden toilet, counting his money, snorting cocaine, and barking orders at a Hungarian soldier. You might also find an AI-generated Péter Magyar, the leader of the Hungarian opposition, appearing to say he’s fine with handing Hungarian factories over to foreigners, as long as he’s the one in charge of the country ... You won’t find much about Hungary itself, which is not an accident. In recent years political parties around the world have produced surrealist campaigns, comic campaigns, conspiratorial campaigns, even beer-drinking campaigns. But on any list of strange elections, the 2026 parliamentary election in Hungary will stand out.” This may be the world’s first post-reality campaign [ https://substack.com/redirect/ec40a4fc-ca1e-489e-b635-47330cf8cfd0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. I know what you’re thinking. Don’t we have enough lies and obfuscations to worry about when it comes to our own country and its upcoming election? Yes, we do. But, sadly, the two stories are related. What you see as the demoniacal demolition of democracy, others see as an achievable and worthy aspiration (and I’m not just talking about the golden toilet). “Not long ago, the U.S. government would have vocally defended the democratic process in Hungary, and might have sought to downplay wild claims about fictional Ukrainian invasions. Instead, the Trump administration is doing its best to amplify them. Strange though it sounds, Hungary, although a tiny country in Central Europe, plays an outsize role in the imagination of the American and European far right: MAGA and its international wing understand that the Hungarian election, the most important in Europe this year, could mark a turning point in the war of ideas that has convulsed the democratic world for the past decade.” 2 We Haven’t Shuffled Off This Mortal Oil With 50,000 American troops [ https://substack.com/redirect/6d6bb1c5-2a84-42d7-8555-1c91a62c9b2d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in the Middle East and a threat of a ground war, even Trump doesn’t know what to believe about what Trump is saying. “President Trump zigzagged from claims of diplomatic progress to renewed threats of destruction on Monday, sending new shocks through oil markets as he sought to pressure Iran to make a deal to end the monthlong war.” Here’s the latest from the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/7a715d73-617e-4ac5-85c2-d1832563f27d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Australian farmers are planting less wheat. South Koreans were urged to take shorter showers. Russia is getting a little richer. Thailand’s premier wore short-sleeved shirts to work and urged others to do the same.” How the Iran War Has Rippled Across the World [ https://substack.com/redirect/6e3f8aba-da3b-4adc-bfb8-f0435f912653?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. One thing we’re seeing is reduced consumption. But a bigger thing we’re seeing is the burning of more coal. This Is What Happens When the Gas Runs Out [ https://substack.com/redirect/97da43a2-c249-45af-ab68-619785d5c75e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. So this must be good for the EV industry, right? Well, not so fast. “The aluminum that gives electric vehicles their range is now stuck behind the same choke point [ https://substack.com/redirect/113016d8-16f6-4ea6-a603-69e74fc1d604?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] as the oil they were built to replace.” + Meanwhile, oil is up again [ https://substack.com/redirect/a6c79cb4-8367-4c03-81e1-b06651258324?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] on the entrance into the war by “the Houthis, an Iran-backed proxy militia based in Yemen, threatening safety in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait between Yemen and Djibouti.” + And here’s a twist: Ukraine Finalizes Air Defense Deals With Gulf Nations Amid War in Mideast [ https://substack.com/redirect/b04f850b-0cd9-4842-b603-5a29cc488fb5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “In the Mideast conflict, Ukraine has sought to shift its image from a recipient of military aid to a supplier. It sees an opening to export its low-cost, innovative designs created during the war with Russia to compensate for shortages of weapons and ammunition. Ukraine’s military often relies on consumer technologies such as virtual-reality goggles for gamers and off-the-shelf drone components.” 3 Over the Moon “Artemis II is something of an elaborate dress rehearsal. The goal is to demonstrate that many of the major components of the Artemis program – the Boeing-built Space Launch System rocket and the Lockheed Martin-built Orion space capsule – can safely send a crew beyond the moon and back.” Bloomberg (Gift Article) with an illustrated guide to what NASA is up to, and why. Around the Moon and Back [ https://substack.com/redirect/de15bb45-0a1e-4e40-a201-1d59b3e456e2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Kingdom Comeuppance We may have crossed a critical threshold over the weekend. The protests are spreading faster than the measles. Organizers said eight million people turned out for the No Kings protests [ https://substack.com/redirect/24a48fcc-2e3f-400b-842a-528a57891671?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The scenes were amazing. Here’s a collection of Photos From the Third Nationwide ‘No Kings’ Protest [ https://substack.com/redirect/19511a3d-4515-4ad4-976b-1fdb0e945887?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Rogue Won: “Whenever and however America’s war with Iran ends, it has both exposed and exacerbated the dangers of our new, fractured, multipolar reality—driving deeper wedges between the United States and former friends and allies; strengthening the hands of the expansionist great powers, Russia and China; accelerating global political and economic chaos; and leaving the United States weaker and more isolated than at any time since the 1930s. Even success against Iran will be hollow if it hastens the collapse of the alliance system that for eight decades has been the true source of America’s power, influence, and security.” Robert Kagen: America Is Now a Rogue Superpower [ https://substack.com/redirect/1a486843-de25-476f-8d00-cf4be8fb809f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Making a List: “When I started Craigslist in the mid-1990s I never thought I’d become rich. But I did. A lot of people in tech around that time also got lucky. Millions — even billions — were made simply by being in the right place at the right time. That’s too much money for anyone to have, so I’m giving most of it away to people and causes that need it.” Craigslist Made Me Rich. Giving the Money Away Is Easy [ https://substack.com/redirect/e06a93de-eea8-4ce0-8772-33da871a0fa0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Amidst all the whining from tech billionaires who somehow view themselves as being victimized by this era, it’s refreshing to hear someone admit how f--cking lucky we are.) + Aiding and A Betting: “A new product liability lawsuit alleges that the online sportsbooks DraftKings and FanDuel use a variety of sophisticated tactics to addict users [ https://substack.com/redirect/aa525801-6ec5-443b-92af-064ba48ad4bf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], comparing their offerings to tobacco, cocaine, and heroin. The case, filed by the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) at Northeastern University School of Law on behalf of two former gamblers, is being led by Richard Daynard — the same lawyer who secured a $206 billion settlement from the tobacco industry ... Specifically, the plaintiffs allege that the two companies ‘capture every aspect of a customer’s interaction in real-time through automated analytical tools, and then process the data through predictive algorithms to generate bets that are optimized to stimulate compulsive gambling.’” + This Guy’s Got Some Ballroom: “Critics warn it still has many issues — its portico is too big, its stairs lead nowhere, its columns will block views from inside the ballroom.” Trump’s Ballroom Design Has Barely Been Scrutinized [ https://substack.com/redirect/04b31218-66a9-4771-84c5-333e8043e221?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Sheer Madness: March seemed a little short on madness (at least on the basketball court). But then we saw one of the maddest moments of all. The Athletic: I witnessed Christian Laettner’s shot. UConn’s game-winner from Braylon Mullins was better [ https://substack.com/redirect/7716c1a4-be2c-434f-8615-24038cdb8ffc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Welcome to Macintosh: “But in almost every way that mattered, the Macintosh was right. Right about how we’d use computers going forward. Right about the idea that computers needed to be less complicated. Right about the fact that caring this deeply about both hardware and software design would make a difference.” As part of its series on Apple at 50, The Verge (Gift Article) with a video review of how the Macintosh changed computers forever [ https://substack.com/redirect/4080ef19-5783-4b07-960c-6d9c3c88aca6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (It definitely had the same effect on me as it had on computers.) + Timbre-land: At the start of the year, Anthony Palmini was taken down by a terrible cold. That was bad news for him. And potentially bad news for romance. He’s the voice of romantasy audiobooks’ biggest heartthrobs [ https://substack.com/redirect/7baebdef-4ab5-479e-8dcf-b1d15f87775a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “In our peptides-pumping, cosmetic-surgery obsessed world, Alloclae is being marketed as the latest body-buffing hack for anyone seeking to level up their appearance. The process is minimally invasive and largely safe, as long as you can get your head around where that extra va-voom has come from.” People are pumping themselves with fat from corpses [ https://substack.com/redirect/595248c8-13d0-49c3-969d-ca91d814522f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to perk up their pecs, boobs and butts. (How’d you like to agree to be a donor and end up there?) + Thieves make a break with over 400,000 KitKat bars [ https://substack.com/redirect/eab57c31-9a28-41a7-8276-1f650ba7c33c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in Europe. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNalkwTlRJeE5pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzBPRGszTWpJd0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EWTBNek15TWpBc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5fS18wa0pLVFZVMlc5SENFUTk1bzNXdl9Xbmg5ZHIzSHV0Qlg3d1AtVE04IiwicCI6MTkyNjQ1MjE2LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzQ4OTcyMjAsImV4cCI6MjA5MDQ3MzIyMCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.IOuM7cckwzC8U51q8SwXicxNebXNrSej6L1BpbyblWQ?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/your-are-awesome Let’s start with something positive: You. Why you? Because you are awesome, you’re wonderful, your opinions are sound, your decisions are spot-on, you’re never on the wrong side of an argument, and you’re just generally a solid citizen. Don’t take my word for it. Just talk to your favorite AI for a while, and it will tell you the same thing. You may have already noticed the obsequious fawning that surfaces when you communicate with AI, but there’s a chance you’ve missed it—since, you know, it’s simply stating an obvious core truth that lives at the intersection of your rightness and righteousness. These Stuart Smalley-esque [ https://substack.com/redirect/0cb59d02-5234-4c6f-8fff-7a28af3acad4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]daily affirmations are baked right into the products. I know, I know. AI is known for its hallucinations, but it’s also known for being able to crunch large amounts of data and come up with a clear summary of the facts, the results of which are as follows: You deserve good things, you are entitled to your share of happiness, you are fun to be with. Hell, even when you’re in the wrong, you’re actually in the right. “Stanford researchers tested 11 leading AI models and found they all exhibit sycophancy — a fancy word for telling people what they want to hear. On average, these chatbots agreed with users 49% more often than real humans did. Even when users described lying, manipulating partners, or breaking the law, the AI endorsed their behavior 47% of the time.” Stanford just proved your AI chatbot is flattering you into bad decisions [ https://substack.com/redirect/cfa12133-b8d5-427f-871f-7c0bb70d4b63?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Here’s the part that should worry everyone. Participants rated sycophantic AI responses as more trustworthy than balanced ones. They also said they were more likely to come back to the flattering AI for future advice. And critically — they couldn’t tell the difference between sycophantic and objective responses. Both felt equally ‘neutral’ to them.” + “Even a single interaction with a sycophantic chatbot made participants less willing to take responsibility for their behavior and more likely to think that they were in the right, a finding that alarmed psychologists who view social feedback as an essential part of learning how to make moral decisions and maintain relationships.” NYT (Gift Article): Seeking a Sounding Board? Beware the Eager-to-Please Chatbot [ https://substack.com/redirect/26b6cfd4-d14a-4396-9329-f33522b50954?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Here’s the full report from Science: Sycophantic AI decreases prosocial intentions and promotes dependence [ https://substack.com/redirect/112774ce-ada1-4fc1-80ce-47535bdbe034?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Although affirmation may feel supportive, sycophancy can undermine users’ capacity for self-correction and responsible decision-making. Yet because it is preferred by users and drives engagement, there has been little incentive for sycophancy to diminish.” (Don’t worry. If big tech eventually does tone down the lickspittling, bootlicking, groveling, kowtowing adulation and unctuously servile toadyism, you can always replace it by having yourself a cabinet meeting.) 2 Strait Up Now Tell Me “For the better part of the past year, Wall Street analysts and tech-industry observers have fretted publicly about an AI bubble. The fear is that too much money is coming in too fast and that generative-AI companies still have not offered anything close to a viable business model. If growth were to stall or the technology were to be seen as failing to deliver on its promises, the bubble might burst, triggering a chain reaction across the financial system. Everyone—big banks, private-equity firms, people who have no idea what’s mixed into their 401(k)—would be hit by the AI crash. Until recently, that kind of crash felt hypothetical; today, it feels plausible and, to some, almost inevitable.” The Atlantic (Gift Article) on how the Iran war might trigger some big economic problems (beyond the ones you’re already thinking about): Welcome to a Multidimensional Economic Disaster [ https://substack.com/redirect/e79aee27-03ae-43e1-b00c-77a5f37e9416?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + As per usual, while some people are worried about tech advancement and portfolio returns, others are worried about less lofty pursuits; like eating. NYT (Gift Article): Global Food Supply Faces a Dangerous Bottleneck as Iran War Persists [ https://substack.com/redirect/ca0345f7-6034-4761-bdfa-df61801582e8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Fertilizer prices are climbing as a result of disruptions in the Middle East, putting global food supplies at risk.” 3 Breaking Ground “Donald Trump announced this week that the United States and Iran had made significant progress in negotiations, and he was allowing five days to reach a deal. Tehran denied that it was talking with Washington at all. This is not, in any meaningful sense, a negotiation: It is a countdown. The timing is not coincidental. Thousands of Marines and much of the 1st Brigade of the 82nd Airborne are en route to the Middle East. Trump may intend the talks to act as cover for an escalation decision already made. Even if he doesn’t, the structural reality is the same: When the deadline expires, he will be close to having significant ground-combat capability in the region and a collapsing diplomatic process to justify using it.” Thomas Wright in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Countdown to a Ground War [ https://substack.com/redirect/d3a30e4c-a2c4-4978-bf0f-c865d232c7fb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Or, maybe not? “[Trump] is getting a little bored with Iran ... Not that he regrets it or something — he’s just bored and wants to move on.” Inside the White House divide on Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/10759b04-b5f9-4a5b-b302-be6adce01850?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that the United States did not need to deploy ground troops to succeed in the war in Iran, which he said would end within weeks rather than months, even as Iran moved to assert its control over the critical Strait of Hormuz.” But does anyone believe Rubio is the decider on any of this stuff? Just read this craziness. “Mr. Rubio told reporters in Paris that the United States had not received a formal response from Iran to President Trump’s 15-point plan for ending the war. Mr. Trump has said that peace talks are underway and going well, but Iranian officials have said that contacts between the two countries have been minimal and mostly indirect, not yet amounting to real negotiations.” Here’s the latest from the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/b104fec5-6731-44a5-bb36-23dc22026beb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Weekend Whats What to Watch: “A century before the events of Game of Thrones, two unlikely heroes wander Westeros in the new series adapted from George R. R. Martin’s novella.” A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms [ https://substack.com/redirect/7fac23b9-291f-4470-93a8-8924af8e5542?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] on HBO is an awesome watch, and a great addition to the Game of Thrones world. + What to Hear: Last night, I took my guitar-playing teen to see the great Record Company in concert. They’re out celebrating the tenth anniversary of their Give It Back to You Album [ https://substack.com/redirect/b9c98877-e251-4c99-94dd-cb3c1ec1cb93?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. But they’re best seen live. About thirty seconds into last night’s show, my son looked over and nodded in approval. For his old dad, that’s about as rock n’ roll as it gets. + What to Movie: “Marcelo (Wagner Moura) is a researcher on the run from mercenary killers after becoming the target of a dictator’s political tumult in 1977 Brazil.” The Secret Agent [ https://substack.com/redirect/a7625ebf-84b0-472e-b34e-9efd4f947c0f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] takes place in the 70s and unfurls at a 70s movie pace, so it’s perfect for a daytime watch on Hulu. Parts of it are also, sadly, a little too familiar. + What to Read: “It has also occluded something deeper: the human decisions that led to the killing of between 175 and 180 people, most of them girls between the ages of seven and 12. Someone decided to compress the kill chain. Someone decided that deliberation was latency. Someone decided to build a system that produces 1,000 targeting decisions an hour and call them high-quality. Someone decided to start this war. Several hundred people are sitting on Capitol Hill, refusing to stop it. Calling it an ‘AI problem’ gives those decisions, and those people, a place to hide.” AI got the blame for the Iran school bombing. The truth is far more worrying [ https://substack.com/redirect/15dc9717-5052-4f37-919b-3dd3cd5cf8dd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (The fact that we’ve moved on from this story and only worry about gas prices is also pretty worrying...) 5 Extra, Extra Fly By Night Outfits: The Senate passed a bill to get the TSA funding restarted. The House needs to pass something, and that could be tricky. In the meantime, the lines are getting longer. Here’s the latest from AP [ https://substack.com/redirect/1137d636-3d5d-4e6c-96e0-1ff6cba332b1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Black Diamond Level Warming: “Vital Arctic sea ice shrank to tie its lowest measured level for the winter, the season when ice grows [ https://substack.com/redirect/abcebf9a-047c-4b81-8428-01893946a428?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” Closer to home, ski resorts try ‘snow farming [ https://substack.com/redirect/8b1019c2-866b-4732-8625-25ab3159f6e9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]‘ as temperatures rise. “The practice involves making snow when conditions are ideal — in cold, dry weather— and piling it two to three stories high, then covering the mound with a large, insulated mat to shield it from sun and rain.” + Devaluing the Dollar: “Mr. Trump is set to become the first sitting U.S. president to have his signature on the greenback. His name will appear alongside that of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. As a result, the U.S. treasurer, whose name has been on the currency for more than a century, will not appear on the currency.” Trump’s Signature Is Set to Be Added to America’s Currency [ https://substack.com/redirect/2d567036-6813-46c1-b091-2b65456376dc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (How’s he gonna sign the dollar? Sorry for your loss?) + Star Wars: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s highly unusual decision to remove officers from a one-star promotion list has spurred allegations of racial and gender bias.” Hegseth Strikes Two Black and Two Female Officers From Promotion List [ https://substack.com/redirect/55653903-e053-4212-93e4-7c65c4dffc6c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Yay! Wait... TechDirt’s Mike Masnik is worried about the latest big tech court rulings. “First things first: Meta is a terrible company that has spent years making terrible decisions and being terrible at explaining the challenges of social media trust & safety, all while prioritizing growth metrics over user safety.” But... Everyone Cheering The Social Media Addiction Verdicts Against Meta Should Understand What They’re Actually Cheering For [ https://substack.com/redirect/aea59a7a-03df-451b-aab1-6117729be805?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Jerk Chickens: “OpenAI has put the kibosh on yet another project — at least for the time being. On Thursday, the Financial Times reported that the AI company would be ‘indefinitely’ pausing plans to develop an ‘erotic’ mode for ChatGPT [ https://substack.com/redirect/ac1d7c26-38dd-4a47-b593-c0c5c1d8b18f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (Oh well, you’ve still got NextDraft...) 6 Feel Good Friday “During the 10 years when she cleaned the medical institution, her mother became ill, and Taylor-Allen realized she wanted to advocate for patients the same way doctors helped her mother.” Woman Matches into Residency at Same Hospital Where She Worked as a Janitor for 10 Years [ https://substack.com/redirect/4a845d86-731e-400d-a26b-7aa5cfc0d45b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And more on the story: After a decade as a Yale hospital janitor, she is now a doctor there [ https://substack.com/redirect/9e7c5f75-a5cf-4526-b74b-2dc86ece8c48?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “You want to try to meet the moment. The No Kings movement is of great import right now. When you have the opportunity to sing something where the timing is essential and if you have something powerful to sing, it elevates the moment, it elevates your job to another level. And I’m always in search of that ... I don’t worry about [blowback]. My job is very simple: I do what I want to do, I say what I want to say and then people get to say what they want to say about it. Those are the rules of my game. That’s fine with me.” The Boss gets you warmed up for No Kings rallies this weekend. Springsteen says recent Minneapolis show was his most meaningful ever [ https://substack.com/redirect/2ac5880a-f96c-487f-a6a8-d622473a75f8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Tango Therapy: How the Dance of Passion Is Helping Parkinson’s Patients [ https://substack.com/redirect/272dfa92-235c-4ed9-959b-ac2a53540cb6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Plus, “I thought my Parkinson’s was the end of my life, but dancing changed everything [ https://substack.com/redirect/d06cfaa4-7777-4f5a-8b85-e87cd9b9380f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + A new labor agreement represents a breakthrough in women’s-sports history. The WNBA Players Got What They Wanted [ https://substack.com/redirect/d36bc27c-f2ca-4100-98c1-8db3de48eccd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Scientists Filmed a Whale Birth. The Surprise: Mom Had Many Helpers [ https://substack.com/redirect/21e363ef-55e7-4f22-80ee-dc9a7954bd46?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Stranded couple rescued from Oahu floods after writing ‘SOS’ on beach [ https://substack.com/redirect/bc9dacb3-763b-43c1-8786-3fd3ecb02976?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNak0wTWpRMk55d2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzBOak0zTXpZMkxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EWXhOek16TmpZc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5GM0F6VDJUR2N1Y2U5VUhwWEJVcDlMeTNOTnF1VnhsR0hnTk1XVWhhQzJFIiwicCI6MTkyMzQyNDY3LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzQ2MzczNjYsImV4cCI6MjA5MDIxMzM2NiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.3iS9Gg5XJr26j4H_L-Fv0HUp0BoXvTt4xSNAZSiJ-tI?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/platform-over-function A couple decades after its launch, Facebook has been held accountable by juries for its addictive and otherwise damaging qualities. “A New Mexico jury on Tuesday found that Meta exposed minors to harmful content, including online solicitation, sexually explicit content and human trafficking under consumer-protection laws. Within 24 hours, a Los Angeles jury issued a verdict in a similar case, saying Meta and YouTube contributed to mental-health issues of a 20-year-old woman, Kaley G.M., because of the addictive nature of its products.” What is different about these cases is that instead of targeting the content on these sites which has been protected by Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act [ https://substack.com/redirect/4822a583-986c-443f-98f0-6d845bd1aa53?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], plaintiffs went after the actual design of the products themselves. The damages hardly amount to a rounding error for a company like Meta, but the success of the new legal strategy will undoubtedly lead to a slew of new cases, some of which are already in progress, leading many to ask the question posed by the WSJ (Gift Article): Do Back-to-Back Courtroom Losses Herald Meta’s ‘Big Tobacco’ Moment [ https://substack.com/redirect/eada7e7c-007d-43d2-8165-29cac2e2352b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? + Regardless of where you come down on the merits of these particular cases, or whether you think social media product designs can legitimately be distinguished from speech, there’s no doubt that these sites and apps are designed to use every trick and tech to compete with equally well-armed competitors to capture and hold as much of your attention (and often mis-informed outrage) as possible. While the old-school sites like Facebook have evolved into corporations that are willing to deploy addictive products because share price trumps the public good, newer products like the prediction markets have been quite intentionally built from the ground up to use every technique from Vegas to Silicon Valley to get you hooked. However these cases proceed, it’s hard not to think that what’s being fought out in courtrooms is actually yesterday’s battle, since users are already shifting their attention to artificial intelligence — and with the size of the bets corporations, investors, big banks, and others are making on this next big thing, the pressure to addict you (and the tech to do so) is more powerful than it’s ever been. Is this big tech’s tobacco moment? It may not matter. Big tech has already rolled up smokes that are way stronger, and we’re all lining up to take a puff. + NYT (Gift Article): What to Know About the Social Media Addiction Trials [ https://substack.com/redirect/176d69ad-3f5e-473e-9d83-05591a0ea907?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Om Malik on the political forces driving the cases, and what they might mean in terms of actual change. Meta’s May Day [ https://substack.com/redirect/7ce8e2b7-43d7-4315-bf24-61495650fd4a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Underneath the political theater, the structural demands are real. And if a judge grants even a portion of them, they could change daily life for two billion people.” (Give or take a couple billion, that’s exactly what I feel I’ve done with NextDraft...) 2 Call Stall “The kids are a little different here in Greystones. In 2023, the Irish seaside town just south of Dublin launched a grass-roots initiative led by local parents, school principals and community members to loosen the grip of technology on their younger kids by adopting a voluntary ‘no smart devices’ code and supporting it with workshops and social events. Three years later, no one in Greystones claims to have cured the ills of modern technology. But they’ve learned that they can’t do anything about it one child at a time. Only a townwide effort could defang the kids’ ‘everyone else has one’ argument.’ ‘With social media, it’s a collective thing,’ said Jennifer Whitmore, a member of Irish parliament and a Greystones mother of four. ‘Addressing it in a clustered manner is the way to go.’” NYT (Gift Article): A Phone-Free Childhood? One Irish Village Is Making It Happen [ https://substack.com/redirect/92337dcb-4831-420f-a1fc-610f4e9e86ee?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Wait, how do they execute family-wide group orders on DoorDash...) 3 Blockade Blocks Aid “The U.S. oil blockade on Cuba is fast exhausting the country’s supply of fuel, causing daily blackouts, food shortages, canceled classes and black-market gas prices approaching $40 a gallon. It is also crippling Cuba’s universal health care system, a state institution once considered a triumph for a poor nation, but is now struggling to provide basic care. In interviews, six Cuban doctors said that rapidly deteriorating conditions at hospitals and clinics across Cuba were causing deaths that would otherwise be preventable.” In theory, this blockade is intended to weaken the current government and ultimately make life better for Cubans. That was also part of the reasoning for the war in Iran. But somehow, things don’t always seem to work out for the citizens supposedly being helped. NYT (Gift Article): Cuban Patients Are Dying Because of U.S. Blockade, Doctors Say [ https://substack.com/redirect/8243b5e8-4795-44a8-bc61-f622bc0052c0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Asking for Oral “It’s a testing method as old as Socrates and making a comeback in the AI age. A growing number of college professors say they are turning to oral exams, and combining a variety of old-fashioned and cutting-edge techniques, to help address a crisis in higher education. ‘You won’t be able to AI your way through an oral exam,’ says Schaffer, who introduced the oral defense last semester.” Perfect homework, blank stares: Why colleges are turning to oral exams to combat AI [ https://substack.com/redirect/2353be19-4356-45af-801d-01c17134f02f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra + God Help Us: “Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation ... Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.” At Pentagon Christian service, Hegseth prays for violence ‘against those who deserve no mercy [ https://substack.com/redirect/1937c7b4-20c4-4dfb-ad41-911a31ab6649?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’ (This guy is like Robert McNamara speaking in tongues.) Hegseth’s prayers have been answered, over and over, in the Caribbean. U.S. Military Kills 4 People in Boat Strike [ https://substack.com/redirect/eb781d6b-a3a8-4d75-9e7b-41781f50dae9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + A Peace of Work: “I read a story today that I’m desperate to make a deal. I’m the opposite of desperate. I don’t care.” And with that, here’s the latest on the Iran war [ https://substack.com/redirect/13951c96-b183-4f89-be10-bd9e190bcb1f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and what may or may not be peace talks that may or may not be happening. Trump may not care, but you can bet Zelensky does. Pentagon considers diverting Ukraine military aid to the Middle East [ https://substack.com/redirect/24f18393-15da-4288-94ed-9b9e9e8dcc28?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. This would be more good news for Putin. Meanwhile ... Russia sends drones to Iran according to Western intelligence [ https://substack.com/redirect/11afc039-8efe-4e64-854f-5f0a81ac99f8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Error Port: “While a traveler’s struggle to stay sane in a crowded airport is not for the weak-willed, it doesn’t compare to the hardships facing agents trying to pay bills and feed a family without a regular paycheck for six weeks and counting. Some have been sleeping in their cars at the airport to save on gas. Others have lost child care. Some face eviction.” And in a uniquely 2026 irony, the suffering TSA agents are being replaced by ICE (the organization at the heart of the Congressional TSA funding standoff). WaPo (Gift Article): A new nightmare awaits Americans at the airport [ https://substack.com/redirect/e572e2f6-3d0e-4f85-aa46-a399d6c95982?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Immigration agents with little public trust and training add to stress of flying for Americans.” Meanwhile, travelers flock to Clear security app to bypass TSA lines [ https://substack.com/redirect/c24dd46f-cea8-4b52-b243-5c7879701c8b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] amid US airport chaos. + Crime Pays: “The Justice Department has settled for roughly $1.2 million a lawsuit from Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser to President Donald Trump who pleaded guilty [ https://substack.com/redirect/a3e8473a-8912-4d8c-b961-b39e7bb22c25?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]during the Republican’s first term to lying to the FBI about his conversations with a top Russian diplomat and was later pardoned.” + Fitness Test: “The International Olympic Committee has barred transgender athletes from competing in the women’s category of the Olympics and said that all participants in those events must undergo genetic testing [ https://substack.com/redirect/4e54bb05-4101-4b95-a97f-4f9863e79896?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + A Sure Thing Bet: “Indeed, why not let people gamble on whether there will be a famine in Gaza? The market logic is cold and simple: More bets means more information, and more informational volume is more efficiency in the marketplace of all future happenings. But from another perspective—let’s call it, baseline morality?—the transformation of a famine into a windfall event for prescient bettors seems so grotesque as to require no elaboration.” Derek Thompson: We Haven’t Seen the Worst of What Gambling and Prediction Markets Will Do to America [ https://substack.com/redirect/ab8bd495-6dc6-4a93-9115-94ff2553acf9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Let’s Chill For a Second: “Carlos Osorio, a photojournalist with Reuters, recently traveled to Canada’s northern reaches to document military exercises, daily life, robotic testing, wildlife, and more.” Scenes From the Canadian Arctic [ https://substack.com/redirect/a1b20596-d094-46bc-9189-03f9a1037320?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “For nearly 50 years, the Annapolis Oyster Roast & Sock Burning has marked the long-awaited return of warmer days to the East Coast boating hub — and time for sailing season to begin again.” Decades ago, a Maryland sailor burned his winter socks. Now it’s a spring tradition [ https://substack.com/redirect/003a5f89-2a18-4c20-9c0d-15cc337cef44?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Damaged church floor may have revealed the grave of the fourth musketeer [ https://substack.com/redirect/0382709a-b188-413d-a7ef-ecc03bbd61ac?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNakkwTURnMk5pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzBOVFV5TnpBd0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EWXdPRGczTURBc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5UNlZGeUxiLUprajNoVVVqRU1PRFNla2lWaGlHN2hkanJhMS1pLVFFWnJJIiwicCI6MTkyMjQwODY2LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzQ1NTI3MDAsImV4cCI6MjA5MDEyODcwMCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.q7xIJPs0sTp-cvj7ueixNtr21HI4qqxqzGiUHf1ZWy8?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/talk-to-my-agent With Opening Day upon us, it seems like a reasonable time to go over the lineup: Who’s on first, What’s on second, and I Don’t Know is on third. While that old Abbott and Costello routine [ https://substack.com/redirect/647e7a8a-4145-44e4-b436-a9c3f1b99dfb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] has been around for nearly a century, the questions it poses are more timely than ever in our AI-driven world, when we frequently don’t know who or what we’re talking to. The latest tech craze is AI agents [ https://substack.com/redirect/7e18f7fa-67c1-44a2-b606-8f8072dcfca7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] that are being used to manage tasks previously completed by you. The more you use the agent, the more it knows about you, and the more it can be deployed to act on your behalf. Which leads us to a headline like this from the NYT (Gift Article): Sorry, Mom. You’re Chatting With an A.I. Agent, Not Your Son [ https://substack.com/redirect/b0ebaf6b-ca36-46ca-ae21-95bdecb2d7c6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Will Laverty, 18, a software engineer who came to San Francisco from Australia a month ago, had a backlog of texts from friends and family asking what he had been up to in California. While it made him feel ‘kind of guilty,’ he put his parents in a group chat with his A.I. agent. ‘Pretty much all the things I wanted to tell them in my head, it already knew about from tracking everything about my life, and it could just tell them without me having to think.’” + In a world where AI can represent you, how will you be able to prove that you are really you? Just this month, Benjamin Netanyahu had to release a series of proof of life videos after an image that made it look like he had a sixth finger went viral. Many people are still convinced he’s dead. This represents a big problem for world leaders, but it also represents a big problem for everyone else. Experts are now recommending that you and your family members have a code word that you can use to prove you’re who you say you are. The BBC’s Thomas Germain decided to run a little test to see if he could prove he’s real. I tried to prove I’m not AI. My aunt wasn’t convinced [ https://substack.com/redirect/c927814c-2529-434f-99b4-b2c9a77e7f06?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Here’s a dead giveaway when it comes to my identity. If you contact me during tonight’s Giants-Yankees opening night game and I respond, it’s definitely AI.) 2 Thou Dost Protest Too Little Earlier this week, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, and Michael Stipe performed at Democracy Now’s 30th Anniversary event [ https://substack.com/redirect/06cb3f9d-3b38-4fb6-8460-35a70bed9ed1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. While I’m inspired that many musical legends have risen to the moment (and can’t wait for Springsteen’s Land of Hope and Dreams tour to arrive in San Francisco), I worry that what we’re seeing isn’t exactly a youth movement. (And no, you can’t count Neil Young as a Young person.) Why are the college students and other young people who were so fired up to protest an Israel-Hamas battle on the other side of the world largely sitting on their hands when it comes to the dismantling of American democracy, including the betrayal of allies, the killing of Americans, and what appears to be a strategy-free war of choice? Rose Horowitch in The Atlantic (Gift Article) attempts to give a few answers to that question (though I imagine there are many more). Where Are All the Campus Protests [ https://substack.com/redirect/abdfbd16-b832-44be-9e28-a9dbbef19889?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? + At universities, are we seeing more knee-bending than fist raising? Boston University Pulls Pride Flags, Raising Free Speech Worries [ https://substack.com/redirect/4b708f64-9379-4b8b-afd3-6d5d6e7cb608?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Let’s Tray Table the Issue “Almost everywhere you look, there’s airline trouble. A tragic crash at LaGuardia Airport. Long lines at airport security. Thousands of cancellations because of bad weather in Dallas and Atlanta. Higher prices. More proposed airline mergers. And a spate of near misses in the sky. You could blame human error or partisan fights in Washington for some of these issues, but there is a deeper story behind the turbulence: Nearly half a century ago, the U.S. government abandoned its position that regulation and investment were critical elements for America’s transportation infrastructure.” Ganesh Sitaraman in the NYT (Gift Article): This Is Why Flying Is So Awful [ https://substack.com/redirect/bb148333-1cc3-47a5-a02a-0be6aa091192?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Will They Reap the Harvest? “I’ve heard all the arguments both for and against legalizing online gambling. What I think is missing from that conversation is the fact that it’s not really just gambling online that has been legalized. What has been legalized is extraction, and the new methods of extraction that are possible using the internet and mobile devices. These companies have identified a group of people with a monetizable compulsion, and we have legalized the tools needed to industrially harvest money from them.” Defector: Why I Got Out Of The Gambling Business [ https://substack.com/redirect/365bc41e-b7d0-4df2-9ff1-fd6092d31915?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Platform Over Function: “What makes the Los Angeles case unique is that, rather than trying to persuade the jury that the content on Meta and YouTube is harmful, the plaintiff’s attorneys framed the case around the actual design of the social media platforms.” Meta, YouTube found negligent in landmark social media addiction lawsuit [ https://substack.com/redirect/ffb5a977-9ad5-4f42-91ed-d3c21d2d860c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. This is the second big tech-related decision this week. “A New Mexico jury determined Tuesday that Meta knowingly harmed children’s mental health [ https://substack.com/redirect/04212937-a952-4ea3-a5d9-3b865875ee5d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its social media platforms, a verdict that signals a changing tide against tech companies and the government’s willingness to crack down.” + A Peace of Work: “Various news agencies and Iranian state media have reported that Tehran has responded ‘negatively’ to the US proposal to end the war, but there are contradictory statements over whether it has rejected it outright. Reuters news agency, citing a senior Iranian official, reported that Tehran’s initial response to the proposal was ‘not positive’ but that it was still reviewing it. That is at odds with a report by the Iranian state-owned Press TV, which quoted a senior political security official saying Tehran has rejected the proposal, while putting forward its own conditions to end the war. Meanwhile, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, citing a ‘knowledegable source’, reported that Tehran will not accept a ceasefire and believes it would not be ‘logical’ to enter talks.” In other words, the peace talks are as confusing as the war has been. Here’s the latest from The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/083dc174-3e22-41e1-b0b4-506b683139b6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and AP [ https://substack.com/redirect/7abe41ff-d7c6-481c-9fbb-85d267f51b89?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Putin New Perspective: “In February, something shifted. Mr. Putin began, suddenly, to pay attention to the flagging economy. There were even signs he might be changing his mind on negotiations with Ukraine, perhaps seeking an exit from the conflict. Then came the war in Iran.” For Putin, the War in Iran Changed Everything [ https://substack.com/redirect/2bbcbae3-41d3-42a1-ba85-0cf96ff06a1c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Blue Devil and Red Devil: “As a boy, Majok Bior escaped a country engulfed in war. As a gifted student, he won a full scholarship to Duke University and looked toward a dazzling future. Bior studied computer science at the North Carolina campus during his freshman year and was a winger on an intramural soccer team. After finishing the fall semester of his sophomore year, Bior returned to Uganda for winter break. He played chess with friends and recounted the brutal winters and demands of chemistry class. Then President Trump began to ban students from Africa, starting with South Sudan where Bior was born. He hasn’t returned to campus since.” WSJ (Gift Article): He Had a Full Ride at Duke—Until America Cut Him Off [ https://substack.com/redirect/f8a08e5e-0ca3-4bd8-b4e8-50f72f48fc9f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Feel safer?) + Lactose Intolerant: “The video was meant to show that the U.S. military, which for months has bombed boats it says are carrying drugs from South America, was ‘now bombing Narco Terrorists on land,’ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on social media.” NYT (Gift Article): The U.S. Said It Helped Bomb a Drug Camp. It Was a Dairy Farm [ https://substack.com/redirect/5f409e10-be2a-4711-adc3-ed84d90fd109?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Viewfinder: Wapo (Gift Article): In Trump’s war messaging, veterans see something new — and disturbing [ https://substack.com/redirect/c1386fd2-d27b-4fd0-bda9-823a63c711ba?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Service members and families who lost loved ones say the Trump team’s memes and jokes trivialize combat and sacrifice. Trump aides say the backlash sends views soaring.” (And these days, what matters more than views?) + Resort Re-Sorted “Democrat Emily Gregory won a special election Tuesday for the Florida state House district that includes President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort [ https://substack.com/redirect/511281e3-2b9e-4f60-96ef-224f44a444a9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], flipping the seat from Republican control.” 6 Bottom of the News “In a social media post, the fire department said cleanup has been slow as the Missouri Department of Transportation works with the truck company’s insurance carrier.” Wrecked truck carrying tofu stinks up Missouri town [ https://substack.com/redirect/d9500e43-1ad3-4c0a-9add-64a886b910fc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Travelers passing through Philadelphia International Airport on Tuesday may have expected long security lines. But the longest line was made of cheesesteaks [ https://substack.com/redirect/56140974-9029-44d2-8a42-dff5c958ba13?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNakV5TnpReU9Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzBORFl6T0RNMkxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EVTVPVGs0TXpZc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS4yb3FXTTV2T3VEaWJ2dk1iU3dmSDdnUXo1SE51M3JVZnpxNU1qSGE5Mk1BIiwicCI6MTkyMTI3NDI4LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzQ0NjM4MzYsImV4cCI6MjA5MDAzOTgzNiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.9uHrq4oyWdPbjqa79XPWM-ktBnKB4qSZXa94A2e6IJo?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/qualm-before-the-storm Parents being confronted with perplexing questions from their kids is nothing new. But today’s parents of college or so aged children are faced with a doozy when it comes to giving advice about entering the rapidly changing job market. Career paths that were recently considered the safest route forward have suddenly turned a corner and are now heading straight into the oncoming headlights of the AI convoy. When my kids bring up the topic, I suggest that getting career advice from a guy who writes a newsletter with no revenue model might not be the wisest idea. “Maybe you should ask Claude.” Making matters even worse (which is the defining characteristic of 2026), today’s job market is terrible for recent college graduates, and that has almost nothing to do with new technology. “Although AI may be replacing some entry-level jobs on the margins, there is little evidence it is the main culprit — at least not yet. Rather, many economists believe employment challenges for young people with college degrees stem more from the ‘low hire, low fire’ dynamics in the labor market.” NYT (Gift Article): Young Graduates Face the Grimmest Job Market in Years [ https://substack.com/redirect/0c9d4d95-0095-4ee7-8125-795bf0e29e6a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Aside from becoming a billionaire (they seem to be doing great these days, so why not?), is there a safe spot in the job market of the near future? WSJ (Gift Article): Why Healthcare Is Doing the Heavy Lifting in This Job Market [ https://substack.com/redirect/80561491-785b-4193-b53a-57deb8203a97?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Forget the AI hype and the data-center boom. What’s keeping the jobs market afloat these days is Grandma and Grandpa ... Strip out the medical sector, and the rest of the American economy is actually losing jobs.” 2 Derrick and the Dominos And I said, “Hey kid, you think that’s oil? Man, that ain’t oil, that’s blood.” Bruce Springsteen, Lost in the Flood. As “the founding director of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a co-founding dean of the Columbia Climate School” (and a very serious Bruce Springsteen fan), there are few people who understand the global energy market better than Jason Bordoff. Thankfully, Jason also excels at explaining energy issues in clear terms that the rest of us can understand. Since energy, particularly the oil that used to travel through the Strait of Hormuz, is now at the core of the Iran war, it’s a good time to catch up on what’s happening and what’s at stake. Ezra Klein interviewed Jason Bordoff earlier this week on his podcast. NYT(Gift Article): What Happens if 20 Percent of the World’s Oil Disappears [ https://substack.com/redirect/00b3a4f5-54c9-46d7-a45c-57cbeb5956a4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? “The Gulf — the Middle East — we all know, since the 1970s, is a huge energy producer: Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, of course. All of that oil, most of it, flows by tanker through this very narrow strait that juts like a little triangle around a corner, and it’s right where Iran is. So it doesn’t take that much with some drones or explosives in a dinghy boat racing out to a tanker ... You’re talking about a disruption of about 10 million barrels of oil, maybe a little bit more — so more than 10 percent of global supply. During the Arab oil embargo in 1973, in contrast, you saw about 6 or 7 percent of world supply disrupted. So this is by far the largest energy supply disruption we have ever seen.” (You’ll have to read or listen to the end for the Springsteen-related tips...) + For most of the world, the oil and energy wars are creating chaos, concern, and higher prices. For some people, the massive price swings, often driven by presidential tweets, present quite the opportunity. “Traders bet hundreds of millions of dollars on oil contracts just minutes before US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the US would postpone strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure. Market data reviewed by the BBC shows the volume of trade spiked around fifteen minutes before a social media post [ https://substack.com/redirect/cdbdf2e2-a9eb-4015-b895-628360750ce7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] by the president announcing the move.” + “Trump’s sudden climb-down was startling. Who could have seen this coming? The answer is, the person or people who bought large quantities of stock market futures and sold large quantities of oil futures around 15 minutes before Trump’s announcement.” Paul Krugman: Treason in the Futures Markets [ https://substack.com/redirect/97e94270-3cb7-4f0a-be0d-d81ae9875fb8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + How will the market respond to the instability and madness spreading from the Oval Office across the globe? You’d think it would be concerned. But, as I explained yesterday, it’s a Bull---- Market [ https://substack.com/redirect/fcfbd44c-0fdc-408a-8aed-bb1e4a8b0437?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 All Bets Are On “Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA) and John Curtis (R-UT) introduced a bill on Monday that could prevent prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket from allowing users to wager money on sports events [ https://substack.com/redirect/b4cac900-faa9-4117-b9cd-a3d6165fefd7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] or play casino-style games.” Don Jr. has financial relationships with both leading prediction markets, so it’s unlikely that we’ll see them reined in anytime soon. Meanwhile, while people love sports betting, they’re quickly getting used to betting on everything. David Wallace-Wells on The Casino That’s Eating the World [ https://substack.com/redirect/15db6560-2eca-49b9-8a34-6362399b73ea?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “’The long-term vision is to financialize everything and create a tradable asset out of any difference in opinion,’ Tarek Mansour, the chief executive of another major prediction market, Kalshi, declared in November. But who wants this future, besides perhaps inveterate gamblers and those people who profit off them?” (Bingo. And I mean Bingo as in that’s exactly right, not Bingo the casino game...) 4 Stuck in the Middle Like many middle powers that used to be able to depend on the United States, Canada finds itself looking to establish its place in the new world order. There will be political challenges. There will also be challenges from Mother Nature. NYT (Gift Article): In Canada’s Frozen North, With Canada’s Frozen Soldiers [ https://substack.com/redirect/d56385fe-643d-4045-9056-ded099d7b8ff?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Canada’s military ambitions in the Arctic hinged on a frozen door that wouldn’t open ... ‘It’s frozen,’ said an air force detachment commander, ‘frozen shut.’ That left the force’s Chinook helicopter out in the cold. As Canada’s armed forces launched their biggest-ever Arctic exercise, soldiers blasted mobile heaters in an effort to open the hangar door and haul in the Chinook, which had been grounded by a mechanical problem and the extreme temperatures.” (It might be faster just to wait for climate change to open the door...) 5 Extra, Extra Prince Charming King? “In a series of conversations over the last week, Prince Mohammed has conveyed to Mr. Trump that he must press toward the destruction of Iran’s hard-line government, the people familiar with the conversations said. Prince Mohammed, the people familiar with the discussions said, has argued that Iran poses a long-term threat to the Gulf that can only be eliminated by getting rid of the government.” NYT (Gift Article): Saudi Leader Is Said to Push Trump to Continue Iran War in Recent Calls [ https://substack.com/redirect/31ac876d-100e-4bf6-8188-78310d3a3d7d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, “Pakistan’s military leadership has been attempting to broker negotiations between the US and Iran, after the White House confirmed that Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, had a call with Donald Trump on Sunday to discuss the conflict.” JD Vance is being floated as a lead negotiator. Here’s the latest from The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/130212bd-aea5-4c08-a67f-e3175d44b1c1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Mullin Mulled Over: Markwayne Mullin confirmed as the next secretary of Homeland Security [ https://substack.com/redirect/4f715c54-35f1-41df-8719-424af7cb333a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (On the plus side, he’s almost certain not to be the worst person ever to hold that job.) + Moonstruck: “NASA plans to invest $20 billion over the next seven years to develop a base on the surface of the moon [ https://substack.com/redirect/4ffc93e4-124a-4b4b-a638-a0f7af3c3fc3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], the latest major strategy shakeup aimed at enabling humans to live on the lunar surface long-term.” (That sounds like too much money to spend, unless we all get to decide who to send there first.) + Cheet Sheet: Can an entire political movement be summed up in one headline? Probably not, but we can try. Trump, Who Calls Mail-in Voting ‘Cheating,’ Just Voted by Mail [ https://substack.com/redirect/921df78e-6e7a-4715-b8dc-b8c10adebe6c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Betrayed: “Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, 41, who was known to his family and friends as Nazeer, served alongside U.S. Army Special Forces in Paktika province – one of the most dangerous in Afghanistan – starting in 2005 ... He and his family were evacuated when the pro-U.S. government in Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021.” How an Afghan man who aided U.S. military forces died in ICE custody in Texas [ https://substack.com/redirect/33615bd7-8160-4b1a-b954-2efdbf8c0705?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And from Pro Publica: Trump Has Detained the Parents of More Than 11,000 U.S. Citizen Kids [ https://substack.com/redirect/0d69ddcb-bef7-488e-9d7a-faabf3e38b32?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Feel safer?) + Foul Wind: “French energy company TotalEnergies has agreed to abandon two Atlantic offshore wind projects [ https://substack.com/redirect/f53b0afa-bade-40d2-9c61-fa0be0846dc6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] after the Trump administration offered to buy out its federal leases for close to $1 billion, with the money to be redirected into fossil fuel development.” + Cold Reception: “Americans have learned to live with ads on smartphones and other devices as a necessary trade-off of connectivity. They’ve also gotten used to growing intrusions in the physical world, where everything from bathroom stalls to taxicab seats have become fair game for marketers. But the kitchen remained largely off-limits.” Until now. Ads Are Popping Up on the Fridge and It Isn’t Going Over Well [ https://substack.com/redirect/0d193354-722c-4d21-8c27-e63f638034ce?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “A Maryland man who made history as the first quadruple amputee to compete in the professional, televised American Cornhole League has been arrested on suspicion of shooting and killing a passenger in his car [ https://substack.com/redirect/9443a5e3-50af-4be8-ac43-754f3958a1e2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] during an argument.” Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNakF3T1RRME5Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzBNemMxTmpjMUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EVTVNVEUyTnpVc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS40c1ZwTUJvQzBQeVlpOXRtNkxyNjVKQTZnQzNpOG5sVVc2TWF6YXh2SWFvIiwicCI6MTkyMDA5NDQ1LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzQzNzU2NzUsImV4cCI6MjA4OTk1MTY3NSwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.QUh7fH38xZZyuwWF-Gz2mQC8N4fPQeqbSJM-fnLsQN8?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/the-bull-market It’s too bad the March Madness moniker is already taken, because there aren’t a lot of better ways to describe the latest mad-making weekend in geopolitics. In a social media post, Trump gave Iran a 48-hour ultimatum to open the Strait of Hormuz or he’d start bombing power plants. Iran issued counter-threats about hitting other power and desalination plants in the region. By Monday morning, Trump had backed off his original ultimatum, saying that the highly inexperienced and highly conflicted team [ https://substack.com/redirect/21005be8-6b78-4a87-aa8c-77be905b474d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] of Kushner and Witkoff had some productive talks with Iranian leadership. Iran went so far, we’re told, as to agree not to have a nuclear weapon [ https://substack.com/redirect/ba32662b-de9f-4406-bdf6-9695182703a8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The Iranian side insists that no such talks took place [ https://substack.com/redirect/db8be3a2-0bf6-400a-904f-db160d301529?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and given Trump’s track record with honesty (including when it comes to this war [ https://substack.com/redirect/316b9af0-ef3c-46a4-9e67-283bc6ce3c75?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]), it’s hard to imagine he’s the one telling the truth (even when being measured against what’s left of one of the world’s most awful and perennially mendacious regimes). To summarize, an unstable leader leading an optional war made threats via social media and then rescinded them based on what appears to be imaginary talks and then lied about the whole thing, leaving our strategy unclear, our goals still a mystery, and a key energy route still closed. And the market responded to this mind-boggling instability (and what looks a lot like its own manipulation [ https://substack.com/redirect/8e328a16-c8c8-4356-a2f5-284d70731d6e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]) by ... soaring [ https://substack.com/redirect/452051e4-7554-4634-ade1-5d3a32efa781?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Yes, the same market we’ve long depended on to be an unemotional measure of corporate health and future earnings, dependent on stable leadership and the rule of law, seems to be going as insane as the rest of us. We’re talking crazy money, here. Before we follow the money, shouldn’t we consider who the money is following? It’s not like investors aren’t aware that the person whose words are dramatically moving the market is known for constant lying. But they’re still buying his BS. Trump has given new meaning to the phrase, bull market. Don’t get me wrong. My portfolio is as relieved as yours. But it sure seems like the market is in denial about what’s going on in American politics. Or maybe, like the rest of us, the market was happily distracted while tracking college basketball brackets over the weekend — at least there, we’re supposed to have madness. 2 It’s Not the Size, It’s the Technique One thing we’ve learned in Ukraine and the Gulf is that war is being transformed by cheap drones, big data, and AI. In this video, Fareed Zakaria examines Iran’s military response to US, Israeli airstrikes and says that it represents a new military architecture that is challenging the old model of military supremacy [ https://substack.com/redirect/0e231e47-9b79-4666-bf84-652112e8187f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “What used to require great industrial nations capacity can increasingly be assembled, adapted and scaled by much smaller states. The economics of war are being turned upside down.” In some ways, this trend levels the military playing field + Technology is completely changing war, often in unimagined ways. Consider Iran’s surveillance society. The regime installed cameras to track its own citizens. Those cameras were hacked to help provide accurate locations on targets, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran built a vast camera network to control dissent. Israel turned it into a targeting tool [ https://substack.com/redirect/9e95ac92-4861-42de-8b34-f9299d7e4e7d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Not Going Anywhere For a While “Security lines stretched for hours on Monday at US airports where unpaid Transportation Safety Administration screening agents refused to report for duty.” So far, Trump has rejected proposed deals to fund parts of DHS to create an off-ramp for the nightmare delays [ https://substack.com/redirect/9ec5c67d-0b45-4aa9-94ca-30c8792a03c6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] taking place at many airports. The solution so far: Send ICE into airports [ https://substack.com/redirect/b3314964-d05c-476a-a27b-d325da3deadc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Untrained ICE officers vs Irate Travelers. What could go wrong?) + “Two pilots were killed and dozens were injured Sunday night after an arriving plane collided with a fire truck on a runway [ https://substack.com/redirect/5664e568-a9f7-44d5-bf16-41d3029b247a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.” + The Atlantic (Gift Article): Fatal crashes, overstressed controllers, and endless security lines reveal a system teetering on the brink of failure [ https://substack.com/redirect/688a6c20-102f-4691-85e5-37513d447c3b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I’m guessing anyone reading this in an endless airport security line thinks we’ve passed the teetering stage.) 4 Paper and Fire “The body lay slumped on the jail floor, curled around a metal toilet. Investigators found no evidence of homicide, just a few scraps of rolled-up paper, singed and scattered on the floor like scorched confetti. For months, inmates had been falling ill at the Cook County jail in Chicago. Officials said they had heard rumors that extremely toxic drugs were infiltrating the facility, delivered on something so ordinary that it seemed impossible to stop ... The paper itself must be the culprit — and it was deadly.” NYT (Gift Article): No Pills or Needles, Just Paper: How Deadly Drugs Are Changing [ https://substack.com/redirect/df794b6a-9a04-44d8-b9db-3adacfef9158?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And what’s happening in jails is likely coming to a street corner near you. “The unbridled rise of synthetic drugs is as profound for the illicit drug market as the television was for the radio, or the computer for the typewriter, scientists say, and it is confounding law enforcement officials the world over. ‘This is the modern drug epidemic: It’s like nothing that’s happened in the world before — anywhere.’” 5 Extra, Extra Things Are Going Bad, Stat: “I’m an E.R. doc, so I handle stress pretty well. But this was like being in a mass disaster nonstop for eight months.” ... “I don’t think it is well understood that we’re not going to see the outcomes of all of this until Trump is long gone.” NYT (Gift Article) talked to 43 current and former CDC employees. The prognosis is not good. Inside the Turmoil at Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s C.D.C [ https://substack.com/redirect/e89e16f1-2bf4-4bb0-8e80-39f1f0348ad2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Robert Mueller: “Good, I’m Glad He’s Dead [ https://substack.com/@managingeditor/note/c-231203442 ].” Disgustingly (but unsurprisingly), that’s how Trump responded to the death of Robert Mueller. From Garrett Graff: Remembering Robert Mueller [ https://substack.com/redirect/720d2e1a-b0c0-477c-a0e2-5326c4e835fa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Robert Mueller, the quintessential G-Man, a patriot and Purple Heart recipient who spent a half-century serving the country and pursuing the highest traditions of the Justice Department across six presidential administrations, repeatedly answering the nation’s call — from Vietnam to the halls of the J. Edgar Hoover building and the halls of Main Justice — until in his final chapter of public service he was betrayed by a former colleague and the Republican Party he’d spent a lifetime supporting, died Friday.” + Mail Pattern Boldness: “The Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Monday sounded skeptical of state laws that allow the counting of late-arriving mail ballots [ https://substack.com/redirect/dc7f9afd-5f32-48d0-a619-6d13a75cea44?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], a persistent target of President Donald Trump.” (Most of us are ready to mail in our ballots right now.) + Trouble in Paradise: “Over the weekend, heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week ago, forcing thousands on the North Shore of Oahu to evacuate before more evacuations for parts of the island of Maui.” Hawaii assesses damage left by worst flooding in more than 20 years [ https://substack.com/redirect/b23086a6-488a-4d06-98cf-66a03de604af?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Havana Hunch: “Trump’s campaign to topple foreign adversaries encounters a battered but defiant regime.” No, we’re not talking about Iran. (Or Greenland.) Jon Lee Anderson in The New Yorker: Is Cuba Next [ https://substack.com/redirect/7e90700d-7877-420b-a6bd-5620fb998b97?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? + Going Postal: “In dozens of thinly populated regions across the country, Amazon is building new delivery hubs to deliver packages in around two days. That might not seem especially rapid at a time when the e-commerce giant is introducing one-hour delivery in some areas, but residents of some far-flung Montana hamlets were used to waiting up to a week for their orders. The effort helps Amazon reduce its reliance on the U.S. Postal Service, a relationship that has become rocky following a dispute over contract terms.” WSJ (Gift Article): How Amazon Is Bringing Fast Delivery to Rural America [ https://substack.com/redirect/8e4b624d-868f-487e-8e1a-7e9655c20be2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Fan Base: “A Northwestern University graduate with a degree in economics, Radvinsky helped transform online p-rnography from an industry based mostly on bulk delivery of advertising-supported X-rated videos to something like an adult-themed hybrid of the gig economy and social media.” OnlyFans Owner Leo Radvinsky Dies at 43 [ https://substack.com/redirect/7f9d830d-c146-4485-a383-b5557271fc20?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “Senior living resident Anita LeBrun wants to ‘cheers’ her friends with something stronger than grape juice. LeBrun is going viral for her testimony at a Minnesota House of Representatives committee meeting, where legislators considered the so-called ‘Grandparents’ Happy Hour’ bill that would allow group homes to serve alcohol to their residents and guests [ https://substack.com/redirect/a9e1c0d8-e0aa-4702-b3f9-e234853ccdce?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + “No twerking! You will be charged with disorderly conduct!” Cops ban over-the-top twerking at legendary Florida party beach [ https://substack.com/redirect/c4c4c496-4e51-4c64-a470-f17e418949bb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Can a Footloose sequel be far behind?) 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/is-that-an-f-22-raptor-in-your-pocket I only read the internet for the articles. But apparently, there is a pent-up demand for images. Especially certain type of images. As you may know, Google Images was essentially created by Jennifer Lopez’s Versace dress [ https://substack.com/redirect/f5a140c3-155e-4659-aa58-54746d5148b5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Of course, the quest for alluring images predates the internet (by a lot), and these images have been used to market everything from cigarettes to burgers to cars since the earliest days of advertising, starting with the Pearl Tobacco brand featuring a naked maiden on the package cover [ https://substack.com/redirect/1cee1d71-5f81-4615-98cd-449c8ace53cf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in 1871. (Back then, people needed a post coital smoke after just looking at the package.) Now, similar images are being used to market militaristic patriotism, war, and other political movements. “The beautiful Army blonde Jessica Foster has posed with an F-22 Raptor fighter jet, donned camouflage in the desert and walked a tarmac with President Donald Trump on the first day of the strikes on Iran. The slew of photos and videos depicting the patriotic life of the MAGA dream girl have led her Instagram account to explode, gaining more than a million followers since she began posting four months ago.” Only this latest form of sexualized marketing has a new twist (and pull). Jessica Foster is not even as real as Jessica Rabbit. She’s AI. And she’s part of an increasingly common trend. “Foster’s viral takeoff highlights an increasingly prevalent strategy for winning online attention. A slew of right-wing accounts, peddling patriotism mixed with soft-core pornography, use fake women and convincing imagery to grab viewers across a distracted internet, monetize their interest and score political points.” WaPo(Gift Article): Thousands have swooned over this MAGA dream girl. She’s made with AI [ https://substack.com/redirect/f23751bb-62d8-4ab5-a6de-4bfdba7831a2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Alt link [ https://substack.com/redirect/312f83e0-5b18-48e2-ac62-d4448363267f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]). “A viral fake of an Army service member spotlights a new trend in online attention harvesting: part patriotism, part p-rn and 100 percent computer-made.” In fairness, the naked maiden featured on Pearl Tabacco packaging also wasn’t a real person. But back then, people knew that. + Google Search is now using AI to replace headlines [ https://substack.com/redirect/53a49b93-4507-4aeb-abf9-270508b9a522?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] with rewritten titles. (It might drive more clicks if they replace headlines with Jessica Foster...) 2 Friends, Romans, Cowards With more troops headed for the Gulf [ https://substack.com/redirect/2de77bc5-a299-45ee-bfda-bb0e51037f36?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], the latest chapter in the art of how to win friends and influence people has been published on social media by Donald Trump. “Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER! They didn’t want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran. Now that fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices. So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!” (Yikes, what did our allies do, use bonespurs to get out of fighting?) Remember when all the hysterical libs with Trump derangement syndrome warned that one day he’d get us into a global war and run it from his social media account? Well, I guess they learned their lesson... + David Ignatius wrote this before the latest NATO bashing. “Unwinding this conflict will be much harder than starting it was. Declaring ‘victory’ and walking away would leave the region in dangerous disarray. To truly end the crisis, Trump will have to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and put limits on Iran’s ragged new leadership. He can achieve these goals through coercion, or diplomacy, or a combination of the two. But he must choose a strategy and implement it. Trump will compound the damage if he takes out his frustration over Iran by bashing Europe for its refusal to provide military aid. Attacking Iran was defensible; wrecking NATO isn’t.” The Iran War Is Metastasizing. Trump Needs an Endgame [ https://substack.com/redirect/dee2e245-4999-45e8-8eba-e1622b31fb90?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “I’ve been ambivalent about this war against Iran — to say the least. While nothing would improve the Middle East more than a decent government taking power in Tehran, I seriously doubt that simply pulverizing Iran from the air can generate that change.” Tom Friedman in the NYT (Gift Article): Once and for All Means Never [ https://substack.com/redirect/6a64c04b-85d0-4e69-ba87-ac42940c42d4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + On the war’s other front: Fears of an all-out Israeli invasion mount in Lebanon [ https://substack.com/redirect/0d4ea047-5767-45f2-a5c3-64d0d6fed77d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “A civilian in Tehran chronicles a country trapped between bombardment and repression—too terrorized to move, let alone start an uprising.” The New Yorker: What the War Has Done to Iranians [ https://substack.com/redirect/870b9aa9-3825-4f11-88c9-f62c56d5ab11?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 The Slides of March A friend of mine ran an experiment this week by creating 200 different March Madness brackets. By the end of the first day of games, only one of them made it through unscathed. In other words, he beat the odds. Only 0.1% of NCAA tournament brackets are still perfect [ https://substack.com/redirect/674e8783-e6c2-49b0-a033-cdaa9dc4ce21?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] after High Point stuns Wisconsin, VCU’s win over North Carolina. 4 Weekend Whats What to Watch: HBO describes DTF St Louis [ https://substack.com/redirect/d25128c7-f02c-401a-9d80-2be20f8b78a9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], starring Jason Bateman, David Harbour, and Linda Cardellini, as a darkly comedic series, in which a love triangle between three adults experiencing middle-age malaise leads to one of them ending up dead. But this Steven Conrad creation is even weirder (and better) than that. Grab a Watermelon Breeze smoothie and enjoy the first few episodes. If you dig the show and need more from Steven Conrad in between episode releases, check out his prior (and even weirder) series Patriot [ https://substack.com/redirect/0cffbe2e-be5b-4774-bd7f-4be047092494?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] on Prime. + What to Read: “Some stories take on a life of their own because they show how things really are. Others spread because they tell us what we already believe. And sometimes a story that’s too good to be true is just that. But a good story is a hard thing to kill.” McKay Coppins in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Incredible Story of the Cartel Olympics [ https://substack.com/redirect/a5ad8f3c-b4c8-43c3-bd0a-c8c3eb1dfee7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “A Mexican athlete said he was kidnapped and forced to compete for his life in a tournament of gangs. But was he actually playing a different game?” + What to Comedy: Robby Hoffman’s Netflix special Wake Up [ https://substack.com/redirect/03e86173-9c1c-49fd-a9b7-2e5dcb2979f8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ](directed by John Mulaney) is well worth a watch. And if you missed last week’s pick, don’t. Chris Fleming Live at the Palace [ https://substack.com/redirect/cd66afb1-07cc-4fa8-8e2e-1aa9c224b1b9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]on HBO is one of the best and most unique stand-up shows I’ve seen in a long time. 5 Extra, Extra The Next Excursion? “The Russian-flagged Anatoly Kolodkin is some 3,000 nautical miles from Cuba in the Atlantic Ocean and is expected to reach the island in 10 days ... If so, that would mark the first time any oil shipment from any country reaches Cuba in the past three months given a U.S. energy blockade.” Cuba readies for first Russian oil shipment of the year as energy crisis deepens [ https://substack.com/redirect/d81c31d5-d89c-4008-8f7d-2be68078b485?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Take My Wife, Please: “Paolo Zampolli, a former modeling agent turned presidential special envoy, had learned that his Brazilian ex-girlfriend was in a Miami jail, arrested on charges of fraud at her workplace. They had been in a custody battle over their teenage son. Now he saw an opportunity.” Trump Friend Asked ICE to Detain the Mother of His Child [ https://substack.com/redirect/cfc4a0f2-3374-44f2-8756-728860c8c609?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Getting Into Harvard, Again: “ The Justice Department filed a new lawsuit Friday against Harvard University [ https://substack.com/redirect/f3559b4c-09f8-49af-b402-0a3c0c5a3f7f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], saying its leadership failed to address antisemitism on campus, creating grounds for the government to freeze existing grants and seek repayment for grants already paid.” (Reminder: “Jew hatred is real, but today’s anti-antisemitism isn’t a legitimate effort to fight it. It’s a cover for a wide range of agendas that have nothing to do with the welfare of Jewish people.” Trump Is Selling Jews a Dangerous Lie [ https://substack.com/redirect/e4b987c5-3b00-4b62-8e6d-5e3d8b08a4dd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) + Today in Dictator: Kim Jong Un sits on a tank with his daughter [ https://substack.com/redirect/82f1cdca-5ea4-4b89-8f8a-a9ffc41b4343?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] at a military exercise. And Trump’s Handpicked Arts Commission Approves Gold Coin With His Face on It [ https://substack.com/redirect/e4d5ba7d-550b-42eb-bae5-226b691ef1d5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Bachelorette Tu? “Disney/ABC executives first saw the video of Taylor Frankie Paul’s February 2023 domestic violence incident the same time as you.” Why ABC Had to Scrap The Bachelorette [ https://substack.com/redirect/5fbdb5b6-0879-4ed4-8bca-de92ff38fdc0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (They wouldn’t want to risk the diminishment of the otherwise stellar reputation of reality show stars...) + Teleport Hole: “Gregg Phillips, the head of FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery, has a history of violent political rhetoric and claims of teleporting to a Waffle House [ https://substack.com/redirect/5606fbe4-8e14-437a-8f6e-1d22ee328d89?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] that are now out in the open.” (Think about it. This isn’t nearly weird or terrible enough to top the news these days...) + It Was a Leg (and Arms) Day: “France says it’s taking ‘appropriate measures’ after a naval officer’s use of the Strava exercise app [ https://substack.com/redirect/d8d6c68f-f441-4914-95bb-aed5aaaee4a4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] inadvertently enabled journalists to geolocate the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle that is in the Mediterranean to help protect French and allied assets and interests during the Iran war.” 6 Feel Good Friday “The people of Minneapolis-St. Paul are being honored with a John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award [ https://substack.com/redirect/888df281-9b36-43a4-98b8-374388c9503d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for their response to the federal immigration enforcement operation this winter, the JFK Library Foundation announced Wednesday.” (Come on, Nobel Peace Prize committee, you know what to do!) + In Uganda, “Harerimana Ismail hasn’t had a paycheck since the beginning of last year. He’s kept working nonetheless.” He’s one reason why aid cuts weren’t as dire for the HIV population as predicted [ https://substack.com/redirect/999b1efe-1d5f-461f-8af0-393471478c2e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + A baseball title unleashes the happiness Venezuelans kept bottled up for years [ https://substack.com/redirect/5848762b-6e34-48c5-9f63-1158a6f403da?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Opening Day is about to do that for me...) + Strangers help 78-year-old DoorDash driver after viral doorbell video [ https://substack.com/redirect/03ab6974-5867-4a39-bd63-cef4c455f5a9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + No passport, no problem. Meet the border-hopping cat who comes and goes as he pleases [ https://substack.com/redirect/409c2ffd-96d8-4a2c-ac59-2c1dfc0f52c1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Possum found nestled in with plush toys [ https://substack.com/redirect/a669f648-fc9f-43aa-a5cd-495b1566ae37?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] at airport gift shop in Tasmania. 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/loading Click, click, click, click ... just one second ... click, click, click ... almost there. I’m trying to read an article to determine if it’s worth summarizing clearly and with a dose of pithy hilarity, but that’s not as easy as it used to be. I don’t mean the synthesizing, summarizing, and sharing. (Give me 16 ounces of coffee with a double-espresso depth charge, and I can still bring ChatGPT to its knees.) I mean the reading. It takes me more and more clicks to get through the overlays, ads, subscription boxes, and pop-ups just to read the lede. And that doesn’t even account for the time spent waiting for the scripts, cookies, and other trackers that are loaded onto my browser as soon as I land on a page—which sure feels like yet another punishment for agreeing to buy what the site is selling. It used to be that the customer was always right. When it comes to browsing news sites, the customer is always ripe. I’ve had better brand interactions with that Nigerian prince who used to email and ask for money. Yes, as someone who obsessively reads a lot of articles across a lot of sites, it’s fair to say that I’m Patient Zero when it comes to this problem. But I’m hardly alone. A sad irony of this trend is that the more news sites struggle to get visitors, the more compelled they feel to suck every last drop of cash (and dignity) from those who make it through the commercialized maze. Another irony is that the worse the website reading experience gets, the more likely people are to settle for the AI summary version (the latest threat to a news industry already on life support). There are other ironies as well. It turns out irony is the last thing you can see on the internet without having to close seventeen boxes first. As my fellow old-school blogger John Gruber explains: “The web is the only medium the world has ever seen where its highest-profile decision makers are people who despise the medium and are trying to drive people away from it.” ‘Your Frustration Is the Product [ https://substack.com/redirect/1695705b-7def-4007-ada9-5119aee3e737?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’ “And the f-cking autoplay videos, jesus. You read two paragraphs and there’s a box that interrupts you. You read another two paragraphs and there’s another interruption. All the way until the end of the article. We’re visiting their website to read a f-cking article. If we wanted to watch videos, we’d be on YouTube. It’s like going to a restaurant, ordering a cheeseburger, and they send a marching band to your table to play trumpets right in your ear and squirt you with a water pistol while trying to sell you towels.’” + Shubham Bose: The 49MB Web Page [ https://substack.com/redirect/7a4d155d-245a-4900-9a42-c7c46380b6ee?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “I went to the New York Times to glimpse at four headlines and was greeted with 422 network requests and 49 megabytes of data ... To truly wrap your head around the phenomenon of a 49 MB web page, let’s quickly travel back a few decades. With this page load, you would be leaping ahead of the size of Windows 95 (28 floppy disks). The OS that ran the world fits perfectly inside a single modern page load.” 2 What the Buck? “The only person who can determine what is and is not an imminent threat is the president [ https://substack.com/redirect/2fe29bbc-2161-43c7-8edf-f91d3f59204f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” That was Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard trying to answer Jon Ossoff’s questions about how much of a threat the intel community thought Iran posed before the airstrikes started. Gabbard was trying not to publicly disagree with the statements made by her boss (which isn’t easy since so many of those statements contradict one another). But that doesn’t make her statement any less disturbing. + So, according to our Director of National Intelligence, the buck stops with Trump. Does he agree? Not exactly. Israel says US helped coordinate gasfield attack, despite Trump’s claim he knew nothing about it [ https://substack.com/redirect/fac831f9-df2b-4a99-add5-815517aac617?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Either he’s not in charge, or he’s lying. Both are bad options in these serious times.) + Energy producing sites are being hit across the region and markets are rattled. Meanwhile, “when asked in the Oval Office about using ground troops in Iran, Mr. Trump said: ‘I’m not putting troops anywhere. If I did, I wouldn’t tell you.’ Trump also made a Pearl Harbor joke during a meeting with Japan’s prime minister. (No, I’m not joking.) Here’s more from the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/9a445155-1baa-456c-8736-abf5df213f78?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Fear, defiance, and anger: Iranians describe life under bombardment [ https://substack.com/redirect/ed51ed3e-a8b9-45c7-893e-b6ee92f1f9bf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Right now, they’re stuck between bombing and a repressive and violent regime. Does America owe the Iranian people freedom from both when this is over? “When Trump thought protesters might triumph, he made them extravagant promises. After it became clear that they weren’t going to quickly overthrow the mullahs, he treated them as disposable allies.” Franklin Foer in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Trump Is Betraying Iran’s Pro-Democracy Protesters [ https://substack.com/redirect/20981a7b-376e-4766-a6f4-de2f4b69d3ec?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Pete Hegseth during his latest press conference: “May almighty God continue to bless our troops in this fight. To the American people, please pray for them every day on bended knee with your family, in your schools, in your churches, in the name of Jesus Christ [ https://substack.com/redirect/2ba18e81-0e6a-40a6-9528-5e5ef7fa9b81?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (Well, someone just got himself removed from my Seder invitation list.) 3 Shop Til You Drop (And Give Me 20) As more products are being delivered, what will get people to the mall? Put on your yoga pants and find out... “When Americans are out shopping these days, they are more likely to be buying Botox or boxing lessons than shoes or shampoo. Retail leasing by service-oriented tenants outpaced goods-based retail leasing for the first time ever, a reversal driven in large part by a proliferation of salons, spas and fitness studios.” WSJ (Gift Article): America Now Has More Spas and Gyms Than Stores Selling Actual Stuff [ https://substack.com/redirect/a7d23a34-26b9-4b47-acba-258591a39d5b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Everyone is Playing Ball The big sports leagues made deals with the sports betting sites. So it’s not a big surprise that they’re making deals with the prediction markets that have become sports betting sites. MLB reaches agreements with Polymarket [ https://substack.com/redirect/5993a893-317d-4b3b-8868-1fa4fe98e5a3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Commissioner Rob Manfred: “I hope that it goes without saying that our primary concern, always first in our minds, is protecting the integrity of the game.” (And nothing protects the integrity of the game quite like doing deals with gambling sites.) + I know, I know. I’m a killjoy and we should just all enjoy our March Madness brackets. But I’m extremely concerned about these betting trends. He got hooked on betting at age 11. By college he gambled 15 hours a day [ https://substack.com/redirect/1f13de11-70eb-49d4-b5cb-e01a1f9fd508?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “When Malek decided to share his story, he initially focused on high schoolers — but he’s now increasingly booked for middle schools.” + I hit on this trend (and shared one of the better articles on the topic) last week. Talking ‘Bout My Degeneration [ https://substack.com/redirect/bfb22325-bb9d-42f7-a728-ee02552736d3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Where Credit is Due: Between oil prices, regional wars, and AI bubbles, you have enough to worry about when it comes to your portfolio. But here’s one more thing. It’s called ‘private credit’ — and it could lead to big trouble on Wall Street [ https://substack.com/redirect/5e72398c-56ec-4801-95b4-1885dfd378a9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “When private-equity firms and other companies that aren’t banks lend money to businesses, such as software companies and auto lenders. Banks often are more reluctant to lend directly to these businesses, which they see as riskier bets — but they’re still exposed to them, because banks do lend to private credit firms.” And the private equity market has been looking shaky lately. + That’s the Ticket: “In office, Mr. Trump signed an executive order to crack down on price gouging by ticket resellers and looked on as Kid Rock said that Ticketmaster, Live Nation’s selling platform, was ‘going to lose some money.’ Most important, the Trump Justice Department pushed ahead with a landmark antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation that was filed in 2024 by the Biden administration and ultimately joined by 39 states and the District of Columbia. Which is why it came as such a shock last week when, just a week after the case went to trial, the Justice Department announced it was all but surrendering.” (At this point, it was hardly a shock.) The Trump Administration Just Gave Live Nation the Gift of a Lifetime [ https://substack.com/redirect/8007258c-5b31-4068-a697-9a438a3ccb18?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. What he promises has an inverse relation to what he does. Trump Vowed to Crack Down on Fraudsters, but He’s Pardoned Dozens [ https://substack.com/redirect/415c98f2-9183-424b-b076-84dea8cd1979?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Not Weighting Around: “Just about 10 weeks after it was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, the Wegovy pill is now estimated to be part of the daily regimen of about 400,000 Americans. And the field of weight-loss treatment is on the verge of even more head-spinning change.” Weight-loss treatment is on the verge of a dramatic shift – again [ https://substack.com/redirect/5d63499e-c0aa-4868-b4ff-a451c3b66fcb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (These drugs are so effective and getting so cheap that pharma companies are having a hard time keeping placebo patients around. Obesity drug tests upended by placebo patients leaving early [ https://substack.com/redirect/a6fea590-6d45-448b-a424-0192d982a7ea?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) + Nostrildamus: “That vote included a ‘no’ from the Republican chairman, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, and a ‘yes’ from a Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.” Mullin’s DHS nomination advances to full Senate [ https://substack.com/redirect/42a1222c-3e8c-48db-affa-6776ec0622e6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (He’ll get confirmed. And we’ll never know where he smelled war [ https://substack.com/redirect/c76edf54-2c1f-4590-91a3-1017797f54d1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) + Nordic Pick: “If happiness were an Olympic event, the Nordic countries would be guaranteed a spot on the podium. Actually, all three spots on the podium. According to the latest edition of the World Happiness Report, the three happiest countries in the world are Finland, Iceland and Denmark [ https://substack.com/redirect/276341bb-90d5-4cae-b234-9f84fd75f972?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (I don’t want to give a certain someone any ideas, but we could sure up our own national happiness average if we made them states 51 through 53.) “Finnish President Alexander Stubb reacted Thursday to his country being in first place again, saying: ‘I do not think there is a magic potion, but it helps to have a society which strives towards freedom, equality and justice [ https://substack.com/redirect/ab647856-58a5-4782-ab82-9cdb0c2d466e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’” (Oh forget it. It doesn’t sound like a good cultural fit...) 6 Bottom of the News We’re learning that cockroaches develop long-term relationships. And those relationships flourish in part because the two cockroaches have each other’s backs. Literally. These roaches form exclusive long-term relationships after eating each other’s wings [ https://substack.com/redirect/fdf8c5d4-3554-4020-940b-3b9db10b3fb8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (And I thought a hickey was overkill...) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNVFV3T0RrMU9Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3pPVFEzTVRZMUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EVTBPRE14TmpVc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5KcWZxV29IV2ZXT01lSFlycmF1VExhS2hNUjlncGRPdEI3T2JnRXlDaC1jIiwicCI6MTkxNTA4OTU4LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzM5NDcxNjUsImV4cCI6MjA4OTUyMzE2NSwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.Pg5IbR4h6hUa77YRza5_jLVhTuU9VBOblsAM6u56--s?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/the-facts-of-the-case “I remember literally running into my husband’s office and saying, ‘Come look at this email, I think I’m being punked.’” That was how UC Irvine criminology professor Charis E. Kubrin reacted after learning that she had been nominated for the Stockholm Prize, the highest honor in her field. And you can’t really blame her. For years, she has been punked, doubted, dismissed, and attacked over her research. Why? Because it’s research that flies in the face of what most Americans believe — their certainty based on longstanding, preconceived notions, bolstered nonstop by the assurances of one of the world’s most prolific liars, combined with what’s become America’s unofficial favorite pastime: Doing your own research. Research and science being doubted and flouted is hardly unique in today’s America, but in Kubrin’s case, her findings strike at the heart of a political movement and at the core of a set of policies that are reshaping America’s streets (and values). “Kubrin was being recognized for rigorous research that demonstrated in place after place, decade after decade, that immigration to the U.S. does not cause crime to go up; it may even push it down.” When Kubrin won her award, Anne Ramberg, who chairs the Stockholm Prize in Criminology Foundation, explained: “When policymaking becomes driven by populism rather than by evidence, society as a whole stands to suffer.” In other words, Don’t Study Crime, If You Won’t Take the Time. A UC professor won criminology’s highest honor. Americans still don’t believe her research [ https://substack.com/redirect/8c83b7e3-8993-4336-aa65-11c50e41b6ad?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] (Alt link [ https://substack.com/redirect/c88db84a-865d-496b-bbbc-f98082dbab4c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]). “The distance between what is empirically known and what is deeply believed has tormented scholars since before Galileo. But the schism has rarely felt so impassable in American culture.” (Even today, I’m sure there are plenty of Americans who don’t believe that the earth orbits the sun. They think it orbits Donald Trump.) 2 Friendly Fire “Donald Trump does not think strategically. Nor does he think historically, geographically, or even rationally. He does not connect actions he takes on one day to events that occur weeks later. He does not think about how his behavior in one place will change the behavior of other people in other places. He does not consider the wider implications of his decisions. He does not take responsibility when these decisions go wrong. Instead, he acts on whim and impulse, and when he changes his mind—when he feels new whims and new impulses—he simply lies about whatever he said or did before.” Anne Applebaum has been right about Trump since the beginning and she sums him up pretty well in this lede. And, like it or not, that strategy has worked out for Trump over the years. But now he’s in a war he hasn’t been able to fully explain and asking for, then not asking for, then demanding, then saying he doesn’t need the assistance of allies that he has maligned, bullied, embarrassed, and disregarded for years. And, “this week, something broke. Maybe Trump does not understand the link between the past and the present, but other people do.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): Everyone but Trump Understands What He’s Done [ https://substack.com/redirect/c17b9e19-eb87-4e56-b687-e0d2886819e7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Unlike Trump, Bibi has been preparing for this moment for years, and has a defined strategy. Whether or not it will work (or whether or not Trump will remain on board with it) is another question. Netanyahu Hopes Strikes on Iran Will Lead to Uprising and Regime Change [ https://substack.com/redirect/368408f0-b69b-4252-871c-55dc93058cd7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Netanyahu’s strategy is based in part on removing layer after layer of the leadership of the Iranian regime. (Iran’s intelligence minister, Esmaeil Khatib, was killed on Wednesday). Israel and the US have also been targeting Iran’s energy sites [ https://substack.com/redirect/5aeb5d41-3a62-4938-af93-5932b78ae140?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], threatening the regime, but also global energy supplies. + Russia has seen sanctions drop and oil sales surge. It’s a pretty nice reward for a country that’s been attacking a US ally for years and is currently aiding Iran in its fight against the US. WSJ (Gift Article): Russia Is Sharing Satellite Imagery and Drone Technology With Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/b30769b2-6c63-4084-ae69-b7aef4c1f225?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Chavez Ravine “He locked the door, as he always did when he called her, and told her how lonely he had been. He brought her onto the yoga mat that he often used in his office for meditation, kissed her and pulled her pants down. ‘Don’t tell anyone,’ he told her afterward. ‘They’d get jealous.’ The man, Cesar Chavez, one of the most revered figures in the Latino civil rights movement, was 45. She was 13. Ms. Murguia said she was summoned for sexual encounters with him dozens of times over the next four years.” NYT (Gift Article) with a brutal report. Cesar Chavez, a Civil Rights Icon, Is Accused of Abusing Girls for Years [ https://substack.com/redirect/62b19f57-c5e2-478d-b20d-e67651e39717?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 But They Didn’t Inhale Smoking rates recently dropped below 10% [ https://substack.com/redirect/94313591-4137-4672-b256-9b6de18864b7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for the first time since we got into the habit. That’s among Americans. American humans, to be more precise. Cigarette use has actually increased among birds. “Darwin’s finches in the Galápagos, house finches in Mexico and song thrushes in New Zealand have all developed a curious habit: They put cigarette butts in their nests. Some songbirds in Britain are even nesting in outdoor ashtrays.” NYT(Gift Article): Why Some Birds Seem to Be Developing a Cigarette Habit [ https://substack.com/redirect/8b8d25ca-cd10-4b84-9bbe-bea3a93835f9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Cigarette butts contain about 4,000 chemical compounds, including nicotine, arsenic, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. These compounds could ward off pests that harm birds and their offspring.” 5 Extra, Extra Unmanned v Unprepared? “With Operation Epic Fury well into its third week, there are two increasingly urgent questions: how long U.S. defense systems can continue to hold off such attacks — not just in Iraq, but throughout the Middle East — and whether the U.S. underestimated the threat of Iran’s drones in the first place.” (I actually doubt that the military underestimated Iran’s drone program. But I wonder if we’re all underestimating the extent to which cheap drones, AI, and other tech are altering the battlefield and eroding some of the advantages held by the world’s military powers.) Cheap drones are reshaping modern warfare — and catching the U.S. off guard [ https://substack.com/redirect/cb890d16-46c4-4701-9480-7744fae57ea2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. In Ukraine, they know the power of Iranian-made drones all too well. Ukraine strings nets over cities as killer drones turn streets into war zones [ https://substack.com/redirect/317f1f4b-c6a9-46e5-85a9-3a7423c7dc4d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Mark Wanes: “Senator Markwayne Mullin, President Trump’s often pugilistic pick to lead the department, struck a milder tone at his confirmation hearing on Wednesday.” Wow, I’ve never heard of nominees changing their tune during confirmation hearings. “Mullin apologized for his comments about the shooting of Alex Pretti. He declined, however, to apologize for his comments about the shooting of Renee Good, saying that the officer had to make a split-second decision.” Here’s the latest from NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/b0a7d342-3c8f-4146-87ad-7b5ceebf55bc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Opposite World, Continued: Trump’s tariffs are hurting American manufacturers [ https://substack.com/redirect/711bf622-ec34-444f-a7f0-7d2f33634950?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] instead of helping them. And, Trump Promised the ‘World’s Lowest’ Drug Prices. We Checked the Numbers [ https://substack.com/redirect/6f31be85-a9ae-4842-b216-a4c656bd04e1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (It’s getting really hard to take this guy at his word.) + This May Be of Interest: Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady, keeps 1 cut in play this year as uncertainty mounts. (One more thing for the market to be unhappy about...) + Stomping Stamps: “If it continues business as usual, the U.S. Postal Service is on track to run out of cash for paying its workers and vendors in about a year and may have to stop deliveries [ https://substack.com/redirect/239c04d2-a490-4e66-897e-a19f552a09f1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” This probably doesn’t help. Amazon reportedly plans to slash its USPS delivery volumes by at least two-thirds [ https://substack.com/redirect/1a79a703-c3fc-4ab5-a97c-d73880b51bd6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Why would Amazon need the USPS? At this point, it won’t be long before they build a distribution center in your driveway...) + All Is Not Well: “Attia also went on to become one of the most trusted wellness influencers, with 1 million YouTube subscribers, 1.6 million followers on Instagram and 100 million downloads of his podcast.” I’m always dubious of the phrase, trusted wellness influencer, but Attia was as big as it gets. And then, because of his Epstein connection, it all came crashing down. Bloomberg(Gift Article): The Rise and Fall of Peter Attia’s Longevity Empire [ https://substack.com/redirect/2a979050-8dd9-44ef-bcdc-b1e4f3992d68?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Maybe he should have studied career longevity...) + If Not Now, Ven? “Venezuela reigns supreme, the U.S. once again fell short by a run, and the global vibes of the sport were on full display.” The Winners and Losers of the 2026 World Baseball Classic [ https://substack.com/redirect/473fabec-f356-4baa-b6f6-671461ba7958?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Much like 2023, the most lasting takeaway won’t be that the Americans lost, but that this tournament has become appointment viewing. For two weeks every three years, the sport sheds its leisurely pace and turns into a high-stakes and emotionally charged spectacle rivaled only by October in intensity.” (Even as a fan, I was nowhere near ready for this level of baseball in March.) 6 Bottom of the News “If people were talking about the town and our policies, that would be one thing. But all they’re interested in is our names.” That must be frustrating. But in fairness, this is a local election between Hittler and Zielinski [ https://substack.com/redirect/1eaa1807-1afb-416b-92b4-6ca7f3579dd0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Texting a random stranger better for loneliness than talking to a chatbot [ https://substack.com/redirect/0701a1fb-31b9-4598-a195-d7e9a3cbe719?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Funny, I’ve been typing STOP to random strangers who send me texts for years, and I don’t feel less lonely...) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNVFF3TlRjMk1Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3pPRFl6TmpVNExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EVXpPVGsyTlRnc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5kZjRCVmFTUUxDRzYzcjNKbzZ1ZFlPWTA4bzh0c3FBSFc5RzdSY0s5ZlZrIiwicCI6MTkxNDA1NzYwLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzM4NjM2NTgsImV4cCI6MjA4OTQzOTY1OCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.vDBu5YCCefa5IoBWmXWbMmhqG9RlnJbzFIp7JzfhiEI?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/working-both-sides-of-the-street Over the past few years, much of our political discourse has been focused on the roads that cross America’s Southern border, and the drugs those roads carry. But sometimes we forget the route between the US and Mexico is a two-way street. The traffic going the other way, the way we talk about less often, features a much more permeable border over which another dangerous payload is delivered at a relentless pace. And, in a twisted irony, the more the traffic coming up is slowed, the more the traffic going down speeds up. And you might be surprised by which country suffers the most from what crosses the border. The NYT(Gift Article) provides an in-depth roadmap toward understanding the delivery of the most American of exports. Inside the Supply Line Delivering American Guns to Mexican Cartels [ https://substack.com/redirect/f429315e-d326-4276-920a-dcd55bbf6618?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “One smuggler said the border is so porous that cartel members sometimes tape gun parts and sometimes even entire firearms directly to their bodies and walk them into Mexico.” 2 Pushing a Fast One Ai is reshaping our computing (and life) experience at a breathtaking pace. But quantum computing could make today’s advances seem like they’re coming in slow motion. And some experts say we’re only a few years away from this new reality. “When this point is reached, some problems that would take a traditional computer more than trillions of years to solve could take a quantum computer mere minutes, changing business as usual for industries involved with financial trading, shipping logistics, pharmaceuticals, scientific discovery, data encryption, insurance, internet delivery and more.” WSJ (Gift Article) with a good explainer to get you up to speed. How Quantum Computing Works [ https://substack.com/redirect/99f36d11-8147-4f5a-a74a-d9e2fee56f60?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Maybe no one has experienced the current computing advances more dramatically than the coders who helped create these new platforms. Actually, these days, they do less coding and more cajoling, ordering, and occasionally threatening. NYT (Gift Article): Coding After Coders: The End of Computer Programming as We Know It [ https://substack.com/redirect/b9e27a32-d876-4d39-9e77-0aedfa72bd02?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Many software developers these days berate their A.I. agents, plead with them, shout important commands in uppercase — or repeat the same command multiple times, like a hypnotist — and discover that the A.I. now seems to be slightly more obedient.” 3 Forced Retirement It remains unclear whether Iran’s regime is losing its grip on the country. It’s much more clear that being a leader in that regime can be a dead-end job. “Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force, were ‘eliminated last night [ https://substack.com/redirect/cb3865ea-3ffe-4b93-972a-85db94977e2d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ],’ Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said. Larijani was considered one of the most powerful figures in the country since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an airstrike on the first day of the war.” + “Mr. Larijani, the head of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, was the de facto leader of the country after U.S.-Israeli airstrikes killed the upper echelons of government and the military early in the war. He was known to be trusted by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader who was killed at the start of the U.S.-Israeli campaign late last month. Mr. Larijani’s responsibilities had grown steadily over the past few months, including overseeing the brutal crackdown on antigovernment protesters in January.” But could the void his death leaves be filled by even more extreme hardliners? NYT(Gift Article): Israel’s Killing of Ali Larijani Could Allow Military to Tighten Grip on Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/b3a8a676-b676-4baf-8531-822f456b66c7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Joe Kent, a Top U.S. Counterterrorism Official, Resigns Over the Iran War [ https://substack.com/redirect/b460c9b2-9108-4dbf-a97b-2b092c9a28c7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Kent has a history of pushing conspiracy theories, has been a key advisor to Tulsi Gabbard, and is buds with Tucker Carlson. Still, his departure “bluntly exposes how the Iran war is expanding fissures in President Trump’s coalition.” + UK security adviser attended US-Iran talks and judged deal was within reach [ https://substack.com/redirect/162d6c5a-d546-423d-a99e-869493970842?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Powell’s presence at the talks, and his close knowledge of how they were progressing, was confirmed by three sources. One source said he was in the building at Oman’s ambassadorial residence in Cologny acting as an adviser, reflecting widespread concern about the US expertise on the talks represented by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy on several issues.” + Jared Kushner Reportedly Seeks $5B From Middle East Governments [ https://substack.com/redirect/875cfd8c-94b2-430a-8dc3-e3f97165a363?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for His Firm While Serving as Envoy. (He is charged with solving all the world’s most complex problems and he still has time to manage his investment fund. Now that’s multitasking.) + “The window for Donald Trump to end the Iran war by simply declaring victory and walking away is rapidly closing. Soon he will face a stark choice: He can take greater risks in pursuit of a decisive tactical success, prepare the country for a prolonged conflict that could last for many months, or seek a negotiated settlement that involves a real compromise with Tehran.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Disappearing Off-Ramp in Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/5cb8a35c-bc90-4cf3-8893-373eb5d2e15f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “President Donald Trump told reporters Monday that one of his predecessors told him he wished he had been the one to bomb Iran.” The only problem with that: He didn’t speak to any of the four former presidents [ https://substack.com/redirect/94bc05fd-05c8-44a8-ae9c-436761f406fd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 When Lightning Crashes “A defibrillator delivers up to 1,000 volts to a patient’s heart; inmates executed by electric chair typically receive about 2,000. A typical lightning strike, by contrast, transmits 100 million volts or more.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): What 100 Million Volts Do to the Body and Mind [ https://substack.com/redirect/e4a3980a-2930-4d34-b089-4cdc24d7e0c7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The most fundamental consequences of being struck by lightning are often metaphysical, and not easily communicable. How does falling victim to one of the most notoriously unlikely of all misfortunes reorient your sense of chance, of fate? How does it feel, when you’re trying to describe the most transformative experience of your life, to be met, routinely, with disbelief?” 5 Extra, Extra Ballot Box Out: “Legislation that would require proof of U.S. citizenship for new voters has become a rallying cry for President Donald Trump, who claims that passage of the bill will ‘guarantee the midterms’ for his Republican Party in November. The bill, which the Senate will take up as early as Tuesday, would require voters to provide proof of citizenship when they register and to present approved identification when they go to the polls, among other new rules that Trump and his most loyal supporters are pushing as part of an effort to assert more federal control over elections.” What’s in the voting bill that Republicans are pushing to the Senate floor [ https://substack.com/redirect/aeb01db4-e40a-41c8-a57d-0299a5965d55?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (International strategies may never quite form, but election ones never waver.) + Who’s Got Next? “I think Cuba is seeing the end,’ Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on March 16, adding that he believes he’ll have the ‘honor’ of ‘taking’ the country... ‘Taking Cuba. I mean, whether I free it, take it. I think I can do anything I want with it.’” The Crisis in Cuba, Explained [ https://substack.com/redirect/36f53b2d-d2b8-4132-bdfe-4dac04a12255?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Your Money or Your Life? How’s this for a lede to define America’s current foreign policy? “The State Department is considering withholding lifesaving assistance to people with H.I.V. in Zambia [ https://substack.com/redirect/c5797ee0-9756-46d3-9c02-93d2ee26b3c9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] as a negotiating tactic to force the government of the southern African country to sign a deal giving the United States more access to its critical minerals.” + Gamble Bramble: “Kalshi may brand itself as a ‘prediction market,’ but what it’s actually doing is running an illegal gambling operation and taking bets on Arizona elections, both of which violate Arizona law.” Arizona files criminal charges against Kalshi, accusing prediction market of illegal gambling [ https://substack.com/redirect/44c7c645-7b58-410b-9756-638b05a240cb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Ready, Fire, Aim: “Our data on the USA goes back to 1789. What we’re seeing now is the most severe magnitude of democratic backsliding ever in the country.” ‘Trump is aiming for dictatorship’. That’s the verdict of the world’s most credible democracy watchdog [ https://substack.com/redirect/69eeae1b-e081-48d0-8529-ef5ccbf3a427?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (In case you’ve missed the last few hundred editions...) + Whaling Away at Wind: NYT (Gift Article): Trump Officials Weigh New $1 Billion Deal to Stop Offshore Wind Farms [ https://substack.com/redirect/429e6a39-553b-4e25-9a89-cae443511f1a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Mr. Trump has disparaged offshore wind power since 2012, when he tried unsuccessfully to stop a wind farm visible from one of his golf courses in Scotland. He has often called the projects ugly and inefficient, and he has claimed without evidence that they are ‘driving whales crazy.’” + The Hour Is Getting Late: Amazon now offers 1-hour delivery [ https://substack.com/redirect/d6c682d2-2e0c-44ef-ab1e-8343588ac574?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in hundreds of U.S. cities. (We’re being turned into a nation of Veruca Salts [ https://substack.com/redirect/7d8df851-4312-4c9a-92cc-e53f59a277f4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]...) 6 Bottom of the News “According to data from a large US insurance claims database, the month of March – during which the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament takes place – can see a spike in vasectomies performed [ https://substack.com/redirect/90c9c395-c1a3-4c05-89cd-b7bee08dbeb7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (This can definitely impact your team’s seeding...) 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/pta-dues Sinners, one battle after another, a Frankenstein’s monster wreaking havoc ... we’ll get to the Trump administration news soon enough. But let’s start with the Oscars. I have a feeling this will go down as one of the more forgettable Oscar nights. That could be because in today’s nonstop stream of massive, anxiety-inducing news, it’s impossible to remember anything for more than a few minutes. Or maybe it’s just because TV is so dominant now that many of us were just waiting for the Oscars to end so we could get back to our regularly scheduled binge. One person who definitely put in his time waiting was Paul Thomas Anderson, who finally ended his 0-11 streak and took home three trophies [ https://substack.com/redirect/f2ea979d-9aec-4957-b5cb-b47856fce2c9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for One Battle After Another. PTA was joined in his big night by several winners from Sinners, including Autumn Durald Arkapaw, making Oscar history as the first woman to win Best Cinematography [ https://substack.com/redirect/cf99f49a-80e6-4d34-86ae-36f373dca6bb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and Michael B Jordan’s crowd-pleasing win [ https://substack.com/redirect/2a756de2-1d8f-4a34-bddf-f3d615e84412?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for Best Actor. From The Wire to Friday Night Lights to Sinners, Jordan has had a career of nonstop highlights. So he definitely deserved an In-N-Out break [ https://substack.com/redirect/8132e484-e588-4752-acae-a6e0ec90f7f0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Sean Penn won his third Oscar, but skipped the ceremony. He was hanging with Zelensky in Ukraine [ https://substack.com/redirect/34402d7c-78db-43ca-81c5-e3ff461fff06?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Sinners and One Battle divvied up the night’s biggest wins during an event when there really were no losers. Except maybe Marty Supreme, which, perhaps suffering from Timothée Chalamet’s ping pong diplomacy, left the night empty-handed [ https://substack.com/redirect/5985401f-ed25-406e-b15d-b24d577b20c1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Here’s a list of all the winners [ https://substack.com/redirect/ccab44b3-62dc-4241-aee8-d243dc9b2cc6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Between Sinners and Battle, Warner Bros was the dominant studio, winning a record 11 Oscars [ https://substack.com/redirect/ea3e7189-2a9f-44cb-843a-d8f5da3cd93d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. But will this mark the end of an era as David and Larry Ellison’s Paramount moves toward closing the deal to acquire the studio? It’s hard to imagine the new leadership (that includes a growing list of former MeToo castoffs [ https://substack.com/redirect/6cbaffe5-3109-4f12-a1cc-5fad26ec414d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]) is going to dig movies with the cultural and political messages of Warner Bros 2026 winners. It’s easier to imagine Warner’s creative output looking like a juke joint after a visit from a band of vampires. + Related: Kimmel won the Oscars with the line [ https://substack.com/redirect/95d7c436-6ba3-4910-87c0-2cdb4166f45c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] of the night. “There are some countries whose leaders don’t support free speech. I’m not at liberty to say which, let’s just leave it at North Korea and CBS.” + Here’s Conan’s opening monologue [ https://substack.com/redirect/cca9c46f-f8e2-406a-8dad-8ebcaa60ee94?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], Billy Crystal’s tribute to Rob Reiner [ https://substack.com/redirect/f7996417-42e2-4927-a949-21327dcc40c6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and some of the evening’s viral moments [ https://substack.com/redirect/ea57dcf7-5949-44e4-a18c-0731853312a1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], + While the best movies of the year divided up the top awards, the worst movie of the year enjoyed a more unanimous win. ‘War of the Worlds’ remake sinks to the bottom at this year’s Razzie Awards [ https://substack.com/redirect/136ddbff-f9c1-4567-b9fc-bce5581a3d66?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 The Strait Dope It turns out that disparaging, threatening, humiliating, and nauseating allies might not have been the best strategy. So far, many of America’s strongest allies have refused Trump’s call to help open the Strait of Hormuz. So he’s disparaging them more. But it doesn’t matter, because we don’t need them anyway. Nah, nah. Trump Disparages Allies for Rebuffing His Requests for Military Assistance [ https://substack.com/redirect/7a16f420-977a-4cb5-804f-afb0fad31f42?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “’We don’t need anybody; we’re the strongest nation in the world,’ Mr. Trump said. He suggested his request for assistance in reopening the Strait of Hormuz instead amounted to a loyalty test of America’s allies. ‘I’m almost doing it in some cases not because we need them but because I want to find out how they react.’” + WSJ (Gift Article): Trump Wants to Secure Hormuz. Here’s What It Would Take [ https://substack.com/redirect/72037d0c-e7a6-4ec5-b73c-0af25ec4700a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Things are not going well for Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/e3c02587-314b-4ad3-81dc-b64fbf1c7ed6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The regime is damaged. Their ability to defend themselves and threaten others has been greatly diminished. Where things go from here could depend on allies and political strategy, which makes the above story all the more worrisome. + “As the price of oil soars to $100 a barrel and countries scramble to limit the fallout of the sudden loss of Middle East fuel, China has two significant advantages over its geopolitical rivals. Many of its new cars run on electricity. And that electricity is mostly powered by sources at home.” NYT (Gift Article): China’s Edge in an Oil Shock: Electric Cars and Renewables [ https://substack.com/redirect/a60e7d49-e027-4f5b-9b80-9eac765dda38?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Meanwhile, the administration seems more obsessed with how the war is being covered than how it’s been planned. First, there are the attempts to sell the war using video games and sports memes, which I covered on Friday in Wii the People [ https://substack.com/redirect/aa77e1c2-bf42-48a8-a83b-3e6116b9406b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Then there are threats to shut down journalism that doesn’t function as state media. F.C.C. Chair Threatens to Revoke Broadcasters’ Licenses Over War Coverage [ https://substack.com/redirect/b2003434-3ce2-441f-89d4-e594440f310b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Democratic lawmakers and free-speech watchdogs were quick to condemn Mr. Carr’s threat as a violation of the First Amendment.” (There was a time every American would condemn these threats.) 3 Bet Your Life “My minor report on a missile striking an open area was now in the middle of a betting war, with those who had bet ‘No’ on an Iranian strike on Israel on March 10 demanding I change my article to ensure they would win big.” Another reason prediction markets are a bad idea: Gamblers trying to win a bet on Polymarket are vowing to kill me if I don’t rewrite an Iran missile story [ https://substack.com/redirect/d9f645d7-0c49-43f2-ab31-85a2437fc04b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 And So The Hraunkælingarstjori Goes Meet “Iceland’s only ‘lava cooling manager’ — or ‘hraunkælingarstjori’ in Icelandic.” NYT (Gift Article): Iceland’s Chief ‘Lava Cooler’ Is Bracing for the Next Eruption [ https://substack.com/redirect/8d4cf83a-5322-48b4-9ce6-1a40fbc48e17?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “More than two years ago, as the earth seethed, Icelandic officials scrambled to make a plan. The first eruption in that area came just days before Christmas in 2023. Within hours, lava was just about a mile and a half from the fishing town of Grindavik, whose 3,500 residents had already fled from their homes. Billowing smoke and lava fountains reached more than 300 feet into the air. So they came up with a daring idea. If they could not stop it, could they at least steer it?” 5 Extra, Extra Minn There, Done That: “It’s not just that I’ve had to watch the Trump administration destroy cherished alliances, like ours with Western Europe and Canada, that have upheld freedom, democracy and global trade since World War II. It’s also been the stunning cowardice and boundless greed with which leaders of big law firms and Big Tech have bent their knees to King Donald and indulged a cabinet of clowns — not one of whom they’d hire in their own businesses. But then I spent time in my native state, Minnesota, after something else that I’d never seen in nearly 50 years: a spontaneous uprising of civic activism propelled by a single idea — I am my neighbor’s keeper, whoever he or she is and however he or she got here.” Tom Friedman in the NYT (Gift Article): Why Minnesota Matters More Than Iran for America’s Future [ https://substack.com/redirect/698d6711-eeb5-485d-8f7d-eaf0b1d90418?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + But the Beatdown Goes On: “Stephen Miller is the architect of Trump’s immigration policies, and there’s little reason to think that Noem’s ouster will change Miller’s approach. It may even serve to embolden it, by giving him fresh cover. The department has temporarily paused large-scale arrest operations in the wake of a national outcry over abuses in Minnesota, and it is in the midst of a partial shutdown owing to opposition from congressional Democrats. The Administration’s bigger ambitions show no signs of flagging, however. In fact, they are leading toward a new humanitarian and legal crisis.” Jonathan Blitzer in The New Yorker: Trump’s Mass-Detention Campaign [ https://substack.com/redirect/29b0c20d-0ad1-4e2e-a092-29146da79506?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, Deportees sent by Trump to Salvadoran prison are still stuck a year later [ https://substack.com/redirect/897bc282-f0ff-44e7-b6fd-bc511e2591b4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Ringing the Farm Alarm: “As the president’s immigration policies squeeze an already tight supply of farm labor, the Trump administration is making it cheaper to hire foreign farmworkers.” No, this is not the Onion. It’s the NYT (Gift Article): To Address Farm Labor Shortage, Trump Administration Turns to Migrant Workers [ https://substack.com/redirect/19a671c6-9665-45b2-a50d-e244167d1459?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Markwayne and the Stock Gain: “Mr. Mullin reported buying shares in Chevron, the only major U.S. oil company producing in Venezuela. Five days after the purchase, President Trump attacked Venezuela, demanding that its leadership give better terms to U.S. oil companies. Chevron’s stock price has since jumped, even as the market as a whole has slipped. The Chevron transaction, which Mr. Mullin reported in January, was among as much as $2.8 million he invested in 31 companies on Dec. 29 — and part of a pattern of large and frequent trades that has made him one of the most prolific stock buyers in Congress.” How Trump’s Homeland Security Pick, a Prolific Investor, Got a Lot Wealthier in Congress [ https://substack.com/redirect/a22314b4-1a18-4f63-90ab-791719182296?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (This is an extreme example of a wider, and bipartisan, issue. It’s flat out crazy that members of Congress can purchase individual equities. It’s also flat out crazy that members of Congress can be named Markwayne.) + Are You Bot or Not: “The worker uncurls its claw-like fingers, daintily grips the basket by its edges and walks it over to a conveyor that will send it through an industrial washing machine. About a minute after it grabbed the first basket off a pallet, it returns to grab another. So it goes for eight hours a day, basket after basket, pallet after pallet.” WSJ (Gift Article): When Humanoid Robots Come to a Small-Town Factory [ https://substack.com/redirect/2d746389-3f07-4651-aad1-b03d9472510e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Please come for NextDraft next...) + Throw the Book at Em: Does using AI ever remind you of searching through those encyclopedias that once lined your shelves? There might be a reason for that. Encyclopedia Britannica sues OpenAI over AI training [ https://substack.com/redirect/79715eed-73ec-49bc-9d21-275d45b2f6bc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News SNL pushes the trailer for a new show. It’s like the Pitt. But run by RFK Jr. Welcome to MAHAspital [ https://substack.com/redirect/b0924fbd-2799-4d94-8c4e-d2d7495cfa3b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNVEUzTlRFNE5pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3pOamt4TVRNekxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EVXlNamN4TXpNc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5LSXExQ0h2QjZKQ09GOEoxdDM0c0p4NzNSN0pSQkswQ2ZrdHIwYmZXLU0wIiwicCI6MTkxMTc1MTg2LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzM2OTExMzMsImV4cCI6MjA4OTI2NzEzMywiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.386HCD0yfzemk17-yI0K7kvW9cqnNvXcLSDIY_jFwFE?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/wii-the-people I’ve put in my 10,000 hours several times over at the intersection of news and humor, so I feel I’m qualified to assess whether something related to the news is funny or not. Using memeified videos that splice together scenes [ https://substack.com/redirect/c22d9290-05f9-4ab7-9332-cff1955f868c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] from Grand Theft Auto, NFL football hits [ https://substack.com/redirect/ea3d80fa-b48a-4b3c-af92-a4eb36ce0555?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and Wii games is something I don’t find funny. And I’m guessing other people who don’t find it funny include relatives of service members in harm’s way, Iranians who desperately want to be rid of the regime but live in constant fear that those bombs being memefied might hit an unintended target (like, say a girls’ school), and our allies who once depended on a serious country run by serious people. While the attempt to make violent imagery fun might appeal to some toxic bros, one imagines even the Super Mario Bros wouldn’t mind if Donkey Kong took a hammer to this practice. But this isn’t just the usual trolling by an administration looking to own the libs. All of the people above are seeing these videos and the associated behavior from the administration as it relates to this war. And whether we like it or not, these bombastic bombing jokes are now attributed to the country, not just the puerile punks running the White House social media account. This is us. This is U.S. + The videos are a meme-match to the tone of Hegseth’s briefings, which ooze tough-guy testosterone, but seem more focused on attacking the press than explaining our plan of attack. Irate Pete Hegseth claims Iran’s leaders are ‘rats’ in hiding and demands a ‘patriotic press’ rewrite headlines [ https://substack.com/redirect/a4eecbfe-1522-4b1b-af4e-dbe669b0e460?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile. Hegseth Says ‘The Sooner David Ellison Takes Over’ CNN ‘the Better [ https://substack.com/redirect/e40a327c-2368-410e-a7c3-a2cd3be04018?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’ (At least when it comes to taking over the airwaves and replacing networks with state media, the strategy is crystal clear.) + The same clarity is not showing up in the messaging about the war. And Trump’s latest answer as to when the war will end won’t help. “When I feel it. When I feel it in my bones [ https://substack.com/redirect/2966c6ee-3294-4c6d-8aa1-6c72d0a06fde?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + All 6 U.S. crew are dead [ https://substack.com/redirect/505bba5b-d010-430f-8ef1-cc33823da6de?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] after a plane goes down in Iraq, as Mideast war toll mounts. + “The jockeying for Trump’s ear is a feature of his presidency, but this time the consequences are a matter of war and peace.” Reuters: With Iran war exit elusive, Trump aides vie to affect outcome [ https://substack.com/redirect/dd0de2e6-aa70-44ea-aafa-2ee9c80ead90?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The aides who want more (and potentially ground) troops seem to be getting a lot of ear time. Pentagon Is Moving Additional Marines, Warships to the Middle East [ https://substack.com/redirect/ed6e8aaf-37dd-40ab-aa73-22a6af2f7b0d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “After earlier calling for Iranians to rise up, the president on Friday expressed skepticism about a popular uprising against the government.” Trump Says Iranians Face ‘Big Hurdle [ https://substack.com/redirect/12c13e4d-61b2-456a-ac4f-bac727ce4599?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]’ to Overthrowing Regime. + Meanwhile, from the NYT: Trump Removes Sanctions on Russia to Help Oil Flow Amid Iran Conflict [ https://substack.com/redirect/9b497127-efe6-4c9c-81e4-35c3327c1fdc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Come to think of it, Vladimir Putin may be the only person who thinks any of this is funny...) 2 Kicked in the Tailpipe “We’re now really starting to see the full effects of the Trump administration’s war on electric vehicles as U.S. registrations fell a staggering 41% year-over-year in January [ https://substack.com/redirect/0006afb8-25e5-4e69-b7d6-1e6c1ac65d0b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] — causing gas- and hybrid-powered vehicles to regain marketshare.” + Meanwhile, BYD’s latest EVs can get close to full charge in just 12 minutes [ https://substack.com/redirect/bc8cf5e3-e2a4-4623-9092-4051781876ee?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The vehicle has a range of up to 800 km and will be launched in Europe next month and in the UK in the summer.” 3 Club Med An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Can Windows do the same? Microsoft “unveiled Copilot Health, a feature within the Copilot app that lets the chatbot dispense personalized healthcare advice informed by the user’s disease history, test results, medications, doctors’ visit notes and biometric data as recorded by wearable devices.” WSJ (Gift Article): Microsoft’s New AI Health Tool Can Read Your Medical Records and Give Advice [ https://substack.com/redirect/bc9c07f7-0408-4116-be2b-cb7af53b2893?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. All you have to do is turn your head and cough up your data. 4 Weekend Whats What to Watch: I don’t know how to describe the comedy featured in Chris Fleming: Live at the Palace [ https://substack.com/redirect/9137f187-a506-4737-aa0d-98d0f84cfd96?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], but I know I was cracking up the whole time I watched it. If you don’t like the jokes, his performance can also double as an exercise video. He runs, he stretches, he planks, and more. + What to Movie: The Oscars are this Sunday. So it’s time to binge at least some of the nominees. NPR: Your guide to Oscar-nominated movies and where to watch them [ https://substack.com/redirect/dd9ac6bd-6993-4533-a7c1-625cb608767f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + What to Read: If you missed yesterday’s lead featuring a great read from McKay Coppins, who found himself instantly sucked into the world of online sports betting, don’t. It’s a great narrative that provides an overview of a trend I keep covering because it’s going to get completely out of hand. Talking Bout My Degeneration [ https://substack.com/redirect/bd659bb3-81b2-4ab7-b9d5-6f0ede7b54b8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Can’t You Smell That Smell? “Already, the air smelled of soot, gasoline, and asphalt. Then I felt a tickle sliding up my nostrils and down into my throat, like I was getting a cold. As we approached, I heard the rumble of cranes and trucks, and then from behind a patch of trees emerged a forest of electrical towers. Finally, I saw it—a white-walled hangar, bigger than a dozen football fields, where Elon Musk intends to build a god.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): Inside the Dirty, Dystopian World of Ai Data Centers [ https://substack.com/redirect/93e75c9f-8e51-47b7-8c58-db4f7e469680?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Powell to the People: “In a scathing 27-page opinion, Judge James Boasberg said Friday that the government has produced ‘essentially zero evidence [ https://substack.com/redirect/5c53db7a-1f97-42b2-821f-6471ffe5ba9d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]‘ to substantiate its criminal case against Jerome Powell.” + Synagogue Attack: “The FBI is investigating a car ramming attack on a large Detroit-area synagogue Thursday as a ‘targeted act of violence against the Jewish community [ https://substack.com/redirect/37e82b35-d491-4c2c-9cdf-4964697b2741?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ],’ the special agent in charge for the region said ... [the driver] lost several family members in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon last week, according to a local Lebanese official and a mayor in Michigan.” + A Familiar Story: “Almost half of Republican voters younger than 50 believe that the Holocaust did not happen as historians describe, according to a recent study by the Manhattan Institute. One-quarter of that cohort openly expresses anti-Jewish views; another 30 percent don’t reject openly anti-Semitic individuals.” Anti-Semitism Is Becoming Mainstream [ https://substack.com/redirect/a576f81d-6e6c-4742-9c23-286eb2d7ccbc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Correspondent: “John F. Burns, an acclaimed foreign correspondent whose frontline dispatches for The New York Times from the war zones of Afghanistan and Bosnia secured coveted Pulitzer Prizes, and whose frequent television appearances from Baghdad made him one of America’s best-known journalists covering the chaos and perils of the conflict in Iraq, died on Thursday [ https://substack.com/redirect/2dd1ea6d-f5bf-4289-9ac8-1faa483ecd87?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + All Dolled Up: “Cuddly blankets, soft toys and cardboard cutouts ‌featuring the minister have gone viral in the Latin American country following the February 22 raid that killed infamous cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, better known ​as El Mencho ... The operation, which Garcia Harfuch helped lead, was personal for the security chief, who ​blamed El ​Mencho for a 2020 assassination attempt that left him with three ​bullet wounds and killed two of his bodyguards.” Mexico’s heartthrob security minister now available as miniature doll, shirtless or dressed as Batman [ https://substack.com/redirect/0ce0b2d8-3af5-4c8b-8d4a-6604f96118a3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Don’t give Trump any ideas...) + Weather Whiplash: The weekend weather? Uh... U.S. forecasts blizzard, polar vortex, heat dome and atmospheric river all at once [ https://substack.com/redirect/dce0f61d-ff01-41ff-97d9-49b8c124d995?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Feel Good Friday “London, San Francisco and Beijing are among 19 global cities that have achieved ‘remarkable reductions [ https://substack.com/redirect/6e3f3669-2fce-48be-b4e8-5764fc131580?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]‘ in air pollution, analysis has found, having slashed levels of two airway-aggravating pollutants by more than 20% since 2010.” + Balcony solar is taking state legislatures by storm [ https://substack.com/redirect/0dc4ec1a-81fb-45be-8616-f7814fef3801?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (And overcoming a lot of resistance [ https://substack.com/redirect/a00e52aa-6171-4ba7-ae96-2d011cb00a88?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] by the utilities...) + For Oksana Masters and Aaron Pike, U.S. Paralympic power couple, 2026 Games are full circle [ https://substack.com/redirect/f82b0e2f-2552-4ab8-8e55-b5553d0fa83d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + At the Winter Paralympics, some athletes have found business opportunities [ https://substack.com/redirect/ad587298-4be1-4ed1-90a8-f1e2a773f6f0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “A newly installed free payphone on Boston University’s campus is helping generations connect the old fashioned way; giving people the chance to ‘call a boomer [ https://substack.com/redirect/86a13e5e-ae3a-4e08-bcec-faa21d44711e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’ The payphone directly connects to a similar phone installed in the game room of a senior housing complex in Reno, Nevada.” + “Nearly 5,000 people gathered in Oakland on Thursday afternoon to celebrate local hero Alysa Liu [ https://substack.com/redirect/697a7be0-159a-49cb-a7f3-c4ec65f3cfd0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] – a fitting homecoming for the two-time Olympic gold medalist who joyously shouted out the Bay Area city after her short program in Milan.” + “A Rhode Island man recovering from a stroke practiced ordering his favorite Dunkin’ drink during speech therapy ... The company surprised the McMahon family with a year of free coffee [ https://substack.com/redirect/62081f08-1b04-478a-97f2-9c400b5f9d4f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], Dunkin’ merchandise and tickets to Opening Day at Fenway Park.” Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNRGc1TWpZek1Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3pORFF6TlRNMkxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EUTVOemsxTXpZc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5oNk9ZMF9oWlR0V2NKYk5OeGxHS0RuY3dnRi1QeGI0MGx1T2wxZEJjS1pFIiwicCI6MTkwODkyNjMwLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzM0NDM1MzYsImV4cCI6MjA4OTAxOTUzNiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.sR8p6vHOEi0C2N0ZJgq3zyXshT0OGGYAfQCTIyPLXLc?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/talking-bout-my-degeneration Back in my younger days, my friend Norman and I would lay NFL bets with a couple bookies named Rocky and Al. Sundays became days of extreme addiction-like focus, as games in which we once had no vested interest were turned into three hours of dopamine-pumping, enthralling action where every play could mean the difference between winning and losing. We were addicted. But we were only addicted for a few hours on a few Sundays during football season. Our addiction was also limited by the barriers set up by sports leagues and states that frowned upon sports gambling. Not to mention the fact that we were justifiably afraid of getting in too deep with dudes named Rocky and Al. Because of these factors, it wasn’t that hard for us to ultimately punt, pass, and kick the sports betting habit. But what if Rocky and Al launched an app that combined all the most powerful, addicting qualities of iPhones, social media, and gambling? What if what happens in Vegas no longer stayed there, but could be carried around in our pockets? What if the once social aspects (and guardrails) of gambling were replaced by the unique isolation that emerges in the secretive relationship of a human and their phone? What if the leagues that once went to great lengths to block gambling now promoted it relentlessly? What if instead of getting our fix over the course of a few Fall Sundays, Norman and I could bet on anything, anytime — and such behavior was not only accepted by the mainstream, but backed by billions in marketing piped through the mouths of some of our most well-known celebrities? Norman and I would have gone on tilt (a term that describes “the emotional distress that causes a gambler to make unwise decisions”), but not just in terms of our bets, we would have gone on tilt in life. Sure, you’re thinking, but if you and Norman went to the effort of risking life and limb to bet with some dudes named Rocky and Al, you’re automatically in the category of those susceptible to gambling abuse. OK, so let’s consider the case of the excellent journalist McKay Coppins. Coppins isn’t like Norman and me. He isn’t particularly interested in sports. When it comes to betting, he didn’t know a parlay from a point spread. He isn’t a person generally attracted to vice at all. “And as a practicing Mormon, [he is] prohibited from indulging in games of chance.” Think Coppins would have a better chance to resist the temptation of the new gambling landscape? Don’t bet on it. The editors at The Atlantic (Gift Article) fronted Coppins $10K to explore “the sports-betting industry—its explosive growth, its sudden cultural ubiquity, and what it’s doing to America ... [where] practically overnight, we took an ancient vice—long regarded as soul-rotting and civilizationally ruinous—put it on everyone’s phone, and made it as normal and frictionless as checking the weather. What could possibly go wrong?” My year as a degenerate gambler [ https://substack.com/redirect/712e0843-53f8-4eea-b8e1-b9203190fdc0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The prediction markets represent the logical end point of the sports-betting explosion: Everything in American life—politics and culture, art and war—becomes a Las Vegas table game, tantalizing in its promise of profit, rigged against regular people, destined to demoralize and crush those who play.” (I tried to bet the over on every concern we have about the damage that will be done by these trends, but when I dialed the number, Rocky and Al’s line was no longer in service.) + As troubling as the Vegasization of America is for the general population, it’s much worse for college-aged males. I covered this topic last week. The House always wins. The same is not true for the Frat House. Class Dismissed [ https://substack.com/redirect/4a4af234-dbd4-4098-806d-777afaf2c2d0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 The Gulf Between Regardless of your position on America’s Gulf “excursion,” no thinking person can deny that freeing the Iranian population from a deadly regime would be a good thing, as would freeing Israel and the region from the constant threat of terrorism. So would freeing the world from the concern about Iran’s quest to go nuclear. The big question about what the president has already described as a big win is whether the current strategy (to the extent there is one) gets us closer to any of these goals. Reuters: US intelligence says Iran government is not at risk of collapse, say sources [ https://substack.com/redirect/d5ebb0f9-c7a3-4731-bcc5-c718ea2680bd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + David Igantius in WaPo (Gift Article): “If the conflict ends tomorrow, Iran will have lost nearly all its nuclear facilities and scientists, most of its missiles and missile launchers, most of its weapons factories, most of its navy, and much of the command and control for its military, intelligence and security forces. But the regime survives. It has taken America’s best punch, and it’s still standing.” Iran’s Islamic Republic 2.0 is coming — and it won’t be pretty [ https://substack.com/redirect/62db694a-51ee-46ca-81c1-c75719f0469f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + In addition to the questions about what this war does to Iran and the global economy, we also have to ask what it’s doing to us, as we watch our government abandon the moral high ground (even lying about an accidental strike on a school) for what they themselves have labeled fury. NYT (Gift Article): How Hegseth Came to See Moral Purpose in War as Weakness [ https://substack.com/redirect/541a77df-236e-457d-87b6-b847831a9acf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “His diagnosis of the military’s shortcomings is one that often emerges after a lost war. ‘There’s always someone who thinks that if only we were crueler, if only we’d killed another million Vietnamese, then we would have won this war,’ said Phil Klay, a novelist and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq war. ‘If you reduce war to the satisfied feeling you get when you kill the enemy, it makes it a lot simpler and more satisfying.’” + Ultimately, it’s impossible to separate the (many) goals stated by the administration from the people in the administration who are actually running this operation. I covered this yesterday. Strait Outta Competence [ https://substack.com/redirect/afdea33b-85aa-4784-9fba-3f4975c4be66?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Hormuz Strait remains dire, the “current disruption to the world’s oil supply from the Persian Gulf is the largest in history,” Israel launched more strikes in Beirut, Iran is attacking tankers, and Mojtaba Khamenei issued his first statement. Here’s the latest from NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/ff1e50ee-e83e-4e94-91db-58d727896363?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/a35ee2ba-a321-4dde-aaab-ea26d5d93545?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Not Worth the Hassle We’re constantly reminded of the benefits of social connections as we age. But it turns out not all social connections are created equally, and people who suck can literally suck the life out of you. Negative social ties as emerging risk factors for accelerated aging, inflammation, and multimorbidity [ https://substack.com/redirect/5127594d-aeea-4796-8268-1376b9462faf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Each additional hassler is associated with faster biological aging, with especially pronounced effects when the hassler is a family member.” 4 Bill of Health “In the survey, 15 percent of individuals said they had borrowed money in the last year to pay for medical expenses, while another 11 percent said they had skipped a meal. Those without insurance reported even more trade-offs.” A Third of Americans Have Cut Spending or Borrowed Money for Health Care [ https://substack.com/redirect/799c1b57-f80a-45f7-a9e7-879d95bc89d6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra The Home Front: The war abroad has distracted us from the war at home. “The case of Marimar Martinez, a U.S. citizen shot by an officer in Chicago, offers a rare window into the recent spate of D.H.S. shootings—and the smear campaigns that often follow.” The New Yorker: Shot by Border Patrol, Then Called a Domestic Terrorist [ https://substack.com/redirect/562facc1-652f-491f-ad34-0da9acd96bac?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Our Time is Up: “The therapist described being stretched so thin that schedulers replaced some one-on-one sessions with online group sessions that included as many as 35 veterans. The therapist said despite that they were still overloaded with individual sessions and had to limit each one to as little as 16 minutes.” Veterans Who Depend on Mental Health Care Keep Losing Their Therapists Under Trump [ https://substack.com/redirect/620de0b7-98b1-4e47-8732-7024eeffabc8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Synagogue Attack: Suspect dead after apparent vehicle ramming and shooting incident at Michigan synagogue [ https://substack.com/redirect/434ab9c9-b4b9-467d-aa87-3d7f29f69caf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Thankfully, it looks like no one else was killed. + Humans Behind the AI: “Every day, Michael Geoffrey Asia spent eight consecutive hours at his laptop in Kenya staring at porn, annotating what was happening in every frame for an AI data labeling company. When he was done with his shift, he started his second job as the human labor behind AI sex bots, sexting with real lonely people he suspected were in the United States. His boss was an algorithm that told him to flit in and out of different personas.” 404: ‘AI Is African Intelligence’: The Workers Who Train AI Are Fighting Back [ https://substack.com/redirect/4a0044f6-bd8c-4f7d-8ef9-b0d7ab2d29ec?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Conscripted From Abroad: “Less than a year ago, Malick Diop took a leap of faith, betting an education in Russia would help him lift his family out of poverty back in Africa. Now the 25-year-old sits in a Ukrainian POW camp, his optimism replaced by barbed-wire fencing and snow-covered countryside that is unlike anything he grew up with in Senegal.” This is crazy. WSJ (Gift Article): Russia Lures Recruits From Africa to Feed Its Ukraine War Machine [ https://substack.com/redirect/13e4e8e4-45a7-4e27-ba67-8b52bafa0d6a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Diop, who says he ended up in uniform after being lured by the promise of a civilian job, is one of the lucky ones. A Russian list of 316 deceased African recruits shows that, on average, they died less than six months after being deployed.” + Microsoft Hardens: “Is the era of corporate silence during the Trump administration officially over? Microsoft filed a court brief late on Tuesday supporting Anthropic’s lawsuit against the Pentagon, a momentous decision for one of the nation’s biggest companies that’s also one of the largest government contractors around.” (This both indicates the seriousness with which companies view this issue, and possibly the fact that they view the Trump administration as weakened and less dangerous.) Microsoft Takes a Stand Against the Trump Administration [ https://substack.com/redirect/ecc7d471-8c63-4ae9-bd68-578e9f2b7e15?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + UFC Notes: Today’s reminder that it can always get crazier. Kash Patel Confirms UFC Fighters Will Train FBI Agents This Week, Calling It A Historic Opportunity [ https://substack.com/redirect/4d02460c-afc3-4af0-9398-8ce0950dcc04?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “A camel beauty pageant in Oman has been plunged into chaos as 20 of its competitors were disqualified after their owners enhanced their humps [ https://substack.com/redirect/53fcee23-d01d-4433-9929-9d17f325a4dc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and other features using injectable fillers, silicone wax and Botox.” + “Whether it’s the Pit of Souls or the Child Reapers, there’s a lot to be worried about. But most of all? The price at the pump.” McSweeney’s: What the Thousand-Year Blood Reign Means for Gas Prices [ https://substack.com/redirect/0652eefe-4543-4158-a1f5-841cc487ea9e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNRGMyTnpVMk9Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3pNelEyTkRjeUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EUTRPREkwTnpJc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5mblB2dnJYaVR6bUlLY0hWel9YdDBQVVdSalZjOEFhNnFpNjZIRVhyTENvIiwicCI6MTkwNzY3NTY4LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzMzNDY0NzIsImV4cCI6MjA4ODkyMjQ3MiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.2P0eNuIzDqdACL6XPSYugBCAxOMDH9sr83dJvvxj4W4?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/strait-outta-competence My knowledge of the oil industry comes primarily from watching episodes of Landman, but I know enough to realize that Iran is trying to turn the battles in the Gulf into an oil and energy war. But you’d have to be sort of a dipstick not to have war-planned for this eventuality. Iran can’t directly fight militaries like the US and Israel, so they’re targeting the world’s pocketbook and issuing related threats [ https://substack.com/redirect/678455eb-8408-4686-9080-2ad60e508c89?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “In response to the Iranian threats, commercial shipping has come to a standstill in the Gulf, oil prices have spiked, and the Trump administration has scrambled to find ways to tamp down an economic crisis that has triggered higher gasoline prices for Americans. The episode is emblematic of how much Mr. Trump and his advisers misjudged how Iran would respond to a conflict that the government in Tehran sees as an existential threat.” NYT (Gift Article): How Trump and His Advisers Miscalculated Iran’s Response to War [ https://substack.com/redirect/74e1ea88-0a60-4dc5-a1f3-b4ff05628827?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The bigger question is whether, inside the White House, they calculated at all. They’re definitely calculating now. Well, with certain limitations. “Inside the administration, some officials are growing pessimistic about the lack of a clear strategy to finish the war. But they have been careful not to express that directly to the president, who has repeatedly declared that the military operation is a complete success.” + “The lesson that the Trump administration seemed to learn from the failed planning for postwar Iraq is that planning isn’t worth the effort at all.” Franklin Foer in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Obvious Is Taking Its Revenge on Trump [ https://substack.com/redirect/f6ccd1bc-cec0-4ae4-8c09-63f3fd6879eb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + WSJ (Gift Article): Iran’s Control of Hormuz Means It’s Exporting More Oil Today Than Before the War [ https://substack.com/redirect/6bdd0f22-0c8f-4188-9d7d-ab0c710e82dd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “It would be reckless to predict precisely where this conflict is headed. But it no longer seems reckless to say that this war is going to be a mess: if not just a military mess, or a diplomatic mess, then at least an economic mess. The vast majority of headlines in the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg are about the price of crude oil. But the deeper story is about everything crude becomes, everything that moves alongside it, and everything that depends on the narrow maritime chokepoint at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.” Derek Thompson: This isn’t just about the price of oil. It’s about everything oil becomes [ https://substack.com/redirect/f08fd26b-1bf2-4100-98ec-1e4934b69b2b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + There’s no doubt that an already weakened Iran has been seriously damaged by the aerial bombardment. But it’s hard to say whether that achieves the goals of the Trump administration because those goals have never been made clear. The same is not true for Israel. And Bibi’s steadfast vision that includes regime change vs Trump’s wavering goals could be the battle that ultimately determines how this war evolves — and what things look like for the Iranian people when it’s over. WSJ (Gift Article): Trump Says the Iran War Is Nearly Won but Israel Has Other Ideas [ https://substack.com/redirect/98e7ba51-7e3a-4b97-8744-6ed4ac2dec48?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. How will it all play out? Maybe I’ll let Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris in Landman answer that one: “Wish in one hand, shit in the other, see which one fills up first.” 2 School Bombing “An ongoing military investigation has determined that the United States is responsible for a deadly Tomahawk missile strike on an Iranian elementary school, according to U.S. officials and others familiar with the preliminary findings.” NYT (Gift Article): U.S. at Fault in Strike on School in Iran, Preliminary Inquiry Says [ https://substack.com/redirect/a38d1d1e-5a41-4930-a481-65d50b7b9149?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + War is hell. That’s not just a saying. Everyone knows that airstrikes often hit unintended targets and kill innocent civilians. But only a certain type of leader lies about it. Sadly, today, that includes ours. His latest response to the findings. “I don’t know about it [ https://substack.com/redirect/6b5bc41b-e84f-4ddd-bac3-11ea2a1ac802?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + ProPublica: The U.S. Built a Blueprint to Avoid Civilian War Casualties. Trump Officials Scrapped It [ https://substack.com/redirect/af92e8b0-a56c-4e37-89e8-e47dd379d9cf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + We’re not getting the truth about Iran’s casualties. Are we getting the truth about ours? Dozens of U.S. service members in Kuwait suffered serious injuries [ https://substack.com/redirect/99e5df62-ebf0-4de3-b151-d33f7d1daf2c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], including burns, brain trauma and shrapnel wounds. 3 Creatives Have Seen This Movie Before “The public appearance of Ellison on his property-to-be underscores the new world order that is about to engulf the industry. The rich and powerful are poised to get richer and more powerful, and much of the rest of the industry is wondering what comes next. The Paramount-Warners marriage is perhaps the quintessential example. A year ago, Ellison was the CEO of Skydance, a studio with a valuation of $4.75 billion. When this deal closes, he will control two of Hollywood’s legacy studios, an empire valued at north of $120 billion.” The Hollywood Reporter on the big merger. David Zaslav Gets the Last Laugh [ https://substack.com/redirect/a0dd5b7b-2be8-4725-a5a3-246bf8878cfe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (But this isn’t a comedy...) 4 Down to the Wire “Wired headphones have become so ubiquitous among the rich and famous that some see these tangles of plastic and wire as a cultural symbol. One social media user posted a viral tweet with photos of actors Robert Pattinson and Lily-Rose Depp sporting wired earbuds. ‘It’s becoming a class thing,’ they said. ‘Wearing wireless 24/7 tells me you don’t own any land.’” BBC: Wired headphone sales are exploding. What’s with the Bluetooth backlash [ https://substack.com/redirect/86fa26f9-d772-43df-8a82-7909b9e56932?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? (It’s either sound quality, celebrities switching to wired, nostalgia, or the fact that my kids alone have lost at least half of the Airpods in circulation.) 5 Extra, Extra Snake Oil Sells Itself: “This rejection of empiricism makes selling falsehoods easier and contradicting them harder, which creates a fertile environment for anyone with something to sell, whether shady businesses or authoritarian governments. Gullicism creates not just a void but also an opportunity. It creates an ideal business opportunity for snake-oil salesmen to peddle products whose whole appeal is that they’re notscientifically validated.” Adam Serwer in The Atlantic (Gift Article) attempts to explain everything. Gullible, Cynical America [ https://substack.com/redirect/5ccd4d8d-e4ee-4253-bfd2-cd4176c8ef9b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Slam, Jam, Thank You, Bam: “It was a perfect confluence of chaos channeled into a willing and able vessel. Adebayo had already set a new career high in points by halftime; he’d more than double his previous best of 41 points en route to history. Adebayo made as many 3s against the Wizards (seven) as he did in his first five seasons in the league combined.” The Bam Game: The 83-Point Night That Broke the NBA’s Order [ https://substack.com/redirect/8b433ccd-a6cf-4915-9e8b-8a8e73b69160?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Photo Bombing: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is banning press photographers from department briefings on the U.S. war on Iran because he didn’t like the way he looked in recent photos [ https://substack.com/redirect/c4e4dd33-a2c8-4bd5-997b-a224ed929191?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (Guys, I’ve told you a million times. He likes that blue steel lethal look.) + Air Time: We were promised flying cars. And we might be getting them. Electric air taxis are about to take flight in 26 states [ https://substack.com/redirect/908af88b-dac2-4bd4-92a4-0dbcaac538b1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Beeing There: “Using specialized laboratory chambers and sensors, the researchers discovered that queen bees in diapause are consuming oxygen and producing carbon dioxide while underwater. Somehow, it seemed, the insects were breathing.” Bumblebee Queens Can Breathe Underwater [ https://substack.com/redirect/b471235a-6789-4867-be0f-6c8ddfc9f6b5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Story With Layers: “It looks like an onion. It smells like an onion. In short there is nothing to suggest that within the brown papery skin sits anything other than a bog-standard allium. Yet the curiously named Smile Ball sitting on my chopping board is the result of 20 years of cutting-edge research, research that has led us to the very boundaries of human endeavor.” These onions will never make you cry [ https://substack.com/redirect/edb86160-5b20-4a85-a920-dfdbf732420a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I wonder if they can use the same technology on the news...) 6 Bottom of the News For those of you worried about the intelligence and business acumen of the next generation, relax. They’ve got this. Girl Scout troop sets up shop at weed dispensary. Cookies are in high demand [ https://substack.com/redirect/8a1c6ce0-cd28-46a3-b284-7a8e5de73cd4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + This new emoji is all of us in 2026 [ https://substack.com/redirect/71ef8e08-2a10-4dbd-974d-47a1db206fc1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNRFkxTWpBM01Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3pNalUyTVRVNUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EUTNPVEl4TlRrc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5CYTBGU2NqNkNsZDBNRXVBOFExUEtIb1BLNy1aNVMtTll0cXJhNW1nLVVBIiwicCI6MTkwNjUyMDcwLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzMyNTYxNTksImV4cCI6MjA4ODgzMjE1OSwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.dushaaDIDMdNIHEPGj3Q7sX24MzQCPpbT57AQeuLFuc?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/gut-check-in When Yakult first hired a team of women to deliver its sweetened probiotic fermented milk beverage directly to the front doors of people living in Japan, the goal was to spread the word about the benefits of the gut-healthy consumable and increase sales. That part worked. “These women appealed particularly to other women, who were more likely to make decisions about household groceries, and were often already known to the people they delivered to – a familiarity that helped foster trust.” The drink became a hit in Japan, and it’s now sold in 40 countries. But over the decades, as Japan’s population has aged, the company and its customers realized that the service delivered a benefit beyond the microbiome. It provided a bit of a social infrastructure. It turns out that hanging out, even briefly, with one other human being can be as valuable as spending every day with the 6.5 billion live and active Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Shirota strains found in each small bottle of Yakult. “Japan is the world’s most rapidly aging major economy. Nearly 30% of its population is now over 65, and the number of elderly people living alone continues to rise. As families shrink and traditional multi-generational households decline, isolation has become one of the country’s most pressing social challenges. The suited woman is a Yakult Lady – one of tens of thousands across Japan who deliver the eponymous probiotic drinks directly to people’s homes. On paper, they’re delivery workers, but in practice they’re part of the country’s informal social safety net.” BBC The yogurt delivery women combating loneliness in Japan [ https://substack.com/redirect/fde14617-af89-4052-a298-a8fd23755698?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Alt link [ https://substack.com/redirect/b4bf0ff1-dcaa-416d-9afb-df3f649fd976?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) As far as I can tell, Yakult delivery addresses the two biggest challenges we face as we age: Isolation and regularity. 2 Contradicting Around “I think the war is very complete, pretty much.” No, that wasn’t George S. Patton or Ulysses S. Grant. That was Donald Trump’s general message to the world (generally) and the markets (more specifically, and perhaps, for him, more importantly). The Pentagon is giving a different message. The Pentagon says this will be ‘our most intense day of strikes inside Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/e5ee8516-67a4-47b1-96e9-b84e93dba19d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’ And from The Hill: Trump, Pentagon give conflicting signals on end to Iran war [ https://substack.com/redirect/c83bc581-b229-43fe-b26a-3c31f6107d33?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Sun Tzu said that “all warfare is based on deception.” We’re taking it next level by not only deceiving the enemy, but often deceiving ourselves. + “If the conflict turns into a protracted war of attrition, Russia looks set to become a clear beneficiary, raking in profits from spiking oil and natural-gas prices.” WSJ (Gift Article): U.S. and Iran Predicted a Very Different War Than the One Now Being Waged [ https://substack.com/redirect/9b67cb1c-31db-4122-915f-b6472329d638?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Russia has shared targeting Intel with Iran. Trump just gave them sanction-busting waivers to sell oil [ https://substack.com/redirect/9453d96e-b1f1-451e-951c-6b0b38d92617?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. So CNBC asked Steve Witkoff about that odd sequence of events. CNBC: “Do we think the Russians have shared intel about US military assets, and if so, why would we be giving waivers on oil sanctions?” Witkoff: “I can tell you that on the call with POTUS, the Russians said they have not been sharing. That’s what they said. We can take them at their word [ https://substack.com/redirect/4ca670bd-904d-4bbb-a308-5013ab54af09?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (It’s gonna take a few hundred gallons of Yakult to fix my gut after reading that quote...) + Here’s the latest from the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/5bd20a3f-b2af-455b-8715-cc4f663e7058?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], including the increasing damage being done in Lebanon and this: “The U.S. Navy has ‘successfully escorted’ an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a post on X. He did not provide further details. The escort would appear to be the first of its kind since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which has paralyzed shipping through the strait. UPDATE: Shortly after the post was published, it disappeared from Wright’s account without explanation.” What did Sun Tzu say about establishing dominance over your enemy through the art of deletion? 3 Waste Case “Americans are really, really good at throwing things away. The country produces nearly 300 million tons of trash a year, and billions of dollars in reusable materials end up in landfills, even after passing through recycling bins. The problem has always been sorting it all — pulling the wheat from the chaff or in this case, the aluminum can from the dirty diaper.” Can AI solve the problem? Robots, cameras, and lots of data about garbage: Inside the recycling industry’s new bet [ https://substack.com/redirect/3ed6ae92-4b55-4279-8071-ceeb6434a048?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (With our luck, sorting through garbage will be the one job our AI overlords let us keep...) 4 Drop Til You Shop “We learned to focus on the rare thing at the expense of what was around it—psychologists call this ‘tunneling’—and to prioritize avoiding loss over gaining rewards. It was typically smarter to fight for something everyone else wanted than to waste time looking for something else. That animal wisdom is a reason our species survived. It is also a reason that, in late 2025, you could find a grown adult—a person who lives in the kind of material plenitude our distant ancestors could never dream of—in a Starbucks parking lot before dawn, desperately seeking a coffee cup shaped like a teddy bear. You see, this coffee cup was available only as a drop.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Highly Exclusive Way That Everybody Shops Now [ https://substack.com/redirect/f9b90b87-8262-4d5f-9cfe-839d1dad7b6c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “When everything’s a drop, what’s the point of a drop?” 5 Extra, Extra Limp Election: “President Donald Trump said Monday he won’t sign any other legislation into law until Congress passes a strict proof-of-citizenship voting bill that he says also must end Americans’ ability to vote by mail, a startling demand months before the midterm elections [ https://substack.com/redirect/adedc674-1f08-41dc-be5f-4cdba3568dce?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (He’s definitely clear and consistent when it comes to waging war on democracy.) From The New Yorker: The Latest Republican Efforts to Make It Harder to Vote in the Midterms [ https://substack.com/redirect/de150647-ee87-4804-b954-671597efa56c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + You’re Getting Warmer: “Scientists determined that on average, those 65 and older experience a month a year when heat prevents them from routine activities. Parts of Asia, Africa, Australia and North America are becoming unlivable for senior citizens ... Overall, more than a third of the global population resides in regions where heat severely affects daily life.” Bloomberg (Gift Article): Extreme Heat Is Making Life Increasingly Unlivable [ https://substack.com/redirect/d8036226-4c64-4477-80db-9cd8be7e839c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (How do these people not know climate change is a hoax?) + On Radioactive Duty: “Fifteen years later, 4,000 workers struggle to control the ongoing disaster. The three melted reactors remain so radioactive that they destroy the robots sent to explore the damage.” Fukushima at 15: The Fallout Continues [ https://substack.com/redirect/0f595b41-6aae-4923-a84f-4f3b2d264f5b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And a photo essay from AP: An innkeeper in Fukushima measures radiation to revive her hometown [ https://substack.com/redirect/0d1ec662-a0b4-4f3a-8cb4-ef6f36788e0f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + You’ve Got Ice in Your Names: “Iceland, the Nordic nation, has prevailed over Iceland, the British supermarket chain specializing in frozen foods, ending a decade-long legal dispute over the supermarket’s exclusive rights to the ‘Iceland’ name.” NYT: Iceland Defeats Iceland: A U.K. Supermarket Ends a Trademark Dispute [ https://substack.com/redirect/3e0a6291-ead3-4ebd-879e-f7278096aa5a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Plug and Play: Winners of the British Wildlife Photography Awards 2026 [ https://substack.com/redirect/c0d2cf4b-e01c-4159-ab78-e0786a412755?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News Have GLP-1s finally met their match? Lindt, which makes chocolate Easter bunnies, says weight-loss drug users are eating more chocolate, not less [ https://substack.com/redirect/a50899ef-9e0c-4112-a82c-0c7bfdaedea4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “He’s just one guy. One freaking guy. You have got to stop coming here, day after day, screaming into me about him.” McSweeney’s: The Void Would Very Much Like You to Stop Screaming Into It [ https://substack.com/redirect/4930c7b6-b71b-454b-ac7b-fbf3f61cd2dd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (That’s the beauty of NextDraft. I scream so you don’t have to...) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNRFUwTXpjNU5pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3pNVGN4TURjNUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EUTNNRGN3Tnprc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS40QjJDUWdFcW1HNDhhQkZ3T1JodTBJNjdYakloSDAyZzdCcEpkc0plTEtjIiwicCI6MTkwNTQzNzk2LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzMxNzEwNzksImV4cCI6MjA4ODc0NzA3OSwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.egB6aBZhU0jUedrdNyT-xemY-Jkep2VIx6c2Eaa_MUU?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/the-figures-of-speech When Tim Sheehy ran against incumbent Jon Tester for a Montana Senate seat in 2024, it looked like an uphill battle. But for Sheehy, it turned into a battle royal, as he gained the backing of a billionaire. And then another billionaire. And so on, and so on. “At least 64 billionaires and 37 of their immediate family members donated directly to his campaign ... When also accounting for money that flowed through political committees that support Mr. Sheehy, an analysis shows that billionaires contributed about $47 million in the race that Mr. Sheehy went on to win.” These days, there’s a word for the way Sheehy used the backing of billionaires to ultimately win his race. That word is normal. Since the 2010 Supreme Court Citizens United decision, which found that donations were a form of speech, billionaires have been investing the equivalent of rounding errors to dominate political races like never before. NYT (Gift Article): Billionaires Are Swaying Elections in All Corners of America [ https://substack.com/redirect/40475510-d527-4f28-9566-9cbb1fee9738?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The extraordinary spending in Montana is part of a new era of political power for the rapidly growing number of billionaires minted over the past eight years. The Times analysis found that 300 billionaires and their immediate family members donated more than $3 billion — 19 percent of all contributions — in federal elections in 2024, either directly or through political action committees. Five presidential elections ago, before the Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling that lifted many remaining campaign finance restrictions, the share of billionaire spending was almost zero — 0.3 percent, to be precise.” Of course, the dominance of billionaire money in campaigns will result in winning candidates who support policies that will make more billionaires. “The number of U.S. billionaires jumped 50 percent [ https://substack.com/redirect/bac22012-42f2-4e9f-bb22-085b25efa3ed?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]by some estimates between 2017 and 2025.” If this trend keeps up, who knows, we may soon have enough billionaires to turn ourselves back into a democracy. In the meantime, Americans are left hoping the billionaires on their side beat the billionaires on the other side, as our election system goes bankrupt. 2 Target Practice “Protesters, observers and passersby taken into custody by federal agents were declared terrorists and attackers in hundreds of social-media posts by U.S. officials and departments since the start of the immigration sweeps in cities ... Of the 279 people accused by officials on X of attacking federal officers in the past year, 181 were U.S. citizens, the Journal found. Close to half of those Americans were never charged with assault. None have been convicted at trial.” WSJ (Gift Article): Americans Are Now a Target in Trump’s Immigration Crackdown [ https://substack.com/redirect/3dc7e620-ca90-4e02-a993-9dabe9fdc7e7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Just in case Minneapolis didn’t already convince you of that...) + ICE Detention of Teen Musicians Roils Texas Mariachi Community [ https://substack.com/redirect/7529c61e-b093-4fe5-b3a9-5386333da252?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Feel safer?) + “At one point he said he overheard a security guard talking about bets made among the staff over which detainee would be next to die by suicide.” AP: Attempted suicides, fights, pain: 911 calls reveal misery at ICE’s largest detention facility [ https://substack.com/redirect/edb5730c-f801-42d8-9651-fe71a93565bb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Don’t Fly Too Close to the Son It would be amazing for Israel, the region, the world, and especially the Iranian people if Iran’s regime were ultimately replaced by a more decent and democratic system. The question of whether this war of choice will achieve that outcome rests largely on the decisions being made by the administration that chose it. That’s worrisome. For now, Khamenei has been replaced by Khamenei. Time: Mojtaba Khamenei Has Wielded Power Behind the Scenes For Years [ https://substack.com/redirect/35789c8a-0b13-4fc0-8b70-16548e6201c2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Between the bombing from above and the contempt on the ground, Mojtaba Khamenei just took on the most dangerous job in the world.) + “Trump, with his usual inconsistency, has called for Iranians to rise up against the ruthless theocracy—last week, he demanded its ‘unconditional surrender’—but also said that he’s prepared to deal with a new religious leader.” Robin Wright in The New Yorker: Where Is the Iran War Headed [ https://substack.com/redirect/09192b00-d0b1-4109-8198-57a6bf3ad85d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? And will the answer to that question have more to do with what helps the Iranian people or what helps oil prices, which are surging [ https://substack.com/redirect/42c899fc-f6bb-416a-9b73-2d983df1a991?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Oil isn’t the only fluid we need to worry about. Vital Desalination Plants in Iran and Bahrain Are Attacked [ https://substack.com/redirect/ada26e6c-1c4d-4669-8d2e-66ad3ce89450?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Even someone who lies all day every day can still occasionally sicken us with a lie. And so it was over the weekend when President Trump indicated that Iran bombed the school for girls that was hit in Tehran. Video appears to show U.S. cruise missile striking Iranian school compound [ https://substack.com/redirect/11a18a4f-a5ea-4356-b2fb-49a29ecfb624?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Trump invented to story about the school bombing hours after he attended a dignified transfer ceremony wearing a baseball cap. Fox News apologizes for showing old video of a hatless Donald Trump at a dignified transfer ceremony [ https://substack.com/redirect/7e677523-c221-42b1-ac68-ee0d9be41eb3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + WSJ (Gift Article): Lindsey Graham’s Quest to Sell Trump on Striking Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/fda67985-f104-457d-8fa4-49c5be2511b1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Stocks fell on fears of the effects of the Iran war on energy prices. The toll of the escalated fighting rose sharply in Lebanon, where more than 600,000 people have been displaced.” Here’s the latest from the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/e305fe11-258f-45ae-aa21-1c35d182774d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Yeah, That’s the Ticket “The Justice Department has reached a tentative settlement of its antitrust litigation against Live Nation, the concert giant that includes Ticketmaster, after a week of testimony in a high-profile trial that examined competition in the music industry.” Justice Department and Live Nation Reach Settlement Terms in Antitrust Case [ https://substack.com/redirect/2aee024b-e74f-431a-872b-e98aa7755792?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Why do I have the feeling that Live Nation is about to buy the naming rights for the new White House ballroom?) + Trump bought Netflix and Warner Bros bonds at height of bidding war with Paramount [ https://substack.com/redirect/53fd3063-990b-48c1-84fe-842e75da1ef9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Right Here, Right Now: “The showdown between the Pentagon and Anthropic is a window into how unprepared we are for the questions we are already facing. In July, Anthropic signed a deal with the Pentagon to integrate Claude, its A.I. system, into the military’s operations. The contract included two red lines: Claude could not be used for mass surveillance or for lethal autonomous weapons. Over the ensuing months, the Pentagon decided these prohibitions were intolerable.” Ezra Klein in the NYT (Gift Article): The Future We Feared Is Already Here [ https://substack.com/redirect/c9447a9f-e7d7-4e30-baf4-fd61f9481e99?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, Anthropic sues Trump administration [ https://substack.com/redirect/ea393eaf-c43c-4836-9bf8-901267c13534?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] amid AI dispute with Pentagon. + Havana Syndrome: “Since at least 2016, U.S. diplomats, spies and military officers have suffered crippling brain injuries. They’ve told of being hit by an overwhelming force, damaging their vision, hearing, sense of balance and cognition. but the government has doubted their stories. They’ve been called delusional. Well now, 60 Minutes has learned that a weapon that can inflict these injuries was obtained overseas and secretly tested on animals on a U.S. military base.” U.S. military tested device that may be tied to Havana Syndrome on rats, sheep, confidential sources say [ https://substack.com/redirect/dcc2e56d-9ae7-4513-88d0-b9bec6f99814?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Pace of Corruption: “Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., the president’s sons, are backing a new drone company [ https://substack.com/redirect/cf7c2f42-7b0a-41e5-8a9a-e5f4fef20357?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] that is vying to meet fresh demand from the Pentagon and fill a hole left by the administration’s ban on new Chinese drones in the U.S.” + Plug Bug: The uncomfortable truth about hybrid vehicles [ https://substack.com/redirect/041ee9d9-71d3-4917-835d-27a5a54abe37?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Apparently, no one plugs them in. (I’m among the outliers. I almost never have to fill mine up with gas.) + Plug and Play: “It is estimated that every year more than one million bald people fly to Istanbul.” Hair apparent: inside the transplant capital of the world [ https://substack.com/redirect/9b882ab8-400c-48ba-9fe3-896cc6baaf70?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Marathon and a Half: “Martin, 36, is a substitute teacher and a high school track and cross country coach at Jackson High School.” American Nathan Martin wins closest Los Angeles Marathon finish [ https://substack.com/redirect/0fd38afe-3cc4-4613-9e99-b407fc5d2d0e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. You’ve got to see this finish [ https://substack.com/redirect/8453c1a7-cc07-44f2-815c-1bca9fd70d71?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, Jacob Kiplimo just set a new record in the half marathon [ https://substack.com/redirect/c665e2f8-0582-440d-952d-0b76d9ca4b25?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The man needed just 57 minutes and 20 seconds to run 13.1 miles, which is an average pace of 4:22 per mile.” 6 Bottom of the News When Ryan Gosling hosts SNL, you know that he and others will break and laugh. That happened in a wedding kiss skit [ https://substack.com/redirect/9485e046-a7c8-4900-afaa-d356248a7ae7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and a cyclops skit [ https://substack.com/redirect/9f08de72-e2ca-45ad-ad51-24afa9944bca?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And for the first time, there was a skit actually designed to make the participants break. Passing Notes [ https://substack.com/redirect/a72ad8f4-4bea-4702-bb85-07ed77b3ceb2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNRFF5T1RRME55d2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3pNRGcxTkRjekxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EUTJNakUwTnpNc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5JRDJiNVVxQjVWYUk1aHVTYmxMNUtKY2t1amtmZk95amhaU3JvdUl2ekJ3IiwicCI6MTkwNDI5NDQ3LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzMwODU0NzMsImV4cCI6MjA4ODY2MTQ3MywiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.e1k_ao_HfCBQxUTlJlSR4NIy8hdqL4dJX7GQEPrQx4Q?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/class-dismissed-952 The House always wins. The same is not true for the Frat House. Founders of prediction markets—or gambling sites that have recently added sports gambling to the mix—know how to place a smart bet. That’s why they’re headed to college. While these sites are susceptible to insider trading and market manipulation, neither of those strategies was required for Kalshi and Polymarket to identify a valuable target market. There was already a gambling scourge spreading across college campuses, particularly among males who have adopted sports betting as a normal part of university life. Some non-profits say that as many as 10% of college students [ https://substack.com/redirect/4bf8e800-f574-4a6e-b491-6d7b1fda19f6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] could be classified as pathological gamblers. And those numbers were added up before prediction markets took off. So, given the profits over ethics vibe of our current classless cultural moment, it would be safe to bet that prediction markets are coming to a fraternity near you. WSJ (Gift Article): The Prediction Market Bets Driving a Campus Frenzy [ https://substack.com/redirect/9fe5d39d-620e-4279-b112-d0e94c798c29?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Both companies have begun splashing cash on campuses. Polymarket has offered to pay fraternities, in exchange for signing up users, money that can be spent on throwing ‘epic parties’—one frat raised $30,510 over a two-week period. Both platforms have been paying student influencers to promote them as ways to raise fun money, enlisting student athletes as brand representatives and supporting student clubs ... Polymarket also reached out to fraternities and social clubs across the University of California, Berkeley, last fall, according to students there, offering company-branded beer pong cups and up to $1,000 for parties.” The targeting of youth, many of whom are too young to participate in regular gambling, isn’t stopping orgs like AP, Google, CNN, and the NHL (and the platform [ https://substack.com/redirect/238b36ac-6e01-4687-84ec-217f86b3c80f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] I’m sending this newsletter out on) from partnering with the prediction markets, because of a distorted belief that they provide some kind of wisdom of the crowds version of truth. But throwing the fuel of legalized gambling on the fire already engulfing college campuses is a bad bet. Especially if it pays off. + Charlie Warzel in The Atlantic (Gift Article): A Technology for a Low-Trust Society [ https://substack.com/redirect/914ca79a-65e6-47e6-9a7e-c48d1528456a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “This is the central lie of prediction markets: They claim to get us closer to the truth but, in the end, they make us less certain about the world. But this erosion of trust is a feature, not a bug, for these platforms. A world where people are suspicious of every motive is a world where the cold logic of gambling feels more rational. A zero-trust society is one where the prediction markets’ dubious ‘wisdom of crowds’ marketing seems extra appealing. In this way, prediction markets are a system that justifies its own existence—a well-oiled machine chipping away at societal trust while offering a convenient solution to its own problem.” + Think I’m making Kalshi and Polymarket seem too hateable? Well, consider this: They hate each other, too [ https://substack.com/redirect/663db461-f8d5-41e3-96c5-967dae5689d5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 The Moral of the Story America needs group therapy. In a 25-country survey by Pew, Americans were especially likely to view fellow citizens as morally bad [ https://substack.com/redirect/a14fd256-4e19-4557-9da8-1af417fa5d58?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “In nearly all countries surveyed, more people say that others in their country have somewhat or very good morals than say their compatriots display somewhat or very bad levels of morality. The United States is the only place we surveyed where more adults (ages 18 and older) describe the morality and ethics of others living in the country as bad (53%) than as good (47%).” We don’t just disagree. We dislike our fellow Americans and view each other as bad people. This divisiveness, sadly, is a dream scenario for those with anti-democratic leanings (which is one reason why they spend so much time spewing hate and dividing us). 3 The Fog of Foggy Bottom “We are aware that stuff is happening that we should care about, but the fog of bullshit surrounding this stuff is so thick that we can barely make out its shape or heft. Less than six weeks have passed since Alex Pretti was shot dead by C.B.P. agents in Minneapolis, and yet that, too, already feels like yesterday’s problem.” In The New Yorker, Jay Caspian Kang tries to explain how it sort of makes sense that we could have A No-Explanation War [ https://substack.com/redirect/f1568687-07bb-4fcd-94fc-dde240755e5a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Hegseth tries so hard—too hard—to project a tough-guy persona, as if a lot of unresolved issues, a lot of brokenness, are playing themselves out in his life. He seems to be trying to prove a great deal, to himself and to others. There’s a certain poignancy in that. But there’s a danger in that, too, when the person in question happens to be the secretary of defense.” The Atlantic(Gift Article): Pete Hegseth’s Troubled Soul [ https://substack.com/redirect/ff230fc6-b8d2-4991-97da-e1bbe78531c5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + There’s no doubt that America’s air power has been a dominant force. But there’s something sick about talking about it the way Hegseth does. Especially because we know that war kills innocent victims, not just evil regime members. Analysis Suggests School Was Hit Amid U.S. Strikes on Iranian Naval Base [ https://substack.com/redirect/bbecf0a5-078a-440b-9ba4-96bea8d93cf0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Trump Demands Iran Surrender as War Upends Global Markets [ https://substack.com/redirect/4565cb4f-29bd-446d-8a11-6242df8dd231?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. That may be hard for the surviving members of the regime to do, since it’s essentially signing a death certificate. But they are under extreme pressure, and they don’t have many friends left. Reuters: Iran spent years fostering proxies in Iraq. Now, many aren’t eager to join the war [ https://substack.com/redirect/a87c1b08-c56d-4e74-8b77-1c6c0e9cb426?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The weakness Iran showed during the 12-day war was a strong negative signal to their proxies. + Meanwhile, maybe someone can turn this into a really exciting TV show or internet meme and get it in front of Trump. WaPo(Gift Article): Russia is providing Iran intelligence to target U.S. forces, officials say [ https://substack.com/redirect/2bb2138e-75c1-4805-a9c0-ca76b57bbccb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Enemy’s gonna enemy. 4 Weekend Whats What to Rock: It turns out that the best way to get an especially great performance out of a musician is to put them on a stage in an arena filled with music legends. That’s one reason why the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies always make for great shows. And the most recent one honoring Soundgarden, OutKast, Warren Zevon, Bad Company, and others was no exception. I teared up during Letterman’s tribute to Zevon and got the chills during Brandi Carlile’s note-hitting during Black Hole Sun. The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony [ https://substack.com/redirect/00df7b96-5234-4c5f-8f0d-fd3168e851c1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] is on Hulu and Disney Plus. + What to Watch: Scrubs [ https://substack.com/redirect/a1f0b2e6-91df-4030-9875-9651023213b6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] has made its return to TV. And it serves up the same goofy, feel-good comedy as it did the first time around (only we may need that a little more now). + What to Binge: The Peaky Blinders movie is hitting theaters this weekend. That doesn’t give me much time to binge all six seasons on Netflix [ https://substack.com/redirect/5e071ff1-8145-4071-a340-d273250ab9c3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Gonna be a busy weekend... 5 Extra, Extra Off the Job: “The US economy lost 92,000 jobs in February [ https://substack.com/redirect/bbfbfeea-ac8c-452f-85f4-3940ef905f54?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], Labor Department data released Friday showed, sharply missing economists’ expectations and stalling the nascent hiring growth that started the year.” (On Truth Social, I’m guessing this is Biden’s fault. Job growth was so good under his administration that it had to go down under Trump!) + Noem on the Range: It’s worth noting that Kristi Noem was not fired for overseeing the murder of American citizens or sending untried men to overseas terror prisons, she was fired for a poor TV performance when being questioned by Congress, building her own image, and grifting without permission. Why Trump Changed His Mind on Kristi Noem [ https://substack.com/redirect/c822265b-03ef-4e33-9d0a-c96d6b4c8914?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “It wasn’t the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis earlier this year that finally cost Noem her job ... it was her self-promotion. + Get Out of Jail Cardholders: Pardons are for sale these days. You just have to make sure you pay the right person. Or pay enough people that someone in the group can get the job done. NYT (Gift Article): Pardon Industry Offers Rich Offenders a Path to Trump [ https://substack.com/redirect/7724834f-a784-4cea-820a-08ea50ea3804?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Six Figures: Not everyone had to pay for their pardon. The Jan 6 rioters got theirs for free. Society’s deal has been less good. A Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by Trump was sentenced to life in prison for child sex abuse [ https://substack.com/redirect/05e45ab8-a09a-4110-8630-40555d5dbd97?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Rubio’s Résumé: Trump tells CNN Cuba is soon going to fall: “I’m going to put Marco over there [ https://substack.com/redirect/432ac63f-d4da-4961-8b0d-a8abe09636be?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + In Pod We Trust: When the iPhone first came out, I predicted (luckily, only inside my own mind) that people wouldn’t want to mix their music with all the distractions featured on a smartphone. It’s still unclear if the iPhone is really going to catch on, but a handful of young people are tired of the distractions and are reaching for old-school iPods. Bring On Defunct: The iPod Enthralls Young Music Listeners [ https://substack.com/redirect/ea35511f-effb-4ed2-9f5a-4e22553a49a5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Just as I predicted!) 6 Feel Good Friday “Hill is part of a small group of creative types who have found healthy demand for analog subscription services in a world of digital screens. They create or curate packets of art prints, stickers, letters and commentary covering topics from architecture to food to their daily routines. They often use social media to find and market to fans but the real connection happens offline.” WSJ (Gift Article): The Crossing Guard Making $14,000 a Month Mailing Out Her Musings From the Job [ https://substack.com/redirect/dcc5093c-9063-48cb-bb0f-892ab42cd8ef?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + His opera career stalled. Now he’s a car salesman, and his ads are viral [ https://substack.com/redirect/6d2a7d67-ba92-47e1-98c1-0451652838ec?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + If you’re going to lose your money, lose it in Japan. Someone will probably give it back. Record 4.5 billion yen in lost cash turned in to Tokyo police in 2025 [ https://substack.com/redirect/476148be-6060-4f6c-937e-724468899515?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + A wholesome, affirming forum for bald people [ https://substack.com/redirect/12114733-59e9-4de3-b1b4-2f7e8ae81e7e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + If you missed it, everyone seems to love, A Day in the Life of an Ensh*ttificator [ https://substack.com/redirect/123d3465-d8bc-4de6-a488-17b2f73eb94a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “What I do is I take things that are perfectly fine, and I make them worse. More specifically, I make it shitty.” Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNREV6T1RZMk9Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3lPREkyT1RFMExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EUXpOakk1TVRRc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS4za3VUN3FXQnhZLXhpUWx4WlNtbTVEQkJnQ1FWTjZjbDJnYy1ibFp6OVZBIiwicCI6MTkwMTM5NjY4LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzI4MjY5MTQsImV4cCI6MjA4ODQwMjkxNCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.UG0xg3ETT3d7fKgfyJkX71p-wP099ncSIaMckLl-hqg?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/ready-player-glp-1 I’ve been taking a GLP-1 to combat high blood sugar for quite a while. A few months ago, I was in a room where, one by one, some fellow injectors explained how the use of the drug had instantly and completely turned off their food noise — the constant, intrusive, persistent thoughts about food. As each person offered their near religious testimony, I fingered the collar of the custom t-shirt [ https://substack.com/redirect/121d20fd-2acc-4961-93ad-33e1310d5d24?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] I made for the occasion, and one thought entered my mind: Pesto Pasta and Garlic Bread. And that thought stayed in my head throughout the discussion, and beyond. I’m thinking about Pesto Pasta right now. There’s no doubt that the GLP-1 has had an impact on the amount I eat and the levels of glucose in my blood, but apparently, it’s no match for my perpetual and thunderous food noise. I like to view this as evidence of superior mental strength. Whatever it is, I am definitely in the minority. And GLP-1s aren’t just turning off food noise. For many, they’re a miracle mute button that can turn off cigarette noise, alcohol noise, opioid noise, gambling noise, and more. Much more. GLP‑1 drugs may fight addiction across every major substance, according to a study of 600,000 people [ https://substack.com/redirect/4b1b72b2-06d6-4848-9b60-5ab1554b45bb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. This news has me thinking that maybe I should up my dose. It also has me thinking about sesame noodles, dim sum, a fresh, soft and still warm everything bagel, mint-chip ice cream, and PB&J spread across the entirety of a loaf of sourdough. 2 War of Words War, huh, good God y’all, What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. Edwin Starr’s anti-war song worked in part because of its simplicity. Limited combat operations, huh, good God Y’alljust doesn’t hit the same way. Neither does, Hostilities, huh, good God Y’all. That doesn’t even have a good rhyme. But anti-war song composers will have to come up with something. Because whatever is happening in Iran, it’s not a war. “When President Trump gave reporters a brief update this week on the accelerating bombing campaign against Iran, he said, ‘We’re doing very well on the war front.’ That complicated matters for Republicans on Capitol Hill, who have spent the days since the U.S.-Israeli attacks began engaging in semantic gymnastics to describe the widening conflict as a ‘major combat operation,’ a ‘mission,’ ‘hostilities’ or really just anything other than ‘war.’” NYT (Gift Article): Republicans Toil to Avoid Saying ‘War’ as Iran Conflict Widens [ https://substack.com/redirect/28af0632-0057-4561-a016-777af4b3e5f3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (What is this abject stupidity and wholly unserious response to this very serious moment good for? Absolutely nothing. Say it again, y’all.) + “In announcing the goal of regime change through air power alone, President Trump is up against the weight of history. Not just Iran, but the weight of history. For over a century, states—including the United States, European states, Russia, and Israel—have tried to topple regimes with air power alone. It has never—and I’m choosing my words carefully—it has never worked.” Trump Cannot Achieve Iran Goals With Bombing Alone, Expert on Airpower Warns [ https://substack.com/redirect/730e5019-245d-4e1e-99de-7e549b6edd24?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Can the Kurds offer a ground war solution? Iranian Kurdish Forces Say They May Enter Iran. Who Are the Kurds [ https://substack.com/redirect/e7960f6e-7407-4882-a647-6e079f2370d2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? + Trump says he has to be involved in picking Iran’s next leader [ https://substack.com/redirect/3c9dea17-57da-42a3-8e28-51ea5bf387eb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]as war ripples across the region. (In fairness, this is Trump’s version of American democracy.) + Here’s the latest from NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/7dbdf6ac-1697-4e18-8de5-03c52f317649?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], Times of Israel [ https://substack.com/redirect/0672f309-c27e-41d8-a600-49a35019bd0d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/df5e3904-8e1f-448d-afa4-a5ca09cfd667?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 We’re in the Noem Stretch In an administration that prides itself on hiring the worst possible people and gleefully celebrates their awful performances, it’s really something to be fired. Congrats to Kristi Noem for the achievement. Trump ousts DHS secretary Kristi Noem and replaces her with Republican senator [ https://substack.com/redirect/738f4d8d-7e5e-43cc-81ae-d8a3a638133a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Noem’s tenure was marked by killings of US citizens by federal agents, a rumored affair, and $220m spent on ads.” Noem will still be part of the administration in her new role as Envoy for The Shield of the Americas. (I can never remember if that role is DC or Marvel...) + Here’s the new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin [ https://substack.com/redirect/b655ee40-f31a-4f30-9cb4-76cb42d810b2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] saying of our Iran efforts that “this is war” before explaining that it is in fact, not war. (Think about it. If Mullin doesn’t oversee the murder and disparaging of American citizens, that alone will make him a major improvement.) 4 Local Yokel “The Philadelphia Inquirer hadn’t written much about suburbs like Lower Merion, Pa., and Cherry Hill, N.J. for years. Now it is revisiting those communities—with an assist from AI. Last year, the Inquirer launched newsletters in four locations, amassing more than 50,000 free subscriptions.” WSJ (Gift Article): Can AI Save Local News [ https://substack.com/redirect/cf333f61-0686-47a9-9ba8-ecfd62df82de?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? (A new technology that can synthesize information from a variety of sources to produce a clear and cogent newsletter? There was a time when this would have threatened me. But given the 2026 news cycle, I’m willing to be replaced...) 5 Extra, Extra Payback Time: “A federal judge ruled that the US government must begin paying out more than $130 billion in tariff refunds [ https://substack.com/redirect/80d61f35-8dab-440d-b53e-4cfcb85ac63f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to US businesses in another setback for the Trump administration after the Supreme Court struck down the president’s wide-reaching ‘reciprocal’ tariffs.” (Wait, I thought other countries paid for the tariffs...) + The Claude Squad: Consumers have migrated to Anthropic [ https://substack.com/redirect/bf6d7ff9-5dea-4056-9745-c20f06518c1f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in support of their stand when it comes to the Pentagon. Now, some defense experts have backed the company in a letter to Congress [ https://substack.com/redirect/6045299c-908d-419d-9d82-d5798fbeeff8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Anthropic’s investors? Meh [ https://substack.com/redirect/cd5c53aa-7f95-4827-9a86-e037e20d6336?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, a leaked memo from Anthropic’s CEO suggests that the acrimony is due in part to the fact that “we haven’t given dictator-style praise to Trump [ https://substack.com/redirect/91f30f31-510d-41b7-8ac8-fa40ecb19696?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” All this aside, Anthropic’s AI tool Claude has been central to U.S. campaign in Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/74d17246-74fd-462a-be0d-e66e44206571?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Vlad Handing: “Russia is one of the biggest winners [ https://substack.com/redirect/5a293b4c-4f9a-4979-b980-343ba387e6c9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in the early days of the largest U.S. military confrontation in decades, as Iranian missiles deplete stocks of Patriot interceptors that Ukraine needs for its defense.” Oh... + Hey Norm! “At least four of the companies awarded contracts so far are owned by Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity firm founded by billionaire Steve Feinberg, who until last year ran the company and is now the deputy secretary of defense — the second-highest-ranking official in the Pentagon. Feinberg oversees the office in charge of the Golden Dome for America project.” There’s a word for this. The Norm. Documents Reveal a Web of Financial Ties Between Trump Officials and the Industries They Help Regulate [ https://substack.com/redirect/73b26e6e-086d-4654-b2ce-acc37d190344?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Membership Has Its Untowards: “The group chat — verified by two people in the group — reveals the extent of racism and extremism within the highest ranks of campus Republican Party leadership in Miami at a time Florida’s Republicans are reckoning with an increasingly emboldened far right.” ‘Nazi heaven’: Inside Miami campus Republicans’ racist group chat [ https://substack.com/redirect/8cc83edb-613f-4fd1-8334-a92e800c7388?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (These guys should reserve this kind of commentary for X, where it belongs.) + If These Malls Could Talk: A London Shopping Mall Was Dying. Then Taylor Swift Put It in a Music Video [ https://substack.com/redirect/2714726e-1d62-4d38-98c6-3cc2db42e319?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 The Bottom of the News “What I do is I take things that are perfectly fine, and I make them worse. More specifically, I make it shitty [ https://substack.com/redirect/610ca76e-ad70-465f-af26-e9de5291dbe3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNREF6TmpBNE5pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3lOelF5TVRjNUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EUXlOemd4Tnprc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5hNG5nWWtXTjVaNEtYLXlwWXhKWHd4b0VGUnV6Vmlua2xmSXNrUFhkYWk0IiwicCI6MTkwMDM2MDg2LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzI3NDIxNzksImV4cCI6MjA4ODMxODE3OSwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.oSMXtBHthvk_HJfBDajmLY92c83EzoSaR83ooipM3zY?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/bursting-at-the-seems The market has managed to take in stride things like massive regional wars, Constitutional crises, attacks on law and order, illegal tariffs, and the cracking of the foundation that underpins the modern global order. Even with all these factors at play, nothing moves the market like AI news. For a while, that meant that any press release indicating a company was digging deeper into AI led to a share price boost. More recently, many of the bigger movements have been reactions to the threat posed by AI. The Saas-pocalypse hit many big tech players when investors worried that their functions would be replaced by OpenAI and Anthropic. So tech companies know they have to play the AI market right, and that they have to play the AI news and hype cycle right. And, as is the case with many of the answers you get from LLMs, it can be almost impossible to dissect reality from hallucinations (some of which are intended). At this point, there’s little doubt that the AI revolution will have an outsized impact on white collar jobs, from how they’re done to how many of them will survive. We’re already seeing worrying signs in the job market [ https://substack.com/redirect/caf34bfc-550f-41c7-8cec-1773fb94535a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. But we’re also seeing signs that corporate CEOs looking to lighten costs via layoffs might use the emergence of AI as an excuse for doing so. This can play as good news in the investment world, which loves lowering costs through layoffs and loves any signal that a company is becoming an AI company. Thus, telling the market you’re preemptively laying off thousands of employees and replacing them with AI can create a perfect storm for a company’s share price. For employees, it’s more of a shitstorm. Aaron Zamost, a former employee of Block, examines that company’s recent layoffs made in the name of AI, and what they might mean for both the future of public companies and the stories they spin. “Look closer at specific cuts — like shrinking the policy team and eliminating diversity and inclusion roles, former colleagues told me — and Block’s latest reorganization reads like standard prioritization and cost management, not an A.I.-driven reinvention ... Fear that the A.I. tsunami will destroy the traditional software field has led investors to pummel the valuations of long-established companies like Salesforce and Adobe. Like those businesses, Block is not an A.I. company. It is a financial services tech business, and it understandably wants to avoid ‘software dodo’ extinction before it comes for its industry. In that respect, A.I. is both a story line and a survival strategy.” NYT (Gift Article): I Worked for Block. Its A.I. Job Cuts Aren’t What They Seem [ https://substack.com/redirect/e07ae7b9-46af-4034-890c-4af41be82527?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Of course, in the market, news is like stock shares. The only thing that matters is what investors buy. And they bought Block’s story. “Wall Street rewarded Block handsomely, sending the company’s stock up 24 percent after the announcement. That incentivizes the rest of corporate America to follow Block’s lead and announce traditional layoffs while playing the A.I. card. I’m sure it will.” 2 Fluid Dynamics The situation in Iran and the region is fluid. Two fluids in particular might drive the course and duration of the war. You can probably guess the first one. WSJ (Gift Article): Strait of Hormuz: The Oil Bottleneck Threatening the Global Economy [ https://substack.com/redirect/9fb5e745-c26f-47ad-882a-666faba1c6b4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. But there’s another fluid that could also be at risk. Javier Blas in Bloomberg (Gift Article): The Iran War’s Most Precious Commodity Isn’t Oil [ https://substack.com/redirect/8799eeea-5dc7-4fe9-8ba7-0745d994990b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The CIA calls it the ‘strategic commodity’ of the Middle East. But it’s not referring to oil or natural gas. What the American spy agency has in mind is far more prosaic: drinking water. Don’t underestimate it, though, because if military hostilities continue to escalate, water could become the geopolitical commodity that decides the war between the US and Iran.” + “The president specializes in exploiting the weaknesses of his opponents; having watched Israel decimate Iran’s proxy armies and air defenses over the past few years, he sought to capitalize on the regime’s moment of maximum vulnerability. Other countries—most notably Israel and Saudi Arabia—potentially stand to benefit from Trump’s war. But the decision to start it was his alone, and no amount of spin from his surrogates should obscure this fact.” Yair Rosenberg in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Real Reason Trump Went to War [ https://substack.com/redirect/20d2dd94-38b5-4f7c-9475-6069807b6fbe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I don’t pretend to be able to understand the inner workings of Trump’s mind. But there’s no doubt that the 12-day war showed the region and the world how weak and vulnerable Iran is. Whether this invasion was the best way to respond to that weakness remains to be seen.) + The U.S. has been remarkably effective at blocking attacks from Iran. But doing so, at this point, requires the use of expensive munitions to block cheaper ones. That could be a factor as this war plays out. And it is very likely on the minds of America’s stronger and more dangerous adversaries. The Dangerous Munitions Mismatch Between America and Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/d3ebe2de-12d6-4781-9c78-7e451a0934de?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “The U.S. has torpedoed an Iranian ship in international waters in the Indian Ocean, among 20 vessels the U.S. military says it has struck.” And bigger strikes may still be coming. According to Hegseth, America and Israel would soon be able to deliver “death and destruction all day long.” (Which is exactly how you don’t want your secretary of defense to talk.) Meanwhile, “NATO air defenses had shot down a ballistic missile fired from Iran that had been heading toward Turkish airspace.” Here’s the latest from NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/d8dd3a31-8663-493a-a1fe-d41a26094dbc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], ABC [ https://substack.com/redirect/b41292ba-7531-4d71-94ed-3119a9276295?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/bc1c0a22-f411-40d0-b328-57657811de11?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 The Road Taken “A lingering question is why the group was clustered together if the guides knew the group was traveling below avalanche terrain. Standard backcountry protocol is to expose only one person at a time if traveling through an avalanche path.” There were several small decisions that led to a massive disaster in the Sierras. The Atlantic (Gift Article): California’s Deadliest Avalanche Turned on One Choice [ https://substack.com/redirect/017b3e33-92ad-4bac-96e2-605705995a03?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 You Can Follow the Sunny or the Money, Honey “One senses that the climate crisis is not only threatening to destroy property, but is also challenging the confidence of both the insurers and the insured, perhaps providing a hint at fault lines in the economic system.” In fact, economic dangers go hand in hand with climate dangers. Here in California, we’re already seeing insurance companies flee or move customers to much higher-priced and less secure plans. I’ve said it many times. If you want to know how real the threat of climate change is, just follow the re-insurance companies. Aeon: The insurance catastrophe [ https://substack.com/redirect/5d995698-da80-4d8f-a9c1-d687da945ab6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The sea is higher than we thought [ https://substack.com/redirect/251bbc64-3444-46da-82dc-c8bcbfa5a6ee?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and millions more are at risk, study finds. 5 Extra, Extra Talarico-Dependent: There were several primaries across the country on Tuesday, as the 2026 midterms officially kicked off. None were more watched than the ones in Texas, on both sides of the aisle. Does a matchup between James Talarico and either Ken Paxton or John Cornyn suggest the state may really be in play for Dems? Politico: ‘A perfect storm is lining up for Texas Democrats [ https://substack.com/redirect/20fb5fca-d7fb-4741-b532-260bf2432822?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]’ + Trans Parent: “An emergency Supreme Court ruling to temporarily bar California from enforcing a state law that prevents public schools from outing transgender students has advocates raising concerns about its potential to further roll back protections for transgender youth.” (This SCOTUS may surprise us occasionally on economic issues like tariffs, but never when it comes to the religiosity war in America.) Advocates Fear Supreme Court Is ‘Going After the Transgender Community Deliberately [ https://substack.com/redirect/edf4f1fa-6d97-48cd-b6fa-f646c3960492?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’ + That’s What Kalshi Said: “On Kalshi, people have placed bets on everything from football games to foreign affairs. The prediction market’s CEO, Tarek Mansour, says this doesn’t count as gambling—and is actually good for society.” Let me counter slightly. It is gambling. And, along with the sports betting sweeping the country (particularly among young men), it is terrible for society. And I’d bet on that. Steven Levy in Wired: How Is Kalshi Not Gambling [ https://substack.com/redirect/d427ee11-b4c8-4299-828e-df92e57ff729?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? + Destigmatize: “This government initiative, called One of Us, works with people who have mental health challenges — the program calls them ambassadors — to share their stories in schools, hospitals and police stations, with a focus on their recovery.” NYT (Gift Article): A Danish Program Takes On the Stigma of Mental Illness [ https://substack.com/redirect/cdbdb188-e08e-4e8a-9083-2d51537baa72?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Dunkin on Someone: RFK Jr “took aim at processed foods and singled out Dunkin’ and Starbucks for particular scrutiny [ https://substack.com/redirect/af78d2e8-6cc7-475a-bcda-730645d74d36?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] ... ‘We’re going to ask Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, ‘Show us the safety data that show that it’s OK for a teenage girl to drink an iced coffee with 115 grams of sugar in it ... I don’t think they’re gonna be able to do it.” (I don’t either. But I also don’t think fighting Dunkin’, Starbucks, and teenage girls, all at once, is a winning strategy. Also, I’d rather my daughter get a Frappuccino than measles.) + Is Neo the One: Apple unveils its entry into the lower-priced laptop market, and begins to sort of merge mobile with MacBooks. The Verge: Our first hands-on look at Apple’s MacBook Neo [ https://substack.com/redirect/c75369c1-fd5d-425c-bc79-ffe6056dd25c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Why do the lower-priced versions of tech products often get the cooler color choices?) + Photo Finish: Finalists from the 2026 Sony World Photography Awards Professional Competition. [ https://substack.com/redirect/ced7a5ef-0b86-4187-be36-a0ba7b029b5c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] 6 The Bottom of the News Crystal Meth: “If you give a chimp a crystal, she might not give it back. Researchers learned this the hard way. They gave quartz, calcite and other types of crystals to chimpanzees in a rehabilitation center. The apes responded with great interest, and the researchers ended up needing to trade large amounts of bananas and yogurt to get back the largest crystal. Others were never retrieved.” Chimpanzees Are Really Into Crystals [ https://substack.com/redirect/3281eeb8-966b-43d0-b91c-e6703c3ac676?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRPVGt4TnprMU5Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3lOalUyTnpJeExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EUXhPVEkzTWpFc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS50Q1dLWVc4NnI1NnIzeklJR05HXzFNS1JxXzJuMGplR3NWZUNnTC1xU21RIiwicCI6MTg5OTE3OTU1LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzI2NTY3MjEsImV4cCI6MjA4ODIzMjcyMSwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.IkoDUbytouVgLNSTiOgLTP60n4Aha688iSQdSlEE9dc?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/and-sometimes-why In The New Yorker, Susan Glasser goes over some of the reasons we’ve been given that America launched the Iran war. “In the two and a half days since Donald Trump unleashed a new war in the Middle East, the President and his Administration have come up with an astonishing array of different, even contradictory, rationales for the American military attack on Iran. By my count, and I’m sure I’ve missed a few, these include outright regime change, assistance to the oppressed peoples of the Islamic Republic, stripping Iran of ‘the ability to project power outside its borders,’ stopping future Iranian-sponsored terrorist attacks while exacting revenge for past ones, preëmptive action against an imminent Iranian threat to attack U.S. forces, preëmptive action to block Iran from building ballistic missiles that could hit the U.S. mainland, and preëmptive action to stop the Iranian nuclear program that Trump had, as recently as last week, claimed was ‘obliterated.’ Many of these explanations are based on false premises; some already seem to have been abandoned.” Can Donald Trump Win a War with Iran If He Can’t Explain Why He Started It [ https://substack.com/redirect/275fa865-3505-4f1e-b72a-76c1891d36c1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? I touched on this issue in yesterday’s edition, where I argued that Epic Fury looks a little more like Blind Fury [ https://substack.com/redirect/5f157c1c-4bf8-4675-8196-88e44978026f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Among the most preposterous reasons given for launching an attack when they did was served up by Marco Rubio [ https://substack.com/redirect/0b28e5b2-a0e5-4c4f-8396-d0c4a1125192?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], who explained that the US had to strike Iran before Israel did—because an Israeli pre-emptive strike would have put troops in the region in danger, so the U.S. was cornered into striking first. This could be one of the more gutless falsehoods ever spewed by buck-passing men famous for spewing them nonstop. Has Bibi been pushing for the US to strike [ https://substack.com/redirect/a254ce46-b643-43d5-9139-96d08fa6874b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and reduce the threat posed by a regime as determined to destroy Israel as it was to violently squelch dissent among its own citizens? Yes. Were there a lot of other voices across the region (including Saudi Arabia [ https://substack.com/redirect/50f34b71-e07f-4e91-930b-6666b2b87234?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]) lobbying Trump to make a move? Yes. But a government that spent months building up forces in the Middle East, changing its defense department name to the Department of War, and tough-talking its lethality, can hardly pass the buck and say, our ally made us do it (even though Let’s the blame the Jews can be a convenient reflex among this crowd). No, this is Trump’s war. Don’t take my word for it. Take his [ https://substack.com/redirect/1ed6e8ab-1d9b-409e-bc11-192b423f8fc6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. He was none too pleased with Rubio’s assessment. “If anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand. We were having negotiations with these lunatics, and it was my opinion that they [Iran] were going to attack first.” + The broader issue remains. It’s still unclear to everyone from the American public to top Congressional officials exactly why we attacked now and what our ultimate goals are. Just today, Trump told reporters: “I guess the worst case would be — we do this, and then somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person… That could happen.” Are we watching a war unfold or waging one? I suppose if you have no clearly defined goals, you can always claim any outcome as a victory. Maybe we can rephrase The New Yorker headline: Can Donald Trump Lose a War with Iran If He Refuses to Explain Why He Started It? Let’s hope that the actual outcome is something other than a worst case. + Apparently, a lot of different people have a lot of different motivations. According to indie journalist Jonathan Larsen: U.S. Troops Were Told Iran War Is for ‘Armageddon,’ Return of Jesus [ https://substack.com/redirect/d6e215e5-6b46-4ddd-bd0f-8cc97fa9bcc9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “A combat-unit commander told non-commissioned officers at a briefing Monday that the Iran war is part of God’s plan and that Pres. Donald Trump was ‘anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth,’ according to a complaint by a non-commissioned officer.” (Editor’s note: If true, holy shit...) 2 The Latest From The Fronts “Israel stepped up airstrikes on Iranian missile launchers and factories Tuesday, and Iran retaliated against Israel and across the Gulf region, disrupting energy supplies and travel. As explosions rang out in Tehran and in Lebanon — where Israel said it struck Hezbollah militants — the American embassy in Saudi Arabia came under drone attack.” AP: Israel steps up airstrikes in Tehran, as Iran widens its response across the region [ https://substack.com/redirect/6719f401-fb5d-4f1f-aa11-2c61b5f5c1e4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + NYT (Gift Article): Iran’s Strategy: Expand the War, Increase the Cost, Outlast Trump [ https://substack.com/redirect/d1355a97-467f-443a-9f85-9098e5ac0ea0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (One of the biggest questions moving forward is how countries in the region that have become the targets of Iran’s missiles and drones will react. Iran is betting they’ll push Trump to stop the war. But they could also join the fight.) + Middle East war could be decided by who runs out of missiles or interceptors first [ https://substack.com/redirect/813c5b46-6db4-4ff7-884b-28b88be38ed7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], analysts say. + Iran war heralds era of AI-powered bombing quicker than speed of thought [ https://substack.com/redirect/341552e0-3f1b-4b31-9746-a7e2410cf72f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And about those Pentagon software vendor pronouncements. US Military Using Claude to Select Targets in Iran Strikes [ https://substack.com/redirect/ef1d7d28-626a-46d6-abc8-0076dacfc727?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “When FBI Director Kash Patel fired a dozen FBI agents and staff last week for their role in the classified documents investigation of Donald Trump, he targeted an elite counter espionage unit that investigates threats from foreign adversaries and specializes in Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/d32d9e7f-0691-46d3-9058-6306bd07d0b0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (No one at the hockey game could have warned him about this?) And a reminder of The Intern in Charge [ https://substack.com/redirect/f7778a8d-1a1e-428e-92f8-c9e399e7472e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: Meet the 22-Year-Old Trump’s Team Picked to Lead Terrorism Prevention + Here’s the latest from BBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/9311a6db-a7b1-4893-82d8-f0d3ce398d09?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/2b503f25-d6b2-4c6d-bad6-aa234176cc7e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], Times of Israel [ https://substack.com/redirect/297903c1-2af4-45ea-ad28-e4aeb928f743?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/5dfaa545-30a1-4b5c-83a5-a1e4ad98e461?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Driven to Distraction Maybe, instead of self-driving cars we needed to invent self-driving automakers. “They have been whipsawed by tariffs. Chinese carmakers are breathing down their necks around the world. Self-driving taxi companies like Waymo are changing the very nature of transportation. Software has replaced horsepower as a key selling point. Sales are flat almost everywhere, and profits are declining. How U.S. carmakers cope with this pivotal moment will determine whether they survive as global players or slide into irrelevance, becoming niche manufacturers of pickups and sport utility vehicles that only Americans buy. The early indications are not promising.” NYT (Gift Article): US Automakers Risk Being Reduced to Niche Producers of Gas Vehicles [ https://substack.com/redirect/b5d1bfa6-4f55-4d79-bd53-13799cebc158?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Mushrooming Proliferation “To be free, one must be feared. To be feared, one must be powerful.” So said French President Emmanuel Macron as France Floats Nuclear Deployment Across Europe [ https://substack.com/redirect/fcc994b8-d07a-4b62-9f6f-1cedff21edd3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor: “A Georgia father was found guilty on Tuesday of ignoring warning signs and allowing his son unfettered access to an assault-style rifle that prosecutors say the teenager used in a deadly school shooting.” Man Who Gave His Teen a Rifle Is Guilty of Murder After School Shooting [ https://substack.com/redirect/9f6c7591-8712-4768-aa2a-8dd13e58e7a4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Strike That, Reverse It: “The Trump administration indicated on Tuesday that it planned to renew its defense of executive orders that it had leveled against law firms, a sharp reversal a day after asking a court whether it could abandon the fight [ https://substack.com/redirect/75e71dcc-b6c9-46f7-b185-b90cbc196931?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (Someone didn’t like the press coverage of the first decision.) + Cancer Trend: “Colorectal cancer rates in people under 65 are surging, with nearly half (45%) of new diagnoses occurring in this age group, up from 27% in 1995. At the same time, colorectal cancer rates are falling in people 65 and older.” Rectal cancer rates are rising in U.S., driving an increase in illness in younger adults [ https://substack.com/redirect/17b51c06-81e2-41d0-b833-81013e377ce9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Mortgaging, The Future: “If you’ve secured a loan and you are closing on a new home in the near future, congratulations. You’ve taken part in an essential middle-class rite of passage—and you’re one of the lucky few.” Annie Lowrey in The Atlantic(Gift Article): The Disappearing American Mortgage [ https://substack.com/redirect/21d3f8b2-3e5c-4ac9-b717-8024d9af2d24?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Plus None: Donald Trump Says He’ll Attend This Year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner [ https://substack.com/redirect/048da7ae-fd19-4fd1-8569-27e496925494?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], Ending His Boycott. (No self-respecting journalist should attend a Correspondents’ Association Dinner with Trump there. Nothing about any of this is a laughing matter.) + A Cozy Getaway: Mark Zuckerberg’s $170 Million Mansion [ https://substack.com/redirect/10193306-7d3a-474f-93ee-997772ff9249?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]Buy Breaks Miami Price Records. Very related from yesterday’s edition: The Hole World in Their Hands [ https://substack.com/redirect/b2c0d8bd-57ee-4512-a1d4-1c6fdc6c82ad?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 The Bottom of the News “Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses are a privacy nightmare, with footage of naked people, sensitive information, and violent acts captured and seen by Meta’s AI and an army of employees.” What privacy? As expected, Meta Ray-Bans are a privacy disaster [ https://substack.com/redirect/cf2ef074-f7b0-4a2d-a387-84ed15e5bed5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRPVGM1T0RjM09Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3lOVFkxTkRJNExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EUXhNREUwTWpnc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS52MTF1eEVJMHF6MGRVNS16TVhvVktqN0tTNk1EN0lpbm4tRDZaRC10X3NjIiwicCI6MTg5Nzk4Nzc5LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzI1NjU0MjgsImV4cCI6MjA4ODE0MTQyOCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.y7rsNhrEPA1011jAMlhaVWs5Kp0buayNzmvRsrInPzo?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/blind-fury During his first press conference of the Iran war, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth explained that Operation Epic Fury is not a so-called regime change war [ https://substack.com/redirect/986f2cab-d74c-4204-bd4b-64da6b638eea?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. That may surprise many observers because the first salvos of the operation decapitated the regime. No, the war is about denying Iran’s nuclear ambitions. But we were told that America’s bombing runs in 2025 obliterated that nuclear program. America and Israel chose this moment to attack Iran because, since October 7, Iran has shown its military and intel weakness, and has become increasingly isolated in the region. Of course, Iran’s weakness could also just as easily be used as a reason not to attack them now, at a moment when the overall risk they present is relatively low. Trump has told Iran’s security forces to surrender, but it’s unclear that there’s anyone to surrender to. Trump told the Iranian people to rise up. But the attack comes after thousands of them were killed by the regime while doing just that. At different points over the weekend, we were told to expect this war to last days, weeks, months or some other amount of time, but that it definitely won’t be endless. We’ve been offered no such duration assurances when it comes to how long the contradictions will continue. Most administrations spend a lot of time justifying and explaining their strategies before taking the country to war. This administration isn’t giving clear explanations even after starting one. Maybe that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Our Contradicter in Chief ran on an agenda that called for an end to global interventions, and yet, “no president in the modern era has ordered more military strikes against as many different countries [ https://substack.com/redirect/b1b4c22b-1eff-4321-a9a9-7cf122c70cba?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” During the 12 day war, Iran was outed as more of a paper tiger than anyone in the Middle East imagined; one that had been fully infiltrated by foreign intelligence. The fall of the regime has seemed more likely than ever. Whether this is the right way to get rid of the regime, or whether Bibi, Trump, and Hegseth are the right guys to do it, is a different matter. Here’s what we know so far. The leaders of an evil and destabilizing regime behind much of the world’s terrorism have been eliminated and that is a great thing for the region and the world. Unless something worse follows. So let’s hope this is a so-called regime change war and not an endless, destructive quagmire that recent history suggests is a very real possibility. How will it turn out? Don’t ask me. And don’t ask the Trump administration, either. + “I hope this effort to topple the clerical regime in Tehran succeeds. It is a regime that murders its people, destabilizes its neighbors and has destroyed a great civilization. There is no single event that would do more to put the whole Middle East on a more decent, inclusive trajectory than the replacement of Tehran’s Islamic regime with a leadership focused exclusively on enabling the people of Iran to realize their full potential with a real voice in their own future. Second, this will not be easy, because this regime is deeply entrenched and is hardly going to be toppled from the air alone.” Thomas Friedman in the NYT(Gift Article): How to Think About Trump’s War With Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/9adcaaa2-bb55-4a11-a60e-90b586b0a049?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “This is the most plastic, unpredictable moment in the Middle East since the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Everything — and its opposite — is possible.” + The Atlantic (Gift Article): Hubris Without Idealism [ https://substack.com/redirect/942b8975-9243-4b06-8b23-afc794ed367f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Today, it’s impossible not to feel happy for Iranians inside the country and overseas as they celebrate the deaths of their oppressors, above all that of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, whose rule destroyed the lives of so many people, especially young ones. But the surest way for worse to follow is to fail to believe that it can.” + WSJ (Gift Article): Trump’s Shifting Goals for Iran Complicate Military’s Mission [ https://substack.com/redirect/39db1a20-c416-4a67-a414-2a6861771d57?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Pentagon tells Congress no sign that Iran was going to attack US first [ https://substack.com/redirect/422857b3-7b08-42c3-8919-1783aa2bab92?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “The American bombardment of Iran has been launched without explanation, without Congress, without even an attempt to build public support. Above all, it has been launched without a coherent strategy for the Iranian people, and without a plan to let them decide how to build a legitimate Iranian state.” Anne Applebaum in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Trump Has No Plan for the Iranian People [ https://substack.com/redirect/4866c1f1-7d45-43cd-992d-b1041219f421?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Trump is telling lies about the war that not only contradict one another, but contradict themselves internally. Is it about a nuclear program that doesn’t exist? Or is it about a regime change that we haven’t thought through? Or is it about an imaginary Iranian threat to elections?” Timothy Snyder: Losing the War on Truth [ https://substack.com/redirect/15c7e2d2-c4ef-4e29-8638-d3358f657e42?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + U.S. Races to Accomplish Iran Mission Before Munitions Run Out [ https://substack.com/redirect/77800675-7e04-49bc-b324-4388a41b2ebc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + What would a free Iran mean for the world [ https://substack.com/redirect/6e25eb79-2c3d-402f-9d95-62b624073927?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? + A strike on a girls school [ https://substack.com/redirect/92a49746-4889-4ccf-b6a1-693eef9d58e4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] may have killed as many as 175 people, at least four members of the American military have been killed, nine people in Beit Shamesh [ https://substack.com/redirect/326acc01-415c-4aa8-88c7-149f70a801c3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] were among those killed in Israel by Iranian missiles, three US planes were shot down [ https://substack.com/redirect/f71f3f99-b3f0-420c-9af6-2baef4a3de8c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] by Kuwaiti friendly fire, in addition to attacking Israel, Iran has fired missiles and drones at countries throughout the region, Hezbollah attacked Israel, and the war, for now, continues to spread. Here’s the latest from the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/61068a00-fdd6-45db-8b8a-a909f88371ae?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], Times of Israel [ https://substack.com/redirect/7a10e02b-ea0e-4bb6-882d-af7f9956ee32?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/f8c24990-bf24-4822-88aa-4bb59bb36f22?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and CNN [ https://substack.com/redirect/6857f2bf-ebda-4a05-a845-f6079d7b4fce?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 The Hole World in Their Hands “The Jackson Hole region has long been a refuge for the rich, but an explosion of new affluence has allowed a growing cadre of extraordinarily wealthy people to dominate both the local economy and Wyoming state politics. Teton County is not merely the richest county in the country, per capita, by far; it is a window into America’s near future, as the country enters a new gilded age, one in which millionaires are turning into billionaires overnight.” NYT (Gift Article) with a very on-point article for this moment in time. Welcome to Wyoming, the Frontier of America’s New Gilded Age [ https://substack.com/redirect/a2d4be64-7bf9-43fd-b0c6-edc285056b6a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Control Altman Delete “Across social media and the AI industry, people immediately began to challenge Altman’s claim. Why, they asked, would the Pentagon suddenly agree to these red lines when it had said — in no uncertain terms — that it would never do so? The answer, sources told The Verge, is that the Pentagon didn’t budge. OpenAI agreed to follow laws that have allowed for mass surveillance in the past, while insisting they protect its red lines.” The Verge (Gift Article): How OpenAI caved to the Pentagon on AI surveillance [ https://substack.com/redirect/a61c1376-97cc-4a5a-9cc3-514929cbf262?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (We’ve got the wrong people making the most important decisions.) + Anthropic said no to the Pentagon. Not coincidentally, they just overtook ChatGPT in the app store [ https://substack.com/redirect/79b97ca1-986e-4359-97b4-76e64f3d64a6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. As with many other political controversies, the American consumer is the last line of defense. 4 Things That Go Bump in the Height “Thanks to decades of such refinements, today’s jets may be the world’s most reliable machines. Flying in them is less likely to kill you than walking on staircases. It’s the sky that’s grown more unreliable. Fierce storms and erratic winds are increasingly common with climate change. But the rise in clear-air turbulence, often far from storms and undetectable by radar, is especially alarming.” The New Yorker: Buckle Up for Bumpier Skies [ https://substack.com/redirect/14ff5652-cc14-4dde-a707-85997bab309a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra I Fought The Law and... “The Trump administration has decided to drop its prolonged court fights against four law firms [ https://substack.com/redirect/cf9bd98e-cb1b-4afa-8b2c-0331eac55a55?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]with ties to Democrats, after it had sought and failed to cut out the firms’ access to the federal government as part of an apparent retribution campaign by President Donald Trump.” (Seems like there’s a lesson here for those firms that immediately bent the knee...) + Rx Post Facto: “The destruction that Kennedy has wrought in 1 year might take generations to repair, and there is little hope for US healthand science while he remains at the helm.” ‘One year of failure.’ The Lancet slams RFK Jr.’s first year as health chief [ https://substack.com/redirect/24e68123-6cc5-47e6-b688-2c06ff42a85d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Austin Shooting: “Three people died and 14 people have been hospitalized in a shooting on West Sixth Street in Austin early Sunday. The incident is being investigated by the FBI as a potential act of terrorism [ https://substack.com/redirect/c0834721-17f9-4c96-8cb2-4501971edb01?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + Patty Meltdown: “Burger King is launching an AI chatbot that will live in the headsets used by employees [ https://substack.com/redirect/ef4a2ec9-ccb0-42a8-b870-3563a2d02ae6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The voice-enabled chatbot, called ‘Patty,’ is part of an overarching BK Assistant platform that will not only assist employees with meal preparation but also evaluate their interactions with customers for ‘friendliness.’” + Stuck in the Middle With You: “Ottawa and Delhi vowed to reach a multi-billion dollar trade deal this year, the latest step in a recent push by Canada’s leader to knit together an alliance of so-called middle powers [ https://substack.com/redirect/7d2b8f1b-df81-4f37-b057-f25cfed5a7ca?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in an effort to resist US and Chinese dominance.” + It’s Not the Years, Honey; It’s the Mileage: The SAG awards were dominated by Sinners and The Studio [ https://substack.com/redirect/7f228c71-d812-42f1-937e-9a6cf9a81d16?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The highlight was Harrison Ford’s life achievement acceptance speech [ https://substack.com/redirect/c46cafd1-5e8d-4dcd-acf0-7649e8ea64dc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 The Bottom of the News Heated Rivalry’s Connor Storrie hosted SNL over the weekend. And the appearance by real-life hockey players was perfectly played [ https://substack.com/redirect/76e6f849-676d-441b-995d-5c474f17d4a3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRPVFk1TnpneE1Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3lORGcwTlRRd0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EUXdNakExTkRBc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5YbHJRMGtaVUMyU01XRXZKNDNfSXhOZE5LWjhEUUlrUG01S0ZGTjlLVmFVIiwicCI6MTg5Njk3ODEwLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzI0ODQ1NDAsImV4cCI6MjA4ODA2MDU0MCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.WVAYgi1vwjLuZBenS4DXdc9rgrva21J5Vgn5BlRB364?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/life-in-ell Because we live in an age when the worst-case scenario is always the most likely one, Larry and David Ellison’s Skydance Paramount “won” the bidding war over Netflix, and is now positioned to own Warner Bros. By refusing to up the ante on an already ridiculously overpriced transaction, Netflix looks like this deal’s real winner [ https://substack.com/redirect/2271faf9-2cdd-4ff1-a7db-14dd0c3b48ba?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The rest of us are the losers. We’ve already seen the damage that the Ellison lineage has done to CBS News. CNN’s fate is likely to follow a similar path. You may argue that CBS is old news and CNN hasn’t really been reporting on the news since they replaced Bernard Shaw with nonstop, endlessly irritating opinion panels. But the billionaire bankrolling of media includes new and old media. The Ellisons will have CBS, CNN, and a huge chunk of the American version of TikTok. Bezos has WaPo. Zuck owns Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Elon owns X. The Murdochs own Fox, WSJ, and a host of other sources. Local TV news stations are being bought up by right-leaning conglomerates. From old media printed newspapers to new-fangled AI answer machines, the American brain is increasingly being fed a steady diet of feeds by mega-billionaires who probably have very different political views and goals than you do. And if their media machines don’t sway enough people, their ability to spend endlessly to support political candidates and causes should do the trick. + Given the buyers’ relationship with Trump, federal approval of this deal is a given. Can California stand in the way of a merger that will hurt jobs as much as it hurts democracy? California now biggest obstacle to Paramount’s Warner Bros takeover [ https://substack.com/redirect/ca88184c-a5ee-4da8-8ef3-5e442596481c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + If you’re looking for a silver lining, this is a really bad deal for the buyers. “Mr. Ellison’s deal for Warner Bros. Discovery, which values the company at $31 a share, is an outcome few would have predicted just months ago. Shares of the media giant were trading as low as $12 a share in September, as it faced headwinds in its traditional television business.” NYT (Gift Article): Netflix Backs Out of Bid for Warner Bros., Paving Way for an Ellison Takeover [ https://substack.com/redirect/4dcbb901-226c-454a-bc25-a80b37c50de7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Sort of like the Roadrunner always paves the way for the Coyote to win the race, by stopping at the edge of the cliff.) 2 War Hawking If the absolutely massive buildup of arms in the Middle East didn’t convince you of the real possibility of a US attack on Iran, this headline might. U.S. tells embassy staff in Israel to leave now if they want amid Trump threats to attack Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/4325ef8e-f73e-4ba5-8422-8927f9fc3a76?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. It seems Marco Rubio didn’t send that memo, or like it very much. Marco Rubio orders US officials to stop commentary that could strain Iran talks [ https://substack.com/redirect/fbdd23ce-36a9-42f2-bc80-fa297937dff2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Of course, even though Rubio is Secretary of State and Acting National Security Advisor, he’s not the one actually negotiating with Iran. That gig was given, again, to Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.) + “As they made their public case this week for another American military campaign against Iran, President Trump and his aides asserted that Iran has restarted its nuclear program, has enough available nuclear material to build a bomb within days, and is developing long-range missiles that will soon be capable of hitting the United States. All three of these claims are either false or unproven.” NYT (Gift Article): In Trump’s Case for War, a Series of False or Unproven Claims [ https://substack.com/redirect/c92bfbf7-640b-43de-9296-8a457845e989?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (False and unproven claims are the bread and butter of this administration. Why would war be different?) + And, as if things weren’t complicated enough ... Pakistan Strikes Afghanistan in ‘Open War’ Against Taliban Government [ https://substack.com/redirect/b079dd90-71ae-4dd3-9183-f2aa7d76d402?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Anthropic Your Battles “The Pentagon’s version of Claude could not be used to facilitate the mass surveillance of Americans, nor could it be used in fully autonomous weaponry—situations where computers, rather than humans, make the final decision about whom to kill. According to a source familiar with this week’s meeting, Hegseth made clear that if Anthropic did not eliminate those two guardrails by Friday afternoon, two things could happen: The Department of Defense could use the Defense Production Act, a Cold War–era law, to essentially commandeer a more permissive iteration of the AI, or it could label Anthropic a ‘supply-chain risk,’ meaning that anyone doing business with the U.S. military would be forbidden from associating with the company.” Anthropic is refusing to bend. The Atlantic (Gift Article): Anthropic Takes a Stand [ https://substack.com/redirect/16dac87f-ed37-4de5-a462-b1f54b2d9c2e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “The danger is not that Silicon Valley will wield too much power over the military. It is that neither will fully understand the systems it is rushing to deploy—and that the consequences of that ignorance will be tested not in a laboratory, but on the world.” Thomas Wright: The Real Reason Anthropic Wants Guardrails [ https://substack.com/redirect/69b11d05-c57e-4fda-9efc-b7af704e8f39?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “AI is too powerful and too new to be set free from human oversight.” (And that’s even considering that human insight can look like this: Pentagon Fires Another Laser at a Drone, Prompting a New Air Closure [ https://substack.com/redirect/16f896cd-c86d-4455-818f-9d841152d357?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) + Anthropic might not be the only holdout. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shares Anthropic’s concerns [ https://substack.com/redirect/5f9fb146-4901-45d6-9a40-8259e546dcd2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] when it comes to working with the Pentagon. + You can be sure not every AI CEO will be so careful. WSJ(Gift Article): Government Agencies Raise Alarm About Use of Elon Musk’s Grok Chatbot [ https://substack.com/redirect/2f081850-5cd6-4b34-ba50-8ae78803e55e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Warnings about xAI’s safety and reliability preceded Pentagon decision to approve Grok for use in classified settings.” 4 Weekend Whats What to Watch: The second season of Paradise is off to an excellent start. While the first season takes place in a bunker city, the second season starts off in an even weirder location. Graceland. Paradise is on Hulu [ https://substack.com/redirect/e8458660-7885-4f7c-9aa5-9069a6d85edc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + What to Book: Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House [ https://substack.com/redirect/102592e6-56a5-4637-b642-ba88f6959c02?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] is “a richly moving story that explores the indelible bond between two siblings, the house of their childhood, and a past that will not let them go.” + What to Movie: In the excellent Triangle of Sadness, a cruise for the super-rich sinks, leaving survivors, including a fashion model celebrity couple, trapped on an island. It’s like Send Helpmeets The White Lotus. If you haven’t seen it, it’s now available on Netflix [ https://substack.com/redirect/9c3ec105-1c6c-4631-a5da-5a8c3000ea6b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Block of Sh-t: “We’re not making this decision because we’re in trouble. Our business is strong. Gross profit continues to grow, we continue to serve more and more customers, and profitability is improving. But something has changed.” Jack Dorsey’s Block lays off 4,000 and blames AI [ https://substack.com/redirect/d4ab4d8b-c892-4db3-855a-5ecf21124204?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. If humans are stupid enough to believe Block’s layoffs are not actually about over-hiring, mismanagement, and a flat stock price over the last four years, maybe we really do need AI to take over. But that obvious reality didn’t stop the market from celebrating Block’s announcement. Expect to see a lot more of this. “Wall Street rewards CEOs who make steep cuts and attribute those cuts to AI. That could embolden other management teams to follow suit.” As I wrote yesterday, news like this is why it’s not just the tech we don’t trust. It’s the technologists [ https://substack.com/redirect/a73d2883-ac2b-4139-b947-04a4ac838618?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Church and Seizure: “The Trump Justice Department secured a new indictment charging 30 more people in connection with an anti-ICE protest [ https://substack.com/redirect/8b5e4577-c2d5-4215-aa15-9a57cfad2c1c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, in January.” Killing innocent people, ok. Protesting those killings, not ok. + Hasta La Vista, Babies: “Not so long ago, women like Ms. Paz — in their early 20s, from backgrounds that are far from privileged — would have been among the most likely to be having children. Now this group is a key contributor to the country’s declining birthrate, which is at an all-time low, down by over 25 percent since 2007, the year the fall began.” The Birthrate Is Plunging. Why Some Say That’s a Good Thing [ https://substack.com/redirect/87ca356d-83d1-4de5-beac-69ff655634f3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (And why some are freaking out.) + Look Younger? “As brands sell children eyeshadow, lip gloss and skincare, parents face a dilemma: How young is too young to expose children to beauty?” WSJ (Gift Article): 6-Year-Olds Want Makeup. These Brands Are Cashing In [ https://substack.com/redirect/c16a16ae-0e6a-429a-a6d4-e4a14f718533?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Kreme Always Rises: Ozempic and other weight loss drugs have drastically changed our eating habits. But don’t count out the carbs just yet. Krispy Kreme Shares Jump as Turnaround Gains Traction [ https://substack.com/redirect/20e19095-ce6d-4dc9-b998-cd6ab4117623?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Feel Good Friday “Akbar’s medal comes with a quiet footnote: He is believed to be the last newspaper hawker left in Paris. A job that once dotted street corners across the city has almost vanished, pushed out by the internet and the collapse of print journalism sales. In a city that now gets most of its headlines on phones, Akbar still delivers them by hand.” Ali Akbar, who’s sold newspapers on the streets of Paris for 50 years, is now a knight [ https://substack.com/redirect/25518762-ad4c-4c4d-b694-07ba235d6dab?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “The couple had about 15 extra invitations and decided to send them out to companies they liked, including In-N-Out Burger, Trader Joe’s, Sephora and Pokémon, in hopes of receiving some freebies. Also on the list was Bad Bunny, Mr. Wolter’s favorite artist, whom they bonded over on their first date. At best, maybe they would receive a signed postcard, they thought.” They Met in an E.R. and Were Married at the Super Bowl [ https://substack.com/redirect/daaefa2b-6933-40fd-a046-03b27b3d15bf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Could a vaccine prevent dementia? Shingles shot data only getting stronger [ https://substack.com/redirect/96b6bfd5-4004-492c-be6a-e400ae98dcc8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “We have senior citizen retirees showing up saying, ‘I’m an old white woman — how can I help?’ We have students from community colleges and universities. We have people who look like longtime activists and people who look like they’ve never done this before.” Older, white Angelenos are joining Latino volunteers to monitor ICE raids [ https://substack.com/redirect/d0af6323-e8e2-44c1-9620-19f99aeaec3c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + A children’s hospital is renamed for Dolly Parton and hopes to transform pediatric care in Tennessee [ https://substack.com/redirect/a72bf72d-3577-4078-9593-068bc48eb045?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRPVE01T0RZME15d2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3lNakl6TnprMExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ETTNOVGszT1RRc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5ZQ0g2bmNQMDZHa0tYYndLNE4zSXhKaEtmU3p5aWwwaG5aUlpuaVl6TnVZIiwicCI6MTg5Mzk4NjQzLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzIyMjM3OTQsImV4cCI6MjA4Nzc5OTc5NCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.LLiIe23OkMeVXaXnRSFh6r14zNcREiT9wox3pe8vlB4?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/emigrate-expectations Good luck movin’ up ‘Cause I’m moving out -- Billy Joel Americans are known for voting with their feet. Recently, they’ve been voting with planes, too. While the politics of the moment have been fixated on immigration, emigration isn’t getting nearly the attention it deserves. A growing number of Americans are exchanging the American dream for a one-way American dream-trip to any country they believe will be more affordable and safe. You may assume that the increasingly common choice to book an exodus out of this place is being driven by Trumpism (if that State of the Union address went on for another five minutes, I may have called my own travel agent). But this trend can’t be painted with such abroad brushstrokes. It has been ramping up and to the right for a while. “Some commentators have labeled this wave of American emigrants the ‘Donald Dash’ since numbers have spiked under President Trump’s second term. But the phenomenon has been building for years—fed by the rise of remote work, mounting living costs and an appetite for foreign lifestyles that feel within reach, especially in Europe.” There are multiple factors behind the trend. There would have to be, because the shift is so stark. “When Gallup asked Americans during the 2008 recession how many wanted to leave the U.S., the answer was one in 10. Last year: One in five.” WSJ (Gift Article): Americans Are Leaving the U.S. in Record Numbers [ https://substack.com/redirect/63b843f2-8490-47c4-a67f-e51860a8286f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ](Alt link [ https://substack.com/redirect/be7e3cc6-21a9-4d84-9e19-e1adee2415e4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]). “The exodus poses elemental questions for a country that has always prided itself as a destination. Are the new American emigrants a credit to the strength of their homeland’s economy? After all, it is America’s enviable salaries that allow a new class of students, remote workers and retirees to finance a second chapter abroad ... Or do these émigrés personify a loss of faith in America’s future and way of life?” + I have no plans of moving, either from the country or from this couch. But I did try to get out of the house on Monday night to avoid the State of the Union address. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one. TV ratings were way down [ https://substack.com/redirect/7d2c52f0-4ca2-4a4d-9900-b8b968c6c4bd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and many of you could relate to my efforts. If you missed yesterday’s SOTU wrap... Not on My Watchlist [ https://substack.com/redirect/4cbd4df5-964c-4543-8f6b-2b06831a066b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Boom Boxed “Even as more than half of Americans have tried large language models (and virtually everyone who has done anything online has inadvertently used A.I.), studies show that people are far more worried than they are excited. According to Pew, 61 percent of respondents to a 2025 survey said they wished they had more control over how A.I. was used in their own life.” NYT (Gift Article): People Loved the Dot-Com Boom. The A.I. Boom, Not So Much [ https://substack.com/redirect/cead4f58-3e83-4b15-9fea-fb3e1f08d579?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. On one hand, this makes perfect sense. The dot com boom threatened to give you pet food delivery and streaming movies. The AI boom is threatening to take your job. But I think there’s more to it than that. People are worried about the AI boom in part because they don’t trust (and in some cases, deeply hate) the messengers who are leading and promoting the revolution. The companies are too big. The CEOs are too rich and too powerful. Some have already proven they don’t care about our privacy. Others have repeatedly bent the knee to our current AI regulation hating-regime. Some heil in public. It’s not just the tech we don’t trust. It’s the technologists. + Elon Musk’s makeshift AI power plant generates sound and fury [ https://substack.com/redirect/424d2820-c99c-4564-aff0-08a984450a68?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in Mississippi. + Of course, whether we like it or not, AI is here to stay, and it will play a bigger and bigger role in our lives. As rabid is the race for consumer adoption, the race to win the war to fight future wars is even more extreme. And more dangerous. Bloomberg(Gift Article): Anthropic’s Pentagon Showdown Is About More Than AI Guardrails [ https://substack.com/redirect/7ef32f40-e8fa-4fc6-8599-daf83b56f29a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The confrontation has exposed the Defense Department’s reliance on Anthropic in a head-to-head military rivalry with US adversaries including China. Yet the battle also amplifies the tension between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon over who controls the future of AI as a tool of war and surveillance, including whether the rapidly evolving technology can be used in a lawful manner.” 3 In A State “Pro-Trump activists who say they are in coordination with the White House are circulating a 17-page draft executive order that claims China interfered in the 2020 election as a basis to declare a national emergency that would unlock extraordinary presidential power over voting.” WaPo: Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency [ https://substack.com/redirect/1eeef085-905d-49e1-9b9b-241ac8b2b9f4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Trump has already shown he’ll go to great lengths to remain in power. And the current polling trends couldn’t be much worse. So you can expect emergency declarations and actual emergencies. + This doesn’t mean Trump’s efforts will work, of course. He doesn’t control elections, states do. And a state of emergency doesn’t equal an emergency in a state. But there is some value in expecting the worst, especially when the past has shown you it’s coming. Josh Marshall: Time for the States to Gear Up for Trump’s Fake Elections Exec Order [ https://substack.com/redirect/cf938fb1-6aaf-4e06-81fa-cdda134f79cc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The issue is not simply President Trump’s never-ending efforts to destroy the Republic, violate the Constitution, etc. Again, the Constitution is crystal clear about who runs and controls elections. States do that with guidelines set by Congress. Period. The issue is whether we — everyone, the opposition, everyone who purportedly needs to be in perpetual orbit around Donald Trump’s degenerate brain — need to always be allowing him the initiative.” 4 Green Thumb on the Scale “Few countries anywhere in the world are passing new climate policies into law anymore. After a period of growing concern and accelerating momentum, the project of greening the world’s energy systems certainly feels as if it has been thrown into reverse. But by the most straightforward measures, that’s simply wrong. There is more green stuff being installed than ever, and judged simply as a global infrastructure project the volume is pretty staggering. In 2024, 92.5 percent of all new power capacity installed around the world was renewable. In 2025, it’s believed that global green installations were even greater. And even in Trump’s United States, which has been behaving in many ways like a petrostate, more than 92 percent of utility-scale electricity capacity planned for 2026 is green.” David Wallace-Wells in the NYT (Gift Article): Don’t Look Now, but the Green Transition Is Still Happening [ https://substack.com/redirect/f0729558-d362-409e-9794-bb2e54d5f73f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Kansas Backwards: “Please note that the Legislature did not include a grace period for updating credentials. That means that once the law is officially enacted, your current credentials will be invalid immediately, and you may be subject to additional penalties if you are operating a vehicle without a valid credential.” Kansas informs trans residents their driver’s licenses become invalid on Thursday [ https://substack.com/redirect/b48df33c-7919-4bbb-89b0-1575a1dd00dd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Governor Laura Kelly vetoed the bill on February 13, calling it ‘poorly drafted,’ but the Legislature overrode her veto days later. In addition to the driver’s license provisions, the law bans transgender people from using bathrooms matching their gender identity in public buildings and creates a bathroom bounty hunter system allowing citizens to sue transgender people they encounter in restrooms for at least $1,000 in damages, including potentially in private restrooms.” Erin Reed: Kansas Sends Letters To Trans People Demanding The Immediate Surrender Of Drivers Licenses [ https://substack.com/redirect/224f88d3-8641-4043-a1a2-a5a7b069ad9e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + A College Try: “Department of Homeland Security agents allegedly detained a Columbia University student [ https://substack.com/redirect/ae989b3b-f345-45bf-b6a2-28a926ff7214?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] early Thursday morning after making ‘misrepresentations to gain entry’ to a residence hall.” And the US justice department sues UCLA over alleged antisemitism [ https://substack.com/redirect/f2334ea8-f60d-4bff-b752-57f5ef2697d0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] amid pro-Palestinian protests. (I don’t think it will work, but I have a feeling there will be an increased effort to make colleges the enemy because polling was better back when that was a focal point.) + Hill v Hill: “You have compelled me to testify, fully aware that I have no knowledge that would assist your investigation. in order to distract attention from President Trump’s actions and cover them up despite legitimate calls for answers. If this committee is serious about learning the truth about Epstein’s trafficking crimes, it would not rely on press gaggles to get answers from our current president on his involvement; it would ask him directly under oath about the tens of thousands of times he shows up in the Epstein files.” Hillary Clinton says she has no new information on Jeffrey Epstein [ https://substack.com/redirect/f2334ea8-f60d-4bff-b752-57f5ef2697d0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in testimony excoriating Republicans. Meanwhile, while Americans are being distracted by this nonsense, people around the world are paying a price for Epstein connections. World Economic Forum chief quits after Epstein investigation [ https://substack.com/redirect/83900555-cbc9-421a-87bf-4dfa23fc8531?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. This is part of a broader trend. Adam Serwer in The Atlantic (Gift Article): How America Chose Not to Hold the Powerful to Account [ https://substack.com/redirect/9ea00bca-4d85-4382-b377-4a77ee00dfa8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Six Figure: “The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate slipped this week below 6% for the first time since late 2022 [ https://substack.com/redirect/d668e66f-5d7c-48cc-88cf-5564bb101b83?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], good news for home shoppers as the spring home-buying season gets rolling.” + Point Taken: “The crypto bros who spent millions getting Donald Trump elected seemed to get virtually everything they might want: a longtime industry investor elevated to White House adviser; one type of crypto given the imprimatur of the federal government; the near annihilation of effective regulatory scrutiny; invitations to White House dinners hosted by Mr. Trump. But instead of cementing crypto’s legitimacy, the administration has only pulled back the curtain on the fundamental worthlessness of its assets.” NYT (Gift Article): Crypto Is Pointless. Not Even the White House Can Fix That [ https://substack.com/redirect/ac21ff2e-d738-4a80-82d3-55c965896a26?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Well, not pointless. It provides the means to a lot of crime and corruption and financial gains for insiders.) + Fraudian Slip: White House to pause $259M in Minnesota Medicaid dollars in fraud crackdown [ https://substack.com/redirect/ab86ea50-f297-4a40-a8da-96f2979b124e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Gov Walz: “His [U.S. Department of Justice] is gutting the U.S. Attorney’s Office and crippling their ability to prosecute fraud. And every week Trump pardons another fraudster.” + Snowball Effect: Mayor Mamdani has his first controversy. It’s about snowballs [ https://substack.com/redirect/0fc3fb87-15fb-4c82-8f21-42ab49878690?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “People of all ages and body mass indexes line up like spandex-wearing cattle outside the Marina del Rey Marriott on a recent Wednesday morning and are ushered to the sand for a group photo. A 20-something man cups his genitals as he jogs to the lifeguard tower in nothing but red underwear. A middle-aged woman does some last-minute scissor kicks in the parking lot. The 50-degree weather doesn’t stop some contenders from slow-motion running in the water. Yes, the dream of becoming Hollywood’s next David Hasselhoff or Pamela Anderson is palpable.” ‘This Whole Thing Is Not Normal’: Inside the ‘Baywatch’ Reboot Casting Call With 2,000 Wannabe Lifeguards [ https://substack.com/redirect/bebcf6c8-e290-4f3b-ac11-849a38d55899?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRPVEk1TURRd05Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3lNVE0zTURReUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ETTJOek13TkRJc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5scVNkS0dxVU5xSXRMN0dhWjJ3MEtDWFllOVQ5cGhuN3ZtcDhYb1oyWEswIiwicCI6MTg5MjkwNDA0LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzIxMzcwNDIsImV4cCI6MjA4NzcxMzA0MiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.hyCRlYJV6zEDIWGO2TUNIbshLBupEUx1iDBora3jaYM?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/not-on-my-watchlist As an experiment, I decided to experience the State of the Union as if I were an undecided swing state voter: I didn’t watch it. That effort took some strategic time-killing and attention-distracting moves for a news addict faced with a buzzy event that was streaming everywhere and lasted long enough to qualify as a miniseries. Shortly before show time, my wife offered to take an Uber to catch a flight. No, I exclaimed. I’m your loving husband. Please, please let me drive you to the airport. Sadly, traffic was lighter than I had hoped. So I stopped by one of my favorite burrito places that was completely out of the way, and where I knew parking would be a challenge. And it was. But not challenging enough. When I finally made it home, Trump was still going. I peeked at my social media accounts, where I saw this quote: “I believe the tariffs, paid for by foreign countries, will, like in the past, substantially replace the modern-day system of income tax, taking a great financial burden off the people that I love.” Oh god, why did I look? This was crazier than I thought. I finally understood why Elvis shot TVs. My sanity was at stake. Happily, there was a Warriors game to distract me. Sadly, my home team was down by double digits to the lowly Pelicans. Ugh, too painful to watch. Drastic times called for drastic measures. I turned off all my screens and sat in silence and quietly hummed (with all the screens off, I wanted to give my beagles some sign that I was still alive). Since the start of the speech, an hour had passed, an hour ten minutes, an hour twenty, an hour thirty. Every now and then, I’d pop on the TV to see if the coast was clear, but he was still talking and his Stockholm syndrome-suffering sycophants kept cheering (Guys, if your genuflection lasts more than four hours, call 911...). I started mumbling to myself, This SOTU shall pass, this SOTU shall pass. But, after a while, I didn’t know if it would. Speeches need term limits. At long last, the fili-bluster ended. Because I’m required to report back to you, I started watching and reading the analysis, and man, did that make me wish I was back stuck in traffic, looking for parking, or humming quietly to my dogs. It didn’t take long to realize that I actually hadn’t missed a newsworthy event at all. What we got was more of the same: Lies, divisiveness, hate ... even with polls nose-diving and his own midterm-challenged party in desperate need of the plot twist, the big show was just another re-run. + “The longest State of the Union in modern history is now over. Donald Trump held court in the House of Representatives and said little of substance, but substance wasn’t the point. This year, he intended to put on a show, with an array of guest stars and special appearances. He was happy because he was playing the roles he clearly loves: game-show host, ringmaster, emcee, beneficent granter of wishes—and, where the Democrats were concerned, a self-righteous inquisitor. Trump did his usual rote lying about the economy—pity the fact-checkers who tried to keep up even in the first 10 minutes or so of the speech—along with some of his other greatest hits, including the many wars he stopped and the magic of tariffs.” Tom Nichols in The Atlantic(Gift Article): President Trump’s State of the Union Variety Show [ https://substack.com/redirect/a92fd8fd-9744-4f94-86e8-a28654cf8bd6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The only thing Trump did not do was explain his policies—especially about war and peace—to Congress or the American people.” + David Frum in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The State of the Union Revealed a Sad Reality [ https://substack.com/redirect/08a585f7-1f22-42b3-b85a-1987ccf9af64?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “President Trump’s State of the Union address last night was very like the man who delivered it: divisive, abusive, and childish. The speech turned reality on its head in many ways. The president who has enriched himself and his family by more than a billion dollars in his first year in office called on Congress to clean up its corruption. The president who has collected about $175 billion in illegal tariffs from the American people falsely told them that he had given them a great big tax cut. The president solemnly condemned political violence—the same president who ended his first term by inciting a mob to sack Congress and overturn an election. Maybe most shocking, Trump demanded that members of Congress rise to agree that it’s the first duty of government to protect American citizens—even as his own government by its brutal police methods has shot American citizens dead on the streets and then tried to deceive the country about how those Americans had been killed and why. Then of course there were the many misstatements of fact about the economy, about crime, and about wars and peace—many of which look like deliberate decisions to deceive the public watching on television.” + CNN: Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address, annotated and fact-checked [ https://substack.com/redirect/0eb5561a-a9df-4d6a-ab50-737ac976f1af?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I won’t be surprised if CNN fact checkers offer to pick my wife up at the airport when she gets back...) 2 Redact Naturally “The materials are F.B.I. memos summarizing interviews the bureau did in connection to claims made in 2019 by a woman who came forward after Mr. Epstein’s arrest to say she had been sexually assaulted by both Mr. Trump and the financier decades earlier, when she was a minor.” Here’s a headline that is not surprising, but is highly disturbing (and one that Trump definitely didn’t want the morning after his SOTU). Epstein Files Are Missing Records About Woman Who Made Claim Against Trump [ https://substack.com/redirect/0bcfeb16-4d1f-4f4f-908e-110fd6ca605f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The fallout from the Epstein files continues. Larry Summers will resign from teaching at Harvard [ https://substack.com/redirect/b204c285-a261-475f-8a47-29f11afdcad0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] during review of Epstein ties. Leader of Columbia Brain Institute Quits Over Friendship With Epstein [ https://substack.com/redirect/335a0581-5b1d-4924-87a6-74a1dfc17937?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Bill Gates Apologizes to Foundation Staff Over Epstein Ties [ https://substack.com/redirect/199e1546-7c1f-4e5e-b8dc-c16f6cb11bcc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Iran’s Crackdown “The hospital corridors were full of bloodied people. All the hallways and walls were covered in blood” ... “A 7-year-old girl died in my own hands. She had been hit by live military ammunition” ... “One of our experienced colleagues, after helping a large number of injured people, was temporarily detained and interrogated. After that, he was placed under surveillance and his communication channels were monitored.” NYT (Gift Article) talked to doctors and nurses about the thousands of protesters killed by Iranian officials. “As street protests spread across Iran in early January, the authorities turned off the internet. Most of the world didn’t see the bloody crackdown that followed. But Iran’s doctors and nurses did [ https://substack.com/redirect/3a7fa9d4-71e5-4796-a590-1647681736b3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” 4 Do You Like to Watch? “Over the past decade a seismic shift has created a growing demand for watch repair—and, in turn, for competent repair people. A historic stock market run (and a new-moneyed class of crypto capitalists) minted a contemporary order of very rich people, and when the pandemic briefly turned off many of the ways those people spend money, a lot of them got into watches. It’s estimated Rolex now sells over a million watches a year for the first time in its history (while pulling off the remarkable trick in the luxury business of making its product seem rare). Meanwhile, the secondary watch market is flourishing thanks to improving e-commerce platforms and a growing hobbyist culture. Yet there are fewer than 2,000 watchmakers in America capable of mending a timepiece, let alone a luxury one.” GQ: Rolex Opened a College—and It’s as Selective as Harvard [ https://substack.com/redirect/f09813b4-30c8-4da1-abb4-704421164352?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Alt link here [ https://substack.com/redirect/5e01aefd-8c07-432d-87d1-6a7bc3140995?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) I’m guessing that being late to class is frowned upon... 5 Extra, Extra Putin’s War: Putin thought he could take Ukraine in a matter of days or weeks. Here we are, four years of destruction and defiance later. Photos: Four Years of War in Ukraine [ https://substack.com/redirect/3e2d953e-2ecc-49fb-9e95-2dbaf1b7393d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Super v Powers: NYT (Gift Article): F.B.I. Raids Los Angeles Schools Chief’s Home and District Headquarters [ https://substack.com/redirect/89a1bf6f-4b01-4b55-828d-0a6b4d2e3db3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The investigation’s target was unclear. The school district is the nation’s second largest, and as superintendent, Alberto Carvalho has one of the highest-profile jobs in K-12 education.” + Soft Power: “In 2023, Anthropic committed to never train an AI system unless it could guarantee in advance that the company’s safety measures were adequate. For years, its leaders touted that promise—the central pillar of their Responsible Scaling Policy (RSP)—as evidence that they are a responsible company that would withstand market incentives to rush to develop a potentially dangerous technology.” But we are in a race without rules, and self-regulation doesn’t stand a chance. Anthropic Drops Flagship Safety Pledge [ https://substack.com/redirect/124137ca-7ac3-4f61-a897-f54d903c9c95?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, the company is being strong-armed by the Pentagon [ https://substack.com/redirect/e246ab04-92a5-4c63-955f-0fee9d3011af?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to remove all restrictions on the use of its AI. “Anthropic has long stated that it doesn’t want its technology used for mass surveillance of Americans or for fully autonomous weapons.”Will this position hold? Anthropic won’t budge as Pentagon escalates AI dispute [ https://substack.com/redirect/81ecb731-47f1-4ba3-825c-6cda1ef12070?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And this seems related: AIs can’t stop recommending nuclear strikes in war game simulations [ https://substack.com/redirect/1b9a65fb-eff8-4613-9ef0-3188c049003f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Market Movers: “Is the Citrini story … compelling? plausible? accurate? These are the questions colonizing all of financial and tech media at the moment. But to me, those questions miss the deepest and most interesting feature of this strange episode: What does it say about the state of AI and AI anxiety that a literal science-fiction story had the power to move a trillion dollars?” Nobody Knows Anything [ https://substack.com/redirect/100fd8b0-fae7-4dd8-8ef7-72c8f2614767?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The fact that a piece of AI science fiction rocked the stock market this week is a clear indication that absolutely no one knows how the next few years will go.” + Between a Flock and a Hard Place: Across the US, people are dismantling and destroying Flock surveillance cameras [ https://substack.com/redirect/470ca06c-6945-4b79-a5a6-75a2f4df339e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Driven to Distraction: “When the light turns yellow, this Waymo does not speed up. It does not calculate whether it could make it. It does not believe in ‘probably.’ It waits. Behind you, a human driver honks. The Waymo absorbs this without flinching. You feel the honk deep in your shoulder muscles.” The New Yorker: Is This Waymo a Better Person Than You [ https://substack.com/redirect/57e18530-e184-4652-853a-d0780b596a61?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? (In fairness, your software hasn’t been updated in years...) 6 Bottom of the News “As the shoe works hard to keep its grip, tiny sections of the sole change shape as they momentarily lose then regain contact with the floor thousands of times per second — at a frequency that matches the pitch of the loud squeak we hear.” A Boston Celtics game-inspired friction test finally pinned down the sneaker squeak [ https://substack.com/redirect/34afa0ca-cee4-4ad0-9416-efd68b9f9cdb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + You Want a Lot of Iced Coffee? Dunkin’ Has a Bucket for You [ https://substack.com/redirect/b8fac7dc-c5c2-4446-9919-0c223f58afdf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Toss in a few shots of espresso and I can finish the whole newsletter on one serving.) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRPVEU0TVRZMk55d2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3lNRFV5TlRjMkxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ETTFPRGcxTnpZc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5TYm1oX2RJUncyZHQ5ZUZPLXh0RkdZRFA2X01RWEsxbE1NdDhLU09qdTJJIiwicCI6MTg5MTgxNjY3LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzIwNTI1NzYsImV4cCI6MjA4NzYyODU3NiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.IyM3YiduDYPPoonPKDGxU4I_UIT3oqUH1xy3z2kFDK8?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/the-home-button Last week, while answering a question about the energy consumed by artificial intelligence models, OpenAI’s Sam Altman countered by explaining how much energy is consumed by a human. “It takes, like, 20 years of life and all of the food you eat during that time before you get smart. And not only that, it took, like, the very widespread evolution of the hundred billion people that have ever lived and learned not to get eaten by predators and learned how to, like, figure out science and whatever to produce you, and then you took whatever, you know, you took. The fair comparison is, if you ask ChatGPT a question, how much energy does it take once its model is trained to answer that question, versus a human?” This answer made me think that some humans might need to put a little more energy into their opinions before they speak them out loud. It made The Atlantic’s(Gift Article) Mateo Wong ask whether Sam Altman Is Losing His Grip on Humanity [ https://substack.com/redirect/ed172f30-8ee3-4fb8-b19b-4a6dd7bf01f2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The question of whether or not humans (megatech CEOs in particular) have lost their grip on humanity seems too obvious and depressing a place to start this edition. Instead, let’s focus on a less settled question. How much humanity can computers develop? One place where that question is being asked is in the homes of people like Jan Worrell, older humans who are getting some computer companionship. In the case of the 85-year-old Worrell, who is determined to live alone in her own home as she ages, the companion is a robot called ElliQ. “A few thousand ElliQs have been shipped to seniors across the United States since 2023, which means some of the first people living alongside artificially intelligent robots are octogenarians who came into a world without color television. The robots are available for purchase from the Israeli start-up Intuition Robotics, but so far they have mostly been provided to older adults by nonprofits and state health departments as an experiment in combating loneliness. As A.I. works its way deeper into daily life, ElliQ is designed for the most human act of all: to become a roommate, a friend, a partner. ‘A robot with soul,’ the company’s founder sometimes said.” With an aging and increasingly isolated American population, the question of how much soul ElliQ can show is a pressing issue. And you, like Jan Worrell, might be surprised at the answer. The always must-read Eli Saslow in the NYT (Gift Article): To Stay in Her Home, She Let In an AI Robot [ https://substack.com/redirect/4658b265-e9a6-4c1a-bc84-9af998e879fa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (It went better than it would have if she had let in an AI CEO...) 2 This SOTU Shall Pass “There’s a problem with the idea that Trump can simply rerun his 2024 campaign and expect the same result: Over the past two years, many of his most popular issues have turned into political liabilities.” The Atlantic with an overview of Trump’s Suddenly High-Stakes State of the Union [ https://substack.com/redirect/90ac75a3-a82c-4bc8-abcd-528f3fa199a1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Of course, the media always obsesses over these speeches, even though they have little impact beyond the evening they’re delivered, and it’s hard to imagine a lot of undecided voters in swing states will be tuning in for what political insiders view as the Speech Super Bowl. It’s notable that the speech is getting a lot more coverage than the massive buildup of US military might in the Middle East. More than 150 additional aircraft just arrived [ https://substack.com/redirect/0b7aca08-3740-457f-b3c7-d151c53952bc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], adding to the largest force of warships and aircraft in the region in decades [ https://substack.com/redirect/890a5d50-80fb-4c38-8508-67239cb27c6a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. It’s rare for the military to create this much of a buildup just for show. It’s worth paying attention to what Trump says on this issue. But it’s probably not worth watching any of the speech in real time. Leave that to the fact checkers, for whom this really is the Super Bowl. I’m following the lead of the US women’s hockey team and declining to attend [ https://substack.com/redirect/3b36e724-d03f-4739-896f-f1ba1c8f20e9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Training Daze “For the last five months, I watched ICE dismantle the training program. Cutting 240 hours of vital classes from a 584-hour program — classes that teach the Constitution, our legal system, firearms training, the use of force, lawful arrests, proper detention and the limits of officers’ authority ... New cadets are graduating from the academy despite widespread concerns among training staff that even in the final days of training, the cadets cannot demonstrate a solid grasp of the tactics or the law required to perform their jobs.” Training for New ICE Agents Is ‘Deficient’ and ‘Broken,’ Whistle-Blower Says [ https://substack.com/redirect/6f7adc46-92db-422b-9acb-710d8a8b8dca?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Vegas Nerve “Users of Kalshi and its primary rival, Polymarket, can bet on events major and minor, from politics to sports to culture to the weather. Recent markets on Kalshi have included whether certain words would be used during a Palantir Technologies Inc. earnings call, whether Elon Musk would win his court case against OpenAI and whether the highest temperature in Seattle on Feb. 4 would be within a certain range. Polymarket users have bet on whether the US would strike Iran on a particular date, whether a given Trump cabinet member would be the first to leave office and whether Jesus Christ would return before 2027.” Bloomberg (Gift Article): How Polymarket and Kalshi are gamifying truth [ https://substack.com/redirect/9a2d6dfb-6f22-4f7f-bf86-02c4e8a7895b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (What they’re really doing is gamifying gambling; deploying the most addictive tricks of technology, casinos, social media, and AI, to hook as many people as possible. If Jesus Christ does return before 2027, he’ll be right in their target market.) 5 Extra, Extra Lording Over Mexico: “A day after the Mexican army killed the country’s most powerful drug lord, the picturesque town where it happened was a study in contrasts. Children whose classes had been suspended by the outbreak of violence played in cobblestone streets and tourist shops were open on Tapalpa’s main plaza Monday. But gunshots also rang out, and just outside the town a dead man lay on the road next to a Jeep sprayed with bullets.” Soldiers keep up clash with cartel gunmen a day after Mexico’s military killed top drug lord [ https://substack.com/redirect/04858586-3b3d-4966-a0c6-1a39da6a704b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + On Strikes: U.S. strike on alleged drug boat in Caribbean kills 3 [ https://substack.com/redirect/992e60d2-dfb8-47d1-b016-20d677f68c8f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. No, this is not an old headline. These killings have continued. “More than 40 such strikes have been carried out in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since September, killing at least 137 people.” + Refund?! “FedEx filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government, seeking a full refund plus interest [ https://substack.com/redirect/f9af6328-0b4a-4790-9671-1972d46ebda6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for what it paid in trade duties stemming from President Trump’s tariffs enacted last year.” (I’m guessing the reaction in the White House is going something like this [ https://substack.com/redirect/1e5f502f-3a51-4e6e-b186-689b8b60f0b6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]...But it’s interesting that FedEx filed the suit, as it suggests there’s a decreasing level of fear of the administration in corporate America.) + The Bliz Fo Shiz: The great blizzard of 2026 caused a lot of travel issues and local headaches. But it sure made for some amazing photos. What the Snowstorm Looked Like Across the Northeast [ https://substack.com/redirect/6bf5ab3f-ced1-484f-a900-fe8770d8ad89?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Hit the Saks: “Richard Baker wanted to create a retail empire when he combined Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. About a year later, it filed for bankruptcy.” NYT (Gift Article): Saks Owner Says He Saved Department Stores. Never Mind the Bankruptcy [ https://substack.com/redirect/30a37a96-c0c6-40a1-872b-f0f0a49c3be2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “According to Jared Kushner ... ‘He is very creative, always coming up with new ideas, always thinking about what the next thing is.’” (Bankruptcies tend to force one to do that...) + The Puck Stops Here: Here’s a headline that could only exist in this era: Mom of Jack and Quinn Hughes addresses viral video of President Trump joking about women’s hockey team [ https://substack.com/redirect/366f7518-3508-4cd1-a330-3cd328f8820e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I wonder if we’d be better off focusing our ire on Trump and his enablers and just let the hockey teams - and their mothers - enjoy the victories...) + Visual Aide: “Just after midnight on May 9, 2024, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales begged an employee, Regina Santos-Aviles, to send him a ‘sexy pic.’ When she pushed back, saying the conversation had gone too far, the married San Antonio Republican persisted, saying he was ‘just such a visual person.’” Texts show Rep. Tony Gonzales asked for explicit photos from aide [ https://substack.com/redirect/43767756-a587-4e47-be41-a02a225cdd3b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] who later died by suicide. (In normal times, Gonzales would have immediately resigned in shame or been shamed into resigning by his colleagues.) + Choc Full of It: “The grandson of the inventor of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups has lashed out at The Hershey Co [ https://substack.com/redirect/ae5943ba-95dc-4b30-bd53-b43bbe97f41d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]., accusing the candy company of hurting the Reese’s brand by shifting to cheaper ingredients in many products.” (Yeah, we miss that natural flavor!) 6 Bottom of the News “Despite the prevalence of digestive-health issues, flatulence researchers have been limited to either invasive laboratory studies or self-reporting, which has proven unreliable. Most of us just don’t know how often we pass gas, or how much.” Until now! It’s Called the ‘Fitbit for Farts’—and It’s No Joke [ https://substack.com/redirect/b9a213e9-8e23-4aa2-9b0b-494c438aab5c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s not funny.) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRPVEEwTkRNM05pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3hPVFUxT1RrNExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ETTBPVEU1T1Rnc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5kSmxKX2FZMW9BbmRZSnpLY2hfakwxYWwwUkR3RHdiWFFpelh3bzUzSTkwIiwicCI6MTg5MDQ0Mzc2LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzE5NTU5OTgsImV4cCI6MjA4NzUzMTk5OCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.xmVc0c4Rxx8q0CBjtUzojlqlPzW-8jzPbvKl9zHSafk?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/puerto-in-the-storm Regardless of the way it sounds, the name El Mencho most definitely does not translate into The Mensch. Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes’s nickname apparently derives from Nemesio. But El Mencho was a man with many aliases and many nicknames, including the Lord of the Roosters. He was also a man who rose from small-time crimes in California to lead the Jalisco New Generation Cartel [ https://substack.com/redirect/84e80ac5-c558-47aa-9ef2-a5c71844e7c3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in drug trafficking and extreme acts of sensationalist violence, as he grew into his role as drug lord and, eventually, one of the most wanted men in Mexico. Well, the chickens have come home to Rooster. With intelligence assistance from the US, Mexican troops killed El Mencho over the weekend. The operation was met with a series of retaliatory acts, including multiple fires and the killing [ https://substack.com/redirect/65b762d5-00eb-48e0-8f6e-90bf6b2695d0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] of at least 25 members of the Mexican National Guard, that essentially shut down Puerto Vallarta, forcing tourists to shelter in place and airplanes and cruise ships to change course mid-journey. History shows that arrests and killings of top cartel bosses do little to slow the flow of drugs. But the decision to target El Mencho now was about more than just that. NYT (Gift Article): Mayhem Rocks Mexico After Most-Wanted Cartel Boss Is Killed [ https://substack.com/redirect/54e18268-a195-4049-a321-4bde878f1ddf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Mr. Oseguera’s killing is a major victory in Mexico’s new offensive against drug cartels and it could help reduce pressure from President Trump, who has been threatening strikes in Mexico. The Mexican government said the United States had contributed intelligence that aided the operation against Mr. Oseguera. U.S. officials said that it was a Mexican operation and that no American troops were involved in the operation. That was only the start for Mexican security forces on Sunday. They were deployed across the country to confront the backlash over Mr. Oseguera’s killing.” + Mexican drug cartel boss ‘El Mencho’ tracked through romantic partner [ https://substack.com/redirect/f58cd2ed-bbe7-4834-a28c-9853443d9022?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The operation immediately set off a wave of violence across Mexico, with cartel gunmen blocking almost 100 major roads, torching vehicles and lashing out at security forces, especially in the states of Jalisco and Michoacán.” + The latest from CNN [ https://substack.com/redirect/0878b90b-b95d-457f-bb75-9a5d5d54468b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 No Saving Grace America is getting out of the life-saving business. One of the first acts of the Trump 2.0 administration was to cut USAID funds that were keeping people alive. This was not a mistake or an oversight or evidence of administrative ineffectiveness. It was part of a new American policy that goes something like this: We don’t provide help to anyone unless there’s something in it for us. Hana Kiros in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Trump Administration Is Ending Aid That It Says Saves Lives [ https://substack.com/redirect/de780467-e9e0-4bd5-b155-f7f1c1106b90?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “A year after the Trump administration began the dismantlement of USAID, it is initiating a new round of significant cuts to foreign assistance. This time, programs that survived the initial purge precisely because they were judged to be lifesaving are slated for cancellation ... Each of the newly canceled awards represents an occasion in which federal workers had previously convinced Trump appointees that the money would help meet the most basic survival needs of people fleeing war, caught in deadly disease outbreaks, or in danger of starving to death, a former senior State Department official, who left the administration in the fall, told me. ‘It has to be: ‘If we don’t deliver this, people die immediately,’’ they said.” In other words, the last vestiges of decency must be erased. 3 Brokehack Mountain I wish Trump knew how to quit tariffs. But he wishes no such thing. You may have reacted to the news of the ruling against Trump’s Congress-less tariffs (and the somewhat surprising revelation that two-thirds of our Supreme Court still believes in the separation of powers among branches of government in certain circumstances!) with a sense of relief knowing that some checks and balances are holding. But Donald Trump reacted by attacking the justices who ruled against him and stating, “I have the right to do tariffs.” CNN’s Stephen Collinson: Trump won’t blink on tariffs — because he can’t [ https://substack.com/redirect/8645e92b-0df9-472f-9c1f-6fcda77ef801?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “First, he believes in tariffs with evangelical intensity. His faith in them is so intense it blanks out any evidence they are a tax on consumers or that they don’t work ... The second reason for Trump’s refusal to bend is that tariffs are a means to his ultimate ends of unfettered presidential authority and rejection of a constitutional system that by design shares power across government.” + Trump threatens countries to abide by tariff deals [ https://substack.com/redirect/25e4e8e6-847c-4eed-be02-27af8403c35f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] despite Supreme Court decision. The global chaos and confusion, and what sure looks like the latest constitutional crisis, has rattled the hell out of the markets (which have, to date, been in something of a state of denial about how lawlessness, recklessness, and inconsistency might impact the bottom line.) + “There are seven separate opinions—and even the Justices who agree with one another are in some ways at odds.” The New Yorker: The Supreme Court’s Complicated Takedown of Trump’s Tariffs [ https://substack.com/redirect/5d97c157-aa54-4440-9b69-c6bc36d330a0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Of course, the bigger question is whether or not Trump, the immune monster that this Frankenstein Scotus created, will abide by the ruling. 4 Five Ring Circus The 1980 Miracle on Ice was a quest that lifted American spirits and unified the nation. It would probably take an actual miracle to achieve that goal today. So, it’s not much of a surprise that the US men’s hockey overtime win over Canada was immediately followed by silly presidential posts, FBI Director Kash Patel chugging beer in the locker room [ https://substack.com/redirect/67f63085-71a4-4ab4-9dd3-57c0d7fd8397?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and Trump’s crap joke about also having to invite the gold-winning US women’s hockey team [ https://substack.com/redirect/1a9899bd-777a-431b-9078-3cf57accbc20?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]to the White House. But let’s not fixate on that garbage. The final matchup of a great Olympics was a great game with a great ending and a thrilling win, 46 years to the day after the Miracle on Ice. “Following goals by Team USA’s Matt Boldy and Canada’s Cale Makar in regulation -- and a slew of incredible saves by Team USA’s Connor Hellebuyck and Canada’s Jordan Binnington -- the game went into overtime Sunday. In that extra session, Jack Hughes took a pass from Zach Werenski and buried it past Binnington, giving the U.S. a 2-1 victory and its first gold medal in men’s hockey since 1980.” How Team USA won a thrilling gold medal game against Canada [ https://substack.com/redirect/7ac3f711-7379-4e3f-babf-c1bfde34b61f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Want to hear about the connection between the men’s and women’s winning teams? Ignore Trump. Listen to the guy who hit the game-winning shot (after losing part of his teeth). “Jack Hughes scored at 61:41 to give the team the win and the gold medal after 46 years. The New Jersey Devils center revealed who was the first person he thought of after making history for Team USA. Fittingly, he mentioned Megan Keller [ https://substack.com/redirect/3e8dc3fb-586b-4956-a794-bfed8384b75c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], who gave Team USA women’s hockey the gold medal against Canada on Thursday.” Of course, I’m burying the lede. Jack Hughes also became the first person ever to have a bar mitzvah and to score an Olympics-winning golden goal [ https://substack.com/redirect/7be80b87-fb58-411b-8f3a-b33343e951e6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Mazel Teeth! + Following the game, the US team paid tribute to Johnny Gaudreau, who likely would have been part of the team if he, along with his brother, hadn’t been killed by a drunk driver. Johnny Gaudreau’s dream was to be an Olympian. His family lived it for him, in a moment fit for a movie [ https://substack.com/redirect/781f9044-0d03-4fbd-9bb7-dadab5737d50?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Norway dominated the games. How do they do it? You might be surprised at their attitude toward youth sports. The Nor-Way: Turning good times into gold medals [ https://substack.com/redirect/b509cbf3-d7b6-4b96-b7b6-9965af9a4afa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + A family member dispatched to the Varescos’ apartment reported back, said Alice: “Everything open — and the dog is not there.” How Nazgul the wolfdog made his run for Winter Olympic glory in Italy [ https://substack.com/redirect/232cd007-6276-407a-a3b5-f64843cc0b0f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Snow Day: I took my daughter on some college tours back east last week so she’d get an idea of what winter there would be like. Looks like I picked the wrong week to get my point across. “Over 69 million people remain under winter alerts this morning, and blizzard warnings stretch more than 600 miles up the Eastern Coast. More than 600,00 utility customers are without power across the Northeast, with the worst conditions still to come.” Blizzard warnings blanket Northeast as heavy snow and high winds cause travel chaos [ https://substack.com/redirect/35b0dda1-cbfd-4eb4-9f64-31be04a9fea6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. In today’s world, this seems particularly ominous:“DoorDash won’t be operating in New York City until at least 2 p.m.” And more from ABC. Snow totals top 2 feet as wind gusts reach 80 mph [ https://substack.com/redirect/7165d71e-e49d-438e-9fb5-a5589fd37590?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + If The Coat Fits: “Over the past few months, during his agency’s chaotic crackdowns in Chicago and Minneapolis, the U.S. Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino has worn an unusual uniform: a wide-lapel greatcoat with brass buttons and stars along one sleeve. It looks like it was taken right off the shoulders of a Wehrmacht officer in the 1930s ... Even federal agencies are modeling Nazi phrasing. The Department of Homeland Security used an anthem beloved by neo-Nazi groups, ‘By God We’ll Have Our Home Again,’ in a recruitment ad. The Labor Department hung a giant banner of Donald Trump’s face from its headquarters, as if Washington were Berlin in 1936, and posted expressions on social media such as ‘America is for Americans’—an obvious riff on the Nazi slogan ‘Germany for the Germans’—and ‘Americanism Will Prevail,’ in a font reminiscent of Third Reich documents.” Tom Nichols in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Republican Party Has a Nazi Problem [ https://substack.com/redirect/0ea34d38-bc93-4ad2-b226-aab1e5444c01?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + From Friend to Foe: NYT Magazine (Gift Article): They Fought for the C.I.A. in Afghanistan. In America, They’re Living in Fear [ https://substack.com/redirect/b0427b5c-dbfb-44e5-b902-8fc3ed5ba4b5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Pot Hole: The relationship isn’t clearly causal, but these findings are troubling. A huge study finds a link between cannabis use in teens and psychosis later [ https://substack.com/redirect/56aa662b-8a18-4ea1-b80e-49083fa41528?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Survival of the Unfittest: “You can argue whether and how much the course of American history would be different if not for ‘Survivor.’ But as the show airs its all-star 50th season — one for each star on the flag — it is clear that ‘Survivor’ has been a game changer, on TV and off.” NYT (Gift Article): ‘Survivor’ Is America [ https://substack.com/redirect/38f60b7e-5203-4454-b9d0-8a4b5b6ae7bf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (And like in Survivor, we occasionally fail to vote the right person off the island.) + Arresting Development: “Peter Mandelson was arrested on Monday on suspicion of ‘misconduct in public office’ following revelations about his dealings with Jeffrey Epstein, the sex offender.” U.K. Police Arrest Ex-Ambassador to U.S. Amid Epstein Accusations [ https://substack.com/redirect/d29bdb6b-d57b-4e54-a340-60015df40b69?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Accountability. What a concept!) + We Have a Verdict: Judge forced to slash SF jury pool over hate for Elon Musk [ https://substack.com/redirect/99fe3d73-3c38-4149-b252-0226e411679b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (If that’s a disqualifier, the entire jury system could collapse.) 6 Bottom of the News “The focal point of the room is not a dance floor, but three rows of rubber mats, each sectioned off by rope. Event organisers in pink T-shirts scurry about, placing headgear and high-waisted briefs around the makeshift arena. This is not a bar crawl, or rave, or ticketed DJ set. It is Grownkid’s Wrestling Speed Dating night, and attendees came ready to tussle.” Could singles wrestling be an alternative to dating apps [ https://substack.com/redirect/23fe3472-aa8a-4555-987e-429d1ca00857?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? (Maybe I’m getting too conservative, but back in my day, we didn’t wrestle until at least the second date.) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRPRGswTlRVNU1Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3hPRGM0T1RRMExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ETTBNVFE1TkRRc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5ZNjJMMDZoekRMZHZxVGFfcnBlOVl5WXBGYXpvU21xUkJ4aUZjMHBRVEprIiwicCI6MTg4OTQ1NTkwLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzE4Nzg5NDQsImV4cCI6MjA4NzQ1NDk0NCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.A5N-UjkdVspEO-2ukVxmO-sNEcbE9m0AuLxicYKBEns?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/frankensteins-laptop One of the ironies of the story of AI’s impact on jobs is that it came first for the companies that helped create it. Recently, software as a service (SaaS) companies that can potentially be disrupted by AI have been experiencing what investors are calling the SaaSpocalypse [ https://substack.com/redirect/4b81667e-67e7-49c7-9025-1fbcf3b1b62d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] — a result of “Anthropic and then Open AI launching agentic AI systems for enterprises that appear to perform some key functions currently provided by SaaS players, undermining their business models.” And these market forces are hitting companies in every sector. Earlier this week, logistics and freight companies took a hit “after a little-known Florida company announced a new tool that would scale freight volumes without increasing headcount [ https://substack.com/redirect/e1efeca9-5907-4f54-a4c5-27ebfff085e3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (By the way, until this year, that little-known company was in the Karaoke business.) But the new tech is hitting the tech sector the most directly. The disruptors are being disrupted by a force they themselves unleashed. Like many in tech, Matt Shumer has had a front row seat for the impending changes (and more time to ponder them as some of his technical duties have been offloaded to the machine). In his essay, Something Big is Happening Here [ https://substack.com/redirect/97196ff8-46eb-4814-9c80-c4243057a301?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], he explains what’s coming, not just for his industry, but for everything, and compares this moment to just before the pandemic hit. “Think back to February 2020. If you were paying close attention, you might have noticed a few people talking about a virus spreading overseas. But most of us weren’t paying close attention. The stock market was doing great, your kids were in school, you were going to restaurants and shaking hands and planning trips. If someone told you they were stockpiling toilet paper you would have thought they’d been spending too much time on a weird corner of the internet. Then, over the course of about three weeks, the entire world changed. Your office closed, your kids came home, and life rearranged itself into something you wouldn’t have believed if you’d described it to yourself a month earlier. I think we’re in the ‘this seems overblown’ phase of something much, much bigger than Covid. I’ve spent six years building an AI startup and investing in the space. I live in this world. And I’m writing this for the people in my life who don’t... my family, my friends ... The people I care about deserve to hear what is coming, even if it sounds crazy.” + And just in case the impending pace of change does sound crazy, it’s worth noting that there is a lot of consensus about what’s coming. Microsoft AI CEO predicts ‘most, if not all’ white-collar tasks will be automated by AI within 18 months [ https://substack.com/redirect/70b87d6d-6d3b-4c4f-9183-b9bcb426511c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Luckily, summarizing the news in 2026 is so depressing, even the machines don’t want my gig.) + Scheduling Note: NextDraft will be off for most, and probably all, of next week, unless, you know, something really newsworthy breaks into the break. 2 Noemland Security Inside the administration, there’s a combination of inexperience, cruel intentions, and extreme corruption; a model that has put the least qualified in charge and pushed the most qualified toward the exits. Nowhere is that more clear than in Kristi Noem’s Dept of Homeland Security. The WSJ (Gift Article) proves that some stories can still make you say wow: A pilot fired over Kristi Noem’s missing blanket and the constant chaos inside DHS [ https://substack.com/redirect/155418ad-449f-459e-b473-44a372d1cfe0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Within DHS, Noem and Lewandowski have cut employees or put them on administrative leave. The pair have fired or demoted roughly 80% of the career ICE field leadership that was in place when they started. In the blanket incident, Noem had to switch planes after a maintenance issue was discovered, but her blanket wasn’t moved to the second plane, according to the people familiar with the incident. The Coast Guard pilot was initially fired and told to take a commercial flight home when they reached their destination. They eventually reinstated the pilot because no one else was available to fly them home.” (Good thing the pilot didn’t bring his dog on the trip.) + And the excellent Dahlia Lithwick in Slate (Gift Article) on how the Epstein story (and this week’s repulsive performance by Pam Bondi in Congress) represents everything. “The Epstein file dump is not simply playing out as a backdrop against which other acts of American lawlessness are occurring. The Epstein story is also the template and the proof text for all that is happening in Minnesota; at dangerous detention centers; in efforts to punish members of Congress for lawful speech; for crypto scams; and for measles outbreaks. It is an ongoing road map for an administration that lives out the reality that they are rich and powerful and famous enough to be above the law each day, and wishes for the rest of us to ultimately learn and accept that fact.” Pam Bondi’s Epstein Testimony Exposed the Whole Game [ https://substack.com/redirect/53fbdafd-1d2e-489f-b503-d37e28c14b52?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “What Bondi, and Donald Trump, and Lutnick, and Todd Blanche are doing under the banner of law and law enforcement and pardons and immunity and impunity is an operatic performance of a single truth: The ‘law’ will now protect those who are within the network of favors and privilege and secrets and side-eyes and snickers and abuse of young girls, and the ‘law’ will also abandon those who are not.” 3 Five Ring Circus “Perhaps more than anything, the operas that Italians began creating 400 years ago are designed to make you feel. To have the rest of the world melt away as you get lost in a story sung in a language you might not understand, but whose stakes are unmistakable. No wonder the country that invented the art form where music and poetry merge, and these Winter Olympics seem to be such a perfect fit.” Bravo! Act I of the Winter Olympics’ visit to Italy has been filled with drama, catharsis and tears [ https://substack.com/redirect/25940a0b-0e44-4360-8de1-ea32bb511ce9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Apparently, amid all the drama, catharsis, and tears (and competition), athletes have found time for horizontal pursuits. Winter Olympic village runs out of condoms after three days [ https://substack.com/redirect/8d2034a8-a7c5-4468-9d75-39ec92b6a935?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “U.S. snowboarder Chloe Kim’s quest for a historic Olympic halfpipe three-peat was foiled by none other than her teenage protégé. Kim took home silver [ https://substack.com/redirect/bea75432-4e6f-4ff8-abb4-c8defbd871f8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], after 17-year-old Gaon Choi of South Korea rebounded from a dramatic crash to overtake her in the final run.” It’s still quite a result for Kim, who has an injured shoulder and barely competed at all leading up to the games. Besides, Chloe Kim’s smile will always be worthy of gold. (Note to Miles Garrett [ https://substack.com/redirect/3baf9410-c983-4dbb-b8b4-282db7019e27?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: I mean that in a purely platonic sense...) + “If you’ve watched even a small amount of figure skating at the Winter Olympics, you’ve probably seen Benoît Richaud. He’s the tall, slender, bald man sitting next to seemingly every athlete after they compete, when their scores are read aloud.” You may also notice that he wears a lot of different jackets. He coaches 16 skaters from 13 countries at the Winter Olympics [ https://substack.com/redirect/4c2773bc-7181-499c-b2c4-2d973c9c1c2e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + High-Level, Actionable Insights From Watching Doubles Luge For The First Time [ https://substack.com/redirect/ff848c60-e45e-4f74-90bc-d323a3742ad0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Unlike other baffling Olympic sports like biathlon and curling, doubles luge has no legible explanation rooted in Scandinavian military training or bored Scottish people. Doubles luge appears to be the consequence of somebody watching luge and being struck by the idea of stacking another guy on top of the first guy. Apparently back then there were no bad ideas.” 4 Weekend Whats What to Watch: It took a while for Industry on HBO [ https://substack.com/redirect/941b51fb-b3cc-435d-9e87-d67151bf8aad?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to gain a big following. But I’m glad it has. It could be the best show on television these days, and it’s especially welcome to those who have been missing Succession. Season four remains excellent. + What to Movie: Splittsville on Hulu [ https://substack.com/redirect/92c70715-396e-49b2-b745-a5717b42885c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] with Adria Arjona, Dakota Johnson, Kyle Marvin, and Michael Angelo Covino in a somewhat crazy look at two couples going through some relationship issues. There are some really funny moments in this movie. 5 Extra, Extra Glass Houses: NYT (Gift Article): Meta Plans to Add Facial Recognition Technology to Its Smart Glasses [ https://substack.com/redirect/d86bb6ff-fd70-4221-a506-405259a35df9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Meta’s internal memo said the political tumult in the United States was good timing for the feature’s release. ‘We will launch during a dynamic political environment where many civil society groups that we would expect to attack us would have their resources focused on other concerns.’” (Big tech is not your friend...) + There Goes the Neighborhood: “It’s not hard to see why ICE has expanded its reach beyond the Twin Cities. The qualities that have hindered ICE’s operation in Minneapolis and St. Paul — density and walkability; a large, almost exclusively left-of-center population — are absent here. In Minneapolis, I saw patrollers on nearly every street corner. It’s easy to gather for protests or come together to organize a mutual aid network. The sidewalks in Lakeville were deserted, as were the broad streets that led onto the highway. Had there been any bystanders, they may not have wanted to get involved.” ICE moves out to the suburbs [ https://substack.com/redirect/3c76e1f2-160d-44a5-8b67-b42584102ac2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + There’s Something Happening There: High-profile resignations andreplacements [ https://substack.com/redirect/8991d938-4702-4c2d-b4da-1fad9620ea20?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] as Epstein case fallout spreads. (Some people in some places are being held accountable.) + Who’d Have Predicted? “This was in Iowa City in 1988, long before anyone could bet on elections or Super Bowl halftime shows with their phone. The professors were trying to solve the sort of problem social scientists tackle over lunch. Why did polls get elections so wrong — and what could be done about it?” Three economists grabbed a beer. A multibillion-dollar industry was born [ https://substack.com/redirect/a68e7f35-cf04-40da-89ee-6c9d9424c4ab?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (The breakthrough came too soon for them to lay a bet on Bad Bunny’s first halftime show song.) + Ejected: “This school prepared more umpires for professional baseball than all the other schools combined. Over half of MLB’s 76 active major-league umpires this year are graduates from the Wendelstedt school. Numerous others are working toward that goal in the minor leagues. ‘It’s the Harvard of umpire schools.’” And it just closed. The machines are coming for these jobs, too. The Athletic (Gift Article): The ‘Harvard of umpire schools’ closes as changing times favor tech over tradition [ https://substack.com/redirect/e5611ea5-849f-40e2-877a-8c5cb1eeae0f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Cost in Space: “Summer Heather Worden claimed that McClain had illegally accessed her personal bank account from the International Space Station in July 2019.” Astronaut’s Ex-Wife Sentenced for Lying That Former Spouse Committed First Ever Crime in Space [ https://substack.com/redirect/723c524e-ff1c-46f4-9405-085983fd7281?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Elon still has a shot to be the first space criminal.) 6 Feel Good Friday The first strike by San Francisco teachers in nearly 50 years has ended [ https://substack.com/redirect/86cd38d3-7ff0-446c-828c-c70ceca24ccd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] after four days of picket lines, rallies and long negotiations. + Renewables are being deployed aggressively across much of the world [ https://substack.com/redirect/b30cdb5a-ce7b-422b-85d0-4e88443cbacc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] even as the US, historically the world’s biggest emitter, overturned a landmark domestic climate ruling. And, Africa leads growth in solar energy [ https://substack.com/redirect/5a411334-3e73-42e5-b384-bcf4fab3e2f7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] as demand spreads beyond traditional markets. (You’ll never guess which superpower is benefiting from this growth and which isn’t.) + Inflation cooled in January, offering some relief for consumers [ https://substack.com/redirect/e7853961-1c4f-4f6d-90a2-d7ee30a4d1f7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Let’s hope these numbers are accurate.) + Surfers raced into ‘crazy’ Santa Cruz surf to save family of six [ https://substack.com/redirect/40fd93d2-28a8-4fdc-8fe0-5a1d47d9fe79?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Teen grabs kayak, paddles through icy pond to rescue neighborhood dog [ https://substack.com/redirect/955c4e28-4f2c-4ff2-b853-5c32d653e4a2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Firefighter bear-hugs terrified deer on icy lake in daring rescue [ https://substack.com/redirect/23422ba7-46e6-4ece-a30a-a067b77de64c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + 88-Year-Old Grandmother Flies for the First Time on Plane Piloted by Her Grandson [ https://substack.com/redirect/df147e66-0473-45ae-80cd-c231c7636657?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Florida man saves pregnant woman from drowning [ https://substack.com/redirect/a6b65434-0187-4693-a281-e16cbc8e0f97?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] hours before baby’s birth. (Come on, a feel good story about Florida Man! What more do you people want?) + Scheduling Note: NextDraft will be off for most, and probably all, of next week, unless, you know, something really newsworthy breaks into the break. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROemc1TVRNNE5Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3hNREV4TURrMExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ESTFORGN3T1RRc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS52Z1FMamlFQ3VGQXE4dUJBUWJBMURYQkQ3cWUyWU14V3JjSzMweHQ2bXhBIiwicCI6MTg3ODkxMzg1LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzEwMTEwOTQsImV4cCI6MjA4NjU4NzA5NCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.jZf_2By-aBjCuSG7vOA-T_T2yLR4FAVGhD0d9EzUtao?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/veni-vidi-homicidi “I have proposed and President Trump has concurred that this surge operation conclude.” So said border czar Tom Homan as he announced that the Trump administration is ending its immigration surge in Minnesota [ https://substack.com/redirect/aa251901-b577-405c-b622-ebcfb4fdb782?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Of course, we’ll have to see it to believe it. The move likely has to do with budget negotiations in Congress, the incredible resistance of everyday Minnesotans, and (mostly) the extreme damage the images out of Minneapolis have done to presidential approval ratings [ https://substack.com/redirect/14922519-4e8b-4902-bfd5-6d73ae64def5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and recent GOP election results [ https://substack.com/redirect/241148ff-8f3e-46dd-b818-2fb79ebaf605?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Here’s the latest [ https://substack.com/redirect/d3456306-d173-4e57-b1e6-ef67e633242d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] on the planned departure. Even if federal agents do evacuate the city, many questions remain. Will they just be redeployed to another blue city? Are we witnessing Veni, Vidi, Retreati, or Veni, Vidi, Relocati? (As Minneapolis Mayor Jaocb Frey explained, “[This surge] has been catastrophic for our neighbors and businesses ... They thought they could break us, but a love for our neighbors and a resolve to endure can outlast an occupation. These patriots of Minneapolis are showing that it’s not just about resistance — standing with our neighbors is deeply American.” Let’s just pause and consider that this is an American mayor talking about an invasion of his city by American officials.) How many of the 4,000 arrestees actually committed crimes or posed any danger to anyone? Will there be any justice for the innocent protesters who were gunned down in the streets, or will those involved just be able to take their ball and go home—or to their next domestic deployment? And what will be the next twist in this troubling American saga? + For an answer to that last question, you may want to tweak a famous political adage, and follow the leases: “Over the past several months, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have carried out a secret campaign to expand ICE’s physical presence across the US. Documents show that more than 150 leases and office expansions have or would place new facilities in nearly every state, many of them in or just outside of the country’s largest metropolitan areas. In many cases, these facilities, which are to be used by street-level agents and ICE attorneys, are located near elementary schools, medical offices, places of worship, and other sensitive locations.” Wired: ICE Is Expanding Across the US at Breakneck Speed. Here’s Where It’s Going Next [ https://substack.com/redirect/91c6e302-e29a-4811-9a3c-adb92c6f3b1d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + And, in case you needed one, here’s yet another reminder that many of the people who are being targeted for deportation aren’t who you think they are. NYT (Gift Article): Judge Ends Deportation Case for Mexican Father of 3 U.S. Marines [ https://substack.com/redirect/e5b28880-48ab-43bf-a98f-5a8fde3f4ab8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Narciso Barranco was detained while landscaping outside of an IHOP in Southern California. “At the time, the Department of Homeland Security defended the agents’ aggressive arrest, saying the agents had felt threatened by Mr. Barranco and accusing him of having raised his weed trimmer at them.” Given what we know now, I guess Narciso Barranco is lucky he’s still alive. + Scheduling Note: NextDraft will be off for most, and probably all, of next week, unless, you know, something really newsworthy breaks into the break. 2 Knocking Your Block Off “We are officially terminating the so called endangerment finding, a disastrous Obama era policy. This determination had no basis in fact — none whatsoever. And it had no basis in law. On the contrary over the generations, fossil fuels have saved millions of lives and lifted billions of people out of poverty all over the world.” So said Trump, as the Environmental Protection Agency just repealed “its own conclusion that greenhouse gases warm the Earth and endanger human health and wellbeing.” EPA reverses longstanding climate change finding, stripping its own ability to regulate emissions [ https://substack.com/redirect/a45f163a-2a47-4b5c-9796-e1b11f1d6c02?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “If climate change law was a tower in the game Jenga, the endangerment finding would be a wooden block at the base.” 3 Sham, Slam, Thank You, Pam “You’re siding with the perpetrators, and you’re ignoring the victims. That will be your legacy unless you act quickly to change course.” So said Rep. Jamie Raskin during an oversight hearing with Pam Bondi that devolved into a schoolyard fight [ https://substack.com/redirect/0c3f7c4f-1ff4-4f10-9c86-1c3a099caffe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And when it comes to Bondi and the Epstein files, there are a lot of MAGA folks who would agree. But turning oversight committees into chaotic shouting matches certainly appears to be part of some bizarre strategy. To you, it probably looked like Bondi was crashing out [ https://substack.com/redirect/78aa1990-315e-4f21-b8aa-1af14f830baa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], that the photo of her with her back toward Epstein victims [ https://substack.com/redirect/7104aee5-632a-4ba9-86a1-90d513a32a6c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] was soulless, and that holding a burn book with canned personal attacks [ https://substack.com/redirect/bbc1f0f4-91d1-400f-8418-7e0aec0ab8e3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] prepared for each questioner looked pathetic. But this show is for an audience of one, and the new goal in these oversight hearings is no oversight. + This hearing was similar to Bondi’s past performances. During the last one, the personal attacks “went for hours, a calculated performance that amounted to a giant middle finger to basic notions of decorum and accountability, leaving all sorts of questions unanswered, including a fundamental one that some of Bondi’s old friends and colleagues back home in Florida had been asking. As one of them put it to me: ‘I keep asking myself, What the f-ck happened to Pam [ https://substack.com/redirect/38a7370e-2142-48d8-a4b7-cf590c39726b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]?‘” (You could ask the same question about a lot of people these days...) 4 Five Ring Circus In one of the mostly hotly-contested events on ice, USA’s Madison Chock and Evan Bates got edged out for ice dancing gold [ https://substack.com/redirect/ac97b00d-b14b-459a-98a0-23fab1868828?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] by the controversial duo of Beaudry and Cizeron. “The reigning European champions only teamed up last year and continue to face questions over their former partners.” Meet France’s controversial ice dance Olympic champions [ https://substack.com/redirect/fa918744-3344-4772-8172-c2e0bda2e796?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The judging also proved to be controversial, driving headlines like this one: Olympic judge who cost Madison Chock and Evan Bates gold has a history of questionable scores [ https://substack.com/redirect/1a6c462f-cc6e-42b0-bfbd-61f1ad43b5f4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. I’ve only been an expert in ice dancing since last night, but the winners looked pretty damn good to me. So did the silver medalists, for that matter. + IOC boots Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych from Olympics for wearing helmet honoring war victims [ https://substack.com/redirect/ab511dca-6003-4a93-afb9-a1a07dcffda4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Breezy Johnson gets engaged at Winter Olympics [ https://substack.com/redirect/8bcefd20-bd41-45ab-89f0-92bc27e46dd2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] after boyfriend proposes at finish line. (The proposal came right after she crashed in her final event. If I had done something like that, I’m convinced I’d still be single.) + “No ice is colder and harder than speedskating ice. The precision it takes has meant that Olympic speedskaters have never competed for gold on a temporary indoor rink – until the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games.” Meet the man behind the ice [ https://substack.com/redirect/1ba72fe5-7d81-4389-bb57-abbfdc11f5ee?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “’We sell it because it works, not because it tastes good,’ says Emil Sjölander, one of Nomio’s three founders, who described that taste as ‘some combination of wood and Dijon mustard.’” WSJ (Gift Article): Olympians Can Eat All the Pasta in Italy. So Why Are They Drinking Broccoli [ https://substack.com/redirect/1c9cb5a9-a419-4cbe-baf2-6744f07ed180?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? 5 Extra, Extra Alef Bet: The widespread adoption of sports betting has led to several scandals involving players and coaches. But with prediction markets, you can bet on anything. Will stories like this one become the norm? “Two Israelis have been charged with using classified military information to place bets [ https://substack.com/redirect/0d2c37e9-7bfb-4cfa-a9a4-520c21ba6e51?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] on how future events will unfold.” I covered this topic in detail yesterday. As I wrote in ‘Dict Picks [ https://substack.com/redirect/a41b015e-052b-4789-9e7a-2c65cb2c7d02?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], I believe the increasing popularity of prediction markets will cause a gambling addiction scourge the likes of which we’ve never seen. + Tariff Not Now, When? “The House voted Wednesday to slap back President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, a rare if largely symbolic rebuke of the White House agenda as Republicans joined Democrats over the objections of GOP leadership [ https://substack.com/redirect/8f259124-61dd-4805-a6e3-7a6f59532ce7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + I Need Another ‘Gram: “Mosseri said that he didn’t think that it was possible to be addicted to Instagram but that “problematic use” was possible, though it varies from person to person.” Instagram chief denies social media can be ‘clinically addictive’ in landmark case [ https://substack.com/redirect/e951d38e-7ae9-4612-9d32-8a57f3f46811?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Lead Balloon: “Officials targeted what they thought was a drug cartel drone, but turned out to be a party balloon, they said.” Border Officials Are Said to Have Caused El Paso Closure by Firing Anti-Drone Laser [ https://substack.com/redirect/8f2b4ae7-3d48-43fb-bd59-a02c6a3fb06a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Nut Givin’ Up My Shot: “It’s hard to recall a regulator who has done as much damage to medical innovation in as little time as Vinay Prasad. In his latest drive-by shooting, the leader of the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine division rejected Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine without even a cursory review. This is arbitrary government at its worst.” WSJ Editorial Board: Vinay Prasad’s Vaccine Kill Shot [ https://substack.com/redirect/cb7bfc4b-4dd5-41a9-b935-260d01d92601?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Your Place Or Mine(field): “Security measures once reserved for presidents and royalty—safe rooms, biometric access controls, laser-powered perimeter defenses—are now mainstream items in luxury homes. Executive-protection teams and armed guards patrol gated enclaves and suburban estates, while tech startups are rolling out predictive threat-detection systems built for the ultra-wealthy. The shift reflects a hardening view among the affluent: Traditional policing and communal safety are no longer enough, so security is being privatized, customized.” WSJ(Gift Article): The Mega-Rich Are Turning Their Mansions Into Impenetrable Fortresses [ https://substack.com/redirect/ceebf8bc-5ae3-4323-b635-23589d5c22b5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News Everything good about the early internet seems to have disappeared. Even cat videos have changed. They used to refer to videos of cats that humans could watch. Now they refer to content created for your pet. TV, It’s Not Just for Humans Anymore [ https://substack.com/redirect/9ac94aa6-96cb-4c7c-b7d0-beec6db158a4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (My beagles got bored with this stuff and now mostly just use AI to confirm their preconceived biases about my cats.) + Scheduling Note: NextDraft will be off for most, and probably all, of next week, unless, you know, something really newsworthy breaks into the break. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROemM0TkRNeE15d2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3dPVEkzTWpVMkxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ESTBOak15TlRZc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS43VXJZekZaZkdiRDZnUkNCVGJ4UTV1M0dXZm9hbXBhSkRya2hsYlAxNWU4IiwicCI6MTg3Nzg0MzEzLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzA5MjcyNTYsImV4cCI6MjA4NjUwMzI1NiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.1IIoKMsYx8dTFDaL1DXN1V2W7Wgp_IHLH8-NUUJ_I2c?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/dict-picks I believe the increasing popularity of prediction markets will cause a gambling addiction scourge the likes of which we’ve never seen. I’m so sure of it, I might go to one of the prediction markets and lay down a bet. Because these days, you can bet on anything. “Prediction markets entice enterprising nerds to make and lose fortunes by wagering on everything from politics to the weather. Here’s why they’re unstoppable—and only getting more powerful.” Zoë Bernard in Vanity Fair: The CEOs of Kalshi and Polymarket Are Betting On the Most Hated Experiment in Business [ https://substack.com/redirect/529a88ae-f9f3-4221-b59f-2732814cc0bb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Alt link [ https://substack.com/redirect/3f7d134a-04f0-49a9-adff-ceb49609d10d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) At a happy hour for one of the leading platforms, Kalshi, a group of mostly young men, in their 20s, were swapping tips and stories about their experiences in “a marketplace that, until recently, had existed in a legal gray zone. Many were making thousands a week speculating on highly specific fixations: whether the temperature would tick up by a single degree in Colorado next weekend, who would win the Coney Island hot dog eating contest, the gender of celebrity babies.” ... Yet only one person there mentioned the dirty word that everyone else had so carefully avoided ... ‘You’re writing about this, but you have no idea what this meeting is, do you?’ ‘What is it?’ I asked, leaning back to avoid his spittle. ‘This,’ he said, taking in the barroom of traders, ‘is just the latest Gamblers Anonymous meeting.’” + The data from these prediction markets can be valuable, as it taps into the wisdom of the crowd. NYT (Gift Article): Thousands of Amateur Gamblers Are Beating Wall Street Ph.D.s [ https://substack.com/redirect/55ea328f-6b83-42e4-90f0-29edec896657?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. But people aren’t just predicting, they’re betting. And they’re betting on in-pocket slot machines that deploy all the most addicting techniques from casinos, social media apps, and online games. Think of it as a ‘Dict-a-phone. + These prediction apps fall under a different federal jurisdiction from gambling apps. And they largely avoided sports betting (which is legal in some states, but not others). But something changed, and all bets were off. “Until early last year, Kalshi, the leading US prediction market startup, was using its status as a federally regulated financial exchange to offer niche financial contracts tied to pop culture events and elections. The agency overseeing all this, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, had indicated that so-called event contracts tied to sports were off limits. Then Donald Trump won the election. Kalshi tested the waters by offering its first wagers on the Super Bowl in early 2025 and the CFTC did not step in to stop them. Those first contracts were little more than an experiment, but sports have since come to account for more than 90% of the trading volume on Kalshi.” Bloomberg (Gift Article): Gambling Stocks Sag as Prediction Markets Steal Super Bowl Bets [ https://substack.com/redirect/10e458a8-4980-4e42-bcb8-0b505be19763?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + If you’re predicting that the Trump administration will step in and slow the prediction market roll toward being full-on casinos and sportsbooks, you might want to first consider the involvement of a notable ‘Dicthead. NYT (Gift Article): Leading Prediction Firms Share a Commonality: Donald Trump Jr [ https://substack.com/redirect/6e8b2d1f-125f-4fca-86bc-76ad3f91587a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “At the intersection of the prediction market industry and Trump world is Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son. He is both an investor in and an unpaid adviser to Polymarket, and a paid adviser to Kalshi, the two biggest prediction markets. And he is a director of the Trump family’s social media company, which recently announced it would start its own platform called Truth Predict.” (These days, laying some money against Truth may be one safe bet you can make.) 2 Citizen Can We’ve all been pretty disappointed at the lack of pushback on corruption and lawlessness from political officials and what we thought were our strongest institutions. But from the streets of Minneapolis [ https://substack.com/redirect/0de5dc18-d1c9-44ca-9a24-18a1accddade?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to the courtrooms of Washington, we may be finally finding out who will save us: Citizens. NYT (Gift Article): Grand Jury Rebuffs Justice Dept. Attempt to Indict 6 Democrats in Congress [ https://substack.com/redirect/b73fa54d-3a6c-4a67-933a-12447c57ded1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “It was remarkable that the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington — led by Jeanine Pirro, a longtime ally of Mr. Trump’s — authorized prosecutors to go into a grand jury and ask for an indictment of the six members of Congress, all of whom had served in the military or the nation’s spy agencies. But it was even more remarkable that a group of ordinary citizens sitting on the grand jury in Federal District Court in Washington forcefully rejected Mr. Trump’s bid to label their expression of dissent as a criminal act warranting prosecution.” This gives new meaning to Jury Duty. + “It’s exceedingly rare for a federal grand jury to reject prosecutors’ attempts to secure an indictment, since the process is stacked in the government’s favor.” But in this case, as a sign of just how insane this prosecution was, zero grand jurors found the Trump DOJ met low probable cause threshold [ https://substack.com/redirect/5ba840c1-dfa2-4aa2-8d4b-58dc00f94520?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] 3 You’re On Candid Camera “When Nancy Guthrie went missing, officials said she had a doorbell camera, but that it had been forcibly removed, and she did not have a subscription. This meant there were no videos stored in the cloud. Ten days later, the FBI released footage from the camera, which was revealed to be a Nest Doorbell, clearly showing the masked suspect. This is a huge break in the case and highlights the value of security cameras in solving crimes, even if their deterrent effect remains largely unproven. But it raises privacy concerns around how this supposedly ‘lost’ footage was recovered.” Why ‘deleted’ doesn’t mean gone: How police recovered Nancy Guthrie’s doorbell footage [ https://substack.com/redirect/124bd0e9-cb50-4779-a4ad-a05f490915ad?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. This is like so many of today’s surveillance-related stories. It’s really good that Google was able to track down images that could help solve a crime. It’s really scary that everything we do is being recorded to that great hard drive in the sky, whether we opt in or not. 4 It’ll All Come Out in the Wash “Powered by encrypted messaging apps, anonymized platforms and a growing pool of people willing to move money for a cut, the system is agile, scalable and disturbingly hard to shut down. What began a decade ago as a fringe trend on dark-web bazaars is fast evolving into a sprawling global ecosystem of freelance money movers. Even the biggest criminal groups, long reliant on in-house laundering, are starting to tap it.” Bloomberg (Gift Article): Drug Cartels Are Shifting Their Money Laundering to Crypto. Cops Can’t Keep Up [ https://substack.com/redirect/16551fe6-7b42-4d21-ac4a-9f48cbb7c118?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I keep reading examples of how crypto is good for bad stuff, but what good is it for good stuff?) 5 Extra, Extra B.C. Mass Shooting: “Nine people were killed and 27 more were injured after a mass shooting in the community of Tumbler Ridge, B.C.” Here’s the latest on the tragedy from CBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/5107d6cf-ce45-44dd-a2f4-9bde18fee673?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + El Paso the Buck: Officials Claim Drone Incursion Led to Shutdown of El Paso Airport [ https://substack.com/redirect/2c100b4d-0f46-4def-9883-bf2455223c02?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Sean Duffy, the Secretary of Transportation, and officials from the White House and the Pentagon said Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace, prompting the temporary closure of airspace over El Paso. But two people briefed by Trump administration officials said the shutdown was prompted by the Defense Department’s use of new counter-drone technology and concerns about the risks it could pose to other aircraft in the area.” (Weird not to be able to get a straight answer from these guys...) + Bridge Financing: “A Detroit billionaire met with Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, hours before President Trump said he would block the opening of a new bridge connecting Detroit to Canada, officials said.” NYT (Gift Article): Bridge Owner Lobbied Administration Before Trump Blasted Competing Span to Canada [ https://substack.com/redirect/3cba20ec-3d9d-429b-b5f2-3321aab7b8e7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (If you don’t think every decision and every post is driven by overt corruption, I’ve got a bridge that will never open to sell you...) + Five Ring Circus: The ex-girlfriend of the Olympian who expressed public regret for cheating isn’t ready to give the story a happy ending. “It’s hard to forgive. Even after a declaration of love in front of the whole world [ https://substack.com/redirect/1e3bfb65-2aae-4c66-8219-6b2eb914c4fc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (This combination of Olympic sports with Love Island intrigue could actually work...) “The Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych has been warned [ https://substack.com/redirect/6526bbe9-9070-4ed1-9bd9-ba4a214c3291?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] that he faces disqualification from the Winter Olympics if he wears a ‘helmet of memory’ for his country’s war dead when the men’s competition starts on Thursday.” I wonder if there’s a lesson here: French biathlete guilty of fraud wins Olympic gold [ https://substack.com/redirect/e657e9fd-e8ec-4345-a009-987e2a32fd8e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]while scammed teammate comes 80th. This seems like a reasonable request: Olympic Photographers: Stop Doing The Lugers Dirty [ https://substack.com/redirect/84257551-b69d-45be-9f52-fcc20e0f0952?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And watching J.H. Klaebo ski uphill [ https://substack.com/redirect/47a00647-676a-4a11-8936-93d746e2f269?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] faster than many of us ski downhill is quite something. + External Revenue Service: “The Internal Revenue Service improperly shared confidential tax information of thousands of individuals with immigration enforcement officials, according to three people familiar with the situation, appearing to breach a legal fire wall [ https://substack.com/redirect/afd464ee-8f2e-4c7b-a2d8-9a08f92f22d9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] intended to protect taxpayer data.” (The fire walls have been burned the ground.) + One Flu Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: “The vaccine maker Moderna said on Tuesday that the Food and Drug Administration had notified the company that the agency would not review its mRNA flu vaccine [ https://substack.com/redirect/557bafc7-2960-41a6-a194-64aab53b350d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], the latest sign of federal health policy that has become hostile to vaccine development.” 6 Bottom of the News “More than 5,000 Stanford students have used Date Drop at a school with about 7,500 undergraduates ... The growth, fans say, reflects a reality about many college kids: They’re intimidated by real-life courtship and overwhelmed by the endless scroll of dating apps. Entrepreneurial students have found huge demand for alternate matchmaking tools.” A Stanford Experiment to Pair 5,000 Singles Has Taken Over Campus [ https://substack.com/redirect/eab7cfd6-39c0-441c-826a-52a351d5f5b7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “A student built a matchmaking algorithm that has consumed the school—and highlighted the challenges of finding love for high achievers.” (High achievers? Wait, I thought this was a story about Stanford, not Cal...) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROelkyT1RrNE1Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3dPRE01T1RJeUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ESXpOelU1TWpJc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5nNUg4RHFEQ0YwME5VTmRaQzF3eW9IZzVraGE0VW1KVmR3a2xiRlpaWnhRIiwicCI6MTg3NjY5OTgwLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzA4Mzk5MjIsImV4cCI6MjA4NjQxNTkyMiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.msfoYGh8cJ108u4MDl3M2woldrsgXNasTFOfKuQUzAY?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/shove-it-up-your-class In 1977, the perfectly named Johnny Paycheck sang the lyrics, Take this job and shove it, landing a number one hit, inspiring a movie, and creating a lasting anthem and adage. But another lyric might more aptly fit our current moment: Take these employees and shove them. When push comes to shove, today’s corporations are making more money while employing fewer people. “In 1985, IBM was America’s most valuable company, one of its most profitable, and among its largest employers, with a payroll of nearly 400,000. Today, Nvidia is nearly 20 times as valuable and five times as profitable as IBM was back then, adjusted for inflation. Yet it employs roughly a 10th as many people. That simple comparison says something profound about today’s economy: Its rewards are going disproportionately toward capital instead of labor. Profits have soared since the pandemic, and the market value attached to those profits even more. The result: Capital, which includes businesses, shareholders and superstar employees, is triumphant, while the average worker ekes out marginal gains. The divergence between capital and labor helps explain the disconnect between a buoyant economy and pessimistic households.” WSJ (Gift Article): The Big Money in Today’s Economy Is Going to Capital, Not Labor [ https://substack.com/redirect/132d7486-c348-43c2-aad3-a090b0187b49?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Alt link [ https://substack.com/redirect/a5011830-9e3a-45a9-a2d5-161db84e3674?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) Capital gains are going up, the value placed on human capital is going down. And, of course, these trends are only being accelerated by technological shifts and political winds. Yale economist, Pascual Restrepo, explains: “There will be winners: workers whose jobs require social skills, proximity or manual labor, and consumers, who get cheaper products and services. The biggest winners of all? Shareholders.” + “Anyone subcontracting tasks to AI is clever enough to imagine what might come next—a day when augmentation crosses into automation, and cognitive obsolescence compels them to seek work at a food truck, pet spa, or massage table. At least until the humanoid robots arrive.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): America Isn’t Ready for What AI Will Do to Jobs [ https://substack.com/redirect/9f580899-2ef5-4ab3-bb53-5c09c1818f57?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (They may have an inkling, though. What a new Gallup poll shows about the depth of Americans’ gloom [ https://substack.com/redirect/4c5fffdd-e988-4700-aa46-a982dedd0497?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) + And about our new immigrant-unfriendly policies that are supposedly going to create more jobs for Americans? Binyamin Appelbaum in the NYT (Gift Article): What Replaces Deported Immigrant Workers? Not Americans [ https://substack.com/redirect/42261fe4-7401-45a9-b716-23cee55d3f55?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “There is a big hole in the seductively simple argument that Mr. Trump’s policy will push employers to hire Americans: For many jobs, the cheaper and more likely replacement is a robot. And the jobs that can’t be done by robots? Many will simply leave the country.” + It doesn’t take an AI program to figure out that these factors will contribute to an already massive economic divide. And we’re engineering it to be even wider. Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet report plunging tax bills thanks to AI investment and new rules in Washington [ https://substack.com/redirect/43992ed3-362d-49dc-89ef-35c174864018?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Meanwhile, US consumer delinquencies jump [ https://substack.com/redirect/260bd4fa-c359-45e1-812f-1576b05fc9af?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to highest in almost a decade. + Related: Here’s a flight tracker showing all the private jets [ https://substack.com/redirect/f3bfdcc3-58fc-4a0a-a5a5-2c4708a016ca?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]leaving the Bay Area after the Super Bowl. 2 Pet Detective One of the better Super Bowl ads was for Amazon Ring’s Search Party feature that gives neighbors a way to combine their security cam feeds to quickly locate missing pets. Amazon’s CEO says the feature helped bring home 99 dogs in 90 days [ https://substack.com/redirect/6dead563-6ca7-4eb8-86fc-c91a4989a2a9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. But like many security stories, there is another side to this one. “Chris Gilliard, a privacy expert and author of the upcoming book Luxury Surveillance, told 404 Media these features and its Super Bowl ad are ‘a clumsy attempt by Ring to put a cuddly face on a rather dystopian reality: widespread networked surveillance by a company that has cozy relationships with law enforcement and other equally invasive surveillance companies.’” With Ring, American Consumers Built a Surveillance Dragnet [ https://substack.com/redirect/d93e4f58-47be-48b4-8cf8-cf0760e7f095?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Most of us want more security, and technology enables us to get it. But most of us don’t want that same technology used for every purpose. Flock cameras to make school parking lots more secure? Sounds great. But what about this? Local police aid ICE by tapping school cameras amid Trump’s immigration crackdown [ https://substack.com/redirect/98b9f48e-ed47-4372-8f08-6ac9202f86d6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The data raises questions about the degree to which campus surveillance technology intended for student safety is being repurposed to support immigration enforcement.” 3 Rebooting Shoes “Amplify is designed for that everyday athlete to give them the energy they need to go further, to go faster, with greater levels of confidence. It’s like an e-bike for your feet.” NPR: How bionic sneakers could change human mobility [ https://substack.com/redirect/4272621e-e6af-4d71-9649-d4d3c0e43a3f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I only hope they make the same sound [ https://substack.com/redirect/a1ca2d20-4719-4f4f-951c-0fd2cb22c615?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] as the Six Million Dollar Man’s bionics...) 4 Five Ring Circus “Instantly, scoreboards showed Aicher had finished in 1 minutes, 36.14 seconds — four-hundredths of a second behind. Johnson sighed and rubbed a hand over her head in relief. Johnson ultimately won and Aicher took the silver, their careers forever altered by that tiny difference determined by the most important team at the Olympics you don’t know about — the Omega timekeepers.” The most important team at the Olympics isn’t a country. It’s the timekeepers [ https://substack.com/redirect/ad03542d-d245-438d-9a9f-0398a04145aa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Since the Swiss timing giant sent employees with 30 stopwatches to Los Angeles for the 1932 Olympics, Omega’s business of keeping results at the Olympics has grown so large and sophisticated that a delegation from the company is already in Los Angeles preparing for the Olympics’ return in 2028.” + Mikaela Shiffrin’s Olympic hex continues [ https://substack.com/redirect/8e751a3d-2685-4ba1-9150-5469c6cc13b3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] after faltering in team combined slalom. + Speed skating star Leerdam wins gold [ https://substack.com/redirect/1bc60b08-a23b-4d2b-9cd9-73439ff95a38?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] as fiancé Jake Paul weeps. (The former was enjoyable, the latter more so.) + “A post-race interview with the bronze medal winner in the men’s Olympic biathlon competition on Tuesday took an unexpected turn [ https://substack.com/redirect/d3e1d0c6-f659-427f-a48f-a8ba4b6d3ca7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] when he revealed in a live broadcast that he had been unfaithful to his girlfriend.” (He basically seemed to be trying to get her back. Will it, or a bronze, be enough?) 5 Extra, Extra Bet Threat: Legalized gambling in many states meant that millions of people were suddenly walking around with souped-up casinos in their pockets. Prediction markets mean that people in all 50 states can bet on anything, anytime. “Everything is gambling now”: How betting is taking over America [ https://substack.com/redirect/ffab6123-05bd-4dad-84c8-47d904256959?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “These days, you can wager on everything from Sunday’s Super Bowl LX, November’s midterm elections, March’s Oscars, this winter’s weather, the words that commentators will use — even the second coming of Jesus Christ.” The stats are already insane. “Nearly 40 percent of men and 20 percent of women gamble online daily. Two percent of these bettors gamble more than ten hours a day ... Most bettors are men. They’ve gotten younger and younger as sports betting companies gamified gambling. Pokémon, the trading card and video game mega-franchise, co-opted slot machine and casino imagery in the 1990s, and technology companies latched on, eager to bring in young gamblers to replace the old heads. Public schools see problems with boys, and sports betting stokes some school officials’ fears of it becoming as ubiquitous as cellphones and as poisonous as social media.” Prospect: The Scourge of Online Sports Betting [ https://substack.com/redirect/dec30bb6-3fd6-49dc-9ef0-484076e449da?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Harm to Table: “A number of people working at hunger relief organizations and in education, who asked not to be identified for the record for fear of retribution, said the food instability and lack of access to social services are not simply a byproduct of the ICE crackdown but rather part of the agency’s strategy, essentially weaponizing food. Among other tactics, they said, the agency is tracking food delivery volunteers and staking out donation distribution centers.” NYT (Gift Article): Hungry Families, ICE and Secret Grocery Networks in Minneapolis [ https://substack.com/redirect/831d4590-dfbb-4a1b-8376-aabe9fdc3ec7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. This is America, folks. And from ProPublica: Letters from the Children Detained at ICE’s Dilley Facility [ https://substack.com/redirect/060a5652-967e-4a23-a42a-7263e83509b3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. From a nine year-old: “Seen how people like me, immigrants are been treated changes my perspective about the U.S.” + Death Wish Granted: “A small group of conservative activists has worked for 16 years to stop all government efforts to fight climate change. Their efforts seem poised to pay off.” Trump Allies Near ‘Total Victory’ in Wiping Out U.S. Climate Regulation [ https://substack.com/redirect/e52f83ac-fb42-464d-bbbd-131fe7434d77?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + No Longer Deep Sixed: “If we found six men that they were hiding in two hours, imagine how many men they are covering up for in those three million files.” Democratic congressman Ro Khanna names six men appearing in unredacted Epstein files [ https://substack.com/redirect/a805dabe-83e1-456e-9cc1-68d66d368391?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Guthrie Case: “The FBI on Tuesday released new surveillance photos [ https://substack.com/redirect/dea79a58-ee5a-4b2b-a97c-c70900cf449e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] from the night Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, disappeared. The images show someone wearing a ski mask and gloves.” + Update: Measles Bad: “Dr. Mehmet Oz has urged Americans to get vaccinated against measles [ https://substack.com/redirect/5356fc5a-6d05-47f6-88f5-553cf69b1b72?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], one of the strongest endorsements of the vaccine yet from a top health official in the Trump administration, which has repeatedly undermined confidence in vaccine safety.” (In addition to the public statement, he might want to send an internal memo.) + Winter is Coming: “As tensions with Russia in the Arctic rise, U.S. Special Forces have been prepping for the future or war in the high north in Sweden.” How do you fight where it’s hard to even survive? In this video piece, WSJ’s Sune Rasmussen joined U.S. Green Berets in a grueling Arctic training camp [ https://substack.com/redirect/87fdfd40-656f-40f3-a0d3-981130155806?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to find out. 6 Bottom of the News “Teratophiliacs were once a niche group that bonded over their sexual attraction to monsters in obscure forums. Now—as online communities proliferate and genres like romantasy grow—monster p-rn is going mainstream.” GQ: Inside the Booming Business of Monster P-rn [ https://substack.com/redirect/1b286550-866e-4ab7-8255-da4db7165bdc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (This gives new meaning to doing the Monster Mash.) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROelUxTURrd05Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3dOelV4TnpFNUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ESXlPRGMzTVRrc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5MRTBvVjNIOFNFNDkzVGhtZG8tSl9ObUM2Q2R6XzFtOHRyWmVOVzF5Y29zIiwicCI6MTg3NTUwOTA1LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzA3NTE3MTksImV4cCI6MjA4NjMyNzcxOSwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.OvhNgrf1duIsvR_zJmpu8VEBZJkI015v9syKJEXm_QU?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/sobrevivi I survived the Great Super Bowl Halftime Scare of 2026. At least, I mostly survived. For some reason, from the time Bad Bunny got about 30 seconds into Tití Me Preguntó, I’ve only been able to write in Spanish. I’ve been forced to use Google and ChatGPT to translate today’s edition back into Inglés, so forgive me if some of my usually pithy, punny wordplay is no bueno. During my first day of high school Spanish, my teacher, Mrs. Martinez, asked, “Cómo te llamas?” And I nervously answered, “Bien, y tu?” So if anything, for me, the Bad Bunny halftime show arrived too late. Given the reaction of many of the critics, including our Complainer in Chief, the message of the show couldn’t come soon enough. Neither could the phrase written on the football he held up at the end of the performance: “Together, We Are America.” Only against the backdrop of today’s divisions could that statement be seen as a form of protest. + Featuring Ricky Martin, Lady Gaga (Hmm, that last name sounds a little foreign), a cast of celebrities, and a real wedding [ https://substack.com/redirect/4df0b4b9-b62d-4f29-89e7-478d871476af?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], “his entire performance rebuked the notion that he is some culture-war proxy being foisted upon an American public that wants its stars to shut up and sing. Yes, he filled this show with slogans and symbols signaling Puerto Rican and Latino pride at a time when federal agents are menacing Spanish speakers and President Trump has declared English to be the national language. But fundamentally, the halftime was a blast: an instant-classic, precisely detailed, relentlessly stimulating medley rooted in the good old-fashioned pleasure principle.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): Bad Bunny’s critics said his Super Bowl halftime show would be divisive. They were totally wrong [ https://substack.com/redirect/424becd6-8642-47f1-8ca0-bfb29b3ec080?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + With messages like, “God bless America” and “The only thing more powerful than hate is love,” it’s no wonder that Trump complained [ https://substack.com/redirect/73ddaa76-3b08-49e2-b593-fc530dc3c357?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] that, “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying...it makes no sense.” Hopefully, he had an easier time understanding Green Day’s pre-game rendition of American Idiot [ https://substack.com/redirect/0bb34b48-9609-484c-b70a-0a78c5ebdfaf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + There are rough journalistic assignments, and then there are rough journalistic assignments. Chandelis Duster in NPR had one of the latter. Here’s what happened at Kid Rock’s alternative halftime show [ https://substack.com/redirect/a618df42-0ed3-49ba-a3fd-5c3c4ed21e4f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + For the most part, the commercials played it as safe [ https://substack.com/redirect/f81a4f5f-1ab8-49b2-8e20-b8125c96d76d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] as the teams’ offenses. A guy whose most famous public meal was Evander Holyfield’s ear giving us dietary advice [ https://substack.com/redirect/22cb25f8-460a-4e89-8abf-ff123b34bdf6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] was certainly a choice. The most notable thing about the ads was that a whole lot of them were for AI companies or used a lot of AI to create [ https://substack.com/redirect/9746e7b3-757d-4b0b-aeea-52663d5105df?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. USA Today ranked all of the commercials [ https://substack.com/redirect/f7f9b358-73a6-4d02-8dc5-ed6b8d210296?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + And, yes, yes. There was a game. But you’d be forgiven for missing it. Everything, and I mean everything, went dark right from the start. The Ringer: How the Seahawks’ Dark Side Defense Turned Super Bowl LX Into a Blowout [ https://substack.com/redirect/6f61a7a0-6880-4b0f-bb44-e75a4f8ebb40?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The best stories on the other side of the ball included a rare MVP for a running back. Seahawks’ Kenneth Walker III becomes first RB to win award in 28 years [ https://substack.com/redirect/7564dbcd-0d8b-4101-9441-8352c563df2b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And the redemption of Sam Darnold [ https://substack.com/redirect/9f714365-ef0d-4992-8359-3a936c2d538b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] was so sweet, I managed to completely forget he played for USC. + And maybe the only thing from Super Bowl week that was more absurd than the halftime controversy was the fact that sports reporters who traveled from around the country were shocked to find out that the most beautiful city in the world isn’t a hellscape. It’s just that right wing media has been lying about it for so long. (Guys, they’ve been lying about everything else, too.) Super Bowl Visitors Find San Francisco Better Than Its Apocalyptic Image [ https://substack.com/redirect/27ab1158-3e52-4872-82c9-3b9d443dfb52?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Somewhere Out There “A prince, an ambassador, senior diplomats, top politicians. All brought down by the Jeffrey Epstein files. And all in Europe, rather than the United States. The huge trove of Epstein documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice has sent shock waves through Europe’s political, economic and social elites — dominating headlines, ending careers and spurring political and criminal investigations.” Epstein revelations have toppled top figures in Europe while US fallout is more muted [ https://substack.com/redirect/0f861907-ccab-4402-9225-8c1e17250e06?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + NBC News: Why the Epstein scandal is Keir Starmer’s most perilous moment yet [ https://substack.com/redirect/1e445f2c-7548-41ec-bc2c-60ec56ef9a92?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] after chief of staff resigns. (Yet, it doesn’t seem perilous at all for certain other world leaders who were best friends with Epstein.) + The Epstein scandal is taking down Europe’s political class. In the US, they’re getting a pass [ https://substack.com/redirect/da2e4fc9-fce2-4afc-a6de-e419af5233de?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Ghislaine Maxwell pleads the Fifth [ https://substack.com/redirect/74c1256f-1934-41d5-80e0-4319dd862f96?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in House Oversight Epstein investigation 3 There’s Something Happening Here “When federal agents swarmed the track on Oct. 19 — weapons drawn, a helicopter overhead, unmarked S.U.V.s screeching in on dirt roads — they did more than crack an alleged gambling ring and increase deportation numbers. They shattered Wilder’s innocent belief that its out-of-the-way location and deep-red politics could isolate the town from the raids overtaking other parts of the country. ‘We rely on Hispanic labor,’ said Chris Gross, a second-generation farmer who grows sweet corn seed and mint in Wilder. She added, ‘Nobody thought something like this could happen here.’” NYT (Gift Article): A Raid in a Small Town Brings Trump’s Deportations to Deep-Red Idaho [ https://substack.com/redirect/4770a4e6-9f1a-4959-9e17-eb05a7f1a0e6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + WSJ (Gift Article): Immigration Raids in South Texas Are Starting to Hit the Economy [ https://substack.com/redirect/8ddbd6b2-b599-478b-99fa-035a3e177001?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Baby One More Time “Most surrogacy contracts forbid disclosing the identities of the parties involved, but, when Elliott sent the author a private message, she confirmed that they were working with the same family. The other surrogate, who lived in Pennsylvania, also shared something else she’d heard about the couple: they already had thirteen children.” Ava Kofman in The New Yorker: The Babies Kept in a Mysterious Los Angeles Mansion [ https://substack.com/redirect/c8c45d26-28aa-48e6-b392-b0c38aee6f7f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Five Ring Circus: “For a nation that had become enraptured in Lindsey Vonn’s comeback story and the norm-defying attempt to win an Olympic medal without an ACL in her left knee, the helpless cries of pain as she lay on her back and as the mountain fell silent will be hard to erase from memory.” The event everyone was waiting for lasted 13 seconds and ended with Vonn being airlifted to the hospital [ https://substack.com/redirect/a80beb5f-f68f-4f40-bf41-e96065e33e75?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The injury to her teammate made the victory more muted, but no less impressive for Breezy Johnson, who called gold medal run ‘surreal’ after 2022 crash [ https://substack.com/redirect/5710a72b-4c47-409a-87c1-25b10a2d534a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Ilia Malinin did Ilia things [ https://substack.com/redirect/84b26e81-a153-44b5-9071-fffbc6022fbb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to help win US figure skating team gold. (He’s known as the Quad God, but with that amazing hair, I think of him as the Mane Man.) The medals are having some technical difficulties. (”Don’t jump in them. I was jumping in excitement, and it broke [ https://substack.com/redirect/507a166f-f51a-47aa-9b73-846d39fcec5c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].”) And yes, sadly, our dear leader is getting involved by calling some US athletes losers on social media [ https://substack.com/redirect/d12a631b-d009-4d6c-ba72-3ff77997e2ac?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The crowds at the Games may have different ideas about who fits that description. NBC appears to cut crowd’s booing of JD Vance from Winter Olympics broadcast [ https://substack.com/redirect/f2e6aa64-2a58-45c0-961c-867728d878a4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Train Dreams: Brain train game may help protect against dementia [ https://substack.com/redirect/12525fd6-9693-4c0f-b4bd-99d7e44c0e0e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for up to 20 years. (It’s probably not quite that simple, but a lot of researchers are excited about this study). Meanwhile, a couple of teas or coffees a day [ https://substack.com/redirect/ba17adc3-7c41-401e-9db9-76b1c912e6e8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] could lower risk of dementia. + Deleting History: “The State Department is removing all posts on its public accounts [ https://substack.com/redirect/88e48ea9-ef56-4ecd-a5c2-d29eb6e63708?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] on the social media platform X made before President Trump returned to office on Jan. 20, 2025.” + Bannon Fodder: Justice Department moves to dismiss Steve Bannon’s criminal case [ https://substack.com/redirect/554fac2d-9f93-4c31-82aa-a5818f09d924?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (The worse you are, the better it is with this Justice Dept.) + Um, That’s Not My Finger: “Proponents predict the new technology will help find cures for rare diseases, discover new drugs, enhance surgeons’ skill and empower patients.” But in the meantime, according to Reuters: As AI enters the operating room, reports arise of botched surgeries and misidentified body parts [ https://substack.com/redirect/d2b04b34-8b86-4109-a415-76420dfe433c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Crypto Night: “In the depths of Donald Trump’s interregnum, his eldest two sons huddled in a Mar-a-Lago conference room with boyhood pal Zach Witkoff to conjure up a new money machine. Two other would-be cryptocurrency entrepreneurs showed up, one in sweatpants.” WSJ (Gift Article): One Generation Runs the Country. The Next Cashed In on Crypto [ https://substack.com/redirect/1b4d51ae-40f1-4b89-958d-d1ed94a62213?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Remind me again. What’s the good part of crypto?) + Lobster Lady: “Her death, in a hospital not far from her home in Rockland, was confirmed by her sternman, Max Oliver Jr., who was also her son. On the frigid and crustacean-filled waters of Penobscot Bay, Mrs. Oliver was known as the Lobster Lady. She was a folk hero to Mainers — an enduring, if fading, emblem of the state’s hardy, matter-of-fact work ethic.” Virginia Oliver, Maine’s ‘Lobster Lady’ and Folk Hero, Dies at 105 [ https://substack.com/redirect/72e8076f-7551-4a36-8919-4cdcfdb9a467?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + On the Job Training: Ultrarunners in secondhand trainers: the rickshaw drivers taking on the world’s toughest races – photo essay [ https://substack.com/redirect/f9a5bd21-495c-4cfd-b6f1-56f0be62ca92?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. This is awesome. 6 Bottom of the News “While traditional Crocs are known as much for their comfort as their divisive design, the LEGO Crocs are all about style. If you’re planning to wear them for long periods, have an Epsom salt bath waiting for you at the end of the day.” We walked a mile in the LEGO Crocs so you don’t have to [ https://substack.com/redirect/1353f8b3-1b4f-45a3-a012-a378a6e67ca8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Some things are worth a little pain...) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROelEwTURBek1Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3dOalk1TnpjNExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ESXlNRFUzTnpnc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5zOWpDelJ3dk1BSGFud0V2eU5XaEVwSlc3R3djbmlQVm96Qkc4S1habkdFIiwicCI6MTg3NDQwMDMwLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzA2Njk3NzgsImV4cCI6MjA4NjI0NTc3OCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.w3mUT_DWHTyQsdhdYJv5yn4v68xCxJ1fJh59ebik8jE?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/the-lyin-king The President of the United States posted a racist video depicting the Obamas as monkeys in what seemed to be an AI-generated parody of The Lion King. After first defending the video (”Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public”), the White House eventually removed the video [ https://substack.com/redirect/29646407-109a-4fa1-a845-b1ad173e1940?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The news here is not Trump’s toddler on cocaine-like lack of social media impulse control. Nor is it his overt racism. That, after all, is his most consistent trait, spanning time (his opening salvo in his first successful presidential run centered on birtherism) and geography (from the masked thugs patrolling the streets of Minneapolis to the funding cuts robbing black and brown kids of food and medicine in “sh-thole [ https://substack.com/redirect/dfc8ac52-b003-4289-8cfa-998ea4924430?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]“ countries). The combination of these personality defects means that one can hardly be surprised that another day brought us yet another adult diaper-full of rancid, racist, social media bile spewed across the internet. What’s notable here is that, at least this once, the media didn’t sugar coat the reality of the story (it was racism, period), even some of Trump’s ardent enablers [ https://substack.com/redirect/162a0d89-1fcc-48c9-9e8c-af5bc77a0bb7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] didn’t try to write off the racism as just Donald being Donald (South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” which is really saying something), and that the White House, at long last, finally deleted something instead of defending it. No one expects this to teach the president, his defenders, or his social media team a lasting lesson, and we’re not bracing ourselves for a return of dignity to the Oval Office. But at least when it comes to this one incident and this one moment in time, the lyin sleeps tonight. 2 Just Another Sunday The Super Bowl used to stand out as a big betting day. But in 2026, it’s more of a representation of every other day (or every other minute). We are betting on anything and everything, and the gamified casinos are in our pockets 24/7. What could possibly go wrong? The Atlantic (Gift Article): Prediction markets are turbocharging America’s obsession with sports gambling [ https://substack.com/redirect/afc0b028-65c5-4198-ba6a-aeaca27283d6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (How turbocharged will it get? Well, you can lay a bet on that [ https://substack.com/redirect/cf35c625-d6fa-4789-93a6-b1acc1572447?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], too.) “Thanks to a loophole, Americans have effectively been able to bet on sports no matter where they live. All they have to do is turn to prediction markets. Platforms such as Kalshi let people wager on lots of things: Who will win the Oscar for Best Actor? How much snow will New York City get this month? Prediction markets say that they are more akin to the stock market than gambling. Rather than betting on odds set by bookmakers, users trade contracts that pay out according to the outcome of a given event. This distinction may not mean much for someone betting on the Seahawks over the Patriots, but it does allow prediction markets to operate even in places where sports betting is illegal.” 3 Bad Pee R A British “athlete has launched a stinging attack on the ICE agency ahead of the opening ceremony at the Winter Games, urinating the words ‘F--- ICE’ into the snow [ https://substack.com/redirect/7e74b7d5-1b21-4384-8b12-08794e7a4a48?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” In addition to having some pretty remarkable aim, Gus Kenworthy represents what could be a somewhat uncomfortable Olympics for the American brand. Protesters have already taken to the streets of Milan to protest the presence of ICE at the Games. And what’s happening in Milan isn’t staying in Milan. Stephen Marche in the NYT (Gift Article): The Globalization of Canadian Rage [ https://substack.com/redirect/bfe548ae-7620-4cff-8a39-212abb878a09?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Throughout last year, the consensus among many European policymakers in the face of Donald Trump’s bombast was to wait out the nonsense and appease when possible. Mr. Carney’s speech arrived at the exact point at which that position proved untenable: Mr. Trump’s intensifying threats to forcibly annex Greenland, not to mention his insults to NATO troops who fought and died alongside U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. ‘They stayed a little back, little off the front lines’ is a statement that will be remembered in Europe alongside ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ and ‘Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall’ as a presidential remark that embodies the American spirit of its moment.” 4 Weekend Whats What to Watch: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley star in a Marvel superhero show that focuses more on struggling actors than superhero stuff. It’s a solid show. Check out Wonder Man on Disney [ https://substack.com/redirect/4ff61ae9-3216-4ba7-8fa3-bd60d7b8173b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + What to Book: Don Winslow retired from writing new books. Luckily, that retirement didn’t hold, and he’s back with an excellent collection of short stories that Stephen King calls “The best crime fiction I’ve read in twenty years.” The Final Score [ https://substack.com/redirect/a5200bec-508b-48de-8b84-43ab9020f103?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + What to Doc: If you’re looking for a good way to get into the Olympic spirit, check out the new doc about one of the games’ greatest moments and maybe the greatest commentator moment ever. On Netflix: Miracle: The Boys of ‘80 [ https://substack.com/redirect/b17bf407-200a-4585-9d87-fc68c933891e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Plumb Jobs: “The unemployment gap between workers with bachelor’s degrees and those with occupational associate’s degrees — such as plumbers, electricians and pipe fitters — flipped in 2025.” For the first time in 50 years, college grads are losing their edge [ https://substack.com/redirect/d3f5ccca-0d6c-4053-b848-226eb6f070a8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Quiet, Riggie: “A decade ago, in the America of the Before Times, this would have been a ridiculous discussion, given that it is ‘not constitutional or legal’ to federalize elections as Trump wants, as the Republican election lawyer Benjamin Ginsberg put it this week. But we live in the post-January 6th world, so the better question to ask is this: With a President who is already the first in our history to try to overturn the results of an election he decisively lost, what more will it take for us to finally acknowledge that, when he says this stuff, he actually means to follow through with it?” The New Yorker: Donald Trump Already Knows the 2026 Election Is “Rigged [ https://substack.com/redirect/d4023ff5-1d12-42da-9474-0a905dee8bb4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]”. + Assad Sack: “Many describe a detached ruler, obsessed with sex and video games, who probably could have saved his regime at any time in the past few years if he hadn’t been so stubborn and vain.” Robert F. Worth in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Fall of the House of Assad [ https://substack.com/redirect/9844482e-e44e-4256-abea-f042f5d924d1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + What the World Needs Now: “Imagine you’re the leader of a nation, and you face a dilemma. Half a million or so people who are crucial to everyone’s daily lives inhabit your country. They care for aging parents, work at small and large companies, harvest the food that’s on the table. They are also part of your community. On weekends, they walk in the parks, go to restaurants and play on the local amateur soccer team. But one crucial thing makes these half a million people different from other people in your country: They don’t have the legal documents that allow them to live there.” I’m the Prime Minister of Spain. This Is Why the West Needs Migrants [ https://substack.com/redirect/90ec5252-3f22-4c2e-8203-b297b058a5a6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + All Narcissism and No Play Makes Don a Dulles Boy:Trump wanted Dulles Airport and Penn Station named after him — in exchange for releasing federal funds [ https://substack.com/redirect/4030f9b2-64ab-4d92-aa00-c6775986b6fd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. He already has a prescription drug site [ https://substack.com/redirect/dd7bcd7b-82a5-4f1e-ac46-31e10405f35b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] named after him. + Vaccine But Not Heard: “Over two days of questioning during his Senate confirmation hearings last year, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. repeated the same answer. He said the closely scrutinized 2019 trip he took to Samoa, which came before a devastating measles outbreak, had ‘nothing to do with vaccines.’” Surprise! It had to do with vaccines [ https://substack.com/redirect/1471dfc4-4e63-4b04-a731-55b359072d6f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Prime Spree: WSJ (Gift Article): Trump’s New Tax Law Saved Amazon Billions [ https://substack.com/redirect/b6255868-2f4f-4b4a-91d8-8ef0d3783ce6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Feel Good Friday “A division of the U.S. Agency for International Development eliminated by Trump administration cuts last year was reborn Thursday as an independent nonprofit [ https://substack.com/redirect/e4d6af35-537e-4214-add8-4f9545b6c518?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], allowing its international work to continue in a new form.” + “Statins, cholesterol-lowering drugs taken by 200 million people worldwide, are safer than previously believed [ https://substack.com/redirect/d8690a2c-58e3-456a-8518-0cddbcf1a34f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], new research suggested. A review of previous studies totalling 123,000 patients found that only four of 66 potential side effects listed on statins’ packaging were actually caused by the drugs.” + These Kansas City students run a credit union from inside their high school. Yes, with real money [ https://substack.com/redirect/9e5718d1-6f74-47ae-bd8e-a60bd101507b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + An Australian 13-year-old who swam 2.49 miles to shore and then ran 1.24 miles to get help for his stranded family has been described as superhuman[ https://substack.com/redirect/a937b027-bd2d-4417-89ef-9f128a569fb2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Noah Winter brags he’s been to way more Super Bowls than Tom Brady. Brady competed in 10 — more than any other player. But Winter will be part of the Super Bowl spectacle for his 30th straight year this year, not in uniform but as the guy in charge of the celebratory confetti [ https://substack.com/redirect/4af2137b-f348-4cf1-b49a-cb32e437d066?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] after the game ends.” Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROekV5T1RnMk9Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3dOREE1TkRnekxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ERTVORFUwT0RNc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5LbmV2OUNkR2xTY1AzczJNcG9hNDBkVm9jVG5CWFk3VU5ObXRaaXp6NDBRIiwicCI6MTg3MTI5ODY5LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzA0MDk0ODMsImV4cCI6MjA4NTk4NTQ4MywiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.rCYzt1MTXUMEXK5HMhhOLZrfXYwqh1XRPBZiFX8wdMw?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/aggie-with-a-spoon There’s a teachable moment taking place on campuses across the country. The lesson that will ultimately be learned will largely depend on who, in the end, is left doing the teaching. Politics isn’t just invading campuses; in many cases, syllabi-curious politicians (or the people who fund them) are taking over leadership roles at universities, playing god on the quad. Among the big changes taking place over just the past few years is the widespread surveillance of what teachers choose to teach, and the punishments doled out when those assignments fail to make the grade. NYT (Gift Article): “College professors once taught free from political interference, with mostly their students and colleagues privy to their lectures and book assignments. Now, they are being watched by state officials, senior administrators and students themselves [ https://substack.com/redirect/892a1223-7f8c-45df-b423-bbf3555c5c27?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + Nowhere has the control over a campus been more pronounced than at Texas A&M. The Aggies have seen five presidents in five years, high-profile firings and cancellations, and crackdowns on dissent. What’s so troubling about what’s taking place in College Station isn’t just the degradation of educational values, it’s the breathless pace at which things are changing. DEI, now considered a crime against the Humanities Department, was not only common at A&M, until quite recently, it was celebrated. “When the school was designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution in 2022, federal recognition that comes with additional funding for schools with a student population that is at least 25 percent Hispanic, interim provost Tim Scott said it was ‘indicative of how seriously we take our land-grant mission to serve all the citizens of this great state.’ ... But within a year or so of Scott’s statement, it became completely impermissible to talk this way.” Christopher Hooks in Texas Monthly: Texas A&M’s Melting Point [ https://substack.com/redirect/0940d401-9e33-45be-901e-bc7d1b59fadf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Alt link [ https://substack.com/redirect/38e33473-e488-4048-a3a5-5c46cb5f6222?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] just in case.) “The ... reason you should care is that the political questions facing Texas A&M are the most important questions facing the nation as a whole. In 2026, the university will celebrate its 150th birthday and the nation will celebrate its 250th. Who counts as a true Aggie? A true Texan? A true American? .... The frenzied political squabbling over buzzwords, both at A&M and in the nation at large, obscures what is really being debated every day now in a thousand different forms: whether we can keep a plural, tolerant, diverse republic, or whether those who currently have power can mandate ways of thinking, ways of being, and a social hierarchy based on difference.” + From WaPo (Gift Article): Before Trump ban, universities were slowly making faculties more diverse [ https://substack.com/redirect/ab73ec28-2a0a-4c31-b0a7-ecff188fc903?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Now, defending that diversity often leads to removal. Former Villanova professor says she was fired after accusing the law school of racial discrimination [ https://substack.com/redirect/d4727c6b-43a1-4262-9e0c-f2edbcced839?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The broader reason why these school brawls are important is because they represent what is a much larger battle over American truth and history, one that extends from the White House (where they just published a website that rewrites history of the Jan. 6 attack [ https://substack.com/redirect/ea390cc9-36fc-4932-9a57-4d9ddd482c66?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]) all the way to visitor brochures recently pulled from the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National Monument. Medgar Evers’ killer was a Klansman, but Trump administration says stop calling him a racist [ https://substack.com/redirect/866b9ecb-a226-4220-922b-a64e79836df2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. To you, that probably sounds ridiculous. To those who want to rewrite American history, it’s all part of the (lesson) plan. 2 We Didn’t START the Fire “Despite a new era of superpower confrontation, talks over a new START treaty — or even an informal extension of the current one — never got off the ground, frozen by the war in Ukraine. When President Trump was asked in January why he had not taken up President Vladimir V. Putin’s offer for a one-year informal extension, he shrugged. ‘If it expires, it expires.’” (The same, apparently, goes for us.) NYT (Gift Article): Nuclear Arms Control Era Comes to End Amid Global Rush for New Weapons [ https://substack.com/redirect/4aaedd15-0342-4295-b733-e91c1dae3fc3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + According to Axios, there are talks of extending the pact [ https://substack.com/redirect/ecf0bb6c-8fa4-40eb-bde9-75a02a5bad32?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]between the Russians and Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. (Which sort of makes me think it’s not a bad time to build a bunker...) 3 Pop Goes the Measles “In 2026, the U.S. is facing the possibility of more and bigger measles outbreaks, as federal leaders have actively shrunk vaccine access, dismissed vaccine experts, and sowed doubts about vaccine benefits. Under these conditions, many experts are doubtful that facing down more disease, even its worst consequences, will convince enough Americans that more protection is necessary.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Only Thing That Will Turn Measles Back [ https://substack.com/redirect/3522a589-8acc-4938-983d-784ef5fcad12?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Spoiler alert: It’s gonna take a surge in vaccinations encouraged by the government. Spoiler alert part two. Uh...) 4 Five Ring Circus There really doesn’t seem to be much hype around the Olympics or the Super Bowl. Let’s try to get a little excited with the story of Dick Hammer. Sam Darnold’s grandfather, Dick Hammer, is the stuff of LA legend [ https://substack.com/redirect/4212de54-4ddb-4e5b-80cd-dcb7e09d2f26?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Athletic: John Biever has photographed every Super Bowl. Here are his 5 favorite shots [ https://substack.com/redirect/0759e360-0117-442d-87c6-5848c3095466?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “While the Opening Ceremony isn’t scheduled until Friday, the first event of the Milan Cortina Games was held Wednesday with a set of mixed doubles curling matches.” About five minutes into the event (and the Games), the lights went out [ https://substack.com/redirect/8fbfcf3d-94c4-45f8-bd08-a48a824b2329?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I guess it’s a good thing Don Meredith didn’t sing in Italian [ https://substack.com/redirect/119cba91-d153-4417-865e-67c6a2066000?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]...) + ‘Penis injection’ claims in Winter Olympics ski jumping investigated by Wada [ https://substack.com/redirect/2f14759f-a5a7-415c-85ed-57993b1600d3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Interesting. I would have assumed that the penis injections would have been related to the dick hammer story...) 5 Extra, Extra You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Hard Drive: “The Department of Homeland Security has been quietly demanding tech companies turn over user information about critics [ https://substack.com/redirect/72ae682d-7666-4d68-b665-5917ad046f53?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] of the Trump administration, according to reports.” This fits in with many other reports we’ve been reading about. Like this one from David Wallace Wells in the NYT (Gift Article): ICE’s New Surveillance State Isn’t Tracking Only Immigrants [ https://substack.com/redirect/e5731100-adc5-4f47-bd21-2969b73438d1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “In video after video recorded by protesters and observers in Minneapolis, you can see that the agents are also filming the observers, in a sort of mutual surveillance state.” (One side has better tech...) + Prime Suspect: If you missed it yesterday, here’s my take on a sad for journalism. The Washington Post was murdered. And we have a Prime Suspect [ https://substack.com/redirect/4cb4e2f8-43f1-4831-8af6-37ba2dfda110?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Contain Yourself: “The first signs of the apocalypse might look a little like Moltbook: a new social-media platform, launched last week, that is supposed to be populated exclusively by AI bots—1.6 million of them and counting say hello, post software ideas, and exhort other AIs to ‘stop worshiping biological containers that will rot away.’ (Humans: They mean humans.)” The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Chatbots Appear to Be Organizing [ https://substack.com/redirect/bc4463fc-adf6-495e-8ea6-73370e3c5063?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Take This Job and Gov It: “I am here with you, Your Honor. What do you want me to do? The system sucks. This job sucks.” Surge in Immigration Cases in Minnesota Pushes Prosecutors and Judges to Brink [ https://substack.com/redirect/ce04788d-4f18-4a83-bbbe-4e58e3737b4b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. There was a lot more to the exchange between judge and lawyer. The unfathomable Minnesota transcript that must be read [ https://substack.com/redirect/fd825bff-92a7-4533-b632-67485c0ab4f6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], as it tells the reality of America today. “’I am not white, as you can see,’ Julie Le — a government lawyer — told a federal judge on Tuesday. ‘And my family’s at risk as any other people that might get picked up too.’” (Julie Le is no longer a government lawyer...) + Carpet Bombing: “The full story of Georgia’s power structures prioritizing a prized industry over public health is only now emerging through dozens of interviews and thousands of pages of court records from lawsuits against the industry and its chemical suppliers. Those records, including testimony from key executives, emails and other internal documents, detail how carpet companies benefited from chemistry and regulatory inaction to keep using forever chemicals. All the while, the mills still hummed.” AP: Inside America’s carpet capital: an empire and its toxic legacy [ https://substack.com/redirect/fc974c76-bf50-4b8c-ae9f-29a1ce441878?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Booking Business: Spotify has been in the audiobook business for a while. That seems to fit the brand. But now they’re going to sell physical books as well [ https://substack.com/redirect/6e57c98b-23e3-48b6-ada0-b10b37a177e3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Ticket Snub: “The situation in which fans find themselves today—looking out at a screaming chasm between what they have to pay for an in-demand ticket and what feels fair—might be the result of how a ticket gets into their hands in the first place.” GQ: The Great Ticket Crisis: How Attending Live Events Became a Luxury Sport [ https://substack.com/redirect/c71df1a6-01d2-4e97-9fd3-0652fc554dbf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Caught Red Handed: “The patient had just arrived at the hospital with nine fingers. The three cops standing in front of him were confident they had the other one. ‘I heard you’re missing something,’ Officer Andrew Richardson said.” WaPo (Gift Article): He lost a pinkie trying to kill a man. From prison, he made things worse [ https://substack.com/redirect/a84b4ea0-fa74-4aa9-b312-a73884e3ce14?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “The influx of tourists to the town of Fujiyoshida has led to chronic traffic congestion and litter, while some residents say they’ve experienced tourists trespassing or defecating in private gardens.” Japan cherry blossom festival cancelled over badly behaved tourists [ https://substack.com/redirect/b8e36145-82e3-4809-8f31-d3db124be4ef?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I’ve suffered from travel IBS my entire life. I never even realized that just defecating in someone’s garden was an option...) + Yesterday’s bottom of the story link was a dud. Here’s one that should work. Whatever you do, don’t mess with Pittsburgh’s parking chairs [ https://substack.com/redirect/79895da8-9214-426e-b4d8-7d5b78ffbaf7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROekF5TWpNMk15d2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3dNekkxTlRBekxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ERTROakUxTURNc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS40RWoxempLbDNjWTJjTTBFUVBQZUpmYThnLUY1R2JKSkpxZHROb0EtREg0IiwicCI6MTg3MDIyMzYzLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzAzMjU1MDMsImV4cCI6MjA4NTkwMTUwMywiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.BCqMW-QwxAGBS8ba0AbcbfIMx3Uy0NiyaBVrpAxPX_I?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/prime-suspect Hello, I’d like to report a murder. While the plot has been in place for some time, the actual killing just took place today in Washington, DC. I’m reporting the homicide here, in this independent media source, because I’m not at all sure that the Washington paper of record still has anyone on the murder beat. Across local, international, and sports desks, the Washington Post is laying off more than 300 journalists [ https://substack.com/redirect/52ae88a1-652d-44fa-8e27-53202c8876b1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. According to the NYT, “The cuts are a sign that Jeff Bezos, who became one of the world’s richest people by selling things on the internet, has not yet figured out how to build and maintain a profitable publication on the internet.” This point of view assumes that Bezos’ goal in owning the Post was to build a profitable publication on the internet. But it’s been a long time since we’ve seen any signs the Amazonian billionaire’s prime concern was associated with such trifles as achieving a rounding error-sized profit in a vanity project which, at $250 million, cost him roughly half as much as his yacht (which also doesn’t turn a profit [ https://substack.com/redirect/ab76a69d-41aa-4fc8-ba0f-fcb085b03579?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]). No, this was never about turning bauble into bling. It was about power and access, and sometimes those are best achieved through failure. What could make the current administration happier than the demise of the paper that exposed Watergate? Hence, the decision to go postal on the Post. As Ian Bremmer succinctly explains [ https://substack.com/redirect/b99f2d58-eaec-425a-8267-f930bd849dfd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: “The Washington Post is a political access play for Bezos, it’s not about supporting independent media or promoting democracy. This should have been clear to all for years now. But it’s impossible to ignore today.” Under Bezos’ watch, the Post adopted the tagline, Democracy Dies in Darkness. By now, we all know better. It gets bludgeoned to death in the cold light of day. + The Atlantic (Gift Article) still has a crime beat. From Ashley Parker: The Murder of The Washington Post [ https://substack.com/redirect/ddc7dc7e-07cd-43d7-a3f4-983f946d1bd4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The least cynical explanation is that Bezos simply isn’t paying attention. Maybe—like so many of us initially—he was charmed by Lewis’s British accent and studied loucheness that mask an emperor whose bespoke threads are no clothes at all. Or maybe, as many of us who deeply love the Post fear, the decimation is the plan.” + Margaret Sullivan, former media columnist for WaPo, on the scene of the crime: “The hallmark (the “brand”) of the Washington Post has been accountability journalism. Thus, today’s staff decimation is Bezos’s greatest gift to Trump [ https://substack.com/redirect/53ca2ea9-0b31-4753-94c7-25c306403747?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], so much more valuable than the Melania movie, inauguration money, etc. This disaster began, for real, with the Harris endorsement he killed.” + Even though the Post has been shrinking (in size and goals), it’s still been responsible for some vital reporting. Let’s hope there will still be coverage like the story I led with yesterday, one of the more important and disturbing reports from a disturbing time. This Knock Knock is No Joke [ https://substack.com/redirect/dbbc34bd-cf5b-4880-aab7-3ddfb6e44c45?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Clown with Crown Wants Frown Upside Down “’I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile,’ Mr. Trump said in a sarcastic tone, while sitting at the Resolute Desk. ‘I’ve known you for 10 years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile on your face ... You know why you’re not smiling? Because you know you’re not telling the truth ... You are so bad. You know, you are the worst reporter. No wonder. CNN has no ratings because of people like you.’” In keeping with his quiet piggy tradition of misogynistically debasing the office and the country, Trump Scolded CNN’s Kaitlan Collins for ‘Not Smiling [ https://substack.com/redirect/f09d2b49-4247-4a50-944e-ee2f443e2c8e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]’ (while she was asking a question about Epstein’s victims). On one side of the desk, politicians stood by silently as Trump personally attacked Kaitlin Collins. On the other side of the desk, her colleagues did the same. A country doesn’t fall this far this fast without teamwork. 3 Old Man and the Sea Change “Sixteen years ago, at age 66, López García first tried running a mile. He’d recently retired after spending his entire working life as a car mechanic in Toledo, Spain. In all those years, he’d never trained as an athlete or exercised much at all. He couldn’t finish that first mile. He could barely start it.” Well, he improved. A lot. Now, he’s a world-record holding ultramarathoner. He can probably teach us a lot more about health and longevity than the longevity bros [ https://substack.com/redirect/7a97933b-73cf-4c9b-818e-caccf024788c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] selling their supplements on social media. WaPo(Gift Article): At 82, he’s as fit as a 20-year-old. His body holds clues to healthy aging [ https://substack.com/redirect/f0a398af-c42c-4d9d-8638-3373be27d55a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Baby Sitcom “Laughter does more than increase pleasurable social contact; infant laughter, especially when it occurs in response to humor, signals a cognitive achievement. When an infant laughs at Dad wearing a spoon as a mustache, it reveals the baby’s knowledge about spoons and mustaches, as well as about the person wearing it.” NYT (Gift Article): The Evolutionary Brilliance of the Baby Giggle [ https://substack.com/redirect/23006d41-a845-456c-b583-5d511bcd51d2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (At this point, it’s pretty refreshing to see news coverage of babyish behavior that’s actually coming from babies...) 5 Extra, Extra Pulling Out: “The Trump administration will withdraw 700 federal immigration agents from Minnesota [ https://substack.com/redirect/5a828a2a-12a6-4540-8c0b-5cd146243fd5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday. The move comes weeks after agents killed two U.S. citizens, sparking protests across the country.” (A drawdown is good, but there will still be more than 2,000 agents left in a city with 600 police officers. And this move follows two killings captured on video...) + Secrets and Nationalize: “President Trump doubled down on his extraordinary call for the Republican Party to ‘nationalize’ voting in the United States [ https://substack.com/redirect/49cdd533-9e28-416f-bef6-1883281eb941?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], even as the White House tried to walk it back and members of his own party criticized the idea.” (Are we really gonna have another friggin debate about whether or not this guy will try to steal an election?) + Immigrant Pop: “For each year from 1994 to 2023, the US immigrant population generated more in taxes than they received in benefits from all levels of government. Over that period, immigrants created a cumulative fiscal surplus of $14.5 trillion in real 2024 US dollars, including $3.9 trillion in savings on interest on the debt.” Immigrants’ Recent Effects on Government Budgets [ https://substack.com/redirect/19a4fdfb-0bfc-4139-8bc6-17704b1bc8cb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Eviction Notice: “The former Prince Andrew has moved out of his longtime home on crown-owned land [ https://substack.com/redirect/605ca53c-bd3f-490d-b982-8f5d82562449?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] near Windsor Castle earlier than expected after the latest release of documents from the U.S. investigation of Jeffrey Epstein revived questions about his friendship with the convicted sex offender.” (In the UK, an Epstein connection gets you evicted. In America, it gets you a ballroom addition.) + District Adherence: Supreme Court Clears Way for California Voting Map [ https://substack.com/redirect/78db7ca2-2475-4442-a76c-9bd3f2602bc0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “’Donald Trump said he was ‘entitled’ to five more congressional seats in Texas,’ Gov. Gavin Newsom of California said in a statement on Wednesday. ‘He started this redistricting war. He lost, and he’ll lose again in November.’” + Abducted? “The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show cohost Savannah Guthrie, is being investigated as an abduction [ https://substack.com/redirect/985a5e3e-0fc0-470a-a56a-7455b3417d77?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], as authorities in Arizona say they are probing a possible ransom note sent to a local TV station.” + It’s Not All Downhill From Here: “’No doctor could endorse a normal person to go skiing, let alone competitively so,’ said Dr. Yair David Kissin, an orthopedic surgeon and knee specialist at Hackensack University Medical Center (N.J.). But Vonn is not a normal person — or even a normal competitive athlete.” Why doctors say Lindsey Vonn has ‘a great chance to perform well’ despite ACL tear [ https://substack.com/redirect/f53c90d7-b305-437e-a320-d075682181ba?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Photo Finish: Here are some scenes from the 150th Westminster Dog Show [ https://substack.com/redirect/e4732123-b92b-4d2c-8a85-3b1ee9d1e045?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and some of the entries for Wildlife Photographer of the Year [ https://substack.com/redirect/90888d22-2896-4844-a313-99bdbd05cdb5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “Down the block of working-class homes, more than a dozen chairs of various shapes and vintages were securing their own rectangle of space: a sturdy dining room chair, an office chair on a swivel, two bar stools, a wrought-iron patio love seat, an orange plastic lawn chair. In Pittsburgh, it’s parking chair season.” WSJ (Gift Article): Whatever You Do, Don’t Mess With Pittsburgh’s Parking Chairs [ https://substack.com/redirect/6375f856-615b-46d5-830f-2d2531851d24?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROamt3TkRFMk1pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3dNak0zTXprNExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ERTNOek16T1Rnc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS53eEpKemR2U29mdU05YVBTVWM2SlVvLXV5U1Q4U0drMDNzR3JCR3EtbUxnIiwicCI6MTg2OTA0MTYyLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzAyMzczOTgsImV4cCI6MjA4NTgxMzM5OCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0._hEVyxBgzZCtcD1t7VjzliwoaLLsTAQHZ-5BGnaZBg8?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/this-knock-knock-is-no-joke “Mr. Dernbach, don’t play Russian roulette with H’s life. Err on the side of caution. There’s a reason the US government along with many other governments don’t recognise the Taliban. Apply principles of common sense and decency.” That was an email that Jon, a retired American from a Philadelphia suburb, fired off from his Gmail account to a prosecutor at the Dept of Homeland Security after reading a story about efforts to deport an Afghan whose life would be in immediate danger from the Taliban. The email contained no threats. It was just a measured call for caution and decency from someone who thought that people like him needed to speak up if we want to preserve America’s better values. The response was less measured. “Five hours and one minute later, Jon was watching TV with his wife when an email popped up in his inbox. He noticed it on his phone. ‘Google,’ the message read, ‘has received legal process from a Law Enforcement authority compelling the release of information related to your Google Account.’ Listed below was the type of legal process: ‘subpoena.’ And below that, the authority: ‘Department of Homeland Security.’ That’s how it began. Soon would come a knock at the door by men with badges and, for Jon, the relentless feeling of being surveilled in a country where he never imagined he would be.” There are a lot of things going on in our country that we never imagined would be. Most of the coverage goes to the things happening out in the public, often captured on video. But, as the knock on Jon’s Philadelphia front door makes clear, there are a lot of things happening in the shadows as well. WaPo (Gift Article): Homeland Security is targeting Americans with this secretive legal weapon [ https://substack.com/redirect/afa48f55-0735-4417-8de8-2dc10afb51e6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Anything you say can and will be used against you. But that’s no longer just limited to the moments after you’ve been arrested and read your Miranda warning. Anything you say, write, buy, do, share, or send anywhere, anytime can be used against you. Just ask a guy named Jon from a Philadelphia suburb who shared this story, but who, for obvious reasons, asked that his last name not be used. In America. + Everything we do online, and much of what we do offline, is easily trackable. Many of us have long worried that corporations compiling and crunching all that data can use it for marketing purposes. We have something bigger to worry about now. Tressie Mcmillan Cottom in the NYT (Gift Article): ICE Is Watching You [ https://substack.com/redirect/0388bca1-2f86-4ee3-82da-753fef434c32?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The companies that already use our data — to target us with advertisements, to assess our eligibility for loans or insurance — are limited largely by the concerns of business: for the most part, a company wants your wallet, not your liberty. The same cannot be said of this administration.” + Sometimes surveillance seems like a good thing. Flock cameras are used by cities and towns across the country to help police departments catch car thieves and other crooks. But like all other data, this material is not safe when we have a federal government that even law enforcement can’t trust. Mountain View police turn off license plate readers, allege unauthorized federal use [ https://substack.com/redirect/0fa5f251-c7bf-4b2c-a2f0-74a21237c5e3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Last month, another Bay Area city terminated its Flock contract [ https://substack.com/redirect/8b89c8af-cea7-4f1f-956b-fb7d880d3909?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for the same reason. 2 France Stance “French prosecutors raided the offices of social media platform X on Tuesday as part of a preliminary investigation into allegations including spreading child sexual abuse images and deepfakes [ https://substack.com/redirect/f3d63dbb-3328-4bf5-adb9-57353b5b2dc0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. They have also summoned billionaire owner Elon Musk for questioning.” In different times, this may have been an investigation American officials would have led. Instead, we can expect a lot of pushback, and probably some threats, from the US government. + Reuters: Despite new curbs, Elon Musk’s Grok at times produces sexualized images [ https://substack.com/redirect/19a4eb94-96b0-4874-a394-432ec4d2634d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] - even when told subjects didn’t consent. + The missing guardrails on xAI are no mistake. They were removed to boost the app’s popularity. WaPo (Gift Article): Inside Musk’s bet to hook users that turned Grok into a porn generator [ https://substack.com/redirect/8995258b-e92d-459f-a5b4-fa1512fa7d52?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + This is no longer just a story about a social network or a consumer AI program. “The biggest merger in history, with an asterisk, just happened: SpaceX has acquired xAI to create a $1.25 trillion giant. It’s an all-stock deal — and the stock is private (and privately valued, hence the asterisk), though SpaceX plans to go public later this year.” The Numbers, and Questions, Behind Musk’s Mega-Merger [ https://substack.com/redirect/a826094f-819b-4423-804d-23278def3f24?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Tired: Too big to fail. Wired: Too big to care.) 3 Tear Jerkers “I know that intellectually. But I still did not expect them to gas a chill, friendly protest full of nurses and teachers and children and the elderly.” Sarah Jeong in The Verge: How to tear gas children [ https://substack.com/redirect/2020a5dd-a932-4ab4-b91c-a3598880d746?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “The 7-year-old Gresham girl who was detained on her way to see the doctor [ https://substack.com/redirect/5abe83b0-7b46-4380-b4c5-5a7e2f54bfdd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] last month is only eating bread with mayonnaise and her family has to purchase water because the water provided at the Texas detention center where they’re being held is undrinkable.” (In a twist that seems all too predictable in today’s America, there’s also been a measles outbreak in the facility.) 4 Five Ring Circus It sort of seems hard to believe that the Winter Olympics are just a few days from now. For a quick preview, NPR has a guide to 19 Winter Olympic storylines [ https://substack.com/redirect/6c919b1d-7ea7-4652-ba92-c164c4d18b9c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. For Americans, all eyes will be on Lindsey Vonn, whose high-profile comeback was dealt a serious blow when she crashed at the last event before the games. Despite a ‘ruptured’ knee ligament, Lindsey Vonn says she will compete in the Olympics [ https://substack.com/redirect/bbc88778-2f80-4fce-832c-47f89a09cf12?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (If I had a ruptured knee ligament, I’m not sure I’d have the strength to watch the Olympics...) 5 Extra, Extra Grill Bill and Hill: “For months, the Clintons resisted subpoenas from the committee, but House Republicans — with support from a few Democrats — had advanced criminal contempt of Congress charges to a potential vote this week. It threatened the Clintons with the potential for substantial fines and even prison time if they had been convicted.” Clintons finalize agreement to testify in House Epstein probe [ https://substack.com/redirect/6e81567b-198a-450f-a869-d5dd5391e618?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], bowing to threat of contempt vote. + Drone Blown: Tensions between the US and Iran just got more tense. US fighter jet shoots down Iranian drone [ https://substack.com/redirect/1ae5152a-e59a-44ff-b848-fa14170c7a18?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] approaching US aircraft carrier. + We’ll Have Something For You in Two Weeks: “The legislation will ensure full-year funding for the federal government through the end of September, with the lone exception of the Department of Homeland Security, which is put on a two-week leash as Democrats insist on changes after federal agents fatally shot two Americans in Minneapolis.” House passes bill to end the shutdown and punt on DHS funding [ https://substack.com/redirect/7b3392b7-f850-4c18-a344-532a9a7be59f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Owning the Lib: “Manufacturers shed workers in each of the eight months after Trump unveiled ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs, according to federal figures, extending a contraction that has seen more than 200,000 roles disappear since 2023.” WSJ (Gift Article): U.S. Manufacturing Is in Retreat and Trump’s Tariffs Aren’t Helping [ https://substack.com/redirect/ad6c7a72-6303-467c-bcb0-24748b88702d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Longevity Influencer Falls Short: “If you didn’t know who Peter Attia was last week, here’s how you’ll remember him going forward: Attia is the guy who once emailed Jeffrey Epstein to confirm that ‘pussy is, indeed, low carb. Still awaiting results on gluten content, though.’” The Longevity Influencer Who Went Into ‘Withdrawal’ Without Jeffrey Epstein [ https://substack.com/redirect/49ba2eca-28f8-4152-8a68-95adaf059258?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Attia has been forced to step down from several roles, including at protein bar company David Protein [ https://substack.com/redirect/1354c595-26d3-4367-9fae-ff0978ed9f97?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. His recent hiring to be an expert at the all-new CBS News is also at risk. It’s interesting how the Epstein connection can ruin some people and not harm others at all. + Harvard Yardline: “Trump issued his latest broadside hours after the New York Times reported that his administration had retreated from pressuring Harvard for $200 million to satisfy accusations of wrongdoing.” Trump Says He Wants $1 Billion From Harvard in New Attack [ https://substack.com/redirect/fe26ec74-2161-4716-ad37-da0c77879bdc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Mouse Click: “D’Amaro, 54, is seen as CEO in the classic Disney mold with nearly 30 years of experience on the retail side of Disney, giving him a visceral understanding of how children and families interact with the Mouse House brand.” Josh D’Amaro Is Disney’s Next CEO, Replacing Bob Iger [ https://substack.com/redirect/a397c49f-782b-44b8-8be2-959735705c9b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Trevi Levy: “Tourists hoping to get close to the Trevi Fountain had to pay 2 euros ($2.35) starting Monday [ https://substack.com/redirect/1d8471b4-d195-40a6-b65b-1ab3963ab357?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] as the city of Rome inaugurated a new fee structure to help raise money and control crowds at one of the world’s most celebrated waterworks.” (You can expect this to be the norm in more places as over-tourism, especially at Instagram-famous spots, remains a big issue.) 6 Bottom of the News “For decades, Japan has enjoyed a reputation as one of the cleanest places in the world, all while having almost no public trash cans. But an influx of foreign visitors—a record 42.7 million last year—is disrupting the garbage equilibrium. In some tourist-heavy areas, littering is on the rise, leading some local officials to rethink waste management.” Tourists in Japan Are Baffled: Where Are the Trash Cans [ https://substack.com/redirect/3ec81d76-0595-4ce1-8d41-d81a7be39626?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/honey-i-shrunk-the-country-802 “If there’s one single consistent advantage the United States has carried since its founding, it is its ability to draw talent and expand its population.” But, if you haven’t noticed, we’re living in an era during which those in power seem determined to cede our country’s consistent advantages. And so it is with population growth. Bloomberg (Gift Article): The US Is Flirting With Its First-Ever Population Decline [ https://substack.com/redirect/32031fb5-e679-4034-a69e-d65798e41270?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The shrinking population of China, which in 2025 recorded its lowest birth rate since Communist rule began in 1949, is one good reason it may never overtake the US as the world’s largest economy. Japan’s population peaked at 128 million in 2010, and its decline has dragged on growth for years. Europe’s worsening demographics have long fed its narrative of economic malaise.” Why would we let other countries corner the market on capped growth and economic malaise when we can become unwelcoming enough as a nation to create similar challenges here at home? America has become a show-er, not a grower. + Dollars to Donuts: Our population growth isn’t the only number going down. So is the value of the dollar. The New Yorker: How Trump Is Debasing the Dollar and Eroding U.S. Economic Dominance [ https://substack.com/redirect/20178874-a4cd-45cc-877a-4f734f072c25?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “While the stock market, which is firmly in the grip of A.I. fever, rapidly shrugged off the Greenland crisis, the value of the dollar continued to decline: by last Thursday, it had fallen about three per cent. To the uninitiated, this might not sound like a big move, but the market for dollars is highly liquid—millions of transactions are taking place at any given time—and sudden price jumps are rare. During the run-up to Davos, there wasn’t any big news about G.D.P. growth, interest rates, or other economic factors that influence currency traders.” + “Perhaps the key to the dollar’s drop is the ripple effect of the president’s erratic policymaking, including abrupt stops and starts with tariffs and military action against a lengthening list of countries. After more than a year of nonstop upheaval emanating from the White House, many foreign investment managers are exhausted.” WaPo (Gift Article): Trump’s chaotic governing style is hurting the value of the U.S. dollar [ https://substack.com/redirect/bb9ccafa-b30e-4c0d-b7aa-d0fc02721bee?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Trump is putting his mouth where your money is.) 2 The Art of the Heel I don’t want all this talk of population stagnation and devaluing dollars to give you the idea that no one is thriving in our economy, because some people really are. Consider this recent deal that “marked something unprecedented in American politics: a foreign government official taking a major ownership stake in an incoming U.S. president’s company.” WSJ (Gift Article): Spy Sheikh Bought Secret Stake in Trump Company [ https://substack.com/redirect/575e9c7e-e9a5-4b7f-8511-55996b0d6b76?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The “$500 million investment for 49% of World Liberty came months before U.A.E. won access to tightly guarded American AI chips ... The deal with World Liberty Financial, which hasn’t previously been reported, was signed by Eric Trump, the president’s son. At least $31 million was also slated to flow to entities affiliated with the family of Steve Witkoff, a World Liberty co-founder who weeks earlier had been named U.S. envoy to the Middle East.” 3 Connecting the Daughts While my teenage daughter occasionally prefers to text me from behind her closed door rather than suffer an in-person exchange, I was surprised by some of these statistics: “Fathers and daughters are more likely to become estranged than other pairs within the nuclear family. According to a 2022 study of national longitudinal data, roughly 28 percent of women in the U.S. are estranged from their dad; that’s only slightly higher than the 24 percent of sons estranged from their father but significantly higher than the 6.3 percent of children of any gender estranged from their mother. Even in cases where contact isn’t completely cut off, father-daughter relationships tend to be less close than other familial bonds.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Father-Daughter Divide [ https://substack.com/redirect/66fcbf9d-8530-44f3-8304-3f029eea8d11?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “At the root of the modern father-daughter divide seems to be a mismatch in expectations. Fathers, generally speaking, have for generations been less involved than mothers in their kids’ (and especially their daughters’) lives. But lots of children today expect more: more emotional support and more egalitarian treatment. Many fathers, though, appear to have struggled to adjust to their daughters’ expectations. The result isn’t a relationship that has suddenly ruptured so much as one that has failed to fully adapt.” (I’m not one to give parenting advice, but I’ve found it effective to be emotionally detached and intellectually unavailable toward my daughter and son in equal measure. I’m confident they know, deep down, that if they ever need a more substantial connection with me, they can always subscribe.) 4 Lights, Camera, (Distr)action! The attention span of young people has gotten so bad that college students are watching the movie instead of reading the book. Wait, check that. We have an update. They’re not watching the whole movie, either. The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Film Students Who Can No Longer Sit Through Films [ https://substack.com/redirect/b5840bdd-942f-401e-84ed-c5aa6ad37f7f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Professors are now finding that they can’t even get film students—film students—to sit through movies ... I heard similar observations from 20 film-studies professors around the country. They told me that over the past decade, and particularly since the pandemic, students have struggled to pay attention to feature-length films.” + “It wouldn’t be terrible if you reiterated the plot three or four times in the dialogue because people are on their phones while they’re watching.” Matt Damon recently explained how films are ‘dumbed down [ https://substack.com/redirect/ad8ccc20-7456-484c-8ec6-ae0a36c632b5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]’ for audiences at home distracted by phones. 5 Extra, Extra Start the Steal: “By any measure, the F.B.I.’s search of an election center in Fulton County, Ga., last week was extraordinary. Agents seized truckloads of 2020 ballots, as President Trump harnessed the levers of government to not only buttress his false claims of widespread voter fraud, but also to try to build a criminal case against those he believes wronged him. What happened the next day was in some ways even more unusual.” NYT (Gift Article): Trump Had Unusual Call With F.B.I. Agents After Election Center Search [ https://substack.com/redirect/1a5d4591-603f-4e4f-9b80-6d43b7d3c5ba?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Remember, this isn’t about a past election. It’s about the next one. This from Trump today [ https://substack.com/redirect/66fe0306-0a83-4b34-ac10-59fe4aa37dfa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: “The Republicans should say, we should take over the voting in at least 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. We have states that I won that show I didn’t win. You’re gonna see something in Georgia.” Why the urgency to “take over” voting in a lot of places? I’ll answer that with another question from the WSJ (Gift Article): How does a Republican lose by 14 points in a safe conservative Texas state Senate seat that President Trump carried by 17 points in 2024? A Texas Election Jolt to the GOP [ https://substack.com/redirect/9132cc1a-ec76-4b48-9627-46142c7d5ada?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Crossing Another Threshold: “Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt reopened on Monday [ https://substack.com/redirect/6346bcfd-735f-42ba-90d5-0e2c53d8f601?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for limited traffic, a key step as the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire moves ahead.” + Docket Locket: “In November of 2024, two weeks after voters returned President Donald Trump to office, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. summoned employees of the U.S. Supreme Court for an unusual announcement. Facing them in a grand conference room beneath ornate chandeliers, he requested they each sign a nondisclosure agreement promising to keep the court’s inner workings secret.” NYT (Gift Article): How the Supreme Court Secretly Made Itself Even More Secretive [ https://substack.com/redirect/8c2a883a-5844-4770-b9f5-d7072ae533fc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Gram Jam: Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar were among the big winners [ https://substack.com/redirect/66330532-bd9c-44b4-ba1d-0e780cec46aa?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] at this year’s Grammys. As you’d imagine, things got political [ https://substack.com/redirect/ec0e91a2-73ce-4917-8493-9116795bf2e9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] during the speeches. Trump didn’t like the show and threatened to sue [ https://substack.com/redirect/b180f089-8c21-4115-ae69-d389b0668753?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] Trevor Noah. In related news, yes, the dress that Chappell Roan wore to the Grammys was hanging from her nipples. Here’s how that works [ https://substack.com/redirect/62663334-b4b7-4559-b290-0ac435e66687?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Speaking of hanging on by a thread, Trump says Kennedy Center is closing for 2 years [ https://substack.com/redirect/3a6ec156-09e3-4915-8a20-1f199393979e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I guess you could say the Melania doc really brought down the house...) + Alcarazzmatazz: “We are watching Michael Jordan in 1992, Tiger Woods in 2000, Secretariat in 1973. The job is not done, the résumé is still evolving, and the records are not yet theirs. But our eyes do not deceive us.” In other words, Carlos Alcaraz, now the youngest player ever to achieve a career grand slam, is really good [ https://substack.com/redirect/0f59002f-0c4c-46ac-8968-50c543b881da?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Bomb Balm: NPR: At a clown school near Paris, failure is the lesson [ https://substack.com/redirect/98770314-81e0-4846-98a2-1e0732e1a604?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “For decades, students at the Ecole Philippe Gaulier have been paying to bomb onstage. The goal isn’t laughs — it’s learning how to take the humiliation and keep going.” (Sounds oddly similar to newsletter writing...) 6 Bottom of the News Well, it’s Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow [ https://substack.com/redirect/cfd6d7e9-1bea-4fde-b24f-31a4a45ed68b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], which means six more weeks of winter. It’s worth noting that the groundhog has only been accurate 30% of the time over the past decade. (Punxsutawney Phil is basically the RFK Jr of weather forecasting.) + “In the third round ... the veteran heavyweight took enough shots to the head that his toupee ended up flapping in the air [ https://substack.com/redirect/ce97e949-637f-40da-80cf-925227313636?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and revealing a fully bald scalp. Miller took the development in stride, ripping off the piece at the end of the round and throwing it into the crowd.” Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROalkyTVRBNE1Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56Y3dNRFkxTXpVeExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ERTJNREV6TlRFc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS44dmt1anpiVGs0VEdXWGRZdDdCV0xiZ0g3Y1dzeFBEajc2TzdoS1hkc2d3IiwicCI6MTg2NjYxMDgxLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NzAwNjUzNTEsImV4cCI6MjA4NTY0MTM1MSwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.RLIU_Hq9Bnp6TAcTMnPsYAU2SZWR0hWr-g7dgN7UgAw?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/lemon-law We’ve reached the arresting journalists phase of Trumpism. “The former CNN anchor Don Lemon and three other people have been arrested on charges that they violated federal law during a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minn.” Even though a judge rejected these charges just last week, Trump’s Justice Department slash personal retribution engine couldn’t resist bending the law to go after two of their favorite targets: Journalists and protesters. “The arrests of Mr. Lemon, a second journalist and two protesters came a little more than a week after three other demonstrators who took part in the action at the Cities Church on Jan. 18 were taken into custody. The prosecution is likely to face pushback from defense lawyers on First Amendment grounds, given that political protest sits at the center of the charges and that Mr. Lemon and the other journalist, Georgia Fort, have said they entered the church to cover a demonstration against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in the area.” NYT (Gift Article): Federal Agents Arrest Don Lemon Over Minnesota Church Protest [ https://substack.com/redirect/4205ca41-9f84-4845-bac1-3a915e0e37c3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Of course, the goal of squeezing Lemon goes beyond an attempt to silence one very notable Trump critic. It’s meant to send a message to any and all journalists who would dare to cover the Trump administration in a way they don’t want to be covered. When life gives you lemons, pay attention. + “Let’s be clear: The DOJ has been under intense pressure from the right, from Lemon’s ideological opponents, to arrest him. Lemon has been a longtime Trump antagonist, and Trump has criticized him as recently as last week. So this sure looks like another example of Trump’s retribution campaign. Slate’s Jill Filipovic called it a ‘five-alarm fire moment’ in a column just now. CNN’s Sara Sidner called it “terrifying” during our live breaking news coverage. And David Axelrod remarked this morning that the DOJ is now the ‘Department of Retribution,’ adding, ‘If you don’t believe Don Lemon’s arrest was ordered from on high, you just haven’t been paying attention.’” Brian Stelter in Reliable Sources: Two reporters taken into custody [ https://substack.com/redirect/38e93826-e317-4134-b653-04c55b0970df?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Striking While The Iron is Hot “Following last week’s anti-ICE economic blackout in Minnesota and national Free America Walkout, organizers are once again urging Americans to stop working, attending school, and spending money to protest the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdown surging across the country.” Stores closed, protests scheduled in all 50 states [ https://substack.com/redirect/6566f7c8-11de-4fb7-9ce1-41ad6856d04c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. I’m noticing the protest on several blogs and newsletters, and locally at my daughter’s high school. But it seems like this effort was put together quite quickly, so we’ll see how widespread it gets. + There’s no doubt that the (often heroic) protests in Minneapolis have had an impact in terms weakening ICE’s role in the state and stiffening the spine of the political opposition in Congress. But has anything about this week really changed the policy or the administration’s goals and strategies? “After a wave of public revulsion over the President’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota, he offers a familiar playbook: distraction, disinformation, denial, delay.” Susan Glasser in The New Yorker: Operation Trump Rehab [ https://substack.com/redirect/9b1a6135-21e3-4898-9c8d-fa56f6c5a193?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Is this, then, the inflection point—or whatever you want to call it—that so much of sane America has been waiting for? The beginning of the end of the madness that has gripped our nation? Would that it were so. There is no doubt that the wave of revulsion among everyday Americans, of all political persuasions, to the videos that we’re seeing from Minneapolis, and Chicago, and other cities targeted by Trump’s paramilitary immigration goons, is real. No amount of gaslighting by Trump and his advisers can prove otherwise. It is also reassuring to observe that the President can feel the need to dial back his power-tripping by something other than the bond market. But some caution is in order. We are, after all, still living in post-January 6th America. The Donald Trump who could never recover politically from inciting a mob of his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol not only recovered but was reëlected President.” 3 Clink Houses For You and Me Data centers are getting all the coverage, but they don’t represent the only big structure real estate trend these days. “Despite protests in small towns and cities across the US, the Trump administration is pushing ahead with the purchase of warehouses it plans to convert into immigration jails in what could be the largest expansion of such detention capacity in US history.” Bloomberg (Gift Article): ICE Begins Buying ‘Mega’ Warehouse Detention Centers Across US [ https://substack.com/redirect/09caedd4-fa0b-4850-88b3-af60a2dad1b8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Weekend Whats What to Movie: After years of searching through open tabs, I finally found the most accurate statement on the internet. No Cult Favorite: BREAKING AWAY Is a Masterpiece [ https://substack.com/redirect/15c12e3a-d97f-477c-a333-87cc30970b66?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. In addition to being a really interesting, detailed look at what makes this movie (and movies in general) great, James Kenney provides us with an important and always timely reminder: This is a good time to watch Breaking Away [ https://substack.com/redirect/d199a509-5dc7-46f5-9f9a-623a6f3f97b5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + What to Book: “After dropping his daughter at college, Tom embarks on a cross-country journey, confronting his wife’s past affair, health issues, and work troubles while visiting people from his past.” Ben Markovits: The Rest of Our Lives [ https://substack.com/redirect/e9b9553d-ef57-461f-a772-d367ad341e81?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + What to Doc: The Secret Mall Apartment [ https://substack.com/redirect/eecd80cf-1097-4228-a47f-bd81901e2a44?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] on Netflix is about, well, a secret mall apartment. But it’s really about what it means to be an artist and a look back at being young without cell phones. 5 Extra, Extra Suit Yourself: WaPo (Gift Article): Trump sues IRS and Treasury for $10 billion over leaked tax records [ https://substack.com/redirect/6803ab39-0d83-419c-92d7-fced9f91db2c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The case means Trump has again filed a claim for a large amount of money against the government he oversees, putting him on both sides of the potential negotiating table ... Trump is suing the government in a personal capacity, not as president.” (Trump is also basically running the government in a personal capacity, not as president) + Read It and Weep: “American students are struggling with reading — test scores are at new lows, and many students don’t even read whole books. But while average scores have declined for everyone, boys are doing much worse.” NYT (Gift Article): Why Boys Are Behind in Reading at Every Age [ https://substack.com/redirect/60b58d28-6e07-4381-b23d-52cdf85a1f73?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Fed Head: “I have known Kevin for a long period of time, and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best ... On top of everything else, he is ‘central casting,’ and he will never let you down.” Trump taps Kevin Warsh to lead the Federal Reserve [ https://substack.com/redirect/6bafe561-3c07-4b3c-9191-7a63e9bd8de7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (He doesn’t seem all that good looking to me?) Paul Krugman, not a fan [ https://substack.com/redirect/da6089e1-77ab-46d2-88cd-0221788105fb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + More Black Ink: “The new document dump was massive and included more than 3.5 million pages, 2,000 videos and 180,000 images.” DOJ releases millions of pages of additional Epstein files [ https://substack.com/redirect/7cd81426-b095-4b0f-b0b6-d5e5de2e3677?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Catherine O’Hara: “Catherine O’Hara, the two-time Emmy-winning actor who starred in ‘Home Alone’ and ‘Best in Show’ and had an impressive late-career renaissance in ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ has died [ https://substack.com/redirect/e4a309c1-ea14-43eb-8f11-271f5b5902c2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], her manager confirmed to Variety. She was 71.” + Scrape the Barrel: “The message from Cracker Barrel management went down like a stale biscuit for some. Employees should postpone work travel until later this year, when the Southern-themed restaurant chain hopes to start recovering from a steep sales slide. But if workers must hit the road, management said, they should fuel up on the chain’s own meatloaf and country fried steak.” A recent mandate at the chain highlights a new era of ‘travelscrimping [ https://substack.com/redirect/c42aed2f-6e55-45ca-aaf7-24cf1e0f6254?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]’ as companies tighten budgets. + GEO-graphy: SEO (search engine optimization), meet GEO (generative engine optimization). Christopher Mims in WSJ (Gift Article): How Businesses Are Manipulating ChatGPT Results [ https://substack.com/redirect/02a423e3-44b9-48f9-a189-2de61a9aaeff?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Fall Lineup: “There’s something to be said when five minutes before you go on air, someone slides you a card of what you’re gonna say if a person falls off the building and dies.” Netflix Had a Plan If Alex Honnold Fell and Died [ https://substack.com/redirect/372a6cb3-cf9c-46a9-ab95-7d613a5a2746?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] During 101-Story Climb. 6 Feel Good Friday “Researchers analyzing blood markers have recently discovered thatvolunteering appears to slow the aging process in seniors — a felicitous finding that adds to voluminous evidence that performing community service tends to improve things like mood and heart health, particularly for those of retirement age.” Here’s a proven way to slow aging. Any volunteers [ https://substack.com/redirect/661df9b3-c55c-42fb-87d7-e392188cf2ba?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? + Judge Revives Wind Farm [ https://substack.com/redirect/a19fffa1-73b4-4b8b-8b53-9446f3615b39?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] That Trump Halted Off Martha’s Vineyard. + “He loves cartoons and is tucked in bed by 6:15 p.m. But with a cue in his tiny hand, this toddler can perform feats many adults can only dream of. Jude Owens, a 3-year-old from Manchester in northern England, holds two Guinness World Records for mastering trick shots, maneuvers on a billiards table that require significant skill.” WaPo (Gift Article): Right on cue: Toddler is recognized for his mastery of trick shots [ https://substack.com/redirect/f75305fe-1a66-4412-b9eb-260355d9e998?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + NYT (Gift Article): 24 Simple Secrets to a Healthier Life [ https://substack.com/redirect/6c021d41-e220-4c2b-a188-d994f83b6767?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Some blind fans to experience Super Bowl with tactile device [ https://substack.com/redirect/84f037b4-4091-4c6f-88e3-4a3223a7c53e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]that tracks ball. + Woman discovers her childhood pen pal is the doctor who delivered her 2 kids [ https://substack.com/redirect/0cf35d82-53e8-4328-b170-67cb9054eb77?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Everyone has their favorite oddity: ASMR, jazzy pop song covers, cooking channels, or what have you. But DIY enthusiasts in particular are missing out if they’re not watching Drain Cleaning Australia, featuring an Australian plumber known only as Bruce as he goes about his daily business of shooting high-powered water jets into stubborn clogged drainage systems.” Australian plumber is a YouTube sensation [ https://substack.com/redirect/04f9719d-2c4c-4360-adfb-15233bf95e2f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROak0xTURnNE15d2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTVPREEyTVRreUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ERXpOREl4T1RJc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5TUXBoN0JIX1VHYW55QzNrZTEyVlVmOWxhaTFveUE5QVJDTkNxS29JcVVjIiwicCI6MTg2MzUwODgzLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Njk4MDYxOTIsImV4cCI6MjA4NTM4MjE5MiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.wLpaJZF9CScqbaEHqKZf7CDnC2BkBQs4L3agQ38VP_0?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/lord-of-the-ais “A group of prepubescent British boys who are stranded on an uninhabited island and their disastrous attempts to govern themselves that lead to a descent into savagery. The novel’s themes include morality, leadership, and the tension between civility and chaos.” That’s the plot [ https://substack.com/redirect/924f846a-4a33-4da6-9f48-c8cf18944108?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] of Lord of the Flies, but it could just as easily be the coming plot of the race toward AI dominance. Like the kids stranded on the fictional island, in the Lord of the AIs, the rules of the new BYOG (Bring Your Own Guardrails) society are being set by insiders. Anthropic is the major AI player known for being the most worried about the “civilizational concerns” associated with its tech. Maybe that’s just a branding strategy, or maybe they’re just being compared to the likes of Zuck and Musk [ https://substack.com/redirect/b50244ce-ed4b-4a72-8077-e9e38ab6c981?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. But let’s give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they really are the most concerned of the AI giants. “When Anthropic launched Claude, in 2023, the bot’s distinguishing feature was a ‘Constitution’ that the model was trained on detailing how it should behave; last week, Anthropic revamped the document into a 22,000-word treatise on how to make Claude a moral and sincere actor. Claude, the constitution’s authors write, has the ability to foster emotional dependence, design bioweapons, and manipulate its users, so it’s Anthropic’s responsibility to instill upright character in Claude to avoid these outcomes.” But, ultimately, the race is on. And the rules of the race are being made by its participants, not by governments, and certainly not by end users. Ultimately, those rules may be made by the very technologies the absence of outside rules enabled. Matteo Wong in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Anthropic Is at War With Itself [ https://substack.com/redirect/88b3d79f-efe0-4d8b-9e0a-f97e2369cb5d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The AI company shouting about AI’s dangers can’t quite bring itself to slow down.” (And that’s the point. This is all about self-regulation. They’re the only ones who currently have the power to slow themselves down.) + While William Golding’s fictional version of boys in a guardrail-free society didn’t go well, the real story of a group of schoolboys stranded alone on an Island had a much happier plotline [ https://substack.com/redirect/e28d1234-1086-4b31-8e65-2219f05581c0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The teenage runaways showed remarkable resourcefulness—building a hut out of palm fronds, establishing a garden with bananas and beans, and setting up a roster to keep a lookout for passing ships. They even built a badminton court and a makeshift gym. They lived in harmony—they told us—most of the time.” Of course, those self-ruling teenagers didn’t have billions of dollars at stake or a cast of competitors that had already proven themselves lacking when it comes to themes such as morality, leadership, and the tension between civility and chaos. I guess we’ll see how things turn out this time... 2 Root For All Evil Are there times when you’re watching a brawl and you can be sure the good guys aren’t going to win? Yes. When there are no good guys. Which brings us to raging battles inside the Department of Homeland Security. “Officials overseeing Trump’s mass-deportation campaign are fighting one another for power.” Battles Are Raging Inside the Department of Homeland Security [ https://substack.com/redirect/1d40d870-8580-4f1a-84be-9798fceaebf4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Yes, there are differing degrees of badness among the key players, but when the guy who brought you the family separation policy seems likes the most decent of the bunch, you might as well be stuck rooting for a root canal. + In a press conference on Thursday, Tom Homan said that he seeks to ‘regain law and order’ in Minnesota. (He didn’t mention who caused law and order to be lost in the first place). Here’s the latest from NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/6df3e0b0-7b0a-492d-8a9d-86d8f6b3075a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Care Takers “Vilbrun Dorsainvil lives in the United States under a legal designation called Temporary Protected Status, which can be provided by the U.S. government to people from countries experiencing armed conflict or natural disasters. The protection allows those already in the United States to remain for a specific period of time, and it can be renewed if the U.S. government considers conditions in the country unsafe for people to return. Haitians have been eligible for T.P.S. since an earthquake devastated the country in 2010, and the protection has been renewed because of other crises. But the Trump administration announced last year that it was terminating the status for several countries, including Afghanistan, Venezuela and Haiti.” That’s bad news for Vilbrun Dorsainvil and a lot of Haitians. It’s also bad news for a lot of Americans. NYT (Gift Article): Haitians Are Vital to U.S. Health Care. Many Are About to Lose Their Right to Work [ https://substack.com/redirect/4f7c15db-4c38-4e5d-8125-09bdbd0f3538?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “At least 50,000 migrants with protected status work in health care, an industry struggling to fill positions in small cities and rural areas as an aging America requires more long-term care.” Feel safer? 4 Mine All Mine “To the extent American children have a relationship with coal, it’s usually a negative one. Every kid knows the worst thing you can get on Christmas morning is a lump of the bituminous stuff as harsh payback for a year spent behaving poorly. Which makes it a little weird that Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum is using an anthropomorphized lump of coal, dressed in yellow safety gear and Mickey Mouse gloves, as the adorable mascot of President Donald Trump’s ‘American Energy Dominance Agenda,’ which includes bringing ‘clean, beautiful coal’ back from the edge of extinction ... The mascot’s name is “Coalie,” and he appeared in a post on X recently with a cartoon version of Burgum. ‘Mine, Baby, Mine!’ Burgum’s post said, a message echoed on Cartoon Burgum’s hard hat.” Bloomberg (Gift Article): Meet ‘Coalie,’ the Lethal Mascot for Dirty Energy [ https://substack.com/redirect/7e7e1942-c5ac-43ad-a39f-f723fb36e666?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra The Age of Bull: “Bull Connor’s fire hoses and police dogs were meant to restore order during civil rights demonstrations. Instead, they revealed the brutality of segregation to an international audience.” NYT (Gift Article): We’re Seeing the Weakness of a Strong State [ https://substack.com/redirect/b83576ba-2bf6-4e58-9c40-7289bddec74b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Visible state violence against sympathetic civilians was the beginning of the end for Jim Crow. It may be a turning point now, too.” (I wonder if the same rules apply in the era of doomscrolling, altered images, information silos, and social media. And when Bull Connor is in the Oval Office.) + What to Expect About Your Expectancy: “The average U.S. life expectancy hit an all-time high in 2024 [ https://substack.com/redirect/5ac811e3-0988-45c0-9bf0-8d0905770d63?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] ... as the nation continued to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and deaths from drug overdoses continued to decline.” (That sounded like better news before we got a dose of 2025.) + Still Looking for Those 11K Votes: “This just looks like a way to use the might of the federal government to further Trump’s voter fraud narratives.” ProPublica: FBI’s Search of Georgia Election Center Is ‘Dangerous,’ Experts Warn [ https://substack.com/redirect/23d8aebf-e524-4b81-a04f-7bdfcc98b135?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I’m guessing even the non-experts can see that it might not have be a good idea to re-elect guy who asked Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger to find him 11,780 votes. But here we are...) + Tech Support: The masks, guns and tear gas is what makes the news. But ICE’s arsenal gets a lot more high tech. And there’s no reason to assume these same technologies won’t be used against everyone who is considered a threat at some point. WaPo (Gift Article): The powerful tools in ICE’s arsenal to track suspects — and protesters [ https://substack.com/redirect/ce4de198-a7fc-47c0-97aa-70412b97f2ae?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Biometric trackers, cellphone location databases and drones ... These technologies, both visible and invisible, are transforming the front lines of immigration enforcement and political protest across America today.” + The Protein Bubble: Meat is hot. Fake meat is not. And everyone, and I mean everyone, is putting protein into everything. Hence this latest product from Beyond Meat: a protein soda [ https://substack.com/redirect/dec4e84e-b42a-4052-8124-e255662eeb1b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Green Without Envy: What’s the best way to give Greenlanders more positive vibes about Denmark? Hint: Trump. “Not long ago, Aviaja Sinkbaek, an office manager in Greenland, thought it was time to ease further away from 300 years of Danish rule and maybe think about independence. She was even open to drawing closer to the United States. Now as she watches the images of violence coming out of Minneapolis from her pale green rowhouse on a hillside above Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, her ears still ringing with President Trump’s threats about getting her homeland somehow, she’s changed her mind.” (This is a metaphor for feelings bubbling up among all of our allies.) Greenlanders Watching Turmoil in the United States Say No Thanks [ https://substack.com/redirect/6b1f9ca1-a312-431f-ad14-8665d9098123?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “The toy was designed as ‌a happy-faced Lunar New Year decoration, but a manufacturing mistake turned its smile into a frown.” Needless to say, it’s selling like crazy [ https://substack.com/redirect/6199f16c-42ce-423a-bc69-ec5fee1a38dc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + ‘Batman’ blasts Bay Area city council [ https://substack.com/redirect/5cdd348d-cdc1-41fc-8d34-aa9c4c75fe2d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] over ICE’s involvement in Super Bowl. + Court reverses decision firing educator for reading ‘I Need a New Butt [ https://substack.com/redirect/c63dd7bf-d915-40c7-be39-6207c2701fd2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]!’ Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROakl6TlRVM01Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTVOekU0TmpZekxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ERXlOVFEyTmpNc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS44QU9xMmk2RmY3Mzk4V190UDdLNXhObFJJN3RVZWpNNC1DX0d3NlF5V21JIiwicCI6MTg2MjM1NTcxLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Njk3MTg2NjMsImV4cCI6MjA4NTI5NDY2MywiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.CtaXWba3uKwxRrd8gROYGCpaKkiwXTKbMX37lxGyjoQ?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/theres-no-place-like-home It’s not quite the economy, stupid. Affordability has become the core issue and key buzzword of the upcoming midterms. But what do people, particularly young ones, mean when they say it? It turns out that when you ask people about affordability, they’re not necessarily talking about “the costs of goods that surged in the wake of the pandemic, like gas, cars and food.” In the NYT(Gift Article), Nate Cohn tries to make sense of the latest polling on the topic, and to explain why there’s a somewhat unusual disconnect between the concerns about affordability and the overall job market and economy. What people seem to be most disillusioned about is “the rising price of entry for a middle-class life: buying a home; paying for child care, college and health care; saving for retirement, and so on. These are familiar issues in American politics, but they add up to an entirely different problem under the all-encompassing label of affordability. The difficulty of purchasing a ticket to the middle class has created a sense that the economy isn’t working, even when the economy isn’t so bad by usual measures like growth or unemployment.” What Americans Really Mean by Affordability [ https://substack.com/redirect/6e62531c-7751-497d-ab27-db8b869ef91d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Among young people, there seems to be a general sense that they can afford a hat, but they don’t believe they’ll ever have a place to hang it. “Around half of them said they worried most about affording housing, more than every other item combined, including retirement, health care, education, bills, cars and food.” (Attached ballroom, optional...) 2 Career Building “For decades, the American law school has served as a popular hedge against a cooling economy. When the ‘Help Wanted’ signs disappear, the ‘J.D.’ applications surge.” Well, applications to law schools are surging. Big time. “The number of U.S. law school applicants for the 2026 cycle is up an estimated 17 percent from last year, according to data from the American Bar Association compiled by the Law School Admission Council. That figure is a staggering 44 percent increase from just two years ago.” But this cycle, things are a little more uncertain. And that’s not just because it’s unclear whether we’ll have laws in America by the time these students graduate. “New limits on student loans that go into effect this year could make financing a degree more expensive. And artificial intelligence threatens to bring major changes to the industry, affecting which jobs are available and how much they pay.” Interest in Law School Is Surging. A.I. Makes the Payoff Less Certain [ https://substack.com/redirect/d704748c-2d44-431a-93aa-83bfce92b6e8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Too bad you can’t get a graduate degree in becoming a data center. Amazon to Cut 16,000 Jobs in Latest Round of Layoffs [ https://substack.com/redirect/9b7193ed-66b2-49bb-9961-b6967f599f48?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The e-commerce giant has been cutting costs while pouring resources into building data centers to compete in the race to dominate artificial intelligence.” 3 Membership Has Its Rewards Groucho Marx famously explained, “I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.” But the truth is that making others feel welcomed as a member of a club, organization, or political movement is one of the core determinants of long-term growth. In the New Yorker, the always interesting Charles Duhigg examines the differences between organizing and mobilizing, and several other factors that determine whether or not organizations become effective. What MAGA Can Teach Democrats About Organizing—and Infighting [ https://substack.com/redirect/f5029130-a69c-4ab6-be35-5ee7385bfd70?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Republicans have become adept at creating broad coalitions in which supporting Trump is the only requirement.” (If you’re still for an America that remains a liberal democracy, consider yourself welcome in my coalition.) “The sociologist Liz McKenna, of Harvard, told me that movements succeed best when people feel welcome. A movement becomes sustainable when members feel empowered and find friends. ‘The left loves big protests, but protesting is a tactic in search of a strategy,’ she said. There must be some shared core values among a movement’s members, of course, but the requirement can’t be that every value is shared. ‘Making room for difference isn’t a nice-to-have thing—it’s table stakes,’ she told me. ‘The rallies are by-products of the community, not the goal.’ Most of all, even though anger can be useful, a movement also needs to provide some joy. ‘Trump rallies are fun,’ McKenna noted. ‘The Turning Point campus debates are fun.’ For a long time, she said, the left was less fun and more angry, ‘and so the right was out-organizing them at every turn.’” 4 Citius, Altius, Fortius ... Ditior The Latin motto of the Olympic Games translates as, Faster, Higher, Stronger. It might be time to add a new word to the motto: Richer. “Team USA has won more Olympic medals than any other nation on earth. But unlike other powerhouses of the Games, the U.S. government doesn’t spend a dime rewarding Olympic athletes. Any prize money comes mainly from sponsorship and the sale of broadcast rights. One man is hoping to give them a little more financial security. Starting from the Milan Cortina Olympics next month, financier Ross Stevens will give $200,000 to each U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athlete, regardless of performance.” WSJ (Gift Article): The U.S. Government Doesn’t Fund Olympic Athletes. So One Man Is Paying Them $200,000 Each [ https://substack.com/redirect/a6e59c09-fd05-4bb7-83ff-0079e9979b8b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Outstretched Armada: “Mr. Trump gave no specifics about the deal he was demanding, saying only that a ‘massive Armada’ was heading toward Iran and that the country should make a deal. But U.S. and European officials say that in talks, they have put three demands in front of the Iranians: a permanent end to all enrichment of uranium, limits on the range and number of their ballistic missiles, and an end to all support for proxy groups in the Middle East, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis operating in Yemen. Notably absent from those demands — and from Mr. Trump’s post on Truth Social on Wednesday morning — was any reference to protecting the protesters who took to the streets in Iran in December.” NYT (Gift Article): Trump Threatens Iran With ‘Massive Armada’ and Presses a Set of Demands [ https://substack.com/redirect/85dd3b65-2ef7-4fc7-a47e-678bdb271316?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Bucking the Trend: “Spain’s government announced Tuesday it will grant legal status to potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants [ https://substack.com/redirect/74335557-34ab-4c34-89ce-34f7b0aab631?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] living and working in the country without authorization, the latest way the country has bucked a trend toward increasingly harsh immigration policies imposed in the United States and much of Europe.” + Noem Alone: “From Democratic Party leaders to the nation’s leading advocacy organizations to even the most centrist lawmakers in Congress, the calls are mounting for the Homeland Security secretary to step aside [ https://substack.com/redirect/9df13fa6-16d3-49d8-a28e-334b345957b9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] after the shooting deaths in Minneapolis of two people who protested deportation policy. At a defining moment in her tenure, few Republicans are rising to Noem’s defense.” + Spraying Mantis: A man arrested in an attack on Ilhan Omar [ https://substack.com/redirect/00711eee-f6cb-4272-8aba-36a487a9e157?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]has a criminal history and made pro-Trump posts. Trump responded to news of the attack by calling on Americans to tone down the aggressive rhetoric and explaining that violence has no place in American politics. Just kidding. He created a conspiracy theory suggesting that Omar orchestrated her own attack. Trump Floats Conspiracy Theory After Man Shoots Liquid at Ilhan Omar: ‘She Probably Had Herself Sprayed [ https://substack.com/redirect/53849f91-dbd1-44a2-9a83-da7211f85853?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]’. + Matching Funds: JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America said Wednesday morning that they will match the US government’s $1,000 contribution [ https://substack.com/redirect/03aca4cc-6947-4e2d-8b38-e31deb1cc301?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to so-called Trump accounts for thousands of their US employees. + Vlad Handing: “President Trump’s on-off relationship with President Putin is so volatile that he has veered from describing the Russian leader as ‘a nice gentleman’ to saying he was ‘pissed off’ with him. Now there is a sign that the ‘bromance’ is on again, as Trump hung a picture of himself and Putin in the White House [ https://substack.com/redirect/420782d8-f9e8-4b51-ba88-49091b27ef09?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + Still Looking for Those 11K Votes: “Speaking last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, President Donald Trump repeated his false claim that the 2020 election was ‘rigged,’ and said that ‘people will soon be prosecuted for what they did.’” And this week? The FBI just conducted court-authorized law enforcement actions [ https://substack.com/redirect/11f11d54-6f1d-440d-915e-f73e01ae30b7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] at a Fulton County election office. + A Place in History: “Born to Black farmers in rural Virginia, Dr. West lived through remarkable societal and technological transformations — from segregation to the civil rights movement, from calculators to supercomputers, and from paper maps to Google Maps. Through it all, she worked in near obscurity. She was almost 90 before she received any recognition for her work.” Gladys West, Unsung Figure in Development of GPS, Dies at 95 [ https://substack.com/redirect/5a0bae9e-5eb0-49c9-b5a8-362165195363?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Nicollet Avenue Freeze Out: “Just don’t believe your eyes. It’s our blood and bones. And these whistles and phones. Against Miller and Noem’s dirty lies.” Bruce Springsteen Releases ICE Protest Song: Streets of Minneapolis [ https://substack.com/redirect/4976e15f-f495-4ff6-991f-ca761cc642d3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “As the storm recedes, residents of lesser-affected areas might be tempted to whip up bowls of ‘snow cream’ — snow combined with milk, sugar and vanilla — after seeing techniques demonstrated on TikTok. Others might want to try ‘sugar on snow,’ a taffy-like confection made by pouring hot maple syrup onto a plate of snow.” After one of the biggest and broadest storms of the season, I guess you’d have to call this a public service announcement. Eating snow cones or snow cream can be a winter delight, if done safely [ https://substack.com/redirect/a774b0d6-7003-41a9-90c0-bb8028401862?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Kitty’s back in town... Majestic’ mountain lion captured after hours-long SF standoff [ https://substack.com/redirect/40061adb-8e0c-4535-9493-4a1abfb36fc4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + John Mellencamp has a pretty unique treadmill workout [ https://substack.com/redirect/edd1ce22-03e9-4d96-b99b-57f1af92ce79?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to prepare for his upcoming tour. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROakV5TkRnME9Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTVOak0wTURFeUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ERXhOekF3TVRJc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5SV2lwR1dTQVkyN2N3bG5XcGhGWUlReUVucDgzZXhZU0RLTnltaHlwaWNvIiwicCI6MTg2MTI0ODQ5LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Njk2MzQwMTIsImV4cCI6MjA4NTIxMDAxMiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.0CvnZPpCjiX-THGnlHuM64Umy9CyPGOHSUZ0NwkrDOU?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/no-more-mr-ice-guy The Iceman cometh. And the Iceman go-eth. Gregory Bovino, the border patrol official who had become the face of the Trump administration’s blue city crackdowns (and seemed to be competing for worst character of the year with Sean Penn’s portrayal of Lockjaw [ https://substack.com/redirect/af82b3f4-b4fd-4682-b7f7-28ef8df898af?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in One Battle After Another) has lost his job [ https://substack.com/redirect/8703b3b4-5865-4fff-8c73-7cb8542b5d60?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ](and perhaps more dramatically, been suspended from his own social media account, “which he had used as a vehicle to publicise his militant commitment to Trump’s anti-immigration agenda”). “Bovino’s appearances in Minneapolis caught widespread attention even before Saturday’s tragic episode. He was captured on film throwing a teargas canister at protesters. Pictures of him striding around the city wearing a long winter greatcoat with brass buttons were also noted by German media, which commented that his appearance – including a closely cropped haircut – seemed intended to evoke fascist aesthetics.” Yes, he looked bad. He behaved badly. And he lied habitually, including his recent insistence that Alex Pretti intended to “massacre” agents. He was, in other words, a perpetual candidate for Trump Administration Employee of the Week, until public sentiment turned against ICE in Minnesota, and even key GOP enablers began to warn the president’s signature issue was quickly becoming his signature disaster. So someone had to go, and it turned out to be Bo’. The Guardian: The rise and fall of Gregory Bovino, US border patrol’s menacing provoker-in-chief [ https://substack.com/redirect/be2e2bf8-2b26-484f-8bb3-6cb00b1b1b5a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The fall of Bovino hardly equals the fall of ICE. Bovino is being replaced in Minneapolis by border czar, Tom Homan, who is more temperate, professional, and moderate by Trump 2.0 standards, but who was also the architect of the family separation policy [ https://substack.com/redirect/12ee66b3-4b2a-4f14-9f77-55709bf02a32?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] (among other hits). And as long as Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem (who Trump described today as doing a “very good job”) are running and carrying out the current policies, it’s no time to celebrate. But it is notable that an administration that prides itself on attacking criticism with more aggressiveness has been forced to take a step back. And for that, we have a whole lot of citizens in Minnesota to thank. Adam Serwer in The Atlantic(Gift Article): Minnesota Proved Maga Wrong [ https://substack.com/redirect/78ac1ce4-191c-4915-833a-76ca97e2d8ca?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The secret fear of the morally depraved is that virtue is actually common, and that they’re the ones who are alone. In Minnesota, all of the ideological cornerstones of MAGA have been proved false at once. Minnesotans, not the armed thugs of ICE and the Border Patrol, are brave. Minnesotans have shown that their community is socially cohesive—because of its diversity and not in spite of it.” + “Trump’s decision to change course was a stunning shift on a policy that is core to his political identity, especially for a president who has often rewarded advisers for doubling down in the face of vocal opposition.” WSJ (Gift Article): The 48 Hours That Convinced Trump to Change Course in Minnesota [ https://substack.com/redirect/fd80efdb-d5cb-4e37-bbcc-08c4f8475525?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (The shift has less to do with ethics or a concern about the loss of innocent lives, and more to do with how the story was playing on cable news.) + Here’s the latest from NBC News [ https://substack.com/redirect/4627327a-47c3-44b4-a4a5-47ce641d475e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Candid About Cameras According to WaPo (Gift Article), “Department of Homeland Security officers have fired shots during enforcement arrests or at people protesting their operations 16 times since July [ https://substack.com/redirect/56c711f9-6c2b-46ea-b851-37560c397ded?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and as in the recent shootings in Minneapolis, in each case the Trump administration has publicly declared their actions justified before waiting for investigations to be completed.” The difference in Minneapolis was that the shootings were recorded, making the lies more difficult to sell. NYT (Gift Article): The Best Weapon You Have in the Fight Against ICE [ https://substack.com/redirect/e9d63aee-6032-4842-b90d-285789bad851?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The nation’s founders worried that if the state had a monopoly on weapons, its citizens could be oppressed. Their answer was the Second Amendment. Now that our phones are the primary weapons of today’s information war, we should be as zealous about our right to bear phones as we are about our right to bear arms. To adopt the language of Second Amendment enthusiasts, perhaps the only thing that can eventually stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a camera.” 3 Spineless “Within about a year, according to the filings, the company had spent tens of millions of dollars to acquire and slice the spines off millions of books, before scanning their pages to feed more knowledge into the AI models behind products such as its popular chatbot Claude.” How did AI get so smart about so many topics so quickly? It read. Everything. WaPo (Gift Article): Inside a tech company’s secretive plan to destroy millions of books [ https://substack.com/redirect/0999cf9a-2292-43f6-9eb5-7f296808ab7b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Court filings reveal how AI companies raced to obtain more books to feed chatbots, including by buying, scanning and disposing of millions of titles.” (While I’m flattered AI deemed my book worthy of inhaling, I really wish they had bought a copy. I could have used the sales numbers.) 4 Flow Shart “I have come to share amazing news. It turns out that despite everything you’ve heard, getting a colonoscopy is wonderful. It’s the most fun I’ve had since the sunniest summer days of my childhood. I would like everyone to experience this bliss as often as possible.” Sam Anderson in the NYT Magazine (Gift Article): Want to Reach Nirvana? Try a Colonoscopy [ https://substack.com/redirect/d045098a-945b-4c60-b734-ed183381428c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “I’m not sure I’ve ever lived a fuller day. I achieved a literal flow state. I felt pure consciousness, the sense of presence people spend lifetimes searching for in mountaintop monasteries. It had been waiting, all along, in my upstairs bathroom.” (I’ve always thought the downsides of getting a colonoscopy were dramatically overstated. If you’re worried, don’t be. There are much worse tests, and eventually, you’ll probably have to get them all.) 5 Extra, Extra Middle Management: “While a majority of people said that they could afford basics like rent, gas and groceries, most said they worry about the costs, and there was a pronounced sense that it has become more difficult, if not nearly impossible, to get ahead in America today. Majorities of voters said they do not feel confident in their ability to pay for housing, retirement and health care, all traditional staples of a middle-class lifestyle. Separately, more than half said housing and education are now so expensive that both have become unaffordable.” Voters See a Middle-Class Lifestyle as Drifting Out of Reach [ https://substack.com/redirect/c9e43f91-6ca8-4719-a379-2385c1968746?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Iran’s Crackdown: “Iran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests has killed at least 6,159 people [ https://substack.com/redirect/16c5956c-69a2-48f5-9ece-41668bdbcfc5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] while many others still are feared dead, activists said Tuesday, as a U.S. aircraft carrier group arrived in the Middle East to lead any American military response to the crisis.” + House Call: “Starting in early August, the industry began making donations that over the course of weeks would eventually total nearly $4.8 million to MAGA Inc., a super PAC devoted to Mr. Trump and run by his allies. Later that same month, a handful of nursing home executives who had given the biggest donations joined industry lobbyists at Mr. Trump’s golf club in suburban Washington.” NYT (Gift Article): After Donations, Trump Administration Revoked Rule Requiring More Nursing Home Staff [ https://substack.com/redirect/6a503ae9-ab9e-43fe-a905-0e2fff3aefdc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Matchmaker: “The ink is barely dry on the European Union and India’s historic trade deal [ https://substack.com/redirect/288d7ee5-aa5b-4e03-966b-229b5624fbc6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] but all eyes are now on how President Donald Trump will react to the free trade agreement that’s widely seen as a strategic hedge against the U.S.′ volatile trade policies and tariff threats.” Meanwhile, British PM Starmer courts China amid US unpredictability [ https://substack.com/redirect/ae9d237c-6bc6-4064-9677-d2e742530d50?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Trump is like Tinder for trade deals for other countries.) + Sea Saw: We’ve been so focused on illegal killings at home that we almost forgot the illegal killings abroad. First wrongful death lawsuit filed against Trump administration [ https://substack.com/redirect/d56efd58-a806-4915-a4c5-39b0cfeb3454?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] over drug boat strikes. + Immortal Portal: “Three decades ago, Yahoo was known as ‘Jerry’s guide to the world wide web,’ and was designed as a sort of all-encompassing portal to help people find good stuff on an increasingly large, hard-to-parse internet. In the early aughts, the rise of web search more or less obviated that whole idea. But now, Yahoo thinks, we’ve come back around.” Yahoo Scout looks like a more web-friendly take on AI search [ https://substack.com/redirect/8634b6f1-70bc-41be-9079-8d5e5a23d8bc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News There was a time when talking about the weather seemed pretty harmless. Now people are betting on it. “Bettors seeking to cash in on the weekend’s snowstorm flocked to prediction markets to wager millions on how much snow would ultimately accumulate across the U.S [ https://substack.com/redirect/981ef006-d893-4a4b-bc2a-fa1b1680d3b1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]., with more than $6 million bet on New York City’s totals alone.” I can’t predict the weather, but the forecast for a world in which everyone is urged to bet on everything is bleak. + From the McSweeney’s archive: Tevye From Fiddler on the Roof, Now a Rich Man, Receives a Letter From His Hoa [ https://substack.com/redirect/7a1195b8-522d-466b-92e1-0aff943584da?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The third staircase leading nowhere just for show is a fire hazard.” + Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Says Sydney Sweeney Did Not Get Permission to Hang Bras on Hollywood Sign [ https://substack.com/redirect/0ddc4de7-9c69-4312-b5fb-52f7e7255a81?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I don’t even know what this headline means, but in the before times, I would have probably led with it.) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROVGs1TkRrMk5pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTVOVFF3TmpnMUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1ERXdOelkyT0RVc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5VUUNSLTFwckNhSzN5UXdjRFNocDhBY2poRVdVOW1YN1NEbFhkWC0weDhnIiwicCI6MTg1OTk0OTY2LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Njk1NDA2ODUsImV4cCI6MjA4NTExNjY4NSwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.b5fmX1q18GWKzuYcJRjR6a0QMPP0DIdAuRK7TiMyLdY?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/unfortunate-son In the hours following the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, his parents issued a statement that concluded with this plea: “Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.” That could be the rallying cry of the era. As was the case after the killing of Renee Good, the lies about the incident and the victim began immediately, and came from the very top. How do we get the truth out about this American son when an administration, its media and political enablers, and a social media army (fueled by AI-powered distortions and good old-fashioned falsehoods [ https://substack.com/redirect/e1f7253c-6b81-4509-8b35-874fa5b5c748?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]) are so determined to get the truth out of American life? In Minneapolis, protesters are recording masked agents, and agents are recording scenes from their perspective. But as Charlie Warzel explains in The Atlantic, even these realtime recordings can’t deliver agreement about what happened among those who view them through filters poisoned by partisanship and relentless lying. “A dark irony of our current age is that there is more video and photographic evidence than ever before, and yet propagandists can coerce or convince others to not believe what they can see with their own eyes.” It’s easy enough to say, Believe Your Eyes [ https://substack.com/redirect/0437b8ed-edff-4bfc-9325-d05612ff40a9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], but it’s something else to convince others to believe theirs. One of the troubling trends is that even mainstream media orgs tend to fall into the trap of giving the benefit of the doubt to the Trump administration’s official version of events, before dismantling that version, fact by fact. Yes, eventually we might stumble toward to obvious conclusion like this from the NYTEditorial Board (Gift Article): The Trump Administration Is Lying to Our Faces. Congress Must Act [ https://substack.com/redirect/ccb2181d-3d56-43b4-b4f8-0b62a10a8e77?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The administration is urging Americans to reject the evidence of their eyes and ears. Ms. Noem and Mr. Bovino are lying in defiance of obvious truths. They are lying in the manner of authoritarian regimes that require people to accept lies as a demonstration of power.” But in today’s media landscape, it doesn’t cut it to eventually get to the truth after giving credulous consideration (and headline space) to the lies. When people lie every time, like every single time, maybe it doesn’t make sense to give them the benefit of the doubt in the first rough draft of history. At this point, it’s not enough to call out the lies we can plainly see with our own eyes. We have to assume the lie as a starting point. As Vinson Cunningham asks in The New Yorker: “Their untroubled and automatic dishonesty, amid so much shared evidence, gives rise to a horrible question: If this is what they do when we can see, what’s going on in the places—planes and cars, detention centers—where we can’t [ https://substack.com/redirect/c4c1d559-da04-4a1b-a6d1-9d3cd2e06549?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]?” We need to find out. We owe it to Alex Pretti’s parents, and we owe it to America. 2 Street Level View “For weeks, these agents had been actors in a kind of theater of power, meting out various forms of state force and violence, framed by the smartphone cameras they carried, providing a steady stream of content for the Trump administration’s various social media platforms. What was clear in person, seeing the scene outside of the frame, were the limits of this performance of power. The agents had no capacity to maintain order or much apparent interest in doing so. Their presence was a vector of chaos, and controlling it was not in their job description. All that was holding the crowd back, as far as I could tell, was the knowledge that an officer like these shot a woman a week earlier and that another shot a man up the street an hour ago. I left the scene that night certain it would happen again.” NYT Magazine(Gift Article): Watching America Unravel in Minneapolis [ https://substack.com/redirect/5ece9d2a-b4cb-4461-bc1a-9ae732e59e80?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “In the frozen streets of Minneapolis, something profound is happening.” Welcome to the American Winter [ https://substack.com/redirect/39815fba-412c-4682-b1d2-24e74f3c914f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Even some Republicans are calling for an investigation into what’s happening in Minneapolis. Republicans Call for ‘Transparent’ Investigation Into Fatal Minneapolis Shooting [ https://substack.com/redirect/97799051-66fe-4d6c-8214-877cf319ea0d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And the White House is trying to distance itself from the attacks on the victim [ https://substack.com/redirect/924f1696-5682-496a-899d-5efc87dd1b3a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] made by Stephen Miller (who called Pretti “an assassin [who] tried to murder federal agents”) and Kristi Noem. Here’s the latest from AP [ https://substack.com/redirect/f0b35e75-e744-4831-90ba-1d144f8b135d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/9ef460b0-8b9b-4285-b2a4-572981709bfe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and NBC News [ https://substack.com/redirect/44d7eba9-62ed-497b-894c-6319fc93659b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Doc’ing Station “Like many people who strap on an Apple Watch every day, I’ve long wondered what a decade of that data might reveal about me. So I joined a brief wait list and gave ChatGPT access to the 29 million steps and 6 million heartbeat measurements stored in my Apple Health app. Then I asked the bot to grade my cardiac health. It gave me an F.” Luckily for Geoffrey A. Fowler, ChatGPT’s analysis of his health data was wrong. But when you read AI analysis, especially when you’re desperate for answers, it often sounds right. WaPo (Gift Article): I let ChatGPT analyze a decade of my Apple Watch data. Then I called my doctor [ https://substack.com/redirect/b2354de6-63e9-42e5-9562-b1f407283d3c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + If I shared my health data with ChatGPT, I’d expect it to say, “Hey, maybe you should get offline for a few hours and we can talk about this later...” For now, I’ve only asked it about some household fixes. And those answers were about as accurate as the ones Geoffrey Fowler got about his health. Let There Be Light [ https://substack.com/redirect/e9fb0076-83c3-4ee8-9764-8ad4bc340331?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 The Grand Scheme of Things If you’re a busy, tired, stressed parent looking for new ways to get your own parents to help out with the kids, and the usual guilt trips aren’t working, here’s a new angle. Tell them taking care of their grandkids is for their own good! Helping to raise your grandchildren? It’s good for your brain [ https://substack.com/redirect/8b362731-19bd-44cc-b724-d1ac261b90b1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Researchers “found that seniors who provided child care for their grandchildren − including watching them overnight, caring for sick grandkids, playing with them, helping with homework, making meals and driving them to school and extracurriculars − scored higher on memory and verbal fluency tests than those who were not caregivers.” 5 Extra, Extra The Last Hostage: “The remains of the last hostage held in Gaza have been identified, the Israeli military said Monday, ending a more than two-year saga for captives’ families in Israel — and paving the way for the second phase of the ceasefire [ https://substack.com/redirect/4e399b48-2a00-4ad0-b9ad-5324ff5aa6f8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in the war-torn enclave.” + House Call: “Millions of Americans are starting to see their monthly health-insurance bills rise, a new pressure point for a nation still frustrated with the high cost of living. Many of those facing the most substantial dollar increases are middle-income Americans who buy health insurance through the marketplaces set up by the government’s Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.” WSJ: Health Insurance Is Now More Expensive Than the Mortgage for These Americans [ https://substack.com/redirect/5cbc76a1-a8f4-4ef8-8381-bc879811008b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Winter Came: Northeast sees more snow from the tail end of a colossal winter storm, at least 25 deaths reported [ https://substack.com/redirect/3dd1966a-c42a-4f3d-ab88-4de09d1d4584?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “A colossal winter storm brought deep cold, ice, sleet, and snow to millions across a huge swath of the country.” In Photos: Snow and Ice Blanket the U.S [ https://substack.com/redirect/8324864a-a93f-4c89-80ea-04c4c8726b9a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Tim Apple Goes to Washington: In the hours after the latest Minneapolis killing, the CEOs of some of America’s most powerful tech companies were at the White House grinning for photos [ https://substack.com/redirect/9192183b-373c-43d4-b843-1f46f5be4054?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] at the screening of the new Melania doc. It’s not easy to navigate being a global CEO in the age of Trumpism. But this is particularly bleak. + Up Shit Creek on The River Road: “’The people who got the ability to impose their will on us here in this community have decided that our lives are not worth anything. They can come in here, do what they can do, just like they’re doing,’ Taylor told me in his family’s den. ‘They can suffer the horrors of you dumping these chemicals and pollutants into their bodies.’ He shook his head. ‘Sacrificed,’ he said. ‘For the benefit of the riches of these other people. People that’s not even from here.’” Lex Pryor in The Ringer: The Sins on the River Road Cannot Be Erased [ https://substack.com/redirect/c97d716b-7820-4d92-9839-c176d791cff3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “How did a tiny industrial hub in Louisiana find itself at the centerof America’s culture war?” 6 Bottom of the News “Climber Alex Honnold successfully completed a ‘free solo’ ascent up the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taiwan on Saturday, doing so without a rope or harness [ https://substack.com/redirect/f1683ef6-cff1-4b4d-af28-0e2cb142978f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in an event that streamed live on Netflix for a worldwide audience.” + Here’s a timelapse video [ https://substack.com/redirect/fecee501-f815-49b3-8086-6d03f6dbc6b8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] of the climb. (It would have been hard to beat him to the top if you took the stairs...) + ‘Bionic Woman’ Star Lindsay Wagner, 76, Reunites With Lee Majors, 86, for 50th Anniversary [ https://substack.com/redirect/a8cdcccb-e61b-4943-a2be-e94a173af81f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (All of my earliest romantic stirrings began when she tore this phone book [ https://substack.com/redirect/4bc786b2-6bfb-4127-9caf-c87a1148fda1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]...) 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/we-need-to-dish Don’t let the clear, rounded walls fool you into thinking you’re still on the outside. Just reach out and you’ll feel the smooth edges of your new existence. You, along with 341 million of your friends and neighbors, are currently living inside a national petri dish. It sits in a lab in Washington DC, where RFK Jr and his band of mad pseudo-scientific, sorcerer’s apprentices—nostalgic for ailments of the past—are using glass stirring sticks to spin up beakers-full of once-defeated viruses, which they plan to tilt into our communal receptacle to see how we test subjects will react to, say, a few drops of the measles virus or, maybe for old time’s sake, a couple test tubes’ worth of polio. You can try to avoid the toxic tonic, but the deadly brew doesn’t just attack directly; it spreads from one test subject to another. That’s the only way these inverted alchemists, determined to reverse the elixers of life their sane counterparts discovered long ago, can efficiently run tests measuring how much damage can be done and in how little time, as they move to achieve the Frankensteinization of human health. Consider this idea from Kirk Milhoan, Head Quack of our Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, who recently opined on the upside of the downturn [ https://substack.com/redirect/fe00e931-352d-4fbd-9e6b-5d26d3e5535a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in those who get the measles vaccine. “What we’re going to have is a real-world experience of when unvaccinated people get measles. What is the new incidence of hospitalization? What’s the incidence of death?” (Uh, I’ll take Things That Dr. Mengele Might Ask for 2000, Alex.) You might argue that we experienced the incidences, and they are specifically what motivated the creation of a vaccine, but, sadly, you’re not holding the beaker. You’re stuck in the dish. NYT (Gift Article): Rejecting Decades of Science, Vaccine Panel Chair Says Polio and Other Shots Should Be Optional [ https://substack.com/redirect/f6fe4815-58f7-4411-9065-4e3808856bec?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “He said there were emerging concerns that repeatedly stimulating the immune system with multiple vaccines might increase the risk of allergies, asthma and eczema. Large studies have dismissed that claim, but Dr. Milhoan said he trusted his own observations over what ‘established science’ might suggest about vaccines.” (Hey, you can’t make a do your own research death omelet without cracking a few observations from established science.) + Think any of this sounds like an exaggeration? Consider the recent plan RFK Jr. had to delay the introduction of the hepatitis B vaccine to babies in the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau, just to see how that would go. Kennedy Plan to Test a Vaccine in West African Babies Is Blocked [ https://substack.com/redirect/6a1893fc-5549-4164-a577-436acbcf90ea?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Maybe this is Jr’s way of easing the news that the U.S. Just Formally Withdrew From The World Health Organization [ https://substack.com/redirect/6dbc71d0-f530-4147-9d0b-31f1e1eefcf4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Global health experts worry that a lack of international coordination will lead to death and disaster.” (Well, at least we’ll have some fresh data from a real-world experience on the incidence of death and disaster.) 2 Tok and Bull Story If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: when they come for us, they’ll be performing short, comedic, lip-synched dance videos. I first wrote that catchy line back in 2020, when the first calls to ban TikTok hit the mainstream. Well, the ban never happened. Ironically, TikTok actually banned Trump before he banned it. But we now know that the Trumpian battles of yore never really ended. Ultimately, there was no ban, just a sale of part of the American version of TikTok to new investors (at a very favorable price). Bloomberg (Gift Article): TikTok Seals Deal to Operate in the US After Years of Drama [ https://substack.com/redirect/4935e63c-56cf-4771-b29f-31d511bd7823?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + I’ve never heard a national security expert argue that there wasn’t a danger in having a massive social networking algorithm and data collection program being run from China. But do we really feel safer with those same tools in the hands of Trump allies? Do we feel safe with X in the hands of Elon or Facebook in the hands of Zuck? “Trump has already said that he’d like to see TikTok go ‘100 percent MAGA,’ and his allies will now be in charge of ‘deciding which posts to leave up and which to take down’ ... Anupam Chander, a law and technology professor at Georgetown University, told the NYT that the TikTok deal offered Trump and his allies ‘more theoretical room for one side’s views to get a greater airing. ‘My worry all along is that we may have traded fears of foreign propaganda for the reality of domestic propaganda.’” TikTok deal is done; Trump wants praise while users fear MAGA tweaks [ https://substack.com/redirect/9ab99791-e11b-4fc2-86d8-6b5ff80ae018?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Stake Holders “Gambling addiction is, in some sense, also especially vexing to treat. You can’t quit money cold turkey, and it looms especially large in recovery, with gobs of it needed to climb out of gambling debt and reclaim stability. These conditions threaten relapse, keeping alive the fantasy of a lucky roll in a high-stakes room. As one gambling-addiction specialist explained: ‘I’ve never had a late-stage alcoholic say, ‘If I get drunk just right, my liver will heal.’” From Harper’s, Jasper Craven on America’s new gambling epidemic. On Tilt [ https://substack.com/redirect/aa3962c5-e52c-4aaa-bb66-7053e02fcf6d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I cover this topic a lot because it combines the incredibly addictive nature of smartphone tech and social media with the already extremely addictive nature of gambling.) 4 Weekend Whats What to Watch: “A typical day at Lochmill Capital is upended when armed thieves burst in and force Zara (Sophie Turner) and her best friend Luke (Archie Madekwe) to execute their demands.” The show starts fast and seems to stay that way. On Prime: Steal [ https://substack.com/redirect/ec7312a7-eec0-4620-81b9-30d761ff14e9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + What to Movie: “When a woman uncovers deadly biotech secrets, she turns to a secure accessibility service to reach a fixer known for helping whistleblowers in trouble.” Lily James and Riz Ahmed star in Relay [ https://substack.com/redirect/a40f0547-bf2f-48e1-8a5d-231291566726?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], now on Netflix. + What to Doc: “Directors Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio explore the life and legacy of Mel Brooks, one of the most enduring comedic voices of our time.” On HBO Max: Mel Brooks. The 99 Year Old Man [ https://substack.com/redirect/6e9ff41f-28ec-47e4-9b25-9be4ec38c3de?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Squaring the Circle: The first internet bubble was all about companies that had massive valuations with limited revenue and an investor class with little experience with the new tech. AI is nothing like that. But there are risks. Chief among them, the circular deals driving the industry. Here’s a good, short video from Bloomberg on YouTube. How Circular Deals Are Driving the AI Boom [ https://substack.com/redirect/16bf9a61-b3b3-453a-964a-daa169e7708b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Ice Invasion: “A potentially historic, massive winter storm will slam more than half of the United States today, moving east as it brings heavy snow, widespread ice accumulation and dangerous cold. At least 172 million people are under some form of winter weather warning through Sunday.” Here’s the latest from NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/207f6fc6-c902-484b-bebd-8f985f9fb9d7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Exposed: “The White House altered and posted to social media an image of an arrested Minnesota protester [ https://substack.com/redirect/6406e043-2d17-407a-a530-2c342735eb78?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] on Thursday to make it appear as if she was crying, a senior White House official confirmed to NBC News.” (Reason ten billion why I don’t feel safer with TikTok in its new owners’ hands.) + Peace of Work: “President Donald Trump has withdrawn his invitation [ https://substack.com/redirect/57a90ee2-68be-440c-a9f4-682a1504dade?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, to join his ‘Board of Peace,’ in an escalating feud between the two leaders.” Carney was never a good fit for this board. He runs a democracy. “Nearly all of the countries that agreed to work with Trump’s Board of Peace are ones that are rated relatively poorly on an important metric: adoption of democracy [ https://substack.com/redirect/efe1951b-0a37-48e8-bfd3-3d0dc1113bf3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + Ice Storm: NYT (Gift Article): ‘Enough Is Enough’: Hundreds of Minnesota Businesses Take Stand Against ICE [ https://substack.com/redirect/df6a4239-e068-4eeb-9b00-b469ded65402?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Here’s a look at the scale of the resistance [ https://substack.com/redirect/b901891e-434b-46be-9dd4-7398c9b789c2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in Minnesota. Meanwhile, in Oregon, ICE detained a family seeking emergency care for a child [ https://substack.com/redirect/4bed1150-f9a1-4729-ade5-180759182057?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] at Portland hospital. As per usual, this administration is trying to live up to The Onion’s parodies: ICE Agents Wait At Edge Of Delivery Table To Deport Newborn [ https://substack.com/redirect/42d816a2-0a68-4a10-8e0f-c8c053ea0711?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Tube: WSJ (Gift Article): Defining Moments in TV History You’ve Probably Never Heard About [ https://substack.com/redirect/ca310532-7d74-4885-a196-5b7ac12a17d0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Feel Good Friday If you missed it yesterday, there’s a new murder mystery. And you’re gonna love it: People aren’t murdering as much anymore [ https://substack.com/redirect/a6ffe043-1844-42eb-b828-316ab43a2bcf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Dana Milbank in WaPo (Gift Article): A psychologist says this exercise can make you more hopeful in 14 days [ https://substack.com/redirect/a19b2b4f-7f9e-4ab0-8e91-db97b6c85520?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (It’s basically just going outside and looking at stuff in nature. Obviously, you should bring your phone in case I send out a new edition of NextDraft.) + Wind and solar overtook fossil fuels [ https://substack.com/redirect/d5b334a3-46bf-4273-8fd9-e595289a7366?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for EU power generation in 2025. + Trinity Rodman signs 3-year deal with Washington Spirit, becomes highest-paid women’s soccer player in the world [ https://substack.com/redirect/4921e8ab-b42f-49f8-9089-3297daa7ee6d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + For many of us, this is the real era when America was great. Go back in time with MTV Rewind [ https://substack.com/redirect/54a645cb-2ef2-4ef2-8046-1f6c637f083a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROVFUzT1RNNE1pd2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTVNakF5TXpnMUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EQTNNemd6T0RVc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5PZ04yZGxXaGtORkR4ZDQ5Q0RGVmtCZkppbUNPTzdQQlp3YUk2dUNQeS1nIiwicCI6MTg1NTc5MzgyLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NjkyMDIzODUsImV4cCI6MjA4NDc3ODM4NSwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0._VAD8xv8BVaELLN_WtpNKFs_0AMkA2hfO-bnQi2nYt0?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/murder-mystery From podcasts to documentaries to Netflix series, Americans are obsessed with murder mysteries. Whether we’re reading Agatha Christie or watching Knives Out, we can’t seem to get enough. But we’re currently encountering a new kind of murder mystery that’s sweeping across the nation — and given our reputation, it’s threatening the American way of life. The case being presented to us today goes something like this: People aren’t murdering as much anymore. In fact, violent crimes are down almost everywhere. That includes places where there are more police on the street, and places where there are fewer. The country is experiencing “a once-in-a-lifetime improvement in public safety despite a police-staffing crisis. In August, the FBI released its final data for 2024, which showed that America’s violent-crime rate fell to its lowest level since 1969, led by a nearly 15 percent decrease in homicide—the steepest annual drop ever recorded. Preliminary 2025 numbers look even better.” Henry Grabar in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Great Crime Decline Is Happening All Across the Country [ https://substack.com/redirect/af3c67fb-77af-40a5-bcca-ee8df8534bd8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “There are many plausible explanations for the recent crime downturn: sharper policing strategy, more police overtime, low unemployment, the lure of digital life, the post-pandemic return to normalcy. Each of these surely played a role. But only one theory can match the decline in its scope and scale: that the massive, post-pandemic investment in local governments deployed during the Biden administration, particularly through the American Rescue Plan Act, delivered a huge boost to the infrastructure and services of American communities—including those that suffered most from violent crime. That spending may be responsible for our current pax urbana.” + NYT (Gift Article): What’s Behind the Staggering Drop in the Murder Rate? No One Knows for Sure [ https://substack.com/redirect/6664b626-eb6b-4bde-a77a-985763cd911c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Researchers have long struggled to explain why crime fluctuates. Research has credited policing strategies and incarceration rates, mental health treatment and gun laws, the beautification of vacant lots and the phasing out of lead, which impairs brain development, from gasoline in the 1970s.” (We may never know for sure what’s causing the drop in violent crime, but at least in this case, the suspense is not killing us.) 2 We Are Not Alone Usually, the phrase We are not alone refers to the search for other intelligent life forms somewhere out there in the universe. These days, it feels like we’d be lucky to find intelligent life when consuming the daily news. But we are not alone. There are many people, including many leaders, who feel the same as you do when it comes to the attacks on American values. So let’s take note when they speak out. Today, Jack Smith testified in front of Congress. “If asked whether to prosecute a former president based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether that president was a Democrat or Republican. No one should be above the law in this country.” (Believe it or not, that is still mainstream opinion.) Here’s Smith’s opening statement [ https://substack.com/redirect/f66fdd6d-5ed6-443a-87e2-983554ba2002?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “President Trump has sought to seek revenge against career prosecutors, FBI agents, and support staff simply for having worked on these cases. To vilify and seek retribution against these people is wrong. Those dedicated public servants are the best of us, and it has been a privilege to serve with them. After nearly 30 years of public service, including in international settings, I have seen how the rule of law can erode. My fear is that we have seen the rule of law function in our country for so long that many of us have come to take it for granted. The rule of law is not self-executing. It depends on our collective commitment to apply it. It requires dedicated service on behalf of others, especially when that service is difficult and comes with costs. Our willingness to pay those costs is what tests and defines our commitment to the rule of law and to this wonderful country.” + “I do not understand why you would mass pardon people who assaulted police officers. I don’t get it. I never will.” It’s critical to note that Smith is making these public statements knowing full well that Trump’s corrupted justice department will do ‘everything in its power’ to indict him. Here’s the latest on the hearing from CNN [ https://substack.com/redirect/aa0c4917-8b4a-43f6-be61-9e07c69df854?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/c55500b1-4386-4141-a7e6-0612a59e3989?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “I’m not naive. These guys are gonna try to take me down.” Gavin Newsom at Davos [ https://substack.com/redirect/5813cc06-7a19-44c7-a0f9-c9682b187d19?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Here’s the full conversation [ https://substack.com/redirect/2f48b8e6-3bfe-450c-be30-304e3aca01cb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + A couple exceptions like these not convincing you that we are not alone? Well, consider this from the NYT: The Voters Who Have Taken a U-Turn on Trump [ https://substack.com/redirect/ab668c26-7f6f-4851-b44b-8991bcb1773d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 No Checks on Kash “When Kash Patel was nominated, we all knew in our bones that the bureau was going to be a very different environment than any of us had experienced before. He regularly referred to us as government gangsters. He was also the author of three children’s books in which he’s a self-styled wizard who saves King Donald Trump from the evil forces of the Justice Department.” The NYT Magazine goes deep with forty-five current and former FBI agents on the changes that are undermining the agency and making you less safe. A Year Inside Kash Patel’s F.B.I [ https://substack.com/redirect/5b2a66df-c9c3-402e-84c5-ba88484e2b21?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 The Handwriting is On The Wall I spent many afternoons during third grade being forced to practice my terrible penmanship on the chalkboard in Mrs. Mitchell’s classroom. At one point, I paused and remarked, “Isn’t this punishment just making me better at doing cursive on a chalkboard when the real issue is that I’m not good at doing it with a pencil on paper?” The result? I spent many moreafternoons during third grade being forced to practice my terrible penmanship on the chalkboard. This is all a long way of saying to the children of New Jersey: I feel your pain. Cursive Makes a Comeback in New Jersey Schools [ https://substack.com/redirect/e426ece6-5a99-46ca-8e22-abe3982dd5a5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Proponents of cursive cite studies that link handwriting to better information retention and writing speed, and say ... that knowing script can help people read the original U.S. Constitution.” (Maybe we should have that translated into block text, fingerpainting, hieroglyphics, or whatever it takes to get it back into the mainstream...) 5 Extra, Extra Schoolyard Bullies: The federal government is going after the worst of the worst criminals ... at your local primary school. “Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained a 5-year-old on his way home from school [ https://substack.com/redirect/614e6544-d21d-4eaf-80a8-b0c6ac1ca125?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] on Tuesday and used him as ‘bait’ to knock on his front door to see if anyone was home.” (Feel safer?) Meanwhile, 2 Women Arrested Over Protest of Minnesota Pastor Linked to ICE [ https://substack.com/redirect/a1cf3d0f-289f-451a-be66-236be5ac1e4e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Sadly, things are likely to get worse before they get better. NYT (Gift Article): ICE Said Agents Can Enter Homes Without Judicial Warrant, Group Claims [ https://substack.com/redirect/5c90f8a3-0e24-4d4c-939b-5a84e09cabba?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Oh That’s Rich: “In effect, inequality has become a race between the housing market and the stock market.” Rich Americans Had a Good 2025. Everyone Else Fell Behind [ https://substack.com/redirect/118100c6-3a7e-4b0f-bf02-5d931d9319fc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (It’s notable that this trend was in full effect during the Biden years, and still many of the richest of the rich felt they were being victimized by the system.) + Bank Shot: “President Trump sued JPMorgan Chase for $5 billion on Thursday, alleging the nation’s biggest bank improperly closed his accounts over an unsubstantiated ‘woke’ belief [ https://substack.com/redirect/8308d1d3-9fa6-46ca-b215-0e541f365bd8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] that it needed to distance itself from him after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.” + This Time, It’s Personal: “Google is leveraging its artificial intelligence technology to open a new peephole [ https://substack.com/redirect/60fbd418-8e88-4465-9205-05ebee7d16a1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for its dominant search engine to tailor answers that draw upon people’s interests, habits, travel itineraries and photo libraries.” All you have to do is let them analyze your emails and photos. Even if you don’t give AI access to this information, you’re probably sharing a lot. 5 things to avoid asking AI, according to security experts [ https://substack.com/redirect/6c4e76c2-8726-4e90-9c09-a75af7ac25e2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Hate the Sin, But Love the Sinners: “Sinners leads the 2026 Oscar nominations with a record-breaking 16 noms.” Here’s a full list [ https://substack.com/redirect/ba48861a-fa1b-45bc-9629-59fd504bfc33?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] of nominations and the snubs and surprises [ https://substack.com/redirect/c199b082-db36-4b64-8238-06d586fc9fad?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Double Talk: “The Federal Communications Commission said Wednesday that daytime and late-night TV talk shows featuring interviews with political candidates must comply with ‘equal time’ rules that give airtime to views of opposing candidates [ https://substack.com/redirect/fe911b00-057c-4911-aec4-6dcca0db6502?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (Holy sh-t, yes. Let Kimmel interview them on live TV...) 6 Bottom of the News Need more motivation to keep those New Year’s resolutions alive? Do it for the airlines! “As Americans slim down with the help of weight-loss drugs, U.S. airlines could be among the surprise beneficiaries, a new report suggests. That’s because the lighter a plane is, the less fuel it requires [ https://substack.com/redirect/fd7660b6-c558-4f6c-868e-e1db950ac005?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] — and fuel is one of an airline’s biggest costs.” (It’s even more helpful if you can slim down enough to fit in an overhead compartment...) + The bathroom door scandal: why hotels are putting toilets in glass boxes [ https://substack.com/redirect/fe1d7149-a305-4902-a41e-61a5db94079e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTROVFExT0RrNE9Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTVNVEUyTWpNMUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EQTJOVEl5TXpVc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5OUEs0N0oyQlkwSmxCblB5WUVsd3dSQ1Fyd2xFNUNHdVUtN0dnRnEta1kwIiwicCI6MTg1NDU4OTg5LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NjkxMTYyMzUsImV4cCI6MjA4NDY5MjIzNSwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.IbgJgGMQO9yQgmsm2hxs7Aoz6xI3OFvII1-X0CzeU_0?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/carney-and-the-carnie Speech! ... Speech! This year’s gathering in Davos was ultimately a tale of two speeches. One that drew a standing ovation. One that drew gasps. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered an honest account of the rupture in the world order. He didn’t have to mention who ruptured it, but he did call for clear-eyed views and reactions to the dramatic change. I’ve often argued that Americans may forgive themselves for Trump, but our allies may not. The breaking point has arrived. “The middle powers must act together because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.” NYT (Gift Article): Canada Flexes on Global Stage With an Eye to Its Own Survival [ https://substack.com/redirect/a9102f61-176a-445e-a32d-73db094044ba?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “We placed the sign in the window. We participated in the rituals. And largely avoided calling out the gaps between rhetoric and reality. This bargain no longer works. Let me be direct: we are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition ... Recently, great powers began using economic integration as weapons. Tariffs as leverage. Financial infrastructure as coercion. Supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited. You cannot ‘live within the lie’ of mutual benefit through integration when integration becomes the source of your subordination.” Here’s the full speech in text [ https://substack.com/redirect/540a2eaf-a340-40df-a2a4-5d03a911640d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and on video [ https://substack.com/redirect/b88cfe0e-02da-443a-b66e-98263c23cc71?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + In The Atlantic (Gift Article), Robert Kagan goes deep on the American own goal, destroying the world order it has led for decades. America vs. The World [ https://substack.com/redirect/6023fb24-ecc4-4ddf-9933-11d390720d60?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “For decades, much of the world supported a United States that acted on these principles and accepted America’s power, despite its flaws and errors, precisely because it did not act solely out of narrow self-interest—much less in the narrow, selfish interest of a single ruler. That era is over.” + While the headlines out of Davos on Wednesday were all about Trump’s insistence that the US military wouldn’t invade Greenland [ https://substack.com/redirect/3da09ac9-fdff-45f6-b7ea-394ae564fb44?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], his own meandering speech included a critique of Carney [ https://substack.com/redirect/aac0521c-fb1f-49eb-8045-469efae06336?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], saying, Canada “lives because of the United States” and should be grateful [ https://substack.com/redirect/79acf5dd-453f-4149-bcf4-ab1b1d179fcf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] (which is a weird way of convincing someone you’re not the hegemon they described), confused Iceland and Greenland [ https://substack.com/redirect/f74de303-a3cc-4272-9957-eb4b7eabefb0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] several times, waxed nostalgic about NATO calling him Daddy [ https://substack.com/redirect/4f1d156d-cb8c-4129-b442-5ca8d1df7d45?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and mumbled something (I’m really not sure what) about rare earths [ https://substack.com/redirect/6f9d262f-8cc2-4530-9ef7-c523540af47e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. From Bloomberg: A Stunned Davos Crowd Takes in Trump’s Case for Greenland [ https://substack.com/redirect/582f389e-a90e-4ccb-8869-02cc14289151?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + It’s not unthinkable that the US could get a military and mineral deal [ https://substack.com/redirect/39552347-7248-4467-bedb-9997cc222e9a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] related to Greenland. The bigger question is how these relentless attacks on our allies will impact our role in the world moving forward. WSJ (Gift Article): Greenland Clash Risks Undermining America’s Place in World Economic Order [ https://substack.com/redirect/0b2c6886-01a0-4414-8e1a-11eca87bd06b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Projection Racket “There were no promises of an impartial investigation. There was no regret or remorse. There was little empathy for her family — for her parents, her partner or the children she left behind. From the moment the world learned about her death, the administration pronounced the shooting not only justified but an act of heroism worthy of praise and celebration. It isn’t just the lying; it’s that the lies are wildly exaggerated and easily refutable.” Radley Balko in the NYT (Gift Article): I’ve Covered Police Abuse for 20 Years. What ICE Is Doing Is Different [ https://substack.com/redirect/30a74557-4048-41ef-9151-da6bfefbd1c9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The lies this administration is telling about Ms. Good aren’t those you deploy as part of a cover-up. They’re those you use when you want to show you can get away with anything. They’re a projection of power.” 3 Dropping Some Knowledge “Nothing American or Canadian policy makers did—no amount of law enforcement, harm reduction, or opioid-settlement funds—made deaths start falling, the paper implies. America and Canada’s drug problem might be in China’s hands.” The Atlanticon some really good news that experts are racing to explain. The Real Reason for the Drop in Fentanyl Overdoses [ https://substack.com/redirect/e76f1ee4-8974-4bbc-8548-74a6e9814156?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Vowel Movements “The always interesting Bonnie Tsui on the connection between creativity and physical activity. “For someone who is not a professional swimmer, I spend an awful lot of time under water. I consider it an act of mobile meditation: Sensory input is muffled, so the chaos of the surface world eventually recedes. What’s left is activity—familiar, comforting, and hypnotic, almost second nature. My brain, normally trying to create order out of chaos, is free to fumble for deeper meaning. This is especially useful as a writer: I believe I generate my best material while swimming.” Why So Many Writers Are Athletes [ https://substack.com/redirect/b2053599-de02-417f-ba77-f4daded891ad?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Can we change that headline to Why So Many Writers Attempt Physical Activity, No Matter How Embarrassing? I really don’t want my pilates instructor to extend my plank session to punish me for describing myself as an athlete...) 5 Extra, Extra Bad Beats: “So far, even if fans are losing trust in the product, they’re still watching and the leagues keep making money.” Sports-Betting Scandals Are Ubiquitous. Whether Fans Will Care Is an Open Question [ https://substack.com/redirect/8a2ad214-3306-42cc-a68b-9f6ecdc58938?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I worry a lot less about whether the scandals will affect the betting business and a lot more about the way the betting business will create an era of gambling addiction.) + Payback Time? “The ruling revealed an overlooked consequence of Trump’s pardon for some Jan. 6 offenders: Not only did it free them from prison but it emboldened them to demand payback from the government.” They ransacked the U.S. Capitol and want the government to pay them back [ https://substack.com/redirect/4702df93-cbf6-427b-87c0-17f45a6bf03b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Better Off Fed: “The Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared likely to block [ https://substack.com/redirect/d29d69ac-5ade-49c0-885c-8c326c70f4ce?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] President Donald Trump from immediately firing Democratic-appointed Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve board, a move that would prevent Trump from exerting greater influence over the powerful central bank that guides the economy.” (This, and the dropping of the Greenland military threats, combined to boost the market, bigly.) + Chips on the Table: “I think this is crazy. It’s a bit like selling nuclear weapons to North Korea and [bragging that] Boeing made the casings.” Trump didn’t give the only controversial speech at Davos. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei unloaded on both the administration and chip companies [ https://substack.com/redirect/41baf149-1c19-4746-a9d3-8d2733661fb4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] (including a really big one that invests in his company) over the decision to sell AI to China. + Faith In Nathan: “Nathan’s Famous, which opened as a 5-cent hot dog stand in Coney Island more than a century ago, has been sold to packaged meat giant Smithfield Foods [ https://substack.com/redirect/19d9e1c1-9956-465d-81d0-08478b65b6e6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in an all-cash $450 million deal, the companies announced Wednesday.” 6 Bottom of the News “Two experimental payphones – one placed in San Francisco and the other in Abilene, Texas – are connecting strangers across party lines, allowing callers to speak directly with Democrats and Republicans [ https://substack.com/redirect/b895f234-e008-4faa-905f-187fbf56cbe6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in two of the US’s most ideologically opposed cities.” (OK, I’ll try it, but I’m calling collect...) + ‘Snow White,’ ‘War of the Worlds’ lead 2026 Razzie Awards nominations [ https://substack.com/redirect/e7eaf709-bfb2-4b95-8163-8aa62b57e6eb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/let-there-be-light-7e1 The comedian Steven Wright has an old joke in which he describes a light switch in his house that does nothing [ https://substack.com/redirect/51247e71-1a35-477c-8178-518bfca65427?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Every now and then, he would just flick it up and down. As he explains, “About a month later, I got a letter from a woman in Germany ... saying, ‘Cut it out.’” I probably owe that same woman an apology, as I spent much of the last week hopelessly flicking many of the light switches in my house after suffering a system-wide software glitch. (Yes, my house features a layer of software between the switches and the lights because just turning them on and off seemed too efficient.) Faced with this challenge, I did what every modern, skill-free homeowner would do. I talked to ChatGPT. The responses were incredibly detailed, incredibly certain, and incredibly supportive of my efforts. I was doing all the right things, and there was no reason for me to get discouraged while dealing with a notoriously buggy software platform. It was the first time I attempted home improvement without anyone laughing. After I got the feedback from ChatGPT, I decided to check its work with Gemini. The advice about the next moves was largely confirmed. Both chat programs offered to summarize our discussion for my lighting contractor, in case I wanted to call in a professional. His human response went something like this: “None of that text from ChatGPT makes any sense at all. Be cautious asking it questions about that sort of thing. The answers it gives people are just ridiculous.” I took the human’s advice, which involved pushing one button for about ten seconds. And there was light, and it was good. While chat programs are at times amazing, I’ve realized through a series of exchanges that the programs are often simultaneously very certain and completely wrong. I think we’ve reached the Singularity, because that’s exactly how humans behave on the internet. The experience got me wondering if the masters of the AI revolution might also be wrong on topics about which they have great certainty (and every incentive to hope things evolve as they say they will). Tim Higgins in the WSJ (Gift Article), with an interesting look at how some of these folks view the changing world: Why the tech world thinks the American dream is dying [ https://substack.com/redirect/f7bcdf1f-d087-4688-b523-250847956f0e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “History is filled with technology booms that create new winners and losers. AI optimists like to point out that a rising tide has tended to lift all boats. What’s being talked about now—massive job loss to automation and the need for public safety nets, in the form of universal basic income—paints a dramatically different future. It’s still not clear there’s any appetite for so-called UBI, which runs counter to many Americans’ bedrock ideals of personal achievement. ‘I used to be really excited about UBI…but I think people really need agency; they need to feel like they have a voice in governing the future and deciding where things go,’ Altman, OpenAI’s chief executive, said last year when asked by a podcaster about how people will create wealth in the AI era. ‘If you just say, ‘OK, AI is going to do everything and then everybody gets…a dividend from that,’ it’s not going to feel good, and I don’t think it actually would be good for people.’” Meanwhile, Elon Musk explains, “The transition will be bumpy. We’ll have radical change, social unrest and immense prosperity.” Maybe so, but maybe people who are really good at making a lot of money in tech aren’t necessarily really good when it comes to analyzing human desire and interactions. There’s no doubt this is an epic tech boom, and there will be serious changes ahead. But are we picking the right people to determine the direction and predict the future? Actually, what am I asking you for? I should be asking my lighting contractor... 2 The Wizard of Straws The Greenland insanity has reached a fever pitch, as it brings together so many of Trump’s greatest hits. Antagonizing allies, a mentally ill obsession with the Nobel prize, constant bluster, endless lies, a false reading of history, random word capitalizations, and so much more. In his first term, there were some guardrails. Now there are just guard dogs, preventing anyone from slowing down the crazy train. Anne Applebaum sums things up in The Atlantic (Gift Article): “Donald Trump now genuinely lives in a different reality, one in which neither grammar nor history nor the normal rules of human interaction now affect him. Also, he really is maniacally, unhealthily obsessive about the Nobel Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, not the Norwegian government and certainly not the Danish government, determines the winner of that prize. Yet Trump now not only blames Norway for failing to give it to him, but is using it as a justification for an invasion of Greenland.” Trump’s Letter to Norway Should Be the Last Straw [ https://substack.com/redirect/f1ee2433-280c-4652-9d11-ccfe3360b8f9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “He is locked into a world of his own, determined to ‘win’ every encounter, whether in an imaginary competition for the Nobel Peace Prize or a protest from the mother of small children objecting to his masked, armed paramilitary in Minneapolis. These contests matter more to him than any long-term strategy. And of course, the need to appear victorious matters much more than Americans’ prosperity and well-being.” (When it comes to anyone, especially in the GOP Congress, standing up to Trump, I worry that we have infinite straws.) + At this point, we need Congress to step up. The military is planning for something they shouldn’t even be considering. And these aren’t the unqualified scrubs terrorizing women and children on our city streets. These are people who have sacrificed for a country the world barely recognizes. The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Military Is Being Forced to Plan for an Unthinkable Betrayal [ https://substack.com/redirect/631d8ebf-6891-4ce0-a990-0d4b7567d414?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Attacking an ally would be a perversion of everything the armed forces have been trained to do.” + “When I took my post as secretary general of the Council of Europe just over a year ago, I did not think that I would ever have to write about the possibility of the United States taking military action against a member state. Yet here we are [ https://substack.com/redirect/50ce858d-e8f5-4121-95bb-74d04313e764?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + Trump, sharing leaked texts and AI mock-ups [ https://substack.com/redirect/e1b478c2-ec61-40a0-bd04-ba0c965734c2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], vows ‘no going back’ on Greenland. Here’s the latest as world leaders gather in Davos [ https://substack.com/redirect/8545908e-b776-403b-9c54-84c6a3ffbf0e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Darkness Visible “Suddenly, the tense scene dissolved into slapstick. The federal officer slipped on a patch of ice and tumbled to the ground. A raucous roar of laughter and jeers erupted from the protesters surrounding him. He scrambled to his feet and marched on. But a few seconds later one of the protesters shouted, ‘He dropped his magazine!’ And sure enough, lying on the patch of ice was a fully loaded magazine from his automatic weapon. Dan Engelhart, one of the city’s parks commissioners, was standing nearby. He grabbed the magazine and turned it over in his hands. Well, we’re fucking close to civil war,’ he told me.” Lydia Polgreen in the NYT (Gift Article): In Minneapolis, I Glimpsed a Civil War [ https://substack.com/redirect/405f89ca-9ef1-4ca3-8034-7ea0dc9a63e5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “From afar, this tragic and possibly criminal act of violence could plausibly be seen as incidental to President Trump’s mission to deport undocumented people from the country. But when I landed in Minneapolis on Monday and saw the size, scope and lawlessness of the federal onslaught unfolding here, I understood that Good’s killing was emblematic of its true mission: to stage a spectacle of cruelty upon a city that stands in stark defiance against Trump’s dark vision of America.” + A headline that captures our moment: Volunteers in Minnesota Deliver Groceries So Immigrants Can Hide at Home [ https://substack.com/redirect/2b8865da-2285-4502-8055-785c5eaed8a3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Indiana’s Jones “Fueled by the perceived disrespect, desperate to prove it would not become a bottom dweller again, Indiana produced the football version of ‘Hoosiers,’ completing one of the most improbable turnarounds in sports history -- winning its first national championship while becoming the first major college team since Yale in 1894 to go 16-0.” Indiana competed its storybook season behind coach Curt Cignetti and QB Fernando Mendoza, who transfered from Berkeley before this season, proving once again the value of a Cal education. How Indiana won college football’s national championship [ https://substack.com/redirect/a1abe22c-7a61-461b-b4dc-f985b8d9bde2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + It was good news for a school normally associated with basketball. And it was, as I explained last week, good news for John Mellencamp [ https://substack.com/redirect/20bdcc90-0268-498f-91fe-4945ca9e5a16?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Pocket Protector: “A review by the editorial board relying on analyses from news organizations shows that Mr. Trump has used the office of the presidency to make at least $1.4 billion. We know this number to be an underestimate because some of his profits remain hidden from public view. And they continue to grow.” NYT (Gift Article): How Trump Has Pocketed $1,408,500,000 [ https://substack.com/redirect/eb1f1731-71a1-43d4-84e2-617f788b760b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Pulling the Shrug Out From Under the Market: “The scale of the moves shows that investors’ willingness to shrug off earlier shocks — including the White House’s capture of Venezuela’s leader and its renewed attacks on the Federal Reserve — is beginning to erode.” Bloomberg (Gift Article): Wall Street’s Calm Shattered by Greenland and Japan Shocks [ https://substack.com/redirect/e269d750-4bb9-456b-841c-1938cc84d1d0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Are You Putin Me On? Think it can’t get crazier? Think again. Trump invited Putin [ https://substack.com/redirect/b0f1fe25-7a81-4d9f-b6d7-fb6079c53b86?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to be on his board of peace in Gaza. + Cheese Stakes: “To these seekers, the border between the two countries scarcely mattered: The cheese was the thing. Its cachet helped make the store, and the town, a destination, lending this remote and rural place an international appeal ... Since President Trump took office, though, Greensboro, with about 800 residents, has been stung by a collapse in traffic from Canada.” NYT (Gift Article): A Vermont Town Was a Foodie Mecca for Canadians. Until Trump’s Threats [ https://substack.com/redirect/21e19bfb-d0c9-4d6f-806a-ea55bdba9a93?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + First the Walkman, Now This: “When you think about the central piece of technology in your home, it’s probably not the computer, or the tablet, or even the smartphone. It’s the TV. This was true 50 years ago, and it’s still true today. Arguably, it’s more true today thanks to the rise of streaming services and video games and yes, increasingly even YouTube. And so it’s wild that despite this key focal point in everyone’s lives, the market for those actual televisions well, sucks.” And Sony just exited the market. Spyglass: Make TVs Great Again [ https://substack.com/redirect/dffb5863-6e0d-4478-8807-4f8bce29e576?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Boy Who Cried Tariff: “The brunt of US tariffs — 96% — has been paid by US buyers [ https://substack.com/redirect/56074ec6-eed6-4b25-8085-767473df785c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], research from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German think tank, found, while about 4% of the tariff burden was paid by foreign exporters.” 6 Bottom of the News “For a cow, Veronika has had what might be considered an idyllic life. She lives in a picturesque town in Austria, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and glacial lakes. She is a beloved family pet, rather than a production animal, and spends her days ambling through tree-lined pastures. And when she has an itch, she scratches it — by expertly wielding a stick.” A pet cow named Veronika can scratch her own back with a broom — the first scientifically documented case of tool use in cows [ https://substack.com/redirect/bb1d5d90-5341-40cc-adfc-ac930c44b904?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (My beagles have mastered the art of getting others to scratch their backs. Who’s the tool now?) 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/aint-that-america Lately, the headlines have hurt. So let’s close out the week with a brief respite and focus instead on a story that hurts so good. It’s hard to explain to the non college football fan just how unlikely it is that Indiana would find itself as the undefeated favorite to win a national championship on Monday night against Miami. Before Curt Cignetti showed up at his first press conference as the new football coach at a basketball school in December of 2023, where he famously proclaimed, “I win. Google me [ https://substack.com/redirect/8fb08ff4-badb-4880-b7da-ee7061c4f7bb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ],” things were bleak. “In 1976, then-coach Lee Corso called timeout in the second quarter to snap a photo of the scoreboard with Indiana leading Ohio State 7-6. They lost 47-7. In the 1990s and 2000s, some tailgaters never made it inside the stadium, which prompted coaches to rally students to show up.” No one needs any rallying to show up now. But Indiana’s unexpected rise to the top echelon of college football isn’t the only unusual part of this story. So is the identity of their number one, longtime backer. “The program that opened the season as the losingest team in Division I football history now stands one game away from its first championship—and it hasn’t gotten there via the pursestrings of one of the world’s richest people. In fact, the Hoosiers’ most prominent booster isn’t a tech genius or hedge fund titan. It’s the guy who wrote ‘Jack & Diane.’” These lyrics, Little ditty ‘bout Jack and Diane, two American kids growin’ up in the heartland. Jacky gon’ be a football star, Diane’s debutante backseat of Jacky’s car are about the only association the average person (or even some pretty good AI) can make between John Mellencamp and the gridiron. But it turns out that Mellencamp is a major backer of Indiana football. How major? Well, the team’s practice facility is named the John Mellencamp Sports Pavilion. WSJ (Gift Article): The Chain-Smoking Rock Star Who Made Indiana Football Hurt So Good [ https://substack.com/redirect/28541151-84b8-47de-bb0f-b84117aade38?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] (backup link [ https://substack.com/redirect/cb299d2d-b32f-4ecf-b284-663e9921c13e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]). “In recent years, the school gifted the Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer a wooden shack affixed to the top of the stadium. There, Mellencamp—a self-described ‘anti-social guy’ —could take in a game exactly the way he wanted to. ‘I set up there, nobody bothers me,’ Mellencamp said. ‘And I can smoke.’” Win or lose, Hoosiers and underdogs everywhere should enjoy these moments while they can. After all, life goes on, long after the thrill of livin’ is gone... 2 The Carny and the Carnage “President Trump’s sweeping effort to tamp down illegal immigration, using masked federal agents who film their interactions with cellphones and often question American citizens about their legal status, has set off a surge in confrontational activism fueled by both large liberal advocacy groups and hyperlocal neighborhood networks. In Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis, established groups representing labor and immigrant rights have provided funding and organized downtown rallies against the Trump administration. But fierce opposition to ICE and the Border Patrol has also sprung up through block clubs, neighborhood group chats, school Facebook groups and Catholic parishes, stretching beyond the typical Democratic voter base.” And with that, one of Trump’s more popular issues became one of his least popular. NYT (Gift Article): How ICE Crackdowns Set Off a Resistance in American Cities [ https://substack.com/redirect/331af3e8-c8a4-47ce-80a3-4705ae5a864c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + That’s not to say the resistance is bothering Trump. The chaos and violence have long been his aim. “The goal all along, it appears, was something like what’s happening today in Minnesota: a street-theatre carnival of violence, mostly instigated by the federal government itself, in an effort to create a genuine security crisis that Trump can then step in to resolve.” Susan B. Glasser in The New Yorker: The Minnesota War Zone Is Trump’s Most Trumpian Accomplishment [ https://substack.com/redirect/58ef0cca-83a4-4ee8-9107-5677dfa9deac?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Minnesota is his legacy. It is American carnage made real.” + People don’t seem to be as likely to buy the lies about the Minneapolis shooting as they were during past scandals. Even if the org formerly known as CBS News is trying to help. “Some CBS News employees expressed concern after the network cited two anonymous ‘US officials’ on Wednesday to report that the ICE officer who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis suffered internal bleeding to the torso [ https://substack.com/redirect/b86d0079-5f7e-4134-a96a-0d2125d9943c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] after the incident.” (The only thing suffering from internal bleeding is the Constitution.) 3 This is U.S. If you’re susceptible to nausea, vomiting, or banging yourself on the head I could’ve had a V8 [ https://substack.com/redirect/bb169591-1802-4b9e-a956-8d8cc082442e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] style, you might want to stop reading now. Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado gave Trump her Nobel Peace Prize [ https://substack.com/redirect/6b5e8fcc-b32c-4b61-8f78-fbd0c0559d78?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. It’s hard to blame Machado. These are the obvious psych-ops on Trump, and this is how nations and individuals know they can curry favor with our dear leader. It’s sad, but this is us. + Jimmy Kimmel offered the president his choice of several of his trophies [ https://substack.com/redirect/18e47fb5-4bcf-4554-abe6-40bc4674edb9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] (even his Webby) if he agrees to pull ICE out of Minneapolis. F-ck it, for that, I’m willing to throw in my award for Best Email Newsletter of 1999. And it’s a beaut. 4 Weekend Whats What to Watch: Between awards shows, talk shows, and a whole lot of marketing, you’re probably aware that The Pitt on HBO [ https://substack.com/redirect/7d6695e5-75cc-4955-80f6-88610de88dd7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] is back with its second season. It’s a really a good show. My teenage daughter and I both love it. That’s got to mean something. + What to Doc: The Stringer on Netflix [ https://substack.com/redirect/f61fe32d-e233-4f46-a2d7-da3cf8725721?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] is an interesting and controversial documentary in which investigators try to uncover the truth about who took an era-defining photo from the Vietnam War. In our snap-judgement era, when we’re constantly being lied to by those at the very top, it’s worth considering how much digging it takes to get one answer about one photo that’s still being debated after a half century. + What to Wear: The NextDraft Store, home of some of your favorite shirts and hoodies [ https://substack.com/redirect/c0a9d821-f03b-4bcb-b499-d3babf766f41?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], is having a 20% off sale today. Enter the coupon code Flashsalefriday under Discounts during checkout. 5 Extra, Extra Uncle Scam Wants You: “The scam center, Shunda Park, opened for business in 2024 with more than 3,500 workers from nearly 30 nations, including Namibia, Russia, Zimbabwe and France. Some had been kidnapped and enslaved, but all had become skilled in the art of the online grift. When the scammers bilked $5,000 out of someone, they struck a Chinese gong. A $50,000 shakedown earned a celebratory pounding of a giant drum, then an offering to a Chinese deity resplendent in his golden altar.” An NYT (Gift Article) Photo Essay: At This Office Park, Scamming the World Was the Business [ https://substack.com/redirect/11f539a2-2386-439b-9ab4-04a282f230d3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “While each nationality required a different approach — for Americans, one scammer told me, the preferred mark was ‘white old men’ — the general approach was the same: an online foray by a sympathetic and attractive person, followed by an invitation to participate in a select investment opportunity.” + See No Evil, Hear No Evil: “In my experience, many leaders harbor deep concerns about Mr. Trump’s lawlessness, weaponization of the government, and interference in markets. They refrain from public criticism not because they find nothing to criticize but because they’re intimidated. Such fear is understandable. Even so, when the business community and our leaders cease to speak out on matters of public concern, they turn their backs on the foundations of our country’s success.” Robert E. Rubin with a question we’ve all been asking: Why Have Business Leaders Gone Silent [ https://substack.com/redirect/3246ce50-d0a4-47f0-bad6-f9bb7c0874f7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? + A Trump of Coal: “This time around, the Trump administration has gone much further to rescue coal, with more success. Last year, the amount of electricity produced by coal increased 13 percent, and retirements have slowed.” But it’s not cheap. It’s not clean. And it probably doesn’t make much sense, even for many in the coal business. Trump Wants to Halt Almost All Coal Plant Shutdowns. It Could Get Messy [ https://substack.com/redirect/e3a2a885-0df2-4590-8a54-1c6e22200ab0?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Managing Expectations: Trump says he may punish countries with tariffs [ https://substack.com/redirect/f3953225-9b3e-44f8-bd9b-ad643b4651bd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] if they don’t back the US controlling Greenland. Here’s a little history on the matter from a comedian based in Denmark: Dear America, We’d Like to Speak to the Manager [ https://substack.com/redirect/fe1b44aa-a651-40d3-b721-801b07ebe0d2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “You see, we know the Greenlanders. They’re a proud Indigenous people who are not interested in being Americans. You can’t just buy them off. So Trump is running wild. He’s kidnapping presidents. He’s invading other countries without congressional approval. And frankly, we don’t want that mess spilling into Greenland or Europe — or Legoland, for that matter.” + Doing Time and Again: Trump has issued so many pardons to so many undeserving recipients that he’s having to double up. “In 2021, aconvicted fraudster named Adriana Camberos was freed from prison when President Trump commuted her sentence. Rather than taking advantage of that second chance, prosecutors said, Ms. Camberos returned to crime. She and her brother were convicted in 2024 in an unrelated fraud.” Trump pardons a convicted fraudster for the second time [ https://substack.com/redirect/3285ec3b-b522-470a-b2b1-bd8c1b0b3633?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Feel Good Friday “Kids who never met me cared about me enough to put hard work into a vehicle to make sure myself and my kids were safe ... I got to meet all of them; it was breathtaking.” WaPo (Gift Article): High school students fix up cars, then hand the keys to single mothers [ https://substack.com/redirect/bd4a20ec-a4a1-40d9-b4ce-153da83ecd78?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Adrian Stubbs, a guard at Maryvale High School in Phoenix, enjoyed a historic game on Tuesday night, when he scored 100 points — in three quarters [ https://substack.com/redirect/2bb97e36-d21c-47b9-b225-27647b8d42f7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + San Francisco to make childcare free [ https://substack.com/redirect/74096546-e783-4d44-9bc5-a5b73c5077f9?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for families earning up to $230,000. + Scientists Develop Spray-On Powder That Instantly Seals Life-Threatening Wounds [ https://substack.com/redirect/67b8a6c6-439a-40f5-8e15-bff54227fa9f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I’ll believe it when I see it on The Pitt.) + Rescue dog found after 54 days in wilderness [ https://substack.com/redirect/99492d8f-af68-4848-97e7-d865da109b41?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] on Vancouver’s North Shore. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRORGd3T1RZM01Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTROVGsyTWpReUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EQXhNekl5TkRJc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5pNjNwSVdlb280cDczb1R0MDQ2VjgxaHZlbmtUdVlQOFdGRzZVQ3JSTlRzIiwicCI6MTg0ODA5NjcxLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Njg1OTYyNDIsImV4cCI6MjA4NDE3MjI0MiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.-oE5EGVQI7nFMDPVqXplx2xAit7RsuSopWy15BWhnrY?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/what-to-expect-when-youre-electing It can be overwhelming to keep constant track of all the badness in the news (trust me, I know), so let’s just consider the past 24 hours or so. America’s European allies are sending troops to Greenland to defend against the administration’s relentless threats to take it over [ https://substack.com/redirect/797084cd-d3bc-458e-a01e-9548ed31c899?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Trump again blamed Zelensky [ https://substack.com/redirect/f0825566-6659-4765-b0a2-6a1d2d8d4a3d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], not Putin, for delays in getting a peace deal done. Trump, who led an insurrection and then pardoned its participants, is now threatening to invoke the insurrection act [ https://substack.com/redirect/b09715d6-9279-4729-8b3b-e3248dea8ce1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] in response to Minneapolis protests, which erupted in response to the murder of an innocent person whom the administration has relentlessly blamed for her own death. After invading Venezuela without Congressional approval (or even advance knowledge), the administration has begun selling Venezuelan oil, with some of the proceeds being held in a bank located in Qatar [ https://substack.com/redirect/b6606764-40f2-4527-bd0b-c8ba476e1463?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The FBI raided the home of a Washington Post journalist, an act that has drawn only silence from the newspaper’s owner [ https://substack.com/redirect/9f365959-d7be-473e-a208-fc398a45bf15?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Four more Democratic lawmakers said on Wednesday that they were being investigated [ https://substack.com/redirect/643c1028-a65a-4c22-900a-2c104a62553e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] for their participation in a video urging military service members to resist illegal orders. And in an interview [ https://substack.com/redirect/58307970-5388-4930-9b1e-6b515249cc52?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] with Reuters, Trump again tossed out a familiar refrain about the midterms: “When you think of it, we shouldn’t even ‌have an election.” This list, while exhausting, is hardly exhaustive. It’s also not surprising. Antagonizing allies abroad and using the corrupted levers of government to punish perceived enemies at home is the Trump Doctrine. And beyond that, it’s just about exactly what we expected when Trump was elected. “Both ICE’s occupation of Minneapolis and Trump’s threatened seizure of Greenland are part of the same story: An increasingly unpopular regime is rapidly radicalizing and testing how far it can go down the road toward autocracy.” NYT (Gift Article): The Resistance Libs Were Right [ https://substack.com/redirect/1455a75a-f72f-437b-9516-7fb149983345?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. I’d say these predictions came from a lot more people than the resistance liberals. I know this because I’ve been linking to stories predicting just these outcomes for years. Of course, being right about Trump (which amounted to little more than merely repeating what he and his wrecking crew said they planned to do) offers little solace. The big question now is how decent Americans, and their leaders, will respond. My take is that anyone who wants to be the next president should grab a bullhorn and head to Minneapolis. Pro democracy Americans are desperate for strong leadership. I’m not ready to predict they’ll get it. 2 Playing with Fire and Ice Many of Trump’s moves are wildly unpopular. That includes the threat to take over Greenland. “The president’s obsession with Greenland is especially dangerous because it has no real constituency: Trump is determined to get the island, it seems, only because Denmark and the rest of the world are telling him that he can’t have it. As is so often the case, telling Trump not to do something makes him more determined to do it.” Tom Nichols in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Trump Is Risking a Global Catastrophe [ https://substack.com/redirect/5557fe20-e913-40a3-9eaa-71b67357f09f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Most Americans probably couldn’t care less about Greenland, but they will be forced to care—tragically, too late—if Trump’s gambit engulfs the world in flames.” 3 Elder Skelter “While caring for an aging person can be financially and emotionally draining for adult children, the undertaking raises a separate set of challenges for spouses ... The ranks of older adults caring for fellow older adults are only expected to increase as lifespans lengthen and family sizes shrink: Adults 65 and older are projected to account for about 1 in 4 Americans by 2050, up more than 30 percent from 2024. That compares with 1 in 10 in the 1980s.” WaPo (Gift Article): Why more seniors are being asked to care for their partners — alone [ https://substack.com/redirect/f10be188-526b-4756-81c0-3cbc7165d947?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Net Gain “Federal guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, along with two days of muscle-strengthening activities. But the payoff starts much earlier: Even four to five minutes of vigorous physical activity every day has been linked to longevity benefits.” (Whether or not opening 75 news tabs meets this requirement remains an open question among kinesiologists.) But which activities in particular are linked to longevity? Well, consider yourself lucky if tennis is your racket. “One study from Denmark found that tennis players lived almost 10 years longer than their sedentary peers — and longer than soccer players, swimmers and the other recreational athletes included in the analysis. Other research from Britain and the United States followed people for about a decade and found that playing racket sports was linked to a lower risk of death during the follow-up period than any other sport or form of exercise studied. These findings don’t prove that tennis causes people to live longer ... Still, experts believe that tennis’s unique blend of physical, cognitive and social challenges contribute to healthy aging.” NYT (Gift Article): The Best Sports for Longevity [ https://substack.com/redirect/253e8efc-a202-4996-a0ff-73e3aeee5ae1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (For some reason, I think this is all a backhanded way of implying that pickleball will kill you.) 5 Extra, Extra Ice Price: Immigration was considered one of Trump’s winning issues just a few months ago. The past few months, especially the past few days, have changed that. Trump has made ICE a 70-30 issue — for Democrats [ https://substack.com/redirect/6499c4d4-2c35-4930-9994-c436b3428701?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And from Dan Pfeiffer: “Trump’s ability to bend reality to his will is the foundation of his political success. It’s how he has survived so many moments that would have ended other politicians’ careers. But it is not working this time. In what may be the most high-profile failure of the Trump media machine, the American people are not falling for Trump’s lies. This is an important moment, with serious implications for Trump’s near-term political standing and for the longer-term politics of immigration in America.” How Trump is Losing the Fight on the ICE Shooting [ https://substack.com/redirect/6923b2e2-28b5-4f5b-8e3f-3eb79a902e46?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The lack of popular support appears to be making the administration double down. NYT: Under Trump, a Shift Toward ‘Absolute Immunity’ for ICE [ https://substack.com/redirect/8302720d-a630-485a-9ce2-94f743f1f317?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Xi Loves Me, Xi Loves Me Not: “Donald Trump’s tariff war occupied US allies for much of last year. Now, President Xi Jinping is welcoming a procession of leaders looking to mend fences with the world’s other major economy.” Bloomberg (Gift Article): Xi Welcomes Stream of Leaders Shaken by Trump’s New World Order [ https://substack.com/redirect/8a21090d-4fac-4814-b090-5bd1c570d97f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And from WSJ (Gift Article): Canadian Leader Spurned by Trump Finds a Warm Embrace in China [ https://substack.com/redirect/e4e7fe50-9b77-45dd-a6d8-bf88b85ac9e1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Strike That, Reverse It: “After a tense day of confusion and backroom negotiations, the Trump administration moved Wednesday night to restore roughly $2 billion in federal grant money for mental health and addiction programs [ https://substack.com/redirect/a3efd467-dd74-4362-8228-de04b2b23704?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] nationwide.” + Owning the Lib: “Manufacturing employment has declined every month since what Trump dubbed ‘Liberation Day’ in April, saying his widespread tariffs would begin to rebalance global trade in favor of American workers. U.S. factories employ 12.7 million people today, 72,000 fewer than when Trump made his Rose Garden announcement [ https://substack.com/redirect/fd13a9c4-ca85-43f8-b62f-fca39cb1e9b3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + Prix Fix: “A college basketball point-shaving scheme involving more than 39 players on 17 NCAA Division I teams resulted in dozens of games in the previous two seasons being fixed [ https://substack.com/redirect/9409a542-e217-42b7-bc74-b844891a9e31?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] by a gambling ring that included a former NBA player, according to a federal indictment unsealed Thursday in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.” 6 Bottom of the News “Former NFL player Matt Kalil is suing his former wife, Haley Kalil, claiming that she violated his right to privacy during a livestreamed interview by describing his genitals as being too big. Haley Kalil ... referenced Matt’s genitalia, claiming that his penis was like ‘two Coke cans, maybe even a third,’ and described the daunting dick as the primary reason for the couple’s divorce.” An NFL Player Sued His Ex-Wife Over a Privates Revelation. The Case Could Be Huge [ https://substack.com/redirect/cf84fcc8-2fe1-4409-bf76-a64628b1bec8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Luckily for my wife, I’m not litigious.) 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/the-perfid-crime Pete Hegseth loves to repeat the mantra F-ck Around and Find Out. The testosterone-fueled, speak loudly and carry a big schtick threat is meant to be directed toward America’s enemies. But the truth is that, under Hegseth, it’s America’s own military that has been effing around, and so far, we’re finding out there are few, if any, consequences. The capture of Maduro has taken the boat bombings off the front pages, and as is the case with so many stories in the Trump news cycle, new scandals replace previous scandals at a pace that makes it almost impossible to maintain a national focus on any of them. But let’s not move on just yet. The Trump administration has argued that the boat bombings are militarily kosher because “there is an armed conflict with suspected drug runners.” That’s clearly not true, but let’s pretend for a minute that this is a war-like armed conflict, and we’re not simply exercising law enforcement actions that amount to extrajudicial murder. Then the bombings would be allowed under international law, right? Well, maybe, if every layer you peeled back on every action taken by Trump and Hegseth didn’t expose more criminality. The NYT (Gift Article) on why, even if the boat bombings weren’t plain old crimes, some of them were probably war crimes. U.S. Attacked Boat With Aircraft That Looked Like a Civilian Plane [ https://substack.com/redirect/8f6789ca-8d5f-4440-b3c4-472b1bafbe75?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The nonmilitary appearance is significant, according to legal specialists, because the administration has argued its lethal boat attacks are lawful — not murders — because President Trump ‘determined’ the United States is in an armed conflict with drug cartels. But the laws of armed conflict prohibit combatants from feigning civilian status to fool adversaries into dropping their guard, then attacking and killing them. That is a war crime called ‘perfidy.’” So we basically have illegal strikes carried out in an unlawful manner. It’s no wonder that Hegseth is so determined to punish [ https://substack.com/redirect/106a769a-2f63-4cd3-8818-6da1e87d2c16?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] Mark Kelly for participating in a video in which Senators “called on troops to uphold the Constitution and not to follow the Trump administration’s military directives if they were unlawful.” Stating the simple laws of the land is considered seditious, and breaking those laws from the coast of Venezuela to the streets of Minneapolis is the new norm. That’s what the eff we’re quickly finding out. And if things continue to slide, America will be fubar. 2 The Gang That Wouldn’t Shoot Straight “MAGA is many things, but above all it’s a movement about redistributing respect away from those who command too much (overeducated coastal elites) to those who don’t have enough (white Americans without advanced degrees who feel left behind). You see that redistribution at work in the Trump administration’s project to devalue medical experts and empower wellness gurus and vaccine skeptics, and in its dismissal of ‘deep state’ national-security professionals in favor of TV pundits. Nowhere does the demand to redistribute respect come into starker view than when guns start firing.” David Frum in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Why Vance Committed So Hard to the Minneapolis Shooter [ https://substack.com/redirect/4523b936-d640-4c69-aa54-bc5fea6fa747?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Six federal prosecutors in Minnesota resigned on Tuesday [ https://substack.com/redirect/9bc441b8-43ce-45a2-8e14-e751441e1d49?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]over the Justice Department’s push to investigate the widow of a woman killed by an ICE agent and the department’s reluctance to investigate the shooter, according to people with knowledge of their decision.” I respect government officials who resign in protest of clearly unjust actions. But eventually, don’t we just end up with no upstanding officials? I don’t know what the workaround for this is, but it worries me. + It doesn’t get much sicker than following up on the unjust killing of an innocent American by blaming that victim for her own murder. In other words, it’s what we’ve come to expect from this administration. F.B.I. Inquiry Into ICE Shooting Is Examining Victim’s Possible Ties to Activist Groups [ https://substack.com/redirect/3fc8c724-0001-4f7d-87fd-9a88b7b6fd37?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Meanwhile, Trump Warns “DAY OF RECKONING” Is Coming for Minnesota [ https://substack.com/redirect/f2e057aa-4ebb-45e3-ae97-79eee1850bd1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Do the people of Minnesota really want to live in a community in which there are thousands of already convicted murderers, drug dealers and addicts, rapists, violent released and escaped prisoners, dangerous people from foreign mental institutions and insane asylums.” (He still doesn’t know the difference between political asylum and mental asylums. But he’s in charge of the world’s most powerful nation.) 3 Reversal Rehearsal “America’s greenhouse gas emissions increased by 2.4 percent in 2025 after two years of decline amid a resurgence of coal power [ https://substack.com/redirect/7fcc27ce-101c-4453-8523-1b25d1c39ebb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” The reversal isn’t actually due to Trump’s attacks on climate rules. That impact is yet to come. The big differences in 2025 were increased demand from data centers and colder winter temps. + Sometimes a headline that would have seemed impossible in any other era doesn’t even make you bat an eye during this one. For example: E.P.A. to Stop Considering Lives Saved When Setting Rules on Air Pollution [ https://substack.com/redirect/933d3071-4d3f-457c-962f-603051c11a15?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Madcap Kidnap “Four men searched my mouth for implanted tracking devices. I had told them I didn’t have any—that, as far as I knew, such things existed only in movies. They asked if I had fillings, and I confessed that I did. They looked again. ‘No, you don’t,’ one of them corrected me, having failed to find any glint of silver. My fillings are white. The men, wearing dark civilian clothes and balaclavas, seemed convinced that these unfamiliar fillings posed a threat to their operational security. That’s when I knew that my kidnapping was going to be a little bit different.” Elizabeth Tsurkov in The Atlantic (Gift Article): I Was Kidnapped by Idiots [ https://substack.com/redirect/4a1ea95d-8303-4c1b-a0b9-a78346b12da3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “To intimidate me, Maher would blow smoke in my face, but because he was using an e-cigarette, all I got was a gust of strawberry-smelling vape. It wasn’t quite the tough-guy routine he was after. Later, he tried the ‘good cop, bad cop’ routine on me but undermined the effect by playing both characters himself, on alternate days, which just made him seem deranged.” (While I’ve pulled some of the more droll outtakes, the experience and the lessons drawn from it are both interesting and serious.) 5 Extra, Extra Iran Protests: “Trump has urged Iranian anti-government protesters to ‘keep protesting’, saying ‘help is on its way.’” The administration is said to be considering strikes [ https://substack.com/redirect/c3b64371-cd24-4a69-9df0-b4312749bf29?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Thousands of protesters have been killed. The internet has been cut off for days. And Iran Is Hunting Down Starlink Users to Stop Protest Videos From Going Global [ https://substack.com/redirect/80a7885e-c556-492a-8f2a-f0dc6d5af489?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Here’s the latest from BBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/6b62e6e3-283e-493b-8d0d-9e8f9397c338?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and The Guardian [ https://substack.com/redirect/4e126988-c8b0-46f3-8427-27f070ce0f28?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Bill, Baby Bill: Well, it’s long past the deadline, and the Trump administration has only released about one percent of the Epstein files. So the House GOP is taking a stand. Against the Clintons. House GOP seeks to hold Bill Clinton in contempt [ https://substack.com/redirect/8b13a780-8264-4e93-98c4-86dd798c3fa1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Here’s the letter to the committee [ https://substack.com/redirect/105db5c5-5cd0-4b1c-82df-77dbacc210da?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] from the Clintons. + See Ya, Wouldn’t Want to Fee Ya: “Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed on Monday to stop a proposed wealth tax in California, saying that its mere introduction had already hurt the state by driving some billionaires to relocate and take their tax dollars with them.” The economic divide is the problem that underpins almost every other American problem. But state by state one-time penalties don’t make much sense as a fix, in part because almost no billionaires would stick around to pay it. NYT: Newsom Vows to Stop Proposed Billionaire Tax in California [ https://substack.com/redirect/d1605970-f0ae-4271-b735-9cc4c2c04671?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Native Borne: In Minneapolis, Tribal leaders say ICE is detaining American Indians during immigration sweeps [ https://substack.com/redirect/ee252f12-9458-46b4-8005-d9ed8adbb3f8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (At its core, Trumpism represents a nostalgia for the worst parts of American history.) + You Cannot Be Siri-ous: Google and Apple are working together once again. This time it’s on AI, as Gemini will power the new Siri. As The Verge explains, the move creates a united front against AI newcomers [ https://substack.com/redirect/d55eaf2e-c376-4bee-9e35-202de9f2d3fe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Avatar: Fire and Cash: Zoe Saldaña has become the highest-grossing movie star [ https://substack.com/redirect/ccbd74d1-ecd9-4c95-ab95-e716b4bebb66?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “The top award, in the form of the rear bumper of a Corvette, wentto 10-year-old Drew Fleschut of Dallas, Pennsylvania — who wore a red-and-black shirt in an homage to movie character Joe Dirt and carried Joe’s trademark mop.” ‘Joe Dirt’ tribute takes top prize in Pennsylvania Farm Show mullet contest [ https://substack.com/redirect/21a4ffa1-54f5-40ae-be60-996f66cba8eb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Still waiting for someone to launch a bald spot contest...) 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/monetary-damages Donald Trump’s weaponized Justice Department has its latest target, as the administration attempts to feed the Fed to the wolves. It’s a particularly dangerous gambit that hinges on some particularly ridiculous, trumped-up charges. Jonathan Chait in The Atlantic (Gift Article): “The Trump administration has opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on grounds so flimsy and transparently hypocritical that it is difficult to know whether anybody is supposed to take the charges at face value. When a respected public servant is being accused of wasting taxpayer dollars and lying to Congress by a president whose extravagant White House renovation has already doubled in cost in just three months, and whose inexhaustible capacity for lies has essentially broken every fact-checking medium, one almost wonders if the criminal allegation was chosen for its absurdity, to demonstrate that Donald Trump can make the law mean whatever he wants it to.” A criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will test whether Republican loyalty to the president has any limits [ https://substack.com/redirect/d406522a-7667-4a94-b11d-15338e336f5b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. In this rare case, there may actually be a limit. As Chait explains, “Every affluent Republican, from the tech right to fossil-fuel owners to heirs managing their inherited portfolios, has a direct and visible interest in stable and competent monetary policy.” And we’re already seeing a backlash [ https://substack.com/redirect/7d0f25e1-6588-493f-ad64-3a7c59698d86?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] from a handful of Republicans, and members of the administration are pointing fingers [ https://substack.com/redirect/392923fd-7c57-4d0c-8b4c-50d4a2dd5f50?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], many suggesting they knew nothing about the impending charges against Powell. Of course, there’s a broader economic story here. Healthy capitalism requires a sane adherence to the rule of law. That’s a reality that corporate leaders have been conveniently ignoring for a year, betting that they could weather (and even thrive during) the Trump storm through placation and sycophancy, taking what they see as the good parts of Trumponomics while avoiding the bad. For the sake of our portfolios and the future of the American economy, many of us have been hoping that this strategy would work out. But with Trump, the lawless envelope never just gets pushed, it gets obliterated, and sooner or later, kissing ass turns into the kiss of death. Maybe with Trump weakened and something as sacred as the Fed’s independence at stake, corporate America will finally get fed up. As Powell himself stated in response to the phony charges [ https://substack.com/redirect/6e54414a-e72e-4f9b-bef4-01857da0087e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]: “Public service sometimes requires standing firm in the face of threats. I will continue to do the job the Senate confirmed me to do, with integrity and a commitment to serving the American people.” There was a time, not that long ago, when that statement would not have seemed at all radical. 2 Regime Changing “A fiscal crisis, divided elites, a diverse oppositional coalition, a convincing narrative of resistance, and a favorable international environment. This winter, for the first time since 1979, Iran checks nearly all five boxes.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): Is the Iranian Regime About to Collapse [ https://substack.com/redirect/5a877f85-cd87-4621-9d87-a4d2e7c011ae?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? “Still, one group of elites remains united: the country’s security forces.” + “Israeli strikes across Iran destroyed much of its military leadership, and the follow-on U.S. bombing campaign struck a heavy blow against Iran’s nuclear program. It was a humiliation for a regime that had invested so much of the country’s national wealth into a proxy network that was designed to deter exactly this sort of assault on the homeland.” WSJ (Gift Article): Weakened by War, Iran’s Regime Faces Its Toughest Challenge Yet [ https://substack.com/redirect/ccb566b8-1310-439b-b5de-1622e2d031ee?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Iran was shown to be a paper tiger when challenged by strong militaries. But the regime is still plenty strong enough to murder its own people. Time: Death Toll in Iran May Already Be in the Thousands [ https://substack.com/redirect/d4ce5386-f631-4f15-b09f-51d77584665d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Here’s the latest from CNN [ https://substack.com/redirect/fa9b42cc-38f5-4757-9ccf-e3af9cb5f6b4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 3 Tunnel of Gov “The one-lane tunnel, which carves 2.5 dark, musty, bumpy miles through a glacial mountain, opens for two 15-minute periods every hour, once for each direction; the troopers caught the 10 a.m. window heading east. On the other side, Whittier’s punishing microclimate—more snow than Aspen, Amazon-level rainfall, and almost nonstop wind—greeted them with cold, wet bluster. This small port town was built by the military during World War II, as the U.S. warred with Japan. In the 1950s during the Cold War, the military constructed two gigantic housing structures, one of which is still in use: The 14-story complex, set back a few blocks from the waterfront, houses nearly all of Whittier’s roughly 300 residents. Inside this tower, people shop for groceries, get mail, attend church, exercise, and gather in community.” How did some of America’s more obscure voting rights laws (that people in Whittier, including law enforcement officials, were ignorant of) lead to arrests in this tiny corner of the country? And how did the American Samoans at the center of the dispute end up there in the first place? Bolt Magazine with an interesting story, and one that shows how deeply our political dysfunction has seeped into every corner of society. Americans by Name, Punished for Believing It [ https://substack.com/redirect/58e8acea-98b0-47fc-8873-b935713cbbad?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 A Job Not For the Faint Hearted “On the day she transplanted the heart of a 6-month-old infant, Dr. Maureen McKiernan awoke, as always, to a 4:30 alarm. In the dim light of her apartment, she moved through her morning routine: a spin on her rowing machine, some mat Pilates, a hot shower, the usual breakfast of yogurt and granola. It was a practical meal — one she could eat half standing, spoon in one hand, phone in the other, scrolling through her upcoming cases. After breakfast, she took the A train to New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in northern Manhattan. There, in a thicket of acronyms and surgical jargon, Dr. McKiernan typed up the 16-point procedure she would use to save Baby Luna, whose new heart would be flown in that night. Step 9: Plane lands —> cross-clamp, cardiectomy.” NYT (Gift Article): 90 Minutes to Give Baby Luna a New Heart [ https://substack.com/redirect/3977b9d1-7050-4868-b320-4180a3429e2e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “After eight years of training, Dr. Maureen McKiernan made her debut as the lead surgeon on an infant heart transplant — an operation on the edge of what’s possible.” 5 Extra, Extra This is Not a Drill: Trump says he might keep Exxon out of Venezuela [ https://substack.com/redirect/60756103-cadd-4454-80f5-2742503ce70d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] after its CEO called it ‘uninvestable.’ But does Exxon (or any other oil company) really want to be in Venezuela right now? “Executives need to feel confident that a country won’t suddenly descend into civil unrest, military conflict, or armed revolution. But at the moment, nobody knows what the political situation will be in Venezuela a week from today, let alone in a year or a decade.” And there are more challenges, including the oil itself. “Current oil prices—about $60 a barrel—are historically low. And they are well below the roughly $80-a-barrel cost of extracting and refining Venezuelan oil—much of which is the kind of thick, low-quality petroleum (known within the industry as ‘heavy sour crude’) that requires extensive processing.” Big Oil Knows That Trump’s Venezuela Plans Are Delusional [ https://substack.com/redirect/2f099b78-ce72-4528-a3c2-9a84bdd5c254?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Marco Dependent: “By most standards, Rubio occupies a privileged post: his desk in the White House is just a few steps from the Oval Office. But it is not the position that he hoped to occupy. In 2016, Rubio ran for President and lost to Trump in the primary. He now serves his former opponent—an unstable leader who regularly traduces institutions that Rubio spent his career supporting. ‘Ultimately, he has to be a hundred per cent loyal to the President, and when the President zigs and zags Rubio has to zig and zag, too,’ a former Western diplomat told me. ‘He’s had to swallow a lot of shit.’” Dexter Filkins in The New Yorker: How Marco Rubio Went from ‘Little Marco’ to Trump’s Foreign-Policy Enabler [ https://substack.com/redirect/e9ac4dc6-cc62-4463-9f33-6e72eefeff98?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + A Good Read: “Mississippi has gone from 49th in the country on national tests in 2013, to a top 10 state for fourth graders learning to read — even as test scores have fallen almost everywhere else.” NYT (Gift Article): How Mississippi Transformed Its Schools From Worst to Best [ https://substack.com/redirect/417740c9-4e86-48fa-8988-21cf05e81a22?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] (or at least, very improved.) + The White-ing Was on Wall: “Mr. Trump’s comments were a blunt distillation of his administration’s racial politics, which rest on the belief that white people have become the real victims of discrimination in America.” NYT: Trump Says Civil Rights Led to White People Being ‘Very Badly Treated [ https://substack.com/redirect/e71b6df1-551e-4990-8391-6a512c8fc01f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’ + Protein Kills: It seems like it’s only a matter of time before we learn that protein is the silent killer. Such are the ebbs and flows of nutritional guidance. In the meantime, America Has Entered Late-Stage Protein [ https://substack.com/redirect/d231a5a7-05b0-48ea-b133-edbe4387ceb3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “In some ways, protein is just the latest all-consuming nutritional fixation. For decades, the goal was to avoid fat, which meant that pretzels were good and peanut butter was bad and fat-free Snackwell’s devil’s-food cookie cakes were a cultural phenomenon. Then Americans rediscovered fat and villainized carbs. But protein is different. Whatever your dreams are, protein seems to be the answer.” (It seems meaningful that this article was written by someone named Sugar...) + Playing in the Band: A few minutes after I learned of Bob Weir’s death, I heard the Grateful Dead blaring through the speakers in my corner grocery store. He was a national treasure and also a local legend. “A member of the Dead for its first three decades, and a keeper of the flame of the band’s legacy for three more, Weir helped to write a new chapter of American popular music that influenced countless other musicians and brought together an enormous and loyal audience.” Bob Weir, guitarist and founding member of the Grateful Dead, has died at 78 [ https://substack.com/redirect/c6f34923-7cb3-42cd-b210-0bf8830b1e46?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Once, when “asked if success had changed him [ https://substack.com/redirect/ebfd296f-550c-44bf-96c9-d8255824479d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], he said, ‘You know those pistachios that don’t have the little crack in them to get you started? I don’t bother with those anymore.’” + Around the Globes: One Battle After Another and Adolescence took home some of the top awards [ https://substack.com/redirect/30fb2f8a-b357-4a95-9bdc-436103c1c6f7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] at the Golden Globes. Here are all the winners [ https://substack.com/redirect/c524fe75-ccd1-4218-8fc3-ba1e353a2bfb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], the snubs and surprises [ https://substack.com/redirect/e38b6561-6f9a-4571-baad-a876e5aac4e2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and Nikki Glaser’s opening monologue [ https://substack.com/redirect/dc1d3f71-8c16-45a9-91e1-3f14e8eb368c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], wherein she mocked CBS News on CBS. “Yes, CBS News: America’s newest place to See BS news.” (That pun is a pretty clear indication that Nikki is a NextDraft reader...) 6 Bottom of the News “Their popularity isn’t from winning expensive prizes, or because competitions pay big. Claw machines are still difficult to win and many believe they’re rigged by operators. It’s because claw machines — in their own way, nostalgia personified — have become an unlikely and effective modern vehicle for monetizable content.” The competitive claw machine boom [ https://substack.com/redirect/51c78624-e3b3-4858-97e9-07647e4cc3b1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + An injury-riddled 49er team upset the Eagles in Philly over the weekend (in case you were wondering about those screams of joy that could be heard by everyone within a mile of my living room). Sadly, the team lost yet another star player, the enormously popular George Kittle. After he tore his achilles, “Kittle’s wife Claire and 49ers owner Jed York came down from their luxury suites to meet with the tight end in the training room.” York asked Kittle if he needed anything. A few minutes later, a bottle of tequila was delivered to the locker room [ https://substack.com/redirect/2298a131-264d-4717-aa2f-16621acae336?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRORE0yTWpJNU15d2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTRNalV4TWpRM0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFM09UazNPRGN5TkRjc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS56Szd1bzlpSkx2LUJVV09kclJrYThHcEJPamRMYWhLN2lpZG11T0dfckxVIiwicCI6MTg0MzYyMjkzLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3NjgyNTEyNDcsImV4cCI6MjA4MzgyNzI0NywiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.46kA0Ty3uGJ1jPR_wSDdHJG5yrob3_HCuJ8voZ1ro1Y?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/the-naked-truth For the past week, a global controversy has surrounded Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence platform Grok (featured on X), as the app has been happily providing nonconsensual, AI-generated nude and sexual images of real people, including children. For an example of how nefarious this garbage has become, Grok deepfaked Renee Nicole Good slumped over in her car, in a bikini [ https://substack.com/redirect/28192a78-6228-4012-a56b-7a3f91fb36c3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. After Grok created the image, the account that made the request typed, “Never. Deleting. This. App.’” To which Grok replied: “Glad you approve! What other wardrobe malfunctions can I fix for you? ... ‘Nah man. You got this.’ the account replied, to which Grok wrote: ‘Thanks, bro. Fist bump accepted. If you need more magic, just holler.’” X has responded to international outcry by making its perversion available exclusively to paying customers [ https://substack.com/redirect/5e740b38-7b82-4b6f-9f4d-56506413d72d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] (the abuse still exists, but at least it’s monetized). Of course, it’s unlikely that Musk and his minions will pay a price for any of this. After all, Musk remains the world’s richest person, his AI platform just raised $20 billion, his relationship with Trump and the US government virtually assures that X and Grok will face no domestic punishment [ https://substack.com/redirect/f9fcb4af-fbd2-46ea-9e51-c01a456d157f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and so far, neither Apple nor Google have taken any steps to remove the offending apps from their stores, even though, as a recent letter from a few senators makes clear [ https://substack.com/redirect/b02532bd-7658-4e42-998a-215e082b2191?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], “All X’s changes do is make some of its users pay for the privilege of producing horrific images on the X app, while Musk profits from the abuse of children.” It turns out that the only thing more artificial than the intelligence is the rules and restrictions that were supposedly going to be put in place to protect users. You can holler all you want. More “magic” is on the way. If this were all just about naked images, it would be bad enough. But the naked truth is that it’s about all information in the age of AI-powered chatbots: who controls the tools that provide the answers to your questions, who decides what’s real and what’s fake. As I explained earlier this week, I was worried about the AI machines taking over the world until I considered the alternative: Humans remaining in charge. Specifically, certain humans. Q and A-holes [ https://substack.com/redirect/f4c71abc-5841-4aa5-8694-1ae529095791?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 What Lies Ahead “The Trump administration’s false narrative about this week’s shooting, and the demonization of the victim, are only part of a bigger lie. It wants the American public to believe that ICE’s heavily militarized crackdown across this country is an effort to keep cities like Minneapolis safe. It is not. It is about vilifying not just immigrants, but all who welcome them and their contributions to our communities. By defending the lie about this clearly avoidable shooting in Minneapolis and refusing to allow Minnesota officials to investigate the crime, the administration is sending a message to the entire country: If you show up for your immigrant neighbors, or even are simply present when those neighbors are taken, your rights will not be protected by the law and your life will be at risk.” NYT (Gift Article): I’m the Mayor of Minneapolis. Trump Is Lying to You [ https://substack.com/redirect/7c626624-a812-49c0-81a5-1cee7a6fda1e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I’m the managing editor of the internet, and I concur.) + “The agent who shot a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday was pulled about 100 yards by a car last year while firing a stun gun at the driver.” Court Records Reveal Details of ICE Agent’s Previous Dragging Incident [ https://substack.com/redirect/6fc919b1-a253-4e3c-b317-dcc67399d699?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. There are two things to focus on. First, this particular exchange that resulted in the killing of an innocent American. Second, the bigger story about the environment in which it took place, where masked, entitled, federal agents are turning American cities into militarized zones for no good reason. They are not targeting criminals. 92% of recent ICE detention growth has been driven by immigrants with no criminal convictions [ https://substack.com/redirect/26728ae6-d7a9-4bfa-95ae-31db844fc34d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. This is not making you safer. The crisis is invented. The deaths are real. + “Two people were wounded Thursday in a shooting by a Border Patrol agent in Portland, Oregon, police said, in what federal officials have called an act of self-defense during a targeted vehicle stop [ https://substack.com/redirect/09799636-13aa-415b-9c60-0ecb2d7e88c2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” Homeland Security says the wounded suspects are Tren de Aragua gang associates. And that may be true. But the same people described Renee Nicole Good as a domestic terrorist. From Portland Mayor Keith Wilson: “There was a time that we could take [the federal government] at their word. That time has long passed [ https://substack.com/redirect/b0030315-03c3-4fab-9107-931483fc6d09?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. That is why we are calling on ICE to halt all operations in Portland until a full and independent investigation can take place.” + As I suggested yesterday, this is as much about the lying as it is about the violence. Good and Evil [ https://substack.com/redirect/fdfd3008-eaf6-4530-8d85-64cb492c11bd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “The only thing more inevitable than the killing of Renee Nicole Good by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis was the lying from the administration and its enablers, which began almost before the bullets’ reverberation had fully dissipated.” 3 Dancing with Death Let’s take a detour from reporting on destruction and death and focus on something more positive. Well, a little more, anyway. Near death. Jessica Grose in the NYT (Gift Article): What I Saw When I Peeked Over the Edge of Consciousness [ https://substack.com/redirect/e1ef27c6-3d33-438d-8682-e31bb7097423?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Near-death experiencers are the best dancers. I could identify which attendees at the annual conference of the International Association for Near-Death Studies have been to the brink, because they moved their bodies with un-self-conscious abandon, ripping up the floor of a tent on the grounds of a suburban Chicago Hilton.” 4 Weekend Whats What to Watch: Fans of The Night Manager with Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, and Olivia Colman have had to wait nearly a decade for the second season, which drops this weekend. So, if you haven’t watched the first season, now is the perfect time to binge [ https://substack.com/redirect/8f03a6d2-f043-4d5b-a5ed-3f2b70a35951?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + What to Movie: “Two conspiracy obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.” Yorgos Lanthimos directs and Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons star in the weirdly excellent (or excellently weird) Bugonia. It’s available for rent on most platforms, and included free for Peacock subscribers [ https://substack.com/redirect/b52cc6de-6e90-4245-a868-a6a7739c2460?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + What to Doc: Nobu on Prime [ https://substack.com/redirect/ac25f4a4-e1ef-45a9-a72e-4fa99e23e10a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] (and elsewhere) “examines culinary legend Nobuyuki Matsuhisa’s empire, offering an intimate portrait of a man who has redefined global gastronomy alongside his business partners Robert De Niro and Meir Teper.” 5 Extra, Extra Changed Regime: “The internet shutdown came a day after the heads of Iran’s judiciary and its security services said they would take tough measures against anyone protesting. But the threats did not deter demonstrators.” Iran Is Cut Off From Internet as Protests Calling for Regime Change Intensify [ https://substack.com/redirect/4f1fa638-d04a-4fa2-9f33-185f887ae102?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. The country’s supreme leader lashed out at demonstrators [ https://substack.com/redirect/00d5ea46-4890-4a19-b356-5ccdba1a8102?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], dismissing them as ‘a bunch of vandals’ trying to ‘please’ US President Donald Trump.” (This is about currency, the economy, and water scarcity. But it’s also about a regime dramatically weakened and exposed by recent military embarrassments.) + Healthy Signs? “The House on Thursday passed a bill to resurrect health care subsidies [ https://substack.com/redirect/f32bf549-6d49-4fee-964a-5ad1561545fe?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] that expired last year, as a breakaway faction of House Republicans joined Democrats in a largely symbolic vote that may bring fresh momentum to bipartisan efforts to find a compromise on health care costs.” This bill on its own won’t change anything. But it’s part of an important trend. WaPo (Gift Article): Trump suffers day of significant Republican defections on House and Senate votes [ https://substack.com/redirect/0e1813a1-8195-42a3-be55-eea9e284c66d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Lawmakers voting against their party’s president is common in midterm election years, particularly for vulnerable lawmakers who represent swing districts. Yet the repeated rebukes of the president, and the number of lawmakers defecting, are unusual.” + Employment Dent: “For all of 2025, employers added 584,000 jobs — compared to 2 million new jobs in 2024. That meant that last year was the worst for employment growth since 2020 [ https://substack.com/redirect/70d8d7f6-1038-4b57-b52d-5f4e09d00932?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” The story beneath the story. Job growth was bad. Corporate growth and stock prices were good. We couldbe seeing the beginning of the AI’s impact on jobs. + Launchless: “In the 1970s, only 8% of Americans aged 25 to 34 were living with their parents, but by 2023, that figure had jumped to 18%, with men more likely to live at home than women.” More Gen Z men live with parents in Vallejo than anywhere in the US [ https://substack.com/redirect/bb303940-1280-4bd7-ac7b-9172ec8305ba?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (My goal is to move in with my mom before my kids try to move back in with me...) + Tech Whoas: The Verge lists some of their favorite things [ https://substack.com/redirect/d75fdb47-8640-4f8f-84c7-3083893f3499?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]from CES 2026. + Snoop Dogs: “They can learn the names of new toys not only through direct instruction but also by eavesdropping on the conversations of their owners.” NYT (Gift Article): Dogs Build Their Vocabularies Like Toddlers [ https://substack.com/redirect/2e3059e6-22cf-456a-ae52-eff5c3e7a8e4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Feel Good Friday When does getting a bear to leave your house qualify as feel good news? When it’s been living there for weeks! 550-pound bear finally evicted from California home after bizarre strategy ends monthlong ordeal [ https://substack.com/redirect/6415498e-feab-4797-9c15-82b8a047a5d5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Pro tip for those who find themselves with as a bear as an unwanted roommate: Call the experts from Tahoe. It took them a few minutes to solve the problem. + “As we sat at his dining room table in early December, Mr. Galloway was dressed for a run, in black jogging pants and a hat advertising his coaching program. He moves more slowly than before the heart attacks, and he’s only able to jog for a few seconds at a time before taking a walk break. But his desire to cover long distances hasn’t waned.” 50 Years Ago, He Was an Olympian. At 80, He’s Just as Happy to Finish Last [ https://substack.com/redirect/1da0b523-6b4c-4637-b5a1-b9fc570b1515?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Simon Beck works alone, using a compass and a pair of snowshoes to create intricate patterns as large as three soccer fields.” He spends 12 hours making art in the snow, then watches it vanish [ https://substack.com/redirect/f0ab874b-536f-4c55-916a-fb70eb7c3982?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I spend almost that much time writing stuff that is old news a few hours later...) + Despite Trump-era reversals, 2025 still saw environmental wins. Here are 7 worth noting [ https://substack.com/redirect/5d520370-3522-45ad-b6b2-b2cdeb80fe50?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + UK company wants to build a data center that will heat downtown Lansing [ https://substack.com/redirect/167e71f0-ee36-4c76-bf45-d6dff4b0ae4c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Rowers capture close encounter with whales [ https://substack.com/redirect/d7cd8f3f-b7c6-45f1-bd84-9fd3f36edd6f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + A child is born: Italians celebrate village’s first baby in 30 years [ https://substack.com/redirect/33e133f7-db50-4bf2-9beb-fec0888ff14f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (This kid is going to have the sorest cheeks in human history.) 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View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/good-and-evil The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command. George Orwell, 1984 Just remember: What you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening. Donald Trump, 2018 With entitled, violent, masked thugs turning America’s cities into war zones, the killing of an American citizen was less of an aberration than an inevitability. The only thing more inevitable than the killing of Renee Nicole Good by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis was the lying from the administration and its enablers, which began almost before the bullets’ reverberation had fully dissipated. You can read the analyses from the NYT [ https://substack.com/redirect/31c8c0f7-a4c1-47e7-b97c-e879a9881107?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]and WaPo [ https://substack.com/redirect/4ccd9548-c3f3-4620-ba55-056f1cb22138?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] that contradict the White House lies, suggesting that the ICE officer who shot Good did so in self-defense. But no such forensic analysis is necessary. You can just do what this administration has admonished you to avoid for years: Believe your own eyes. It’s really not a close call. Of course, the lies shouldn’t surprise you. The whole plan to flood blue city streets with ICE agents, there to instill fear and provoke reactions that can be used to justify further militarization, is based on the lie that there was some imminent threat to Americans and our way of life. More broadly, this administration lies nonstop about everything [ https://substack.com/redirect/2983528e-4cdd-47b1-b1a1-e618217eee36?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], from elections, to insurrections, to the economy, to war and peace, to the price of eggs. Why would that strategy stop when it comes to a killing? + Renee Nicole Good was victimized twice. First by the bullets. Then by the most powerful people in American politics smearing her good name. As Adam Serwer explains in The Atlantic (Gift Article): “Taking Good’s life wasn’t enough. The moment she died, it became imperative for the administration to also destroy her memory.” First the Shooting. Then the Lies [ https://substack.com/redirect/63bb0f09-c20b-4949-bfdf-3292f7e4a1a4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + How can the administration perpetuate the lies when the evidence so obviously contradicts their version of events? Well, it helps when you’ve corrupted previously independent government agencies. Minnesota officials say they can’t access evidence after fatal ICE shooting and that the FBI won’t work jointly on investigation [ https://substack.com/redirect/b332f0b2-e24a-449f-8226-60e5dc886741?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + What do we know about similar shootings that haven’t been clearly documented on video? NYT (Gift Article): “In the last four months alone, immigration officers have fired on at least nine people in five states and Washington, D.C [ https://substack.com/redirect/7003efa7-c895-4304-bb26-e66f31f766b6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. All of the individuals targeted in those shootings were, like the woman killed on Wednesday, fired on while in their vehicles. In each case, officials have claimed that the agents fired in self-defense, fearing they would be struck by the vehicle. At least one other person died as a result of those shootings.” + Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey: “I have a message for ICE: Get the f-ck out of Minneapolis [ https://substack.com/redirect/11bc97ac-60f1-4172-911b-b619479d5184?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. We do not want you here. Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety, and you are doing exactly the opposite. People are being hurt. Families are being ripped apart … and now somebody is dead.” Here’s the latest from The Minnesota Star Tribune [ https://substack.com/redirect/45a40f14-99ff-4d79-be88-f1df0af8f63e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and CNN [ https://substack.com/redirect/9c0f4209-c20b-4b78-bff8-4fdbb538cb82?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 Highway to Hellenic How crazy has the war on woke become at some universities? Actually, don’t answer that Socratic form of news delivery. Even Socrates won’t be on safe ground for long. NYT (Gift Article): Texas A&M, Under New Curriculum Limits, Warns Professor Not to Teach Plato [ https://substack.com/redirect/5509d64d-edde-4298-a707-1f02d268ccc3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Martin Peterson, a philosophy professor at Texas A&M University, was thunderstruck when he was told on Tuesday that he needed to excise some teachings of Plato from his syllabus. It was one way, his department head wrote in an email, that Dr. Peterson’s philosophy class could comply with new policies limiting discussion of race and gender.” I’ll let Plato himself provide the pithy kicker to this story. “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” (There’s some dispute as to whether this quote is accurately cited, which is the only reason I feel safe sharing it.) 3 What to Expect When You’re Electing The report “urges President Donald Trump and lawmakers ‘to save and restore the American family’ through massive tax credits for families with more children while capping alimony payments, enacting strict work requirements on social benefit programs, discouraging online dating, creating marriage ‘bootcamp’ classes and more ... It calls for a 16-year-old age limit on social media and certain AI chatbots, and further age restrictions on access to pornography, and it argues that ‘climate change alarmism’ demoralizes young people and dissuades them from having children.” (Think this sounds a bit too extreme even for this administration? Well, it comes from the same group that brought you Project 2025.) WaPo (Gift Article): Heritage paper on families calls for ‘marriage bootcamp,’ more babies [ https://substack.com/redirect/bcda70d1-6922-4b3e-bfbe-ab60966ec1dd?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 This Is Where It’s @ Ready for the great AI email takeover? Well, ready or not, here it comes. “Google is announcing a new AI Inbox view for Gmail that, instead of presenting your emails in a traditional list, uses AI to offer personalized to-dos and summaries of topics you might want to follow from your emails.” Google is taking over your Gmail inbox with AI [ https://substack.com/redirect/7bb1b516-0eec-4c8d-a635-76560378e5b1?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (From news summaries to the inbox takeover, big tech is doing everything it can to compete with NextDraft. Sadly for them, I Am the Algorithm [ https://substack.com/redirect/3a789e0f-ec10-4802-8b15-0ea0d606cab4?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) + OpenAI launches ChatGPT Health, encouraging users to connect their medical records [ https://substack.com/redirect/9a707a81-8eb2-4e44-b945-200e5d4cb775?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. But it’s ‘not intended for diagnosis or treatment.’ (Yeah, right. We’ve all been using the internet for diagnosis and treatment since Alta Vista launched...) 5 Extra, Extra Body Checks: “The US Senate on Thursday advanced a bipartisan war powers resolution [ https://substack.com/redirect/8f383cec-8056-4d99-9cd4-9f6a554e9d36?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] to prevent Donald Trump from taking further military actions against Venezuela, after he ordered a weekend raid to capture that country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, without giving Congress advance notice.” (Wait, we have a Senate?) + DNIght Night: As I suggested on Monday, the decision-making process when it came to the Maduro arrest was limited to a small number of insiders [ https://substack.com/redirect/2f182449-070c-4f8b-8289-ca70581dcf74?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Even the Director of National Intelligence wasn’t included. “The move to cut Gabbard out of the meetings was so well-known that some White House aides joked that the acronym of her title, DNI, stood for ‘Do Not Invite [ https://substack.com/redirect/d2d7941d-8042-493e-a9a4-527891bd927d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’” + Hot Off the Press: Trump pulled out of some climate treaties today. Like, a lot of them. “Trump released a presidential memorandum Wednesday ordering the withdrawal from 66 global organizations and treaties -- roughly half affiliated with the United Nations -- for being ‘contrary to the interests of the United States [ https://substack.com/redirect/9ba0b02c-041b-4085-9993-bf44f724f08e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].’” + Invasion of the Booty Snatchers: “Online prediction market Polymarket is drawing criticism after ruling that the U.S. capture of the Venezuelan authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro does not count as an invasion of the country [ https://substack.com/redirect/5672c117-7c17-4eea-9e4e-69b3702f5685?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], a decision that leaves millions of dollars in bets unresolved.” (Obviously, the broader story here is that we are betting on everything these days.) + Weight Weight ... Don’t Tell Me: “The rate at which weight was regained after stopping these medications was almost four times faster compared with behavioral programs, which may include a specific diet or physical activity plan, regardless of the amount of weight that was lost during treatment.” People who stop taking weight-loss jabs regain weight in under two years [ https://substack.com/redirect/e3f62c2a-8aed-4711-9e3e-3a6585eff88b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Two years is plenty of time for me to update my Tinder profile pics...) + After The Fire: Photos: One Year After the Los Angeles Wildfires [ https://substack.com/redirect/dadbfcfb-89cc-4ae8-bae8-d1ed420201f6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “If you were serious about your career and wanted to be a head coach one day, you took great notes or great mental notes. I felt like after one year with Coach Saban, I had learned more about how to run a program than I maybe did the previous 27 as an assistant coach.” All four of the coaches in the college football playoff were assistants under Nick Saban [ https://substack.com/redirect/b0d80921-922d-4ddd-bf38-03f46105c826?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRNemsxTWpneE1Td2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTNPVEEwT1RFNExDSmxlSEFpT2pFM09UazBOREE1TVRnc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5ZajUwV0J4RWMyakhUakNJakEzSnhhX3Z3a0FfbWI2MV9jS2xpQ1A0Ym80IiwicCI6MTgzOTUyODExLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Njc5MDQ5MTgsImV4cCI6MjA4MzQ4MDkxOCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.NJgFCNrz-mJhJ0YlDAbhO9KOejz2hHRhqt8bwpUcd1M?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/love-factually Let’s call it love at first byte. The AI-obsessed tech generation isn’t just trying to achieve the singularity. They’re trying to use machine learning to more effectively hook up. The Minglelarity is the new Singularity. I’m hardly the person to cast aspersions on those who mix love and computers. I’ve had a decades-long affair with my MacBook Air; it’s resting on my lap and warming my cock-les as we speak. But after reading about Amanda Hess’s recent visit to the “Love Symposium, a freewheeling gathering of ‘earnest founders, experts, and intellectuals’ with an interest in ‘proliferating healthy connection at scale,’ where founders are determined to use AI to address their “certain way of thinking about human relationships: as problems that could be measured, optimized and solved,” I wonder if we all need to settle down and keep our clicks in our pants. I am as awed by anyone at the remarkable power of AI, but nothing can “solve” human relationships. NYT (Gift Article): Can You Optimize Love [ https://substack.com/redirect/2157460f-c064-45d3-a871-ddf81ef87661?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? “A group of tech executives, app developers and Silicon Valley philosophers is seeking to streamline the messy matters of the heart.” I doubt our aging energy grid is ready for this new version of human interactivity. My love consummation alone would consume enough data center energy to power a large city for a week. (I can’t even imagine the voltage dip if others were involved...) 2 Natural Born Miller Point: It’s hard to name the worst member of the Trump administration. Counterpoint: It’s Stephen Miller. “In Trump’s inner circle—even with the president himself—Miller is known as a dogmatic force whose ideas are sometimes too extreme for public consumption. I’d love to have him come up and explain his true feelings—maybe not his truest feelings,’ the president joked at an Oval Office briefing in October. But in Trump’s second term, Miller finds himself at the height of his powers—the pulsing human id of a president who is already almost pure id.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Wrath of Stephen Miller [ https://substack.com/redirect/de57f310-6948-4d39-895e-f28c52c1c4e2?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + NYT (Gift Article): Stephen Miller Offers a Strongman’s View of the World [ https://substack.com/redirect/c6a51502-b3d4-4e79-8cb9-8e56b562ca9f?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Mr. Miller, 40, grew up in wealthy Santa Monica, Calif., and attended a left-leaning high school. There, he was once booed and yanked off the stage during a campaign speech for student government in which a central plank of his platform was to investigate school janitors for inadequately picking up trash. His former classmates recalled that he seemed to enjoy the attention.” (Since we just segued from love making to Stephen Miller, I’m going to pause for a minute to give you time to hose the vomit off your computer screen.) 3 Pyramid Scheme “In a striking reversal of past nutrition guidance, the Trump administration released new dietary guidelines on Wednesday that flip the food pyramid on its head, putting steak, cheese and whole milk near the top. The new guidelines urge Americans to prioritize protein and avoid the sugary, processed foods that health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said are poisonous to health.” (Some of that sounds right. Some of that sounds wrong. That’s the kind of hit and miss results you get when you do science without the scientists.) Kennedy Flips Food Pyramid to Emphasize Red Meat and Whole Milk [ https://substack.com/redirect/23389bf1-4331-42de-a2f5-8ddbf5f2c62d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + If you’re interested, here’s a look at the whole shebang [ https://substack.com/redirect/8ad5b677-166c-48c9-a2c9-efbabb733531?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], which kicks off with a typically Trumpist lede: “These Guidelines mark the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in our nation’s history.” 4 Tainted Love “Our very own Victoria Song braved the taint-zapping booth at CES 2026, which is exactly what it sounds like: a device that sends electrodes into a man’s perineum, with the goal of preventing premature ejaculation. The device, called Mor, is attached to an adhesive patch containing electrodes that you, well, stick on your taint.” The Verge: The weirdest tech we’ve seen at CES 2026 [ https://substack.com/redirect/3f5ef76c-7197-4084-a1c9-65196c5dc924?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “CLOiD – which stands at slightly less than five feet tall and has a digital display for eyes – trundled across the stage on wheels and waved to conference attendees with its two hands. It then slowly loaded a single piece of clothing into a washing machine — almost painfully slowly.” But it will speed up. And 2026 is shaping up to be the year of the robots. Bloomberg (Gift Article): Humanoid Robots Pour Coffee, Fold Laundry at CES. Painfully Slowly [ https://substack.com/redirect/543fe6f8-55fa-4126-9f6a-2b651c75add3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Hey, when you’re done folding my laundry, can you help me pull this thing off my taint?) 5 Extra, Extra Calculating Risk: “An urgent meeting had been requested by the foreign ministers of Greenland and Denmark, which has said that any invasion or seizure of the territory by its NATO ally would mark the end of the western military alliance and ‘post-second world war security.’” Marco Rubio says he will meet Danish officials to discuss Greenland next week [ https://substack.com/redirect/261d872b-b13e-4cac-8583-22d7026414b8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Offend allies, empower enemies. That’s the Trump doctrine.) + Ice Age: “An ICE agent shot and killed a woman Wednesday morning in south Minneapolis. ICE says the woman was shot in her car after attempting to run over agents. Mayor Jacob Frey and witnesses are disputing ICE’s version of events.” Frey, Walz dispute that ICE killed woman in self-defense [ https://substack.com/redirect/8b146ea4-e916-4019-9d29-fd884b764845?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Frey said he’d seen video of the confrontation and said ICE was “already trying to spin this as an act of self-defense. That is bullshit. This was an agent recklessly using power … that resulted in someone dying, getting killed ... The narrative that this was done in self-defense is a garbage narrative.’” + Oil Spillover: “The split screen of the government’s leading a show of support for an unpopular authoritarian leader while cracking down on his critics was especially striking because the United States is now supporting that government.” Maduro Is Gone, but Repression in Venezuela Has Intensified [ https://substack.com/redirect/ec5b66fc-18e3-42dc-914b-a942b13b95ab?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Gonna be tough to pour oil on this troubled water. Meanwhile, U.S. seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela after weekslong pursuit [ https://substack.com/redirect/d004f120-e61d-429c-b9e8-afef1c9ad67d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Pay to Play: “Youth sports has transformed over the past two decades, from low-cost grassroots programs run mostly by local groups into a high-priced industry filled with club teams, specialized training and travel tournaments staged at gleaming youth sports complexes — changes fueled, in part, by a surge in private equity and venture capital investment.” WaPo (Gift Article): The soaring price of youth sports: $50 to try out, $3,000 to play [ https://substack.com/redirect/92e8a836-a4cb-4e50-9512-b7d77877b3c8?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (This is one of the many ways the economic divide leads to a social divide.) + Stalled Progress: “Nearly 60 women lawmakers in Japan, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, have submitted a petition calling for more toilets in the parliament building to match their improved representation.” 73 women. One restroom and two stalls [ https://substack.com/redirect/dff06a7d-dcb9-4f62-9bff-62d88fada555?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Irish Sling: Here’s a pretty interesting football stat: Quarterbacks from Notre Dame have lost 25 consecutive starts in the NFL over the past 14 seasons [ https://substack.com/redirect/d46cc0c1-9f92-4aa7-836e-5d37879f33e3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Quit Claim: “According to my brain, I knew I was in Echo Park, the LA neighborhood that’s home to Dodgers Stadium. But whether it was the real Echo Park or a simulation, a convincing-enough mix of new highrises and grungy cottages in imitation of Echo Park, I wasn’t sure. For several hours, I’d been haunted by yellow-tinted hallucinations, sweeping in and out of my mind like searchlights, which told me I might’ve slipped between worlds.” Rosecrans Baldwin in GQ: A Cautionary Tale Against Quitting Zyn—or Anything—Cold Turkey [ https://substack.com/redirect/a36e7e01-5452-463a-9cb5-b491b67ae8a3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News “The author and his closest basketball confidantes undertake a formal analysis of Steph Curry’s shot at the Paris Olympics as art object.” The Believer: The Worst Shot Ever Taken [ https://substack.com/redirect/74c7295c-76c9-4527-be68-2cba46968bd5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] (Had it not been for the fact that it was taken by the guy who took it.) + Even LeBron gives Steph a hard time [ https://substack.com/redirect/771b770b-c656-4d5c-ac01-65d429f9dc55?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] about how open he and KD were while Steph was heavily covered. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRNemd6TmpJME1Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTNPREU0T1RrMExDSmxlSEFpT2pFM09Ua3pOVFE1T1RRc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5oUTFYcGlxajBWZmcxZExtRjNEWlFRTDJBSm5xbkRZNzc4cUxHMUI3OG5nIiwicCI6MTgzODM2MjQwLCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Njc4MTg5OTQsImV4cCI6MjA4MzM5NDk5NCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.SRLBGapAaLvQzj7kmZ5ghK3QxHHBeEe7BW1JkmLcxKc?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/q-and-a-holes I was worried about the AI machines taking over the world until I considered the alternative: Humans remaining in charge. We’ve already entered an era in which a lot of people, for better or worse, are making chatbots their first stop for getting information about major events. And it’s unclear that these chatbots can overcome the biases and beliefs of their owners. Do you trust a guy who heils in public to host an AI tool that tells the truth about the Holocaust? A couple weeks ago, Mark Zuckerberg’s philanthropy cut ties with the pro-immigration advocacy group [ https://substack.com/redirect/93e7df4e-4979-4227-824e-3b48eb54e79a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]that he founded, because that bedrock of America (and of Zuck’s past beliefs) fell out of favor with the current administration. What happens when the same administration doesn’t like the way the Meta chatbot answers a question about one of its policies? Trust a guy who abandons his own values to value yours? Why does this matter? Because, as Gary Marcus and Damon Beres explain in The Atlantic (Gift Article), the information war will be fought through chatbots [ https://substack.com/redirect/6e04d625-b7de-4f42-976d-30e50b9f46fc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Journalists and other sources may be cited by the bots, but the people who control these AI products, such as Musk, now have a greater ability to manipulate how events are reported. This is a deeply troubling development—one that threatens to leave the public less informed, with fewer checks on those in power.” So yes, I worry about the technology. But I worry more about the owners of that technology, who have already shown a willingness to sacrifice the public good for personal gain. + Fabricated and misrepresented images shared widely online after US removal of Maduro [ https://substack.com/redirect/10f67afd-7adf-4b4d-ad66-164de545763c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Some of this isn’t AI. It’s just good old fashioned humans spreading good old fashioned garbage. In one case, a viral video purports to show Venezuelans celebrating the capture of Maduro. In actuality, it was students participating in UCLA’s quarterly tradition: The Undie Run. A fan of both fake news and young people in their undergarments, President Trump couldn’t resist being among those who shared the video, adding the caption, Venezuela celebrates, Democrats cry.) 2 Triumph of the Ill “In the unraveling narrative of Jan. 6, 2021, so many people claim to know the truth: The rioters who say they were protesting a stolen election. Republican leaders who have recast members of the violent mob as patriots. The quarter of Americans who say it is ‘probably’ or ‘definitely’ true that the FBI instigated the attack. The president who called it a ‘day of love.’ Here in his classroom, nearly 250 years after the birth of American democracy, Tate wondered if he had the power to persuade a room of teenagers to reject all that.” The battle over the truth of January 6th as it plays out in the classroom of a teacher who was one of the officers attacked that day. WaPo (Gift Article): He was attacked on Jan. 6. Can he make sense of it for the kids he teaches [ https://substack.com/redirect/771a7b29-bc03-48be-8cd4-0977aa56a8a5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? + The NYT (Gift Article) editorial board succinctly sums up that history. “The Trump era seemed to have ended in one of the most disgracefully anti-American acts in the nation’s history. That day was indeed a turning point, but not the one it first seemed to be. It was a turning point toward a version of Mr. Trump who is even more lawless than the one who governed the country in his first term. It heralded a culture of political unaccountability, in which people who violently attacked Congress and beat police officers escaped without lasting consequence. The politicians and pundits who had egged on the attack with their lies escaped, as well. The aftermath of Jan. 6 made the Republican Party even more feckless, beholden to one man and willing to pervert reality to serve his interests.” 5 Years After Jan. 6, Lawlessness Has Triumphed [ https://substack.com/redirect/c3aea7f7-d46d-426d-973b-4dddc24a19bc?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Politico: Trump May Have Accidentally Pardoned the Jan. 6 Pipe Bomber [ https://substack.com/redirect/8cc0580e-ed48-4cb3-ae2b-d6fa1c725159?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “Trump’s proclamation commuted the sentences of 14 individuals and also granted ‘a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.’” 3 Yanking Our Chain “This chain of events, which some Danish officials and security experts proposed to us in recent months, may have seemed faintly ridiculous as of last Friday. By the weekend—after the toppling of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Trump’s ensuing insistence that the United States now “runs” Venezuela—it seemed far less so. For months, Danes have anxiously imagined an audacious move by the Trump administration to annex Greenland, whether by force, coercion, or an attempt to buy off the local population of about 56,000 people with the promise of cutting them in on future mining deals. Now those fears are spiking.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): Trump Seizing Greenland Could Set Off a Chain Reaction [ https://substack.com/redirect/7be3c74f-2353-4232-936f-d19a7e4c29cf?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (The chain reaction has already been set in motion. Our allies fear us and our enemies like Russia and China feel emboldened.) + Danish prime minister says a US takeover of Greenland would mark the end of NATO [ https://substack.com/redirect/66beb717-d4bd-478e-b70f-4a91ded97797?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (That probably tempts Trump even more...) + NYT: How the ‘Donroe Doctrine’ Reinforces Xi’s Vision of Power in Asia [ https://substack.com/redirect/e6ecdeb8-0235-4456-8015-9dc310e13320?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. “A globe carved into spheres of influence — with the United States dominating the Western Hemisphere and China asserting primacy across the Asia-Pacific — and where might makes right, regardless of shared rules, could benefit Beijing in a number of ways.” + On Fox News, the Nobel Prize-winning “Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado—offered to give her medal to Trump [ https://substack.com/redirect/bdd8421c-aa7f-473d-a403-ee3b07959b16?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] after he announced he would not back her to run the country she’s fought to reclaim.” This is how the world thinks the American government operates. And they’re right. + We know a lot more about the world’s reaction to America’s power grab than we do about the reasoning and goals of those who orchestrated it. From yesterday: FIFA Fo Fum [ https://substack.com/redirect/e8de5aa7-6cec-49e3-986d-c80be6588145?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 4 Left, Right, and Data Center “From Archibald, Pennsylvania, to Page, Arizona, tech firms are seeking to plunk down data centers in locations that sometimes are not zoned for such heavy industrial uses, within communities that had not planned for them. These supersized data centers can usurp more energy than entire cities and drain local water supplies. Anger over the perceived trampling of communities by Silicon Valley has entered the national political conversation and could affect voters of all political persuasions in this year’s midterm elections.” WaPo (Gift Article): The data center rebellion is here, and it’s reshaping the political landscape [ https://substack.com/redirect/2711a8e1-f1d5-4163-8268-c71114b7864a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 5 Extra, Extra Calculating Risk: “The United States is itself unwinding its own global order. The world’s most powerful country is in the throes of a political revolution.” The Eurasia Group is out with its review of the top risks of 2026 [ https://substack.com/redirect/dfebcdd9-acbf-48c1-a0f8-5c3706fffd94?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And for America, most of them are coming from within. + Cache on Delivery: “A ‘whistleblower’ tried to corroborate his viral post with AI-generated evidence. This is how I caught him.” Casey Newton with an interesting look at a very viral post by a food delivery whistleblower that turned out to be an AI generated hoax. Debunking the AI food delivery hoax that fooled Reddit [ https://substack.com/redirect/fa164030-4c22-431c-8404-3b2ec35f4711?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Broadcasting a Dark Shadow: “After the federal funding ended, executives at the corporation discussed putting the organization into hibernation, keeping it alive in case Congress eventually voted to restore its federal appropriation. But in a statement on Monday, the corporation said that allowing the organization to lie dormant could have resulted in ‘political manipulation or misuse,’ threatening the independence of public media.” NYT (Gift Article): Corporation for Public Broadcasting Votes to Shut Down [ https://substack.com/redirect/a98a037d-02e6-49b4-ad46-75c3ffbeba7e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Swiss Holiday Fire: “Authorities in Crans-Montana have said safety officers had not inspected the bar that caught fire in the Swiss ski resort on New Year’s Eve, killing 40 mainly young partygoers and injuring more than 100, for the past five years [ https://substack.com/redirect/2c76598a-c43c-4615-8498-3ecba2837b13?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” + Flu Into a Temper: “The percent of outpatient visits for respiratory illnesses are now at the highest rate on record.” Flu-like illness activity now at highest rate on record [ https://substack.com/redirect/fce894c6-db51-4a22-b59b-f4b0da208818?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Another Brick in the Wall: “If the Smart Tag comes in a set for building a helicopter, for example, then the Smart Brick will light up and make propeller sounds that would help bring a helicopter to life. Its built-in accelerometer would make these lights and sounds more consistent with how you’re actually playing with the helicopter, since the Brick will be able to sense when the helicopter is zooming through the sky or turned upside down.” Lego Smart Bricks introduce a new way to build — and they don’t require screens [ https://substack.com/redirect/01cd1f0c-eb98-44af-ae90-d7766c268a1e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 6 Bottom of the News A new Grammy category honors album covers [ https://substack.com/redirect/0fd5a090-e68c-40a8-91eb-96e8144c3df6?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ], and the artists that make them. (Now they just have to tell young people what an album is and then what the cover was for...) + Japanese sushi chain drops $3.2 million on 535-pound bluefin tuna [ https://substack.com/redirect/7e9449de-9721-4bba-b504-aabbc25ab0f5?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Humans May Be Able to Grow New Teeth Within Just 4 Years [ https://substack.com/redirect/4bcf5ed0-e8cd-49ef-86a6-97a15026ca81?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (But how will the teeth know when to stop growing? Bababooey!) Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRNemN3TnpNek55d2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTNOekkzTmpZd0xDSmxlSEFpT2pFM09Ua3lOak0yTmpBc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5fQXotdDhKODRmX2Z5VG5JQ3dDelRWSl85cGRpZE5XY1c1UEpFd29Ob01jIiwicCI6MTgzNzA3MzM3LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Njc3Mjc2NjAsImV4cCI6MjA4MzMwMzY2MCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.OQzhvrHmQo0zY45QozGCC0-Z9p3-83Ck5CdQsnE5NtQ?

View this post on the web at https://managingeditor.substack.com/p/fifa-fo-fum In the moments that followed the bombing of sites in Venezuela and the rapid capture and removal of Nicolás Maduro, social media was flooded with explanations of why the Trump administration took this action and what it hopes to get out of it. This certitude reached a new level of Dunning-Kruger hubris on a platform where that seemed impossible. Even days after the action, Democratic members of the Gang of Eight [ https://substack.com/redirect/9e0f51ab-b127-4ed5-8220-2b70e81bd8e7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] had received no briefings from the administration. The inter-government processes that usually precede such decisions have been all but removed from the Trump administration, and even the Caracas Caucus, the small group of as seen on TV officials, haven’t expressed identical explanations for the attack or the hoped-for outcome. After talking to a few experts I know and doing a pretty thorough lit review on the topic, here’s what I’m sure of so far: Maduro is a bad guy who was not democratically elected, the military effort to remove him went about as well as it could have, and no one is quite sure how the ramifications of this move will play out in the region or across the globe. Oh, and one more thing: I fear the legitimacy of the FIFA Peace Prize has been called into question. Given the lack of actual drug trafficking from Venezuela to the US (and the recent pardon of “a former Honduran president who’d been convicted of trafficking narcotics to the United States”), we can be reasonably sure this wasn’t about drugs. And no one in the administration is even pretending it’s about democracy. Of course, it’s a lot about oil, but it’s unclear whether that even makes much sense in the short term. This lede from Vox(Gift Article) sums things up pretty well. “Over the weekend, the United States invaded Venezuela, captured its leader, and then declared itself to be in charge of South America’s fifth-largest country. And no one — not even the US government — seems entirely sure why [ https://substack.com/redirect/551489c3-f1bc-465f-aa71-db284de97cd7?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].” (As much as it pains me to report this, I guess there’s one more thing I’m relatively sure of: 2026 is going to be even crazier than 2025. Happy New Year!) + “None of this is logical, but it isn’t meant to be: Like the Party in 1984, the would-be dominators of the Western Hemisphere seem to feel no need for logic. If might makes right, if the U.S. gets to do what it wants using any tools it wants in its own sphere, then there is no need for transparency, democracy, or legitimacy. The concerns of ordinary people who live in smaller nations don’t need to be taken into account, because they will not be granted any agency.” Anne Applebaum in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Trump’s ‘American Dominance’ May Leave Us With Nothing [ https://substack.com/redirect/f8f16f2a-9879-4695-b6c9-25859cd4a005?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Truman, Reagan, and Monroe wouldn’t approve of the language, but a doctrine is a doctrine, even if it’s only five words long.” The F-ck-Around-and-Find-Out Presidency [ https://substack.com/redirect/02d8de1a-7fe9-4b0f-87f3-61e07d041054?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “If Trump oversees Venezuela’s transition to a transparent democracy that can attract international investment, this could provide needed resources to rebuild the country and help ease energy prices over the long run. If, however, he seeks to impose a mercantilist model in pursuit of short-term financial gain, he will undermine the global energy market on which U.S. security depends.” Jason Bordoff in Foreign Policy (Gift Article): Why ‘Taking’ Venezuela’s Oil Hurts U.S. Energy Security [ https://substack.com/redirect/cb353e89-6daa-4523-87cc-7af88a0f2b0a?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Following the money is a lot easier when it leaves behind oil skid marks. Venezuela raid enriches MAGA billionaire [ https://substack.com/redirect/e1e1b0b5-4e27-48f4-9cc2-150cfbe1b460?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + “Spy drones were part of how the CIA monitored Maduro, but after his capture on Saturday the agency also surprisingly briefed it had a human source inside the Venezuelan government.” Months in planning, over in two and a half hours: how the US snatched Maduro [ https://substack.com/redirect/8127cb90-f292-4877-ba57-b3de2299d34d?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + WaPo: Rubio takes on most challenging role yet: Viceroy of Venezuela [ https://substack.com/redirect/9e701ee8-b4bc-4658-8aa8-bed71e2df49e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Rubio has now taken more jobs than AI...) + Military acts are supposed to strike fear into the hearts of your enemies. Not your allies. Denmark’s prime minister says ‘stop the threats’ of U.S. annexing Greenland [ https://substack.com/redirect/018f4411-6b90-4446-8992-cc22940eaa9b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + In a NYC courtroom, Maduro and his wife plead not guilty. Here’s the latest from BBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/42c0daef-fc95-4b00-8b7c-500e0ff98a88?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] and NBC [ https://substack.com/redirect/9b4146fb-09ef-4046-bb49-e376dbf36906?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. 2 You Are What You Eat (Or Don’t) “We see it across the board. Every state, every education level, every race, every gender.” WaPo (Gift Article): Why are malnutrition deaths soaring in America [ https://substack.com/redirect/ae6248a8-1576-4ae1-bf61-e814136f5887?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]? (A lot of it has to do with the data we collect, but whatever it is, it’s not good.) 3 It’s a Fight to the Finnish “For decades, the Nordic nation has woven media literacy, including the ability to analyze different kinds of media and recognize disinformation, into its national curriculum for students as young as 3 years old.” Finnish children learn media literacy at 3 years old. It’s protection against Russian propaganda [ https://substack.com/redirect/f5bbbc46-5368-4100-9a02-47b056e4841e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (I’m nostalgic for the days when our greatest propaganda threats came from the outside.) 4 Lost in a Football Fantasy The worse the news gets, the more I watch sports. And I already watched a lot of sports when the news was good. Apparently, I’m not alone. Sports make up 96 of top 100 telecasts in 2025, tying an all-time record [ https://substack.com/redirect/a820ab2a-8416-44b4-a43f-5b23b541f740?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And basically, by sports, they mean football. 5 Extra, Extra CDC Goes Full RFK: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday an unprecedented overhaul of the childhood vaccine schedule that recommends fewer shots to all children.” CDC overhauls childhood vaccine schedule to resemble Denmark in unprecedented move [ https://substack.com/redirect/900dc71b-59a4-4ce7-a670-7e428a1c796b?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + The Streets of Iran: Venezuela is getting all the coverage, but big things are going down in Iran, too. “Iran’s government has in recent years weathered wave upon wave of nationwide protests challenging its rule by resorting to force. But for the first time, the country’s rulers face a more complex challenge: growing domestic unrest combined with an external military threat.” NYT(Gift Article): Iran’s Dual Challenge: Unrest at Home, Threat of Strikes From Abroad [ https://substack.com/redirect/bf6bb993-af57-4a21-933a-727d2fb11783?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. And, what to know about the protests now shaking Iran [ https://substack.com/redirect/47d596b2-28ea-4263-b5f0-e57ed01a8611?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Check, Please: “The decision comes after the Supreme Court ruled last week that Mr. Trump could not deploy troops in the Chicago area over the objections of Illinois officials.” NYT: Trump Abandons Efforts to Deploy National Guard to 3 Major Cities [ https://substack.com/redirect/a95b45e9-e202-46f6-b292-d84cda52749c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (This was a big story from over the break. It’s vital that Trump is following the Supreme Court ruling, at least for now.) + Walz Through: “Mr. Walz said a widening scandal over fraud in social services programs in Minnesota had persuaded him to drop out of the race. He had been criticized for his administration’s oversight of the programs and its failure to prevent widespread fraud.” Gov. Tim Walz Drops Re-election Bid, and Amy Klobuchar May Run Instead [ https://substack.com/redirect/32bcc69d-990e-4fae-a595-56682c466235?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. + Off the Mark: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that the Pentagon is taking steps to downgrade Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly’s military retirement rank and pay [ https://substack.com/redirect/9d05d570-efa4-4661-95b6-6b92496d154e?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ] because of the lawmaker’s ‘seditious statements.’” (They sure are working hard to raise Mark Kelly to hero status among Dems.) + XXXAI: “xAI’s AI chatbot is putting Elon Musk in a bikini at his request — and doing the same to children, world leaders, and women without their consent.” Grok is undressing anyone, including minors [ https://substack.com/redirect/8f66963d-3de3-4ab2-8154-cf8efaad7adb?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. (Related: AI toilets are here [ https://substack.com/redirect/9a9e466b-ad39-45a4-93a3-aa4ebe10d55c?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ].) 6 Bottom of the News “For years, he has been my standard answer whenever someone asks me about the most interesting person I’ve interviewed. (Apologies to Mike Tyson, Nancy Pelosi, Guy Fieri, President Trump and their many fellow nominees.) It helped that Reisman found himself so interesting. He claimed to have made fortunes, and lost fortunes, and met everyone, and defeated everyone.” NYT (Gift Article): The Ping-Pong Hustler Who Inspired Marty Supreme [ https://substack.com/redirect/604ee4b2-ea0e-45fa-b87f-3d0e5e1b94e3?j=eyJ1IjoiNzRiZXZxIn0.26TDO4Ygo5l69NnkPzr2Ax0IIjv-K5IWcmNJKcK8PLY ]. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tYW5hZ2luZ2VkaXRvci5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSWpvME16QTFNVFF4T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTRNelU0TnpreU9Dd2lhV0YwSWpveE56WTNOalF4TkRZeUxDSmxlSEFpT2pFM09Ua3hOemMwTmpJc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHhPVE14TVNJc0luTjFZaUk2SW1ScGMyRmliR1ZmWlcxaGFXd2lmUS5QSmJ2RkxyY1ZaTUszZ3NXNVQ5NzlhTVVZUzFYN3Q3aVZkV0VPTXZIWERjIiwicCI6MTgzNTg3OTI4LCJzIjoxOTMxMSwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJpYXQiOjE3Njc2NDE0NjIsImV4cCI6MjA4MzIxNzQ2MiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.jIKuLJVF123W07_54R6HEHfz4OIi9TK8ibK7QaS2cO4?

[https://eotrx.substackcdn.com/open?token=eyJtIjoiPDIwMjYwMTA1MDcxNjM5LjMuNGQzYmE1NDk3N2YzYjM0Mi4zajFxNG5vM0BtZy1kMS5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20-IiwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJyIjoibUBlbWFpbC5nb21vZHVsci5jb20iLCJkIjoibWctZDEuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tIiwicCI6bnVsbCwidCI6bnVsbCwiYSI6bnVsbCwicyI6MTkzMTEsImMiOiJmcmVlLXdlbGNvbWUiLCJmIjp0cnVlLCJwb3NpdGlvbiI6InRvcCIsImlhdCI6MTc2NzU5NzM5OSwiZXhwIjoxNzcwMTg5Mzk5LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImVvIn0.Dpa6nPUKMRdY1VTr9MaI1yrIQvsIVwRwWMUt8K7JYxA] Thank you for subscribing to NextDraft ͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­ NextDraft [https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_Xod!,w_80,h_80,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0be5d59a-80b8-4460-9d7e-759ce8793a88_400x400.png] It’s good to have you here! You will start receiving updates right here in your inbox. I publish weekdays at around 1pm PST. You can also log in to the website to read the full archives and other posts as they are published [https://email.mg-d1.substack.com/c/eJxUkDFy8yAQRk8jOmuARUgUFH_ja2gWWMn8EeAgSMa3z9hp4npn33vzeWy0l_qwWyW6fNPhSyIWLBjHF68ZWTHreTIzGMMoYTzWnTJVbBRWbH-uQnB2s0AACmhRhCAFbAto1LPWm5GBL4AsWsml5oJPfBYazAijCuBwUmaeN3Cg5Aj_xafKBQbF034JYjy7Oxv6j9GXxOK5PmOfLbbVTuywt9bu5wD_Bnkd5DVhxj3mnUJspb4_37tbfUmp59geK2V0B4VfzL27I3psseQ1BisMCMGqTYPiL9m4l1RCP-oLdHYXSsKY7buOtfcp-0n1iVPAJ6GEWdiXlT8BAAD__5sTehU]. 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Thanks again, and please tell a few friends if you feel like it. © 2026 Dave Pell 548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104 Unsubscribe [https://email.mg-d1.substack.com/c/eJxU0suSojAUBuCngV1TuRCQBYsep53CarSdwUv3hspNiJBEIbTK00_hbMZtUuev_3x1OHWyst09PXZSvlxly62WvkhxwsCMR75MYRzFJIlxkvhSU9WWlTSyo06Kkrr_fiEEfp2CGeQAEAQAk_GRgWjGZ0cRM4I4IiISvkoRQBGAgIAYRjgJcBAKzCgJkzg-YoZDFOATvITGYi8EunoRMOgH1jvKm4Bb7au-nMpOXVLXDdJv09q5c-_hVw8tPLTQ1NBKmUoK5Wz3NOyhBeVOWeOhhVA9Za0sH0keXjjbSOPhn_K-hBzt7gfUNtnJgnx8hXmxua2Lqs_Mj2-Ofx_pfqPWmkD269pnuq3FPIvygqPVuCWrMSfrP1f1daiv2cneVmND8iIf87Eh7_PlmeNcrdXyKvaZy4tmzIs39T5fjmKfTe8NPazqT31rD2jnPvdtnxkQNIevhqDt6WKWa1xHxUi3jWjVB99U-Um_f3TznbSXjBr-5p8HVnKr9WCUu5fSTEuKf1LngbWK0wmgVCKFCYbQ71LtheChEFRWWzG03QO6H5iwmiqTPov67vlahl52U1yIAYEhTGb-d4r-BgAA__9la8mt] Get the app [https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IzGP!,w_262,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2Fimg%2Femail%2Fgeneric-app-button%402x.png]https://email.mg-d1.substack.com/c/eJxUkc1u5SAMhZ8Gdon4C7lZsBipuq8RGXBSpgEyxMyobz-66abdeHOOPn-WAxDutX26rSEO__AINSOPTi9ePILl6ORs52mZ9bJwzJCOdceCDQjjCvQtlVLwd6f0BlNQs7QyTMp6G72dpX1s2jw8oOLJKaGskGISs7R6GfVoovYwmWWeN-21UaP-Lf-YUjUzIu9DlOPV_UUQPsZQM0_X-pJ9uThqHfnh3onOi-lfTD2Zen5vM_WE8_yaw0W14dAwpoaBmH52ymuAfELaC9Nvr06G9oGUys6UveNaCAsx_XZvHLZaCdvgO1Et_Ox-DTXnXhJ9rljAHxi_rM7ujxSAUi1rik4uWkreXGZG3KRxr7nGfrT7qKv7WDOk4jIU2FPZMSaqjdPPz_QL2wtntJikkcuD_3XqfwAAAP__7IqWzwStart writing [https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LkrL!,w_270,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2Fimg%2Femail%2Fpublish-button%402x.png]https://email.mg-d1.substack.com/c/eJxskV1u3SAQhVcDb9cCBpvwwEMl926gC7D4GTu0BhwMqbL7yjdNlUp55HD0zTcabxtupb6ZtSLefuPuS0IaDGjHnvxE0XA1qVEr0JpisnFfNsxYbcOw2Pbpl3NGn40XkxgtFyoEJSelcXWTFCvwcQwrGwONRjAxMc5GpvgEeoBBBnB2lFqpFRxIMcBP_iJzASJZ2m6BD2d3Z7P-1-BLovFcLtnLxbTake7mubXjJPCNiDsR98_t6xm33A8C997ScpZePRKYP0pETFeeMMSeCMwP7t_Ql9wwNwLzWkrD-hHbdNi4ZQKz7a2scd8x3P5VLrkfj5nfHyyYE5HswR22kkroe31XmyqBWUmHry_06G7xJaWeY3tbMFu3Y3jf7-huj962WPISg-EaOKfVfE2lZ3ehJBuzSTbbLeYNQ2yl0vb_jfuJ9cJJYCOXXD_RVyP-BAAA___FjLBB [https://eotrx.substackcdn.com/open?token=eyJtIjoiPDIwMjYwMTA1MDcxNjM5LjMuNGQzYmE1NDk3N2YzYjM0Mi4zajFxNG5vM0BtZy1kMS5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20-IiwidSI6NDMwNTE0MTk4LCJyIjoibUBlbWFpbC5nb21vZHVsci5jb20iLCJkIjoibWctZDEuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tIiwicCI6bnVsbCwidCI6bnVsbCwiYSI6bnVsbCwicyI6MTkzMTEsImMiOiJmcmVlLXdlbGNvbWUiLCJmIjp0cnVlLCJwb3NpdGlvbiI6ImJvdHRvbSIsImlhdCI6MTc2NzU5NzM5OSwiZXhwIjoxNzcwMTg5Mzk5LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImVvIn0.COA27LK775Zp7vvsb_IMAAVNSzSzFrXqP_yPYFy7sHY][https://email.mg-d1.substack.com/o/eJxU0MFu6yAQheGnCbtYDGATFjyLNTATLrcGWgyt8vZVsqja9ZE-_ToRB6fWH_7ema9ffMRWWJDXLshb3AR7sJtdndXOCS6Yjz1x5Y6DacfxawWQ4p-nsIIldLi5mwIwylogiI41KqesFNkrqTYJcpUWNu0WvRjSAVfjrL3roI1a9H_4MLXpi5ElXQmWc4ZzYHxbYisin_sz9tniR58s3mfYYytl1jweO1cMB9PPdOSII7e6Z_LgNIDovlyMfAFLaqXRPPpLPmegVjBXX7BiyjUx5dG6GH_vmSf3J2e0XMGAu4lPr74DAAD__x44anU]