Regional Pain Syndrome: “The trigger was a series of media reports that Beverly Hills, Calif.-based PacWest was weighing a range of strategic options, including a sale or capital raise. Its stock continued to fall during Thursday trading, down more than 44% after being halted temporarily. Other regional banks under scrutiny from investors also plunged.” Plummeting bank stocks test predictions that worst of the crisis is over. According to one study, close to 190 banks could collapse.

+ As the Crow Buys: Clarence Thomas Had a Child in Private School. Harlan Crow Paid the Tuition. I can’t decide which is my stronger reaction: To be disgusted by the ethics of a Supreme Court justice or to want to make friends with Harlan Crow.

+ Family Members: “Three members of the Regier family now hold leadership positions in the Montana Legislature as the state’s conservative shift has left even some Republicans wary.” NYT: One Family Has Spearheaded Montana’s Unflinching Conservatism. (This is like a really bad episode of Yellowstone…)

+ Woke Up Call: This throws a wrench in the attack on woke colleges. A group of UC Santa Cruz students celebrated Hitler’s birthday. Some of these Banana Slugs need to be slugged.

+ Life of Pi: “Pi, an A.I. tool that debuted this week, is a twist on the new wave of chatbots: It assists people with their wellness and emotions.” NYT My Weekend With an Emotional Support A.I. Companion. You can give Pi a spin. I tried chatting with it a couple times but I couldn’t think of anything to say and grew tired of the interaction. In that way, it was remarkably similar to my experiences with humans.

+ I Jured it Through the Grapevine: “I am obviously very happy with the outcome of this case, and it looks like I’m not going to have to retire from my day job, after all. But at the same time, I am unbelievably frustrated that baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all.” Jury finds Ed Sheeran didn’t copy Marvin Gaye classic.