Extra, Extra
Lost: “Debris found on ocean floor has been assessed to be from the external body of the Titan sub.” This evidence means the passengers on missing sub “have sadly been lost.” More from BBC. The debris from the sub “points to the scenario experts had feared right from the outset – that the Titan had experienced a catastrophic failure of its pressure vessel and imploded.” Brutal ending to a story that grabbed so many of us over the past week.
+ Rebound Relationship: During a major visit from India’s Narendra Modi, Joe Biden praised the connection between the countries. Both “cherish freedom and celebrate the democratic values of universal human rights which face challenges around the world and in each of our countries.” Does Modi cherish those things? For now, the bigger issue around these meetings has to do with who isn’t there. China. Here’s the latest from The Guardian. From NPR: Biden warmly welcomes India’s Modi despite questions about human rights issues. And from the NYT: Why Modi and Other Indian Leaders Stay Single. “In a country tired of official corruption, with lawmakers enriching themselves and their families and ensuring political futures for their children, many voters have come to believe that single politicians are less likely to steal.”
+ Criminal Defense Team: Adam Schiff spent years warning us that if Trump wasn’t held to account he would continue his behavior and get worse. That warning has been confirmed over and over. So of course, Trump’s enablers punished Schiff. Pathetic. House votes to censure Democratic congressman who led Trump investigations.
+ Hunter Gatherers: “Obviously, the White House would prefer not to see Hunter in the headlines. But the plea deal, which came days after the President made his first 2024 campaign stop, in Philadelphia, delivered him several tangible benefits … On the political front, the plea deal removes the possibility of an indictment and trial during the election, and it almost certainly heralds the end of a five-year investigation.” Also, the legal process took its course without one side going crazy. So now they’re gonna let the same hold true for Trump, right? The New Yorker: The Hunter Biden Plea Deal Leaves House Republicans in a Pickle. (Maybe Hunter Biden pled guilty to tax and gun charges to appeal to MAGA voters.)
+ Fringe Benefits: “Kennedy, an anti-vaxxer of storied Democratic pedigree, isn’t a serious challenger to Biden — but he’s getting some traction.” RFK Jr.’s fringe Democratic presidential candidacy, explained. One lesson of this candidacy’s big name Silicon Valley supporters is that people can be really smart about tech and business and remarkably dumb about other topics.
+ Cultural Bias: On the day of the NBA Draft, BBC looks back at an event that shook the NBA and shaped the way a whole lot of basketball fans (including me) thought about cocaine: Len Bias: The NBA draft star and his overdose – a death that changed America.
+ Yellowstone Henge: “Let’s appreciate what Sheridan has accomplished, because it’s remarkable and rather strange. Twelve years ago, the struggling actor was down to his last $800 when he sold his first screenplay. He later created a TV show about a man who owns a dynastic mega-ranch who struggles to protect it and make it successful … and its success has allowed Sheridan to himself become a man who owns a dynastic mega-ranch who struggles to protect it and make it successful — and not just any ranch, but the same one that served as the basis for his show. Sheridan dreamed up a story, shared it with millions, and then stepped into it.” Taylor Sheridan Does Whatever He Wants: “I Will Tell My Stories My Way.”
