Extra, Extra
Nauseation Nation: “Americans’ reaction is less like numbness and more a response to something like airsickness, which results when we experience a disconnect between our senses—a nausea-inducing conflict between what we know and what we see. Motion sickness is caused by a discrepancy between what the inner ear detects and what the eye sees. The effect can be vertiginous—so the way people avoid being nauseated is by trying to ignore the dissonance.” Charles Sykes on these profoundly disorienting times and why reading the news might make you puke. The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Trumpian Vertigo of American Politics. Among the reasons: The relentless lies. The more you get tired of them, the more their delivery is accelerated. Exhibit one: The Big Lie. “In the 2024 cycle, the falsehoods have been baked in since Mr. Trump announced his candidacy, almost two years before Election Day. They show no signs of subsiding.” NYT: Trump’s Pattern of Sowing Election Doubt Intensifies in 2024.
+ Court Press: “Israel is unlikely to comply with the order, which the ICJ has no power to enforce, but the landmark ruling will pile pressure on the increasingly isolated U.S. ally.” Israel ordered to immediately halt Rafah offensive by top U.N. court.
+ Super Spreader: “While Jones comes across as a shameless charlatan grifting his audience, Kennedy does seem to fervently believe the dark nonsense he spews. That makes him particularly dangerous, not merely because he may influence a critical election but because his presidential run is something of a super-spreader event for false information, lies, and paranoia.” MoJo: RFK Jr. Is Even Crazier Than You Might Think.
+ All In One Shot: “High sugar levels in the blood of people with diabetes can damage the blood vessels of the kidneys, and this can also cause strain on the heart. The new study found even broader related benefits of semaglutide treatment among people with diabetic kidney disease.” Ozempic reduces risk of serious illness and death in people with diabetes and kidney disease.
+ Outsized Impact: “Documentarian Morgan Spurlock, whose first feature film was the Oscar-nominated Super Size Me, which shifted public perceptions of junk food and McDonald’s, died Thursday in upstate New York from complications of cancer. He was 53.”
+ Making God Go Viral: Pope clears way for ‘God’s influencer’ to become a saint. “Acutis, who died of acute leukemia on Oct. 12, 2006, was put on the road to sainthood after Pope Francis approved the first miracle attributed to him: The healing of a 7-year-old Brazilian boy from a rare pancreatic disorder after coming into contact with an Acutis’ relic, a piece of one of his T-shirts.” God, religion is weird…
+ His Bark is Worse Than His Flight: “Bark Air says it will offer ‘white paw service to its canine customers — who’ll even get to socialize with other dogs in what the company calls a ‘dog-centric’ cabin configuration. Like first-class human passengers, dogs on board will be offered treats, noise-canceling ear muffs, a beverage of their choice and other surprises, the company said.” Bark Air, a new airline for dogs, set to take its first flight. (I have two beagles. You’re gonna need more than noice-canceling ear muffs.)
