Boulevard of Broken Screams

However you reacted (ranging from throwing up a little in your mouth to projectile vomiting all over your laptop) to the scene of Biden welcoming Trump back to the Oval Office for a post-election visit, it’s the last presidential norm or act of decency you’re going to see for a long time. Meanwhile, the new administration continues to take shape. So far, the nomination that has basically shocked everyone (even insiders) and drew a one word response from Sen Lisa Murkowski (“Wow.”) is Pete Hegseth (of Fox & Friends) as Secretary of Defense.

+ Here’s quite the headline from Wired: Donald Trump’s New ‘Border Czar’ Defended Child Separation at Festival Held by Gun-Worshipping Sect.

+ “Musk has adopted the nickname ‘DOGE’ for the commission, a reference to a meme-based cryptocurrency he also touted.” WaPo (Gift Article): Trump taps Musk, Ramaswamy to oversee ‘drastic’ changes to U.S. government.

+ Senate Republicans choose John Thune to replace Mitch McConnell as majority leader. (FWIW, Thune is more into things like free trade and supporting Ukraine than the others in the running.) And Trump has backed Mike Johnson to remain Speaker. Yes, the GOP has officially held onto the House majority.

+ Paul Rosenzweig in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Pardon Trump’s Critics Now. “Over the past several years, courageous Americans have risked their careers and perhaps even their liberty in an effort to stop Donald Trump’s return to power. Our collective failure to avoid that result now gives Trump an opportunity to exact revenge on them. President Joe Biden, in the remaining two months of his term in office, can and must prevent this by using one of the most powerful tools available to the president: the pardon power.”

“The $2.8 million mansion, tucked at the end of a private drive, boasts a climate-controlled wine cellar, sauna and four fireplaces — features not uncommon to this wealthy part of the Washington suburbs. But the man who bought the place a couple of years ago did not stick around to enjoy them, neighbors said. He introduced himself, then disappeared, leaving some wondering what was happening behind his nine-foot-tall carved-wood front doors.” WaPo (Gift Article): The mysterious Virginia mansion allegedly bought with stolen Nigerian money. “Authorities say close friends of an alleged kleptocrat bought properties with cash meant to fight Boko Haram, underscoring how the U.S. has become a money-laundering haven.” There’s a contributor to our housing shortage you probably didn’t have on your bingo card. (Meanwhile, people in the SF Bay Area are like, “Wait, 2.8 mil for a mansion? You mean a condo, right?”)

“For the past week, I have been using these products in a variety of ways: to research articles, follow the election, and run everyday search queries. In turn I have scried, as best I can, into the future of how billions of people will access, relate to, and synthesize information. What I’ve learned is that these products are at once unexpectedly convenient, frustrating, and weird. These tools’ current iterations surprised and, at times, impressed me, yet even when they work perfectly, I’m not convinced that AI search is a wise endeavor.” We’ve spent decades navigating the world (wide web) by searching. AI could change that, which in turn, changes the whole Internet. Matteo Wong in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Death of Search.

Blue By You: With an increasing number of users looking for a Twitter alternative, Bluesky has emerged as a contender (along with the much bigger Threads). Bluesky crosses the 15 million user mark. After years of having my mental health nearly destroyed by social media platforms, one after another, I’ve decided to post on two at once in the hopes that together, they can finally finish the job. Here I am on BlueSky. Here I am on Threads.

+ Small Dose of Good News: “There were about 97,000 overdose deaths in the 12-month period that ended June 30, according to provisional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released Wednesday.” It tells you something about the scope of the problem that this number is considered pretty good news. US overdose deaths are down, giving experts hope for an enduring decline.

+ Taking the Smith: “The looming question in the weeks ahead is whether Smith’s final report, detailing his charging decisions, will be made public before Inauguration Day. The special counsel’s office is required under Justice Department regulations to provide a confidential report to Attorney General Merrick Garland, who can choose to make it public.” Special counsel Jack Smith and his team to resign before Trump takes office.

+ Bit Part: The market has been soaring, crypto in particular. Bitcoin surges past $90K mark for first time.

+ Time to Flip Out: There’s something new to be worried about in your kitchen. Why you should get rid of your black plastic spatula immediately.

+ Skipping All the Way to the Bank: “Some travelers will go further by booking connections and sometimes even purposely skipping them. This workaround, called skiplagging or hidden-city flying, means purchasing an itinerary with a layover that is the intended destination and skipping the last leg of a flight. Some travelers will employ this tactic when it’s cheaper than buying a direct flight.” The airlines really, really don’t like it. But a site focused on using this fare beating strategy is really, really popular. NYT: Airlines Hate ‘Skiplagging.’ Meet the Man Who Helps Travelers Pull It Off.

Conflicts can end. Rifts can repair. We just have to start somewhere. In that spirit, I’m pleased to announce that Simon and Garfunkel had lunch.