Extra, Extra
Crypto Bro Hug: Pro crypto lobbyists bet big on Donald Trump’s election. And the bet is already paying dividends. Bitcoin price tops $100,000 for first time as Trump win fuels crypto fever.
+ Searching for the Healthcare Hitman: “The words ‘delay’ and ‘depose’ were found on a live round and shell casing, according to law enforcement sources. Authorities also found a phone and bottle of water that may have been dropped by the gunman.” Manhunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter stretches into second day.
+ On the Same Wavelength: “A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 struck off the coast of Northern California late Thursday morning local time, according to the US Geological Survey. A quake this strong is relatively rare, with officials reporting only about 15 around the world each year.” It resulted in a series of tsunami warnings that millions of people received via texts, calls, and alerts. (I haven’t been texted this much since the weeks leading up to the election.) Thankfully, the warning was lifted.
+ Ain’t Pete: There are the personal reasons Pete Hegseth isn’t qualified for the Sec of Defense gig. There are the professional reasons he isn’t qualified. And then there are the weird and disturbing reasons. NYT (Gift Article): Pete Hegseth and His ‘Battle Cry’ for a New Christian Crusade. “Mr. Hegseth’s interest in the Crusades — campaigns that featured so many atrocities that many Christian leaders today view them as a shameful stain on the religion’s history — is linked both to his Christian beliefs and worldview. In his books, he says that if the United States cannot mount a successful defense against Islamist and leftist ideology, the nation will be destroyed and ‘human freedom will be finished.'” While we’re on the topic of appointees, there’s this: “Mark McAfee, the California raw milk producer who has been at the center of several bird flu-related product recalls, says a transition team for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has encouraged him to apply for a position at the Food and Drug Administration.”
+ Land Down Underage: “The ban won’t go into effect for another year. But how will Australia be able to enforce it? That’s not clear, nor will it be easy. TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram have become so ingrained in young people’s lives that going cold turkey will be difficult.” Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere — or even there?
+ Wolverine in Creep’s Clothing: “When the University of Michigan football team’s boosters announced on Nov. 21 that they had flipped the No. 1 high school quarterback in the country from Louisiana State to Ann Arbor, it sent shock waves through the sport. The on-field implications were only a part of the surprise. Just as stunning was how the Wolverines had pulled it off: with the help of a surprise donation from the world’s fourth-richest man, tech billionaire Larry Ellison. The strangest part was that Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle, had no known connection to the school.” This is story about a mysterious donation. But it’s also a broader story about what college sports has become. WSJ (Gift Article): The Billionaire, His Mystery Wife and College Football’s Wildest Recruiting Saga.
+ Seoul Survivor:“When the South Korean president declares martial law on Tuesday night, I am fairly drunk, as is much of the city. By sheer coincidence, I am working from Seoul that week, and I have just met up with my boss — also, coincidentally, passing through the city while on vacation — for drinks. My boss’s boss texts me at 10:49PM as I stumble out of the subway station and into a convenience store where I proceed to buy an armful of hangover cures. ‘Did South Korea just declare martial law?'” Tech reporter Sarah Jeong experienced six hours under martial law in Seoul.
+ Avowal Movement: What’s the best body hack for longevity? It might not be that complicated. Just move around a lot. (I wonder if moving one’s fingertips along one’s keyboard counts…)
