Extra, Extra
Friendship Put on Ice: “Canada never, ever, will be part of America in any way, shape or form … We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves, so the Americans, they should make no mistake: In trade as in hockey, Canada will win.” 5 things to know about Mark Carney, Canada’s next prime minister. As I mentioned last week, Canada (our ally, neighbor, and friend) is now consumed with the threat posed by the US. Blame Canada. Meanwhile, Canada’s Moosehead Brewery is selling a crate of 1,461 beers to help Canadians survive the next 4 years. (You’re gonna need something stronger…)
+ Let’s Take This Offline: Want to better understand the tech overlords who are now coming for terrestrial life? Kara Swisher has been covering them for decades. Move Fast and Destroy Democracy. “Musk’s behavior is emblematic of tech’s most heinous figures, who now feel emboldened to enter the analog world with the same lack of care and arrogance with which they built their sloppy platforms.”
+ Social Insecurity: “They came in aggressively, a former official who witnessed Elon Musk’s team take over the Social Security Administration said, demanding access to sensitive taxpayer data and refusing briefings on how the agency ensures the accuracy of its benefit systems. They recklessly exposed data in unsecured areas outside Social Security offices, the official said, potentially disclosing personally identifiable information on almost every American to people not authorized to see it.” Former Social Security official describes hostile takeover by Musk team.
+ Ruth and Truth: Democracy dies in darkness continues to read more like a directive than a slogan. WaPo Columnist Ruth Marcus Quits Paper After 40 Years Over ‘Spiked’ Column on Jeff Bezos. In related news: Donald Trump’s ‘The Apprentice’ Seasons 1-7 to Stream on Amazon Prime Video.
+ Man Down: “The researchers were able to pinpoint the reasons why. The biggies: cardiovascular disease, cancer, opioid use, and suicide. COVID didn’t help matters either.” GQ: The Longevity Gap Between Men and Women Is Getting Bigger.
+ The Religious War, Continued: “The Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will hear Chiles v. Salazar, a challenge to a Colorado law preventing most mental health professionals from offering conversion therapy.”
+ Good Sports: “As we bid farewell to the first quarter of the 21st century, there’s no time better than now to celebrate the moments in this era of sports that stand above the rest—the ones that brought tears to eyes, left jaws on floors, and exemplified why we all spend so much time watching this stuff.” The Ringer: The 100 Best Sports Moments of the Quarter Century. (I’ve watched at least a quarter century of sports since Jan 20th.)
+ Does She or Doechii? “The rising rapper Doechii has earned the title of Billboard’s 2025 Woman of the Year, landing her in the same company as Taylor Swift, SZA, and Lady Gaga.” This comes just days after an even more monumental achievement: An inclusion in NextDraft’s Weekend Whats.
