Extra, Extra
Don’t Ask, Don’t Sell: “Amazon now denies reports it planned to list how much tariffs increased products’ prices after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed the move as a ‘hostile and political act.'” (What could be more hostile to this administration than depicting reality with transparent honesty…) The apparent change of policy came after Bezos got a call from Trump.
+ Space Jam: “These satellites enable communications and internet access in remote locations, and in areas devastated by natural disasters or war. But the space around our planet is getting increasingly congested with both functioning satellites and the junk left behind by older missions — and the problem will worsen as more satellites are launched.” The Verge: Starlink’s got company — and orbital overcrowding is a disaster waiting to happen.
+ He Said, Xi Said: “I have wondered in the past which course Putin would choose with Trump: Would he appease him, in the interest of strengthening an American president who shares his desire to destroy the liberal world order, or would he be more interested in humiliating the American president as a way of demonstrating conclusively that the U.S. can’t protect anyone and the era of American global leadership is over? Although Putin has done it with a smile and an outstretched hand, the humiliations have been consistent and plentiful.” Robert Kagan in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Why Trump Is Giving Putin Everything He Wants. Putin isn’t the only one who sees opportunity. “President Xi Jinping’s diplomats are fanning out across the world with a clear message for countries cutting deals with Donald Trump: The US is a bully that can’t be trusted.” Xi Is Trying to Turn World Against US as Trump Cuts Trade Deals. (This would be impossible had it not been for the last 100 days and the team Trump has assembled.)
+ Lies Like Us: Nothing pleases enemies more than when you turn yourself into the enemy. WaPo: FBI, national security agencies using polygraphs for ‘leak’ hunts. (Might be easier just to sign up for Signal and friend Pete Hegseth…)
+ Dementia, Texas: “Nearly one in three people lives in poverty; a quarter lack health insurance. Chronic conditions are widespread—especially diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease—while access to care is limited: There’s just one primary-care physician for every 3,000 to 4,000 people, and few dementia specialists. Low education, language barriers, poor air quality, and extreme heat all compound the threat. These accumulate in cycles of grief and stress: The people I spoke with talked about deaths in the family followed by strokes that cascade into cognitive decline. Dementia isn’t simply a diagnosis. It’s a structural outcome.” The Texas County Where ‘Everybody Has Somebody in Their Family’ With Dementia.
+ Pitch Perfect: “There was a time when the least popular people in English soccer were the American billionaires and MBAs who crossed the Atlantic to buy up the country’s oldest clubs. Often seen as clueless interlopers, they were as maligned as referees or Manchester United supporters.” WSJ (Gift Article): American Owners Got Chewed Up by English Soccer. Now They Can’t Stop Winning.
+ Sewer Viewer: Wired: “Poorly maintained sewers can have disastrous consequences, but regular inspections can be time-consuming, expensive, and dangerous. The solution: subterranean dung drones.”
+ (S)ink Jet: An F/A-18E fighter jet rolled off the side an aircraft carrier and sank to the bottom of the Red Sea.
