America's Ugly Prognosis
The latest government cut made by the Trump administration is a single consonant. But it’s a pretty important one. At this point, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) might as well be renamed the CD, as RFK Jr’s quackery-based attacks on facts and science are squeezing out the experts who know something about the control and prevention part of the job. Susan Monarez, the recently confirmed head of the agency, barely had time to set up her office before she was removed from it. According to Richard Besser, CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a former acting CDC director: “She said that there were two things she would never do in the job. She said she was asked to do both of those, one in terms of firing her leadership, who are talented civil servants like herself, and the other was to rubber stamp [vaccine] recommendations that flew in the face of science, and she was not going to do either of those things.” The firing and constant political meddling led several other top CDC leaders to quit. “We knew … if she leaves, we don’t have scientific leadership anymore.” So now what? We’ll see a familiar pattern take place. Qualified people get fired or leave. Sycophants, stooges, frauds, charlatans, lackeys, lickspittles, bootlickers, and phonies take over. And this prescription is being filled across all of government, making the prognosis for the country’s health, both now and into the future, increasingly bleak.
+ Trump, Gabbard fired top CIA Russia expert days after Alaska summit. Meanwhile, Intelligence Chief Gabbard Slammed for Identifying Undercover CIA Officer. The worst people firing the best people. What could possibly go wrong? (That’s not a rhetorical question. There are plenty of concrete answers throughout today’s headlines. And every other day’s as well.)
Dis Nuts
Disneyland is the place where dreams come true. That slogan was more universal when the American dream was more widely accessible. It’s still the happiest place on Earth. But only if you have a more expensive pass. In other words, the park has become one more representation of America’s everything story: The economic divide. “For most of the park’s history, Disney was priced to welcome people across the income spectrum, embracing the motto ‘Everyone is a V.I.P.’ In doing so, it created a shared American culture by providing the same experience to every guest. The family that pulled up in a new Cadillac stood in the same lines, ate the same food and rode the same rides as the family that arrived in a used Chevy. Back then, America’s large and thriving middle class was the focus of most companies’ efforts and firmly in the driver’s seat. That middle class has so eroded in size and in purchasing power — and the wealth of our top earners has so exploded — that America’s most important market today is its affluent. As more companies tailor their offerings to the top, the experiences we once shared are increasingly differentiated by how much we have.” NYT (Gift Article): Disney and the Decline of America’s Middle Class. This follows a key consumer trend of brands focusing on the affluent market. “In 1992 there were 88,000 households worth $20 million or more in 2022 dollars; by 2022, there were 644,000. Those who could pay almost anything for a vacation were becoming their own mass market.”
Win Sum, Lose Sum
Following the Alaska Summit, his meeting with European leaders, and a follow-up call with Putin, Trump showed off a photo that Vlad had gifted him and discussed plans to invite the Russian leader to some World Cup games. Following the same set of events, Russia Bombarded Kyiv, Killing at Least 18. “Since Mr. Trump pulled Mr. Putin out of Western diplomatic isolation by inviting him to Anchorage, Russia has made no significant concessions on any of the major sticking points between it and Ukraine, leaving the two sides no closer to peace.”
+ “European officials say they’ve grown mystified by what exactly Putin promised the Americans behind closed doors, what U.S. officials took away from their discussions with Moscow, and where that leaves the effort to achieve peace. ‘There’s mostly confusion at this point,’ a top European official told us … It’s not clear what Putin told Witkoff or Trump or if they understood him properly. It’s a puzzle that we’re all trying to solve.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): Did the White House Not Understand What Putin Was Really Offering? (Does the White House know what Trump is really offering?)
+ The Tiny White House Club Making Major National-Security Decisions. “Trump has pushed out career experts and aides who challenged him.”
Hardcourt Grass
“The complaints have been loud enough that Danish media have even dubbed Court 17 ‘hash-banen’ – the ‘hash court’ – cheeky shorthand for the bullring-like show court where the aroma of weed has become nearly as much a part of the atmosphere as the noise of the crowd.” How weed became the US Open’s new distraction. Between the outbursts from Medvedev and Ostapenko, maybe the players should consider taking a few hits.
Extra, Extra
Enemies, a Love Story: “Just three days after President Donald Trump sketched out an idea to meet with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un again, Kim responded by accepting a different kind of invitation — to Beijing, where he will join Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping in a show of defiance against the Western-led global order.” With Russia’s help, North Korea expands its nuclear weapons capability.
+ America, ICU: Mom of Minneapolis school shooting victim was working in ICU when injured daughter arrived.
+ Be There in Ten: “It’s a model that has burned through mountains of cash — and flamed out — in nearly every other major market. Yet investors are betting that India will be different. With dense cities, low labor costs, and a rising class of more than 730 million digital-first Gen Z and millennial consumers accustomed to instant services, the country may be the one place where 10-minute delivery can finally work at scale.” Bloomberg (Gift Article): World’s Fastest Deliveries Ignite an Investment Frenzy in India.
+ Poison Pill: “The law’s Medicaid cuts, which finance lower taxes for the wealthy, will deprive millions of Americans of health insurance. These changes will harm people with all sorts of medical conditions. Yet addicts are particularly vulnerable because of how many of them are on Medicaid.” America Was Finally Turning a Corner on Opioids. Until Now.
+ Spy Kids: I’m a Stanford student. A Chinese agent tried to recruit me as a spy. (Cal students would never go for this!)
+ Dry ICE: NYT (Gift Article): “Some misaligned sprinklers as well as over-irrigation causing some run-off … Water is making its way from the property and down the gutter.” These investigators patrol Las Vegas looking for one thing: water waste.
+ Dead Body of Work: “The digital afterlife industry, which manages a person’s digital assets after their death, is expected to quadruple in size to nearly $80 billion over the next decade. That includes the creation of deadbots. The more immersive these bots become, the more technology companies are exploring their commercial potential, causing concern in the research community and elsewhere.” AI ‘deadbots’ are persuasive — and researchers say they’re primed for monetization. (I wonder if there’s a way I could have my deadbot take over writing this newsletter while I’m still alive…)
Bottom of the News
“Ned’s rare shell may have kept the birds at bay, but it also means Ned will probably be forced into a life of celibacy. While snails are hermaphrodites — they have both male and female genitalia and reproductive organs, with both partners exchanging sperm during the slimy affair — the spiraling of the shell for lefty snails means that their bedroom bits are reversed and unable to match up with those of a righty partner.” WaPo (Gift Article): Ned the lefty snail has a 1 in 40,000 shot at a mate. (I would’ve happily taken those odds in college.)
+ Tourist pouring beer down elephant’s trunk in Kenya sparks anger. (At least the tourist wasn’t American…)
