Extra, Extra
Crème de la Krem: “For the Kremlin, the Miami talks were the culmination of a strategy, hatched before Trump’s inauguration, to bypass the traditional U.S. national security apparatus and convince the administration to view Russia not as a military threat but as a land of bountiful opportunity, according to Western security officials. By dangling multibillion-dollar rare-earth and energy deals, Moscow could reshape the economic map of Europe—while driving a wedge between America and its traditional allies.” WSJ (Gift Article): Make Money Not War: Trump’s Real Plan for Peace in Ukraine. “The Kremlin pitched the White House on peace through business. To Europe’s dismay, the president and his envoy are on board.”
+ Pay Heed: How did the big holiday weekend shopping go (aside from those 300 emails you got from brands you don’t even remember)? Well, Americans spent a hell of a lot, didn’t get quite as much for their money, and increased their use of buy now pay later services. Meanwhile, Costco sued the Trump administration, seeking a refund of tariffs.
+ Dell Grants: “Dell’s donation translates to $250 in starter money for about 25 million ‘Trump accounts’ for families in low- and middle-income areas. This private money will be in addition to $1,000 in federal dollars authorized in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for newborn children as part of an overall program that is set to begin accepting contributions next July.” Michael Dell to unveil $6 billion gift to ‘Trump accounts’ at White House today.
+ Google Maps Comeback: Sam Altman “told employees in an internal memo on Monday that he was declaring a ‘code red‘ to dedicate resources toward bettering ChatGPT, given the pressure from rivals.” Fending off Google and other tech super-powers is a tough job. Not as tough as being part of a nine-person team charged with keeping AI from destroying everything.
+ Episodic Memories: The Ringer has a fun list of the best of The Best 100 TV Episodes of the Century. (Friend of ND, Damon Lindelof, makes several deserved appearances.)
+ This Was the Most Unkindest Cut of All: “When a doctor told me I’d come close to dying, and that the play had to stop using real knives, I remember thinking: ‘You just don’t understand theatre.'” Experience: I was stabbed in the back with a real knife while performing Julius Caesar.
+ Meow Mix-a-Lot: “The company is testing a novel approach: Instead of receiving weekly injections of the drugs, as has been common in human patients, the cats will get small, injectable implants, slightly larger than a microchip, that will slowly release the drug for as long as six months.” Could Weight Loss Drugs Turn Fat Cats Into Svelte Ozempets? (After the reaction I got while reading this aloud to my plus-sized feline, I predict this will make cats less likely to eat cat food and more likely to eat their owners.)
