Aging Protesters, Gummies For Health
Last night, I attended the Bruce Springsteen Land of Hope and Dreams concert at Chase Center in San Francisco. The tour is more than a concert series, it’s a protest movement; a gathering of pro democracy, like-minded people sharing a lament for what’s being done by this administration and unifying around a determination to fight for American values. Like in Minneapolis and cities across America, it was an invitation to take a clear-eyed view of where we are right now, and to come on up for The Rising. Of course, given the age of most of the folks in the crowd, rising can be easier said than done (especially for the duration of a 3-hour Springsteen show). The age of our protest crowd made sense. Aging rockers/Aging fans. I pre-gamed with my standard concert drug of choice these days: a handful of Motrin. But it turns out that our concert demographics weren’t all that different from what you’d find at a No Kings rally. In the NYT (Gift Article), Thomas B. Edsall looks at some of the interesting reasons why young people could be missing from a movement that so directly impacts their interests. “We have a president who has directly attacked the finances and the intellectual freedom of colleges and universities, is building the technology for a surveillance state, undermines free and fair elections and took the nation into an unjustified war with no explanation while causing domestic economic havoc. But one ingredient is missing: a substantial anti-Trump youth movement.” NYT (Gift Article): Why Aren’t the Kids Out Protesting Against Trump? “‘At No Kings 1 (June 14, 2025) the median age was 36, at No Kings 2 (Oct. 18, 2025) the median age was 44, and at No Kings 3 (March 28, 2026) it was 48. Clearly, it’s getting older’ … So what’s going on? I asked a wide range of experts for their thoughts. Some pointed to such structural developments as the explosion in social media usage and public access to artificial intelligence, both of which weaken users’ sense of efficacy and agency.” The irony is that it’s precisely in-person gatherings like concerts and protests that can renew our shared sense of efficacy and agency. Yes, my back was a little sore when I woke up this morning, but, thankfully, I still have the sound of freedom ringing in my ears (at least until I pop one more Motrin)
+ Photos of young Hungarian voters who helped end Prime Minister Orbán’s grip on power. (Yesterday, I covered the big loss for Orban, and MAGA: Fallen Idol.)
+ Of course, young people have plenty of things to worry about these days, from AI shifts in the job market to the political mess we’ve left them. And they’re coming of age in the age of age. “Although political gerontocracy has operated overtly, the rising economic power of the elderly has escaped much notice. Over the past 40 or so years, American wealth has grown ever more concentrated among the oldest generations. In 1989, Americans over age 55 held 56 percent of it; today they hold 74 percent. During that same period, the share of wealth held by Americans under 40 has shrunk by nearly half, from 12 to 6.6 percent. The color of money is now gray.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): An Oligarchy of Old People.
Bad Hombres in Childcare
“The government’s own records complicate that picture. Only about 5 percent of people booked into ICE custody in the last year have been convicted of a violent crime. The number of arrests of people with violent convictions has increased by 37 percent under Trump, while the number of arrests of those with no conviction of any kind has risen by 770 percent, according to ICE data. Many agents and officials we spoke to say the relentless pursuit of deportations is unsustainable and has compromised the department.” NYT Magazine (Gift Article): The View From Inside Trump’s D.H.S.
+ “Under Joe Biden, D.H.S. had designated ‘protected areas,’ where ICE and Customs and Border Protection were discouraged from conducting operations; these included places ‘where children gather.’ Trump’s D.H.S. rescinded that designation, freeing agents to target children, parents, and caregivers at playgrounds, child-care centers, and schools.” The New Yorker: The Return of Family Detention.
+ Not worried about the ethical price? There’s a financial cost, too. Immigrants Are Scared to File Taxes. It Could Cost the U.S. Billions.
Gummy Bear Bull Market
“Wellness gurus, Make America Healthy Again influencers and no shortage of startups are urging us to eat healthier. Sure, one could follow Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s revised food pyramid, one purported guide to healthier eating, but there’s an even easier fix these groups are also pushing: supplements. Swallow a capsule, mix a powder in some water or pop a nutrient-packed candy. The fast growing US supplement market was valued at $69 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $87 billion by 2028.” Can we gummy ourselves to good health? We’re sure as hell gonna try. Bloomberg (Gift Article): Unilever Bets Big on Gummies as Next Frontier in Wellness.
Eating Into Profits
There’s no shortage of stories about the great and growing economic divide, and the many categories and companies shifting toward serving the luxury market. But you still might not have expected to see this on the list. Gone are the days of the $1 buffet in Las Vegas. Now $175 buffets offer luxury dining. (I’m still confident I can turn an all-you-can-eat buffet visit into a net loss for these restaurants. But, it’s not as easy as it used to be.)
Extra, Extra
A Great Deal Left to Be Desired: According to sources, the US has proposed a 20-year minimum suspension on Iranian uranium enrichment (reminder that we had a nuclear deal with Iran that a certain someone tore up). It looks like there could be more peace talks in the next few days. And, “Lebanon and Israel are holding their first direct diplomatic talks in more than 30 years.” Xi Jinping said the world must not be allowed to “revert to the law of the jungle.” Here’s the latest from The Guardian, BBC, and NBC.
+ Brothers in Arms: “The war in Gaza has hardened positions in the Middle East and around the globe. But two men, an Israeli and a Palestinian, say that after that war began in 2023, they became like brothers. It is a brotherhood born out of trauma.” After losing loved ones, an Israeli and a Palestinian work together for Middle East peace.
+ Quit Pro Quo: “Two members of Congress facing sexual misconduct allegations from former staffers have announced they will resign from the House amid a push to expel them from Congress. Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who represents California’s 14th Congressional District, and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, who represents Texas’s 23rd Congressional District, both said Monday they plan to resign.” (This brings up an interesting philosophical question: Can you step down from Congress when Congress no longer exists?) Maybe resigning in shame isn’t enough. Swalwell sounds like a serial monster. No one seemed all that surprised at this story breaking. Makes you wonder why so many backed him until it did. Woman says Eric Swalwell drugged, raped and choked her.
+ Rosé Colored Glasses: “Only 10% of Americans said they were more excited than concerned about the increased use of AI in daily life. Meanwhile, 56% of AI experts said they believed AI would have a positive impact on the U.S. over the next 20 years.” Stanford report highlights growing disconnect between AI insiders and everyone else. (In short, the people poised to make billions off the technology are more psyched than the people who are poised to lose their jobs.) If you’re interested in the state of AI, the whole report is available here. The 2026 AI Index Report.
+ Saudi With a Chance of Meatballs: The Hollywood Reporter: Inside Saudi Arabia’s Billion-Dollar Bet on Hollywood. “The Saudis are pouring billions into the Ellisons’ Warner Bros. megamerger — and that’s just the latest move in a Hollywood takeover that’s really about courting Trump, buying Washington influence and giving a restless young population bread and circuses instead of human rights.”
+ Jesus Saves (And Emails): “Generally, people who are working for the government understand that their job is to work on behalf of all Americans … And this is something very different. This is very explicitly Christian, and even within the realm of Christianity, a very narrow representation of that.” Wired: Government Workers Say They’re Getting Inundated With Religion. Meanwhile, JD Vance defends Trump amid spat with Pope Leo: “Stick to matters of morality.” (A member of this administration wants to shift the topic to morality? Now, I’ve heard everything.)
+ Hippocrisy: “Colombia is the only country outside of Africa with a wild hippo population. The hippos are the descendants of four brought to the country in the 1980s by Escobar as he built a private zoo in Hacienda Nápoles, a gigantic ranch in the Magdalena River valley with a private landing strip that served as his rural abode.” Colombia to kill dozens of ‘cocaine hippos’ linked to Pablo Escobar. (Cocaine Hippo was my nickname in the eighties.)
Bottom of the News
“Thirteen thousand miles. Infinite contenders. One beautiful loaf.” Caity Weaver in The Atlantic (Gift Article): I Found It: The Best Free Restaurant Bread in America. (My glucose alarm bell kept going off, so I couldn’t make it to the end. But give me sourdough or give me death.)
