Extra, Extra
Collapse in Judgment: Trump “claimed in a new Truth Social post that Iran has ‘just informed’ Washington that they are in a ‘state of collapse.’ Trump also said Iran wants the US to open the Strait of Hormuz ‘as soon as possible’ as they try to ‘figure out’ their ‘leadership situation,’ something he says he believes is possible. We have not been able to verify any of these claims. Iran has not commented on them yet.” The whole region is facing a critical moment as peacemakers urge Hamas to finally disarm, Israel keeps firing on Hezbollah, the UAE said it will exit OPEC, the Strait is still closed, and we’re not sure anything we’re hearing about any of it from the White House is true. Here’s the latest from AP and The Guardian. (Not everyone is bumming out about high oil prices. BP’s profits more than doubled in the first quarter. Also, not everyone is getting blocked in the Strait. Here’s a headline for the era: Russian superyacht sails through Strait of Hormuz despite blockade.)
+ King and Kong: Well, so much for No Kings. We now have two of them in DC. Here’s the latest on King Charles’ visit to America and planned Congressional address.
+ Passport in the Storm: The State Dept. is reportedly finalizing a plan to put Trump’s picture on U.S. passports.
+ Child Custody: “Charging as much as $20,000 a month, many of these facilities promise in their marketing pitches to treat adopted children for reactive attachment disorder, often called RAD. They offer a salve for desperate adoptive parents, claiming the child’s behavioral problems are caused by a pathological failure to connect with their caregivers, and they can learn to attach in faraway treatment.” An AP special report: Adopted and Locked Away: Kids promised ‘forever homes’ instead confined in for-profit institutions.
+ Vacuum Pact: “It should go without saying, but once you threaten to invade an allied country, you don’t just place the existence of the alliance in jeopardy; you raise the possibility of allies turning into mortal enemies. You can also trigger the kind of insecurity and scramble for power that contributed to the start of World War I. In practical terms, it’s hard to see how alienating American allies puts America first.” David French in the NYT (Gift Article): Meet the New Leader of the Free World. “Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, is taking the next step, one that would have been unthinkable even as recently as 2024. By word and deed, he’s showing Europe and the world how the post-American free world can preserve its liberty and independence.”
+ Claw Machine: John Herrman: My Adventures With The AI That Actually Does Things. “This is a recurring theme when you try out new AI tools. You recognize that there’s a lot that might be done with them, but not much comes to you.”
+ ‘Dance with the Devil: “Paramount Skydance said the merged Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery will be 49.5% owned by foreign investors, with about 38.5% of the equity in the new company held by a trio of Middle Eastern funds.”
