Extra, Extra
Our Own Worst Enemy? “The dramatic rundown in precision, long-range missiles means U.S. President Donald Trump may have to rely more on riskier, piloted bombing missions if he relaunches large-scale attacks on Iran.” There are a lot of reasons for Trump to want to halt the Iran war. This is one of them. US has used ‘virtually all’ of its long-range precision missiles during Iran war, sources say. Meanwhile, “Iran and Oman have made progress toward a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a potential breakthrough that could help end the war in the Middle East.” Here’s the latest from The Guardian.
+ Worse for Wear: “Her driver had already pleaded guilty in criminal court to raping her vaginally, anally and orally while she was unconscious during a ride in Tampa one night in 2021. He was in prison, serving a 10-year sentence … [Now] Uber’s lawyer Taylor Silverberg zeroed in on Ms. Doe’s behavior on the night she was raped. Ms. Silverberg asked Ms. Doe exactly how much Tito’s vodka she had drunk, how many milligrams of Adderall she had taken and whether she had ‘felt regret’ about mixing the two. And she asked Ms. Doe what she had been wearing. ‘Can you describe the dress?’ Ms. Silverberg said. ‘Were you wearing heels or boots or flats?'” NYT (Gift Article): Uber’s Strategy for Fighting Sexual Assault Suits: ‘What Were You Wearing?’
+ Antisocial Media: “To unmask anonymous online critics, DHS has sent hundreds of subpoenas to social-media companies, according to people familiar with the matter. Its agents have tracked down Americans at work and on the road, asking them to sign letters acknowledging their online speech about ICE ‘may’ be a crime.” WSJ (Gift Article): How ICE Is Weaponizing Social Media Against Its Critics.
+ Strait Up Profiteering: “Chevron reported its highest ever quarterly profit of $12.2bn, a fivefold increase on the same period last year. ExxonMobil reported a profit of $14.5bn in the second quarter, double what it made in the same period a year ago and its highest quarterly profit since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.” Oil companies are making so much money during the Iran war, even Trump is complaining about it.
+ You May Have Already Qualified: “As the number of high school seniors declines, more schools are shifting tactics and moving away from an ivory tower mentality to navigate the demographic cliff.” It’s not just about easing the admission process. It’s about admitting people before they even apply. Bloomberg (Gift Article): You’re In: Private Colleges Admit More Students Who Didn’t Apply.
+ A Goliath Named David: I’m against the Paramount/Warner merger. David Ellison in the NYT (Gift Article) makes his case, saying none of this is about market share. “The issue is whether I can be trusted as a steward of Warner’s CNN.” OK, then I’m really, really against the Paramount/Warner merger…
+ All Roads Lead to Country: “For the first time in history, country songs are claiming all five of the top five slots on the Hot 100.”
