Extra, Extra
The Fraud Squad: “The Treasury has obliterated a recent rule to deter devious shell companies, handily reopening the American economy to anyone looking to hide their illicit wealth.” That’s a Green Light for Crooks. But not all of them. The administration is still targeting small-time crooks. NYT (Gift Article): Little Thefts, Big Charges. So what gives? Maybe it’s just good politics? David Frum on Trump’s Last Loyal Constituency. “The Treasury’s announcement last week is merely the latest Trump gift to crooks, cheats, and traffickers. As his popularity collapses among almost every other demographic, Trump seems to recognize that the criminal-American community is his last and most loyal constituency.” (Related? “The number of people worth at least $100 million whom the Republican president has appointed to his administration is more than four times the combined total under the three previous presidents.”)
+ Total Recall: “Late last year, when Sarah Lammersen learned her 2022 Jeep Wrangler plug-in hybrid was being recalled because the high-voltage battery could catch fire at any time — even when the vehicle was parked — she jokingly texted the dealership, ‘I hope the car doesn’t catch on fire while we wait to schedule an appointment. Days later, the Jeep burst into flames.'” WaPo (Gift Article): They were told to park outside. Then their cars burst into flames. “An estimated 3.2 million vehicles nationwide currently have an outstanding ‘park outside’ recall.”
+ Higher (Priced) Ed: “Unlike outright school closures during COVID-19, the Iran war’s impact on education is less visible. But it is falling first and hardest on the poorest families.” The ripple effects of the Iran war could threaten education for millions of kids around the world.
+ Hayden Panettiere: “Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles on shows such as Heroes and Nashville, has died, her father said in a statement Sunday. She was 36.”
+ Surgical Strikes: Tommy John’s pitching career was good enough that he should probably be in the Hall of Fame. But he’s much more famous for a surgery that was named after him because he really didn’t want to retire. And the sport would never be the same. Tommy John, longtime MLB pitcher and namesake of baseball’s most important surgery, dies at 83. “Among the 10 pitchers to receive votes for the American League Cy Young Award in 2025, eight have undergone the UCL repair named after its first recipient.”
+ A Start is Born: “There has never, in the long and celebrated history of Major League Baseball, been a better debut than the one Cardinals outfielder Joshua Báez authored on Saturday at Wrigley Field, as Báez became the first player ever to go deep in the first three plate appearances of a career.” (Even if he has a Hall of Fame career, he’s probably peaked!)
+ May the Best Dan Win? “Both candidates will appear on the ballot, one name after the other, when Alaskans vote in primary elections this week.” A tale of two Dan Sullivans: Republicans with same name contest Alaska primary.
+ How Do You Sleep at Night? “When a bodily function becomes a lucrative industry, do we have an actual problem, or has the market created one in hopes of making lots of money solving it?” Or, why you’re up all night worrying about sleep technology. Esquire: The Deeply Stressful Reality of Trying to Get the Perfect Night’s Sleep.
