Extra, Extra
You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Bribe: “Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, the country’s de facto ruler, had reasons to be confident in that partnership. For years, his government has invested billions of dollars and extensive political capital in building personal relationships with Mr. Trump and his family. But when the crown prince asked Mr. Trump last week to take military action against the Houthis, the president declined.” Saudi Arabia Faces ‘Worst-Case Scenario’ After Being Rebuffed by Trump. The scenario for you filling up your tank for a reasonable price isn’t looking all that good either. Saudi pipeline hit by drones will be out of service for weeks, further restricting oil flow.
+ Slop, Slop, Fizz Fizz: The fate of humanity aside, Paul Ford has noticed some very interesting things about AI and coding. A.I. Slopware Is Everywhere Now. Nobody Is Using It. “The number of mobile apps available on Apple’s App Store was up 30 percent last year, according to one estimate. But downloads were up only 3 percent.”
+ Regrets, He Could Have a Few More: “I want to apologize to our fans, employees, and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.” Ballmer to accept NBA’s punishment, has ‘sincere regrets.’ This thing has gone way beyond the NBA. Pablo Torre decodes the Ballmer apology.
+ Bad to Worse: “His face was turning blue, and his veins were visible. Black fluid oozed out of his nose and mouth and pooled on his sheets. She raced to retrieve the two doses of Narcan she kept in her kitchen drawer for exactly this moment, the one she had long feared, but they did not revive him. She remembers bawling and screaming as she called 911. Her apartment, normally charming with splashes of pink, suddenly became a gray blur of paramedics, police officers and medical examiners. Her son left in a body bag. Surely, she figured, her son had died from fentanyl.” But it turns out he died from something ten times as potent. Heather Knight: A Teen Autopsy Marks the Arrival of a Deadly Drug in San Francisco.
+ If Not Now, Ben? Ben Shelton came close to breaking America’s tennis major drought. But alas, it was not to be. Elena Rybakina and Alexander Zverev took home the hardware. And I am suffering from serious US Open withdrawal. SI: 50 Parting Thoughts From the 2026 U.S. Open.
+ Name Claim: Trump’s allies at The Kennedy Center warn that it is nearing collapse, both financial and structural. There’s only one thing that can save it. Trump’s name on the facade.
