Extra, Extra
Juárez Rizz: “No one expected the artificial intelligence revolution to appear here, on the edge of the Mexican city of Juárez, across from a patch of tiny homes where Roger Vilchis sells Tostitos and Coca-Cola from a roadside stand. His neighborhood is all dust and heat, with dogs sleeping in the dirt roads and norteño music bouncing through the air. A sign on a chain-link fence warns: ‘It is prohibited to throw garbage or dead animals here.'” Mary Beth Sheridan in the NYT (Gift Article) with a very interesting look at how market forces and a changing world order are bigger than any set of policies. This Is One Map Trump Can’t Redraw. “Mexico and other middle powers are banking on their competitive advantages and indispensability to the U.S. economy to withstand the Trump administration’s tariff campaign. As Washington throws its might into dominating the global A.I. market, Mexico has become an increasingly important supplier for America’s artificial intelligence boom, providing more than one-third of the United States’ imported computer servers.”
+ Seeing Double: “The ultrawealthy aren’t just pulling away from average Americans. Buoyed by a stock-market boom that has added trillions of dollars to their net worth, the extremely rich are even pulling away from other rich Americans. The top 0.1% wealthiest Americans have seen their total wealth more than double since the end of 2019.” WSJ (Gift Article): The Gap Between the Rich and the Very, Very Rich Is Getting Wider.
+ Near Death Experience: “Pike survived two doses of the lethal injection drug pentobarbital. Media witnesses said she was still heard breathing and snoring when they were removed from the viewing area.” Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is calling for a third-party review to determine what caused Christa Pike’s failed execution Wednesday. “At least seven needles were used to administer the lethal injection into Pike’s arm over the course of an hour.” She is currently in critical condition.
+ Follow Suit: “The partner of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman who was fatally shot by an immigration officer in January, spoke publicly about her death for the first time Thursday as the family announced that they have filed two federal civil lawsuits.” With the absence of criminal investigations and the coming preemptive Trump pardons, we’re going to see lawsuits like these used more and more.
+ Welcome Splat: Even in a year when America hosted the World Cup, “overseas visitors to the US are on track to drop by almost two million year-on-year.” Gee, I wonder what it could be…
+ Taken for a Ride: What do companies like Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Pinterest, and Reddit have to do with your daily commute? A lot, as it turns out. 19 Out of 21 Late-Model Cars Tested Shared Data With 3rd Parties, Including Big Tech Companies.
