Extra, Extra
The Satellite Brigade: The Trump betrayal of Ukraine and Europe may have just gone way beyond blowing up his own sanctions to do deals with Putin. NYT (Gift Article): Ukraine’s Vulnerability Grows as Starlink Is Restricted and Russia Escalates. At the center of this story: Trump and Musk (who commented on social media that Zelensky had “gone too far.”) “For years, Ukraine’s armed forces have relied on satellite communication services developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Recent restrictions have hampered its war effort.” What Is Starshield, SpaceX’s Military-Grade Satellite Internet Service? I’ve seen a few social media reports indicating that some high-speed Starlink connectivity may have been restored after the uproar. But this crisis is a reminder that we’ve got too much power in the hands of too few people. The wrong people.
+ Can We Catch This Virus? “In May, the first cases of Ebola were reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In just five months, it has already escalated into the second-worst outbreak ever recorded.” Heather Kerr in the NYT (Gift Article): I’ve Worked in Congo for Decades. I’ve Never Seen an Ebola Crisis Like This. “I have never seen one get this far ahead of us … It arrived at a particularly dangerous moment: Congo’s health systems are weakened by steep cuts in foreign aid and regional conflict that has displaced nearly seven million people countrywide.”
+ Podium Odium: “Zacharia was all stilted delivery, nervous tics and lack of eye contact. With an eerie lack of emotion, she served up pro-Trump talking points, took only three questions and vanished after 14 minutes. It was like the West Wing had turned into uncanny valley. The Zachbot’s past is indeed a bit of a mystery. The 41-year-old claims to be a lawyer but later a reporter asked when she passed the bar exam and she gave the unconvincing answer: ‘When I moved to China.'” Trump’s new press secretary malfunctions on podium debut. (This was so impossible to parody that Katie Zacharia will have to play herself on SNL.)
+ Execution is Not Entertainment: “Hegseth said last week that the death sentence of Nidal Hasan, a former U.S. Army major who killed thirteen people at Fort Hood, in Texas, in 2009, would be carried out by firing squad—on live stream, for all the world to see. What I saw was different, but not by much.” Dexter Filkins in The New Yorker: What a Public Execution Looks Like.
+ Birtherism 2.0: “The Justice Department on Friday issued about a dozen subpoenas as part of an investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar, including to members of her family, a person familiar with the investigation said. The investigation is examining matters surrounding Omar’s immigration status, and that includes, but is not limited to, her birthdate.”
+ These Are Not the Droids You’re Looking For: “German authorities opened an investigation into possible sexual harassment after a robot controlled by two young men touched the buttocks of a 16-year-old girl and made thrusting movements toward her … Police were unfamiliar with this type of incident.”
+ The Lyin and the Tiger: A headline that is wildly absurd but barely even registers in this era. Family of Man Mauled by Tiger Begs Trump to Stop Mocking Him. And here’s a headline that is even more ridiculous. Rubio Stresses Ethics Rules in Memo After Guilfoyle Firing.
