Extra, Extra
Corruption Interruption: “Corruption is topping voter concerns in recent polls, dominating Democratic messaging, and forcing Republicans to play defense in red states. If that marks a sharp shift from recent American elections, in which such allegations have played a relatively minor role, it mirrors a growing global trend. Around the world, a backlash against corruption has roused voters and undercut populist, right-wing politicians.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Backlash to Corruption Is Going Global. (So, it seems, are protests: German Protests Turn Violent as Activists Clash With Police.)
+ Getting Even With Stevens: “The about-face by Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Michigan) to endorse Republican Mike Rogers — and appear with him at a Detroit church Sunday, instead of at an event she had been scheduled to attend with El-Sayed — triggered denunciations by Democratic leaders nationwide, along with an apparent surge in fundraising for El-Sayed.” El-Sayed campaign reports $2.4 million fundraising day as Stevens endorses GOP rival.
+ Probable Claws: “A federal magistrate judge on Monday threw out charges against two former F.B.I. intelligence officials accused of lying to Congress, excoriating prosecutors for what he described as a failure of one of their most basic responsibilities: showing there was any probable cause that crimes had been committed in the first place.” (Little details like that aren’t going to stop this DOJ anytime soon, especially when it comes to enemies and elections.)
+ Under the Influencer: “What this marketing often fails to acknowledge is the potential for kratom to lead to addiction, liver injury, seizures and in some cases, fatal overdoses.” They Tried Kratom for Its Purported Health Benefits, Then They Became Addicted. “Some say they were introduced to the drug through wellness podcasts, free samples at gyms or fitness influencers.”
+ Bet Your Reputation: “As durably profitable as it has been for celebrities to arbitrage their fanbase’s attention and affection, they should remember that for it to remain so, people do still have to like them. Continuing to cheerfully feed regular people into gambling’s meat grinder might not be the safest bet.” Amanda Mull in Bloomberg (Gift Article): Do Celebrities Endorsing Prediction Markets Not Have Enough Money Already?
+ Flat Chance: “The man who helped develop the technology for liquid crystal displays — the screens in flat-panel televisions and laptops — has died at 101.” That Giant HDTV That Fits in Your Living Room? Thank Cyril Hilsum. And he may have left us with something even more precious. A guide to longevity. “Dr. Hilsum died on Sept. 23 at an assisted-living facility in London, his family said. He was 101, having survived into his 11th decade by avoiding fresh vegetables and subsisting largely on TV dinners, chocolate and red wine.”
+ Snake Eyes: “Once you see a snake in Bangkok, the snakiest capital in the world, you see snakes everywhere … On an average half-day shift, Mr. Pinyo, the top snake catcher in Thailand’s capital, wrangles more than 20 snakes, the reptiles secreted in sewers, curled in flowerpots and toilets, enmeshed in recycling, and pressed against branches ready to snack on geckoes and tree shrews. He catches cobras, pythons, kraits and pit vipers. Those are the scary snakes. Harmless species, at least to humans, include tree snakes, rat snakes, kukris and sunbeams.” This is probably not what Pinyo Pukpinyo expected when he signed up to be a firefighter. He’s the Top Snake Catcher, and Business Is Booming. There’s Just One Problem.
