Extra, Extra
Killing the Death Penalty: “State-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values, undermines the foundations of our legal system and diminishes each of us. I know we cannot execute people in our imperfect legal system and remain true to our core values, first among them justice and human decency.” Gavin Newsom Commutes the Sentences of California’s 548 Death Row Inmates. It’s worth noting that California hasn’t executed anyone on death row since 2006. So this move won’t necessarily have a significant, tangible impact, but it will certainly have a political impact.
+ At the Center of It All: “The Trump administration has likened the need to build out the nation’s artificial intelligence infrastructure to the Manhattan Project, the World War II effort that produced the world’s first atomic bomb.” If it results in a few new full-floor condos in Manhattan, all the better. ProPublica: Trump Official Who Wants Data Centers on Public Lands Has Tens of Millions Invested in AI Industry. Plus, Trump doubles down on data centers.
+ A Dollar Sign of Things to Come: “Whether prediction markets can accurately anticipate election results has become a key question after the midterms. An analysis by The New York Times, using statistical methods, found that for most of the midterm race, prediction markets performed no better than election forecasts, which produce odds using polling and other indicators instead of betting activity. But as Election Day neared, prediction markets performed better as forecasts and polling became stale.” How Accurate Were Prediction Markets at Picking Midterm Winners? (Aren’t most of the people betting on elections on the prediction markets using traditional election forecasters as their guide? I mean, they’re not just betting on a hunch.)
+ Strawberry Short Take: “Strawberry growers in Ventura County grossed around $807.8 million last year, but it cost them more than $815 million to grow the strawberries.” Major strawberry grower for Driscoll’s calls it quits in coastal California.
+ You Thought Your Fill Up Was Expensive: “After Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea and seized territory commanding the strategic Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint, the kingdom reached out to the group to see what it would take to arrive at a negotiated halt to the hostilities. The answer it got back: $51 billion.”
+ On Brand: “It was a reflection on the warm embrace Brand, a comedian and actor, has received from prominent Trump administration officials and other leaders in Kennedy’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ (Maha) movement, where Brand has used his star status to criticize vaccines and vaccine mandates.” Weeks before rape conviction, Russell Brand was featured speaker for Maha group allied with RFK Jr. (Well, it’s not exactly like MAGA is anti-rape…)
+ A Net Loss: Salon, the internet’s oldest general interest publication, shuts down after 31 years.
+ Know When to Hold ‘Em: “We’re in the era of the ultralong movie. Some of this year’s biggest films, including ‘The Odyssey’ and ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ run nearly three hours. With no intermissions, viewers have to hold it or risk missing crucial moments. They’re flocking to RunPee, an app that recommends the best times for bathroom breaks with synopses of what they’ve missed.” Hollywood’s New Superhero Is the Guy Who Tells Moviegoers When to Pee.
