Killer Instincts

America’s Unholy Trinity, Weekend Whats

Charlie Kirk's assassin has been apprehended. It turns out that he doesn't represent half of America. In fact, if he represents anything, it's the intersection of three American trends: The wide and easy availability of high-powered guns, the increase of politically-motivated hate speech (starting from the top), and the scourge of online radicalization happily powered by social media companies. All three elements of this unholy trinity have only accelerated this week. I shared my take on this yesterday: This is U.S. But it probably won't matter what Kirk's killer did or didn't believe, as the broader meaning and battle lines associated with his act were being instinctually etched into our alternate realities before we even learned what he etched into his bullet casings.

+ "The assassination of a high-profile political figure like Charlie Kirk marks a continuation of the trend toward lone-actorviolence, rather than the emergence of organized political conflict or even partisan conflict. The U.S. has a concentration of serious violence in individual attacks without a partisan motivation or trend. The perpetrators and victims of school shootings, racially motivated assaults, and targeted killings of political leaders, corporate executives, and public officials are not partisan or even coherently political. Because the murders are not motivated by a shared political agenda, they are a manifestation of the U.S.’s unique vulnerability to individualized violence in a polarized, heavily armed society." Politico Magazine: 10 Political Violence Experts on What Comes Next for America. (Alternate link here.) "The radicalization pipeline runs through a handful of American tech companies that remain almost entirely unregulated. If lawmakers were willing to curb the algorithms that amplify conspiracy theories, disinformation and hate, they could weaken the pipeline feeding violent extremism. After Charlie Kirk’s assassination, that may be the single most immediate lever left to pull. The question is whether America has the will to pull it before the violence grows worse."

+ NYT (Gift Article): ‘Civil War’ Mentions Surge Online After Kirk Assassination. "The talk of civil war came largely from Republican lawmakers, right-wing media personalities and conservative podcasters, according to a review by The Times. Some questioned whether America was already engaged in a civil war over its values, while others called for violence after Mr. Kirk’s death."

+ Garbage Day: Charlie Kirk was killed by a meme.

+ Here's the latest from CNN and NBC.

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Jair Message

"In a historic ruling, the Supreme Court voted 4 to 1 to convict ex-President Jair Bolsonaro of conspiring against democracy and attempting a coup in the wake of his 2022 election defeat. He was sentenced to 27 years in prison. Barring a successful appeal, which is unlikely, Mr. Bolsonaro will become the first coup leader in Brazilian history to serve time in prison. These developments draw a sharp contrast with the United States, where President Trump, who also attempted to overturn an election, was sent not to prison but back to the White House." NYT (Gift Article): Brazil Just Succeeded Where America Failed. Needless to say, not everyone in America sees Brazil's justice as a success. "In short, the Trump administration has sought to use tariffs and sanctions to bully Brazilians into subverting their legal system — and their democracy along with it. In effect, the U.S. administration is punishing Brazilians for doing something Americans should have done, but failed to: hold a former president accountable for attempting to overturn an election."

+ Today on Fox, Trump explained that he thinks America should be more like China and have really quick trials, even the following day. (I'm sort of with him as long as this applies to insurrection cases...)

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You've Got to Work It, URL

"Startup founder Marty Kausas was at the office Sunday. Where else would he be? Kausas, 28 years old, recently posted on LinkedIn that he put in three 92-hour weeks in a row. He went on vacation once, he said, but flew home early because he was too stressed about work. His goal is to build a $10 billion company in 10 years." (In that case, his hourly rate will still be pretty good.) WSJ (Gift Article): AI Startup Founders Tout a Winning Formula—No Booze, No Sleep, No Fun. (That basically sounds like life over 50.)

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Weekend Whats

What to Comedy: I had never heard of comedian Jordan Jensen before I saw her debut Netflix special. She is unique and fantastic. Loved it. Jordan Jensen: Take Me With You.

+ What to Watch: Robin Wright and Olivia Cooke star in The Girlfriend on Prime, a binge-able thriller (sort of a love triangle between a woman, a man, and his mom).

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Extra, Extra

Nuclear Power: "The change, pushed through along party lines, lowered the existing 60-vote threshold for considering a group of presidential nominees to a simple majority, weakening the ability of individual senators to block nominees they find objectionable." Breaking Precedent, G.O.P. Changes Rules on Nominees. (This move is known as the the nuclear option.) Speaking of changing the rules of the game. Missouri Legislature passes new Republican-drawn congressional map.

+ Memphis in the Meantime: Apparently, when it comes to domestic troop deployments, Chicago is out, Memphis is in. Trump announces National Guard will be deployed in Memphis to fight crime.

+ Where You From? "It can take days or weeks for ICE or someone’s attorney to track down their birth records. 'The idea that it’s going to be done in a Home Depot parking lot is ludicrous.'" The Atlantic (Gift Article): How Do You Prove Your Citizenship?

+ There Allies the Problem: "In recent months, some European governments have talked about buying more locally-produced equipment, nervous about depending on U.S.-made weapons. President Trump has also angered Denmark by talking about annexing Greenland, a Danish territory." WSJ (Gift Article): A U.S. Icon Loses Out to European Rival in Rush for Air Defenses. It turns out attacking allies is bad for business. And for everything else. Bloomberg (Gift Article): America’s Friends Will Never Trust the US Again. "For the sake of argument, ignore factors such as honor, credibility, ideals and values for a moment and think only in terms of realpolitik and the looming contest with communist China. Even and especially then, Trump’s de facto policy of contempt for allies seems bonkers."

+ Welcome Splat: "Returning workers described the trauma of seeing armored vehicles and armed agents rolling in, and of being handcuffed and shackled at the ankles by the immigration officials. 'I will never visit the United States again.'" Freed From U.S. Detention, South Korean Workers Return Home to Tearful Cheers.

+ Sucking the Marrow Out of Murrow: "CBS' new corporate owner has taken a series of concrete steps to address the concerns of the news division's sharpest critics — particularly President Trump and his allies." CBS shifts to appease the right under new owner. (And that new owner, Skydance, is making a move for WarnerBros. So CNN could be next.)

+ Frank Talk: "'September '77, Port Elizabeth weather fine. It was business as usual, in police room 619,' go the opening lines of singer Peter Gabriel's famous anti-apartheid anthem from 1980 about murdered South African activist Steve Biko. Apartheid police always maintained that the Black Consciousness Movement leader died after accidently hitting his head against his prison cell wall." Believe it or not, that's not true. South Africa reopens inquest into death of Steve Biko. (Denzel Washington and Kevin Kline star in an excellent movie about Biko: Cry Freedom.)

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Feel Good Friday

An awesome look at an old school internet site that is still thriving. At 20, Techmeme has never been hotter.

+ "At a warehouse in an industrial corridor of downtown Los Angeles, a handful of technicians are hunched over their brightly lit workstations, tinkering with saxophones, violins, and pianos." This shop fixes student instruments for free. Now, a music legend is chipping in. (The program was featured in the award winning doc: The Last Repair Shop.)

+ California’s first solar-covered canal is now fully online. (This makes so much sense that's it's almost unbelievable that it actually happened.)

+ Conductor Jumps Onto Tracks to Save Teen Who Fainted.

+ Wired: Crispr Offers New Hope for Treating Diabetes.

+ NYT Mag (Gift Article): How a Group of Students in the Pacific Islands Reshaped Global Climate Law.

+ Man, 34, has tooth implanted in eye to restore his vision. "Brent Chapman can see again after doctors pulled out one of his teeth, flattened it, drilled a hole in it, placed a lens inside and implanted the tooth in one of his eyes." (Great news for his vision. Really bad news for his next visit to the dental hygienist.)

+ The wedding crasher mystery solved after four years.