Lawyers, Guns, and Sonny

Hunter Guilty, Apple's AI

Breaking News: Someone in America got in trouble for purchasing a gun. It's also breaking news because that someone is Hunter Biden. "The verdict, handed down after three hours of deliberations, capped a weeklong trial in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware. The jury found Hunter Biden guilty on two counts of making false statements about his drug use when he bought the weapon, and one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a drug user or addict." Following the verdict, Hunter Biden attacked the judge and the judge's children, ridiculed the jury, called the trial a hoax and a witch hunt, and claimed that the justice system is being weaponized against him. Oh wait, that was the other guy. Hunter Biden actually said, "I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome."Joe Biden, who said he would not pardon his son, responded to the verdict, "As I said last week, I am the President, but I am also a Dad. Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today … As I also said last week, I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal. Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. Nothing will ever change that."

One thing to note here is the longstanding, relentless obsession with Hunter Biden in right wing media. For my book Please Scream Inside Your Heart, I worked with some excellent scholars at the MIT Center for Constructive Communication to create monthly breakdowns of the most shared news links on Twitter by the followers of Rachel Maddow vs the followers of Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson. The divide between the top stories was remarkable. And throughout our crazy (and news-filled) 2020, Hunter Biden was always near the top among the latter group. Call them the Hunter (News) Gatherers. During the month before the 2020 election, the October surprise was that the most shared story among Carlson/Hannity followers was a smoking gun email that supposedly revealed how Hunter Biden introduced a Ukrainian businessman to his dad when he was VP. Don't be surprised if, in that same cohort, the most shared story during the month before our upcoming election is once again about Hunter Biden.

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Pride and Prejudice

In much more distressing legal news, yesterday we learned that "Justice Samuel Alito spoke candidly about the ideological battle between the left and the right – discussing the difficulty of living ‘peacefully’ with ideological opponents in the face of ‘fundamental’ differences that ‘can’t be compromised.’ He endorsed what his interlocutor described as a necessary fight to ‘return our country to a place of godliness.’ And Alito offered a blunt assessment of how America’s polarization will ultimately be resolved: ‘One side or the other is going to win.'” Today, we get a follow-up from the same secret recordings. This time its upside-down flag flying Martha-Ann Alito condemning pride flags, the Left, and the media. "You know what I want? I want a Sacred Heart of Jesus flag, because I have to look across the lagoon at the Pride flag for the next month." (On the SCOTUS dating app, you can only swipe right.) Other than the willingness to speak openly about these issues, nothing here should surprise you. There's a religious war taking place in America and SCOTUS is ground zero. There's always been one quid pro quo that really matters. Trump agrees to appoint the judges he's told to appoint. Regardless of his flaws and crimes, they agree he gets to be president.

+ "Americans have a normalcy bias. It leads them to believe anyone who tells them that everything is awesome and that a system is 'holding'—even as that system is hanging together by way of dental floss." Dahlia Lithwick and Norm Ornstein in Slate: The system will not inevitably 'hold.'

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Mobilize the Troops

"'In the morning, when I wake up, I drink an energy drink. When I head out on patrol, I drink an energy drink. Before an attack, I drink an energy drink,' said one Ukrainian soldier who identified himself by his call sign, Psycho, for security reasons, according to military protocol." NYT (Gift Article): Energy Drinks Boost Ukraine’s Soldiers, and Its Economy.

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The Apple of My AI

The biggest news from Apple's AI announcements yesterday is that AI could be about to go mainstream, whether you feel like using it or not. "Licensing a competitor’s technology is normally a move born out of weakness, yet Apple projected confidence today. Nothing about Apple in 2024 is cool, but perhaps this is what it looks like when you’ve won, when you’ve succeeded in getting your products in everyone’s hands and built your walled gardens. What do you do next? You become the delivery device. Apple’s power is now in leveraging its captive user base." The iPhone Is Now an AI Trojan Horse.

+ The market loved the news and Apple has soared to all-time highs. What's the big deal. First, there are those two little letters that will move any stock: AI. Second, the new features, from an actually useful Siri to integrated ChatGPT, will require you to use one of the newer phones. Wired: AI Is Apple’s Best Shot at Getting You to Upgrade Your iPhone.

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Extra, Extra

Human Shields and Yields: "For months, Yahya Sinwar has resisted pressure to cut a ceasefire-and-hostages deal with Israel. Behind his decision, messages the Hamas military leader in Gaza has sent to mediators show, is a calculation that more fighting—and more Palestinian civilian deaths—work to his advantage." WSJ (Gift Article): Gaza Chief’s Brutal Calculation: Civilian Bloodshed Will Help Hamas. Meanwhile, Blinken says Sinwar’s word ‘what counts’ after ‘hopeful’ Hamas response to UN vote.

+ Deflate Accompli: "Happy consumers mostly have themselves to thank: The price cuts are mostly due to shoppers pulling back on spending, contributing to a gradual slowdown in economic growth." WaPo (Gift Article): Retailers are finally cutting prices. Will it last?

+ Product Plug: "He and his colleagues at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have found a way of creating an energy storage device known as a supercapacitor from three basic, cheap materials – water, cement and a soot-like substance called carbon black." The cement that could turn your house into a giant battery.

+ Banana Republic: "A court in the United States has found multinational fruit company Chiquita Brands International liable for financing a Colombian paramilitary group."

+ Gaming the System: "What’s a five-letter word for an activity that media and technology companies are increasingly relying on to gain subscribers and keep them coming back? G A M E S." Everyone from WaPo to LinkedIn is using games to keep subscribers coming back from more. That includes the NYT (Gift Article): Grab Them. Then Stump Them.

+ Olive and Kicking: "They are arresting and prosecuting clan members, exposing their crimes and confiscating their businesses, all while working to change local attitudes and cultural norms that have allowed this mafia to establish roots as deep as Puglia’s famed olive trees." In Italy’s Puglia region, women take the lead in challenging the local mafia at great personal risk.

+ SPF WTF: "If you have heard of titanium dioxide at all, you probably know it as an ingredient in sunscreen. But it is also used in lots of foods, from pizza and salsa to frosting and candy—and now, there is growing concern about the potential health risks of eating it." Why Is a Sunscreen Ingredient in My Frozen Pizza? (So you don't burn it?)

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Bottom of the News

"Because of growing costs for everything from equipment and ice time to specialized coaching and travel programs, families are choosing other sports like soccer and basketball over hockey. There are concerns about the future of grassroots hockey in the country that has nourished it into the popular, vibrant sport that is seeing growth elsewhere, including the United States." Here's a trend I didn't expect to see. Steady decline in youth hockey participation in Canada raises concerns about the future of the sport.