Sub Dominance

Binge Reading, The Hit(s) Man

Here’s some good news. Young people are reading more than ever. Well, maybe it’s only good news relative to all of the other 2025 headlines, because what they’re reading isn’t books. It’s subtitles on television content that is being broadcast in their native language. I’ve notice this generational trend in my own household. A recent “poll finds that about 4 in 10 adults under 45 use subtitles at least ‘often’ when watching TV or movies, compared with about 3 in 10 adults older than 45. Those 60 and older are especially likely to say they ‘never’ use subtitles.” (It’s interesting that the worse our hearing gets, the less likely we are to use subtitles.) The question of course is why so many people want to watch television subtitles on shows in their own language. There are a variety of reasons including this: “About one-quarter of subtitle users say they turn on captions because they are watching while multitasking.” Why many young adults turn on TV or movie subtitles. This actually relates somewhat to the model I’ve adopted when it comes to consuming 24 hour cable news panels. I turn off the subtitles. Then I mute the sound. Then I change the channel.

2

Another Shooting

“At least four victims have died and eight others were injured after a shooter opened fire at and set fire to a Mormon church some 50 mi. north of Detroit Sunday morning. Hundreds of people were attending service at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Mich., when a man rammed the vehicle he was driving through the church’s front doors, stepped out of the car, and opened fire.” What to Know About the Michigan Church Shooting.

+ Of course the political angling around the latest shooting began almost immediately. There are reports that the attacker “was an Iraq war veteran who had previously shown support for Donald Trump.” Whether it’s this incident or one of the other endless parade of shootings that have plagued America, I don’t find I have much interest in the political leanings or motivations behind them. I am against those who commit mass murder. I am against the wide availability of automatic weapons that make it possible for them to kill their victims much faster. And I am against those who seek to gain political advantage from mass murders, especially those who have supported policies that make these actions more likely.

3

Vought for Pedro

“Mr. Musk, who spent more than $250 million to help elect Mr. Trump, had celebrity, access to the president and political capital that the budget director could never hope for. But Mr. Vought (pronounced ‘vote’) had something Mr. Musk did not: He had done his homework. In the months since Mr. Musk fell out with the president, Mr. Vought has at last begun to put his plans into action — remaking the presidency, block by block, by restoring powers weakened after the Nixon administration. His efforts are helping Mr. Trump exert authority more aggressively than any modern president, and are threatening an erosion of the longstanding checks and balances in America’s constitutional system. Now, as the government heads toward a shutdown when federal funding lapses on Tuesday, Mr. Vought, 49, is leveraging the moment to further advance his goals of slashing agencies and purging employees.” Russell T. Vought is having a moment. Actually, he’s having a lot of them, and he’s been preparing for them. NYT (Gift Article): The Man Behind Trump’s Push for an All-Powerful Presidency.

+ Meanwhile, Trump is set to meet with Congressional leaders as a shutdown looms (I suppose a day before a shutdown is as good a time to finally meet as any). Among other things, health care hangs in the balance. Here’s the latest from CBS.

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The Hits Man

Avner Harari was a convicted assassin known as ‘the Terminator’ who spent four decades in prison. But for much of that time, he longed to become a famous singer. So he gave it a shot. When it didn’t go as well as he expected, Harari reverted to his original career. He started targeting those who wouldn’t play his music with car bombs. From the always excellent Jeff Maysh, this is the true story of Israel’s singing hit man. FT: The mafia hitman who dreamt of being a pop star. (Alternate link.)

5

Extra, Extra

Peace Sign? Trump and Netanyahu are meeting at the White House to discuss the latest peace plan. It’s unclear if Bibi or Hamas is on-board with the current framework. It’s also a framework that counters in many ways what Trump has said in the past. Let’s hope this time is different and there’s progress. This is what we know about the peace proposal and here’s the latest from BBC and NBC.

+ It’s Mine All Mine: “The Trump administration on Monday outlined a coordinated plan to revive the mining and burning of coal, the largest contributor to climate change worldwide. Coal use has been declining sharply in the United States since 2005, displaced in many cases by cheaper and cleaner natural gas, wind and solar power. But in a series of steps aimed at improving the economics of coal, the Interior Department said it would open 13.1 million acres of federal land for coal mining and reduce the royalty rates that companies would need to pay to extract coal.” ‘Mine, Baby, Mine’: Trump Officials Offer $625 Million to Rescue Coal.

+ Cup and Saucier: This year’s Ryder Cup was one of the best ever on the course. But, in some ways, the play was overshadowed by the often remarkably poor behavior by fans. With Ryder Cup over, Rory McIlroy admonishes fans over behavior.

+ State of the Arts: “Jared Kushner’s private equity firm and Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund are some of the investors teaming up to take the video game giant private.” $55 Billion Deal for Electronic Arts Is Biggest Buyout Ever.

+ Comedy is Not Pretty: “The existence of a Saudi Arabia comedy festival has been on the periphery of my mind for a few weeks, but there’s no more ignoring it. It’s finally here. The Riyadh Comedy Festival kicks off on Friday and runs for two weeks, and judging by the lineup, many famous comedians have no qualms about cashing that check and ignoring the human rights abuses.” Defector: All Your Favorite Sellouts Will Be At The Riyadh Comedy Festival. And from NPR: Marc Maron, Human Rights Watch and others slam Saudi comedy festival. From Maron: “The same guy that’s gonna pay them is the same guy that paid that guy to bone-saw Jamal Khashoggi and put him in a f***ing suitcase. But don’t let that stop the yucks, it’s gonna be a good time!”

+ Hip Hop: Bad Bunny revealed as Super Bowl half-time show performer. This is an especially interesting pick as Bad Bunny has been avoiding any US tour dates because of ICE actions.

+ Black Diamond Run: Polish climber makes history skiing down Everest without bottled oxygen (and it’s not like he took a chairlift to the top, either).

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Bottom of the News

“About 58 million pounds of corn dogs and other sausage-on-a-stick products are being recalled across the U.S. because pieces of wood may be embedded in the batter, with several consumers reporting injuries to date.”