When it Reigns, It Poors

The Great Divide, AI Obits

We're living through an endless barrage of reality bending cultural and political weirdness that boggles the mind. But perhaps no trend is more surreal than the constant complaining by those who have become impossibly rich impossibly quickly that America's too-woke, too-liberal, too-empathetic, too-socialistic, too-regulated system is somehow rigged against them. Consider that the 100 wealthiest Americans got more than $1.5 trillion richer during the Biden years. Somehow that economic divide is not one-sided enough, so policies are being changed to tip more chips to one, small corner of America's increasing tilted economic table. That leaves an increasing number of families with less food on their kitchen table. The economic divide is already arguably the story that underpins all other American stories, and it's only getting more divided as budget cuts and safety net slashes take their toll. "Nearly 10 million American children are living in poverty, the most since 2018, according to the latest Census Bureau figures from 2023. Tens of millions more ... are precariously close. Their families have been pushed to the edge by a storm of economic factors, including the expiration of Covid-era relief programs and the impacts of inflation on food and housing. The strain is expected to be worsened by cuts to federal spending on aid programs, including food benefits and Medicaid. President Trump on July 4 signed legislation passed by Congress that reduces funding and tightens work requirements for government assistance, and will likely result in less food aid and millions losing health coverage." WSJ(Gift Article): Earning More but in Worse Shape: Hardship Overwhelms Many American Families. Oh well, if we're gonna get that $1.5 trillion number up where it belongs, sacrifices will need to be made...

2

Question Marks

The pressure to release more information about Jeffrey Epstein has led a Congressional panel to issue a bunch of subpoenas for data and testimony. The twist: The list of those subpoenaed reads a lot like a Trump enemies list. House panel subpoenas Clintons and other ex-officials in Epstein probe, seeks files from DOJ.

+ House Republicans Issue Subpoena for Epstein Files—With One Big Caveat. (Or more accurately, one bigly caveat...)

+ "In his seven-story townhouse, the sex offender hosted the elite, displayed photos with presidents and showcased a first edition of Lolita." NYT (Gift Article): A Look Inside Jeffrey Epstein’s Manhattan Lair. (Sometimes, reality is even darker than conspiracy theories.)

3

Separate But Sequel

"Their case is an example of a little-known tactic the Trump administration is using to pressure undocumented immigrants to leave the United States. Officials have begun separating children from their families in small numbers across the country, in what appears to be a more targeted version of one of the most explosive policies of President Trump’s first term." NYT (Gift Article): Inside Trump’s New Tactic to Separate Immigrant Families. "The practice appears to be a more targeted version of the mass separation of migrant children from their parents from President Trump’s first term, which caused a global outcry." (But not enough national outcry.)

4

Obits and Bytes

"Artificial intelligence tools are not just reshaping how we work, learn and live. They’re also changing what happens after we die, as families and funeral homes seek help in creating tributes and eulogies to define a loved one’s life. Funeral directors are increasingly asking the relatives of the deceased whether they would prefer for AI to write the obituary, rather than take on the task themselves." WaPo (Gift Article): The rise of AI tools that write about you when you die. (Maybe AI should output an obituary for the act of writing.)

+ He said, she said, it said: I used ChatGPT as a couple's counselor. How did we fare?

5

Extra, Extra

Tex and Balances: "Democratic Texas State Rep. Ron Reynolds said he and his colleagues who have left the state to oppose newly redrawn congressional map are prepared to stay out of Texas for 'as long as it takes to stop this racial gerrymandering,' even if the governor calls another special session." Meanwhile, "blue-state governors weigh options to retaliate with their own redistricting efforts." Here's the latest on the Texas redistricting battle.

+ Slip 'N Slide: "The difference, though, is that back then there was something called a Republican official with integrity. And so Georgia’s secretary of state did not agree to fabricate votes that did not exist. But that species of Republican official seems to have gone completely extinct in Trump’s second term. So Trump’s rotten character is now a problem for our whole economy." Thomas Friedman states the obvious in the NYT (Gift Article): The America We Knew Is Rapidly Slipping Away. (What's amazing is that the market completely brushed off Trump's firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics because he didn't like the real numbers.)

+ Going Viral: "A high-profile outbreak in Texas has attracted the most attention, but the problem is worldwide. Canada has had more cases than the entire US this year, and could soon lose its status of having eliminated the virus, while the European Union saw an almost tenfold annual increase in reported cases to more than 35,000 in 2024." Measles outbreaks surge worldwide.

+ Dropping the Dime on Crime: According to the FBI, crime decreased in every category in 2024, including murder, violent crime and motor vehicle thefts. That doesn't fit the narrative. Better fire whoever crunched these numbers.

+ Public School Desert: "Supporters of school choice say families are turning to alternatives because public schools are not serving their children well. It’s only right, they argue, that tax dollars follow children to whatever educational setting their families choose. Critics complain that vouchers eat up state funding, benefit families who can afford private school on their own, disrupt communities and send tax dollars to schools that face little accountability. Unlike public schools, private schools don’t have to administer state tests. They can pick and choose their students, while public schools must educate everyone." Public schools are closing as Arizona’s school voucher program soars.

+ Pet Food: "In a Facebook post last Thursday, the Aalborg Zoo noted that it welcomed animals that, regardless of circumstance, might be nearing the end of their lives. These animals would be 'gently euthanized' by trained employees and then used as food for the zoo’s predators." A Zoo in Denmark Wants to Feed Your Pets to Its Predators. (The more I read the news, the more I understand why my beagles howl all the time...)

+ How to Train Your Trains: Germany’s identity crisis: The trains no longer run on time.

+ Pump and Circumstance: "Ann Buszard, 84, strapped on a thick leather belt before stepping up to the barbell she had loaded to 170 pounds. She exhaled and hinged, lifting roughly the weight of a medium-size refrigerator fluidly off the ground, then reversed the move to gently set it down, safely completing a deadlift." NYT (Gift Article): Pumping Iron Is Their Secret to Aging Well. (This is just one more reason I'm pacing myself.)

6

Bottom of the News

"I was invited to a wedding sponsored by Hellmann’s. We were given two weeks to get to Vegas, a strict dress code and had to waive our ‘moral rights.’" WSJ (Gift Article): A Giant Tub of Mayonnaise Married My Friends.

+ Engineer restores pay phones for free public use.