2026-03-17

Horseshit

• The new robber barons are the tech tycoons

• Third places are disappearing as the world goes more online

• The Billionaire Backlash Against a Philanthropic Dream

• Couvade syndrome makes fathers feel pregnant

• What Does Extreme Wealth Do to the Brain?

• Czech Man's Stone in Barn's Foundations Is Rare Bronze Age Spearhead Mold

• 55-Mile Chevy Squarebody Still Wrapped in Factory Plastic Sells for $100K

  • "1988 Super Dooley"

• Women bringing chess into the 21st Century with 'bullet' matches

• What 100M Volts do to the Body and Mind

• Archaeologists untangle how Bronze Age textiles were made

celebrity gossip

• Banksy Unmasked: Investigation Claims to Reveal Artist's Identity

  According to the report, Banksy is Robin Gunningham, a graffiti artist born in Bristol in 1973 who later changed his name to David Jones. That's the same person named in a 2008 report from The Mail on Sunday, which wrote then that it had “come as close as anyone possibly can to revealing” who Banksy was. A turning point in the investigation came from graffiti made by the artist in Ukrainian village of Horenka, near Kiev, among buildings destroyed by shelling. According to witnesses who spoke with Reuters, the works were allegedly created within minutes by two men with covered faces using spray cans and stencils. Reuters investigators linked Gunningham, who by then was going as David Jones, to travel to that area—working in partnership, the outlet suggests, with Massive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja, another man who some have speculated is Banksy.

Obit

• Paul Ehrlich, RIP

  He predicted that “The battle to feed all of humanity is over. In the 1970s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death.” Somehow I missed this news as a teen in the 1970s. (Actually I’ve seen an estimate that the number of people who died of starvation in the 1970s was 1.3 million people, down from 16 million in the 1960s. Anyone ever hear of Norman Borlaug? He’s the person who did more than anyone to prevent even a sliver of Ehrlich’s scenario from coming true.

Rank Propaganda / Thought Policing / World Disordering

• Corruption erodes social trust more in democracies than in autocracies

Musk

• Et tu, S&P 500? The SpaceX IPO gamesmanship

  • S&P Weighs Rule Changes That Would Speed SpaceX's S&P 500 Entry

• The Tesla Influencers Leaving the 'Cult'

Robot uprising / Humanioid Helpers

• Robot dogs are protecting data centers. Operators are seeing payoffs

Info Rental / ShowBiz / Advertising

• TikTok and Meta risked safety to win algorithm arms race, whistleblowers say

• Move over, Labubu. The new Silicon Valley status symbol is a tiny Apple computer

• Microsoft's 'unhackable' Xbox One has been hacked by 'Bliss'

• 385TB video game archive saved by fans; torrents being generated

• Oscar Winner List

• How Pokémon Go is giving delivery robots an inch-perfect view of the world

  • 'Pokémon Go' players unknowingly trained delivery robots with 30B images

• The Big Three memory makers are publicly saying they expect the AI bubble to pop - or at least fizzle - by 2028, which is why they're slow-walking expansion plans in the face of unprecedented demand.

• Microsoft blames Samsung for C:\ drive problems

• UK rights group sues Valve for distributing music in games without a license

• The fast rise and epic fall of Clubhouse

• Meta and TikTok let harmful content rise after evidence outrage drove engagement

• Blocking Internet Archive Won't Stop AI, but Will Erase Web's Historical Record

• Social media 'addiction' is overrated

• RIP Digg again: Months after relaunch, Digg lays off its staff and shutters site

Space / Boomy Zoomers / UFO

• NASA officials sidestepped questions on Artemis II risks–there's a reason why

• Starcloud files plans for 88,000-satellite constellation

• NASA spacecraft weighing 1,300lb re-enters Earth's atmosphere

  The US Space Force confirmed the probe's re-entry on Wednesday over the Eastern Pacific region around 06:37 EDT (10:37 GMT), roughly 12 hours later than originally predicted but within the expected margin of error.

AI Will (Save | Destroy) The World

• New study raises concerns about AI chatbots fueling delusional thinking

• Why I may ‘hire’ AI instead of a graduate student

• Google scraps AI search feature that crowdsourced amateur medical advice

• Race on to establish globally recognised 'AI-free' logo

• OpenAI's Bid to Allow X-Rated Talk Is Freaking Out Its Own Advisers

• Why I'm Suing Grammarly

• Ex-NFL linebacker charged with killing girlfriend asked ChatGPT for advice before calling 911, court documents say

  A former NFL linebacker charged with killing his girlfriend sought advice from ChatGPT, telling the chatbot the woman “stabbed herself” and asking what he should do, according to messages revealed in a Tennessee courtroom Monday.

• Napster Music Streaming Service Abruptly Shuts Down in Pivot to AI

• The Age of Eerie A.I. Political Ads Is Here

• Encyclopedia Britannica sues OpenAI over AI training

• Satya Nadella Says AI Will Displace Workers

• OpenAI in Talks for $10B Joint Venture with PE Firms

• Nvidia powers further into CPU market with new systems packing 256 Vera cores

  • Nvidia announces Vera Rubin Space-1 for orbital data centers

  • Nvidia Launches Vera CPU, Purpose-Built for Agentic AI

Neo Gambling / Crypto con games

• Polymarket gamblers threaten to kill me over Iran missile story

  On The Times of Israel’s liveblog that day, I reported that the missile had hit an open area and no injuries were caused, citing the rescue services, as well as footage that emerged showing the massive explosion caused by the missile’s warhead. But what I thought was a seemingly minor incident during the war has turned into days of harassment and death threats against me.

  As far as I now understand, the emails I received were intended to confirm whether or not a missile had hit Israel on March 10 in order to resolve a prediction on Polymarket. The event that these people had bet on was “Iran strikes Israel on…?” More than 14 million dollars had been wagered on March 10. The rules of the bet state: “This market will resolve to ‘Yes’ if Iran initiates a drone, missile, or air strike on Israel’s soil on the listed date in Israel Time (GMT+2). Otherwise, this market will resolve to ‘No’.” However, there is a clause: “Missiles or drones that are intercepted… will not be sufficient for a ‘Yes’ resolution, regardless of whether they land on Israeli territory or cause damage.” My minor report on a missile striking an open area was now in the middle of a betting war, with those who had bet “No” on an Iranian strike on Israel on March 10 demanding I change my article to ensure they would win big.

  The attempt by these gamblers to pressure me to change my reporting so that they would win their bet did not and will not succeed. But I do worry that other journalists may not be as ethical if they are promised some of the winnings.

• States Went All in on Sports Gambling – and Young Men Are the Losers

• Wall Street Is Betting on Prediction Markets

Economicon / Business / Finance

• What Is Private Credit–and Why Could It Be a Bigger Problem Than the Iran War?

• Ruthenium prices hit record high as AI boom squeezes supply

• Apollo's John Zito Sounds Off on 'Arrogance' in Private Markets

• Meta up 3% in premarket as it plans mass layoff amidst increased AI spending

  • Meta shares jump after Reuters report on plans for layoffs of 20% or more

• Alaska sues GoFundMe, others over unauthorized charity pages

• Data Centers Overtake Offices in US Construction-Spending Shift

• Microsoft, Meta Fuel $700B Boom in Data Center Leases

• The 'AI-Washing' of Job Cuts Is Corrosive and Confusing

• SEC Prepares Proposal to Eliminate Quarterly Reporting Requirement

Gubmint / Poilitcks / Law Making

• The story gets even juicier

  The word is Tucker is invited to WH by Trump. President tells him not to worry. We are bluffing. We have no intension of bombing Iran ever again. It's all a bluff to bring Iran to table. Tucker runs back to Mullahs & tells them our plan. CIA is listening to Tucker's call. Got him dead to rights for espionage & treason. But best part of story...Tucker emboldens Mullahs. They have no fear because now they know Trump was bluffing- they got it straight from Tucker who was in Oval Office w/Trump. They let their guard down. Then Trump bombs them & kills them all. The plan worked perfectly. Tucker was used like a fool by Trump. And outed as traitor. If all true, this is one of great military plans of all time. Tucker gave the enemy bad info. He got them killed! Tucker should spend decades in prison for aiding enemy.

• Forty Years of Economic Freedom Winning

  The evidence is clear and overwhelming that states that have had more economic freedom have been doing much better. Moreover, although weather is a potential confounder here, it likely doesn’t provide an adequate explanation for the variation we see.

• US judge blocks efforts to reshape childhood vaccine policy

• Another billionaire confirms California exit: Uber co-founder Kalanick

• DOJ to Allow Hiring of US Prosecutors Straight Out of Law School

Trump

• Trump demands countries help 'protect their own territory'

• Trump Airs a House Republican's Terminal Diagnosis, Claiming to Have Reversed It

Left Angst

• With H-1B work visa lottery underway, experts worry new rules hurt business

• The Removed DOGE Deposition Videos Have Been Backed Up Across the Net

• CEOs of top airlines demand Congress restore funding to DHS, pay airport workers

• Lawmakers seek watchdog probe into former acting CISA chief's polygraph failures

• White House meme war comms draw Yu-Gi-Oh criticism

• Autocracy is rising in the West. But the global south proves it's not inevitable

• Why US third parties perform best in the Northeast

• Judge orders Kennedy Center to include Rep. Joyce Beatty at next board meeting

  A federal judge ruled Saturday that the Kennedy Center must provide Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) a “meaningful opportunity” to participate in next week’s board meeting on the storied institution’s revamp, but they don’t have to let her vote. Beatty, an ex officio member of the board, alleged that she was being barred from the March 16 session. Her lawyer later conceded she was in fact extended an invitation; it just went to her email spam folder.

• To Address Farm Labor Shortage, Trump Administration Turns to Migrant Workers

• In 2024, NIH published 756 funding announcements. In 2025, it published 120

• Trump tariffs cost automakers more than $35B since 2025

• How the Trump Administration Weaponized Antifa

External Security / Militaria / Diplomania

• Iran-linked hackers take aim at US

• The F-35 Program Can't Seem to Pull Off a Needed Software Update

• U.S. imposes sanctions over North Korean scheme to use remote workers

World

• Belgian prime minister calls for EU to normalise ties with Russia

• Queensland town hopes dark sky certification attracts stargazers to the outback

• EU axes AI, semiconductors, and quantum from the Industrial Accelerator Act

• Google wins Korea map access after 20-year freeze

• German police raid AfD lawmaker’s home over years-old social media posts

  Police and prosecutors in Munich carried out searches on Friday morning at the private residence and Bavarian State Parliament office of AfD lawmaker René Dierkes, reportedly in connection with alleged insults and social media posts dating back several years. Dierkes, 34, who represents the Munich-East constituency in the Bavarian State Parliament, said the investigation concerns satirical posts and memes published roughly two years ago on his X account by a staff member who has since left his employment. He said authorities are also examining an alleged insult attributed to him by a former party member, which reportedly dates back five years.

• Police Investigate German Historian for Hitler-Putin Meme

• 'Another internet is possible': Norway rails against 'enshittification'

• Flaw in UK's corporate registry let directors rummage through rival records

• UK investing £2.5B to chase 'holy grail' of nuclear fusion

• The riches of Viktor Orbán's home village

• 'Not our war': German defense minister rejects call for support against Iran

  • Merz: This is not Nato’s war

• Doctors say Ottawa's plans to axe prescription software leaves them in limbo

• Tata expands in India market with $7k EV, backed by protectionist policies

• Could This Be the End of Dubai?

• Cuba's national electric grid collapses, leaving millions without power

• Extreme Strawberry Growing in South Korea

Iran / Houthi

• The Iran war may be about to escalate

• Iran war shows up folly of slow energy transition

• Hack on U.S. Medical Company Shows Reach of Iran's Cyber Capabilities

• Trump briefed that Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is probably gay

  President Trump was stunned to learn last week that US intelligence indicates new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei may be gay — and that his father, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, feared his suitability to rule the Islamic Republic for that reason, The Post can reveal. Trump couldn’t contain his surprise and laughed aloud when he was briefed on the intel, according to sources. Others in the room also found it “hilarious” and joined the president’s reaction, while one senior intelligence official “has not stopped laughing about it for days,” said one person familiar with the briefing. The shocking claim was described to The Post by two intelligence community officials and a third person close to the White House. All three sources say the implausible-sounding allegation is viewed as credible by US spy agencies, rather than false information intended to undermine Khamenei, 56, who was selected to replace his dead father as supreme leader on March 8. Two of the sources said the intelligence indicated that Mojtaba, who earned the nickname “the power behind the robes” while serving as his aging dad’s gatekeeper, has had a long-term sexual relationship with his childhood tutor.

  Mojtaba, who is believed to have been wounded in the same Feb. 28 airstrike that killed his father and other members of his family, has made “aggressive” sexual overtures to men caring for him, possibly while under the influence of heavy medication, one of The Post’s sources said. US spy agencies do not have photographic evidence of Mojtaba Khamenei’s alleged sexual attraction to men, but the sources insisted the tip is solid, with one saying it was “derived from one of the most protected sources that the government has.”

• As India seeks Hormuz safe passage, Tehran asks for return of seized tankers

• Iran earns oil windfall as US turns blind eye

• The US-Israeli strategy against Iran is working. Here is why | US-Israel war on Iran | Al Jazeera

Russia Bad / Ukraine War

• Russia Shuts Off Internet in Moscow as It Tests Nationwide Censorship System

• Russia Launches Far-Right Network "Paladins" Calling for Violence in Europe

China

• China's No. 2 chipmaker readies 7 nm production

• China's Technology Triumph

  Many of China’s poorest provinces have better infrastructure than the United States’ wealthiest regions. China’s policies designed to stimulate manufacturing growth have led to price wars, waste and debt crises. It is true that China’s one-child policy and zero-COVID strategy caused unnecessary suffering. It is also true that US regulatory policies are hindering the provision of public services such as railways in the United States.

• China just approved world first commercial brain implant

Health / Medicine

• Homebrewed Beer Works as a Vaccine

• What's the link between tattoos and vision loss?

• 153 people on Princess cruise ship in the Caribbean infected with norovirus.

• US commercial insurers pay 254% of Medicare for the same hospital procedures

• An end to hay fever? The new wave of effective cures for seasonal allergies

Pox / COVID / BioTerror AgitProp

• Measles' resurgence in the US is a grim sign of what's coming

Environment / Climate / Green Propaganda

• Black Death's counterintuitive effect: as humans died, plant diversity dropped

• Grasslands are vanishing nearly four times faster than forests

• Obsession with growth is destroying nature, 150 countries warn

• No accountability: Bills would ban liability lawsuits for climate change

• Malawi's solar boom is leaving a toxic legacy of lead waste

• Big Tech purchases of carbon credits explode, Microsoft leading the way

• Models warn Thwaites Glacier could rival Antarctic ice loss by 2067