2024-07-22
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"It Is Their Care That the Gear Engages; It Is Their Care That the Switches Lock"
We Sons of Mary—including in the secular sense, as people who are paid to opine and teach law and Think Deep Thoughts—indeed smile and are blessed; for us the Mercies are indeed multiplied. But it's worth remembering how much of that comes from the burden that Martha's Sons bear.
Horseshit
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Gen Z should be willing to work for free, long hours, says Squarespace CMO
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User returns after 100k-hours ban to continue conversation that got them banned
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And for years before that too Trench collapses have killed hundreds of workers in the US over the last decade
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Unraveling Mystery of Magnetic Bacteria
“The big summary we have so far from our research is that we don’t yet know that these bacteria are sensing the bacteria for the animal, but we do have evidence that they are living in these animals,” he says. “But what we’ve learned is we can use genetic tags that are signatures for bacteria that makes magnets, and we’ve identified these genetic signatures of these bacteria inside various animals – including humans.”
Rank Propaganda / Thought Policing / World Disordering
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Facebook and Instagram's algorithms served sexism and misogyny to blank accounts
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Hugo Mercier says we've been misinformed about misinformation
Mercier isn’t so sure. While other experts sound the alarm bells, Not Born Yesterday argues that much of the discourse surrounding the dangers of misinformation and the people that spread it actually goes against our understanding of evolutionary psychology, which posits that people are actually far more skeptical than they are given credit for. “We aren’t gullible,” its thesis claims, “by default we veer on the side of being resistant to new ideas. In the absence of the right cues, we reject messages that don’t fit with our preconceived views or preexisting plans. To persuade us otherwise takes long-established, carefully maintained trust, clearly demonstrated expertise, and sound arguments.” Mercier makes the contrarian case that misinformation isn’t as large of a threat as it’s made out to be. At least, not when compared to our own trust issues.
Musk
Religion / Tribal / Culture War and Re-Segregation
Edumacationalizing / Acedemia Nuts
Info Rental / ShowBiz / Advertising
AI Will (Save | Destroy) The World
Space / Boomy Zoomers / UFO
Economicon / Business / Finance
Biden Inc
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Dems return to Tammany Hall tactics with backroom dealings to boot Biden | Just The News
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'Ludicrous': Donors leave call with Kamala Harris frustrated and annoyed
A call Friday featuring Vice President Kamala Harris and about 300 major Democratic donors left many who dialed in frustrated, with one donor declaring it “ludicrous” shortly before it ended, according to two sources familiar with the call. One person on the call referred to it as “mismanaged” and “rushed.” They added expectations had not been managed well and some participants left feeling admonished. “It was a total failure,” said one source who was on the call and who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide a candid assessment. “It was damaging. It was poor planning.” what angered many donors, this source said, was that during the wait — which was about 20 minutes — donors were “admonished.” Participants of the call were told they needed to “lock in and get behind” Biden and to not pursue efforts to push out the president.
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Biden fundraisers on hold, July donations plummet, sources say | Reuters
Biden's campaign said his fundraisers would go ahead as planned. "Reuters' sourcing is incorrect, and we look forward to a robust fundraising schedule," campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz said on Friday. A source familiar with the situation said former late-night comic David Letterman would headline a fundraiser for Biden at the home of Hawaii Governor Josh Green in about 10 days, a sign of forward movement for Biden.
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Democratic donors are funding an effort to vet potential VP candidates - The Washington Post
In recent days, people involved in the effort have contacted the teams of top Democratic figures, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive effort. The donors are also interested in vetting North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.
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Biden endorses Harris as presidential candidate
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This guy has been the biggest positive surprise of the US presidents in my lifetime. Expectations were low, but he actually turned out to be a good president (from a European perspective). No new wars, no more talk about shifting defense focus to Asia, generally nothing unreasonable. Good support for Ukraine, no doubts about NATO - rather the opposite. Basically, the rich uncle on the other side of the pond has been a good one.
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He's still competent enough to be president. He just doesn't have the chops to skewer a lunatic in a live TV debate, which is unfortunately very important, because if he can't, the lunatic might be the next president.
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very glad that Biden stuck to his word in 2020 that he will be a single-term incumbent president for the last 4 years... I just wish the DNC kept their word on bolstering a more compelling candidate within that timeframe as well.
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The rules allow the DNC to have an open convention. They just haven’t had one for more than half a century. the interesting thing is apparently if they do that its available to all candidates. So it’s possible that somebody that is well liked by the public, but not by the DNC becomes the leader ie Bernie sanders. The tough thing though is that money donated to Biden doesn’t transfer to other candidates.
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Joe Biden drops out of 2024 race, exit comes amid growing pressure from top Dems
President Joe Biden said he is ending his bid for reelection amid intense pressure from Democratic leaders sounding the alarm that his path to beat former President Donald Trump in November has vanished. The president's historic withdrawal throws the 2024 race − already roiled by a shocking attempt on Trump's life − into uncertain territory, with Vice President Kamala Harris seen as the Democrat best placed to take Biden's place atop the party's ticket. Biden did not immediately endorse a successor. Biden made the announcement Sunday from his home in Rehoboth Beach, Del., where he's self-isolated since testing positive for COVID-19 Thursday night.
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Biden drops out of presidential race after disastrous debate performance
The nearly 4,000 delegates pledged to Biden have only five weeks or so to rally around a new candidate, as a virtual roll call to formally nominate Biden before in-person proceedings begin at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago is expected to be finalized by Aug. 7. Vice President Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and former first lady Michelle Obama have all previously been floated as possible replacements for Biden. Harris, 59, is widely seen as the frontrunner due to legal constraints over the transfer of the Biden-Harris campaign’s war chest but many Democrats doubt her viability in the general election due to her favorability ratings often lagging even Biden’s.
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Biden drops out of the 2024 Presidential Election Race (Archive)
President Biden abandoned his campaign for a second term under intense pressure from fellow Democrats on Sunday, upending the race for the White House in a dramatic last-minute bid to find a new candidate who can stop former President Donald J. Trump from returning to the White House. “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” he said in a letter posted on social media. “And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.” Mr. Biden, who evidently plans to serve out his term through January even as he pulls out as a candidate, said he would “speak to the nation later this week in more detail about my decision” and expressed thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris “for being an extraordinary partner in all this work.” But he did not immediately endorse her and said nothing about how the Democratic Party should proceed to pick a new nominee.
One person informed about the matter said the president had told his senior staff at 1:45 p.m. that he had changed his mind, an announcement that surprised many aides who had been told as recently as Saturday night that his campaign was still full speed ahead. It was not immediately clear whether he wrote the letter himself or had help, nor did his aides know when or how he might address the nation.
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Biden dropping out of presidential race as Democrats prepare to 'pass the torch'
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Biden drops out of presidential race and endorses Kamala Harris
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With Kamala Harris, Democrats would bet against US history of sexism, racism
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How Will Democrats Replace Biden at the Top of the Presidential Ticket? - The New York Times
The process is complicated and opens the door to political upheaval between now and August, when Democratic delegates will gather at their convention to vote for a nominee. Mr. Biden has the power to release all the pledged delegates he accumulated. When he does so, those delegates will be free to vote for whomever they choose. That could lead to an open convention, a rarity in modern American politics. The prospect raises many questions.
Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris have collected hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign funds over the past two years. That money has been allocated to the Biden campaign, the Democratic National Committee and various state Democratic organizations. As of June 30, those organizations had a combined $240 cash on hand. Most of that money could be put into service on behalf of the next candidate. There is one big exception. The Biden-Harris campaign has, as of May 30, $91 million. If Ms. Harris is the candidate, that money is hers. If it is another candidate, the Biden-Harris money could be returned to donors (highly unlikely) or transferred to a federal super PAC, which could spend it on behalf of the Democratic ticket. One candidate who would be free of these shackles is JB Pritzker, a billionaire who could finance the campaign on is own.
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President Biden Ends Presidential Campaign, Should Have Resigned | National Review
I conclude for now — and we will all resume writing soon, the second we’re done catching our breath — with a feeling of intense resentment for Joe Biden, his handmaidens and collaborators within the administration and the mainstream media, and the Democratic Party as a whole for inflicting a national debacle upon America. (As a Chicagoan, I also harbor a very particular resentment.) I keep returning to the simple truth that Joe Biden’s decline was knowable long ago, as far back as the earliest days of his administration. The denouement to this civic drama has not been fully written yet, but at this point one thing is certain: It is being written as a tragedy.
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Announcement stunned aides - Live Updates - POLITICO
President Joe Biden's announcement stunned White House and campaign aides, who up until this afternoon were insisting that he would stay in the race. Many of them, including some senior aides, first found out that was no longer the case by reading the letter that Biden posted on X. “We’re all finding out by tweet,” said one Democrat familiar with the immediate reaction. “None of us understand what’s happening.” In a sign of the abruptness of Biden's decision, the campaign blasted out a fundraising email for "Joe and Kamala" at 1:54 p.m. — eight minutes after Biden announced he was stepping aside.
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Barack Obama doesn't endorse Kamala Harris, says Dems will pick 'outstanding nominee'
Former President Barack Obama didn’t endorse Kamala Harris — saying Democrats would pick an unnamed “outstanding nominee” in his first statement on President Biden stepping aside from the party’s ticket. “We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead,” said Obama, 62. “But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”
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Bill and Hillary Clinton endorse Kamala Harris for president after Joe Biden drops out of 2024 race
While lavishing praise on Biden’s accomplishments in office, the Clintons, who were rumored to have been among those resisting private calls for him to step aside, urged the party to unite around Harris. “We’ve lived through many ups and downs, but nothing has made us more worried for our country than the threat posed by a second Trump term,” they said in a joint statement.
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Timeline: What Happened in the Final Moments as Biden Decided to Withdraw - The New York Times
Trump / Right / Jan6
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Secret Service says it denied some Trump requests for extra security
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Tech broligarchs are lining up to support Trump. And Vance is one more link
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'Almost' Everyone in Crypto's a Winner in a Second Trump Administration
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Republicans call on Biden to resign after ending his 2024 campaign
Some Republicans reacted immediately to President Joe Biden’s announcement that he won’t seek re-election in November by demanding that he resign the presidency as well. “If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a statement shortly after Biden revealed his decision. New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, the conference chair and fourth-ranking House Republican, added: “If Joe Biden can’t run for re-election, he is unable and unfit to serve as President of the United States. He must immediately resign.”
Biden said in his Sunday statement that he will “stand down” from the presidential race and “focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.” While many Democrats called on Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race, none have pushed for him to quit the presidency early. The skeptical Democrats have not taken issue with Biden’s ability to do the job, but rather with his declining communication skills and ability to wage a vigorous campaign leading into November after his poor debate performance.
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Trump is now certain to win the presidency
It has happened. Two conclusions seem inevitable. First, that we are looking at a second Trump presidency, barring an act of God. Second, that between now and November lie four months of relentless identity politics. Welcome to the American election 2024, Donald Trump vs Kamala Harris edition. With Joe Biden succumbing this evening to the ravages of age and Covid, he used whatever judgment he had left to nominate Harris as his heir and successor. History will not view that decision kindly. For one thing, Harris is one of the least popular politicians to have ever occupied a post this senior. As I pointed out three weeks ago, a poll last year granted her the ignominious status of worst vice president this millennium.
Law Breaking / Police / Internal Security
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The Anglosphere has an advantage on immigration
a striking pattern emerges when you look at where these different impacts are clustered: almost everything looks better in Anglophone countries. Immigrants and their offspring in the UK, US and so on tend to be more skilled, have better jobs and often out-earn the native-born, while those in continental Europe fare worse. In terms of the fiscal impact, immigrants pay more in than they get out in the US, UK, Australia and Ireland, but are net recipients in Belgium, France, Sweden and the Netherlands.
External Security / Militaria / Diplomania
World
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Europe turns to conscription as threat of wider war with Russia grows
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Japan asks young people why they are not marrying amid population crisis
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Kenyan security forces begin patrols in Haitian capital Port-au-Prince
Armoured vehicles reportedly patrolled the area around the National Palace and other parts of Port-au-Prince on Wednesday with Kenyan forces and Haitian police on board. Several loud bangs were heard as the vehicles passed by, although it remains unclear if they were shots fired by police or the armed gangs who control some 80 percent of the capital. Prime Minister Gary Conille briefly spoke to the nation the same day, announcing that the authorities had declared a state of security emergency in 14 communes that are "under the control of gangs".
Russia Bad / Ukraine War
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Spy-linked Russians restart trade with German toolmaker
Companies linked to a Russian spy ring have resumed buying machinery from a German toolmaker — just months after the manufacturer was warned about sales to the same smuggling network.
China
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No longer rare: China's overproduction sends rare-earth prices tanking
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The Billionaire Criminal Who Secretly Profited Off Jack Ma’s Deals - The New York Times
behind the scenes, these bookends of China’s catch-as-catch-can capitalism — its most celebrated and its most notorious billionaires — were linked through investments worth at least $1 billion, an investigation by The New York Times and The Wire China found. A review of more than 2,000 confidential documents shows that Mr. Xiao’s now dismantled company Tomorrow Group secretly secured lucrative shares in an array of Mr. Ma’s companies over a period of five years. These business associations were never disclosed, and a former senior executive at Tomorrow Group said, “As far as we know, Jack Ma was unaware” of them. The deals offer a close-up view of China’s signature brand of capitalism, where well-connected entrepreneurs and those who raise money for them are better off, at least in some cases, not interacting with one another. In almost any other robust economy, the proprietor of a major business would want to develop a relationship with an investor who raised $1 billion, and the investor would want to influence how the money was used. Not in the China of Mr. Xiao and Mr. Ma.
Health / Medicine
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LSD is kindof a bitch to measure a dose. Mushrooms are inherently variable but consistent extracts can be pulled easily. How should we sell psychedelics?