checking in on this.

Freedom of navigation is the principle that the US has upheld for many decades through diplomacy and naval power. So it's hilarious that Trump, in trying to "open" the Strait of Hormuz is simultaneously abandoning that principle and any pretense of legal authority.

Collins has a constituent services office in Biddeford and the people of Biddeford paid it a visit within a couple hours of the shooting www.pressherald.com/wp-content/u...

An unaccountable federal paramilitary murdering people (citizens, non-citizens, whomever) in the streets.

This was clearly one of the war aims. I'm glad Trump is following through with his promise to "run the Strait of Hormuz on a reimbursable basis."

"Winning the AI race" is a way to elide the more important questions about AI and resource allocation. I don't care who wins the AI race and I'm pretty sure such a thing doesn't exist. I do care who owns AI, how AI operates algorithmically, who gets access, and how benefits are shared/distributed.

70% of global internet traffic runs through Virginia.

Under Trump, most US foreign policy is a shakedown of some kind. Most trade policy and domestic economic policy as well. Because that's all Trump understands.

We're in the midst of a transportation revolution. www.twincities.com/2026/07/11/c...

I love reference to chivalric traditions to understand and critique manbro and fitness fetishism. But I'm not sure the green knight story is the best example, and it's certainly not the main point. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/o...

He previously was a defender, even champion of foreign aid. But when he threw up his hands and repeated lies and voted to rescind funding for PEPFAR, I gave up on him. Bye.

anyway, as someone else who’s had to develop an overly cute personality due to being very tall and kind of scary looking, I am gonna miss our big Norse dude

80% chance this is wishcasting by Trump himself. He's pretending a kind of intimacy with Iranian negotiators and making excuses for them. He's been doing this for weeks. "They want to make a deal. They told me privately, so now I'm sharing that with the world." www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-pr...

This is Trump speaking.

My son yells "bicycle kick" the whole game.

This is important work that someone should fund our take in- house.

It would be more polite if France made it look like it took effort. Disrespectful.

What?

1 in 4 Americans is a family caregiver (providing care to an adult). This map is interesting.

The USAID flag still waves. USAID still lives. USAID has a future. open.substack.com/pub/ashermos...

NYT and other elite media are really really, trying to make this "fertility crisis" a thing - with the attendant focus and blame on women.

A young person (post-college/Peace Corps) I know who has been struggling to get herself landed. I took her to lunch and tried to help her out. She just got a job and I'm so happy for her. Also relieved.

Source: carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

Today was a taste of what life will be like when the world cup is over. Not sure how I'm going to manage.

DRAFT MS RACHEL? where do i send a check?

Stephen Miller was there recently.

NYT and other elite media are really really, trying to make this "fertility crisis" a thing - with the attendant focus and blame on women.

Good point

Suffering in and of itself is not spiritual ... lack in and of itself is not spiritual meagerness in and of itself is not spiritual you don't even get to spirituality until you are resourced to be able to choose

By the end of the Trump administration, will the US be a "middle power"? open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...

I have plenty of opinions. But I make a policy of not posting and not having a public opinion on many topics. This is a good practice and has saved me a lot of embarrassment.

This is the Constitutional crisis. Literally whether or not Congress has control over spending as specified in the Constitution. I don't expect Collins or Congressional Republicans to stand up for the Constitutional powers of Congress. But Democrats should insist. Its the Constitution.

Thanks JD

May the ghost of Dave visit us with gifts of red solo cups, pool noodles, and strategically placed caltrops.

Are there a lot of white-supremacist tech engineers? I’m sure there are some. But I’m guessing the pool isn’t huge and the Trump has already hired most of them. open.substack.com/pub/donmoyni...

Is the US just straight up stealing Venezuela's oil money? How does this work? www.nytimes.com/2026/07/06/w...

I'm very serious about this. Most of you are wearing pants wrong.

They're going to try to hide everything DOGE did and pretend it never existed. They know it was destructive, illegal, and immoral.

If belgium is going to kick our butt, I'd like De Bruyne to do it.

Why is Southern Africa economic growth so much lower than other regions?

Good bye DOGE. No report, no accountability, no transparency. Just a couple billionaires empowered to vandalize and loot the government, lie about it, and run away. Don't delete any documents. Your time is still coming.

When safe and beautiful is a body wrapped in a sheet at the bottom of a canal, which is collapsing.

This empire must die.

This game is stressing me out. The stakes are SO HIGH.

Claudia Sheinbaum is on a legendary run. "Mexico Begins Roll Out of Women’s Welfare Pension. On January 3, Mexico’s government began rolling out the Women’s Welfare Pension (Pensión Mujeres Bienestar), a new noncontributory pension program for women aged 60 to 64."