Mil, Mali, Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off

A simple typo misdirected millions of emails intended for the US military.

Tabs for Friday

China Trade Wars the New Normal

The elite consensus that free trade would bring them around is gone.

Biden Wants Credit for Economy Worse Than the One He Inherited

Prices are coming down but they’re way higher than they were.

Fusion Clean Energy ‘Breakthrough’ Made

The Energy Department is expected to make a big announcement tomorrow.

Acceptable Ukraine End States?

What will Zelensky, Putin, and the West settle for?

NYC Criminal Probe of Trump Appears Stalled

Manhattan’s new DA seems to think he has a weak case.

The free high-resolution photo of technology, car, wheel, vehicle, metal, auto, steering wheel, automotive, sports car, supercar, gears, rim, audi, dare, pkw, circuit, passengers cars, gear shift, land vehicle, gear lever, gearshift, automobile make, automotive design, luxury vehicle, family car , taken with an ILCE-6000 02/08 2017 The picture taken with 50.0mm, f/5.6s, 1/200s, ISO 200 The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required. The free high-resolution photo of technology, car, wheel, vehicle, metal, auto, steering wheel, automotive, sports car, supercar, gears, rim, audi, dare, pkw, circuit, passengers cars, gear shift, land vehicle, gear lever, gearshift, automobile make, automotive design, luxury vehicle, family car , taken with an ILCE-6000 02/08 2017 The picture taken with 50.0mm, f/5.6s, 1/200s, ISO 200 The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required.

Shifting Gears on COVID

Blue and red states alike are ending mask mandates and other restrictions.

Game of Chicken Kiev

The United States and its NATO allies are in a dangerous standoff.

COVID, Age, and Risk Assessment

A vaccinated 75-year-old is as likely to die as an unvaccinated 53-year-old.

‘Justice’ Difficult in Chauvin Trial

A criminal trial is a poor venue for solving society’s problems.

The Truth Is Paywalled But The Lies Are Free

It’s much easier to fund bad information than good.

Brexit Could Be The End Of The United Kingdom

Brexit seems like it’s inevitable at this point, and that could set in motion a series of events that would mean the end of the United Kingdom.

Trump Promised Xi That The U.S. Would Remain Silent About Hong Kong

President Trump has reportedly pledged to Chinese President Xi Jinping that the United States would not speak out against Chinese actions in Hong Kong.

The Trump Administration Has Killed Human Rights Diplomacy

Under the Trump Administration, the American commitment to human rights around the world is basically dead.

A Fourth of July Thought

Ideas, not tanks.

Trump Assisting Putin In His War On Liberal Democracy

Whether he knows it or not, Donald Trump is assisting the Russian leader in his goal of undermining the foundational institutions of democracy and freedom.

Putin: “The liberal idea has become obsolete.”

The latest in the wars against liberalism.

Boris Johnson On The Rise In Race For Conservative Party Leader

Boris Johnson seems to be the leader in the race to replace Theresa May as Conservative Party leader. Whether that’s a good thing is another question.

Why is the NYT Paywall Up the Other 362 Days?

Its explanation for why its paywall is coming down 3 days leads us to an obvious question.

Trump, Nationalism, And The Lessons Of World War One

One hundred years after the end of World War One, the forces that led to it are waking up from a long slumber.

Anthony Kennedy’s Son Loaned Trump One Billlllllion Dollars

A really weird detail buried in a New York Times story about President Trump’s efforts to get the Justice to retire.

Scotland May Try For Another Independence Vote

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is hinting she might try to revive a Scottish independence vote in the wake of Brexit. That’s easier said than done.

The Continuing Humiliation Of John Kelly

After eight months in office, the pressures on Chief of Staff John Kelly continue to mount under a President who cannot be controlled and whose behavior will not change.

‘Woke’ Civil War at the New York Times?

Old-fashioned notions of journalistic neutrality are chafing young reporters in the Age of Trump.

Chief Of Staff Donald Trump?

Donald Trump may be getting ready to act as his own Chief of Staff. That would be a huge mistake.

Steve Bannon Is Going To War Against The Republican Congress

Steve Bannon may be out of the White House, but his efforts to continue pushing President Trump, and the Republican Party, even further to the populist far-right continues.

Rex TIllerson Throws Trump Under The Bus Over Charlottesville Response

Donald Trump’s Secretary of State is refusing to defend his response to the violence in Charlottesville.

The 140 Character POTUS

Twitter is, in some way, the most vacuous and simplistic of all social media, and it also appears to be the President’s main intellectual outlet.

On the Potential Global Consequences of a Trump Presidency

The reputation of the US matters in global affairs.

Greek Prime Minister Appears To Concede, But Europe Holds To A Hard Line

Greece’s Prime Minister seemed to give in to some of Europe’s demands today, but bankers are continuing to hold to the strict conditions they set last week.

Fixing the Firewalled News Problem

There’s a better way to finance news than hiding it behind paywalls.

Iraq And Afghanistan Wars Cost $3 Trillion

The costs of more than a decade of war are far higher than many ever thought, and we’re still paying the price for the fiscal irresponsibility of the Bush Administration while they were being fought.

Belief In ‘American Exceptionalism’ Is Declining, And That’s a Good Thing

A new poll shows that Americans don’t buy into the idea of “American exceptionalism” as much as they used to. That’s a positive development rather than a negative one.

Even With Paywalls, Newspapers Are Still Bleeding Cash

Adding paywalls isn’t stopping the decline of the newspaper industry.

Andrew Sullivan Gives The Boeing Back

The world’s most prolific blogger is leaving corporate media and opening the tip jar.

Why Pick On China?

Bankers Still Unaccountable

Four years after the financial crisis tanked the global economy, bankers still put their interests above those of their customers, even to the extent of skirting the law.

Obama’s Odd Choice for World Bank President

Jim Yong Kim is an impressive man. But he’s got no background in banking, finance, or economics.

Paywalls Not Saving Newspapers?

Newspapers are still finding it hard to live in the Internet Age.

Russia on Combat Alert over NATO Missile Defense

We’re hearing the howls of a wounded bear.

Time To Manage America’s Decline?

Is it time to just admit that the good old days are over?

Is The Chinese Economic “Threat” Overblown?

Are the worries about China overtaking the United States realistic?

Psychic Benefits of Sports Team Ownership

Money isn’t the only benefit some receive for their work.