Venture capitalist and Abundance bro Seth London’s ambitious dark money scheme employing powerful consultant Lis Smith is best of its loathsome class, but far from alone in backing centrist candidates.
Monday, May 4, 2026
HHS’ Healthy Food Agenda Puts Hospitals on Notice About Patients’ Meals
HHS arouses ire via messaging and a gimmick to try to get hospitals to serve less gawd-awful meals.
Iran War: Peak Chaos as Trump Announces “Humanitarian” Convoy to Enter Strait to Free Trapped Ships, Soon Walked Back by Officialdom; Negotiations Reported as Collapsing as Iran Toughens Position; UAE Enters War
Today’s Iran war news: Trump carries on with his signature chaos-making, but not necessarily to his advantage.
Artificial Stupidity in the Persian Gulf
The planned central hub for American digital—and dollar— supremacy goes up in flames, but Silicon Valley and Washington refuse to learn anything.
US Energy Push In Western Balkans Sparks Tension with Brussels
More boiling the planet for data centers. What’s not to love?
The Sunday Morning Movie Presents: Iphigenia (1977) Run Time 2H 8M
Iphigenia is a movie about the tragedy of destiny.
What’s in the Price of a Gallon of Gas?
Energy crises are good times for oil refiners—not so much for the rest of us.
Iran War: Trump Whinges About Iran Proposal, China Rejects New US Secondary Sanctions, Ansar Allah Threatens Saudis
Today’s Iran war news: The US and Iran standoff continues, with Trump signaling he still prefers striking to blinking.
Iran War: Trump Leans Towards Another Attack on Iran as More Weapons Arrive; Further Confirmation of US Base Damage in Theater; More on War Cost; El Niño as Famine Multiplier
Today’s Iran war update: Trump still seems primed to attack again in Iran even as costs to the US and Israel mount.
The Licensing Revolution: Is Resistance to the End of Ownership Futile?
Increased incorporation of software into consumer products like cars means licensing is eroding privacy and ownership.
Coffee Break: American Science in the Crosshairs, Nuclear Nightmares, and a Vision of a Good Life
Part the First: The Attack on American Science Continues, Unabated. A few days ago the president fired the National Science Board (NSB), all twenty-two members of a statutory twenty-five, who served staggered six-year terms that preserved institutional memory. The NSB was created pursuant to the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 to “recommend and encourage […]
US Judge Calls Proposed Bayer Roundup Settlement a “Filthy” Deal
Bayer got a blistering dressing-down from a Federal judge over a proposed sneaky settlement but it is not clear what happens next.
