Math isn’t real
Economists say rising food prices in the US are due to climate disasters, Trump’s tariffs, and a shortage of undocumented workers. / CNN
Unable to tame grocery prices or sell Americans on tariffs, Trump is losing support among voters—and running out of time to consolidate his authoritarian powers. / The Atlantic [$]
California becomes the first state to pass a law banning federal and local law enforcement from wearing face coverings. / The San Francisco Standard
Taiwan has been the top overseas supplier of screws to the US for more than three decades, but steel and aluminum tariffs are now forcing some factories to close. / The New York Times [$]
“The 20 most polluting countries, including China, the US, and India, actually plan to produce even more fossil fuels than they did two years ago.” / NPR
A day after inciting panic over a new $100,000 annual fee that would take effect in less than 48 hours for H-1B visa holders, the White House says the fee is only for new applicants. / Al Jazeera
See also: Some workers spent thousands to rush back to the US before the nonexistent deadline. / BBC
4Chan users tried to block H-1B workers in India from returning to the US by booking flights without completing the purchases, further driving up fares. / India Today
Unrelated: The Trump Gold Card promises a fast-track to US residency in exchange for a $1 million contribution. / trumpcard.gov
See also: Trump’s official greeting to recently naturalized citizens uses the word “nation” (capitalized) four times, and reads like a quid pro quo. / The Atlantic [$]
Two ways companies might respond to Trump’s new H-1B visa rules: offshoring more work and replacing lost workers with AI. / Reuters
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OpenAI researchers say fundamental mathematical constraints mean LLMs will always hallucinate. / Computerworld
“Scientists used AI to write coherent viral genomes, using them to synthesize bacteriophages capable of killing resistant strains of bacteria.” / Nature
The Pentagon demands journalists pledge not to use any information unapproved for public release, ”even if it is unclassified.” / The Independent
Some Disney superfans are breaking up with the mouse over their beloved brand’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel. / Glamour
Related: A Disney creator explains why punishing the company is a necessary choice right now, and reads from On Tyranny. / TikTok
The performance artists from “Birds Aren’t Real” purchased the Enron brand and were set to relaunch the company as a prank, until it became a little too real: “You just become what you’re satirizing.” / Bloomberg [$]
An analysis of the occurrence of American first names ending in “-eigh” finds the trend has been on a fairly sharp decline since 2019. / NamePlay
“The staff ate it later” is an on-screen caption used for food shows in Japan, where wasting food is considered socially unacceptable. / Wikipedia
JD Twitch of the influential, magnificent DJ duo Optimo, has died at 57. / Resident Advisor
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