Unbearable lightness
Across subreddits, social platforms, and YouTube, anger at ICE has entered typically apolitical spaces. / The Washington Post [$]
Kristi Noem wants to criminalize revealing ICE agents’ identities—if only she could get agents to stop doxing themselves on LinkedIn. / Wired
Trump’s current approval ratings show him underwater in most states, including many he handily won in 2024. / Strength in Numbers
“The private sector remains the engine of this race, and its incentives do not always align with the country’s interests.” Geopolitics in the age of AI. / Foreign Affairs
See also: “Tech companies and those who work for them have a decision to make: Do you continue to help build the architecture of authoritarianism?” / Blood in the Machine
Just hours after Alex Pretti was murdered by ICE, business and tech elites gathered at the White House for a closed-door viewing of the Melania hagiography. / The Hollywood Reporter
Trump has delivered on 27% of his tariff threats in his second term—a big reason why South Korean stocks gained despite the president’s attempts to intimidate. / Bloomberg [$]
Unrelated: Male elephant seals have the highest level of testosterone of any mammal. “So they want to mate, fight, eat, press repeat.” / The Associated Press
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Kyle Chayka on the humble TextEdit, where you can type without corporations storing your every thought: “My internal monologue takes place in Arial typeface, 14-point font.” / The New Yorker
Hands-on with the 1992 Sony Data Discman, which read three-inch CD-ROMs. Also, a visual history of the Walkman from 1979 to 2004. / Hughes Johnson, Obsolete Sony
“I know how much you admire corroding old stuff.” A father and daughter relive past road trips with a renewed mission to see Texas historical sites. / Texas Monthly
New research shows how aesthetics can play a surprisingly effective role in combatting NIMBYism. / Vox [$]
New York City rendered in highly detailed isometric pixel art. / Cannoneyed
Watch: Artist and director Julia Fernandez animated a music video using 300 individually painted ceramic tiles. / It’s Nice That
“I’m not sure I’ve ever lived a fuller day. I achieved a literal flow state.” Achieving a higher state of consciousness via a colonoscopy. / The New York Times [$]
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