“British police on Tuesday arrested a 22-year-old man in London on suspicion of a terror offence over a security incident at a US-run military airbase in England that authorities have linked to Iran. The arrest is the seventh in connection with a suspected plot against RAF Fairford, located 160km (100 miles) west of London, which has been used by American bombers to strike Iran during this year’s war. Five British men in their 20s were detained near the perimeter of the base in the early hours of September 27, and a 25-year-old British-Iranian man was arrested in London on Thursday. All six have been released on bail under investigation.” (10/06/26)
“It was a long time in coming, but with the still ongoing conflict in Iran and in Ukraine, it is not unreasonable to talk about the end of the rules-based international order. This is not so much due to the fact that these conflicts happen outside the framework of the United Nations. That is immaterial. The thing that matters the most is that at their heart they are about the one currency that matters the most in the international order: power. With power, you’re feared. By being feared, you’re left alone.” (10/06/26)
“The long-gestating merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery officially closed Tuesday, yielding a new major player in media. Shares in the combined company, Skydance, will start trading later in the day on the New York Stock Exchange. Shares of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery have been discontinued on the Nasdaq. The closing brings to an end a year-long saga over who would control two century-old movie studios along with a pedigreed stable of TV studios, streaming services and networks including HBO and CNN.” (10/06/26)
“We sit down with Col. Lawrence Wilkerson to talk through what the last American forces leaving Iraq could actually mean, not just for Baghdad, but for the bigger U.S. posture across Southwest Asia and the political reality that Washington may be getting pushed out rather than choosing to leave.” (10/07/26)
“Although we don’t know the long-term effects of AI on the distribution of income and wealth, right now we can see a substantial amount of economic benefit flowing — I wouldn’t say ‘trickling down’ — to regular Americans. This is not to say that regular Americans couldn’t stand to benefit more from the AI boom. I think they could. I like some (though not all) of Jared Bernstein’s ideas for spreading the benefits of the data center boom more broadly. But I think [Paul] Krugman has underestimated the benefits of the data center buildout in terms of direct employment, and has basically ignored the fiscal, macroeconomic, and consumer benefits of the current AI boom.” (10/06/260
“Norway has become the first country to propose a temporary ban on camera-enabled and AI-powered smart glasses in public spaces, amid growing concerns around privacy. Ars Technica reports that the Norwegian Government is proposing a blanket ban in selected public spaces where it believes people are vulnerable to being recorded without their consent. It follows the news this week that Dutch eyewear retailer Hans Anders has pulled Meta Ray-Ban glasses from over 400 stores. Venues where the use of smart glasses would be prohibited include parks, beaches, museums, schools, kindergartens, shopping centers, healthcare facilities, gyms, and public events. Private use of smart glasses, for example in wearers’ homes, would still be permitted.” [editor’s note: When you’re in a “public space,” no one should need your “consent” to film – TLK] (10/06/26)
“Robby Soave gives his radar on recent comments from Sam Altman and Dario Amodei highlighting the debate around the potential benefits and potential harms of AI.” (10/06/26)
