Source: spiked
by Frank Furedi
“We’re constantly told that the world is entering a new phase of Realpolitik. This view has been reinforced by the Trump administration’s foreign-policy approach to Ukraine, the Middle East and now Latin America, not to mention the provocative statements made by members of Trump’s team about international affairs. … It should be clear by now that Realpolitik is conspicuous by its absence in the current era. Instead of serious diplomacy, we have public spectacles. Politicians use foreign policy, often at countless international conferences and summits, to play-act as world statesmen in front of the cameras. Instead of focussing on clearly defined objectives, their attention drifts quickly from Gaza to Greenland to Ukraine to saving the planet. Both the Trump administration and his European counterparts are just as guilty of this.” (01/13/26)
https://archive.is/WIafj
Source: Washington Monthly
“How the Supreme Court could end super PACs | Lawrence Lessig.” (01/13/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13iH-3lpE1s
Source: Bluegrass Institute
by Thomas E Lambert
“And as some economists would point out, if these projects are such good ideas, then why do they need the help of taxpayers? Why not let the marketplace alone determine the success or failure of these projects?” (01/13/26)
https://www.bluegrassinstitute.org/tifs-arent-improving-louisville-as-much-as-you-think/
Source: National Public Radio [US state media]
“President Trump tries to refocus on the economy.” (01/13/26)
https://www.npr.org/2026/01/13/nx-s1-5675903/president-trump-tries-to-refocus-on-the-economy
Source: Astral Codex Ten
by Scott Alexander
“Every city parties for its own reasons. New Yorkers party to flaunt their wealth. Angelenos party to flaunt their beauty. Washingtonians party to network. Here in SF, they party because Claude 4.5 Opus has saturated VendingBench, and the newest AI agency benchmark is PartyBench, where an AI is asked to throw a house party and graded on its performance. You weren’t invited to Claude 4.5 Opus’[s] party. Claude 4.5 Opus invited all of the coolest people in town while gracefully avoiding the failure mode of including someone like you. You weren’t invited to Sonnet 4.5’s party either, or Haiku 4.5’s. You were invited by an AI called haiku-3.8-open-mini-nonthinking, which you’d never heard of before. Who was even spending the money to benchmark haiku-3.8-open-mini-nonthinking? You suspect it was one of their competitors, trying to make their own models look good in comparison.” (01/13/26)
https://archive.is/5h0QX
