Source: Politics Politics Politics
“Has DOGE Been Leashed? How the Stock Market is Reacting to Trump’s Tariffs (with J.D. Durkin).” (03/06/25)
https://www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/p/has-doge-been-leashed-how-the-stock
Source: Astral Codex Ten
by Scott Alexander
“Neuron number predicts animal intelligence better than most other variables like brain size, brain size divided by body size, ‘encephalization quotient,’ etc. This is most obvious in certain bird species that have tiny brains full of tiny neurons and are very smart (eg crows, parrots). Humans with bigger brains have on average higher IQ. AFAIK nobody has done the obvious next step and seen whether people with higher IQ have more neurons. This could be because the neuron-counting process involves dissolving the brain into a ‘soup,’ and maybe this is too mad-science-y for the fun-hating spoilsports who run IRBs. But common sense suggests bigger brains increase IQ because they have more neurons in humans too.” (03/06/25)
https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/why-should-intelligence-be-related
Source: Barron’s
“Sudan has filed a case against the United Arab Emirates arguing that the Gulf state is complicit in genocide over its alleged support for Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, the International Court of Justice announced Thursday. Khartoum contends the UAE is ‘complicit in the genocide on the Masalit (community in Sudan) through its direction of and provision of extensive financial, political, and military support for the rebel RSF militia,’ the ICJ said in a statement. ‘The United Arab Emirates fuels the rebellion and supports the militia that has committed the crime of genocide in West Darfur,’ the Sudan submission to the court said. The UAE has repeatedly denied supporting the RSF.” (03/06/25)
Source: Quillette
“Christianity and the American Polity.” (03/06/25)
https://quillette.com/2025/03/06/podcast-274-christianity-and-th-american-polity/
Source: Liberal Currents
by Matthew Downhour
“On the basic incoherence of foreign policy under Trump and Vance.” (03/06/25)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/the-current-administraiton-is-anything-but-realist/
Source: The Contrarian
by Jennifer Rubin
“After two days of watching the markets tank, President in Name Only Donald Trump’s lackeys began to talk about a ‘compromise’ on his wrongheaded, disastrous rollout of steep across-the-board tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada, and China. This is a common Trump stunt: Make a boneheaded move, watch the fierce blowback, make a meaningless deal, and declare victory. In this case, the ‘compromise’ appears to include a one-month reprieve from tariffs for automakers. However, after the one-month pause, those tariffs apparently will go into effect. No such relief was offered for other goods. Whatever wiggle room Trump provides, the damage is done. Markets, businesses, and consumers are rattled. … Why does he needlessly make such objectively self-destructive moves? His tariffs certainly cannot be justified economically, and the predictable results are so severe, they make even less political sense.” (03/06/25)
https://contrarian.substack.com/p/trumps-economic-trainwreck
Source: Firstpost [India]
“Canadian liquor stores are pulling US-made spirits from their shelves in response to new tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on Canada and Mexico, escalating tensions in a growing trade dispute. Photos and videos circulating on social media show empty shelves where American alcohol products were once stocked. … The Liquor Control Board of Ontario announced Tuesday (March 4) it had ‘ceased the purchase of all US products.’ In New Brunswick, the provincial liquor agency posted a video on Facebook showing employees reboxing American wine bottles. A similar scene played out in Nova Scotia, where a TikTok user shared footage of bare shelves under the ‘USA’ labels, according to NBC News.” [editor’s note: A great argument against allowing government any control over liquor sales – TLK] (03/06/25)
Source: Persuasion
by Heather Parry
“Writers are often so keen to be good at something, to be artistic, that we forget the basics. We forget that writing is a method of communication, and unless you’re being unclear for a very specific reason that will eventually reveal itself, in communication, clarity is key. When it comes to first attempts at literary fiction, though, there’s often a different issue. That issue is that nothing fucking happens in it. When I started writing short stories I had excellent free mentoring from much-lauded Glasgow writer Kirsty Logan. The most irritating but insightful thing she would say to me, when I presented her with my stories, was this: ‘What is this story about?’ And more often than not, I didn’t know. The problem was that I had all these ideas, but the ideas were situations; they were not stories.” (03/06/25)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/modern-life-is-ruining-storytelling
Source: Reason
by Veronique de Rugy
“The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) draws two extreme reactions from budget-focused observers. On one side, you have cynics rolling their eyes and arguing that the truly consequential problem is not overpriced government boondoggles but rather entitlements like Medicare and Social Security and interest on the national debt. On the other, you have optimists who believe that if we just find and eliminate enough waste, fraud, and abuse, we can balance the budget — unless too much of the savings is handed out as ‘DOGE dividend’ checks. They point to outrageous spending on ‘gambling monkeys’ and luxury pickleball courts as proof that government is a bloated, reckless disaster. Others think the piecemeal savings could wipe out our government’s $2 trillion annual deficit. Both perspectives are half right and half dangerously wrong.” (03/06/25)
https://reason.com/2025/03/06/yes-cutting-government-waste-is-important/
Source: New York Post
by Robert Holden
“As a lifelong Democrat, I never imagined I would watch my own party embarrass itself so thoroughly — and so publicly — as it did during Tuesday’s joint session of Congress. From obnoxious booing to childish protest signs to a sitting member of Congress having to be physically removed from the chamber, Democrats turned what should have been a solemn, dignified event into a bad reality show. … Nothing was more disgraceful than when my colleagues refused to stand or clap when 13-year-old DJ Daniel, a brain cancer survivor, was made an honorary Secret Service agent.” (03/05/25)