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In a lot of ways, the Reflecting Pool story is a reflection of everything Trump. The pattern goes something like this. Step one, make a bold promise to fix something not too many people actually see as a pressing problem. Step two, hire unqualified associates from the wrong end of the gene pool to fix the problem. Step three, fail to fix the problem. Step four, make the problem worse. Step five, blame your enemies for the problem you created. Step six, deploy your corrupted prosecutors to bring laughable charges against these imaginary criminals. Step eight, blame those Trumped-up, fabricated charges being dropped on the prosecutors who couldn’t make your lies stick, and continue to blame the imaginary criminals. Bonus step: sit back as the media and the country obsess over your reflection in the reflecting pool, which ultimately distracts from much bigger and more dangerous failures. NYT (Gift Article): How the Reflecting Pool Came to Mirror Trump’s Washington. “Many of the details of the saga are reported in this article for the first time [and show] the second Trump administration’s willingness to skirt laws, expend millions of dollars, ignore facts and punish truth tellers in service of the president’s demands to put his mark on the capital.” This is an everyone (and everything) in the pool story, from hiring guys who run Trump’s hospitality businesses to being stung by tariffs that made the products needed for the fix unavailable. Is it any wonder that in an age defined by malignant narcissism that a pool designed to reflect the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument ended up reflecting Trumpism?
+ Politico: Trump says voters are mad at other Republicans, not him, as midterms approach.
+ That’s all I’ve got for today’s lead. I’m still spent from yesterday’s coverage of America’s munition shortfall. Hegseth Blows His Load. “Hegseth whipped out the nation’s most powerful conventional weapons and sprayed ammo all over the Middle East. He and his boss announced climactic victory multiple times. But it turned out this was a case of premature obliteration.” (Yes, this story is a much more serious version of the one above. And yes, we probably would be better off if Trump had appointed his pool guy as defense secretary.)
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AI Goes Viral
Here’s one lead paragraph that defines the promise and peril of AI — and confirms yet again why we need a lot more regulations and guardrails than we’re gonna get. “For the first time, scientists have used artificial intelligence to create new kinds of viruses, raising hopes for medical advances while also raising the disturbing possibility that the technology could someday be used to invent dangerous pathogens.” Carl Zimmer in the NYT (Gift Article): This A.I. Just Created Viruses Not Found in Nature.
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Mike Drop
The SF Giants have lost a lot this season, but no loss will be felt like this one. Mike Krukow provided the background soundtrack to our lives. He called the games, but he also called us — providing color commentary on the fans that was every bit as important and enjoyable as the details about what was happening on the field. Even if you don’t know who Krukow is or you’re not a baseball fan, you’ll be able to relate to our impending feeling of loss. The excellent Grant Brisbee on an era-ending announcement that reverberated around an entire region. Mike Krukow’s retirement is going to take a long time for Giants fans to process. “Krukow is, of course, more of a regional treasure than an international one, but he is still in that invitation-only class of the universally beloved. The common connection and through line ... is that they radiate joy with everything they do. They somehow found exactly what they wanted to do on this planet and, guess what, it’s exactly what we want them to be doing. It becomes a positive feedback loop that never ends, and there’s never a downside, never a hidden cost. All they put out into the world is something that makes your life better, and in return, all they ask is for the ability to keep doing it. They should get a pass from the physical realities of the world ... They do not get a pass from the physical realities of the world.”
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Weekend Whats
What to Book: Publishers Weekly wrote of Ann Patchett’s latest novel, Whistler, “Like many of Patchett’s works, this beautiful and generous novel feels effortless, never straining for effect.” Reading it feels effortless as well. Such smooth writing. Great stuff.
+ What to Noodle: It’s not the engineering marvel that is bucatini, nor does it have the seasonal flair of racchette, but DeCecco’s Squared Spaghetti no. 413 is a pasta shape that will make you a dinner party star.
+ What to Stream: My wife and I took our kids to their first Outside Lands Music Festival. Now they go with their friends, and we’re not allowed to attend because of the very real risk of us (ok, me) cramping their style. But it’s a win-win, because I prefer outdoor music festivals when they’re streamed to my living room. Watch Outside Lands on Prime.
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Extra, Extra
Meanwhile, Back at the Blanche: “Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, said on Friday that he would support Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general, effectively saving the confirmation of President Trump’s pick after two other Republican senators said they would oppose him.” Surprise, surprise...
+ E-War: “They used to call this kind of thing a war crime. But somewhat suddenly, it has become a nearly universal feature of 21st-century conflict.” Until recently, attacking civilian energy infrastructure was unacceptable. The dynamics of modern war have changed that.
+ Tourist Trap: “On Thursday, the president signed two executive orders, this time taking a more narrow focus on so-called ‘birth tourism.’” (If he keeps flouting the courts and the constitution, we may not have any tourism at all.) Trump signs new orders targeting birthright citizenship, weeks after SCOTUS ruling.
+ Total Burn: “Five months into its unprecedented dismantling of foreign-aid programs, the Trump administration has given the order to incinerate food instead of sending it to people abroad who need it.” (The metaphor just writes, and then burns, itself.) The Trump Administration Is About to Incinerate 500 Tons of Emergency Food.
+ Cam Slam: “Officers for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be equipped with much-delayed body cameras by the end of next month, it was reported on Friday. But experts have questioned the transparency of a policy that allows the ICE director to restrict the public release of footage unless ‘it is in the best interests of the agency.’”
+ Betting Your Life: “Billions of dollars are traded every week on the lightly regulated prediction market sites, where users bet on everything from movie reviews to elections to conflicts in the Middle East. Clinical trials are just the latest area where the industry’s rapid growth is raising ethical questions.” Kalshi and Polymarket bets on clinical trials criticized as ghastly. (They’re also a sign that the prediction players are looking to challenge the stock market, where people essentially place bets on clinical trials every day.)
+ Shit Happens: “Zendaya’s angelic strapless gown with feathered white wings was the work of Matières Fécales — yes, in English, Fecal Matter — the Paris-based, high-end fashion house founded in Montreal over a decade ago that’s, seemingly suddenly, everywhere.” Talk about the perfect attire for the moment. Why celebrities from Zendaya to Kylie Jenner are wear