Reading List

The most recent articles from a list of feeds I subscribe to.

Is this time different in Iran?

On Thursday night, the Iran government cut off internet service and international calling in the country as anti-government protests broke out throughout the country. Videos that made it to social media showed large crowds marching through multiple cities and government buildings ablaze. The most recent protests appeared to be in response to a call to […]

Why almost none of the homes burned in LA have been rebuilt since last year’s fires

The Associated Press this week reported a stunning fact: Of the 13,000 homes destroyed a year ago in the extraordinary wildfires in and around Los Angeles, fewer than a dozen have been rebuilt.  The massive, fast-moving wildfires that tore through Los Angeles County last January directly killed at least 31 people and sickened many more, […]

X just paywalled Grok’s deepfakes. They’re still everywhere.

What happens when you merge the world’s most toxic social media cesspool with the world’s most unhinged, uninhibited, and intentionally “spicy” AI chatbot? It looks a lot like what we’re seeing play out on X right now. Users have been feeding images into xAI’s Grok chatbot, which boasts a powerful and largely uncensored image and […]

Erika Kirk and Marjorie Taylor Greene are playing with the same archetype

As President Donald Trump settles into his last term, his approval ratings sinking ever lower, an urgent new question has begun to coalesce at the center of MAGA: Would the movement survive without Trump’s force of personality? What kind of person has the juice to lead it besides Trump? While the question remains unanswered, a […]

How right-wing creators bend reality to their will

This story appeared in Today, Explained, a daily newsletter that helps you understand the most compelling news and stories of the day. Subscribe here. The video opens with a question and a slamming door. Nick Shirley, the 23-year-old right-wing content creator who rose to sudden infamy and influence last week, confronts two Somali women as the […]