Kind: Reads

Republican Trump boosters like Peter Thiel having 2024 doubts by Charlie Sykes

Billionaires like Peter Thiel are reportedly uncomfortable with 2024's MAGA culture warriors. If only someone could have seen this coming.

In today’s Morning Shots: Alpha Man runs away from debates and testimony. CNN’s tangled web. Overturning elections in Texas. The text that got Tucker fired? Trump’s 26 accusers. Of course he can win. Happy Wednesday. The bravest, most dominant, manliest of alpha males — the man who promises “I am your retribution!” — absolutely does not want to get on the stage with anyone who runs against him.

The invite-only, Jack Dorsey-backed social network Bluesky had a surge of interest and new users last week. But between the appearance of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, harassment scandals, and platform errors, a new community is finding its footing.

If this Bud's for you, it apparently can't also be for me

Disney boycotts are nothing new. Except when they are.

Elon Musk has threatened to reassign NPR's Twitter account to "another company." In a series of emails sent to this reporter, Musk said he would transfer the network's main account on Twitter, under the @NPR handle, to another organization or person. The idea shocked even longtime observers of Musk's spur-of-the-moment and erratic leadership style.

The Florida Art Students Who Want to Take Down DeSantis by Carolina Drake

As the threat of legislation banning critical race and queer theory looms, students and faculty at Florida International University are making their voices heard.

Who gets to decide how “true rape victims” behave, anyway?

Many famous leakers of military and governmental secrets have acted on principle. The alleged Discord leaker, Jack Teixeira, is not among them.

GOP voters are telling you what they want. Plus: Self-examination in the aftermath of COVID.

It may seem crazy for a governor to wildly attack one of his state’s major employers—but you gotta understand MAGA logic.

I love science-fiction series like “The Man in the High Castle” because they force us to question our ingrained assumption that history was always ordained to turn out as it did. It was set in 1950’s…

What MTG's comments about real and fake parents reveal about how the hard right views the family and the nation

A moment of post-Tucker sanity?

Application security issues found by Assetnote

Well, this has certainly been a wild week. Last Sunday, I posted a summary of some key environmental impacts to look out for during SpaceX’s first launch of Starship Superheavy from Boca Chica, Texas. The post did really well in the following days; it racked up a view count in the ~25k range, a big success for a Substack like mine.

Remember when the Massachusetts Democrat ran for president? Her campaign’s problems perfectly mirror Meatball Ron’s.

Plus: Anti-anti-Tuckerism.

Resist the temptation to downplay the danger or normalize the GOP’s recklessness.

The anti-anti-Carlson crowd sings his praises.