'Leaders have dived into the political fray to protect their wealth'

'Technology companies would be more benign if they were owned and governed by their users'

Hans Taparia and Bruce Buchanan at the Los Angeles Times

A "public battle has broken out among the titans of Silicon Valley," as Elon Musk and Peter Thiel back Donald Trump for president and Reid Hoffman backs Kamala Harris. But "we should not make the mistake of thinking this is a battle over ideology or policy," say Hans Taparia and Bruce Buchanan. "It's a battle to maximize Silicon Valley's profits regardless of the consequences for society."

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'The US government has a people problem'

William Cooper at Newsweek

Many branches of the U.S. government are "failing to attract the best and the brightest," says William Cooper. Why the lack of skillful public servants? "Incumbents stay in office too long," including Joe Biden, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Mitch McConnell. But the "most powerful driving force" behind this problem is "political polarization," says Cooper. "From MAGA zealots on the right, to hardcore extremists on the left, American government is overflowing with tribalism and rage."

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'As weed has become easier to obtain, it has become harder to smoke'

Malcolm Ferguson at The Atlantic

A "strange thing has happened on the path to marijuana legalization," says Malcolm Ferguson. "Users across all ages and experience levels are noticing that a drug they once turned to for fun and relaxation now triggers existential dread and paranoia." In 2022, the federal government reported "average levels" of THC had "more than tripled compared with 25 years earlier." And this still "may understate how strong weed has gotten."

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'Why does anyone keep buying tickets to these things?'

James Max at the Financial Times

"After 15 years of bitter feuding, Oasis is reforming for a tour of huge stadium gigs," says James Max — but he will not attend. "Stadium gigs are generally awful," says Max, because they are "set up for sporting events" and the "acoustics are terrible." Their rise is a "reflection of the changing economics of the music industry. Bands used to tour so they could sell albums; now their songs are streamed for next to nothing so they can build enough interest for a big tour."

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