Friday, April 17, 2026
Iran War: Narrative Wars and Ceasefire Claims
Today’s Iran War Update: War Powers vote comes up one short, ceasefire begins in Lebanon, Italy denies U.S. use of Sicily air base.
The EU’s Digital Gulag Is (Apparently) Ready to Roll
“It is for parents to raise their children, and not the platforms.” Those were the words of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday as she announced the readiness of the EU’s online age verification, ahem, platform. As we’ve been warning since November 2024, these platforms are ultimately a Trojan Horse for digital identity […]
Home Care Workers Launch Hunger Strike as 24-Hour Work Shifts Persist
The battle over 24-hour care shifts has pitted the mostly immigrant women against vulnerable patients who rely on round-the-clock care.
The War on Iran Is to Isolate It From Its Neighbours and Curb a Rising Sunni Bloc
The War on Iran aims to break Tehran, curb a rising Sunni bloc, and secure Israeli hegemony in the Middle East. But it’s not working
Democracy Depends on Broad-Based Taxation—History Is Clear About That
How governments raise revenue, as in taxation versus slavery or external extraction, determines their accountability to citizens.
Iran War: Trump Expects Hugs From China, Israel Still Bombing Lebanon
Today’s Iran war update: Trump claims he’s opened the Strait to Chinese shipping, Israel launches the most massive attack yet on Lebanon, U.S. stocks hit record high.
Jesus Christ! Xi Jinping Is Hugging Donald Trump on the Sidelines of Three US-Israeli Genocidal Wars
Trump tries muscling Xi. Let me know how that works out.
Satyajit Das: Book Essay: Walter Benjamin – Leftist Outsider, Man of Letters
An overview of the acutely observant, enigmatic and quixotic writer and thinker, Walter Benjamin
Coffee Break: AI’s Reputational Crisis Leads to Popular Backlash and Violence
AI’s reputational crisis is triggering a massive backlash against data centers including two attacks on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and another against an Indiana city council member.
Maine Gov. Mills Urged to Sign ‘Nation-Leading’ AI Data Center Moratorium
The Maine legislature wants to hit pause on data center buildouts. The governor’s silence says she needs a big push to do the right thing.
Iran War: Pervasive Misinformation About the (So Far Successful) US Blockade; Trump Keeps Up “Negotiations Soon” Hype; Markets Become Even More Unhinged
Today’s Iran war update: the information environment has become hopelessly populated, as reporting on the blockade attests.
Economic Questions: Guy Standing and the Rise of the Precariat
Guy Standing’s notion of the precariat, and his policy observations and prescriptions.
