American democracy just took another knee to the caucus. Yes, we knew an easy Trump victory was coming. Yes, we've long known that a Biden-Trump redux was in the cards. But that somehow didn't ease the PTSD of waking up to another morning of Trump headlines and the sad reality that one of America's political parties has lined up behind a reality-denying seditionist with a rap sheet long enough to cover Dwight Schrute's sales nut for a year. But here's the reality of the campaign path down which we've now embarked. This election will be disturbingly close. It will be decided by a few hundred thousand voters in a handful of states. No matter how loud you yell, none of them will hear you. And those who are trying to shape those opinions know full well that yelling doesn't work. I don't have the mind (and I definitely don't have the stomach) to parse through all the details of the Iowa caucus results. But some things to keep an eye on include Trump's dominance among evangelical voters (from school boards to SCOTUS, there's a religious war happening in America), the Big Lie's continued efficacy (a Majority of Iowa GOP caucus-goers don’t believe Biden legitimately won in 2020), the chasm between voters of different education levels, and the fact that there is a depressingly small but quite meaningful chunk of GOP voters who find Trump unfit (including a majority of Iowa Haley backers who say they'd jump to Biden if Trump is the nominee). That chunk will grow with any conviction. Ron Brownstein in The Atlantic (Gift Article) breaks it all down: What Trump’s Victory in Iowa Reveals.

+ While you're stressing about another year of Trump news, he's busy with his latest court appearance. What to watch for in the second E. Jean Carroll defamation case.

2

The Star and David

The New Yorker's David Remnick with an illuminating report from Israel. The Price of Netanyahu’s Ambition. "Amid war with Hamas, a hostage crisis, the devastation of Gaza, and Israel’s splintering identity, the Prime Minister seems unable to distinguish between his own interests and his country’s." (Sadly, the current iteration of Bibi is quite able to distinguish between his own interests and his country's. And he always picks the same side.)

+ Biden running out of patience with Bibi as Gaza war hits 100 days.

+ More than Bibi, Biden is worried about the war spreading. "The two U.S. Navy SEALs missing in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia were on a mission to board a dhow that led to the seizure of Iranian-made ballistic and cruise missile components headed to Houthi militants in Yemen." And the US carried out additional strikes against Houthis in Yemen. To complicate matters even more... Pakistan condemns an attack by Iran, and says it killed 2 children and wounded 3 people.

3

This is Forty (at Ninety)

"in many ways, he’s an exemplar of fit, healthy aging — a nonagenarian with the heart, muscles and lungs of someone less than half his age. But in other ways, he’s ordinary: a onetime baker and battery maker with creaky knees who didn’t take up regular exercise until he was in his 70s and who still trains mostly in his backyard shed. Even though his fitness routine began later in life, he has now rowed the equivalent of almost 10 times around the globe and has won four world championships. So what, the researchers wondered, did his late-life exercise do for his aging body?" WaPo (Gift Article): At 93, he’s as fit as a 40-year-old. His body offers lessons on aging. (Once I hit 90, every day is gonna be a cheat day.)

4

Hot Threesome

The Emmys were so delayed by Hollywood strikes that some shows up for awards have already broadcast entirely new seasons by now. Three shows completely dominated the night. Succession, The Bear, and Beef. If you think about those shows, that's a hell of a lot of red meat. Here are all the winners, the snubs and surprises, and the red carpet looks (not that you're into that kind of thing).

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Extra, Extra

Swiss Bank Accounts: "The wealthiest 1 percent own 43 percent of all global financial assets." Oxfam Inequality Report Highlights Wealth Divide As Davos Begins.

+ Islands in the Scheme: "Charles Darwin described it as the most desolate of the Galápagos Islands, an almost extraterrestrial outpost crawling with giant tortoises and marine iguanas found nowhere else in the world, where smoke curled out of volcanic craters and lava flowed black." But Darwin left before the cartels arrived. WaPo (Gift Article): How drug traffickers made the Galápagos Islands their gas station.

+ Forge Ahead: "Sam is afraid of some of his machines in the way that the lion tamer is afraid of his cats. You are confident. You know your skills. You have been doing this a long time. But you know that wild animals are always wild animals, and a false gesture, perhaps an unexpected noise, could set in motion events that could not be stopped. This pact requires utter honesty, complete truth. Sam is harnessing powers that few of us ever encounter in our lives. He’s directing them in order to reach down inside of this deck of tarot cards and transform the very atomic nature of its being. He’s doing what sorcerers do: magic." Chicago Mag: A Knife Forged in Fire.

+ Hi Fi Fo Fum: "To minimize hum and potential electrical interference, Fritz outfitted the room with its own 200-amp electrical system and HVAC system, independent from the rest of the house." On one hand, that sounds crazy. On the other hand, it sounds like a lot of audiophiles (or other passionate hobbyests), just more. WaPo (Gift Article): He spent his life building a $1 million stereo. The real cost was unfathomable. (I guess I'm lucky. My passion is researching products I'm too talentless to build and too cheap to buy.)

6

Bottom of the News

"When I put on my uniform, I serve and I represent our country. When I put on the crown and sash, I'm serving, representing my community." And she's strapped with a lot more than a sash. Active Duty US Air Force Officer Makes History as Miss America.

+ If you're in the mood, here are a couple hundred movie insults.