Marijuana opponents used to refer to it as a gateway drug. To the extent that was true, it was mostly a gateway to Doritos. But as pot has gone mainstream and the number of users has gotten, like, totally high, researchers are finding that marijuana can be a gateway to more and more marijuana — and for a subsection of partakers, that heavy usage is leading to significant issues, including addiction, severe vomiting, delusions, paranoia and other symptoms of psychosis. These maladies are likely related to the increasing potency of the strains and the overly chronic use of the chronic. NYT (Gift Article): As America’s Marijuana Use Grows, So Do the Harms. Is this really a widespread problem that means we should spend a lot of time worrying about weed? I'm a little doobie-ous ... both about the risk of marijuana and its ever-growing list of supposed benefits.

+ Pot has become more popular, more corporate, and more accepted. Does that also make it less fun? "Widespread legalization has created a polished new market for cannabis products — one that’s trendy, spalike and weirdly unfun." NYT(Gift Article): Cannabis Has Become Upscale Chic. I Miss the Old Red-Eyed Stoners. (They're not gone, they're just micro-dosing psychedelics.)

2

The Loss, The Pos, and The Boss

"Much of the special counsel’s filing recounts the tumultuous months after the November election, when Trump — surrounded by allies including Steve Bannon, his former campaign manager turned podcast host, who is now in jail after a contempt of Congress conviction — directed his team to fight to keep him in office. The former president, indicted on criminal charges in the conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election, called the new filing “election interference” and has sought to have the case dismissed." Filing in Trump case details remarkable schism with Pence over rejecting 2020 election loss. (How dare they release details of a candidate’s efforts to overthrow an election during an election he’s planning to try to overthrow.)

+ The 165 brief is remarkably damning. As was what all of us saw with our own eyes during the period leading up to Jan 6. 11 damning details in Jack Smith’s new brief in the Trump election case.

+ Will the surfacing of Jan 6 as a top election issue make a difference? I think the best case would be that it would motivate top GOPers like Romney and George W Bush to actually endorse Kamala and, like the much more courageous Liz Cheney, get into the fight to save American democracy. It won't shake Trump's supporters. They're not worried about Trump stealing elections. They're worried about fraud from the side that doesn't try to steal them. Driven by Republicans, most Americans are concerned about fraud in the 2024 election.

+ Meanwhile, at least the Dems just won the house. Not the House of Representatives. My house. Taylor Swift's endorsement took care of my daughter's downstairs floor of the house. And Bruce Springsteen just took care of the upstairs. His endorsement of Kamala and warnings about Trump are some of his best lyrics.

3

Talking 'Bout My Url

"One time, he messaged her to suggest they go out for Italian food. He was thrilled when she texted back, saying it sounded like a great idea and that she’d love to join him. But then she added another, more confounding comment: 'I think I’ll order some fajitas.'" Yes, there are some downsides to dating a bot. But apparently there are upsides, too, because a lot of people are pretty into it. Esquire: The Perfect Girlfriend. "Flirty, sexy, seductive, supportive. Your AI companion can be whatever you want her to be. And now a growing number of men are turning to bots to ease their loneliness or satisfy their kinks. The choices are endless. The emotions are real." (I thought the whole point was that the emotions are not real. I wonder if technology peaked with the inflatable doll...)

4

Weekend Whats

What to Watch: Tell Me Lies on Hulu is a nighttime soap opera-like show that features a cast of college students who all seem pretty terrible (to each other, and in general). In other words, it's a really fun watch. From the dorm room size to the near constant sex, the show bears (bares) no resemblance to my college experience. I suppose it's never too late for grad school?

+ What to Movie: "Tech billionaire Slater King invites waitress Frida to join him and his friends on an island vacation. As the wild nights blend into sun-soaked days, the guests suspect something is off." (Spoiler alert: Something is off.) Blink Twice is a really good thriller with some solid social criticism. Check it out on Amazon or your movie service of choice.

+ What to Read: "We are witnessing the biggest upheaval in college sports history. Some annual college athletic budgets surge past $200 million. Television contracts balloon into the billions. Conference alliances are erased and redrawn as with an Etch A Sketch. Players transfer from school to school, mercenaries open to the highest bidders. The organizational scaffolding of the NCAA, fussy and obsolete, is in a useless pile." The always excellent John Branch in the NYT: What Does College Football Have to Do With College? (My answer depends on whether or not Cal beats Miami on Saturday night.)

5

Extra, Extra

Dock Pay: "The White House had faced mounting pressure from House Republicans and hundreds of industry groups to intervene. They warned of widespread harm to supply chains and the broader economy if the strike was allowed to continue. But President Biden repeatedly vowed to let the collective bargaining process play out." It was the right move. Port strikes end with deal on wages, averting economic disaster. (So there's no need to panic buy toilet paper. Oh, and there never was a need. But after 2020, no one can really blame you if you scored a few rolls.) And the economic hits just keep coming. US adds a robust 254,000 jobs and unemployment dips to 4.1% in sign of still-sturdy labor market.

+ Houthis Targeted: "The U.S. military struck more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, going after weapons systems, bases and other equipment belonging to the Iranian-backed rebels." (Israel isn't the only country that seems to be a lot less concerned about Iran's responses.) Meanwhile, Israel targets potential Hezbollah successor in Beirut airstrike.

+ Ploy Stick: "After decades of relying on buttons, switches, and toggles, the Pentagon has embraced simple, ergonomic video-game-style controllers already familiar to millions of potential recruits." Wired: This Video Game Controller Has Become the US Military’s Weapon of Choice. (Now I finally realize why my wife has been playing Zelda for all these years. I'm clearly in danger.)

+ The Defiant One: "I am convinced you would do it all over again if you could. You’re as defiant as any defendant this court has ever seen." Former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters sentenced to 9 years for voting data scheme. (Turns out trying to overturn elections is actually a crime...)

+ Elon's Transition: "People close to Musk said his estrangement from his daughter, which he blames on 'woke' indoctrination, led to his political awakening as a Republican ... "I lost my son, essentially...So I vowed to destroy the woke mind virus after that, and we’re making some progress.'" (In addition to being dangerous, Elon Musk's transition to being a falsehood spreading leader of the far right is quite sad.) WSJ (Gift Article): Elon Musk Gave Tens of Millions to Republican Causes Far Earlier Than Previously Known.

+ College Drop-in: "As kids settle in at college, moms and dads used to monitoring them struggle on the sidelines." WSJ (Gift Article): Surveillance Parents Face the Ultimate Firewall: Freshman Year. (We recently dropped off my son at college. He, however, forgot to turn off location on his phone. So our stalking continues unabated. During Family Weekend, my wife and I just have to avoid making it obvious that we already know our way around campus.)

6

Feel Good Friday

"Experts have welcomed news of a reported drop in overdose deaths in the US and say they are cautiously optimistic about the downward trend."

+ Healthier rice variety could counter rise in diabetes, Philippine scientists say.

+ Policeman orders out-of-control car to crash into his vehicle. Later... Teen reunites with trooper who saved his life during runaway car incident.

+ "In Kenya, HIV health messages don't always get through to young people. So a project funded by the Elton John Aids Foundation is using the drone company Zipline to send HIV drugs and testing kits to concerts and football matches."

+ A junk dealer found a painting in a basement. Experts say it’s an original Picasso.