Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Iran War: Trump TACOs on Strait of Hormuz Fee as Blockade Starts but Again Threatens to Attack Iran Energy and Critical Infrastructure as Iran Warns of Closure of Bab el-Mandeb, Destruction of Gulf State Energy Production
Today’s Iran war news: Trump’s continued ferocity is way out of line compared to what the US can achieve. So what might transpire?
The Peculiar Notion of “Free Stuff” in Modern American Society
Because reasons, today’s post will be something different, and more personal. I will also come close to violating Horowitz’s Rule: Never generalize about your own necessarily limited experience. Joel Horowitz was my freshman sociology teacher all those many years ago. He was in his mid-thirties when he taught us, and his PhD was a second […]
Hochul Temporarily Bans New Data Centers in NY Amid Scrutiny of Climate Impacts
Mirabile dictu! New York intends to make data centers hew to more stringent pollution, water use and energy cost/impact rules.
Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – Peace Power and Arms Control
For decades, arms control has struggled against recurring cycles of fear, secrecy, and technological competition that steadily erode international agreements. This article argues that advances in satellite observation, telecommunications, and evidence integration make a fundamentally different approach possible. Rather than relying primarily on diplomatic assurances, future arms control can be supported by verifiable trust.
Knee Pain? Ragged Cartilage? Research Suggests Surgery’s Not the Best Answer
Some news you can use: on a dodgy knee procedure that while deservedly falling in popularity, is still being practiced.
Iran War: Trump Lashes Himself to Strait of Hormuz Mast With Renewed Blockade, Intensified Attacks on Iran; Oil Crunch Worsens as Iran Halt Fujairah Shipments, Houthis Threaten to Close Bab el-Mandeb
Today’s Iran war news: Trump is indeed making himself Herbert Hoover 2.0 with his latest escalation.
Will the Bank of England Ever Give Venezuela Back Its Gold?
It’s already been more than seven years since the UK confiscated Venezuela’s gold reserves, which have since more than doubled in value.
On the US-EU Productivity Debate: James Galbraith Responds to Paul Krugman
An exchange about American versus European productivity is really about the US need to substantiate its superior status.
Coffee Break: Will the Trump Admin Make OpenAI Its Lucky 31st Investment and Bailout Softbank?
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman offered the Trump regime a 5% stake. Will it become the Trump regime’s 31st buy-in in time to save SoftBank?
Trapped at Home: Climate Stress Is More Likely to Immobilize the Poor Than to Move Them
A new study argues that climate change will not produce mass migration of the poor, using debatable assumptions.
The Case of the (France-Sized) Missing Antarctic Ice
“It’s just a question of whether we’re fast enough to stretch out that loss to several thousand years versus dumb enough to keep warming the planet and seeing it collapse very quickly in a century or two.”
Iran War: What Happens When the US Hits the Limits of Escalation Options?
Today’s Iran war news: The current escalatory trajectory is set to lead only to bad outcomes, yet complacency seems widespread.
