The Wee Ones

I've long been curious about the beliefs that there are beings among us too small, fast or otherwise elusive to qualify as real. 

Recently, exploring a collection of ancient English folktales, I happened upon an extensive list of supernatural beings that have come down to us through the centuries:

Boggles, bloddy-bones, ignis fatui, brownies, bugbears, shelycoats, scrags, breaknecks, fantasms, boggy-boes, dobbies, hobthrusts, fetches, kelpies, warlocks, mock-beggars, mum-pokers, urchins, satyrs, pans, fauns, and on and on, ten times as many names as these.

People have often claimed that these tiny creatures explain the odd twists of fate that otherwise defy explanation.

Many modern classics, including Tolkien's "Hobbit" and J.K. Rowling’s "Harry Potter," have tapped into the ancient British superstitions to create new fictional worlds.

When it comes to journalists, all we have are mysterious shadows and unanswered questions. But somewhere deep in our soul, we may hope that magic exists, and that angels watch over us as we fall, urging us to rise again, and tell our stories in a more hopeful vein, one that just might inspire yet another generation to find its own magical voice.

HEADLINES:

• Iran exposes Donald Trump’s pressure point (Reuters)

• Iran, US still ‘far’ from breakthrough amid Strait of Hormuz impasse (Al Jazeera)

• Trump accuses Iran of violating ceasefire with Strait of Hormuz ship attacks (NBC)

• Iran closes Strait of Hormuz again over US blockade and fires on ships (AP)

• Lebanon president says country is no longer a pawn amid Israel ceasefire (Al Jazeera)

• The FBI Director Is MIA (Atlantic)

• The birth of the Supreme Court’s shadow docket has long been a mystery. (NYT)

• Exposing a Global Surveillance Empire (Reveal)

• Meta plans to lay off 10% of its workforce in May, according to report (NBC)

• Ukraine Has Finally Given Up on Trump (Atlantic)

• Food crisis worsens as Sudan war drags on (Reuters)

• ‘We should absolutely be concerned about non-college-educated men today’: higher rents, living at home, falling out of the labor market (Fortune)

• Saving a Lost Generation of Young Men—with Chop Saws (New Yorker)

• Stanford scientists discover “natural Ozempic” without side effects (ScienceAlert)

• Make America Sober Again (BI)

• The AI Doomers Who Are Playing With Fire (Gizmodo)

• Language models transmit behavioural traits through hidden signals in data (Nature)

• There’s an ‘art’ to writing AI prompts for personal finance, MIT professor says (CNBC)

• Inside a growing movement warning AI could turn on humanity (WP)

• Amazon uses AI to aid early-stage drug discovery (Reuters)

• How Do You Measure an A.I. Boom? (NYT)

• Sabrina Carpenter Turns Body Fully Inside Out In Horrific New ‘Juno’ Position (Onion)

The Next Episode

One of the features of a President who conducts his business like it’s a reality TV show is we are always left guessing about the next episode of his stories without ends.

Take Trump’s war on Iran.

It bounces back and forth. Is it on? Is it off? 

Who knows? Certainly not Trump.

He has already declared victory more times than he’s denounced the Pope. But in actuality, it appears that the way this sordid affair will probably end is more or less back where we were before the bombing began. 

But with thousands of people dead and millions displaced.

If reports prove true, Trump is considering releasing up to $20 billion in frozen Iranian assets in exchange for some or all of the enriched uranium, which may sound to inattentive ears like a reasonable enough deal on its face.

But mind you, this is strikingly similar to the deal Obama negotiated when he freed up $1.7 billion in frozen Iranian assets in exchange for a halt in that country’s uranium enrichment efforts years ago.

Trump tore up Obama’s deal, denouncing it in the most salacious of terms. He said Obama withdrew lovely green dollars from this country’s banks and flew them over in 747s to hand over to the greedy Anatollahs.

Now Trump is offering to do essentially the same thing but at a much higher cost in blood and money. Tellingly, he now calls his whole Iranian adventure a “transaction.” 

Stay tuned, if you can stomach it. He will no doubt eventually hail himself as having “ended” yet another war. 

Hypocrisy never goes out of style in reality TV.

HEADLINES:

• Iran’s Military Says It Has Reimposed ‘Strict Control’ of Strait of Hormuz (NYT)

• Oil plunges 13%, Dow soars 1,000 points on Friday after Iran says Strait of Hormuz is ‘completely open’ during ceasefire (CNN)

• France and Britain will chair a meeting of around 40 countries aimed at signaling to the US that some of its closest allies are ready to ‌play a role in restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz once conditions allow. (Reuters)

• Acting ICE director says he’s resigning amid record-breaking shutdown (NPR)

• The latest Democratic special election win adds to GOP leaders’ headaches (MS.NOW)

• Supreme Court gives oil and gas companies win in Louisiana environmental lawsuit (PBS)

• Trump administration deepens quest to stamp out the events of Jan. 6 (WP)

• Three things to know about FISA Section 702: Congress passes short-term extension of controversial surveillance program (CNBC)

• Georgia Republican says ouster of Gen. George will have ‘chilling effect’ on military (The Hill)

• Drone wars: The strategic convergence between Ukraine and Iran (CNN)

• Ukraine’s army evolves under fire, with new units challenging Soviet legacy (AP)

• Zuckerberg Is Dangerously Close To Cracking Google’s Money Machine (Benzinga)

• A vital system of Atlantic Ocean currents is weakening and closer to collapse than thought, new studies find (CNN)

• The A.I. Writing Panic Is Completely Missing the Point (Slate)

• AI Drafting My Stories? Over My Dead Body (Wired)

• It’s Getting Harder to Spot AI in Contemporary Publishing. And That’s Very, Very Bad. (Literary Hub)

• Anthropic CEO heads to White House amid hacking fears over new AI model (WP)

• Amazon’s AI boom is creating a mess of duplicate tools and data (BI)

• What most predictions miss about AI job loss (WP)

• Man Torn Over Which Shirt Worthy Of Wooden Hanger (Onion)

 

Don't Stop Writing

In the Age of AI, it may sound quaint, but when I used to teach writing courses, I recommended that students write every single day, 365 days of the year.

For those who find writing to be a challenge, that sounds like a pretty harsh assignment. Even for those to whom writing comes more easily, it may sound extreme.

But my reasoning (and my experience) is that making writing part of your daily exercise routine will pay dividends over time. And only over time can you expect to improve; with writing there are no instant fixes.

Enter artificial intelligence. Now, students can and are taking advantage of this technology to replace the work of learning the craft or writing with robot-generated texts.

It would appear that old writing teachers like me have lost the battle — definitively.

But wait! There is new evidence that living the more friction-less life AI offers is bad for your cognitive function. This is one of those “use it or lose it” situations.

According to neurologists interviewed by the Washington Post, “Making life harder sounds deeply unfun, but it might be good for your cognitive function.” Also:

“The brain’s No. 1 job is to help you survive.”. 

The article continues: “Throughout your daily routines, the brain conducts a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether a choice is worthwhile. Challenges require more energy, so, whenever possible, the brain prefers ease to difficulty. The brain also responds to rewards, such as the dopamine hit that comes with instant gratification (whether easy entertainment during a social media scroll or a perfectly written text message courtesy of Claude, the artificial intelligence chatbot).”

Also: “In a 2025 study, researchers looked at 580 university students, 57 percent of whom used AI on a daily basis while the rest used it several times a week. They found greater AI use was linked to a reduction in critical thinking skills, possibly because of an association with cognitive fatigue — a depletion of mental resources essential for complex thinking. In another 2025 study, which looked at 666 people of diverse ages and educational backgrounds, a researcher found that AI was linked to a reduction in critical thinking skills. Cognitive off-loading, which is essentially using tools to reduce the cognitive load on your working memory, might impair the ability to engage in deep reflection.”

The good news is that by adding friction to your daily routines, this cognitive decline can probably be reversed. Here are five ways listed by the Post:

1. Try puzzles and games you’re not good at.

2. Learn something new.

3. Cook a recipe.

4. See a friend in person.

5. Don’t look up the answer.

***

To these five, I would add a sixth: 

Write something, perhaps just a page per day.

It will work wonders over time.

(Thanks to Leslie for pointing me to this excellent article.)

HEADLINES:

• Trump announces ceasefire in Lebanon and voices confidence an Iran deal will follow (CNN)

• Iran declares Strait of Hormuz open to shipping; Trump says U.S. blockade still active (CNBC)

• Why a U.S. blockade on Iran seems to be working (PBS)

• Pope criticises ‘tyrants’ who spend billions on wars after Trump spat (BBC)

• Trump tests loyalty of Christian supporters as erratic behavior escalates (WP)

• It’s Not Just Iran. Trump Is Flailing on Multiple Fronts. (Atlantic)

• ICE agent charged with assault and accused of pointing a gun at civilians in Minnesota (NBC)

• The Clever New Lawsuit That Could Finally End ICE’s Reign of Terror in Blue States (Slate)

• Largely secret donors pour millions into election that could tip Congress (WP)

• Pentagon approaches automakers, manufacturers to boost weapons production, (WSJ)

• Federal judge sets new limits on Trump ballroom construction (WP)

• History is Running Backwards (Atlantic)

• Dumped by Trump (Bulwark)

• More than a quarter of private colleges are at risk of closing, a new projection shows (NPR)

• Google’s New Model Makes Robotic Brains Slightly Smarter (The Information)

• Claude Mythos Isn’t Just A PR Stunt, It’s The New Face Of Offensive AI (Forbes)

• That Meeting You Hate May Keep A.I. From Stealing Your Job (NYT)

• As people increasingly turn to artificial intelligence for advice, some US lawyers are telling their clients not to treat AI chatbots like trusted confidants when their freedom or legal liability is on the line. (Reuters)

• Increased Work Commitments Causing Man To Neglect Alcohol (Onion)

Unknown Hero

While growing up, none of us learned about Elizebeth Smith Friedman, the Quaker girl from the Midwest who was in fact one of our greatest national heroes. We didn’t know that she had cracked German codes during World War I, helping the Allies to win that terrible conflict, then returned to her role as codebreaker to play a key role in defeating the Nazis in World War II.

In between the wars, she briefly received some press attention for helping authorities bust major gangsters, including Al Capone, but I don’t recall ever hearing about that in my childhood either.

One reason her work was ignored is that an egomaniacal publicity seeker named J. Edgar Hoover had claimed all the credit in the high-profile mobster arrests. We all learned Hoover’s version of the mobster wars and how his G-men had brought the criminals to justice.

Another reason was sexism. Women almost never got the credit they deserved for heroic deeds in the first 70 years of the 20th century; the men holding power in every sector of public life, including the press, made sure of that.

Not that Elizebeth worried too much about such matters herself. A modest person, self-contained, she didn’t much like the limelight.

But her crowning achievement — cracking ever more sophisticated German codes during World War II — remained completely hidden, secret from my generation when we were growing up largely because all of those involved, including Friedman, had to sign pledges that they would never speak of their work as long as they lived.

Friedman kept that pledge. She died in 1980.

Meanwhile, the insufferable Hoover was not required to sign any such pledge so he again took all the credit for busting the German spy rings during the war, embellishing his legend as well as that of his beloved FBI and ignoring the true heroes.

Only when long-classified records of the war-time code-breaking work done by Elizebeth and the small unit she created were declassified in 2000 did her role finally begin to come out into the open.

Even then, it took a sustained effort by a few scholars and activists, mostly women, to begin to get Elizebeth Smith Friedman a modicum of the posthumous credit she so richly deserves.

Ultimately, though, history has a way of evening out the playing field, doesn’t it? Engulfed by scandal at his death, today J. Edgar Hoover is widely remembered as a monumental jerk, although he does have a building named after him. Meanwhile, Elizebeth’s legacy has only recently started emerging but she already has a couple of reading rooms named in her honor.

For some revisionist history that is very much worth knowing, I recommend Jason Fagone’s The Woman Who Smashed Codes for those who wish to know more.

HEADLINES:

• Commercial Ships Transit Strait of Hormuz as U.S. Blockades Iran’s Ports (WSJ)

• U.S. says Hormuz blockade ‘fully implemented,’ while signaling diplomatic off-ramp for Iran (CNBC)

• Israel and Hezbollah continue attacks after Israel-Lebanon talks in US (BBC)

• GOP senators grow uncomfortable with Trump rhetoric, endgame for Iran (The Hill)

• After Trump’s latest broadside, pope says ‘world needs to hear’ message of peace (CNN)

• Labor Dept. Investigates Texts Among Secretary’s Family and Staff (NYT)

• How Eric Swalwell rose to the top of Democratic politics as rumors followed him (WP)

• Swalwell’s Exit Injects ‘Chaos’ Into California Governor’s Race (NYT)

• The Nationalist Right Isn’t Taking Orbán’s Loss Well (Bulwark)

• Trump threats cause dilemma for US officers: disobey orders or commit war crimes (Guardian)

• Trump threatens to fire Powell, won’t halt probe of Fed renovations (WP)

• Here’s exactly how I spot a liar, says ex-CIA officer: It can be very ‘revealing’ (CNBC)

• America’s Insane Tax-Filing Process (Atlantic)

• Drop in immigrant tax filings may cost government billions as IRS shares data with ICE (WP)

• Teens’ Experiences on TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat (Pew)

• New technique makes AI models leaner and faster while they’re still learning (MIT)

• Why Anthropic and OpenAI are locking up their latest models (Economist)

• Can you spot a fake political ad? AI is making it harder. (WP)

• NFL Announces Multiple Games Next Season To Be Played Across Ancient History (Onion)

Another Ring on the Tree Trunk

So Tuesday was my 79th birthday, a time to look back and remember. This caused a certain degree of angst over regrets, actions both taken and not taken.

I’m also proud of certain things. Being a father six times over and a grandfather.

And of my career as a journalist.

It started small, as a freshman in college writing for the sports page of my college paper.

But it soon grew into a life-long passion for covering the use and abuse of power in all its manifestations.

I also am happy about more peaceful things — art, music, literature, nature. A friend from long ago sent me the first birthday message of my day. She wrote: “Despite destructive humans, nature keeps nurturing and spring is here. I saw a fox and a pheasant in the yard today. :)”

I liked that.

HEADLINES:

• U.S. Oil Blockade Is Set to Boost American Exports—and Prices at the Pump (WSJ)

• Why geography gives Iran an edge in the Strait of Hormuz (WP)

• Middle East War Will Slow Global Economic Growth, I.M.F. Warns (NYT)

• Orbán Was First. Trump Is Next. (Bulwark)

• Trump’s Erratic Behavior and Extreme Comments Revive Mental Health Debate (NYT)

• The International Committee of the Red Cross said it was deeply concerned by attacks on medical workers in Lebanon after a deadly strike on a Red Cross center in the country and the death of a volunteer a day ‌earlier. (Reuters)

• Woman says Swalwell drugged and raped her; plans to file police report (MS)

• Hegseth’s Unholy War (Atlantic)

• Trump family deal spree could open door for future presidents to profit from office (AP)

• Catholic Vance Breaks Silence on Trump’s Jesus-Like Image Amid Outcry From Other Conservatives (Time)

• How Trump’s Jesus-like image and feud with the Pope are sparking backlash (BBC)

• Most feel taxes are too high despite Trump’s tax changes, polls show (AP)

• Anti-MAGA Rocker Slams Trump With Savage New Title (Daily Beast)

• French woman, 86, held by ICE after moving to US to reunite with long-lost love (BBC)

• Engagement” is a dumb metric (BI)

• CEOs are betting AI will augment work rather than displace all workers (CNBC)

• Anthropic Mythos And Embracing The AI ‘Bugmageddon’ (Forbes)

• The attacks on Sam Altman are a warning for the AI world (Verge)

• Pentagon Develops Tactical Zoot Suit (Onion)

Tuesday Mix

 (Please support my friend and colleague, Mark Fiore, by visiting his page on Substack.)

HEADLINES:

• Donald Trump’s blockade of Hormuz is a dangerous gamble (Economist)

• Iran Proposes Suspending Nuclear Activity for Up to 5 Years (NYT)

• Live updates: Trump vows to ‘kill’ Iranian warships that get near US blockade of ports (AP)

• U.S. naval blockade on Iran will trigger a currency devaluation spiral and hyperinflation, potentially ending the war more quickly, analyst says (Fortune)

• Trump’s promised naval blockade of Iran threatens to worsen energy crisis (WP)

• How the US Navy could blockade Iran’s ports and sweep mines from the Strait of Hormuz (CNN)

• In Pakistan Talks, Iran Saw a U.S. Trying to Dictate, Not Negotiate (NYT)

• Pope Leo says he does not fear Trump, citing Gospel as he pushes back in feud over Iran war (AP)

• Orbán era swept away by Péter Magyar’s Hungary election landslide (BBC)

• Illiberalism Is Not Inevitable (Atlantic)

• MAGA International Goes Down in Flames (Bulwark)

• Tony Gonzales, a Texas Congressman, Says He Will Resign (NYT)

• Eric Swalwell resigns from Congress (WP)

• How California Democrats Got Behind Swalwell — and Quickly Abandoned Him (NYT)

• Small talk is good for us. Many underestimate how much we’ll enjoy it, study finds. (NBC)

• Hollywood Heavyweights Sign Letter Opposing Paramount’s Deal for Warner Bros. (NYT)

• Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly building an AI clone to replace him in meetings (Verge)

• Inside the AI Index: 12 Takeaways from the 2026 Report (Stanford)

• AI detectors are hurting honest students. Schools should ban them. (WP)

• As AI use increases at work, many employees still avoid it, Gallup poll finds (AP)

• Mutually Automated Destruction: The Escalating Global A.I. Arms Race (NYT)

• The U.S. military is missing out because of Hegseth’s war on Anthropic (WP)

• Man Who Threw Molotov Cocktail At Sam Altman’s Home Claims He Was Following ChatGPT Recipe For Risotto (Onion)

Monday Mix

HEADLINES:

• Judge dismisses Trump $10B defamation lawsuit against Murdoch, WSJ about Epstein letter (CNBC)

• Pope Leo says he has ‘no fear’ after Trump labels him ‘weak’ and ‘terrible’ in feud over Iran war (NBC)

• Why Trump is threatening to blockade a strait that Iran is already blockading (CNN)

• Starmer says UK will not support US blockade of Strait of Hormuz (Al Jazeera)

• Hungary election: Trump ally Viktor Orbán concedes defeat after 16 years as prime minister (CNN)

• Hungary’s Orban, Beacon to the Right, Concedes Election Defeat (NYT)

• ‘Everything is gone’: Israel destroys entire villages in Lebanon (Guardian)

• Iranians left disappointed but defiant after failure of peace talks with US (AP)

• Iran Has Thousands of Missiles and Could Retrieve Launchers, U.S. Intelligence Finds (WSJ)

• Fees for seas: a history of taxing waterways (FT)

• 21 Hours in Pakistan: How Vance Tried and Failed to End a War He Opposed (NYT)

• China, Iran weaponized global economy to beat U.S. at its own game (WP)

• Ex-CIA director calls for ousting Trump: ‘25th amendment was written with him in mind’ (Guardian)

• Swalwell Suspends Campaign for California Governor Amid Sexual Assault Accusations (NYT)

• Some House members say they’ll vote to expel Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales (NBC)

• What spending probes at DHS reveal about Kristi Noem’s time in office (WP)

• Years of drought has major energy port of Corpus Christi, Texas, wrestling with water crisis (AP)

• China says it will resume some ties with Taiwan after visit by opposition leader (Politico)

• Where Does Our Free Time Go in Retirement? Too Often, It’s Social Media (WSJ)

• America’s new retirement age (BI)

• ‘There’s a lot of desperation’: skilled older workers turn to AI training to stay afloat (Guardian)

• How AI is getting better at finding security holes (NPR)

• CBS Announces Retirement Of Longtime Masters Commentators Captain Cooter And The Gooch (Onion)