Squirrel & Apple

When the news becomes beyond bad, close to overwhelming, I don’t know about you but I turn my attention to small things, things more in my immediate control. Like watching a squirrel outside my window hold an apple in its paws, munching away.

A squirrel eating an apple is something I can wrap my mind around, unlike a war, impending climate change or a wannabe dictator.

My daughter said she watched a squirrel pick a lemon from one of our trees, however, and I do wonder what that was about. Maybe to make some lemonade?

Seriously, the news is relentlessly bad these days, and it’s unlikely to improve soon. There is still a small hope that negotiations can return the hostages and delay war but I doubt it.

Meanwhile, I’m keeping an eye out for that squirrel.

HEADLINES

• JP Morgan CEO warns world may be facing ‘most dangerous time’ in decades — Jamie Dimon says Israel-Gaza conflict may have ‘far-reaching impacts’ on energy prices, food costs and international trade (Guardian)

• A troubled world economy points to global catastrophe (The Hill)

• Residents flee Gaza City as Israel tells 1.1mn to leave (Financial Times)

• U.N. warns evacuation will have ‘devastating’ results (WP)

• After Israel visit, lawmakers see big role for U.S. military in Hamas conflict (Politico)

• Hamas says 70 people, mostly women and children, killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza’s fleeing convoys (AP)

• Trump’s turn against Israel offers stark reminder of what his diplomacy looks like (CNN)

• As Deaths Soar in Gaza From Israeli Strikes, Egypt Offers Aid, but No Exit (NYT)

• Doctors in Gaza describe the war's devastating impact on hospitals and health care (NPR)

• Humanitarian groups issuing increasingly dire warnings (WP)

• House GOP picks Jim Jordan as speaker nominee amid leadership crisis (CNN)

• With Scalise out, all eyes on Jim Jordan in chaotic House speaker race (ABC)

• Top House Republican Wants Help From Democrats to Pick a Speaker (Bloomberg)

• Finding a Tech Job Is Still a Nightmare (Wired)

• Aging in America Shouldn’t Be This Hard (Nation)

• Flying Cars Are Here - And You Can Buy This One For Less Than $100,000 (Forbes)

• Michigan Is The No. 1 Team In The Country (SI)

• How ChatGPT and other AI tools could disrupt scientific publishing (Nature)

• Dumbing down or wising up: how will generative AI change the way we think? (Conversation)

• Unemployed Dad Channels All His Energy Into Creating, Running Haunted House (The Onion)