Fighting Words

President Joe Biden will never be remembered as a great speechmaker even though he is currently making some of the most important speeches in the history of the republic.

Yesterday’s speech at Valley Forge was one of them.

He’s running for re-election so this was officially a campaign event, but his remarks transcended politics. They were an accurate description of the risks to the future of our democracy should his likely opponent, Donald Trump win the 2024 election.

The crowd received his words with frequent applause, none louder than when he labeled Trump a “loser,” in a distinctly Trumpian twist. I’m afraid this is an indicator of the campaign to come, because you can’t fight a bully with nice-guy tactics.

You have to call him out. In response at an event later in the day, Trump made fun of Biden as a stutterer.

I urge every citizen to watch the president’s speech and interpret it in your own way. I’ve included a link to the non-partisan CSPAN video for unbiased viewing.

HEADLINE LINKS:

• Supreme Court takes up Colorado's decision to kick Trump off its primary ballot (NPR)

• Biden warns against Trump reelection after Jan. 6 Capitol riot, a day ‘we nearly lost America’ (AP)

• The Case for Disqualifying Trump Is Strong (NYT)

• Biden aims for a Donald Trump-George Washington contrast (Politico)

• In Tense Election Year, Public Officials Face Climate of Intimidation (NYT)

• NRA chief Wayne LaPierre says he's resigning days before trial scrutinizing his leadership, spending (AP)

• Blinken Returns to Middle East as Tensions Grow With Israel (NYT)

• As Gazans return to destroyed homes, Israeli ministers push resettlement (WP)

• Shipping giant Maersk to divert vessels away from the Red Sea ‘for the foreseeable future’ (CNBC)

• Winter storm forecast to hit Northeast, mid-Atlantic with heavy snow, dangerous ice (The Hill)

• Biden Budget Chief Not Optimistic US Can Avoid Shutdown (Bloomberg)

• Biden Faces Pressure on Immigration, and Not Just From Republicans (NYT)

• Elon Musk: SpaceX needs to build Starships as often as Boeing builds 737s (Ars Technica)

• Can India, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia be the next great economies? (Economist)

• Extremism in the Military Is a Problem (Atlantic)

• Neptune and Uranus seen in true colours for first time (BBC)

• In Defense of AI Hallucinations (Wired)

• AI’s future could hinge on one thorny legal question (WP)

• Child Unreasonably Confident He’d Make A Good Horse (The Onion)

 

The Last Two

 In last night’s back-to-back town halls moderated by CNN journalists, Republican candidates Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley made their strongest pitches yet to Iowa voters.

With that state’s caucuses just days away now, the two southern politicians are the last two standing who have any chance of overtaking Donald Trump.

I doubt it will matter in the end but both have improved markedly as public speakers. They present themselves as intelligent, articulate leaders with the necessary experience to take on the most important job in the world. 

But polls show they remain far behind Trump.

Perhaps the most revealing moment for Haley was her forceful defense of U.S. support for Ukraine in the war with Russia. This came in the face of the isolationist push within her party to slow or cut off funding for Ukraine.

DeSantis was mushy on the issue. His big moment was the way he answered a canned question about the tragic death of his sister in her 30s. It was meant to show that he is capable of real feelings, given his robotic like appearance and reputation.

I thought he did a great job. (Media training works!)

Both candidates sound like war-mongers when it comes to their proposals on the border crisis and they are reliable hawks on the Middle East. Neither offers any comfort on civil rights, social justice or the environment.

At least DeSantis has toned down his anti-woke rhetoric, bringing up the topic only once, to a tepid response.

Overall, the very best thing to be said about this pair is what they would not be as president — they wouldn’t try to be dictators.

And in 2024, that is something.

HEADLINES:

• Islamic State Takes Responsibility for Deadly Bombings in Iran (NYT)

• The ‘CEO’ of Hamas Who Found the Money to Attack Israel (WSJ)

• Leader’s Killing Is a Blow, but Not a Knockout, for Hamas (NYT)

• Baghdad air strike kills commander of Iran-backed militia (Financial Times)

• Donald Trump's Colorado Defense 'Unsalvageable'—Attorney (Newsweek)

• Report: Trump businesses received $7.8 million in foreign payments during presidency (WP)

• Roger Stone’s Secret Call With Proud Boys Leader in Lead-Up to Jan. 6 (Rolling Stone)

• One attack, two interpretations: Biden and Trump both make the Jan. 6 riot a political rallying cry (AP)

• A quarter of Americans believe FBI instigated Jan. 6, poll finds (WP)

• Historians meet Biden for a White House lunch, urge him to speak out more forcefully (Politico)

• Police say 17-year-old killed a sixth grader and wounded five in Iowa school shooting (AP)

• The Future Is Bright if You Know Where to Look (WSJ)

• Wearing hearing aids could reduce your risk of dying earlier (WP)

• Quantum computing is taking on its biggest challenge: noise (Technology Review)

• Google Just Disabled Cookies for 30 Million Chrome Users. (Gizmodo)

• Siberia’s ice is melting, revealing its past and endangering its future (WP)

• Microsoft announces AI key on Windows 11 PCs (BBC)

• Firefighting robot debuted in southern Taiwan (Taiwan News)

• AI-created “virtual influencers” are stealing business from humans (Ars Technica)

• Potholes In Nice Part Of Town Filled With Italian Marble (The Onion)

Letter from Japan

As my trip begins to wrap up, I'm trying to see all of the key parts of Tokyo. But it is such an enormous city that covers so much territory here on Honshu, it really will not be possible.

I had heard of the Ginza for many years before I first visited Tokyo. My first mother-in-law told me about this central shopping district, and her memories of visiting it as she raised her children here in the '50s.

Because of her stories, I always wanted to visit Ginza. Since the '80s, when I was last here, the district lost favor among young people, who started flocking instead to other areas.

In recent years, a major effort has been undertaken to revitalize this old section of Tokyo. Now, it is the center of amazing architecture and tony international shops. Young people now flock to the area, especially if they have money. Nine out of every ten people on the street tonight were young women.

The Tokyo government built several white elephants with "Bubble" money, including the utterly amazing Tokyo International Forum. The sculptures and artwork captivated me, especially those laced with rainbow colors, like the glass balls pictured at the top of this post.

Many young and middle-aged Japanese women eat alone at the cafes near Ginza after work, as this is a major center of corporate employment in Tokyo. You can feel the sheer financial power of this country best here and in Shinjuku.

Whenever I travel anywhere, I cannot help fantasizing about moving there for a while and trying to make it as my writing home. For me, Tokyo feels like a very easy city to live in, although given my awful sense of direction, which is more properly described as the lack of any sense whatsoever of direction, I am afraid I would get easily lost on the subways here, even though every sign in every station is clearly labeled not only in Japanese but in English.

The Japanese honor their writers and poets and artists. They used to have many local coffee shops, the faded signs for which can sometimes be glimpsed here and there amidst the modern glitz. But Starbucks has taken over the market. Besides the coffee shops, there are the tiny pubs and big bookstores, with readings by authors. Any writer would feel at home here.

I know I am not talented as a photographer, and I apologize to anyone who happens to read this blog for the poor quality of my pictures. But I get so excited wherever I go, I just want to create some sort of record in images, not just in words.

All too soon, of course, I must abandon this exploration of this exotic place, and the feelings of renewal and hope that have swept over me here. It is time soon to go back home, and continue my life as one more commuter in the land of computers.

(From 2007)

HEADLINE LINKS:

• Jack Smith Keeps Telegraphing Some Seriously Scandalous Trump Crimes (Daily Beast)

• Trump’s Final Battle Has Begun (NYT)

• A right-wing tale of Michigan election fraud had it all – except proof (WP)

• New uncertainty about the Trump disqualification question further weakens our democracy (The Hill)

• A clash over Trump’s disqualification tests the Supreme Court (Economist)

• Trump towers over GOP rivals in Iowa, spurring fierce battle for second (WP)

• Rudy Giuliani Pleads for Money After Filing for Bankruptcy (Newsweek)

• Court Rules Texas Can Ban Emergency Abortions Despite Federal Guidance (NYT)

• US quietly reaches agreement with Qatar to keep operating largest military base in Middle East (CNN)

• Senior Hamas leader killed in Beirut was a key figure who patched up ties with Iran (NBC)

• Israel on alert for possible Hezbollah response after senior Hamas leader is killed in Beirut strike (AP)

• Hezbollah chief vows response after killing of a Hamas leader in Lebanon )WP)

• The War in Ukraine Is Not a Stalemate (Foreign Affairs)

• U.S. reopening 4 entry points at southern border following dramatic drop in migrant crossings (CBS)

• One year ago, Elon Musk set Twitter ablaze — now the fires are threatening his entire empire (The Hill)

• Afghan women and girls flock online to evade Taliban curbs on female education (Financial Times)

• Michigan's Rose Bowl win over Alabama is most-watched non-NFL sporting event since 2018 (Yahoo)

• Generative AI: Transforming education into a personalized, addictive learning experience (TechCrunch)

• An AI Future Is Much Shakier Than You Think (Foreign Policy)

• This could be the next sector impacted by the AI wave (The Street)

• Man Wishes Someone Else Was Around To Taste How Good His English Muffin Pizzas Turned Out (The Onion)

 

Time

 (This essay is from the early days of January 2022.)

“Time is an illusion.” — Albert Einstein

If turning the calendar over represents a time for reflection, it’s also a time for confusion. And what is “time” anyway? 

When I woke up for the first time in 2022 after going to sleep for the last time in 2021, we’d crossed a threshold I normally would have been awake for — only this time I wasn’t.

Either there’s been a marked decrease in fireworks around here or I was too deeply asleep, but the old year didn’t go out for a bang in my case. As if to punctuate that absence, a loud display of fireworks did break out in the area a couple hours later.

Maybe someone had lit an overly long fuse or was too lit himself to remember to light it on time.

Anyway, the main way we keep track of what we call “time” is by dividing it up into segments — work hours, meals, appointments, deadlines. We have to agree on these things to make our lives synchronize with those around us.

But then again it’s a different time at the same time depending where you happen to be in the world. So that requires additional coordination.

Maybe the hardest thing for modern humans to do is to float independent of time, waking and sleeping at arbitrary intervals, shaking up the clock everybody else is attentive to.

But that happens when you are very ill, or heavily medicated, or both, and it truly disrupts your consciousness. If you happen to be in an ICU, which is brightly lit, you also also don’t have the reference of natural light through a window to help you discern between night and day.

At that point you are truly lost to time.

When I was in ICUs, pretty much every other reference point that normally helps me trust my grip on reality faltered as well — the doctors and nurses who came and went became fantasy figures, dressed strangely and making odd sounds.

Images came and went — I saw things that are not there and mistook other objects for things they weren’t.

Sort of like one unending dream where I just kept trying to wake up but couldn’t.

I’m not saying this was all bad or all good but it was a state of suspension without a beginning or ending.

All of this came back to me in flashes as I slept, awoke, slept some more and awoke again as Friday became Saturday, December became January, and 2021 turned into 2022.

In the process I guess I missed the big moment.

Or I was just lost in time.

HEADLINES:

• Russia pounds Ukraine's two biggest cities in new wave of attacks (Reuters)

• At least 103 dead in bomb blasts near Iran general Qasem Soleimani's tomb - state TV (BBC)

• Top Hamas official Saleh Arouri, who headed West Bank operations, killed in Beirut blast (AP)

• Israel’s Top Court Strikes Down Move to Curb Its Powers (NYT)

• How Trump clawed back from distress to dominant Republican favorite (WP)

• Planes collide and catch fire at Japan’s busy Haneda airport, killing 5. Hundreds evacuated safely (AP)

• Putting the democratic crisis into perspective (Financial Times)

• Our own ‘war’ is a fight for democracy. Too many Americans are on the wrong side (AOL)

• In the new year, a gloomy picture for democracy — With every passing day, India is heading towards an authoritarian system in which only one person will matter and the rest, including Parliament, will have no meaning (Free Press Journal)

• Abortion debate creates ‘new era’ for state supreme court races  (AP)

• A Scientist Says Humans Were Meant to Live So Much Longer—Then the Dinosaurs Ruined It (Prevention)

• Mexican officials clear border camp as US pressure mounts to limit migrant crossings (AP)

• In 2024, Expect New Debates on A.I., Gender and Guns (NYT)

• Harvard president Claudine Gay resigns amid plagiarism claims, backlash from antisemitism testimony (AP)

• Millennials have found a way to save to buy houses: Living with mom and dad (WP)

• Welcome to the era of AI nationalism (Economist)

• When Silicon Valley’s AI warriors came to Washington (Politico)

• Tech That Will Change Your Life in 2024 (WSJ)

• Woman Not As Fun-Loving And Carefree As Pom-Pom On Winter Hat Would Suggest (The Onion)

At Dawn

Four years ago, as the year 2020 got underway, I wrote a very short entry to my personal blog called “What is January 1st Good For?” 

Here it is:

“I should have guessed this, but the first day of the year is a very good day to work on your memoir. I woke early and almost immediately began writing.

”It makes sense. You can feel the transition of the years almost physically. That is a good context for this kind of work.”

***

At the time, I was in a hospital, recovering from a series of maladies. I had as yet no inkling of just how momentous a year 2020 was to be.

First there was Covid-19, the pandemic that virtually shut our world down, setting off a wave of repercussions we are still dealing with today.

Then came the George Floyd killing by Minneapolis police and an unprecedented outpouring of anger on our streets.

Public opinion over both Covid and the nascent Black Lives Matter movement was deeply split — and the significance of that division was magnified because it was an election year.

The incumbent president, Trump, chose to fan the flames of division in his quest for re-election. His opponent, Biden, talked of unity in an almost nostalgic way. Unity seemed as distant a dream in the USA in 2020 as it does today.

After a nasty campaign, Biden won by 7 million popular votes and by an Electoral College total of 306-232. It wasn’t really very close. The better guy won, fair and square.

But we all remember what happened next — the Jan. 6th riot and Trump’s effort to disrupt the official certification of the electoral result.

***

So once again, I asked myself yesterday, what is January 1st good for? Memoir-writing? Yes, perhaps.

But it’s also a time to recount this painful recent history and to steel ourselves for another rough election battle this time around. May our better angels once again prevail.

***

I don’t really want to start off the new year on a gloomy note. I’m thankful to all of you who read these reports. Happy New Year and may it be a very good one for all of you!

HEADLINES:

• Half of Gazans Are at Risk of Starving, U.N. Warns (NYT)

• Israel says war in Gaza expected to continue throughout 2024 (BBC)

• Iran showcases its reach with militia attacks across Middle East (WP)

• Israel Plans to Withdraw Some Troops From Gaza (NYT)

• Nikki Haley’s comment on the US civil war was no gaffe (Guardian)

• Trump’s leading Republican primary challengers said in recent days that they would pardon him of any felony convictions if they were elected president. (WP)

• Elon Musk's X gets another valuation cut from Fidelity (Axios)

• Powerful earthquake hits Japan (CNN)

• Appeals Court Allows California Ban on Guns in Most Public Places to Take Effect (NYT)

• Neurons in The Brain Appear to Follow a Distinct Mathematical Pattern (ScienceAlert)

• America’s slowest population growth since Great Depression (Axios)

• Journalism profession has ‘lost its way’ — and it’s not just the New York Times  (The Hill)

• The Afghan women’s rights activist who says the world should talk to the Taliban (NBC)

• 3 scary breakthroughs AI will make in 2024 (LiveScience)

• A New Kind of AI Copy Can Fully Replicate Famous People. The Law Is Powerless. (Politico Mag)

• Decoding the Black Box of AI – Scientists Uncover Unexpected Results (SciTechDaily)

• The next act for generative AI (Financial Times)

• How Some Experts See The Future Of AI In 2024 (Forbes)

• Man Needs Verbal Assurance That Hand Stamp Will Get Him Back In (The Onion)

 

2024, amen

I had trouble sleeping so I got up much too early Sunday morning. After some puttering around, and a cup of coffee, I tuned into CNN for a minute only to discover that the new year had already arrived in Sydney.

I further learned that it would also soon be the new year in Tokyo and Seoul. On and on it would go around the globe throughout Sunday with fireworks, champagne and merry-making until all eight billion of us had welcomed in 2024.

Then again, what were we celebrating? In addition to two horrible wars, half of us on this planet live not under democracy but authoritarianism. And 2024 could well be the year that those of us living in the U.S. join that half.

In case you’ve been napping, Donald J. Trump is poised once again to claim the presidency and he has promised that on ”day one” he intends to be a dictator.

Those, as we say in my business, are the facts.

So if you are like me and don’t really relish the prospect of losing our democracy, what are you — what are we — going to do about this?

In the modern era, dictators don’t often arrive via coups; mostly they are elected. Trump’s idol Putin is an example and he’ll be re-elected in 2024.

Trump will be too unless those of us who oppose him figure out how to prevent that from occurring.

We have ten months and a few days until the election that one way or another will change the future for us, our children and grandchildren for ever and ever and ever, amen.

So let’s hope that’s enough time to figure this out.

HEADLINES:

• Russia retaliates against Ukraine after 24 killed in border city (CNN)

• Ukraine, Stalled on the Front, Steps Up Sabotage, Targeting Trains (NYT)

• Israeli strikes in central Gaza kill at least 35 as Netanyahu says war will continue for months (AP)

• How the costs of Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza are mounting (WP)

• Defying U.S. Pressure, Israel Deepens Gaza Assault (NYT)

• North Korea says it will launch three new spy satellites in 2024 (BBC)

• City of Tijuana getting ready to receive large caravan of migrants (Yahoo)

• U.S. border officials on track to process over 300,000 migrants in December, the highest monthly tally on record (CBS)

• U.S. oil production hit a record under Biden. He seldom mentions it. (WP)

• Would Keeping Trump Off the Ballot Hurt or Help Democracy? (NYT)

• With more 14th Amendment challenges to Trump expected, will US Supreme Court step in? (ABC)

• Led by Trump, GOP candidates take polarizing stances on race and history (WP)

• Mutiny Erupts in a Michigan G.O.P. Overtaken by Chaos (NYT)

• Wild turkey population is declining rapidly, puzzling scientists (Yahoo)

• The climate future arrived in 2023. It left scars across the planet. (WP)

• A year of discovery (Axios)

• How Did Companies Use Generative AI in 2023? Here’s a Look at Five Early Adopters. (WSJ)

• AI Detects Unusual Signal Hidden in a Famous Raphael Masterpiece (ScienceAlert)

• Area Dog’s Rock Bottom Same As His Peak (The Onion)

 

Banning Trump

 (Magnets by Julia)

As satisfying as it is to see various states kicking Trump off the ballot under the 14th amendment’s insurrection clause, it’s probably not a very good idea.

And although it is certainly the case, in my view, that he incited the mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6th, 2021, he has not yet been convicted of any crimes in that matter.

So it would be inconsistent to argue, as I and many others have, that no one is above the law in prosecuting Trump’s legal cases but then to sanction him in this manner before he is found guilty of any insurrection-level offense.

What is indisputable is that the former president is straining our system of laws and justice to limits it has never before experienced.

Let’s just hope that the system is strong enough to withstand the challenge.

HEADLINES:

• Airstrikes hit refugee camps in Gaza as U.S. approves new weapons sales to Israel (NPR)

• US Navy helicopters destroy Houthi boats in Red Sea after attempted hijack (BBC)

• Where Was the Israeli Military? (NYT)

• Biden administration bypasses Congress on weapons sales to Israel (Al Jazeera)

• Would Keeping Trump Off the Ballot Hurt or Help Democracy? (NYT)

• US supreme court under pressure to rule swiftly on states’ Trump ballot bans (Guardian)

• Supreme Court faces pressure to decide if Trump is on the 2024 ballot (WP)

• Trump worried conservative Supreme Court justices will rule against him on states’ ballots, says report (Independent)

• After Rise in Murders During the Pandemic, a Sharp Decline in 2023 (NYT)

• December migrant surge at Southern border largest in more than two decades as mayors call for action (CNN)

• Migrant crossings at U.S. southern border reach record monthly high in December (CBS)

• Get Ready for a ‘Tsunami’ of AI at CES (Wired)

• Microsoft's Copilot AI chatbot app arrives on iOS (Engadget)

• Naïve Woman Asking About Boyfriend’s Video Game Has No Idea Dark Precedent She’s Set (The Onion)