The Most Gullible Generation?
People occasionally ask if my kids are bothered by the fact that I include anecdotes or playful jabs about them in my newsletter. As any parent of teens could easily predict, the answer is that my kids aren’t subscribers. (If I include anecdotes about my mom, that’s another matter — she’s not only a subscriber, she regularly responds with her take on a news item with the aside, “this was interesting, maybe you should actually read the article.”) Short of tying the action to an allowance increase, I don’t expect my kids to subscribe to NextDraft anytime soon. But I seriously wish the rest of their generation would. It turns out that the most online generation is the most susceptible to misinformation. Politico Magazine: How Gen Z Became the Most Gullible Generation. “While social media may make news more accessible, there’s also little quality control to the information on the platforms. And although people of all ages are bad at detecting misinformation — which is only getting harder amid the rise of AI — members of Gen Z are particularly vulnerable to being fooled. Why? There’s a dangerous feedback loop at play. Many young people are growing deeply skeptical of institutions and more inclined toward conspiracy theories, which makes them shun mainstream news outlets and immerse themselves in narrow online communities — which then feeds them fabrications based on powerful algorithms and further deepens their distrust. It’s the kind of media consumption that differs drastically from older generations who spend far more time with mainstream media, and the consequences can be grim.” And you can be sure that Gen Alpha is no beta. This means a less informed republic, increased political polarization, and almost nothing for me to talk about with my kids (if they ever take their AirPods out). The scariest line from this article: “When it comes to fact-checking, Gen Z tends to have its own distinct method: Opening up the comment section.”
+ Meanwhile, the Trump administration is trying to squelch the influence of the few trusted media outlets we still have. And the parent companies of those media outlets seem all too willing to oblige. If you missed it yesterday, please read: The Hour is Getting Late.
Stop or I’ll Put All Caps in Your Ass
During the campaign, Trump famously said he could end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours. Well, we’re 2256 hours into his reign and his very stable art of the deal negotiating skills have been reduced to all-caps pleas to Putin. A day after the Trump administration tried to kickstart peace talks by surrendering to Russia everything it could want, Russia responded with a deadly attack on Kyiv. Trump took to social media: “Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!” (Looks like we’re gonna have to give it another 24 hours.)
+ In between efforts to try to surrender to Vladimir, Trump is getting embarrassed on the world stage by Xi, as tariff talk cratered our markets, weakened the dollar, and infuriated our allies. Don’t take it from me. Take it from the WSJ Editorial Board (Gift Article): Another harsh reality is that China called Mr. Trump’s bluff and seems to have won this round … Beijing has also warned countries not to do trade deals with the U.S. that exclude China—or else. With even U.S. allies facing Mr. Trump’s tariff assault, Beijing’s threat has resonated in a way that it never previously did. U.S. diplomatic sway is ebbing. The question going forward is whether Mr. Trump is internalizing these economic and political lessons or merely pausing to fight his trade war another day. We doubt even Mr. Trump knows the answer, since so much of his decision-making is ad hoc.”
+ Trump says the U.S. and China are ‘actively’ discussing tariffs. Beijing says that’s false. (There’s not a smart person in the world who doesn’t know who’s telling the truth. And that’s damn scary.)
+ These are just a couple examples of how much damage has been done to America’s role in the world in a short amount of time. For a great overview, quick check out this interview with Jake Sullivan. “These are the things that are uniquely American. And in less that 100 days, Trump has gone after all of them.”
Shot in the Dark
“In his short stint as health secretary, Kennedy has touted cod-liver oil as a valid measles treatment (it’s not), said that Americans are being “poisoned” by seed oils (they’re not), and claimed that ‘many’ vaccines are not adequately safety-tested (they are). And he has readily cherry-picked and exaggerated findings to suit his own needs: ‘There’s a scientist at Harvard now who is curing schizophrenia with a carnivore diet,’ he said at a press conference in March (it’s not a carnivore diet, and it’s not a cure).” The Atlantic (Gift Article): ‘This Is Not How We Do Science, Ever.’ “The Trump administration is manipulating government-sponsored research to get the answers it wants.”
+ And the timing couldn’t be worse. Measles misinformation taking hold amid outbreak.
+ WaPo: Millions of U.S. measles cases forecast over 25 years if shots decline.
Let’s Take This Offline
“A group of young men, some of whom connected on a Minecraft server, were suspected of taking a quarter of a billion dollars from an unwitting victim, setting off an incredible chain of events that involved an online network of cybercriminals, some of them teenagers; a group of independent digital detectives who track their efforts; and several law-enforcement agencies. Now, it seemed, the whole thing had culminated in the kidnapping of the Chetals — a real-world spillover from the brazen lawlessness of this expanding digital underworld and the culture that surrounds it.” NYT Magazine (Gift Article): They Stole a Quarter-Billion in Crypto and Got Caught Within a Month. “How luxury cars, $500,000 bar tabs and a mysterious kidnapping attempt helped investigators unravel the heist of a lifetime.”
+ The criminals’s key mistakes: Live-streaming the heist to friends. And not being president of the United States. Trump’s Crypto Corruption Scheme Goes into Overdrive. “In an astonishing escalation of the Trump family’s efforts to profit from crypto, a website promoting $TRUMP, the president’s so-called memecoin, announced on Wednesday that the coin’s largest buyers would be invited to meet him. The effort was, in effect, an offer of access to the White House in exchange for an investment in one of Mr. Trump’s crypto ventures.” (And you thought no one was making money in this market…)
Extra, Extra
Trad Wives: “When a male bonobo steps out of line, nearby females will band together to attack or intimidate him. Males who cower in the face of such conflicts lose social rank, while their female adversaries gain it, affording them better access to food, and mates for their sons.” NYT (Gift Article): These Apes Are Matriarchal, but It Doesn’t Mean They’re Peaceful.
+ Sacrificing Those Who Serve: Trump asks Supreme Court to let him enforce transgender military ban for now. (A person who figured out a way not to serve is figuring out a way not to let others serve.) Meanwhile, Hegseth orders makeup studio installed at Pentagon.
+ Kashmir Tensions: “The latest diplomatic crisis was triggered by the killing of 26 men at a popular tourist destination in Indian Kashmir on Tuesday, in the worst attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai shootings.” Pakistan closes air space for Indian airlines.
+ Arkansas Dust: Trump denies aid for Arkansas after storms that killed more than 40 people. (This is red state helmed by Sarah Huckabee Sanders.)
+ Blank Space Lasers: GQ: Why Is Everyone Getting Their Tattoos Removed? “The worst part of getting a tattoo removed, apart from the searing pain and the two-year commitment, is the sound the laser makes as it hits your skin.” (This is not exactly a new trend. I covered it in 2014. And yes, I’ve been doing this way too long.)
+ Grave Robbing: The Creativity Hack No One Told You About: Read the Obits.
+ Wherefore Art Thou Romeo? NPR: How to get older men to socialize is a puzzle. A group called ROMEO is one answer. “He and others landed on a monthly lunch named ROMEO – Retired Older Men Eating Out.” (Wasn’t that the plot of a Sopranos episode about Uncle June?)
Bottom of the News
“After informing police and his insurers, he started looking for a replacement 2016 Type-R model and found one that looked ‘identical’ about 70 miles away.
But after he bought it, he noticed similar items in the vehicle. It was then Mr Valentine realised he had bought his stolen car – he also found his previous addresses in the car’s sat-nav.”
+ McDonald’s just added its first new permanent menu item in years. And it’s more bad news for chickens.
