📉 Ramaswamy’s threats to claw back Rivian loan spark criticism of Elon Musk’s DOGE role /// CNN

Even though DOGE doesn’t actually have the power, they should be investigated for this egregious conflict of interest.

🤖 Google DeepMind predicts weather more accurately than leading system /// Guardian

As much as I dislike a lot going on around AI, these are the actual use-cases that we should be exploring. Given how much driving I had to do around Thanksgiving, I was thinking AI should be fully utilized to forecast traffic too. These big companies have tons of local and historical data along with access to the internet. How can they not be better at estimating time to get to SFO on the Sunday after Thanksgiving?

👾 A beloved indie RPG just launched after 15 years in early access /// Polygon

It’s not easy to categorize Caves of Qud, because it covers so much ground — quite literally, since it’s generating an entire world full of ancient ruins, toxic jungles, scattered settlements, mutants, beasts, clones, sentient bears, and mysterious robots. It’s advertised as a “science fantasy roguelike epic” and a “deep simulation” that allows the players to do basically anything.

This looks and sounds incredible. It might have to be the first computer game I buy since Diablo 3…?

🔠 At Chrome from Arillatype.Studio®

I don’t have a use-case for this new super clean, super modern typeface, but it looks great.

🍺 Yuengling brewery expanding into Illinois in 2025 /// Chicago Sun-Times

I had no idea Yuengling had already expanded outside of PA… It’s cool they’ll be in 28 states soon, but part of me think that ruins the magic. I miss local things being local.

🐻 Matt Eberflus Made Bears History In The Bad Way /// Defector

Moore also confirmed another story about defensive back Jaylon Johnson, who’d reportedly criticized Eberflus in the locker room after the loss. On the Fox Sports Sunday pregame show, Jay Glazer said that Johnson interrupted Eberflus’s postgame speech and began “speaking in very colorful language” for “about 10-15 minutes.” Johnson “went crazy,” a Bears player told Adam Jahns and Dianna Russini of The Athletic.

🏛️ Biden White House Weighs Preemptive Pardons for Potential Trump Targets /// Politico

The White House officials, however, are carefully weighing the extraordinary step of handing out blanket pardons to those who’ve committed no crimes, both because it could suggest impropriety, only fueling Trump’s criticisms, and because those offered preemptive pardons may reject them.

This is such a tough problem to deal with. On the one hand, if the Trump administration were to talk like this, which they did, we’d be up in arms, which we were. But it’s hard to believe the threat of going after people without cause isn’t real.

🤑 Vivek Ramaswamy to Axios: DOGE not planning cuts to Social Security, Medicare /// Axios

Love how Republicans want to crack down on Americans who may be getting more than they should while, at the same time, wanting to cut the budget of the IRS who successfully claws back money from (typically very wealthy) tax avoiders, that more than covers their costs.

🗞️ Jeff Bezos Says He Is Optimistic About Trump Presidency /// THR

Fuck off.

🚽 The Purpose Of A Bathroom Law /// Defector

Given the implausibility of these laws’ effective enforcement, and that Mace has shown no hint of satisfaction at McBride’s quick acquiescence, it’s fair to conclude that this is not really about bathrooms at all. Rather, it’s about trying to reinforce the strictness of two social categories of gender, especially as that dichotomy starts to feel increasingly fragile.

No matter what you believe (and I hope it’s that all people deserve to be treated with respect), there’s just no real way to enforce this. Does no one remember the idiotic debacle at the Olympics?

🌐 Dia is the The Browser Company’s AI-powered follow-up to Arc /// The Verge

I feel like Arc did this whole mea culpa after Arc Search and AI and now they are basically going through the same cycle while still not having a business plan? Feels pretty gross. Hopefully I’m missing something here.

💸 Sen. Bernie Sanders Backs DOGE: ‘Elon Musk is Right’ /// TheWrap

It’s pretty clear Musk and Gaetz are completely missing the point Sanders is making here (as is this headline). It’d take a moron not to understand the areas Sanders thinks need their funding cut and those that don’t. Neither of those align with Musk, Gaetz, and Trump. Also unpaid labor for 80 hours a week isn’t really efficient.

🦖 One Million Dinosaur Comics

This is incredibly cool. Jan took Ryan North’s Dinosaur Comic, made ten versions of them and then mixed and matched the panels to create one million unique comics. Amazing.

🧑‍⚖️ Jamie Raskin launches bid to oust top House Judiciary Democrat Nadler /// Axios

This is a great thing and long overdue as proven by this past election. Young(er) blood is needed to reignite the party and Raskin is perfect.

📧 01DEC2024 /// Hiro.Report

Wanted to give a quick shout-out to one of my favorite newsletters. Hiro puts out a well written, concise, and absolutely killer letter every week and you can now support it at $1/mo. Do it.

🤖 People prefer A.I. art because people prefer bad art /// Read Max

Can’t teach taste.

🫘 Why Beans Are the New Health Food Obsession /// WSJ

My wife and I used to walk by Rancho Gordo every week on our walk to get coffee and I never had a clue what it was. Wild to see how successful they are with their heirloom beans and subscription. Too bad I don’t like beans.

🐦 X’s Objection to the Onion Buying InfoWars Is a Reminder You Do Not Own Your Social Media Accounts /// 404

For human beings to seize any sort of control over their online lives, we must move toward decentralized, portable forms of social media and must move back toward creating and owning our own platforms and websites.

The precedent set from both typical business practices and the Bang Energy case do not side with Musk and Jones here. The account (license 🙄) has to be included here as a business asset. If X chooses to revoke the license from The Onion after the fact, I guess that’s their prerogative.

🤳 ギリギリ発明品「顔面スマホシールド」

Can’t read a word of what’s happening here, but if you’ve ever dropped your phone on your face in bed, you should check this out.

🏰 Mars Cheese Castle a beloved highway stop that represents Wisconsin /// WaPo

I think I only actually ever went inside the cheese castle once ages ago, but we’d pass it all the time whenever we went up into Wisconsin. Cool to see it get some national recognition.

☠️ Drake, in Second Action Against Universal Music Group, Claims Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Is Defamatory /// Pitchfork

This guy just won’t go away. If you can’t take the heat get the fuck out of the kitchen.

✍️ I have some notes on Sam Altman’s note-taking advice /// The Verge

This is a man who has not carefully considered his tools and expects someone else to pick up after him. That does explain a lot about OpenAI, doesn’t it?

I mean, use what works. But I definitely wouldn’t take note-taking advice from Altman. I also love how these people talk like their way is the one and only and best for all.

via

🥃 The Rise of Malört, an Unexpected Midwest Princess NYT

Malört is, in one word, unforgiving. Made from neutral spirits, wormwood and sugar, it tastes a little like sucking dandelion juice through a straw made of car tires. It is also kind of good. Intensely bitter, it’s herbaceous and a touch citrusy, as if you were to bite a grapefruit like an apple.

It got to a point I wasn’t surprised seeing it in Seattle, but it does take away some of the magic. But also… no one has ever utter the words “Malört is kind of good.”