Reading archive 2025-07-31

Musk ordered shutdown of Starlink satellite service as Ukraine retook territory from Russia: Soldiers panicked and drones surveilling Russian forces went dark.

Notes on Spite: (With apologies to Susan Sontag)

The Post exposed this farmer’s struggle. Then the USDA called.: JJ Ficken signed up for a federal grant along with 140 other farmers across the country. In January, Trump froze the funding, upending many of their lives.

The Rich Are Not Like You and Me: That's a problem for social science. And more importantly for us - "The Trump administration is defending the US based tech economy and looking to extend it as a tool of power and influence. The tech owner class is increasingly willing to return the favor, and the idiosyncrasies of all involved are reshaping world politics."