Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Reading archive 2026-08-18

Generative AI Is an Engineering Disaster: A shockingly inefficient trillion-dollar project - "Yet the returns are diminishing. The bigger an AI model is, the less it improves with each added parameter, and so it must be made bigger at a faster rate just to sustain steady progress. I asked a few AI researchers whether they could name any other real-world software that scales so poorly. None of them could think of any. Even outside the world of software, it's hard to find a comparable example, given that economy of scale is the principle that has made light bulbs, cars, and clothing so affordable. By economic and engineering measures, generative AI might be the worst technology ever deployed."

How the Smithsonian Could Fall: A president cracking down on museums is unusual—but so are the museums.

China’s Questionable Tech Strategy: Keeping out the world’s best tools promises to stymie innovation.

J. D. Vance’s Own Alien Abduction: The vice president has been replaced with a guy who’s just asking questions. - "Watching Vance's media appearances is uniquely painful. He lacks the authentic berserk of Kash Patel, or the pageant-queen polish of Karoline Leavitt, or his boss's unique corkscrew approach to conversation. Like Stephen Miller, Vance desperately wants to be funny and cool. Like Stephen Miller, he is neither. And that's before we get to the awkwardness of knowing that Vance-a Yale Law School graduate-has voluntarily lobotomized himself in the pursuit of power and attention. Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his dignity to be Donald Trump's lackey.

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"The other explanation for this hey-I-wonder approach is that Vance is dealing with the cognitive dissonance between his own self-image as a smart guy and the constant requirement to defend dumb and inconsistent actions by hallucinating that he is not really part of this administration, but instead a mere interested bystander. Vance treats the vice presidency the way that Instagram influencers approach a vacation in the Maldives: It only truly exists when converted into content. In one telling exchange, Vance said that he felt like he had 'made it' when he was satirized on South Park, rather than at his inauguration."

Priced out of D.C., young women found low rent with unlikely roommates

AIPAC has a new target to exert influence over Democrats: The organization’s super PAC poured nearly $2.5 million to boost Melissa Hernandez over Aisha Wahab in a California congressional race. - "AIPAC’s defenders have said the organization has faced unfair and outsize criticism compared to the other special interest groups that have spent on American elections." [ed. note: lol like who?]

The government’s Intel bet was even worse than expected: The equity stake has ballooned into an expansive, risky portfolio. - "The administration’s holdings are growing at breakneck speed. The running tally at the Cato Institute counts 31 government equity deals — spanning companies in steel, critical minerals, semiconductors, nuclear power, rocket motors and quantum computing — enacted by three different federal agencies acting under murky legal authority. The Commerce Department has based more than a dozen semiconductor and quantum computing deals on the Chips and Science Act, which does not expressly authorize federal shareholding. Some of the equity deals appear to have been coerced by the administration — or at least conditioned on the granting of a permit, subsidy or other government privilege. And more stakes are rumored to be on the way. In a single year, Washington went from one position to a diverse and questionable portfolio, with nary a vote from Congress or the American public."

Tesla’s true believers are starting to question their faith in Elon Musk: As Musk turns his focus to other ventures such as SpaceX, some of his biggest backers are wondering whether his car company has become an afterthought.

Russians pull billions from banks, fearing Kremlin will seize deposits for war: Russians are withdrawing billions, causing liquidity problems for banks and undermining the Kremlin’s ability to issue bonds to finance the fight in Ukraine.

Backlash in Michigan complicates Democrats’ road to retaking the Senate: The party’s chances may depend on Abdul El-Sayed, who beat Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s preferred candidate and has criticized his support for Israel.

White House attacks CNN reporter after Trump clash, invoking her children: The president shushed CNN’s Kristen Holmes in the Oval Office, and later an official White House account said her children would be “embarrassed” by her.

White House attacks CNN reporter after Trump clash, invoking her children: The president shushed CNN’s Kristen Holmes in the Oval Office, and later an official White House account said her children would be “embarrassed” by her.

What to know about Natalie Harp, the Trump aide whom Ossoff put in the spotlight: The president’s executive assistant was among a small group of people who secretly switched planes with Trump over a potential Iranian threat, as noted by Sen. Jon Ossoff.

Pentagon weighing smaller U.S. military presence in Gulf once Iran war ends: An analysis, which the Defense Department said was not yet a formal review, will help address whether to rebuild strike-battered bases, said people familiar with the matter.

So Far This Year, China Has Wasted Enough Clean Energy to Power Mexico

How melting Arctic ice has created a new Silk Road:  China plans to send container ships along Russia’s northern coast, reviving environmental concerns about the fragile polar region

See which native plants will thrive in your garden: Pick your state to get recommendations for species that help local butterflies, bees and birds.

The Cruelty Was Fine Until It Became Personal: Another Trump supporter is outraged after getting what he voted for.

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