John Carroll

Nihilism

Federal Judge Orders Some Texas Schools to Remove Ten Commandment Posters

The brain hurts from the stupidity of it all. The ten commandments are about as useful as a TV instruction manual that says two things

1. Open Box
2. Put on wall

At least the code of hammurabi had some substance, however brutal.

notably, Fox News is not broadcasting the Khanna/Massie/Greene Epstein news conference live. CNN and MS are.

How Crypto Could Trigger the Next Financial Crisis The danger of stablecoins lies in the ways they are meant to be safe.

The instability of "stablecoins"

Well okay then

"The People" are individuals, and they would have as much success negotiating rates with insurance companies (who will be the recipient of this money) as an ant would have negotiating with a human gardener.

Poor Countries Got $1 Trillion From China. So Did Rich Ones.

1/8
NYT: "The biggest recipient of Chinese financing over the past two decades has been the United States, where Chinese banks have extended $200 billion in financial support to American companies and projects."
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/b...

When you are throwing snowballs and suddenly realize everyone else has run away...

How to Fix Free Trade A global customs union could solve the problem of imbalances.

My latest piece for Foreign Affairs argues that debates over “free trade” cannot be separated from questions of sovereignty.
www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

Accurate

John’s tweet

I’m framing this and hanging it next to my emergency whiskey.

Justice Department sues to block California US House map in clash that could tip control of Congress The Justice Department has sued to block new congressional district boundaries approved by California voters, joining a legal battle that could determine which party wins control of the U.S.

Notably, they did not sue Texas

“…there are no prizes for guessing which message will do better on TikTok or X.” 2/2

Why populism became popular It appeals more to a way of thinking than to a set of ideas — but is it just wrong?

If the rallying cry of the populist is “this is just common sense, isn’t it?” and the rallying cry of the traditional elites — whether those elites are leftwing, rightwing or centrist — is “I think you’ll find it’s a bit more complicated than that”… 1/2

FDA will remove long-standing warning from hormone-based menopause drugs, citing benefits for women The Food and Drug Administration says it will remove a long-standing warning from hormone-based drugs used to treat menopause symptoms in women.

A claim undermined by the fact this is the same guy who claimed Tylenol causes autism.

"We’re challenging outdated thinking and recommitting to evidence-based medicine that empowers rather than restricts,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said introducing the change."

The 'Pluribus' Premiere Absolutely Blew Me Away The secretive new series from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan was well worth the wait.

watched the first two episodes and the hype is well-deserved. Apple is the new HBO of streaming. Wasn't aware that Vince Gilligan of Breaking Bad fame was involved.

The 'Pluribus' Premiere Absolutely Blew Me Away The secretive new series from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan was well worth the wait.

Apple spending billions making amazing TV shows and movies that nobody watches while every other big tech spends billions on AI is a vibe.

“If you want to freeze society where it is, then cripple the research enterprise,” says Harvard professor Steven Pinker. cbsn.ws/4oZdhHQ

It's impossible to build any more housing in America, but luckily we have the politically easy and physically effortless alternative of just removing a third of the population.

This clown is the GOP chair in Tarrant County, Texas, the third largest county in the state.

Chart by @pbump.com

No other president has ever done less, longer.

Chart by @pbump.com

A screenshot of an article by CTV News with a headline that reads: Canada adds surprise 67,000 jobs in October, blowing past economists' expectations.

More opportunities for Canadian workers, growth for Canadian businesses, and a stronger Canadian economy.

"Our country will be woke no longer." - Donald Trump

IRS Direct File won't be available next year. Here's what that means for taxpayers The Trump administration has decided not to offer the IRS' electronic tax filing system for free next year, and its future is unclear.

Just what voters wanted (sarcasm)

The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.

"On a budget of just $24 per American—out of the fifteen thousand dollars in taxes paid per person last year—they had saved lives at an almost unimaginable scale. An independent, peer-reviewed analysis in The Lancet estimated that USAID assistance had saved 92 million lives over two decades"

In modern society with its characteristic lack of discerning judgment, this tendency is strengthened, so that someone who not only holds opinions but also presents them in a tone of unshakable conviction will not so easily forfeit his prestige, no matter how many times he has been demonstrably wrong

Tesla shareholders approve Elon Musk’s $1tn pay deal World’s richest man had warned he would quit if investors failed to back the largest remuneration package in history

Unsurprising. When your shares trade at a 320x multiplier, the person who makes people act irrationally is very important.

Of course, no guarantee the dancers will dance indefinitely.

Man who threw sandwich at federal agent in Washington is found not guilty of assault charge A former Justice Department employee who threw a sandwich at a federal agent during President Donald Trump’s law enforcement surge in Washington has been found not guilty of assault.

Assault by sandwich is officially ruled not a thing