Paul Fain

The Most Nihilistic Conflict on Earth Sudan’s devastating civil war shows what will replace the liberal order: anarchy and greed.

Incredible, thoroughly depressing piece. I wonder how JD Vance would spin the human toll of our absence in places like Sudan. www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...

Wise use of the party's social media reach? Expanding the tent beyond 27% approval?

Mortgage rates surge over 7% as tariffs hit bond market Mortgage rates surged over 7% to end the week, after massive volatility in bond markets surrounding President Donald Trump's tariff agenda.

Mortgage rates surge over 7% as tariffs hit bond market
www.cnbc.com/2025/04/11/m...

Johns Hopkins Plans Staff Layoffs After $800 Million Grant Cuts Local and international health research efforts are already winding down as the university braces for even more potential cuts.

The largest private employer in Baltimore just lost $800 million in federal contracts and grants. This recession is going to be a doozy.

I'm opposed to people who demean the work of others, particularly when they know nothing about those jobs. It's wrong and lame -- end stop.

Trump Admin. Suddenly Cancels Dozens of Education Department Contracts The Trump administration abruptly terminated dozens of contracts financed by the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education.

Some reporting from EdWeek h/t @weilanch.bsky.social www.edweek.org/policy-polit...

Thank you! We've been struggling with what to prioritize in our reporting. Has felt like the funding/agency cuts were the story the last couple weeks. But that means other coverage is on hold. Catch you soon.

For folks pitching reporters, the news hole has shrunk for product announcements and other developments not related to the drama happening with the federal government.

Lutnick Pledges Chips Act Review, Demurs on Honoring Contracts President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the agency in charge of a $52 billion semiconductor subsidy program declined to give it unqualified support, raising questions about the disbursement of funds to ...

Howard Lutnick, Commerce sec nominee, said he needs to review final CHIPS awards and would not commit to honoring them. 20 firms have signed binding deals
From @mackhawk.bsky.social
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

January 29, 2025 M-25-14 MEMORANDUM FOR HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES FROM: Matthew J. Vaeth, Acting Director, Office of Management and Budget Me SUBJECT: Rescission of M-25-13 OMB Memorandum M-25-13 is rescinded. If you have questions about implementing the President's Executive Orders, please contact your agency General Counsel.

🚨 BREAKING: OMB has just issued a memo *rescinding* the previous memo freezing all federal financial assistance programs.

Full text, per government source:

comments from one of the pardoned Jan 6ers who admitted to assaulting a police officer.
www.berkshireeagle.com/news/local/c...

TSMC Arizona chip plant still has 50% Taiwanese workers as production nears A full half of the jobs created by the first TSMC Arizona chip plant have been filled by workers from...

TSMC Arizona chip plant still has 50% Taiwanese workers in the run-up to production 9to5mac.com/2024/12/30/t...

Confirmed: Hellbender Closing at the end of the week after 10 years. - PoPville 5788 2nd Street, NE via FB Update from Hellbender: "Dear PoPville, Have heard a rumor that Hellbender Brewing in NE may be closing soon; have you heard any whispers? I know no brewery is run perfectly...

Absolutely gutted by this news. My daughter cried when she heard it -- our communal space for her whole life. RIP Hellbender. Thanks for the memories and all you did for my old neighborhood. www.popville.com/2024/12/dc-h...

Claude to me just now: "I aim to strike a balance between being thorough and concise." Right on, my AI pal. That's my goal as well, one I struggle with every day.

Indeed. But do they know as much about automation as he does?

Trump sides with dockworkers preparing to strike over automation As a potential port shutdown looms, the president-elect’s statement in support of the union is highly unusual for a Republican.

www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Trump admin's emerging take on AI and automation: “I’ve studied automation, and know just about everything there is to know about it," Trump said on social media. "The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers."

Putting The "If" In "Enrollment Cliff" Academic administrators are being prescribed Ponzi austerity by consultants who work for EdTech investors to solve a hypothetical demographic "crisis" with unsettling racist dog whistles.

Here's an example from earlier this year: theamericanvandal.substack.com/p/putting-th...

Not seeing anything of late from the folks who said the enrollment cliff was BS -- a racist conspiracy created by ed tech, private equity, and consultants to sell things. Are people still making this argument? Looks like some of those posts have been deleted, not surprisingly.

U.S. Economy Is Doing What Few Others Are: Getting More Productive Inflation and the labor market are both cooling, but a subtle force has powered strong U.S. economic growth nonetheless. Americans keep finding ways to get more done at work.

“We’ve basically had three years of a super-tight labor market,” Kelly said. “Productivity is just another word for no one left to hire.”
www.wsj.com/economy/u-s-...

Grotesque. And way more of an issue on here than I'd have thought/hoped.

This National Academies study on AI and the future of work seems kinda important. As with a similar report from Brookings, I don't get how this research is falling through cracks. Not seeing any coverage. www.nationalacademies.org/news/2024/11...

Labor Secretary Nomination Turns Heads on Both Sides of the Aisle Also, legislation to update the federal workforce system has new legs, and Trump's nominee for Education Secretary backs apprenticeship and short-term Pell.

That's the WSJ editorial page on Linda Chavez-DeRemer's nomination for labor secretary.

workshift.org/federal-poli...

“Republicans can work with unions to improve workforce training and increase alternative education pathways like apprenticeships. But putting Ms. Chavez-DeRemer in charge of Labor will make labor bosses, not workers, more powerful again.”

On Granville Road. I had no idea the chain had expanded out of TX.

Getting started with AI: Good enough prompting Don't make this hard

"The vast majority of people have tried AI, but are often struggling with how to initially use it. And, as a result of that struggle, have not put in the 10 or so hours with AI that are required to really understand what it does."

www.oneusefulthing.org/p/getting-st...

There's a @torchystacos.bsky.social in Cbus and I'm trying it today. So pumped.