Anthony LaMesa

Opinion | Democrats Will Lose in 2028 Unless They Change Course Now

"Candidates should challenge those instincts: Call for new leadership and say that, if elected, they wouldn’t support the current crop. We saw in 2024 the hunger for more independence from the Democratic status quo. People want change, everywhere." www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/o...

Opinion | Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Unhappiness

"But in the well-being of ordinary citizens? A careful study released Wednesday and based on a measure called the Social Progress Index suggests that in terms of quality of life, the United States ranks 32nd out of 171 countries, behind Poland, Lithuania and Cyprus."
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/14/o...

‘We’re Not Stupid’: Greenlanders Fear What a U.S. Takeover Would Mean

"They like their Scandinavian welfare system, with its free health care, free education and strong safety net. They feel connected to Denmark even if there are still raw feelings about earlier eras of colonialism and abuse."
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/14/w...

Opinion | This Rural Congresswoman Thinks Democrats Have Lost Their Minds. She Has a Point.

“You do not save democracy by running around, yelling about saving democracy. You do it by demonstrating that democracy and Democratic values deliver better quality of life for normal people.”
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/o...

‘Completely bonkers’: Trump’s Greenland mining dreams collide with reality | CNN Business Greenland’s untapped mineral wealth has landed the island at the top of President Donald Trump’s empire-building wish list.

"The idea of turning Greenland into America’s rare-earth factory is science fiction. It’s just completely bonkers," said Malte Humpert, founder and senior fellow at The Arctic Institute. "You might as well mine on the moon. In some respects, it’s worse than the moon."
www.cnn.com/2026/01/12/b...

interesting piece, because the lofty rhetoric doesn't really align with the highly targeted policy prescription. freedom of movement in North America would ultimately be fairly restrictive toward those outside of North America, but would resolve ~40% of the U.S. undocumented population's status.

How Social Security has gotten worse under Trump Customer service has deteriorated by key measures as the agency enacted sweeping cuts in Trump’s second term, internal data and interviews show.

Social Security ends year in turmoil as record backlogs delay services

Customer service has deteriorated by key measures as the agency enacted sweeping cuts in the president’s second term, internal data and interviews show.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

this post went viral on X and i truly don't understand why Dallas is in A tier and Philadelphia in F. seems like it should be the opposite.

Why Europe’s night-train renaissance derailed Aging carriages, high costs and reluctant incumbents choked off the night-train revival — even as passengers clamor for more.

Yes it’s Politico. No I don’t trust them generally. But I spoke to them for this piece about night trains, and they spoke to a bunch of other knowledgeable people too, inc @simplyrailways.bsky.social

www.politico.eu/article/why-...

Teens are having disturbing interactions with chatbots. Here's how to lower the risks Teen use of AI chatbots is growing, and psychologists worry it's affecting their social development and mental health. Here's what parents should know to help kids use the technology safely.

"Parents don't need to be AI experts. They just need to be curious about their children's lives and ask them about what kind of technology they're using and why."

Thanks for explaining :)

The line will be automated, fully underground and have stations as deep as 45m of the transept type (a main shaft for vertical circulation with lateral platforms in a cavern, with a nice architecture as always in Naples.

Webuild has been awarded the contract for the civils of the first 6.5 km, 7-station phase (1A) of Naples metro line 10 for €660 million. The contract includes an option for the subsequent phases of the 14km line whose final cost is estimated at €3.1 bn.

www.webuildgroup.com/it/media/com...

Is there a reason the park and ride station at the high speed station won’t be built in the first phase? That seems like a very useful and simple station that should be included? I’m sure there’s a good reason.

🧠: gondolas for ski
🧠🧠: gondolas for urban transit
🧠🧠🧠🤯: gondolas for apples

The gondola connecting the central treatment hub of the largest apple producers consortium in Italy to the underground storage facility.
Opened last November.

I didn’t realize Italy was the world’s biggest apple exporter now.

UK trade unions urge Labour to revisit EU customs union Unions want Labour to consider an EU customs union, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer says closer EU ties will not cross existing Brexit red lines.

UK trade unions urge Labour to revisit EU customs union
www.politico.eu/article/uk-t...

How Oil, Drugs and Immigration Fueled Trump’s Venezuela Campaign

"He looked at the idea of bombing fentanyl labs in Mexico. But it became clear that Mexican leaders would not consent, and the administration feared losing their cooperation on drug and migrant issues."
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/27/u...

I've always maintained the tax piece -- and the resulting data it requires to audit properly -- was always the central issue.

Airbnb guards # of locations, booked nights and rates like a trade secret.

My take: Airbnb's desire for secrecy is not our problem.

Fascinating paper on crime and public transportation demand in Latin America.

Key point: increasing public transit ridership requires just as much attention to crime (perceived and real) on the system as fares and service improvements.
publications.iadb.org/en/impact-cr...

Don't blame the media for how voters perceived him.

Perhaps most infuriating of all is that it was reported that Biden recognized "Bidenomics" was bad messaging, but he was apparently so diminished -- so unable to function -- that he couldn't redirect his White House communications strategy.

I'm sorry, but Joe Biden is personally responsible for voters lashing out at him over inflation. Rather than acknowledge the incredible pain Americans felt in 2022 and 2023, he shuffled across stages, struggled to stand in front of podiums, and incoherently whisper-yelled about "Bidenomics."

Crime in Chicago Is a Choice The problem with minimizing the city’s violence

Crime in Chicago Is a Choice

The problem with minimizing the city’s violence
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

Gunmen fire 50 shots, leaving 1 dead and 3 injured on River North street corner Gunmen fired at least 50 shots on a River North street corner overnight, killing one man and critically wounding three others in the third mass shooting on the Near North Side since July. All three of...

Gunmen fire 50 shots, leaving 1 dead and 3 injured on River North street corner
cwbchicago.com/2025/12/gunm...

I would be shocked if public opinion hasn’t moved toward a more restrictionist stance on asylum seeking, but will keep an open mind.

At the same time, of course, as they put forth plans for regularizing long-standing, non-criminal migrants and reversing Trump's attacks on legal immigration pathways.

In any event, whether some on the left like it or not, Trump has established a new baseline for border security (that even Bernie Sanders has praised). And post-WWII asylum rules are clearly being abused with cheap travel and human trafficking. Democrats would be nuts to not address both issues.

I don't have time to look, but it's telling that the centrist/center-left Center for American Progress recently advocated for Danish-adjacent asylum reforms. That is new for the Democratic Party.

Don't rule out EU customs union, TUC boss Nowak tells Starmer Trade unionist Paul Nowak says he wants to see the "closest possible" economic relationship with the EU.

The leader of the Trades Union Congress has called for "the closest possible economic and political relationship with the European Union."
www.bbc.com/news/article...