First Derivative [43]
Puerto Rico— Hezbollah — Mueller — Chinese influence — Disney acquisition — UFO program — LCHF diet — North Korea — Brunello Cucinelli — VC 2018
Life Without Power by Arelis R. Hernández, Whitney Leaming, and Zoeann Murphy (The Washington Post): Where is our ‘Donald Trump does not care about Puerto Ricans’ moment? The American apathy towards Puerto Rico is shameful. — TK
The secret backstory of how Obama let Hezbollah off the hook by Josh Meyer (Politico): Syriana meets Narcos/Traffic/Sicario. Worth reading. NYPost has a good piece on the media bias of this story not getting picked up by bigger outlets. — TK
What Will You Do if Mueller is Fired? by Andrew Manuel Crespo (Just Security): “Each of us must decide where our own red lines fall, recognizing the risk in this current climate of seeing crises around every corner…” The firing of Mueller is my red line. — TK
How China’s “sharp power” is muting criticism abroad (The Economist): “The immediate aim of Chinese sharp power is often self-censorship.”
Disney and Fox by Ben Thompson (Stratechery): Great analysis of the Disney/Fox deal. I’ve been interested in the media industry this year. Why you should care: combined they already make 40% of the box office. The future of media distribution is heading towards Netflix v. Disney/Fox. — TK
Glowing Auras and ‘Black Money’: The Pentagon’s Mysterious U.F.O. Program by Helene Cooper, Ralph Blumenthal, and Leslie Kean (The New York Times): “The program produced documents that describe sightings of aircraft that seemed to move at very high velocities with no visible signs of propulsion, or that hovered with no apparent means of lift.”
Minimal carbs, lots of fat, incredible dieting results — but no science by Gary Taubes (The Globe and Mail): Very measured, short overview of LCHF anecdotal and clinical evidence with history — TK
Tell me how Trump’s North Korea gambit ends by Daniel W. Drezner (The Washington Post): “What is equally disturbing is the lack of public debate on this question. Say what you will about Operation Iraqi Freedom, but the Bush administration took seven months between talking about it and doing it.”
Where VC’s Will Invest in2018: Blockchain, AI, Voice, Pets by Erin Griffith (WIRED)
St. Benedict Wore Prada by Ryan Girdusky (The American Conservative): “The Italian fashion designer has merged the philosophies of Stoicism, Christianity, and German idealism… creating long-lasting, quality products, paying employees a living wage, and making profits ethically and morally.”
