What's Interesting on the (Video) Internet This Week
Trump and Pence, AI driving trucks and drones, and RIP Jimmy Buffett
Politics
A history of the unlikely relationship between Mike Pence and Donald Trump, and why it unraveled. Including details leading up to January 6th, and Trump’s suggestion on December 22nd that Pence could invalidate the electors from some states.
(Source: The Wall Street Journal)
Economy
From the writers strike to UPS, this is the summer of strikes.
(Source: Bloomberg)
Culture
Who is Ray Epps? That’s a question Tucker Carlson covered more than 20 times on his show. The suggested answer was that Epps was a federal agent sent to provoke the attack on January 6th. Now, he is in hiding following death threats. On 60 Minutes, Epps tells his side of the story.
(Source: 60 Minutes)
Well, not exactly culture, but this is a mix of finance, technology, economics, and the future of work. Ninety percent of everything gets to us in a shipping container. Some part of that journey is almost always on a truck. And soon they’ll be self driving.
(Source: Freethink.com)
Tech and Science
Two interesting pieces on climate this week. In the first from French outlet Le Monde, we learn about the return of the El Niño weather pattern this year. In the second (below), PBS explains the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation - also known as the Atlantic Conveyor. This series of currents draw heat and carbon deep into the ocean, though scientists believe that it may be breaking down - an event which was the premise of the disaster movie The Day After Tomorrow.
(Sources: Le Monde, PBS)
HeyGen is a “next-gen video creation company.” They also make fake people:
(Source: HeyGen)
Editors Choice
Why (and how) one Pennsylvania dirt farm (yes that’s a thing) supplies most of the MLB Teams’ infields:
(Source: The Wall Street Journal)
Miscellanea
Republican Brian Kemp, Governor of Georgia, pushes back against efforts by other Republicans in his state to remove Fani Willis, the District Attorney bringing charges against Donald Trump. Kemp said that his party should focus on economics and not “some grifter scam that somebody’s doing to help them raise a few dollars in their campaign account.”
After a decade of work, AI beats humans in drone racing.
Harvard professor evaluates negotiating scenes from ‘The Office,’ ‘Mad Men,’ ‘Friends,’ and others; in which we learn about BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement), ZOPA (Zone of Possible Agreement), and more.
Japan (and Saudi Arabia and South Korea and others) are planning to build floating cities.
Sad news: Jimmy Buffett is dead at 76. Everyone knows Margaritaville but his best song was A Pirate Looks at Forty, performed here with Zac Brown.
Last, a flashback. I was reminded this week of Jon Stewart’s appearance on CNN in 2004. Appearing on Crossfire, a “current events and debate program,” Stewart explained to the hosts - Paul Begala (a former advisor to Bill Clinton) and Tucker Carlson (a future host on Fox News who then wore a bow tie) - why cable news is “hurting America” and the absurdity of “spin alley.”
Data Visualizations of the Week
This doesn’t seem good:
This feels related:
Podcast You Might Have Missed:
Eli Lake on that time John Lennon hung out with the Black Panthers.
Have a great Labor Day weekend!