Monopoly League Baseball & AI Hypocrisy

Featured Articles

Monopoly League Baseball

The Lever • 12 Sep 2024 • ~3800 words

In this piece the spotlight is on Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH) and its growing influence in minor league baseball. The article raises important questions about the ethics of public funding for private teams and the implications of corporate monopolies in sports, all while highlighting the ongoing struggle between local taxpayers and wealthy sports owners. It’s a compelling read for anyone interested in the intersection of sports, economics, and community impact.

There is little proof that subsidies to sports teams benefit the public. There is a lot of proof that private equity ownership negatively impacts the industries it enters and the public at large. But if Portland refused to play ball, it might have encountered the same existential threat facing DBH-owned teams all over the country: the Sea Dogs, Elvis nights and all, could leave town for good.

Microsoft’s Hypocrisy on AI

The Atlantic • 13 Sep 2024 • ~2500 words • Archive Link

The article discusses Microsoft's apparent hypocrisy in marketing its AI technology to fossil fuel companies, even as the company publicly touts its commitment to fighting climate change. It examines the tension between Microsoft's sustainability goals and its lucrative business deals with oil and gas firms, which use the AI technology to optimize and expand fossil fuel extraction.

Hundreds of pages of internal documents I've obtained, plus interviews I've conducted over the past year with 15 current and former employees and executives, show that the tech giant has sought to market the technology to companies such as ExxonMobil and Chevron as a powerful tool for finding and developing new oil and gas reserves and maximizing their production - all while publicly committing to dramatically reduce emissions.

Recommended Articles

What the struggles of dollar stores reveal about low-income America

Financial Times • 13 Sep 2024 • ~2350 words • Archive Link

Dollar stores have become a lifeline for many low-income Americans, but recent economic pressures are forcing their customers to rethink their shopping habits. This piece explores how rising costs and shifting consumer behavior are affecting these essential retailers and what it reveals about the financial struggles facing many families today. It's a look at a sector that often goes overlooked but plays a crucial role in the daily lives of millions.

A majority of Dollar General’s customers live in households earning below $35,000 a year, according to chief executive Todd Vasos; the national median is more than twice that. Over 40 per cent of Family Dollar customers are eligible for government financial assistance.

The Case for Public Nuclear Power

The Nation • 12 Sep 2024 • ~3750 words

Can Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a public power utility, play a leading role in the development of new nuclear power in the United States? This piece explores the TVA's history, its current plans for small modular reactors, and the political and economic challenges it faces in funding new nuclear projects that could contribute to national decarbonization goals. The article also examines the competing interests and perspectives of labor unions, environmental groups, and private companies regarding the TVA's nuclear ambitions.

If the TVA can’t find supplementary funding from the government, it will likely find a private partner. Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft all have data centers powered by the TVA, and all have expressed interest in purchasing nuclear power to meet decarbonization commitments.

Meet the radio-obsessed civilian shaping Ukraine’s drone defense

MIT Technology Review • 12 Sep 2024 • ~3500 words

Meet Flash, a civilian radio expert whose passion for technology has turned him into a pivotal player in Ukraine's drone defense efforts. As he navigates the complexities of military communication and the challenges posed by Russian drone tactics, Flash bridges the gap between the front lines and military leadership, all while stirring a bit of controversy. This article dives into his unique journey and the vital role he plays in shaping Ukraine's aerial strategies.

He is, at least in an unofficial capacity, a spy. But unlike other spies, Flash does not keep his work secret. In fact, he shares the results of these missions with more than 127,000 followers—including many soldiers and government officials—on several public social media channels. Earlier this year, for instance, he described how he had recorded five different Russian reconnaissance drones in a single night—one of which was flying directly above his van.

Lula, Maduro, and a New Cold War in Latin America

The New Yorker • 12 Sep 2024 • ~2550 words • Archive Link

As Venezuela's political crisis deepens, the recent electoral controversy surrounding Nicolás Maduro has stirred tensions not just within the country, but across Latin America. This piece explores the complexities of alliances and rivalries among leftist leaders like Lula and Maduro, shedding light on how this struggle for power could reshape the region’s political landscape.

Beyond Venezuela’s borders, its crisis is altering the political landscape, opening a breach in the hitherto fraternal ranks of Latin America’s left, in ways that may prove to be significant.

Life in Space Means Being Inside All the Time

discoursemagazine.com • 12 Sep 2024 • ~1900 words

Many might fantasize about traveling in space, but the practical reality is that it won’t be much fun. This article explores the psychological and physical effects of being confined in artificial habitats, cut off from Earth's natural environment. It questions whether humans can truly adapt to such an isolated existence, even with the development of advanced space technologies and habitats.

The final frontier sounds expansive, but it won’t feel that way for those who make a life in it. True, the universe is endless, and vistas may be magnificent on the other side of the glass (or polycarbonate or transparent aluminum). But the fact is, there will always be a barrier between you and the great outdoors, even on planets other than Earth. Unless you go back to the homeworld on vacation, you will never feel a fresh breeze on your face again.

Elevate Me Later

The Baffler • 12 Sep 2024 • ~3250 words

This piece explores the rise and pitfalls of "elevated horror," a term that has become a catch-all for films that prioritize psychological depth over traditional scares. While these movies have gained a reputation for sophistication, the author argues that they often fall into familiar traps, leaving audiences questioning whether they truly deliver the chills.

Yet its anticlimactic disappointment—in its very badness—Longlegs is revealing. More than another boring, let-down of a movie, it signals the exhaustion of a trend in cinema that has long worn out its welcome. It is a nail in the coffin of so-called “elevated horror.”

The Baristas Who Took Over Their Café

In These Times • 12 Sep 2024 • ~2100 words

In Baltimore, a group of baristas have taken an unconventional path by transforming their beloved café, Common Ground, into a worker-owned cooperative. This piece dives into their journey, highlighting the challenges they faced, the sense of community they’ve built, and the broader implications for worker cooperatives in reshaping economic dynamics. It also explores the broader cooperative ecosystem in Baltimore and the efforts to pass legislation to recognize worker cooperatives in the state formally.

. . . while worker cooperatives are barely known to most Americans, co-op-heavy cities like Baltimore offer glimpses at how they can empower workers and at the institutions it takes to grow and sustain the model.

The Long Road to Fiber Optics

construction-physics.com • 12 Sep 2024 • ~3200 words

Take a look at this article if you want to learn more about the history of the development of fiber optic technology. It traces the key innovations and challenges that researchers faced over several decades, from the discovery of the principles of light transmission to the commercialization of fiber optic communications systems. The article explores how the path to fiber optics was long and meandering, requiring advances in a variety of fields, and highlights the difficulty of predicting the trajectory of technological progress.

. . . even once fiber optics seemed possible, it took over a decade to go from the early development efforts to the first field trials, and several more years before it was used for major commercial installations. Unpacking how fiber optic technology came about can help us better understand the nature of technological progress, and the difficulty of predicting its path.

Learning to live with 50C temperatures

Financial Times • 28 Aug 2024 • ~2500 words • Archive Link

The article discusses how the Gulf region, particularly Dubai, is learning to adapt to extreme heat and high temperatures, often exceeding 50°C. It explores the stark contrast between the experiences of the wealthy, who can afford air conditioning and other cooling technologies, and the migrant workers who must endure the harsh conditions. The article also raises questions about the long-term sustainability of the region's reliance on fossil fuels and energy-intensive cooling systems, and the potential impact of climate change on the region's population and infrastructure.

Ironically some of the lowest-paid migrant workers in the Gulf, who bear the brunt of its brutal summers, have left their home countries because of climate change.

Before & After

Commonweal • 21 Aug 2024 • ~1950 words

This book review discusses how historians and writers grapple with the challenge of understanding historical events, especially those that represent dramatic turning points. It explores the difficulty of separating oneself from the knowledge of what is to come and truly immersing oneself in the mindset of the past. The article examines this through the lens of two books that examine the years leading up to and during the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany.

When we look back on the past, we say sometimes that there were “clear signs” that this or that event would happen, that the “writing was on the wall.” But how many of these signs were really there, and how many are projected back by hindsight? The problem is of special importance to historians. How can the historian single out a past event, focus on it exclusively, and pretend not to know what came after? How can a scholar fake ignorance?

Why Isn’t the Whole World Rich?

asteriskmag.com • 16 Jun 2021 • ~3950 words

This article explores the longstanding question of why some countries have been able to achieve rapid economic growth and development while others remain mired in poverty. It examines the role of factors like capital accumulation, human capital, and institutions in driving economic progress and discusses the challenges researchers have faced in identifying the fundamental drivers of growth across different countries.

One of the most frustrating things about the persistence of global poverty is that it is possible to eliminate it — at least within a country — in the space of a generation.

Ronald Reagan didn’t win the cold war

Inside Story • 13 Sep 2024 • ~2750 words

Ronald Reagan is often credited with winning the Cold War through his tough stance against the Soviet Union. This article challenges that narrative, suggesting that it was Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms and willingness to negotiate that truly shaped the conflict's resolution. The article also questions the validity of drawing parallels between Reagan's policies towards the Soviet Union and the current US-China rivalry.

Reagan deserves tremendous credit for understanding that Gorbachev was a different kind of communist leader, someone he could do business with and thereby negotiate a peaceful end to a forty-year conflict. But he did not bring about Gorbachev’s reforms, much less force the collapse of the Soviet Union. To imagine otherwise is to create dangerous and unrealistic expectations for what US policy toward China can achieve today.

Why are Police Entitled to Lie and Slander?

CounterPunch.org • 13 Sep 2024 • ~2200 words

What happens when the very institutions meant to uphold justice are allowed to lie? The article discusses how police officers in the United States have acquired the legal right to lie, slander, and fabricate evidence, often with impunity. It questions why the legal system has granted such broad protections to law enforcement, even when their actions have demonstrably violated the rights and due process of citizens.

In 1983, the Supreme Court ruled that government officials are immune from lawsuits even when their brazen lies in court testimony resulted in the conviction of innocent people. The court fretted that “the alternative of limiting the official’s immunity would disserve the broader public interest.” Honest government was not one of the “broader public interests” the court recognized that day.