֎ It turns out there is a big war between oligarchs about what will be the primary energy source for the future: Lithium or Hydrogen. Mariner suggests the reader put their money on Hydrogen; there are ways to produce Hydrogen but Lithium, a mined resource, already is in short supply.

֎ On another national front, yesterday in a speech Donald laid out his perception of what changes should be made in the US government. This paragraph is from the Atlantic:

“Trump sketched out a vision that a new Republican Congress could enact sweeping new emergency powers for the next Republican president. The president would be empowered to disregard state jurisdiction over criminal law. The president would be allowed to push aside a “weak, foolish, and stupid governor,” and to fire “radical and racist prosecutors”—racist here meaning “anti-white.” The president could federalize state National Guards for law-enforcement duties, stop and frisk suspects for illegal weapons, and impose death sentences on drug dealers after expedited trials.”

֎ Venture capitalists and big data corporations are caught debating a peculiar form of ethics. It seems that there must be rules of behavior between corporations in order to make the metaverse work. To quote Derek Robertson of Politico, “That means that whatever the standards-setting process for the metaverse ends up looking like, it’ll have to be profitable for the deep-pocketed companies building it.” Who looks out for the minions that use it?

֎ Some insight from Axios:

The stakes: The benefits of knowing thy neighbor abound.

Lives saved: In well-connected neighborhoods, fewer lives are lost in tragedies, including natural disasters and mass shootings.

Happier aging: Older adults who know their neighbors report a far higher sense of psychological wellbeing.

Safer streets: Tight-knit neighborhoods have lower rates of gun violence.

Boosted wellbeing: People who know their neighbors are generally cheerier, healthier, and spend more time outside.

Ancient Mariner