Odds and Ends — 3 May 2026

about 19 hours ago

Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, Business, AI, and Debt:

The midterms' new big players are pushing agendas that voters don’t fully support

POLITICO Poll finds broad skepticism about both crypto and AI, creating a growing tension for candidates benefiting from the influx of cash.

Oscars Ban AI Performances and Screenplays From Eligibility

Flash Fiction:

“I know you’re a baseball fan, and I respect that.”

“Sure, boss. Going way back to us playing in the diocese league. Yeah, those were the days.”

“Father Vincent was a tough umpire. He really didn’t like guys who checked their swing. Called it the broken swing and ruled it a strike every damn time.”

“When I was pitching, I liked that.”

“Well, I learned that lesson well. Tough, but fair. Hell, he gave me this Louisville Slugger after I stopped checking my swings. Swing or don’t he always said, couldn’t stand half measures.”

”That he did. That he did.”

“But enough of our little stroll down memory lane. You really shouldn’t have talked to that FBI agent. I’m in no mood to check my swing. Gonna make Father Vincent proud.”

Written for this prompt.

Coronavirus and Public Health:

Current status and future perspectives on the mechanistic and pathophysiological understanding of long COVID

Iran:

https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/2050368660360032561

https://twitter.com/travisakers/status/2050549274107064762

Why Trump Mishandled Iran

The U.S. president has a history of following other world leaders—or his gut—instead of his own intelligence officers and experts.

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/2050706837452824624?s=20

Politics:

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/2050430345279909958

https://twitter.com/CalltoActivism/status/2050328623811297724

https://twitter.com/ky_statesman/status/2050569244631507448

———— Voting Rights Act ————

https://twitter.com/LondonRiverSFW/status/2050342165914480708

https://twitter.com/JeffRoushPoetry/status/2050285540960813199

Democrats Have Sweeping Plans for New Maps in 2028

This week’s Supreme Court ruling weakening the Voting Rights Act has nullified some of the Democratic resistance that kept many states from pursuing extreme gerrymanders this election cycle.
That new energy could put a fresh crop of blue and even purple states on the board as potential redistricting targets ahead of 2028.
Even some legislators who previously resisted redistricting in their states appear to be warming up to the idea after Wednesday’s decision.

Gov. Bill Lee calls special session to redraw TN’s U.S. House map in hopes of favoring GOP 9-0

New maps would come three months before primaries and weeks after qualifying deadline for current seats

https://twitter.com/micah_erfan/status/2050610478125031595

———— Stark. Raving. Mad. ————

https://twitter.com/glenn_tunes/status/2050448358397923516

https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/2050675515040629098

———— Autocracy R Us ————

https://twitter.com/ruthbenghiat/status/2049675903089758584

Trump Officials Routinely Violate Court Orders

In the second Trump administration’s first 15 months in office, district court judges ruled it was violating an order in at least 31 lawsuits over a wide range of issues, including mass layoffs, deportations, spending cuts and immigration practices, the AP’s review of court records found. That’s about one out of every eight lawsuits in which courts have at least temporarily blocked the administration’s actions.
The Trump administration violations in the 31 lawsuits are in addition to more than 250 instances of noncompliance judges have recently highlighted in individual immigration petitions — from failing to return property to keeping immigrants locked up past court-ordered release dates.