Sunday, April 27
In The NEWS
Russian general killed by car bomb outside Moscow.
A senior Russian military leader, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, was killed by a car bomb containing a homemade explosive device while in a Moscow suburb Friday. The explosion occurred as Moskalik approached a parked vehicle (see footage here; warning—sensitive) and as a US envoy arrived in Moscow for peace talks amid ongoing negotiations over the Russia-Ukraine war.
Pope Francis' funeral to be held today in Vatican City.
The funeral begins at 10 am local time (4 am ET) in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, after three days of lying in state at St. Peter’s Basilica, where tens of thousands of mourners paid their respects. Unlike his predecessors, who were buried in three nested coffins made of cypress, lead, and elm (symbolizing humility, protection, and dignity), Pope Francis chose to be buried in a wooden coffin. Francis died Monday at the age of 88 of a stroke and irreversible heart failure. See how the next pope is elected here.
FBI arrests Wisconsin judge over obstructing immigration enforcement.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by the FBI on obstruction charges for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest during an immigration operation at her courthouse. The arrest marks the latest enforcement action under the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on undocumented immigrants.
New study sheds light on why our waistlines expand in middle age.
Researchers, in a preclinical study, found that as humans grow older, a specific type of adult stem cell in belly fat becomes highly active, rapidly producing new fat cells and driving the expansion of waistlines in middle age. The process is triggered naturally and occurs in mice and humans, suggesting that targeting these cells could help prevent age-related obesity.
Court ruling opens door to FDA action against Ozempic copycats.
A federal judge in Texas sided with Novo Nordisk in upholding FDA restrictions that now bar pharmacies from making or distributing compounded versions of weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic after the FDA determined the active ingredient, semaglutide, is no longer in shortage in the US. Compounded versions are custom-made drugs prepared by pharmacists when approved medications are unavailable or unsuitable but lack FDA approval.
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Voiding the Mind
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Whether we have been programmed for this or not, few of us recognize the relaxing power in just doing nothing at all and thinking about nothing at all. In other words, voiding your mind of all thoughts.
Much easier said than done.
We may lie there for a while without thoughts but that typically does not last long and before we know it, some aspect of the day, good, bad, or indifferent creeps back into our minds. When that happens, we become fixated on that one situation, finding it difficult to stop thinking about it at all, because the more we try to not think about it, that is exactly when we start thinking about it.
Meditation allows us to void our minds or at least attempts to help us to void our minds.
How does one void one's mind?
Removing thoughts is a conscious effort and requires time and patience - over time you are able to teach yourself that skill.
- You need a quiet place
- You need a relaxing place
- You need a relaxing posture
- You need confidence & determination
- You simply stop thinking about anything
When a thought enters your mind, you try to eliminate it by not thinking about it.
- You listen for sounds around you, then remove them from your mind
- You tell yourself they do not exist
- You close your eyes and remove the light
- You concentrate on the darkness
- You concentrate on the void of darkness
- You see nothing
- You think nothing
- There is nothing
- You float around on nothing
- You imagine what you are floating on disappears
- It is just you and your body, and nothing
- Then your body is gone
- It is just you and your mind
- Then you mind is gone
- It is just you and nothing
- Then nothing is gone
- It is just you
Are We Finally Not Alone? Webb Detects Life’s Signature on Distant Ocean Planet
They’ve detected sulfur-based molecules in the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18b that, on Earth, are only produced by living organisms. While the evidence isn’t conclusive yet, it matches predictions for a “Hycean” world — one potentially covered in oceans and capable of hosting microbial life. If further observations confirm these findings, it could mark a turning point in our search for extraterrestrial life.
Possible Biosignature Found on Distant Exoplanet
Astronomers have found the most compelling potential signs of life yet beyond our solar system — but they’re interpreting the results with caution.
Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a team led by the University of Cambridge has identified possible traces of the molecules dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and/or dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) in the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18b. This planet orbits within the habitable zone of its star, where conditions might allow liquid water to exist.
Saturday, April 26
Robert Reich
Trump's First 100-Day Sh*tstorm | The Coffee Klatch for April 26, 2025
With Heather Lofthouse and yours truly, Robert Reich
At A Glance
Bookkeeping
> $16.6B: The amount online scammers stole in 2024—a 33% annual increase.
> $400: What one man paid to buy a World War I shipwreck on Facebook.
> 3,667,758: The number of babies born in the US last year, up 1% from 2023.
Browse
> The world's best new restaurants in 2025.
> The best large US cities to start a business.
> Mapping the countries where people don't exercise enough.
> Help the National Archives turn scanned history documents into text.
> McDonald's debuts McCrispy Strips.
Listen
> The economics of fortune cookies.
Watch
> Why Pantone colors are so expensive.
> The jumping spiders that train to become master hunters.
Long Read
>Three factories, $355K, and the quest to make a clear beverage can.
> How hot and stinky plants woo pollinators.
> The history of why girls traditionally wore pink and boys wore blue.
Most Clicked This Week: The 77-year-old as fit as a 25-year-old.
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Tennessee Titans take former Miami star QB Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft; Jacksonville Jaguars trade up to select two-way star Travis Hunter (WR/CB, Colorado), see full picks (More) | Rounds two and three begin tonight (7 pm ET, ABC/ESPN); see complete pick tracker (More)
> The 83rd Golden Globes set for Jan. 11 with Nikki Glaser tapped to host again (More) | Shannon Sharpe to temporarily step aside from ESPN commentating duties amid rape allegations (More)
> NBA playoffs first round action continues this weekend; see latest scores and updates (More) | ... and NHL Stanley Cup playoffs are also underway; see latest playoff bracket (More) | Hockey 101 (More)
Science & Technology
> Volkswagen and Uber unveil plan to roll out out robotaxi service using the car company's electric microbuses; Los Angeles to be first market, starting late 2026 (More) | How self-driving cars work (More)
> Artificial leaf uses sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into carbon-carbon molecules, the building blocks of useful chemicals, including liquid fuel and plastics (More)
> Seafloor study suggests massive icebergs drifted across the North Sea about 90 miles from the UK coast, roughly 18,000 to 20,000 years ago; researchers discovered miles-wide grooves along the ocean bed (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +2.0%, Dow +1.2%, Nasdaq +2.7%) for third straight day, fueled by tech gains as investors weigh tariff talks (More)
> Alphabet reports stronger-than-expected Q1 revenue and earnings, with overall revenue growing 12% year-over-year (More) | Intel shares fall more than 5% in after-hours trading after posting weaker-than-expected Q2 revenue forecast (More)
> US existing home sales fell 5.9% month-over-month in March, marking the slowest March sales pace since 2009; median home price of $403,700 is up 2.7% from a year ago and the highest median home price for any March (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Gunman who killed seven people and wounded nearly 50 others in a mass shooting during 2022 Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois, receives seven life sentences in prison without parole (More)
> Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump administration's ability to withhold funding from public universities and K-12 schools with diversity, equity, and inclusion programs (More) | Judge halts parts of administration's overhaul of US elections, including proof-of-citizenship requirement (More)
> India and Pakistan cancel visas for each other's nationals, Pakistan closes airspace for Indian airlines; reciprocal measures come after India blamed Pakistan for attacks in Indian-controlled region of Kashmir, which killed 26 people (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Who Are You?
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An interesting question... and reminds me of a song by the WHO, entitled Who Are You?, an excerpt is below...
I woke up in a Soho doorway
A policeman knew my name
He said, "You can go sleep at home tonight
If you can get up and walk away"
I staggered back to the underground
And the breeze blew back my hair
I remember throwin' punches around
And preachin' from my chair
Well, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
I really wanna know (who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
The song was also used in the popular TV Series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation where the whole point was to find out who the dead body belonged to.
Now... I cannot really answer that question about YOU, but I can answer that question about ME. Although, to answer it completely would take a very long time for both of us as, there is never a quick and dirty answer, outside of:
- Male
- Retired
- Married
- Divorced
- Married
- Veteran
- Teacher
- Consultant
- Outspoken
- Writer
That list does not even begin to scratch the surface of who I really am or who you might be as much of who I am can be found in the articles that I write and publish and/or the poems that I write and publish on a sister blog.
Suffice it to say that ALL OF US, are multi-faceted people with a plethora of interests, wants, loves, desires, fantasies, needs, beliefs, fears, likes, and dislikes... We have all made mistakes, continue to make mistakes and continue to learn from those mistakes...
We are flesh and blood beings who bleed and die.
Planet Found Orbiting Two Stars at a Perfect 90-Degree Angle
Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope have discovered a truly bizarre planet — one that orbits two stars at a perfect 90-degree angle.
This “polar planet” circles a rare eclipsing pair of brown dwarfs, making it the first confirmed world with this kind of alignment. It was a surprising and accidental find, defying expectations and proving that planet formation in extreme orbital setups is not only possible — it’s real.
Hints of Polar Planets Come to Life
In recent years, scientists have found several planets orbiting two stars at once — similar to the fictional planet Tatooine from Star Wars. Typically, these planets orbit in the same plane as the stars themselves. While researchers have long suspected that planets could also form in perpendicular, or polar, orbits around binary stars — and have even observed planet-forming discs tilted this way — there had been no direct evidence of a planet on such an orbit until now.
In recent years, scientists have found several planets orbiting two stars at once — similar to the fictional planet Tatooine from Star Wars. Typically, these planets orbit in the same plane as the stars themselves. While researchers have long suspected that planets could also form in perpendicular, or polar, orbits around binary stars — and have even observed planet-forming discs tilted this way — there had been no direct evidence of a planet on such an orbit until now.
Friday, April 25
Robert Reich
My last class
Coming to you
Friends,
I’ve done a lot of things over my lifetime, but I’ve always come back to teaching. Teaching is my love, my calling, my joy. And even though I’ve officially retired from it, I continue to teach. (Today, for example, I’m giving a talk at UC Berkeley on “The Roots of Trumpism.”)
As many of you know, I taught at UC Berkeley for almost 20 years and witnessed its power as one of the most successful engines of upward mobility in America.
When I decided to retire from teaching two years ago, I wanted to do it quietly. I preferred to make it about the students, not me. My lectures in the Wealth and Poverty course I taught each year to more than 800 students were mainly to students in their last undergraduate year — to seniors. (Some of you have even “taken” the course since a video version of it has been available here on this Substack.)
READ MORE...
At A Glance
New evidence suggests gladiators fought lions.
Google's AI overview reduces clicks by almost 35%.
The deep roots of cheese in America. (via YouTube)
How Americans are grappling with tipping pressure.
A guide to forest bathing.
1440 Topics: Everything you need to know about time travel.
Over 50 Shakespearean insults that still land.
Tips for practicing gratitude.
A guide to charcuterie nachos.
Clickbait: A bone-collecting caterpillar.
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