Dietary supplements are a large part of the alternative medicine universe, with annual sales of more than $70B in the United states and much more than that in the rest of the world. I have followed the supplement business since tryptophan, a canonical amino acid marketed as a sleep aid, caused an outbreak of eosinophilia-myalgia […]
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
‘Making the West Great Again’
At her recent meeting with Trump, IItalian PM Giorgia Meloni declared her allegiance to “western nationalism.” What does such nonsense portend for Italy and Europe?
AI Energy Demand Can Keep Fossil Fuels Alive, Tech Backers Promise World’s Two Biggest Oil Producers
An AI-fossil fuel axis is forming in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia as AI advocates pledge an endless need for energy — spelling disaster for the climate.
Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – War with Iran
The 9/11 attack on the U.S. triggered a series of disastrous wars in the Mideast in which the U.S. pursued the goals of overthrowing despots, securing oil supplies, and removing any real or potential military threats to Israel. The result was a large expenditure of blood and treasure for very little geopolitical gain and the […]
As Appetite for War and Repression Rise in the New Western (Dis-)Order, Palantir Is Making a Killing
Silicon Valley’s darkest and most secretive unicorn “has finally made it big”. But at what cost to the rest of us?
Will the EU Join the Economic War Against China?
Should Brussels join in, the economic fallout from Project Ukraine could seem quaint, and it could contribute to shortages in the US.
Several Hundred Workers Who Keep Invasive Pests Out of the US Accept Trump’s Buyouts
As many as 700 USDA workers on the frontlines of pest detection and crop protection have accepted deferred resignation offers. Their departure could slow inspections, delay outbreak response and leave the nation’s crops exposed to invasive species — which could harm the agricultural economy.
Satyajit Das: On Cinema –Surviving Childhood
A look at some prime cinematic treatments on the coming of age, not the treacley or heroic sort, but nuanced portraits.
Coffee Break: Across the Pond Where Stupidity Replaces Sound Policy
With the government at a loss as to how to arrest the decline of the UK, stupidity seems to have taken the place of sound policy
How Trump Deportations Fit Into War Against American Workers
Rather than cracking down on employers exploiting immigrant labor, we’re getting an assault on unions and rendition of immigrant activist students. And an increase in H1 and H2s to further drive down wages and worker protections is likely coming.
Reform Backers Are Importing the US’s ‘Big Money’ Playbook to UK Politics
Great British PAC wants to unite the right. To do so, it hopes to Americanise UK politics with help of donors like Elon Musk.
Before Banks: Historical Lessons for Rethinking Credit
The era before modern banking took off featured flexible, highly personal credit arrangements, in some ways better than what we have now.
