SPY WORLD: Your Car May Be Tracked Without You Ever Knowing: An Iowa policy tells deputies to avoid mentioning Flock license plate readers to drivers or in reports.

ANALYSIS: TRUE. In the Not Too Distant Future, We Won’t Be Able to Believe How Stupid Things Were.

THE 21ST CENTURY ISN’T TURNING OUT AS I HAD EXPECTED: 10,033 tiny clay cats reenact the Civil War at a Gettysburg museum.

“CRITICS” CAN GO SCREW THEMSELVES: The Cool Down: Critics call it ‘starwashing’ as space companies market wonder and mute the fallout.

NEWS YOU CAN USE: The Benefits of Jumping for Bone Density and Healthy Aging.

ANSWERING THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: Is a Daily Shot of Olive Oil Actually Good for You?

This is not medical advice, but Harry Truman started his day with a shot of bourbon and he lived to be 88.

IMAGINE THAT: UC Berkeley ‘yields’ to ICE ‘threat’ … about complying with the law.

The academic class genuinely thinks that it is above the law.

JUST SAY NO: Universities threaten students with investigations, disciplinary actions over ‘deadnaming.’

THE NEW SPACE RACE:

"In the vast expanse of low Earth orbit, a new era of manufacturing is dawning. The semiconductors which drive the global economy are created in multi-billion-dollar facilities, notably in Taiwan. The semiconductors of the future will include innovations and designs enabled by…

— wretchardthecat (@wretchardthecat) August 17, 2026

THE COUNTRY’S MOVING IN A DIRECTION WHERE ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER WILL BE PUTTING PEOPLE IN CAMPS:

Don’t worry everyone…they plan to put us in camps where we can concentrate on learning their morality. I wonder what they will call them. https://t.co/f8b4WDorF9

— Nick Freitas (@NickJFreitas) August 16, 2026

NOPE, THEY’RE OUT AND PROUD: Out in the Open: Antisemites Not Even Trying to Hide It Anymore.

THE LEGAL PROFESSION HAS A DIVERSITY PROBLEM:

But you still see progressives talking about how law firms are a “conservative” stronghold. https://t.co/W94L9qgm4E

— David Bernstein (@ProfDBernstein) August 16, 2026

HMM: The best states for swingers revealed — with a few surprising Southern states taking the top 3 spots. “Florida topped the list, boasting 148 swingers clubs — the most in the country. The state has a bustling swingers community on Reddit, according to LoveHoney. Texas and Georgia round out the top three. The Lone Star State has the second-highest number of swingers clubs, while Georgia has club availability, high search interest and Reddit activity.”

Or course, it’s not really a measure of swinging as such: “The list analyzed each US state using nine factors, including Google search interest for swinging-related terms, the number of swingers clubs, swinger-related Reddit activity, bars and hotels per capita, and the percentage of married residents in each state. Each state was given a ranking out of 10. The list doesn’t tell you how many swingers are in each state, but rather looks at public data that indicates a state’s level of interest and openness to the practice.”

GO SOUTH, YOUNG MAN:

JUST IN: Mississippi 4th graders rank No. 1 in U.S. for reading & math score improvement since 2013, after ranking 49th in reading & 50th in math that year.

— Polymarket (@Polymarket) August 16, 2026

QUICK-FRIED TO A CRACKLY CRUNCH: Fifth Circuit Completely Roasts Biden DOE’s Stove and Oven Efficiency Rules: The court voids the rules after determining that Biden’s Energy Department improperly tried to fast-track the measure as a “direct final rule”, which is usually reserved for noncontroversial matters.

OPEN THREAD: Ring out the weekend.

THE NEW SPACE RACE: ‘This goes beyond showcasing technological soft power’: China’s new moon map signals bold space ambitions.

IT’S NOT JUST CHOLESTEROL: US Cardiologists Issue New Guidelines For How to Manage Cholesterol. I question the benefit of screening 9 year olds for cholesterol, though. Starting a 9 year old on statins, for a disease that won’t affect them for probably 50 years?

IT’S A WONDER DRUG: “People who drank more coffee had less total body fat and visceral fat, along with greater skeletal muscle mass, even though their body mass index (BMI) was similar to that of participants who drank less coffee.”

WELL, THAT’S NOT HARD SINCE BMI IS A LOUSY MEASURE: New Obesity Definitions Reveal Ill Health More Accurately Than Body Mass Index.

YES: Donald Trump Already Won the Iran War. Ending It Is Tehran’s Problem Now.

CHANGE:

Things that are now rightwing:

Investigative journalism
Academic rigour
Scientific dissent
Nature
Facts
Biology
Politeness
Punctuality
Normality
Free speech
Individual rights
Rationality
Objectivity
Self-reliance
Emotional restraint
Delayed gratification

— Alice Smith (@TheAliceSmith) August 15, 2026

UPDATE (From Ed): Did conservatives win the culture war?

And don’t forget physical fitness:

And eating healthy and reading epic poetry:

BRING BACK DDT: Bedbugs can cause people to lose sleep — and blood. Here’s what to do about them.

THINK OF IT AS EVOLUTION IN ACTION: The influencers getting bitten while chasing the perfect shark shot.

IT MAKES YOU STRONGER: Strength training is replacing weight loss as the top gym goal — here’s why.