AS A KID I WAS TAUGHT THAT ROLLING SNAKES WERE A MYTH: This snake cartwheels to escape danger.

PROTEIN IS GOOD: Does Eating Less Protein Boost Autophagy? New Study Says No.

NEWS YOU CAN USE: I asked 5 dentists if you really need to replace your toothbrush after being sick — they all gave the same advice.

ELON HAS HIGH-LEVEL ACCESS TO PALANTIR AND, I SUSPECT, AN EXTRA-STRENGTH VERSION OF GROK.

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

Those who pick fights with me should understand that I will find out who is really pulling the strings and come for them, not just their puppets … https://t.co/L7xNa6yCm0

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 21, 2026

DIVERSITY PROBLEM: Zero Republican political science professors found at 4 major Pennsylvania universities, research shows.

Academia is unwise to align itself entirely with one political party.

DIVERSITY PROBLEM: 98.3% of political donations from Emory faculty went to left-leaning candidates and causes.

CIVIL RIGHTS UPDATE: Switchblade Ban Violates Second Amendment, Fifth Circuit Holds. Tennessee did this legislatively, but good.

Related: Body Armor Ban Struck Down by N.Y. Federal Court.

THE ANACONDA STRATEGY CONTINUES TO SQUEEZE: Iran’s Fleet of Shadow Tankers Has Run Out of Oil After Monthslong U.S. Blockade: Tehran had millions of barrels of crude in tankers in Asian waters that gave it a steady flow of cash. Now, that oil has dried up.

For most of the war, Iran had an invaluable cushion: dozens of oil tankers holding millions of barrels of crude sitting safely in waters in Asia. Tehran steadily sold the oil to China, bringing in billions of much-needed cash.

Now, that floating storage is gone. By mid-October, the reserves were fully depleted, according to analysts at Kpler, as a U.S. naval blockade prevented Iran from replacing the crude it normally sells to Chinese refineries.

“There’s no more oil to discharge to China anymore,” said Homayoun Falakshahi, head of crude-oil analysis at Kpler.

The drop in oil revenue is a further blow to Iran’s struggling economy, already facing runaway inflation and widespread shortages. U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for the Middle East, said Saturday that the blockade has denied Tehran at least $25 billion worth of oil revenue, which will, in turn, constrict Iran’s ability to replace destroyed factories and weapons.

U.S. actions have “imposed devastating costs on Iran’s security apparatus,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command.

Even as the U.S. pressure has choked off Iranian exports, oil from elsewhere in the Middle East is flowing, recently exceeding prewar levels, as U.S. protection helps secure the passage of non-Iranian oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

The plan is working, though you wouldn’t know it from most press coverage.

SO FAR: This Might Be Abdul El-Sayed’s Most Dishonest Ad Yet.

OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY: EXCLUSIVE: Socialist Angie Nixon Has Received $70K in Unexplained Wages This Year From Obscure Company Run by Anti-ICE Activist.

TRUMP TRIUMPH: Veteran Homelessness Fell 8.2% in 2026, the Biggest Drop in 10 Years.

THIS WAS NO ACCIDENT:

Myriam was a 7-year-old French Jewish girl. She witnessed a terrorist break into her school and kill two of her classmates.

She tried to run but tripped while grabbing her schoolbag, causing her ballet slippers to fall out. She stopped to pick them up. He chased her and grabbed… https://t.co/tJZAegpdby pic.twitter.com/dQz8EFGXeA

— Dr. Maalouf ‏ (@realMaalouf) October 21, 2026

“Myriam was a 7-year-old French Jewish girl. She witnessed a terrorist break into her school and kill two of her classmates.

She tried to run but tripped while grabbing her schoolbag, causing her ballet slippers to fall out. She stopped to pick them up. He chased her and grabbed her by the hair, shooting her in the head at point-blank range.

The man was Mohamed Merah, and a rap song honoring him and other Muslim terrorists has become the unofficial anthem of the ‘student protests’ in France.”

HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: I’m Fascinated By The Sex Gurus Of Cornell University. “I came across these materials because as the Cornell alleged frat-house rape scandal has percolated, so too have takes attempting to link the event to Cornell Health. Wesley Yang, for example, noted that ‘Cornell health educators, like health educators at colleges and high schools across America, promote pornography, group sex, open relationships, bondage, and S&M as normal and healthy in chipper instructional materials bearing the school’s official endorsement.'”

OPEN THREAD: Hump Day.

THE NEW SPACE RACE: SpaceX will attempt 1st-ever double Starship rocket catch on next test launch, a ‘profound technology milestone,’ Elon Musk says.

AI IS EVERYWHERE: The Way You Sleep Can Reveal Your Risk of Heart Failure Up to 10 Years in Advance. “All that is needed is the data from one electrocardiogram (ECG) lead, placed on the chest during sleep. With that, artificial intelligence can predict someone’s risk of an irregular heartbeat, stroke, heart failure, or death from any cause in the next 10 years.”

FITNESS NEWS: Scientists Discover Exercise Changes the Body in Ways We Never Fully Understood.

JUXTAPOSITION OF THE DAY:

Related:

I ACTUALLY LIKE PLUG-IN HYBRIDS: The Plug-In Hybrid Lexus TX550h+ Has Been Discontinued for 2027.

I had a Lexus TX as a loaner a couple of years ago, though, and it drove like a minivan.

YES: Let’s Thank France for Producing Such an Effective Campaign Ad for Preserving Second Amendment Rights.

ASK THOR HEYERDAHL: Genetic study shows seafarers from Easter Island settled Hawaii.

NEWS YOU CAN USE: Creatine is no longer just a gym-bro supplement. After taking it daily for three months, I noticed changes I didn’t expect.

YES, NEXT QUESTION: Does Sex Help You Sleep Better?

BRIAN WANG: AI Demand for 20 GW of SpaceX AI in 2027? Boom or Bust?

MY BURGER REVIEWS ARE BETTER: In-N-Out Vs Shake Shack: Which Burger Is Actually Healthier?