apple juice

…Hegseth’s Pentagon briefings since the war against Iran began. We haven’t learned anything we didn’t already know about Hegseth in these briefings. But the press conferences have reminded the world why he is exactly the wrong person to hold the position he does.

Source: Pete Hegseth’s Moral Unseriousness – The Atlantic

Social media is distracting, and if you’re distracted, it becomes harder to maintain control over your schedule. So, the more you use social media, the worse you become at time management.

But I’ve become interested in the reverse form of this argument: the better your planning system, the less time you’ll spend on engagement-based applications like social media.

Source: What Do Social Media Companies Fear? Time Management. – Cal Newport

Great little post – link to the full study there.

Bovino’s choice of garment is more than tough-guy cosplay (German media noted the aesthetic immediately). The coat symbolizes a trend: The Republicans, it seems, have a bit of a Nazi problem.

Source: The GOP’s Nazi Problem – The Atlantic

“a bit” of a problem?

The Justice Department has withheld some Epstein files related to allegations that President Trump sexually abused a minor, an NPR investigation finds. It also removed some documents from the public database where accusations against Jeffrey Epstein also mention Trump. Some files have not been made public despite a law mandating their release. These include what appear to be more than 50 pages of FBI interviews, as well as notes from conversations with a woman who accused Trump of sexual abuse decades ago when she was a minor.

Source: DOJ removed, withheld Epstein files related to accusations about Trump : NPR

Why am I not surprised?

In his 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump promised voters that he would end wars, not start them. Over the past year, he has instead ordered military strikes in seven nations. His appetite for military intervention grows with the eating.

Source: Opinion | Why Have You Started This War, Mr. President? – The New York Times

I guess nothing should surprise you at this point. Vote in the upcoming election. Resist. Impeach. Hold him accountable.

“Who is going to trust somebody who got a degree in airline engineering who doesn’t know how to think through a problem without a computer telling them the answer?” Brian Conrad, a Stanford math professor, told me. “The premise that foundational ideas don’t need to be learned anymore is a recipe for idiocracy.”

from A Recipe For Idiocracy in The Atlantic

Important opinion essay by Dr. Jean Twenge in the New York Times today:

The Screen That Ate Your Child’s Education

A few eye-popping stats in there, including this regarding note-taking:

Across 24 studies, college students who took handwritten notes were 58 percent more likely to get A’s in their courses than those who typed notes on laptops. In contrast, students who typed notes were 75 percent more likely to fail the course than those who wrote them by hand.

I still believe in the potential putting devices in the hands of students who for all of the right reasons can leverage them to deepen their learning, but I’ve also been arguing for intentional use of technology for my entire career (funny to write that phrase). I’m looking forward to getting the reaction of friends and colleagues to this article.