Notices by Mike Elgan (mikeelgan@mastodon.social)

New data: US counties that border Canada account for only 1.2% of the fentanyl powder and just 0.5% of the fentanyl pills obtained in large seizures. Bottom line: fentanyl isn't coming in from Canada, despite Trump's lies.
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1090302

Claim of the moment: "Elon f*cked us"
https://futurism.com/elon-musk-fans-rage-polymarket

Starlink installation of the moment: remote-controlled narco-submarine
https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20250702-colombia-narco-submarine-starlink

HEADLINE: "Death toll from Texas floods reaches 43"

ALT HEADLINE: "Death toll from DOGE cuts to the National Weather Service reaches 43"

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/central-texas-flood-waters-recede-rescuers-continue-search-victims-2025-07-05/

The US is now as "free" as Mongolia. Also: Russia-occupied Ukraine is -1 "free" -- less free than zero free. https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-state-of-freedom-around-the-world-in-2025/

Superman used to be fat, I guess.

Phrase of the moment: "bribery backlash"
https://nypost.com/2025/06/19/media/paramount-delays-35m-settlement-with-trump-sources/

Sign-on bonus of the moment: "$100 million"
https://www.computerworld.com/article/4009254/sam-altman-meta-tried-to-lure-open-ai-employees-with-billion-dollar-salaries.html

HEADLINE: "Trump commutes sentence of Miami healthcare exec convicted of Medicare fraud"

ALT HEADLINE: "Florida man who stole healthcare money pardons Florida man who stole healthcare money"

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article307566596.html

California’s battery power capacity skyrocketed from 500 megawatts in 2018 to nearly 16,000 megawatts by 2025, now accounting for almost a quarter of America’s total battery capacity. Batteries can supply up to 30% of the state’s electricity at peak times. https://www.economist.com/united-states/2025/05/22/california-has-got-really-good-at-building-giant-batteries

White South Africans haven't heard about the white genocide Trump says is taking place there, nor have white farmers heard about the expropriation of land owned by white farmers. I guess they need to get on Truth Social to find out about such matters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MWyrknwNRQ

HEADLINE: "White House blasts ‘hostile’ Amazon over tariff cost report; retailer scraps idea"

ALT HEADLINE: "White House angry that Amazon would provide clear information to customers. In response, Amazon promises to hide the truth on behalf of the dictator."

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/29/white-house-blasts-amazon-over-tariff-cost-report-hostile-and-political-act.html

Phrase of the moment: "puke-filled year" https://gizmodo.com/cdc-cuts-cruise-ship-health-inspectors-as-puke-filled-year-rages-on-2000588182

Who made this?

Understand the full scope of Musks interests and influence in 14 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LagpKkQLTIg

According to a survey mentioned in my recent Machine Society newsletter (which you really should subscribe to), some 12% of those surveyed say they’re polite to AI out of fear of an AI uprising. They’re hoping AI will remember how nice they were and go easy on them. https://machinesociety.ai/p/who-needs-people-when-ai-is-so-human

Word of the moment: "Putinization" https://dnyuz.com/2025/02/28/the-putinization-of-america/

This actually happened:

1. Elon Musk said something wrong about the space station.

2. A former space station commander politely said that Musk was wrong.

3. Musk called him retarded.

4. The astronaut exposed Musk's lie with specifics.

5. Musk calls for the destruction of the space station.

Bluesky account of the moment: "Trump Take Egg" https://bsky.app/profile/trumptakeegg.bsky.social

The emerging "Trump Doctrine": "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what I can take from your country."