This week’s highlights: Losing Control of the Epidemic, Losing a Billion, and Legalization

Issue 382

by David Wells – Nashville TN

Food for Thought

• WashPo – How Arizona ‘lost control of the epidemic’
• NYT – America Is Facing 5 Epic Crises All at Once   David Brooks summarizes well our cultural moment – “There are five gigantic changes happening in America right now.”
• Vanity Fair – Silent Spring When, in all the highs and lows of life in our city [New York], have we ever been kept from coming together? But we know that the city is still here for us.
• TheAtlantic – How I Became a Poker Champion in One Year One of the world’s best players taught me his unique psychological style of play—and it worked.

Business

5. II – How to Lose a Billion Dollars Without Really Trying Volatility trades — which have caused major losses at hedge and pension funds alike — are the toxic subprime mortgages of the Covid Crash.
6. Forbes – A Wall Street Tycoon’s Plan to Get Americans Off the Highway – And On His Trains
7. Marker – Unicorns are Out, Profits are In  Why a new approach to venture capital is powering more sustainable startups — and funding more diverse founders
8. Verge – Apple approves Hey email app, but the fight’s not over

Culture/Tech/Science:

9. CNN – Why more states could legalize cannabis in 2021 A few people have heard me get on this soapbox – but if state tax revenues continue to come in low – legalization is an easy way to generate tax revenue on commerce that is already happening…
10. MarginalRev – The new economics of chess
11. BBC – Unsubscribe: The $0-budget movie that ‘topped the US box office’