Author: nick

How China Stabilizes the World Economy

Investigative Reports

[ad_1] Photo by Ling Tang As the smoke from intensified Middle East conflicts shrouds the Strait of Hormuz in spring 2026, the global economy finds itself teetering on a precarious edge. With the artery that carries about 20 percent of the world’s crude oil and roughly one third of its maritime fertilizer trade effectively constricted, international shipping costs have surged to an all-time high, and oil prices even breached the $119 per barrel mark. Yet, beneath these headlines of geopolitical fracture, a counter-narrative of resilience is emerging: China has evolved from a mere growth engine into an indispensable global stabilizing anchor. In an era…

Read More

Richard Dawkins Discovers AI and Philosophy

Myth Busting & Debunking

[ad_1] Richard Dawkins is a public intellectual of some renown, although not without his controversies. So it is noteworthy when he writes an article claiming that the chatbot Claude is likely conscious. I found the article fascinating, not because I agree with his core claim or feel that he has contributed anything significant to the conversation, but because it seems to represent a scholar and deep thinker writing about a topic in which he lacks specific expertise. I also see no evidence in the article that he engaged meaningfully, or at least adequately, with a topic expert. As a result…

Read More

U.S. Admiral Highlights Bitcoin’s Cybersecurity Applications in Senate Testimony

Conspiracy Theories

[ad_1] WASHINGTON — U.S. Navy Admiral Samuel Paparo called Bitcoin a “valuable computer science tool” for U.S. “power projection,” stating its proof-of-work technology has “really important” applications for cybersecurity, according to testimony delivered during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on April 22, 2026. The hearing examined the strategic posture of U.S. forces concerning threats from China, North Korea, and ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Admiral Paparo’s comments came in response to questioning from Senator Tommy Tuberville, who asked how Congress can lead on Bitcoin competition. Admiral Samuel Paparo at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on…

Read More

Re-Opening Mexico to Fracking Could Lead to More Corporate Lawsuits

Investigative Reports

[ad_1] Transnational corporations are heavily pressuring Mexico to open up its energy sector as part of the official review this year of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. As La Jornada reported, Larry Rubin, head of the American Society of Mexico, recently emphasized the need for the trade pact to advance North American energy integration and establish clear rules for private investment in the energy sector. At the same time, the Mexican government is moving toward reopening the country to hydraulic fracturing (fracking), claiming that this would help achieve “energy sovereignty” by reducing reliance on natural gas imports from the United States. President Claudia…

Read More

Florida just created its own alternative to A.P. United States History

Political Spin

[ad_1] Florida just created its own alternative to A.P. United States History, and it seems pretty good. Headlines describe it as “anti-woke” and “more conservative,” but this framing is a little tired and unsophisticated. Instead, I’d offer that it seems a lot more balanced and positive on Western/Enlightenment ideals than the curriculum it is replacing. It seems rather similar to what most of us were taught in school, provided we attended school prior to the late 2010s. The recommended textbook for the course is Hillsdale professor Wilfred M. McClay’s Land of Hope: An Invitation to the American Story, which—though I…

Read More