Ken Ryall

Breakingviews - AI fears give tech CEOs convenient cover for cuts Payments firm Block is firing nearly 50% of workers, saying automation lets it do more with less. It grew bloated during the pandemic and overpaid for questionable deals. A $6 bln stock jump illustrates the handiness of using disruption, real or imagined, to rebrand a clean-up.

From Breakingviews - Breakingviews - AI fears give tech CEOs convenient cover for cuts reut.rs/4r07mmw

The Supreme Court Just Made Trump's Biggest Problem Worse Tariffs aren't going anywhere.

The Supreme Court ruling on tariffs is a brutal rebuke to Trump and the MAGA agenda, but it also massively exacerbates his biggest political problem. www.messageboxnews.com/p/the-suprem...

Sun setting behind a small airplane

Sunset at the airport (84R)

I cannot vote for Democrats because their excessive regulations hamper free enterprise. Here’s why I’m revamping my company’s entire operations to appeal to Donald Trump’s ego.

“As unpopular as A.I. job cuts may be to the public, they may be less controversial than other reasons — like bad company planning”

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/bus…

What Happened in Texas While You Were Sleeping—and Why It Matters Democrats just won a stunning victory in a very Republican county in Texas

While you were sleeping, Dems flipped a state senate seat in Texas by 14 points in a district Trump won by 17 points in 2024.

This is a political earthquake with massive implications for the midterms.
www.messageboxnews.com/p/what-happe...

Yesterday, five-year-old Liam and his dad Adrian were released from Dilley detention center. I picked them up last night and escorted them back to Minnesota this morning.

Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack.

Waymo robotaxi hits a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica | TechCrunch The child, whose age is not public, sustained minor injuries according to Waymo. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating.

Alternatively: Waymo’s superhuman reaction time prevents child from serious, potentially fatal accident.

How to Talk About Minnesota and ICE Some thoughts on discussing the issue dominating the discourse

“You can’t persuade people without their attention—and getting people’s attention is the hardest thing to do in politics right now. Well, we have it.”

open.substack.com/pub/messagebox…

Congratulations and welcome! 🎉

Ohhhhhhh 👀👀👀

Proper Mac app for Bluesky! (works on Sequoia)

And looks very native, as far as I can tell (I think AppKit even?)

😍

Young man using his iPhone to take pictures of two Lego Star Wars AT AT walkers. They are posed on a deck covered in snow.

The resulting picture of two Lego Star Wars AT AT walkers. They are posed on a deck covered in snow. Oen is wreaked and two figures struggle near the wreckage.

The 16yo used our rare snowfall as a stage for some Lego Star Wars action on Hoth.

When I was writing the Learning Core Audio book back in the day, AI wouldn’t have helped me because there was no Core Audio sample code out in the wild outside of two or three things from Apple in WWDC sessions or the docs. I wrote much of the publicly-available CA code that the LLMs then stole.

Me when GenZ start talking about the life advice they're getting from ChatGPT.

Screen capture of news headline with photo of Bill Gates. Headline reads: News+ Bill Gates Always Asks Himself 2 Simple Questions When He Needs to Solve Big Problems. So Should You JEFF HADEN • • •

Those questions are:
• Should I fly to the island again?
• What happens when Melinda finds out?

Beach with taped off area to protect seal

A monk seal on the beach

Monk Seal dropped by the beach for an afternoon snooze.

Convoy of H-E-B trucks and trailers labeled “disaster relief” traveling toward Comfort. Convoy of H-E-B trucks and trailers labeled “disaster relief” traveling toward Comfort.

As we recover from the flooding we're reminded that our most competent, functional, statewide institution in Texas is a beloved grocery store chain: www.ksat.com/video/news/2...

Look at these good dogs celebrating Therapy Animal Day at the Capitol!

“He can’t talk about anything except sports and the weather and he literally knows nothing about either one!” says the woman next to me out of nowhere. “All of his predictions about both are always wrong!”

I focus my attention on my enchilada combo plate and go back to quietly eating.

Arrived at work, nearly sat in a conference room chair that had been sprinkled with glitter. Hope you are also navigating the hazards of your morning.

Don't Fall for Trump's Strongman Gambit Trump's first two weeks reveal a chaotic and incompetent administration trying to mask weakness.

If you want to understand Trump's approach you need to understand the concept of "Gorilla Dust." When threatened, gorillas kick up dust to make themselves appear bigger.

Trump wants everyone to think he is strong, instead he is trying to mask his weakness
www.messageboxnews.com/p/dont-fall-...

the linux of guacamole is here

Three Christmas stockings with dog names on them filled with dog toys

A Happy Dog Christmas

Happy white dog under a Christmas tree

Best Christmas present

Do a Majority of Americans Really Support Trump's Mass Deportation Plan? The polling on Trump's deportation doesn't tell the full story

1. Yesterday, a CBS showed that a majority of Americans supported Trump's mass deportation plans. This poll scared Democrats and emboldened MAGA Republicans, but is it really true that so many people support deporting 12M people? Not so fast. www.messageboxnews.com/p/no-the-pub...

I am such a believer in this. Down-ballot is the way.

It’s also how we build a sustainable future of good leaders and infrastructure to elect and support them, as well as the movements they represent.

We don’t just need strong candidates. We need strong organizers, managers, CoS, grassroots, etc.