UFC Freedom 250 is facing a chaotic weather setup on the White House South Lawn, with a 60% chance of thunderstorms, heavy downpours, and wind gusts up to 34 mph threatening to delay the outdoor fights. On top of the storm risk, brutal D.C. humidity is driving a triple-digit heat index alongside massive swarms of mosquitos and gnats that fighters will have to battle inside the cage. While the venue’s massive 92-foot overhang will keep the octagon dry, a single lightning strike within eight miles will trigger an automatic 30-minute freeze on the entire event.

The fact that Congress has subsidized a whole bunch of things—against my strong opposition—still doesn’t make Elon’s money yours or the government’s

Libs are counter-programming the UFC event at the White House. With this.

Salon with an instant classic.

The SOH blockade ends with the USN taking or diverting 152 Iranian ships -- for now. By comparison Europe has physically stopped, boarded, detained, or redirected around 10–15 well-documented Russian Dark Fleet ships as of mid-2026—despite sanctioning hundreds. Iran to be sure, detained hundreds of merchantment in the Gulf. But as I observed the trends were against Iran, whose physical stranglehold on the SOH lessened by the day. By comparison the USN blockade accelerated, peaked and probably was going to taper off as Iranian ships dwindled. Early days (first 48 hours–~1 week): 9–10 vessels turned back; rising to ~23–29 intercepted/redirected. Late April: ~29 intercepted. Mid-May: 89–100 redirected; some disabled. Late May: 97–118 redirected, 4–5 disabled. Early June: 132 redirected, 6 disabled (higher totals reported in some updates) So Iran had to sign while they still had cards to hold. Little noted is how the relative risks will change if the ceasefire lasts a month. In that month the ships trapped in the Gulf will escape en masse, dramatically lowering Iran's leverage. Simultaneously Iranian ships now skulking in port must put to see with cargoes, dramatically increasing USN's leverage. A rational Iran will allow the ceasefire to survive at least until its first or second cycle of cargoes reaches intended port. If they violate it too soon their ships at sea will be seized. x.com/CENTCOM/status/2066211…

David Brooks reacts to the upcoming UFC fight at the White House, "I first thought of, like, who are the artists John F. Kennedy brought to the White House? It was like W.H. Auden, Robert Frost, Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein. And now we have got cage fighting. Don't anybody say America's in cultural decline." Jonathan Capehart adds "talk about degrading the culture. This is degrading the White House, degrading the people's house. And it's just unconscionable that this has happened."

The Big Boy’s Hancock steam whistle can reach up to 125 dB at close range

There was once a that socialism would work better than capitalism. This was mostly wrong and post-1989 it seemed like we'd agree on market economies plus a welfare state. But an injection of green degrowth has birthed "socialism will wreck the economy — in a good way!"

China’s collapsing job market just lost its ultimate safety net as the gig economy completely implodes. In a historic first, authorities in Shenzhen, the powerhouse megacity built on migrant labor, have formally declared the ride-hailing market completely saturated. An absolute flood of laid-off workers and desperate citizens has overwhelmed the sector, turning China's most reliable economic fallback option into a brutal financial trap. The official data reveals a dystopian reality. Nearly 400,000 licensed drivers in Shenzhen are now fighting over a shrinking pool of passengers, leaving the average driver with fewer than five completed trips per day. Exhausted workers are forced to grind through punishing 12- to 16-hour shifts just to scrape together a measly 300 yuan ($42) after corporate platform cuts, vehicle rentals, and charging costs. This crisis is rapidly spreading nationwide, with major hubs like Chongqing, Suzhou, and Dongguan forced to issue identical warnings or freeze permits altogether. For years, the Chinese Communist Party used gig work as a convenient sponge to soak up mass unemployment and hide the true scale of its failing economy. Now that manufacturing is dying, foreign investment is fleeing, and white-collar sectors are plagued by sweeping layoffs, that fragile cushion has completely disintegrated. #ChinaEconomy #Shenzhen #GigEconomy #CCP #Unemployment #Didi #ChinaCrisis #StateFailure

What’s the fourth group?

We found another surreal place on our way. I know some people will say I’m too positive about everything I see, but this place was crazy. They had a shooting range in the store.

🇮🇷🇺🇸 “Their sense is that they are close.” Iran expert Trita Parsi says U.S. officials told him they believe Washington and Tehran are nearing a deal, despite recent tensions over Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Parsi said Iran views continued Israeli strikes as a serious red line and is using the issue to test whether President Trump is willing, or able, to restrain Benjamin Netanyahu. “If Trump is unwilling or incapable of holding the Israelis back, then what is the value of a deal with the United States?” @tparsi | @ryangrim | @maysamustafa

Europeans keep asking what American culture looks like. Brother, we have a restaurant so reliable that the federal government unofficially uses it to judge hurricane damage. It's called the Waffle House Index. If the Waffle House is open and serving a full menu, everything is probably fine. If they're on a limited menu, things got rough. If the Waffle House is closed, FEMA starts paying attention. Think about how absurd that is. An entire nation's disaster response can be summarized as: "Yeah, but is the Waffle House open?" And despite the jokes, it's one of the greatest American institutions ever created. 24 hours a day. 365 days a year. Friendly waitresses who call you "baby." Hot coffee that somehow tastes better at 6 a.m. after a road trip. Bacon, eggs, hash browns, waffles, and burgers cooked right in front of you. I recommend the hashbrowns smothered and covered No reservations. No dress code. No pretension. Just good food, good people, and a front-row seat to the greatest collection of characters you'll ever meet. Sure, there's a non-zero chance you'll witness a fight. But there's also a decent chance you'll sit next to a truck driver, a nurse getting off a night shift, a family on vacation, and a local farmer all having breakfast together. That's America. When a hurricane hits, Waffle House is often the first businesses to reopen. When your flight gets delayed. When your team loses. When you're driving across the country. When it's 2 a.m. and you need food and life advice from a waitress named Amanda. Waffle House is there. Buc-ee's is America's cathedral. Waffle House is America's church.