Jacob Wolman

nytimes.comObama’s ‘Cheesecake Factory’ Jab Rankles Trump on Mississippi Campaign Stop (Gift Article)Former President Barack Obama had cast his successor as out of touch while jabbing at his extravagant sense of style. Mr. Trump responded at length.

tfw you're not mad, in fact you think it's funny, so don't put it in the newspaper that you're mad www.nytimes.com/2026/10/26/u...

Jacob Wolman reposted

southpaw

@nycsouthpaw.bsky.social

I hope smooth operations at the police academy’s gymnasium are able to recover from the scrambling imposed by the mayor playing basketball.

Chris Sommerfeldt@c-sommerfeldt.bsky.social

New: Mayor Zohran Mamdani and a group of his friends have been secretly using the NYPD Police Academy’s gymnasium in Queens to play pickup basketball — scrambling some operations at the facility. w/ @grahamrayman.bsky.social & Joe Anuta www.politico.com/news/2026/10...

politico.comMamdani is using NYPD gym to host pickup basketball games with friendsThe choice of location has scrambled NYPD training operations, angering a police union and a Republican lawmaker.

@scottaukerman.bsky.social sue Vulture

vulture.comvulture.com

variety.comKeanu Reeves to Star in Netflix Action Movie ‘Maelstrom’ After Alan Ritchson Drops OutKeanu Reeves is set to star in the Netflix action movie "Maelstrom" after "Reacher" actor Alan Ritchson dropped out of the project.

I'm hearing Ritchson dropped out because he is our new James Bond.

Brian Grubb@briancgrubb.bsky.social

"we lost Reacher but we replaced him with John Wick" is a solutions-oriented business strategy variety.com/2026/film/ne...

youtube.comSample Breakdown: Fatboy Slim - Right Here, Right NowInspired? Access samples like these 🔌 https://tracklib.com/samplebreakdown 🤔 What is TRACKLIB? TRACKLIB is the only platform in the world where music producers can access any kind of sample, and clear it in minutes for a release, with one affordable subscription. The service has been used to find and clear samples for releases by Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Future, Kaytranada, and thousands more. Try it out now 👉 https://tracklib.com/samplebreakdown 📲 TRACKLIB app Try the best sampling app in the world, pre-loaded with our complete catalog of samples: from classic artists, to obscure records, to premium sample packs. Inspired by the Sample Breakdowns, you can loop, chop and create your own masterpieces with just your phone. Try it out now 👉 https://www.tracklib.com/beat-making-app See what it can do 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T34hpd_KuKg ℹ️ What is sampling and how does it work? https://tracklib.com/sampling-guide ℹ️ What is sample clearance and how does it work? https://tracklib.com/sample-clearance 🔗 Links Website: https://tracklib.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracklib/ X: https://x.com/tracklib Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tracklib TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tracklib #samplebreakdown

lol. I had no idea that Fatboy Slim sampled The Bloodhound Gang's "Why is Everybody Always Picking On Me?" on "Right Here, Right Now".

arstechnica.comBoston Dynamics employees want to block sale of robot dogs to ICEUS robotics company stands by ICE deal as more than 300 employees warn of risk.

This is pretty funny. What did these defense contractor employees think defense contractors do? Sell lollipops? bostondynamics.com/blog/how-n...

Ars Technica@arstechnica.com

slate.comThe Truth at the Heart of You Can See Everything Is More Obvious Than You ThinkElizabeth Holmes is now, by some, considered a victim, even if it’s not what Nathan Fielder intended.

Respectfully, and without getting into any spoilers (which of course this piece is filled with), my experience watching the film was quite different than this author's, and I think the ambiguity at the heart of the film is not "did she really do the fraud?".

Working on a "Talking Heads is Halloween music" take.

I think some ambitious California legislator could go far by writing bills that actually do what all of these state propositions funded by special interests pretend to do. Keep the big picture idea and exorcise the devil hiding in the details.

newsletter.wolmania.comFriday, October 23, 2026Good morning. It's Expensive Phone Release Day, although that's statistically extremely unlikely to be relevant to you. Still, on the off chance that you're reading this on a folding phone, please crack it open and enjoy Wolmania at its intended widescreen aspect ratio. Item 1: a link

This newsletter does not fold.

This is not doing me a favor, Resy!

I have my issues with Wirecutter but these comments on the generally positive iPhone Duo review are hilarious. www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/re...

Jacob Wolman reposted

Kevin M. Kruse

@kevinmkruse.bsky.social

Vance is in Ohio to support the Ramaswamy campaign, which is in hot water for an ad in which they promote a woman who sided with her husband after he was arrested for raping her 12-year-old daughter. For his intro song, they chose ... Jerry Lee Lewis, who famously married his 13-year-old cousin.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

LMAO JD Vance's speech in Ohio is off to a great start

theverge.comThe iPhone Duo is a messy, expensive, good timeThe iPhone Duo is the riskiest Apple product in years.

Having an exterior display that's more restrictive might lead to a very positive result: less mindless phone use. Making doom-scrolling a little more of a hassle seems like a net-good for society.

Also, a lot of the issues described in this review result from apps not yet being updated for the new form factor. Which is a legit critique because a lot of the apps you use all the time won't be updated for it anytime soon, but presumably in a year or two it'll be much better.

Which is a strong argument for waiting a year or two to buy one!

defector.comNobody Wants To Talk About Why The Ringer Is Pivoting To Substack | DefectorA media company launching a series of paywalled newsletters is not, on its own and on its face, a strange thing to do. AI’s ongoing cannibalization of online search is ravaging website traffic, and programmatic advertising doesn’t provide the kind of revenue it used to. If you were running a website like The Ringer, you…

One can only conclude that Spotify is a malign force and everyone it touches is corrupted.

Love to read science fiction. Such beautiful prosody.

theverge.comYour secrets aren’t safe with this cute robot toy — they’re on Chinese servers ready to be hackedEiliko and its manufacturer, Energize Lab, are seemingly not to be trusted.

"Repeat that 'I am Vergemaster's worthless hole' until I tire of your voice."

theverge.comThe Yandex outage probably didn’t blitz Russian botsNot the bots you’re probably picturing, that is.

Too good to be true.

spyglass.orgTwitter is Back. Shhh… Magic Dance!X is proving to be an internet cockroach...

"Moral issues aside" is doing a lot of work here. The moral issues are kind of the point?

Upsetting that we'll never get the Tom Waits / John Prine supergroup the world so desperately needs.

daringfireball.netX Once Again Marks the SpotIf you returned from exile on a desert island and took a look at X today for first time in a year, you might reasonably guess that Elon Musk got bored and sold it while you were away.

I could nitpick, but fundamentally I'm simply not willing to voluntarily enrich Elon Musk (nor be subjected to whatever horrible thing he foists upon his peons via shamelessly-rigged algorithm). I am fine missing out on some good posts. There are plenty of other things to look at than X.

I basically feel the same way about Threads, which is better than X but still a malign influence and massive waste of time to boot.

newsletter.wolmania.comnewsletter.wolmania.com

By god, I've done it again

It's simple, really. "Socialism" is anything that isn't smurfy.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Q: How do you define socialism personally? JD VANCE: I think in reality what it actually means in the American context is you want to replace American workers with foreigners workers, and you want boys to play in girls' sports

With any luck, this is going to result in an epic (npi) Emily Wilson Bluesky thread

youtube.comI cannot emphasize enough that the president has pudding for brainsIt is actually quite frightening to know that the president of the United States is genuinely deranged. ... You can listen to this channel as a podcast! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/takes™/id6803575455 If you want more of my work you can read me over at the New York Times or subscribe to my podcast Unclear and Present Danger on the political and military thrillers of the 1990s. https://www.nytimes.com/by/jamelle-bouie https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unclear-and-present-danger/id1592411580 You can also find me at: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jamellebouie.net Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jbouie/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamellebouie

(no pun intended)

@jamellebouie.net's YouTube video titles are a delight.

theverge.comThe Surface Laptop Ultra finally has a release date — and a starting price of $2,599The Surface Ultra is designed to handle creative workloads, gaming, and AI.

Classic tragic Microsoft to release what sounds like a very credible MacBook Pro competitor like 3 weeks before Apple is rumored to be announcing a revolutionary next-gen MacBook Pro.

Dems can add this to the List of Crimes to Investigate and Punish

nbcnews.toRahm Emanuel says Democrats should focus on ethics reforms rather than impeaching TrumpDemocrats have publicly weighed whether they should pursue impeaching Trump for a third time.

Neat trick.

Ordinarily I'd say "perhaps he doesn't want to scare off swing voters who just want bipartisanship, and he'll actually go after Trump once Dems have power". But swing voters want Trump in the Hague – equivocating or blathering about "looking forward, not back" = stay home, both parties are the same.

NBC News@nbcnews.com

Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel calls on Democratic lawmakers to set aside plans to impeach President Trump if they win a majority in the House, pushing them instead to pass an ethics reform package.

I can't believe we will spend the rest of our lives dealing with idiotic nonsense because full-grown adults don't understand that the computer is not alive.

"I lost friends over this. Probably because the decision was… too good?"

MeidasTouch@meidastouch.com

Not so sure Republicans want the Dobbs decision back in the spotlight like this as the Midterms approach…

nyti.msU.S. and Allies Agree to Release Diesel Reserves as Prices SoarThe Group of 7, which includes Britain, France and Japan, announced the release of 100 million barrels over four months, effective immediately.

They couldn't wait a month? Really?

The New York Times@nytimes.com

Breaking News: The G7, which includes Britain, France, Japan and others, agreed to release diesel from reserve stockpiles to ease record-high prices driven mostly by the war in Iran.

defector.comThe Wuppertal Schwebebahn Is Real And It Is My Friend | DefectorWUPPERTAL, Germany — When my friend in Cologne asked me if I might want to take a day trip, thanks to Cologne’s proximity to various other notable cities (Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Bonn, among others), I said that I would like to go to Wuppertal to ride the Schwebebahn. To which they said, “I knew that’s what…

My Defector subscription pays off yet again.

slate.comChrista Pike’s Botched Execution Is a Travesty. Blame the Supreme Court’s MAGA Majority.The state of Tennessee tried to put Christa Pike to death on Wednesday, in what was an embarrassing spectacle of cruelty.

We need to end the death penalty in this accursed country.

time.comRead TIME’s ‘What Trump Has Built’ Interview TranscriptThe U.S. President discussed the war in Iran, press freedom, AI, and more ahead of the midterm elections.

Jacob Wolman reposted

Ben K.

@benjaminkabak.com

I have seen many of you say "Donald Trump's brain is mush" and I was not prepared for how bad this is.

Matthew Gertz@mattgertz.bsky.social

I think it's bad that the president's brain is mush. time.com/article/2026...

sfchronicle.comHouse of Prime Rib has entered a new era. Is the S.F. classic as good as ever?Has San Francisco’s House of Prime Rib changed one year after the death of its legendary owner? Our restaurant critic MacKenzie Chung Fegan went to find the answer.

One of the last vestiges of pre-tech San Francisco somehow remains a beacon of idiosyncratic, obsessive hospitality. Loved this review.

What ever happened to that load of kompromat Fetterman's former staff was going to unload last week? Did they just decide it was less damning than his continuing efforts to telegraph that his party allegiance is for sale?

sfchronicle.comWhy the Bay Area still can't stop Bay Bridge bus lane cheaters — even with $490 ticketsThe constant, cavalier way drivers sneak into the bus-only lane has become a source of frustration to California Highway Patrol officers who are writing $490 tickets to violators.

I blame Donald Trump for this, too. Everyone thinks they have special dispensation to flout the law.

404media.coLawyer Cites ChatGPT-Invented Fake Witnesses in Murder Appeal"Do you watch the news? Do you listen to the radio? Do you read anything about what's going on in the world?” one of the judges asked the lawyer, who submitted false testimony and witnesses after using ChatGPT.

I think it's time to summarily disbar lawyers who file AI slop. This is malpractice, with someone's freedom at stake.

Second order effect of having a habitual, unrepentant tax fraud in charge of the federal government is that everyone knows that tax fraud is okay to do now.

What, respectfully, the fuck is he talking about? www.theverge.com/policy/10024...