Left Anchor

@leftanchor.bsky.social

A podcast about politics, philosophy, and the left. https://www.patreon.com/leftanchor

NEW: We're about to enter an extremely busy stretch of elections; in August, I'm watching elections across 17 states! Referendums could overhaul election law. Liberals want to take back school boards. The far-right is targeting GOP lawmakers. And more. Enter my new guide to August elections:

110 Elections to Watch This August - Bolts

A string of high-profile Senate and governor primaries will headline August and set the stage for November. They include the rushed special primary to replace the late Lindsey Graham in... Read More

boltsmag.org

Seeing people confused about Fauci taking the Fifth even though he was pre-emptively pardoned by Biden. Pardons only cover past conduct; they don't immunize future lawbreaking. Fauci's claim is Trump II DOJ would gin up a perjury investigation into him based on anything he says today.

"The so-called protectors are now the only persons against whom, in any ordinary circumstances, protection is needed. The brutality and tyranny with which every police report is filled are those of husbands to wives, of parents to children."

"To be under the power of some-one, instead of being, as formerly, the sole condition of safety, is now, speaking generally, the only situation which exposes to grievous wrong.  That the law does not prevent these atrocities, that it is only now making a first timid attempt to repress and punish them, is no matter of necessity, but the deep disgrace of those by whom the laws are made and administered."

Pornainen, Finland (pop 5,000) is now heated by a silo of crushed soapstone. I spoke to CNBC about it. 100 MWh, charged when power is cheap, emissions down ~70%. Days to weeks of storage, no critical minerals. www.cnbc.com/2026/07/25/f...

Finland’s radical answer to renewable energy’s biggest headache: The world’s largest sand battery

A small Finnish town has turned to the world's largest commercial sand battery to tackle a major hurdle in the energy transition: intermittency.

cnbc.com

"This time, the moral panic isn’t coming from older generations—in fact, kids are turned off by the way AI is being pushed on them by adults and tech corporations. They’re also, Green says, 'acutely aware that whatever disruption happens, their generation is going to be bearing the brunt of it.'"

Some Kids Will Never Think AI Is Cool

“I think it should stand for ‘artificial idiot,’” one 9-year-old says. Here’s why kids of all ages are calling AI “disgusting” and “creepy.”

wired.com

"Cognitive surrender" is a fascinating concept to think about the impact of AI as it exists under reactionary tech Preventing people from thinking for themselves and imagining different worlds is a godsend for authoritarians thenextweb.com/news/wharton...

Wharton researchers coined 'cognitive surrender' to describe what happens when people let AI think for them

A Wharton study found people accepted wrong AI answers 80% of the time, as apps like Moot now let five AI personas vote on your life decisions.

thenextweb.com