Links 2026-01-13T20:40:24.733Z

Politics & Culture Wars

A wave of heated political debates dominates the bookmarks, from ICE confrontations and Democratic outrage to international tensions involving Trump, Iran, and free speech battles. Tech billionaires unite against California's tax hikes while U.S. officials push back on foreign censorship.

• Gavin Newsom moves to neutralize tax on billionaires - POLITICO: California governor opposes a ballot initiative targeting the ultrawealthy, sparking rare bipartisan tech backlash.
  
• Chamath Palihapitiya on X: "Don’t say we didn’t warn you. It’s only an absolutely horrible idea that makes Peter Thiel, Sergey Brin, Larry Page, Reid Hoffman, David Sacks and Gavin Newsom all agree. This proposed “Billionaire Tax” will blow a massive hole in the California deficit and ruin the tech" / X: Venture capitalist warns that a "Billionaire Tax" unites unlikely allies like Thiel, Brin, and Newsom against California's economic self-sabotage.
• JONATHAN TURLEY: Performative rage replaces law as Democrats declare war on enforcement | Fox News: Turley slams Democrats for turning "Say Her Name" into a rallying cry against ICE amid escalating rhetoric over a fatal shooting.
  
• US State Department threatens UK over probe into Elon Musk’s X – POLITICO: U.S. official warns "nothing is off the table" if the UK bans X amid its investigation into Elon Musk's platform.
  
• Denmark and Greenland ministers to meet Vance, Rubio at White House on Wednesday – POLITICO: Trilateral talks address Trump's threats to seize Greenland amid U.S. interest in the strategic island.
  

Tech & AI

Breakthroughs in AI video generation, Unix-inspired agents, and Linux distributions highlight innovative shifts, alongside practical tips like ditching Gmail storage fees.

• Veo 3.1 Ingredients to Video: New video generation model updates: Google enhances Veo 3.1 for more consistent, creative video generation from ingredients.
  
• The Key to Agentic Success? BASH Is All You Need - The New Stack: AI agents thrive by embracing Unix basics like Bash shells over complex systems, per Vercel devs.
  
• The Distroless Linux Future May Be Coming | Hackaday: Minimalist "distroless" Linux variants signal a shift toward streamlined distributions amid hundreds of options.
  
• Don’t pay for Gmail storage, do this instead: Avoid Google One fees with smarter storage hacks when hitting the free 15GB limit.
  
• Date is out, Temporal is in - Piccalilli: JavaScript's Temporal API promises to fix the nightmare of native Date handling.

Science & Nature

Fascinating discoveries range from astronauts' shifting brains to bizarre fish heads, explosive seed-shooting trees, and rapid forest growth techniques.

• 'Backward and upward and tilted': Spaceflight causes astronauts' brains to shift inside their skulls | Space: Microgravity literally reshapes astronauts' brains, shifting them backward and upward in the skull.
  
• There's a weird fish in Washington with a huge hole in its head. Scientists think they've figured out why | Discover Wildlife: Researchers solve the mystery of the rockhead poacher's bowl-shaped skull in the Pacific.
  
• A Once-in-a-Generation Discovery Could Transform the Future of Dairy Farming: High-oleic soybeans boost milk quality and cut costs for U.S. dairy farms.
  

Science & Innovation

From SpaceX tours to JS Temporal and rapid forests, these spotlight cutting-edge tech and nature hacks.

• Secretary Hegseth Tours SpaceX Starbase and Marvels at Raptor 3 Engine / X: Incoming Defense Secretary tours Starbase, geeking out over Raptor's power.

Miscellaneous

• Political Violence Was Redefined to Protect the Left - YouTube: Tim Pool argues political violence definitions shield the left.
  
• Eric Weinstein on X: "Let’s imagine for a moment that all you cared about was American Might. I don’t know how to say this politely: Has it occurred to no one on this team that you don’t have American Science ANYHWERE AT ALL IN THIS LINE UP?" / X: Weinstein blasts Trump's team for lacking science expertise.
• Welcome - MayaPosch.com: Personal site of writer Maya Posch.
• Woman Breaks Down Crying About Dragging Her Kids Through ICE Operations - YouTube: Emotional reaction to family involvement in ICE raids.
  
• President Trump Delivers Remarks to the Detroit Economic Club - YouTube: Trump's economic speech in Detroit.
  
• Date is out, Temporal is in | Hacker News: HN discussion on JS Temporal replacing Date.
  
• Ice Agent That KILLED Renee Good To Face NO CRIMINAL CHARGES | Tim Pool - YouTube: ICE agent cleared in shooting; Tim Pool coverage.
  
• LEFTIST GETS ROCKED, FAFO - YouTube: Self-defense video of MAGA supporter vs. leftists.
  
• Quote of the day by Marcus Aurelius: 'Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the...' - The Economic Times: Stoic wisdom on perception vs. reality.
  
• Under Secretary of State Sarah B. Rogers on X: "A statute that imprisons you for calling to deport jihadist extremists — but provides safe harbor if you are a jihadist extremist — would be deeply perverse. Let’s hope this isn’t what Australia intends." / X: U.S. official critiques Australia's free speech laws.
• Under Secretary of State Sarah B. Rogers on X: "I’ve received some questions about what we mean, in our National Security Strategy, when we invoke “civilizational” concerns. So I’m tweeting a relevant news item." / X: Clarifying "civilizational" threats in U.S. strategy.
• Remembering Scott Adams: Tribute to Dilbert creator as history's "Last Man."
  
• Quote of the day january 11: Quote of the day by Isaac Asimov: ‘People who think they know everything…’ Iconic quotes and the three laws of robotics by American professor - The Economic Times: Asimov on the dangers of false certainty.
  
• Anti-ICE Activist Playbook Revealed, MN Legal Fight, Tepe Murders Suspect In Court: AM Update 1/13 - YouTube: Update on anti-ICE tactics and related crimes.
  
• Iran Protests EXPLODE As Trump Says U.S. Could Invade - YouTube: Timcast on Iranian unrest amid Trump rhetoric.
  
• IT HAS BEGUN - YouTube: Coverage of escalating ICE resistance.
  
• Trump Threatens WAR WITH IRAN Over Unrest, US Warns Americans In Iran GET OUT NOW | Timcast IRL - YouTube: Timcast IRL on Iran tensions.
  
• Renee Good’s Circle Declared “Micro-Intifada” Against ICE - YouTube: Activists' "intifada" call against ICE ops.
  
• **[Dilbert creator Scott Adams dies of cancer aged just 68 and sends heartbreaking message from beyond the grave](https://www-dailymail-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15460073/amp/Dilbert-creator-Scott