Here are some of the topics that have caught my attention as I’ve been browsing the internet:

Leading Off

Jonathan Katz published an outstanding biography about General Smedley Butler last year. In Gangsters of Capitalism: Smedley Butler, The Marines, and the Making and Breaking of America’s Empire, Katz chronicles the career of the Fighting Quaker who played a role in so many of our nation’s empire-building efforts—from Guantanamo Bay to the Philippines, Panama Canal, China, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Mexico.

But those experiences actually soured Butler on what the United States was doing overseas. He would explain later that he was “a racketeer for capitalism.” The people behind the Business Plot of 1933, a proposed coup against President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, didn’t understand Butler’s real feelings about the political situation when they offered him the dictatorship of the United States. Instead, Butler exposed the conspiracy.

It’s quite a life, and Katz’s book is one of the best I’ve read recently. Learning about Smedley Butler provides much context about our nation’s post-Civil War history. Given how the Business Plot echoes in today’s politics, I am sure we will return to Butler’s story in the future.

After reading that book, I researched Katz’s career. I learned that Katz first came to prominence as the Associated Press correspondent in Haiti during the aftermath of the January 12, 2010, earthquake that ended up being the deadliest ever in the Western Hemisphere.

After surviving the earthquake, Katz began reporting on the devastation. Through that reporting, he learned that the United Nations peacekeepers had caused and were covering up a cholera epidemic that added to the horrors the Haitians faced.

Katz and other reporters followed this story, uncovering more and more evidence while dealing with denials and lies from United Nations staff. As Katz explains:

A decade ago, I traced a deadly epidemic back to a politically explosive source. It was the fall of 2010, and Haiti was reeling from a massive cholera epidemic. Rumors flew that the outbreak was caused by United Nations peacekeepers. Some variations on these rumors were extremely far-fetched. Many were politically motivated. But within the rumors was a testable hypothesis: that a specific group of U.N. soldiers at a specific base had introduced the disease in a specific way—by dumping infected sewage into the country’s main river system.

Now I could have written a story based on the rumors alone. I could have done a meta-analysis over whether we were “allowed” to have the debate over cholera’s origins at all. But I was a journalist living in Port-au-Prince. So I went to the base — a riverside outpost of recently arrived soldiers from Nepal — and found the first hard evidence implicating the U.N. That first story kicked off years of research by myself, epidemiologists, and others. It was not easy: The U.N. and its partners in the U.S. government covered up and fought us every inch of the way. But in the end, we established an evidentiary timeline showing when, where, and as close as we could get to how the U.N. introduced cholera to Haiti. Six years later, I extracted a grudging admission from the U.N. Secretary-General.

Given his expertise in this area, I was hoping Katz would write about the Covid Lab Leak theories that escalated in the national conversation following a Wall Street Journal report that the U.S. Energy Department had concluded that a lab leak was the most likely origin of Covid-19, albeit with “low confidence.”

Thankfully, Katz did share his analysis of the situation in a post that explains why the questions are legitimate and important, but that the conclusions people are reaching are more explosive than informative. Katz writes:

Given that experience, you might think I’d have been among the first to buy into the allegations of the “lab leak” origin of COVID-19. Indeed, I’ve heard through the grapevine that some of my old Haiti cholera crew are buying the hype. But I’m not. At least not yet. That is because the lab leak is still missing the key element of the U.N. cholera story that made it more than just a bunch of rumors: an actual, coherent theory of the case that could be refuted or confirmed.

When you peel back the label, it seems “lab leak” is a jaunty alliteration that papers over a variety of wildly different, often mutually exclusive, ideas. It isn’t a theory but a bundle of loose hypotheses that contradict each another on basic facts: the nature of the virus in question, the timeline of introduction — even the identity of the lab at which the alleged leak occurred.

Now, even those contradictions in and of themselves are not necessarily disqualifying. Science famously evolves, and multiple competing ideas can exist at once. But I can’t help but notice that whenever one of these myriad “theories” gains cultural currency, even proponents of directly contradicted hypotheses claim vindication. It is as if they don’t actually care what happened, so long as it affirms their notions of who was wrong and whom the guilty party should be. It’s maddening to watch—especially as someone who thinks that finding the origins of an epidemic is important.

Katz takes us through the reported claims in the Energy Department report, the reactions of people on the right and the left who were quick to point fingers, and the existing evidence.

Take, for example, the hospital at the center of the Energy Department’s story, according to sources who spoke to CNN. As Katz points out, if you aren’t careful, you may not notice that the Energy Department based its conclusion on research at the Chinese Centers for Disease Control in Wuhan, China. As Katz explains:

Take a closer look at the name of the lab in that quote. If you have been reading anything about the lab leak for the last three years, or even just looking at the pictures, you will no doubt recognize the name Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Well, it may interest you to know that the Chinese Centers for Disease Control [and Prevention] is not the Wuhan Institute of Virology. It is, in fact, an entirely different institution — nine miles away, on the other side of Wuhan, across the Yangzi River.

That’s an important detail and one of the reasons the multiple lab leak theories contradict each other.

We should undertake all possible efforts to determine the origin of Covid-19. It is exceptionally problematic that the Chinese government refuses to cooperate with international investigations.

But as Katz makes clear, we also need to be careful about how we discuss the competing theories about Covid-19’s origin. This investigation shouldn’t be about dunking on political or ideological enemies.

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GOP Undoing Democracy to Ban Abortion

Abortion, Every Day’s Jessica Valenti explains how Republican legislators across the country are dismantling democracy to protect abortion bans. Valenti writes:

Republican legislators across the country have been working overtime to prevent Americans from having a say on abortion rights, no longer bothering to hide their obvious disdain for democracy. In states like Ohio, Missouri and Florida, for example, they’re working to raise the standards on ballot measures to require a much higher percentage of voters to pass. (In Ohio and Missouri, they want 60% of the vote instead of a simple majority; in Florida they’re trying to raise it to nearly 67%.)

Republicans in those states, however, at least have had the good sense to pretend the issue isn’t abortion—instead claiming they’re simply trying to protect their states from well-funded special interests. But the Mississippi GOP didn’t get the memo, and happily told reporters yesterday about their desire to fuck over voters without the least bit of shame or smidge of a cover story.

It would be great if Democrats could at least do more to ensure voters understood what was happening and who was behind it.

Thank you for reading Things I Find Interesting by Craig Cheslog. This post is public so feel free to share it.

Quick Pitches

California

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has created a hotline for people to report schools that disproportionately discipline students of color or disabilities. (Diana Lambert, EdSource)

The Little Hoover Commission, the state’s independent citizens commission, will hold a series of hearings about the controversies surrounding the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). (Little Hoover Commission Press Release)

Politics

Rachel Maddow’s latest podcast series, Ultra, does an outstanding job of telling the story of a plot by more than a dozen Members of Congress to assist Nazi Germany in its efforts to keep the United States out of World War II. It is fascinating to see how the conspirators used the Congressional franking privilege that allows zero-cost communication with constituents as one part of their efforts to spread their propaganda. But her podcast stops before telling the entire story of Representative Hamilton Fish III (R-NY), who went from being a key figure in the Nazi conspiracy to becoming one of Ronald Reagan’s significant supporters in 1980. (Jon Schwarz, The Intercept)

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) traveled to northern Idaho in February to address the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee. Her speech provided a glimpse into the type of country she seeks to create. “The event may be the closest thing yet to Greene’s vision for the GOP, which she has urged to become the “party of Christian nationalism.” The Idaho Panhandle’s especially fervent embrace of the ideology may explain why Greene, who has sold T-shirts reading “Proud Christian Nationalist,” traveled more than 2,300 miles to a county with fewer than 67,000 Republican voters to talk about biblical truth: Amid ongoing national debate over Christian nationalism, North Idaho offers a window at what actually trying to manifest a right-wing vision for a Christian America can look like — and the power it can wield in state politics.” (Jack Jenkins, Region News Service)

Finland’s parliament approved legislation allowing the country to join NATO, as the nation leaves behind decades of military non-alignment after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Whether Sweden can overcome objections from Turkey to join at the same time is still an open question. (Jon Henley, The Guardian)

Republican election deniers are taking over party organizations nationwide, from the precinct level up to winning state party elections. The danger to our democracy remains acute. (Kaila Philo, Talking Points Memo)

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee is about to sign legislation into law banning drag shows in the state despite photos allegedly showing him dressed in drag during his high school days. (Gloria Oladipo, The Guardian)

We need to take efforts to overturn marriage equality seriously. The dynamics we saw with the steps to overturn Roe v. Wade are present today in efforts to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges. As Digby says, opponents are once again playing the long game. (Digby, Hullabaloo)

Tucker has information about which I’m unaware.

I am always saying this

— Kat Abu (@abughazalehkat) 1:41 AM ∙ Mar 1, 2023

Science

A new study projects that ice sheet collapses at the North and South Poles will start sooner than anticipated. (Tessa Koumoundouros, Science Alert)

NASA Astronaut Josh Cassada posted photos of auroras as seen from his vantage point on the International Space Station. (Mike Wall, Space.com)

Technology

Elon Musk’s Twitter has disabled the function ProPublica used to track tweet deletions by politicians, perhaps ending the Politwoops project. (Derek Willis, ProPublica)

There are efforts to rehabilitate the Luddites, who have been smeared by history. “The Luddites were a 19th century guerrilla movement that smashed textile machines, burned factories and threatened their owners. But they were not motivated by a fear of technology, and they were not irrational. Rather, the Luddites — who took their name from the mythological General Ned Ludd, whose legend included the smashing of weaving-frames — were engaged in the most science-fictional exercise imaginable — asking not what a technology does, but who it does it to and who it does it for.” (Cory Doctorow, Medium)

Society

Some philosophers believe alcohol is the reason humans decided to develop agriculture and created civilizations. “This is a provocative thesis, and one that might upset Puritans. Yet it has some serious adherents, including philosopher Edward Slingerland. Singerland believes alcohol may have helped shaped human evolution from the very beginning, and continues to have positive benefits for society — beyond providing a socially acceptable form of euphoria.” (Troy Farah, Salon)

Wikenigma is a wiki-based resource that compiles “the scientific and academic questions to which no-one, anywhere, has yet been able to provide a definitive answer.” You can check by category, review the entire A-Z list, see the latest updates, or take your chances and request a random article. (Wikenigma: An Encyclopedia of Unknowns)

Early versions of the character Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain at the beginning of this year, which is why we could be treated to the horror film Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. Here’s a list of more famous characters about to enter the public domain. (Michael Grothaus, Fast Company)

American cars are getting too large for the parking spaces they are supposed to use. (Jason Kottke, Kottke.org)

Sports

The Canadian Women’s National Soccer Team is fighting for equal pay and funding transparency with its national federation leadership. It’s atrocious, and the Gold Medal winners deserve much better. (Megan Swanick, Moving the Goalposts)

Is this going to be the year of the catcher back-pick (when a catcher throws to a base behind the runner), given Major League Baseball’s rules changes? I love them, so I would approve. (Noah Woodward, The Advance Scout)

These are in my calendar.

It’s never too early to mark your calendars and set those alarms ⏰

— U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) 9:39 PM ∙ Mar 1, 2023

My Cubs do things the right way.

frozen margs in a baseball bat.

@Cubs y’all are crazy

— Jordan Cicchelli (@jordancicchelli) 8:55 PM ∙ Mar 2, 2023

The Closer

Manchester United and England International Mary Earps won the Best Women’s Goalkeeper in the world honor at the FIFA Best Awards. She almost quit the sport a couple of years ago. But then the newly appointed England manager Sarina Wiegman showed belief in her, and Earps decided to play on.

In addition to her amazing efforts with Manchester United, Earps became the goalkeeper for England’s 2022 European Champions. It was quite a journey, and she gave one of the most moving awards acceptances I’ve seen.

Sarina, I run out of words to say thanks to you for the opportunity you’ve given me to chase my wildest dreams and for believing in me the way you have.

This is for anyone who has ever been in a dark place, just know that there is light at the end of the tunnel – keep going. You can achieve anything that you set your mind to.

Sometimes, success looks like collecting trophies, sometimes it’s just waking up and putting one step in front of the other. There is only one of you in the world and that’s more than good enough. Be, unapologetically, yourself.

Congratulations, Mary Earps. I look forward to watching you tomorrow morning against Leicester City.

Such beautiful speech Mary 🥹🫶🏼

— wosoarmy (@wosoarmy) 8:50 PM ∙ Feb 27, 2023

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