Neuralink Live, No Diddy, Candace Cancelled, Rich Man's Trick
Neuralink Live, No Diddy, Candace Cancelled, Rich Man's Trick
The People's News for the People's Coin 3/20-3/26
Hey everyone,
This news digest covers the following stories from the past week:
1. Neuralink’s first patient
2. The raid on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ houses
3. Candace Owens’s firing from The Daily Wire
4. Jack Dorsey’s post about the documentary “Rich Man’s Trick”
Don’t miss videos, memes, and news bites at the end!
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Neuralink Goes Live
On Wednesday, Neuralink released a video update of the first patient to receive its brain chip implant.
In a stunning nine-minute video, a quadriplegic man named Noland Arbaugh demonstrated his ability to move a cursor on a computer screen with only his mind.
Arbuagh, who lost the use of his limbs in a diving accident, showed himself playing chess. He also said he’d been using the chip to stay up all night playing Civilization VI, one of his favorite games.
After the video went viral, Elon said the same technology could be used to allow paralyzed people to either use their own limbs again or control prosthetic limbs.
He added Neuralink’s next product would be called “Blindsight” and allow people born blind to see.
On Friday, Arbaugh joined 𝕏 with mega-viral post and shared a video of his tour at Neuralink facilities, which included video of him playing Mario Kart.
Of all Elon’s ventures, Neuralink is probably the most controversial.
One the one hand, it offers the promise to return core functionality to medical patients who might never see, walk, or play again.
On the other, the physical merging between man and AI-linked machine understandably gives many folks the willies.
In the past, Elon has argued that present-day technology like smart phones mean we are effectively already cyborgs. The argument has not convinced all his skeptics, many of whom oppose the technology on religious grounds.
Still, the technology’s power to cure otherwise permanent disability may convert some its doubters into the “cautiously optimistic” camp.
The Neuralink demo capped one of the most dynamic weeks of Elon’s career, which also included Starship’s third launch and the release of Tesla Full Self-Driving Beta 12.3 software.
What do you think: Is technology like Neuralink a milestone in human ingenuity or a violation of divine creation?
No Diddy
Over the weekend, the developing saga around Sean “Diddy” Combs took several dramatic and at times hilarious turns.
Earlier this year, Music producer Rodney Jones dropped a $30M law suit accusing Diddy of running a sexual blackmail scheme within the music industry.
The initial court filing claimed Jones’ accusations were backed up with extensive photographic and video evidence (previous Risky Reads reporting on Diddy can be found here, here, and here).
Over the last month, the allegations have made their way into the cultural zeitgeist.
This past weekend, clips of several influencers using the phrase “No Diddy” caught fire, causing it to trend on 𝕏.
“No Diddy” is a vernacular replacement for “pause” or “no homo” as a way to distance a speaker’s comments from an unintended sexual reference.
Things got even spicer on Monday when reports broke that Diddy’s houses in Miami and Los Angeles were being raided by Homeland Security.
Candace Owens has argued persuasively that Diddy fronted a sexual blackmail ring within the music industry. After the news began to trend, she proposed that the raids on Diddy’s properties were more likely to be obscure than reveal the truth, as with the FBI raids on Epstein’s houses.
Others saw the Diddy raids as confirmation of comedian Katt Williams’ claim at the beginning of the year that Diddy would face justice for his degeneracy.
50 Cent, who has repeatedly made public remarks about Diddy’s strange behavior, said the raids were evidence of Diddy’s demise and announced a new documentary on the topic.
While the raids were happening, Diddy was still at large, leading to conflicting reports that he may or may not have fled to the Caribbean on his private jet.
On Tuesday, multiple outlets reported that Prince Harry had been named in a filing of Rodney Jones’ lawsuit against Diddy.
The Daily Mail, which first broke the story, emphasized that Harry is not accused of wrongdoing in the suit, which read: “Mr Combs was known for throwing the ‘best’ parties. Affiliation with, and or sponsorship of Mr Combs sex-trafficking parties garnered legitimacy and access to […] international dignitaries like British Royal, Prince Harry.”
The Diddy happenings worked their way into the memesphere…
…and larger 𝕏 zeitgeist, where his comments about Trump and past interactions with Jimmy Kimmel, Barack Obama, NYC Mayor Eric Adams, and Jay-Z were scrutinized. An old clip of Dave Chappelle parodying Diddy also surfaced.
As of now, Diddy remains unaccounted for by federal authorities, while the Internet anticipates his impending arrest.
What do you think: Is Diddy the Epstein of the music industry? Have Diddy’s doings become part of cultural lore?
Candace Cancelled
Jesus has entered the memesphere.
The sequence of events that led to a sudden swell in Jesus memes started last Thursday, when the Anti-Defamation League launched a campaign against Candace Owens for her “vitriolic antisemitism.”
The ADL did so by writing a hit piece connecting her to conservative political commentator Nick Fuentes.
Fuentes is known for his pointed criticism of Israel, Zionism, and concentrated Jewish power, all of which manifest in his “Groyper” movement, which uses a fatter, smarmier version of Pepe the Frog as its mascot. (In his defense, Fuentes has said that he “love[s] Jews because I love everybody.”)
On recent episodes of his show “America First”, Fuentes has praised Owens for questioning Israel’s influence on American politics and media. The ADL article turned that praise against Owens by implying she and Fuentes were working together to advance anti-Semitism.
Candace responded to the article by denying any relationship with Fuentes.
In another post, she challenged the ADL by asking “what will you do to me next?” An hour later, she wrote, ”everyone can see what is happening.”
Friday morning, Daily Wire CEO Jeremy Boreing announced that Candace no longer worked for the company in a brief post: “Daily Wire and Candace Owens have ended their relationship.”
An hour later, Candace addressed her followers directly, writing, “I am finally free.”
Later in the day, the ADL was fact-checked by Community Notes for creating the false narrative that Owens and Fuentes were somehow working in coordination.
Elon, who has been repeatedly targeted by ADL-led advertising boycotts for allowing alleged anti-Semitism on 𝕏, expressed approval.
Candace’s firing initiated a sprawling discussion about censorship, anti-Semitism, and Jesus, vaulting her into main-character status on 𝕏 and causing her to trend in various discussions throughout the weekend.
I. Censorship
In the immediate aftermath of Candace’s firing, debate focused on whether The Daily Wire’s actions constituted censorship.
Over the past decade, The Daily Wire has built its brand as a conservative news outlet in direct opposition to left-wing cancel culture.
Founded by vocal Zionist Ben Shapiro, DW promotes itself as a free marketplace of thought, where anything can be said and the best ideas win.
At the same time, the firing seemed to suggest that The Daily Wire allowed its employees to explore every topic freely but one: Israel
So far, none of Owens’s colleagues from DW have come to her defense.
When asked to explain Candace’s departure, Shapiro declined to talk about it at all, refusing even to elaborate if she had been fired or left of her own volition.
Seth Dillon, CEO of the conservative Christian humor outlet Babylon Bee, proposed that Owens’s firing was not an act of censorship, but simply the result an irreconcilable differences between employee and employer.
Glenn Greenwald responded to Dillon by pointing out that the right has been complaining about “cancel culture” for years, but is now employing identical tactics against its own for speaking too freely about the Israel lobby.
Independent commentator Darryl Cooper said that The Daily Wire has always forbidden criticism of Israel and the firing is simply an example of FAFO.
Dave Smith, who recently sat down with Candace for a fascinating podcast, said she did not deserve to be fired and expressed optimism that she would end up better off for having left the company.
Friday morning, Owens expressed gratitude at the way the events played out. She repeated that she does not hold hate in her heart, and predicted the campaign against her would backfire.
II. Anti-Semitism
Candace’s firing from The Daily Wire kept the ongoing 𝕏 debate about the meaning of “anti-Semitism” in the spotlight.
This week, the debate narrowed to the question of whether manifestations of concentrated Jewish power are somehow exempt from criticism because this criticism perpetuates an “anti-Semitic trope” of Jewish power.
The question of whether it’s permissible to scrutinize the actions of powerful Jews is not an idle philosophical topic.
Rather, it has urgent consequences for the entire world given how easily war in Gaza could escalate into a regional and then global conflict.
Nor is the question of anti-Semitism’s meaning limited to the American right.
Last week, the New York Times reported that progressive Democrat AOC told her congressional colleagues that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza:“If you want to know what an unfolding genocide looks like, open your eyes.”
After the Times’s piece ran, the ADL accused AOC of “foster[ing] hate.”
Monday morning, Trump weighed in with his most substantive comments yet on Israel, urging the country to end its war: “you have to get to peace, you have to get to a normal life for Israel and everyone else.”
He also pointed out that the war was driving anti-Semitism across the world because of the gruesome images of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza that routinely circulate on social media.
III. Christ Is King
Over the weekend, the debate over anti-Semitism transformed into a meme war about the viral phrase “Christ is King”, which is typically followed by a cross emoji.
The phrase has been popping up with increasing regularity on 𝕏 as a forthright declaration of Jesus’ imminent victory over evil.
Saturday, Candace argued that proud declarations of Christian faith were necessary to counter the media’s “deep-seated hatred” of Christianity.
On Sunday, she made another post on the topic, noting that “Christ is King” was going increasingly viral to the chagrin of the media.
The phrase’s virality has inspired backlash, with some conservatives calling it a divisive rallying cry comparable to Black Lives Matter.
As the phrase trended, Daily Wire commentator Andrew Klavan argued it was an anti-Semitic dog whistle because it implied that God had abandoned the Jews.
In response to the accusation of anti-Semitism, a wave of pro-Jesus “Christ is King” memes flooded across 𝕏.
Monday morning, Candace addressed the topic at length, writing that media had stigmatized proud declarations of faith but “Christ consciousness is rising throughout the world.”
Daryl Cooper argued the phrase was not inherently anti-Semitic, but could be if used with malicious intent.
Mike Cernovich made a similar argument by asking his followers, “what’s in your heart?”
In a powerful post, Allie Beth Stuckey wrote that the phrase is an expression of the unavoidable influence of Jesus on civilization:
“Whether one accepts or rejects the Bible as true or divinely inspired, that the faith Jesus ignited radically changed the world forever is undeniable. It can hardly be enumerated the human rights advances that have their source in Christianity. Every foundational idea in Western civilization is inextricably intertwined with Christian doctrine; not even the most ardent atheist can escape it.”
and a declaration of Christian belief in worldwide redemption through Christ:
Christians hang our hope on the fact that this Jesus, who is currently at the right hand of God, is returning, not as a baby in a manger or a lamb led to the slaughter, but as the victorious Warrior-King. He will defeat the Evil One once and for all, making all things right. He will do away with injustice, oppression, deceit, sadness, and sickness forever.
Whatever the phrase’s ultimate connotation, Jesus’s influence undoubtedly spans the globe:
The list is long, but after this weekend it’s even longer: with “Christ is King”, Jesus has fully permeated the world of Internet memes.
What do you think: Did Candace deserve to be fired? What do you think about Jesus in the memesphere?
Rich Man’s Trick
Last week, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey made a rare return on the platform he created by posting a link to the documentary, “JFK to 9/11: Everything Is a Rich Man's Trick”
The film, released in 2014 by a man named Francis Richard Conolly, argues that a small group of global elites keep humanity in a state of perpetual war for their own profit.
Notably, the film proposes that JFK was killed because he stood in the way of escalation in Vietnam and wanted to limit the Federal Reserve by issuing silver-backed money.
It also examines the consequences of 9/11, including two decades of Middle East war and the expansion of the surveillance state in the US.
The documentary has been accruing millions of views while floating around the underground Internet for years. Still, it’s rare for a figure like Dorsey to give it a public endorsement. It is highly recommended viewing.
What do you think: Are common people inherently drawn to conflict? Or are we deceived into consenting to war?
Top Videos
1. Candace Owens to black America: the government is not your friend
2. RFK Jr explains how corporations captured the government: “The CIA works for military contractors, providing a steady pipeline of forever wars. The health agencies are controlled by the pharmaceutical industry, which profits from chronic disease. The Fed, held captive by big banks, floods the canyons of Wall Street with money.”
3. Annie Jacobson: the CIA facilitates illegal military operations in foreign countries, including assassinations
4. Joe Rogan: “We need Jesus”
5. Ian Carroll: JFK tried to make Israel register as a foreign agent and was killed shortly thereafter
6. Former ESPN anchor Stage Steele asks her followers,"Help me understand why all 51 [Senate] Democrats, unanimously, feel that it's OK for men to play women's sports?"
7. Arthur Hayes: Bitcoin is pure energy in monetary form
8. Mike Tyson on his relationship with Donald Trump
9. The history of the Federal Reserve and the US Corporation
10. Jordan Peterson: men and women are equally responsible for relationship problems, but for different reasons
11. Alan Watts on the game of life
Dogey Treats: News Bites
Elon’s Businesses
Elon questioned Elizabeth Warren’s latest campaign against him: “Senator Karen’s main economic & tax advisor is SBF’s Dad. I suspect some of this is coming from him.”
𝕏 announced it was funding legal defense for a Canadian doctor punished for her social media posts.
𝕏 disputed an NBC News article claiming that users on the platform were declining by pointing out that the data does not include the use of phones.
Missouri AG Andrew Bailey filed a lawsuit against Media Matters to force them to turn over documents regarding their solicitation of donations to bully advertisers into pulling out of X.
Health
New York Magazine published a viral article on health podcaster and Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman and his personal life. The article, which depicts Huberman as a womanizing psychopath, was panned by Lex Fridman, Glenn Greenwald, Ashley St. Clair, Saagar Enjeti, Alex Finn, Eric Weinstein, and others on 𝕏. Huberman’s podcast has brought free, digestible health information to millions. Here are clips of him talking on diverse topics such as mating, sunlight, sugar, testosterone, psychedelics, and Jeffrey Epstein.
Sol Brah: how to elevate your soul.
The FDA was ordered to remove its posts about Ivermectin as part of a legal settlement. RFK Jr wrote, ”Ivermectin is not an exceptional case. The FDA is biased against many low-cost, generic, and/or natural therapies with low profit potential. Could it be because half its funding comes from Big Pharma?”
US Politics
A UK court issued a ruling that the US must meet specific conditions in order to extradite Julian Assange: 1) can raise a 1st Am defense, 2) will have the same rights as US citizens and 3) will never face the death penalty. A final decision on extradition is expected by April 16th.
RFK Jr announced his running mate is entrepreneur Nicole Shannahan. Shannahan called for federal investigation into the cause of childhood chronic disease.
Analysis of Elizabeth Warren’s “Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act” revealed the act would tax people on unrealized gains of financial assets.
The collapse of the Scott Key bridge in Baltimore sparked a wave of speculation and counter-speculation.
Ron DeSantis signed a bill probating social media companies from offering services to children under 16.
RFK Jr announced a legal effort to challenge a California law limiting crypto transactions to $1000.
CNN ran a segment arguing that Trump should sell Mar-a-Lago for $240M to pay the fine for overvaluing the property after a judge claimed it was only worth $20M.
The President of Mexico Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told 60 minutes, "Do you know why we don’t have the drug consumption that you have in the United States? Because we celebrate our customs, traditions, and we don’t have the problem of the disintegration of the family.”
Global Financial System
Fortune reported that the SEC is attempting to classify Ethereum as a security.
The US government is issuing Treasury debt at levels only previously seen during Covid.
SWIFT is reportedly planning to launch a new global platform for CBDCs in the next 12-24 months, according to Reuters.
Global Politics
Vladimir Putin said Ukraine was behind a terror attack in Moscow. Greenwald questioned American media’s reporting of the attack.
Alex Jones criticized the Israeli government: “The Israeli government recently said they don’t care if the whole world turns on Israel they are going to expand the war. The whole world has turned on them. Remember the disgraceful video below was leaked by Israel’s own defense ministry. You can’t bomb and slowly starve people on TV and not become the bad guys in the eyes of the world.” In another post, he argued that Israel was committing genocide against Palestine.
Jones and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach were involved in several exchanges that ultimately resulted in Boteach agreeing to join Jones for a debate on InfoWars. Boteach was involved in several other exchanges about anti-Semitism at the same time that his increasingly bizaare behavior has come under the microscope.
Edward Snowden urged people to watch a viral video showing the IDF killing four Palestinian civilian youths with a drone strike.
According to a study by The Lancet, global population is expected to fall for the first time in 700 years.
Misc
Evidence emerged that profits from Shiba Inu Coin were used to support the Effective Altruism movement.
Spotify released data showing that Joe Rogan has 14.5 million followers.
The DOJ is suing Apple
Elon: “If you’re ever in doubt as to which side is “good”, pick the one with the best sense of humor!”
Memes of the Week
Elon’s Memes and Posts
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