Apple Changes Its App Store Policy. Critics Call the Moves ‘Outrageous.’  - WSJ

Apple’s new fees have drawn sharp criticism from the app-developer community, with opponents arguing the 27% commission the company will now impose on in-app purchases made through alternative payment methods will cost developers and, ultimately consumers, more money.

I’m moving as many of my subscriptions out of the IAP system as possible. A 27% referral fee!?

Aide to Lloyd Austin asked ambulance to arrive quietly to defense secretary’s home, 911 call shows - WTOP News

“Can I ask, like, can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens? Um, we’re trying to remain a little subtle,” the aide said, according to the recording.

Is it an emergency or is it not?

Glaring Questions Remain Over Defense Secretary Austin’s Transfer Of Authority - The War Zone

“We’re not going to track the GPS coordinates on somebody’s mobile phone in the administration and we’re not going to plant a microchip in their neck like they’re a poodle,” he said in the exchange below, when asked why cabinet members are not tracked more closely than the city they are in. This is a somewhat fascinating detail because these officials, especially the Defense Secretary have critical roles to play in so-called continuity of government operations. The idea that their exact whereabouts is known about at all times is a unique admission.

We’re entering the second week of this story and they’re still giving these stupid quotes. We’re not talking about the Secretary of Agriculture. If there had been an attack, no one would’ve known where SecDef and his deputy was clueless on a beach somewhere.

Hertz Selling 20,000 EVs in the U.S., to Reinvest in Gas-Powered Vehicles - WSJ

Hertz said Thursday that it would sell about 20,000 EVs in the U.S., and use some of the proceeds to purchase internal-combustion-engine vehicles. The company in a regulatory filing cited weaker demand for electrics, and their higher operating costs. 

Emphasis added.

Hertz previously set a goal to electrify a quarter of its fleet by the end of 2024. On Thursday, the company said it would focus on matching supply with demand and focus on margins.

Bold, outside-the-box strategy.

Biden Backs Defense Chief Austin, Won’t Take Resignation if Offered - WSJ

“There [are] no plans, or anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job and continuing the leadership that he’s been demonstrating,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday. 

From Afghanistan to Walter Reed, the Secretary’s performance is 100% on brand for this Administration and we are just hoping against hope that he stays!

It’s the policy of this Administration that no failure go punished, and we’re 100% focused on the consistent application of this policy.

Good thing we didn’t go to war while we thought the SecDef was working from home, like he said he was, but was really in intensive care, eh?

A little fun at tea time. 🦩

Biden Has a Second-Term Wish List. Congress Could Spoil His Plans. - WSJ

“Donald Trump’s campaign,” Biden said on Friday, “is about him, not you.”

Completely true.

It’s a campaign solely built on hubris and rehashing the 2020 election by a confused old man who refuses to step aside and champion a new generation of leadership for America.

Then again, so is the Biden 2024 campaign.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s Hospitalization Deepens Mystery of His Absence - WSJ

He has by design kept a low profile in the Biden administration.

He certainly has kept a low profile since the strategically brilliant and historical airlift that was the Afghanistan withdrawal. Almost as if he didn’t want people to get the idea that he’s completely incompetent.

Daddy’s Home 2

🍿

Late Sunday snack.

‘You Know, These Fine Citizens May Really Have A Point And I’d Like To Learn More About Their Cause,’ Thinks Driver Blocked By Protesters For 3 Hours - Babylon Bee

“This is truly a brilliant tactic,” he said. “I never would have considered their viewpoint before, but now that they have completely ruined my plans and made my life more difficult, I’m far more inclined to agree with them.”

Claudine Gay Gives Tearful Resignation Speech Entitled ‘Gettysburg Address’ - Babylon Bee

Sources say the crowd was moved to tears by the time the speech concluded. “I have concluded that because of the Watergate matter I might not have the support of the Congress that I would consider necessary to back the very difficult decisions and carry out the duties of this office in the way the interests of the nation would require,” she concluded. “Therefore, I shall resign from the presidency effective noon tomorrow.”

Harvard President Claudine Gay Resigns After Plagiarism Allegations, Campus Antisemitism Backlash - WSJ

Gay has requested four corrections on two academic papers and is updating her dissertation in three spots

I guess you can’t have a president who plagiarizes tell your enrolled students not to plagiarize?

A year of fits and starts, but I got it done.

Here are the books I finished reading in 2023.

Detroit Pistons Relegated To WNBA - Babylon Bee

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert welcomed the new addition to the league. “We’re thrilled to add such a storied basketball franchise,” she said. “Fostering disinterest in the fanbase and showcasing lackluster play in front of mostly empty arenas are hallmarks of our league, so we’re confident the Pistons will feel right at home here.”

Francis Collins Has Regrets, but Too Few - WSJ

Dr. Collins continued: “So you attach infinite value to stopping the disease and saving a life. You attach a zero value to whether this actually totally disrupts people’s lives, ruins the economy, and has many kids kept out of school in a way that they never quite recovered.” This, he explained, “is a public-health mindset,” which was “another mistake we made.”

A helpful insight into what students learn in their MPH coursework.