The “Mechanical Miracle” That Ruined Mark Twain’s Life

Benjamin Breen Res Obscura
Twain called the Paige machine “a cunning devil, knowing more than any man that ever lived” and claimed it would make “telephones, locomotives,” even “Babbage calculators” seem like “mere toys, simplicities!”

Paul Krugman and Gabriel Zucman: A Conversation About Inequality

Paul Krugman and Gabriel Zucman Paul Krugman Substack
Inequality is making a dramatic comeback. How do we organize the economy and our society to prevent the forms of capture of the political process, in particular, that are associated with extreme wealth?

Who Owns American History?

Beth English and Christopher Sellers Dissent Magazine
Among the priorities ahead, we need to prepare for a future presidential administration that is genuinely interested in historical integrity, democratic modes of history, and our nation’s historical record.

Friday Nite Videos | August 7, 2026

Portside Portside
Here's Who's Profiting from the 'Board of Peace.' Big Tech Is Finally Paying for the AI Disaster It Created. Out of Work Musician Sings About his Struggles. Bombshell Update on Epstein Files. Why Humanity Will Never Leave the Solar System.

Why Humanity Will Never Leave the Solar System

The deeper we look, the more the universe reveals a hidden barrier between our Solar System and everything else. There are many reasons why the dream of space travel might stay just a dream.

Lawsuit Takes Aim at Deal Granting Trump Sweeping Tax Protections

Alan Feuer and Andrew Duehren The New York Times
Photo of the façade of the IRS building
The union representing IRS workers asked a judge to stop the Trump administration from granting Trump extraordinary tax protections, saying the provision was illegal. The request was the first time anyone had used the courts to kill the plan.