"Herman Melville was an Influencer who visited Nantucket one time"
– One commenter’s contribution to The Discourse over this viral shop sign that’s making waves. Call me amused.
Politics
Two Meetings & a Funeral
What's going on: It was a busy day in Washington. Politicians, presidents, and a prime minister gathered yesterday to remember the late US Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). President Donald Trump praised Graham at the memorial, saying he “died doing the work he was born to do.” They’d developed a good relationship, even after once calling each other a "nut job" and a "kook,” respectively. Later, Fox NewshostSean Hannity described the senator as “great for ratings” (that’s one way to be eulogized). Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also attended. Graham was a critical voice in Trump’s ear lobbying on behalf of Israel, and for continued US support for Ukraine in the war against Russia. He died hours after returning from his 10th wartime visit to Ukraine.
But what about the meetings?: Before the ceremony, both Netanyahu and Zelenskyy made sure to get on Trump’s calendar. Netanyahu's relationship with Trump has been on ice since he played a key role in convincing the president to go to war with Iran. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has learned a lot since his ill-fated "have you said thank you once" meeting with Trump a year ago. The White House vaguely described the meetings as “positive and productive,” even the one with Netanyahu — despite the toll that prolonged fighting in Iran has taken on all countries involved (not to mention the global economy). This also comes as the two wars have become increasingly intertwined, with the Russia-Iran alliance growing stronger and fighting converging in the Caspian Sea.
What's going on: Drones can be used for anything from light shows to food deliveries to warfare. Soon, they may be used to combat active shooters. At least nine schools across Georgia, Florida, and Colorado will introduce Campus Guardian Angel drones later this year. Designed by Mithril Defense, the non-lethal drones are meant to be activated by a teacher via an app or panic button. Then, an offsite Mithril pilot takes over to stop a suspected shooter via strobe lights, sirens, pepper gel, and ramming into them at 60 mph. (And yes, there is crash test dummy footage.) Mithril has big plans for the technology, which uses the same tool as the video game Fortnite for 3-D school mapping. A co-founder told The Wall Street Journal, “Our vision is ultimately to be in every school in the nation and to eradicate mass shootings.”
Sounds intense: It is. Mithril has cited the Uvalde school shooting as a major catalyst for the project, after 19 children and two teachers were killed while law enforcement waited over an hour to engage the shooter. It's also expensive. Florida has dedicated more than $1 million to deploying the project in about three schools so far. That deep existential sigh you hear is advocates saying we need gun control, not outsourcing the militarization of American schools to defense contractors. Others worry about the potential for false alarms, the added burden on teachers, or that the drones could injure bystanders. But with 68 incidents of gunfire on school grounds so far in 2026, some are willing to try just about anything to keep kids safe.
What's going on: Those Waymo cars on city streets seem like a great way to finally live out our Jetsons fantasies. But they’re not perfect. Just ask my friend Lisa, whose Waymo spent 30 minutes circling a DICK’s Sporting Goods in Arizona miles from her intended destination while she frantically reentered the same correct address multiple times. She was fine (gave up and called an Uber), but other incidents — from interfering with first responders and the July 4th gridlock that stranded passengers across San Francisco — have raised legitimate safety concerns. Now, Rep. Kevin Mullin (D-CA) wants the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to establish minimum safety standards for autonomous vehicle operators. His bill would also create a 24-hour hotline so city officials can reach AV companies during emergencies and allow leaders to put up a “geofence” that would restrict where the cars could go. Lisa would like to add the DICK’s Sporting Goods parking lot in Scottsdale to that list.
Slow your roll: Mullin’s proposed legislation has the support of San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, who came into office touting Waymo’s successes in the city. His public recognition of the company’s shortcomings feels like the call is coming from inside the typically tech-friendly house. If this California lawmaker’s push for AV regulation moves forward, it could slow down the expansion of AV companies altogether, which have been all gas, no brakes since inception. Waymo maintains riders are safer in one of its self-driving cars than driving themselves, but problems outside the car persist — like dozens of Waymos congregating in a residential Atlanta street, and racking up parking tickets in Austin. Maybe that Jetsons life can wait.
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Summer Clothes That Don’t Show Sweat
In the dog days of summer, we’re mostly interested in wearing clothes that hide our sweat. Such as: these workout clothes that don’t necessarily look like workout clothes. Functional enough to wear to Pilates, cute enough to wear for errands, won’t make you sweat even more than you already are.
A chic little tennis dress (use code RALLY25 for 25% off)
