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Even the most determined optimist would have been forgiven for thinking this day would never come. It’s been 738 days of captivity for the last surviving Israeli hostages. 738 days since one of history’s most pervasive wounds was ripped open. A wound that oozed pain from Southern Israel to Tel Aviv to Gaza, that violently spread across the region from Tehran, to Beirut, to Yemen, that divided communities, campuses, congregations, and even at times caused fissures within our own personal psyches. Over the weekend, someone asked me what I was going to write about the impending hostage release. After 738 days, I answered, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Now that I’m seeing it, I can only think of one word to say: Shalom. What are we saying goodbyeto? If I answered, half of readers would be furious I went too far and half would be furious I didn’t go far enough. That turmoil might be replayed in my own mind. Today we can’t agree on the most basic issues. We’re not going to agree about the most complex one. What are we saying hello to? Beyond the homecoming hostages and what one hopes will be more than a temporary ceasefire, I’m not sure. Let’s give it a few days before we assess how the last 738 days will reshape the region and the world. Given that we’re talking about the Middle East, it may take a few thousand days—or even a few thousand years—for a full assessment. We can’t agree on much, but we should at least be able to agree on this: Today is a good day. Because it’s not day 739. Reuniting families are saying Shalom to one another. Shalom has settled, at least for a moment, on the region. And the wound that has spread so far and poisoned so much, at long last has a glimmer of hope in its prognosis, as the world stopped rubbing salt and started spreading salve. To the hostages and the very notion of healing: Welcome home. And Shalom.
+ All 20 remaining living hostages return to Israel, after over 2 years in Hamas captivity.
+ “In reality, the nightmare never ends; trauma that endures for generations is the surest outcome of this war. But we also know that the hostages are going home, living proof that hope can persist even in the darkest hole.” Franklin Foer in The Atlantic(Gift Article): The Existential Heroism of the Israeli Hostages.
+ Eli Sharabi in WaPo (Gift Article): What 491 days as a hostage taught me about Hamas. “I’m lucky to be alive, and I appreciate that fact each and every day. And I will somehow rebuild. I hope we all can.” Sharabi’s book Hostage has just been released in English.
2
A New Don in the Middle East?
“What made Mr. Netanyahu make a decision against his natural inclination to kick the can down the road, as well as agree to pretty much everything he said he opposed? Simply, Mr. Trump. Israel’s botched attempt to assassinate members of the Hamas leadership in Doha, Qatar, began a cascade of events that led the president and his Qatari, Egyptian and Turkish counterparts to pressure Israel on one side, and Hamas on the other, into signing onto a framework agreement and apparently negotiating the details later. Saying ‘No,’ or ‘Yes, but,’ and playing for time was not an option.” NYT (Gift Article): The Uncomfortable Truth About Netanyahu’s ‘Victory.’ (The main victory Bibi wants is at the ballot box.)
+ A good overview of how to consider Trump’s major role in the ceasefire and hostage handover. Josh Marshall: Has Trump Brought Peace to Gaza?
+ And the latest reason to worry: Hamas deploys armed fighters and police across parts of Gaza.
+ Here’s the latest from Times of Israel, CNN, and the NYT.
3
Circle Perk
“Never before has so much money been spent so rapidly on a technology that, for all its potential, remains largely unproven as an avenue for profit-making. And often, these investments can be traced back to two leading firms: Nvidia and OpenAI. The recent wave of deals and partnerships involving the two are escalating concerns that an increasingly complex and interconnected web of business transactions is artificially propping up the trillion-dollar AI boom. At stake is virtually every corner of the economy, with the hype and buildout of AI infrastructure rippling across markets, from debt and equity to real estate and energy.” Bloomberg (Gift Article): OpenAI, Nvidia Fuel $1 Trillion AI Market With Web of Circular Deals. If the bubble bursts, these circular demand-driving deals could turn into a circular firing squad.
+ “AI infrastructure providers, led by Nvidia, are investing in their customers, who then turn around and buy more of the infrastructure providers’ products. In other cases, customers of infrastructure like OpenAI are investing in their suppliers.” AI’s self-investment spree sets off bubble alarms on Wall Street.
4
Let Them Eat Cake (In Moderation)
“On the internet, crunchy moms of seemingly all political stripes post recipes for homemade goldfish crackers, for example, or hand-sculpted chicken nuggets. TikTok influencers show off the unprocessed steamed cauliflower and carrot salad that they’ve prepared for their toddlers. (Suspiciously missing are images of the toddlers actually eating this food.)” Olga Khazan in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Avoiding Ultra-Processed Foods Is Completely Unrealistic.
5
Extra, Extra
Weaponized Justice: “The question raised by the prosecution of James is: would any other federal prosecutor have brought this case against any other defendant? The answer seems to be no.” The New Yorker: The Indictment of Letitia James and the Collapse of Impartial Justice.
+ The Hot New Thing: “Three researchers who probed the process of business innovation won the Nobel memorial prize in economics Monday for explaining how new products and inventions promote economic growth and human welfare, even as they leave older companies in the dust.”
+ Coal Miners’ Slaughter: “When coal miners came to Washington in April, they posed behind President Trump at the White House, wearing their hard hats and thanking him for trying to reinvigorate their struggling industry. But on Tuesday dozens of miners and their families will be in a more unusual position: protesting the Trump administration outside the Labor Department building.” Coal Miners With Black Lung Say They Are ‘Cast Aside to Die’ Under Trump.
+ America the Beautiful: “To their proponents, pageants are a training ground for young women to succeed in a world beyond the swimsuit competition. They learn discipline and poise and how to think on their feet. The life of a Miss America—crossing the country to appear at events, speaking in public, developing a platform and smiling for endless pictures—isn’t so different from that of a campaigning politician ... But critics cannot quite get past the idea of women standing on a stage to be judged on their appearance. As in Trump World, they say, contestants may demonstrate strength, talent and ambition—but always on men’s terms.” WSJ (Gift Article): The Beauty Queens of MAGA World.
+ Solar Flair: “China’s clean energy efforts contrast with the ambitions of the United States under the Trump administration, which is using its diplomatic and economic muscle to pressure other countries to buy more American gas, oil and coal. China is investing in cheaper solar and wind technology, along with batteries and electric vehicles, with the aim of becoming the world’s supplier of renewable energy and the products that rely on it.” Why China Built 162 Square Miles of Solar Panels on the World’s Highest Plateau.
+ Bear Market: “In the last year alone, Build-A-Bear’s stock is up 76%. In the last five years, the toy company’s share price (BBW) has risen nearly 2,000% – besting even tech companies riding the AI boom like Palantir, Nvidia and Microsoft.” How ‘kidulting’ helped make Build-A-Bear a Wall Street darling.
+ Doing it All, With Style: Time: The Astonishing Versatility of Diane Keaton.
+ Marc the Moment: Marc Maron ends his podcast with final guest Barack Obama after 16 years and nearly 1,700 episodes.