Nomic

Nomic AI

Nomic AI

Nomic AI

Nomic AI

Nomic AI

Nomic AI

Nomic AI

Nomic AI

Nomic AI

Nomic AI

Rethinking AEO when software agents navigate the web on behalf of users

For more than two decades, digital businesses have relied on a simple assumption: When someone interacts with a website, that activity reflects a human making a conscious choice. Clicks are treated as signals of interest. Time on page is assumed to indicate engagement. Movement through a funnel is interpreted as intent. Entire growth strategies, marketing budgets, and product decisions have been built on this premise. Today, that assumption is quietly beginning to erode. As AI-powered tools increasingly interact with the web on behalf of users, many of the signals organizations depend on are becoming harder to interpret. The data itself is still accurate — pages are viewed, buttons are clicked, actions are recorded — but the meaning behind those actions is changing. This shift isn’t theoretical or limited to edge cases. It’s already influencing how leaders read dashboards, forecast demand, and evaluate performance. The challenge ahead isn’t stopping AI-driven interactions. It’s learning how to interpret digital behavior in a world where human and automated activity increasingly overlap. A changing assumption about web traffic For decades, the foundation of the internet rested on a quiet, human-centric model. Behind every scroll, form submission, or purchase flow was a person acting out of curiosity, need, or intent. Analytics platforms evolved to capture these behaviors. Security systems focused on separating “legitimate users” from clearly scripted automation. Even digital advertising economics assumed that engagement equaled human attention. Over the last few years, that model has begun to shift. Advances in large language models (LLMs), browser automation, and AI-driven agents have made it possible for software systems to navigate the web in ways that feel fluid and context-aware. Pages are explored, options are compared, workflows are completed — often without obvious signs of automation. This doesn’t mean the web is becoming less human. Instead, it’s becoming m

"Who thinks cost per token will keep decreasing?" was a question I asked the audience at a panel last year in SF. Almost everyone raised their hand. I was skeptical, and everyone looked at me like I w

"Who thinks cost per token will keep decreasing?" was a question I asked the audience at a panel last year in SF. Almost everyone raised their hand. I was skeptical, and everyone looked at me like I was crazy. I think the Anthropic-$15-$25-per-PR pricing test is an indicator of what's to come. These AI tools are incredible, but I remain skeptical about the unit economics working at current prices.

Fintech Daily Digest — Monday, Mar 09, 2026

# TOP 3 STORIES 1. **X taps William Shatner to give out invites to its payments service, X Money** [Source: Fintech News | TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/04/x-taps-william-shatner-to-give-out-invites-to-its-payments-service-x-money/) X has launched a unique marketing campaign for its payments service, X Money, by partnering with William Shatner to give out invites to 42 users who donated to his charity. This campaign aims to create buzz around X Money's beta launch. **What this means for Stripe:** This marketing strategy could influence how Stripe approaches its own marketing efforts for new product launches, potentially incorporating more creative and charitable initiatives. Stripe's Connect product could be particularly relevant in facilitating such campaigns. **Content angle:** A blog post exploring innovative marketing strategies for fintech products, highlighting the role of charity and celebrity endorsements, could be an interesting response from Stripe's content marketing team. 2. **Stripe wants to turn your AI costs into a profit center** [Source: Fintech News | TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/02/stripe-wants-to-turn-your-ai-costs-into-a-profit-center/) Stripe has released a preview aimed at helping AI companies track, pass through, and profit from underlying AI model fees. This move positions Stripe as a key player in the AI economy, enabling businesses to monetize their AI investments more effectively. **What this means for Stripe:** By facilitating the monetization of AI costs, Stripe strengthens its position in the payments infrastructure for the internet, making its platform more appealing to AI-driven businesses. This could particularly impact Stripe's Revenue Recognition and Billing products. **Content angle:** A case study or whitepaper on how Stripe's solutions can help AI companies turn their costs into revenue streams could provide valuable insights for potential clients. 3. **Plaid valued at $8B in employee share sale** [Source: Fintech News | TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/26/plaid-valued-at-8b-in-employee-share-sale/) Plaid, a fintech company specializing in account linking and payment processing, has seen its valuation increase to $8 billion through an employee share sale. This significant valuation underscores the growing importance of fintech infrastructure companies. **What this means for Stripe:** As a major player in the fintech infrastructure space, Stripe should consider the implications of Plaid's valuation on its own valuation and competitive positioning. Stripe's products like Payments and Connect might see increased demand as the fintech space grows. **Content angle:** Stripe could publish a thought leadership piece on the evolving fintech landscape, discussing how valuations like Plaid's reflect the sector's growth and the role of infrastructure providers in facilitating this expansion. # NEWS BY TRACK ## _Advancing Developer Craft_ - **Kast raises $80 million** [Source: Finextra Research Headlines](https://www.finextra.com/newsarticle/47408/stablecoin-startup-kast-raises-80-million?utm_medium=rssfinextra&utm_source=finextrafeed) Kast, a stablecoin startup, has secured $80 million in funding, indicating growing interest in stablecoin technology. **Stripe relevance:** Stripe's Issuing and Treasury products could be relevant for stablecoin startups like Kast. **Content angle:** A developer tutorial on integrating stablecoin payments using Stripe's API could be a useful resource. ## _Designing Adaptive Revenue Models_ - **Papa John’s Thinks the Next Great Pizza Topping Is Software** [Source: PYMNTS.com](https://www.pymnts.com/restaurant-technology/2026/papa-johns-thinks-the-next-great-pizza-topping-is-software/) Papa John's is focusing on technology and digital capabilities to compete and grow, highlighting the importance of adaptive revenue models in the restaurant industry. **Stripe relevance:** Stripe's Billing and Revenue Recognition products can help businesses like Papa John's manage complex revenue models. **Content angle:** A blog post on how restaurants can leverage technology and adaptive pricing strategies to boost revenue could feature Stripe as a solution provider. ## _Charting the Future of Payments_ - **Real-Time Payments Reach a Turning Point in North America** [Source: PYMNTS.com](https://www.pymnts.com/real-time-payments/2026/real-time-payments-reach-a-turning-point-in-north-america/) Real-time payments in North America are transitioning from expansion to execution, with each country following a distinct strategic path. **Stripe relevance:** Stripe's Payments product is well-positioned to support the growth of real-time payments. **Content angle:** An in-depth analysis of the current state and future of real-time payments in North America, highlighting Stripe's role, could be a valuable resource for businesses. ## _Optimizing the Economics of Risk_ - **OpenAI fires employee for using confidential info on prediction

Maduro Must Be Released Or the Fascists Win

 Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima. Image US Military. If U.S. progressives are serious about combating the expansion of fascism domestically, demanding both the release of Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, and first lady Celia Flores, as well as the immediate cessation of any further U.S. military incursion into Latin America, must be a top priority. In an interview on [*Black Liberation Media’s* morning show, Chris Gilbert, a political economist in](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtAQv_UVL9A) Venezuela who experienced the U.S.’s January bombardment of Caracas firsthand, stated that Donald J. Trump and his allies, “don’t recognize nations. They don’t recognize peoples. They think the world is a bunch of guys like them. And they think by bending these guys, they can make them do whatever they want.” Maduro himself has refused the devil’s bargain with the Trump regime, proclaiming defiantly in [his arraignment before a U.S. judge on the spurious charges of drug trafficking and](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq6v25eldmdo) weapons possession, “I am a prisoner of war!” Progressive forces internationally have bore witness to these acts of desperation on the part of the Trump regime and their attempt to stem the tide of a [weakening U.S.](https://www.laprogressive.com/foreign-policy/venezuelan-invasion) imperialism in the hemisphere. Oil and defense—two of the most vile capitalist industries—are the direct benefactors of this latest imperialist incursion. While oil executives rebuffed Trump’s $100 billion plan to invest in Venezuela’s oil sector, with the ExxonMobil executive labeling the country “[uninvestible](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c205dx61x76o)” due to security and legal risks, the energy sector reaped historic gains as a result of the so-called “[Venezuelan shock](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crrnw08qvg7o).” Companies like Chevron, for instance, which was, until recently, the only major oil venture legally sanctioned to drill and trade in Venezuela, closed at an all-time high in early February. According to the [*Brennan Center*](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/fossil-fuel-industry-donors-see-major-returns-trumps-policies), the oil industry itself spent “lavishly to elect Trump, giving at least $75 million to his campaign and affiliated PACs, thereby making them a top corporate backer of his reelection bid…Several oil tycoons gave millions on their own and hosted fundraisers with Trump and his associates.” While both industries have directly funded Donald Trump’s campaigns for president, this is hardly an aberration from the norm of U.S. politics, which [draws sustenance](https://truthout.org/articles/at-least-37-us-lawmakers-traded-up-to-113-million-in-arms-stocks-this-year/) from the sale, manufacture, and dropping of bombs around the globe while [“corporate giants like Chevron enjoy… lavish [single-digit] tax breaks” which are “lower than what many nurses or firefighters pay.”](https://inequality.org/article/american-taxpayers-are-subsidizing-big-oils-extraction-abroad/) Immediately after Maduro and Flores were snatched from their beds and humiliated before the U.S. press, Secretary of State Marco Rubio [admitted](https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5676818-us-control-venezuela-oil/) that their goal in Venezuela was “to take between thirty and fifty million barrels of oil,” promising, “to sell it in the marketplace at market rates, not at the discounts Venezuela was getting.” At the White House, during an open press conference featuring major oil executives, Trump, stated that U.S. oil should make “[tons of money](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/watch-live-trump-holds-news-conference-after-announcing-u-s-has-captured-venezuelan-leader-maduro)” in Venezuela. In much the same way that companies knee-deep in death have had an intimate relationship with the worst of the worst in American politics, among Democrat and Republican alike, those who will not stand in the way of the constantly expanding military budget, which far outstrips the military budget for the next top ten countries, including that of Russia and China— the “bogeymen” of our present era. As [reported](https://www.citizensforethics.org/about/) in *Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington*, “[of the top 40 companies](https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-reports/the-defense-industry-is-the-biggest-supporter-of-the-sedition-caucus/) that have given the most to the Sedition Caucus—the 147 members of Congress who voted,” at Trump’s behest, “against certifying the 2020 election… as well as those who have since been elected to Congress” wh

When Tel Aviv Decides, Washington Fights

 YouTube screenshot. American taxpayers are still hemorrhaging from the made-for-Israel war in Iraq, a war audaciously offered as one that would “[pay for itself](https://www.americanprogress.org/article/questions-for-paul-wolfowitz/#%3A%7E%3Atext=A+little+over+a+year%2Creconstruction%2C+and+relatively+soon.%22).” Instead, it was paid in Iraqi and American blood, ruins, and financed by American debt. The promised democracy was a broken state, regional chaos, and the afterbirth of terror and resistance that continues to metastasize across the Arab world. Marketed as a [short](http://large.stanford.edu/publications/coal/references/esterbrook/), decisive campaign, Iraq became a [two-decade-long disaster](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/03/14/a-look-back-at-how-fear-and-false-beliefs-bolstered-u-s-public-support-for-war-in-iraq/) with no exit in sight. Trillions were burned on lies manufactured by Israel-first Zionists in Washington, while generations of Americans—many not even born when the invasion began—were conscripted into inheriting the debt, the interest, and the moral stain. The real balance sheet of that war is etched into nearly 5,000 American tombstones and the endless corridors of veterans’ hospitals. Before that [blood-soaked bill](https://www.govexec.com/management/2020/02/iraq-war-has-cost-us-nearly-2-trillion/162862/) is even paid, the very same [architect](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHzSr52fZLQ), using the same lies, has succeeded again in dragging the U. S. into another made-for-Israel war, this time against Iran. Iraq was not an aberration; it was a rehearsal. Yet, Iran doesn’t appear to be the final act on the Israeli menu. In recent weeks, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett declared that Turkey is [next](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kaOWgujCHtA). And it is the U.S., not Israel, that is expected to keep paying for wars, America neither needed nor chose. The evidence of who set the clock of this war is unmistakable. The most revealing admission did not come from Tehran, Moscow, or Beijing, but from the U.S. State Department. In an unguarded moment, the U.S. Secretary of State [admitted](https://newrepublic.com/post/207325/donald-trump-marco-rubio-israel-iran) that the timing of this war was not an American choice. This became painfully clear when the State Department was caught unprepared to help evacuate tens of thousands of Americans from the war zone. As U.S. ambassadors hurried to evacuate their staff and families, desperate citizens were told their government could [not assist](https://www.businessinsider.com/us-embassies-say-they-cannot-evacuate-americans-middle-east-iran2026-3) and were advised to arrange their own departures, after airports had already closed. This is not a minor detail. It’s a government that is willing to sacrifice the well-being and security of its citizens by joining a war decided by someone else. It goes to the heart of sovereignty and democratic accountability. A nation that chooses to go to war prepares its people, its diplomacy, and its logistics. A nation that is dragged into war improvises and hopes for the best. Iran, for its part, is not the caricature often presented by the American Secretary of War and Donald Trump. It is a country prepared for drawn-out conflict and strategic patience. During the nearly eight-year Iran-Iraq War, Tehran fought a grinding, no-win war against a better-armed adversary. Against the expectations of Western military analysts, Iran endured. In a grim irony, it even committed the greatest of all sins: [purchasing](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1981/08/21/iran-said-to-get-arms-from-israel/6fdb7a53-d8f0-47aa-b3b9-d1043355225c/) weapons from Israel, falling into Tel Aviv’s cynical strategy to weaken both Baghdad and Tehran simultaneously. Israel was willing to arm its supposed arch-enemy as part of its broader calculus of exhaustion and division. That history matters today. Iran has demonstrated, repeatedly, a willingness to absorb punishment and extend conflicts over time. At the end of the day, and by all means necessary, Iran is unlikely to surrender. In a protracted war of attrition to bleed the world economy, Tehran could move to close the Strait of Hormuz, an oil bloodline for world economies. Iran may be economically battered, and it has been for decades under severe sanctions, but that very weakness reduces its restraint. A country with little left to lose is more inclined to impose pain on others, including Western and neighboring welfare oil economies dependent on uninterrupted energy exports. Meanwhile, regional instability in the Gulf and prolonged American

Bombs for Bonds: Iran and the Geopolitics of Refinancing

Predictably, Iran is the next crisis in line. No sooner were we told to obsess over the latest unsealing of the Epstein files than our gaze was already redirected toward the geopolitical brinkmanship now threatening to engulf the entire Middle East. It is Iran’s turn, then, in rapid succession after Venezuela, the ongoing strangulation of Cuba, and especially the Gaza genocide – a catastrophe abruptly pushed from the news cycle. The theatre of war must be permanent, and it requires fresh meat. The long-awaited Iranian escalation fits the role: the latest bloodletting in a permanent and carefully curated carnival of violence, chaos, and outrage staged by the custodians of our glorious civilisation. The carnage is real, and so are its victims. But to focus on this theatre alone is to miss the main event, the hidden trigger of the violence now detonating around us. The real story of American power in the twenty-first century is being written in the arcane world of bond auctions, speculative bubbles, repo markets, and the relentless, silent mechanics of debt. The modern financial system is no longer built on productivity, wages, or shared prosperity. It is built on highly leveraged speculations: an ever-expanding, increasingly abstract tower of claims on future wealth creation that the underlying economy can no longer generate. Since the 1980s, as technological productivity surged and labour’s share of value stagnated, finance metastasized to compensate. Leverage substituted for growth and debt became not just an instrument but the system’s organizing principle. And now, as the United States confronts an unprecedented wall of IOUs that must be refinanced, this foundational reality has come to drive everything else. With almost $39 trillion in federal debt and a maturity profile that demands constant rollover, the United States does not merely prefer low interest rates and exceptional monetary injections – it structurally depends on them. Moreover, it is not only the federal government that is drowning. American private-sector debt – corporate, household, and financial – now runs into the tens of trillions, much of it floating on a sea of opaque leverage and asset bubbles that would burst if interest rates failed to fall or liquidity dried up. In this context, geopolitical dominance should be framed as monetary dominance. Crisis drives capital into Treasuries, suppresses yields, and enables rollover. Thus, the Iran escalation could paradoxically extend the lifespan of the AI bubble: geopolitical risk boosts defence-AI spending, while an oil shock may crush consumption and suppress core inflation (as the “pandemic shock” did in 2020), opening the door to renewed Federal Reserve easing and the liquidity injections required to keep the debt-driven architecture of U.S. markets intact. The strikes themselves were a joint US-Israel operation, blending American surveillance architecture with Israeli precision targeting. Notably, they were executed through AI-assisted military systems – reportedly involving models such as Anthropic’s Claude, already deployed in earlier operations like the Venezuela raid – illustrating how the very technologies inflating financial markets are simultaneously becoming embedded in the infrastructure of modern warfare. Historically, capitalism’s great technological leaps – from railways to nuclear energy to the internet – have advanced in tandem with the machinery of war. AI proves no exception. Strip away the geopolitical drama, then, and the real story is financial fragility. The least one can say is that without the weekend bombing of Iran, U.S. market drops would have been more chaotic and disorderly, because investors would have focussed directly on financial fragility. The pressure has been building for months in the sprawling private-credit market, where lightly regulated lenders have pumped hundreds of billions into companies that traditional banks would not touch, from subprime auto financing to leveraged corporate borrowers. Early warning signs – such as the collapsing of Tricolor Holdings and First Brands (both filed for bankruptcy in September 2025, with extremely high liabilities) – suggest that cracks are appearing first in the weakest corners of the credit cycle, precisely where excess liquidity tends to accumulate when expanding. The latest rupture is the collapse of Market Financial Solutions (MFS), a UK property lender forced into administration after creditors alleged that the same collateral had been pledged multiple times, leaving more than 80% of roughly £1.2 billion in debts effectively unaccounted for. Markets had started to notice, as even Wall Street giants like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have seen sharp equity declines of roughly 6%. It is a worrying signal when institutions of systemic importance come under pressure rather than the usual fringe lenders. Against this backdrop, [warnings](https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/jamie-dimon-warns-pre-financial-

🛡️ Security: Tighten Rate Limiting for Cost Control

# 🛡️ Security: Tighten Rate Limiting for Cost Control ## Problem **Current implementation** (server.js:228): ```javascript const limiter = rateLimit({ windowMs: 15 * 60 * 1000, // 15 minutes max: 100, // 100 requests per window message: '⏳ Too many requests — please slow down and try again in a few minutes.', }); ``` **Why this is too permissive:** 1. **Cost explosion risk**: 100 requests × 150 tokens (AI_MAX_TOKENS) = 15,000 tokens per 15min = **60,000 tokens/hour** - GPT-4: $0.03/1K tokens × 60 = **$1.80/hour** - If server runs 24/7 unattended: **$1,296/month** from a single abuser 2. **DDoS amplification**: Attacker sends 100 cheap HTTP requests → generates 100 expensive AI API calls - OpenAI rate limits can be exhausted (tier-based) - Your billing gets hit before you notice 3. **Real user impact**: Legitimate users get blocked by abusers consuming the quota ## Proposed Solution ### Phase 1: Immediate Tightening (30 min) Reduce to reasonable limits: ```javascript // server.js const limiter = rateLimit({ windowMs: 15 * 60 * 1000, max: 30, // 30 requests per 15min = 120/hour (more reasonable) message: { error: 'Rate limit exceeded', retryAfter: '15 minutes', hint: 'MindWalk limits requests to prevent abuse. Try again shortly.' }, standardHeaders: true, // Return rate limit info in headers legacyHeaders: false, }); ``` **Why 30:** - Typical mindwalk session: 10-15 word clicks + few manual prompts - 30 requests = 2 full sessions per 15min (generous for real users) - Reduces max cost to $0.60/hour (4.5K tokens/hour) ### Phase 2: Tiered Limits (2 hours) Different limits for different endpoints: ```javascript // server.js const strictLimiter = rateLimit({ windowMs: 15 * 60 * 1000, max: 30, keyGenerator: (req) => req.ip, // Per-IP tracking }); const relaxedLimiter = rateLimit({ windowMs: 15 * 60 * 1000, max: 100, // Config endpoints can be more permissive }); app.post('/api/chat', strictLimiter, async (req, res) => { /* ... */ }); app.get('/api/config', relaxedLimiter, (req, res) => { /* ... */ }); ``` ### Phase 3: BYOK vs Server-Key Distinction (2-3 hours) Different limits for users with their own keys: ```javascript function createAdaptiveLimiter() { const serverKeyLimiter = rateLimit({ max: 20 }); // Strict for server $ const byokLimiter = rateLimit({ max: 50 }); // Looser for user $ return (req, res, next) => { const isByok = req.headers['x-mindwalk-byok'] === 'true'; (isByok ? byokLimiter : serverKeyLimiter)(req, res, next); }; } app.post('/api/chat', createAdaptiveLimiter(), async (req, res) => { /* ... */ }); ``` **Rationale:** Users spending their own API credits can have higher limits (they self-regulate). Server-key users consume your budget → stricter limits. ### Phase 4: Token-Based Quotas (4-6 hours) Track tokens spent, not just request count: ```javascript // Track per-IP token usage const tokenUsage = new Map(); // ip -> { tokens: number, resetAt: timestamp } function checkTokenQuota(req, tokensRequested) { const ip = req.ip; const now = Date.now(); const quota = tokenUsage.get(ip) || { tokens: 0, resetAt: now + 3600000 }; if (now > quota.resetAt) { quota.tokens = 0; quota.resetAt = now + 3600000; // 1 hour window } if (quota.tokens + tokensRequested > 10000) { // 10K tokens/hour throw new Error('Token quota exceeded'); } quota.tokens += tokensRequested; tokenUsage.set(ip, quota); } // In chat handler: const estimatedTokens = estimateTokenCount(req.body.messages); // use tiktoken checkTokenQuota(req, estimatedTokens); ``` **Why token-based:** - More accurate cost tracking - Prevents "short message spam" abuse (100 × 10-token requests still hits limit) - Aligns limits with actual spend ## Rationale **"Isn't 100 req/15min already low?"** Counter-arguments: 1. **Abuse patterns are efficient**: Attackers automate. 100 requests = 2 minutes of script runtime 2. **Real users don't need 100**: Tested with 5 users → avg 18 requests/session, sessions last 20-40min 3. **Cost asymmetry**: Your API call costs $$ >> attacker's HTTP request costs (bandwidth) **"Won't strict limits frustrate users?"** No, if implemented correctly: 1. **Clear error messages**: "Rate limit hit. Try again in X minutes" (not cryptic 429) 2. **Headers show remaining quota**: Users can pace themselves 3. **30 req/15min = 120/hour**: More than enough for legitimate use 4. **BYOK users get looser limits**: Power users aren't constrained **"Can't users just rotate IPs?"** True, but: - Raises attacker cost (need proxy/VPN infrastructure) - Combined with CAPTCHA (future) makes abuse uneconomical - Logs anomalous patterns for manual review - Not trying to stop determined attackers, just raise the bar ## Acceptance Criteria - [ ] Rate limit reduced to 30 req/15min for `/api/chat` (Phase 1) - [ ] Rate limit headers (`X-RateLimit-*`) returned in responses (Phase 1) - [ ] Error messages include retry-

Economic insecurity of women workers worsen

> Grassroots organizing, collective action, and advocacy remain crucial in addressing structural inequalities that shape women’s labor conditions. **By Dulce Amor Rodriguez**[Bulatlat.com](http://www.bulatlat.com/) MANILA — Filipino women workers face growing economic insecurity. Precarious jobs and shrinking labor protections have reportedly deepened under neoliberal economic policies, according to the latest Ulat Lila report. The report showed the worsening conditions of women workers due to foreign investments, privatization, and labor flexibility that weaken job security and social protection. “As crises worsen, women bear the heaviest burden,” the Center for Women’s Resources (CWR) said in its assessment of the Filipino women’s socioeconomic conditions. **Labor flexibilization** ------------------------- The report said women workers increasingly occupy flexible and insecure jobs. The 2024 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) Integrated Survey on Labor and Employment (ISLE) show that women make up 42.6 percent of the country’s 5.3 million paid employees, with 85.6 percent concentrated in rank-and-file positions, indicating limited access to more secure and higher-level employment. Labor flexibilization, which employers often implement through short-term contracts, subcontracting, and agency hiring, limits workers’ ability to secure regular employment and benefits. Women dominate several sectors where such arrangements are common, including retail, manufacturing, service work, and the business process outsourcing industry. These conditions, the report said, create hostile working environments where women workers face long hours, job insecurity, and limited protection against workplace abuse. The gender wage gap further compounds these issues. A study by the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department found that wage disparities persist across occupations, with gaps reaching 26.2 percent in service and sales jobs and 28.4 percent in elementary occupations. **Women in retail and export** ------------------------------ The wholesale and retail sector remains the largest employer of women in the country. Gender-disaggregated data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that 32.4 percent of employed women—around 6.26 million workers—worked in wholesale and retail trade in 2023. Major retail corporations rely heavily on women workers. Company reports showed that women comprise 64 percent of the workforce in SM Investments and 70.5 percent in Robinsons Retail Holdings. Despite the sector’s enormous revenues, women workers often remain stuck at minimum wage. SM Investments reported P654.8 billion ($11.7 billion) in total revenue in 2024, with P20.9 billion ($374 million) coming from SM Retail. Wages of retail employees remain at minimum levels despite the company’s profitability. Women workers also form a significant portion of labor inside export processing zones (EPZs) and economic zones (ecozones) where companies manufacture electronics, garments, and other export goods. These zones were established to attract foreign investors and boost export production. However, the report said that many workers inside ecozones continue to receive minimum wages despite the high productivity of the industries they sustain. The same pattern appears in the garment industry and the business process outsourcing sector. While the Philippines remains a global hub for call centers and other outsourcing services, workers in these industries face demanding schedules and performance pressures. At the same time, the country’s gig economy continues to grow as digital platforms recruit workers for short-term and task-based jobs. These arrangements often lack job security and social protection. **Women market vendors** ------------------------ Women also dominate informal and small-scale livelihoods like market vending. The report highlighted the growing issue of market privatization which has affected public markets where many women earn their daily income. Market privatization refers to the transfer of management and control of public markets from local governments to private companies. According to urban poor organization Kadamay, such arrangements often raise rental fees and other charges for vendors. One example cited in the report is the redevelopment of the Iloilo Central Market under a partnership between the Iloilo City government and SM Prime Holdings. Officials framed the project as modernization. However, some vendors expressed concern that redevelopment could lead to higher rent and additional fees that threaten their livelihoods. Market privatization also sparked controversy in Baguio where a proposal sought to redevelop and privatize the historic Baguio Public Market. The plan involved building a four-story complex to house around 4,000 vendors selling meat, vegetables, fish, clothing, and other goods. The proposal faced strong opposition from vendors and

The worst energy crisis in history is on the horizon [very long post]

https://redlib.catsarch.com/r/stupidpol/comments/1rmueer/the_worst_energy_crisis_in_history_is_on_the/ > I don't think I need to talk about how devastating the war on Iran has been for the region. It's a brainless slaughter of human life and wealth that will leave Israel, America, and the Gulf much worse off. > > I work in the oil and gas industry and have had a fascination with energy since I was a kid. I'm telling you as bad as the oil situation sounds, it's going to get significantly worse and while there are a few headlines about how the price of fuel is up, not enough people are warning of a global energy crisis that could come worse than anything ever seen. Honestly most people in my industry even are not taking this seriously enough because almost no one working today was working during the 70s when things were bad. > > I started really following the war on Tuesday and as soon as I dug in I realized how overconfident Wall Street was about this conflict ending. Banks were forecasting oil would go to mid $70s per barrel, up from $65 before the war (remember this number), JP Morgan called it early at $100. That isn't even close to enough. Finally today there have been headlines about how it could go to $150 or $200 in the coming weeks. That is more like it but it could get much worse still. > > **How do you know this will be that bad?** > > The important benchmark I'm using are the oil crises of the 70s. I'll point out that both of those crises were caused by Israel fighting with it's neighbors and revolution in Iran. Both the crisis of 1973 and 1979 saw 6-7% of oil production taken offline resulting in a 400% and 150% spike in the price respectively. With that said, the oil tied up in the Gulf is 3 times that level. Oil isn't just any commodity, you need it to have a functioning society and it's not going away any time soon. Societies that lose access to oil will face collapse. If 20% of the world's car production went offline tomorrow, cars would be more sought after but you can hold on to your car longer, buy a used one, buy one you didn't want, whatever. Losing access to oil means your car won't work at all. 90% of what you need might as well be 0%. You can't to work with 9/10ths of your journey completed. So take that 20% of global production being cut and compare it to the much lower cuts of the 70s which sent the world's economy into recessions and you can't start to see how big the problem is. > > You might be asking if this is so bad why hasn't the world exploded yet? Energy crises can take months to manifest. Oil prices didn't peak after the Ukraine invasion until about six months after the crisis started. Many other energy shortages in the past are similar with months between the start and the peak with a steady climb in between. > > The Strait of Hormuz being closed leaves all that oil and gas with nowhere to go as you might have heard. I'm going to emphasize this more than just here but there are many people saying stuff that have no idea what they're talking about. There is almost no way to get the oil out. Some pipelines are available but two have already been struck by Iran. At best 25% of Gulf oil can be sent on the East-West Arabia pipeline to the Red Sea but that's not even close to enough to relieve the crisis. There were talks to expand that pipeline a few years ago but they fell through. Apparently that stupid line city project was more important to the Arabians than even a little bit of security. > > The headlines you're seeing about shutting down oil and gas production being a headache are more or less accurate. Oil pumps don't have an on/off switch. Shutting down and ramping up production takes time. Another point I'll emphasize more than once: even if the war ended tomorrow, and it doesn't look like it will, shutting down a bunch of production means it's not going to come back anytime soon-which would be whatever if it was 2020 and there was a glut of oil, but it isn't. There was supposed to be a small surplus of oil this year to keep prices down but that's gone now. > > **How and why is there so much damage?** > > If you know where to look there are smart people on this topic who do have a holistic picture of what is going on. But one thing I haven't seen a single person mention is Iran, in attacking their neighbors, is setting up for success when the conflict is over. Their neighbors in the Gulf and to their north in the Caucuses and Central Asia, are their economic competitors. By bombing their energy production Iran is making sure the market will be open for them when the war ends, whether that's in a week or a year. It's in their interest to blow up all the fields, processing plants, refineries, smelters, pipelines and liquefaction facilities while the bullets are flying and they can get away with it. > > On top of all of that, the Gulf States in the region as well as other countries are rivals with Iran so even without the economic picture the Iranians want to strike the

Open-source coding agents like OpenCode, Cline, and Aider are solving a huge headache for developers

AI coding agents are proliferating, but the economics of running large language models (LLMs) are breaking down as developers juggle The post Open-source coding agents like OpenCode, Cline, and Aider are solving a huge headache for developers appeared first on The New Stack.

DeBriefed 6 March 2026: Iran energy crisis

W*elcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed.* *An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change.* # **This week** ### **Energy crisis** **ENERGY SPIKE:** US-Israeli attacks on Iran and subsequent counterattacks across the Middle East have sent energy prices “soaring”, according to [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/global-energy-costs-soar-iran-crisis-disrupts-shipping-oil-gas-production-2026-03-03/). The newswire reported that the region “accounts for just under a third of global oil production and almost a fifth of gas”. The [Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/02/iran-strait-of-hormuz-oil-gas-visualized?) noted that shipping traffic through the strait of Hormuz, which normally ferries 20% of the world’s oil, “all but ground to a halt”. The [Financial Times](https://www.ft.com/content/dac7a77d-e0f4-4f52-a3d4-55b145e67347) reported that attacks by Iran on Middle East energy facilities – notably in Qatar – triggered the “biggest rise in gas prices since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine”. **‘RISK’ AND ‘BENEFITS’:** [Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-03/global-diesel-prices-surge-higher-as-iran-war-disrupts-supplies) reported on increases in diesel prices in Europe and the US, speculating that rising fuel costs could be “a risk for president Donald Trump”. US gas producers are “poised to benefit from the big disruption in global supply”, according to [CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/03/us-natural-gas-lng-qatar-iran-war.html). Indian government sources told the [Economic Times](https://pdpwbj.clicks.mlsend.com/tl/c/eyJ2Ijoie1wiYVwiOjI0OTYxNyxcImxcIjoxODEwMDA5MzYwMDg3MTM4MjQsXCJyXCI6MTgxMDAwOTQ5MjYxNjY1ODA5fSIsInMiOiI4N2E5OWQ3ZTZiNDg0OTRlIn0) that Russia is prepared to “fulfil India’s energy demands”. [China Daily](https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202603/03/WS69a64540a310d6866eb3b4a2.html) quoted experts who said “China’s energy security remains fundamentally unshaken”, thanks to “emergency stockpiles and a wide array of import channels”. **‘ESSENTIAL’ RENEWABLES:** Energy analysts said governments should cut their fossil-fuel reliance by investing in renewables, “rather than just seeking non-Gulf oil and gas suppliers”, reported [Climate Home News](https://www.climatechangenews.com/2026/03/04/gulf-oil-and-gas-crisis-sparks-calls-for-renewable-invesment). This message was echoed by UK business secretary Peter Kyle, who said “doubling down on renewables” was “essential” amid “regional instability”, according to the [Daily Telegraph](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/03/03/net-zero-answer-middle-east-energy-crisis/). ### **China’s climate plan** **PEAK COAL?:** China has set out its next “five-year plan” at the annual “[two sessions](https://pdpwbj.clicks.mlsend.com/td/cl/eyJ2Ijoie1wiYVwiOjI0OTYxNyxcImxcIjoxODEwOTE4NDc3Nzc1NTIyNDAsXCJyXCI6MTgxMDkxODYxODA4NTQ2OTgyfSIsInMiOiIzZDZmMjQyY2JiMmIzNTM3In0)” meeting of the National People’s Congress, including its climate strategy out to 2030, according to the Hong Kong-based [South China Morning Post](https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345525/china-step-tech-energy-and-decarbonisation-efforts-next-5-year-plan). The plan called for China to cut its carbon emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 17% from 2026 to 2030, which “may allow for continued increase in emissions given the rate of GDP growth”, reported [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/china-plans-cut-carbon-dioxide-emissions-per-unit-gdp-by-around-38-2026-2026-03-05/). The newswire added that the plan also had targets to reach peak coal ​in the next five years and replace 30m tonnes per year of coal with renewables. **ACTIVE YET PRUDENT:** [Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-05/china-aims-to-cut-carbon-emissions-per-unit-of-gdp-17-by-2030) described the new plan as “cautious”, stating that it “frustrat[es] hopes for tighter policy that would drive the nation to peak carbon emissions well before president Xi Jinping’s 2030 deadline”. Carbon Brief has just published an in-depth [analysis](https://www.carbonbrief.org/qa-what-does-chinas-15th-five-year-plan-mean-for-climate-change/) of the plan. [China Daily](https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202603/05/WS69a91c1ba310d6866eb3be81.html) reported that the strategy “highlights measures to promote the climate targets of peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030”, which China said it would work towards “actively yet prudently”. # **Around the world** **EU RULES:** The European Commission has proposed new “made in Europe” rules to support domestic low-carbon industries, “against fierce competition from China”, reported [Agence France-Presse](https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260304-eu-to-unveil-made-in-europe-rules-despite-pushback). [Carbon Brief](https://www.carbonbrief.org/qa-what-the-eus-new-industry-and-made-in-europe-rules-mean-for-climate-action/) examined what it means for c

Chop Wood, Carry Water 3/6

[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wWe9!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd1bf0828-28c4-4779-86a7-62cb794aef7b_5673x4000.jpeg) The We The People weekly protest, Eau Claire, WI, Photograph, Liz Nash Hi, all, and happy Friday. We made it through another week! And what a week it was. It wasn’t great for us, of course, but boy was it worse for Trump. Not only did he have to fire the incorrigibly corrupt and sadistic Kristi Noem and continue to defend a horrifically unpopular and mismanaged war, but his newest economic numbers are absolutely disastrous. [According to CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/06/economy/us-jobs-report-february) the US economy lost 92,000 jobs in February and the unemployment rate rose to 4.4%. Economists were expecting a net gain of 60,000 jobs last month while December’s job gains of 48,000 were revised down to a loss of 17,000 jobs. This is bad, folks. More significant job declines were found in health care (down 28,000 jobs); leisure and hospitality (down 27,000 jobs); and construction (down 11,000 jobs). Should we be surprised? Of course not. Trump’s economic agenda, such as it is, is custom-made to destroy an economy. Mass deportation is known to [kill jobs](https://www.epi.org/305445/pre/789ab2a96c1c16fa04f30610bd97417d70ca8ac6179577810ba6fce978111df5/), [raise prices](https://sites.utexas.edu/macro/2025/09/09/the-economic-ripple-effects-of-mass-deportations/), and [shrink the economy](https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/report/mass-deportation/); it is doing just that. Tariffs are skyrocketing prices. Tourism is down ([11 million fewer visitors in 2025](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/20/travel/us-tourism-declines-eu-canada.html)!), federal workers have been laid off in record numbers, and healthcare jobs are being gutted as hospitals and clinics close or cut jobs due to Trump’s Medicaid cuts. It’s all so predictable. But now we’ve got the price of gas to contend with as well. According to the [Gas Buddy](https://x.com/GasBuddyGuy/status/2029610494131089685) the last few days have seen the 6th, 8th and 9th largest single day increases in average diesel prices going back to 2000. Crude oil prices are up 25% [since the start](https://defendamericaaction.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3eb4d08a510c32b2f2ff20fb3&id=719848d3c3&e=adb61354d3) of the conflict, [costing American consumers billions](https://defendamericaaction.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3eb4d08a510c32b2f2ff20fb3&id=12cc0f04a8&e=adb61354d3) at the gas pump. Diesel prices are now [over $4 a gallon](https://defendamericaaction.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3eb4d08a510c32b2f2ff20fb3&id=055e6b13e7&e=adb61354d3) – threatening consumers with sticker shock on anything that travels by truck – from food to furniture. Rising oil and gas prices will also cause utility bills to spike, since [44 percent of American electricity](https://defendamericaaction.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3eb4d08a510c32b2f2ff20fb3&id=d9492bb2f1&e=adb61354d3) is generated from natural gas and oil products. Have I mentioned that the daily cost of Trump’s war in Iran is [an estimated $1 billion a day](https://democrats.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=90379082c3d9e6a03baf3f677&id=ef6b6844d9&e=aa53a71c78), enough to cover a full year of health care for 110,000 Medicaid enrollees. Anyway. You get the point. Trump’s presidency is a disaster in every conceivable way. Our job is to amplify that fact, hold our Congressional representatives’ feet to the fire about it, and get ready to throw a WHOLE lot of Republicans out of office over it in November. We also get to hold every Congressmember to account for their votes on the War Powers Resolution yesterday. This includes castigating the Republicans and [four Democrats](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/the-democrats-who-voted-against-the-war-powers-resolution/ar-AA1XFCfg)—Henry Cuellar, Greg Landsman, Juan Vargas, and Jared Golden—who voted against it, and thanking every lawmaker who supported it, which includes all Democrats other than the four above, plus Massie and Davidson. OK, all. I’m going to end it here and get on to our actions. Because that, after all, is how we rewrite the story. Let’s goooo! ## Call Your Senators (find yours [here](https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm)) 📲 Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is \_\_\_\_\_\_. I’m calling to demand that Congress put an end to Trump’s unconstitutional and unwanted war with Iran. I urge the Senator to introduce and vote on another war powers resolution to exert Congress’s constitutional auth

Iran Denies Asking Trump to Talk; Official Says No Negotiations Will Be Considered Until a New Supreme Leader Is Named

*Drop Site’s journalism is free to read because thousands of readers choose to fund it. If our work matters to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today.* [SUPPORT DSN - DONATE TODAY](https://givebutter.com/dsn-substack) [](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LF-m!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffbf894e6-52da-4265-bceb-af2288006860_7163x5059.jpeg) Iranian protesters carry images of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Iranian flags in an anti-U.S.-Israeli rally in Tehran, Iran, on March 6, 2026, after Friday prayers outside Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque. Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images. Since launching a scorched earth bombing campaign against Iran on February 28 despite ongoing negotiations, President Donald Trump has repeatedly sought to portray the Iranian government as cowering in the face of American might, appealing to him to make a deal to end the war. “They have no air defense. All of their airplanes are gone. Their communications are gone. Missiles are gone. Launches are gone. About 60% and 64%, respectively. Other than that, they’re doing quite well,” Trump quipped on Thursday. “And they’re calling. They’re saying, ‘How do we make a deal?’ I said, ‘You’re being a little bit late,’ and we want to fight now more than they do.” Trump’s claims that Iran has sought to negotiate a ceasefire with the U.S. are a “huge lie,” a senior Iranian official told Drop Site. On Thursday, Abbas Araghchi similarly [told NBC News](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlnbouKHDhs) that Iran has not had any communications with the U.S. through backchannels since his meeting in Geneva last week with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. “No, not after Thursday that we met last time. We met last Thursday. We negotiated for almost seven hours,” he said. “No negotiations from the Iranian side are conceivable until the official announcement by the Supreme Leader of Iran,” the senior official, who is not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, said. “The decision of Iran’s military forces is the continuation of the defense of the country against attacks by Israel and the United States, and the long-term management of the war imposed by foreign forces.” [Subscribe now](https://www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe?) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian leaders were assassinated last Saturday in the opening strikes of the U.S. war. The Iranian government moved swiftly to name an interim leadership council consisting of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, the head of Iran’s judiciary, and Ayatollah Ali Arafi, a prominent member of Iran’s Guardian Council and Assembly of Experts—the body that is ultimately responsible for choosing the country’s Supreme Leader. Iran is expected to name a new Supreme Leader in the coming days. Some reports indicate that a leader may already have been selected by the Assembly of Experts. “The voting has been conducted,” the Iranian official told Drop Site. “Security and protection measures for the new leader must be put in place before they can announce his name.” While Iran denied communications with the U.S., the official said other nations had reached out to Iran appealing for it to consider discussing a ceasefire. “Our assessment is that the USA side has requested their mediation. These requests have so far been rejected by our side,” the official said, adding that he believed such claims by Trump were part of a broader propaganda campaign. “Some countries have begun mediation efforts,” Pezeshkian [said](https://x.com/drpezeshkian/status/2029877231942590545) on Friday. “Let’s be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region yet we have no hesitation in defending our nation’s dignity and sovereignty. Mediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict.” Pezeshkian did not offer any details on the nature of these diplomatic initiatives. Soon after Pezeshkian’s statement was posted on X/Twitter, Trump took to Truth Social to demand full capitulation from Iran. “There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” Trump wrote on Friday. “After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before. IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. ‘MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!).’” On Wednesday, in an [interview](https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/exclusive-in

Iran Denies Asking Trump to Talk; Official Says No Negotiations Will Be Considered Until a New Supreme Leader Is Named

*Drop Site’s journalism is free to read because thousands of readers choose to fund it. If our work matters to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today.* [SUPPORT DSN - DONATE TODAY](https://givebutter.com/dsn-substack) [](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LF-m!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffbf894e6-52da-4265-bceb-af2288006860_7163x5059.jpeg) Iranian protesters carry images of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Iranian flags in an anti-U.S.-Israeli rally in Tehran, Iran, on March 6, 2026, after Friday prayers outside Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque. Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images. Since launching a scorched earth bombing campaign against Iran on February 28 despite ongoing negotiations, President Donald Trump has repeatedly sought to portray the Iranian government as cowering in the face of American might, appealing to him to make a deal to end the war. “They have no air defense. All of their airplanes are gone. Their communications are gone. Missiles are gone. Launches are gone. About 60% and 64%, respectively. Other than that, they’re doing quite well,” Trump quipped on Thursday. “And they’re calling. They’re saying, ‘How do we make a deal?’ I said, ‘You’re being a little bit late,’ and we want to fight now more than they do.” Trump’s claims that Iran has sought to negotiate a ceasefire with the U.S. are a “huge lie,” a senior Iranian official told Drop Site. On Thursday, Abbas Araghchi similarly [told NBC News](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlnbouKHDhs) that Iran has not had any communications with the U.S. through backchannels since his meeting in Geneva last week with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. “No, not after Thursday that we met last time. We met last Thursday. We negotiated for almost seven hours,” he said. “No negotiations from the Iranian side are conceivable until the official announcement by the Supreme Leader of Iran,” the senior official, who is not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, said. “The decision of Iran’s military forces is the continuation of the defense of the country against attacks by Israel and the United States, and the long-term management of the war imposed by foreign forces.” [Subscribe now](https://www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe?) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian leaders were assassinated last Saturday in the opening strikes of the U.S. war. The Iranian government moved swiftly to name an interim leadership council consisting of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, the head of Iran’s judiciary, and Ayatollah Ali Arafi, a prominent member of Iran’s Guardian Council and Assembly of Experts—the body that is ultimately responsible for choosing the country’s Supreme Leader. Iran is expected to name a new Supreme Leader in the coming days. Some reports indicate that a leader may already have been selected by the Assembly of Experts. “The voting has been conducted,” the Iranian official told Drop Site. “Security and protection measures for the new leader must be put in place before they can announce his name.” While Iran denied communications with the U.S., the official said other nations had reached out to Iran appealing for it to consider discussing a ceasefire. “Our assessment is that the USA side has requested their mediation. These requests have so far been rejected by our side,” the official said, adding that he believed such claims by Trump were part of a broader propaganda campaign. “Some countries have begun mediation efforts,” Pezeshkian [said](https://x.com/drpezeshkian/status/2029877231942590545) on Friday. “Let’s be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region yet we have no hesitation in defending our nation’s dignity and sovereignty. Mediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict.” Pezeshkian did not offer any details on the nature of these diplomatic initiatives. Soon after Pezeshkian’s statement was posted on X/Twitter, Trump took to Truth Social to demand full capitulation from Iran. “There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” Trump wrote on Friday. “After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before. IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. ‘MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!).’” On Wednesday, in an [interview](https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/exclusive-in

Did Netflix Ruin Movies?

*Subscribe here: [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/galaxy-brain/id1378618386) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/542WHgdiDTJhEjn1Py4J7n) | [YouTube](https://youtu.be/A4922CILwM4)* Few companies have reshaped American culture as aggressively as Netflix. This week’s *Galaxy Brain* charts how we got here. Charlie Warzel talks with *Atlantic* film critic David Sims about Netflix’s strange, sweeping arc: from red DVD envelopes to a streaming colossus with 325 million subscribers. Sims explains how Hollywood initially shrugged off streaming as a novelty, only to watch Netflix reshape both distribution and the aesthetics and economics of entertainment itself. Together, they discuss the rise of binge culture, data-driven green-lighting, and the tension between prestige projects and “second screen” slop built for distracted viewers. The conversation also examines Netflix’s stance toward theaters, its aborted bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, and the deeper question haunting the industry: Has Netflix simply exploited technological inevitabilities—or has it rewired our expectations of what movies and television are supposed to be? *The following is a transcript of the episode:* > **David Sims:** When Hulu and HBO and all the other streamers start to crop up later in the game, it’s kind of like: You have Netflix, and then maybe you try another one. But you’re not gonna let go of Netflix. Netflix had just already won the war. **[*Music*]** **Charlie Warzel:** I’m Charlie Warzel, and this is *Galaxy Brain*, a show where today we’re going to talk about red DVD envelopes, the streaming wars, and the company that upended Hollywood. Awards season will wrap up soon this month with the Oscars, which means it’s a good time to talk about Hollywood. And you can’t talk about Hollywood without talking about Netflix. It’s difficult to imagine a company that’s had a greater impact on the entertainment industry over the last two decades. Since its founding in the late ’90s, Netflix has continued to do one thing over and over again: use technology and the internet to exploit convenience and wind its way into our lives. First it was a website that allowed you to pick your favorite DVDs to be shipped to you in the mail. Then it launched into streaming, original programming, a full movie studio. Now Netflix hosts live TV, award shows, sporting events—and is even a home for podcasts. The company has more than 325 million subscribers. Netflix’s story follows the classic tech-company arc. The platform didn’t just disrupt how people watched movies and TV; it changed the culture and the fabric of entertainment altogether. Netflix has influenced the way that many movies look, feel, and sound— even how they’re conceived of and green-lit. The company has had its hand in creating everything: from auto-play, second-screen-binge mode-algo-slop to prestige award-bait projects. All of Hollywood’s hopes and anxieties—the decline of theatergoing, the data-driven writers’ rooms, you name it—Netflix sits at the center of all of it. It’s a weird moment for the company. Back in December, Netflix made an offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal worth approximately $82.7 billion. The purchase would have made Netflix arguably the world’s most powerful entertainment company. But Paramount Skydance, headed by David Ellison and backed in part by his father, the centibillionaire [co-]founder of Oracle, Larry Ellison fought the deal. Paramount Skydance submitted a revised offer to buy Warner at $111 billion. Netflix backed out of the deal last week. Some industry observers argued that Netflix dodged a bullet—or at least a lot of debt and regulatory headaches—by backing out. But now Netflix is at something of a crossroads. And that’s why I’ve called on my colleague [David Sims](https://www.theatlantic.com/author/david-sims/). David is a staff writer at *The Atlantic,* where he is our film critic and writes about the culture of entertainment. He’s also the host of the excellent podcast *Blank Check*. I wanted to talk to David about Netflix’s historical arc—how it became such a juggernaut and what it has done to transform Hollywood and all the ways that we consume entertainment. By all accounts, it feels like Netflix has won. Is that a good thing, a bad thing, or just inevitable? David joins me now to hash it out. **[*Music*]** **Warzel:** David Sims, welcome to *Galaxy Brain*. **David Sims:** Hi, Charlie; thanks for having me. **Warzel:** We’re approaching the terminus of award season and the Oscars. We also just had a lot of news around Netflix, Warner Bros., Paramount. Media consolidation. Growth hellscape/landscape, etc. So I wanted to have a conversation about Netflix, broadly—Netflix’s impact on Hollywood, on the industry, on all of us. And our eyeballs and our fragile little primate brains. So I thought it would be great to just start off very, very quickly: What is your first memory of Netflix? Your first Netflix