Mike Englund

@steve_hanke It seems obvious that the U.S. is signaling it will occupy Kharg Island and take it off market without destroying it. The U.S. will use either the threat or actuality as a bargaining chip as the bombing campaign comes to a conclusion.

As reported by CNN, THOUSANDS of additional US marines are being deployed to the Middle East. WHY? Trump tell us everyday that the war is just about over.

@BOBBYRYANTX @Amena__Bakr He doesn't care, and the U.S. will recover from the global market shock with time. It's a rational position, even if it doesn't account for the emotions of the moment. It reflects the U.S. doing what is in its interest.

@MikeEnglund2 @Amena__Bakr Even with USA able to produce enough oil and LNG internally, it will not be immune to an oil shock if Trump walks away. Exxon, Chevron, Oxy, and others are investors there also.

Trump doesn’t want to safeguard Hormuz. #OOTT

It's astonishing that the Democratic Party is so committed to dying on the hill of protecting illegal immigration that they're willing to subject people to this

I have spent a good part of my career just getting people to believe this was actually happening. Now we are here. With 15 drones, you can lose roughly 1/4 of the B-52 force as it sits idle on the ground. This was always the most concerning scenario. Time to move to hardening. Just a matter of time now till we learn the hard way.

As most of you know, my son is a Sailor. He sent a picture of his lunch yesterday from the galley. I’m thankful that we are finally taking care of our men and women in uniform. 🙏🏻🇺🇸

𝗩𝗗𝗛: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗦 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡. Victor Davis Hanson has spent fifty years studying how wars end. When he says the tide is turning, it's worth listening to why. His argument isn't based on what the Pentagon is saying. It's based on how everyone else is behaving. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀. VDH's rule: Europeans never agree to go anywhere near a conflict unless they think the winning side has already been determined. They didn't help in the early days. Now they're starting to move. That movement is not idealism. It's a calculation. They've looked at the battlefield and decided which way this ends. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝘂𝗹𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼-𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. The Saudis, the Emiratis, the Qataris — these governments have survived for generations by reading the regional climate with precision. When they expel Iranian military attachés, when they intercept Iranian missiles over their own capitals and say nothing about American strikes, when the UAE reaffirms its $1.4 trillion investment commitment to the United States mid-war — they are not making ideological statements. They are placing bets. And they are betting on the United States. 𝗔𝗹 𝗝𝗮𝘇𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗮. This is the one that should stop you cold. Al Jazeera — the Qatari state media network, historically critical of American military action, the network Tucker Carlson and the anti-war right love to cite against Israel — is now calling the U.S. bombing campaign brilliant and effective, and saying it has been underestimated. When the media outlet of a nation that hosts both the largest American air base in the Middle East and a Hamas political office starts praising American military effectiveness, the message is unmistakable: 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹. A-10 Warthogs and Apache helicopter gunships are now flying strike missions in Iranian airspace at will. VDH's point: you only deploy those aircraft when there is effectively no air defense left to threaten them. They are slow, low-flying, close-support platforms. Their presence confirms what the Pentagon has been claiming — Iran has no meaningful air defense remaining. Iran's strategy now is rope-a-dope. Run out the clock. Wait for American public opinion to shift. Hope the midterms create political pressure on Trump to stop. It is the only play they have left. VDH's conclusion: if Trump sees it through — and he believes he will — the regime falls. Not in years. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻. 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗼, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝘆. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮.

They were probably offered financial aid packages from Satan that they couldn't refuse.

@ModeledBehavior This was an interesting article, and it's nice to see a net benefit to marginal students, on average. The expected present value of the marginal student's degree is quite small though. Over 47 years at 6% interest it's just $23k, and at 10% interest it's $15k.

@MikeEnglund2 Pointing to the existence of signaling effects does not prove that marginal students don't benefit. There is a literature here that is useful. faculty.kriegj.wwu.edu/Econ406/Papers…

I am concerned all the doom about young college grads is going to convince many that non-college is a better path to prosperity. While obviously true sometimes, the data is clear that college grads are still doing better. nationalreview.com/2026/03/ais-ov…

@ModeledBehavior There is no doubt that high performing students can turn a degree into a high paying job, but those students generally aren't the ones on the fence regarding going to college. It is the cost-effectiveness of college to mid-level students that is at issue.

@MikeEnglund2 You are describing selection, not signaling. Signaling IS a causal effect

@ModeledBehavior The point is that eventual success is probably mostly driven by the work habits of the student, with or without the degree. The degree is just a piece paper to use as evidence. If a low performer is given the paper, they may get an initial job offer, but will still underperform.

Yesterday, on the eve of the Iranian New Year (Nowruz), the Islamic Republic hanged five teenagers who had been detained during the January protests in the cities of Qom and Ilam. Today, 18-year-old Melika Azizi from the city of Rasht, who was arrested for burning regime symbols during the protests, faces imminent execution in Rasht prison on the charge of Moharebeh (waging war against Allah). #IranMassacre‌ won't stop!

@GadSaad They were probably offered financial aid packages from Satan that they couldn't refuse.

Imagine screaming "Death to America" for 47 years and then when no one hopefully notices, send your children to be educated by the Great Satan.

Today, the Islamic Republic hanged multiple Iranian civilians, some of whom were just teenagers. Amnesty International? Silent. The UN? Silent. Human Rights Council? Silent. The Red Cross? Silent.

BARBARIC: Iran HANGS 3 People Including 19-Year-Old Champion Wrestler in Public Execution Over Their Alleged Involvement in Anti-Regime Protest READ: thegatewaypundit.com/2026/03/barbar…

Today, in Iran, in the middle of a war, the regime executed a 19-year-old national wrestling champion for the crime of joining January protests. 💔 After signaling to the world, including President @realDonaldTrump, that they would halt executions of protesters, the regime has done the exact opposite. Three young protesters, Saleh Mohammadi, Mehdi Ghasemi, and Saeed Davoudi, were hanged in Qom after a sham trial. Reports indicate torture. Forced confessions. No access to chosen lawyers. Closed-door proceedings. No right to appeal. I call on @GlobalAthleteHQ to stand with Iranian athletes who are being silenced, imprisoned, and executed simply for raising their voices. This is not just about sports. This is about human dignity.

Hollywood revives Val Kilmer using AI, raising legacy concerns | Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering Hollywood blurs the line between legacy and technology in a dystopian AI resurrection of the acting legend. Hollywood is pushing deeper into generative AI, and its latest move revives a major star. Val Kilmer, who died in 2025 at age 65, will appear in the upcoming drama As Deep As the Grave. Filmmakers will recreate his performance using AI, with support from his estate. Kilmer had already signed onto the project before his death from throat cancer. Now, the production will complete his role digitally, marking another step in AI-driven filmmaking. Director Coerte Voorhees confirmed that the role was always meant for Kilmer. The actor will portray Father Fintan, a Native American spiritualist and Catholic priest. “He was the actor I wanted to play this role,” Voorhees said to Variety. “It drew on his Native American heritage and his ties to and love of the south-west.” Kilmer could not reach the set due to his illness. The production paused, but the team chose not to recast. Instead, they turned to generative AI. The filmmakers are working closely with Kilmer’s estate. His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, supports the effort. His son, Jack Kilmer, also backs the project. “His family kept saying how important they thought the movie was and that Val really wanted to be a part of this,” Voorhees said. “He really thought it was important story that he wanted his name on … Despite the fact some people might call it controversial, this is what Val wanted.” The AI version will appear in a “significant” portion of the film. Developers will train models using images of Kilmer from across his life. The goal is to recreate him at different ages. Story rooted in history As Deep As the Grave tells a real story from the 1920s. It follows archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris. They worked with the Navajo people to study early North American civilizations. Their work focused on the Ancestral Puebloans. The discoveries shaped modern understanding of early societies in the American Southwest. The film was earlier titled Canyon Del Muerto. It has remained in development since 2023. Tom Felton will play Earl Morris. Abigail Lawrie will portray Ann Morris. The supporting cast includes Wes Studi and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd. Kilmer’s role ties closely to the film’s cultural themes. He had long supported Native American rights and identified with Cherokee heritage. AI expands in Hollywood The project reflects a broader shift across the industry. Studios are increasingly using AI to enhance or recreate performances. In 2024, The Brutalist used AI to refine Adrien Brody’s Hungarian accent. Voice cloning has also gained traction. Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine signed agreements with ElevenLabs. The company can now generate AI versions of their voices. These tools promise new creative options. They also raise ethical questions about consent and legacy. Kilmer’s return sits at the center of that debate. The filmmakers argue they are honoring his intent. Critics question how far the technology should go. For now, As Deep As the Grave stands as a high-profile test. It could shape how Hollywood uses AI to preserve performances long after actors are gone. interestingengineering.com/ai-robotics/va…

BBC's Chief Correspondent, Jeremy Bowen, pretending to be under Russian attack when an elderly Ukrainian lady walking her dog stops to make sure he's okay