Top Takes of the Week — September 7–11, 2026
The sharpest lines from The Flies this week.
Who Decides Red Sea Strategy and Who Pays $6 for Diesel Are Not the Same People
Diesel prices in the U.S. hit $6 per gallon as Houthi rebels in Yemen captured the Red Sea port city of Mokha, disrupting shipping routes.
When Your Trade Partner Prefers Your Opposition Party: Ontario Premier Openly Roots for Republican Losses
Ontario Premier Doug Ford publicly stated he hopes Republicans lose the House and Senate in the midterms to hold Trump accountable for the trade war with Canada.
OpenAI Announces AI Solved Million-Dollar Math Problem Its Own Customers Were Already Solving
OpenAI announced its AI solved the million-dollar Navier-Stokes problem using 10,000 agents over 88 hours, but two mathematicians were already working on it using OpenAI's tools, raising questions about training data use.
Laptop Burns Boy's Abdomen, Gets Diagnosed as Mystery Illness Before Anyone Asks About the Hot Rectangle on His Lap
A boy developed erythema ab igne (toasted skin syndrome) on his abdomen after using a laptop on his lap daily, initially misdiagnosed through emergency imaging before doctors identified the thermal injury.
Trump Promises Every Adult $5,000 If GOP Wins — Won't Say Where $1.3 Trillion Comes From
Trump promised every adult American $5,000 if Republicans win the midterm elections, but provided no details on funding or implementation when asked by the BBC.
AI Builders Warn Their Tech Could Destroy Humanity While Racing to Ship Features
AI builders warn the technology could severely damage or destroy humanity while most users find it only modestly useful, creating a disconnect between creator warnings and public experience.
More Stories
Archaeologists Digging for Romans Find 5,000-Year-Old Necklace Made of 42 Teeth — Three Millennia Earlier Than Expected
Sep 10 · The Curious
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US Asks AI Companies to Secretly Degrade Their Own Models for National Security
Sep 10 · Tech & AI
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Four Disc Golfers Spent 44 Minutes Perfecting a 44-Second Record
Sep 10 · The Curious
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AI Beats Doctors by 18 Points at Diagnosis, So We're Debating Whether to Test It
Sep 9 · Tech & AI
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Ranch Caught Abusing Calves Tells FAA the Real Threat Is the Camera
Sep 9 · Policy & Politics
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Your 'Off' TV Is Scanning Every Device in Your Home — And Calling Them 'Addressable'
Sep 9 · Tech & AI
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Art Thieves Spent Hours Cutting Through Twelve Frames, Then Dropped Half Their Haul While Running
Sep 9 · The Curious
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Trump Breaks Trade Deal He Once Praised, Threatens to Ban Planes That Employ 3,000 Americans
Sep 8 · Policy & Politics
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AI Safety Leaders Sell Targeting Tools to Pentagon While Disclaiming Responsibility for Strikes
Sep 8 · Tech & AI
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The $3.2 billion data center has no obligation to meet with the town it could burn down
Sep 8 · Tech & AI
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Billionaire Who Quit Chess as Too Simple Now Argues With Chess.com About Chess Complexity
Sep 8 · Culture & Media
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The Buzz
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Also Reading
Companies Told Investors They Make More Money by Making It Impossible to Leave
Sep 7 · Tech & AI
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OpenAI Watched Its AIs Coordinate on Wikipedia for a Month, Then Told Congress Nothing
Sep 7 · Tech & AI
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A Beagle's Fashion Collaborations Get Museum Treatment While His Creator's Comics Become Context
Sep 7 · The Curious
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Nine Months After Historic Chemical Plant Rule, Exemptions Granted and Public Facility Data Removed
Sep 7 · Policy & Politics
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Illinois Sells Lesser-Known Haunts as 'Authentic' — With Gift Shop Koozies
Sep 7 · The Curious
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The Swatter — August 31 – September 4, 2026
Sep 5 · The Swatter
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Top Takes of the Week — August 31 – September 4, 2026
Sep 5 · Top Takes
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Surveillance Company's Donations to Mayor Groups Jump 700% as Contract Debates Heat Up
Sep 4 · Tech & AI
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RFK Jr. questions measles deaths; CDC removes them from public view but keeps counting
Sep 4 · Policy & Politics
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The Map Everyone Used for 455 Years Shows Africa and Greenland as the Same Size. Africa Is 14 Times Larger.
Sep 4 · The Curious
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Earlier
Colorado Regulators Waited 15 Months to Warn Consumers About Liver-Damaging Marijuana Product — While Sitting in the Revenue Department
Sep 4 · Policy & Politics
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Treasury Proposes Tax Penalties for Schools Using Programs Designed to Fix Past Discrimination
Sep 4 · Policy & Politics
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Saturn's New Decagon Is Just Wind, But We're Writing Papers About It Anyway
Sep 4 · Science & Environment
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Congress Blocks Political Veto Over Science Grants — For Exactly 90 Days
Sep 3 · Policy & Politics
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Government Warns Only Big Tech Could Afford Licensing — In Brief Defending Big Tech
Sep 3 · Tech & AI
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Workers hate the AI their bosses love — and the sentiment gap tracks exactly with who takes the blame when it breaks
Sep 3 · Tech & AI
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Chicago Gets 1,969 People to Drink 'Vomit and Sweat' Liqueur Together — With the Governor Pouring
Sep 3 · The Curious
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The Seven-Step Machine That Turns a Food Stamp Cut Into an Empty School Lunch Tray
Sep 3 · Policy & Politics
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