Odds and Ends — 20 May 2026

Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, Business, AI, and Debt:

For what it’s worth, This Bitcoin price model targets ‘conservative’ $255K by year-end

https://twitter.com/FrankConniff/status/2054726915609489516
- FrankConniff

A weekslong selloff in government bonds has intensified in recent days, threatening to drive up borrowing costs across the globe and knocking some momentum out of what had been a furious stock rally.
With bond prices sliding, the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note, a key benchmark for mortgage rates and other borrowing costs, reached as high as 4.687% Tuesday, its highest intraday level since January 2025.

With “Decrypt Agent” getting the byline: AI Watchdog Warns of 'Rogue Deployment' Risk at Top Labs, With Capabilities Growing Fast

Independent assessment finds AI agents at major companies can cheat, deceive, and work unsupervised—but lack the sophistication for a sustained takeover.

Coronavirus and Public Health:

U.S. probing whether Chinese companies cut production of shipping containers before COVID pandemic

At least 80% responsibility for ill health in old age down to individual, study says

UK report argues people have greater control over longevity than widely understood, but others say claim is simplistic

Iran:

Trump Just Admitted There’s No Good Reason to Continue His War With Iran

In two recent interviews, President Donald Trump admitted that there is no real reason to continue his war against Iran. Instead, in remarks that revealed both a clear understanding of certain facts and a narcissistic way of framing them, he said he couldn’t stop fighting now because of “public relations” and a vague need to “feel good.”

https://twitter.com/amanpour/status/2057045481558057023
- amanpour

Bill Cassidy Is Suddenly Voting His Conscience

Just days after President Trump celebrated ousting incumbent Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana’s GOP primary election, Cassidy voted in favor of advancing a resolution that would limit Trump’s ability to wage war in Iran without congressional approval.
The procedural vote, which passed 50-47, marked the first time Cassidy had supported such a resolution since Trump launched the war against Iran in February. The senator hadn’t supported similar measures in seven previous votes, when he was still in the throes of his re-election campaign.

Politics:

https://twitter.com/JohnSimpsonNews/status/2056615341485150466
- JohnSimpsonNews

Trump Is Doing Whatever He Wants Now

With less than 24 weeks until Election Day, President Donald Trump seems almost maniacally focused on doing and saying things that could harm Republicans’ chances of keeping their House and Senate majorities in November.
Trump appears to have all but given up any pretense that he’s concerned about the increasingly fragile Republican majorities on Capitol Hill.

https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/2056893033153761415
- Acyn

https://twitter.com/AdamKinzinger/status/2056896750976176575
- AdamKinzinger

No doubt, the Melania investigation is forthcoming: Vance says Rep. Ilhan Omar is under DOJ investigation for immigration fraud ‘right now’

https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/2056775286541123978
- RonFilipkowski

Minnesota becomes first state to ban prediction markets

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has signed the nation's first law banning prediction market sites from operating in the state, and in response, the Trump administration has sued, teeing up a legal battle over the most far-reaching crackdown on popular services like Kalshi and Polymarket.