Hi friends,
There’s a video Dave produced this week that speaks to a point I’ve been making for years: nerd culture and the debates therein can often help us understand the world around us through an accessible lens. We’ve seen that play out recently via drama in the Sims world over a trio of controversial investors’ looming purchase of the company that makes the game.
If you don’t care about the Sims, here’s why I think you should keep reading. This isn’t just about a video game — it’s about nuanced views on boycotting institutions you believe make the world worse, how money shapes culture and how that shapes us. This provides an interesting and accessible way in to all of that.
If this argument isn’t hooking you, don’t worry. We have plenty of non-Sims news for you this week too, so let’s dive in.
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Can ICE racially profile people?
Agents have been stopping people in Chicago who they think look Latino. But is it legal?
The Fourth Amendment bans unreasonable searches and seizures, and a 1975 Supreme Court case that found law enforcement stopping someone because of their appearance alone doesn’t meet Fourth Amendment standards.
Even though that ruling barred law enforcement from using race as the only factor to stop someone, it doesn’t bar them from using race as a factor.
More recently, the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority reversed a lower court order that prohibited the Trump administration from stopping people just because of their race, language or job.
Immigration advocates say the justices have “effectively legalized racial profiling.” This decision is an emergency order and not a final ruling on whether these stops are constitutional.
This is simsanity
Electronic Arts, maker of ‘The Sims’ and other popular video games, announced a partnership last week with Stability AI to incorporate AI into its development process. The partnership prompted many creators to resign in protest from a partnership program with EA.
Creators who removed themselves from this program also criticized EA’s pending acquisition by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Firm, another investment company run by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and the investment firm Silver Lake.
Team members, creators and other Sims players have said their values aren’t aligned with the new owners’, citing their human rights abuses and support for anti-LGBTQIA+ policies. An official account for The Sims responded with a statement that read, “Our mission, values and commitment remain the same.” The statement also promised “ongoing updates that address the things that matter most to you.”
I just learned I can add a stock ticker to this newsletter! Watch this! $EA ( ▲ 0.07% )
An espresso shot for your brain
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Uncrustable, not untrademarkable
The J.M. Smucker Co. is taking Trader Joe’s to court, alleging that the grocery chain violated trademarks by selling a product similar to Smucker’s Uncrustables.
At the heart of the lawsuit is the branding on Trader Joe’s crustless sandwiches, and the design of the sandwich itself — a “round, crustless sandwich with a crimped edge.”
The lawsuit could decide one of the most important legal questions of our time: as The New York Times asks, can you trademark peanut butter and jelly?
Almost $1 trillion in interest
As the U.S. government borrows money to keep the government running, it also accumulates interest. Last year, that interest added up to $970 billion.
The federal government pays off that interest while borrowing more money, meaning it will likely owe even more in net interest next year.
This video is part of Dave’s partnership with Free the Facts, a non-partisan, nonprofit organization that empowers young Americans to learn and lead.
Readers respond:
Glad to see that grandpa Jorgenson is still sharp as a tack."
Each week, after running through the news Dave has covered in his most recent videos, I turn things over to him for some analysis. Dave, if you’re not too busy shaving your beard as part of your first brand deal, please take it away.
I spoke to the COMM 331 class at Maryland University this week. They were, unsurprisingly. terrific. One question they asked - that I am often asked - is how to get a job like mine.
The short answer is that I just made up this job and make everything up as I go. I don’t even know how I would describe this job to myself a decade ago. I’m just as surprised as you are.
The long answer: I’ve always been open to collaboration of any kind. I don’t mean this literally, like collaborating on a post (though check out our first paid collaboration with Harry’s from Wednesday. I mean that whenever someone has needed a hand, I’ve been there, eager to help. This has meant helping with lighting, set design, making props, shooting 1st, 2nd or 3rd camera (sometimes all three simultaneously), being on camera, writing a bit … anything! In helping people out, they often help me out. I’ve learned new skills and methods for writing and creating video I never would have considered. This has led to lifelong collaborations with exceptionally talented people.
Especially in a newsroom, collaborating is essential. It turns out teamwork does make the dream work. And it’s been a dream these last three months working with people that I’ve collaborated with for a long time to make Local News International. Chris, Sarah, Lauren and Micah are helping build something really special and I’m glad you’re a part of it too, reader.
There’s one person you all haven’t formally met, and I’ve been collaborating with him longer than anyone. Colin and I met in college and started our own late night show there called the Pre-Recorded Late Night Show.
Dave (left) and Colin
It helped us both score a job at a small media start-up company after graduating. And we’ve been working together on making weird videos off and on this entire time:
Colin wrote, and is currently editing, three videos for LNI that will be published over the next week (I’ll be in Mexico with my wife and daughter the next few days for a long-planned trip to witness Día de Muertos in person).
I typically write and edit all of my videos, so I’m excited for Colin to mix things up a bit. He also wrote and edited this genius video, as well as my post popular ever TikTok video:
@davejorgenson Hang in there, Gwyneth.
I have to admit, just shooting stuff off of an already written script and sending it off to be edited was quite freeing. I’m gonna chase this feeling.
So, enjoy the weird videos Colin is currently cooking. Meanwhile, I’m going to watch Bluey for the bazillionth time with my daughter on this flight to Oaxaca.
If you made it to the end of this newsletter, you get two treats! Congratulations! The first is a pet picture that a reader sent in. (We’re running low on ones we haven’t featured yet, by the way, so please send more!) This is C8T0, pronounced “kate-oh” according to her human.
Everyone say “Hi, C8T0 pronounced like kate-oh”
Your second treat: Each week, I hide a non-news related link somewhere in the body of the newsletter and reveal what it is down here. If you participated this week, you may have found an academic paper about how copyright law has shaped writer Alan Moore’s comics work. The most boring thing about me is that I love to geek out about copyright law! It has an extremely heavy influence on all the comics I love that feature corporate-owned character! And sometimes it’s funny, like what do you mean you’re trying to trademark a peanut butter sandwich!
Until next week!
Chris
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Since you made it to the end, you obviously love the newsletter. Help support my independent journalism by becoming a paying member. Here’s what you get:
📌 Early access to newsletters videos
📌 Exclusive quarterly Q&A’s
📌 Unlocked commenting on posts
📌 Full archive access
📌 Dave (and Lola) stickers
📌 Access to our exclusive private Slack channel (International Tier)
