Editorial - The HighWire

The UN’s “Non-Binding” Pandemic Declaration: Sequence In, Shot Out

Updated 2:36 PM EDT, Wed October 21, 2026

On October 12, with little to no media coverage, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Political Declaration on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response. The vote was 153 in favor and 3 against. The United States, Israel, and Argentina voted no, and New Zealand and Paraguay abstained. The scant headlines moved on within a day,…Continue reading The UN’s “Non-Binding” Pandemic Declaration: Sequence In, Shot Out

The Kind of People Who Build Bridges for Animals

Updated 6:14 AM EDT, Tue October 20, 2026

Three mule deer wandered up to a brand-new bridge near Grass Lake, in the far north of California, and walked across it. The bridge was built just for them, and other animals, and a trail camera caught them taking advantage of it. Remarkably, the bridge was not even finished being built when they used it.…Continue reading The Kind of People Who Build Bridges for Animals

From Lockdowns to Large Language Models: How AI Became the Post-COVID Companion We Never Asked For

Updated 5:54 AM EDT, Mon October 19, 2026

The Trillion-Dollar AI Boom Built on a Generation Already Isolated by COVID The date was May 11, 2023, and the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency officially ended in the United States. An entire generation of children and adolescents had been artificially masked and forced onto devices for their education and socialization. Already struggling with mental…Continue reading From Lockdowns to Large Language Models: How AI Became the Post-COVID Companion We Never Asked For

They Are Not Selling A Better Tool

Thanks to the news of the day back then, I had a specific fear as a kid. No, I wasn’t afraid of the dark. And it wasn’t spiders or the alien-looking beings that I swear I saw swinging in the weeping willow tree in my backyard in the middle of the night. My enormous fear…Continue reading They Are Not Selling A Better Tool

Updated 5:03 PM EDT, Wed September 16, 2026

Approved First. Studied Later

On August 27, 2026, as documented on the FDA’s website, the agency approved the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA jabs for this season’s COVID-19 variant. Strangely, four days later, on August 31, the human-based study for the formulation of Pfizer’s jab was set to begin. And the human study for Moderna’s same jab doesn’t begin until…Continue reading Approved First. Studied Later

Updated 3:06 PM EDT, Mon September 14, 2026

Will a Post-COVID Public Trust the Same Officials a Second Time? The AI Scare Is the Test.

For many Americans, it’s nearly automatic to now see social and political moves through the trained, clearly focused eyes courtesy of the trauma created by the failed pandemic. Greater-good narratives, highly funded and deeply curated to make authorities appear benevolent and acting in the interest of the public, are nothing new. Both in real time…Continue reading Will a Post-COVID Public Trust the Same Officials a Second Time? The AI Scare Is the Test.

Updated 6:34 PM EDT, Sun September 13, 2026

The Army Isn’t Buying Power. It is Buying an Industry.

The headlines declared the Army is going nuclear. On August 26 a new service called Janus commenced. It will cost up to $2.2 billion, include more than twenty small commercial reactors, is composed of five companies and five Army bases, with first power due by September 30, 2028. The project spans from Fort Bragg in…Continue reading The Army Isn’t Buying Power. It is Buying an Industry.

Updated 11:46 AM EDT, Wed September 9, 2026

Gates Promised to Halve Hunger in Africa. Twenty Years Later, It Climbed.

Twenty years ago, Bill Gates decided to get heavily involved in how the continent of Africa feeds its inhabitants. Through the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), launched by the Rockefeller and Gates Foundations, AGRA promised to cut hunger in half and double crop yields and farmer incomes in some of the poorest…Continue reading Gates Promised to Halve Hunger in Africa. Twenty Years Later, It Climbed.

Updated 2:56 PM EDT, Tue September 8, 2026

The Right To Process and Sell: The American Farmer’s Food Fight

President Trump has recently acknowledged some major issues within the American food system. From high food prices and a historically low U.S. cattle supply to broader consumer relief, what PR message did his executive order deliver about what American farmers and ranchers need to stay competitive? In late August, Trump signed a proclamation to ensure…Continue reading The Right To Process and Sell: The American Farmer’s Food Fight

Updated 7:22 AM EDT, Mon September 7, 2026