The Sunday Sundown Rundown (formerly in the format of "3 Up and 3 Down") is where I share thoughts on three topics that piqued my interest, along with my favorite photo from the week.
War
It's been a week.
Yet here we are in the middle of a potential war with Iran. This is in addition to the many world conflicts around the globe - The Democratic Republic of Congo, The Gaza Strip, Pakistan v. Afghanistan, Ukraine, and more.
I won't attempt to understand it all the way our society has become known to do through the many voices amplified on social media and news cycles. What I do know is the feeling that this millennial remembers when "War" became active following 9/11. Unrest. Uneasiness. The world right now feels like it's burning.
We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen. Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is.
Those were the words from President Trump as three United States soldiers died today.
Again, unrest. Uneasiness.
2026 State of the Union Address
I didn't have my usual post in review because, well, the SOTU felt little to do with its mission. While I thought it was, in fact, President Trump's best address - first term included - the overall address was littered with strong pathos surrounding his usual hits of topics, with immigration leading the way.
Very little policy, strategy, and facts were presented in the address.
What's wild is that he declared himself as the peace President in "ending eight wars". As the week ends, we find ourselves in a clash with Iran, with retaliatory strikes occurring, and many innocent lives being lost.
Anthropic
I sat with the dad of one of my son's friends at their martial arts training session this past weekend. This dad, who worked in tech, we somehow found ourselves in a deep discussion on the intersection of artificial intelligence, education, and politics.
The Anthropic situation came up. I was thrilled to have had such an honest and enlightening discussion, where we both walked away with a deeper feel for what is currently at play.
We both agreed that the race to reach artificial general intelligence is important, and immense power resides in who gets there first. All of the other residuals and collateral damage, and recourse will be interesting to watch us mitigate and deal with.
This Anthropic standoff is a fascinating one to see unfold.
Cover Photo
A woman carries firewood collected in a forest near the village of Romee. In one of the world’s biggest and most precious forests, locals have so far escaped the clutches of investors seizing concessions in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s tropical wilderness
Photograph: Glody Murhabazi/AFP/Getty Images