Michael Tomasky's blogUS domestic policyAyn Rand, socialistNow this one is fascinating. From Joshua Holland at Alternet: [Ayn Rand's] books provided wide-ranging parables of "parasites," "looters" and "moochers" using the levers of government to steal the fruits of her heroes' labor. In the real world, however, Rand herself received Social Security payments and Medicare benefits under the name of Ann O'Connor (her husband was Frank O'Connor). As Michael Ford of Xavier University's Center for the Study of the American Dream wrote, "

In April, Bombardier Aerospace announced a mega order with Delta Air Lines for 75 of the company's C Series airliners in a deal worth up to $5.6 billion. Shortly after the deal's announcement, Bombardier flew one of its C Series demonstrators down to Delta's Atlanta headquarters for journalists and the airline's staff to get a closer look. Although Bombardier has been a global leader in business and regional jets, the C Series is the first product from the Canadian airplane to compete against Boeing and Airbus in the mainline market.

Police have called a prank - which made drivers on the M27 think there was a person hanging from a bridge - 'thoughtless, distressing and distracting'. Hampshire police picked up lots of calls just before 6am on Tuesday 4th September, saying it looked like someone was hanging from the Copythorne footbridge over the motorway. But when officers got there they found a dummy covered in a sheet. Inspector Bernadette Smith of Hampshire police described the prank as “thoughtless and irresponsible”

Picture going back ten years and telling someone the National and Taylor Swift would make a song together. Even as recently as the band’s last album, 2019’s guest-heavy I Am Easy to Find, the pairing might have come as a shock. But there it was when the National announced their latest collection, First Two Pages of Frankenstein: an opener featuring their old pal and sometimes collaborator Sufjan Stevens, two tracks featuring Phoebe Bridgers, then “The Alcott” with Swift.

The ObserverFilmWith a raft of new films containing graphic scenes set to feature prominently at the industry’s award ceremonies, it appears Hollywood’s puritanical phase is well and truly over Welcome or not, a breaking wave of screen sex is upon us. Television dramas are chock-full of intimate encounters and now cinemagoers have been warned to fasten their seatbelts, since many of the new films up for prizes in the next couple of months feature unusually graphic moments.