To H1B or not to H1B? How to insult the rest of America

1. Time to H1B a better person

By Mike Solana, editor-in-chief

With the American commentariat totally feral on the topic of data centers, which for many have become a stand-in for rich tech callousness, YC partner Ankit Gupta thought it clever to compare President Trump’s recent levy on H1B, the nation’s divisive foreign talent funnel, to “DEI,” the racist institutional scheme to punish highly-qualified white Americans in hiring and admissions. What followed was, predictably, a viral social media race war that is now fueling (surprise!) further calls for a data center moratorium. My dear idiot friends in tech, it’s pretty simple: You live in a country, not an economic zone, and if you want the support of your countrymen as you build, you need to build something for them as well — high-tech training hubs in every corner of America, for example, which funnel young Americans into the industry. But on the ground floor? I’d probably stop insulting the people with your fate in their hands.

Apple Park, Apple’s circular HQ office building, is seen in an aerial view over Cupertino, California, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. AFP via Getty Images

A “NOW HIRING” sign is posted at a storefront along Queen St. W. on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022, in Toronto. Toronto Star via Getty Images

2. Buck stops here

by Riley Nork, writer 

A famous definition of “insanity” is doing the same thing and expecting different results, while another understanding of the concept comes from lived experience where, upon confronting a homeless man screaming and defecating in the street, one marvels: “Wow, that guy was insane!” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie confronted both definitions this week, announcing in a sweeping overhaul that the city will redo all of its contracts for homelessness service providers, seeing as how funneling these providers truckloads of money every year has not, in fact, solved homelessness. There’s just one problem: The service providers don’t like this. Joseph Smooke, a policy organizer for SF nonprofits, called Lurie’s proposal a “surprise” because the city’s current providers are “experts” at addressing homelessness. Funny… usually eXpErTs don’t receive $1 billion to solve a problem only for it to get worse! Guess it’s time to explore other ways to continue your grifting, buddy — allow me to introduce you to NFTs.

3. Starbase for Americans

by Ryan Hassan, fellow 

On Tuesday, Elon Musk announced that SpaceX would be expanding, building a second spacepad in the beautiful locale of Louisiana. In a startling uptick for the state, it’s become the premier example of what good Republican-led governance should look like. Louisiana’s overcome its previous literacy struggles (from 42nd in 2013 for fourth-grade reading to No.16 today), cut crime by 70% statewide since 2022, and is now the sixth fastest-growing state in America. How, pray tell, did the Creole capital accelerate so quickly? By shirking the anti-tech trend and embracing American innovation. Gov. Jeff Landry has made building new tech jobs a priority, inviting Meta, Hyundai, and SpaceX. Elon and Landry present a vision in stark contrast to the debates happening in Silicon Valley: America, built by American innovators, for Americans. Your choice: Let California cut your balls off with their property seizures… or snack on a few beignets while we watch Starship rise.

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