How do you conceal yourself from the all-seeing-eye of the internet? Being married to the founder of an AI giant helps, apparently. A Wall Street Journal article this week delves into Cami Clark, the wife and key advisor to Anthropic’s Dario Amodei. “There are scant details about Clark online – and efforts have been made to remove references to her,” the Journal reports.
One reason for this could be Clark’s past exploits running Eddice, an online sex magazine-cum-blog – and how at one point she sought investment from, oops, Jeffrey Epstein.
Though it’s been scrubbed from the web, archived versions of the site – tagline “intellectually promiscuous” – reveal that it offered posts on “practical wisdom for sex,” Tavi Gevinson, “morning wood,” Grimes, “the power of orgasm” and several on the British TV show Skins. Eddice looks sort of like a libidinous version of Paper magazine. It’s not Cockburn’s thing – he prefers those grubby Victorian postcards.
The most prescient post on the site? “10 LESSONS IN ONLINE VIDEO.” What did she know?!
The Epstein Files show that Clark sought funding for Eddice to produce a series of pornographic films. “We have the free luxury porn company. Does that ring a bell?” Clark said in a 2012 email reintroducing herself to Epstein. “Yes, a loud gong,” the ephebophile replied. “Haha, I was going to say, you would be the first person that didn’t remember us,” said Clark. Haha indeed!
Epstein ultimately declined the opportunity to invest. “Can’t do sex TV,” he wrote, wistfully Cockburn assumes.
Consider for a moment, the possibility that the robots deserve to live more than we do.
On our radar
HAVING A BALL? The Trump administration is appealing to the Supreme Court for the chance to allow the construction of the White House ballroom to continue.
VANDAL CHARGED Melissa L. Farris faces two felony charges for vandalizing the World War Two memorial on the National Mall. Soap mixture was poured in the fountain and graffiti was sprayed on the monument yesterday afternoon.
MISSIONARY POSITION Kevin Rideout, an American missionary, has been freed after nine months in captivity in Niger. “Kevin, the United States of America looks forward to welcoming you HOME,” wrote President Trump on Truth Social. “Glad to have helped!”
What’s in a name?
The board of the John F. Kennedy Center decided to carve “Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump” into the side of the building yesterday, as a solution to the federal court’s decision to remove his name in June.
Cockburn hates to sound too woke to tango, but the confines of reason require him to concede that this a stretch on multiple levels.
First, the ruling was a provision in the federal law. It said “no additional memorials or plaques in the nature of memorials shall be designated or installed in the public areas” of the Kennedy Center. How this is not “in the nature of memorials” or considered a plaque of some kind should be beyond anyone with eyes – even Cockburn, who completely understands the human need for undue recognition.
Second, to say that the center (which is still closed) has been restored and renovated (artwork has been reportedly destroyed and misplaced, the management structure has deteriorated significantly since Trump took office, and several prominent artists have boycotted playing the center) sounds like a fairytale meant to teach children a lesson about politics. Only the lesson is unclear; the words are meant to refer to a real institution, and the politics are increasingly childish.
Take it or Leavitt
The news of Karoline Leavitt’s imminent departure as White House press secretary sent shockwaves through Washington on Wednesday. Leavitt will leave at the end of the month, shortly after turning 29 (August 24, mark your calendars!) – and there has been frenzied speculation about how she will be replaced. The Washington Examiner’s Rob Crilly writes that President Trump is “planning to retool his media operation, with a heavier focus on surrogates hammering his message on television, while he continues to talk to journalists whenever he can.”
Despite that, there are dozens of suggestions for who could fill Leavitt’s nude heels. The New York Post is alone in placing Breitbart’s Matt Boyle at the top of the pile, alongside Alina Habba. The more esoteric outside bets include Kari Lake (USA Today), Trump’s nominee for Ambassador to Jamaica, and Laura Loomer (Times of London). It would be compelling viewing.
Cockburn thinks it likeliest that if Trump does pick a replacement press secretary in the near future, it’ll be a telegenic woman who regularly wows him on cable news. Expect those in the running to be jockeying for Fox News and Newsmax bookings in the days to come…
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Mano a Marco
Ben Shapiro outlined why he believes Marco Rubio shouldn’t run for president in 2028. On Wednesday, Shapiro explained to Patrick Bet-David that Rubio running against Vance could end his political career, and it all depends on whether Vance would include him on the ticket. Shapiro thinks Rubio is a chicken and will choose to sit it out.
However, this week Marco and his wife went on Katie Miller’s para-government podcast. It was the most Jeanette has done with “the media” in almost a decade. They were good for television – considerably less awkward than J.D. and Usha’s turn on Miller’s show earlier in the year.
Rubio talked about how he could never lug a “cooler full of sauerkraut” around the world, like RFK Jr. He also outed Pete Hegseth as a cat person. His wife teased him for eating Pop Tarts and making them get to the airport three hours early. Someone has to keep their ducks in a row.
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