Morning Coffee (12/31/16)

Happy New Year's Eve!

If you're in the Boston TV market: NBC is switching channels tomorrow! It's very complicated and I'm a bit skeptical of how this will go for them.

GOOD: Planned Parenthood Donations Jump in Northern New England

Fatal shootings by police remain relatively unchanged after two years

Mormon Tabernacle Choir Singer Resigns Over Trump Inauguration Performance: ‘I Could Never Throw Roses to Hitler’

How Donald Trump’s Health Secretary Pick Endangers Women

The Putin Paradigm

Heh: Kremlin Names Trump Employee of the Month

Mock Tudor? Comparing Theresa May's leadership style with Henry VIII's

Post-Mortem: How 2016 Broke Political Journalism

My friend June went to Alaska and saw walruses and wrote about it!

'Where's the beef?' The weirdest stories from 2016’s autobiographies

Want to read all of Shakespeare in 2017? Here's a plan.

My Favorite Books of 2016 (plus a few older ones)

A few people have asked about my favorite books of the year, and I'm always hesitant to post that because it seems so arbitrary - there are SO MANY books that I'm sure are great that I just haven't gotten to yet! So this isn't any sort of "best books of 2016" in general, but rather my favorites of the ones I happened to read. And I've followed it with a second list of some great older books that I read for the first time in 2016. What were your favorites of the year?

(Both lists are alphabetical by author because I was driving myself crazy trying to rank them.)

My Favorite Books of 2016:

Exposure by Helen Dunmore
The Trespasser by Tana French
Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson
Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman

My Favorite Older Books I Read in 2016:

Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
The Secret Place by Tana French
Twilight of the Elites by Chris Hayes
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers

Morning Coffee (12/30/16)

I've got a special edition of Happy Friday links for you today - a compilation of various "best books of the year" lists that looked interesting. Hope you enjoy. Later today I'll tell you about my favorite books of the year.

NPR's Book Concierge

LA Times: The 10 most important books of 2016

History Today: The best history books of 2016

The 2017 Tournament of Books Long List

35 Over 35

Book Riot: Best Books of 2016

At the Times:

100 Notable Books of 2016

The Year in Reading

Notable Children’s Books of 2016

The 10 Best Crime Novels of 2016

At Literary Hub:

Baffling Omissions from the NY Times’ 100 Notable Books List

10 Overlooked Books By Women in 2016

Literary Hub's Best Books of 2016

At the Guardian:

The best fiction of 2016

The best crime books and thrillers of 2016

The best SF and fantasy books of 2016

Morning Coffee (12/29/16)

Ta-Nehisi Coates on President Obama is, of course, great: My President Was Black

The dangers of mystifying Trump

Of course: Lebanon’s first minister for women is a man

Wow: Starting in 2019, if Your Film Isn’t Diverse, It Won’t Be Eligible for a BAFTA Award

A History of Classical Music (The Women-Only Version)

Michael Phelps, Businessman: The World's Greatest Olympian Writes His Second Act

Why Can’t Silicon Valley Solve Its Diversity Problem?

Was Anne Frank’s family betrayed? After 72 years, historians have a new theory.

Here's an interesting look at the history of anti-Hindu prejudice.

Why We Still Need Thomas More’s ‘Utopia’ in 2016

!! Ants Exchange Messages When They Make Out

This is neat: The Totally Jinxed Map of Global Superstitions

Morning Coffee (12/28/16)

Wonder and Worry, as a Syrian Child Transforms

A trailblazer: Dark matter scientist Vera Rubin dies at 88

A People’s History of the Third Reich

"The logic of Book Twitter is: Books are inherently good. Therefore, if we’d all just read more books, Donald Trump wouldn’t have been elected. If you believe that books have the power to do good, you also have to believe that they can do just as much harm. After the election, there was no soul searching on Book Twitter. No one questioned the power structures of publishing."

The Far Right Has a New Digital Safe Space

How Pacifism Can Lead to Violence and Conflict

Seven uncomfortably resonant foreign films about politics for the age of Trump

The movie that doesn’t exist and the Redditors who think it does

To Speak Is to Blunder

Wow: New battery tech lasts for days, charges in seconds

Ooh: The first recording of Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony

Five Colossal Stone Portraits Around the World

Morning Coffee (12/27/16)

Cybersecurity firm finds evidence that Russian military unit was behind DNC hack

Venezuela’s crazy currency swap looks like alchemy, not economics

Not that this should surprise anyone, but Trump is picking people for high-level positions based on how they look.

This was... quite something: CIA Director John Brennan tells the BBC that Trump's ideas are terrible

"'I told them I was here to see the president like everyone else.' Switzer said he instead went upstairs in Trump Tower, bought a coffee at Starbucks and came back downstairs."

Good for him: Resigning from Oracle

Canadian journalists who covered Rob Ford offer tips on Trump

On the Dangerous AIDS Myth of ‘Patient Zero,’ and the Book That Started It All

The Metropolitan Opera recently performed its first work by a woman SINCE 1903. Wow.

Ooh: 'Carol' Screenwriter Phyllis Nagy to Write Patricia Cornwell Kay Scarpetta Film

Anna Kendrick's By the Book is pretty delightful.

Truther Love

Morning Coffee (12/26/16)

(I'm traveling, so this post was written in advance and does not take into account whatever additional horrors have recently been unleashed upon the world.)

Out With The Old, In With The New: Meet The Dems Who Will Defend Obamacare

Russia, NATO, Trump: The Shadow World

Important: After a Crime, the Price of a Second Chance

This is completely fascinating: The Most Politically Dangerous Book You’ve Never Heard Of

“In my defense,” he said, “I thought you were 13.”

The story behind The New York Times’ largest and most ambitious crossword puzzle

Kathleen Kennedy doesn’t think women are ready to direct ‘Star Wars.’ She can fix that.

Dungeons & Dragons’ Gradual Shift Away From Monster Boobs

Whoa: Found: A Roman Tombstone Buried in the New York City Suburbs

Deliver Me from Disneyland

Wow: Mahler's second symphony manuscript sells for record £4.5m

Feathered baby dinosaur tail found trapped in amber

Morning Coffee (12/25/16)

(I'm traveling, so this post was written in advance and does not take into account whatever additional horrors have recently been unleashed upon the world.)

Merry Christmas!

Pope’s New Nativity Scene Raises Awareness of Worldwide Refugee Crisis

Whoa: Take a Virtual Tour of One of the World's Largest Gingerbread Cities

What's it like to race a reindeer?

Ooh, let's look at some of this year's holiday windows.

Christmas chaos in literature, from Emma to Adrian Mole

For Teddy Roosevelt's Son, Rebelling Meant Sneaking Christmas Trees Into the White House

How the ‘War on Christmas’ Controversy Was Created

The Long, Rich, Boozy History of Eggnog

Heh, Zillow made a listing for Santa's house.

In Albuquerque they make snowmen out of tumbleweeds.

‘A good preparation for Christmas’: Revolution and Augustan Yuletides

10 Harry Potter Recipes That Will Make Your Holidays Magical

Morning Coffee (12/24/16)

(I'm traveling, so this post was written in advance and does not take into account whatever additional horrors have recently been unleashed upon the world.)

Happy Christmas Eve! All holiday-themed links today.

This is absolutely the best holiday ad of the year.

In New Hampshire, Decorating Christmas Trees in the Woods is a Thing People Do

Sweden Has Won the Annual Santa Olympics

Amazing: A Dickensian Divide, but United in Holiday Cheer

It’s a Wonderful Life is one of the best movies America has ever made about itself

Step-by-step guide to making a dumpster fire ornament for 2016

How Fast Is Santa?

5 Lesbian and Gay Holiday Romances to Read This Season

The Nazis Fought the Original War on Christmas

The 1,800-year evolution of Santa Claus, from skinny medieval saint to WWII propaganda icon

Was this the first public Christmas tree?

Untangling the History of Christmas Lights

Morning Coffee (12/23/16)

(I'm traveling, so this post was written in advance and does not take into account whatever additional horrors have recently been unleashed upon the world.)

Time for some pre-Christmas happy Friday links!

Curiosity's Most Incredible Mars Snapshots of 2016

Midsomer Murders is getting a new sidekick!

Whoa: New York superfan recreates Star Trek's Enterprise bridge + sets from actual blueprints

12 Writers on the Books They’re Giving as Gifts This Year

Who wants to go on an Agatha Christie vacation?

A city councilman tried to get rid of a library cat. The cat outlasted his political career.

Aw: 57 Years Later, Even the Library Had Stopped Counting the Fines

The Year of Hygge, the Danish Obsession with Getting Cozy

Related: How to Hygge Your Reading Life

Let's ogle some vintage ski posters.

The Year in Kate Middleton’s Hair, 2016 Edition

8 Knitting Projects for Fantasy and Sci-Fi Fans

Morning Coffee (12/22/16)

(I'm traveling, so this post was written in advance and does not take into account whatever additional horrors have recently been unleashed upon the world.)

Oops: Crossbow Recalled for Randomly Firing at People

Some U.S. Soldiers Share Extremely Blunt Thoughts On Commander-In-Chief Donald Trump

In Poland, a window on what happens when populists come to power

The Mar-a-Lago meeting and journalism’s worst impulses

Here’s What Separates Casey Affleck from Nate Parker

With Shifts in National Mood Come Shifts in Words We Use, Study Suggests

The Teen-Agers Suing Over Climate Change

This is amazing: A Master Work, the Ghent Altarpiece, Reawakens Stroke by Stroke

Reading Yeats in the Age of Trump

Personally, I love the annual Funny Science Journal tradition, but I get the issues.

In Defense of Pettiness

See Rare Photos from Inside Edward VIII’s Controversial Wedding to Wallis Simpson

Morning Coffee (12/21/16)

It’s official. Clinton won the popular vote by 2,864,974

GOOD: Twitter will hand over data on the user who sent a seizure-inducing tweet to a journalist

Oh. Gingrich says Trump can’t be expected to follow ethics laws, so Congress should change them for him

I.M.F. Stands by Christine Lagarde, Convicted of Negligence

Ha! The White House staff pranked Obama with snowmen

India Wants a Cashless Society. But There’s a High Cost.

We are now at a place where magazines make plans for what to do when their writers are attacked by the President.

Western populism is a fundamental threat to the humanitarian system

Who is the Genius Behind Merriam-Webster’s Social Media?

Boo: How Justin Bieber Booted Bing Crosby Off Retail Stores' Christmas Music Playlists

How Rotha Lintorn-Orman became the unlikely founder of the British Fascisti.

This Portugal hotel is a book lover’s dream

Morning Coffee (12/20/16)

Russian Ambassador to Turkey Is Assassinated in Ankara

Related: How the rivalry between Russians and Turks shaped the world

A very powerful piece about Syrian refugees: A Woman Alone

All This Talk of Voter Fraud? Across U.S., Officials Found Next to None

Uh, not good: Under political pressure, Kuwait cancels major event at Four Seasons, switches to Trump’s D.C. hotel

Trump private security force ‘playing with fire’

White nationalists target Jews in small Montana town

Shocker: Trump’s Labor Secretary Pick Has a Long, Slimy History With Anti-Abortion Schemes

It amazes me that major corporations come up with things so obviously tone-deaf and no one catches it along the way: Bud Light sorry for ‘removing no from your vocabulary for the night’ label

Cotton Mather, the Salem Witch Trials, and Our Miserable Present

This is a good read on the importance of black sci-fi authors.

Reddit Is Tearing Itself Apart

Morning Coffee (12/19/16)

Me elsewhere: Your TV news roundup for the week.

This is a big deal: Obama's UN Envoy Refers To Armenian Genocide

An American “redemption”? Trumpism fits a pattern of backlash against social progress.

Reporter's Notebook: What It Was Like As A Muslim To Cover The Election

Civil Rights Déjà Vu, Only Worse

Indians, Slaves, and Mass Murder: The Hidden History

Asking Ma about life in Shanghai during the Cultural Revolution.

A super white Christmas: The Hallmark Channel gives us TV’s most homogeneous view of the holiday

Wreath Witherspoon. WREATH WITHERSPOON. Amazing.

Inside Quebec’s Great, Multi-Million-Dollar Maple-Syrup Heist

The Czech Pastry That Took Texas By Storm, And Keeps Gaining Strength

On Swift

Morning Coffee (12/18/16)

A leading white nationalist says it plainly: Trump’s victory was about white identity

The Indian caste where prostitution is hereditary

'Jackie,' 'The Crown' and what we expect from women in power

This is wild: How to Hide $400 Million

The conservative group behind efforts to intimidate professors

“How are we to help you prevent war?” Virginia Woolf’s feminist pacifism

Oh for the love of - Andrew Lloyd Webber Claims He Discovered Rihanna

Cult of One: Self-Creation As an Act of Faith

Interesting: More Is More: The Rise of the Modest Fashion Movement

Fascinating Charts Reveal What Foods Americans Have Been Googling

I will click on every story about the Voynich Manuscript.

Heh: Woman Calls Police To Report Man Who Won’t Stop Whistling Semisonic’s ‘Closing Time’

Morning Coffee (12/17/16)

"Prevent Tragedy Before It's Too Late": Read the Statement 1,200 Scholars Just Released About Trump

Ivanka Trump Will Not Fix "Women's Issues"—She Will Distract From Them

ICYMI, here's the Vanity Fair piece that had Trump tweeting against them, because obviously that's something very important for him to be spending his time on. (Spoiler: it's a restaurant review.)

Of course: West Virginia Official Fired for Calling FLOTUS 'Ape in Heels' Is Reinstated

"Feminists’ critique of male power has long been caricatured as hatred of men. But it is feminists whose fight is motivated by the belief that men can be better, if we can make clear that they, too, benefit from a safer, more equal and more just world."

"Trump is taking advantage of a well-established media norm— if the president-elect says something, it’s news."

Good for him: Dan Snow crowdfunds £160,000 to back pro-EU political candidates

I have so many questions about this, starting with - is it REAL? REALLY? Siberian Reality Survival Series ‘Game2: Winter’ To Allow Rape, Murder & More

The Private Heisenberg and the Absent Bomb

William Trevor's Quiet Explosions

This new study may explain why peer review in science often fails

I kept putting this off in favor of more IMPORTANT links but I really want you to see it: A Canadian town is threatening drunk drivers with Nickelback torture

Morning Coffee (12/16/16)

Time for some happy Friday links!

My friend Beck reviews Oprah's gift guide every year and I look forward to it SO MUCH.

I have Rainbow Rowell's Carry On in hardcover but LOOK AT THE PAPERBACK. I may need that too.

This is COMPLETELY DELIGHTFUL: Michael Caine Loves The Muppet Christmas Carol as Much as You Do

Attention: WORLD'S LARGEST GINGERBREAD VILLAGE

Playbill made a Broadway baking playlist! Perfect for all your cookie baking this time of year.

Aw: Mom Didn’t Sell Any Knitted Goods At A Fair, So Twitter Bought It All

Oh fun: New York City's Holiday Vintage Subway Trains Are Back

Why Hershey's Kisses Have Been Part of the Cultural Fabric of the Holidays Since 1907

Bookish snowmen!

Happy 200th Birthday, The Nutcracker!

Holiday Ornaments for Book Lovers

The 15 Most Beautiful College Libraries in America

Morning Coffee (12/15/16)

Aleppo battle: Raids on Syria city 'probably war crime' UN says

Philippines President Duterte admits killing suspects

U.S. Officials: Putin Personally Involved in U.S. Election Hack

Democratic House Candidates Were Also Targets of Russian Hacking

Trump’s national security adviser shared secrets without permission, files show

Trump Must Give Up Hotel Before Inauguration, Agency Tells Lawmakers

Is this real life? Trump reportedly bumped Twitter from tech meeting for rejecting his emoji

..... Trump says it’s OK if he skips intelligence briefings because he’s ‘a smart person’

This is an interesting perspective: Donald Trump And The End Of “Time”

"If Pizzagate is surprising, it’s because memories of Gamergate have been locked away in a 'pink ghetto,' marginalized as a women’s issue that can be safely ignored."

Libraries Become Unexpected Sites of Hate Crimes I wouldn't exactly call this... unexpected.

Dunkirk trailer! Can't wait.

Morning Coffee (12/14/16)

The Battle for Aleppo Has Entered Its Bloody End Stage

This investigation is quite something: The Perfect Weapon: How Russian Cyberpower Invaded the U.S.

Is there still hope for Turkish democracy?

Donald Trump confirms he will violate Constitution his first day in office

A Guide to Donald Trump's Huge Debts—and the Conflicts They Present

Center for Reproductive Rights Sues Texas Over Fetal Burial Requirement

Good: Energy Dept. rejects Trump’s request to name climate-change workers, who remain worried

FINALLY!!! BBC and ITV to launch BritBox on-demand service in US

Heh: Why, Kanye? Why? (This story was better before the update was added.)

I love that they're still finding lost cities in Greece.

Fascinating: A Navajo Chef Looks to History in His Homage to Native Cuisine

Would You Like Book Recs from Margaret Atwood on Your Phone? WHO WOULDN'T?

Morning Coffee (12/13/16)

Syrian forces push Aleppo rebels to brink as city nears ‘total collapse’

C.I.A. Judgment on Russia Built on Swell of Evidence

Uh: Trump adviser suggests election hacks were ‘false flag’ operation by the Obama administration

WHAT A SHOCK: Trump postpones press conference on business conflicts until after Electoral College meets

This is fine: Trump to inherit state-run TV network with expanded reach

Fine! Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, Trump's Pick For Secretary of State, Got a Special Friendship Medal From Putin

"But as a pattern, a government dominated by recently retired generals is a very negative development."

Hmm: Detroit’s voting irregularities spur state audit

The Internet Archive is building a Canadian copy to protect itself from Trump

Stop naming children after trendy people! You will probably regret it!

Ooh: Watch a Destroyed 17th Century Map Get Painstakingly Restored

Lear turns us all to fools and madmen

Morning Coffee (12/12/16)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

The Widows of Duterte's Drug War

Fake News: How a Partying Macedonian Teen Earns Thousands Publishing Lies

This is what happens when Donald Trump attacks a private citizen on Twitter

Interesting: Military-Trained Police May Be Less Hasty To Shoot, But That Got This Vet Fired

A user’s guide to Teen Vogue, which is quietly doing very good journalism (I do think this is worth noting and celebrating, but let's stop the SHOCK at TEEN GIRLS being interested in SERIOUS THINGS, everybody.)

Republicans allowed voter paranoia to flourish. They got a president-elect who embraces it.

Ivanka Trump’s Terrible Book Helps Explain the Trump-Family Ethos

This piece about Bannon's obsession with Titus Andronicus is fascinating.

Trying to figure out how to navigate the Trump years? Be Eleanor Roosevelt.

Whoa: Solving a Mystery Behind the Deadly ‘Tsunami of Molasses’ of 1919

Aw, the Queen's getting another great-grandchild.

Morning Coffee (12/11/16)

Some good news! Senate approves Murphy mental health bill

Obama orders review of Russian hacking during presidential campaign

All of Donald Trump’s known conflicts of interest in one place

This has some interesting information but I feel the need to point out that the specific thing it says is like Game of Thrones is the complete opposite of Game of Thrones: Trump’s Transition Team ‘Is Like Game of Thrones’

“I like beautiful women eating burgers in bikinis. I think it’s very American.”

"But banning access to public land for protesters days after the inauguration is 'extremely unique'..."

This is SO well-deserved: The Washington Post honors David Fahrenthold with inaugural Ben Bradlee Prize

Jamelle Bouie is always worth reading: Keep Hope Alive

I'm going to miss them so much: An Inside Look at Michelle Obama’s Final White House Holiday Decorations

I started watching this the night before this article came out so I feel VERY ON TOP OF THINGS: Will ‘Skam,’ a Norwegian Hit, Translate?

WHAT EVEN: Hatchimals scheme 'ruins' novelist Sara Gruen and angers Christmas shoppers

Heh: Scottish politician says Brexit changed Toblerone and government should fix it

Morning Coffee (12/10/16)

Secret CIA assessment says Russia was trying to help Trump win White House Now what?

This obituary is very good and written by the journalist who wrote the Times's moon landing story in 1969: John Glenn, American Hero of the Space Age, Dies at 95

Oh, fuck you: Ohio Politician Who Lobbied for ‘Heartbeat Bill’ Has ‘Never Thought About’ Why a Woman Would Want an Abortion

Welp: Donald Trump says he is not bothered by comparisons to Hitler

BUT HILLARY'S SPEECHES THOUGH: Trump just offered yet another Goldman veteran a spot in his administration

Why is Donald Trump tacitly endorsing extralegal Filipino death squads? GEE I CAN'T IMAGINE.

Maybe the Answer Is That He Can't Divest

The next four years are shaping up as a disaster for organized labor

And: Trump’s pick for Labor Secretary is a big ‘screw you’ to the Fight for $15

Some good news! Black rights activist Viola Desmond to be 1st Canadian woman on $10 bill

Wow: A 1-year-old boy died 44 years ago. His accused killer is now going to trial.

Emily Dickinson's Singular Scrap Poetry

Morning Coffee (12/9/16)

Time for our traditional Friday break for some links on the lighter side!

I'll admit I found this useful: A Non-Judgmental Guide to All the Questions You Might Have About Rogue One

I love Williams-Sonoma, and yet I look forward to this every year: The 2016 Hater’s Guide To The Williams-Sonoma Catalog

Yay, the Go Fug Yourself gift guide is here!

And here's the one from Forever Young Adult!

Whoa: The best thing since sliced bread: This baker paints pictures inside her loaves

I LOVE THIS MOVIE: 21 Lessons From ‘The Holiday’ That Warm Our Hearts 10 Years Later

Here Comes the Waxworks Royal Family in Christmas Sweaters to Steal Your Soul (Make sure you scroll down!)

17 Hot Cocktail Recipes for Cold Winter Nights

Taylor Swift Songs That Are Actually About Jane Austen Heroines

A Brief History of the Cheese Curl, Junk Food’s Happiest Accident

This Harry Potter Christmas Tree Will Make You Believe in Magic!

Morning Coffee (12/8/16)

This is just unspeakably terrible: Ohio passes 'heartbeat' abortion bill; leader cites Trump's election

Pizzagate: From rumor, to hashtag, to gunfire in D.C.

Go Weather Channel! Note to Breitbart: Earth Is Not Cooling, Climate Change Is Real and Please Stop Using Our Video to Mislead Americans

Trump's Coming Witch Hunt Against Political Islam

Masha Gessen: Trump: The Choice We Face

Update: Historian Mary Beard wrote about that Roman Empire Twitter kerfuffle I linked yesterday.

Tom Price’s plan to cut Medicaid spending, explained

Trump Excuses the White Working Class From the Politics of Personal Responsibility

This Is What It’s Like To Watch A Dictator Fall

Bitcoin was supposed to change the world. What happened?

Ooh, drama: Disputed Beethoven manuscript fails to sell at auction

Let's take a break and read about the language of nautical flags.

Morning Coffee (12/7/16)

Somehow he just keeps getting more despicable: Secret Service advertised as hot 'new amenity' at Trump Tower

Pentagon buries evidence of $125 billion in bureaucratic waste

A very important read: Life in Obamacare’s Dead Zone

What Happens Now For Undocumented Youth?

Thiel could gain from Trump transition

HISTORY IS NOT AN OPINION. And don't argue with Mary Beard about Rome. Sheesh.

Sometimes you read a headline and just KNOW it'll be about New Hampshire: Newly elected GOP state rep. arrested for assaulting police officer at Dropkick Murphys concert

The Gay Rights Movement Just Scored a Massive Legal Victory Thanks to Walmart

A Delivery Company in India That Hires Only Women

Huh: Fidel Castro worked on Gabriel García Márquez's manuscripts

Meet the Breitbarts of the World

Someone needs a get-a-grip friend: Theranos Forgets to Use BCC, Accidentally Outs Confidential Investors in Group E-mail

Morning Coffee (12/6/16)

My friend Maureen Johnson is trying to find a home for Angelo, a dog in New York. Please take a look and pass along the info if you know anyone who might be able to help!

After the Islamic State

‘We Are Orphans Here’: Life and death in East Jerusalem’s Palestinian refugee camp.

It’s Not Just Pizzagate. Son of Trump’s National Security Adviser Believes Other Vile Things Too.

Actually, Paul Ryan, the President’s Words Do Matter

Travelling with James Mattis, Donald Trump’s Pick for Secretary of Defense

Trump’s new cabinet pick is bad news for recipients of Obamacare and Medicare

‘Putin’s favorite congressman’ is in the running to be Trump’s Secretary of State

What the alt-right actually wants from President Trump

YOU DON'T SAY: Taking Time-Off Work to Raise Children is Damaging to the Careers of Highly Skilled, High Earning Women (PDF)

How It Happens Here: Race and American Antifascist Literature

Five Badass Female Spies Who Deserve Their Own World War II Movie

Morning Coffee (12/5/16)

Me elsewhere: The week's TV news.

!!! Army Blocks Drilling of Dakota Access Oil Pipeline

This is a really great, important read: Obama Reckons with a Trump Presidency

As is this: Now Is the Time to Talk About What We Are Actually Talking About

A man starting shooting in a restaurant because he wanted to "self-investigate" completely fabricated Clinton child sex ring rumors, so let's not pretend the white supremacists' propaganda doesn't matter.

Related: Tracking the explosion of hate in Trump’s America

It turns out we should have taken Trump literally as well as seriously

We’ve Never Known Less About An Incoming President’s Ideology

There is a lot more to the Trump Argentina story

Office Of Government Ethics Lobs Snark Attack At Trump Over Business Conflicts

Giant Arch, a Feat of Engineering, Now Covers Chernobyl Site in Ukraine

Cool: Tunisians are being encouraged to read by turning taxis into libraries

Morning Coffee (12/4/16)

Only Power Rules: Turkey After the Failed Coup

Go Jennifer Palmieri: “I would rather lose than win the way you guys did.”

This Single Concept Explains Trump’s Many Outrages

Hillary’s No-Makeup Face As Rorschach Test

How much could Trump’s education secretary damage public schools? Just look at Detroit.

Trumpcare Is Likely to Be Costlier, Less Efficient, and More Annoying Than Obamacare

Republicans can repeal Obamacare. They can’t repeal the logic of health insurance.

Jared Kushner Told Christie Ally Behind Bridgegate That Scheme Was ‘Badass’

I hate these people so much: What Will Become of the Dirtbag Left?

!!! Lin-Manuel Miranda to Produce ‘Kingkiller Chronicle’ Film, TV Series Adaptation

Was Superman Jewish?

Ugh, this Apple calendar spam recently is awful.

Morning Coffee (12/3/16)

Your longread for the weekend: The End of the Anglo-American Order

Trump is now doing things that are truly dangerous to national security and international stability, and he's not even in office yet: Trump Speaks With Taiwan’s Leader, an Affront to China

God save us all: The trick to persuading Trump? Flattery, proximity and snappy pitches

Finally! Colombia’s Congress Approves Peace Accord With FARC

Big news for those of us interested in tech history: Erich Bloch has died.

The Trump conflicts of interest we can see are just the tip of the iceberg

This seems important! Trump’s DC Hotel Is Weeks Away From Violating Its Government Lease

Oh: Michael Steele: Petraeus’ conviction for passing secrets to his mistress was a just minor ‘hiccup’

An important followup on that Russian propaganda piece I posted: The Propaganda About Russian Propaganda

Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei Reveal Their Plan for Media Domination

The World's Oldest Library: Founded by a Woman, Restored by a Woman

Found: Ancient Elephant Fossils Hidden Beneath L.A.'s New Subway

Morning Coffee (12/2/16)

Happy Friday! Let's take a break from current events for some fun links.

Does your Friday need some pictures of Matt Czuchry in fancy clothes? It may. I don't know your life.

Ooh, a history Advent calendar!

Important: The Greatest TV Beards of 2016

Wes Anderson's H&M Christmas ad is just delightful.

I'd never end up using at least half the stuff, so it would be a waste for me, but these beauty product Advent calendars are so gorgeously designed.

I'm mildly obsessed with Christmas markets. Here's Budapest's.

A socialite wore a cat dress to an event and I thought you'd want to know.

This story about Prince William saying his wife likes adult coloring books is cute, and I don't NOT believe it, but he had to make conversation while giving an OBE to a famous adult coloring book illustrator so what was he SUPPOSED to say?

Book the Halls: Bookish Holiday Decor

Whoa: The World’s Largest Jigsaw Puzzle Has 33,600 Pieces

Morning Coffee (12/1/16)

December?!?!

The Kurds Are Nearly There

'Theresa May's silence on women's issues is deafening'

The Attorney Fighting Revenge Porn

How Hillary Clinton Went from Presidential Candidate to Wandering Folk Hero

We Can Pay Attention to Trump's Tweets and His Actions at the Same Time

Trump’s plan to no longer participate in his company’s ‘business operations’ is a sham

When Donald Trump has a $600 work dinner at a Trump property, who pays? And who profits?

Bahrainian event at Trump’s swanky hotel is type of thing Constitution is designed to prevent

Donald Trump is still fighting the media. This time to its face.

Heh: Post-Election College Paper Grading Rubric

So much hedging! But still interesting: Prayer book that may have been Henry VIII's could fetch £2.5m at auction

Morning Coffee (11/30/16)

This is an important photo essay: Black Skies Above Mosul

Donald Trump Wants You to Burn the Flag While He Burns the Constitution

Good for them: Kellogg Pulls Ads From Breitbart Over 'Values As A Company'

2016! Kremlin Spokesman Says He's "Proud" of Wife's Holocaust Ice-Skating Number

Trump’s lies have a purpose. They are an assault on democracy.

Well, there's plenty to be worried about here: The Disruptive Career of Michael Flynn, Trump's National-Security Adviser

Donald Trump tweeted Britain asking for a crony as ambassador. That's a problem.

The lesson of Trump University: how little Trump’s supporters mean to him

"A certain kind of liberal makes me sick. These people traffic in false equivalencies, always pretending that both nominees are the same, justifying their apathy and not voting or preening about their narcissistic purity as they cast their ballot for a person they know cannot win."

This saga just keeps going: More Fresh Hell for Theranos

Louisa May Alcott on Little Women: “I grow tired of providing moral pap for the young”

Morning Coffee (11/29/16)

Obama Expands War With Al Qaeda to Include Shabab in Somalia

The Last Hospital In Eastern Aleppo Is No More

Donald Trump is now questioning the legitimacy of the election he won

Fact-check: Did 3 million undocumented immigrants vote in this year's election? (No. But it's worth paying attention to where this nonsense came from.)

Nate Silver: Why I Support An Election Audit, Even Though It’s Unlikely To Change The Outcome

The Times profile of Bannon is a bit too... mild, maybe, but it includes some interesting and alarming things.

And: Steve Bannon’s disturbing views on ‘genetic superiority’ are shared by Trump

Maybe You Should Show Some Empathy for the Flesh-Eating Blob Monsters

Interesting: A bot crawled thousands of studies looking for simple math errors. The results are concerning.

The Ottoman Turkish Zenanname (ʻBook of Womenʼ)

Morning Coffee (11/28/16)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

Syria war: Key Aleppo rebel area captured by forces

Good for them: ThinkProgress will no longer describe racists as ‘alt-right’

And them: Facing a massive boycott, Target CEO doubles down on support of LGBTQ rights with these words

"It is unconscionable, this know-better recrimination, directed at the very people who just put the most work and energy into defeating Trumpism, coming from those who will be made least vulnerable by Trump’s ascension."

This is really good and important: Progressive fundamentalism: how Hollywood and the media fortify the bubbles we all live in

What the alt-right really wants, according to a professor writing a book about them

How the DNC chair election works

China is trying to counter the West’s influence in Africa by exporting its literature there

In Praise of Paris Geller and Her Anger

Morning Coffee (11/27/16)

The Clinton campaign is participating in Stein's Wisconsin recount. Here's the statement.

It would have been great if we could have had this reporting earlier, but here we are: Potential Conflicts Around the Globe for Trump, the Businessman President

Trump Tower security may take over 2 floors — and cost millions

Russian propaganda effort helped spread ‘fake news’ during election, experts say

11 things we learned from Donald Trump’s meeting with the New York Times

"There’s a fine line between whipping up panic and informing the citizenry so that people can respond in orderly, considered fashion. But this is an emergency and people need to be prepared for it—even if, in the end, the category-five hurricane is downgraded."

Gender Colors Outrage Over Scandal Involving South Korea’s President

This looks extremely useful: Kayak’s App Will Now Help You Navigate the Airport

133-Million-Year-Old Pebble Discovered to Be First Fossilized Dinosaur Brain

Hahaha: I Can’t Be a Jerk, I Was a Geek in High School

Morning Coffee (11/26/16)

Whoa: Castro died. The Times obituary is quite good.

A relief, given everything else going on in the world! Angela Merkel to Seek 4th Term as Germany’s Leader

Well this isn't worrisome or anything: Trump turning away intelligence briefers since election win

Trump Foundation admits to violating ban on ‘self-dealing,’ new filing to IRS shows

Can Anything Stop the Confirmation of Jeff Sessions?

Trump's Hamilton outburst ignores the theater's history as a place for political protest

Want to Know if the Election was Hacked? Look at the Ballots

Eight steps reporters should take before Trump assumes office

Fascinating: For Deaf Tennis Player, Sound Is No Barrier

Cool: Slo-Mo Video Reveals How WW1 Fighters Didn't Shoot Their Propellers Off

Morning Coffee (11/25/16)

Time for some happy Friday links. And pie for breakfast. Don't forget the pie for breakfast.

A US college student who grew up with few books returned to her native Afghanistan to build a library

Whoa: Harvard Researchers Print World’s First Heart-on-a-Chip

50 Years Ago, Truman Capote Hosted the Best Party Ever

Hedgehog-Based Authentication Is the Only Way to Be Truly Secure

I love holiday gift guides. Here's Vox's, which is always a treat.

I still wish Legends of the Hidden Temple was coming back as a game show, but this clip of the movie made me feel all warm and fuzzy.

NBC’s The Good Place knows nothing's as simple as good vs. evil. It’s perfect for 2016.

15 of the world’s most beautiful train stations

Lipstick shaped like wine bottles!

Mysterious Items Found in 2000-Year-Old Cooking Pot

Morning Coffee (11/24/16)

Happy Thanksgiving! In honor of the holiday I wrote a thank you note to Hillary Clinton.

On its 80th anniversary, the perfect Thanksgiving reading takes on a melancholy note

Basically everything Todd VanDerWerff writes is brilliant, including this: Don’t avoid politics this holiday season. Use these 5 tips for productive conversations.

How to talk to your climate denier uncle this Thanksgiving

Showing Up for Racial Justice Thanksgiving Toolkit (PDF)

Thanksgiving tech support survival guide

This was unexpectedly moving: My Day at the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line

Use Two Quarters to Measure Perfect Pie Dough Thickness

Don’t use your drone to cook Thanksgiving dinner

6 states produce almost all the turkey in the US

The Plymouth Hero You Should Really Be Thankful for This Thanksgiving

Morning Coffee (11/23/16)

Some good news! Turkey withdraws child rape bill after street protests

ISIS Used Chemical Arms at Least 52 Times in Syria and Iraq, Report Says

Whoa: Pope Francis Extends Priests’ Ability to Forgive Abortion

Oh, sad: William Trevor, Writer Who Evoked the Struggles of Ordinary Life, Is Dead at 88

Why Jared Kushner is Donald Trump's truest heir and most trusted adviser

This is fascinating: Covering Trump: An oral history of an unforgettable campaign

Long but worth reading: Shirtless Trump Saves Drowning Kitten: Facebook's Fake-News Problem and the Rise of the Postmodern Right

Was Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s Attack Dog, Paid Illegally?

Hahaha: Oracle Just Bought Dyn, the Company That Brought Down the Internet

Now We’ll Finally Get to See the American Revolution Through the Eyes of King George

Morning Coffee (11/22/16)

Important! Throw That Sabra Hummus in Your Fridge Away Right Now

ISIS demolished a 2,900-year-old Assyrian ziggurat

This is extremely troubling: For foreign diplomats, Trump hotel is place to be

Related: A running list of how Donald Trump’s new position may be helping his business interests

And... um. Trump spokeswoman says Americans should ignore conflicts-of-interest, focus on Trump’s ‘sacrifice’

"Warren and Sanders are wrong, and in a way that signals a significant misreading of the landscape on the part of the most influential Democrats."

Donald Trump’s feud with the cast of Hamilton, explained

Why Keeping Only the Popular Parts of Obamacare Won’t Work

This is so cool: Space Archaeologist Sarah Parcak Uses Satellites to Uncover Ancient Egyptian Ruins

The Russian Schools Training Women To Be Housewives