Afternoon Tea (1/31/19)

You Know the Lorena Bobbitt Story. But Not All of It.

The Supreme Court Case That Enshrined White Supremacy in Law

If I Hate Violence So Much, Why Do I Love Writing About It?

The science and history here is really interesting! What Rutabaga Does Better Than Anything Else

Can AI help crack the code of fusion power?

Morning Coffee (1/31/19)

The Trump Administration Is Trying to Make It Easier for Doctors to Deny Care to LGBTQ People

There is a crisis at the border. It’s just not what Trump says it is.

...of course: Treasury Dept. Lifts Sanctions on Russian Oligarch’s Companies

Of course. Exclusive: Trump EPA won't limit 2 toxic chemicals in drinking water

The Real Reason John Roberts Just Offered a Low-Stakes Win to Workers

Good: Additional Federal Hate Crimes Charges Filed Against Suspected Synagogue Gunman

5 anti-poverty plans from 2020 Democratic presidential contenders, explained

State of Alaska issues alert after measles disaster declared in Washington State

Wow: Apple blocks Facebook from running its internal iOS apps

The 4% Challenge looks like a good initiative.

Afternoon Tea (1/30/19)

This is FASCINATING: The Hunt for Planet Nine

Ted Bundy Wasn't Special Or Smart. He Was Just White.

This is really interesting, about what Hitchcock learned from Du Maurier: The Peril of Marriage

5 New or Upcoming MG Novels Starring LGBTQ Kids

Queen Emma: wife of two kings, mother of two more

Morning Coffee (1/30/19)

Brexit: What just happened and what happens next?

Lindsey Graham floats a dangerously irresponsible escalation of the slat wars

Senate panel postpones William Barr’s confirmation vote amid Democrats’ concerns

No Republican senators have signed onto a bill to give federal contractors backpay after the shutdown

Horrifying (and I get that they can't say it for legal reasons but this seems more than POSSIBLY a hate crime) (and the FBI is now involved): 'Empire' star Jussie Smollett brutally attacked, hospitalized in possible hate crime

This is awful: A Mother’s Fatal Fall on Subway Stairs Rouses New Yorkers to Demand Accessibility

I Want to Be Excited about Kamala Harris. The Reality Is a Little More Complicated.

How a teenage 'Fortnite' player found Apple's FaceTime bug — and why it was so hard to report it

Yay! The 2019 Rainbow Book List

HA: Daniel Radcliffe to Tom Brady: 'Take That MAGA Hat Out of Your Locker'

Afternoon Tea (1/29/19)

Why Science Fiction Authors Need to be Writing About Climate Change Right Now

Sandy Powell On Taking A Rock'N'Roll Approach To Period Dress In The Favourite

You Matched With Someone Really Great Online. This Is Her Ghostwriter.

The limits of ancestry DNA tests, explained

‘Methods of barbarism’: how Emily Hobhouse exposed the humanitarian crisis of the Boer War

Morning Coffee (1/29/19)

Brexit: Theresa May and Parliament fight for control

The government shutdown cost the economy $11 billion, including a permanent $3 billion loss, Congressional Budget Office says

Trump’s Transgender Military Ban and Lessons from a Lifetime of Gender-Policing

Poll: most Americans want Democrats to investigate Trump

If Howard Schultz Really Wants to Make a Difference In America, He Should Run for President as a Republican

Why Trump is tweeting about studying the Bible

Study: Gunshot Wounds Cost Us Nearly $1 Billion in Hospital Bills Every Year

Yaaay, ALA Youth Media Awards winners!

Be Mine? Nope. SweetHeart Candies Hard To Find This Valentine's Day

The Oscars Are Headed for a Best Actor/Best Actress Train Wreck

Afternoon Tea (1/28/19)

Why Do the Oscars Keep Falling for Racial Reconciliation Fantasies?

There’s a Weird, Sexist Problem in Fantasy That We Need to Talk About

The History Before Us

In Britain, Enraptured by the Wild, Lonely and Remote

Lab notebooks - handwriting at the core of science

Morning Coffee (1/28/19)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

If you're trying to catch up on the situation in Venezuela, the Guardian has a bunch of good coverage here.

This is terrible: Japan Upholds Law Requiring Sterilization for Trans People

Wow: Canada fired its Chinese ambassador over remarks regarding arrested Huawei executive

Not a Man 2020

Trump is undoing the diversity of the federal bench

The details here are yet another example of a woman going to great lengths to defend the patriarchy she herself has been a victim of: Joni Ernst says she turned down chance to be Donald Trump's vice-president

How Abortion Law in New York Will Change, and How It Won’t

HA: People Strongly Against GMOs Had Shakier Understanding Of Food Science, Study Finds

Ooh: Freddie Fox & Anna Chancellor To Star In BBC Feature Doc About Oscar Wilde

Morning Coffee (1/27/19)

Nancy Pelosi, a Woman in Control, Is a Rival Who Flummoxes Trump

There are SO MANY THINGS wrong with this: Trump Meets With Hard-Right Group Led by Ginni Thomas

Trump’s Inner Circle Keeps Violating the Stringer Bell Rule

Lawsuits Allege 'Grave Harm' To Immigrant Children In Detention

Let's Stop Coddling White Teenage Boys

Kansas Lawmakers Defect to Democrats as G.O.P. Struggles in Suburbs

Media Can Kick Its Horserace Addiction—And It Must

I am SO SAD: ‘This Could Be the End’ for NASA’s Mars Opportunity Rover

Colleges Lose a ‘Stunning’ 651 Foreign-Language Programs in 3 Years

Huh: Melissa Etheridge Prepping Musical ‘Mystic Pizza’ For Stage Delivery

Morning Coffee (1/26/19)

Trump Signs Bill Reopening Government for 3 Weeks in Surprise Retreat From Wall

The Vindication of Nancy Pelosi

Indicting Roger Stone, Mueller Shows Link Between Trump Campaign and WikiLeaks

FL Sec Of State Resigns Over Photos Of Him In Blackface Dressed As Katrina Victim

Ex-Trump fixer Michael Cohen subpoenaed by Senate committee, lawyer says

Deutsche Bank Willing To Report Jared Kushner’s ‘Suspicious Transactions’ To Robert Mueller: Report

Adam Serwer is always worth reading: The Trump-Era Overcorrection

Greenland’s Melting Ice Nears a ‘Tipping Point,’ Scientists Say

Germany and France Renew Their Vows, but Challenges Abound

No, Archaeologists Have Not Found the Tomb of Antony and Cleopatra

Afternoon Tea (1/25/19)

This Robert Caro piece is fascinating: The Secrets of Lyndon Johnson's Archives

Can figure skating's first LGBTQ team change ice dance's reliance on romance?

Attack the Block's Director Is Finally Back With a Movie He's Wanted to Make Since He Was a Kid

This is a fun series: Best Cheeses: Vermont

The New Class of Australian Crime Writers

Morning Coffee (1/25/19)

Time for Friday happy links!

GOOD: Vanity Fair's Hollywood Issue Cover Features Majority People of Color For the First Time

Good news from my home state: Kid Governor sworn in with LGBTQ platform

3 Newborn Endangered Right Whales Seen After Year With No Births

This thread of corresponding composers and cookies is the greatest thing ever published.

Oh. Why, yes, this is what it would sound like if The National covered the Frasier theme song

After Controversy, City Approves 'Pho Keene Great' Restaurant Name

Hahaha: 'Ancient' Scottish stone circle was built in 1990s

'The Unhoneymooners' By Christina Lauren Is An Enemies-To-Lovers Romance Set In Paradise & You Can Start Reading Now

Aw: Olympians Sophie Caldwell And Simi Hamilton Announce Engagement

QUIZ: Guess the YA book from the Picture

Afternoon Tea (1/24/19)

Are Jews White? American History Says It’s Complicated

Florida’s Citrus Trees Face Extinction. Are Antibiotics the Only Answer?

France Debates Where to Teach Arabic: Public School or Local Mosque?

10 of Our Most Anticipated Indie YA Books of 2019

He Knows the Stars’ Dirty Laundry. Because He Washes It.

Weekly Rec: The Favourite

I was so glad to see The Favourite get a whole bunch of Oscar nominations this week, because a. it's one of the few movies I've managed to see recently and b. I really liked it. It's an historical film, set in the court of Queen Anne, but it's not what you're expecting when you hear "eighteenth century British historical film." It's full of dark humor that certainly won't be to everyone's taste; it reminded me of The Death of Stalin, so that may be a good benchmark for whether this is for you.

If you do like what this film is doing, though, it does it masterfully. It's a fascinating portrait of power struggles between women in Queen Anne's court (specifically Sarah Churchill and Abigail Hill) and while some historians have complained that it downplays the political power of men, well, I think we can deal with one movie taking that artistic license after centuries of the opposite. (If you'd like to know more about what is and isn't historically accurate, I recommend this episode of the History Extra podcast.) The acting is so good - I've been a huge fan of Olivia Colman (here as Anne) for years and am so glad she's recently getting more recognition, and Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone as her ladies dueling for her attention are both exceptionally good. And it's technically well made - the cinematography, production design, etc. all really work.

I'll end with a warning because apparently this is necessary: If you're uncomfortable seeing women being sexual with each other on screen, please stay home and meditate on your homophobia there, rather than ruining the movie for the rest of us.

The Favourite is in theaters now!

Morning Coffee (1/24/19)

Why thousands of protesters — and Trump — are demanding Venezuela’s president step down

Exclusive: Iraqi scientist says he helped ISIS make chemical weapons

4 Arrested and 23 Guns Seized in Plot Against Muslim Enclave in Upstate N.Y.

What the hell is going on with the State of the Union, explained

The Wheels of Justice Are Grinding to a Halt

This piece about the sexual abuse accusations against Bryan Singer is important (and timely given Bohemian Rhapsody's nominations): ‘Nobody Is Going to Believe You’

The Voices of Indigenous People Continue to Be Silenced

I'm very impressed with what L.A.'s teachers got in their negotiations to end the strike.

This is awful: Trump Administration Grants South Carolina Foster Care Agencies Authority to Discriminate Against Jewish, Muslim Families (and Catholic and agnostic and...)

Gawker 2.0 Implodes as Its Only Reporters Quit

Afternoon Tea (1/23/19)

The Hunt for the Nazi Loot Still Sitting on Library Shelves

The Anxiety of 'Doing Womanhood Correctly' in Academe

We regret to inform you that aliens are probably not trying to talk to us

Bread Makes a Comeback

7 Spy Romance Novels To Pick Up

Morning Coffee (1/23/19)

Awful: Supreme Court allows Trump restrictions on transgender troops in military to go into effect as legal battle continues

Gay valedictorian banned from speaking at Covington graduation 'not surprised' by D.C. controversy

And a good read on that: Don't Doubt What You Saw With Your Own Eyes

"I am afraid it will be on my gravestone. 'Rudy Giuliani: He lied for Trump.'"

Chris Cuomo’s extremely bad birther-coddling tweet

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Spent Her Weekend Dunking on Aaron Sorkin and Helping Raise Money for Trans Kids

On the Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, We’re Still Fighting for Access to Safe, Legal Abortion

Oscar nominations are out!

We also got Edgar nominations!

And National Book Critics Circle Award nominations!

Afternoon Tea (1/22/19)

The Villainous Bitch Has Become the Most Boring Trend in Literature

Overlooked No More: Isabelle Kelley, Who Developed a Food Stamp Program to Feed Millions

Why a Medieval Woman Had Lapis Lazuli Hidden in Her Teeth

Is The Power Of The Flour Really The Secret To Baking The Perfect Biscuit?

When the Illness Is a Mystery, Patients Turn to These Detectives

Morning Coffee (1/22/19)

The Consequences of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Canonization

And: MLK’s Son Shuts Down Pence: My Father Was A ‘Bridge Builder, Not A Wall Builder’

Trump’s Prayer-Rug Paranoia

Even with the shutdown, the Trump administration is suing to take land for the border wall

EVERYTHING IS BANANAS: So, I Got an Email From Matthew Whitaker’s Wife

Young Trans Children Know Who They Are

Cranberries Release ‘All Over Now,’ the First Song From Their Final Album

... A controversial startup that charges $8,000 to fill your veins with young blood now claims to be up and running in 5 cities across the US

St Andrews find may be oldest surviving wall chart of periodic table

This could be interesting if done well: History To Explore ‘Jesus: His Life’ In Eight-Part Event Series From Jane Root’s Nutopia

Afternoon Tea (1/21/19)

California: The State of Resistance

Students in Rural America Ask, ‘What Is a University Without a History Major?’

In Home Of Original Sriracha Sauce, Thais Say Rooster Brand Is Nothing To Crow About

‘It has made me want to live’: public support for lesbian novelist Radclyffe Hall over banned book revealed

How Zora Neale Hurston Helped Create the First Realistic Black Baby Doll

Morning Coffee (1/21/19)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

I've been wary of this while the GOP has the Senate, but the Atlantic makes an interesting case: Impeach Donald Trump

Trump's war on science: how the US is putting politics above evidence

U.S. to Investigate Discrimination Against Native Students on Montana Reservation

Tony Mendez, ‘Argo’ spy who smuggled U.S. hostages out of Iran during crisis, dies at 78

Pipeline battle puts focus on Canada's disputed right to use indigenous land

Good for her (and the book is great, btw): Michelle Obama's 'Becoming' has the longest run atop Amazon since 'Fifty Shades'

Wow: Bob Costas Says He’s Done With NBC After 40 Years

!!! Gillian Anderson Set To Join ‘The Crown’ Season Four As Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher

I'll admit I've always been suspicious of these, but . . . Twins get some 'mystifying' results when they put 5 DNA ancestry kits to the test

Amazing: Microsoft font gives away forgery in bankruptcy case

Morning Coffee (1/20/19)

Here’s Trump’s latest offer to end the shutdown — and why Democrats aren’t interested

This whole thing has been confusing, but this is a pretty good explanation (and it's worth noting that the whole thing isn't being disputed): Mueller’s office disputes BuzzFeed News report that Trump told Cohen to lie to Congress

The controversy over Ilhan Omar calling Lindsey Graham “compromised,” explained

Hey some good news! New York Will Become the 15th State to Ban Conversion Therapy

How the government shutdown could harm the future of American science

KKK Police Raid Seizes Guns and Knives in a Surprising Location—Germany

Good: Roku Removes Infowars Channel Following Backlash

Happy 18th birthday, Wikipedia. Let’s celebrate the Internet’s good grown-up.

262-year-old stolen artifact returned to Detroit Historical Society

I'm surprised it's his first! Mr. Peanut to Appear in His First Super Bowl Commercial

Morning Coffee (1/19/19)

Thousands more migrant kids separated from parents under Trump than previously reported

Two interesting views on today: Don’t Give Up on the Women’s March

The Women’s March Doesn’t Get to Decide Who the ‘White Jews’ Are

Hoyer Calls Out GOP After Member Told Rep. Cardenas To ‘Go Back To Puerto Rico’

‘The Shutdown Makes Me Nervous’: Young People Caught Up in Impasse

The North Pole is moving, and the shutdown means we aren’t keeping up

Michael Cohen Reportedly Paid Someone to Create a Fake Twitter Account Calling Him Hot and Smart

Mary Oliver, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who found solace in nature, dies at 83

'Look for Me, Please': How Indigenous Women Work to Help Each Other When Authorities Turn a Blind Eye

Anti-vax Movement Listed by World Health Organization as One of the Top 10 Health Threats for 2019

Afternoon Tea (1/18/19)

‘Project Blue Book’ Is Based on a True U.F.O. Story. Here It Is.

Welcome to the Gymternet, where fantasy gymnastics reigns supreme

Spies in the Speakeasy: Crime Fiction of the 1920s

The Art Of Craft: Ruth E. Carter Breaks Down Series Of Early Sketches For ‘Black Panther’ Costumes

I Can’t Stop Watching European Crime Dramas

Morning Coffee (1/18/19)

Time for Friday happy links! Almost all books and movies and royals today. Sorry not sorry?

Aaah, Let It Snow cast!

Spider-Man: Far From Home Is First Marvel Film to Cast Out Trans Actors

Here's a look at Sarah Rees Brennan's Sabrina prequel novel!

Look, ballet logistics! Kate Visits the Royal Opera House in Oscar de la Renta

And: Behold, Kate Middleton Making Pizza

I Can Already Tell Who My Favorite Captain Marvel Character Is: Goose the Cat

This is gorgeous and sounds great: 'This Time Will Be Different' Is A New YA Novel About Family History, A Flower Shop, And Moving Forward

A+E Studios Partners with Swoon Reads to Develop YA for TV/Film!

Oh, this could be good: Disney Rings ‘Hunchback’ Bell: David Henry Hwang To Script Live Action Musical, Alan Menken/Stephen Schwartz Writing Music

Afternoon Tea (1/17/19)

‘I Love My Skin!’ Why Black Parents Are Turning to Afrocentric Schools

'Ravens and Red Lipstick' unearths an unexpected portrait over 70 years of Japanese photography

How a Drug-Addicted Art Critic Created the Perfect Sleuth for the Jazz Age

These Whales Are Serenaders of the Seas. It’s Quite a Racket.

Quinoa Whiskey? Modified Crop List Spurs Distilleries To Try Alternative Grains

Morning Coffee (1/17/19)

Good for her: Pelosi Asks Trump to Reschedule State of the Union Amid Shutdown

Federal Watchdog Finds Government Ignored Emoluments Clause With Trump Hotel

Barr May Do Exactly What Trump Wants

Steve King says he was just defending ‘Western Civilization.’ That’s racist, too.

Of course: Karen Pence to teach at school that bans gay students, parents, employees

Yay! Gov. Laura Kelly reinstates ban on anti-LGBT bias in first official action

Sacklers Directed Efforts to Mislead Public About OxyContin, New Documents Indicate

Interim MSU President John Engler Says Larry Nassar's Victims Are Having A Blast In The "Spotlight" (UPDATE: he resigned.)

And: University of Michigan Fires Gymnastics Coach With Ties to Nassar Scandal

Facebook's '10 Year Challenge' Is Just a Harmless Meme—Right?

Afternoon Tea (1/16/19)

This was wild: The Empty Mason Jar of the Influencer Economy: The Case of Caroline Calloway and her Creativity Workshop Tour

The Best Skin-Care Trick Is Being Rich

12 of Our Most Anticipated Historical YA Fiction of 2019

The Mormon polygamists who believe Missouri is the 'promised land'

The History of Blood

Morning Coffee (1/16/19)

Theresa May loses Brexit deal vote by majority of 230

Redefining Representation: The Women of the 116th Congress

FINALLY: Steve King Removed From Committee Assignments Over White Supremacy Remark

Judge Orders Trump Administration To Remove 2020 Census Citizenship Question

Actually, the Numbers Show That We Need More Immigration, Not Less

Bidding Farewell To 'Hello, Dolly!': Actress Carol Channing Dies At 97

Goodbye, New York. Adam Moss Is Leaving the Magazine He Has Edited for 15 Years.

The research here is interesting: Consider Firing Your Male Broker

This news from my dad's hometown is so sad: Fire Destroys Historic American Shakespeare Festival Theatre in Stratford, CT

I am cautiously optimistic: Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’ Finds Its Maria, Anita, Bernardo & Chino

Afternoon Tea (1/15/19)

The Global Legacy of Quebec’s Subsidized Child Daycare

Fascinating: If True, This Could Be One of the Greatest Discoveries in Human History

In Praise of Iris Murdoch

The perennial debate about whether your phone is secretly listening to you, explained

David Maurer, the Dean of Criminal Language

Morning Coffee (1/15/19)

President Trump Rejects Proposal to Temporarily Reopen the Government

Federal worker forced to ration insulin because of government shutdown

Aww: Canada’s Air Controllers, Purveyors of Pizza Goodwill

LAUSD teachers strike to send a message: 'All we want is a fair shot'

Rep. Rashida Tlaib cursing got 5 times more coverage on cable news than Rep. Steve King embracing white supremacy

Britons make 170,000 antisemitic Google searches a year, study finds

The Strange Marketplace for Diabetes Test Strips

‘A 10 isn’t enough’: This UCLA gymnast’s flawless floor routine just broke the Internet

Michael Atiyah, Mathematician in Newton’s Footsteps, Dies at 89

Ooh! It’s Official! Michelle Yeoh ‘Star Trek’ Spinoff In Development At CBS All Access

Afternoon Tea (1/14/19)

When a Lynching Memorial Becomes a Photo Opportunity

The Plot to Kill George Washington

The Israel of Amos Oz

6 YA Anthologies to Look for in 2019

Can Netflix Take Turkey’s TV Dramas to the World?

Morning Coffee (1/14/19)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

Trump has concealed details of his face-to-face encounters with Putin from senior officials in administration

An Ocean Engineer and a Nuclear Physicist Walk Into Congress …

On The Navajo Nation, 5,000 Workers Dependent On A Federal Paycheck

Who’s disproportionately prosecuted for human trafficking? Young black men.

GOOD: DNA discoverer James Watson loses honors over views on race

These women survived domestic abuse, now they're sharpshooters protecting animals from poachers

Millennial Women Are Pouring Into Jobs, Fueling U.S. Labor Gains

Ooh: Netflix's 'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch' Leads to "Choose Your Own Adventure" Trademark Lawsuit

Welsh farmstead is rare medieval hall house, experts confirm

Hmm: Movies Are Getting Better And Better, Those Rising RottenTomatoes.com Scores Say

Morning Coffee (1/13/19)

F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia

GOOD: Families of Sandy Hook shooting victims win legal victory in lawsuit against InfoWars, Alex Jones

This Government Shutdown Is Now the Longest Ever

Viktor Orbán’s Far-Right Vision for Europe

This is an essential read from Adam Serwer: The Exceptions to the Rulers

Nothing ELSE is illegal in New Hampshire, but . . . He Disparaged the Police on Facebook. So They Arrested Him.

Why U.S. universities are shutting down China-funded Confucius Institutes

New York’s Orthodox Jewish community is battling measles outbreaks. Vaccine deniers are to blame.

Germany outlaws Amazon's one-click Dash buttons

A Lost Story by Sylvia Plath Contains the Seeds of the Writer She Would Become

Morning Coffee (1/12/19)

(I'm traveling, so this was written in advance. Back Tuesday!)

Michael Cohen, Trump’s Former Lawyer, Agrees to Testify to Congress

Trump’s advisers push for emergency declaration — while assuming it’ll be stopped in court

Government Shutdown Curtails F.D.A. Food Inspections

This is horrifying: Police seeking DNA of male staff at health-care facility where woman in vegetative state gave birth

Egypt’s president tried to stop a 60 Minutes interview from airing. It’s now clear why.

Good for them: Netflix Pulls Production From North Carolina Over Anti-LGBTQ Law

Ugh: Former Pixar Head, Ousted Over Alleged Sexual Misconduct, Finds New Gig

'Buddha boy' under investigation in Nepal over missing devotees

Georges Loinger, Wartime Rescuer of Jewish Children, Dies at 108

Female penguins 'get stranded more because they travel further'

Afternoon Tea (1/11/19)

This roundtable was a DELIGHT: Here's What It's Really Like To Be An Internet Advice Columnist

Off the chart: the big comeback of paper maps

The Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2019: Part 1

A Changeling in My Own Skin

A Brief History of Cheddar Cheese

Morning Coffee (1/11/19)

Time for Friday happy links!

Your feel-good story of the day: Actor Joe Manganiello brings his love of Dungeons and Dragons to kids at Pittsburgh hospital

AMAZING: British Museum realises 'vase' is in fact an ancient mace-head displayed upside down

!! Netflix Orders ‘Shadow And Bone’ Series Based On Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse Novels From Eric Heisserer & Shawn Levy

I am obsessed with this New Yorker cover.

Starbucks’ Newest Drink Tastes Just Like Cookie Butter

Meghan Markle’s Royal Patronages Will Focus on These Four Interests

Heh: Fact-checking the mob song from ‘Beauty and the Beast’

Fug Nation Loves Slippers!

The Best Time of Day to Book Your Next Flight

Let's go! This Book-filled Hotel in Cambridge, England, Is the Ultimate Getaway for Bibliophiles

Afternoon Tea (1/10/19)

This story is QUITE SOMETHING: The Itsy-Bitsy, Teenie-Weenie, Very Litigious Bikini

I have limited sympathy for Shelley sometimes but this was fascinating: Wielded by a Wizard

A Photographer’s Quest to Reverse China’s Historical Amnesia

'One Cut of the Dead' Bootleg Reveals Amazon Prime's Piracy Problem

She awed the country before Amelia Earhart even took to the skies

Morning Coffee (1/10/19)

“Immigrants are coming over the border to kill you” is the only speech Trump knows how to give

Oh look, the only thing he actually cares about: "The response by Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer has slightly larger preliminary numbers than the president's address."

Good: Investigators Looking Into Accusations From R. Kelly Documentary

Wow, what a story: Bernice Sandler, ‘Godmother of Title IX,’ Dies at 90

How marginal tax rates actually work, explained with a cartoon

Qanon-Believing Proud Boy Accused of Murdering ‘Lizard’ Brother With Sword

Not good! Democrats Faked Online Push to Outlaw Alcohol in Alabama Race

The Taming of Poland's Far Right

Nobody Is Moving Our Cheese: American Surplus Reaches Record High

Broadway Actors Pushing for Profit-Sharing in Creation of Shows

Afternoon Tea (1/9/19)

He runs one amateur football game per year. He makes more than $1 million.

This made me very much want to read her fiction, as I mostly knew of the films: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and the Art of Ambivalence

Where Doulas Calm Nerves and Bridge Cultures During Childbirth

Welcome to Брайтон Бич, Brooklyn

The Anglo-Saxon origins of the English counties

Morning Coffee (1/9/19)

Manafort Shared Trump Campaign Data With Russian Associate, Prosecutors Say

“He’s not hurting the people he needs to be”: a Trump voter says the quiet part out loud

Why Men Find the New Congresswomen So Frightening

I Was Sexually Harassed On Bernie Sanders’ Campaign. And No One Cared.

Yay! Ex-felons can now sign up to vote in Florida

Of course: Trump administration considers rollback of anti-discrimination rules

'It's like 1984': Venezuela targets human rights defenders

Another Black Man Has Died in the Home of Democratic Donor Ed Buck

!! Lin-Manuel Miranda and Friends Purchase Drama Book Shop

The Americans finally wins a Golden Globe for best drama

Afternoon Tea (1/8/19)

Vice doesn’t want to humanize Dick Cheney. So instead, it (maybe) demonizes America.

This made me want to read her books: Sally Rooney Gets in Your Head

The Soccer Politics of Morocco

Scientists Have 'Hacked Photosynthesis' In Search Of More Productive Crops

The Jonestown We Don't Know

Morning Coffee (1/8/19)

!!!! Cyntoia Brown Is Granted Clemency After 15 Years in Prison

Oh good: Saudi woman fleeing family temporarily admitted to Thailand

Only six immigrants in terrorism database stopped by CBP at southern border in first half of 2018 The administration said it was 4000.

I.R.S. Will Issue Tax Refunds During Shutdown, Trump Official Says (and it sounds like this might be illegal)

A 1970 U.S.-Mexico treaty shows why Trump’s border wall is absurd (And illegal - noticing a theme?)

Democrats: Investigate Trump’s Corrupt Corporate Alliance

This is awful: Belgium Bans Religious Slaughtering Practices, Drawing Praise and Protest

The Ugly, Illiberal, Anti-Semitic Heart of the Yellow Vest Movement

Scientific Research Halt Adds To Growing List Of Shutdown Casualties

What we gain from keeping books – and why it doesn’t need to be ‘joy’

Afternoon Tea (1/7/19)

Stalin’s Soaring Moscow Towers Sorely Need Body Work

Mormon Mysteries: Who Are They For?

A New Year’s resolution for everybody: cook more

The Female Badasses Who Made History (Only You Didn’t Know About It) Vol. 1

A Mysterious Linguistic Enclave in Southern Poland

Morning Coffee (1/7/19)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

Trump adviser: US to leave Syria once IS beaten, Kurds safe

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: 'How Do You Not Know How Marginal Tax Rates Work?'

Sultan Muhammad V steps down as Malaysia's king

Legal Abortions Begin in Ireland With Solidarity and Small Protests

Ukrainian Orthodox Christians Formally Break From Russia

What the hell is a presidential “exploratory committee”?

Hm: JonBenét Ramsey’s Brother Settles $750 Million Defamation Lawsuit Over CBS Series

Interesting: Charles Darwin's ailments are 'typical of Lyme disease' in UK

We still do not need this! Luca Guadagnino Says Elio & Oliver Will Meet Again In Paris In Potential ‘Call Me By Your Name’ Sequel

Ooh, Carmen Sandiego trailer!

Morning Coffee (1/6/19)

Tension mounts as Congo’s election commission delays results announcement

They just . . . didn't know what the government does: "The Trump administration, which had not anticipated a long-term shutdown, recognized only this week the breadth of the potential impact, several senior administration officials said."

While federal workers go without pay, senior Trump administration officials are poised to get $10,000 raises

House Democrats Introduce Anti-Corruption Bill As Symbolic 1st Act

Talking about Pelosi’s pink dress isn’t sexist. It means you’re paying attention.

Justice Dept. admits error but won’t correct report linking terrorism to immigration

Heh: You may already be running

Huh (though this doesn't rule out an attack): The Sounds That Haunted U.S. Diplomats in Cuba? Lovelorn Crickets, Scientists Say

‘I Have Seen Many Crises’: Steel Magnate Stands Firm as Turmoil Hits Turkey

GOOD, because that Ellen thing was . . . not enough: Kevin Hart Won’t Host Academy Awards; Doesn’t Want To Be Oscar Night Distraction

Morning Coffee (1/5/19)

2019's Barrier-Breaking Politicians Get to Work

Sexism Claims From Bernie Sanders’s 2016 Run: Paid Less, Treated Worse (The most problematic part of this is Bernie's response - that he was too busy to care about any of this.)

Justice Dept. investigating whether Zinke lied to inspector general

Conservatives’ obsession with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s high school, explained

Hackers Leak Details of German Lawmakers, Except Those on Far Right

Congo's Catholic church says it knows election's clear winner

The Faces Behind Transgender Troops’ Struggle for Acceptance

Whee: Michelle Obama’s Book Is No. 1 Here — and No. 1 in Finland, Singapore and Portugal

Women in Hollywood Suffer ‘Radical Underrepresentation’ in Top 2018 Films, Study Says

An Elephant-Size Relative of Mammals That Grazed Alongside Dinosaurs

Afternoon Tea (1/4/19)

The Lady Is a Detective

Nancy, a 1930s comic strip, was the funniest thing I read in 2018

Inside the Royal Gossip Machine

22 Hot Cocktail Recipes for Cold Winter Nights

The NFL’s Home-Field Advantage Is Real. But Why?

Morning Coffee (1/4/19)

It's time for Friday happy links, but there's actually . . . happy political stuff?!?!

Nancy Pelosi’s first speech as House speaker celebrated women’s accomplishments

Kyrsten Sinema Makes History As First Openly Bisexual Person Sworn In To Senate

Democratic Majority Reinstates Gun Ban In New Hampshire House Chamber

New York gets a non-binary option on birth certificates starting today

!! Jamelle Bouie Joins The New York Times Opinion Pages as Columnist

Far side of the moon: China's Chang'e 4 probe makes historic touchdown

Mexican Archaeologists Discover Pre-Hispanic Temple of 'The Flayed Lord'

Obviously there are many more important things about Cecile Richards than her beauty routine but that was interesting too.

Check Out These 14 Adorable Library Cards

LET'S GO: Winter weekends away: 10 of the best country house hotels

Afternoon Tea (1/3/19)

Two Roads for the New French Right

How A Little Science And A Lot Of Shady Advertising Boosted Yeast's Popularity

Thomas Merton, the Monk Who Became a Prophet

The Best Thrillers Of 2018, According To One Of The Best Crime Writers

Two Distinguished Women and a Seasonal Greetings Card Mystery

My Favorite Books of 2018

Yay, time for a list! Let's start with the big caveat: I have read a TEENSY FRACTION of the books that came out in 2018, and I am 100% sure there are a ton I will love that I just haven't gotten to yet. But here are my favorites of the ones I read, split into some different categories for you! (Within each category, they're alphabetical by author.)

And hey, if you want to know what I'm reading all year - and what I'm thinking about books - come subscribe to my tinyletter!

Mystery:

Transcription by Kate Atkinson
The Witch Elm by Tana French
Sunburn by Laura Lippman
A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn
Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer

Romance:

A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole
The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
The Duke I Tempted by Scarlett Peckham

Non-Fiction:

Dead Girls: Essays on Surviving an American Obsession by Alice Bolin
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
Becoming by Michelle Obama
The World As It Is: A Memoir of the Obama White House by Ben Rhodes

Young Adult:

What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi
Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
The Spy with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke
Seafire by Natalie C. Parker
The Summer of Jordi Perez (And the Best Burger in Los Angeles) by Amy Spalding
Sadie by Courtney Summers

Morning Coffee (1/3/19)

Shutdown Leaves Food, Medicine and Pay in Doubt in Indian Country

What Is and Isn’t Affected by the Government Shutdown

This is great: Massachusetts Episcopal diocese buys shares in Smith & Wesson parent to influence gun debate

Heh: I Don’t Hate Women Candidates — I Just Hated Hillary and Coincidentally I’m Starting to Hate Elizabeth Warren

New Poll of U.S. Troops and Veterans Reveals Their Thoughts on Current Military Policies

Apple is basically blaming Trump’s trade war for disappointing iPhone sales in China

Women Form 385-Mile Human Chain to Protest Temple's Menstruation Ban

Ooh! NASA's New Horizons Mission Reveals Entirely New Kind of World

Ugh: Kristi Toliver, an N.B.A. Assistant Who’s Paid Like an Intern

Oh good: McNally Jackson Books will Remain at its Longtime Prince Street Shop

Afternoon Tea (1/2/19)

This is so interesting: How Much of the Internet Is Fake? Turns Out, a Lot of It, Actually.

How to make the Team USA women’s baseball team

A fascinating look at hell through history: Damn It All

The Otherworldly Beauty of a Dying Sea

“For conservatives, by conservatives”: the rise of right-wing dating apps

Morning Coffee (1/2/19)

Let's start with W.S. Merwin's "To the New Year."

Wow, what a story: Trump used her slain daughter to rail against illegal immigration. She chose a different path.

Meanwhile: U.S. Agents Fire Tear Gas Across Mexican Border

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu could be indicted. Here’s what you need to know.

Top Pentagon spokeswoman resigns amid internal investigation

The great Dahlia Lithwick on Brett Kavanaugh: What Goes Around Comes to a Halt

How Trump Fuels the Fascist Right

'Blatantly sexist': backlash against South Korea's sex education

Nancy Roman, ‘Mother of the Hubble’ Telescope, Dies at 93

Chilling discovery: ice house found under London street

Morning Coffee (1/1/19)

Happy New Year! And here we go: Elizabeth Warren Announces She Is Running for President in 2020

Pilots Kept Losing Oxygen and the Military Had No Idea Why. Now There’s a Possible Fix.

For Italy’s Populists, Everything Is a Nationalist Cause. Even Leonardo.

China’s State Media Finds Good News in Underwear

Liza Redfield, Who Broke a Broadway Barrier, Is Dead at 94

Today! For the First Time in More Than 20 Years, Copyrighted Works Will Enter the Public Domain

Celeste Ng Reflects on Our Era of Rage—and Illuminates the Path Forward

How To Make Good New Year’s Resolutions

Why eating less meat is the best thing you can do for the planet in 2019

Lincoln declared an end to slavery on New Year’s Day 1863. It went on for two more years.