Saturday, April 29, 2023

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (4/29/23)

Today is Saturday!

Ukrainian journalist killed by Russian snipers in ambush near Kherson (The Guardian)

Phew: Conservative dissenters block abortion limits in Nebraska, South Carolina (WaPo)

Lawmakers are being silenced for speaking out against anti-trans bills (The 19th*)

In case you can't bring yourself to really care about what they're doing to queer and trans people: they're coming for no-fault divorce next. Far-Right Podcaster Steven Crowder Implies Ex-Wife Shouldn't Have Been Allowed to Divorce Him (Jezebel)

I see: Texas agriculture department's new dress code is based on 'biological gender' (NPR)

The first NH residents are enrolled in community power, despite bumps with Eversource (NHPR)

Ah: Magic 'Raid' Wasn't the First Time Wizards of the Coast Hired Pinkertons (Gizmodo)

Boston's SatanCon expected to be largest ever gathering of Satanists (WBUR)

Indigenous groups in the American West lived alongside horses by the early 1600s, study finds (PBS)

Plants, they're just like us: Plants Make Noises When Stressed, Study Finds (Smithsonian)

And some longer reads:

Buildup resumed at suspected Chinese military site in UAE, leak says (WaPo)

Lorraine Hansberry’s family says Chicago’s racist policies seized their land. Now they’re seeking reparations. (The 19th*)

Google Devising Radical Search Changes to Beat Back A.I. Rivals (NYT)

Expertise vs. experience? MLB’s latest revolution is changing the face of coaching (Yahoo! Sports)

Alex Mar and Sarah Weinman Discuss True Crime and Criminal Justice Storytelling (CrimeReads)

Friday, April 28, 2023

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (4/26/23)

Today is . . . Wednesday? Yeah! Wednesday.

Mastermind of Kabul airport massacre killed by Taliban, U.S. says (WaPo)

I know I keep saying this but this is genuinely terrifying. They are quite simply using instruments of the state to keep an elected representative from speaking because she is trans: Montana GOP doubles down after blocking trans lawmaker from speaking, citing decorum (NPR)

I see: Chief Justice Declines to Testify Before Congress Over Ethics Concerns (NYT)

Fears grow for Taiwan book publisher believed held in China (The Guardian)

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signs assault weapons ban HB 1240 (CBS News)

Good: Biden’s new executive order could expand access to child care and long-term care (The 19th*)

I'm shocked he didn't have some contractual way to keep himself tied to the FiveThirtyEight brand, tbh: Nate Silver Out at ABC News as Disney Layoffs Once Again Hit News Division (THR)

More electric vehicles are coming. But NH lawmakers are split on charging infrastructure study bill. (NHPR)

Can a Machine Know That We Know What It Knows? (NYT)

Archaeologists Discover 2,000 Mummified Ram Skulls in Temple of Ramses II (Smithsonian)

And some longer reads:

Will Tucker Carlson Become Alex Jones? (The Atlantic)

12-year-olds can't buy cigarettes — but they can work in tobacco fields (NPR)

India Is Passing China in Population. Can Its Economy Ever Do the Same? (NYT)

And You Get Counted! And You Get Counted!: Oprah’s Book Club by the Numbers (Book Riot)

Fascinating: How Vertical Approach Angle, or VAA, is helping MLB pitchers understand and improve the shape of their fastballs (Yahoo! Sports)

Monday, April 24, 2023

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (4/24/23)

And now it's Monday again. Here's my weekly TV news roundup at The Televixen.

New Ukraine positions near Kherson could signal spring offensive – report (The Guardian)

New restrictions in Missouri would make gender-affirming care nearly impossible (The 19th*)

In an armed and tense nation, knocking on doors feels risky for workers (WaPo)

WOW, this is horrifying: Michael Schumacher: Magazine editor sacked over AI-generated 'interview' with seven-time F1 champion (BBC)

One of the objections here was simply that the book said kids with LGBTQIA+ parents should be welcome in school. Alabama governor ousts a top education official over a book's 'woke concepts' on race (NPR)

Related: NH Republicans continue push for 'parental bill of rights' (NHPR)

Cleaner Air Helps Everyone. It Helps Black Communities a Lot. (NYT)

Ancient DNA Confirms the Origin Story of the Swahili People (Smithsonian)

Ultramassive black hole discovered by UK astronomers (The Guardian)

9 Recently Published Graphic Novels About Politics and Identity (Book Riot)

And some longer reads:

Wagner Group surges in Africa as U.S. influence fades, leak reveals (WaPo)

After American’s Killing in Syria, F.B.I. Builds War Crimes Case Against Top Officials (NYT)

Sic(k) semper tyrannis? Dictatorship and emotions around 1800 (History of Emotions)

This is some great writing: The Toll Taken on Cody Bellinger (Baseball Prospectus)

Crime and the City: Cyprus (CrimeReads)

Friday, April 21, 2023

Sunday, April 16, 2023

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (4/16/23)

Today is Sunday and I have . . . a very long list of things to do.

Sudan's army and RSF are doing battle, leaving dozens of civilians dead (NPR)

Clarence Thomas Is as Free as Ever to Treat His Seat Like a Winning Lottery Ticket (NYT)

Atiq Ahmed: The brazen murder of an Indian mafia don-turned-politician (BBC)

Peru’s former presidential candidate sentenced for journalist’s murder (The Guardian)

That's great: Hundreds of 'NaloxBoxes' with free opioid reversal kits will soon be available across NH (NHPR)

In NH they get paid... extremely little. Only New Mexico lawmakers don't get paid for their time. That might change this year (NPR)

Here’s How Wildfires Can Destroy the Ozone Layer (Smithsonian)

Virginia Norwood, ‘Mother’ of Satellite Imaging Systems, Dies at 96 (NYT)

Kia ora e hoa: dozens of New Zealand and Māori words added to Oxford English Dictionary (The Guardian)

Asking the important questions: Must Every Craft Beer Come in a 16-Ounce Can? (Punch)

And some longer reads:

Billionaire Harlan Crow Bought Property From Clarence Thomas. The Justice Didn’t Disclose the Deal. (ProPublica)

Legal Abortions Fell by 6 Percent in the Six Months After Dobbs, New Data Shows (NYT)

The dream of wiping out polio might need a rethink (NPR)

Day care waitlists are so long, moms are quitting their jobs or choosing to stop having kids (The 19th*)

Espionage Book Recommendations from a Former CIA Spy (CrimeReads)

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (4/15/23)

Good morning! Today is Saturday and I'm very pleased with myself that I finished my taxes yesterday and don't have them hanging over my head going into the weekend.

Better than nothing? The Supreme Court temporarily restores full access to key abortion medication (WashPost)

Air National Guardsman arrested as suspected leaker of Pentagon documents (NPR)

Exclude trans people FROM LEGALLY EXISTING, to be clear. I know I keep saying things are terrifying but THINGS ARE TERRIFYING: Montana bill aimed at strictly defining sex would exclude transgender people (The 19th*)

Of course: Republicans in NH Senate reject plan to remove penalties from abortion ban (NHPR)

Can Nations Be Sued for Weak Climate Action? We’ll Soon Get an Answer. (NYT)

TikTok Is An Awful Source of Monkeypox Info, Study Finds (Gizmodo)

Good! BBC changes course on proposed cuts to English orchestras (The Guardian)

Ooh! Pitch Timer and Other Rule Violations Leaderboards Are Now Available! (Fangraphs)

Workers Stumble Upon Lost Courbet Painting in University Basement (Smithsonian)

All in the Family: On the Mesmerizing Subgenre of Familial Crimes (CrimeReads)

And some longer reads:

After Texas Ruling, Democratic States Move to Stockpile Abortion Pills (NYT)

SIGH: The Bud Light boycott, explained as much as is possible (Vox)

'Ghost villages' of the Himalayas foreshadow a changing India (NPR)

This was written during spring training but addresses a lot of the stuff I've been noticing in the beginning of the season: For MLB broadcasters, pitch clocks mean adjusting to a whole new ballgame (The Athletic)

Elissa Sloan and Jennifer Banash On Celebrity, Myth, and Fiction (CrimeReads)

Saturday, April 8, 2023

Thursday, April 6, 2023

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (4/6/23)

Today is Thursday and I assume this week will end EVENTUALLY.

More on this below, but here's a summary: Cyberwarfare leaks show Russian army is adopting mindset of secret police (The Guardian)

Everything is extremely scary right now: The governors from Indiana and Idaho sign bans on gender-affirming care (NPR)

And: Kansas lawmakers override governor’s veto, enacting ban on transgender athletes (KCUR)

And: A N.C. lawmaker has switched parties, creating a path to stricter abortion laws (NPR)

Baltimore Catholic Clergy Abused Hundreds of Children and Teens, Attorney General Says (NYT)

Following national trend, workers at Starbucks in Rochester seek to form union (NHPR)

Tech executive Bob Lee, founder of Cash App, dead after apparent stabbing attack in San Francisco (CNN Business)

LOL: Shohei Ohtani makes more MLB history, becomes first player with pitcher & batter pitch timer violations (Sporting News)

From Miley Cyrus to boygenius, queer women in music are showing the power of collaboration (PinkNews)

Dried Lake Reveals New Statue on Easter Island (Smithsonian)

And some longer reads:

Back to everything being scary: Tennessee House Poised to Expel 3 Democrats Over Gun Control Protest (NYT)

‘Vulkan files’ leak reveals Putin’s global and domestic cyberwarfare tactics (The Guardian)

This was written before he won, but it's some interesting background: How Brandon Johnson Broke Through to Chicago’s Mayoral Runoff (New Yorker)

A really interesting series: Fighting in hockey (The Athletic)

Sleeping with the Enemy: Alma Katsu's Reading List to Understand the Rise of the Oligarchs (CrimeReads)

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (4/5/23)

Wednesday. So, uh, lots of news, huh?

Donald Trump lashes out, resorting to old tactics after arraignment hearing (NPR)

Analysis: A Surprise Accusation Bolsters a Risky Case Against Trump (NYT)

This is great: Conservatives lose control of Wisconsin Supreme Court ahead of likely decision on abortion (The 19th*)

I haven't followed this closely but the teacher/union guy winning also seems good! Brandon Johnson will be Chicago’s next mayor (WBEZ)

Trans protesters in Washington, D.C. on why they marched for Trans Day of Visibility (Xtra)

Unhoused families living in NH hotels face deadlines to find new homes (NHPR)

Biggest patch of unprotected private land in Green Mountain National Forest to be preserved forever (Vermont Public)

Paging Lord Peter Wimsey: A peal appeal: bellringer shortage as King Charles’s coronation looms (The Guardian)

Frozen cells reveal a clue for a vaccine to block the deadly TB bug (NPR)

Amateur Fossil Hunter Discovers New Species of Giant Petrel in New Zealand (Smithsonian)

And some longer reads:

The Donald Trump Indictment, Annotated (NYT)

‘Moving unapologetically to the forefront’: How an archive is preserving the Black feminist movement (The 19th*)

Guide to minor league baseball’s first CBA: Everything you need to know (The Athletic)

The American Heiress Who Risked Everything to Resist the Nazis (Smithsonian)

10 Engrossing Books About Black Holes That Nothing, Not Even Your Attention, Can Escape (Book Riot)

Saturday, April 1, 2023

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (4/1/23)

Today is Saturday, and two notes: 1. It's April Fool's Day, so stay safe out there. I will not knowingly include anything fake. 2. I have friends visiting so have barely read anything about Trump's indictment or other news stories the past few days, so apologies if things seem a little out of whack.

What happens after Trump's indictment? Here are some of the logistical considerations (NPR)

This is so awful: Storms Kill at Least 6 as Tornadoes Tear Through Midwest and South (NYT)

But this is good! Federal judge temporarily halts Tennessee's 'drag ban' law (NBC News)

I hope he's doing okay: Sen. John Fetterman discharged from Walter Reed after receiving treatment for depression (CNN)

Good for them: UNH Law students walk out over ‘transphobic’ messages by campus group (NHPR)

Progress!! MLB, minor leaguers reach first ever collective bargaining agreement; deal includes pay raises (Yahoo! Sports)

‘I can be an example’: After 107 years, a Latina will lead a national group of school principals (The 19th*)

How Widespread Are These Toxic Chemicals? They’re Everywhere. (NYT)

New England researchers optimistic a tiny wasp is turning the tide against emerald ash borer (NHPR)

Looted Gold Jewelry Returns to Cambodia (Smithsonian)

And some longer reads:

Adam Serwer, always great: Woke Is Just Another Word for Liberal (The Atlantic)

The MAGA-fication of North Idaho College (NYT)

Pivot to … Something? The Blurry Future of Podcasting (THR)

The Big Coin Heist (Hazlitt)

12 Queer Road Trip Books To Adventure With (Autostraddle)