Summer Vacation

Hi everyone! Let's get right to it: I am, to put it mildly, extremely burned out. I'm in the middle of a huge stressful work project and also have had a bunch of personal stuff going on and I'm working on a writing project I actually really like and want to devote some energy to and . . . something has to give, and that something has to be these posts. Some I'm going on hiatus for a bit and then will reevaluate how to do something along these lines in a more sustainable way - maybe weekly roundups.

This wasn't an easy decision, because I really do enjoy putting these posts together, but at the same time - it's a fair amount of time and effort, making sure I have 15 links every single day, and also it's kind of a constant inescapable thing to know I have to either have time before 8am to write the post or do it the night before. I like it! But it's been YEARS of having to plan my life around this structure to some extent and I just need a break. (And since I left Substack because of their transphobia, I've been doing this totally just for free, so it's a hobby that is in fact just work. Which is often what I like in hobbies! But it has to take a back seat to actual work.)

So: Have a great rest of your summer! Pop around occasionally because I have some book reviews coming up. And I'll be back in some form in September.

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (7/19/23)

Somehow it's only Wednesday? This week is very long.

Target Letter to Trump Raises Possibility of Obstruction and Fraud Charges (NYT)

Good: Michigan's attorney general charges 16 people in fake elector scheme (NPR)

Militia units commanded by Russia named in Izium abuse investigation (The Guardian)

Republicans Have a New Target (Slate)

Thank goodness: NH applying for pandemic EBT assistance, after uncertainty (NHPR)

Inside the college newspaper investigation that got a football coach fired (WaPo)

I see: Marjorie Taylor Greene wants anti-LGBTQ+ amendments in a national air travel bill (LGBTQ Nation)

Last night was WILD: A historic night for offense in MLB produced runs galore (MLB)

Over the Edge: Cliffs, Coasts and Liminal Spaces in Crime Fiction (CrimeReads)

Why the Country’s Best Sandwich Makers Are Expanding Into Fine Dining (Eater)

And some longer reads:

A Current War Collides With the Past: Remnants of World War II in Ukraine (NYT)

Peak TV Has Peaked: From Exhausted Talent to Massive Losses, the Writers Strike Magnifies an Industry in Freefall (Variety)

‘No one is talking about it’: the cruelty of long Covid in the global south (The Guardian)

A talk with the left-hander who helped craft the minor leagues’ first CBA (WaPo)

Meagan Lucas’s Dark New Fiction: “I Was Tired of Hiding the Ugly” (CrimeReads)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (7/18/23)

Unfortunately, it seems to only be Tuesday.

Russia says decision not to extend Black Sea grain deal is final (The Guardian)

Alabama Republicans Are Daring the Supreme Court to Uphold Its Own Voting Rights Ruling (Slate)

Iowa judge blocks state’s six-week abortion ban (The 19th*)

Sinkholes, flooded basements, road closures: More rain brings more damage across NH (NHPR)

This headline is bad - they're ANTI-ban bills, yay! Massachusetts Legislators Propose Book Ban Bills (Book Riot)

All the prison's presidents: Peru's special jail for ex-leaders is all full up (NPR)

In Gilgo Beach Killings, an Arrest Bears Out a Decade-Old Prediction (NYT)

Celebrities use social media as a new picket line for Hollywood strike (WaPo)

Taylor Swift Makes History As First Woman With Four Albums In Top 10 At The Same Time As ‘Speak Now’ Debuts At No. 1 (Deadline)

Umpiring Our Existential Crisis (Baseball Prospectus)

And some longer reads:

This is, uh, bad!! Trump and Allies Forge Plans to Increase Presidential Power in 2025 (NYT)

The West Is Returning Priceless African Art to a Single Nigerian Citizen (The Atlantic)

Masters of Their Own Realities (The Ringer)

The Replacement Player: Inside the hunt for difference-making talent on the margins of MLB rosters (Yahoo! Sports)

I wish to read this romance novel IMMEDIATELY: Who Was Tessa Kelso? A Feminist History of the Librarian Pioneer (Book Riot)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (7/17/23)

Today is Monday! My TV news roundup at The Televixen is on hiatus in solidarity with the striking workers.

I usually try to link to specific articles rather than liveblogs, but there's a bunch of breaking Russia/Ukraine news so: Ukraine attacked Crimean Bridge, official says; Russia says grain deal ‘being terminated’ (WaPo)

Of course: Iran's morality police to resume headscarf patrols (BBC)

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Airs Bigoted New Covid Conspiracy Theory About Jews and Chinese (NYT)

With Democratic ballot filling out, the 2024 race for NH governor begins to take shape (NHPR)

Tomato crisis hits India as rain ravages crops and prices rise 400% (The Guardian)

Thousands of authors urge AI companies to stop using work without permission (NPR)

WNBA players take offseason into their own hands with new winter league (The 19th*)

Never Too Young: Why Kids Deserve Queer Friendly Libraries (Book Riot)

My hot take is that if they do this they need to make it universal, or it will just increase the problem of only wealthy kids getting into the higher levels: Electronic communication devices for high school baseball may be coming to Connecticut (Yahoo! Sports)

Painting reattributed to Gainsborough after six decades labelled unknown (The Guardian)

And some longer reads:

Riots in France Highlight a Vicious Cycle Between Police and Minorities (NYT)

‘A long slog’: Inside DeSantis’s early struggles and effort to rebound (WaPo)

Maryland Is Becoming the Patron State of Abortions (Slate)

An Era of Dynamic Catchers Is Upon Us (NYT)

How Samuel R. Delany Reimagined Sci-Fi, Sex, and the City (New Yorker)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (7/16/23)

Today is Sunday and it's very rainy here.

Severe and prolonged heat wave nears peak: Live weather updates (WaPo)

New York Is Ordered by Appeals Court to Redraw House Map (NYT)

Trump's former AG Bill Barr says failing to prosecute Trump would be 'unjust' (NPR)

Ugh: Winnipeg can remove blockade over indigenous murders, court rules (BBC)

I... see. Trailing Trump by 30 Points, Ron DeSantis Plans Attack on Tim Scott (Slate)

This week's flooding caused significant crop loss for some NH farmers (NHPR)

Huw Edwards: how BBC news arm is driving story about one of its own (The Guardian)

New data shows hunger is a ‘really big issue’ for LGBTQ+ people in state, region (NH Bulletin)

Classrooms are dominating the culture war (The 19th*)

For Ronald Acuña Jr., superstardom is as simple as taking the field (WaPo)

And some longer reads:

The biggest obstacle to Ukraine’s counteroffensive? Minefields. (WaPo)

A National Treasure, Tarnished: Can Britain Fix Its Health Service? (NYT)

The Negro League revolutionized baseball – MLB's new rules are part of its legacy (NPR)

Dying Onstage: Performance, Theater, and Deception in Classic Murder Mysteries (CrimeReads)

This pitching/catching staff just seems to have really good vibes: Sean Murphy a star with Braves, who are getting elite offense from former A’s catcher (The Athletic)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (7/15/23)

Today is Saturday, and I had an eye injection yesterday so please excuse any important news I haven't caught up on yet.

Thailand’s winning candidate for PM blocked from power (The Guardian)

Families and health care workers sue Texas over gender-affirming care ban (The 19th*)

FTC investigates OpenAI over data leak and ChatGPT’s inaccuracy (WaPo)

Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig formally declares run for NH governor (NHPR)

FDA approves Opill, the first daily birth control pill without a prescription (NPR)

Bob Casey Hears You Comparing Him to Oatmeal. He Is Betting Boring Wins. (The Messenger)

With A Chronic Shortage Of Teachers, Hungary Is Struggling To Replace Them (RFE)

Liverpool LGBT+ group ‘appalled and concerned’ over Jordan Henderson’s potential Saudi Arabia move (The Athletic)

Scientists Have Found a Hot Spot on the Moon’s Far Side (NYT)

The .400 Mark Was Always a Lie (Baseball Prospectus)

And some longer reads:

Texas A&M recruited a UT professor to revive its journalism program, then watered down the offer after ‘DEI hysteria’ (The 19th*)

Hugs, handshakes and blanking your opponent: How geopolitics is impacting Wimbledon (The Athletic)

Underground Heat Is Shifting Chicago’s Foundations (NYT)

The Tyranny of the Tale (New Yorker)

It Cost $527 to Take a Family of Four to Yankee Stadium (Baseball Prospectus)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (7/14/23) - Friday Happy Links!

Yay, Friday happy links are here!

See the James Webb Telescope’s First Image of Saturn and Its Rings (Smithsonian)

Oh, interesting list: Ohtani, Acuña head into break on top of jersey sales (MLB)

Ooh: iHeartMedia, A.J Jacobs Team for Daily Puzzle Podcast (THR)

Grifter Princesses, Sci-Fi Romance, and Unchosen Ones: July’s Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books (LitHub)

Okay! Let’s Make This the Summer of the Creamsicle (Autostraddle)

Make-Up Games: Immaculate Grid (2023) (Baseball Prospectus)

eyes emoji: ‘X-Men’ & ‘Camp Cretaceous’ Scribe Zack Stentz Penning Animated Movie ‘The White Tower’ Inspired By ‘The Wheel Of Time’ (Deadline)

This sounds amazing: Iced Peach Lemonade Matcha Latte. (Half-Baked Harvest)

Geoffrey Chaucer note asking for time off work identified as his handwriting (The Guardian)

Fug Nation Loves (Possibly Random?) Stuff You Might Need For Your Vacation! (GFY)

And some longer reads:

MLB All Star Game red carpet! Do You Like Photos Of Dudes Holding Open Their Jackets? (GFY)

Happy Disability Pride Month 2023! (LGBTQ Reads)

It’s Never Been a Better Time for Vegan Ice Cream (NYT)

Meet the only European umpire in the Minor Leagues (MLB)

20 Must-Read Works of Historical Fiction Set in Mexico (Book Riot)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (7/13/23)

Today is Thursday! We're almost there!

Chinese hackers breach email of Commerce Secretary Raimondo and State Department officials (WaPo)

Sudan conflict: 87 people found in Darfur mass grave, UN says (BBC)

Guatemala’s Election Thrown Into Turmoil After Top Party Is Suspended (NYT)

As NH assesses local flood damage, emergency crews also help with recovery in Vermont (NHPR)

Iowa abortion providers sue to block enforcement of 6-week ban (Iowa Public Radio)

EPA recommends stricter rules on harmful lead dust in millions of homes, schools and day cares (CNN)

SAG-AFTRA Strike Imminent as Talks Conclude With No Deal (Variety)

Good for her: Oakland mayor meets with Rob Manfred to demonstrate city made ballpark proposal to A’s (The Athletic)

Of Course Guy Fieri Was Nice to Trump (Eater)

Industrial Revolution iron method ‘was taken from Jamaica by Briton’ (The Guardian)

And some longer reads:

A racist past and hotter future are testing Western water like never before (NPR)

The Most Shocking College Football Coach Firing in Recent Memory (Slate)

The Aesthetics of Noir: Ed Brubaker on His Latest Crime Graphic Novel, ‘Night Fever’ (CrimeReads)

Hurston Waldrep’s Freaky Splitter Is Coming! Beware! Beware! (FanGraphs)

Women on the Verge: The Jazz Age Origins of Burnout (LitHub)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (7/12/23)

Today is Wednesday and I stayed up too late watching the All Star Game.

Create new Europe-wide migrant rescue mission, EU parties implore (Politico EU)

How to help with flood recovery in Vermont (Vermont Public)

Not a surprise, but still terrible: Iowa GOP lawmakers pass 'fetal heartbeat' 6-week abortion ban (Iowa Public Radio)

Joe Biden’s New Student Debt Relief Plan Might Actually Work This Time (Slate)

SIGH: With deadline Friday, NH has not applied to receive additional EBT funds (NHPR)

Workers at Sega, Maker of Sonic the Hedgehog, Vote to Unionize in the US (The Messenger)

Oklahoma judge throws out a suit seeking reparations for the Tulsa Race Massacre (NPR)

Caster Semenya wins human rights court appeal; more challenges ahead (WaPo)

Milan Kundera, Czech Literary Star and Communist Party Outcast, Dies at 94 (NYT)

The Return of Ronald (Baseball Prospectus)

And some longer reads:

Vermont Floods Show Limits of America’s Efforts to Adapt to Climate Change (NYT)

It's hot. For farmworkers without federal heat protections, it could be life or death (NPR)

Former SF Giants prospect Solomon Bates has his eyes on the history books (SI)

The Puzzle of Putting Video Games in a Museum (New Yorker)

Five Great Books from the Borderlands of Mystery, Horror, and the Psychological Thriller (CrimeReads)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (7/11/23)

Today is Tuesday and we seem to have survived the storms. Hope you're all doing okay.

Turkey Clears the Way for Sweden’s Entry to NATO on the Eve of Summit (NYT)

Sudan on brink of all-out civil war, UN chief warns, after airstrike kills at least 22 (The Guardian)

Again, this will kill children: Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth reinstated (PinkNews)

Disgraced USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar is stabbed multiple times in prison (NPR)

This is bad for several reasons, including the fact that it's basically union-busting: New York Times will close sports desk, sending readers to the Athletic (WaPo)

Most Americans don’t agree with Supreme Court’s discrimination ruling (LGBTQ Nation)

NH utilities file new energy efficiency plans after controversy (NHPR)

Excited for this! Gallen, Cole get the honor of 1st career All-Star starts (MLB)

Yeahhhhh: Outrage over Jack the Ripper-inspired bar in Southsea prompts rethink (BBC)

Good luck!! Yankees reportedly hire broadcaster, former player Sean Casey as hitting coach after Dillon Lawson's firing (Yahoo! Sports)

And some longer reads:

Nina Totenberg: Supreme Court dissents and rejoinders, with respect and disrespect (NPR)

Rebecca Traister, great as always: RFK Jr.’s Inside Job: How a conspiracy-spewing literal Kennedy posing as a populist outsider jolted the Democratic Party. (NY Mag)

Greek shipwreck: hi-tech investigation suggests coastguard responsible for sinking (The Guardian)

When I got to a certain set of classmates in this I said WHY CHOOSE out loud to my computer, iykyk. Will Paul Skenes Be as Good a Pro Pitcher as His Teammate? (FanGraphs)

How Drag Queens Use Cookbooks To Flip Femininity (Eater)