Morning Coffee (5/27/19)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

European Election Results Show Growing Split Over Union’s Future

Inside the secret plot to turn senior Venezuelan officials against Maduro

The Guardrails Have Failed

TurboTax Uses A “Military Discount” to Trick Troops Into Paying to File Their Taxes

Pro-Choice Men: Here’s What You Need to Know

We asked the dads running for president what they do for child care

Harriet Tubman is already appearing on $20 bills whether Trump officials like it or not

FLDS and Seth Jeffs are now digging into Minnesota

'Phenomenal' 2,300-year-old bark shield found in Leicestershire

Fungus that draws gold from its surroundings discovered in Western Australia

Morning Coffee (5/26/19)

Australia’s conservative party retains power in shocking election result

In Parliament Elections, Populists Seek to Break the E.U. From Within

'Here We Go Again:' Judge Blocks Mississippi Abortion Ban

Federal judge blocks part of Trump’s US-Mexico border wall

Sad and scary: Jews in Germany warned of risks of wearing kippah cap in public

How Trump Is Outspending Every 2020 Democrat on Facebook

Funding shortfalls threaten Alaska ionosphere research center

Ugh: Amazon prevails in battle with South American countries for ‘.amazon’ domain name

This is so horrifying: Listen to an author realize her forthcoming book contains a terrible mistake

Lost Your Passport? For Americans in Austria, Any McDonald’s Can Help

Morning Coffee (7/9/18)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

Essential reading from Jamelle Bouie: White Fight: Donald Trump is leading the Republican charge to preserve a shrinking white majority.

Why Europe Could Melt Down Over a Simple Question of Borders

Twitter is finally addressing fake accounts. Trump wants it to go after two specific real ones.

Useful: The US-China trade war, explained in under 500 words

This Woman Flipped Off Donald Trump’s Motorcade Last Year. She’s Still Paying For It.

A baby was treated with a nap and a bottle of formula. His parents received an $18,000 bill.

Someone Is Stealing Italy’s Most Precious Cheese

Time to put THAT myth to rest: Research: Women Ask for Raises as Often as Men, but Are Less Likely to Get Them

Anne Tolstoi Wallach, 89, Dies; Her Advertising Novel Caused a Stir

Aaah, I am very excited that Patty Jenkins and Chris Pine are making a crime show.

Morning Coffee (3/6/18)

North Korea Is Willing to Discuss Giving Up Nuclear Weapons, South Says

Welp: Former Russian spy critically ill in UK 'after exposure to substance'

That was far from the craziest story yesterday! "A Belarusian escort with close ties to a powerful Russian oligarch said from behind bars in Bangkok on Monday that she had more than 16 hours of audio recordings that could help shed light on Russian meddling in United States elections."

Plus Former Trump aide Sam Nunberg called before grand jury, says he will refuse to go

And then Former Trump campaign aide burns everything down in epic series of cable news interviews

Back in sane news: After Months of Deadlock, Germany’s Merkel Finally Secures a Fourth Term

Eeeee, Mary Poppins Returns teaser trailer! I'M SO EXCITED.

When Stars Were Born: Earliest Starlight’s Effects Are Detected

I LOVE today's Google doodle for Gabriel Garcia Marquez's birthday.

Hmm: Historical Doc With A Hint of ‘Game Of Thrones’ Sold To Global Broadcasters

Morning Coffee (3/4/18)

Happy Oscar Day! ICYMI, here are all my picks and predictions.

Oh. Trump on Chinese president abolishing term limits: 'Maybe we'll give that a shot someday'

China’s Censors Ban Winnie the Pooh and the Letter ‘N’ After Xi’s Power Grab

Why Italy’s Insular Election Is More Important Than It Looks

Pakistan’s Shields Suddenly Step Aside, Placing It on Terrorism Listing

What Are Active-Shooter Drills Doing to Kids?

Uber and Lyft drivers' median hourly wage is just $3.37, report finds (And 30% are losing money!)

Sir Roger Bannister: First person to run a mile in under four minutes dies at 88

The British mint is making 10 pence coins for each letter of the alphabet. James Bond! Cricket! The Loch Ness Monster! King Arthur! QUEUEING. This is amazing.

1.5 Million Adelie Penguins Discovered on Remote Antarctic Islands

Heh: 17 More Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Morning Coffee (3/3/18)

ICYMI, yesterday's Oscar Posts: Watu Wote/All of Us and Marshall

Check back this afternoon for my master Oscar post with all my picks and predictions!

Everything seems fine! Putin’s ‘Invincible’ Missile Is Aimed at U.S. Vulnerabilities

Steve Bannon in Rome to 'support far-right candidate' in Italian election Of course he is.

This is terrible: Tammy Duckworth faces predicament in Senate over maternity leave

WHAT A WEIRD COINCIDENCE: Trump confidant dumped millions in steel-related stock last week

What a shock: Video game companies unaware of Trump’s summit on video game violence

Hahaha of course: Trump’s Nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize Was Apparently Forged. Twice.

Good for her: Aly Raisman files lawsuit against US Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics

Uh... La La Land, We Mean Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway Will Announce Best Picture

This cut-off makes a lot of sense to me: Defining generations: Where Millennials end and post-Millennials begin

This Case Has Everything: Doppelgängers, Stolen Identity, Poison, Cheesecake

Morning Coffee (2/27/18)

ICYMI, yesterday's Oscar Project posts: DeKalb Elementary, Roman J. Israel, Esq., Blade Runner 2049

Supreme Court Turns Down Trump’s Appeal in ‘Dreamers’ Case

Donald Trump's Russia Accomplices

Angela Merkel Starts Grooming Successors, and One Stands Out

Ughhh whyyyy: Levi Sanders makes it official, he’s a candidate for NH’s 1st District House seat

2018! ‘Clueless’ Star Stacey Dash Files to Run for Congress in California

The donation part is good but UGH to the "women are intimidated" stuff: Diageo Introduces ‘Jane Walker’ Scotch in Bid to Attract Women

The Iceman Cometh Out

Ugh, I'm sure I'll give in and subscribe eventually: Turner’s FilmStruck Adds Warner Bros. Classic Films, As Warner Archive Service Winds Down

MILK BATTLES: Former Olympians to Air Regional PSA During Closing Ceremonies Urging Athletes to Give Up Milk

Well, this story took a turn: 50 Cent admits in bankruptcy document that he never actually owned any bitcoin

Morning Coffee (2/7/18)

ICYMI, yesterday's Oscar Project posts: Icarus and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Germany coalition talks: Merkel's conservatives and SPD 'clinch deal'

Here's some good context for that: Fear and Loathing in the Bundestag

Of course: Justice Dept. Office to Make Legal Aid More Accessible Is Quietly Closed

How evil: Trump Evangelical Advisor: No Need for Flu Shots When You Can 'Inoculate Yourself With the Word of God'

What It May Take to Strike a Segregationist’s Name From a Georgia Bridge: Hundreds of Girl Scouts

Falcon Heavy, in a Roar of Thunder, Carries SpaceX’s Ambition Into Orbit

A Primer on the Four Olympic Events Debuting in Pyeongchang

Whoa: Exclusive: Laser Scans Reveal Maya "Megalopolis" Below Guatemalan Jungle

Hmmmm: 'Game of Thrones' Creators to Write New 'Star Wars' Film Series

Ooh, royal jewel drama: Romania Looking for Queen Marie's Lost Jewels

Morning Coffee (11/28/17)

James O'Keefe and his buddies tried to con the Washington Post and it, uh, did not work because they are in fact Real News: A woman approached The Post with dramatic — and false — tale about Roy Moore. She appears to be part of undercover sting operation.

Of course: Trump Mocks Warren as ‘Pocahontas’ at Navajo Veterans’ Event (And in front of a portrait of Andrew Jackson!)

CBO: the Senate Republican tax bill takes billions from the poor

Uh... 2 Bosses Show Up to Lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Here we go: Could Pence Clobber Cruz? A Bettor’s Guide to the 2020 Republican Primary

After Tumultuous Week, Germany’s Politics Look to the Familiar

The Fug Girls have you covered with Harry and Meghan's engagement photos and interview. Oh my gosh they are ADORABLE.

Enjoying Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s romance doesn’t make you a bad American

Lev Grossman is writing a long Arthurian novel and it sounds so interesting!

Whoo! Lady Bird Just Broke a Rotten Tomatoes Record Previously Held by Toy Story 2

Morning Coffee (11/19/17)

I'm traveling and compiled and scheduled this post in advance, so WHO KNOWS what's actually going on in the world by now. Back on Tuesday!

How Poland became a breeding ground for Europe’s far right

Awful: 'You're On Your Own': Servicewomen Describe Impact Of Military's Abortion Policy

The FBI’s Explanation For Why It Released Less Crime Data Doesn’t Add Up

‘Uncle Trump’ Finds Fans in China

I am obviously an outlier here, but this is interesting: Prudie Fans Don’t Read Politics, and Other Things We Learned by Analyzing the Habits of Slate Readers

Cool! FDA Approves First Digital Pill That Can Track Whether You've Taken It

This is wild: An Arrow Fell From the Sky and Disrupted a Cricket League

Apparently fair isle is in and I am very pleased about that.

Where Are All the Nannies on Instagram?

Wine From Prehistoric Georgia With an 8,000-Year-Old Vintage

Morning Coffee (11/13/17)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

Well, this seems... not good. 60,000 people march in massive Nazi rally in Poland

Security Breach and Spilled Secrets Have Shaken the N.S.A. to Its Core

Ex-intelligence chiefs: Trump is being played by Putin and US is in 'peril'

Obamacare Is Off Life Support — for Now

Flynn Kidnapping Plot Is Like Teapot Dome With a Dash of Treason

When a President's Speech Is Dangerous

How the Myth of the Artistic Genius Excuses the Abuse of Women

On the other hand, some of what Mary Beard is saying here has been bothering me as well: Guilty until proven innocent

One of the Oldest and Most Distant Objects in the Universe Has Been Discovered

A Grecian Artifact Evokes Tales From the ‘Iliad’ and ‘Odyssey’

Morning Coffee (10/24/17)

Spain’s prime minister has moved to strip Catalonia of its leadership. It’s an unprecedented act.

Soldier’s Widow Says Trump Struggled to Remember Sgt. La David Johnson’s Name

I wish this had been a bigger story than it was: 3 white supremacists arrested in Florida for shooting at anti-racism protesters

Rigged: How Voter Suppression Threw Wisconsin to Trump

More than 20,000 underage girls marry illegally each day, claims study

Amazing: We Set up a Hotline to Help You Reject Creepy Men

Yay! ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ is returning for a second season

Quite the headline: Infamous Murderer Of Children Can't Be Cremated To Music Of Berlioz, Court Says

Heh: Stephen Hawking's Ph.D Thesis Is Now Crashing Cambridge's Website [Updated]

I just love this line: "Real Madrid could afford him but that would also mean having to end football immediately, for ever."

Morning Coffee (10/14/17)

In Spain, Confusion And Uncertainty About Catalonia's Future

How Israel Caught Russian Hackers Scouring the World for U.S. Secrets

SIGH: Bernie Sanders to deliver opening-night speech at Women's Convention

Trump claims he ‘met with the president of the Virgin Islands.’ There’s just one problem. THAT'S YOU, YOU IDIOT.

Why Donald Trump Doesn't Care About Puerto Ricans

This is good, by Jon Favreau: American Awakening

Whoa: Unsent text message accepted as valid will by Australian court

How A Venezuelan Chef Is Teaching Women To Make Chocolate And Money

Important PSA: Covergirl's Slogan is No Longer "Easy, Breezy, Beautiful Covergirl" This is weirdly upsetting to me given that I don't think I've ever purchased one of their products.

Metal detectorists unearth unique hoard of Roman artefacts

Morning Coffee (10/1/17)

Happy October! Don't forget to pay your rent! (The first being on a Sunday always messes me up.)

Catalonia's referendum is today and it looks like things are... not great. Here's the Guardian's liveblog.

Will Ireland finally legalize abortion? Polls paint a complicated picture.

The Misunderstood Roots of Burma's Rohingya Crisis

Uh, sure! California Seeks Moving Up 2020 Presidential Primary To Get More Sway

How Susan Collins Helped Save Obamacare

Aw: Obama Says Leaving Malia at College Was ‘Like Open-Heart Surgery’

I watched this yesterday and AGREE COMPLETELY, but this review is a masterpiece and worth reading: Marvel's Inhumans is jaw-droppingly awful television. Even worse, it’s boring.

IS IT? Carbon found in 3.95bn-year-old rocks is remnant of ancient life – researchers

X-rays of rare Degas sculptures reveal artist's secrets

Heh: Marcel Proust paid for reviews praising his work to go into newspapers

Morning Coffee (9/30/17)

Catalonia’s Independence Referendum: What’s at Stake?

Kurds Voted. So Is the Middle East Breaking Up?

Uh... U.S. ambassador breaks with policy: ‘I think the settlements are part of Israel’

Well this was... barely a blip: Terrorists just tried to assassinate Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in Afghanistan

Trump Keeps Talking About a ‘Hospitalized’ Senator That Doesn’t Exist

Also: Trump Duped by Old Footage of Iranian Missile Test

Traces of Crime: How New York’s DNA Techniques Became Tainted

Whoa: 'Chemical surgery' used to mend harmful mutations in human embryos

After Outcry, Irish Government Buys Yeats’s Artifacts

Ball Gowns, Lace Ruffs and Fairy Wings: Theater History for Sale

Morning Coffee (9/28/17)

Me elsewhere: Me, Myself & I was bad.

Good thing we didn't put her in charge of anything: Clinton pressed Trump to deploy hospital ship Comfort to Puerto Rico. Now it’s preparing to go.

"The acting head of the Drug Enforcement Administration will resign at the end of the week, according to law enforcement officials, who said he had become convinced that President Trump had little respect for the law."

These women are amazing: A Sisterhood of Domestic Workers is Fighting Against SB 4

Angela Merkel won in a landslide — now comes the hard part

Labour's route to Downing Street

Jemele Hill on doing the right thing

THE TANA FRENCH SHOW IS FINALLY HAPPENING!!!

Ooh: Delta Is Offering Free Messaging on Flights Starting in October

Whoa: Lady Lucan, key figure in 1974 murder mystery, found dead at London home

California Officially Has a State Dinosaur

Morning Coffee (9/26/17)

Me elsewhere: My thoughts on Star Trek: Discovery!

Experts on North Korea’s latest threat: “This is how war by miscalculation starts”

Go Susan Collins! (Honestly I'm glad we get to praise someone other than McCain this time.) Health Bill Appears Dead as Pivotal G.O.P. Senator Declares Opposition

I just... At Least 6 White House Advisers Used Private Email Accounts

Germany’s Far Right Complicates Life for Merkel, and the E.U.

In case you want to catch up on what happened over the weekend: Donald Trump versus the NFL, explained

Related: Star Trek: Discovery cast takes a knee in premiere night protest

Related to that, Mallory Ortberg is recapping Discovery and I'm very excited about it.

Here's an interesting read in light of the upcoming Catalonia referendum: Domains Are Power

How Toys R Us Succumbed to Its Nasty Debt Problem

Local languages are driving the BBC’s expansion in Africa

Morning Coffee (9/23/17)

Here's What You Need To Know About Germany's Election

SHRUG: Manafort Working on Kurdish Referendum Opposed by U.S.

What a shock: Trump is assembling the most male-dominated government in decades

Aaron Hernandez Had Severe C.T.E. When He Died at Age 27 (Not a surprise, but the fact that it was so bad so young is... not good, when it comes to the danger of pre-NFL play.)

World's richest woman Liliane Bettencourt dies aged 94 (I hear this new book about her is very good.)

Lillian Ross, a Pioneer of Literary Journalism, Has Died at Ninety-Nine

Annie Proulx is getting a lifetime achievement National Book Award, and the bits of her interview in there are very interesting.

This is SO GROSS. It's even worse than the headline makes it sound: Ian Somerhalder 'Threw Out' Nikki Reed's Birth Control Pills So She Would Get Pregnant

This is ALSO gross: Divorce Comedy With Royal Family Twist From Meghan Markle’s Ex-Husband Trevor Engelson Set At Fox With Big Commitment

Restoring Eleanor Roosevelt’s Childhood Home on the Hudson

Morning Coffee (9/2/17)

I made some changes around here yesterday! If you missed it, take a look at my post explaining everything. And please consider supporting my Patreon - if all my regular readers gave just a dollar or two per month, we'd easily fund the next goal, which includes PAYING PEOPLE (you??) to write guest posts!

Extremely useful: Six Charts To Help Americans Understand The Upcoming German Election

This seems, you know, important: Russian Election Hacking Efforts, Wider Than Previously Known, Draw Little Scrutiny

"The president, for his part, has marveled at the installation of management controls that would have been considered routine in any other White House."

The Onion in the age of Trump: ‘What we do becomes essential when its targets are this clownish’

I wish the need for this were surprising: These Women Entrepreneurs Created A Fake Male Cofounder To Dodge Startup Sexism

Todd VanDerWerff is a delight, as usual: Should you spend $20+ to see Marvel’s Inhumans in IMAX? Look, it’s your money.

A New Statue Remembers A Forgotten, Working Class Suffragette

Why African-American Soldiers Saw World War II as a Two-Front Battle

I was just wondering about this: Why Are We All Supposed to Be Excited to Eat Charcoal?

Inside One of Tinder’s Controversial Hamptons Parties

Morning Coffee (8/13/17)

Donald Trump refuses to name the problem of white supremacist violence

"Why we voted for Donald Trump": David Duke explains the white supremacist Charlottesville protests

Unite the Right, the violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, explained

Dozens of Women Are Considering Suing Google Over Alleged Workplace Sexism and Pay Inequity

Interesting: Mormon official ousted; first excommunication of a top church leader in decades

Ugh, this is such a hard issue: Save your local! Should volunteers help keep our public libraries open?

Ooh, the new Hamilton app looks fun.

Heh: Croatian Island Wants Tourists Who Don’t Behave Badly

Your Instagram Posts May Hold Clues to Your Mental Health

Sampling DNA From a 1,000-Year-Old Illuminated Manuscript