Morning Coffee (2/16/19)

“This is a constitutional crisis”: a legal expert on Trump’s emergency declaration

The real national emergency is Trump’s incompetence

Brief diversion to a crisis elsewhere: Alarm raised over bill allowing Sisi to rule Egypt until 2034

Hmm: Former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld announces plan to challenge President Trump for Republican nomination

Andrew McCabe's book might be worth reading: Every Day Is a New Low in Trump's White House

The fight between Ilhan Omar and Elliott Abrams, Trump’s Venezuela envoy, explained

Paid line-standing: the bizarre congressional practice that shocked Ocasio-Cortez, explained

Amazon’s Retreat on New York City Headquarters Followed Unexpected Backlash

Paperback pioneer Betty Ballantine dead at 99

NASA’s ice-measuring mission may be extended after shutdown delay

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

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 (10/4/18)

A running list of everyone the FBI has interviewed in the Kavanaugh investigation so far (and, you know, HASN'T)

And a late related addition: The F.B.I. Probe Ignored Testimonies from Former Classmates of Kavanaugh

Seriously, we need to see Donald Trump’s tax returns

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Trump administration working to weaken EPA radiation regulations

Shinzo Abe reshuffle leaves just one woman in Japanese cabinet

Beatles Engineer Geoff Emerick Has Died at 72

!! Dwarf planet 'The Goblin' discovery redefining solar system

Veteran CBS Producer Brad Kern Fired Amid Abuse Claims

Amazon is raising its minimum wage to $15 for US workers

Riddle of a Scandalous French Painting Is Solved, Researcher Says

Cardiff University's new X-ray method reveals ancient scroll

Morning Coffee (10/2/18)

The Confusion Surrounding the F.B.I.’s Renewed Investigation of Brett Kavanaugh

And an update: White House Tells F.B.I. to Interview Anyone Necessary for Kavanaugh Inquiry

Make sure you read until you get to MERRICK GARLAND because hahahaha: Brett Kavanaugh’s Comments In That Hearing Raise Ethics Questions That Will Likely Follow Him Whether Or Not He's Confirmed

This was even worse than I expected: ‘This guy doesn’t know anything’: the inside story of Trump’s shambolic transition team

Some good news! California Toughens Sexual Harassment Laws, Launches Gender Parity Push for Corporate Boards

The Man Standing Between Brazil and Authoritarianism

...of course: Border agent to pay $220K for Tucson-area wildfire sparked at gender-reveal party

Uh, NOPE: MoviePass Is Now Re-Enrolling Former Customers in an 'Unlimited' Plan Unless They 'Opt Out'

James P Allison and Tasuku Honjo win Nobel prize for medicine

Caravaggio May Have Died of Infected Sword Wound, Not Syphilis

Morning Coffee (8/14/18)

This is evil: Aurora parents fighting to stop legally adopted 4-year-old daughter from being deported

FBI agent Peter Strzok fired over anti-Trump texts

GOP lawmaker's son blasts father's role in Strzok saga, wants to flip his seat

Of course: White House Takes Aim At Financial Protections For Military

Trump Foreign Policy Held Back by Struggle to Grasp Time Zones, Maps

The Connecticut governor’s race, a rare 2018 opening for Republicans, explained

Stephen Miller Is an Immigration Hypocrite. I Know Because I’m His Uncle.

...yep: Anti-immigration Norwegian minister resigns over Iran holiday security fears

Behind Hollywood’s A-List Bidding War for a McDonald’s Monopoly Article

More young footballers dying of heart problems than thought, FA study finds

Morning Coffee (7/14/18)

12 Russian Agents Indicted in Mueller Investigation

US Fails to Reunite Detained, Deported Parents With Their Young Children

Trump administration to turn away far more asylum seekers at the border under new guidance

F.B.I. Agent Defends Actions in Russia Inquiry in Contentious House Testimony

This is awful: Adoption agencies could refuse same-sex couples under measure OK'd by House panel

Ugh: Split Supreme Court Says N.H. Residency Voting Bill Constitutional

FACT CHECK: Trump's Claims On NATO Spending

Why banning plastic straws upsets people with disabilities

Libraries are Bridging the Summer Gap for Hungry Kids

A Massive, Black Sarcophagus Has Been Unearthed in Egypt, And Nobody Knows Who's Inside

Afternoon Tea (7/11/18)

This was fascinating: The Daughter as Detective

Lorena Bobbitt’s American Dream

He was one of Jersey's most famous poets. The FBI worried he was a communist.

The True Story of “A Very English Scandal” and the Trials of a Closeted Gay Politician

The Deep History of Women and Bread, Part One

Morning Coffee (5/21/18)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

Trump Jr. and Other Aides Met With Gulf Emissary Offering Help to Win Election

F.B.I. Used Informant to Investigate Russia Ties to Campaign, Not to Spy, as Trump Claims

The Lesson of Eric Greitens, and the Navy SEALs Who Tried to Warn Us

'Live Free Or Die' Motto Often Invoked at State House, With Mixed Results

Construction Unions Ally with Striking Teachers to Fight for Prevailing Wage Laws

L.G.B.T. Students in Oregon Were Bullied and Forced to Read Bible, Report Says

Seven Reasons Consent Apps Are a Terrible Idea

Yaay, new Troye Sivan album August 31st!

Here Are All the New TV Teasers and Fall Lineups

Hasbro Has Officially Trademarked the Smell of Your Childhood: Play-Doh

Morning Coffee (5/20/18)

This story about claiming Dreamers are gang-affiliated in order to deport them is unsurprising but completely horrifying.

Justice Department and F.B.I. Are Investigating Cambridge Analytica

Somehow this actual story is even more alarming than the headline makes it sound: Bill Gates Had to Explain to Donald Trump the Difference Between HIV and HPV

Trump personally pushed postmaster general to double rates on Amazon, other firms

Can Boring Win in 2020? (I WISH.)

Let's take a break for this amazing headline: Hotel Chocolat fires new salvo at Waitrose in chocolate war

Harry and Meghan’s New Titles are Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and there's some interesting history there.

I love today's Abraham Ortelius Google doodle.

Today in Oscar Bait Mad Libs: Leonardo DiCaprio Teaming Up With Steven Spielberg On Ulysses S. Grant Biopic

Lisbeth Salander Returns in 'The Girl Who Danced With Death' Comic

Morning Coffee (4/22/18)

Obama wrote the Time 100 piece about the Parkland students and obviously it's great.

I think this is correct: James Comey’s self-righteousness is what American institutions need to survive Trump

US and UK blame Russia for 'malicious' cyber-offensive

...good for Cruz?? Cruz joins male Dem senators in push for vote on Hill harassment overhaul

The Insidious Power of ‘A Hundred Girls Would Do This Job for Free’

Fascinating: Never Solved, a College Dorm Fire Has Become One Man’s Obsession

Baby in China Is Born to Surrogate 4 Years After His Parents’ Deaths

Boy unearths treasure of the Danish king Bluetooth in Germany

Babies Appear to Understand Human Emotions at a Very Early Age

27 Incredibly Useful Things You Didn’t Know Chrome Could Do

Morning Coffee (4/21/18)

Democratic Party sues Russia, Trump campaign and WikiLeaks alleging 2016 campaign conspiracy (The discovery!!!)

6 Takeaways From the James Comey Memos

YAY: Kris Kobach Held in Contempt of Court

lolol: Trump hires Giuliani, two other attorneys amid mounting legal turmoil over Russia

In Journalist’s Murder, a Test for Malta, and the European Union

Sexual Harassment Was Rampant at Coachella 2018

Lance Armstrong Settles Federal Fraud Case for $5 Million

This is great: Party City Offers Ramadan Decorations, a First for a Big U.S. Retailer

Why we should stop treating Silicon Valley’s male CEOs like children

Scientists discover dozens of new genes for hair colour

Morning Coffee (4/10/18)

Congratulations to her!! Tammy Duckworth gives birth to girl: First senator to have baby while in office

F.B.I. Raids Office of Trump’s Longtime Lawyer Michael Cohen; Trump Calls It ‘Disgraceful’

At least Republicans care so much about... *checks notes* oh. Federal Budget Deficit Projected to Soar to Over $1 Trillion in 2020

Stormy Daniels’ Motion to Depose Trump Is on Stunningly Solid Legal Footing

Huh: Jared Kushner’s $1.2 billion miracle

I can't believe it's been ten years: The Raid on YFZ Ranch, Ten Years Later

A Fossilized Finger Bone May Be From the Earliest Humans on the Arabian Peninsula

Oh yay! ‘C.B. Strike’ Gets Summer Premiere Date On Cinemax

Ugh: Anti-vaccine reviewers target children’s books on Amazon

Oh neat: 19th-Century Playbills to Be Restored and Digitized

Morning Coffee (3/22/18)

The Statesman continues to have good coverage of the Austin bombings.

Peru president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigns amid corruption scandal

Quite the story: Kidnapped Royalty Become Pawns in Iran’s Deadly Plot

EXCLUSIVE: Fired FBI official authorized criminal probe of Sessions, sources say

The Strange Tale of Trump's Phone Call to Putin

There’s Never Been a Native American Congresswoman. That Could Change in 2018.

Good for Julie Plec: Former 'Vampire Diaries' Writer Details Harassment on Set

Artifacts Stolen in Massive Archaeological Theft Recovered in Canterbury

Interesting: Google plans to boost Amazon competitors in search shopping ads

This sounds right up my alley: Lionsgate to Develop World War II Story ‘How the Girl Guides Won the War’

Researchers Create Simulated Exoplanet Atmospheres

Morning Coffee (2/6/18)

Yesterday's Oscar project posts: The Disaster Artist and Dunkirk

To Counter Russia, U.S. Signals Nuclear Arms Are Back in a Big Way

“Unprecedented”: 9 historians on why Trump’s war with the FBI is so stunning

After Years of Investigation, a Sudden Folding of the Case Against Menendez

Awesome: O Canada: Senate backs gender-neutral changes to national anthem

Good: Larry Nassar Sentenced To Additional 40 To 125 Years In Prison

Wow, good for them: Fox's 'Hate U Give' Actor Dropped From Movie After Racially Charged Remarks (And for those of you who haven't been following this - this movie is explicitly about the Black Lives Matter movement and this actor was found to have racist videos on YouTube, so.)

So sad: ‘Frasier’ Star John Mahoney Dies at 77 If you haven't seen Broken Hearts Club, you should.

Oooh, I really like the Solo trailer!

Where NASA Put a Parking Lot, Dinosaurs and Mammals Once Crossed Paths

USEFUL: How to Get Rid of Those Annoying Mac Update Notifications

Morning Coffee (2/1/18)

ICYMI, yesterday's Oscar post: The Post

Train Carrying GOP Lawmakers Hits Garbage Truck In Virginia (SOMEONE DIED so the obvious comment isn't, ah, appropriate here.)

F.B.I. Condemns Push to Release Secret Republican Memo

Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, C.D.C. Director, Resigns Over Tobacco and Other Investments

Hillary Clinton wrote about her decision in 2008 to punish but not fire someone accused of harassment and it's very well-reasoned and thoughtful. GOOD THING SHE'S NOT IN CHARGE OF ANYTHING, huh?

This sounds... dangerous: Russian jet flies within 5 feet of US Navy plane, Pentagon says

Of COURSE he is: Greg Gianforte, politician who assaulted reporter, to lead communications workshop

Whoa: Japan's Fujifilm to take over Xerox in $6.1 billion deal, create JV

!!! Scientists discover ‘the holy grail of dinosaurs’ in Africa

It's finally happening! Julian Fellowes’ ‘The Gilded Age’ Drama Series Set For 2019 Launch On NBC

Found: An 800-Year-Old Chess Piece

Morning Coffee (1/25/18)

ICYMI, I wrote about my favorite movie of the year.

In Davos, Merkel Warns Against 'Poison' Of Right-Wing Populism

Also: In a first, only women will lead Davos — an elite meeting of mostly men

THIS IS NOT NORMAL: Trump asked the acting FBI director how he voted during Oval Office meeting

Female journalists kept at back of Pence’s visit to Western Wall

GOOD: Larry Nassar Sentencing: ‘I Just Signed Your Death Warrant’

An important read: I Was Tortured in Gay Conversion Therapy. And It’s Still Legal in 41 States.

Pro-Trump Maine Town Manager Fired After Touting ‘White Civil Rights’ Views

How Russia’s Hilarious, Homoerotic “Satisfaction” Became a Nationwide Meme of Solidarity

Chinese Scientists Clone Monkeys Using Method That Created Dolly The Sheep

Ooh: Collection of Sylvia Plath's possessions to be sold at auction

Morning Coffee (12/27/17)

A bit of good news! Measles Deaths Fall to a Record Low Worldwide

Cities sue Defense Dept. over gun-check system failures

I for one am shocked: FBI Software For Analyzing Fingerprints Contains Russian-Made Code, Whistleblowers Say

New York's attorney general has taken his ONE HUNDREDTH ACTION against the Trump administration. Already.

This must be KILLING these racists: White House to cut back magnolia tree planted by Andrew Jackson

The Roots of Poland’s Defiance of the European Union

Ooooh: Clock Is Ticking on $10 Million Reward in Gardner Art Heist

The Millennia of #MeToo in Mary Beard’s “Women & Power”

I didn't know about this whole saga! Simonetta Puccini, Keeper of the Composer’s Flame, Dies at 89

Inside 'The X-Files' Season 11: Mulder and Scully Take on Their Biggest Mystery Yet

Morning Coffee (12/23/17)

Defying Trump, U.N. General Assembly Condemns U.S. Decree on Jerusalem

Hmm: FBI’s top lawyer said to be reassigned

What a shock: Trump Promised to Protect Steel. Layoffs Are Coming Instead.

Also a shock, obviously: Women Are Invited to Give Fewer Talks Than Men at Top U.S. Universities

Wales launches strategy to double number of Welsh speakers by 2050

Zora Neale Hurston's study of the US slave trade's last survivor to be published in 2018

!! Tiny marsupial believed extinct in NSW rediscovered by scientists

Doctors Are 3D Printing Ear Bones To Help With Hearing Loss

Leicester car park where Richard III was buried given protected status

Ooh, excited for this: BBC and Netflix Release First Look at ‘Troy: Fall of a City’

Morning Coffee (12/9/17)

F.B.I. Warned Hope Hicks About Emails From Russian Operatives

Voucher Schools Championed By Betsy DeVos Can Teach Whatever They Want. Turns Out They Teach Lies.

Study: Hillary Clinton’s emails got as much front-page coverage in 6 days as policy did in 69

This is really impressive: What Colin Kaepernick's Philanthropy Tells Us About His Vision for Social Change in America

How white engineers built racist code – and why it's dangerous for black people

Aww: Albuquerque police officer adopts a homeless addict’s baby after a chance on-duty encounter

This is important: An Open Letter to HarperCollins about TO SIRI WITH LOVE

OH GOOD: Can't Be Topped: Neapolitan-Style Pizza Making Wins UNESCO Heritage Status

How to Make a Holiday Playlist That Doesn't Sound Like a CVS

See a 94-Year-Old Sphinx Emerge From Californian Sand Dunes