Morning Coffee (5/21/19)

In Syria, Reports Of 19 Medical Facilities Bombed Since April 28

Accountants Must Turn Over Trump’s Financial Records, Lower-Court Judge Rules

White House blocks former counsel McGahn from testifying to Congress

THIS IS ASTONISHING, even by our current dismal standards: The Century-Old ‘Science Fiction’ Behind Ohio Rep’s Bill Covering Nonexistent Ectopic Pregnancy Treatment

Disgusting: Trump’s pick for ICE director: I can tell which migrant children will become gang members by looking into their eyes

Elizabeth Warren Has a Plan to Save Abortion Rights Of course she does.

Niki Lauda, Austrian Formula 1 legend, dies at 70

This sounds great! Berkley Has Acquired Its First Queer Female Romance and We Have All The Details!

Citrus Farmers Facing Deadly Bacteria Turn to Antibiotics, Alarming Health Officials

The new kilogram just debuted. It’s a massive achievement.

Morning Coffee (5/12/19)

Inside Syria’s Secret Torture Prisons: How Bashar al-Assad Crushed Dissent

There is the WILDEST anecdote in here: How golf explains Trump. Seriously.

The White House revoked my press pass. It’s not just me — it’s curtailing access for all journalists.

Pete Buttigieg Confronts Race and Identity in Speech to Gay Group

Huge Racial Disparities Found in Deaths Linked to Pregnancy

Ireland’s Church Homes Gave Children’s Bodies to Medical Schools for Dissection

Dutch family in cash plea to save ancestor’s tulip mania paintings

PERFECT: Kristin Scott Thomas Joins Ben Wheatley's 'Rebecca' Adaptation for Netflix

Producer Greg Berlanti Sets New Series Record With Another Strong Upfront

Morning Coffee (3/23/19)

Last ISIS Village in Syria Falls, and a Caliphate Crumbles

This does a good job of clarifying what's going on right now: The brewing fight over making the Mueller report public, explained

New Zealand to Ban Military-Style Semiautomatic Guns, Jacinda Ardern Says

E.U. Approves Brexit Extension, but Chaotic Departure Still Looms

Trump Overrules Own Experts on Sanctions, in Favor to North Korea

Good: Judge Restores Wisconsin Governor's Powers, Strikes Down GOP Laws

Teen arrested over racist threat that closed Charlottesville schools

All the numbers here are awful: Only 7 Black Students Got Into Stuyvesant, N.Y.’s Most Selective High School, Out of 895 Spots

Beto O’Rourke’s border cred is genuine. It’s not the same as an immigration platform.

Good for them: GoFundMe Bans Anti-Vaxxers Who Raise Money to Spread Misinformation

Afternoon Tea (2/6/19)

On the Overlooked Eroticism of Mary Oliver

A Syrian Chocolatier's Legend Lives On In Europe — But Stays Close To Its Roots

A fascinating photoessay by a firefighter: To Smolder, Burn Slow

What Soybean Politics Tell Us About Argentina and China

Unlocking Access to Ancient Science in Renaissance Italy: the vernacularization of Pliny’s ‘Historia Naturalis’

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 (12/27/18)

This Washington Post analysis of the effects of school lockdowns is essential reading: ‘What if someone was shooting?’

Syria’s once-teeming prison cells being emptied by mass murder

Did a Queens Podiatrist Help Donald Trump Avoid Vietnam?

Hilarious: Suggested rules for the Democratic primary debates

Health care in this country is so broken: 'Wallet biopsy': Organ transplant often depends on patient's finances

Gov. Jerry Brown Commutes 131 Sentences and Orders DNA Testing in Death Row Case

Sister Wendy Beckett, Nun Who Became a BBC Star, Dies at 88

Antarctic expedition sets out to map Larsen C ice shelf

Archaeologists find remains of horses in ancient Pompeii stable

I understand how there's no need to mourn in the way they mean, but this also shows what a toll elite sports take on young athletes: No Need to Mourn as Missy Franklin Retires From Swimming at 23

Morning Coffee (12/23/18)

It’s official: the government is partially shut down

Supreme Court denies Trump administration request to immediately enforce new asylum rules

Trump call with Turkish leader led to US pullout from Syria

Does Trump think there are actual coyotes coming over the border?

The Battle to Stop Family Separation

The comically large 2020 Democratic field, explained

When Report Cards Go Out on Fridays, Child Abuse Increases on Saturdays, Study Finds

An Island Nation’s Health Experiment: Vaccines Delivered by Drone

Huge Martian Crater 'Korolev' Appears Topped With Miles Of Pristine Snow

Forgotten statue kept in a margarine tub is 2,000-year-old treasure

Morning Coffee (12/22/18)

The correct take on Mattis, I think: There never were any “adults in the room”

U.S. Exit Seen as a Betrayal of the Kurds, and a Boon for ISIS

Oh no, GET WELL SOON: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Has Been Treated For Lung Cancer

The Republican Party versus democracy

Are Trump’s Immigration Policies Literally Making Us Sick?

Yay! Nevada Becomes First State With Majority of Women in Assembly

Of course: Trump Officials Plan to Rescind Obama-Era School Discipline Policies

CRYING FOREVER: Listen to Barack Obama on Lin-Manuel Miranda's new Hamilton remix

Gladys West, the 'hidden figure' of GPS, inducted into Air Force hall of fame

Simply Having a Gay Straight Alliance Reduces Suicide Risk for All Students

Morning Coffee (12/20/18)

Trump is pulling all US ground troops from Syria

Remember the Big Story in the Russia Scandal: Donald Trump Betrayed America

The mysterious grand jury appeal that may be tied to the Mueller investigation, explained

Republican Leadership Is Slowly Backing Away From Trump

Of course: GOP senator blocks reappointment of EEOC's only LGBTQ commissioner

Meanwhile in New Hampshire: Now In Control, Dems Move To Bring Back Ban On Guns In N.H. House Chamber

Families Are Still Being Separated at the Border, Months After “Zero Tolerance” Was Reversed

The Imagined Threat of a Woman Who Governs Like a Man

Whoa: Der Spiegel says top journalist faked stories for years

WHAT THE HECK: No Bed, No Breakfast, but 4-Star Gunfire. Welcome to a War Hostel.

Morning Coffee (10/17/18)

Trump buys Saudi leader’s claim that he wasn’t involved in Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance

American Mercenaries Were Hired To Assassinate Politicians In The Middle East

Why Assad and Russia Target the White Helmets

Good: Time’s Up Co-Founder to Represent ‘Media Men’ List Creator

Progressives have nothing to learn from “nationalist” backlash politics

This is a really interesting piece about how political parties are perceived as gendered: Why Can’t Democrats Get Angry?

Well, this was predictable: Sex workers returned to SF streets after Backpage.com shut down

White Supremacists Still Have a Safe Space Online

Sommelier Cheating Scandal Leaves Bitter Taste In The Wine World

Aww: Two Women Left the Bachelor: Vietnam for Each Other and Are Now in a Relationship

Morning Coffee (9/12/18)

Fight to Retake Last ISIS Territory in Syria Begins

War games and business deals: Russia, China send a signal to Washington

Well done, Ireland: Trump cancels Ireland trip after groups announce planned protests

The Limits of Obama's Legacy

In an Increasingly Diverse House, Aides Remain Remarkably White

Bob Woodward’s new book, Fear, explained

Simple Hack Turns India's Massive Biometric Database Into a Profitable Counterfeit System

Interesting: More US School Kids Than Ever Are Wearing Uniforms This Fall

Toddlers and Chimpanzees Share a Surprising Unspoken Language

This is a truly great headline: Colorado Sports Fan's Plan To Rob Vape Store Falls Apart After He Drops Gun And Pants

Morning Coffee (9/8/18)

(I'm on vacation, so this was written in advance.)

The looming fight for Idlib, Syria’s last main rebel stronghold, explained

‘Five Eyes’ Nations Quietly Demand Government Access to Encrypted Data

What Did Brett Kavanaugh Know About His Former Boss’s Sexual Misconduct?

‘He would be the first to kneel’: Pat Tillman exploited to attack Kaepernick, biographer says

Iran’s former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is tweeting about Colin Kaepernick because 2018

The left’s best hope to pick up a Senate seat is in Delaware

The emerging plan to save the American labor movement

Was She J.D. Salinger’s Predator or His Prey?

Archaeologists Just Unearthed an Ancient Egyptian Village Older Than the Great Pyramids of Giza

First known omnivorous shark species identified

Afternoon Tea (8/21/18)

This is fascinating and I will definitely watch the movie that I'm sure is already in the works: Saving Lives With Tech Amid Syria’s Endless Civil War

The Greatest Upset in Quiz Show History

7 Spots in Singapore Every 'Crazy Rich Asians' Fan Needs to See

Crime [Fiction] in Closed Societies

Every time I watch a documentary I think "I should see more documentaries," so this looks useful: 18 New Documentaries to See in 2018

Morning Coffee (7/25/18)

Israel just shot down a Syrian fighter jet

lolol Trump, Now Acknowledging Russian Interference, Claims It's Aimed At Helping Dems

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Russia slams US general, says he 'discredited' Trump

Sure: Trump: “Tariffs are the greatest.” Also farmers need $12 billion in aid because of tariffs.

Of course: Jeff Sessions Laughs and Echoes ‘Lock Her Up’ Chant With Conservative High Schoolers

The Man Booker longlist includes the first graphic novel!

Eleven babies die after Dutch women given Viagra in drug trial

Archaeologists have found the remains of one of Jamestown’s early settlers. Now they have to prove he is who they think he is.

'Supergirl' Casts First Transgender Superhero On Television

First edition of Ada Lovelace's pioneering algorithm sold for £95,000

Morning Coffee (4/14/18)

U.S., Britain and France Strike Syria Over Suspected Chemical Weapons Attack

Trump issues pardon to ‘Scooter’ Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Cheney

The National Enquirer, a Trump Rumor, and Another Secret Payment to Buy Silence

Please Stop Playing Chicken with President Trump

It's horrifying that they let him out on bail: Man Charged With Killing Teen Girl Right Before She Was Scheduled to Testify Against Him for Rape

This is a great idea: Expropriation and social use of empty bank-owned flats to resume

This is quite the piece: Dog rescuers, flush with donations, buy animals from the breeders they scorn

Ooh, the Shibutanis are taking a season off from competition.

Sigh: NFL Safety Eric Reid Met With the Cincinnati Bengals and Everything Was Going Great Until They Got to the Protests

! Samuel Taylor Coleridge's remains rediscovered in wine cellar

Morning Coffee (4/8/18)

Dozens Suffocate in Syria as Government Is Accused of Chemical Attack

'Hang women who have abortions' is not a view that's fit for public debate

This Pruitt profile is quite something: Making America Toxic Again

Again, (unfortunately) not surprising but important to have the data: Government Watchdog Finds Racial Bias in School Discipline

Why I’m thankful for Louise Linton, the Trump administration’s resident supervillainess

Therapy, Mozart, play zones: it's a Spanish police dog's life

The Curious Case of the Yeshiva Carve-Out

What! Dunkin' Donuts test-selling doughnut fries, chicken tenders (ALSO PRETZELS, which I will try.)

The Crystals That May Have Helped Vikings Navigate Northern Seas

Dinosaur footprints found on Skye

Morning Coffee (2/28/18)

ICYMI, yesterday's Oscar Project posts: The Eleven O'Clock, A Fantastic Woman, Baby Driver

U.N. Links North Korea to Syria’s Chemical Weapons Program

Xi Jinping May Be President for Life. What Will Happen to China?

No Bail Hearings for Detained Immigrants, Supreme Court Rules

Trump’s Idea of Arming Teachers Is Crazy but Clarifying

Sounds normal: The Professor At The Center Of The Trump-Russia Probe Boasted To His Girlfriend In Ukraine That He Was Friends With Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

Tempers Flare as Panama Hotel Owners Try to Oust Trump Company

Well that's worrisome: Slovak Journalist Found Shot to Death at Home

California green lights fully driverless cars for testing on public roads

Ooh, look at the Fahrenheit 451 teaser!

I'm dying to try one of these: The Seductive Confinement of a Weighted Blanket in an Anxious Time

Morning Coffee (2/22/18)

ICYMI, yesterday's Oscar Project posts: Edith+Eddie, Last Men in Aleppo, Loving Vincent

The Assad regime just launched the bloodiest attack in Syria in the past 3 years

The Southern Poverty Law Center's Year in Hate is always worth a read, and notable this year: for the first time they've added male supremacist groups.

This is great: More Than Twice As Many Women Are Running For Congress In 2018 Compared With 2016

After Florida School Shooting, Russian ‘Bot’ Army Pounced

Donald Trump Jr.’s tour through India is staggeringly corrupt

100s of USA swimmers were sexually abused for decades and the people in charge knew and ignored it, investigation finds

Welp: Women better represented in Victorian novels than modern, finds study

You're on notice after the last one, Disney: Disney Planning Another 'Muppets' Reboot for Its Streaming Service

The Russian Train Stop That Serves One Schoolgirl

Kepler Astronomers Discover Treasure Trove of New Exoplanets

Oscar Project 2018: Last Men in Aleppo

Movie: Last Men in Aleppo

This documentary from the PBS POV series follows the White Helmets, a group of Syrian volunteers who rescue people and recover bodies from bombed buildings. I've followed the conflict in Syria in the news, of course, but this look at it from the inside was fascinating and made it much more real to me. This is pretty grim and violent, obviously - they do not shy away from showing dead bodies and other awful things - but it's definitely worth watching if you can handle it, and the violence is mingled with the heroism of these men and moments of humor and normal life as they play with their kids and attend weddings and try to figure out what to tell their parents about what they're doing.

Availability: Streaming on Netflix. Also available to rent or buy.

Nominated In:
Documentary (Feature): Absolutely. This was a compelling and very informative look at one of the worst conflicts going on in the world right now.

Catch up on all my Oscar Project posts.

Morning Coffee (1/20/18)

ICYMI, I'm adding a Patreon-exclusive diary aspect to my Oscar project this year! (Don't worry, you'll still get the main posts here.) It starts at just a dollar a month. Learn more here.

Okay, here's where things currently seem to stand: Government Shutdown Begins as Budget Talks Falter in Senate

Tillerson Says U.S. Troops Are Staying in Syria, but No One Is Sure What They Will Do There

Of course: FBI investigating whether Russian money went to NRA to help Trump

Stormy Daniels Reveals Donald Trump Is a Lot Like Harvey Weinstein

Report: More Than A Dozen Michigan State Staffers Were Told Of Larry Nassar's Sexual Abuse And Nothing Happened

A Blot on Ireland’s Past, Facing Demolition

I don't deal with change well but, uh, the new guy is kinda dreamy: After 50 Years, Israel Philharmonic Names a New Conductor

THIS IS SO STUPID: Reality show crew allegedly tried to sneak fake bomb past airport security (The best line in that piece, obviously, is "The nine individuals, all men...")

Sigh: Pyramid schemes target Snapchat teens

Are Rats Innocent of Spreading the Black Plague?