Afternoon Tea (8/2/19)

Look at this great article about my friend Sara! A First for Broadway: The Trombonists of KING KONG

HRH The Duchess of Sussex Interviews Michelle Obama In The September Issue

The Artisanal Gelato Makers Of Mozambique

Rainbows, Frogs, Dogs And 'The Muppet Movie' Soundtrack At 40

See the poetry of England and Wales in an interactive map.

Morning Coffee (8/1/19)

Rwanda closes border with DRC over deadly Ebola outbreak

Hamza bin Laden Sought to Continue His Father’s Terrorism Legacy

The Senate confirms Kelly Craft as the new UN ambassador

GOOD: Federal Judge Won't Dismiss Challenge To N.H. Voting Law

Ohio just passed the worst energy bill of the 21st century

War on science: Trump administration muzzles climate experts, critics say

Scott Walker admits it: Former Wisconsin governor argues votes in metropolitan areas shouldn't count as much as votes in rural areas

Hal Prince, Giant of Broadway and Reaper of Tonys, Dies at 91

Just one supportive adult cuts the chance an LGBTQ youth will attempt suicide by 40%

‘Roman Biro’ – complete with joke – found at London building site

Afternoon Tea (7/22/19)

Why are the cats sexy? And other Cats questions you were too embarrassed to ask.

If Algae Clings to Snow on This Volcano, Can It Grow on Other Desolate Worlds?

The World’s Only Traditional Māori Garden Was Made From Memories

How Many Copies Did Famous Books Sell in the First Year?

Magical seals in an English Book of Hours

Morning Coffee (7/22/19)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

What Americans Do Now Will Define Us Forever

Puerto Rico’s week of massive protests, explained

Ocasio-Cortez calls for an independent investigation into child separation policies

Extradition and independence: What’s behind the continued protests in Hong Kong

Chinese Money in the U.S. Dries Up as Trade War Drags On

Elizabeth Warren’s latest Wall Street enemy: private equity

!!! New Kinks Music is Underway After More Than Two Decades Apart, Dave Davies Confirms

Into this: Natalie Portman will take up Thor’s hammer in Thor: Love and Thunder

What: Paul McCartney Has Been Secretly Writing an ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ Musical

Picard's dog's name in 'Star Trek' spin-off is confirmed, and it's perfect

Afternoon Tea (7/19/19)

Why 'Red, White & Royal Blue' Author Casey McQuiston Loves Making Birth Charts For Her Characters

This about the process of getting rights to all those songs was fascinating: How Can ‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’ Upstage the Movie? With 70 Songs

Dear Internet: The Little Mermaid Also Happens to Be Queer Allegory

Van Gogh Painted Many ‘Sunflowers.’ But How Different Are They?

Why a Computer History Museum Owns a Legendary Teapot

Morning Coffee (7/19/19)

We made it to Friday! Time for happy links!

There are enough bad things in the world so I've decided I'm just going all in on the ridiculous fun of CATS. LOOK AT THIS TRAILER.

And the Vita & Virginia trailer looks genuinely good.

Aaah, I'm so excited for Rose Lerner's f/f Jewish Regency Jane Eyre!

Also excited for this book set in twelfth-century Wales.

ABOUT TIME: Margaret Paston, Woman of Letters, commemorated after six centuries

Oh good! Taika Waititi to Direct 'Thor 4'

New Hampshire Is First State to Install Highway Marker to Computer Programming

Beautiful: Exclusive: Her Universe Harry Potter collection debuting at SDCC

LOOK AT THIS GIANT SHINY NEW FRESH AIR ARCHIVE.

16 Fabulously Bookish Literary Scarves

Morning Coffee (7/18/19)

House Holds Barr and Ross in Contempt Over Census Dispute

House votes to kill impeachment resolution against Trump, avoiding a direct vote on whether to oust the president

“Send her back!” Trump’s attacks on Ilhan Omar — and the response to them — represent a new low

Report: In attempt to separate family, border agent forced 3-year-old to choose between parents

This is horrifying: Migrants Inside ICE's Only Transgender Unit Decry Conditions

‘El Chapo’ Guzmán Sentenced to Life in Prison, Ending Notorious Criminal Career

Oxford University finally elects a woman as its Professor of Poetry

It sounds like MULTIPLE people behaved badly here, but I am horrifying by her behavior regardless of whether it's really why she got fired: Why Did a Progressive Pastor at an Important New York Church Get Fired?

What even: 'Gossip Girl' Update Lands Straight-to-Series Order at HBO Max

‘West Side Story’: Fox Releases First Look At Updated “Anita” From Reboot

Morning Coffee (7/7/19)

Iran Announces New Breach of Nuclear Deal Limits, and Threatens Further Violations

Finally: Jeffrey Epstein, Billionaire Long Accused of Molesting Minors, Is Charged

Democrats Found A Major Recruit To Take On Susan Collins in 2020

Of course: DeVos Repeals Obama-Era Rule Cracking Down on For-Profit Colleges

Lawyers Ask Judge to Order White Nationalist From Keene To Stop Alleged Threats

In male-dominated Afghanistan, justice for women is complicated

Trade War Has Damaged U.S. Chip Industry in Ways a Deal May Never Fix

Neanderthals’ history is as complicated as ours

This seems like a terrible idea! The ‘Les Misérables’ Revolving Stage Is Going. Fans Are in a Spin.

Dracula arrives in first blood-splattered look at Sherlock creators' miniseries

Morning Coffee (5/23/19)

India election: Modi set for historic landslide victory

Judge rejects Trump’s request to halt congressional subpoenas for his banking records

And: New York Passes Bill Giving Congress a Way to Get Trump’s State Tax Returns

Elizabeth Warren demands additional information from Trump admin on child migrant deaths

A lawmaker asked Carson about foreclosure properties. He thought she was talking about Oreos.

Of COURSE: Harriet Tubman $20 bill no longer coming in 2020: Mnuchin says redesign postponed

Kris Kobach is the worst in so many ways! A Would-Be Trump Aide’s Demands: A Jet on Call, a Future Cabinet Post and More

Would Democrats Restore Roe If Republicans Overturned It?

New report shows 41 million displaced by conflict, tensions

This production sounds so interesting: Daniel Fish’s ‘Oklahoma!’ To Launch North American Tour In Oklahoma

Morning Coffee (5/2/19)

All this is just... wow: Barr’s refusal to testify before House panel increases likelihood of contempt citation from Congress

The Democrats' Fatal Impeachment Error

This is just awful: Caster Semenya: Olympic 800m champion loses appeal against IAAF testosterone rules

Indonesia's planning minister announces capital city move (BECAUSE THE CITY IS SINKING)

THIS IS HORRIFYING: Bernie Sanders' 2020 campaign unveils tech tool to increase its voter database (specifically the "report on which of your neighbors might not be sufficiently loyal" part)

U.N. Issues Urgent Warning on the Growing Peril of Drug-Resistant Infections

Revealed: populists far more likely to believe in conspiracy theories

!! Denisovan Jawbone Discovered in a Cave in Tibet

Jo Sullivan Loesser, Singer and Guardian of a Legacy, Dies at 91

Release of “13 Reasons Why” Associated with Increase in Youth Suicide Rates

Morning Coffee (4/18/19)

Alan García: former Peru president dies after shooting himself before arrest

How the far right spread politically convenient lies about the Notre Dame fire

Bashir May Be Out, But Sudanese Protesters With 'Eye On The Prize' Won't Budge

Ugh: Letters from Joe Biden reveal how he sought support of segregationists in fight against busing

Good: Rep. Maloney introduces bill to ban taxpayer funding of 'conversion therapy'

Scientists: We kept pig brains alive 10 hours after death. Bioethicists: “Holy shit.”

Gross: Puffin defends John Boyne’s YA novel about transgender teen (Though this headline sort of makes it sound like they're defending him against transphobes. The opposite! His book is transphobic and harmful.)

This starts out bad and somehow manages to get steadily worse throughout! White Singers In Hungary Claim To Be African-American, For An Opera

First U.S. Patients Treated With CRISPR As Human Gene-Editing Trials Get Underway

This sounds... weird: 'Oklahoma' TV Series in the Works With Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization

Morning Coffee (4/6/19)

GOOD: House Expands Domestic Violence Gun Controls in Rebuke to N.R.A.

Senators desperately try to sway Trump amid disaster aid debacle

Well! Trump Asked That Confirmation of I.R.S. Counsel Be a Priority

This interview with Buttigieg gives a nice summary of his political outlook.

A step! Mormon Church to Allow Children of L.G.B.T. Parents to Be Baptized

UGH: Person who claimed to be child missing for eight years is Ohio ex-convict

Banning DonorsChoose is not the solution to this problem! Teachers often have to crowdfund for classroom supplies. Some districts are banning the practice.

What a story: Google Doodle celebrates pioneering physicist Hedwig Kohn

Huh! Burger King’s new Whopper is 0% beef. That’s a big deal.

Uh... The Cats Movie Will Shrink Actors to Feline Size and Add Performance Capture Fur

Morning Coffee (3/14/19)

GOOD: California Death Penalty Suspended; 737 Inmates Get Stay of Execution

NOT GOOD: Military Officially Moves to Bar Over 13,700 Transgender Members

New York Charges Manafort With 16 Crimes. If He’s Convicted, Trump Can’t Pardon Him.

Prosecutors Seek Records on Cohen’s ‘Back Channel’ With Giuliani

America’s Defining Divide Isn’t Left vs. Right. It’s Old vs. Young.

‘Safety’ In U.S. Schools Means More Cops And Fewer Counselors

YAYYY, Alaska Native musher Pete Kaiser won the Iditarod!

Oooh: Hugh Jackman to Lead Broadway Revival of 'The Music Man'

Spotify Files Anti-Competition Complaint Against Apple in Europe

Pig Remains Show How Far Prehistoric People Traveled to Visit Stonehenge

Afternoon Tea (3/5/19)

This is fascinating and terrifying: A World Without Clouds

Workism Is Making Americans Miserable

A ‘Tradition’ Omission: I Had Never Seen ‘Fiddler’ Until Now

Yasin Abu Bakr: Leader of Western world's only Islamist coup

11 Books With South Asian Characters You Should Read in 2019

Morning Coffee (2/26/19)

Me elsewhere: I wrote about why local elections are important in a guest column in the local paper!

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Jeremy Corbyn: we’ll back a second referendum to stop Tory no-deal Brexit

Uh... Mohammad Javad Zarif: Iran's foreign minister announces resignation

A Lawsuit by a Campaign Worker Is the Latest Challenge to Trump’s Nondisclosure Agreements

Green Book’s frustrating Best Picture win, explained

AGREED: Green Book’s Best Picture Win Wasn’t the Most Embarrassing Oscar Victory. This Was.

The fashion was good, though, and I loved the pink dress trend.

This is about an event I attended! What does Pete Buttigieg bring to the table? Experience — really.

SO INFURIATING: Viagra Might Relieve Period Cramps, but Male Pharmaceutical Execs Don't Care

Hilde Lysiak, The 12-Year-Old Journo Inspiration Of Apple TV Series, Strikes Again

Oh how sad: Stanley Donen, Director of Iconic Movie Musicals, Dies at 94

Morning Coffee (2/8/19)

Not that we ever DON'T need Friday happy links, but we REALLY DO this week.

I love this: Rosalind Franklin: Mars rover named after DNA pioneer

There are some great ones this year, including non-binary people and a bunch related to disabilities! 230 New Emojis in Final List for 2019

Aww: San Diego Bookseller Undergoes Surgery, Other Booksellers Keep His Store Open

Michael B. Jordan, Warner Bros. Nab Film Rights to ‘Black Leopard, Red Wolf’

Ooh, this Sonja Henie movie looks interesting.

!! Hallmark will now air Christmas movies all year long

How to Make the Best Hot Chocolate From Scratch

Billy Eichner is making a gay rom-com with Judd Apatow and Nicholas Stoller

LET'S GO: The V&A Unveils Queen Victoria’s Most Precious Jewel

Lin-Manuel Miranda to Lead One-Night ‘Camelot’ Benefit Concert

Morning Coffee (1/27/19)

Nancy Pelosi, a Woman in Control, Is a Rival Who Flummoxes Trump

There are SO MANY THINGS wrong with this: Trump Meets With Hard-Right Group Led by Ginni Thomas

Trump’s Inner Circle Keeps Violating the Stringer Bell Rule

Lawsuits Allege 'Grave Harm' To Immigrant Children In Detention

Let's Stop Coddling White Teenage Boys

Kansas Lawmakers Defect to Democrats as G.O.P. Struggles in Suburbs

Media Can Kick Its Horserace Addiction—And It Must

I am SO SAD: ‘This Could Be the End’ for NASA’s Mars Opportunity Rover

Colleges Lose a ‘Stunning’ 651 Foreign-Language Programs in 3 Years

Huh: Melissa Etheridge Prepping Musical ‘Mystic Pizza’ For Stage Delivery

Morning Coffee (1/18/19)

Time for Friday happy links! Almost all books and movies and royals today. Sorry not sorry?

Aaah, Let It Snow cast!

Spider-Man: Far From Home Is First Marvel Film to Cast Out Trans Actors

Here's a look at Sarah Rees Brennan's Sabrina prequel novel!

Look, ballet logistics! Kate Visits the Royal Opera House in Oscar de la Renta

And: Behold, Kate Middleton Making Pizza

I Can Already Tell Who My Favorite Captain Marvel Character Is: Goose the Cat

This is gorgeous and sounds great: 'This Time Will Be Different' Is A New YA Novel About Family History, A Flower Shop, And Moving Forward

A+E Studios Partners with Swoon Reads to Develop YA for TV/Film!

Oh, this could be good: Disney Rings ‘Hunchback’ Bell: David Henry Hwang To Script Live Action Musical, Alan Menken/Stephen Schwartz Writing Music

Morning Coffee (1/16/19)

Theresa May loses Brexit deal vote by majority of 230

Redefining Representation: The Women of the 116th Congress

FINALLY: Steve King Removed From Committee Assignments Over White Supremacy Remark

Judge Orders Trump Administration To Remove 2020 Census Citizenship Question

Actually, the Numbers Show That We Need More Immigration, Not Less

Bidding Farewell To 'Hello, Dolly!': Actress Carol Channing Dies At 97

Goodbye, New York. Adam Moss Is Leaving the Magazine He Has Edited for 15 Years.

The research here is interesting: Consider Firing Your Male Broker

This news from my dad's hometown is so sad: Fire Destroys Historic American Shakespeare Festival Theatre in Stratford, CT

I am cautiously optimistic: Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’ Finds Its Maria, Anita, Bernardo & Chino

Morning Coffee (9/28/18)

I THINK WE REALLY NEED SOME HAPPY LINKS THIS WEEK.

Maybe you need to see a new baby panda.

Or a vacation cottage made of chocolate.

How about some cozy new cardigans?

Ooh: NBC Sets WICKED Anniversary Concert

I'M READY: Lifetime's Full 2018 Holiday Movie Schedule: 'One Tree Hill' Reunion & More

Doctor Who season 11 premiere to screen in cinemas

10 Public Art Installations To See In Greater Boston This Fall

Oh cool: Cosmic composers: how scientists helped reinvent Holst's Planets suite

5 Cheesy Hand Pies to Try This Autumn

Game of Thrones epic sets to open as tourist attractions