Morning Coffee (8/4/19)

Border Patrol’s Toxic Culture Goes Way Beyond Facebook Groups. It’s Actually for Sale on a T-Shirt.

This is terrifying: North Carolina gun shop uses images of four congresswomen of color on billboard

This is really the stupidest timeline: Iceland criticized Duterte’s drug war, so he accused its people of ‘eating ice’

15 Percent Is Not A Magic Number For Primary Delegates

Medicare for All? For More? Here’s How Medicare Works

Wow: Cisco to Pay $8.6 Million to Settle Government Claims of Flawed Tech

Iranian Soccer Star’s Sister Wants Women to Be Allowed at His Matches

Crystal Cathedral in California Gets a New Life as a Catholic Church

When a Mega-Tsunami Drowned Mars, This Spot May Have Been Ground Zero

Harlan Lane, Vigorous Advocate for Deaf Culture, Dies at 82

Morning Coffee (5/16/19)

This is horrifying: Trump Administration to LGBT Couples: Your ‘Out of Wedlock’ Kids Aren’t Citizens

Skeptical U.S. Allies Resist Trump’s New Claims of Threats From Iran

This headline is, uh, mild; this is definitely added restrictions to legal immigration: Trump Immigration Plan Emphasizes Immigrants’ Skills Over Family Ties

Trump administration cracks down on giant Chinese tech firm, escalating clash with Beijing

Anti-Abortion Laws Will Put Women in Jail

The Senate Is as Much of a Problem as Trump

Biden Is (Still) Leading Cable News Coverage

The Met Will Turn Down Sackler Money Amid Fury Over the Opioid Crisis

Uh: Mel Gibson’s Rep. Claims Controversial ‘Rothchild’ Movie Is ‘Completely Unrelated’ to the Rothschild Family

Shrinking and Quaking Hint at Moon’s Tectonic Life

Morning Coffee (5/14/19)

French special forces rescue hostages in a deadly Burkina Faso raid

Supreme Court Allows Antitrust Lawsuit Against Apple to Proceed

New York Regulator Launches Investigation Into TurboTax Maker Intuit and H&R Block

How a James Comey Tweet Fueled a Conspiracy Theory That Upended a California Town

US is hotbed of climate change denial, major global survey finds

65 years after Brown v. Board of Education, school segregation is getting worse

Good for them: Brother and Sister of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Accuse Him of Spreading Misinformation on Vaccines

Actress And Singer Doris Day, Hollywood's Girl Next Door, Dies At 97

Missing Piece of Stonehenge Returned From Florida 60 Years After Removal

Dinosaur With Bat Wings Was More Than Legend

Morning Coffee (1/28/19)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

If you're trying to catch up on the situation in Venezuela, the Guardian has a bunch of good coverage here.

This is terrible: Japan Upholds Law Requiring Sterilization for Trans People

Wow: Canada fired its Chinese ambassador over remarks regarding arrested Huawei executive

Not a Man 2020

Trump is undoing the diversity of the federal bench

The details here are yet another example of a woman going to great lengths to defend the patriarchy she herself has been a victim of: Joni Ernst says she turned down chance to be Donald Trump's vice-president

How Abortion Law in New York Will Change, and How It Won’t

HA: People Strongly Against GMOs Had Shakier Understanding Of Food Science, Study Finds

Ooh: Freddie Fox & Anna Chancellor To Star In BBC Feature Doc About Oscar Wilde

Morning Coffee (12/6/18)

This is important, from Jamelle Bouie: The Lame-Duck Power Grab

Wow, the Charlotte Observer: Hold a new election in NC’s tainted 9th District

Republicans Recommit to Trump's Impunity

Whoa: A Top Huawei Executive Is Arrested in Canada for Extradition to the U.S.

Hahahah remember how he was the cyber czar? Rudy Giuliani Says Twitter Sabotaged His Tweet. Actually, He Did It Himself.

DO BETTER, Durham! NH Town Denies Jewish Group's Request to Display Menorah

Les Moonves Obstructed Investigation Into Misconduct Claims, Report Says

Related: ‘If Bobbie Talks, I’m Finished’: How Les Moonves Tried to Silence an Accuser

As U.S.-China Trade War Rages, Some Australian Farmers See an Opportunity

Giving life to a woman found in a 4,250-year-old grave in Caithness

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 (9/29/18)

Okay: first five links are Kavanaugh-related, second five are not, if you want to skip.

The Senate has agreed to an FBI investigation of Kavanaugh. Here’s what that means.

American Bar Association: Delay Kavanaugh until FBI investigates assault allegations

THIS guy: Lindsey Graham to Democrats: “You’d better watch out for your nominees”

Republicans Marched Into A Buzzsaw

Alexandra Petri, perfect as usual: HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO BRETT KAVANAUGH?

Rand Paul’s Push to Lift Some Russia Sanctions Fizzles

Trump administration sees a 7-degree rise in global temperatures by 2100 AND THEREFORE THINKS THEY SHOULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

'We got really lucky': how novichok suspects' identities were revealed

I shouldn't laugh but A LOT OF THIS STORY IS PRETTY FUNNY: Elon Musk’s tweet about taking Tesla private has triggered a federal lawsuit

I didn't love the first one but I'm still kind of excited about this? Gal Gadot To Star In ‘Death On The Nile’ Redo At Fox

Morning Coffee (9/25/18)

Is Rod Rosenstein fired, resigning, or staying? The drama, explained.

Why Senator Mazie Hirono Asked a Crucial Question at the Kavanaugh Hearing

Republicans just don’t take sexual assault seriously

Well, small victory: Dallas cop fired after killing neighbor in his own home

Just ordered her book: Author Ibi Zoboi Calls Out Racism and Classism in The Wall Street Journal Book Review

With Vatican Talks and Bulldozers, China Aims to Control Christianity

This makes sense: SiriusXM buys Pandora for $3.5 billion

Charles Kao, Nobel Laureate Who Revolutionized Fiber Optics, Dies at 84

Astronomers Spot a Black Hole Sucking Up an Earth-Size Clump of Matter

How Puberty Kills Girls’ Confidence

Morning Coffee (9/1/18)

Donald Trump Is Setting Up a Lame-Duck Crisis

This isn't surprising, but it's interesting that people are SAYING it: AP sources: Lawyer was told Russia had ‘Trump over a barrel’

It's not an ACCIDENT that this keeps happening: Homeland Security staffer with white nationalist ties attended White House policy meetings

Vermont's Only Black Female Lawmaker Withdraws Re-Election Bid After Racist Attacks

Of course: New U.S. Sexual Misconduct Rules Bolster Rights of Accused and Protect Colleges

Roger Stone’s public antics about the Mueller investigation continue

This is alarming: Bank of America freezing accounts of customers suspected of not being US citizens

I love this: Why Do the Bad Men Think We Need Them?

Good: Microsoft to business partners: If you want to work with us, offer paid family leave

I know this cat!!! Or his people, anyway: It’s Cute, but This Cat Probably Wasn’t Feeding Its Toy Kittens

Morning Coffee (8/4/18)

I'm glad our state party immediately called for him to resign: State Sen. Jeff Woodburn Arrested On Domestic Violence, Assault Charges

Myanmar Official Line: Rohingya Are Returning. But Cracks in That Story Abound.

Suspected Russian spy found working at US embassy in Moscow

This story has a GREAT lede: Beto O’Rourke Is Officially Making Ted Cruz Sweat

Good for him: Pope Francis Declares Death Penalty Unacceptable in All Cases

WHAT A PITY: The NRA Says It’s in Deep Financial Trouble, May Be ‘Unable to Exist’

Spotify removes Alex Jones’s podcasts, citing policy on ‘hate content’ (Really, they've removed specific episodes that were flagged by users, which is... a step but not enough.)

Apple Is Worth $1,000,000,000,000. Two Decades Ago, It Was Almost Bankrupt.

This saga is so terrible: Agent Danielle Smith’s Former Clients Speak Out

Oh no: Fields Medal Is Stolen Minutes After It’s Given in Brazil

Morning Coffee (7/19/18)

Brett Kavanaugh Is Nice. That Doesn’t Mean He’s Not Sexist.

What Was Maria Butina Doing at the National Prayer Breakfast?

And here's a good Maria Butina primer.

WHAT: DNC alleges Secret Service blocked it from serving lawsuit to Jared Kushner

Was the Queen sending coded messages to Donald Trump via her brooches? Absolutely

Shocking: Cambridge Analytica's Facebook data was accessed from Russia, MP says

This sounds fine: Top Voting Machine Vendor Admits It Installed Remote-Access Software on Systems Sold to States

This story is even weirder than the headline makes it sound: Arizona Senate candidate who killed his mother supports 'good guys' with guns

Oh god: Chris Christie to ‘set the record straight’ in upcoming book

NOPE: Mark Zuckerberg says Holocaust deniers are making an honest mistake

Morning Coffee (7/17/18)

Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and America’s “geopolitical suicide”

Trump and Putin vs. America

Feds Charge Russian Student, Linked To NRA, With Conspiracy

Inside Mueller's New Army

Made to Suffer for Her Sins: The Trump administration’s policies on family separation and abortion are driven by one view: A woman’s pain is fitting punishment.

4,500 Tech Workers, 1 Mission: Get Democrats Elected

UGH: Increasingly Agitated Elon Musk Labels Diver Who Mocked His 'Submarine' a 'Pedo Guy'

GOOD: Yankees Suspend Relationship with Papa John's After Founder's Racist Comments

Yay! J.K. Rowling's next Cormoran Strike novel Lethal White coming in September

Good for her: Seeking Pay Equity, Female Flutist Sues Boston Symphony Orchestra

Morning Coffee (7/8/18)

WHAT A SHOCK: Shifting Strategy, Trump’s Lawyers Set New Conditions for Mueller Interview

We need to talk about the fact that Trump seriously considered invading Venezuela

Thank you, President Obama: "And do not wait for the perfect message, and don’t wait to feel a tingle in your spine because you’re expecting politicians to be so inspiring and poetic and moving. Politics, like life, is imperfect. But there is better, and there is worse."

Doug Jones Thinks He’s Supposed To Be Here

Sigh: Women in Tech Score Symbolic Wins, but Cash Is Still Hard to Come By

...sure? Saudi Arabia is about to spend millions to troll Qatar by turning it into an island

This sounds like EXCITING NEWS but I guess it, uh, actually isn't: America’s cheese stockpile just hit an all-time high

Huh: Wait, Leonard Bernstein Wrote a ‘Peter Pan’ Musical?

Ooh: Emily Mortimer fights for her business in the The Bookshop trailer (I... have I read the book? I THINK so.)


Prehistoric stone hunt under way in Devon salt marsh

Morning Coffee (4/30/18)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

Migrant Caravan, After Grueling Trip, Reaches U.S. Border. Now the Really Hard Part.

3 main takeaways from the historic North Korea-South Korea summit

Ronny Jackson won’t return to job as Trump’s physician

What a shock: Jill Stein says she won’t fully comply with Senate Russia investigation

Inside the secret U.S. stockpile meant to save us all in a bioterror attack

Good (if true): Claire Foy to receive £200,000 in back pay after 'The Crown' gender pay-gap dispute

I'm sure this will be better than the U.S. coverage: BritBox to Live-stream Royal Wedding

Ooh: Colin Firth and Julie Walters Join David Heyman-Produced ‘The Secret Garden’

Reading Thoughtfully With The Times’s Nonfiction Critic, Jennifer Szalai

AI App Helps Songwriters Mine Music History for the Perfect Sounds

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 (12/3/17)

Emails Dispute White House Claims That Flynn Acted Independently on Russia

This is long but worth reading: The case for normalizing impeachment

Why Did Ratko Mladic Commit Genocide Against Bosnia’s Muslims?

Sure, why not. 2017! Scarlet fever cases hit 50-year high in England

The Origin of Silicon Valley’s Dysfunctional Attitude Toward Hate Speech

Whoa: Netherlands Herring-Distributor Community Rocked By Scandal

Useful! Use This 2017 Holiday Shipping Guide to Ensure Your Gifts Arrive on Time

Ooh: Caesar's invasion of Britain began from Pegwell Bay in Kent, say archaeologists

The Year in Best-Sellers

Hmm: Chris Evans to narrate 8-part Nat Geo documentary series, Chain of Command

Morning Coffee (11/16/17)

Whoa: Green Beret Discovered SEALs’ Illicit Cash. Then He Was Killed.

A War of Words Puts Facebook at the Center of Myanmar’s Rohingya Crisis

WHAT A SHOCK: British Researchers Say Russia May Have Tried To Influence Brexit Vote

I hate the actual game but this is good: Cards Against Humanity is doing ________ to stop Trump’s border wall

This is an important read: The Tech Industry's Gender-Discrimination Problem

California will be the first state to use LGBT-inclusive history textbooks in schools

Radhika Jones, Vanity Fair’s Surprise Choice, Is Ready to Go

Oh good, The X-Files is coming back to us very soon.

Ooh, this should be good: CNN analyst Jeffrey Toobin to write investigation of Trump scandals

Uh. Sure? ‘Get Out’ Entered As A Comedy For Golden Globes Consideration

Morning Coffee (10/21/17)

Without Saying ‘Trump,’ Bush and Obama Deliver Implicit Rebukes

Finally, We Learn Why Chad Is on the Travel Ban List. It’s Not Good.

What to Bring to the Gun Fight

On Women’s Health, Trump Is Even Dumber Than We Thought

Related: In a radical departure, Trump health officials want to define life as starting at "conception"

Chief Justice John Roberts is now feuding with the entire field of sociology

The Strong Women Of Mongolia Are Ready To Take On The Patriarchy

Hmm: Samsung Electronics CEO to Mysteriously Resign Amid Record Profits

Armada portrait of Elizabeth I returns after 'spectacular' restoration

Found: The Foundations of an Ancient Temple of Ramses II

Morning Coffee (10/15/17)

Don't forget to send in your questions for my new column, (In)expert Advice! Just shoot me an email.

Leaked memos show Jeff Sessions's DOJ aims to undermine due process for immigrants

Immigrant Minors in Government Shelters Aren’t Getting the Abortion Access They Need

This is a good read on the BEST POSSIBLE interpretation of Trump and Russia: A Benign Interpretation of Scandal

This is why tech companies won’t disclose content of Russian ads

Mind reader David Meade keeps getting death threats meant for doomsday theorist David Meade

Heh/sigh: Sure, I’ll Denounce Jack the Ripper, But I Also Feel the Need to Ask Why More of His Victims Didn’t Come Forward and Speak Out About His Behavior

Will this bring about the podcast singularity? Blue Apron Finally Launches Its Own Podcast With Help From Gimlet Media

Coming of Age with AOL Instant Messenger

Ooh, first look at the March sisters in the new Little Women!

Found: The Wreck of the Very First Ship Sunk in World War II

Morning Coffee (9/19/17)

The world’s fastest-growing refugee crisis is taking place in Myanmar. Here’s why.

There's a... lot in here: With a Picked Lock and a Threatened Indictment, Mueller’s Inquiry Sets a Tone

The 4 steps for Republicans to repeal Obamacare in the next 2 weeks

Well. Request denied: States try to block access to public records

What The World Thinks Of Trump

Wow, make sure you see the New Yorker cover they would have run if Hillary had won.

‘It Was a Frat House’: Inside the Sex Scandal That Toppled SoFi’s C.E.O.

This is a good, important read: Colin Kaepernick Has a Job

The brilliant, infuriating, boring, hypnotic Ken Burns documentary The Vietnam War

The Race to Build a Computer Powerful Enough to Predict the Future