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

Afternoon Tea (9/11/18)

Serena Williams and the privilege of righteous anger

The ‘Stress Café’ Craze Sweeping Seoul

Captain Marvel and the great ponytail debate for female superheroes

Why we buy the things we buy

7 YA Thrillers with Strong Female Leads

Morning Coffee (9/11/18)

It's primary day in New Hampshire! Every New Hampshire primary race you need to know about, briefly explained

As Months Pass in Chicago Shelters, Immigrant Children Contemplate Escape, Even Suicide

Wow, this is... something: How ‘The Caine Mutiny’ and the paranoid Capt. Queeg influenced the 25th Amendment’s drafters, making it harder to sideline a president

China Is Detaining Muslims in Vast Numbers. The Goal: ‘Transformation.’

Oh: Putin’s ex-bodyguard challenges Navalny to duel

Rights Groups Warn Against US Flouting International Court Over Alleged War Crimes

House Democrats’ top priority if they win in November is a sweeping anti-corruption bill

Near Everest’s Slopes, a Helicopter Rescue Fraud Preys on Trekkers

A project to remove 88,000 tons of plastic from the Pacific has begun

Ooh, Anthony Award winners!

Afternoon Tea (9/10/18)

Judging by the Cover: How the Magazine Industry’s Identity Crisis Is Playing Out on Its Front Page

Vitamin D, the Sunshine Supplement, Has Shadowy Money Behind It

An Ovidian Taste Test: The Old Verse Translations of Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses’

FRINGE: Ten Years Later, The Fox Drama is Still Underrated

Crime and the City: Phoenix

Morning Coffee (9/10/18)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

Across Afghanistan, Scores Are Killed in a Deadly Wave of Violence

Sweden election: far right makes gains as main blocs deadlocked

This was written before the election but is good background: Sweden Was Long Seen as a ‘Moral Superpower.’ That May Be Changing.

Les Moonves is out at CBS as more sexual misconduct allegations surface

Top Cancer Researcher Fails to Disclose Corporate Financial Ties in Major Research Journals

Huh: Infectious Theory Of Alzheimer's Disease Draws Fresh Interest

The search for alien life needs a new space telescope, astronomers say

Ooh, I'm excited for Vita & Virginia.

New life for historic theatre as it faces up to ‘slave trade’ past

Instagram adds emoji shortcuts for quicker comments

Book Review: All Things by Amber Belldene

I love clergy mysteries - Cadfael, Clare Fergusson, Max Tudor - so I was very excited to get an early look at All Things, the first in Amber Belldene's new series about Reverend Alma Lee, an Episcopal priest in San Francisco's Mission District. Alma is a refreshingly new kind of priest-detective: she's bisexual (and interested in both men and women on the page, not just in theory) and biracial (her father is Chinese-American and her mother is Latina), and her sexuality and cultural heritage definitely affect the way she approaches both her ministry and her crime-solving. I found Alma's personality a little frustrating at times - she's always late and doesn't understand the point of to do lists! - but that's more a me issue, and her focus on social justice was great.

Alma gets pulled into her first mystery when her longtime friend, the owner of a just-gone-out-of-business lesbian bar across the street from Alma's church, is murdered. Both Alma's police detective ex-boyfriend and her new female rabbi crush wind up involved in the case, along with others from Alma's church and social circle, which both provides Alma with an excuse to get involved and offers a nice introduction to her world and her past. The mystery itself is a little thin, and experienced mystery readers will probably figure out whodunnit pretty early. But this one is still worth a read for the interesting characters and the world it creates, and I'll definitely try the next in the series.

All Things is out today! (The author provided me with a review copy of this book.)

Morning Coffee (9/9/18)

Trump Administration Discussed Coup Plans With Rebel Venezuelan Officers

In liberal Sweden, a party with neo-Nazi origins could become one of the country’s biggest after Sunday’s elections

The 7 most important moments in Obama’s blistering critique of Trump and the GOP

Donald Trump makes the case for his own impeachment

Julia Salazar, the socialist politician accused of lying about her past, explained

Election Season in a Dangerous Democracy

Moroccan authors say teenage rape case hits 'new level of unspeakable'

Sigh: Frozen actor grabs Trump banner from audience member during play

Perfect: Cool! The Dude Who Asked You To Absolve Him of Past Misconduct Is Succeeding While You Recover

Oscars organizers postpone controversial 'popular film' award

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 (9/7/18)

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

This is so interesting: The Girdle-Inspired History of the Very First Spacesuits

Hahahaha: If Goodreads Users Reviewed Your Life the Way They Reviewed Your Book

Why fake dating is a great romantic trope, explained by To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

A letter of a Scottish rebel

Why Salads and CEOs Are Photographed the Exact Same Way

Morning Coffee (9/7/18)

Friday! Happy links only! (Also I'm on vacation so this was written in advance.)

Oh how wonderful: India court legalises gay sex in landmark ruling

GOOD FOR HER. (Her male advisor was the one who got the Nobel for this, of course.) British astrophysicist overlooked by Nobels wins $3m award for pulsar work

Interesting: Gary Hart Movie ‘The Front Runner’ Votes For Election Day Release In Industry First

Viola Davis wrote a Corduroy book!!

I need them: The X-Files celebrates 25th anniversary with Mulder and Scully Barbie dolls

Heh (the Onion): Carl Bernstein Weeps Uncontrollably After Learning Bob Woodward Wrote A President Book Without Him

My new favorite headline: Alfonso Cuarón Says He Directed ‘Harry Potter’ After Guillermo del Toro Called Him “An Arrogant Bastard”

This is dedication: This Thrift Shop Put Photos of Jeff Goldblum in Every Single Picture Frame

QUIZ: Which YA Love Story Should You Read After Finishing TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE?

These Are the 20 Books Travelers Are Always Leaving Behind at Their Hotels