Special August Patreon announcement!

I posted this over on Patreon today but I'm sharing it here as well, because . . . maybe if you like my posts you would also like to support them a bit? And/or maybe you would like some extra content this month? Head right this way to sign up.

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Happy August! (How is it August already??) Yesterday was my birthday, so this seems like a good time to stop and take stock of things in general and in particular including this Patreon! I'm trying to figure out how to tweak things a bit so that you guys are getting what you want out of it AND it doesn't all fall apart when I have a few rough/busy months, as it did this spring.

So! What does this mean for you? For right now, it means that you're going to get a BUNCH OF EXTRA STUFF in August - some rewards for levels you don't normally receive, and maybe some new stuff I'm trying out. I hope you enjoy it.

At the end of the month, I'm going to ask you to let me know which rewards you enjoyed and which you didn't really care about, and then I'll use that information to revamp the reward structure going forward.

And then in September I'll announce any changes, and you can move your support level around as you see fit.

(And if you're reading this but not a patron yet - if you sign up for whatever amount this month, you'll get extra stuff and help me with this process!)

I hope that makes sense! Let me know if you have any questions.

xoxo, Kate

Morning Coffee (8/1/18)

HOW IS IT AUGUST? Anyway, more on this this afternoon, but special August thing: If you are a Patreon supporter or sign up this month at any level, you'll get a bunch of EXTRA rewards and the chance to help me decide which rewards to keep/change going forward!

Mueller Passes 3 Cases Focused on Illicit Foreign Lobbying to Prosecutors in New York

What we learned from the opening statements at Paul Manafort’s trial

The battle to stop 3D-printed guns, explained

Facebook Identifies an Active Political Influence Campaign Using Fake Accounts

Jeff Sessions announces a religious liberty task force to combat “dangerous” secularism (Spoiler: He just means Christian nationalism.)

The motivations in suggesting this seem good but... this also seems really dangerous: Senate Bill To Require Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity Data By 2030 Census

HI WE MISS YOU: Spotted: Obama and Biden Eating Sandwiches at Veteran-Run Dog Tag Bakery in Georgetown

!!! Swedish crown jewels: Speedboat thieves steal priceless treasures

This story is SO GREAT: Lawson Craddock's Amazing Last-Place Finish In The Tour De France

Private world of Franklin D. Roosevelt unveiled in newly found film footage

Afternoon Tea (7/31/18)

This is WILD: How an Ex-Cop Rigged McDonald’s Monopoly Game and Stole Millions

Doubts Swirl Over Claims of Gold-Filled Russian Shipwreck

Yuko Fujii, the judo coach overthrowing gender stereotypes

Forbidden Forks

The Big Sleep: 25 Classic Covers, Ranked

Morning Coffee (7/31/18)

Herman Shine, One of the Few to Escape Auschwitz, Dies at 95

ICE agents pressured parents to be deported with their children — then separated them again when they refused

PLEASE: Ginsburg suggests she has at least five more years on the Supreme Court

Supreme Court: Landmark climate lawsuit against Trump administration can go forward

Rudy Giuliani’s rambling new statements on Michael Cohen and the Trump Tower meeting, decoded

The Virginia House race at the center of the “Bigfoot erotica” controversy, explained

Sinclair stations have now aired four “must-run” segments pushing for Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation

Ugh, THIS guy: Dictatorship Was A 'Very Good' Period, Says Brazil's Aspiring President

Of course: Trump Administration Mulls a Unilateral Tax Cut for the Wealthy

New Land O’Lakes CEO Is First Openly Gay Woman To Head A Fortune 500 Company

Afternoon Tea (7/30/18)

This is wild: The Spy Who Drove Me

Alone in the Dark: Why we need more children’s books about suicide and severe depression.

Japan’s Fiery Toyohashi Gion Festival

The Strange Stories of Soldiers Who Fought for Both Sides in World War Two

The Artist Whose Rural Dystopian Scenes Inspired an Amazon Series

Morning Coffee (7/30/18)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

A 6-Year-Old Girl Was Sexually Abused in an Immigrant-Detention Center

Les Moonves and CBS Face Allegations of Sexual Misconduct

Former Catalan Leader Returns to Belgium, Vowing to Defend Separatist Cause

Wow: On Eve Of Zimbabwe's Vote, Robert Mugabe Says He Won't Support His Old Party

Cardinal Theodore McCarrick Resigns Amid Sexual Abuse Scandal

‘We didn’t let girls do it in the old days,’ a judge said. ‘Inappropriate,’ a higher court ruled.

To Keep Women From Dying In Childbirth, Look To California

Twitter Is Not ‘Shadow Banning’ Republicans

Academic writes 270 Wikipedia pages in a year to get female scientists noticed

Heh, shocker: Amazon Studios Will No Longer Let Audiences Vote on Which Pilots They Want to See Developed

Morning Coffee (7/29/18)

I'm away, so this was written in advance. Back to normal in a few days!

Mueller Examining Trump’s Tweets in Wide-Ranging Obstruction Inquiry

Paul Ryan is helping Trump undermine the rule of law

Alabama coal exec, lawyer found guilty of bribing politician to oppose EPA Superfund cleanup

NBC/WSJ poll: Support for Roe v. Wade hits new high

Birthright citizenship, explained: why some on the right want to end it, and what they get wrong

I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS: Court Enforces Codicil Written In Decedent's Blood (Yes, You Read That Correctly)

New study shines light on the racial ‘anger bias’ of educators

Discovered: Milky Way's long-lost galactic sibling

Construction on Rome’s Newest Subway Line Is Revealing a Trove of Ancient Treasures

Scientists uncover formula for box office movie success

Morning Coffee (7/28/18)

I'm away, so this was written in advance. Back to normal in a few days!

Cohen claims Trump knew in advance of 2016 Trump Tower meeting

The Trump GOP-Russia Alliance Is A Natural Alliance

Whistleblower Provides Emails That Show Stormy Daniels' Arrest Was Pre-Planned

Montana Governor Sues I.R.S., Warning of ‘Foreign Money’ in Elections

ISIS Is Shaking Britain’s Anti–Death Penalty Resolve

!!! New Evidence for a Hidden Lake on Mars

Wow: Ta-Nehisi Coates Is Leaving The Atlantic

Eee! Lin-Manuel Miranda, Michelle Williams, Sam Rockwell Team for Fosse-Verdon Series at FX

Seagram’s heiress arrested for role in controversial “sex cult”

Women, Stop Volunteering for Office Housework!

Afternoon Tea (7/27/18)

A fun Friday afternoon read: How Goop’s Haters Made Gwyneth Paltrow’s Company Worth $250 Million

Pizza Physics: Why Brick Ovens Bake The Perfect Italian-Style Pie

I'm Obsessed With These 1970s Cosmo Covers

A Brief History of Cryptography in Crime Fiction

How to Identify German War Planes: A World War Two Infographic

Morning Coffee (7/27/18)

Phew. Time for Friday happy links.

Dame Judi Dench and the Duchess of Cornwall ate ice cream together and honestly those pictures did a lot to get me through this week.

Claude Monet’s Glazed Biscuit Kitty Cat Returns to the Artist’s Home

Wills & Kate Gave Us a New Pic of Prince George For His Birthday

WANT: Build your own Hogwarts Castle with LEGO's newest, biggest Harry Potter set

Ooh! Torvill and Dean Ice Skating Drama Greenlit With ‘Game of Thrones’ Star Will Tudor

You probably need more cheese plates on your Instagram.

Maybe VR is good: Visit a Scotch Distillery From the Comfort of Grand Central

20 Things Chris Pine Looks Like in This Photo

This Star Trek vodka boldly goes where blah blah you get it

Obviously I want all of these Harry Potter tote bags.