Afternoon Tea (4/30/19)

An important read in the wake of the latest synagogue shooting: Once We Were Free

In Kosovo, a Teenage Girl’s Rape Case Stirs a #MeToo Fury

K-pop is being rocked by a sex scandal. It’s part of a bigger societal problem.

We've Always Been Into Psychological Thrillers

New Scholarship Is Revealing the Private Lives of China’s Empresses

Morning Coffee (4/30/19)

Rod Rosenstein to resign effective May 11

The Poway Synagogue Shooting Follows an Unsettling New Script

A Terrorist Tried to Kill Me Because I Am a Jew. I Will Never Back Down.

ISIS Releases Video of Reclusive Leader

Journalist’s Death Jolts Northern Ireland Politicians Back to Negotiating Table

Kate Manne on why female candidates get ruled “unelectable” so quickly

This Week, NASA Is Pretending An Asteroid Is On Its Way To Smack The Earth

Announcing the 2019 Edgar Award Winners

400-Year-Old Bible Stolen From Pittsburgh Library Is Recovered in the Netherlands

‘Bones’ Stars & EPs’ Stunning $128M Punitive Damages Award Against Fox Punted By Judge In Appeal Hearing

Afternoon Tea (4/29/19)

FASCINATING: The Man Who’s Going to Save Your Neighborhood Grocery Store

A Colonial-Era Cemetery Resurfaces in Philadelphia

This is a moving and important piece by an author about school visits: Now You See Me, Now You Don't

Who Owns The Dinosaurs? It All Depends On Where You Find Them

Sooner or Later Your Cousin’s DNA Is Going to Solve a Murder

Morning Coffee (4/29/19)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

Spain’s socialist party wins election, but it will need help to form a government

Barr Threatens Not to Testify Before House, but Democrats May Subpoena Him

Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Rule on Abortion Referrals

The Republican War on Democracy

Trump administration may soon remove transgender health care protections

Victims identified in the Chabad of Poway shooting

16 Candidates Now Qualify For The First Democratic Primary Debates

Last time CO2 levels were this high, there were trees at the South Pole

David Thouless, 84, Dies; Nobel Laureate Cast Light on Matter

Huh: ‘Peaky Blinders’ Virtual Reality Game Will Pitch Players Into the Action

Morning Coffee (4/28/19)

One Dead in Synagogue Shooting Near San Diego; Officials Call It Hate Crime

A Trans Woman Got 3 Minutes to Speak in Armenia’s Parliament. Threats Followed.

Ukraine adopts language law opposed by Kremlin

‘Anna Delvey,’ Fake Heiress Who Swindled N.Y.’s Elite, Is Found Guilty

‘CBS Has a White Problem’: Executive Blasts Toxic Culture at Network in Explosive Letter

Elizabeth Warren rolls out plan to reward hospitals that make childbirth safer for African-American women

A lot of this made me roll my eyes a lot: Andrew Yang is the candidate for the end of the world

Most ancient type of molecule in universe detected in space

Hmmm: 'White Queen' died of plague, claims letter found in National Archives

Scientists find reason behind split-second sporting disputes

Morning Coffee (4/27/19)

Maria Butina sentenced to 18 months for trying to infiltrate US right and NRA

Of . . . course: Trump Pulls Out of Arms Treaty During Speech at N.R.A. Convention

Joe Biden Expresses Regret to Anita Hill, but She Says ‘I’m Sorry’ Is Not Enough

GOP-led states move the war on voting to a new front: voter registration

Justice Ginsburg schools her conservative colleagues on the meaning of the word ‘consent’

Stephen Moore’s Columns Deriding Women Raise New Questions for Trump Fed Pick

Georgetown students vote overwhelming in favor of $27 fee for slavery reparations

Geraldyn M. Cobb, 88, Who Found a Glass Ceiling in Space, Dies

What an interesting perspective to have available: Diary of explorer David Livingstone's African attendant published

Academy votes not to change Oscar eligibility rules for streaming services in major win for Netflix

Afternoon Tea (4/26/19)

Janelle Monáe: Living Out Loud (and to make it even better, Lizzo is the interviewer!)

This was just lovely and made me cry: Blair Braverman on the Iditarod, Fear, and Resilience

Finland’s Hobbyhorse Girls, Once a Secret Society, Now Prance in Public

A brief history of the ball pit

The Magic of Ed McBain's 87th Precinct

Morning Coffee (4/26/19)

Friday happy link time! I'm writing this Thursday night because I will be ON A PLANE when it posts, but by the time you're reading it there will be NEW TAYLOR MUSIC OUT, THE HAPPIEST OF OCCASIONS, GO GET IT.

HAHAHA: Avengers: Endgame Cast Sings "We Didn't Start the Fire"

!!! Possible 'marsquake' detected for first time on red planet

Oh neat: The New Hampshire Fisher Cats Go Organic

SO CUTE: It’s (Nearly) Prince Louis’s First Birthday and We Got New Pictures

!!! YES. I AM FREAKING OUT. McDonald's is bringing its iconic Dutch Stroopwafel McFlurry to America — and people are freaking out

This sounds fun: Star Trek Animated Series in Development at Nickelodeon

Interesting: Skyhorse Forms Arcade CrimeWise

Australian ship discovered off Victoria 77 years after Japanese submarine attack

I'm not even particularly into DD, but I kinda want these? Dunkin’s New Lip Balms Are Essentially Spreadable Munchkins

I love this: Blake Lively Used to Wear Forever 21 on Red Carpets and Lie and Say It Was Vintage

Afternoon Tea (4/25/19)

This is a heartbreaking, important read about gender discrimination in science: ‘I Want What My Male Colleague Has, and That Will Cost a Few Million Dollars’

Mick Mulvaney’s Master Class in Destroying a Bureaucracy From Within

15 months on from Larry Nassar, USA Gymnastics struggles to find its way

We Analyzed 40 Years Of Primary Polls. Even Early On, They’re Fairly Predictive.

Oh come ON: 'Sentencing their dog to death': how the anti-vax movement spread to pets

Morning Coffee (4/25/19)

ISIS Claims Responsibility for Sri Lanka Attacks. Should We Believe Them?

Terrible: US immigration officials looking at housing migrant children at Guantánamo Bay, report says

SIGH: Joe Biden Announces 2020 Run for President

Trump’s high-stakes subpoena battle with House Democrats, explained

Trump’s tweets are getting more unhinged

Wow! Longest-Serving Republican Lawmaker At Iowa Capitol Joins Democrats

Whoa: Facebook Expects to Be Fined Up to $5 Billion by F.T.C. Over Privacy Issues

GOOD: Nora Roberts Sues Brazilian Writer Who She Says Plagiarized Her Work

Wary of Chinese Espionage, Houston Cancer Center Chose to Fire 3 Scientists

Crusader armies were remarkably genetically diverse, study finds

Afternoon Tea (4/24/19)

This is a great, important piece: The Company That Sells Love to America Had a Dark Secret

In India, a Renewed Fight Against Leprosy

Hate in the Air

After Columbine, martyrdom became a powerful fantasy for Christian teenagers

Amazon made a skin care line based on what users search for

Morning Coffee (4/24/19)

Oh, very normal: In Push for 2020 Election Security, Top Official Was Warned: Don’t Tell Trump

Leader of Right-Wing Border Militia Allegedly Said the Group Was Training to Assassinate Obama, Clinton, and Soros

‘Please god let there be a race war.’ Coast Guard officer’s ‘views on race’ drove his plans to launch terrorist attack, prosecutors allege

Navy SEALs Were Warned Against Reporting Their Chief for War Crimes

Is Obstruction an Impeachable Offense? History Says Yes

Sigh: Twitter’s CEO Jack Dorsey Attended Closed-Door Meeting With President Trump

The Supreme Court case over adding a citizenship question to the census, explained

More than 12,000 Boy Scout members were victims of sexual abuse, expert says

We Asked the 2020 Democrats About Climate Change (Yes, All of Them). Here Are Their Ideas.

A World War I Soldier’s Cholera Seemed Odd. 100 Years Later, Researchers Have Sequenced His Bacteria’s Genome

Afternoon Tea (4/23/19)

Lizzo Loves You Like She Loves Herself

A Leading Cause for Wrongful Convictions: Experts Overstating Forensic Results

Here’s How TurboTax Just Tricked You Into Paying to File Your Taxes

Archivists race to digitize slavery records before the history is lost

Women suffer needless pain because almost everything is designed for men

Morning Coffee (4/23/19)

This is very bad: The Supreme Court’s New LGBTQ Cases Could Demolish Sex Discrimination Law as We Know It

Jamelle Bouie is always worth reading: The Lure of Impeachment

ISIS, After Laying Groundwork, Gains Toehold in Congo

I'm so glad they wrote this article, because this is so insulting: Why Are Conservatives So Eager to Call Elizabeth Warren “Liz”?

!! Computer Analysis Says ‘Beowulf’ Is the Work of a Single Author

!!! Influencer Faces up to 20 Years in Prison After Trying to Steal Domain Name at Gunpoint

UNH Study Shows Decline in Wild Bees That Pollinate Major New England Fruit Crops

Don’t Count on 23andMe to Detect Most Breast Cancer Risks, Study Warns

Ralph Solecki, Who Found Humanity in Neanderthals, Dies at 101

Neolithic dog reveals tales behind Orkney's monuments

Afternoon Tea (4/22/19)

I don't love this headline, but the piece provided very good context and updates: The Baraboo Nazi Prom Photo Shocked The World. The City’s Response Shocked Its Residents.

Behind the New, Gloriously Queer Emily Dickinson Movie

I love this title: Killer Trees of the Revolution

Why It’s Time to Move Millennials Into Leadership

Fairytales on trial: the Good and the Beautiful in early Soviet children’s literature

Morning Coffee (4/22/19)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

Here are updates on the Sri Lankan terrorist attacks.

Prodded by Putin, Russians Sought Back Channels to Trump Through the Business World

This is great: New York first state to bar ICE arrests in courts without judicial warrant

Oh good: Stop & Shop and more than 30,000 of its employees reach tentative contract agreement

9 Takeaways From the Clearest Glimpse Into the 2020 Money Race So Far

Not just a Republican, but an elected state rep: Republican discussed violent attacks and surveillance with rightwingers

Well, this is quite the 2019 headline: Gina Haspel Relies on Spy Skills to Connect With Trump. He Doesn’t Always Listen.

Dr. Richard Green, 82, Dies; Challenged Psychiatry’s View of Homosexuality

NASA’s Cassini data shows Titan’s lakes are stranger than we thought

Good: Norway's Kon-Tiki museum to return thousands of Easter Island artefacts

Morning Coffee (4/21/19)

Oh no: Blasts at Churches and Hotels in Sri Lanka Said to Kill Almost 200

Lyra McKee: Two teenage men arrested in connection with journalist's killing

Alexandra Petri, great as always: My book report on ‘The Mueller Report’

The Trump 2020 campaign is going after older people with immigration ads on Facebook

Pete Buttigieg, Barack Obama, and the psychology of liberalism

UNH Study: Bobcat Territory Has Moved With Human Development

Ooh: The Boys in the Band Coming to Netflix From Ryan Murphy; Entire Broadway Cast of All-Gay Actors Set to Return

Ben-Fur: Romans brought rabbits to Britain, experts discover

Ukrainian Pysanka – the Writing on the Egg

Perfect. (Yes, The Onion.) Happy Easter! Peeps Unveils New Boneless, Skinless Marshmallow Breasts

Morning Coffee (4/20/19)

Robert Mueller Gave Us Everything We Need to Know

The best defense of Trump is still a damning indictment

This is just horrifying: Militia in New Mexico Detains Asylum Seekers at Gunpoint

Trump’s Pick for Interior Dept. Continued Lobbying After Officially Vowing to Stop, New Files Show

What Changes When the Presidential Field Is Full of Mothers, Not Just Fathers

Ohh, this does not seem like a good road to go down! Complaint from Manchester teachers union after dozens request Good Friday off and are denied

Sex, alcohol and violence collided in murder case ensnaring SEALs and Marines

Teen Dating Violence Can Lead To Homicide — And Girls Are The Most Common Victims

Three Endangered Right Whale Calves Spotted in New England Waters

Germany welcomes back priceless books lost in second world war

Afternoon Tea (4/19/19)

The Children of the Children of Columbine

The Quest for the Most Elusive Material in Physics

Why I write carefree Muslim girls

Funeral workers are finally opening up about the job’s emotional toll

Top Ten Revolutionary War Patriot Homes in Connecticut

Morning Coffee (4/19/19)

I'll have Mueller report analysis for you tomorrow, but for today we're sticking with FRIDAY HAPPY LINKS.

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma Plays Bach In Shadow Of Border Crossing

EXCITED: Exclusive: Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed team for activist novel Yes No Maybe So

AWW I LOVE THIS: An Unusual Family Of Bald Eagles Adds 3 Eaglets

And in other good animal news: Dog Saved By Workers On Oil Rig, 135 Miles Off Thai Coast

Oh, this is great: Modern Library Launches Series of Classics Penned by Women

Cannes Film Festival Unveils Poster Featuring Agnes Varda

I have some reading to catch up on: Longman-History Today Book Prize 2019: The Shortlist

Dessert stamps with recipes!! Sweet! Nanaimo bar goes postal with announcement of new stamp

Twitter introduces 40 adorable Avengers emoji, including Korg from Thor: Ragnarok

Oh these look fun: Coca-Cola, Disney Strike ‘Star Wars’ Partnership

Afternoon Tea (4/18/19)

The Day the Dinosaurs Died

Poets in Power: the 1919 Bavarian Soviet Republic

Here's a great interview with the Fug Girls about their new book!

There Is No Purer or More Joyful Reality TV Show Than ‘Antiques Roadshow’

Why I Take All My First Dates to Olive Garden

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

Afternoon Tea (4/17/19)

Climate Chaos Is Coming — and the Pinkertons Are Ready

The keeper of the secret

Fifty shades of white: the long fight against racism in romance novels

Alaska Relies on Ice. What Happens When It Can’t Be Trusted?

The Controversy Over the Planned Le Corbusier Museum

Morning Coffee (4/17/19)

An important piece from Dahlia Lithwick: What Happened While We Were Waiting for the Mueller Report

Congress Subpoenas Deutsche Bank As Part Of Democrats' Probe Of Trump Finances

Trump moves to resist House inquiries, setting up fight over congressional subpoena powers

The Notre-Dame Rooster and Other Statues That Escaped the Fire

Mirjana Markovic, the ‘Lady Macbeth’ of War-Torn Serbia, Dies at 76

Not a great look! Bernie Sanders Accuses Liberal Think Tank of Smearing Progressive Candidates

Ohh, this is an interesting aspect of the strike I hadn't thought about: Jews face having to find Passover foods without Stop & Shop

!! Unknown Daphne du Maurier poems discovered behind photo frame

Wow: For months, she fell ill at work. Then, police say, she watched video of a co-worker spiking her drink.

Nepalese Expedition Seeks to Find Out if An Earthquake Shrunk Mount Everest

Afternoon Tea (4/16/19)

From parks to Premier League: the shocking scale of racism in English football

What Was the Washington Post Afraid Of?

This is an interesting read on climate change and real estate: Heaven or High Water

A great interview with a courtroom artist: Murder, She Drew

And a delightful one with Jasmine Guillory! Meghan Markle's Mom Inspired Jasmine Guillory's New Romance Novel, Royal Holiday

Morning Coffee (4/16/19)

The Notre Dame fire is heartbreaking: A France in Turmoil Weeps for a Symbol of Paris’s Enduring Identity

Here's the Guardian's ongoing live blog about the tragedy.

And this has good information from experts: How Catastrophic Is the Notre-Dame Cathedral Fire?

I'm glad this fire seemed smaller, but still, awful: Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque Fire Burns at the Same Time As Flames Engulf Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

Mueller report’s release is expected Thursday, Justice Dept. says

Measles Outbreak 'Accelerates,' Health Officials Warn

Good news: Arizona Teachers Can Now Discuss LGBTQ Issues Without Worrying About The Law

It’s the Sexism, Stupid: Why men are dominating the Democratic 2020 primary.

Well, this seems apt: Pulitzer Prizes Focus on Coverage of Trump Finances and Parkland Shooting

This is fascinating: Book of Lost Books Discovered in Danish Archive

Afternoon Tea (4/15/19)

White Supremacists Have Weaponized an Imaginary Viking Past. It's Time to Reclaim the Real History

This was one of those profiles that made me really want to read the subject's work: A Beloved Canadian Novelist Reckons with Her Mennonite Past

Hefty Raises, Olympic Gold, and Then Crumbs for U.S. Women’s Hockey

The Authoritarian Heroes of Game of Thrones

Is your pregnancy app sharing your intimate data with your boss?

Morning Coffee (4/15/19)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

Aww, this hug is so great and important: Buttigieg looking to begin new era in politics with historic candidacy

This report is very long, but worth your time: How Rupert Murdoch’s Empire of Influence Remade the World

What It Takes to Pull Off India’s Gargantuan Election

Assange tried to use embassy as 'centre for spying', says Ecuador's Moreno

The People Demand Answers: What Happened to Julian Assange’s Cat?

Elizabeth Warren is the intellectual powerhouse of the Democratic party

Trolls hijacked a scientist’s image to attack Katie Bouman. They picked the wrong astrophysicist.

So sad. Please read about his incredible work, if you haven't: Ed Westcott, a Singular Eye at the Dawn of the Atomic Age, Dies at 97

Abuse Allegations Rock Vienna Ballet School

Yeah, not good! Transgender Community Reacts to IMDb Publishing Birth Names Without Consent

Morning Coffee (4/14/19)

Trump Assails Ilhan Omar With Video of 9/11 Attacks

I don't think this would have the effect they think, but it's still terrible that, given how they think, this was their plan: White House proposed releasing immigrant detainees in sanctuary cities, targeting political foes

This investigation is worth your time: You elected them to write new laws. They’re letting corporations do it instead.

A Bill Banning Most Abortions Becomes Law In Ohio

Good: House Passes Bill to Restore Net Neutrality Rules

EVERYTHING about this incident is horrifying: Alaska lawmaker criticizes school district’s handling of bathroom incident

After Obama, Democrats need a new theory of change. Pete Buttigieg thinks he’s got it.

Joan Jones, 79, Force Against Racism in Nova Scotia, Dies

Scottish missionary who died at Auschwitz to be honoured in Hungary

Beauty YouTuber Jeffree Star, Internet Infamy, and a Multi-Million-Dollar Makeup Heist

Morning Coffee (4/13/19)

Very happy about this: N.H. Poised To Abolish Death Penalty After Senate Vote

This is not normal! Trump told CBP head he'd pardon him if he were sent to jail for violating immigration law

Trump Just Fired Me Because I Am Trans

Fact-Checking Trump’s Family Separation Claim about Obama’s Policy

Lindsey Graham introduces bill which would ban abortions after 20 weeks

Hahaha. (Yes, the Onion.) William Barr Agrees To Release Nonverbal, Abstract Visual Representation Of Mueller Report

GOOD: McGill dumps Redmen team name after calls from Indigenous community

First 'Star Wars: Episode IX' Trailer Unveils 'The Rise of Skywalker'

I know they have me, I won't even pretend they don't: Disney+ will be available on November 12th for $6.99 a month

An Ancient Human Species Is Discovered in a Philippine Cave

Afternoon Tea (4/12/19)

Fossils Are Filling Out the Human Family Tree

Japan Is Among the Hardest Countries for Working Mothers. These Families Want to Change That.

The Woman Who Would Be King

How to Clean Candy (and Other Sticky Stuff) From a Pot

Amy Rose Capetta & Cori McCarthy Share Craft & Career Insights

Morning Coffee (4/12/19)

Wow, this week was very long. But time for some Friday happy links!

Katie Bouman: the 29-year-old whose work led to first black hole photo

I AM SO EXCITED: Get An Exclusive First Look At ‘Royal Holiday’ By Jasmine Guillory

I LOVE THIS BOOK: Amazon Studios, Berlanti Productions Win Casey McQuiston Novel ‘Red White & Royal Blue’

Good for her: …Ready for It? Taylor Swift Donates $113,000 to Tennessee LGBTQ Group

It's based on the sequel so this headline is a little misleading, but yay! 'Love, Simon' TV Series a Go at Disney+

Kate McKinnon to Play Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes for Hulu

This is amazing: Watch the Game of Thrones Intro, but With 3,000 Oreos

Aww: Great British Baking Show contestants had a mini reunion over the weekend for a fellow baker's wedding

Hahaha: Word Problems Harder to Solve Than the Real-Life Failures That Inspired Them

In case you need some menu inspiration: 9 Easter Brunch Recipes for Easy Entertaining

Afternoon Tea (4/11/19)

Old, Online, And Fed On Lies: How An Aging Population Will Reshape The Internet

Sandy Fawkes: The Reporter and the Serial Killer

Stories of transracial adoptees must be heard – even uncomfortable ones

When a Mystery Illness Threatens Your Identity

Move back to your dying hometown. Unless you can’t.

Morning Coffee (4/11/19)

Julian Assange was just expelled from the Ecuadorian Embassy and arrested by British police

Brexit: UK and EU agree delay to 31 October

The U.S. Is Tracking Migrant Girls' Periods to Stop Them From Getting Abortions

Ex-Obama Counsel Expects to Be Charged Soon in Mueller-Related Case

In case you still thought they cared about life at all: Texas lawmakers consider the death penalty for abortion

Why I Am Stockpiling Insulin in My Fridge

GOOD: Washington corrections officials reverse ban, will allow prisoners to get used books in the mail

Yes, Democrats need to beat Trump. But that shouldn’t give Joe Biden a pass.

!!! Darkness Visible, Finally: Astronomers Capture First Ever Image of a Black Hole

Charles Van Doren, a Quiz Show Whiz Who Wasn’t, Dies at 93

Afternoon Tea (4/10/19)

Muffet McGraw Says She Won’t Hire a Man on Her Coaching Staff. Let Her Tell You Why.

Female astronauts: How performance products like space suits and bras are designed to pave the way for women’s accomplishments

Unraveling Wikipedia’s Mystery over Women’s History

The Stories Of Black Women In The Military Need To Be Told In Books

This fairy tale series is interesting: The Evil Stepmother

Morning Coffee (4/10/19)

After Tight Race, Netanyahu Appears Poised to Form Israel’s Next Government

For first time in town history, Webster elects all-woman select board

Congress Is About to Ban the Government From Offering Free Online Tax Filing. Thank TurboTax.

Can Congress force Trump to hand over his tax returns? I asked 11 legal experts.

UGH: Anti-Vaccine Protesters Misappropriate Holocaust-Era Symbol to Promote Their Cause

As a College Student, I Had My Own Close Encounter With Joe Biden. I’m Still Not Sure How to Feel About It.

This guy. Devin Nunes Sues McClatchy Newspaper Chain, Alleging ‘Character Assassination’

I'm so glad this guy is finally on trial: ‘Daddy hurt her’: Nobody believed a boy’s story, until he dug up the backyard 20 years later

An Iceberg Twice the Size of New York City Is About to Split From Antarctica

Ooh: 'The Crown' Casts Its Princess Diana

Afternoon Tea (4/9/19)

This made me say "oh my God" out loud: Scientists weighed all the mass in the Milky Way galaxy. It’s mind-boggling.

Awww, this story: This 61-Year-Old Woman Just Gave Birth To Her Own Granddaughter

Inside the Fight for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

9 Writers Who Perfectly Capture What It’s Like for Jews of Color

'Charge Your Phone' Is the Ultimate Reply-Guy Reply

Morning Coffee (4/9/19)

U.S. Strips Visa From World Criminal Court Prosecutor Pursuing War-Crimes Inquiry

Trump’s flailing shake-up of the Department of Homeland Security, explained

Mystery Man in Trump’s Mar-a-Lago/China Scandal Prompts Counterintelligence Concerns

They just PUT THE FLASH DRIVE IN A SECRET SERVICE COMPUTER??

Yes, It Matters That Pete Buttigieg Is Gay

Suspicious blazes destroy three predominantly black Louisiana churches

Egypt tomb: Mummified mice found in 'beautiful' ancient chamber

Maury Laws, Rankin-Bass Composer-Arranger, Dies at 95

Sigh: What makes Green Day think four men are the perfect authors for a book about female empowerment?

Heh: All Right. Some Cats Do Fetch

Afternoon Tea (4/8/19)

Uncovering Nazi massacre of Jews on Belarus building site

This is a really interesting piece on Toni Morrison: On Black Difficulty

The Worst Disease Ever Recorded

How The Matrix universalized a trans experience — and helped me accept my own

What It’s Like to Grow Up With More Money Than You’ll Ever Spend

Morning Coffee (4/8/19)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

Kirstjen Nielsen Resigns as Trump’s Homeland Security Secretary

Mulvaney says Democrats will ‘never’ see Trump’s tax returns

Trump attacks Rep. Ilhan Omar hours after a supporter was charged with threatening to kill her

A power struggle over Tripoli threatens to push Libya further into chaos

In Israel Election, the Future of the West Bank Is Now on the Ballot

May faces intense cabinet pressure over prospect of lengthy Brexit delay

This story! State Prosecutor has opened investigation into Baltimore Mayor Pugh's 'Healthy Holly' book sales, her lawyer says

That Kiss, and Other Daily Indignities

So Cambridge beat Oxford in the annual Boat Race, and James Cracknell - TWO-TIME OLYMPIC CHAMPION - was the oldest-ever competitor because he's a Cambridge student now. Imagine being a regular undergrad and having him show up to be on your team.

Huh! Pulaski, Polish Hero of the Revolutionary War, Was Most Likely Intersex, Researchers Say

Morning Coffee (4/7/19)

We Fled the Gangs in Honduras. Then the U.S. Government Took My Baby.

South Africa Crippled by Rolling Blackouts, Weeks Before an Election

Donors to the Trump inaugural committee got ambassador nominations. But are they qualified?

Joe Biden Isn’t the Answer

‘Unspoken Sexism’ Dampens Fundraising For Women Running In 2020

Wow. A pro-gun activist lobbied for “constitutional carry” by showing up at Texas lawmakers’ homes. Now the bill is DOA.

Donald Trump Is Never More Donald Trump Than When He's Cheating At Golf

The Death of Fascist Irony

Trump’s administration let schools serve unhealthy lunches again. States are suing.

Cats Might Not Act Like It, But They Know Their Names As Well As Dogs, Study Says

Sigh. Polish priest apologises for Harry Potter book burning

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

Afternoon Tea (4/5/19)

Billie Eilish Is Not Your Typical 17-Year-Old Pop Star. Get Used to Her.

Eee, part two! Queens of Infamy: Josephine Bonaparte, from Malmaison to More-Than-Monarch

‘It’s true companionship’: He’s biking around the world, with a cat on his back

The evolution of Sansa Stark, explained by her costumes

One for All and All for One: YA Ensemble Casts You’ll Want to Join

Weekly Rec: First Aid Beauty 5-in-1 Eye Cream

For some reason, the skin around my eyes, particularly my lower eyelids, has been extremely dry, starting this winter and now into this spring. I can't figure out why! It's a mystery! I've never noticed dry skin there before, but it's been driving me bonkers the past few months.

I was about to look for some kind of eye cream to buy when I remembered that for . . . some reason . . . I had already purchased First Aid Beauty's 5-in-1 Eye Cream. I don't remember why. A sale? Nicole Cliffe said so? Maybe. (You can see more of First Aid Beauty's products on on their site - I've tried a few and liked everything so far!) Anyway, I figured I'd try this before buying something else, and it has worked marvelously, with almost immediate improvements.

And hey, while we're talking about skin care - anyone have an affordable toner they love?

Morning Coffee (4/5/19)

We made it! Time for Friday happy links!

This is great: School turning unused food into take-home meals for students

Pete Buttigieg’s 10 Favorite Books

Captain Marvel is officially a $1 billion box office hit

See the faces behind the 19th Amendment at the National Portrait Gallery

CASTING DIRECTLY TO MY INTERESTS: Veronica Mars: Mary McDonnell Joins Hulu Revival in Mystery Role

Excited about this! Booksellers Announce First Annual Romance Bookstore Day

!! Hallmark will air a record 40 new Christmas movies this year

Aww, this skating story: ‘Doing what I love.’ Meredith Hall to return to her childhood roots

This stuff is amazing: Her Universe Honors “Sisters of the Force” in New Collection at Star Wars Celebration Chicago

Hahaha: Imagine if nature documentaries focused on this elusive species: the city snowplow

Afternoon Tea (4/4/19)

The Man Trying to Make Sense of Brexit Is Tired and Would Like to Stop Now

At 71, She’s Never Felt Pain or Anxiety. Now Scientists Know Why.

What More Could I Have Done For My Student, 'Vulnerable To The Slightest Of Breezes'?

I love a good bad book review and this is a GREAT one: Psycho Analysis

I didn't realize this was a New England thing! The Anatomy of a Three-Decker

Morning Coffee (4/4/19)

Here we go! Maybe! I hope! House committee chairman asks Internal Revenue Service for six years of Trump’s personal and business tax returns

Some on Mueller’s Team See Their Findings as More Damaging for Trump Than Barr Revealed

Uh: Trump, airing grievances with immigration system, says U.S. needs to "get rid of judges"

Of course: Pork industry soon will have more power over meat inspections

Lucy Flores isn’t alone. Joe Biden has a long history of touching women inappropriately.

Whoa: Police: Teen found in Newport says he's missing Illinois kid who disappeared 7 years ago

After hundreds of crashes, this Britax jogging stroller faced recall. Then Trump appointees stepped in.

SAA Response to Hollins University Removal of Yearbooks

OOH: Something on Mars Is Producing Gas Usually Made by Living Things on Earth

What DOES it mean to be from Maine? A lawsuit is accusing Poland Spring of selling “ordinary groundwater”

Afternoon Tea (4/3/19)

Well, this is all terrible: Italy Is Ground Zero For The War On Women — Which Is Why These Far-Right Groups Are Meeting There

I don't like the headline but this piece about female inventors is interesting!

Again, not a great headline but an interesting and important piece: Bar or Bat Mitzvah? Hey, What About a Both Mitzvah?

The Dismal Career Opportunities for Military Spouses

Why Stop At One Book? Sandhya Menon Wrote A Rom-Com Universe

Morning Coffee (4/3/19)

Prime Minister Theresa May changes course on Brexit

Woman From China Carrying Malware Arrested After Entering Mar-a-Lago

Algeria’s longtime dictator just resigned amid massive protests

Testing Novel Power, Trump Administration Detains Palestinian After Sentence Ends

This is not good! University of Arizona will charge 2 students over protest of Border Patrol event on campus

University of North Carolina Memorial to Slaves Is Defaced With Urine and Racial Slurs

Elizabeth Warren’s plan to make farming great again, explained

What a great list! 2019 Hugo Award & 1944 Retro Hugo Award Finalists

Disney Shutters Production Studio Beloved By Women

NASA announces top three designs for homes on Mars

Afternoon Tea (4/2/19)

Russia Ordered a Killing That Made No Sense. Then the Assassin Started Talking.

Who Counts as a Woman?

The impossible quest to build a better breast pump

There Is No Reason to Cross the U.S. by Train. But I Did It Anyway.

WELL, this hit close to home: To the Type-A Person Having a Meltdown

Morning Coffee (4/2/19)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

Parliament Votes Down Brexit Alternatives, Worsening Deadlock

Wow: White House whistleblower says 25 security clearance denials were reversed during Trump administration

The Supreme Court’s Conservatives Just Legalized Torture

Meanwhile, I'd sort of lost track of what was going on in Turkey, but whoa: A Political Quake in Turkey as Erdogan’s Party Loses in His Home Base of Support

McConnell moves to change Senate rules to speed up confirmation of Trump nominees

Mick Mulvaney’s latest effort to whitewash Trump’s failures is a joke

EPA Science Panel Considering Guidelines That Upend Basic Air Pollution Science

Jamelle Bouie on Trump and health care: An Opening for the Democrats

An interesting series from NHPR: Adequate: How a State Decides the Value of Public Education

'I can get any novel I want in 30 seconds': can book piracy be stopped?

Afternoon Tea (4/1/19)

The Indefatigable Spirit of Agnès Varda

This was very interesting: How Is Your Judaism Different From Your Parents'?

Once & Future Coauthors Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy on Writing with Your Soul Mate

Stepping Into the Uncanny, Unsettling World of Shen Yun

Her Father Murdered My Mother. Then, We Became Friends.

Morning Coffee (4/1/19)

I mean, good, but... IT IS 2019, we're just doing this now? Francis mandates Vatican officials, diplomats to report suspicions of child abuse

This is a good, clear summary: The Trump Scandals That Have Slipped by Congress

Disgusting: GOP legislator prays to Jesus for forgiveness before state’s first Muslim woman swears in

Wait... what? Jerry Falwell Jr’s university has sold more than $1 million in jet fuel to the Pentagon since Trump’s inauguration

I agree with all of this: Beto’s Just Not Doing It for Me

Women Who Worked with Billionaire Philanthropist Michael Steinhardt Say He Asked for Sex

K-Pop Crime Cartel Revealed as Korea’s Burning Sun Scandal Expands

Confronting racism is not about the needs and feelings of white people

The White House wants NASA to put boots on the Moon by 2024. That seems... unlikely.

Brexit leaves Tate scrambling to assure EU museums over Van Gogh loans