Morning Coffee Link Roundup (1/7/23)

Today is Saturday! I just messed up writing the date four times. Not even putting the wrong year, just the slashes in the wrong places. Get with it, fingers!

This whole term is going to be such a disaster: McCarthy Wins Speakership on 15th Vote After Concessions to Hard Right (NYT)

This is part of why this whole thing was not actually just funny: Kevin McCarthy’s inability to win House speaker is putting pretty much everything Congress does on hold (Grid)

Meet Cheryl Johnson, the House clerk managing the speaker votes (NPR)

In better governing news: Maura Healey's inauguration a source of pride, inspiration for LGBTQ community (CBS Boston)

Ukraine’s museums keep watch over priceless gold in bid to halt Russian looters (The Guardian)

How Worried Should We Be About XBB.1.5? (The Atlantic)

Two major pharmacies say they plan to offer medication abortions. Here’s what that could mean. (The 19th*)

One public health lesson from 2022 worth remembering (Vox)

WHAT ON EARTH: Novelist Appears to Announce She's Alive 2 Years After Faking Suicide: 'Let the Fun Begin' (Jezebel)

Martin Edwards on Murder in the Basement, A Pioneering Work of Suspense (CrimeReads)

And some longer reads:

Essential reporting on Ukraine: A Culture in the Cross Hairs (NYT)

Covid experts look ahead at the fourth year of the pandemic: Vaccines, new variants and what to expect in 2023 (Grid)

Benedict XVI’s Most Powerful Influence on the Catholic Church Came Before He Was Pope (New Yorker)

Dismantling Sellafield: the epic task of shutting down a nuclear site (The Guardian)

The Ladies of (Modern) LA Noir (CrimeReads)