Ukraine and Russia end another round of negotiations with little progress, seeming more and more like political theater (for an audience of Donald Trump). / Politico

A project documents actions, statements, and plans of Trump and his administration “that echo those of authoritarian regimes.” / Trump Action Tracker

Davy Rothbart remembers the day he was 13, working security for Jesse Jackson. / Instagram

Thanks to a 2015 “explosion” of cocaine production in Colombia, overdose fatalities are on the rise in the United States. / NPR

Why is the US so hospitable to cults? “All kinds of immunities and protections you would not get in other countries.” / Minority Report

Unrelated: Some quick thoughts on why news reports about extraterrestrials never seem to “stick.” / The Trend Report 

Rimma Boshernitsan says we already have enough intelligence(s) going around to “finish wiring the nerves of land, code, and culture.” / Noema

A leaked email shows Ring’s “search party” feature is meant to “zero out crime in neighborhoods.” / 404 Media

Paul Ford says if AI makes software engineers like himself obsolete, that might be a good trade for society, long term. / The New York Times [$]

Los Angeles plans a massive new automated subway line to travel under Bel Air. / CityLab

Anthony Paletta: “It is tedious to travel in an eternal present… why air travel should always seem semi-recent is often due to colossal failures of imagination.” / dezeen

For Lunar New Year, a review of a luncheon thrown by the Chicago Chinese consulate in Muscatine, Iowa, in 1985. / Gourmet

A round-up of several dozen Japanese clothing companies. A round-up of drone shots from the Miltan Cortina Olypics. / Nolan Daniel White, YouTube

A crossing guard in Vermont finds an audience for a zine of observations from “the intersection and beyond.” / It’s Nice That

In the members area, an unlocked link from the New York Times ↓