“I sold the French Laundry…”

Protests in Iran continue despite the crackdown by security forces that one human rights group says has killed at least 201 people. / BBC News

The midsummer polling "tick" in Democrats' favor "has duly been answered by a Republican 'tock' this autumn." / The Economist

The backstory on why Los Angeles's government is imploding after leaked audio finds council members trading racist jokes while making political sausage. / KnockLA

The meeting was secret and ugly, but probably not illegal. / The Los Angeles Times

Unrelated/related: Welcome to "words against strangers." / The Pudding

Sam Quinones traces the recent epidemic of homelessness in western states, the one marked by meth abuse and tents, to LA's Skid Row. / Los Angeles Magazine

The #MeToo movement in Hollywood moves on after the self-destruction of Time's Up. / The Hollywood Reporter

Two reporters explain why "Mexican Week"—roundly denounced and derided—is a sign of bigger problems for the Great British Baking Show. / The Washington Post, Texas Monthly, The Los Angeles Times

Diplomatic dining—food presented at state dinners—has become recognized over time as an instrument of "soft power." / WePresent

A short film summarized as "I sold the French Laundry, then it became the best restaurant in the world." / YouTube

Malcolm Harris: America has become an increasingly difficult place to be a happy child, and it's well past time to start treating that as an urgent political problem. / New York Magazine

Feeling awe may be essential to humans' wellbeing, and it makes for nicer people. But is "society is becoming less awe-friendly?" / The Guardian

See also: A lot of thoughts (and videos) about innovations in contemporary juggling. / Ironic Sans

Hi, this is Rosecrans, today's newsletter author, and yes, that Bake Off episode really was that bad.

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Your headlines are sourced and written by Andrew Womack and Rosecrans Baldwin, Monday through Saturday.