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With this weekend’s presidential election, Romania joins 2025’s growing number of nations where a Trump-aligned candidate has taken a dive at the polls. / Reuters
Five years after Brexit, the UK and EU sign new agreements to ease trade and cooperate on defense, and help undo some of the damage done. / AP
Pointing to a need to help defend Ukraine and push back against Russian aggression, Merz says Germany will build Europe’s strongest army. / Politico
America has spent $7 billion bombing Yemen, with nothing to show for it. Meanwhile, to save comparatively little, DOGE slashed aid to the country—potentially gifting the Houthis long-term power. / The New York Times
A primer on the anti-life dogma of “efilism,” which appears to have fueled the deadly bombing at a Palm Springs fertility clinic on Saturday. / default dot blog
As Big Tech and Big Government converge, it’s unwise to treat AI as a therapist you can trust with your private thoughts: “This is the setup for a stupidly on-the-nose dystopia.” / The Verge
Prisons frequently ignore guidelines to minimize terminally ill inmates’ end-of-life suffering, and allow guards to override DNR orders as they see fit. / KFF Health News
Fearing a loss in federal funds, RAINN has stopped directing crisis hotline callers to resources for LGBTQ people and others targeted in Trump’s anti-DEI push. / The New York Times
An investigation into a ghostwriting company that allegedly defrauds hopeful authors after luring them with a vast network of fake reviews. / Indicator
Whether payback against private equity or a sign of desperate economic times ahead, US veterinary revenues are down for the first time on record. / Financial Times
“An open letter to my dead mother about the new pope with the MAGA brother.” / McSweeney’s
Apparently everyone’s knitting emotional support chickens: “The need is real. I carry a few emergency chickens all the time now.” / Ironic Sans
“This song is horrendous, a queasy husk of a fireside singalong made for the worst summer camp ever.” Depending on who you ask, the world’s most popular AI song is either a joke or a harbinger. / Pitchfork
Netflix says it will use AI to generate ads that blend into whatever you’re watching, and Amazon introduces contextual, shoppable ads in Prime Video. / The Verge, Deadline
Unrelated: Over the past two decades, the average person’s attention span has plummeted from 2.5 minutes to 47 seconds—here are tips for improving yours. / AP
To celebrate a century of Mrs. Dalloway, a collection of 100 of the many covers to have graced the classic novel, and nearly all of them include flowers. / Literary Hub
“The cheaper the paper, the more I like it. Give me a dollar store notebook sheet, a sliver with the faintest crinkle sound.” Imani Perry on the pleasures of real letters. / Bitter Southerner
From the archives: How cursive developed as an indulgence for the wealthy. / The Morning News
The Internet Phone Book is a printed directory of personal websites and a new way to appreciate the handmade web. / Internet Phone Book
See also: Volume 10 is live at the Journal of Imaginary Research, where short works of fiction appear as research abstracts. / Journal of Imaginary Research
The history of the Motorik rhythm—the famous 4/4 krautrock time signature of three bass drum beats and one snare beat—in 10 records. / Discogs
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