April 25, 2017
Wikipedia’s Jimmy Wales starts a new publication to fight fake news by pairing journalists with volunteers. / WikiTribune
“Americans on all sides of the Trump question, including President Trump himself, should embrace a moderate nationalism in keeping with our national character.” After the editors of the National Review debate the meaning of nationalism, Ramesh Ponnuru concludes that it’s fine as long as it’s not bundled with stupidity. / The National Review
“During his first hundred days in office, Trump has not done away with populist rhetoric, but he has acted almost entirely as a plutocrat.” Trump decries the 100-day assessment, but is fixated on being seen as the most accomplished, the best ever. David Remnick says otherwise. / The New Yorker
Trump isn’t wrong to be worried about North Korea, says a brief, thorough study of its weapons progress. / New York Times
To understand the London housing market, look to its “whitewashed” billboards, “a parody of themselves.” / The Guardian
There are more than two jobs in solar for every one job in coal, but jobs are unevenly distributed. / New York Times
“The Jewish population of Poland today is mainly composed of wooden or clay figurines, magnets, and other kitsch pictures that supposedly bring luck.” Many Poles believe that hanging a caricature of a Jewish person by their front door will bring wealth. “Slip a coin of one grosz behind the frame and turn the Jew upside down every Saturday.” / Books & Ideas
Workers wear flak jackets and scarves to mask their identities while removing Confederate monuments in New Orleans. / The Two-Way
There’s no “hate speech” exception to the First Amendment—“hate speech” has no legal definition in the US. / The Federalist
On the occasion of a beautiful photo taken by Cassini which frames the Earth between the rings of Saturn, check out the grandiose “Saturn,” written by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, and James McAlister for their upcoming song cycle Planetarium. / The Atlantic, NPR, smarturl.it
A fascinating, breezy summary of the current state of sound research and audio design. / Technologist.eu
Q&A with the ethnographer behind Evicted, who thinks vouchers could help patch a broken housing market. / VICE
Paintings by John Jackson demonstrate “how our culture is being funneled through technology.” (Some NSFW.) / Creators
The reason you shouldn’t attempt to deep-fry gnocchi becomes apparent at around the one-minute mark in this video. H/t kottke. / kottke.org
“Today’s utopian libertarians imagine smaller government to be a tremendously powerful force that would bring about popular results. If this was the case the world would look different than it does now.” An op-ed calls for libertarianism to be more realistic, instead of being hung up on a vision of society that most Americans don’t want. / Forbes
Aspiring poets can rent Emily Dickinson’s room for inspiration, but the retreat isn’t the haven it once was. / Pictorial
“When you have a real hotline, you put up posters: ‘If you see anything, feel anything, here’s the number to call.’ That did not exist.” That sexual harassment hotline Fox News executives keep making reference to? It barely exists. / The New York Times
Julio Bittencourt’s photographs of Rio’s “Ramos Swimming Pool,” an artificial saltwater lake with dubious origins. / The Morning News
“Now that I no longer work for Rupert Murdoch, I can plainly state that every word out of Roger Goodell’s mouth about legalized sports betting for the past 20 months has been nothing but lip service.” A tip received almost a year and a half ago goes public: Patriots owner Bob Kraft is invested in Caesars casinos. The NFL prefers to hush it up than enforce their zero-tolerance policy. / Deadspin