August 30, 2017

“We should tell China that it has to pay to play.... China would be paying not just for North Korean coal, but for North Korean compliance.” A recent op-ed on playing the China card—to control Pyongyang—by Trump’s new appointee to South Korea, Victor Cha. / The Washington Post

In Russia’s domestic politics, “state” and “private” can be the same thing—especially when hiring mercenaries. / Open Democracy

New app Polygram uses a neural net on your phone to make emojis based on your emotional expression. / MIT Technology Review

Mr. Trump to launch plan today for tax code rewrite. One problem: he doesn’t have a plan. / Fox Business

A simple trick from a vocal coach to hear what your voice sounds like to others. / YouTube

Our favorite headline of the day: “Burger King launches WhopperCoin crypto-cash in Russia.” / BBC News

“Next time you see a country like North Korea or Iran behaving in a way that seems hard to explain, remember the story of why the United States recommitted in Afghanistan.” What happens when we explain US foreign policy the way that Americans explain the behavior of other countries. / The Interpreter

James Holman, one of history’s greatest explorers, considered his blindness an advantage for travel. / Mental Floss

Billabong demonstrates the surf industry’s standard practice when it comes to displaying male and female athletes. / Women 2.0

Gerrymandering critic in North Carolina gerrymanders a district to include his new weekend house. / The Fayetteville Observer

Nadal on his rising hemline: “Playing again with those long pants is not going to happen. I’m too old for that.” / The Huffington Post

Kim Jong-un has launched 18 missiles in 2017. His father launched 16 missiles in his entire lifetime. / Quartz

This is wonderful: A moving line graphs the motion of everyday objects. / Vimeo

Before Right Said Fred hit it big, they were a band called the Actors, and opened for Suicide and Joy Division. / The Guardian