The Year That Was and Wasn’t
We asked some of our favorite journalists, writers, and thinkers: What were the most important events of 2025, and what were the least?
The Morning News
In giving color
TMN is taking a holiday break, and we’ll return with our regularly scheduled headlines on Monday, Jan. 5. In the meantime, here are some places we and our friends like for year-end giving. United Way of Snohomish County is coordinating relief for people displaced by historic floods this December
The year that was and wasn't, 2024 edition
"Of those 200 casualties, only 10 were confirmed as known Hamas operatives." Interviews with active-duty IDF soldiers about what's really happening in Gaza. (Content warning) / Haaretz See also: 10 conflicts to watch in 2025. / International Crisis Group As Biden departs office, a federal appeals court strikes
The Year That Was and Wasn’t
We asked some of our favorite journalists, writers, and thinkers: What were the most important events of 2024, and what were the least?
In giving color
Tis the season... for a list of causes favored by TMN and friends. We'll see you again on January 3, 2025. Peace. The Freedom to Read Foundation protects the public's right to access information and materials in libraries without limitations. / Freedom to Read Foundation Survival International
Never melt better
In an unwritten, unannounced policy change, Louisiana's Dept. of Health is forbidding employees from promoting Covid, flu, or mpox vaccines. / NPR Photos of daily life for the Palestinian people—"before all hell broke loose"—by Adam Rouhana. / VICE An interactive exploration of data from the Fort
Resistance is feudal
Jamelle Bouie: It's time the Democrats take up the mantle of an opposition party, if they even understand what that means. / The New York Times [+] Texas Gov. Abbott has purchased billboards in Mexico and Central America warning migrants they risk being raped if they cross the border. / San
Anti-hawk brakes
The Department of Homeland Security says China, Russia, Iran, and Israel are spying on Americans through their phones. / 404 Media Cybersecurity officials are worried about Trump's transition team relying on private emails that can be hacked. / Politico An eye-opening look at how and why right-wing trolls are blaming
Treat me like a jewel
Deforestation of the Amazon in Brazil has been halved once again, thanks to president Lula da Silva. / Sustainability by numbers New studies find our skin can generate antibodies, independent of the rest of our immune system. / Nature Today's theories about the shape of the universe are thought to
Eat, drink, and be sherry
Ukraine claims the killiing of Russia's head of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons with a bomb attack in Moscow. / The Kyiv Independent After many reforms, Argentina exits its deep recession. / CNN Executives in the billionaire-protection industry say business is up. / Bloomberg [+] Related: A brief history of superyachts—and
You better watch out
In agreeing to give $15 million to Trump's presidential library to settle a defamation lawsuit, ABC News broke the first rule of resisting autocracy: "Don't obey in advance." / AP, American Crisis Related: "Trump and his picks threaten more lawsuits over critical coverage."
Future perfunct
Raw milk consumption hasn't been linked to H5N1; still, a Marin County toddler who drank raw milk fell ill with some kind of influenza-like illness, just not bird flu. / STAT "This idea of progress acknowledges that as soon as we have something...we see its flaws."
Read the riot wrapped
President-elect Trump invites Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration next month. / CBS News Some Democrats regret going sour on Elon Musk. Meta gives $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund. / Politico, The Wall Street Journal [+] President Biden will commute the sentences of around 1,500 people. / Reuters
Preaching to the fire
Which economy did best in 2024? Spain, Ireland, and Denmark. / The Economist "How has this year been for you?" Some responses from Palestinians. / The London Review of Books A photographic tour of Bashar al-Assad's presidential palace. / The Wall Street Journal [+] Once again, a massive wildfire has
Scratch me if you can
Israel carries out large-scale attacks across Syria, targeting airports and strategic military infrastructure. / Al Jazeera The United States carries out dozens of airstrikes on over 75 Islamic State targets. / Politico Anne Applebaum: The end of the Assad regime creates something new, and not only in Syria. / The Atlantic [+] Thoughts on
There and back again
The USDA finally orders testing of the nation's milk supply for bird flu, with the initial round of tests to begin in mid-December. / NBC News The District of Columbia is suing Amazon for neglecting to provide Prime deliveries to two predominantly Black neighborhoods, while still charging customers for
The gift of the mad guy
In a new study, bird flu is found to be one mutation away from becoming more easily transmitted between humans. / Scientific American The European Space Agency has launched a pair of satellites capable of creating artificial solar eclipses, which could help scientists better understand geomagnetic storms. / AP Sally Rooney: "
Nano me this
A visualization of places around the United States at highest risk for disasters and insurance hikes. / The Guardian An interview with a physicist focused on bio-based materials. "The question is whether we have enough." / Knowable Magazine When will we get nuclear fusion? Probably after 2050, though first "
No guts, no story
South Korea's president faces impeachment after he unexpectedly declares martial law. / BBC News Some analysis of China, North Korea, and Russia's response to regional developments. / CNN Unrelated: Vladimir Putin has a "secret" daughter working as a DJ in France? / NME Turkey's proxies
Horse majeure
France's prime minister faces a no-confidence vote that may leave the country without a functioning government. / BBC News France has recorded 52 Israeli violations of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire. / The National News Palestinians explain what it's like to go through an autumn olive harvest in Area C.
You, robot
Scientists are still unsure why H5N1—which is known to have a fatality rate around 50%—has so far been mild in all 55 reported human cases in the US this year. / STAT "When you're homeless, you are even more vulnerable. You have no place to go,
Skate or reply-all
TMN will return on Monday, following the Thanksgiving holiday. Russian forces are advancing in Ukraine at the fastest rate since the start of the 2022 invasion. / Reuters How many Ukrainian soldiers have died? As a share of population, more than America suffered in the Vietnam and Korean wars combined. / The
That’s that old espresso
US prosecutors indict Indian billionaire Gautam Adani over his alleged role in a bribery scheme. / Al Jazeera The boats behind Mozambique's $2 billion "tuna bond scandal" are up for sale. / gCaptain The White House says it'll lend $6 billion to help Rivian build a
Desolate streams
The ICC's warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant sent shockwaves, but don't expect the Court to rock American Exceptionalism, an "assertion of who the rules apply to and who they don't." / Forever Wars The first known H5N1 infection in a child in the
The root of the problem
After 800 years of dormancy, Iceland's geological systems reactivated in 2021; since then, a volcano near Reykjavík has erupted 10 times. / Reuters The discovery of a mummified saber-toothed tiger cub is providing scientists a first-ever glimpse of the species, and providing answers to long-held questions. / National Geographic To
War and peace (finally)
The International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Israel's prime minister and former defense minister, and Hamas's military commander. / BBC News A recap of Gaza resolutions voted on by the UN's Security Council since last October. / Al Jazeera Consulting firm McKinsey is said to
Deco & the moneymen
Negotiators at COP29 are stalled on how much money to raise for climate action in developing countries, "and how to raise it." / Semafor A new generation of cheaper batteries is becoming increasingly popular with EV automakers. / Canary Media The TSA expects to screen 18.3 million travelers next
Proxy murmurs
Ukraine fires "longer-range" ballistic missiles into Russia on the 1,000th day of war. / CNN Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country may soon face 100,000 North Korean troops. / The Guardian How has the Assad government maintained control in Syria despite 13 years of civil war? By becoming a
Doing things to do things
In trade journals, agriculture experts worry Trump's combination of RFK Jr. and tariffs could chill their $1.5 trillion industry. / NPR See also: Under Trump, the future of Medicare drug price negotiations—one of Biden's key domestic policy achievements—is now uncertain. / Roll Call Polls indicate
Go wild in the country
A bankruptcy judge has halted The Onion's purchase of Infowars, claiming concerns over the transparency of the auction. / Bloomberg Law How the planned construction of a Trump golf course near Hanoi might affect Vietnam's relations with the incoming administration. / The Diplomat Now that the election is
The heart of war
India's Supreme Court forbids "bulldozer justice," i.e., when the government demolishes someone's home after they've been accused of a crime. / BBC News The GOP retains its House majority, giving Republicans full control of Congress and the White House. / Politico Some Republican
That child-free lifestyle
Russian lawmakers vote to ban all media that promotes "a child-free lifestyle," including social media. / Semafor Since the 1990s, deaths have nearly always outnumbered births in Russia. / The Washington Post [+] What can President Biden do prior to Donald Trump's new term? "Use his clemency power
Serenade the sheep from the goats
Israel says there will be no ceasefire or pause until its war objectives are met. / The Times of Israel A video round-up of what's happened in north Gaza since the US gave its 30-day warning a month ago. / Al Jazeera Between news-averse voters and disinformation, "Donald Trump
Fight or flightless
For the first time in history, every incumbent party in a developed nation this year lost vote share in elections. / Financial Times See also: A German far-right party won a regional election in September, which hasn't happened since the Nazi era—a result of 30 years of ignoring
O patria mia!
The United States and Somalia sign an agreement formalizing debt cancellation worth $1.14 billion. / The South China Morning Post Cuba's power grid fails again as Hurricane Rafael crosses the island. / The Guardian Germany's ruling coalition collapses, triggering political chaos in Europe's largest economy.
Morning portrait
Before any political news, some wanderlust to kick things off: pictures of a modern cabin in Vermont. / The New York Times [+] Also, some fashion illustrations from the roaring twenties in Très Parisien magazine. / Flashbak (Fwiw, today's clothes are made using enormous amounts of petrochemicals and fossil fuels.) (Clothes
Kiss or cut bait
Ukrainian officials say North Korean soldiers deployed to fight alongside Russian troops came under fire. / The Kyiv Independent A fascinating long read about an Israeli college student who wound up in a prisoner swap because of her Instagram stories. / The New York Times Magazine [+] The United States is spending an
Election nearing
There could be more continents than you think. Case in point: New Zealand may be part of its own continent, separate from Australia. / The New York Times [+] The Greenland Ice Sheet temporarily stores a large amount of meltwater in the summer, a discovery that may aid in accurately forecasting future
Yours for a song
More than 200 people have now died from the flooding in Valencia, Spain, in Europe's deadliest weather disaster since the 1970s. / Reuters Long a crime that targeted Black and Latino people, jaywalking is now legal in New York City. / HuffPost "Even liberal yuppies in my Brooklyn neighborhood
Happy Diwalloween!
North Korea launches an intercontinental ballistic missile, perhaps looking for attention prior to the US presidential election. / USA Today The Economist magazine endorses Kamala Harris, saying "being independent and being opinionated" aren't in conflict with each other. / Semafor Election officials in battleground states are trying—and
Banana wit
Foreign interference in this year's election is said to be far more sophisticated, and far more difficult to track. / The New York Times [+] China is considering approving $1.4 trillion in extra debt to revive its economy. / Reuters Related: If "Xi Jinping Thought" is not a
Radio on the TV
Saudi Arabia and Iran conducted a joint military drill last week in the Sea of Oman. / TRT World A good summary of current conflicts in the Middle East from Spencer Ackerman. / Forever Wars Oren Yiftachel: "Apartheid is not only a moral abyss and a crime against humanity; it is
Silence is deafening
"Donald Trump held a rally at Madison Square Garden last night that was so racist it got the New York Times to dust off the actual word 'racist' and use it in a headline." / Welcome to Hell World A look at the billionaires and businesses getting
Won't get food again
In attempting to investigate its own citizens' abortion history, Texas is suing to access out-of-state medical records. / The Nation "Do not tell voters that Trump is rude and boorish and impolite. Tell them that Donald Trump is the motherfucking problem." The rich cause the problems they want
House of the rising pun
Israel has damaged more buildings in two weeks than in a year of fighting with Hezbollah. / BBC News A brief history of Hezbollah, Israel, and Lebanon. / Vox China cracks down on "uncivilized" puns that people use to get around censorship controls. / The Guardian One of the foremost American
Make a pre-line for
Regarding the election, most of Europe is pro-Harris, while Israel, Russia, India, and other countries favor Trump. / Semafor A round-up of the rampant disinformation circulating about the election. / The New York Times [+] Related: Vladimir Putin hosts a summit for global leaders, including China's Xi Jinping and India'
A wood man is hard to find
Russia has suffered catastrophic losses during its invasion of Ukraine, but its policies suggest the end justifies the means. / The Guardian Mara Karlin: An era of limited war has ended; an age of comprehensive conflict has begun. / Foreign Affairs A rideshare startup in South Africa is reportedly using intimidation to
Fear and loathing
Amid shortages of food, fuel, and medicine, Cuba's electrical grid has collapsed four times since Friday, leaving 10 million people without power. / Reuters The presidential election is down to more than swing states; in fact, the outcome appears to rest on these 21 microcommunities. / The New York Times
Well-known unknowns
Researchers find that people think they know enough to make informed decisions—regardless of what information they have. / Ars Technica Some thoughts on what the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar means for the Middle East. / NPR A detailed investigation into how Russian propaganda reaches and influences Americans. / NBC News
Megafraught
We apologize for any readers experiencing glitches with links. We're looking into it! For back-up, each day's headlines are posted at TMN. Israel's military is investigating whether Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed during a military operation. / CNN Mohamad Elmasry: The US warning to
The myth of the reasonable man
China's appetite for an Iran-Israel war is said to be limited. / The Economist Five takeaways from Kamala Harris's interview with Charlamagne Tha God. / The New York Times [+] Donald Trump turns a town hall into a 39-minute "living-room listening session." / The Washington Post [+] Why does
Beauty is in the eye of the October
Due to some unforseen events, we missed a couple days last week. Sorry about that. All is better now, and we appreciate the readers who reached out. Israel reportedly says any attacks on Iran will target its military, not nuclear or oil facilities. / CNN Republican campaigns spend more money at
Who gets shipped and why
Millions are without power after Hurricane Milton tears across Florida. / The Tampa Bay Times The hurricane also tore open the Tampa Bay Rays' roof and felled a crane. / The Weather Channel, X Photographs of Los Angeles's 400-mile network of aqueducts and hydropower plants. / Science History Institute New
Bot's not to like?
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly calls President Biden to discuss Israel's plans to strike Iran. / axios The UK's Security Service says it has responded to 20 plots backed by Iran since 2022. / BBC News A review of China as a sentinel state—phone monitoring, "grid
Uni tunes
Hurricane Milton, headed for Tampa, becomes the second-fastest storm to reach Category 5 status. / Vox John Morales: The proportion of tropical cyclones that reach very intense levels is projected to increase. / The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene tells her followers that the government controls the weather.
Plant theft auto
Brief profiles of the 97 hostages who remain unaccounted for after last year's Hamas-led attacks. / BBC News An eloquent essay from a former Gaza resident. "In the past year, I have lost many of the tangible parts of my memories." / The New Yorker Computer analysis finds
Lightness of being
"Bolivia, too, is undergoing a kind of disillusionment with democracy." How the rest of the world views this year's US election. / The Dial See also: How British vernacular invaded America, or why everyone's saying "gutted" now. / The Guardian More solar activity could
Glue unto others as you would have them glue to you
Highlights from the newly unsealed election interference case against Donald Trump. / Politico Some 56 percent of divorced men support Trump—more than single men, married men, and women of any relationship status. / The Cut Jessica Grose: The misogyny of young Gen Z men has been overstated. / The New York Times
Top of the bops
In light of Israel's incursion into southern Lebanon, a look back at its 1982 invasion that became an 18-year occupation. / Politico Magazine Viewers say last night's vice presidential debate was an even match, and an overwhelming majority felt the tone was positive. / CBS News Interviews with
Bento books and zebra striping
The White House sides with Israel's ground assault of Lebanon while much of the world calls for a ceasefire. / Al Jazeera Iran is said to be preparing to launch a ballistic-missile attack. / The Wall Street Journal [+] A long profile of Ta-Nehisi Coates, whose new book criticizes Israel and
The medium is a mess
The death toll from Hurricane Helene has now reached 91 as Asheville, isolated by floods, struggles to get supplies airlifted to emergency workers. / Associated Press Every time a climate disaster like Helene happens, insurance companies gouge customers, who complain to politicians, who claim climate disasters rarely happen. / How Things Work
Live and let diaeresis
Nearly four million homes and businesses in the South are without power as Helene makes landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Florida. / Associated Press Conservative purists may hope a Trump defeat will end Trumpism, but the GOP is likely to remain ruled "by, and for reactionary business interests
New kid on the walk
More than four million people have been affected by floods across six countries in western and central Africa. / CBC Heavy rainfall caused parts of the Saraha Desert to turn green. / NASA Earth Observatory New analysis suggests that one in seven scientific papers is at least partly fake. / Retraction Watch A
Hand, foot, and house disease
Hezbollah launches its first long-range missile at Tel Aviv. / CNN Was Israel's detonation of the pagers an act of terrorism? "To kill civilians in a mass operation that entails their deaths is neither a tragedy nor an accident." / Zeteo American religious conservatives are working with Russia
My tentacle romance
Tens of thousands of people in Lebanon have fled their homes since Monday amid Israeli air strikes. / France24 Murders in the United States dropped 11.6 percent from 2022 to 2023, the largest single-year decline in the last 20 years. / NBC News A white paper finds that female politicians, most
Brick semper tyrannis
Citing issues during the primary season, election officials are raising concerns about the US Postal Service's readiness to handle mail-in ballots in November. / NPR In 2017, Cards Against Humanity bought land in Texas at the Mexico border to protest Trump's wall. Now it's suing
I am an island
Trump's proposed tax plan is like 2017 but more, and research confirms those gains in fact never trickled down beyond the wealthiest individuals and corporations. / Rolling Stone See also: Explainers on how Trump's tariffs would distribute wealth upward and how his backwards plan to lower grocery
Three bikes and you’re out
A group of former Donald Trump advisers have helped to build a pro-Russia website that frequently spreads debunked conspiracy theories. / The Guardian A little more than half of Trump supporters say they believe his lies about Haitian immigrants eating pets. / The Washington Post [+] See also: "How the Trump Campaign
That fashion-editor lifestyle
This year marks the centennial of the abolition of the Caliphate, or the "successorship" to the Prophet Muhammad. / Law & Liberty A brief history of the decades-long conflict between Israel and Hezbollah/Iran. / Al Jazeera Who are the best bureaucrats in the United States? There's an
Mini moon
The number of people killed or wounded in the Russia-Ukraine war has reached roughly one million. / The Wall Street Journal [+] Devastating flooding sweeps through Central and Western Africa. / DW Europeans are upset about Gaza, but they don't appear to be voting like it. / The Economist Unrelated: "I
Steal your base
California lawmakers have passed legislation that would require health warning labels to appear on gas stoves. / NPR Bill McKibben: How seeding pollinator-attracting plants in solar farms might address two climate crises at once. / The New Yorker Boar's Head has shut down the Virginia meat plant where a listeria
Grid versus ego
Covid is the only virus that has an adequate availability of tests—other infectious diseases remain dangerously lacking in diagnostics. / Financial Times In the first year after the end of affirmative action, colleges' diversity numbers are already dwindling, and many are looking at ways to reverse the trend. / Inside
All your space are belong to us
Nearly 400,000 people are without power as Tropical Storm Francine makes landfall in Louisiana. / CBS News Photos of the French Quarter in New Orleans before and during Francine. / The Times-Picayune Four civilians become the first non-government astronauts to conduct a spacewalk. / CNN One of the largest US militias, AP3,
“It wasn’t close.”
The US says Iran is shipping ballistic missiles to Russia for its war against Ukraine in a "dramatic escalation." / NBC News A first-hand account of surviving Israel's attack on Gaza's al-Mawasi "humanitarian zone." / Al Jazeera Kamala Harris won last night's
Beany leeky greens with greeky rampy beans
Vice President Harris will meet Donald Trump tonight in their only confirmed debate. / axios Some interviews with people who started politics-free Facebook groups. / The Wall Street Journal [+] A political reporter says the question he gets asked most often is "who will win the presidential race?" (He says it&
Pour favor
From restoring access to enshrining bans—including two competing measures in Nebraska—a look at the abortion initiatives on US ballots this November. / The New York Times [+] What's causing grocery price inflation? Retailer data shows it's not just corporate greed, it's also consumer spending
Auto reply
Data from 10 million car crashes shows larger vehicles kill more Americans—compared to compact cars, colliding with a heavy pickup increases fatality rates by roughly seven-fold. / The Economist See also: Cars have destroyed American cities, which were designed around cars. / How Things Work How office workers shifted from sharing
Love means nothing to them
Researchers say they've discovered an antibody that can effectively fight against all variants of Covid-19. / KUT News Some advice from experts on when to get shots to protect against influenza, Covid, and RSV. / STAT A small study of gender-affirming care finds immune system differences in men and women.
Dot dot jail
Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro moves Christmas to October, to distract from his seemingly stealing the election. / The Guardian An Iranian writer is sentenced to 12 years in prison for tweeting a period to Iran's supreme leader . / NPR Lebanon's former central bank governor, arrested over alleged financial
School runnings
Acadia Healthcare, a leading chain of psychiatric hospitals, is holding some patients against their will to maximize insurance payouts. / The New York Times [+] Only about 6% of American plastic waste is recycled. "You're being lied to." / Semafor A Texas resident tracks her plastic recycling all the
One man's trash
Please note: We'll be off for Labor Day, and back in your inbox on Tuesday—see you then! Hundreds of California officials have been convicted of corruption in the past decade—analysts say a political supermajority and little oversight have encouraged wrongdoing. / The New York Times [+] Embroiled in
Sacred ciao
Why is the Horn of Africa on the cusp of war? Because Ethiopia wants to be a coastal nation. / The New York Times [+] Africa will finally get mpox vaccines amid a lot of criticism over delays caused by the World Health Organization's red tape. / The Guardian Thanks to
Niche niche is niche
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he's ready to present a "plan of victory" to end the war with Russia. / Semafor More than 1.2 million oral polio vaccines have arrived in Gaza. How they'll be distributed without a ceasefire, or "polio pause,"
Been there, done brat
This year is tracking to be the most deadly for police shootings in a decade. The previous record was set last year. / The Economist "The moment of glamour seemed worth it." Kurt Andersen says RFK Jr. was his cocaine dealer at Harvard. / The Atlantic [+] Unrelated: Who is Kick
Secure the bag
"The outcome of the race might hinge on whether they can keep the former president on script." Six factors that will define the final stretch of the election. / Wake Up to Politics See also: Here are the individuals and organizations that have pumped the most money into the
“Magic began singing”
Seasoned Democrats warn party delegates not to think “everyone is as energetic as you are." / Politico A veteran from Capitol Hill says if you want to take politics seriously, don't send money to candidates. / Matt's Five Points Lessons gleaned from interviews with so-called low information
She’s a fun guy!
A mutated form of mpox has been circulating for months in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The country still doesn't have a single vaccine. / Bloomberg [+] Former national security adviser HR McMaster says Vladimir Putin deliberately exploited Donald Trump's "ego and insecurities." / The Guardian Related:
The love tote
President Biden approved a secret strategy in March to prepare the United States for possible coordinated nuclear confrontations with China, Russia and North Korea. / The New York Times [+] Condoleezza Rice: US-China relations badly need new procedures and lines of communication to prevent an accidental catastrophe. / Foreign Affairs Political influence campaigns
Age of adultery
China and the United States are making progress, albeit limited, in cutting reliance on coal. / Semafor At this point of the year, global wildfire burn is about the highest it's been since 2012. / Sustainability by numbers See also: A fashion designer's rain-harvesting hats, and a skiable
Brain check
Even as the GOP publicly lambastes Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, some Republican mayors in Ohio say it's making local energy projects possible. / Semafor A researcher at a US agency developing moonshot health therapies suggests replacing brain tissue as a way to treat stroke victims—and eventually
Mid or evil
US officials say that Israel has done all it can militarily against Hamas in Gaza, and any further actions will only risk harming civilians. / The New York Times [+] See also: How Israel's finance minister is using obscure policy to connect a new West Bank settlement with Jerusalem. / The
Et tu, loop
The World Health Organization says the spread of mpox is a global public health emergency—the second such declaration in two years. / STAT Jess Craig: It remains unclear if the new designation will have any impact on mpox vaccine availability. / Vox Advice on when you should get your next Covid
Good luck, Barack!
Scientists discover "seismic signals" of liquid water on Mars. / BBC News China is building a massive wall of solar panels to fight desertification. / Semafor Analysts explain why Harvard canceled its solar geoengineering project. / The Verge Is carbon offsetting just greenwashing? I.e., "a mechanism that allows polluters
Bunny laundering
David Wallace-Wells explains why we shouldn't be applying lessons learned from Covid to bird flu. / The New York Times [+] A British couple compares photos of a Swiss glacier taken in 2009 and 2024. / Kottke Demand in the United States for avocados is encouraging deforestation in Mexico. / Bloomberg Immigrants
Consider the sponge
Experts say Covid can now be considered endemic, although it may take another decade to reach the predictability associated with other endemic diseases. / NPR "The CDC has likely been violating federal law for years by systematically deleting lower-level employees' emails, a federal judge ruled Friday." / Politico The
Satisfy the stitch
A deep dive into a US court's ruling that warrantless searches of incoming travelers' devices at the border are unconstitutional. / The Dissenter How a prominent anti-abortion doctor in San Antonio somehow became the rural representative for Texas's maternal mortality committee. / The Texas Tribune "It&
Swole earth catalog
Doctors say it doesn't work, but Olympic athletes swear drinking a Coke after emerging from the polluted Seine helps "flush out anything inside of us." / The Wall Street Journal [+] Gyms depend on members not showing up—that's now a problem because new fitness trends
Follow their lead
The Trump campaign is attacking Tim Walz for a policy that allows felons to vote, conveniently forgetting that Trump is also a convicted felon. / The New Republic Harris picking Walz as her running mate is a big win for the right-to-repair movement. / Gizmodo How we are watching the Olympics this
(Bad) taste makes waste
As part of Olympic security, French authorities are using—and critics argue, abusing—an anti-terror law to restrict the movements of hundreds of people. / AP "Aug. 2, 2024, was Black Friday for the artificial intelligence boom, as a week of rough earnings from Big Tech led to what felt
All that glitters
"Few questioned whether the MAGA tent was big enough to cover the tech futurists and the evangelical Christians." Inside the pro-Trump 2024 Bitcoin Conference. / The Verge Hamilton Nolan: "The Democrats are a Big Tent Party…in the way you might feel if you arrived at a group