Bad manors

Sudan's warring factions fail to agree to a ceasefire and continue fighting, despite vowing to protect civilians. / Reuters

Alex de Waal: The fighting in Khartoum is a war of choice; allowing it to happen was a failure of international diplomacy. / The London Review of Books

At campaign rallies across Turkey, President Erdoğan misses no opportunity to attack gay and trans people. / The Guardian

The Republican governor of Oklahoma vetoes funding for PBS over programming that features gay characters and stories. / CNN

Approximately 26 Empire State Buildings can fit into New York City's current stock of empty office space. / The New York Times

Data show that America's banks in aggregate have more than $500 billion in unrealized losses in their securities portfolios. / The Economist

Almost all IQ numbers for historical figures are made up and any studies correlating IQ to genius are mainly bad science. / Intrinsic Perspective

Related: The curious history of measuring a smidgen, a dollop, or a pinch. / Lapham's Quarterly

Unrelated: Bo Jackson has had hiccups for nearly a year. / People

The author of McMansion Hell says the form may last forever. "The gaudy, spendthrift lifestyle does not have a clear expiration date." / The Baffler

"I can't get my author to call me back—is it normal for a ghost to get ghosted?" Some notes from Prince Harry's ghostwriter. / The New Yorker

A collection of incredible Dutch safety posters. A collection of incredible architectural illustrations. A book of drawings about what it's like being born. / 50 watts, Eleanor Crow, It's Nice That

By bringing sushi to Southern California, two friends changed how America eats. / The Los Angeles Times

Aloha! This summer's Camp ToB—the summer pop-up version of the Tournament of Books—is all about vibes. Vote to pick which you prefer! / The Tournament of Books


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