Bound to be good
Famine looms in Somalia, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is making things worse. / Reuters
Analysis suggests President Trump at this point doesn’t care about Iran’s nuclear capabilities, he simply wants to save face. / The New Yorker
Another pattern from the White House: Trump announces a new policy initiative on social media, saying it will be “effective immediately,” and then… nothing happens. / Wake Up to Politics
Related: Regarding Palantir’s new line of merchandise, “fashion has become the representative of the end goal of culture’s worst qualities.” / The Trend Report
An 85-year-old Trump supporter explains what it was like to get arrested by ICE. / The New York Times [$]
A Stanford student describes a secretive school within the school, where talented teenagers are groomed by venture capitalists. / The Atlantic [$]
What it’s like to run a “one-person company” in China where AI bots do everything. “I suspect it is keeping many things from me.” / rest of world
In 2023, a robotic submersible found a “golden orb” off Alaska, and scientists now know what it is: “basically gilded toe-nails.” / 404 Media
If you enjoy these headlines, please join us as a Sustaining Member to support what we do and unlock access to paywalled links.
Colombia’s hippopotamuses, imported by Pablo Escobar in the 1980s, are reproducing unchecked. / The Associated Press
A brief history of photographic deception. Also, some examples of trick photos from the early 1900s. / Engelsberg Ideas, YouTube
Related: Using pictures of Wimbledon’s center court to document the decline of serve-and-volleying in tennis. / Big Think
Multiple people report injuries at a New York City book convention after mobs try to secure advanced copies. / Cosmopolitan
A party planner explains why elderly clients can be frustrating: “Everything needs to be accessible and safe,” and the guest list struggles to stay alive. / Interview Magazine
Physical scorekeeping at baseball games is popular again. / Sportico
The most expensive house ever listed in the US is a $400 million Los Angeles “megamansion”—with hammam, beauty salon, and X-ray machine—tied to Qatar’s ruling family. / The Wall Street Journal [$]
An argument for stealing pens from hotels and restaurants: “I’ll keep taking them, not because I need more ways to write, but rather because I crave more ways to remember.” / The Old Ghosts
And now a brief chat with a new Sustaining Member, Don M.!
Hi, Don. When did you start reading The Morning News? Hi, Rosecrans. I started with TM̃N a really long time ago—maybe around 2008 or so? I landed there from the late great The Nervous Breakdown. Maybe I was following the ToB first? Long time ago…I’m 83 now.
Long-time reader—we love it! Out of curiosity, what keeps you reading? I keep coming back because of the well-curated stories.
Last question: Any particular reason you decided to support today? I decided because I thought it was time to stop being an asshole taker, and give some support to what I admire. That simple, really. I asked myself why the hell I haven’t done it, answered “no good reason” and did it.
In the members area, unlocked links from the New York Times, the Atlantic, and the Wall Street Journal ↓