Cat’s got your tongue, but for real.
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The White House unveils a new Africa strategy that seeks to avoid "painting African countries as geopolitical pawns." / Foreign Policy
Kenya's presidential election remains too close to call, not to mention a test for democracy. / The New York Times
The Dark Brandon meme is just another example of contemporary politics being fandom culture. / Read Max
See also: What does it mean when the most popular TikToker wears a bikini labeled Father, Son, Holy Spirit? / Dirt
Mitchell S. Jackson tries to understand Clarence Thomas by visiting where he grew up and where he lives now. / Esquire
Regarding the trials of operating the country's first Black-owned outdoor retailer. / Texas Monthly
McDonald's says it plans to reopen restaurants in Ukraine over the next few months. / Reuters
Video footage shows a "firenado" coming together in northwestern Los Angeles County. / TMN
Your weekly white paper: Climate change is increasing the risk of a California megaflood. / Science Advances
People known to struggle with hot beverages are believed to have "cat tongue." / Sprudge
Why aren't smart people happier? Maybe because they don't enjoy waiting the way they should. / Experimental History, National Library of Medicine
Composers are said to need eyes more than ears, while writers need ears more than eyes. / The Sociological Eye
Related: A micro-essay on romantic thinking. / Meditations in an Emergency
Salman Rushdie is on a ventilator after being attacked onstage at an event in New York. / The Guardian
Your weekly wanderlust: A trip through the Hindu Kush to seek out the Kalash, who claim descent from Alexander the Great's army. / The Critic
Everything you need to know about the complicated controls inside commercial aircraft. / The Prepared
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Your headlines are sourced and written by Andrew Womack (🤯) and Rosecrans Baldwin (🚽), Monday through Saturday. View this edition and the latest headlines at TMN.