Ceci n'est pas une trend

Vladimir Putin wins a fifth term in Russia, partly because the Kremlin made sure he didn't have real opponents. / BBC News

Thousands of Russian voters silently protested Putin by showing up to the polls at noon. / Reuters

Berlin's techno scene is now registered as part of Germany's "Intangible Cultural Heritage." / euronews

See also: "If there's a specific skill that needs to be mastered, Japanese have a strong desire to have it formally recognized." Explaining a surge of Japanese "wine masters." / The Japan Times

The new normal in Washington DC is said to be "functional dysfunction." / Wake Up to Politics

One potential key to solving homelessness in the United States? Bringing back SROs and boarding houses. / Cornerstone

Related: In case you missed it, Channel 5 (previously All Gas No Brakes) has been doing some terrific reporting recently. / YouTube

Since the start of the artificial intelligence boom, the combined market capitalization of Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft has increased by $2.5 trillion. / The Economist

The astrolabe, an eleventh-century invention, is said to be the world's first smartphone. / Open Culture

A round-up of "breakout artists" from this year's Whitney Biennial. / artsy

It seems a stretch to say young people in Britain are back to smoking pipes? / The Guardian

See also: "We are getting closer and closer to a movement where 'straight' women and 'gay' men start dating." / The Trend Report

Week three begins in this year's Rooster madness/massive book conversation. Jump right in! / The Tournament of Books

🚰 Is this the week? Join TMN as a Sustaining Member and keep this newsletter gassed.

🎁  Free links to paywalled sites are marked with a [+].

✔️  Got a correction or a link we should consider? Email us or just reply to this newsletter.

Your headlines are sourced and composed by Rosecrans Baldwin and Andrew Womack, Monday through Saturday. View this edition and the latest headlines at TMN.