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

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Your headlines are sourced and composed by Rosecrans Baldwin and Andrew Womack, Monday through Saturday.