Happily ever laughter
Human-like fossils found in China appear to have extremely large brains, bigger than ours. / RNZ
A study finds 55 percent of American 18 to 34-year-olds approve of the use of violence, property damage, or misinformation to enact change. / VICE
College enrollment in the United States increased this fall, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. / Fast Company
How many people died from disasters in 2024? Less than the year before, thanks to fewer earthquakes. / Sustainability by numbers
Temporary housing has contributed to the deaths of at least 74 children in England in the last five years. / BBC News
One way to understand the current White House's politics: reduce everything to friends or enemies. / The New York Times [+]
Metadata from the Office of Personnel Management shows Trump fans from the Heritage Foundation writing policies at federal agencies. / [citation needed]
Google says its maps app will change the Gulf of Mexico to "Gulf of America" and Denali to "Mount McKinley." / CNBC
The "Good Daily" newsletters, which operate in 47 states and 355 towns and cities across the US, are run by one guy using AI. / NiemanLab
Some trespassing directions—we do not advise this—if you wish to see Jeff Bezos's underground clock. / Asterisk Mag
Everything you need to know about DeepSeek. / Stratchery
Unrelated: A global atlas of sorts for the modern literary novel. / The Modern Novel
Interior design trends to anticipate for 2025. / Vogue
Remember that espresso machine that doesn't require water? How about a water machine for your kitchen? / dezeen
Some thoughts about laughter when it's not tied to humor, when it "appears to render us mechanical, terrifying, monstrous." / Sapiens
😂 If you enjoy this newsletter, please become a Sustaining Member today!
🎁 Free links to paywalled sites are marked with a [+].
✔️ Got a correction or a link we should consider? Email us directly or reply to this newsletter.
Your headlines are sourced and composed by Rosecrans Baldwin (☜) and Andrew Womack, Monday through Friday. View this edition and the latest headlines at TMN.