No wave

As US lawmakers scramble to pin the looming government shutdown on the other party, the White House could use the opportunity to cut workers and do “what DOGE couldn’t do.” / CNBC, The Atlantic [$]

James Comey was arguably the first major figure to comply in advance to Trump, and all it got him was a lousy vendetta. / Public Notice

See also: YouTube will pay Trump $24.5 million to settle his lawsuit alleging the platform wrongly suspended his account after Jan. 6. / The Guardian

After Charlie Kirk’s killing, foreign adversaries further divided the US by deploying bots that exploited America’s domestically abundant racism. / The Nation

When floods devastated the Texas Hill Country this summer, unincorporated communities—like the ones where a third of Americans live—were hit the hardest. / Grist

One of the authors in the $1.5 billion copyright settlement against Anthropic speaks out: “AI isn’t an unstoppable tsunami about to overwhelm us.” / The New York Times [$]

“I know the shape of each pill if I’m grasping for one of them in the dark, and I have a unique relationship with each of them.” Life as a pharmaceutical-American. / Defector

An analysis of which of Canada’s retailers’ reusable bags are actually reusable. / CBC

Views of Chongqing, China’s largest city, whose futuristic sights have spawned countless viral videos. / The Wall Street Journal [$]

A brief documentary on the tattoo parlor that covers hate images for free. / Aeon

After posting about the misalignment in the HBO logo, a TikTokker hears from its original designer, who thinks the error happened when the logo was vectorized. / TikTok

A short, quest-based game where you are a messenger on a tiny, beautifully illustrated world. / Abeto

Unrelated: The gaming world’s most appropriately named executive, Doug Bowser, is stepping down from Nintendo America. / Engadget

“The suburban novel’s concerns—conformity, consumerism, lack of fulfillment among plenty—have come to feel dated, almost quaint.” / The New York Review

James Marriott: The world as we know it was forged in the reading revolution. Now, we are living through the counter-revolution. / Cultural Capital

Kelly Reichardt’s unconventional new art heist film The Mastermind—here’s a trailer—is a chronicle of America’s post-’60s turn to conservatism. / YouTube, Hyperallergic

See also: All the awards Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another should win, including “Best movie about embracing home décor excess.” / X

Four years later, a bride and groom identify a mystery guest at their wedding. (He was at the wrong wedding.) / The Guardian

A new, temporary hiking-in-Japan newsletter from writer and photographer Craig Mod. / (The Entire Walk is) Between Two Mountains

Paintings by Chloe Wise of women looking up—at UFOs, angels, or possibly military drones. / Artnet

And now a brief chat with a new supporter, Noah M.!

Noah, thank you so much for supporting. When did you start reading TMN? As an appointed Elder of the Internet, I’m pretty sure I started reading TMN back when it launched in 1999, having heard about it from my other web-agency colleagues. It’s been in my rotation on and off ever since, only taking breaks when I’ve needed to periodically reset my news reading habits.

Wowowow! Well, what keeps you coming back? TMN has amazing editorial guidance, in that it’s never too much current news or too much quirky culture, and never “check out this cute thing." Unlike a lot of link blogs, I always feel smarter and more connected after checking out the day’s selections. The Internet needs Editors now more than ever.

We appreciate all of that—thank you. Any particular reason you decided to support today? Because I had money to spare after cancelling Disney Plus—you all know why—and I wanted to share it with folks who’ve earned it ✊🏾

In the members area, unlocked links from the Atlantic, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal ↓