October 7, 2016

“Santos’s decision to start negotiations with the FARC did not come exclusively from an interest in further opening the Colombian economy to global capitalism and attracting FDI into extractive sectors, low-wage services, and labor-intensive industries. It also reflects changing dynamics of power and a break in the elite bargain between the traditional, now-transnational elites and the narco-capitalists.” As Colombia became more globalized, legitimate business interests decided they’d had enough of the narco-wars. But will the drug trade merely leave FARC to form another front? / Jacobin

Syria may be in the spotlight, and bombs usually make the news, but hunger is the real killer in Yemen, where a protracted Saudi-supported civil war has killed 6,000 but left millions malnourished or starving. / The Guardian

We still haven’t found the particles that would validate theories of dark matter. After several missed deadlines with the future, it’s time to ask whether physicists need to rethink the concept entirely. / Scientific American

Darren Seals was found weeks ago, shot dead and left to burn in a flaming car. The national news mentioned him as a Black Lives Matter activist, but that erases his most potent contributions to the movement: he passionately delineated the difference between the national movement (“ACTORvists”) and its local elements. “St. Louis was what Darren Seals emphasized, over and over, until the day he died—no matter how badly some wanted him to stop.” / decorrespondent.nl

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for trying to end the country’s 52-year war with FARC—a peace plan that his citizens ultimately rejected. / BBC

In case you’re having Trump vs. Clinton conversations around your family dining table—we are, and it’s not going great—here’s a fun, light essay on trying to focus on what’s important. / The New York Times

“When I watch most media, I am surprised by the discomfort people seem to seek out. I am a fan of the part of movies before anything goes wrong.” Ezra Klein on whether or not the future of journalism is video and VR, and other things web- and media-related. / Medium

Computer security engineer and travel blogger Anil Polat has created an interactive map which offers Wi-Fi passwords for airports all over the world. / foxnomad.com

A survey by CityMD finds that more than half of millenials don’t plan on getting a flu shot this season. / prnewswire.com

To propel you into the weekend, Justin Johnson plays the blues on a three-string shovel guitar. / YouTube

“There was an underlying class tension about why kids were so cruel and judgmental about the Sweatpants Kid.” In case you were “the sweatpants kid” in sixth grade, or tenth grade, or college, or now—you are not only cool now, you are proved right. / New York Magazine

If only the vice presidential debate was the last time we’ll hear an all-male discussion of abortion. / The Guardian

A defense of mobile homes. Why? When done right, they provide safe, decent, affordable housing. “It’s not pretty, but it get results.... They are responding to an unmet need.” / priceonomics.com

Putin celebrates his 64th birthday today with a 288-page tribute in book form to how he’s become “a worldwide cultural phenomenon.” / The Guardian

When governments shut down the web, it costs the global economy about $2.4 billion a year. / Quartz

“We were trying to think if we could draw any good out of this tragedy.” Unexpected benefactors of the opioid crisis: transplant patients. / New York Times

In reading about the history of the Honeycrisp apple, we learned about apple clubs, which will control the future of supermarket fruit sections (e.g., as apple-growing clubs compete for shelf space). / Vox, NPR

“I was talking Trump and Hillary with a white teammate, and the conversation was fine. Things got a little heated when he said, ‘Trump isn’t racist.’ I don’t know how anyone doesn’t see how that’s just not true.” The NFL is being torn apart by Donald Trump, “the most divisive figure in the league not named Roger Goodell.” / B/R Mag

“I am growing increasingly frustrated with a Red Cross that rejects oversight and seems unwilling to change.” Rep. Bennie Thompson asks FEMA to look into the Red Cross’s failed response to Louisiana’s floods. / ProPublica

Two years after the shelling of the Gaza Strip, just 31 percent of the money pledged for relief has reached recipients. / worldbank.org