Saturday headlines: So you think you can France
G7 leaders finish their summit in Italy by telling China to quit helping Russia invade Ukraine. / Voice of America
See also: The summit's final communiqué referenced the country 28 times, "almost always as a malign force." / The New York Times [+]
Eight examples of congressional bipartisanship that you probably didn't hear about this week. / Wake Up to Politics
Recent history is repeating itself in Sudan, but this time there's no serious discussion about peacekeepers. "The reality is much more craven." / Persuasion
Related: Summarizing the week in events on the African continent. / This Week in Africa
Teenage American boys are chewing "facial-fitness gum" purported to improve their jawlines. / The Cut
Gwendolyn Bounds: At 46, I started to compete in grueling obstacle-course races. / The Wall Street Journal [+]
An engineer constructs a Memory Palace for his small parts drawers. / Scope of Work
Among headlines we noticed this week: "Tracey Emin, who made that bed, is made a Dame." / The Art Newspaper
A brief history of the EP. An oral history of the Livestrong bracelet. / The Daily Heller, Texas Monthly
Are Japanese whiskies—coveted, delicious, expensive—actually Japanese? "It's complicated." / Esquire
Some thoughts on American fantasies about French parenting. "It feels like a worthy goal to strive for." / Vox
Friday headlines: Call my agent!
The US Supreme Court unanimously rejects a bid by anti-abortion groups to restrict access to the abortion pill mifepristone. / Reuters
Ian Millhiser: This is a victory for abortion rights, but it's also unlikely to be the last word in the fight over mifepristone. / Vox
Ukranian children describe what it's like to be stranded in Russia's orphanage system. (English translation here.) / Verstka, The Dial
See also, from November: Russian women receive instruction in how to be "proper" soldiers' wives. / The Dial
A "jailbreak" version of ChatGPT named Dan is a solace for Chinese women. / BBC News
The Japanese government launches a dating app to address the country's childbirth rates. / VICE
Analysis of the various fictional characters who appear in the background of Apple's keynote demonstrations. / Read Max
An explainer of the story behind the headline of the week, "No, a Remote Amazon Tribe Did Not Get Addicted to Porn." / 404 Media
See also: How data-fueled neurotargeting could kill democracy. / The MIT Press Reader
More than a third of Gen Z and millennial travelers say they prefer a traditional travel agent over online booking. / Business Insider
Travel experts say now is actually a great time to visit San Francisco. / The Points Guy
A skydiver explains what it was like when her parachute failed at 4,000 feet. (She survived.) / The Guardian
Thursday headlines: Shop until you stop
The White House plans to signal long-term commitment to Ukraine by signing a 10-year security agreement. / Newsweek
France's conservative wing implodes overnight. South Africa's ANC party tries to find unity. / Politico, Semafor
Regarding the climate crisis, hundreds of looming projects suggest we're on the verge of an oil boom in reverse—with carbon storage. / MIT Technology Review
See also: Interviews with women who stopped buying clothes. "It took about three to six months before I stopped wanting to shop." / The Cut
SpaceX and Elon Musk are being sued by former employees for sexual harassment. / The Los Angeles
Related: Interviews with several dozen people about Musk's "boundary-blurring relationships" with women at work. / The Wall Street Journal [+]
Asking rents in the United States fall for a 10th straight month. / Vox
In central Stockholm, the average wait for a rent-controlled apartment is 20 years. / The Economist
See also: A long account of how Ye destroyed an architectural masterpiece in Malibu. "This is going to be my Batcave." / The New Yorker
Kenji López-Alt uses computer modeling to find the perfect way to cut an onion. / The New York Times [+]
Supposedly, there's never been a better time to discover storytelling board games? / Metafilter
A literary argument against "story sensibility," i.e., when you expect life to artfully resolve, "and of course it never does." / Castalia
Camp ToB continues with a big chat about the ending in Percival Everett''s James! / The Tournament of Books
Wednesday headlines: America’s next flop model
A new poll finds Donald Trump with a slight edge, but the fundamentals favoring President Biden. / 538
American diplomats and White House aides say the far-right gains in Europe could've been much worse. / Politico
Unrelated: Why is Hungary so small? An illustrated guide. / Uncharted Territories
How the mayors of San Francisco and Los Angeles approach homelessness and drug use differently. / The Los Angeles Times
Banks like Chase, Citibank and Bank of America are redesigning their physical branches to resemble Starbucks. / Bloomberg
Scientists working to map the topology of the cosmos say we might be living inside a big donut. / The Guardian
"If the AI people are correct, then I don't think the public has any idea what's about to hit them." / The Money Illusion
From 2017, Cormac McCarthy attempts to explain the unconscious. / Nautilus
Some pictures of large artworks at this month's Art Basel. / The Art Newspaper
"Welcome to the summer of the mysteriously flopping arena tours." Theories abound on why bands are canceling their summer concerts. / Stereogum
Watch: A single sequence of Bach played front to back and then back to front. / Open Culture
A writer says talking to strangers is sometimes exactly what a person needs for their mental wellbeing. "We began as strangers, and we returned to that." / Why is this interesting?
Tuesday headlines: You can “I cannot”
The UN Security Council votes to support an American resolution backing a ceasefire in Gaza. Hamas's praise for it is said to be "a hopeful sign." / BBC News, France24
Energy drinks in Ukraine, branded with patriotic machismo, are said to be "an essential antidote" to the stresses of war. / The New York Times [+]
Titanium dioxide, an ingredient in many sunscreens, has found its way into pizza and salsa. / The Wall Street Journal [+]
A multimedia explainer demonstrates how microplastics get into your lungs. / The Washington Post [+],
See also: What if Taylor Swift is a virus? / 032c
Why did T-shirts start to have pockets? Was it a way to keep cigarettes from being crushed? / Gear Patrol
How to explain the prevalence of the phrase "I cannot?" Is it the feigned overconfidence of aphorism? / The Paris Review
Related: On the prevalence of "Chipotle boys," i.e., young men in large cities who order Chipotle "5-7 days a week." / Bustle
On the rise of so-called hyperpleasures: "To see beauty in limitation is not an easy thing." / Mere Orthodoxy
Dubious trend reporting says Gen Z thinks you're doing the heart sign wrong. / The Wall Street Journal [+]
Watch: A 14-year-old skateboarder becomes the first woman to successfully land a 900. / YouTube
"Lyrically and structurally, the album is what The Barbie Movie should've been." Some people feel the new Charli XCX album is the best album of the year thus far. / Antiart
Monday headlines: Tropical contact high
"What is going to happen when a recovered herd gets infected again? Maybe someone knows the answer to this already, but I don’t." Scientists have questions about bird flu. / STAT
Inside the controversy over the much-hyped Istanbul restaurant whose Syrian influencer chef has been accused of having links to Assad. / Foreign Policy
"Rafael Nadal may have lost in Round 1, but there was another 22-time major winner in Paris." 50 parting thoughts from the 2024 French Open. / Sports Illustrated
Flamingos have been largely missing from Florida since the early 20th century. Now at least 100 are back, possibly carried there last year by Hurricane Idalia. / Smithsonian Magazine
A new project that captures and tests airborne DNA to monitor disease spread could have far-reaching uses, from public health to conservation to agriculture. / BBC
To persuade reluctant investors, the founder of Rainforest Cafe built the first one in his own house. / The Hustle
Sleep No More changed immersive theater. Now that content culture is dominant, audiences would rather be the main character than experience what's happening around them. / Slate
See also: A collection of "alt text selfies—self-portrait descriptions that are shared online." Alt Text Selfies
The Windows XP shutdown sound played on various musical instruments. / YouTube
Measuring the near-ultrasonic tones that emit from PA systems in various locales, including subways, elevators, and parking garages. / Absorptions
See also: "No one who realizes what they’re doing would consent." When drivers are tracked by their cars and insurers, the level of data intrusion is disturbing. / The New York Times [+]
A data analysis of the current state of mullets in the Australian Football League. / ABC News
Saturday headlines: Never melt better
The attack on Snowflake, which provides cloud services to multiple large corporations, appears to be snowballing into one of the largest data breaches ever. / TechCrunch, WIRED
Ikea is hiring employees—at a rate of just under $17 an hour—to work in its Roblox store. / The Independent
Unrelated: TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods are outfitting retail employees with police-like body cams. / CNN
How to avoid "languishing," the internal alarm that begins ringing before burnout and depression hit. / GQ
"The idea of mountain country as the ultimate proving ground of human fortitude was now etched onto the modern mind." Why humans want to climb mountains. / Noema
See also: Two women accuse celebrity mountaineer Nirmal "Nims" Purja, the subject of a 2021 Netflix climbing documentary, of sexual harassment and assault. / Outside
"It's too hot for cameras." A heat dome is making Death Valley, the hottest place on Earth, even hotter. / Vox
See also: How an Antarctic research station produces freshwater and disposes of wastewater. / brr.fyi
"The reality is, most people do not want to eat like Alice Waters." How the fridge changed flavor. / The New Yorker
The original painted floorboards seen on the cover of Syd Barrett's The Madcap Laughs album are up for auction. / Omega Auctions
Six months out from this year's election, neither Google nor Microsoft's AI chatbots will answer the question, "Who won the 2020 US presidential election?" / WIRED
"Steve still hasn't got around to reading Infinite Jest but, with no Internet to distract him, he undoubtedly will." Life after the internet is gone. / The Villager
Friday headlines: Journalismisn’t
In October, more than 17,000 elephant seals died in an H5N1 outbreak. According to a genetic analysis, the virus jumped at least three times before that. / The New York Times [+]
Yesterday, Florida's Supreme Court gave its governor the power to remove locally elected prosecutors—and therefore overturn the will of its voters. / Law Dork
The Columbia Law Review's board of directors shut down its website this week when editors refused to remove a story about the Nakba. / The Intercept
See also: Before the Washington Post CEO allegedly maneuvered to block stories about him in his own paper, he did the same to an NPR journalist. / NPR
"Among the Chinese migrating to Japan are well-known intellectuals, journalists and business managers. This is noteworthy as it mirrors patterns from almost 120 years ago." / Nikkei Asia
See also: Three people were arrested at Hong Kong Stadium for remaining seated and turning their backs during the Chinese national anthem. / Hong Kong Free Press
Meanwhile in the US, the Phish fan who took a bong hit at the Sphere has been banned from all Madison Square Garden Entertainment venues "indefinitely." / Rolling Stone
The story of Helen Stephens, whose 1936 Olympic gold win sparked an anti-queer panic after a newspaper questioned her gender. / Defector
"This redistribution of power is further complicated if the adult child attains unusual creative clout." The delicate art of turning your parents into content. / The New Yorker
This week the Oklahoma City Council approved a plan to build a 1,907-foot tower that will become the nation's tallest building. / The Journal Record
When patrons camp in coffee shops for hours on end, the store loses money. One possible solution: yet another subscription. / Slate
Unrelated: How do we know when to pee? / Smithsonian Magazine
Thursday headlines: Bubbles and strife
Israel is found to be using fake social media accounts to encourage US lawmakers to fund its military. / The New York Times [+]
An explainer unpacks the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. / Reuters
Scientists aren't sure why the second half of last year was so much hotter than they predicted. / Grist
Employees at different AI companies demand the right to warn people about advanced artificial intelligence. / Vox
Following yesterday's story about middle-aged men abusing testosterone, a new male birth control gel shows promise in early trials. / GQ, The Washington Post [+]
Beverage companies are taking bubbles out of their drinks because Generation Z is said to dislike carbonation. / Vinepair
Lithuania is said to be the happiest place in the world right now for young people. / The Guardian
Unrelated? "Girl mossing" refers to the notion of lying on a forest floor, caressing moss. / The Conversation
Paris sees a 40% decline in air pollution thanks to closing streets to motor vehicles and other changes. / NBC News
Meanwhile, New York's governor surprisingly halts a plan to charge motorists driving into Manhattan. / Bloomberg
Details about airlines' secretive, invitation-only status programs. / The Wall Street Journal [+]
Details about the winner of New Zealand's tree of the year. / The Guardian
Examples of pointillist paintings painstakingly recreated with bubble wrap. / Kottke
Camp ToB, our summery Tournament of Books pop-up, started yesterday—dive in! / The Tournament of Books
Wednesday headlines: Roid cage
An investigation into officials and politicians who carried out a campaign to permanently transfer Ukrainian children to Russia. / The New York Times [+]
President Biden says Ukrainian defeat would mean "you'll see Poland go." Also, that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is prolonging the war in Gaza for personal political survival. / Time, axios
The Middle East is reportedly "awash" in captagon, a drug that mixes amphetamines with caffeine. / Foreign Affairs
See also: Why are performance-enhancing drugs suddenly popular among everyday people at everyday gyms? "Social media put steroids on steroids." / GQ
Doctors rave over a new drug that stops lung cancer from advancing better than any other treatment thus far. / The Guardian
Women in Bangladesh are confronting dangerous health effects from consuming salty water. / Grist
As the climate crisis continues, heat waves are estimated to cause millions of babies to be born preterm. / The 19th
See also: The differences between a heat wave and a heat dome. / The Los Angeles Times
In the United Kingdom, 2023 was the worst year on record for shoplifting. / The Guardian
Sunday is said to be the new "best day" to purchase airline tickets for less money. / Travel + Leisure
Noah Smith: Tourism is a weak tool for understanding other countries. / Noahpinion
A new memoir explains it was like modeling naked for Lucian Freud when he's your father. / The Art Newspaper
A long William Finnegan profile of a 75-year-old surfer, who previously was considered the world's best. "You gotta keep your eyes open, Bill." / The New Yorker
Tuesday headlines: For they know not what they glue
Vote counting begins in India after the world's biggest, most expensive election. / CNN, The Economist
How did Mexico end up with two women on the ballot for the highest office, only 71 years after suffrage? "Activism, electoral reform, and timing." / Interruptrr
An Italian village with 46 residents has 30 local election candidates. / The Guardian
Sales of Chinese-built electric vehicles in Europe jumped by 23% in the first four months of 2024. / Semafor
In case you missed it, a report and photographs from this year's Begijing Auto Show, which suggest "Western automakers makers are cooked." / Inside EVs
Hannah Ritchie: "Burning" book festivals is not a climate solution. / Sustainability by numbers
Ethiopia may see its coffee exports fall drastically due to new EU regulations aimed at combating deforestation. / Le Monde
TMN's Rosecrans Baldwin shares his daily routine, coffees and all, but wonders if following routines has been a long-running mistake. / Meditations in an Emergency
See also: New calculations suggest that time may not be a fundamental element of our physical reality. / New Scientist
Pictures of children in a carefully manicured neighborhood in Southern California. / Eri Morita Photography
Another article to explain why "van life" isn't all pretty Instagram photos. / The Wall Street Journal [+]
When is it okay to pick someone else's fruit tree? / The Los Angeles Times
Artificial intelligence is said to be useful at sorting landfills—but maybe not cooking, after a woman follows its suggestion to put glue on pizza. / Forbes, Business Insider
Headline of the week: "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream: The Terror of Tamagotchi." / Unwinnable
Monday headlines: Dark mode
A "game changer" immunotherapy drug "melts away" tumors, and may one day replace surgery and conventional chemo for bowel cancer. / The Guardian
Mexico has elected its first female president, former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum. / NPR
Related: An economic boom means many Mexican citizens are optimistic about their country's direction, even as it's veered slightly into autocracy. / The New York Times [+]
Tearing apart Daniel Ek's statement about "the cost of creating content being close to zero"—and getting at what he really means. / Dada Drummer Almanach
More from the Google leak: Privacy woes, including the collection of children's voices on YouTube Kids and geolocated license plate numbers on Street View. / 404 Media
Accounts of the misery in New Delhi on Wednesday, the hottest-ever day in the city's recorded history—it was 126 degrees Fahrenheit. / The New York Times [+]
See also: "I am convinced that we have everything we require to go carbon neutral by 2050: the science, the technology, the policy proposals, and the money." / Foreign Policy
According to a new study, later bedtimes are linked to higher rates of mental health disorder, although "the big unknown is why." / Neuroscience News
See also: After starting two hours later than originally scheduled, Novak Djokovic's third-round French Open match ended at 3:07 a.m. on Sunday morning. / BBC
To overcome anxiety from insomnia, a writer embraces night journeys and discovers a new, unlit world where everything smells different. / The Guardian
"Certainly, my mother was pleased I ended up there." Recalling one of Manhattan's last remaining all-women's boarding houses. / The Paris Review
The Cold War-era private fallout shelter boom fizzled after community shelters gained traction and the FTC banned the industry's unscrupulous sales tactics. / The Hustle
Last week, "an online essay with a shocking revelation about the wholesale disappearance of Chinese internet content spanning the 2000s was deleted." / China Media Project
Saturday headlines: Do know evil
In a groundbreaking medical trial, thousands of NHS patients will receive personalized cancer vaccines designed to prevent tumors from returning after surgery. / The Guardian
"The reaction that I encountered most often was disbelief that he was bright enough to manage such a scheme." The Hollywood hopeful behind a massive Ponzi scheme. / The New Yorker
"He was a bratty, bratty kid. He's still very bratty." Chess grandmaster Hans Niemann, a year after the cheating scandal. / Intelligencer
After a two-year search, the origin of "The Backrooms" photos has been solved: The images are from a hobby store in Oshkosh, Wis., in 2003, and it's still open. / 404 Media
"Ask yourself: To what degree do I fall prey to the same tendencies to protect myself and let the rest of the world burn?" On Trump's conviction and schadenfreude. / How Things Work
Physicians are prescribing adolescents GLP-1s, including Ozempic, which isn't approved for use in children for type 2 diabetes or weight loss. / University of Michigan
See also: Telehealth company Ro introduces a GLP-1 tracker for patients trying to acquire Wegovy and Ozempic amid shortages of the drugs. / CNBC
Alan Turing solved the mystery of animal patterns, and science is still building on his original research. / Knowable Magazine
Among the findings in the Google Search leak: Despite the company's denials, clicks affect search rankings, and—possibly—more so in Chrome. / The Verge
See also: "'New' AI Google is held responsible for its output in a way that 'old' Google never would have been." Does Google know how Google works? / Read Max
A new project asks you to share the long-lost treasures from your Gmail. / Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends
"Rafael Nadal has a higher success rate at winning matches at Roland Garros than I do tying my own shoes." / Defector
Friday headlines: Post-taste
Yes, Trump can still run for president now that he's convicted, and even from jail—and there's precedent, since Eugene V. Debs did it in 1920. / Politico
Though as a former president, Trump has Secret Service protection, and if he goes to jail so does his security detail. / The New York Times [+]
In a new case of a US farmworker falling ill with bird flu, the patient experienced respiratory symptoms—suggesting the possibility of further spread. / STAT
Spotify will brick its "Car Thing" device at the end of this year, three-and-a-half years after it launched, with no option for refunds or trade-ins. / Pitchfork
Profiles of teens forced to wait until they could have phones—including multiple instances of PowerPoint decks created to persuade reluctant parents. / The Cut
Since 1901, people have misinterpreted a scientific diagram that appears to show certain tastes are confined to specific areas of the human tongue. / The New York Times [+]
See also: How dogs see color isn't nearly as interesting as how they smell it. / YouTube
A brief history of early androids and talking machines. / The Public Domain Review
The concept of "calorie counting" didn't appear until 1918. / Smithsonian Magazine
Unrelated: A pretty interesting history (not exactly "thrilling," though) of longitude and how humans navigate. / The Garden of Forking Paths
Cut marks found on an ancient Egyptian skull suggest humans tried to surgically treat cancer more than 4,000 years ago. / Live Science
"She achieved a million copies...without a publisher, without any international expansion, without brick and mortar support." How TikTok has upended book publishing. / The New York Times [+]
Thursday headlines: Pick me up before you go go
Aid entering Gaza drops by 67% after Israel begins its assault on Rafah. / CNN
The story of the Israeli doctor who saved the life, several years ago, of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar. / The New York Times [+]
From April, the same doctor says Sinwar told him the deaths of 100,000 Gazans were no problem during a war conducted "in the name of God" (via NextDraft). / Haaretz
American politics have always bordered on the bizarre, but the last decade felt especially strange to many. Four reasons why. / Today in Politics
See also: "Behold the Terrors of the Texas Republican platform." / How Things Work
Researchers wish Hollywood movies talked about the climate crisis once in a while. / The Associated Press
From March, in case you missed it: there's a Bechdel test for climate, and Alison Bechdel approves. / indiewire, X
An explanation of the Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation/Ticketmaster. / 404 Media
A hacker group threatens to release private data from "at least 500,000 private clients" of Christie's auction house. / Hyperallergic
One reason the Graceland sale has gotten weird (or weirder)? A ring of identity thieves. / The New York Times [+]
One reason Nashville's overtourism has gotten rotten? Locals only see visitors as cash machines. / Nashville Scene
A great piece by TMN favorite Lauren Bans about her desire, as a tall woman, to be picked up—literally. / The Cut
How to feels to receive an AI email from a friend: "It felt like opening the front door at my birthday party to welcome in a group of iPads on wheels." / Neven Mrgan
Wednesday headlines: What a piece of merch is man
South Africans go to the polls in what's viewed as a hugely consequential election. / The Guardian
An overview of what you need to know about South Africa's elections. / The Week in Africa
Angelica Jade Bastién: Reacher is a fantasy about white power. / Vulture
Extreme temperatures in India may be contributing to lower turnout in the world's "largest election process." / NBC News
Digital technologies—"our gadgets, the internet and the systems supporting them"—are responsible for anywhere from 1.4 to 5.9 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. / Heated
Microsoft's push into AI jeapordizes its climate goals. Also, OpenAI has a new safety team—run by Sam Altman. / CNET, The Verge
Your white paper of the week: "Artificial Intellience Threats to Climate Change." / Friends of the Earth
Scientists use a model proposed by Alan Turing to understand animals' markings. / knowable magazine
"Was the joke on you? Did it matter?" A fashion writer says we've reached the end of fashionable merch. / GQ
Unrelated: "Harry Styles and Alessandro Michele are dressing like finance bros now." / Dazed
South Koreans compete to have the lowest resting heart rate. / The Guardian
"Listen!" A round-up of things people will say to you after stealing (or purchasing) your smartphone, to persuade you to unlock it. / Read Max
Tuesday headlines: Sheila take a cow
Israel's diplomatic isolation grows over its offensive on the Gazan town of Rafah. / Semafor
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the overall Palestinian death toll in the war is now above 36,000. / The Associated Press
Taiwanese activists are using Meta's threads app to organize protests. / rest of world
A K-pop group bundles copies of its new album with a small CD player, and the pre-orders quickly sell out. / The Korea Times
What it's like to live at present in Brownsville, Tx., Elon Musk's company town. "Mr. Musk is properly understood as a kind of spiritual leader." / The New York Times [+]
See also: Report from a sinking Himalayan village. / Granta
For the first time, Rafael Nada is eliminated in the first round of a clay-court tennis tournament; he says lately his body is "a jungle." / Tennis & Beyond
A new study says "cow cuddling" may be an effective form of animal-assisted therapy. / NYU
Siblings share "weird" things they have in common—e.g., sleeping habits, food idiosyncrasies. / Goats and Soda
A woman analyzes 83,000 text messages exchanged with her ex-boyfriend. / Teresa Ibarra
Reflections on what it's like to go viral these days, now that companies are in the comments. / The Trend Report
In the miscellanea: sweatpants and jeans are a thing, Johnny Depp and Mohammed bin Salman are a thing. / The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair
"If you want your party to be sexy, do not advertise that you want this." A list of things known by a man. / Sasha's "Newsletter"
Friday headlines: High on the dog
We're taking the weekend off for the holiday, so we tried to make today's edition extra good. See you Tuesday.
The US Air Force tracks more than 25,000 pieces of space junk larger than 10 centimeters. / Scientific American
A question for the weekend: Do we live in an infinite nesting doll of black hole universes? / Kottke
London gets a museum dedicated to homelessness. / Bloomberg
A London-born teenager, once known as "God's influencer," will be the first millennial to become a saint. / BBC News
Remember the Pennsylvania cheerleader deepfake story? It turns out the videos and images were all real. / The Guardian
Purported trends among young people: bubble tea (but not from Starbucks). Also, moving to Connecticut. / The Guardian, The New York Post
Related: A sexier version of ChatGPT is "wooing young Chinese." In Japan, it's men's volleyball. / Sixth Tone, The Japan Times
"What is the meaning of life? The question always makes my mind go blank." A philosopher makes the argument to "just live." / The Dublin Review of Books
See also: Dopamine, explained. Suspense, explained. Rudy Giuliani's new coffee company, a mystery. / Vox, The New Yorker, Sprudge
Architectural update on the new $750 million David Geffen Galleries. Photos of a new home from Eric Owen Moss. / Archinect, Sotheby's
IKEA launches a line of furniture for pets. / dezeen
A new airline uses chartered Gulfstream jets to offer luxury dog-centric air travel. (Incidentally, RIP, Doge.) / Uncrate, Metafilter
Thursday headlines: Miracle in the desert?
Nearly three in five Americans wrongly believe the United States is in an economic recession, and the majority blame the Biden administration. / The Guardian
Britain's prime minister calls for a general election in July, which the Tories are likely to lose. / Politico.eu, The Economist
"Somewhere between half and two-thirds of [Myanmar]" has fallen to its resistance movement. / BBC News
Btw: Putin And Xi are way beyond the Rubicon." At the same time? "Face it, Putin, China is just not that into your gas pipeline." / Noema, Bloomberg
Climate change is increasing turbulence for air travelers. / The New York Times [+]
Almost half of car crashes take place at intersections, and nearly a third of them involve a vehicle turning left. / The Wall Street Journal [+]
So far this year, Massachusetts has collected $1.8 billion from a new "millionaire's tax" on the state's highest earners. / WGBH
Last year marked the first time frequent marijuana use overtook frequent drinking. / The Associated Press
See also: Coffee drinking in America is apparently only half of what it was in the 1940s. / Sprudge
Alex Honnold and other top rock climbers say Las Vegas is the nation's best city for outdoorsy folks. / The Los Angeles Times
"The range of colors in the plumage of hummingbirds exceeds the known diversity of colors found in the plumages of all other bird species combined." Hummingbirds are amazing. / Plough Magazine
Wednesday headlines: The pigeon funnel
Spain, Ireland and Norway say they will recognize a Palestinian state. / The Associated Press
Members of Israeli security forces are giving settlers the location of aid convoys so they can intercept them. / The Guardian
The EU is financing operations to detain tens of thousands of migrants in North Africa and move them to remote areas, "often barren deserts." / The Washington Post [+]
Due to assaults on paramedics, large swaths of Cape Town are off-limits to ambulances without an armed police escort. / Goats and Soda
See also: "Rideshare work attracts older drivers. Older drivers attract criminals." Also, "When you're a clickworker, no one knows you're old." / rest of world
Some African diplomats in Washington moonlight as delivery drivers, also as gas stations clerks. / Politico Magazine
Among the 3.5 million parents working in America's restaurant industry, roughly 1 million are single mothers. / Eater
Indian housewives own approximately 11% of the entire world's gold. / Vestoj
Unrelated: Pavement gets its first gold record, thanks to TikTok. / Vulture
Reportedly, eighty percent of new members in pigeon racing clubs are 20 years old or younger. / The Guardian
Joanna Kavenna: I've always loved salmon because salmon jump and no one knows why. / The Paris Review
"If I had to summarize what it does, I would say that it summarizes like crazy." Anthony Lane on the value of book-summarizing apps. / The New York