September 27, 2016

“In the wake of the worst crash since the Great Depression, as [Goldman Sachs] fended off investigations and criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike, the Clintons drew Goldman only closer.” The Clintons picked an interesting time to align themselves even closer with Goldman Sachs: Directly after the 2008 crash. / The New York Times

Kashana Cauley explains why Milwaukee is the worst city for black people in America. / catapult.co

As Chicago’s violence levels continue to skyrocket, Illinois lawmakers continue to refuse to fund a violence-prevention program that a new report shows has direct correlations to the homicide and violent crime rates in the city. / Chicago Tribune, cureviolence.org

A complicated picture of economic growth emerges: it’s the best time for job-seekers in America since 2001, but Trump’s message of economic malaise works because 99% of those jobs are going to college graduates. / Quartz

“Incendiary munitions, indiscriminate in their reach, are being dropped on to civilian areas so that, yet again, Aleppo is burning. And to cap it all, water supplies, so vital to millions, are now being targeted, depriving water to those most in need. In short, it is difficult to deny that Russia is partnering with the Syrian regime to carry out war crimes.” UK ambassador despairs of destruction in Aleppo, which Russian planes have begun to target again in their support of Syria’s central government. / The Guardian

“Waffle House will be there in the morning, I told myself. Finally, a thing that’s sure.” In tough times, Waffle House—the chain that inspired a FEMA code because it is always open—inspires a personal index of suffering. / extracrispy.com

“The first line of defence is not to see the Devil everywhere but to determine what this person is up against.” Exorcists today take pains to display their modernity, working with psychologists to separate mental health issues from demonic possession. Only 1 in 5,000 requests, they say, turns out to really be an act of Satan, though the total is growing. / The Telegraph

“The more plausibly reality is faked, the more beautiful the pane we place between it and ourselves becomes.” Updating the realism-in-art argument for the 21st century, when video game producers claim almost monthly to produce generational breakthroughs in graphics technology. / Real Life

In 2012, Barack Obama was flustered by Mitt Romney in his first debate. “This isn’t on the level,” he complained. His speechwriter dishes on how the campaign convinced Obama to downplay his most winning qualities, including his intellect and sense of fairness, to win the next round. / The Ringer

Worth remembering: The first debate usually goes to the challenger. / FiveThirtyEight

The visceral backlash against Hillary’s candidacy for president can be linked to a social phenomenon called “precarious manhood,” which posits that while femininity is biological, masculinity is a behavioral achievement that must be earned and maintained. Peter Beinart writes in the Atlantic: “Two analyses of American murder statistics, for instance, suggest that in cities in the South, where men tend to hold traditional attitudes about gender, greater economic equality between men and women correlates with higher rates of male-on-female murder.” / The Atlantic

“She’s a bitch, but he’s just having a bad day.” We’re much more likely to interpret women’s facial expressions as emotions and men’s as reactions, which is why we want our female leaders smile more. / New York Times

A new study finds the average woman to be around a size 20—plus-size—and not a 14, as previously thought. / psychologytoday.com

A new law in California allows actors to have their ages removed from sites like IMDB. / The Wall Street Journal

“Older black people who want to silence us on the basis that they fought against apartheid need to shut the fuck up!!! We are here because you failed us! So please!” Why society should be pleased when activists lose faith in their heroes. / The Conversation

The five municipal governments that rely most on civil asset forfeiture, and the fines that come with it, are towns of under 1,500 people—suggesting that the city has turned pulling over drivers into a thriving part of the local economy. / sunlightfoundation.com

During the recession, federal and local law enforcement agencies, from small-town cops to the Justice and Treasury Departments, exponentially increased their use of civil asset forfeitures, according to a 2015 study. / ij.org

“Forty-odd officers in black commando gear stormed the gallery and its rear patio, ordering the guests to the ground. Some in attendance thought that they were the victims of an armed robbery. One young woman who had fallen only to her knees told me that a masked figure screamed at her, ‘Bitch, you think you’re too pretty to get in the mud?’” Sarah Stillman’s 2013 exposé of civil asset forfeiture contains many vivid depictions of its misuse; this example is, if not the worst, perhaps the boldest. / The New Yorker

“A guy drives up in a 2008 Mercedes, brand new. Just so beautiful, I mean, the cops were undercover and they were just like ‘Ahhhh.’ And he gets out and he’s just reeking of alcohol. And it’s like, ‘Oh, my goodness, we can hardly wait.’” City attorney of a small city in New Mexico describes “little goodies” of civil asset forfeiture. / The New York Times

Naturally, it was only after John Oliver did a segment on civil asset forfeiture, based on a Washington Post investigation, that the federal government took any steps to reform the system. / The Washington Post

Yes, there is an American Jewish accent and no, it’s not just a New York accent. Linguists explain why the study of “Jewish English” is so complicated and the nuances of this distinctive strain of speech. / Atlas Obscura