The customer is always wrong.
With ICUs around the state filling up, California will issue its strictest stay-at-home order since the beginning of the pandemic. / The Guardian
Despite locals' entreaties, tourists continue flocking to West Texas—a virus hot spot that's running out of hospital beds. / The Texas Tribune
While US air travel over Thanksgiving was much lower compared to last year, vehicle travel was only about 5% less than in 2019. / Associated Press
Input your age, location, and health risks to find your place in the Covid-19 vaccine line. / The New York Times
Because rich countries are hoarding the vaccines, low-risk people in the US will probably be immunized before high-risk people in disadvantaged nations. / NPR
Cyberattackers have been attempting to access information on the entire cold-chain process for Covid-19 vaccines. / The Verge
"He died with Covid-19, and his final days were harder, scarier, and lonelier than necessary. He was not surrounded by friends and family." An obituary for Marvin Farr, who died this week from Covid-19. / Price & Sons Funeral Homes
Jodi Ettenberg of Legal Nomads is collecting anonymous pandemic stories submitted by Instagram users around the world. / Legal Nomads
A thread on popular sayings that simply aren't true—e.g., "Hard work never killed anyone." / Reddit
"I was sharpening and sharpening until, you know, I also sharpened my fingertip." Chefs describe their worst on-the-job injuries. / VICE
"Nature always strikes back, and it is already doing so with growing force and fury." The UN lays out the state of climate change. / The Washington Post
Twitter's warning labels need to go a lot further when applied to Trump's lies. / BuzzFeed News
Gout has long been associated with the vices of powerful men. But now it's a global phenomenon, no longer confined to the rich. / The New York Times Style Magazine
On the evolution of the walking taco, which Alice Waters called "as perfect a symbol of a broken culture as I can imagine." / Heavy Table
A fascinating virtual walk marries the past and present of New York's Chinatown. / The New York Times
How cotton-candy machines can be used to produce N95-quality material for facemasks. / Boing Boing
The FDA has cleared a new device that uses an Apple Watch to interrupt PTSD-related nightmares without waking the wearer. / WIRED
"The core was always physical, male violence." Connecting the dots between bro culture and chivalry. / Patrick Wyman
An AI-powered poetry composer uses classic American poets to fuel its verse. / Verse by Verse
This is what stir crazy looks like: the top 100 TikToks of 2020. / TikTok
Looney Tunes backgrounds. / This Isn't Happiness
And now for a brief Q&A with Lauren O., one of our newest Sustaining Members!
What first brought you to TMN? I started reading TMN to follow the Tournament of Books with the release of the 2019 long list in the fall of 2018. I believe I saw someone mention it in the Popsugar Reading Challenge Goodreads group and I was intrigued by the idea of a bracket-style book contest (I'm a sucker for low stakes gambling and anything related to books).
And how's it going so far? So far the experience has exceeded my expectations and I'm thoroughly hooked. I've found a fun community of readers and the Tournament has introduced me to excellent novels I may have otherwise missed out on. I might even attempt to be a 2021 long list completist since I've read or already own about half of the books on this year's list and I'm interested in almost all of them based on the descriptions.
Thank you, Lauren. Also, for all you ToB fans: The shortlist is coming very, very soon!
If you haven't already, please consider becoming a Sustaining Member or making a one-time donation to support the future of The Morning News and the Tournament of Books.
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