The stink.
According to a new study, Covid-19 immunity likely lasts for years after someone is vaccinated or recovers from infection. / MIT Technology Review
For one couple, a cancer diagnosis during the pandemic led them to move into a contemporary commune, to have more “OSOs” (Other Significant Others). / The New York Times
For people who love to dress, the pandemic has been a period of longing for clothes they already own. / The New Yorker
Los Angeles turns both Dodger Stadium (previously the nation’s largest testing site) and Disneyland into vaccination centers. / GQ, The New York Times
The FBI warns of armed protests planned in all 50 states ahead of president-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration next week. / CNN
GoFundMe bans supporters of President Trump from raising funds to attend inauguration-related rallies. / BuzzFeed News
Kaitlyn Greenridge: People say the Capitol attack "isn't America." Most Americans disagree. / Harper's Bazaar
Mike Davis: The Republican Party has just undergone an irreparable split. (Even in Orange County.) / New Left Review, OC Register
Ross Douthat envisions the split playing out. Bill Belichick tries to escape his friendship with Trump. Someone carved “Trump” into a manatee’s back. / The New York Times, Vulture, The Guardian
Jonathan Chait: “Why Republicans Are Finally Trying to Wash Off the Trump Stink.” / New York Magazine
A long piece on how Trump’s myth of victimhood will function in American life 15 years from now. / The New York Times Magazine
South Africa says it's ready to share with the US its experience of a peaceful transition to democracy. / News24
A rookie GOP congressman says Republicans who knew better voted against election certification out of physical fear. / Reason
Conservative radio network Cumulus orders its hosts to chill their election fraud talk or be fired. / The Washington Post
If Parler returns, it’ll be on Epik, the internet savior of the far-right. (Nearly all of Parler's content, including deleted posts and all associated metadata, has been archived.) / VICE, Gizmodo
One possible legal defense for rioters: "Trump said I could." / The Washington Post
Thanks to a de-escalation program two years ago, no police officer in Newark fired their weapon while on duty in 2020. / News12 New Jersey
Globally, last year ties with 2016 for warmest year recorded. That makes the last six years the warmest six on record. / Copernicus
What happened before the Big Bang? The answer from Stephen Hawking—there was no beginning—is increasingly a subject of debate. / Quanta
Three stories about book publishing—French feminism, American implosion, and a preview of 2021—that we liked this week. / The Morning News
FYI: It turns out that Tom Stoppard wrote "pretty much every line of dialogue" in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. / Kottke
And now a brief chat with a new Sustaining Member, John J.
When did you start reading TMN? In 2012. I try to follow the Tournament of Books as much as I can and at least read the Rooster winner or runner-up. I enjoy the commentary, especially if the choice isn't the pick I made. I started getting the Headlines email about two years ago, and it's a great way to see what's happening. It also led me to sign up for other emails—Laura Olin, Austin Kleon, Robin Sloan.
All great ones! Any favorite links we've shared? In 2019, you included a story about "pyt" and how it was voted the most popular word in Denmark. That story saved my bacon because it provided me with material for an adult church class I was leading at the time. Up until then, I had no idea what to teach in the next class. That mention led to two weeks of discussion.
SO MANY THANKS TO JOHN J. and all of our supporters. If you haven't already, please find out why we're asking for your help, and consider becoming a Sustaining Member or making a one-time donation.
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