Vroom and gloom
As of yesterday, in the 87 days of 2023, there have been 131 mass shootings in the United States. / Wake Up to Politics
Related: 3D animations show the destructive power of an AR-15 on a human body. / The Washington Post
President Biden again asks Republicans to ban assault weapons. Evidence suggests other policies may be more effective at preventing gun violence overall. / TIME, Vox
"Bedew no man's face with your spittle." Advice from a 13-year-old George Washington. / Lapham's Quarterly
Owners of the Guardian newspaper apologize for their founder's role in transatlantic slavery and announce a "decade-long program of restorative justice." / Barron's
Why do most non-Black Americans oppose reparations? Research suggests a "collective willful ignorance." / NPR
Migrants fearing deportation set their mattresses on fire at a detention center in northern Mexico, inadvertently killing dozens. / CBS News
Adam Posen: The last two administrations have prioritized relocating manufacturing production to the US—an approach "based on four profound analytic fallacies." / Foreign Policy
Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, and other tech leaders call for a six-month pause on training more powerful AI systems. / TechCrunch
Natural gas companies are fighting small Western communities' attempts to electrify. / Undark
DIY motorbikes, a boon for delivery drivers, pollute 100 times more than cars. / rest of world
Designers create conceptual supermarket products to show what consumption may look like in a world with less water. / dezeen
Suzanne Heywood on how an around-the-world sailing adventure robbed her of her childhood. "Do you think we're going to die?" / The Guardian
See also: "The Particular Misery of College-Admissions TikTok." / The New Yorker
And now a brief chat with a new Sustaining Member, Lesley L.!
Lesley, you found us through the Tournament of Books, yeah? I’m pretty new to ToB, only discovering it during the pandemic; 2021 was my first year. The lists and discussions turn me on to new favorites, and I feel fed reading what everyone has to say about books I’ve read and often loved.
That's great to hear. And thanks so much for supporting! There’s real value for me in the ToB, so I feel compelled to pay for the experience, just like I would pay for a course. Also, I recognize it’s not free to put it out there. It’s probably something of a labor of love, but I’m sure it’s still work, so I’m happy to reward it if I can.
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Your headlines are sourced and written by Rosecrans Baldwin and Andrew Womack, Monday through Saturday. View this edition and the latest headlines at TMN.