I made a new years resolution to rely less on social media for my news, and have been keeping track of interesting stories that weren’t delivered by trending news algorithms. But I’m shaking things up a bit: five interesting stories per day seems like maybe overload? So, instead, I’m just going to wait until I have five stories that especially stick with me and see if intermittent is an improvement.
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- “‘It’s a Massacre’: Blast in Kabul Deepens Toll of a Long War” (New York Times) – This is an exemplary explainer: a piece that actually makes sense of bewildering news, in this case a string of brutal attacks in Kabul. In addition, Mujib Mashal and Jawad Sukhanyar make a connection that I haven’t seen elsewhere: the surge in violence by the Taliban comes after President Trump suspended security aid to Pakistan and “many Afghan officials feared an immediate escalation in violence in retaliation.”
- “Is a Court Case in Texas the First Prosecution of a ‘Black Identity Extremist’?” (Foreign Policy) – Rakem Balogun is being held in jail on firearm charges in what Martin De Bourmont reports is the result of an FBI investigation sparked by Black Lives Matter. “This is a continuation of COINTELPRO in a modern-day form,†says Balogun.
- “Big donors ready to reward Republicans for tax cuts” (Politico) – Here’s what political quid pro quo looks like.
- “Bruce McArthur charged with three additional counts of first-degree murder, police say” (Toronto Star) – Toronto has a serial killer case: a landscaper who picked up gay men and then buried their bodies in planters around the city.
- “ПитерÑкие пенÑионерки в поддержку курÑантов летного училища (St. Petersburg pensioners support cadets)” (YouTube) – OK, so this is technically a viral story of sorts. After a video of barely dressed, dancing air cadets went viral, there were scores of imitations. But I was especially charmed by this one: two retired ladies who in the course of their nightclub homage give a tour of their apartment.