Weekend link dump for April 7

“Twitter, now X, was once a useful site for breaking news. The Baltimore bridge collapse shows those days are long gone.”

“In Simpsons terms, the important thing about “Hi-diddly-ho, neighbor!” is not the “Hi-diddly-ho,” but the “neighbor.” That’s the difference between MAGA evangelicals and Ned Flanders. Ned views and greets everyone he encounters as his neighbor. MAGA evangelicals very much do not.”

“[Last] Tuesday, the Chinese government lodged a formal complaint against the United States government with the World Trade Organization, claiming the Inflation Reduction Act—signed by President Joe Biden in 2022—inappropriately excludes electric cars with Chinese components from the law’s tax credit program. Biden should be thrilled.”

“[Redacted], a professional demagogue, calling for responsibility in discourse is, as they say, a little bit rich.”

“But what some may see as a heartwarming tale of bridging political divides or a gallant effort to humanize election workers at the micro level, the Panera lunch is also reflective of a broader, grim reality for election workers: that they must continue trying to gain public trust and make themselves appear human to those who are still, four years later, wholly convinced that they are stealing elections from Donald Trump.”

“The argument in the mifepristone case was a potent reminder of why conservatives have gravitated to conscience claims—and demonstrated the hidden harms that these claims can inflict on other Americans.”

“The emotional harm alleged here is that unless these doctors approve of the specific circumstances of the ER visit, they violate not only their own medical preference but also their religious convictions. But they will never truly know enough about the sins of their patients to be able to shield themselves against being a link in a chain of subjective lifelong sin.”

A behind-the-scenes look at being a clerk for federal Judge Aileen Cannon, the Trump-appointed jurist currently making a hash of the confidential documents case.

“The truth is that Donald Trump undermined faith in our elections in his false bid to retain the presidency. He sparked an insurrection intended to overthrow our government and keep himself in power. No president in our history has done worse.”

“The Heritage Foundation, the right-wing think tank organizing the plan for a conservative overhaul of the federal government known as Project 2025, recently published another blog critical of in vitro fertilization procedures, this one with a list of specific policy recommendations for limiting access to the reproductive method.”

“Four years ago today, I walked into the apocalypse.”

How to find an asshole. See here for more.

“Companies that rent portable toilets in Central Texas said they have experienced historic demand for their products as folks plan eclipse parties on ranches, in parks and even in backyards.”

RIP, Vontae Davis, former NFL cornerback.

So much grift, so many suckers.

RIP, Chance Perdomo, actor known for Gen V and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

RIP, Joe Flaherty, writer and performer on the groundbreaking sketch comedy show SCTV and actor best known for Freaks and Geeks.

RIP, pat Molak, co-founder of San Antonio mainstay restaurant Josephine Street and legendary music venue Gruene Hall.

“As it turns out, taking a photo of the 2024 solar eclipse could damage your iPhone’s camera hardware.”

“The Biden administration put the finishing touches Thursday on a plan to restrict presidents from unilaterally nixing civil service protections from large swaths of the federal workforce, as former President Donald Trump renews his vow to uproot a perceived “deep state” if he is returned to the White House.”

“On Wednesday, the IEEE Computer Society announced to members that, after April 1, it would no longer accept papers that include a frequently used image of a 1972 Playboy model named Lena Forsén. The so-called “Lenna image,” (Forsén added an extra “n” to her name in her Playboy appearance to aid pronunciation) has been used in image processing research since 1973 and has attracted criticism for making some women feel unwelcome in the field.”

“No such candidates emerged, so the responsible course of action is for us to stand down.”

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