And we’ll never be royals
It don’t run in our blood
That kind of luxe just ain’t for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
– Lorde
Another long week, kittens, but the weekend is upon us and on Saturday we are setting up shop on my mate Chris’s terrace to watch Royal Wedding 2.0. We like to think we represent the rowdy and awkward colonist cousin contingent. The news is terrible again this week, so excuse me while I enjoy a little basic pageantry.
THIS WEEK
—North Korea setback
—Kushner/Qatar
—Israel/Gaza
—Trump/Cohen/$
—Wilkie pick for VA
—Mueller 1yr
—TX school shooting
—PA/OR/ID/NE primaries
—Trump/”animals”
—Haspel confirmed
—21st circuit judge
—Trump abortion rule
—NAFTA/China talks
—Pruitt fallout
—Farm bill crashes— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) May 18, 2018
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“History” is so much closer to us than most people realize.
We’re getting a new princess/duchess this weekend and she’s quite deft in managing her own style straight out of the gate.
She’s marrying into a strange family, but she’s from a strange family…and truly, aren’t we all?
Oh man, I added this on Monday and things are already getting weird.
ETA, its only Wednesday and I’m grossed out by the whole news cycle around Ms. Markle’s family and their shenanigans. Sali Hughes says it better than me.
ETA again, it’s Friday and this woman is clearly controlling her own messaging straight out of the gate. More power to her. I would never want the life she’s choosing, so I hope this is a signal of being able to set terms and boundaries that will make the requirements of her new role manageable for a person who may chafe under cultural expectations she was not raised with or born to. Good luck, future-presumable-duchess. I’m rooting for you!
The annual Tiny Desk Contest winner performs!
EIC of Vox, Ezra Klein argues the republic has faced worse than Mr. Trump…but also argues as sure as he is about this, he’s not 100% sure.
Whatever your opinion on the move, the difference in the photography is pretty striking. Also…people are dead.
Actively bad news from Jeff’s home state. This newsroom JUST won a Pulitzer.
Oh dear. I have long lusted after Lisa Eldridge’s jewels and now this?
Quick question, when does Ronan Farrow sleep?
Wow…this is quite a statement from the bishops.
The marketing team for this is very, very good.
Speaking of religious news, there was a Mormon news story this week that needs some unpacking. An elaborate fake message, designed to look like an official statement of apology for the church’s racism, briefly blew up on social media before being exposed. Zealous and pious mormons decried the fake news making the church look bad, zealous and irreverent exmormons gleefully opined at the twists and turns the organization was having to make to explain that they weren’t in fact apologizing for past racism. For those not in the know, the LDS church forbade the ordination of black men to the priesthood and the participation of black members in services and ceremonies in mormon temples (which are considered essential to salvation, so…). The most succinct take on why this whole story is gross, regardless of your religious beliefs, can be found here.
It’s been fascinating to watch the party of “law and order” turn on law enforcement.
And a developing story, but another heartbreaking school shooting has taken place. Details are still coming out so I won’t say more than: enough.
Small Dog Syndrome 