Links for you. Science:

Genome and life-history evolution link bird diversification to the end-Cretaceous mass extinction
California COVID surge is surprisingly stronger, longer-lasting than experts had expected
How Great was the “Great Oxidation Event”?
Former geography teacher Tim Walz is really into maps
Head of NASA Says Kamala Harris Really Gets Space
Meet the surprisingly complex ancestor of all life on Earth. Complex life may have evolved shortly after Earth was formed, a study says.

Other:

JD Vance Just Blurbed a Book Arguing That Progressives Are Subhuman (gift link)
The Rahm Era (short, important)
One year after chilling police raid on Kansas newspaper, aftershocks linger in Marion
The NABJ interview with Trump provides a model for media coverage
Why Trump is Afraid to Debate Kamala Harris. The former President looks scared, weak, and old compared to Harris
Needed: More poll workers
Why many nonprofit (wink, wink) hospitals are rolling in money
Democracy dies if we drop the case of Trump, Egypt and $10 million in cash. A credible allegation of a $10 million Trump bribe from Egypt is swept under the rug as bribery is increasingly legal in America.
The Hollywood production collapse’s latest victim: Why the reality TV bubble finally burst
Making the Case for New Orleans as America’s Sandwich Capital
Project 2025 Is an Unmitigated Polling Disaster for Trump and Republicans
iOS 18 has fulfilled my dream of destroying ads with a Thanos snap: Apple’s new Distraction Control feature will literally wipe out annoying ads from websites.
Minnesota governor details with texts and photos how his dog locked himself in a bedroom
Tim Walz’s campaign for Minnesota governor aims to bridge the great divide
As a Black woman, I can vouch for a white, male VP prospect from Minnesota, Tim Walz
Tim Walz: From Small-Town Minnesota to the Campaign Trail. It’s been a stunning run for the long-shot vice-presidential nominee, but his recent activity in Minnesota really mirrors what Kamala Harris will face legislatively if she wins.
Will Panic on Wall Street Convince Jerome Powell to Do His Job?
Judge rules that Google ‘is a monopolist’ in US antitrust case: Judge Amit Mehta ruled in favor of the Department of Justice, writing that Google has maintained a monopoly in the search and advertising markets.
As Trump fumes, Republicans wince at ‘public nervous breakdown’
DOJ, states win Google search antitrust case
Nassau County Legislature passes mask ban, with exemption for health
No, really, Republicans are getting weirder. The GOP needs to convince voters that Donald Trump and JD Vance are regular guys, and, manifestly, they are not.
“Those People Should Just Die”: Trump’s Nephew on How the Ex-President Sees Disabled Americans
The Domination Tour: Four decades of intensifying corporate concentration turned the music industry into a wasteland of institutionalized control and abuse. Are antitrust enforcers ready to reckon with that?
The Man Behind Project 2025’s Most Radical Plans
Big Boy Games