TheNewsGal, Edition No. 100
What a week! These are the standouts.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This year was a big one for me — I bought my first home; adopted a second dog and fostered a third; attended my 20th high school reunion; and became an aunt twice over. Now I’ve managed to come down with Covid, and while I’m vaccinated and my symptoms aren’t severe, it’s clear that some serious R&R is in order. So enjoy this final edition of 2021 (with a side of pecan pie for me), and I’ll be back in your inbox Jan. 8.
All the things
How climate change and extreme weather are crimping America’s pie supply: For Mike’s Pies in Florida, even once supply chain problems resolve, there’s still climate change. Say it ain’t so. (Laura Reiley, Washington Post, ~17 min.)
The Billion-Dollar Question: Why can’t the military fix its violence-against-women problem? Congress is on the precipice of ushering in the biggest shift in military policy since the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. But would it have saved 21-year-old airman Natasha Aposhian? Heartbreaking all around. (Molly Langmuir, Elle, ~24 min.)
How Ahmaud Arbery’s old football team turned angst into love — and a perfect season. A bright spot in a year from hell. (Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN, ~13 min.)
The Notorious Mrs. Mossler: In “the trial of the century,” a Houston socialite was accused of plotting her husband's murder — and of having an affair with her nephew. But Candace Mossler was only getting started. Put this off all week because of its length and should have read it first. Yowza. (Skip Hollandsworth, Texas Monthly, ~53 min.)
Unfriended: Frances Haugen on her Facebook testimony and what comes next. I’m a fan. (Noreen Malone, Vogue, ~16 min.)
He joined the movement to #FreeBritney — while fighting a guardianship battle of his own. The #FreeBritney movement was no joke. (Ashley Fetters Maloy, Washington Post, ~14 min.)
To Catch A Turtle Thief: Blowing The Lid Off An International Smuggling Operation: When a padded envelope at the Calgary airport started to move, officials jumped into action. Just excellent start to finish. (Clare Fieseler, The Walrus, ~16 min.)
Inside The World’s Most Blatant Covid-19 Coverup: Secret Burials, A Dead President: Tanzania denied the existence of the pandemic for months, even as thousands likely died. The country is a clue to its hidden global toll. Jeezuz. (Joe Parkinson, Wall Street Journal, ~16 min.)
The Lofty Goals And Short Life Of The Antiracist Book Club: After George Floyd’s death, many white Americans formed book clubs. A year later, they’re wondering, “What now?” We suck. (Fabiola Cinea, Vox, ~17 min.)
Will Real Estate Ever Be Normal Again? In cities around the country, prices are skyrocketing, forcing regular people to act like speculators. When will it end? What an unholy shitshow. (Francesca Mari, New York Times Magazine, ~36 min.)
How I imagine an annual performance review with the dog would go. Perfect. (Caroline O’Donoghue, Irish Examiner, ~4 min.)