Laura Helmuth

What restaurant that you once loved has closed and broken your heart?
For me, it's Taste of Saigon, in Rockville, MD.

Oh, yes, the sad/joyous combos are amazing.

"How did you solve the infinite puzzle of Jeffrey Epstein's true nature?"
"Uh, a web search?"

Oh, good question! I'd ask him to join us on Bluesky (he can use one of his many nicknames / pseudonyms). And I'd love to know what he's listening to. He always had a great ear for innovative music. What about you?

Meet three scientists who said no to Epstein The warning signs included a web search, a mother’s doubts, and inklings of a “sexist attitude”

This is a nice contrast to all the awful behavior confirmed through the Epstein files. Proud of @jenlucpiquant.bsky.social & @seanmcarroll.bsky.social for picking up on the sexism & charlatanism right away.

I grew up with all this Gog and Magog Revelation end-times war fetishism, and I can tell you (though you probably knew already), these people are both dangerous and unstable.

Does regime change ever work? History tells us long-term consequences are often disastrous Regime change has long proved tempting to large states. But it rarely goes to plan.

Should it be done? No. But can it be done? Also no. theconversation.com/does-regime-...

Yeah, that surprised me, too. I guess he got blamed for the Beatles breaking up.

YouTube video by PaulMcCartneyVEVO Wings - Mull Of Kintyre

And, of course, Mull of Kintyre, complete with bagpipe marching band on the beach (as in: the mist rolling in from the sea) which he just completely made up to sound like a traditional folk tune www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plht...

YouTube video by PaulMcCartneyVEVO Paul McCartney & Wings - My Love (Official Music Video)

For your earworm satisfaction: www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5g9...

He’s One of the Most Important Artists in Rock History. He Was Also One of the Most Controversial. The great new documentary about the virtuosic Beatle rehabilitates two different figures.

The "Man on the Run" documentary about Paul McCartney & Wings & Linda Eastman McCartney is excellent. Definitely worth all the earworms. And this is a sweet review by @jackhamilton.bsky.social slate.com/culture/2026...

#LunarEclipse FAQ:

Q: Is it safe to look at?
A: Absolutely! Unlike a solar eclipse, there's no UNsafe time to look at a lunar eclipse.

Q: Do I need a telescope?
A: Nope! Best view is with naked eye. Just look up!

Q: Does the eclipse portend terror & doom?
A: Not at all! The news has that covered.

This is a great awards program for science communication. Enter now (before April 3) and/or please encourage others to do so. Categories include researchers (early, mid- & late career), journalists, independent & institutional. From @nationalacademies.org & @schmidtsciences.bsky.social

for those of you who werent adults during iraq, its hard to overstate how much the media loves war porn. they salivate over pentagon spin briefings. they love stories about all the bombs and how supposedly infallible they are. they love the notion of the commander in chief, in the situation room etc

Kafka understood that an even greater indignity than being turned into a giant insect was still being required to go to work afterward.

They have an endless contempt for all logic, evidence, and history.

Careful what you ask for.

The demand is not, "Congress must vote to authorize this war."

The demand is, "Congress must vote to end this immoral and illegal war of aggression."

"Be reasonable about this," he says. "Meet me in the middle."
"OK," you say. You take a step forward.
He takes a step back.
"Be reasonable about this," he says. "Meet me in the middle."

General McClellan over here not pressing his advantage.

Searching for Birds An interactive story about the birds that capture our curiosity, told through data, visuals and illustrations

See some gorgeous visualizations of how and when people search for birds searchingforbirds.visualcinnamon.com

AIs can’t stop recommending nuclear strikes in war game simulations Leading AIs from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google opted to use nuclear weapons in simulated war games in 95 per cent of cases

AIs can’t stop recommending nuclear strikes in war game simulations

Leading AIs from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google opted to use nuclear weapons in simulated war games in 95 per cent of cases

www.newscientist.com/article/2516...

screenshot of a tv user guide, showing two channels under Tue 8PM: MSNOW - State of the union TCM East- Gaslight

Masterful Troll, TCM.

Congratulations on the new book! It looks deeeeeelightful! Naturally!

Americans Are Uniquely Infatuated With Bald Eagles. Too Bad Most of Us Have No Idea What They’re Actually Like. For one thing, there's the sound they make.

This is a delightful profile of bald eagles, which are kleptoparasites (they steal food from others), have talons the size of your thumb that lock onto prey, and sound like they're ... giggling. slate.com/technology/2... by @bittelmethis.bsky.social on @slate.com

Slate SoundBites for Feb. 13, 2026 Build your answer from the sound up with our new game, SoundBites!

I'm enjoying @slate.com's new Soundbites game. English is weird. slate.com/life/2026/02...

A plate with chopsticks across it, with several pieces of toast balanced on top.

If you want to keep your toast from getting soggy on the bottom, balance it on skewers or chopsticks.

Supreme Court Tells Trump NO EMERGENCY TARIFFS! Guess the only thing a certain three love more than giving up their power is keeping their money.

"If there’s one thing Justices John Roberts, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Comey Barrett cherish more than executive power and a highly punitive Jesus, it is their money."
By @marciej.bsky.social on @wonkettemedia.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/wonkette...

My Ex Husband Sabotaged My Career in the Most Ridiculous Way Possible. There’s No Coming Back From This. He knew how much I wanted this.

The third Q in my advice column this week is a reminder that even dream-sounding jobs can turn into nightmares. In this case, someone who runs their own pet-care business wants to give up their career and just get a job. slate.com/advice/2026/...

Right-Wing Men Are Obsessed With IQ — A New Study Shows Theirs Tend To Be Lower Love that for them.

Hahahah ahh hahahahahaha
It's been shown previously that conservatives tend to have lower IQs (as measured by standardized tests) than liberals, but this is a fun framing of the latest study. By the delightful @robynelyse.bsky.social @wonkettemedia.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/wonkette...

Yeah, US Olympians are woke. Deal with it. Sports have always been political — it's just a question of who's speaking out.

For the white-supremacist, anti-immigrant, anti-diversity administration, “the Olympic team is a living rebuke — a jumping, spinning, flying, super-fit and undeniably hot one — to their entire worldview.” www.publicnotice.co/p/us-olympia...