TIDINGS: An extremely affordable newsletter


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A brief analysis published this week by NiemanLab shows that major social media platforms are sending less traffic to news sites than ever. In contrast, Seabird is all about linking outward—posts with links are the only kind we offer. Come check out what we've been working on and join our community of users sharing worthwhile writing online.

If you're finding value in reading Tidings, we'd also appreciate you forwarding this newsletter to interested friends or spreading the word on social media. Now on to this week's highlighted links...

​The end of the housing affordability crisis​

Lessons from Auckland, Houston, and Japan on how to make housing more affordable by tearing down barriers to building new supply.

Human Progress | Jeremy Horpedahl

​The romance of the gas station sign​

On the history of gas station signs, America's most direct price signal to consumers.

The Atlantic | Ian Bogost

​Where did all the affordable cars go?​

How protectionism for American automakers and other policies crushed the market for entry-level cars, and a proposal for allowing affordable Chinese models into the American market.

The New York Times | Clifford Winston

​Chinese carmaker patents voice-controlled 'in-vehicle toilet'​

But will those cars come with a built-in toilet seat under the seat? Probably not.

BBC | Osmond Chia

​The best seat in town​

And a writer from LA visits Paris and comes home envious of the city's self-cleaning public toilets.

Torched | Alissa Walker

​To the Moon​

The Artemis II mission is "a living, breathing glimpse of how the whole world could be if we commit ourselves to it. Pilot Victor Glover became the first person of colour to go to the moon, engineer Christina Koch the first woman, and Hansen the first non-American, cheered on from the ground by technical teams that included a more representative swathe of humanity than ever before."

Liberal Currents | Katherine Alejandra Cross



​The shocking secrets of Madison Square Garden's surveillance machine​

Insiders say the New York arena has become a grim biometric panopticon, perhaps a preview of what's coming to other venues.

Wired | Noah Shachtman and Robert Silverman

​It's the end of the internet as we know it​

AI tools are rapidly lowering barriers to coding—as well as making it easier than ever for bad actors to find exploitable vulnerabilities.

The New York Times | Raffi Krikorian

​I've changed my mind on nuclear power​

A pro-nuclear environmentalist concludes that progress in renewable energy is making the case for nuclear energy obsolete.

Irish Examiner | John Gibbons

​They scour the Mexican cartel lands for the missing​

A day with the Guerreros Buscadores, the “Searching Warriors," volunteers doing the perilous work of searching for missing bodies in parts of Mexico torn by cartel violence.

Associated Press | Eduardo Verdugo and María Verza

​Preparing for an invasion​

Perspective from Taiwan, long under threat of invasion from China, following Russia's war against Ukraine and policy uncertainty from America under Trump.

The Dial | Michelle Kuo

​Trump just automated draft entry​

An originalist case for challenging the constitutionality of the military draft and overturning existing precedent.

Slate | Steve Kennedy

​The Supreme Court could legalize moonshine, and ruin everything else​

On the potentially high stakes for federal power of a case striking down a ban on home distilling, which may be headed to the Supreme Court.

Vox | Ian Milhiser

​What's the point of hardbacks?​

An owner of a bookshop in England explores the persistence of hardback books despite consumer preference for paperbacks.

My Bookshop Backstory | Tom Rowley

​A new sled dog race in the Yukon​

Warming winters and creeping costs are making it harder to get into mushing. A new race aims to make the sport more approachable.

The Walrus | Trina Moyles

​Turfin' safari​

With a World Cup spanning Canada to Mexico, ensuring every pitch has the perfect grass is a major undertaking.

The Globe and Mail | Andrea Woo

​How molasses caused one of history's strangest disasters​

A look back at Boston's "Great Molasses Flood" of 1919.

Tasting Table | Matthew Spina

​Mortlandia wishes you a happy Tax Day​

In Portland coverage, three suggestions for local deregulation.

Mortlandia | Brendan Mortimer

​Five of the best Scottish seabird colonies to visit​

Finally, in seabird news... where to enjoy seabird tourism should you find yourself in Scotland.

The Times | Keith Broomfield

The links in our newsletter were all shared first on Seabird, our minimalist platform simply designed for recommending worthwhile links. Learn more about us here and join to discover and share articles like these every day. Your recommendations may appear in a future edition of Tidings.

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No ads, no algorithm, no replies, a limit of only three posts per user each day, all from a community dedicated to sharing articles that are worth your time. That's what you'll find on Seabird. Every link in our newsletter was shared first by our users, and you'll find much more on our app or web platform. On to this week's Tidings... The man in search of the perfect dog A visit to Boonville, California, for 96-point pinot noir and quite possibly the ideal canine companion, a descendant of...

If you're looking to better spend your time online, check out Seabird! No ads, no algorithm, no replies, a limit of only three posts per user each day, all from a community dedicated to sharing articles that are worth your time. Every link in our newsletter was shared first by users on Seabird, and you'll find much more on our app or web platform. On to this week's Tidings... ‘Some things are worth dying for’ Catching up with Karl Bushby after 28 years spent walking across the world,...