Welcome to the first edition of Tidings, our new weekly newsletter rounding up interesting and intriguing links shared by the Seabird community. For more daily links and to share your own recommendations, join us on the Seabird link-sharing app, available for both Apple and Android. Create an account with code "WaitIsOver".
An apt read for autumn: Leaves turn yellow as chlorophyll breaks down, but why do some leaves turn a striking shade of red? The question vexes tree scientists, who offer competing hypotheses to explain it.
NPR | Nell Greenfieldboyce
"The caller asked me to check my WhatsApp messages. And there it was — a signed and stamped, apparently authentic cheque from the State Bank of India flashing my six-figure key to a new future." A new book looks behind the scenes of India's scam economy.
The Dial | Snigdha Poonam
It's the early days of the social internet and online communities are rallying in support of a young woman with leukemia. But not everything is as it seems.
Switchboard | Mimi Lamarre
Among the rockhounds of New Zealand, the hunt for beautiful pieces of agate entices collectors like nothing else.
New Zealand Geographic | Bill Morris
Our community contributes new links every day on the Seabird app. Join us with code "WaitIsOver" on Apple and Android.
The New York Times speaks with 40 men sent to El Salvador's infamous CECOT prison by the Trump Administration without due process or trial, where they recount suffering violence, neglect, and sexual abuse. A difficult read that is worth your time.
The New York Times | Julie Turkewitz, Tibisay Romero, Sheyla Urdaneta, and Isayen Herrera
And from Texas, the story of Seyre Mussa Traore, who arrived seeking asylum from Mauritania, built a new life in Austin, and now sits in detainment awaiting a ruling on his future.
Texas Monthly | Michael Hall
On the legacy of the Punisher, a minor Spider-Man adversary turned complicated anti-hero, and what it means when his iconography is adopted by enforcers of the law.
Reason | Joe Lancaster
The election of Zohran Mamdani brings forth misogynist sentiments from the far right, including calls for turning back the clock on women's suffrage.
Liberal Currents | Alan Elrod
A professor takes a long view of the human capacity for outsourcing our cognition to writing and machines, looking at what we gain and what we lose, and speculating on what that may herald for AI.
The Atlantic I Kwame Anthony Appiah
Construction of data centers is booming, bringing investment to unexpected places, including Umatilla, Oregon.
The Wall Street Journal | David Uberti
And what can go wrong when Buc-ee's comes to town? "[...] it has led to cursing at packed town meetings, mudslinging on social media and texts, accusations of vandalism, litigation, the downfall of a mayor, the ouster of two town trustees, and the resignation of a third."
The Washington Post | Karin Brulliard
A scathing obituary of James Watson, pre-written by a journalist before her own death nearly five years ago.
STAT | Sharon Begley
On the joy of taking up new activities, even when you're not particularly skilled at them, with insights from the author of In Defense of Dabbling.
The Guardian | Elle Hunt
On parties as public service and how to ensure you throw a good one.
Atoms vs Bits | Uri Bram
Or, more accurately, the not true stories behind the photographs, as imagined by novelist Tom Cox.
Tom Cox
In Oregon news: a new pinball museum offers 650 cabinets set to free play, wall-to-wall pop culture ephemera, and a respite for anxious parents.
Portland Monthly | Jordan Michelman
Finally, in seabird news: We don't yet know what role our app plays in the circular seabird economy, but we're pretty sure it's important.
Oceanographic | Rob Hutchins
That's it for this week! The links in our newsletter were all shared first on Seabird, our minimalist app designed simply for recommending links online. Learn more about us here and join us on the app to discover and share articles like these every day. Your recommendations may appear in a future edition of Tidings.
