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  • As sadly expected, Republicans have used the filibuster to block the creation of an independent commission to investigate the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
  • NATURE IS HEALING: Costco is bringing back in-store sampling.
  • Here's a great story about the "lost" house designed by architect Gregory Ain for an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 1950.
  • Vox reports on how some employers seem to have not learned anything from the pandemic and are trying to go back to business as usual.
  • The New Yorker looks into how the "sudden rise" of the COVID lab leak theory despite a lack of evidence: "When it comes to emerging phenomena, the natural manner of science is probabilities, uncertainties, doubt. We just don’t yet know how the virus moved from animals to people; it is possible that we won’t know for a very long time."
  • Who got the most screen time on SNL this season? The answer may surprise you.
  • The Knicks are planning to only sell tickets to vaccinated fans if they make it to the second round...but we still have to get past the first round...
  • A woman visiting NYC from Maine has gone missing after last being seen getting into an SUV in Times Square.
  • What's up with the people who go "LikeLikeLikeLikeLike" on a bunch of your Instagram posts all at once?
  • It's New Music Friday, but I don't have a ton of new albums this week to recommend, so here's a mix of very good albums released over the last couple weeks you should listen to immediately: the adventurous, math rock-adjacent Black Midi have returned with their sophomore album Cavalcade; Gruff Rhys' new solo album Seeking New Gods is another winner from the Super Furry Animals frontman; the best guitar work I've heard all year is on Mdou Moctar's Afrique Victime; I don't know how he does it, but Paul Weller keeps releasing killer albums year after year, and Fat Pop (Vol. 1) is one of his best in the last decade; and lastly, don't miss out on this David Bowie tribute album featuring the likes of Jeff Parker, Helado Negro, Khruangbin and more.
  • And finally, a truly graceful pup: