Weekend link dump for March 29

There’s no scientific proof that mosquito shield bands actually work.

The $500 million art theft you’ve never heard of.

Just another reminder that James O’Keefe is a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad person.

Au pairs deserve better pay.

No FEMA funds for you, climate-change-denying red-state Governor.

How to draw a better sci-fi or fantasy book cover. Key word: agency.

“Darwin’s strangest animals have now been placed in the biological family tree, after more than 180 years of disagreement over their relationships to other species.”

“No, the government isn’t lying about slower health-care costs — they really are going up slower than they used to. But all those savings? They’re not going to you, or me, or other consumers. They’re accruing to the rest of the health-care system.”

“In short, a sentence that outlasts an offender’s desire or ability to break the law is a drain on taxpayers, with little upside in protecting public safety or improving an inmate’s chances for success after release.”

Four words: I Pity The Tool. You’re welcome.

I’ll totally watch the Mo’Ne Davis biopic. Normally it’s crazy to do a biopic of someone who isn’t even at college age yet, but not in this case.

And speaking of Mo’Ne Davis, she’s a real mensch.

“More than 7 million tons of biosolids—treated sewage sludge—pass through US wastewater facilities annually. Contained within our shit are surprisingly large quantities of silver, gold, and platinum.”

Cloning a historic giant redwood tree.

In case you were wondering what South by Southwest is really like.

“All of Wendy’s fast-food competitors have committed to buy only from farms where farmworkers are guaranteed basic human rights, and yet Wendy’s has so far rejected that responsibility.”

Mallory Ortberg has spent more time thinking about the movie Cast Away than you have.

White chocolate M&Ms. That is all.

“Of course, the thing about classic rock is that it mostly didn’t respond to 9/11 at all, since most of it was written in the decades beforehand.”

An open letter to Ted Cruz, from Galileo.

Dean Smith really was a mensch.

The NCAA made a great response to the state of Indiana enacting a right-to-discriminate law. Now they need to follow through and move the 2017 Women’s Final Four and 2021 Men’s Final Four to a less-discriminatory state. Moving their headquarters out of Indianapolis should be on the table, too. The NFL can do its part and move the Combine to another state. Salesforce threw down the gauntlet. It’s time for others to follow. That will be the only way to get through to these people.

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