Snippet of my Bluesky bio
Hi! This is another edition of Link Roundup here at Forney’s Findings. If you follow me on Bluesky or Instagram (or happen to be in a Discord server with me), you’ll know I love me some links. Pullquotes will cite the author of the article above, not necessarily the quote's speaker. Here are a handful—all read in their entirety by me before adding—that I wanted to share:
Education:
Morris Brown removes president with little explanation (Capital B)
The University of Maryland spent $600,000 investigating its president for plagiarism but won’t release the report that exonerated him (The Baltimore Banner)
May encounter paywall
Texas Education Agency sues over investigations against educators following Charlie Kirk’s death (The Texas Tribune)
Government:
Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources is challenging residents to hike 250 miles of state park trails this year (The Baltimore Banner)
May encounter paywall
Trump administration to stop issuing immigrant visas to 75 countries until further notice (NBC News)
Uganda shuts down its internet two days before an important election (Rest of World)
The White House abducted Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro (USA Today)
an example of just how few entities the rules apply to (the Guardian)
A surprising number of Republicans are breaking rank as Affordable Care Act subsidies are set to expire (Politico)
The House voted to extend them. A Senate victory is unlikely (USA Today)
One of Eleanor Holmes Norton’s former aides has filed to replace her (WUSA9)
A Maryland congresswoman calls for Trump’s impeachment (Montgomery Community Media)
Following a fraud scandal in Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz drops reelection bid (CNBC)
Representative Doug LaMalfa (R) dies, marking one of the few times a non-Democrat has died in office recently (NBC News)
The party breakdown is now 218 Republicans to 213 Democrats, meaning Johnson can lose only two Republicans on any vote. There are two open seats: a Texas seat formerly held by Democrat Rep. Sylvester Turner that is set for a runoff Jan. 31, and former Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s New Jersey seat. The New Jersey seat, which Sherrill resigned from after she was elected governor, is set for a special election on April 16.
Estimates project that DOGE cuts cost American taxpayers $10 billion to pay for administrative leave (the Guardian)
An ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good in Minnesota, sparking nationwide protests
A comprehensive timeline of events (MPR News)
The agent’s neighbors say he lied about his job (People)
The very next day, ICE shot a couple in Portland (KATU)
Tech workers condemn ICE even if their bosses won’t (Wired)
Despite the government’s posturing, recording ICE agents is not “violence” (Pressing Issues)
MAGA challenges the American public to ignore their own eyes (The Verge)
DHS wants to significantly broaden its legal authority to investigate its online critics (Ars Technica)
The White House is shitposting through it (The Verge)
That’s where I think the administration’s focus on speed and virality comes at a political cost. Someone’s going to have to pay for the tone that they’re taking online, and it’s likely going to be the Republicans who are up in 2026, unless, I don’t know, Democrats somehow overplay their hand on immigration issues.
The Smithsonian has submitted files to the federal government after threats to its funding (Washington Post gift link)
Related: The museum removes text about Trump’s impeachment because it hurt his little feelings (Washington Post)
May encounter paywall
Senator Mark Kelly sues DOD over alleged retaliation when he told military personnel that they can ignore illegal orders (CNBC)
Newly-elected mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani will hold rental ripoff hearings around the city (CBS News)
What role does wrath play in the American legal system? (The Atlantic)
May encounter paywall
People and Relationships:
Is Gen Z actually more progressive than Millennials? (Slate)
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These influencers are rawdogging boredom and other phrases I wish I didn’t see (New York Times)
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Now, boredom is the unlikely hero of an overwhelmed society. The trend that has taken off online is sometimes referred to as “rawdogging boredom,” borrowing a once-vulgar term that has come to mean stripping down an activity — like air travel — to its essentials, unmediated by devices.
From “fibermaxxing” to “let them”, these are some of the biggest wellness trends of 2025 (the Guardian)
Are the loudest voices speaking on the masculinity crisis built for this moment? (New Lines Magazine)
A bigger problem for Galloway is that, like male influencers of all stripes, his recommendations are largely aimed at self-improvement — which is, by its very nature, an individual enterprise. But as Reeves and others have pointed out, many of the challenges boys and men currently face — especially with respect to education and employment — would require real government policies and other structural changes to address.
The case for friction-maxxing and finding the humanity in being inconvenienced a little bit (The Cut)
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Misused therapy speak may be destroying Gen Z’s ability to form community (USA Today)
How a community in Maryland is pushing for its Black cemetery to be as maintained as the majority-white one nearby (The Baltimore Banner)
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Is heterosexuality cringe now? (Vox gift link)
As fascinating as it is excruciating to read, a group of Silicon Valley types are trying to optimize love and human connection (New York Times gift link)
The right was given Twitter, now they’re turning on each other (Vox gift link)
News Media:
Chemical & Engineering News (my workplace) is forming a union
The “one right path” into journalism is a myth (Media Bistro)
Marckell Williams, a young photojournalist was struck and killed by a reckless driver in DC. Many organizations remembered him fondly (WUSA9)
Independent journalism matters now more than ever (the Guardian)
Related: A new, nonprofit newsroom in Austin has launched! (Austin Current)
Netflix is betting big on video podcasts as they poach some big names to premiere in January (The Wrap)
Nieman Reports and Nieman Labs have put out their predictions for journalism in 2026. Here are some of my favorites:
News organizations cannot overlook the role youth journalists will have
A journalism job posting beyond parody
Young journalists will change this industry, whether it’s ready or not
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting shuts itself down after federal funding dries up (CNN)
A former Times editor says the publication’s anti-trans slant came from the top (Trans News Network)
The Times responded to the Trans News Network while citing transphobic talking points (Trans News Network)
Science, Environment, Critters and Healthcare:
Japanese medical startups are working on prescription apps that use chatbots to treat everything from insomnia to hypertension (The Japan Times)
Take a look inside this effort to bring jobs to southeast Washington and help them achieve energy independence (Bay Journal)
New from me!
Research shows a lil treat or reward is crucial for self-improvement (the Guardian)
At every stage of the study, the level of intrinsic drive was the best predictor of them staying the course, whereas their extrinsic motivations had no effect. It just didn’t seem to matter how worthy a goal was in the abstract if the activities themselves were not immediately rewarding. Unfortunately, few of the participants seemed to be aware of this – as was revealed when their underlying beliefs about motivation were tested. In one of the questionnaires, the researchers described different kinds of intrinsic or extrinsic drives and asked which would be most important in determining success. Time and time again, the participants (wrongly) assumed that designing their new regime around its extrinsic value, instead of the pleasure it gave, would lead to greater perseverance – a strategy that was bound to fail.
Artificial intelligence is using even more water and electricity than expected (The Verge)
After a white town rejected a huge data center facility, developers shifted to a majority-Black area (Capital B)
Given that the developers — Thomas & Hutton and Eagle Rock Partners, working on behalf of timber giant Weyerhaeuser — were willing to move this project to a poorer, Blacker area after opposition in Georgia, residents say this fight is about more than land. It is a test of who is asked to bear the risks of the data and AI boom, and what South Carolina is willing to sacrifice to power it. “If a mostly white community can push back on this project and get it stopped, it’s unacceptable that the next move is to fly under the radar in a rural Black community with even less transparency,” Black added.
The world’s oceans are absorbing more heat than ever (Wired)
Here’s the paper that is oddly not in the article about the paper. It’s available through open access
How climate change is altering winter weather (Washington Informer)
Through new tracking devices, researchers can track Monarch butterfly migrations better than ever (PBS News)
Austin developers need to consider bat-proofing their properties (Austin Current)
Cases of screwworms are growing in Mexico (Reuters)
Art, Culture, Food and Entertainment:
Erin Andrews’ fur coat gave Cruella vibes and might’ve overshadowed the game she reported on (People)
Nicki Minaj’s MAGA pivot is as embarrassing as it is unprofitable (the Guardian)
Ryan Coogler reveals how Black Panther 2 was written before Chadwick Boseman’s passing (IGN)
“Our relationship was really interesting because he meant a lot to me,” Coogler said. “But I found out after his passing, from his family and from his friends, how much I meant to him, which f***ed me up pretty good. I wondered if he knew just how much he meant to me.
Golden Globes:
Here are all the winners (the Guardian)
Sinners deserved so much better
All the looks from the Golden Globes (USA Today)
Spoiler: most men did not bring it, once again
How Amy Poehler managed to stand out in a sea of “celebrity talks to celebrity” podcasts (Washington Post gift link)
Here are all the shows originally longlisted for a Golden Globe in its new podcast category
Heated Rivalry creators have reached out to Carly Rae Jepsen for some season 2 music (Vulture)
May encounter paywall
What the fever pitch around Heated Rivalry tells us about women’s desire for on-screen relationships (the Guardian)
Compass Coffee files for chapter 11 bankruptcy (WTOP)
Snatched: the best wigs of 2025 (Vulture)
May encounter paywall
Take a look inside the hospital that HBO’s The Pitt is based on (PBS News)
How DC residents can write more in 2026 (Washington City Paper)
Twelve new anime to check out in 2026 (Vulture)
May encounter paywall
A part of their 2026 preview package
Very good movie, Eternity, receives an Apple TV release date (9to5 Mac)
Washington National Opera ends its arrangement with the Kennedy Center following Trump takeover (NBC4 Washington)
Cher sincerely hopes Kristen Bell is happy with husband, Dax Shepard. “He must have something I don’t see” (The Cut)
Alamo Drafthouse will get rid of its pen-and-paper ordering system, opting for mobile ordering instead (WUSA9)
Warner Bros. Discover reject Paramount’s offer to buy Netflix (The Hollywood Reporter)
Video Games:
Review: Escape from Ever After, a Paper Mario-inspired RPG (Monster Vine)
GameStop to close hundreds of stores and lay off workers so its CEO can get a multibillion dollar stock bonus (The Verge)
Street Fighter 6 teases returning brawler, Alex (Capcom)
Ubisoft kicks off the year closing a studio, laying off staff (Nintendo Life)
Sports (not just basketball!):
Twenty men were charged with fixing college basketball games (ESPN)
Will sports media keep ignoring the gambling elephant in the room? (Nieman Lab)
Heated Rivalry is inspiring closeted pro athletes to reach out to the actors (Them)
The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement stalls without resolution, league to enter status quo period (ESPN)
Free agency is on hold until a new agreement is reached (New York Post)
Mavericks’ star Anthony Davis to miss several weeks with hand injury. The team is exploring trade options (ESPN)
The Atlanta Hawks have traded Trae Young to the Washington Wizards (Yahoo Sports)
Texas Tech added 7-foot-1 center, when she’s eligible, she will be the tallest player in women’s college basketball history (Washington Post gift link)
WNBA star and Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier will miss entire Unrivaled season following surgery on both ankles (CBS Sports)
The Washington Wizards will hold a John Wall night on Jan. 29 (Washington Informer)
Project B, a new basketball league partially funded by Saudi Arabian groups, announces a 2027 stop in Tokyo (ESPN)
Economy:
Trump seemed to have forgotten about his tariff dividend checks. It also doesn’t seem they’ve made enough to send them out to Americans (USA Today)
A housing property focused on LGBTQ residents has little to show for it after accepting government funds (NBC4 Washington)
Huge news for those who want tech companies to have even more of you your information: Microsoft wants to put buy buttons directly into Copilot chats (The Verge)
[Video] What will it actually take to solve the US housing crisis? (USA Today)
Maryland property taxes are up 12%. How will that affect taxes? (The Baltimore Banner)
Trump says—without clarifying how—that he will ban large investors from buying homes (CNBC)
The condo market is struggling, with many pointing to HOA fees (Wall Street Journal)
May encounter paywall
More than one in 10 condos had a lower estimated value in November than their most recent sale price, according to a Zillow Group analysis. In nine metro areas, it was even worse: More than 25% of the condos were estimated to be worth less than their most recent sale price.
Avelo Airlines will stop chartering ICE flights, saying it wasn’t worth the costs (The Baltimore Banner)
Equinox showcases three-boobed, AI-generated images to encourage customers to believe in only themselves (The Hollywood Reporter)
Trump backpedals $2,000 tariff dividend checks when pressed (USA Today)
In October, Maryland lost 10,000 federal jobs, the most in the country (The Baltimore Banner)
May encounter paywall
Technology:
The ridiculous saga of X’s Grok chatbot producing nonconsenual sexualized images of women and children:
How it all began (The Verge)
How this exacerbated misinformation around the world (404 Media)
Chatbots, operated by tech executives, increasingly have the power to shift international conversations (The Atlantic)
Independent analysis shows a huge rise in sexualized image manipulation following this feature’s release (Copyleaks)
Malaysia and Indonesia become the first countries to block Grok in their countries (PBS News)
Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai have left their spines at home (The Verge)
Women trying to speak out against the virtual stripping were harassed by online misogynists (Glamour UK)
Child sexually abusive imagery is illegal in many countries. Why is X still on app stores? (Wired)
Australian leaders will condemn X but keep posting there (the Guardian)
X said the feature was limited to premium users but it’s not (The Verge)
Popular notetaking app, Natability comes to Android (9to5 Google)
This Maryland town is bringing AI-powered stop sign cameras onto its streets (The Baltimore Banner)
May encounter paywall
Google announces AI overviews in email for free users (Ars Technica)
Chatbots, operated by tech executives, increasingly have the power to shift international conversations (The Atlantic)
May encounter paywall
[Podcast] Renowned author (and fellow Scorpio queen) Margaret Atwood looks forward to doomscrolling (Wired)
Safety experts worry there might not be time to prepare for AI’s risks until it’s too late (the Guardian)
Satya Nadella is gone off the AI copium, begs users to think beyond “slop” (Aftermath)
People are using AI to spread racist narratives and it’s swaying public opinion (Axios)
Can AI actually do your job? Results don’t look promising (Washington Post gift link)
The best-performing AI system successfully completed only 2.5 percent of the projects, according to the research team from Scale AI, a start-up that provides data to AI developers, and the Center for AI Safety, a nonprofit that works to understand risks from AI.
Books:
40 books to look out for in 2026 (BBC)
Review of Grand Rapids by Natasha Stagg. A story about small towns, opportunity and grief (New York Times)
May encounter paywall
Here are the books that Montgomery County families opted out of after the Supreme Court sided with them last summer (The Baltimore Banner)
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Want to learn more about DC history? Check out these books (The 51st)
Think of reading as a vice, rather than a moral obligation, argues this writer (The Atlantic)
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Cute cartoon about realistic reading-related resolutions (the Guardian)
Most anticipated titles for 2026 (USA Today)
Take a look at upcoming TV and film adaptations from books (The Hollywood Reporter)
Trump cuts have led to a NASA library shuttering (The Baltimore Banner)
May encounter paywall
Some surprising titles drove holiday sales at indie bookstores (Publishers Weekly)
