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. Here are a handful—all read in their entirety by me before adding—that I wanted to share:
Education:
Towson University disbands its women and gender studies department due to low enrollment (The Baltimore Banner)
An instructor gave a student who described multiple genders as “demonic” a zero and was placed on leave (New York Times gift link)
Texas Board of Education will develop a required reading list for K-12 students (Houston Chronicle gift link)
Trump’s DEI ban may inadvertently make it harder for white men to get into college (Washington Post/Hechinger Report gift link)
The results of ending this practice could be dramatic, experts predict. In 2023, the most recent year for which the figure is available, 817,035 more women than men applied to universities and colleges, federal data shows. Boys also have lower mean scores on the SAT, score lower overall on the ACT and have lower grade point averages in high school.
“If we were going to eliminate preferences for men, the undergraduate population would skew to 65 percent female overnight,” Mitchell said.
An update on where student loan repayment stands amidst the chaos at Department of Education (Capital B)
“The Department of Education is a fairly awful place to work right now,” one employee told the Guardian. “But what is being done to the systems that support kids, students, families, adult learners, and our country’s future is worse than anything they can do to us.”
Government:
Federal efforts to erase or minimize Black history are piling up (Axios).
The cuts and deletions are, paradoxically, drawing more attention to Black history, says National Urban League president Marc H. Morial. "The attempt to erase history has made all of us more cognizant of the need to tell it," he said
Sante Fe will tie minimum wage to cost of living and housing prices (Associated Press)
DOJ and algorithmic rental price company RealPage reach a settlement that doesn’t include financial penalties or admission of wrongdoing (ProPublica)
Following Troy Nehls’ retirement, that makes six Texas Republicans leaving Congress in 2026 (Houston Chronicle gift link)
The Pentagon will investigate Senator Mark Kelly after his controversial claim that troops shouldn’t follow illegal orders (Washington Post gift link)
White House reexamines green card holders from 19 countries after National Guard shooting (NBC)
One victim died from her injuries (NBC4 Washington)
For all her vitriol, Marjorie Taylor-Greene couldn’t handle a fraction of what she dished out for others (The Cut)
Texas’ controversial “bathroom bill” went into effect Dec. 4. Here’s how it affects Texans (Chron)
Those penalties don't apply to transgender Texans, though Klosterboer said there is "misinformation" about the bill that has caused confusion. This, combined with language he says is broad and vague, has Klosterboer worried about bathroom vigilantism.
"There are no criminal penalties. No one can be arrested under this law. No one can be fined as an individual," Klosterboer said. "We're still very worried that it's gonna lead to a lot of harassment against trans people in particular, but also against any person who maybe looks too masculine or too feminine, or someone just wants to report them to the police or to a local entity."
More arrests are made in the Louvre’s heist (USA Today)
DC mayor Muriel Bowser will not seek a fourth term, opening the door for DC’s first new mayor in decades (NBC4 Washington)
Ward 4 councilmember and democratic socialist Janeese Lewis George announces bid for DC mayor (The 51st)
Technology:
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia is a wasteland for racist misinformation (The Guardian)
In an email, Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project on Hate and Extremism, said: “Grokipedia is another example of Elon Musk proliferating hateful disinformation and far-right propaganda. The site whitewashes white supremacists, anti-Semites and other extremists, providing ‘information’ that clearly distorts the truth.”
Bending Spoons, the company that previously bought Vimeo, Evernote and others, purchases Eventbrite for $500 million (TechCrunch)
The case for never tweeting again (Spitfire News)
AI-generated video offer another avenue for digital blackface and misinformation (Wired)
A lot of ChatGPT suggested apps looked like ads and paying users were not happy (TechCrunch)
Grok AI is doxxing people’s home addresses (Futurism)
Data center resistance has arrived (Wired)
Republicans block Trump’s attempts to stymy state laws limiting AI (The Hill)
YouTube launches its first-ever annual recap for videos watched (TechCrunch)
X quietly disables feature showing where accounts were created after it inadvertently showed many conservative accounts are foreign-operated (Hindustan Times)
More info from The Guardian
A small team cloned Gmail to take you inside Jeffrey Epstein’s inbox (SF Standard)
Mother Jones covered this as well
Here are some of the high-profile names in the Epstein emails (USA Today)
Tech YouTuber, MKBHD’s wallpaper app to shutter this year (TechCrunch)
Large language models may be operating on a false assumption about how humans demonstrate knowledge (The Verge)
Sex workers built their own alternative to OnlyFans that puts them in control of their livelihoods (Wired)
Spotify plans to raise prices in Q1 2026 (TechCrunch)
Science, Critters, Healthcare and the Environment:
The auto industry knew recycled lead was poisoning people, they didn’t stop (New York Times gift link/The Examiner)
Researchers say cases of childhood peanut allergies are down nearly 43% after parental guidance changed (Vox gift link)
One brave reporter got sloshed… for science (The 51st)
The people outsourcing their thinking to AI know it’s a problem, but that isn’t stopping them (The Atlantic gift link)
Zillow drops climate risk scores on listings after sellers complained of lost sales (TechCrunch)
The 51st is launching a health equity beat for DC residents (The 51st)
Colorado’s plan to reintroduce gray wolves is off to a rocky start (Vox)
People and Relationships:
Rage bait named Oxford University Press word of the year (BBC)
Three-quarter zips are having a moment among Black and Brown men (Axios)
Three Houston scammers used fake card readers to make $210K through thousands of fake transactions from Houston parking lots (Chron)
NYC nonprofits prepare for the worse as additional federal funding cuts are announced (Gothamist)
DC will host an event to break the world record for most couples kissing under mistletoe Dec. 13 at 5 p.m. (NBC4 Washington)
This woman made millions on OnlyFans, now she’s doing a religious heel turn against sex work (USA Today)
News Media:
Freelance journalists in LA are particularly vulnerable to police brutality as they cover ICE activity and protests (LA Public Press)
Part of a multi-newsroom package on LA and ICE
“The scary thing about taking time off when you’re a freelancer is that means you’re not making any money,” Beckner-Carmitchel said. His most recent visit to the doctor marked his 10th hospitalization while reporting on civil unrest in the past five years.
“It’s a constant battle to make sure that you’re working enough to make money, but not working so much that you completely and utterly burn yourself out,” he said. Adding to his financial stress, Beckner-Carmitchel said he was delayed payment on several freelance stories and worried about his ability to cover bills over the summer.
Fortune CEO to leave in 2026 (Talking Biz News)
[URGENT] The 51st is holding a contest for the most newsletter referral sign-ups. Use this link so I can win
Crisis PR professionals offer Olivia Nuzzi advice for handling her scandal (Washingtonian)
Vanity Fair execs are tempted to let her new contract lapse (Semafor)
Trump released a “media offenders” website with a leaderboard and “Hall of Shame” to spotlight outlets whose coverage he doesn’t like (Deadline)
Business Insider union members hold rally to protest the company’s usage of AI (Talking Biz News)
At our rally, we will tell management what we think of slop journalism and stand firmly with one another behind the idea that our readers deserve better. They deserve work by us, human journalists.
College students would rather get their news from influencers than traditional media (The Verge)
Outside of Instagram and the rare subreddit, Salle-Widelock says he doesn’t seek out headlines, although he has an appreciation for traditional media. “I wish that I was a kind of worldly person that was sitting there with a newspaper every Sunday morning or something.” But why would he be? It’s easier to have the headlines picked and laid out for him, he says, accessible by the quick swipe of a thumb.
Culture, Art and Food:
Them’s Wicked: For Good review (Them)
Perhaps the frumpy sex cardigan is the best possible metaphor for the film as a whole; the film should be flying but it is instead bogged down by the weight of all its trappings. What you are watching are loose ends being tied, or sometimes snagged and frayed.
The “frumpy sex cardigan” in Wicked: For Good is in a league of its own (Vulture)
May encounter paywall
The costume designer speaks out (Them)
Marissa Bode on Wicked: For Good, queer and disabled representation in media (Them)
BET announces new president and BET Studios to be renamed under CBS umbrella (Deadline)
Happy Spotify Wrapped season to those who celebrate (USA Today)
New York Magazine published its Culturati 50, a collection of 50 people shaping entertainment in 20205 (New York Magazine)
May encounter paywall
Paramount announces live-action Sonic and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies for 2028 (Deadline)
Netflix emerges as top bid to acquire Warner Bros/Discovery (Deadline)
Free DC and local jazz magazine produce a zine on radical musicians (Washingtonian)
AI song production has taken over country music (The Verge)
Euphoria season 3 will premiere April 2026 (Deadline)
Lucy Liu on her upcoming film, Rosemead, art, legacy and craft (Modern Luxury)
Some sensational photos and wardrobe picks in this piece
Franklin the Turtle and Sabrina Carpenter are the latest to deny Trump access to their work for propaganda (New York Times gift link)
How Korean beauty products are shaping consumer spending (CNBC)
Apple TV’s The Hunt pulled before premiere over plagiarism concerns (The Hollywood Reporter)
Old Bay to bring back metal seasoning containers after years of plastic (The Baltimore Banner)
Washington Wizards Corey Kispert to launch his own coffee brand (Washingtonian)
In what should be a Chicken Run spin-off, a truck full of frozen turkeys was robbed (USA Today)
Neat interactive Kolache map (Houston Chronicle)
Bagel fight? Call Your Mother sues Bubbi Bagels over copyright infringement (The Baltimore Banner)
Books:
This writer accurately predicted the evils of Silicon Valley and it cost her a career (New York Times gift link)
Notable/Best Books of the Year:
NYT gift link (100 Notable)
And a guide on where to start (not a gift link)
Washington Post gift link (Top 10)
NPR (380+ Books We Love)
Washington City Paper’s bookish gift guide for local authors
The Guardian is churning them out this week
Influencers are getting book deals. Should they? (USA Today)
Olivia Nuzzi’s tell-all drops is a flop (Slate)
The Atlantic’s was also very funny
Likely to encounter paywall
I cannot get enough of these bashing reviews. If you see any, please send them to me
Jane Austen’s 250th birthday was cause for international celebration (New York Times gift link)
Five novellas to round out the year (Reactor)
OpenAI loses critical discovery case over its alleged piracy of books to train its models that could cost them billions (The Hollywood Reporter)
Sports:
Booker T honors Houston’s wrestling roots with new title belt (Chron)
The Seattle Storm’s new head coach pivoted from a law career to a different kind of bench (CNBC)
76ers fined $100K (again) for misleading the league about Joel Embiid’s injury status (CBS Sports)
Stud Budz, Natisha Hiedeman and Courtney Williams share their favorite internet memories (Them)
Yahoo is using AI to recap football games in real time (The Verge)
Daniss Jenkins went from junior college to the Pistons feel-good story (SB Nation)
CJ McCollum is a bright spot in an otherwise dark season for the Wizards (Yahoo Sports)
The WNBA collective bargaining saga is about to ramp up as changes to the season’s start date, salaries and expansion drafts are considered (USA Today)
WNBA Top 5 draft picks and post lottery-analysis:
Dallas Wings (The Next Hoops)
A very real chance they take Paige Bueckers’ girlfriend, Azzi Fudd, with the top pick
Minnesota Lynx (The Next Hoops)
Seattle Storm (The Next Hoops)
Washington Mystics (SB Nation)
Chicago Sky (The Next Hoops)
The WNBA keeps preferring coaches with NBA experience (SB Nation)
Video Games:
Ask your doctor if a teeny desktop aquarium is right for you (Aftermath)
May encounter paywall
Fortnite fans are protesting after spotting potentially AI-generated artwork (Eurogamer)
Big Sword Lady comes to Overwatch 2 (Polygon)
Remakes for 2026 include: Dragon Quest VII, Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia and more (Gameinformer)
This game is letting transit nerds design their own subway systems (Greater Greater Washington)
Sites are starting to post their holiday gift guides filled with game recommendations, accessories:
Monstervine games to play
Wirecutter’s gift guide for the gamer in your life
Kirby Air Riders isn’t shy about it’s Smash Bros’ inspirations, but that’s not a bad thing (Eurogamer)
Economics:
“Procott” these DC small business for the holidays (The 51st)
'To sustain the ride, they started to dilute it': How Black Friday became a letdown (CNBC)
Amazon begins testing 30-minute deliveries in Seattle and Philadelphia (TechCrunch)
Rich people are spending. Everyone else is cutting corners (USA Today)
The metric for being in the top 10% of wealthy Americans has grown to a net worth of $1.8 million or an annual salary of $210K (CNBC)
Boomers’ hoarding wealth is pushing future generations further and further behind (Washington Post gift link)
The nation’s median home price was $410,800 in the second quarter, compared with the $327,100 recorded just before the pandemic started in 2020, Federal Reserve data shows. Medians are significantly higher in the Northeast ($796,700) and the West ($531,100).
By comparison, the median home price in the first quarter of 1976 — when the oldest boomers were 30 — was $42,800, Fed data shows. That would be $242,400, adjusted for inflation.
How cities and urban planners left young families out of their plans (Vox)
In the end, housing alone won’t keep families from leaving cities. Cities still need to address public safety concerns, improve schools, and fix basic infrastructure like broken sidewalks and unreliable buses. That will require substantial investments in education, transit, and child care, not just removing regulatory barriers. It will mean challenging homeowners who benefit from the status quo and making spending choices that might not pay off for years.
Starbucks will pay $35 million in worker protection settlement in NYC (Gothamist)
HP Inc shares fall on layoffs, weak guidance due to U.S. trade regulations (CNBC)
Housing analyst says the upcoming home price correction will be worse than 2008 (Newsweek)
More than half of US homes have lost value in the last year, mostly in cities (Fortune)
Australian nonbinary drivers may save on their car insurance (Them)
AI might kill white collar promotions as we know it (CNBC)
