Read Stuff, You Should

Happy Birthday to Ry Cooder, 66.

What about the good stuff?

1. Fine, I admit it: I really struggle to care about Ecuadorian elections. But I'm linking mainly as a reminder of how terrific the Monkey Cage's series of election reports from around the globe are. This one by two Ph.D. candidates. Just a terrific public service.

2. Again, because it's really important: Scott Lemieux on magic and presidents.

3. And the Boston Phoenix, R.I.P. A sad day, and not just because the terrific reporter David S. Bernstein was there. The Phoenix has been one of the leading alternative papers for years, and it's terribly sad to see it go down, and so many of the others disappear or thin out. I'm actually quite optimistic about national political coverage, but state and local stuff...it's hard to see how that works in the new world, and it's hard to see how robust, healthy, democracy works without it.