Another week, another collection of things worth reading this weekend to catch you up on top news stories. I truly enjoy putting this list together and I hope you find it a useful way to help make sense of and add context to current events.

Things worth reading this weekend

People Aren’t ‘Addicted’ to Wearing Masks, They’re Traumatized by Shayla Love in Vice. I’ve read, re-read, and shared this approximately 70 times the past two days.

There’s a glaring omission from this discussion about why people “can’t quit” pandemic behaviors: the mental and emotional toll of the last year. After what many have been through—death, grief, isolation, stress, anxiety, unemployment, trauma—people are going to have some feelings around transitioning back to a less cautious way of life.

Israel-Palestine: Everything you need to know is a very comprehensive analysis and guide to the conflict. What to know about Sheik Jarrah is particularly useful to understand the current violence.

Everything Heather Cox Richadson writes is worth reading, but her analysis on Wednesday after House Republicans voted to remove Liz Cheney from leadership is particularly useful.

Trump’s Big Lie Isn’t About 2020 but All Elections To Come from the Daily Beast. “It is about rejecting demographic change, the mechanisms of a free press, equal justice under law for all of us, and the very idea of pluralism.”

John Oliver, Leslie Jones, and More Have a Message for White People about hair discrimination, AKA racism.

The NRA had a bad week. A federal judge dismissed their bankruptcy filing because it was not ‘in good faith’ and instead was “to gain an unfair litigation advantage” and “to avoid a state regulatory scheme.” Thoughts and prayers.

“Today’s decision is a historic win for the rule of law and a sure sign of defeat for the NRA and its corrupt leadership,” said Kris Brown, president of the anti-gun-violence group Brady, in a statement. “The NRA’s bankruptcy was deemed to be bad faith, much like every promise and statement the organization has made for decades. The NRA cannot escape justice.”

Enjoy this very cool thread about the history of drag from Ancient Greece to RuPaul.

Fact-check your crazy uncle

I can’t believe I have to include this, but the January 6 insurrection attempt was not a ‘normal tourist visit’ to the US Capitol.

No, Biden is not to blame for gas shortage.

Books I’m reading

• I finished listening to We Are All the Same in the Dark and, phew, it was a great Audible book. The book is in three parts narrated by three different actors and a mid-book twist made me literally gasp out loud. I just started The Wrong Family. It’s been about a month since I started listening to books on my walks instead of podcasts and it’s been a lovely change.
• I also finished A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight. I enjoyed the book from the beginning, but it really picked up about halfway through and then I couldn’t put it down. Described as Big Little Lies meets Presumed Innocent, this is a great choice if you enjoy suspenseful thrillers.

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Do you have a recommendation to include in next week’s Weekend Reading? Comment or email me.