Monday's Open Thread

The algorithmic world has, some might argue, dampened the element of surprise. But these 10 albums that came out in the thick of the streaming age are all full of pleasant shocks—sometimes ones that seem to be even felt by the artists themselves. Here are the 10 best albums of the year, so far. Tierra Whack, WORLD WIDE WHACK [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Since releasing her written-in-sketches 2018 debut mixtape Whack World, the Philadelphia MC and singer Tierra Whack has become beloved for her wild creativity, which she distills into brief, yet far-flung trips into different dimensions.

Schurz, Nevada — Members of the Walker River Paiute Tribe have watched the boundaries of their land recede over time along with the waters of the lake that are central to their identity, threatening the cultural symbol that gave the tribe its name — Agai Dicutta, or Trout Eaters. Not wanting to cede their voice, tribal leaders have been making a push for expanded voting rights.

Washington — Most Black Americans say they’ve experienced racial discrimination regularly or from time to time, which colors how they view U. S. institutions like policing, the political system and the media, according to a study on conspiracy theories. The study released Monday by the Pew Research Center examined the intersection of race and conspiratorial beliefs.

Caitlin Clark’s arrival in the WNBA has set off a firestorm of chatter, discourse, and debate the likes of which we’ve never really seen in sports. The only 21st century precedent I can think of is Tebowmania, about a dozen years ago, when former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow enjoyed some success in the NFL, with the Denver Broncos.

While it was on the air, Game of Thrones was the most popular television series in the world. The show had an average viewership of over 32 million in its first seven seasons and in its eighth and final season, which concluded in 2019, it averaged 46 million across US platforms.

As much as we’d like to think that COVID-19 is behind us, the virus isn’t going anywhere. Health officials continue to recommend that people get vaccinated for both COVID-19 and influenza every year for the foreseeable future, and high hospitalization rates for COVID-19 in the past winter were a reminder that SARS-CoV-2 can still cause serious disease. Soon, that may be possible with one shot instead of two.