Morning Belz, July 28

David Hackett Fischer.

Albion’s Seed author’s new book coming February — Amazon*
Detailed dispatch from flood-ravaged Henan — LA Times
Have we entered a new phase of climate change? — FT
Black, Latino students hurt most by school closures — NYT
Many American SUVs now bigger than WWII tanks — Daily Mail
Nice interactive look at St. Paul’s Rondo n’hood — CityLab

*as anyone who’s ever shared a meal (or a car) with me knows, Albion’s Seed is a book I can’t stop talking about. The four distinct British migrations and the persistence of the cultures they created, is for me a very useful way to understand America. That book is a deep dive into those four “folkways” and is full of fascinating surprises — the vast cultural differences between Virginia and Massachusetts, for instance. However, a fundamental contribution to American culture goes unexamined in the book, and that is of course the influence of African-Americans. It appears that Fischer’s new book, “African Founders,” is all about that, and will be released in February. Really looking forward to it.

—— 
I put extended clips of interviews with Minneapolis city council candidates Kristel Porter and Victor Martinez on Patreon for subscribers. Most of that footage won’t make it into the video I’m making from the trip to Minneapolis, but they both had a lot of interesting stuff to say, and they’re both in favor of the city hiring more police officers.

Quote
“People often manifest a diseased desire to express their will. A theory is adopted, not because the facts force it upon them, but because its adoption shows their power.” — Mark Rutherford, 1910

About: I send this email most weekdays in an effort to stay informed and in touch. I was a newspaper reporter for 14 years, most recently at the Minneapolis Star Tribune. I explained why my family left Minneapolis here. Now we live just outside Chattanooga and I work on Scuffed News. Please share this newsletter with anyone you think might enjoy it. And please consider supporting this work with your money on Patreon.