Why Evolution is True is a blog written by Jerry Coyne, centered on evolution and biology but also dealing with diverse topics like politics, culture, and cats.
The number and variety contained in each box has varied over the years. In total, 53 different animals have been represented by animal crackers since 1902. In its current incarnation, each package contains 22 cookies consisting of a variety of animals. The most recent addition, the koala, was added in September 2002 after being chosen by consumer votes, beating out the penguin, walrus and cobra.
Here are some of them:
Baseball BugsUploaded by Baseball Bugs at en.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
I am flying to Georgia for a week, and posting will be light until my return. Bear with me; I do my best.
Readers are welcome to mark notable events, births, or deaths on this day by consulting the April 18 Wikipedia page.
It’s Friday, April 17, and as of midnight, for the first time since Feburary 28 there is no fighting in the Middle East. While this 10-day ceasefire agreement ostensibly returns the northern front to a pre-Roaring Lion status quo—where Israel can routinely strike Hezbollah targets—it is decidedly not Jerusalem’s preferred outcome.
Nor is it the preference of the Israeli public: 61 percent oppose the current ceasefire deal according to a poll by the Institute for National Security Studies. But if U.S. public opinion wasn’t going to stop Trump, I doubt Israel’s will.
The ceasefire isn’t a sign of realignment, just different priorities and different timelines. The U.S. is looking to extract Iran’s nuclear materials, and Israel’s war in Lebanon was hindering that removal. But the ceasefire was only the first step in Trump’s plan.
The second is the White House meeting between Trump, Lebanese President Joseph Auon, and Netanyahu, expected next week. It is designed to project a united front and avoid unnecessary public escalation—a diplomatic optic Israel accepts as preferable, even as it resents the diversion from its own military objectives.
The third step is an American push to promote a broad political arrangement in Lebanon, an ambition Israel is deeply skeptical of, given Hezbollah’s continued dominance in the country. Furthermore, Hezbollah’s noted preference for maintaining a limited level of friction could preclude a return to full-scale conflict—provided it successfully keeps its provocations below Trump’s threshold of tolerance.
The fourth step involves stabilizing the arena through coordinated, extended ceasefires. Israel is especially unenthusiastic about this outcome. Jerusalem is functioning on a significantly more compressed timeline than Washington. Now that the Strait of Hormuz is at least partially reopened, the immediate pressure on the U.S. has abated somewhat. Meanwhile, the shadow of Hezbollah is still cast over Israel’s north. While Israeli society has miraculously rebounded to normalcy after the war, living for an extended period under the looming threat of escalation isn’t a condition any country accepts joyfully.
The two key questions right now are: What is the effect of the ceasefire in Tehran, and what is its effect in Beirut?
Regarding Iran, the assessment in Jerusalem is that Trump remains firm on the nuclear issue. The diplomatic gestures in the Lebanese arena are intended to clear the board—creating the space for the U.S. to focus less on fielding Iranian complaints over Lebanon, and more on hammering Tehran into surrendering its nuclear program.
In Lebanon, meanwhile, IDF forces remain in place. The immediate question is whether the ceasefire will be extended to maintain the current holding pattern, whether renewed escalation will necessitate further military action, or whether advancing diplomatic talks will require an eventual IDF withdrawal.
Ultimately, the question of whether this ceasefire was worth it can only be answered in Islamabad. If negotiations there are successful and the regime is effectively neutered, Lebanon will have been a small price to pay.
Amit Segal is being optimistic here. What are the chances that the reimg is “effectively neutered.” It angers me when Trump keeps proclaiming that there’s been “real regime change” in Iran.
A fine arts commission gave preliminary approval to President Trump’s plans for a triumphal arch in Washington, but the panel’s vice chairman suggested significant changes, including losing the statues of golden eagles and a winged angel atop the structure that account for a third of its height.
The Commission of Fine Arts, which is filled with Mr. Trump’s appointees, has an advisory role on the design of the project, but no enforcement power. It asked the administration to return with updated drawings before a final vote on the project.
The outcome reflected the tension at the heart of Mr. Trump’s efforts to leave his imprint on the architecture of Washington. Even as the president has sought to defang the entities that might normally stand in the way of his plans, the sheer scale and lack of consultation on his designs have fueled intense public resistance.
James C. McCrery II, the vice chairman of the panel who was also the original architect for Mr. Trump’s $400 million ballroom, took issue with the statues at the top of the 250-foot arch. Removing the statues would decrease its size considerably, to about 166 feet.
“I wonder if you need those up there,” Mr. McCrery asked, suggesting it might be “even a better, more Washingtonian design” without the statues.
Mr. McCrery, who while working on the ballroom project objected to its ballooning size, also asked for the replacement of the statues of gold lions included lower down on the arch.
“Work on the lions and find replacements for them,” he said. “As I said earlier, they’re not of this continent. They’re noble, they’re courageous, and they’re strong. They’re all those things. But maybe there are alternatives.”
He also raised concerns about a 250-foot tunnel that architects have planned to build underneath the arch as a path for visitors to cross under the busy roundabout. Mr. McCrery described it as “less than ideal” and a “security risk.
Before the vote, Thomas Luebke, the panel’s secretary, informed members that they had received a deluge of nearly 1,000 messages from the public: “One hundred percent of the comments were against the project,” he said.
Here’s who has to approve it further:
Plans for the arch have yet to go before the National Capital Planning Commission, which reviews structural proposals around the National Mall and is also led by Trump allies. There is also the question of whether the administration will seek congressional approval.
A group of Vietnam War veterans has sued to stop construction, citing a lack of congressional authority and arguing that the arch would obstruct the view between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
The plaintiffs maintain that Mr. Trump cannot build it without the authorization of Congress. They cite the Commemorative Works Act of 1986, which details a multistep process for authorizing and designing commemorative works in the District of Columbia and says any such work must be “specifically authorized” by Congress.
Here’s spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, who can’t pronounce “arch”, nor has the ability to hold the picture right-side-up, announcing the monstrosity at a press conference:
*Ethan Norton, a senior at Wesleyan University, has written an op-ed at the Washington Post that is guaranteed to get me clicking: “Why Democrats are failing to reach young voters like me.” It’s that the Dems can’t produce clickbait!
That diagnosis overlooks the real problem: It’s not just what they’re up against, but how they’re communicating. Crying “constitutional crisis” won’t win votes — it’s hardly enough to get likes.
In the digital age, attention is earned, not assumed. In 2025, Media Matters reported that right-leaning digital programs commanded audiences nearly five times the size of those on the left — a disparity amplified by placement on social media. As MS NOW host Chris Hayes puts it, “if you can’t be heard, it doesn’t matter what you say.”
I know from experience. I study film and digital media, and as a young voter, I’ve scrolled past lifeless Democratic content, noticing how much more engaging posts from conservatives feel. It’s like eyeing your dinner companion’s unhealthy meal — you know it’s not good for you, but it looks so much better than what’s on your plate.
Friends who claim they don’t care about politics consume right-leaning media largely because it’s funnier and easier to share, such as the stand-up series Kill Tony — one of 80 right-leaning programs identified by Media Matters that are categorized as “comedy, entertainment, sports, or other supposedly nonpolitical topics.”
. . .Some Democrats understand how to capitalize on social media. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s vertical shorts propelled him into office. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) answers questions from followers on Instagram. Even Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) — hardly a digital native — shows up daily with YouTube videos, Instagram clips and shareable quotes.
Contrast that with Vice President Kamala Harris missing a chance to appear on Joe Rogan’s podcast in 2024. Some saw it as a tacit surrender, leaving a huge swath of the electorate untouched. This episode also underscores a misunderstanding of the attention economy.
Yes, but I loved watching Kamala Harris because she’s just completely out of it, and I guess she’s been that way since she fell out of a coconut tree.
Like everyone else, young voters are looking for authenticity. And right now, that boils down to one question: Does this person understand how to reach me?
Too often, the answer from Democrats is no.
Conservatives do not have an ideological grip on young people. They just have our time and attention.
So get creative.
Stop obsessing over what the message is, and focus on how it’s being delivered.
Yep, the medium is the message, and to hell with substantive content. Gen Z has spoken: put candidates on Joe Rogan’s show. (That’s not a bad idea, actually.)
*As always, I’ll steal three items from Nellie Bowles’s weekly news-and-snark column in the Free Press, called this week, “TGIF: The Luddite Party.”
→ NYC’s new government grocery stores: New York mayor Mamdani announced the first site identified for a city-owned grocery store. It shall be in an East Harlem marketplace called La Marqueta. Cute! It’s opening in 2029. The city will spend $30 million on the store.
In his 100 Day Address, the mayor said: “Some will insist that city-owned businesses do not work, that government cannot keep up with corporations. My answer to them is simple: I look forward to the competition. May the most affordable grocery store win.”
So, lemme get this straight: The La Marqueta store will pay no rent. It will pay no real estate taxes. And the city is putting $30 million into developing it. Totally fair and normal competition going on, nothing to see here. I’m so curious which will be cheaper, the stores that have to pay rent and property taxes—or the one that doesn’t!
→ A mystery that will never be solved: After affirmative action was banned and universities had to start judging kids on test scores and grades again, something strange happened at Johns Hopkins.
→ Quote of the week: “I was standing in front of my parked car on I-684 cutting the penis out of a road killed raccoon, thinking about how weird some of my family members have turned out to be. . . . My kids waited patiently in the car.” Who else could it be? It’s Robert F. Kennedy Jr. For those of you who might be freaked out by the admission, don’t worry. Bobby was cutting off the genitals of a dead raccoon apparently to “study them later.” It was research, heard of it? He’s a budding zoologist. It’s called primary sources. Onward.
*I found this video about Steinway Tower, the world’s thinnest skyscraper completed in 2022 in New York City. But nobody wants to live there! The 12.5-minute video below tells you why. I sure wouldn’t live there, even if I did have the dosh! There are 59 luxury residential units in the building, and many are unoccupied. As Wikipedia says,
The tower’s early condominium owners included the government of Canada (which bought an apartment for its consul general) and the developer Christian Candy. Sotheby’s International Realty took over as the building’s condominium sales agent in July 2024, and Bonhams auction house leased the former piano showroom that September. The building had 10 unsold apartments by April 2025, and two of the original condo owners were recorded as having sold their apartments by August.
It’s all about construction and wind and I sure as hell wouldn’t want to live on the top floors, where swaying is intense.
Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, Hili is peeved:
Hili: It’s not easy to preserve dignity when you feel like biting someone.
Andrzej: Amen to that.
In Polish:
Hili: Trudno zachować godność, kiedy ma się ochotę kogoś ugryźć.
Ja: Święte słowa.
*From Luana, the fraught field of fat studies, many of whose activists insist that obesity does not produce morbidity.
A new paper in Fat Studies is fighting for “social justice and equity in death” for fat people, and claims that fat people are “particularly likely to die of anti-fatness” (as opposed to obesity-related health complications?).
From Ginger K., a civil discussion between a gender activist and Alex Stein, apparently a professional comedian. There’s some conflation between sex and gender.
This is a pretty extraordinary clip. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a trans ally going this far into the argument . Fair play to her for at least having the conversation, but it’s no surprise when she finally taps out where she does. pic.twitter.com/6FDlZNzdEL
From Malcolm, a cat doctor. Seems dubious to me, but I do like cats making biscuits.
In Russia, a woman notices that her cat comes every night and kneads her throat. Days later, she develops a slight swelling in her neck and, after seeing a doctor, learns that she has a thyroid issue. 🐾
When she looks into it, she comes across a fascinating idea: cats are… pic.twitter.com/HctQeL5fua
And two from Dr. Cobb, soon to go to Chile. First, hammer-headed flies (the males are the ones with the long heads). Males in other but similar species butt heads as a way of sizing each other up:
And Matthew recommends this 5½-minute video as a good explanation of the expanding Universe:
I’ve followed the whole Steinway Tower debacle closely, several of the supertall pencil buildings have come to similar grief in terms of the only people who can afford to live in them (Emirati princes, Russian gangsters, etc) don’t want to live there for the reasons explained in the video.
I used to live on Steinway Tower’s 57th St. (at Lexington Ave) for 5 years or so. its very snazzy, near the UN and Park Ave also, but you —probably– don’t want to live in Midtown: lots of people do but it isn’t much of a “neighborhood”, human wise.
I’ve followed the whole Steinway Tower debacle closely, several of the supertall pencil buildings have come to similar grief in terms of the only people who can afford to live in them (Emirati princes, Russian gangsters, etc) don’t want to live there for the reasons explained in the video.
I used to live on Steinway Tower’s 57th St. (at Lexington Ave) for 5 years or so. its very snazzy, near the UN and Park Ave also, but you —probably– don’t want to live in Midtown: lots of people do but it isn’t much of a “neighborhood”, human wise.
D.A.
NYC 🗽 (Chelsea)