Things get pretty extraterrestrial in Dez Reads this week, with Mike Bova reporting on signs of alien life, Will Kim writing up an unclassified CIA report that made me say “WTF” out loud while editing it, and Maggie Johnston calling out some truly impressive lesser-known passengers on Blue Origin’s recent trip to space.
Jen Hirshon leads us this week with a viral video that I hope you’ve already seen, in which a young boy captivates a talent show audience with his incredible ability to perfectly mimic dozens of bird calls. If it made someone as callous and jaded as myself cry, I’m sure it will have a similar effect on our readers. Put simply, this kid rocks, and we don’t really need to look much further than our local elementary schools to see inspiration every day.
Additionally, Maya Shackley reviews a new book that gives us a deeply depressing and very real look at the real Washington, DC, and Annie Moore contemplates a world in which Hollywood exists outside of its ancestral home of California. Maybe on another planet?
Here’s to a great weekend of appreciating the beauty of those standing right in front of us. Like the bird call kid.
Thanks, as always, for reading along with us.
Here we go.
Wildlife.
CBS News. Oklahoma boy astounds classmates with his ability to do 50 different bird calls
If you haven’t had the chance to check out Samuel Henderson’s incredible bird call performance at his school talent show, you really need to! Trust me, you’ll be smiling from ear to ear, and you might even need a tissue like I did.
This talented 11-year-old from Choctaw, Oklahoma, amazed everyone by perfectly imitating 50 different birds, from blue jays to barn swallows. He took a little playground hobby and turned it into a standing ovation moment! I loved this piece of reporting from Steve Hartman and the gentle reminder to listen and be kind. I hope you do, too.
– Jen Hirshon
Politics.
Guardian. Mad House: New book exposes Capitol Hill’s absurdity and dysfunction
It’s probably unwise to seek solace from today’s political circus by diving into a book about—what else—politics. But when Mark Leibovich described Mad House: How Donald Trump, MAGA Mean Girls, a Former Used Car Salesman, a Florida Nepo Baby, and a Man with Rats in His Walls Broke Congress as “cyanide and candy on every page,” how could I possibly resist?
This gossipy, gobsmacking, behind-the-scenes romp through the 118th Congress by seasoned reporters Annie Karni and Luke Broadwater is equal parts tragicomedy and tabloid. Think C-SPAN by way of Bravo. The dysfunction, ego clashes, and petty backbiting are so over the top, I kept expecting Andy Cohen to show up with cue cards and a cocktail.
While the authors do a thorough job skewering the Republican carnival of grifters, stunt queens, and chaos agents, they don’t let the Democrats off the hook. Their decision to keep Biden in the race—only to yank him out later—feels like watching someone rehearse a pratfall and still managing to faceplant.
If you’re in the mood for something that reads like Veep on Adderall but is unfortunately real, Mad House is your next must-read—paperback, audiobook, Kindle, or scribbled on the back of a congressional subpoena.
– Maya Shackley
Space.
NYT. Astronomers Detect a Possible Signature of Life on a Distant Planet
Maybe we aren’t all alone in the universe after all. Astronomers at the University of Cambridge released a new study illustrating the strongest indication of extraterrestrial life. No, they didn’t see little green men on a planet 120 light-years from Earth, but they did find signatures of an abundance of hydrogen, methane, and other carbon compounds. These molecules only have one known source on Earth — living organisms such as marine algae.
The planet – K2-18b – is covered with a warm ocean that scientists now believe is brimming with microscopic life. A lot more research will have to be done, but NASA has been designing and building more powerful space telescopes that allow for this type of research, and at the very least we might get a good Hollywood movie out of it.
– Mike Bova
New York Post. Declassified Cold War-era CIA files detail Soviet clash with aliens who witnesses say turned soldiers to stone
2025 has been full of surprises coming from Washington, D.C., but this one just might take the top spot: an old CIA report that mentions aliens turning people into stone. Originally declassified back in 2000, this CIA file from the Cold War era mentions Soviet soldiers encountering “five short humanoids with large heads and large black eyes” unloading from a UFO. In response to being attacked with Soviet missiles, the aliens merged into a sphere, emitting a bright light and turning 23 soldiers into “stole poles.”
I, for one, believe in life in outer space. With 60 billion potentially habitable planets in the Milky Way alone, how can there not be? But maybe not this time, or with this report. The more I read into this file, I cannot help but think that this might have been the work of the Soviets intentionally leaking false alien sightings to mock and confuse (can I say troll?) CIA espionage operations.
The existence of aliens capable of turning humans to stone sounds more like a low-budget sci-fi movie than reality, but for the sake of our “national security,” we may want to defend against such emerging threats. Unfortunately, we cannot call in the Avengers, but perhaps President Trump should consider imposing tariffs on these extraterrestrials to deter them.
– Will Kim
Culture.
NYT. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/17/style/katy-perry-blue-origin.html
When I first saw headlines about Katy Perry going to space, I genuinely thought it was a joke or some kind of music video promotion. But it actually happened: Perry joined an all-women Blue Origin flight, organized by Lauren Sánchez, for a brief but highly publicized 11-minute trip above Earth’s atmosphere.
The online reaction was immediate and often harsh. Critics called the mission “tone deaf” and “frivolous.” Fast-food chain Wendy’s even joined in, posting, “Can we send her back?” Many questioned the value and environmental impact of these high-profile space trips, especially from someone who has previously spoken out on climate issues. Personally, I find the whole idea of space tourism for the ultra-wealthy pretty hard to defend.
But lost in the noise about Perry’s antics is the fact that two highly accomplished women were also on board, and I’d rather highlight their stories. Aisha Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist and founder of STEMBoard, became the first person of Bahamian heritage to travel to space. She’s dedicated her career to expanding access to STEM education and is involved in research on sustainable crops for harsh environments. Amanda Nguyễn, a bioastronautics researcher and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, became the first Vietnamese American woman in space. She’s known for her landmark work on sexual assault survivors’ rights and is using her research to improve women’s health in microgravity.
So while Perry and Sánchez dominated the headlines, I personally find Bowe and Nguyễn’s contributions to science and advocacy far more interesting.
– Maggie Johnston
Entertainment.
Hollywood Reporter. Hollywood at Risk of Becoming the “Next Detroit Auto.” L.A. Production Insiders Voice Alarm
Being from the Midwest, and specifically a rural area where the closest “big” town used to be the home of a large Chrysler plant, I’ve seen firsthand what happens when crucial industry leaves an area that depends on it. DC and the political class are worried about factories closing and our manufacturing going to other countries, but they don’t seem too concerned about all the big studios closing and productions largely going overseas.
I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that Los Angeles could be the next Detroit if California doesn’t do something to keep the entertainment industry alive in the area. Tax incentives are a good place to start, especially for the larger studios, but what about independent creators? Here are a few ideas for where they could start: make it cheaper and faster to permit, dole out grants for indie filmmakers as long as they keep production local, offer bonuses or points for hiring talent based out of California, and figure out how to fix their housing crisis so the middle class can still afford rent.
If California wants to maintain their status as the fifth largest economy in the world, they’ll likely need to get creative with how to keep their most prominent industry in-state.
– Annie Moore
Don’t forget to check out the latest monthly issue of Our Take!