‘President Donald Trump’s campaign is demanding CNN retract and apologize for a recent poll that showed him well behind presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

The demand, coming in the form of a cease and desist letter to CNN President Jeff Zucker that contained numerous incorrect and misleading claims, was immediately rejected by the network.
“We stand by our poll,” said Matt Dornic, a CNN spokesman….’

— Via CNNPolitics

— Woodrow White via Hi Fructose

‘Sixteen poets tell us about the verses and books they are reading, or that they hope others seek out….’

— Via The New York Times

Atlas of the world’s unusual borders:

‘The job description for political borders is simple and straightforward enough: draw a line between areas with different rules (and rulers). But, as shown in a new book, those lines are not always straight and simple.

For reasons geographical, dynastic, military or otherwise, things on the ground can get quite complex quite fast. In “The Atlas of Unusual Borders,” map enthusiast Zoran Nikolic zooms in on some of the world’s most egregious examples of border weirdness. Here are a few samples from the recently published book….’

— Via Big Think

I’m a map lover myself but I’ve always been fascinated by the clash between reality and fiction that occurs when you cross a border. As a young boy growing up in New York, I used to love it when my family drove through one of the tunnels between NY and NJ. I’d strain to see what felt different as we passed the painted line on the tunnel walls and ceiling at the state border. This book is rife with tortured and curious examples of that same phenomenon. For a quick fix, read the article, which highlights some of the best (yes, with maps).