And now we reach the first Friday of November!

It continues to be winter-cold, without any rain. Which means the spore counts keep climbing. Having hay fever when it’s cold is never fun.

Anyway, welcome to the Friday Five. This week I bring you: the top five stories of the week, five stories about deplorable people, five stories about the impeachable one, and five videos (plus a thing I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

Who Gave You the Right to Tell That Story? Ten authors on the most divisive question in fiction, and the times they wrote outside their own identities.

Looking at Cute Animals Online Is Literally Good for Your Brain.

Are 90% of giraffes gay – or have their loving looks been misunderstood?

Blast from Waukee gender reveal felt over 2 miles away.

‘He’s a patriot’: Republicans defend key impeachment witness from attacks.

This Week in Deplorable People:

Senate blocks effort to roll back Trump administration’s ObamaCare rule. Excluding pre-existing conditions will kill thousands of Americans… which is what Trump and his billionaire buddies want.

Right-Wing Lobby Divorces Itself? In Lawsuit, NRA Says NRA-TV Is Racist. Which is true… but the NRA is also racist.

Missouri’s state health director says he tracked Planned Parenthood patients’ periods.

Evangelical conservatives are determined to go down in disgrace with Trump. Let them do it.

When One Good Day Is One Too Many.

This Week in Impeach the Mo-Fo Already:

Trump lures GOP senators on impeachment with cold cash.

Why it’s such a big deal that Donald Trump is suddenly selling his Washington DC hotel.

Trump Takes Swipe at Obama for Not Capturing al-Baghdadi Then Admits to War Crime at Police Chiefs Conference.

‘Music to Putin’s ears’: Ambassador McFaul blasts Trump’s pattern of furthering Russian interests.

Security Official Testifies Ukraine Transcript Was Edited.

In Memoriam:

Robin Brett, NASA scientist who studied ‘moon rocks,’ dies at 84.

Tributes pour in for John Witherspoon after actor dies at 77.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 10/26/2019: Cold hearts and webs of sin.

Yelling at clouds, pointless nostalgia, and blind spots.

Time to fire up those word processors! #NaNoWriMo.

…and then what happened? And then? And then? — getting the story started and keeping it going.

Evasive geniuses, invisible monsters, and helpful (sassy gay) robots—more of why I love sf/f.

Videos!

Stephen Colbert and the gang go after Hallmark and Lifetime Movies – Just In Time For Halloween, It’s The Late Show Christmas Movies!:

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Lunar Module Costume: Big Sis Lunar Lander, Little Sis Astronaut (with flag):

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Trump & Syria: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO):

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TESS Catches its First Star-destroying Black Hole:

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Galantis & Dolly Parton – Faith feat. Mr. Probz [Official Music Video]:

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)