That’s it for me today. As always, thanks for reading and commenting. Here are some links for this afternoon:

1. Iraq records huge increase in birth defects. Apparently linked to military action.

2. A review of David Nutt’s latest book, Drugs without the Hot Air. Alcohol doesn’t come off well.

3. Terrible story by a Connecticut policymaker, whose son is schizophrenic, about the disaster of mental health care in this country.

4. Good point about Reddit and free speech.

5. Apparently we’ve had yet another mass shooting, this time at a mall in Wisconsin. Follow TPM for the breaking story. Here’s a reporter on the scene.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and stay safe.

@ryanlcooper

Ryan Cooper

Follow Ryan on Twitter @ryanlcooper. Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at The Week. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New Republic, and The Nation.