Inside stories of Aaron Rodgers' weirdness, told by his backups
ESPN · 11 minFor Aaron Rodgers, nothing is irrelevant and everything is subject to review.
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Today’s essential reads
Why New Zealand rejected populist ideas other nations have embraced
The Guardian · 5 minJacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s Labour prime minister who was returned to power for a second term with a commanding majority, has often been hailed internationally as a foil to global surges in right-wing movements and the rise of strongmen such as Donald Trump and Brazil’s leader, Jair Bolsonaro.
What If Friendship, Not Marriage, Was at the Center of Life?
The Atlantic · 20 minMany of those who place a friendship at the center of their life find that their most significant relationship is incomprehensible to others.
This is what “war in space” probably would look like in the near future
Ars Technica · 4 minThe creation of the US Space Force has conjured up all manner of fanciful notions about combat in space.
COVID Has Caused Millions to Lose their Sense of Smell—One Writer’s Journey to a Scentless Life and Back
Vogue · 14 minMost people fail to recognize how integral smell is to our experience of pleasure, our emotional lives, and even, on a fundamental level, our identity.
Fascinating stories
The Color You Should Never Paint Your Front Door
Apartment Therapy · 3 minAccording to real estate agents this color is almost guaranteed to lessen your home’s curb appeal.
The Real Story Behind Margot Robbie’s Wild Queen Elizabeth Makeup
Slate · 9 minElizabeth I is famous for her face powder. Why she wore it and whether it poisoned her is complicated.
Economists on the Run
Foreign Policy · 13 minPaul Krugman and other mainstream trade experts are now admitting that they were wrong about globalization: It hurt American workers far more than they thought it would.
Why the Tomato Was Feared in Europe for More Than 200 Years
Smithsonian Magazine · 6 minHow the fruit got a bad rap from the beginning.
Hurricanes Destroy Beachside Homes, But Not This One
Popular Science · 3 minThe engineering that helped one Mexico Beach, Florida, house outlast Hurricane Michael.
How To Make Pita Bread at Home
The Kitchn · 6 minPita is actually a very straightforward bread dough and can be made either in the oven or on the stovetop.
An Icy Conquest
The New York Review of Books · 12 minThe true stories of the English, Spanish, and French colonial expeditions in North America are tales of drought, famine, bitterly cold winters, desperation, and death.
'Rebecca' at Eighty: The Women Behind the Hitchcock Classic
crimereads.com · 1 minIn 1938, Joan Harrison read a galley of Daphne Du Maurier's masterpiece. She wouldn't rest until she had the rights to adapt it.
The Mystery of the Immaculate Concussion
GQ · 41 minHe was a senior CIA official tasked with getting tough on Russia. Then, one night in Moscow, Marc Polymeropoulos's life changed forever.
Fighting Against Aging Stereotypes
Kiplinger · 3 minAs many baby boomers age, they are leveraging their history of activism to change negative perceptions of aging, both in the workplace and in everyday life.
The Brief, Baffling Life of an Accidental New York Neighborhood
Atlas Obscura · 6 minWelcome to Haberman, Queens: Population 0.
The company that has a monopoly on ice cream truck music
thehustle.co · 8 minHow a small, family-owned electronics company came to control 97% of the ice cream truck music market.
The Real Divide in America Is Between Political Junkies and Everyone Else
The New York Times · 4 minMost Americans view politics as two camps bickering endlessly and fruitlessly over unimportant issues.
The Self Is Other People
Nautilus · 3 minAn oft-repeated line in A Series of Unfortunate Events, a Netflix TV show recently adapted from a book series, feels apt for the moment. “In a world too often governed by corruption and arrogance,” it goes, “it can be difficult to stay true to one’s philosophical and literary principles.
How Living With Baboons Prepared Me for Living Through High School
Narratively · 13 minThe world of mean girls and cliques was a startling change from working alongside my primatologist parents. Fortunately, I’d learned a bit about navigating vicious social structures.