1. Why White People Don’t Use White Emoji
Light-skin-tone symbols are used far less often in the U.S. than their darker counterparts. Does shame explain the disparity?
2. The Aspiring Novelist Who Became Obama’s Foreign Policy Guru
“People construct their own sense of source and credibility now. They elect who they’re going to believe.” The untold story of the wannabe-fiction writer who became President Obama’s mouthpiece to the world.
For everyone who has ever spoken up online only to receive a litany of verbal barbs, a charming tour through the role of hate mail in history. “That seems to be nine-tenths of the reason people bother to send hate mail: It cheers them up.”
4. What Is 'Natural' Food? A Riddle Wrapped In Notions Of Good And Evil
The cultural and spiritual roots of our concept of “natural,” and what we mean when we say it about food.
5. The Most Successful Female Everest Climber of All Time Is a Housekeeper in Hartford, Connecticut
So why doesn’t everyone know her name? The answer is tragic, stunning, and a remarkable read.
6. The Privatization of Childhood Play
With playdates replacing free childhood play, it’s upper-class families who set the social norms — and working-class families who pay the price.
7. The Day We Discovered Our Parents Were Russian Spies
Not a recap of The Americans. But this true story served as significant inspiration for the critics-beloved show.
“I think part of the reason Texas is having a moment is because it’s being more itself than it’s ever been. It’s Texas unchained, in a way.” From a new series in The New York Times on subcultures and change in America.
9. The Ghosts of D.C.’s Zoning Code
The Atlantic’s CityLab turns its lens on D.C., with stunning photos of former shops turned into residences on Capitol Hill.
NBC Asian America asks young Asian Americans to tell the story of Vincent Chin, powerfully highlighting persistent blindness to racial injustice, and telling a story many probably haven’t heard.
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