The massive stakes of the big federal housing bill, explained
One of the most pressing policy questions of our time is how the United States can build more housing, which is badly needed. Like Vox’s Dylan Matthews, I’m inherently skeptical of any bill that can sail through the Senate on a bipartisan basis with no opposition — given the world we live in, the most likely explanation is that it sounds nice and doesn’t do much. But Matthews makes a strong case that this bill could really matter. If it does, that’s a very big deal.
MAGA’s first martyr
The weeks since Charlie Kirk’s assassination haven’t lacked for consideration of who Kirk was and what he stood for. But Katie Kelaidis’s argument is unique, examining the veneration of Kirk after his death and putting it in the context of medieval Christian sainthood. It’s thought-provoking and unlike anything else I’ve read on the topic.
Apple is trying to make your phone usable as a phone again
I’ll admit to being constantly intrigued by the wild ways of would-be scammers. A few weeks ago, I got a text from an unknown number describing an elaborate scenario that ultimately led to a request for red wine recommendations. I didn’t respond, but I still wonder what might have happened if I did. If you find the constant onslaught of spammers to be frustrating rather than amusing, though, I recommend this piece from Adam Clark Estes on how your phone might be able to stop them from doing that.
🎧 A Palestinian state
A growing wave of countries are recognizing Palestine as a state — but, especially against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Gaza, what does that actually mean? This episode of Today, Explained explores whether the push is reality or “fantasy diplomacy,” and puts it in the context of Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza.
Honeycrisp was just the beginning: inside the quest to create the perfect apple
I’m going off-script here, since this perfect article on the many varieties of apple and the quest for neverending, continuous apple improvement was published nearly a decade ago. But you should read it anyway. It has aged like fine apple cider (and some of the apples previewed in the article now actually exist in the world!).
