People taking Ozempic are losing muscle mass — and it’s freaking them out
GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy have been a boon to American public health. Obesity rates are already starting to decline, and the drugs have the potential to address a slew of conditions, from heart disease to dementia. But Dylan Scott’s feature offers a useful warning: As Americans by the millions turn to these drugs, they ought to know about the potential downsides, and what steps they can take to minimize them. GLP-1s can feel like a shortcut to being healthy — and that, Scott argues, is precisely what we should worry about.
The alt-right roots of MAGA’s anti-immigrant policies 🎥
Ideas that were once on the fringes are now very much in the mainstream. In this video on our brand-new Patreon, Zack Beauchamp talks about the legacy of the alt-right, whose views, which were on the margins when the faction was ascendant in the 2010s, have now become codified into immigration rhetoric and policy under Trump. (Check out Zack’s text piece here.)
The Vox Guide to Giving
In time for Giving Tuesday, our Future Perfect team offers readers not just a how-to on giving effectively, but also thought-provoking reflections on generosity and philanthropy. It’s an annual tradition for Future Perfect, and a vital reminder that we ought not just to give, but give well.
The “white gold rush” 🎥
Critical minerals like lithium have been in the news a lot these last few years. The rise of lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles has made lithium one of the most important commodities in the world. But the US has been late to the lithium-mining game — though it’s the world’s second-largest consumer of lithium, it mines less than 1 percent of the global supply. This Vox video by Dolly Li explores the investment the US government has made in northern Nevada, home of the largest lithium deposit in the country, and why it may not pan out as its boosters had hoped.
What counts as progress? 🎧
The story of the 20th century was one of rapid growth — of humanity beating disease, living longer lives, and bending nature to its will. What will be the story of the 21st century? Sean Illing’s interview with Brad DeLong, economic historian and author of Slouching Towards Utopia, is a searching conversation about the purpose of progress, what a well-lived life should look like, and how we can ensure sustainable growth that touches even more people, both now and in the future.
