People are sick of their phones and desperate for connection. Here’s a solution that’s actually working.
From the World Cup to the Knicks’ win, sports talk is everywhere right now.
I know I’m not the only one trying to spend less time scrolling. And it can definitely be frustrating to hang out with people who are constantly checking their phones. Here, Allie Volpe looks at the rising number of bars, parties, and other social spaces asking people to put their phones away, and why it might actually make us better at being around each other. It’s also a nice reminder that sometimes the easiest way to be more present is to take away the option not to be.
Want to tax the rich? Start with the dead.
First of all, what a headline. But really, what if the best way to tax the rich is to wait until they die? This smart and entertaining explainer from senior correspondent Eric Levitz looks at a tax loophole that lets wealthy Americans pass on huge investment gains without paying capital gains taxes. It also makes a compelling case for why closing that loophole could make other efforts to tax the wealthy work better.
How do you rebuild trust in the government? One pothole at a time.
This story looks at how New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has made small, everyday fixes like filling potholes a key part of his governing, and why they seem to be resonating with New Yorkers. He calls it “pothole politics,” a modern take on the old “sewer socialism” idea. It’s an interesting argument for how small wins can make government feel more competent and build trust for bigger challenges.
For more stories like this, sign up for Sara Herschander’s new newsletter, Nice Things, which covers infrastructure and how America can get better at building the things we all rely on.
Dolly Parton was even more generous than you knew
Working in news means my threshold for surprise has gotten quite high. But when I saw a colleague drop the news about Dolly Parton’s death in one of our Slack channels, I audibly gasped.
I really appreciated this story because it highlights how Parton had a remarkable way of making generosity feel joyful. She gave back in so many different ways throughout her life, from donating $1 million toward research that helped lead to the Moderna Covid vaccine to giving away hundreds of millions of free books through her Imagination Library. What inspires me is how she never seemed too interested in keeping track of how much she gave. As she once put it, “I just see a need, and if I can fill it, then I will.”
