Books

What to read next, the classics worth the effort and how to make reading a habit again.

How to tell when a story is leaving out the other side

Bias rarely shows up in the adjectives. It shows up in who never got quoted. Here's how to spot the gap before you repeat the story.

StoryHistoryJosh HalloranOct 13, 20265 min

Eleven Minutes to Recognize Israel, and the Fight Behind Them

On May 14, 1948, Truman recognized Israel at 6:11 p.m. The decision took two years, a failed haberdasher and a shouting match with George Marshall.

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Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

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GuideCivicsJosh HalloranOct 13, 20265 min

Who gets to define antisemitism, and why it matters in law

One definition is used by the State Department and written into state laws. It isn't law itself, and the fight over it's really a fight over speech.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

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Preparedness4 min read

Build the 72-hour kit or buy one? It's closer than you think

A family of four, a $25 hour, and a trip to the store you'll make twice. The driveway math on a 72-hour kit, with every number yours to swap.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

StoryHistoryJosh HalloranOct 13, 20265 min

The Hardest Part of Hiding a Family Was the Groceries

Rescuers in occupied Europe didn't need one brave moment. They needed ration cards, quiet neighbors and the nerve to do it again tomorrow.

BRO TakeCivicsJosh HalloranOct 13, 20265 min

The Constitution never mentions schools, so who decides?

Education is a state and local job. That's where parents can win the argument over who controls the money their taxes raise for kids.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

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StoryPreparednessWes DunbarOct 11, 20266 min

Nobody has improved the hand-crank can opener

It has two moving parts, needs no power, and still beats every gadget that tried to replace it. Here's how to buy one that lasts.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

StoryHistoryJosh HalloranOct 12, 20266 min

The Nazis Wrote It Down, and That's How We Know

The Holocaust is the best-documented atrocity in history, and most of the proof came from the men who committed it. Here's how it was assembled, and why it matters.

BRO TakeCivicsJosh HalloranOct 12, 20265 min

The drag show laws turn on their definitions

Tennessee, Florida and Texas wrote different laws, and courts treated them differently. Here's what the text says, what's been decided, and where you come in.

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What should I wear to this?

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