Bullet, meet foot
Xi Jinping presides over a massive military parade in Beijing attended by Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. / CNN
An explainer for why China’s hosting the parade and what it hopes to gain. / Observing China
The night before, an activist projects slogans calling for the end of Communist Party rule. / The Times
Reportedly, six electric vehicles from Chinese maker BYD are registered and road-legal in the United States. An owner explains what it’s like to drive one. / The Wall Street Journal [$]
See also: A travel report from contemporary Sarajevo. “What I didn’t know was just how present that war would still be.” / Unplugged Traveler
Russia expands its strikes on Ukrainian cities in defiance of Trump’s deadlines. / ABC News
More than 1,000 current and former federal health workers call for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s resignation. / The Hill
An activist for sex work in New Orleans explains her disappointments with liberals. / The Ick
Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick explains how “we died in 2020 and this is hell” became a popular expression. / The Trend Report
Why do many people feel like our society is past a point of no return? One thoughtful theory includes “a wide circle and a foot with a bullet in it.” / Experimental History
If you enjoy these headlines, please join us as a Sustaining Member to support what we do and unlock access to paywalled links.
“Obstacle parenting” is about making your children’s lives a little bit harder “and letting them figure it out.” / The Walrus
A round-up of things worn by teenagers this year on the first day of school. / After School
Unrelated: An explanation of “the first Tiktok coffee trend that is bacterial.” / Sprudge
A judge decides Google isn’t required to sell its Chrome browser. / The Verge
As the US Open plays out, tennis journalism is said to be fragmented, more mild, more athlete-friendly. / The Columbia Journalism Review
A tennis editor recommends the best courts around New York City. Meanwhile, before-and-after photos of American tennis courts converted to pickleball. / Curbed, The New York Times [$]
Pictures of tweed jackets, cowboy boots, and gun schematics from Cormac McCarthy’s personal effects. / Smithsonian Magazine
“I started to feel the gravity of the hours before me.” Recounting what it’s like to marathon-read Moby-Dick in 24 hours while aboard a ship. / Aftermath
Thank you to our recent pair of anonymous new supporters!
In the members area, unlocked links from the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times ↓