By the gourd
Chinese President Xi Jinping calls for economic globalization at a regional forum skipped by President Trump. / Al Jazeera
Who would benefit from Trump’s desire to resume nuclear testing? China. / Center for Strategic & International Studies
Mira Rapp-Hooper: China is highly unlikely to adjust its global aims, “and there are many ways an attempted détente could unravel.” / Foreign Affairs
Lingling Wei: Trump’s new approach to China shows “cold-eyed recognition” that confrontation has become too costly. / The Wall Street Journal [$]
Americans mostly blame the White House and Republicans for the ongoing government shutdown. / The Washington Post [$]
The United States will only accept 7,500 refugees next year, and most of them will be white South Africans. / The Guardian
Interviews with professional scammers in India find lots of fear, little remorse. / The Dial
College students are in trouble for responding to cheating accusations with apology notes written by AI. / The New York Times [$]
“If it’s wrong to do something, then it’s wrong to pay other people to do it.” An argument for going vegan. / Bentham’s Newsletter
A recent study of more than 3,600 women with PMDD found that 82 percent had suicidal thoughts before their periods. / Undark
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Japan’s new prime minister, formerly a heavy metal drummer, wants to make her country cool again. / Animenomics
Unrelated: Details behind SSENSE’s bankruptcy and the money it owes indie fashion brands. / Show Notes
No rap songs are in the Top 40 for the first time since “Just a Friend” was #41 in 1990—perhaps because the industry now prefers virality to stars. / Billboard, Stereogum
People pay “pumpkin stylists” over a thousand dollars for Instagram-friendly “pumpkinscapes.” / The Wall Street Journal [$]
A retrospective of Shepard Fairey’s protest printmaking. Also, photographs from a Birkenstock factory tour. / Colossal, Highsnobiety
Notes, illustrations, and photos from a 160-mile walk across Massachusetts. “Boredom gave way to invention. I came up with various acorn-inspired games to help pass the steps.” / The Pudding
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