Cogito burro sum

China experts warn of serious internal threats—“overcapacity” and “involution”—facing the country’s economy. / Semafor

Japan and South Korea receive letters from the White House saying they have until August to agree on new trade terms. / The Wall Street Journal [$]

Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States says his country will spend nearly half its federal budget this year servicing debt. / X

Emergency managers warn communities around the US are exposed amid the White House’s steep cuts to disaster spending. / Politico

Meanwhile, measles cases reach a 33-year high. / The Washington Post [$]

In 2023, only 58 percent of homicide cases resulted in an arrest or were otherwise solved. / The New York Times [$]

Your Tuesday long read: Connecting the Rationalist movement with a recent string of murders across the US. / The New York Times Magazine [$]

In China, news broadcasters are launching digitized AI clones of well-known hosts. / Sixth Tone

The notion of “manufacturing” ice in the 19th century may have seemed similarly strange as lab-grown meat is today.

A psychologist explains why many people dream of operating “a little coffee shop,” but not running a business that sells hot bean water. / Experimental History

An interview with a Colombian man who’s spent two decades running a “biblioburro” with two donkeys. / Atlas Obscura

See also: Data analysis of animal gender in children’s books. / The Pudding

Regarding travel, a broad overview of things that Europeans are doing to combat overtourism. / CityLab

Is mass tourism really so bad? “The tourist traps were made for tourists. They know what they're doing.” / Reason

Unrelated: A report from a family reunion where everyone becomes monks for a weekend. / The Paris Review

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