May 19, 2017
Over the last two years, UNICEF counted more than 300,000 children migrating alone. / TIME
Sweden shutters its rape case against Assange. He still may be seized by the UK or US for extradition. / The Local
“It would be a humanitarian disaster of epic proportions, and the brunt of it would be shouldered by China—similar to Turkey’s role in handling the refugee crisis originating in neighboring Syria.” In the event of a large-scale refugee crisis in North Korea, the world will look to China, which regularly returns many North Koreans to their home country. / Quartz
Since 2014, ambulances have been called “hundreds of times” to help workers at a Tesla factory in Fremont, Calif. / The Guardian
Swedish councillor wanted one-hour paid sex breaks “to improve people’s relationships.” The motion didn’t pass. / BBC News
Even when you relax, your brain is constantly recombining information to imagine the future or retouch the past. / The New York Times SundayReview
Las Vegas hog farmers raise 25,000 pigs on casino slops—and that’s only 15% of the wasted food from local buffets. / Eater
The new Dragon’s Breath pepper, now the world’s hottest, would torch a human’s airways if consumed. / Extra Crispy
A brief vision of the DIY VR future, or just a brief vision to set up a casually trippy weekend? A new video for Brooklyn rapper Kassa Overall’s ode to mac and cheese. / kassaoverall.com
A captivating examination of repetition and language compression in pop music lyrics. / The Pudding
“If you know anything about tennis you maybe would have read a story like this 10, 15, certainly 20 years ago. Now there’s zero chance that you can read anything remotely critical.” Caitlin Thompson, publisher of the new tennis magazine Racquet, says the sport has a journalism problem, running on too many cozy relationships between media and player handlers. / NiemanLab
“There were new worlds here after all.” A writer finds inspiration in construction, apple-picking, forestry. / LitHub
“Coke Habit” tells the true story of a 16-year-old who finds himself with a crippling addiction to… Coca-Cola. / Vimeo
See also: “What we do and don’t know about dietary science.” / The New Yorker
$1,250 to attend a conference on the future of content marketing—the conclusion of which is “it’s all bullshit.” / Tablet
“They want feelings, not facts, you know this by now.” There’s a script, Porochista Khakpour reports, that editors want Iranian-Americans to adhere to. / Catapult
Will Trump condemn Saudi Arabia’s censorship, random incarcerations, lack of basic freedoms for women? Hmm. / ABC News
After 30 years of voguing, the dance’s “mutual togetherness” wins new converts in Tallinn, Rotterdam, Berlin. / The Fader
For your casual weekend desk chair travel: a very speedy tour through Venice. / YouTube