The feeling when the old world fades away

Four stories of white-collar workers who left their careers to pursue blue-collar jobs. / The Wall Street Journal [$]

San Francisco’s public school teachers strike for the first time in 47 years. / The San Francisco Standard

In Europe, the Epstein scandal is taking down politicians, whose American counterparts remain unscathed. / Politico

In Texas, Republican politicians return to Islamophobia to rally voters for the midterms. / Texas Monthly

Parker Molloy: Political journalists need to stop pretending they don’t know what Republicans are going to do next. / The New Republic

Reviews for Melania represent the biggest critics vs. audience split in Rotten Tomatoes history. / The Hollywood Reporter

Japan’s first female prime minister achieves a landslide win. She reportedly uses simple ideas and social media to connect with young voters. / The Asahi Shimbun, Bloomberg [$]

Spotify will soon sell hardcover and paperback books through its app, in partnership with Bookshop.org. / TechCrunch

Related: What it’s like for an author to interact with (a fake) Reese Witherspoon. / The Biblioracle Recommends

Everything read and watched by director Steven Soderbergh in 2025 (when he wasn’t watching tennis). / Soderblog 

A good essay by Heather McCalden on the struggle to articulate the present moment (when it lacks a sense of wonder). / Dirt 

An end-of-life app is no longer an idea from a dystopian novel, “but a non-trivial possibility.” / Chris Arnade Walks the World

“I’ve probably lived a different life than most.” An obituary for a 105-year-old “lobster lady.” / The New York Times [$]

In the members area, unlocked links from the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and the New York Times ↓

This post is for paying subscribers only

Already have an account? Sign in.