Politics
Inside the Party Switch that Blew Up North Carolina Politics - The New York Times
Tricia Cotham, a Democrat who supported abortion rights, was encouraged to run for a state House seat by powerful Republicans. After she was elected, she joined them and delivered a G.O.P. supermajority.
The Other Billionaires Who Helped Clarence Thomas Live a Luxe Life — ProPublica
The fullest accounting yet shows how Thomas has secretly reaped the benefits from a network of wealthy and well-connected patrons that is far more extensive than previously understood.
Alternative Energy
The Clean Energy Future Is Arriving Faster Than You Think - The New York Times
The United States is pivoting away from fossil fuels and toward wind, solar and other renewable energy, even in areas dominated by the oil and gas industries.
Behind All the Talk, This Is What Big Oil Is Actually Doing - The New York Times
It seems increasingly evident that the oil industry is unable or unwilling to help chart a path toward a cleaner energy future.
The Clean Energy Future Is Roiling Both Friends and Foes - The New York Times
Resistance to wind and solar projects from environmentalists is among an array of impediments to widespread conversion to renewables.
The Clean Energy Future Is a Battle for Hearts and Minds - The New York Times
A broad, and sometimes quixotic, retail effort to win the fight against global warming is playing out one person at a time, with nary a mention of climate change.
Markets & Economy
Do big cities like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles have a future? - Vox
Cities aren’t going anywhere, but they do need to change.
Climate Change
Electric lines kill birds. But they're a lot better than climate change
An Audubon Society report calls for tens of thousands of miles of new power lines to support solar and wind energy.
The Hawaii Wildfires Are a Warning - The Atlantic
The world doesn’t need more reminders that climate change is accelerating. But we’re going to keep getting them.
Environment
The owls are not what they seem - The Atlantic
The birds possess even uncannier powers than we’ve imagined.
Technology
LK-99, the would-be “room temperature superconductor,” explained - Vox
The superconductor frenzy, explained.
Culture
Would Life Be Better If You Worked Less? - WSJ
From part-time hours to four-day workweeks, Americans experiment with living more.
Saving Local News Could Also Save Taxpayers Money - The Atlantic
Restoring the journalism jobs lost over the past 20 years wouldn’t just be cheap—it would pay for itself.