Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

The Guardian

I Am Obsessed With My Blood Pressure. Can I Hack My Way out of High Readings?

Whether I’m relaxed, stressed, doing yoga or ingesting enough salt to kill a slug, there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the figures.

Bloomberg Businessweek

How to Do a Four-Day Workweek That Actually Works

More companies are mulling the shift but are concerned about maintaining productivity.

Homes & Gardens

Bedroom Items You Should Never Throw Out – 6 Pieces To Keep To Avoid Decluttering Regret

You’ll likely regret getting rid of these six bedroom items – here’s why you should hang onto them.

BBC Culture

Five Ways to Be Calm – and Why It Matters

Is being calm about passivity and numbness, or is it a superpower that makes us strong? Lindsay Baker explores the ideas behind serenity, and ways that we can achieve it.

Kiplinger

How to Pay for Long-Term Care

Most people will need long-term care at some point, but insurance is pricey. Here’s a guide to covering the expenses.

Smithsonian Magazine

An Ode to the World’s Most Average Dinosaurs

They lacked the gargantuan size and spikes of the species museums often celebrate, but these species are how paleontologists learn about the Mesozoic.

The Kitchn

How To Make the Best Macaroni and Cheese on the Stove

Whatever the occasion, a bowl of this mac and cheese will always spell comfort.

Quanta Magazine

The Math That Tells Cells What They Are

During development, cells seem to decode their fate through optimal information processing, which could hint at a more general principle of life.

Fast Company

A Neurosurgeon Shares His Effective Strategy for Overcoming Fears

Instead of letting fear control your actions, be mathematical about your reaction and decision-making process by using this method.

Bon Appétit

The 3-Ingredient Tuna Spaghetti I Fell for in Italy

Yes, two of the ingredients are tuna and spaghetti.

Stylist

How to Deal With a Narcissist When You Can’t Avoid Them, According to a Psychologist

While it’s always advisable to give narcissists a wide berth, it’s not always possible. Stylist asked the experts how to manage narcissistic behaviour when you can’t avoid it.

MIT Technology Review

One Woman’s Race to Defuse the Genetic Time Bomb in Her Genes

How DNA sequencing and new genetic drugs raise the chance we can cure any inherited disease.

Popular Collections

Curated guides to the best reads on the web

Pocket Collections

The Art of Navigating Thorny Office Politics

From bad bosses to gossipy colleagues and, of course, office refrigerator drama.

Today’s Pocket Hits

Tuesday, July 29

The New Yorker

“No Tax on Tips” Is an Industry Plant

Trump’s “populist” policy is backed by the National Restaurant Association—probably because it won’t stop establishments from paying servers below the minimum wage.

BBC

The ‘Other’ Michelin Award Travellers Should Know

Long overshadowed by the coveted Michelin stars, the Bib Gourmand celebrates the world's best budget-friendly restaurants.

The Guardian

Who Needs Quinoa? 17 Overlooked and Affordable Superfoods, From Peas and Potatoes to Popcorn and Even Sugar

Can’t afford goji berries, spirulina or turmeric – or just don’t like the taste? Most kitchens are full of healthy but unglamorous alternatives. Nutrition experts name their favourites.

Axios

Why GLP-1s Could Become the “Everything Drug”

The biggest buzz around GLP-1 drugs these days has nothing to do with weight loss. And that might lead to some problems for patients and insurers.

The Independent

Why Are We So Bad at Apologising?

For a nation that is famously apologetic about everything, the UK apparently has a hard time saying sorry. Olivia Petter asks why we find making genuine apologies so difficult – and what that says about our ability to take accountability.

Outside

After the Biggest Doping Bust in Years, What’s Next?

Now that the fastest marathoner in history, Ruth Chepngetich, has been caught, is it time to give up and let athletes dope?

NBC News

Crypto Kidnapping: How Armed Gangs Are Hunting the Internet’s High Rollers

Kidnapping and extortion are growing concerns in the crypto world, with cases rising alongside the price of bitcoin.

Vox

Am I Actually “Too Sensitive”?

Some people, in fact, are more prone to big feelings than others.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Discover

Building Blocks of Life in Deep Space Could Mean Life Extends Further Than Once Thought

Learn more about the prebiotic molecules who’s origins come from deep space.

Natasha’s Kitchen

Sourdough Pizza Dough Recipe

Our homemade Sourdough Pizza Dough Recipe makes the perfect crispy, chewy crust using active sourdough starter. It’s also easy to make ahead.

The New York Times

Study May Undercut Idea That Cash Payments to Poor Families Help Child Development

Rigorous new research appears to show that monthly checks intended to help disadvantaged children did little for their well-being, adding a new element to a dispute over expanded government aid.

PS

Why Having a “Sleepover Friend” Is Simply the Best

A friendship expert explains what a sleepover friend is and what makes this type of friendship so special.

Real Simple

People Are Protein Maxing With the Viral “6 Eggs 6 Ways” Trend—We Asked RDs If It’s a Good Idea

The viral “6 Eggs 6 Ways” TikTok Trend is a way people are trying to up their protein intake. We spoke to a registered dietitian to see if this is a good food combination to try at home.

Vanity Fair

Fantastic Four: First Steps Is a Hit. Is That a Good Thing?

The movie is bland and perfunctory—and if it had failed, the studio might have been forced to try harder next time.

The Verge

One of Nintendo’s Most Creative Super Nintendo Games Is Now on the Switch

Mario Paint has been added to the Nintendo Switch Online’s SNES catalog and supports the Switch 2’s mouse mode.

Literary Hub

What Happened When I Tried to Replace Myself With ChatGPT in My English Classroom

My students call it “Chat,” a cute nickname they all seem to have agreed on at some point. They use it to make study guides, interpret essay prompts, and register for classes, turning it loose on the course catalog and asking it to propose a weekly schedule.

The Conversation

What to Do When Wasps Crash Your Picnic – a Scientist’s Guide to Dining Safely With These Insects

Did you know wasps switch from ham to jam foraging during the late summer?

Business Insider

I Was Laid Off and Can’t Find a Job. My Savings Are Nearly Gone and My Self-Confidence Is Low, but I Believe I’ll Find One.

Michelle Keller was laid off from the company she worked at for 20 years. She’s applied for dozens of jobs and is worried about her finances.

Los Angeles Times

This Robot Uses Japanese Tradition and AI for Sashimi That Lasts Longer and Is More Humane

El Segundo based Shinkei Systems Corp. uses robots and AI to automate ikejime, a centuries-old Japanese fish processing technique for premium seafood.

Time

How Often Should You Wash Your Towels?

You almost certainly need to do more laundry.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

Maclean’s

Confessions of the Working Poor

I work hard, buy quality clothes and know how to fake my way through dinner-party conversations. But behind the scenes, I’m part of a fast-growing Canadian underclass.

CNBC

While the Fed Kept Its Benchmark Unchanged, Here’s What Happened to Consumer Borrowing Rates

When it meets this week, the Federal Reserve is widely expected to keep its key short-term interest rate at its current target range — where it has stayed for all of 2025.

The Associated Press

If You Don’t Have Diabetes, Do You Really Need a Continuous Glucose Monitor?

A quarter-size device that tracks the rise and fall of sugar in your blood is the latest source of hope — and hype — in the growing buzz around wearable health technology.

NPR

In a First, the Senate Confirms a New CDC Director

Susan Monarez is the first director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to require Senate confirmation. She’s also the first director without a medical degree in more than 70 years.

NPR

The Manhattan Gunman Believed He Had CTE. What Does That Mean?

The gunman accused of killing four people in New York City suspected he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE — a degenerative brain disease often associated with football players.

The Cut

What If a Child Was Terrified of Food?

The rise of ARFID, a new eating disorder driven not by body image but by fear.

USA TODAY

Trump’s Trade Deal With the EU: What It Means for Your Wallet

The new tariff could increase prices on goods such as cars, furniture and pharmaceuticals. Trump's tariffs are expected to raise prices by 1.8% in the short term, per the Yale Budget Lab.

The Guardian

Trust Your Gut and Fail Bravely: Seven Influential Women on the Advice They Would Give Their 30-Year-Old Selves

It’s tempting to imagine what we might have done differently. But, as Diana Nyad says: ‘We earn our wisdom.’

CNBC

Animal Shelters Are Crowded as High Costs Squeeze Pet Owners

Millions of animals are stuck in increasingly cramped shelters because their owners are struggling to pay rising vet bills and other expenses.

Vox

How to Make the Hardest Choices of Your Life

From picking a career to picking a spouse, one radical philosophical idea will guide you.

The Guardian

‘It Would Destroy Me’: Fear of Student Loan Default Haunts US Borrowers

The Trump administration has ended the pandemic-era pause on repayments, leaving many facing colossal debts.

CNBC

Even Many High-Earning Americans Don’t Feel Wealthy. Here’s Why

Many high earners in the U.S. still feel broke. Between lifestyle creep, debt and social pressure, even $200,000 per year doesn’t always buy peace of mind.