Pocket Future

Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Atlas Obscura

The Man Who Went to War With Canada

For centuries, the United States and Canada’s only remaining land border dispute has been kept alive by a single family.

MEL Magazine

I Spent a Day as a Times Square Mascot

Who knew that dressing as a Ninja Turtle for seven hours could be such a miserable slog?

The Guardian

The Best Thing You Can Do for Your Health: Sleep Well

“A consistent seven to nine-hour sleep each night is the most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health.”

Inc.

An Incredibly Clever Hack for People Who Want to Read More Books

This brilliant brain hack hijacks your social media habit to build a new commitment to reading.

Apartment Therapy

Decluttering Advice—Things to Get Rid Of

This “thrift store” tip will forever change how you declutter.

Stylist

How to Cure Braid Itch, According to the Experts

Box braids and twists can leave your scalp feeling uncomfortable as they’re not the easiest style to wash – especially if they’ve been installed too tightly. Here’s how to avoid and treat braid itch.

The Hustle

The Economics of Cruise Ships

For decades, the industry has done everything in its power to avoid paying into the system.

CityLab

The Forgotten Remnants of Route 66

Photographer Edward Keating captures the history of Route 66 over the decades as towns along ""the mother road"" have fallen into disrepair and obscurity.

Nautilus

How Math’s Most Famous Proof Nearly Broke

Andrew Wiles thought he had a solution to an age-old puzzle. Until it began to unravel.

Knowable Magazine

What Would Signal Life on Another Planet?

Astronomers have long debated what kind of chemistry might serve as a bona fide alien biosignature. With the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, those ideas may be put to the test.

Slate

Dismantling My Dreams, One Brick at a Time

We lived out our fantasy to flip a house. We will never do it again.

Outside

How to Eat Like a Nutritionist (And Never Feel Like You’re On a Diet)

It doesn’t have to be all kale salads and quinoa.

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

Friday, July 25

NPR

The Best Games of 2025 So Far, Picked by NPR’s Staff

From indies like ’Blue Prince’ to big console exclusives like ’Donkey Kong Bananza’, NPR staff and contributors round up their favorite games of the year so far.

The New Yorker

Mary Had Schizophrenia—Then Suddenly She Didn’t

Some psychiatric patients may actually have treatable autoimmune conditions. But what happens to the newly sane?

NBC News

The Deadliest Extreme Weather Event Is Not What You Think It Is

Nationally, extreme heat causes more deaths each year than any other weather event, including floods, hurricanes and tornadoes.

Esquire

What I Didn’t Understand About My Autistic Son, and What I’m Learning Now That He’s an Adult

I have opened my heart and my mind to Sam, and he’s brought both of us to the place we so desperately need to be.

Business Insider

Return Fraud Is Running Rampant

Whether it’s sending back broken items or claiming a package never arrived, Americans are committing return fraud at Amazon and other retailers.

The Associated Press

Photos Show a Filipino Couple Walking Down a Flooded Aisle on Their Wedding Day

Jade Rick Verdillo and Jamaica Aguilar were determined to walk down the aisle on their wedding day.

The Guardian

The Rise and Fall of the British Cult That Hid in Plain Sight

Philippa Barnes was a child when her family joined the Jesus Fellowship. As an adult, she helped expose the shocking scale of abuse it had perpetrated.

The Guardian

How Video Games Are Keeping Romance Alive – One Level at a Time

Some are using Final Fantasy and GTA Online as dating sites and long-time lovers are finding comfort and connection through Resident Evil. Could video games be the ultimate relationship tool?

How the Texas Right Wing Fell in Love With California-Style Regulating

The Texas GOP used to hate lawsuits, the nanny state, and the film industry. It’s learned from the Golden State to embrace all three as a means of cultural influence.

Interview

Meet Comedian Johnny Gaffney, the World’s Most Rejected Man

For years, the comedian and prankster staged public marriage proposals in high-profile settings to humiliating effect. Now, he’s turned the footage into a movie.

Bon Appétit

The Best Nontoxic Cookware, Tested by Our Experts

We wade through the marketing terms to talk about the nonstick cookware you should—or shouldn't—actually be buying.

Inverse

’Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Could Become Even More Convenient to Play

‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ is a certified hit, and it seems inevitable that Ubisoft will bring the RPG to the Switch 2 before the end of the current fiscal year.

Polygon

K-Pop Demon Hunters Exploded on Netflix — and Now It’s a Fanfic Legend

Rumi, Zoey, and Mira are climbing the real-world pop charts — and the AO3 charts

Teen Vogue

Can AI Accurately Read Your Birth Chart?

Here’s what you need to know about astrology and AI.

The Guardian

Venezuelans Deported by Trump to El Salvador Describe ‘Horror Movie’ Mega-Prison

Venezuelan men who were deported by the US to a notorious prison in El Salvador without due process are speaking out about treatment they described as “hell” and like a “horror movie”, after arriving back home.

Essence

How to Revive Your ‘Recession Blonde’ Roots, According to Beyoncé’s Colorist

Read on for more about the color trend, drugstore products to buy, and expert tips on touching up your hair for little to no cost.

BBC

Five Ice Hockey Players Found Not Guilty in Canada Sexual Assault Case

Five Canadian ice hockey players accused of sexually assaulting a woman have all been acquitted by an Ontario judge in a case that has been closely watched in Canada.