Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

CityLab

What Happened to Hanging Out on the Street?

Urban pedestrians are walking faster and doing less socializing, according to a study of NYC, Boston and Philadelphia.

Fast Company

Want a Promotion? These 4 Habits Are More Powerful Than Talent

Talent can only take you so far. The reason some people are high performers is because they’ve formed good habits.

Stylist

Sunday Night Anxiety: How to Alleviate the “Sunday Scaries,” According to an Expert

Sophrology exercises can be used to alleviate the Sunday Scaries.

Mental Floss

12 Artifacts Brought Up From the ‘Titanic’

More than 5,500 artifacts have been brought up since the first salvage trip to the ‘Titanic’ wreckage in 1987.

Wait But Why

Taming the Mammoth: Why You Should Stop Caring What Other People Think

Human are wired with an over-the-top obsession with what others think of them. Here’s how to bring it under control.

GQ

Cardiologists On What You Need to Know About Intermittent Fasting and Heart Health

Experts want you to take scary headlines with a grain of salt.

Greater Good Magazine

How to Stay Empathic Without Suffering So Much

Four steps to a healthier, more helpful, and more sustainable form of empathy.

Smithsonian Magazine

This Wooden Sculpture Is Twice as Old as Stonehenge and the Pyramids

New findings about the 12,500-year-old Shigir Idol have major implications for the study of prehistory.

Outside

How Blueberries Became a Superfood

Thanks to savvy marketing, science, and luck, blueberries helped usher in a new era of health food obsession.

Architectural Digest

The World’s 13 Most Beautiful Villages You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

From an English hamlet seemingly plucked from a fairy tale to a color-packed town in Colombia, these under-the-radar spots allow you to enjoy the quaint atmosphere without the crowds.

Aeon

What Big History Says About How Royal Women Exercise Power

Queens in many societies heavily influenced the policies and governing behavior of their kings.

Literary Hub

14 Curious Telegrams from (and to) Famous Writers

“I can’t look you in the voice.”

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

Sunday, July 27

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?

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.

Slate

The Rise of the One-Day Overseas Vacation

In the age of remote work, Instagram reels, and shrinking PTO, the one-day international trip is becoming both absurd and strangely relatable.

The Guardian

Why Are Thailand and Cambodia Engaged in a Border Conflict?

Territory mapped during France’s colonial rule is behind clash that has exposed tensions between the countries.

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.

NPR

Are High-Protein Snacks Worth the Hype? Here’s How to Assess

Protein has taken over the packaged-snack aisles at the grocery store. But do you need extra protein in your chips and muffins?

SELF

3 Simple Steps to Keep Your Bananas From Rotting Way Too Soon

Expert-approved strategies for extending the life of this potassium-packed—but short-lived—fruit.

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.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

CNET

Trying to Get a Better Night’s Sleep? Try the 10-3-2-1-0 Sleep Hack

Getting enough sleep can sometimes be difficult. This five-step sleep method can help.

The Conversation

Gene Editing Technology Could Be Used to Save Species on the Brink of Extinction

Earth’s biodiversity is in crisis. An imminent “sixth mass extinction” threatens beloved and important wildlife. It also threatens to reduce the amount of genetic diversity – or variation – within species.

Vogue

Artificial Intelligence Is Changing the Way We Navigate Romantic Relationships

What happens to love, intimacy, and emotional growth when our most vulnerable moments are processed with machines?

ESPN

Debating Top 2026 NFL Draft Prospects at Every Position

Who is the top quarterback, edge rusher and corner in the 2026 NFL draft class? We debated every position’s early lead.

Fast Company

Wall Street’s Winning Streak Continues in Another Record-Setting Week

The S&P 500 is on track to finish its fourth winning week in the last five while the Dow Jones was up 71 points as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time.

Inverse

How the Fantastic Four Mid-Credits Scene Sets up the Next Avengers Movie

‘Doomsday’ is coming. Here’s how ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ sets it all up.

MIT Technology Review

America’s AI Watchdog Is Losing Its Bite

 “There will be fewer, if any, enforcement actions about how companies are deploying AI,” says former FTC attorney Leah Frazier.

Quanta Magazine

Quantum Scientists Have Built a New Math of Cryptography

In theory, quantum physics can bypass the hard mathematical problems at the root of modern encryption. A new proof shows how.

POLITICO Europe

Inside the Wild World of Britain’s Private Spies

Lucrative, freewheeling — and largely unregulated — private intelligence and security firms are booming in the land of James Bond and John le Carré.

The Marshall Project

Galvanized by Trump, These States Are Passing Harsh New Laws Against Immigrants

The policies create new restrictions for immigrants and people who support them — including reviving measures previously rejected by courts.

SELF

The 5 Best Foods to Eat for Better Mental Health

Your diet can affect *all* of your organs—brain included.

Inverse

20 Years Ago, a Cult Classic Open World Game Transformed a Beloved Sci-Fi Genre

‘Destroy All Humans’ brought an inventive take on the alien invasion, and it still remains one of the definitive comedic takes on the genre in games.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

Kiplinger

Are You an Auto Theft Target? Discover the Clues

Thieves seized over 850,000 cars last year. See which models, states and behaviors draw the eyes of opportunists.

NPR

Home Sales Are Down. So Why Are Prices at an All-Time High?

Those with equity in a home can trade up more easily, while many first-time homebuyers are still stuck on the sidelines.

Fast Company

How to Go From Quiet to Commanding

An executive coach offers introverts five tips for sounding more confident. You’re smart, capable, and consistently deliver results. But in meetings, your voice disappears.

The Week

How Will the New Tax Deductions on Auto Loans Work?

Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced a tax deduction on auto loan interest — but eligibility for the tax break is limited.

The Guardian

‘Old People Are Capable of More’: Meet the Female Weightlifters in Their 70s and 80s

Forget the stereotype of the frail old woman who needs help carrying groceries – fitness mavens like Joan MacDonald show you can strength train at any age.

USA TODAY

Estate Sales Are Booming. Thank Gen Z

Environmentally-conscious young people are heading to estate sales for low cost, well-made products.

USA TODAY

Young People Always Worry About Social Security. Older People Are Joining Them.

Americans are worrying more about Social Security, and the Trump administration may be partly to blame.  In an AARP survey released July 22, only 36% of Americans voiced confidence in the future of the retirement trust fund, down from 43% in 2020.

Time

What to Say to Someone With Cancer 

Some well-meaning phrases don’t always go over well.

NPR

Doctors Urge FDA to Remove Black Box Warning on Hormone Therapy for Menopause

The FDA may remove the warning labels on hormone replacement therapies used to treat the symptoms of menopause. Doctors say the warning is scaring people who could benefit from these treatments.

HuffPost

These 8 Common Habits Could Increase Your Risk of Dementia

These common daily behaviors can impact your cognitive health – and take a toll on your overall health, too.

The Cut

‘Are My Student Loans About to Become Unaffordable?’

You could do nothing—or you could sign up for a new repayment plan. Here are your options.

NBC News

Did Your Doctor’s Office Charge You a ‘Facility Fee’? Here’s What to Know.

Facility fees, often associated with inpatient hospital stays, are becoming more common for outpatient doctors’ appointments.