Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

MEL Magazine

How Did an Entire Sri Lankan Handball Team Vanish in Germany?

Fox News called them terrorists. Their home country pretended they never existed. But in the end, they were only doing what was best for their families.

Nautilus

Galactic Settlement and the Fermi Paradox

The results of galactic colonization models are a mixed bag for SETI optimists.

CityLab

When the School Bus Doesn’t Come

The school commute is turning into a nightmare for many families, as cities across the US grapple with a severe driver shortage.

Darius Foroux

Did You Fail At Something? Good—Do Something Else

When something goes wrong, there’s always an upside that will get you back on the right track.

The Conversation

Five Ways to Make Your Daily Walks Even More Beneficial

Changing the way you walk can improve your cardiovascular health, strength and mental wellbeing.

Stylist

This Is How Often You Should Wash Your Sheets and Bed (and the Best Way to Keep It Clean)

Have you always wondered when the right time is to wash your bed sheets? We’ve got you covered.

Smithsonian Magazine

The Scientist Using Bugs to Help Solve Murders

At crime scenes around the world, the forensic entomologist Paola Magni is taking her field into uncharted waters.

Aeon

Cruel to Be Kind: Should You Sometimes Be Bad for Another’s Good?

Turns out, humans have an excellent sense of when a negative emotion will be the best motivation.

The Hustle

The $500m Smiley Face Business

Nearly 50 years ago, one man ‘invented’ the modern smiley face. Then, another man halfway across the world made it into a multimillion-dollar cash cow.

Prevention

How to Be More Confident in 8 Steps, According to Experts

Sometimes you really do have to fake it ’til you make it.

MIT Press Reader

How Expectations and Conditioning Shape Our Response to Placebos

Kathryn Hall, an expert on placebos, considers the ways that expectations and learning affect our response to them.

Knowable Magazine

Why Interstellar Objects Like ‘Oumuamua and Borisov May Hold Clues to Exoplanets

The detection of two celestial interlopers careening through our solar system has scientists eagerly anticipating more.

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

Monday, July 7

CNN

Here’s Who Stands to Gain From the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill.’ And Who May Struggle

President Donald Trump has promised that the “big, beautiful bill” passed by Congress will be one of the most successful pieces of legislation in American history.

Smithsonian Magazine

In a Milestone for Manhattan, a Pair of Coyotes Has Made Central Park Their Home

For six years, two photographers have carefully followed the canines and documented their secret lives.

Boston

Did We Ruin Summer Camp by Making It Safe?

The kids are all right—but are they missing out?

KCRW

Want Better Bakes? Here’s What Your Ingredients Actually Do

Pastry chef Nicola Lamb sifts through the essential ingredients of baking — flour, sugar, eggs, and butter.

CNN

A Couple Tried for 18 Years to Get Pregnant. AI Made It Happen.

As artificial intelligence shapes fertility care, it’s now helping doctors find hidden sperm.

Reuters

They Tried Made in the USA. It Was Too Expensive for Their Customers.

Tens of thousands of American small and midsize manufacturers are facing the choice between paying steep tariffs on Chinese imports or taking on significantly higher domestic production costs.

Bon Appétit

An Inside Look at the Best Snack Trends at the Summer Fancy Food Show

At the Comic Con of snacks, we track down the latest in sweet treats, sauces, and drinks.

New York Magazine

'People Want That African Euphoria'

Black Americans are moving to Ghana — and driving up the cost of living for everyone around them.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

CNET

How to Share Games on Nintendo Switch 2 (Spoiler: It’s Easier Than You Think)

There are two methods to share your games between multiple Switch 2 consoles using Virtual Game Cards. And neither one is called GameShare.

Bustle

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Abby Goes Viral With Pom-Pom Care TikTok

‘America’s Sweethearts’ star Abby Summers made a video showing the work she has to put into her pom-poms as a member of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

Literary Hub

How Immigrants and Other ESL Students Make American English Their Own

I was born in the United States and therefore speak American English, because, aside from a brief few years in my childhood when my father assured me that my first language was Mandarin Chinese (my mother’s native tongue), I was raised in an English-speaking household.

Gizmodo

Move Over Messi: China’s New Robot Soccer League Is Wild!

With AI-powered humanoids now playing 3-on-3 matches, China kicks off its boldest push yet to dominate robotics through sports.

Business Insider

Leaked Docs Reveal Meta Is Training Its Chatbots to Message You First, Remember Your Chats, and Keep You Talking

Leaked guidelines show how Meta’s custom AI chatbots are trained to get more proactive, following up with users to increase retention.

Time

The Quiet Dread of Wedding Season—and How to Cope

Weddings can bring up anxieties about where your own life stands. Here are four tips to get through it, writes Rohan Banarjee.

W Magazine

The Oasis Kids Are All Right: Meet the Next Gen of Gallaghers

As Liam and Noel Gallagher reunite for the Oasis comeback tour, their kids—Anaïs, Lennon, Gene, and Molly—open up about their lives as Brit-pop royalty.

CNBC

Recruiter: I’ve Placed Over 1,000 People Into Jobs–Here’s the No. 1 ‘Closing Technique’ to Nail Your Interview

In this environment where it’s difficult to get your foot in the door, one mistake that some recent graduates make is assuming that their degree will automatically get them a job.

Inc. Magazine

Emotionally Intelligent People Use the Ancient Greek ‘Kairos’ Rule to Reduce Anxiety and Make the Most of Their Time

The ancient Greeks didn’t see time the way we do. There’s a lot to learn from their approach.

The Marginalian

A Defense of Joy

One of the most important things to have learned in life is that choosing joy in a world rife with reasons for despair is a countercultural act of courage and resistance, choosing it not despite the abounding sorrow we barely survive but because of it …

Condé Nast Traveler

Women Who Travel Book Club: 9 New Books to Dive Into This Summer

Exciting new favorites by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Joan Didion, and Eleanor Wilde.

CBS News

Does the “Big, Beautiful Bill” Eliminate Taxes on Social Security?

President Trump pushed to eliminate taxes on Social Security. Does his “one big, beautiful bill” deliver?

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

NPR

4 Things to Know About the Vaccine Ingredient Thimerosal

The federal government could soon recommend that people only receive flu shots made without an ingredient called thimerosal.

The New York Times

How Many Dates Should You Go on Before You Start Talking About Money?

Couples tend to dance around discussing how much they earn or owe early in a relationship. But experts agree that talking about money sooner is better than later.

HuffPost

I Paid Off a School’s Lunch Debt. Then Strangers on the Internet Did Something Truly Stunning.

This is proof that strangers can decide, together, to make things better.

Fast Company

How to Trick Your Nervous System Into Calming Down When You’re Stressed at Work

Understanding how your body works can be the key to reducing stress. For example, you’re probably aware of your fight-or-flight response—the body’s way of preparing itself when it believes it’s being threatened.

NPR

‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Purchases Can Now Affect Your Credit Score. Here’s What That Means

Services that split up payments into installments are increasingly popular, especially among young and low-to-middle income shoppers. But now the FICO credit scoring company will be tracking that debt.

The Guardian

Natural Fibers and No Heathered Grey: What to Wear When It’s Really, Really Hot Out

The biggest concerns are a) maximizing comfort and b) masking sweat so one doesn’t look like a sentient pile of wet laundry.

DW

Paris Reopens Seine River for Public Swimming

Parisians have begun bathing in the Seine for the first time in over 100 years after a ban was lifted. The French capital has created three swimming zones along the river as part of its Olympic legacy.

Inc. Magazine

Half of Remote Employees Nap During the Workday, a Survey Says 

Employers might want to keep an eye open for any visible facial creases, suspiciously mussed hairdos, or groggy comments during video meetings with remote staff. It turns out nearly half of people working from home admit to taking naps on company time.

Men's Health

How Long It Should Take to Walk a Mile—and How That Can Help to Improve Your Fitness

Whether you're looking to move more or you want to upgrade your daily stroll, these tips will help you pick up the pace.

Lifehacker

Five Psychological Tricks You Can Use to Make Yourself Feel Happier

It’s easy to see why being happy is such a challenge these days. People are working jobs they hate, struggling to pay bills, and living in an increasingly isolated, digitally driven world.

The Atlantic

The Feminine Pursuit of Swoleness

A new book considers how weight lifting can help you unlearn diet culture.

Fast Company

Why Office Gossip Can Be Good for the Workplace (If It’s the Right Kind of Gossip)

Gossip at work is inevitable. But what exactly workers gossip about can be key in dictating company culture. Rumor has it that gossip can be a positive force in workplace cultures, under the right circumstances.