A lot of the #1 stories are kind of depressing, to be honest. Here are a couple that caught my eye:

• The Road to 1948 – The personal history of one Palestinian family.
• A Family Ranch, Swallowed Up in the Madness of the Border – Interesting because it talks about all the different people popping up on the ranch (which is huge) and where they are from. It surprises me that there are people from all over the world sneaking (or sometimes being trafficked) across the US-Mexico border. I have been skeptical of this.
• The Opus Dei Diaries – I am only familiar with the Dan Brown version, and in fact this article mentions the Dan Brown version.
• ‘Lavender’: The AI Machine Directing Israel’s Bombing Spree in Gaza – I already did a whole post on this one, but this is possibly my single most interesting/disturbing find of the year.
• From the Encampments – about the anti-war protests on US college campuses.
• Spreadsheet Superstars – There is something called the “Excel World Championship”.
• Emma Carey: The Skydiver Who Survived a 14,000-foot Fall – I probably wouldn’t actually read this article, but yeah this person is still alive.
• They Played Football as Children. Now Their Families Mourn – (American tackle) football is horrible. And very entertaining. I am conflicted. I am a hypocrite. I am still watching.
• 40 Acres and a Lie – This is about some reparations that were actually paid out in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. And then mostly clawed back.
• When the Arctic Melts – it’s only a question of how fast and how bad
• Maylia and Jack and Opioids Ravaged a Kentucky Town. Then Rehab Became Its Business. Opioids and the war on drugs. It’s ugly out there.