My Weekly Recommendations
Spend your weekend with our new podcast! And other recommendations
Our new podcast is here! You can listen to the first episode of 9066: One Signature Changed It All anywhere you get your podcasts.
When FDR signed executive order 9066, he upended lives and forever altered the course of American history. With the stroke of a pen, more than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry would be forced from their homes, jobs, schools, and lives.
You don’t want to miss this story.
Here’s what else to dig into this weekend.
The Thursday Night Massacre: Why Top Prosecutors Resigned Rather Than Drop This Case
Danielle Sassoon and Hagan Scotten wouldn’t be anyone’s idea of anti-Trump “Resistance” warriors. And yet, last week, when Trump administration officials ordered DOJ prosecutors to dismiss the criminal charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, it was Sassoon and Scotten who took a stand.
Three Things to Think About
Nannie Helen Burroughs, the daughter of formerly enslaved parents, didn’t have many options in life, and when nobody would hire her, she did something about it. Plus, we are getting close to knowing what animals think, and a deep dive into the fascinating (and surprising) history of women drivers.
Rewriting History in Real Time
We are experiencing in real time the advent of a modern-day Lost Cause, one in which some people claim that facts aren’t real and that true things are hoaxes, one where books are banned and the First Amendment is trampled upon. A version of reality that recasts the proponents of freedom as threats to the nation, one that scapegoats the vulnerable while consolidating power in the hands of the rich.
Veterans Left Behind, Millions Spent on Confederate Names, and Europe on Edge
From VA layoffs to costly base renaming and Ukraine’s uncertain future—how recent decisions are reshaping America’s priorities.
The Government Promised to Pay -- Then it Didn't
The Trump administration, in a release from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), promised that “Funds for small businesses, farmers, Pell grants, Head Start, rental assistance, and other similar programs will not be paused” during the spending review imposed by the president’s executive orders. But a Feb. 10 response from a USDA spokesperson told a different story. Everything, they said, was getting a once-over from the White House.
What I’m reading…
What the Founding Fathers Said About Kings
By Miranda Jeyaretnam for Time Magazine
President Donald Trump has a fondness for giving himself nicknames: “very stable genius,” “Honest Don,” and now “the king.” The latest title gives critics the most pause.
On Being in Community
Joyce Vance for Civil Discourse
As a community, we can work all the angles of democracy. Some of us will focus on our city councils and school boards, others on state government, and some on the White House, Congress, and the courts. Some of us will work to support the free press and other democratic institutions. Make some of it yours. Build a community around you that supports democracy.
The 10 New Books to Feed Your Mind in 2025
By Adam Grant for Granted
One thing we can all control this year is the information that we let into our heads. As Adam Grant reviewed this winter’s new releases, he had three filters: screen out what’s inaccurate, impractical, and uninteresting. He made this list in January, but it’s worth looking at to see your next read as we move into the third month of the year.
I sailed alone around the world aged 16 | Life and style
By Laura Dekker for The Guardian
I started planning my trip around the world at the age of eight after reading the American sailor Tania Aebi’s memoir, Maiden Voyage. I began saving and sailing as much as possible to make that dream a reality. I was a confident sailor: at 13, I crossed the Channel solo. I didn’t tell my parents before I left; I didn’t think they’d say yes.
What I am listening to…
Best of “How To”: Make Small Talk
The Atlantic Podcast Team
How do we overcome the awkwardness that keeps us from starting a conversation?
The trouble with 'donating our dopamine' to our phones, not our friends
Fresh Air
It's the Friday evening of a long work week. Maybe you sit down on the couch and start to scroll on social media. A friend texts you to cancel the dinner you planned, and a part of you is relieved, happy even. Now you can stay home and order in. A look at what this turn towards isolation means for our society.
Bill Kristol: Taking A Wrecking Ball to the Government
The Bulwark Podcast
Firing air traffic controllers over a busy holiday travel weekend, cutting a veterans crisis hotline, axing and then rehiring people who maintain and keep our nuclear arsenal safe: Musk and his minions aren't trying to "fix" the government. They're trying to make it more susceptible to Trump's personalized leadership. Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller on the show.
What I am watching…
Adam Zeman: Can you "see" images in your mind? Some people can't
When reading "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," most readers visualize the queen’s croquet game play out in their heads. A few might see the scene in vivid detail. However, a small fraction of readers have a drastically different experience: within their heads, they "see" absolutely nothing. Why do some people have an inability to visualize images? Adam Zeman explores the science of aphantasia.
How more women can become CEOs
The Economist
Only around 10% of Britain’s and America’s biggest companies have female CEOs. Addressing the "motherhood penalty" and making recruitment processes uniform are two ways to redress this imbalance.
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I love the explainer on aphantasia! I’m one of those people and I still find it fascinating that people can see images. I thought “picture yourself on a beach” was always a metaphor when I was younger. So fun to see differences.
If you are interested in why the Civil War actually started, you should read Battle Cry of Freedom by James M McPherson. The “States Rights” the Confederacy was trying to preserve was slavery. It said so unequivocally in the articles of secession. His section on the political run up to the war is still relevant today. Again, those who forget the lessons of history are condemned to repeat them. Many have pointed that out but unfortunately,few listen.