We often set aside articles that are longer, deserve a re-read, are broader in scope…or just for fun — for weekend reading. Below are some from this week — pour yourself a hot cup of coffee & enjoy...
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The Next Crisis Will Start With Empty Office Buildings: Commercial real estate is losing value fast (The Atlantic)
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The Horse Isn’t Real. People Are Betting on It Anyway (Vice)
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Power companies quietly pushed $215m into US politics via dark money groups: Donations have helped utilities increase electricity prices, hinder solar schemes and helped elect sympathetic legislators. (The Guardian)
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Don’t let them fool you: The fear of being duped is ubiquitous, but excessive scepticism makes it harder to trust one another and cooperate (Aeon)
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How a dose of MDMA transformed a white supremacist: Brendan was once a leader in the US white nationalist movement. But when he took the drug MDMA in a scientific study, it would radically change his extremist beliefs – to the surprise of everyone involved. Rachel Nuwer investigates what happened (BBC)
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Why it’s so hard to fix the information ecosystem: Misinformation is a job; correcting misinformation is a hobby (Noahpinion)
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Shiny Happy People is a great reminder of why cult documentaries should exist: Even more importantly, in these docs that deal with fundamentalisms of all stripes (Latter-day Saints, Protestant, or even “secular,” in the case of NXIVM), a question arises: Why didn’t you just leave? (Vox)
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Tax Cuts Are Primarily Responsible for the Increasing Debt Ratio: Without the Bush and Trump tax cuts, debt as a percentage of the economy would be declining permanently (Center For American Progress)
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The hottest new perk in tech is freedom: How small tech companies are using remote work to compete with the big guys (Vox)
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What the Scientists Who Pioneered Weight-Loss Drugs Want You to Know (Wired)
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Parrots Are Taking Over the World: Smart, adaptable and loud, parrots are thriving in cities far outside their native ranges (Scientific American)
What are you reading or listening to?