All Stories

Is Summerween really a thing?

For the creator of the short-lived Disney cartoon “Gravity Falls,” necessity was the mother of invention. The show, which ran from 2012–2016, takes place during summer vacation, when twins Mabel and Dipper travel to a small town in Oregon that,…
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Kylie Jenner can’t redeem AI glasses

I have watched an ad for Meta’s new smart-glasses collaboration with Kylie Jenner at least 7 times today. It unfolds from Jenner’s POV, documenting a busy morning in the life of a young mogul. She touches up a manicure, rifles…
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How private equity destroyed an American pastime

Joey remembers falling asleep to the sounds of league bowling when she was a little kid in Eastern Michigan. “Both my parents bowled, and my older brother was supposed to keep an eye on me, but he would tell friends…
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The trademark wars of influencer culture

If you’re someone who likes to read and frequents places both online and IRL where other people who like to read tend to congregate, the phrase “Hot Girls Read” has probably been on your radar at some point in the…
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Wall Street wants to change the rules for your 401(k)

Most Americans don’t look to their 401(k) plans for excitement or experimentation, instead relying on the promise that steady saving and sober planning will guarantee security in their golden years. But the Trump administration wants to transform the well-worn patterns…
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The mail-order catalog disappeared. Can it be revived?

Charlotte was cleaning out her parents’ garage last summer when she found a box of catalogs, circa 1996–1999. dELiA*s, MoxieGirl, Alloy — they were all there. “Instant flashback,” she says, describing how she sat right down on the concrete floor…
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