“If the global south exists, then who leads it?” From 2000 to 2021, China funded more than 20,000 infrastructure projects across 165 countries. / The Economist
Ed Conway: Elon Musk isn’t going to be the Henry Ford of the electric car—China is. / Material World
Jon Lee Anderson embeds with a Brazilian special-forces unit that fights illegal miners in the Amazon. / The New Yorker
Researchers estimate that the best land for growing coffee will shrink by more than half by 2050. / Grist
Swapping red meat for forage fish—e.g., herring and sardines—could prevent 750,000 deaths a year. / The Guardian
In Michigan, two parents are convicted over the deaths caused by their child in a mass shooting. / The New York Times [+]
Abortions will soon be outlawed in Arizona except in cases where a pregnant person’s life is at risk. / NPR
Eclipse travelers spent an estimated $1.6 billion on lodging, activities, food, and gas. / Business Insider
For $20 million, you can buy Kelly Slater’s Hawaiian compound. / Uncrate
“Mark Twain should not erase Stendhal.” Europe fears artificial intelligence will erase its languages. / Politico EU
The physics community mourns Peter Higgs, who proposed the Higgs boson. / Metafilter
Mattel debuts a less competitive version of Scrabble for Gen Z, or anybody who finds word games intimidating. / BBC News
See also: Tracking several hundred teenagers over 24 years. / The Pudding
A social history of New York City told through its restaurants. “At midnight, Taylor emerged.” / Grub Street
