“Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change,” the New York Times
For the New York Times, Nathaniel Rich gives an in-depth account of how we came to understand the earth’s temperature was rising and almost did something about it in the 1980s, while we still could. — Greta Kaul, data reporter
“You Wooed Me Back, You Broke My Heart, I Still LoveYou, North Dakota,” Unheralded.fish
Pam Costain, the former president and CEO of AchieveMpls, describes the love and appreciation she holds for her home state — and her struggle with its transgressions against Native Americans. “Late life love is different than the naiveté of youth. It requires more honesty and humility, the acceptance of ambiguity and nuance, forgiveness and accountability,” she writes. — Susan Albright, managing editor
“ ‘This Little Light Of Mine’ Shines On,’ A Timeless Tool of Resistance,” NPR
Eric Deggans writes about the ways “This Little Light of Mine” has been used as a freedom song, beginning with stories of how it was used in the civil rights movement and tracing it all the way to Charlottesville last year, where the Rev. Osagyefo Sekou led it in the streets over the “you will not replace us” chants. — Jonathan Stegall, user experience engineer
“ ‘Too Little Too Late’: Bankruptcy Booms Among Older Americans,” The New York Times
Forget “Hereditary,” this Times piece is the scariest thing I’ve seen in a long time. It details a surge in bankruptcy filing among the elderly, a trend driven by “a three-decade shift of financial risk from government and employers to individuals, who are bearing an ever-greater responsibility for their own financial well-being as the social safety net shrinks.” Fun! And like all terrifying stories, the most frightening part may be what’s left unsaid: that the problem is likely to get dramatically worse. — Andy Putz, editor
