A list of good reads
- The Plank investigates how the Lucknow government spent nearly Rs 100 crore on ‘AI cameras’—under the pretext of stopping crimes against women before they happen. FYI: this one is from Samarth Bansal’s excellent online magazine, so it’s an extra-enthu pick from us:)
- Wall Street Journal (splainer gift link) reveals how big brands avoid advertising on news sites—and how publishers are fed up with this skittish behaviour.
- The Guardian reports on how the multivitamin supplement industry goes unchecked—while a growing number of consumers suffer pain and cramps, linked to high levels of vitamin B6.
- Also in The Guardian: standup comic Stewart Lee pens the perfect rant on how he’ll be back on the Baileys if 2025 is anything like 2024.
- Sticking with these unsettling times, New Yorker reveals that Saturn’s iconic rings are vanishing—but hey, at least humans aren’t responsible, for once!
- Rebecca Jennings in Vox examines whether her quest to become beautiful—via a 75-day TikTok glow-up challenge—actually made her uglier.
- New York Times (splainer gift link) looks at how the popular role-playing game ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ is changing rules around characters’ race and gender identity. Longtime players—including Elon Musk, of course—aren’t happy.
- Writer and radio producer Eliane Glaser has an all-too-relatable essay in Aeon detailing why she sabotages herself daily—through procrastination, distraction and addiction.
- In a conversation with filmmaker Bardroy Baretto, Scroll traces how Bollywood lost its ‘Goan rhythm’.
- Neeti Mehra in The Hindu asks whether the indigenous desi oon wool stands a chance against the juggernaut pashmina—when finding a place in India’s fashion industry.
