How soybeans took over America — and the world
Although I fancy soy milk as my preferred dairy alternative, I never knew how ubiquitous it is across the globe. This piece by Marina Bolotnikova, deputy editor for Vox’s Future Perfect and co-writer of the Processing Meat newsletter, is fascinating. It taught me a lot about the US-China soybean trade war, and how it isn’t as big a deal as it seems. Most soy goes to feed animals or make biofuels. As she writes, “Whether we’re feeding it to pigs and chickens or trucks and tractors, the principle is the same: Humans use too much soy, a magnificently productive crop, for perilously unproductive purposes.”
The real opportunity here, she describes, is to not squander the soybean. It’s rich in protein and nutrients, and with more dedicated innovation, soy-based foods could transform global eating habits.
🎧 Is empathy toxic?
Amid all the critiques of empathy online from the Christian right, this idea really stood out to me from the Explain It to Me podcast: Empathizing with someone doesn’t mean giving up your own perspective, and it doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily agree with or excuse their actions. The episode also highlights how difficult it can be to hold so much grief, stress, and anxiety — even passively, as we scroll through heartbreaking headlines or watch distressing videos — which can make managing our capacity for empathy challenging.
The sadistic appeal of ICE’s recruitment ads
Along with viral videos of ICE raids, the agency’s recruitment ads also feel inescapable. ICE is trying to hire more than 10,000 new agents before the end of the year, offering hefty incentives like signing bonuses and student loan debt repayment programs. The ads seem to be everywhere — Instagram, X, football commercials, even on LinkedIn. Their nostalgic, alarmist, and hyper-masculine aesthetic, which senior correspondent Constance Grady smartly breaks down, is worth exploring.
In times of uncertainty, Gen Z is “locked in”
I just love the phrase “lock in.” My friends and I yell it to each other while we’re playing pickleball as a way to signal someone needs to start upping their game. If we’re slacking off, we’ll joke that one of us is “unlocked, no key to be found.” But what exactly is Gen Z’s interpretation of the phrase? Culture writer Kyndall Cunningham explains that “locking in” is often described as Gen Z’s take on the idea of deep work, all about focusing without distractions. But it’s also ironically become a form of aspirational content, wrapped up in wellness and productivity aesthetics suited for platforms like TikTok. While Gen Z is using productivity to better themselves, which offers people a sense of control and purpose, “locking in” is more about surviving their generation’s unique challenges.
