National news these days is coming at us fast and furious, overwhelming our ability to keep up, understand what it all means and wade through the useless noise. It’s no wonder so many of us are tuning out instead.
That’s bad — for our democracy, our sanity and our ability to fight for what we believe in and what we want to see for our country, our city, our communities.
We’re here to help.
In the words of Citizen Co-founder Larry Platt:
The age of the editorial gatekeeper is over. You are your own editor these days. So each week from now on we’re going to provide you the must-read or must-see picks, without regard to ideology, that we think are worthy of your attention in an effort to get a handle on just what’s really happening in national affairs.
Here’s what to read this week:
The Heritage Americans Have Already Been Replaced, by Charles Fain Lehman for the City Journal
Lehman takes a deep dive into what exactly are “heritage Americans”, and how few us there are: “If you believe that America is for heritage Americans, in other words, I regret to inform you that the heritage Americans are no longer the majority. And that change isn’t recent; it’s been baked in for over a century.” — Citizen Media Group Executive Director/Editorial Director Roxanne Patel Shepelavy
Are Utilities Making Too Much Money?, by David Roberts, in conversation with Joe Daniel fo RMI, for Volts
I pretty much only think of utility rates when I open my electric bill in the summer, my eyes bug out, and then I run to turn the thermostat up. Which is why this week’s episode of David Roberts’s Volts podcast was so enlightening. It’s super wonky (I had to pull the transcript at some points to make sure I understood what was going on) but also breaks down the utility industry in a way I’d never considered before. — Philadelphia magazine Executive Editor Bradford Pearson
Why Pennsylvania’s Two Most Powerful Democrats Don’t Speak, by Lisa Lerer and Katie Glueck for The New York Times ($)
Lerer and Glueck write: “In recent years, their trajectories have sharply diverged: Mr. Shapiro is now one of the country’s most popular governors, widely seen as a possible White House contender in 2028. Mr. Fetterman, relishing clashes with the left, has become a Democratic pariah, and has struggled with mental and physical health challenges.”
Healthcare Jobs Have Become the Engine of America’s Labor Market, by Harriet Torry and Konrad Putzier for the Wall Street Journal ($)
A trio of WSJ articles might convince those of us who work mostly with keyboards to consider nursing school. One piece touted the use of AI agents within companies; another announced OpenAI’s new “AI co-worker” platform, while this third positioned healthcare workers as uniquely ascendant among U.S. earners.
Surveillance Pricing, by Ronan Farrow, on TikTok, Threads
Farrow, a writer for The New Yorker, strikes me as made for the social media era. Recently he took to all of his channels to explain the genesis of the price tag (in Philadelphia, naturally), how retailers are using AI to personalize pricing, and a New York City law that warns consumers about the situation. You can bet if it’s happening in New York, it’s happening here — or will soon. — Deputy Editor Lauren McCutcheon
When One Mother Was Taken by ICE, Another Stepped in to Donate Breastmilk, by Chabelli Carrazana for The 19th
This story transcends politics; it’s simply about moms helping moms. “In Minneapolis, for every story detailing the fallout of the federal crackdown, there are as many stories of people like Bri. Neighbors are putting their trust in total strangers. Moms are helping children who are not their own, who they’ve never met.”
Finally, in the “it’s never too late” category:
How a Nearly 70-year-old Debut Novelist Published 2025’s Breakout Hit, by Sophia Nguyen, The Washington Post ($)
In a world of overachievers and one-track minds, this is the refreshing true story of how Allen Levi, an erstwhile singer-songwriter and probate judge, discovered inspiration in a local coffee shop and found DIY success as a novelist — during a season of life when most folks are simply aspiring to retirement.
Previous Must-Reads:
Week of February 2:
Minnesota Proved MAGA Wrong, by Adam Serwer, for The Atlantic ($)
As Serwer writes: “In Minnesota, all of the ideological cornerstones of MAGA have been proved false at once. Minnesotans, not the armed thugs of ICE and the Border Patrol, are brave. Minnesotans have shown that their community is socially cohesive — because of its diversity and not in spite of it. Minnesotans have found and loved one another in a world atomized by social media, where empty men have tried to fill their lonely soul with lies about their own inherent superiority. Minnesotans have preserved everything worthwhile about ‘Western civilization,’ while armed brutes try to tear it down by force.”
In California, Decline is a Choice, by Suzy Weiss for The Free Press ($)
In the age of Abundance politics, I am fascinated by the way Californians try to thread all the needles in a state that makes it extraordinarily difficult to build, despite its overwhelming need to build. Resident Jan Sramek sees another way: “Instead of pushing out the wealth, harness it. Instead of adding regulations, tear them down. Instead of squashing infrastructure innovation, enable it. California must build, he insists, to relive its glory days.” — Executive Director/Editorial Director Roxanne Patel Shepelavy
Homeland Security is Targeting Americans with this Secretive Legal Weapon, by John Woodrow Cox for The Washington Post ($)
This Wash Po article explains how the federal agency is using the little-known — and previously little-used — power of the administrative subpoena to tamp down free speech, as told through the fallout from a suburban Philadelphian who sent a non-threatening, four-sentence email.
Everyone is Stealing TV, by Janko Roettgers for The Verge ($)
My favorite stories are the ones that inform me about a subject that I’m not only ignorant about, but didn’t even know existed. This story checks that box. — Philadelphia Magazine Features Editor Bradford Pearson
In this Pennsylvania Town, Republicans are Fighting to Keep Latino Support, by Elizabeth Findell for The Wall Street Journal ($)
Bucks County may be a bellwether for the country, but this story positions Allentown as the same for Latino voters, who contributed to a small but mighty blue wave in the city’s 2024 election. These voters are wary of ICE — but largely focused on the economy.
The Latest Epstein Files Release, by Isaac Saul for Tangle
Philadelphia’s Saul distills all 3.5 million pages — just over half of all of the total — into essentials for those of us who won’t be reading them. But he also points out what’s wrong with not just the government’s handling of these ultra sensitive documents, and media coverage of their contents, but where it’s landed U.S. society in general: “at the tip of the responsibility iceberg.”
Donald Trump has Built a Clicktatorship, by Donald Moynihan for The Atlantic ($)
Under Trump, “truth matters less than attention,” writes Donald Moynihan, a professor at the University of Michigan. Moynihan coined the term “clicktatorship” to describe the President’s preference for governing via Truth Social or X posts. Here, he outlines the consequences and how phones and social media can also be used to push against the slide into authoritarianism. — Staff Writer Courtney DuChene
Finally, bring on the curling:
It’s Winter Olympics Opening Weekend
Who needs the Super Bowl, when you have ice dancing and something called ski mountaineering? NPR provides a succinct guide to all of it.
Week of January 26:
Welcome to the American Winter, by Robert F. Worth, photos by Jack Califano, for The Atlantic ($)
Former chief of The New York Times Beirut bureau — a literal war correspondent — and a street smart photographer take a hard look at the last many days of Minneapolis. What emerges is a view of both an unprecedented urban battlescape and a portrait of organized modern resistance.
China’s Renewable Energy Revolution is a Huge Mess that Might Save the World, by Jeremy Wallace for Wired
“I found this story about the bizarre economics of green energy — and how the market in China would not only be impossible to recreate here but altogether not valuable to recreate — fascinating.” — Philadelphia Magazine Features Editor Bradford Pearson
The U.S. measles outbreaks, by Ari Weitzman for Tangle
Takes from the left, the right, and medical experts lead to consensus about MMR vaccines, and a contrast between Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s fear-based views on bodily autonomy — and none other than General George Washington’s pursuit of the common good.
How millennials fell out of love with the internet, by Jonquilyn Hill for Vox
“Millennials in my social circles have been increasingly jumping ship when it comes to social media and the internet entirely — even shifting back to analog forms of entertainment. It strikes me as odd but perhaps not unsurprising that the generation that grew with the internet now holds ill will towards it. Vox’s Explain It to Me suggests where that burnout is coming from.” — Citizen Social Media Manager Olivia Kram
Words & Phrases, by Jen Rubin for The Contrarian, on Substack
The former Washington Post columnist writes about giant steps back from the 4th and 2nd Amendments, formerly part and parcel of Republican doctrine. Rubin writes, “We can see what is going on here. As MAGA slips into kneejerk defense of out-and-out fascism, no Constitutional right is sacred.”
In memoriam:
This week, Philadelphia at-large lost one of its best. D-Mac, many of us — including your former colleagues at Philly mag — knew and loved you. But you knew and loved us best of all.
Take a few minutes to re-read a few of Dan McQuade’s inimitable tributes to the Philly spirit: his takes on the famed citywide run in Rocky II, the end of The Gallery, and the t-shirt selection on the Wildwood boardwalk.
Week of January 19:
What is Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ and who is joining, by Helen Regan and Kara Fox, CNN
A useful, up-to-date explainer of yet another new effort to remake the world order keeps it simple for those of us who have a hard time keeping up. “Trump has invited dozens of countries to join the board that seeks to resolve global conflicts, but its remit has alarmed several U.S. allies, as has the U.S. leader’s comment that it “might” replace the United Nations … its purpose … tackle conflicts the world over.”
I wish the states’ rights people had meant it, by Kelsey Piper, The Argument
From abortion to education to LGBTQ rights, the debate over who should make the laws — states or the federal government — has gotten pretty squishy lately. It matters, Piper notes: “Checks and balances and federalism are good, and if there is any hope that anything good may come of the horrific abuses of office Trump is engaging in, one hope of mine is that it will help more people see that.”
So You Want to Run For President? by Jennifer Rubin, The Contrarian
It’s not enough to run against Trump in 2028. Instead, notes the former Republican Washington Post columnist — who spoke at our 2022 Ideas We Should Steal Festival — Democratic candidates need a coherent vision that takes on very particular issues that have defined our political moment.
U.S. crime has dropped sharply since the pandemic. Here’s where it stands, by Tim Craig, John D. Harden and Carson TerBush, The Washington Post.
“Want to feel a little better about Philly? Check out this analysis of the past 5 years, noting that our hometown is distinctly absent from the list of cities with the 10 highest homicide rates.” — Lauren McCutcheon, Deputy Editor
Democrats hold 6-point lead over GOP on generic ballot, by Tara Suter, The Hill.
In case you’re wondering how the endless news out of Washington, D.C. might be impacting U.S. Congressional races: “The Emerson poll comes in the wake of rocky political territory for Republicans, who have been facing criticism over affordability, files linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and President Trump’s recent foreign policy moves.”
What the U.S. Could Gain in Greenland Talks, Wall Street Journal
The Journal’s Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker and colleagues have a smart roundtable discussion in this podcast episode on the current players and factors swirling around Greenland at the World Economic Forum. Says Luke Vargas, “The details are still in flux, European officials tell us they could involve Denmark allowing American troops to be stationed at its Greenland bases, Europe boosting Arctic security, and the U.S. potentially getting a right of first refusal on investments in Greenland’s mineral resources.”
And, a look back on what famous writers — Herman Melville, for example — did to pay the bills.
The Work Behind the Writing: On Writers and Their Day Jobs, by Ed Simon for Literary Hub
A beautifully written essay on iconic wordsmiths and their day jobs is a lovely piece writing itself. Example: “Most people don’t like their jobs, or at least many don’t, which means that any moments of transcendence, ecstasy, or beauty, caught in the midst of a day job are precious, and thank God we’ve got our poets and novelists working on assembly lines and in fields that can affix those moments in verse like Nabokov pinning a butterfly to a board.”
Week of January 12:
Trump Threatens to Invoke Insurrection Act in Minnesota, by Ken Thomas and Victoria Albert, Wall Street Journal ($)
How bad might things get in Minneapolis, where ICE agents are rounding up immigrants and protests are raging? Already one protester, Renee Good, was killed by an ICE agent, another of whom shot an immigrant apparently resisting arrest. Amid calls to calm tensions, the worst may be yet to come.
The DOJ Investigates Jerome Powell, by Isaac Saul, Tangle
Philadelphia’s Saul analyzes the coverage of the Trump administration’s attack on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell: “The administration is threatening and politically pressuring the Fed. This investigation is not about Congress’s oversight, it’s not about the renovation of a building, and it’s not about whether Powell committed some kind of crime. It’s about the administration not getting the interest rates they want and using a criminal probe to pressure Powell into doing their bidding.”
The Wrong Lessons From Iran’s Past, by Eli Lake, The Free Press ($)
Everything old is new again? Lake unpacks the (rather sordid) history of American intervention in Iran as President Trump considers if and how much to intervene in that country’s burgeoning rebellion. What might we be getting ourselves into?
Why Smaller Houses Can Lead To Happier Lives, by Michael J. Coren, Washington Post ($)
“As the owner of a 1,200 square foot house (1800, with the basement) I have long believed that smaller is generally better. Not because I don’t long for more closets and storage (I do); not because I wish I didn’t have to share a bathroom with my cute but disgusting children. (I would add, Virginia Woolf, that one also needs a bathroom of one’s own.) But: For all the reasons this story enumerates, I think smaller really can be better. Especially in Philly, where it’s the neighborhood as much as — more than! — the house that defines your life.” — Philadelphia magazine editor Christy Speer Lejeune
A World Without Flu Is Possible, by Bryan Walsh, Vox
“Got knocked out by the flu this year? Hope for a healthier future may be on the horizon. Here, Vox looks at the progress we’re making towards a universal flu vaccine and gene editing treatment trials.” — Digital Media Marketing and Community Manager Olivia Kram
Jeff Bezos Needs to Speak Up, by Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic
“If you weren’t worried about American journalism before, this is one reason why you should be: Trump’s FBI raided a Washington Post reporter’s home and confiscated her computers looking for information about a confidential source within the federal government who criticized the president’s policies. As Chait notes: ‘The proper response in these moments is not to wax hysterical, but instead to draw clear moral lines. That is especially true for powerful people with the ability to make themselves heard.’” — Citizen Media Group Executive Director/Editorial Director Roxanne Patel Shepelavy
Finally, new advice from an old writer:
Acclaimed Novelist George Saunders Says Ditching These Three Illusions Can Save You, by The Interview, New York Times ($)
The award-winning storyteller has a novelist’s insight into the human condition. In this magazine interview, he talks about “the challenges of being kind, the benefits of meditation and the reality check of death.”
Week of January 5:
The U.S. captures Maduro, by Isaac Saul, Tangle
“The biggest story of the week hit over the weekend, when, on Trump’s orders, U.S. military attacked Venezuela, captured its president and flew him to New York to face drug trafficking charges. Here, Philly’s Saul analyzes the complicated situation the world woke up to this week.” — Roxanne Patel Shepelavy, Citizen Media Group Executive Director/Editorial Director
A new analysis says Harrisburg is among the least effective legislatures. Some say reform is needed, by Tom Riese, 90.5 WES
“Pittsburgh’s public news station confirms something PA has suspected for a few years now: Our legislature is among the least productive in the nation, passing only 4 percent of all proposed bills. Harrisburg provides a mirror to what’s happening in Washington, D.C.” — Lauren McCutcheon, Citizen Deputy Editor
Hospitals are a proving ground for what AI can — and can’t — do, by Te-Ping Chen and Chao Deng, The Wall Street Journal ($)
“I am, admittedly, an AI skeptic. Some of this is self-preservation, but a healthy portion of this skepticism comes from the speed in which it’s being implemented. Healthcare is one sector, though, where I’ve personally seen some value. This story helped open my eyes to that, while still including enough eyebrow-raising anecdotes to maintain my wariness.” — Brad Pearson, Philadelphia magazine Executive Editor
Feeling wonder every day improves our health. Here’s how to do it, by Dana Milbank, The Washington Post
“This is a really interesting read on how observing art and “inspiring awe” can be really beneficial to people’s wellbeing.” — Kae Lani Palmisano, Philadelphia magazine Food Editor
Grok is undressing children — can the law stop it?, by Hayden Field, The Verge
“In other disturbing news: Sexual exploitation workarounds using AI are taking over social media spaces, putting children at risk. The legal repercussions are murky, perhaps furthering the argument that rapid acceleration of unchecked AI is dangerous.” — Olivia Kram, Digital Media and Community Manager
Finally, for all the Gen Xers out there:
MTV Isn’t Dead Yet. But It Might As Well Be, by Meredith Blake, The Contrarian
“Rumors of the death of the music video platform are greatly exaggerated. But MTV — and its various spinoffs — is not what those of us who grew up on it remember. Who wants their MTV now?” — Roxanne Patel Shepelavy, Citizen Media Group Executive Director/Editorial Director