From This Week's Edition
Five takeaways for US policymakers about China’s new five-year development plan

This year's National People's Congress in Beijing approved the nation's new five-year development plan. It's the fifteenth such plan issued since 1953. Beijing always uses these meetings to signal that everything is going according to plan. This year, Beijing is …

America Has a Helium Problem

Iranian missile strike damaged parts of QatarEnergy's Ras Laffen complex. Qatar is the world's second-largest helium producer. The element is essential for MRI machines, scientific research and semiconductor manufacturing. The U.S. government sold off its helium reserve in 2024.

Wizards against shortages in Cuba: coal-powered cars and rainwater bathrooms

Juan Carlos Pino has a coal-powered Fiat 126p from 1980. It took him two months to build it using scrap metal and recycled objects that he welded to the back of the car. The invention is the result of hours …

This Week
The Weekly Digest — What You Missed While You Were Living Your Life
236 stories chosen from 15351 · 23 sections · 10 min read
Full Edition →
Explore by Section
chemicals
Looking at the effects of chemicals in the world around us

Exploring the impact of toxic chemicals on agriculture, the environment, and public health, focusing on harmful substances like, PFAS and forever chemicals.

Join 10,000+ readers

One read. Everything that matters.

Every Thursday, the signal without the noise. No algorithm, no outrage bait — just a thoughtful digest of what's actually worth knowing.

china
Red Dragon's Reach: An Eye on China and the CCP

Analyzing the global influence of China, including its political, military, and economic impact, as well as demographic trends.

This Week's Full Edition
There's a lot more where that came from.
8 curated sections · Politics · Tech · Science · Economics · Culture · and what everyone's missing.
Read Full Edition
Free · No credit card · Unsubscribe anytime