In the past 13 weeks on the road, I have made a concerted effort to stay current on what’s happening in the world — both on a micro, communities-I-visit level and a macro, both national and international level. It’s easy enough to slip into a pattern of skimming the news (or ignoring it completely) when settled in one place, and even more so whilst traveling.
And in my situation, I knew it would be far too easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. This effort to stay connected works is one way I try to be more present in the world, even as I move continuously through it.
Which brings us to why you’re reading this. With click-bait, listicles, and the ever-present 24-hour news cycle, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by what’s available. And with the open nature of the internet, it’s hard to syphon through to determine what’s worth reading and what sources are going to intelligently inform the conversations around current events.
I try my absolute best to read articles from a variety of sources, from conservative to liberal and everything in between, so I can better understand issues from all the angles available. It’s central to how I consume news, which is likely not surprising, based on the baseline thesis of my current project. And since I’m already putting in the work to seek out articles that inform and not attack, I figured — why not share them with you, in case you’re looking for them too.
Link lists and roundups have always been one of my favorite features on blogs I read regularly, even when I started following some of them back in 2008. So now, on Mondays, you can expect to see a roundup of some of the best articles I’ve read this week across the internet. Some political, some not, all (hopefully) interesting.
And since I try to consume news from all angles, you’ll see a mix of opinions and points of view in the links below. You may not agree with all of them, but I encourage you give them a try — you may come away with something new to consider along the way.
Note: As a disclaimer, I want to say that the links I share below do not necessarily reflect my own views, either politically or personally. Some are left leaning, some are right leaning, some are more in the middle. I am constantly challenging myself to consider issues from all angles, and these links reflect this challenge.
Secondary note: Additionally, I want to take this moment to encourage you to share feedback/thoughts of your own in the comments section. I’m sincerely up for open dialogue and the sharing of opinions and ideas. That said, whether in agreement or criticism, please always treat each other with mutual respect.
Let’s get to it.
What happens when a professor teaches ethics and examines communication over arguing? This one will take you 20 minutes, but it’s well worth it. (Thank you Meggie for the tip!)
An interesting take on how propaganda presents itself in 2019.
The National Review turned its eye on Texas, and examined the future of the Republican Party in the Lone Star state.
If you’ve been following along with the Democratic primary, you probably saw how AOC endorsed Bernie Sanders over the weekend. Here’s what it could mean for the party moving forward.
A personal look at the ongoing protests in Hong Kong. (Need a primer on the protests?)
From the archives: a profile about Nikki Haley that examines her time in the UN — and what’s potentially next.
After the passing of Rep. Elijah Cummings, the New Yorker published an interesting look at his career (and what it meant to Baltimore).
Settlements with pharma regarding the opioid epidemic are underway. But why is there a partisan split?
A hot take on Mitt Romney and how he’s trying to re-shape the Republican party.
And just for fun: funny tweets for people who love books.
Since this was the first links list, please let me know what you think! I always welcome feedback, especially in terms of additional reading or sources; please feel free to leave them in the comments below or via wethevotersproject@gmail.com.
