The Washington Post’s list of the 25 most influential works of American culture was never going to be a complete survey given the many constraints we gave ourselves at the start of the project: Only one work would be chosen for every 10 years since the nation’s founding, with an additional shortlist of no more than five works per decade. (Spartos, The Washington Post)
Read MoreSenior citizens are at a record high for getting high. Cannabis critics feel trapped in a haze of frustration. It’s leading to legal threats, cop calls and arguments straight out of high school. (Gamerman, The Wall Street Journal)
Read MoreReading fiction may have unique benefits. For example, the amount of fiction people read seems to be a better predictor of language ability than nonfiction, research finds. And, perhaps even more importantly, research has found that fiction is linked to better social cognition — our ability to think about and interact with other people — and an increased understanding of the world as a complex place. (Sima, The Washington Post)
Read MoreChristopher Nolan‘s blockbuster “The Odyssey” is officially the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time with $1.352 billion worldwide, overtaking the benchmark set by 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” with $1.338 billion. (Rubin, Variety)
Read MoreSelf-reported drinking fell over the previous three years, from 62% in 2023 to 58% in 2024 and 54% in 2025, before holding steady this year. Gallup based the latest results on interviews with U.S. adults aged 18 and older in its July 1-19 Consumption Habits survey. (Saad, Gallup)
Read MoreThe highest court in Massachusetts has unanimously affirmed a lower court ruling prohibiting Quincy Mayor Tom Koch from erecting 10-foot-tall bronze statues of two Catholic saints on the facade of the city's new public safety building. (Blandino, USA Today)
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