Thursdays are all about longform links on Abnormal Returns. You can check out last week’s linkfest including a look at whether the era of ‘cheap stuff’ is over.
Quote of the Day
"The idea that meat is as essential as air has been part of the American project since its inception. But the popularity of beef has been manufactured and created by cultural and market forces."
(Alicia Kennedy)
Technology
- Why you shouldn't worry about AI 'stealing' your content. (drorpoleg.com)
- What you need to know about undersea internet cables. (cnet.com)
- LEDs are best thought of as a technology. (vox.com)
Retail
- How 'reverse logistics' became a big business. (newyorker.com)
- The many ways Trader Joe's distinguishes itself from other retailers. (readtrung.com)
Business
- How to get a business education from the Berkshire Hathaway ($BRK.A) oeuvre. (rationalwalk.com)
- Plaid has come out on the other side of its failed acquisition even stronger. (generalist.com)
- How the iMac helped save Apple ($AAPL). (theverge.com)
- How technology has changed the nature of corporate presentations. (ft.com)
Housing
- Colorado's mountain towns have an affordable housing problem. (nytimes.com)
- An empty lot is an opportunity. A neighborhood full of empty lots is a problem. (wsj.com)
Medicine
- Cezary Podkul, "Insurers now routinely require doctors to kick back as much as 5% if they want to be paid electronically." (propublica.org)
- How do bad doctors stay on the job for so long after issues are identified? (propublica.org)
Longreads
- The energy transition in the U.S. is well under way. (nytimes.com)
- The global economy looks a lot different than it did pre-pandemic. (wsj.com)
- We're only now coming to terms with the dangers of PFAS. (nytimes.com)
- It's hard to save rural towns without a local newspaper. (wapo.st)
- How did this island off Alaska became a haven for feral cattle? (hakaimagazine.com)
- Lessons learned from summer 'grief camp' for children. (thewalrus.ca)
- What the heck happened in 2012? (theintrinsicperspective.com)