The week of April 1, 2023 was watching Lil Nas X navigate traffic; anticipating the smartest (dumbest) love language we’ve ever seen; and meditating on midcentury snacks. Long live the pizza roll!

Throwback: A Convo With Esther Perel (And other Mash-Up Wisdom On Sex)

We got to chat about sex and dating with some superstar guests, and now we’re sharing their wisdom with you. Hear from Esther Perel, Tobin Low, Awkwafina and her grandma, Mrs. Lum.

Mash-Ups In The News:

What We Learned About The AR-15’s Role In America.
WASHINGTON POST

The Washington Post interviewed more than 200 people — gun owners, shooting survivors, lawmakers, trauma surgeons and more — to understand the impact of the AR-15 in America, from its brutal efficiency at taking human life to its dramatic rise and rebranding.

The Health Benefit Of Anchovies
MEN’S HEALTH

Despite our beloved Caesar salads, anchovy hate is an American thing. Embrace the umami and check out some easy ways to love the omega-3 fish.

Love And Other Exports
THIS AMERICAN LIFE

Stories of people who are so close, but so far. A Mash-Up story.

New Climate Maps Show A Transformed United States
PROPUBLICA

Rising sea levels, wildfires, extreme heat and humidity — view the next mid century of the U.S. and your own county.

The Tiniest Tamales In The World Are Found In The Streets Of Los Angeles
LA TACO

The cutest little tamal samples you’ll ever find are made by Irma Yolanda Perez, a 60-year-old woman who makes about 80 Guadalajara-inspired tamales daily. 

Tomb Sweeping Day: Where Feeding The Dead Is A Fading Tradition
NEW YORK TIMES

As tombs and gravesites grow smaller, so do the elaborate meals made for Qingming, or Tomb Sweeping Day. “We have to do our duty. McDonald’s is not going to cut it. The spirits will be tortured.”

Vatican Rejects Discovery Doctrine
ICT NEWS

The “Doctrine of Discovery” were theories backed by 15th-century “papal bulls” that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property laws today. A Vatican statement said the papal bulls, or decrees, “did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples.”

Plus, an interview with the guy who let us all enjoy a photo of the Pope in a funny jacket. 

BuzzFeed Is Quietly Publishing Whole AI-Generated Articles, Not Just Quizzes
FUTURISM

“Buzzy the Robot” is becoming Buzzfeed’s most prolific byline and most literal hack writer. Churning out dozens of SEO-driven travel guides, these quiet experiments are comically bland and formulaic.

To Help Earth’s Future, People Are Getting Buried Like It’s 1860
WASHINGTON POST

As more environmentally conscious options, natural, or green, burials are growing in popularity:

“I mean, what else could you possibly want as your last act on earth — enhancing the environment rather than impacting it in a negative way?”

Yang Bing-Yi, Patriarch Of Taiwan’s Soup Dumpling Empire, Has Died
NPR

Yang and his wife Lai Pen-mei started the Din Tai Fung restaurant in 1972, and grew their location in Taipei into a chain that brought piping-hot steamed soup dumplings to the world.

Nashville Shooting Suspect’s Gender Sets Attack Apart From Most Mass Shootings
19TH NEWS

“The Republican party will blame anything and everything before they do a thing about guns. And so this will just keep happening.”

The violence in Nashville stood out because it was carried out by someone who is not a cisgender man — but now conservative and far-right media figures are using anti-trans rhetoric to shift the conversation away from gun control.

Chinatowns Nationwide Resist Gentrification
AXIOS

The nation’s oldest Chinatowns in Philadelphia, San Francisco and New York City have been facing recent threats that raise concerns about displacement and the erasure of Asian American communities.